The Indian Weekender, Friday 18 September 2020

18 SEPTEMBER2020 • VOL 12 ISSUE 27
www.iwk.co.nz /indianweekender /indianweekender
In our field report this week we speak to
Kiwi-Indian bus drivers about how they are
coping with compulsory mask restrictions
in public transport .............. Pg 08
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The Indian Weekender Friday, September 18, 2020
NEW ZEALAND 3
Are Indian marriages set to be disadvantaged again
from relaxation on partnership visa applications?
SANDEEP SINGH
Indian marriages are likely to be again
disadvantaged and miss out from the recent
relaxation announced by Immigration
Minister Kris Faafoi on restarting the processing
of some partnership-based visa applications.
Minister Faafoi had told the Indian
Weekender in an exclusive interview on
Monday, September 14 that Immigration
New Zealand will be re-opening partnership
visa application processing on Wednesday,
September 16.
In a news that can once again shatter hopes
and cause much frustration amongst thousands
of New Zealand citizens and residents who are
in relationship with Indians, and their spousal
relationship largely forged under the traditional
Indian cultural marriages, can potentially miss
out from the recent relaxation.
The Indian Weekender has seen letters sent
out to Immigration lawyers and advisers by
the Immigration New Zealand advising them
about the decision to restart the processing of
partnership related visa categories which when
approved can allow the applicants to join their
families in New Zealand without the need of
any “exception.”
“We have resumed processing some visa
applications from people who are currently not
in New Zealand.
We are now processing and deciding offshore
applications for some relationship-based visas,
if they are supported by a New Zealand citizen
or resident
We are also processing, but not approving,
offshore applications for selected visa
categories. We understand your clients want
certainty about their ability to enter New
Zealand. COVID-19 has impacted people
in many ways and New Zealand’s border
restrictions have resulted in hardship for many
migrants, including those separated from their
loved ones,” the letter sent out to immigration
advisers and lawyers said.
No respite to partnership based
on Indian marriages
However, what can potentially break many
hearts is the categoric statement in the same
letter that partnership based general visitor visa
applications will not be considered.
“The list above does not include General
Visitor Visa applications made on the basis of
a relationship which does not meet immigration
partnership requirements,” the letter said.
For uninitiated, the manner in which
Immigration New Zealand responds to the
majority of partnership visa applications from
Indian spouses of New Zealand based partners
is that it issues “General Visitor Visa” for the
purpose of allowing them to enter the country
and join their partners.
The issue of partnership based visas for
the Indian marriages has first emerged in mid
2018 when the INZ Mumbai office
had arbitrarily changed the manner
in which it was traditionally
assessing partnership visa
applications by exercising
irrational emphasis on the
requirement of “living
together,” and resulting in
mass-rejection of thousands of
applications.
The Kiwi-Indian community was
incensed with the prolonged delays,
which were followed by mass rejection of
partnership visa applications resulting in
forced separation of families on the basis of a
seemingly racist interpretation of partnership
without reflecting upon cultural sensitivities of
minority groups in the country.
The issue was further exacerbated by an
"The
list above does
not include General
Visitor Visa applications
made on the basis of a
relationship which does
not meet immigration
partnership
requirements"
opportunistic plunge by a Minister in the
government Shane Jones, who sought to gain
some brownie points for his political party
New Zealand First at the cost of genuine
and legitimate concerns of the Kiwi-Indian
community.
The issue had then snowballed in a big
community resentment and protests leading to
immediate intervention by the Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern assuaging concerns around any
racial bias against the Indian marriages.
Apparently, the then Immigration Minister
had made some changes under the category of
“Culturally arranged marriage visa” to fix the
problem, which most industry experts had then
argued was a mere cosmetic change without
addressing the main problem.
Immigration NZ had then reverted to previous
standard practice of issuing “General Visitor
Visa” in response to couple’s applications for a
“partnership based visa”.
Unfortunately, many clueless
recipients of such “general
visitor visas” who were under
impression that they had applied
and got partnership visa were
traveling overseas when borders
were closed and since then have
been locked out of the country
as they do not qualify for an
“exception.”
In that regard the latest relief announced
by the Immigration Minister is once again
leaving out the thousands of Indian marriages
from the relaxation offered to partnership visa
applications.
An enquiry has been sent to the office of the
Minister of Immigration and Immigration New
Zealand for further clarification.
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
National List MP based
in Manukau East
1/131 Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland
09 278 9302
bakshi.mp@parliament.govt.nz
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bakshi.co.nz
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4 NEW ZEALAND
Friday, September 18 , 2020
The Indian Weekender
'Partnership-visa processing from non
visa-waiver countries to resume from
this week,' says Immigration Minister
SANDEEP SINGH
Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi has told
the Indian Weekender that Immigration
New Zealand is likely to resume
processing of partnership visa applications
from Wednesday, September 16, bringing
much relief to thousands of separated families.
Minister Faafoi was speaking with the
Indian Weekender in an exclusive zoombased
interview on Monday, September 14
on range of immigration issues affecting the
Kiwi-Indian and the broader ethnic migrant
communities.
When asked why the partners of New
Zealand citizens and residents from non visa
waiver countries were excluded from the
last week’s special announcement allowing
partners from visa waiver countries into the
country, Mr Faafoi said, “I have some good
news as I can confirm that Immigration New
Zealand will start processing partnership visa
applications from non visa waiver countries
from this week.”
Expectedly, this news will bring much relief
for thousands of citizens and residents who
are experiencing forced separation because of
closed borders.
Mr Faafoi told the Indian Weekender that his
ministry was working proactively to consider
getting people back into the country on the
compassionate and humanitarian grounds
which includes partnership visas.
However, he also insisted that given the
borders were closed and which was the
government’s topmost priority as the part of
keeping Covid-19 away from the communities
all decisions have to made on the basis of total
spaces available in managed isolation and
quarantine (MIQ) facilities.
On being asked that what causes much
anxiety and frustration amongst people
stranded overseas for no fault of their own
was the seemingly “available spaces” in MIQ
facilities as visible on MBIE website which
sometime varied up to 2000 spaces out of total
7000 spaces, Mr Faafoi emphasised that it was
a complex process of coordination between
multiple agencies.
“It is a very good question, but I must say
that it is a complex process of coordination
and we have to ensure that there are spaces
available for any returning NZ citizen and
residents anytime they choose to return.
Anyway, those spaces can be taken up very
soon,” Mr Faafoi said.
"It is a very
good question,
but I must say that it is
a complex process of
coordination and we
have to ensure that there
are spaces available for
any returning NZ citizen
and residents anytime
they choose to return.
Anyway, those spaces
can be taken up very
soon
He was further asked about a range of issues
affecting temporary visa holders currently
locked out of New Zealand borders including
the situation of partnership visa holders of NZ
citizens and residents who were granted such
visas before border closure and since then
their visas have expired to which the Minister
responded that his Ministry was still working
and make announcement when ready.
To view the detailed interview please visit
Indian Weekender’s Facebook page.
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India’s ties with Samoa and Niue affirmed
on the occasion of 56th Indian Technical
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RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
The High Commission of India in
New Zealand celebrated 56th Indian
Technical and Economic Cooperation
on Tuesday, September 15 by affirming
cooperation with Pacific countries of Samoa
and Niue.
The ITEC Programme is a bilateral
assistance programme by the Government of
India first launched on September 15 in 1964
and covered 158 countries across Asia, Africa,
Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe,
and several Pacific and Caribbean nations.
The ITEC programme focusses nonaddressing
the needs of developing countries
through innovative technological cooperation
between India and partner nations.
The High Commission of India through its
social media handle on Facebook posted the
highlights of the ITEC projects in Telecom,
and IT sector completed with Pacific Nations
Samoa and Niue in the last one year.
The highlights included the launch of the
Centre of Excellence in IT at the National
University of Samoa, Apia in March 2020,
hosting the ITEC reception for ITEC alumni
in Samoa by High Commissioner of India
Muktesh Pardeshi earlier this year, grant-in-aid
of the aid of USD 2,50,000 to Samoa during
Measles epidemic in Samoa in January 2020;
the launch of Centre for Excellence in IT at the
University of South Pacific in Niue in August
2020; and completion of 4G/LTE Network
project in Niue at a total cost of USD12,56,785
in November 2019.

The Indian Weekender Friday, September 18, 2020
NEW ZEALAND 5
Covid-19: GDP results show NZ
officially in first recession in a decade
RADIO NEW ZEALAND
The economy has shrunk by
a record amount and fell
into its first recession in
a decade as it was battered by the
government’s moves to eliminate
Covid-19, but it will already be on
the road to recovery.
Official numbers show gross
domestic product (GDP) fell a
seasonally adjusted 12.2 percent for
the three months to June.
It followed a revised 1.4 percent
fall in the first quarter and was the
biggest fall since the current system
of measuring data was introduced in
1987.
“Industries like retail,
accommodation and restaurants, and
transport saw significant declines in
production because they were most
directly affected by the international
travel ban and strict nation-wide
lockdown,” Stats NZ senior manager
Paul Pascoe said.
The consensus of forecasts was for
a fall of between 12-13 percent, but
the Reserve Bank forecast more than
14 percent and Treasury 16 percent.
Service industries fell by 10.9
percent, with consumer spending
falling more than 25 percent, but
there were double digit falls for
manufacturing, and construction.
The economy shrank by 12.4
percent on the same quarter a year
ago, while the annual average growth
rate fell to 2 percent. Finance Minister
Grant Robertson said the sharp
economic decline was no surprise,
but the government’s measures such
as the wage subsidy, business loans,
and other schemes had cushioned the
impact and laid the foundation for
the rebound.
“Going hard and early means
that we can come back faster and
stronger. Economists expect the
current September quarter to show
a record jump back to growth in the
economy.” Opposition parties were
quick to jump on the numbers as an
example of government failure.
“The lack of pragmatism and a
clear plan from Labour has made
the economic hole deeper and the
impact harder than it needed to be,”
National finance spokesperson Paul
Goldsmith said.
ACT leader David Seymour said
the government had allowed the
economy to fall off a cliff and created
a mountain of debt. But economists
had already moved on from the data,
which many regarded as ‘ancient
history’.
“There is little point getting hung
up on Q2 numbers. There is likely
to be major revisions to the numbers
by StatsNZ as new information
comes to hand,” said Kiwibank chief
economist Jarrod Kerr.
“Activity that was halted during
the lockdown, particularly across
traditional services, was not
necessarily cancelled activity but
rather deferred.”
Kerr said the downturn was the
one “we had to have” and it has
offered a range of opportunities to
transform the economy and set it
on a different growth path, but this
would mean it would need to keep
spending and investing. Economists
are forecasting a rebound of as much
as 10 percent in the current quarter to
the end of September, which would
be the end of the recession.
But uncertainties surrounding
Covid-19 and border closure look
set to keep business investment
and household spending subdued,
meaning the actual hit to the economy
will persist for much longer.
New Zealand’s growth slump was
worse than Australia’s 7 percent
and the US 9.1 percent fall, but was
close to contractions in Canada and
most of Europe, and much better
than the UK’s 20.4 percent decline.
Financial markets were unmoved by
the numbers.
Authorised by G Hamilton, 41 Pipitea Street, Wellington.
Strong Team.
More Jobs.
Better Economy.

6 NEW ZEALAND
Friday, September 18 , 2020
The Indian Weekender
Judith Collins refuses to put
a timeline on how quickly
a future National govt
can bring back temporary
migrant stuck overseas
SANDEEP SINGH
In news that can break many hearts Leader of
the Opposition, Judith Collins has refused
to put any timeframe on when her future
National government would let temporary
migrants stuck overseas return back into the
country.
Ms Collins was at the Indian Weekender
studio on Friday, September 11, where she
discussed a range of issues including her
vision of New Zealand and how she intends
to manage the seemingly mutually competing
goal of managing a public health pandemic and
growing an economy.
When pointed that there was a growing
perception in the community that the National
Party was equally ambiguous on important
immigration issues affecting the community,
particularly on the critical matter of tens of
thousands of temporary migrants being locked
out of closed borders, Ms Collins deflected with
the suggestion that once into the government
her focus will to manage borders in an effective
manner before allowing stranded migrants back
into the country.
On being probed further if she was willing
to put any timeframe on when earliest her
future national government would be able to
get stranded temporary migrants back into the
country, Ms Collins refused to commit to a
timeframe.
She also reiterated that in government her
priority would be first to ensure that a vast
number of New Zealand citizens and residents
who have lost jobs due to Covid inflicted
economic disruption before getting new
temporary migrants into the country.
When reminded that she was once again
accentuating an oft-repeated, popular
perception that migrants take away jobs of
citizens without any evidence-based research,
Ms Collins asserted that her government’s
focus would be on improving the economy, so
there are enough jobs for temporary migrants.
No commitment to investing in
dedicated MIQ for temporary
migrants
Ms Collins was asked if her Party would
commit to investing in building more Managed
Isolation and Quarantine facilities dedicated for
temporary migrants who became stuck overseas
for no fault of their own, to which she pointed
towards her Party’s border management
policy.
Acknowledges skill shortage in NZ
Talking cautiously on National
Immigration policy, which Ms Collins
was not willing to reveal much, she
said that there was a shortage of skilled
workers and her future government
would balance that need in a careful
manner.
However,
despite
acknowledging about skill
shortages, Ms Collins
has nothing substantial to
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temporary migrant workers,
who till recently were
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8 NEW ZEALAND
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
The emergence of the second wave of
Covid-19 in the community in mid-
August has prompted the government
to make the use of face-masks compulsory in
public transport along with strict maintaining of
social distances.
One of the most vulnerable spaces that
can spread Covid from one place to a distant
location is through public transport if proper
precautions are not taken by travellers.
To prevent or reduce the spread of the virus,
masks were made compulsory by the Ministry
of Health on public transports and were
enforced from Monday, August 31.
Thus, drivers of public transport, be it a
taxi, buses, or train conductors who are the
first point of contact with the passengers were
tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that
passengers were adhering to compulsory masks
restrictions.
Even after the relaxation on social distancing
on public transports including
flights from
Monday, September
14 as announced by
PM Jacinda Ardern,
masks are still
compulsory to
worn on all public
transports irrespective
of which part of country
people are travelling in.
So how does it impact the bus
drivers – who are at the frontline of managing
the spread of Covid-19 through our public
transport busses?
What kinds of challenges are they facing
Priyanca
Radhakrishnan
Labour List MP based
in Maungakiekie
Maungakiekie Office
09 622 2660
priyanca.radhakrishnan@parliament.govt.nz
Level 1 Crighton House, 100 Neilson St,
Onehunga (entrance via Galway St)
| | priyancanzlp
while policing passengers to wear facemasks,
if any, at all?
Friday, September 18 , 2020
The Indian Weekender spoke to few Kiwi-
Indian bus drivers in Auckland of the new
challenges of policing the passengers and
ensuring they always wear facemasks while in
their respective busses.
Avtar Singh – Driving in different Alert
levels is an altogether different experience
Avtar Singh has been a bus driver for five
years now and has driven on almost every route
connecting in Auckland and North Shore from
one corner to another.
Avtar said that driving in Alert Levels 4, 3 and
currently 2.5 is much different from what he had
seen all these years. Since seating restrictions
and compulsory masks were in place- he felt
much more safe driving passengers from one
destination to another.
“We have had 15 passengers’ restriction in
the bus, and I feel that is much safer for a driver
transporting hundreds of travellers from one
point to another on a daily basis,” Avtar adds.
Avtar further added that he wears his mask
whenever working, makes sure there is a
maximum of 15 passengers on board at a time,
and they tag the hop card when boarding and
all are wearing masks, but with hundreds of
passengers from different age groups- not all
are compliant to the rules and sometimes he has
to make a few exceptions.
“All the passengers come through the rear
door only, we had marked seats for passengers
to sit so distancing is maintained, and there is
a cordon just ahead of the wheelchair seating
space and make sure no passenger comes
beyond the cordon close to the driver.
“When I am driving towards the South
Auckland route, sometimes, I get passengers
who come in groups and do not wear masks- I
request them a couple of times, but it’s not easy
dealing with them or making them compliant,”
Avtar Singh added.
The Indian Weekender
How has been the life of drivers of Auckland’s
public transport with compulsory mask restrictions
"We
have 15
passengers’ restriction
in the bus, and I feel that
is much safer for a driver
transporting hundreds of
travellers from one point
to another on a daily
basis."
passengers who just climb the bus, don’t pay/
tag their hop cards and sit it groups not wearing
masks.
He says he has had to deny passengers at
times if the max capacity of the bus is attained
or they are not wearing masks- but most of the
times he has to accommodate them.
“We have to make sure there are 15 maximum
passengers, but sometimes, it’s raining, and
some people come in pairs, or groups and you
have to accommodate them- asking them to sit
near the wheelchair space of the bus, just ahead
of the cordon,” Satwant Singh said.
"We often get
passengers
who do not carry cash,
or their hop card is not
working, and in such
cases, we have an option
in our system to issue
a free ticket for them
so that we have a track
of how many free or
complimentary tickets we
have issued in a run
Authorised by
Priyanca Radhakrishnan,
Parliament Buildings, Wellington
Satwant Singh – almost started the job when
Auckland went into lockdown
Five months into the job, Satwant Singh says
he gets both kinds of passengers- some are
compliant, adhere to the seating restrictions and
wear masks etc. and sometimes there are few
Komalpreet Singh – This is new normal,
and we are prepared for it
Komalpreet Singh who usually drives
between Glen Innes, Sylvia Park and Onehunga
has spent three months into the job and is happy
with the work and has made sure passengers
are compliant with social distancing rules
and masks.
“We often get passengers who do not
carry cash, or their hop card is not working,
and in such cases, we have an option in
our system to issue a free ticket for them
so that we have a track of how many free or
complimentary tickets we have issued in a run,”
Komalpreet said.

10 NEW ZEALAND ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2020
Friday, September 11, 2020 The Indian Weekender
HOW PARTNERSHIP VISA APPLICATIONS BASED ON INDIAN
MARRIAGES CAN AGAIN FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS?
SANDEEP SINGH
The Minister of Immigration Kris Faafoi
had announced on Monday, September
14, in an exclusive interview with
the Indian Weekender that Immigration New
Zealand will be restarting the processing of
partnership visa applications so as to let them
join their partners, who are NZ citizens and
residents.
INZ has confirmed that as of August 14, there
were 2,258 offshore temporary relationshipbased
visa applications on hand and 2,238
offshore residence relationship-based visa
applications on hand.
So what does this mean for Indian-New
Zealanders who are citizens and residents of
this country and have chosen to marry and form
a spousal relationship within their culture as per
their traditions, which often means travelling
overseas and getting married?
Will they be able to reunite with their spouses
as per the latest assurance by the Immigration
Minister about the restarting of partnership visa
processing?
Unfortunately, No.
At least as long as the current level of
“disconnect” is allowed to persist between INZ
and the government.
What is the “disconnect”
between Govt & INZ?
Sadly, the current government’s
understanding about the core problem of
partnership visa for Indian marriages and INZ’s
operational understanding of dealing with such
visa applications are like two rail-tracks, which
deceptively appears to be running side by side
and appearing to be aligned – but in reality, they
never meet together.
INZ is restricted by the current immigration
policy that only recognises traditional Pakeha/
Eurocentric world-view of forming a spousal
relationship where a couple has to live together
before they become a couple.
In Indian culture and many other major
cultures of the orient, prior living together is
not the necessary requirement of becoming a
couple and is in fact actively discouraged, at
least in a vast segment of such societies.
Therefore the majority of Indian marriages,
especially where an Indian-New Zealander
prefer to go overseas to marry within their own
cultural settings, do not fulfil the requirement
under current immigration law – which is
clearly a biased, one size fit all, view of a
spousal relationship.
Immigration system’s deep
rooted-bias against Indianmarriages
This is indeed a permanent deep-rooted bias
towards partnerships based on traditional Indian
marriages, as they are never treated equally
to a white man/woman trying to bring their
partner from anywhere in Europe, Americas or
anywhere else in the world.
For several years, INZ’s frontline officers, in
the absence of any suitable policy reflective of
NZ’s changing demography, had been taking a
compassionate view on their own, and issuing
a “relationship-based General Visitor Visa”
instead, so as to first allow such people to join
their Kiwi-partners and live together and fulfil
the requirements for partnership visas.
Ever since this practice was abruptly
disturbed by INZ’s Mumbai office in May 2019,
the institutional-bias towards Indian marriages
for the purpose of immigration continues to
flare up time and again, putting those in Indianmarriages
in a disadvantage as compared to
other ethnicities and cultural groups.
Towards the latter half of 2019, there was
an intense community resentment and media
scrutiny, that propelled the then Immigration
Minister to make some changes in “Culturally
arranged marriage visa category,” in the hope
that going forward most of the applications
would be catered under that new category and
the disadvantage towards Indian marriages
would be removed.
However, that hope has remained elusive, as
not only there was any meaningful uptake from
new applications under that new category, but
also INZ had quietly reverted to their age-old
business as usual approach of issuing “general
visitor visa based on relationship.”
How Kiwi-Indians getting
General Visitor Visa are
disadvantaged
That General Visitor Visa issued explicitly
to partners of Indian-New Zealanders continue
to remain disadvantaged as many such visa
holders who have recently got their visas have
been locked out of NZ borders after Covid
related border closure.
When the government had started to offer
relief in June this year to allow partners of NZ
citizens and residents who hold partnership
visas to return to the country, all such Indianorigin
people who were partners of Indian-New
Zealanders (citizens and residents) have not
been granted such exceptions.
The Indian Weekender has been at the
forefront of raising voice for the Indian-New
Zealanders who are experiencing forced
separation simply because of “disconnect”
between immigration department and the
government and are being unfairly targeted
purely because of their race and cultural
practices.
Surabhi Joshi is married to NZ resident Ankit
Saptrishi and first applied partnership visa last
year when she was advised by INZ that she
will not fulfil “living together” requirement
for partnership visa and was advised to file
General Visitor Visa, which they applied and
was approved.
She had arrived in January 2020, with only
having to return on an emergency trip to visit
her severely sick father before NZ borders were
closed and has been locked out since then.
Now, when all other Pakeha/European
partners, who had partnership visas, were
allowed exception to enter NZ and join their
partners, but not Surabhi Joshi who had a
General Visitor Visa.
Amrutha Kishore, an Indian-New Zealander
resident who got married to her long time beau
who was working in Hongkong, is frustrated
that her husband is not allowed an exception to
enter NZ, simply because INZ had given him a
General Visitor Visa.
There are hundreds and thousands of such
examples, who have either received GVV
recently or are currently in partnership visa
queues that INZ will be restarting to process
who will not be allowed to join their Kiwi
partners despite the current Minister of
Immigration’s recent announcement.
To make it worse, INZ would not have
readily available data about the number of
applications emanating from India which first
sought Partnership Visa, but were eventually
granted General Visitor Visas to quantify the
scale and the scope of the deep-rooted problem
facing Kiwi-Indian community.
Meanwhile, several industry stakeholders,
including noted immigration lawyers have told
the Indian Weekender that they have not seen
any major movement in the culturally arranged
marriage visa category with most of their
clients still pursuing the path of applying for
partnership visa and getting in return General
Visitor Visa from INZ.
Immigration Lawyer Alastair McClymont
told the Indian Weekender that only 1% of his
total clients of partnership visa were eligible for
culturally arranged marriage visa category.
Another Immigration lawyer Aron Martin
also concurs saying that it was very rare that
his clients qualified under the strict definition
of culturally arranged marriage visa category.
It is clear that soon, when INZ restarts
processing of partnership visa applications all
such applications based on Indian marriages
will continue to fall through the cracks.

The Indian Weekender Friday, September 18, 2020
NEW ZEALAND 11
Kiwi Indian gold medallist
wrestler passes away
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
A
29-year-old Kiwi Indian having a gold medal
in wrestling has passed away in Auckland on
the night of Wednesday, September 9.
The man has been identified as Gagandeep Singh,
belonging to Khurdan district of Hoshiarpur and came
to New Zealand in 2011. He was working as a taxi
driver and as a service station manager in Auckland.
Gagandeep was a renowned wrestler and kabaddi
player with several accolades and awards to his name.
His parents live in India, and a brother in USA.
Among other family members, Gagandeep’s uncle
and cousins live in Auckland and are closely attached
to the Supreme Sikh Society, Takanini Gurudwara in
Auckland.
Close contact of deceased told the Indian Weekender
that Gagandeep being national gold medallist in
wrestling was supposed to travel to the USA for a
competition in December 2019, but could not participate
due to his pending NZ Citizenship documents, although
he visited his brother in USA in January 2020.
“Gagandeep was cheerful and full of energy, and he
will be missed deeply by all of us in the community. It
is tragic to see such a beautiful soul leave us untimely,”
Daljit Singh from Takanini Gurudwara said.
Community is mourning his sudden death and
Kabaddi Federation of New Zealand has offered its
condolences to Gagandeep’s family here and back in
India.
Gagandeep’s mortal remains has been repatriated via
Singapore Airlines on Wednesday, September 16 and
has reached New Delhi on Thursday, September 17
where his family will receive the body for last rites to
be conducted at his hometown in Hoshiarpur.
Friends of Gagandeep and the clubs he represented
contributed to bear the cost of body repatriation to his
family in India.
“Gagandeep’s friends, community members and
preachers from Otahuhu Gurudwara conducted a
prayer ceremony and farewelled the soul last Sunday
Some relief for those stranded offshore
Priyanca Radhakrishnan
Labour List MP based in Maungakiekie
and Parliamentary Private Secretary to
the Minister for Ethnic Communities
Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi recently announced
changes to existing Immigration restrictions that
will provide some relief to those stranded offshore,
some employers and to resident visa holders who have
been worried that their visas will no longer be valid as a
result of COVID-19 border and travel restrictions.
The Government is creating a new border exception
category to enable the return of some temporary work
visa holders who are overseas and have strong, ongoing
links to New Zealand.
To be considered for the new border exception, visa
holders must still have their job or business in New
Zealand; a work to residence visa, an essential skills
visa that is not subject to the stand-down period, or an
entrepreneur visa; have departed New Zealand on or
after 1 December 2019 and must have lived in New
Zealand for at least two years.
Under changes being introduced from early October,
Australian citizens or citizens of visa waiver countries
living outside New Zealand, but who are partners of
New Zealand citizens and residents, may be granted an
exception to travel to New Zealand as long as they’re
able to demonstrate that they’re in a genuine and
stable relationship.
Changes have also been made to provide
clarity of the assessment criteria employers
wanting key critical workers to come to
New Zealand.
Changes announced will make it slightly easier for
employers wanting to employ individuals with unique
skills and expertise that aren’t easily available in New
Zealand, to be able to do so. This change takes effect
immediately.
before being sent for repatriation earlier this week,”
Daljit Singh said.
If you are worried about your or someone else’s
mental health, the best place to get help is your GP
or local mental health provider. However, if you or
someone else is in danger or endangering others,
call police immediately on 111.
Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to
speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508
TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who
may be thinking about suicide, or those who are
concerned about family or friends.
Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7) or text
4202
Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7)
Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234
(8am-12am), or email talk@youthline.co.nz
What’s Up: online chat (3pm-10pm) or 0800
WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 helpline (12pm-10pm
weekdays, 3pm-11pm weekends)
Kidsline (ages 5-18): 0800 543 754 (24/7)
The final change announced last week was a 12 month
extension for resident visa holders stranded offshore
who can’t activate their visa before it runs out or return
to New Zealand in time to ensure their visa remains
valid because of COVID-19 travel restrictions.
When New Zealand’s border was closed to everyone
except citizens and permanent residents in March, there
were 18,720 cases globally. Today, according to the
World Health Organisation there are close to 30 million
cases. As the pandemic continues to surge in many
countries overseas, our border remains our primary line
of defence to the virus and its spread in New Zealand.
That’s why the bar for being granted an exception to
travel to New Zealand remains high. Any changes must
still align with New Zealand’s tight COVID-19 border
controls to limit the spread of the virus. We also need
to continue coordinating the numbers of people coming
across the border so that our managed isolation and
quarantine facilities can cope.
Close to 50,000 New Zealanders have returned home
over the past few months. As this number begins to ease
and freeing up capacity at our border facilities, New
Zealand is in a position to be able to make adjustments
to border entry settings. Our key priority remains
balancing border entry exceptions with a focus on
making sure that, where possible, New Zealanders who
have lost jobs due to COVID-19 have the opportunities
to move into new work.
New Zealand has followed a plan that has worked.
Our elimination strategy, which is based on strong and
well-targeted public health measures, allows economic
activity to resume sooner and in a more sustainable
manner than many countries around the world. Now, we
need to stay the course and keep moving.
KNOW YOUR
CANDIDATE:
Vishal Choksi
from TEA Party
for Mt Roskill
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
Vishal Choksi is one of the many new faces the community will be seeing
in the upcoming elections getting his candidature from TEA Party for
the Mt Roskill Electorate.
Taxpayers & Entrepreneurs Alliance or TEA Party was established in August
2020 and aimed to bring a voice in New Zealand Parliament for immigrants,
marginalised, minorities & ethnic communities.
Vishal hails from the tourism industry with over half a decade of experience
in his basket and has been working as a Chief Operating Officer for a Tourism
Company in NZ for seven years now.
Vishal has been closely connected with the community for years and was
unsure if he should join politics when approached by TEA Party earlier this year.
After deliberation of several days and reading through the policies of TEA Party
and what it stands for, Vishal took this leap throwing his hat in the ring.
“Through politics, I aim to make a difference in people’s lives- bring those
positive and much-needed changes in the lives of ethnic migrants living in the
Roskill region and a definitive voice of the community and not the other way
round in the parliament,” Vishal told The Indian Weekender.
Vishal adds that in the upcoming elections, he and his party will be focussing
his campaign and voice on three crucial matter to the community, namely, family
reunion, international student sector and trade agreements with India & Pacific
countries.
“I want to emphasise on streamlining the current immigration policies that are
not designed well for the ethnic communities living in New Zealand.
“The parent category visa and its criteria are outrageous, partnership visa
policies and work visa rules too is not architected to help the migrant community
settle in NZ,” Vishal added.
“At TEA Party, we propose a tourism policy that will be of good support to
our businesses and communities, and as I have been a resident for Mt Roskill
Electorate for years now, I am the local guy who knows and is connected with
the community very well,” Vishal added.

Editorial
Harnessing
strategic ties
with Dhaka
Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has recently written a book on India’s position on the
implementation of foreign policy.
The book was virtually launched last Thursday in Delhi at a function organised by the
Observer Research Foundation. Jaishankar had written the book after retiring as Foreign Secretary.
At the time, he had no idea that he would become the Foreign Minister.
In a discussion titled, ‘Broad Canvas of Indian Diplomacy during Pandemic’ organised by the
Indian Council of World Affairs, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said unequivocally last
Friday that our foreign policy is ‘neighbourhood first’. What he didn’t mention was that at present
China and Pakistan are colluding together to test India’s military preparedness and the resolve to
deal with what is termed as “two front war.”
In Moscow, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to the Chinese delegates, even tried to
understand Moscow’s temperament. In a situation of this sort, China, Sri Lanka, Myanmar require
Bangladesh more than ever.
Meanwhile, a self-interested group has started to spread the word in both India and Bangladesh
that China has already made an offer to Sheikh Hasina’s government that it will hold trials for the
Coronavirus vaccine in Dhaka and that Dhaka has agreed to the trials. On the other hand, despite
being such a great friend of Bangladesh, India isn’t doing anything!
Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla’s recent visit to Dhaka must be understood in this
context. And after returning from this tour, the Cabinet of Modi Government called for a meeting
and pledged to give the Covid-19 vaccine to Dhaka first. The Cabinet has approved an agreement
between the two countries, stating that India will give the vaccine to Bangladesh as soon as it
arrives.
If Oxford or any other organisation or any other country gives these vaccines to India, India’s
Institute of Serology will send them to various neighbouring countries in South Asia. In Dhaka the
distribution will be done through various non governmental organisations.
As for the reason behind providing the vaccine to Bangladesh on priority, India has called
Bangladesh a ‘strategic’ partner. Beximco Pharmaceuticals of Bangladesh has signed an agreement
with Serum Institute of India for the Covid vaccine. On the other hand, Dhaka has not yet signed
any agreement with China regarding a vaccine, only trials have been approved.
It is pertinent to remind readers in Bangladesh that at the behest of Modi and Jaishankar, Shringla
went to Dhaka in this Corona situation and held a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
during which a detailed discussion took place about the Covid-19 vaccine.
The draft of the bilateral agreement was finalised at this meeting. The agreement reaffirms the
triumph of the earlier friendship between these two countries.
The journey of the bilateral friendship, which began in 1971 with the birth of an independentsovereign
Bangladesh continues even today. Shringla will be visiting Myanmar soon. He had
assured Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka that India will keep in mind this strategic relationship in resolving
the Rohingya issue.
This time around, India will enact an active role in order to solve the problem. India will act as
an informal mediator with the Myanmar government and will then raise the issue at the UN General
Assembly in September. Shringla went to Dhaka as the Foreign Secretary.
He mentioned a special route for the Rohingya from Bangladesh to Myanmar, so that a consensus
could be reached . India is particularly active in this regard but does not want to ruin the friendly
relations with Myanmar. Friendship with Myanmar is important for India.
As for Bangladesh, it wants India’s Foreign Secretary to go to Myanmar but that the Indian
Government should make no statement which could hurt Bangladesh’s sovereign interests.
The Bangladesh government has seen how the Sri Lankan government fell into a debt trap
by borrowing from China. Sri Lanka signed a 99-year-old lease agreement with Merchant Port
Holdings Limited in 2016 and for that reason took $ 1.12 billion. But it fell short of the terms of
the Exim Bank of China.
To get out of the trap of past debt, Sri Lanka had to take further loans. The balance of payments
situation in the country is extremely serious. Hence, Bangladesh is putting its trust in India’s longterm
friendship without falling into China’s trap.
From Dhaka to Delhi to Kolkata, everywhere there have been articles, television talk shows,
round table conferences at midnight. We all want democracy to last long in both the countries.
Covid-19 has ruined the economy. India is committed to the Sheikh Hasina government.
In the age of globalisation, no state can adopt a ‘walk alone’ policy. There is great significance
of the India-Bangladesh border.
Therefore, by saying that Bangladesh is its strategic partner, India wants to end all
misunderstanding. For the same reason Shringla announced that India will resolve all the
outstanding issues.
Thought of the week
“Never underestimate the power of dreams and
the influence of the human spirit. We are all the
same in this notion: The potential for greatness
lives within each of us.” –Wilma Rudolph.
18 September – 24 September 2020
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu
On-and-off
rain and
drizzle
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sunny
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Indian Weekender : Volume 12 Issue 27
Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited
Content Editor: Sandeep Singh | sandeep@indianweekender.co.nz
Chief Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | rizwan@indianweekender.co.nz
Chief Technical Officer: Rohan deSouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz
Sr Graphics and Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar | mahesh@indianweekender.co.nz
Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | design@indianweekender.co.nz
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Editor at Large: Dev Nadkarni | dev@indianweekender.co.nz
Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher
is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication
Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent
the views of the team at the Indian Weekender
Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland.
Printed at Horton Media, Auckland
Parlty
sunny
Clouds and
sun
14°
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A touch o
dafr
This week in New Zealand’s history
18 September 1937
First state house opened in Miramar
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Copyright 2017. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Sunshine
and pactcy
clouds
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A few
morning
showers
Most of the Labour Cabinet helped the first tenants move into 12 Fife Lane in the Wellington
suburb of Miramar. Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage carried a cumbersome dining
table through a cheering throng.
19 September 1893
Women win the right to vote
When the governor, Lord Glasgow, signed a new Electoral Act into law, New Zealand
became the first self-governing country in the world in which women had the right to vote
in parliamentary elections.
21 September 1834
Rescue of Harriet survivors begins
The family of the whaler Jacky Guard were among a group of Pākehā captured by Māori in
May 1834 after the barque Harriet ran aground on the Taranaki coast.
22 September 1906
Domestic workers call for 68-hour week
At a meeting in Wellington, Marianne Tasker and supporters established a domestic workers’
union, hoping to use the Liberal government’s Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act to
force employers to improve pay and conditions. Central to their demands was a 68-hour working
week.
22 September 1931
Coalition government formed to combat Depression
United Party Prime Minister George Forbes had convened an inter-party conference with the
goal of forming a coalition government that would ‘share the responsibility’ of dealing with
the Depression.
23 September 1887
Tongariro mountains protected
In February 1887 newspapers reported Ngāti Tūwharetoa’s proposal to ‘gift’ the Crown the
mountaintops of Tongariro, Ngāuruhoe and Ruapehu as the basis for a national park. What
the iwi actually intended was that they and the New Zealand government would take joint
responsibility for protecting the sacred maunga.
25 September 1819
New Zealand's first grapevines planted?
Missionary Samuel Marsden planted about a hundred grapevines of different varieties he
had brought from Sydney at the site he had chosen for a new Church Missionary Society
(CMS) station at Kerikeri.
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The Indian Weekender Friday, September 18, 2020 FIJI 13
Cardiologists urge Fijians to address chest pain
Cardiologists are urging Fijians who may
be having chest pain to get screened for
heart problems.
Interventional Cardiologist at the CWM
Hospital in Suva, Dr Shahin Nusair says more
young people are presenting symptoms of heart
attack.
Dr Nusair says many Fijians do not take
chest pain seriously.
“To be honest it’s a silent killer and
unfortunately one of the presentations of heart
attack is just sudden death.
"And you probably heard so many stories of
somebody saying he was fine and healthy, he
slept and never woke up.
"And when we do a post morterm we find it’s
actually a heart attack that claimed his life so
that’s what we mean by silent killer.”
Dr Nusair says many people continue to
ignore the signs of heart attack especially after
suffering multiple chest pain.
“It is all more to do with culture, probably
an iTaukei gentleman might not necessarily
address his chest pain and might brush it aside
Call for unity on mental health in Fiji amid Covid-19 pandemic
A
Fijian
psychologist is
calling on people in Fiji
to work together to tackle
issues associated with mental health
amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fijian students are now learning
from home due to Covid-19. Photo:
Supplied/Ignite4Change
Addressing a prayer vigil to
remember the victims of suicide in
Suva, Selina Kuruleca said people
must assist one another and reach
out to those struggling due to the
pandemic.
The Health Ministry says about
90 Fijians have died from suicide
this year while there have been 82
attempted suicides.
Dr Kuruleca, who is the chair
of the National Committee on
Prevention of Suicide in Fiji. said
suicides are responsible for the
majority of deaths of younger
Fijians.
"The highest number of deaths in
young people or youths between the
ages of 15 to 29 is deaths by suicide.
These are preventable deaths. There
are more deaths from suicides than
there are from road accidents or
drowning," Selina Kuruleca said.
Kuruleca urged community and
church leaders to reach out to their
members and help those suffering
depression or other mental healthrelated
issues.
Fiji marked International Suicide
Prevention Day last week with
September named the country's
Mental Health month.
Last week's vigil was organised
by Lifeline and supported by
Psychiatric Survivors Association,
Youth Champs for Mental Health
and the Fiji Council of Social
Services.
Speaking at the vigil, Dr Kuruleca
said death from suicide was
traumatic for all those left behind
and it should never be an option.
She encouraged those present at
the event to support those families
that had been impacted by the
suicide of a loved one.
Dr Kuruleca urged people not
to judge but show action that they
cared for them.
"Make a commitment today to be
persistent in your compassion, to be
genuine in your advocacy and to be
mindful of our realities," she said.
"Everyone needs to work together
- from Empower Pacific, Lifeline,
youth champs for mental health,
medical services pacific, women's
crisis centre, women's rights
movement, the LGBTQI community
and of course, our faith-based
organisations.
"We all have a part to play and we
must play it."
The theme of the Mental Health
Month is Working Together, she
said.
Fijians who need help can call
the 24-hour child helpline on 1325,
domestic violence on 1560, Lifeline
on 132454 and Empower Pacific on
7765626 if they need counselling or
want to talk to a counsellor.
Nadi in Top 10 most scenic Airports worldwide
Nadi International Airport
breathtaking”
has been named in the Top
Voter said “it has the breathtaking
10 Most Scenic Airports
views of the sunrise and the iconic
in the world by voters from around
the globe. The results were revealed
by PrivateFly who carried out the
annual Scenic Airports Poll.
Fiji Airports Chairman, Geoffrey
sleeping giant mountain on the
backdrop”
Top 10 Scenic Airports 2020
1. Donegal Airport – Ireland
2. Msembe Airstrip – Tanzania
Shaw says this global recognition
3. kiathos (Alexandros
underscores Fiji’s breathtaking
Papadiamantis) Airport - Greece
views, natural beauty and tranquillity
when landing at Nadi International
Airport. He says they can proudly
boast having one of the best scenic
arrival and departure experiences in
the world.
Shaw further says the aviation
industry is facing massive challenges
Most Scenic Airports Worldwide is
a reminder of how Fiji’s appeal is
embraced by international travellers.
Shaw says they can’t wait to
welcome back our international
visitors when travel resumes.
Airport Poll was conducted between
February and March this year.
Voters said “the views of the Nadi
Bay and mountainous regions are
amazing when landing”
They said “just getting into the
4. Orlando Melbourne International
Airport - USA
5. Barra Airport – Scotland
6. Bora Bora (Motu Mute) Airport –
French Polynesia
7. St Maarten (Princess Juliana)
International Airport - St Maarten
8. Praslin Island Airport - Seychelles
in these demanding times with Nadi is ranked 10th in the World’s Nadi International Airport you see 9. Dubai International Airport -
tourism and international air travel at Most Scenic Airports and 2nd in the the mountain ranges and the islands, United Arab Emirates
a virtual standstill due to COVID-19. Australasia region.
just out floating over the Pacific
He says being rated in the Top 10 The 2020 PrivateFly Scenic Ocean. Just picture perfect, and
10. Nadi International Airport - Fiji
or tough it out which is definitely wrong as
supposed to another gentleman whose pain
threshold is low and he gets chest pain and he
actually visits the doctor.”
Another cardiologist Dr Bharat Bali says
many Fijians are presenting late to hospitals as
they choose herbal treatment over doctors.
Covid-19: 152 Days
Of No Community
Transmission Cases In Fiji
It has now been 152 days
without any cases of community
transmission of COVID-19 in
Fiji. This is according to the Minister
for Health and Medical Services Dr
Ifereimi Waqainabete.
And it has been 11 days since the
last COVID-19 case of COVID-19 in
the border quarantine areas.
To date Fiji has recorded 32 cases
of COVID-19, of which only four
border quarantine cases remain
active, 28 have recovered. It was 181
days ago when Patient One was tested
positive. Dr Waqainabete said Fiji
had managed to contain COVID-19.
He urged Fijians to do their part by
downloading the careFIJI app.
Fruit flies could affect
Fiji’s export market
The presence of fruit flies in
any commodity exported
by Fiji to New Zealand
can be detrimental. The issue can
also possibly affect the bilateral
quarantine agreements that are
currently in place. The Ministry
of Agriculture and the Biosecurity
Authority are keeping a close watch
to ensure that fruit flies do not leave
our shores.
Permanent Secretary for
Agriculture Ritesh Dass says it
is important that all necessary
precautions are taken to prevent
fruit fly presence in any export
commodity. Fiji exports pawpaw,
mangoes, breadfruit, and eggplant to
NZ. The Fijian fruit fly (Bactrocera
passiflorae) and the Pacific fruit
fly (Bactrocera xanthodes) if
found in these commodities sent
to New Zealand, will have severe
repercussions. Dass says the
treatment is available to ensure that
these fruits are fly free before it
leaves our shores.
He says the Ministry’s Fruit Fly
Unit of the Crop Research Division
is creating awareness programs on
the pest as well as its management
during field visits and agriculture
shows.
Fiji PM: Island nations must stand together
We see ourselves as an
indicating a remarkable 28 trillion the need for staying united amid the
incubator for innovation
tonnes of ice had melted from the dual crisis.
– incubators for the big
Earth’s surface between 1994 and “Now, as we face these dual crises
blue and green ideas humanity needs
that can be scaled up across the
world, says Prime Minister Voreqe
Bainimarama.
He made these comments at the
opening of the Virtual Island Summit
2020 last week.
Mr Bainimarama said COVID-19
was an unfortunate turn of fate for
2017, which is 3.6 million kilograms
of ice for every person on Earth.
“Without dramatic changes to
the way the world’s largest carbon
producers operate, the situation only
looks to get worse from here.
"The rising seas that have followed
are proving particularly devastating
for island nations like ours.
– climate change and contagion –
island nations must stand together
with a more united voice than
ever before.
"So during this year’s Virtual
Island Summit, I hope that each of
you take the time to listen, to learn
and, most importantly, to be driven
to action.”
nations which were already on the
"Without " C r i t i c a l The Virtual Island Summit 2020,
frontlines of combating other issues
dramatic infrastructure and scheduled from September 7 to
such as climate change.
changes to the way entire communities 13, was an online event aimed at
“For years, islanders have been
the world’s largest in Fiji have been connecting global islands to share
sounding the alarm bells on rising first-hand, watching the land, that swallowed by the seas,”
carbon producers operate,
relocated to higher common experiences, driving the
the situation only looks to
sea levels and strengthening storms. was entrusted to us by our ancestors he added.
ground as a result.” sustainability and prosperity of
get worse from here"
We have experienced their wrath and their ancestors before them, be He shared a report
He also emphasised Pacific communities.

14
INDIA
Friday, September 18, 2020 The Indian Weekender
India: Coronavirus cases
Confirmed: 5,118,253
Deaths: 83,230
Recovered: 4,025,079
NEWS in BRIEF
India wins three elections to key UN bodies
India has scored a hat-trick of election wins at the United Nations ahead
of the General Assembly’s 75th session, which will be held virtually
due to Covid-19 pandemic.
India beat China to win a four-year term on the UN’s Commission
on the Status of Women (CWS), a prestigious wing of the world body’s
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). India also won a seat each,
through endorsements, to two other ECOSOC bodies — the Committee for
Programme and Coordination (CPC) and the Commission on Population
and Development (CPD). Terms will begin 2021 when India will also start
its two-year stint on the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member.
“India wins seat in prestigious #ECOSOC body!” T S Tirumurti, India’s
permanent representative to the UN, announced in a tweet on Monday.
“India elected Member of Commission on Status of Women #CSW. It’s
a ringing endorsement of our commitment to promote gender equality and
women’s empowerment in all our endeavours.”
100-year-old Assam woman beats Covid-19
A
100-year-old woman has been discharged from a hospital here after
recovering from Covid-19, officials said.
Health officials said that Mai Handique, a boarder of a Guwahati-based
old-age home, had undergone treatment for coronavirus for the past few
weeks at the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (MMCH) here. Health
Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a tweet: "Steely resolve of 100-yearold
Mai Handique is monumental. With brilliant support from doctors at
MMCH, she defeated coronavirus, giving us a lesson in having right will
power. "As she gets back to Mother's Old Age Home, Hatigaon, Guwahati,
I join my team in wishing her the best."
Coronavirus cases have gone up to 1,46,575 in Assam, including
1,16,900 recoveries and 492 deaths. Assam's recovery and fatality rates
are now 79.80 per cent and 0.34 per cent, respectively. The total number
of samples tested in the state so far is 27,82,807. According to the health
officials, 930 recovered patients have so far donated plasma in five medical
colleges of the state.
India slams OIC, Turkey, Pakistan over
Kashmir in Geneva
India on Tuesday slammed Turkey and the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, while
shaming Pakistan for funding cross-border terrorism and ethnic cleansing
of its minorities.
In response to the statements made by Pakistan, Turkey and the OIC
at the Council, Indian representative Pawan Badhe, First Secretary at the
Permanent Mission of India in Geneva, rejected their comments on India's
internal matters, specifically Jammu and Kashmir, which was reorganised
last year and bifurcated into two Union Territories.
In an unprecedented takedown of the OIC, Turkey and Pakistan, Badhe
said, "The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of
India. The OIC has no locus standi to comment on internal affairs of India.
The OIC has allowed itself to be misused by Pakistan to subvert its own
agenda. It's for the members of the OIC to decide if it is in their interest to
allow Pakistan to do so."
He also advised Turkey to refrain from commenting on the internal affairs
of India. Using strong words against Islamabad, Badhe said it has become
a habit for Pakistan to malign India with false and fabricated narratives for
its self-serving malicious purposes.
Small satellites to populate skies: Saraswat
Niti Aayog member VK Saraswat said on
Tuesday that the launch of small satellites
will be a dominant factor in the global space
sector, as around 7,000 satellites are expected to
be up in the skies by 2027.
He said that market researchers predict
remarkable growth in the launch of smallsat.
Over the last five years, 190 such satellites have
been launched globally.
In order to bag a share in the small satellites
(smallsat) launch market, ISRO is developing a small rocket with a capacity
to carry satellites weighing 500-700 kg to low earth orbit (LEO).
According to him, low-cost launch of smallsats to LEO will be the focus
of global satellite communications.
Saraswat was speaking at the International Space Conference and
Exhibition 'Ushering the New Era in Indian Space Sector' organised by the
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO), Antrix Corporation Limited, and supported
by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).
India’s Covid-19 tally
crosses 5 million-mark
as cases continue to surge
The number of coronavirus
infections in India crossed
the 5 million mark with
91,136 new cases reported, as
infections continued to rise at an
alarming rate in the nation with the
worst-ever recorded case rate.
India’s tally of total cases stands
at 5,017,914, behind only the
United States, which at 6.76 million
confirmed infections, is the worst-hit
nation in the world.
Also, 1,284 new deaths were
reported on Tuesday, taking
the nationwide death toll
to 82,091.
A total of 3,937,066 people who
have been infected have so far
recovered, according to the media.
At 998,757, the number of active
cases in the country was a little
below the million mark till late
Tuesday night.
India now accounts for nearly onesixth
of all Covid-19 cases recorded
worldwide since the outbreak
originated in China nine months ago.
The country also has the worstever
daily infection rate recorded
anywhere in the world.
The seven-day average of daily
cases in India stands at 93,334, much
India said on Wednesday it had
joined the Djibouti Code of
Conduct (DCOC), a grouping on
maritime matters aimed at countering
piracy, as an observer as part of
efforts aimed at enhancing maritime
security in the Indian Ocean region.
The move to join the grouping
followed a high-level virtual meeting
held on August 26, the external
affairs ministry said.
The development comes at a
time when India is shoring up its
position in the Indian Ocean and
nearby waters as part of its overall
Indo-Pacific policy. India has signed
reciprocal military logistics support
agreements with Australia and Japan
this year to increase interoperability
with the navies of those countries.
The DCOC, which aims to
repress piracy and armed robbery
against ships in the western Indian
higher than the peak in the US —
where the number touched 69,373 for
the week ending June 25, according
to worldometers.info.
Unlike the US, India’s trajectory
has shown no indication of a peak so
far and has also been growing steady.
The seven-day average has increased
50.7% in the last 30 days — it was
61,933 on August 17.
In terms of deaths, though, India
has fared much better.
The case fatality rate (CFR) —
the proportion of infected people
who have died from the disease —
is 1.64%, which is not only better
India joins Indian Ocean
grouping against piracy
as observer
Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, was
adopted on January 29, 2009, by the
representatives of Djibouti, Ethiopia,
Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives,
Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania
and Yemen.
Comoros, Egypt, Eritrea, Jordan,
Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman,
Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sudan
and the United Arab Emirates signed
on later, taking the total countries in
the grouping to 20.
The 18 member states are located
in areas adjoining the Red Sea, Gulf
of Aden and the east coast of Africa
and include island nations in the
than the global average of 3.16%,
but has also been improving steadily.
The CFR in the US is 2.95%, and in
Brazil it is 3.04%.
The rapid increase in daily
cases has meant that active cases
in India have been seeing a near
steady increase.
Active cases — which is calculated
by subtracting the number of deaths
and recoveries from the total caseload
— is a key metric because it reflects
the toll on a region’s health care
facilities. In the past 30 days, active
cases have increased from 672,269 to
998,757— a rise of nearly 50%.
Indian Ocean. Besides India, the
other observers in the grouping are
Japan, Norway, the UK and the US.
“As an observer at [DCOC], India
looks forward to working together
with... member states towards
coordinating and contributing to
enhanced maritime security in the
Indian Ocean Region,” the external
affairs ministry said.
Under the code of conduct,
the member states cooperate in
countering piracy and armed robbery
on the high seas and promoting the
implementation of relevant UN
Security Council resolutions.
Significant areas of glaciers in Hindu-Kush
Himalayan region retreating at alarming rate: Study
Recent data shows that
significant areas of glaciers in
the Hindu-Kush Himalayan
(HKH) region are retreating at
an alarming rate, according to
`Retreating Glaciers and Water
Flows in the Himalayas: Implications
for Governance,” a study published
recently by the Observer Research
Foundation.
The Hindu Kush Himalayan
(HKH) region is one of the most
vibrant, distinct and intricate
mountain systems in the world. An
estimated 210 million people live
within these mountain systems,
and some 1.3 billion people who
live downstream of the HKH rely
on freshwater obtained directly or
indirectly from rivers and tributaries
of the region.
Dr Anjal Prakash, research director
and adjunct associate professor of
Bharti Institute of Public Policy at
the Indian School of Business, who
has authored the study, told The
Indian Express that the study tries
to understand the impact of glacial
retreat on the region’s water regime,
especially the river basins and
groundwater the Himalayan region
supports.

The Indian Weekender Friday, September 18, 2020
WORLD 15
Australia’s COVID-19 epicentre
reports no deaths from the virus
for first time in 2 months
Australia’s second-most
populous state Victoria,
the country’s COVID-19
epicentre, on Tuesday reported zero
deaths from the virus in the past 24
hours, a milestone not recorded for
two months.
Victoria state said 42 people have
been diagnosed with COVID-19 in
the past 24 hours, a small increase
from the figure posted one day earlier
and well below the peak of more than
700 infections detected in August.
Victoria last recorded no
COVID-19 deaths on July 13.
The result will buoy optimism
that a stringent lockdown of nearly
5 million people for nearly seven
weeks has curtailed the spread of
COVID-19.
Melbourne, Australia’s second
most populated city, is on an
extended hard lockdown until Sept.
28. But with the steady fall in cases,
some restrictions were relaxed from
Monday, allowing people to leave
their homes for longer periods for
exercise and authorities shortened a
night curfew.
Victoria, home to one-quarter of
Australia’s 26 million population,
now accounts for about 75% of
the country’s more than 26,700
coronavirus cases and 90% of its 816
deaths.
Queensland state reported one new
case on Tuesday, a returned traveller
from overseas and in quarantine.
New South Wales state, Australia’s
most populous, will report its case
numbers later in the day. The virus
has been effectively eliminated in all
other states and territories.
With dwindling numbers of
COVID-19, Australia’s Prime
Minister Scott Morrison has turned
to reviving an ailing national
economy, unveiling a series of
policies to lower the price of gas to
fuel a manufacturing recovery.
“We continue to do better than
almost every other developed
country in the world when it comes
to protecting lives and livelihoods,”
Morrison said in a speech in
Newcastle, 161 km (100 miles) north
of Sydney.
“If we are shut, we are not living
alongside the virus, the virus is
actually keeping us from living.”
Boeing's 'culture of concealment' to blame for 737 crashes
Two fatal crashes of Boeing
737 Max aircraft were
partly due to the planemaker’s
unwillingness to share
technical details, a congressional
investigation has found.
It blames a “culture of
concealment” at Boeing, but
says the regulatory system
was also “fundamentally
flawed”. Boeing said it had
“learned many hard lessons”
from the accidents. But families of
the victims accused the company and
the regulator of continuing to hide
information.
The US report is highly critical
of both Boeing and the regulator,
the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA).
“Boeing failed in its design
and development of the Max, and
the FAA failed in its oversight of
Boeing and its certification of the
aircraft,” the 18-month investigation
concluded. The Boeing 737 Max
has been grounded since March
2019 after two crashes, in Indonesia
and Ethiopia, caused the deaths of
346 people. The nearly 250-page
report found a series of failures in
the plane’s design, combined with
"Boeing
failed in
its design and
development of the
Max, and the FAA
failed in its oversight
of Boeing and its
certification of the
aircraft."
“regulatory capture”, an
overly close relationship between
Boeing and the federal regulator,
which compromised the process of
gaining safety certification.
“[The crashes] were the horrific
culmination of a series of faulty
technical assumptions by Boeing’s
engineers, a lack of transparency on
the part of Boeing’s management,
and grossly insufficient oversight by
the FAA.”
But the US aviation regulator, the
FAA, comes off almost as badly.
US representatives find it guilty of
“inherent conflicts of interest” and
“grossly insufficient oversight”.
More seriously, they say
the regulator was, in effect, in
Russia’s sovereign wealth fund has agreed to supply 100
million doses of its coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik-V, to
Indian drug company Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, the fund
said, as Moscow speeds up plans to distribute its shot abroad.
The deal comes after the Russian Direct Investment Fund
(RDIF) reached agreements with Indian manufacturers to
produce 300 million doses of the vaccine in India, which is a
major consumer of Russian oil and arms.
Dr Reddy’s, one of India’s top pharmaceutical companies, will
carry out Phase III clinical trials of the vaccine in India, pending
regulatory approval, RDIF said in a statement.
Deliveries to India could begin in late 2020, it said, adding
this was subject to the completion of trials and the vaccine’s
registration by regulatory authorities in India.
Boeing’s pocket and that the FAA’s
management “overruled” its own
technical and safety experts “at the
behest of Boeing”.
Boeing admits “mistakes were
made” and it now wants to focus
on getting the 737-Max back in the
air, saying the “revised design” of
the aircraft has been “thoroughly
scrutinised”.
Regulators in Europe and the US
are relatively close to recertifying
the 737-Max. But this is one of the
biggest safety scandals facing a
private company in modern times.
And other investigations are
outstanding, including a giant lawsuit
from the relatives of those killed in
the second crash in Ethiopia.
Russia was the first country to license a novel coronavirus
vaccine before large-scale Phase III trials were complete,
stirring concern among scientists and doctors about the safety
and efficacy of the shot. The Phase I and II results had shown
World: Coronavirus cases
Confirmed: 30,037,107
Deaths: 945,097
Recovered: 21,804,247
NEWS in BRIEF
Potential sign of alien life detected on
inhospitable Venus
Scientists said they have detected in the harshly acidic clouds of Venus
a gas called phosphine that indicates microbes may inhabit Earth’s
inhospitable neighbor, a tantalizing sign of potential life beyond Earth.
The researchers did not discover actual life forms, but noted that on Earth
phosphine is produced by bacteria thriving in oxygen-starved environments.
The international scientific team first spotted the phosphine using the James
Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii and confirmed it using the Atacama
Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) radio telescope in Chile.
“I was very surprised – stunned, in fact,” said astronomer Jane Greaves
of Cardiff University in Wales, lead author of the research published in the
journal Nature Astronomy. The existence of extraterrestrial life long has
been one of the paramount questions of science. Scientists have used probes
and telescopes to seek “biosignatures” – indirect signs of life – on other
planets and moons in our solar system and beyond.
Yoshihide Suga elected Japan's new prime minister
succeeding Shinzo Abe
Japan's parliament has
elected Yoshihide Suga
as the country's new prime
minister, following the
resignation of Shinzo Abe.
After winning the leadership
of the governing party earlier
this week, Wednesday's vote
confirms the former Chief
Cabinet Secretary's new
position. A close ally of Abe, the new prime minister is expected to continue
his predecessor's policies. Shinzo Abe announced his resignation last month
citing ill health. Earlier on Wednesday, Abe held his final cabinet meeting
and told reporters he was proud of his achievements during his nearly eight
years in power.
California wildfire threatens Mount Wilson
Observatory and communications hub
Firefighters waged an
all-out ground and air
campaign on Tuesday to save
the famed Mount Wilson
Observatory and an adjacent
hub of communications
towers from a wildfire
roaring through rugged
peaks overlooking the
foothill suburbs north of
Los Angeles.
Flames from the blaze, dubbed the Bobcat Fire, crept to within just 500
feet (152 meters) of the evacuated observatory grounds during the day, said
David Dantic, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The fire has scorched some 41,000 acres of the San Gabriel Mountains
since erupting on Sept. 6, belching smoke and ash over much of the greater
Los Angeles area for over a week and forcing evacuations of several
communities at the foot of the mountains.
The blaze was one of dozens of wildfires that broke out during the Labor
Day holiday weekend, stoked by a late-summer heat wave that baked much
of the U.S. West Coast.
Russia to sell 100m doses of COVID-19 vaccine to India
promise, G V Prasad, co-chairman of Dr Reddy’s, was cited in
the RDIF statement as saying.
“Sputnik V vaccine could provide a credible option in our fight
against COVID-19 in India,” he said.
There was no detail about the price of the vaccine but RDIF
has said previously it was not aiming at making a profit, just
covering costs. The agreement comes as India’s coronavirus
cases surged past 5 million on Wednesday, piling pressure on
hospitals grappling with unreliable supplies of oxygen that they
need to treat tens of thousands of critical patients.
India is only the second country in the world to cross the
grim milestone and said this week it is considering granting
an emergency authorisation for a vaccine, particularly for the
elderly and people in high-risk workplaces.

16
FEATURES
Friday, September 18, 2020 The Indian Weekender
DRY FRUIT LADOOS
INGREDIENTS
• 1/3cup - grated coconut
• 1/3cup - cashews
• 1/3cup - almonds
• 1/3cup - pistachios
• 21/2tbsp - edible gum (gond katira)
• 3/4cup - wheat flour (atta)
• 1cup - jaggery (gur)
• 11/2tbsp - water
• 1/2tsp - cardamom powder
• 6tbsp - clarified butter (ghee)
Energy Bites
INGREDIENTS
• 1/4cup - walnuts
• 1/4cup - almonds
• 1/4cup - pistachios
• 10 - dates
• 5 - figs
• 1tbsp - chia seeds
• 2tbsp - shredded coconut
METHOD
• Add the walnuts to a food
processor and pulse a few
times until chopped.
• Repeat the process with the
almonds, pistachios and then
transfer them into a bowl
along with cashews. Set
aside.
• Add the dates, figs to a food
processor and process until
well combined.
• Transfer them into a plate.
Set aside.
• Add chia seeds to the date
mixture and mix well using
your hands (as per your choice
you can make powder of chia
seeds and then add them).
Add all the nuts to the date
mixture and mix until all the
ingredients come together.
• With slightly damp hands,
roll half tablespoon of the
mixture into ball, then roll
each ball in the shredded
coconut.
• Store the energy bites in
an airtight container in the
refrigerator for up to 1 week,
or in the freezer for up to 3
months (Approximately 12
balls you will get).
• Serve
• TIP; If dates are dry, soak
them in warm water for
30 minutes to soften and then
drain.
18 September – 24 September 2020 | By Manisha Koushik
ARIES (MAR 21-APR 20)
You may be compelled to try other alternatives on
the professional front. A trip out of town may be
on the cards for some. Keeping company of bright
sparks will help you immensely on the academic
front. Investment opportunities that are coming
your way need to be vetted. Yoga and meditation
are likely to prove of immense benefit. An irritable
family member will need to be handled with soft
gloves. Efforts put on the social front will be beneficial.Lucky No.:5 /
Lucky Colour: Sea Green
TAURUS (APR 21-MAY 20)
A new situation cropping up at work will need
careful handling. You will take steps to strengthen a
loving relationship on the romantic front. Enjoying
a ride with someone close cannot be ruled out for
some. Homemakers can remain busy in doing up the
house. Indecision about an issue affecting your life
may keep you mentally ill at ease, but the outcome
will be favourable. Some more efforts at work will be required to
impress higher ups. Lucky No.3 / Lucky Colour: Beige
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 21)
There is a good chance of facing someone’s bad
mood in this week, but you will tackle it. You
are likely to travel in this week and profit from
it. Some kind of compensation may be expected
on the business front. You are likely to weather a
cash crunch by opening other avenues of earning.
Increased workload is foreseen on the academic
front, but you will manage it well. A family trip
may be organised. Love life will cruise along satisfactorily.Lucky No.:
15 / Lucky Colour: White
CANCER (JUN 22-JUL 20)
Getting sidelined on the social front is possible,
if you cut yourself off. You will be totally geared
up for a family member who needs your personal
attention. A celebration is likely to brighten your
week. You are likely to reap the fruits of your hard
work on the professional front. Better opportunities
come your way as you continue to perform well on
the academic front. Worries bogging you down on
the financial front are set to disappear.Lucky No. 9 / Lucky Colour:
White
METHOD
• In a heavy base fry pan, over medium
flame, dry roast grated coconut, then,
transfer it into a plate and set aside.
• Add 1 tablespoon of clarified butter
in the same fry pan.
• Roast almonds and cashews over
medium flame until slightly aromatic.
• Add pistachios and fry for another 2
minutes.
• Transfer the nuts into a plate along
side roasted coconut.
• Once the nuts are cool then coarse
grind them along with coconut and
set aside for later use.
• In the same frypan add 3 tablespoon
VARIATION OF ENERGY BITE
INGREDIENTS:
100gm - dates, chopped
• 50gm - almonds, sliced
• 50gm - pistachios, sliced
• 50gm - cashews, chopped
• 1tbsp - poppy seeds
• 6 - figs, chopped
• 1tbsp - cardamom powder
• 1tbsp - pumpkin seeds
• 3tbsp - clarified butter
METHOD
• In a fry pan dry roast poppy seeds and keep aside
for later use.
• In the same pan add 2 tablespoons of clarified
LEO (JUL21-AUG 20)
There is much substance in somebody’s advice, so
don’t reject it out of hand. A compromise may be
reached with someone not seeing eye to eye with
you. You may get the time to resume something
important that you have left midway at work.
Persuasion may be needed to win over someone
in your business circle. You may want things your
way on the home front, but this may be resented
by others. Health poses no problems. Lucky No.: 15 / Lucky Colour:
Peach
VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 23)
Probing the personal lives of others may give
you thrills! Improvement in financial situation is
foreseen. Good dietary control and a set routine
will lead to total fitness. Some academic issues will
need to be discussed with mentors on priority, so
don’t dilly-dally. An honest appraisal of someone
close to your heart is best avoided, lest it may upset
him or her. Issues involving property should not be
touched. Fun evening with beloved is foreseen. Lucky No.17 / Lucky
Colour: Violet
LIBRA (SEP 24-OCT 23)
Raising capital for a venture will not pose any
difficulties. Your desire to visit someone may
make you undertake a journey. Homemakers will
enjoy resetting the house. Something said in jest at
work may put you at loggerheads with a colleague.
Illness may visit you, if you are not careful about
the season. Someone on the social front will prove
immensely helpful in a personal matter. You may
seek newer ways to attract the one you secretly love.Lucky No.18 /
Lucky Colour: Cream
SCORPIO (OCT 24-NOV 22)
Get your facts right, before confronting someone,
as you may cut a sorry figure. You may remain in a
confused state of mind and not know how to tackle
an issue that has cropped up on the social front.
Guidance of your near and dear ones will prove
a great help. Your interest in a current project will
impress those who matter. Delegation will be the
easiest way out at work, so go for it! Lucky No.: 1
Lucky Colour: Golden Brown
of clarified butter.
• Add edible gum and roast over
medium flame till they are fluffy and
separated.
• Transfer puffed edible gum into a
plate.
• Again in the same fry pan add 2
tablespoon of clarified butter.
• Add wheat flour and fry over medium
flame until light brown in colour
and aromatic (approximately for 8
minutes).
• Transfer wheat flour into a plate.
• Add nuts along with coconut to flour
and mix well.
butter over medium flame.
• Add almonds, pistachios and cashews,
roast them, then transfer them into a
plate.
• In the same pan add 1 tablespoon of
clarified butter. Add dates and figs,
roast them for 2-3 minutes, then
transfer them into a plate.
• Add roasted nuts to dates and figs.
• Add cardamom powder and pumpkin
seeds, mix everything until well
combined.
• Roll half tablespoon of the mixture into
ball, then roll each ball in the roasted poppy
seeds. Serve
• Add puffed edible gum and cardamom
powder to the flour mixture and mix
everything well. Set aside.
• In the same fry pan add jaggery along
with water.
• Melt jaggery over medium flame
while stirring continuously, once the
boil comes remove the pan from the
flame.
• Add flour mixture to the jaggery and
mix everything until well combined
with the spoon.
• When jaggery cools down a bit, rub
some clarified butter on your hands
and then roll half tablespoon of the
mixture into ball. Repeat the process
until the mixture is finished.
• Store dry fruit ladoo’s in an airtight
container.
• TIP; Everything is roasted for long
shelf life.
• These ladoo’s can be kept for months.
• If using seeds, toast them until they
turn aromatic then add them.
• Gram flour (besan) can be used
instead of wheat flour as per your
choice.
Manisha Koushik is a practicing astrologer, tarot card reader, numerologist, vastu and
fengshui consultant based in India with a global presence through the online channels. She is
available for consultations online as well. E-mail her at support@askmanisha.com or contact
at +91-11-26449898 Mobile/Whatsapp: +91-9716145644 • www.askmanisha.com
SAGITTARIUS (NOV 23-DEC 21)
You will remain a pillar of confidence in both
professional and domestic spheres. Sound
planning will find your project moving forward
smoothly on the work front. Luck favours you on
the academic front. Excellent earning on the side
is foreseen for those moonlighting. A celebrity
do is likely to provide a golden opportunity for
networking and making influential friends. Lover
may be in a romantic mood, so don’t let the opportunity go waste! You
remain in excellent health. Lucky No.:11 / Lucky Colour: Lemon
CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 21)
Don’t get influenced by someone’s sweet talk,
judge things for yourself. Whatever you have
saved up till now will serve you well and contribute
towards your comfort. You are likely to become
conscious of your figure and take exercise routine
more seriously. Someone who has a soft corner for
you may bring romance into your life. A vacation
is likely to prove most enjoyable, but too short!
Property owned by you may start giving good returns. Lucky No.:15 /
Lucky Colour: White
AQUARIUS (JAN 22-FEB 19)
Keeping superiors updated assumes importance
now, so don’t falter on that score. You will
have to overcome some issues that threaten to
complicate matters at work. A lucrative deal
may slip out of your hands, if you do not go for
it now on the business front. Depleting financial
strength will need bolstering up, so explore
alternative avenues of earning. Beware of getting
shortchanged in a transaction. Take steps to raise
your image on the social front. Lucky No.: 2 / Lucky Colour: Peach
Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20)
Someone’s visit is likely to brighten your week.
Excellent results are foretold in something that you
have initiated on the professional front. Academic
pursuits are likely to bring success and honour.
Luck favours you on the financial front. Repaying
a loan will not pose much problem. Celebratory
mood prevails on the home front. A family
youngster is likely to spring a pleasant surprise.
You will be able to enjoy a stable love life. Health remains excellent.
Lucky No. 22 / Lucky Colour: Light Blue

The Indian Weekender Friday, September 18, 2020
ENTERTAINMENT 17
John Abraham
on insider-outsider debate: ‘Every
person has to prove a point, either
you complain about it or do your job’
John Abraham has said he is doesn’t subscribe
to terms like insider or outsider and believes
that every individual has to fight his/her
own battle. The actor was speaking on the insideroutsider
debate which has been raging since the
death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June.
Sharing his views on the insider-outsider
debate, John said, “I don’t subscribe to
such terms.
This is your Twitter trending culture. I believe
every individual, be it an insider or outsider, has
his/ her own battles to fight.
Whether you are gracious about it or bitter, it’s
your decision, but you have to fight this battle.
Every person has to prove a point, either you
complain about it, or put your head down and
bloody do your job. I am clear I have come here to
do my job, and I will do it well.”
John added that every one has to create his/her
own standards.
Raveena:
There is
nothing I’d
change about
my life
Actress Raveena Tandon looks
forward to her upcoming role in the
Kannada biggie, K.G.F Chapter 2,
with as much enthusiasm as she looks back
at her career of 29 years, saying everyday in
her life is a new lesson.
"It's been a long and a great journey, for
sure. It has taught me a lot. I remember I was
so young when I started. It was not easy but
I didn't quit and always worked hard to make
a respectable place for myself. There's so
much I have learned in all these years. Life is
the best teacher. Everyday comes with a new
lesson," she said.
Raveena was 16 when made her Bollywood
debut opposite Salman Khan in 1991 with
"Patthar Ke Phool", and since then her career
has only been on the rise. Speaking about her
career, Raveena also shared that she doesn't
have any regrets in life.
"I don't have any regrets in life. I never
regret anything . I might have an incomplete
dream but I never regret anything I have
done. I believe destiny has a path to follow. I
love my life. It could not be better than this.
There is nothing that I would like to change
about my life. I have made mistakes like
other human beings. I have learned from
them. So, no regrets. I thank God for giving
me whatever I wanted in life," she added.
“Did I come from outside the industry and make
it on my own? Yes. It’s a great example for people.
Do I think people from the industry are gracious?
They are damn bloody gracious. Are all of them
gracious? Maybe not, but that exists everywhere in
every industry,” he added.
John had made his acting debut with 2003 film
Jism and is now a successful actor-producer with
multiple films in his kitty.
The Dostana actor was seen in three films last
year: comedy multi-starrer Pagalpanti, spy thriller
Romeo Akbar Walter and Batla House, of which he
was also the co-producer.
He currently has three projects in the making. He
is yet to complete the shooting of Sanjay Gupta’s
multi-starrer crime drama, Mumbai Saga.
He will also be seen with Jacqueline Fernandez
and Rakul Preet Singh in Attack, which he will coproduce
as well. There is also Satyameva Jayate 2
lined up for release.
Won’t remake Rangeela, it was near perfect: Ram Gopal Varma
Director Ram Gopal Varma has plenty of the
good, the bad and the ugly in his filmography,
but Rangeela and Satya are his only films
that the filmmaker believes are “near perfect” and
don’t require a remake. Varma, also known
by his initials RGV, has fond memories
of shooting the 1995 romantic drama,
starring Urmila Matondkar as Mili, a
backup dancer aspiring to become an
actor, Aamir Khan as her ‘tapori’ friend
Munna and Jackie Shroff as Bollywood
star Raj Kamal who takes a shine to her.
The director said other than changing
some photographic aspects and edit points, he
would not retouch Satya (1998) and Rangeela, which
also happen to be the most celebrated ones in his
career.
“Honestly speaking, in all the films that I made in
my career and there are plenty of them, I feel I could
not have made Rangeela and Satya better than what
they are. Rangeela and Satya were near perfect, so I
don’t think I would make them again,” Ram Gopal
Varma said. The film, he said, was an ode to Urmila
Matondkar’s beauty.
“She worked in my Telugu film Gaayam and when
I saw her dancing, I felt mesmerised. In fact, she is
the main reason why I was inspired to make the film.
It was to capture her beauty,” he said of the actor who
also worked with the director in Daud, Satya, Mast,
Jungle, and Bhoot.
Ram Gopal Varma said even today when he meets
women who were born after the film released, they
admire the film for the manner in which it showcases
Ranvir Shorey feels that
‘muck’ exists in Bollywood
and those defending it
are either the ‘gatekeepers’ of the
industry or the ones bootlicking
them. His comments come after
Jaya Bachchan’s speech in the
Parliament in which she protested
against the portrayal of the film
industry as a bed of vice.
“The ones who come out
defending the muck in #Bollywood
are either the ‘gatekeepers’, or the
ones sucking up to them. If you
don’t like someone whistleblowing
or using their freedom of
expression, you’re free to use your
freedom of enabling. Don’t see
what the fuss is about,” he wrote.
"Honestly
speaking, in all
the films that I made
in my career and there
are plenty of them, I feel
I could not have made
Rangeela and Satya
better than what
they are."
Earlier, Ranvir revealed he
was ‘professionally and socially
isolated’ in Bollywood, after his
fallout with the Bhatts. He also
talked about how certain people
wield a lot of power in the industry,
which makes it an ‘uneven and
unjust playground’.
When asked about the insideroutsider
debate, Ranvir said, “I
see it as only a handful of people
having the power over distribution
and media, step-child treatment
given to smaller films and talent
which they don’t approve of. There
is a constant struggle. Whenever a
few people hold power which they
are not accountable for, there will
be this kind of an uneven and unjust
a woman’s beauty and that’s the best
compliment for him. From story, acting,
costumes to music, the film is one of those
rare ’90s gem that has remained fresh in the
memory of the audience. It was quite a sensation
upon its release and marked the Hindi movie debut of
Oscar-winning music composer A R Rahman. Ram
Gopal Varma said Aamir Khan’s character was based
on a real person and the actor worked really hard to
bring the role to life.
“Aamir’s character was based on a guy I knew in
college. It’s exactly his story, the way the film turned
out to be. Aamir is a meticulous, methodical actor
and he takes his characters seriously, like what kind
of clothes they should wear and what would be the
accent. He worked with (actor-writer) Neeraj Vohra
to work on the lines. Full credit to him for that,” he
added. On the other hand, Jackie Shroff goes by his
instincts, the director shared. I don’t think he even
listens to the story. He just goes by some gut instinct.
I used to think that he does not listen and when I was
telling him the climax of the film, he was driving. He
suddenly stopped the car and hugged me. It was his
way of saying that he loved the ending.”
playground.” Kangana Ranaut
has made similar claims, alleging
that Bollywood is controlled by
a ‘mafia’, and Karan Johar is its
‘main culprit’. She has accused
Amol Palekar:
Delight to hear
today's generation
talk profoundly
about 'Gol Maal'
Veteran actor Amol Palekar
feels happy when he hears
the young generation talk
about his 1979 comedy classic,
Gol Maal.
The Hrishikesh Mukherjee film
was about how a man
lies to get a job
but things get
complicated
when his
orthodox
boss gets
suspicious.
"Shooting
for 'Gol Maal'
was like a picnic"
recalled Palekar. We
"The
fun and
priceless moments
we had while
shooting for 'Gol
Maal' is what is seen
in this film and
that is alive even
today."
used
to have a lot of fun while shooting for
this film. My friendship with Utpal
(Dutt) da was a very different and
a priceless one since we knew each
other right from our theatre days."
He added: "Often, while shooting
scenes he used to tell me ways to
improvise my performance to which
he would accordingly improvise his
own performance. Ours was a giveand-take
relation! (Director) Hrishi
da would also let us improvise most
of the scenes in our own way before
sharing his feedback."
"The fun and priceless moments
we had while shooting for 'Gol Maal'
is what is seen in this film and that is
alive even today.
"It's such a delight to hear even
today's generation talk profoundly
about this film, despite the number
of years that have gone by since the
release of the film," said Palekar,
walking down memory lane while
shooting for an episode of "Sa Re Ga
Ma Pa Li'l Champs".
Ranvir Shorey says those defending Bollywood are
‘either the gatekeepers or the ones sucking up to them’
him of ruining careers and using
his clout to advance the careers of
star kids.
Jaya, in her speech in the Rajya
Sabha, raised objection to the
portrayal of the film industry as a
‘gutter’.
“People in the entertainment
industry are being flogged by social
media. People who made their
names in the industry have called
it a gutter. I completely disagree.
I hope that the government tells
such people not to use this kind
of language,” she said, seemingly
referring to Kangana’s claims that
Bollywood is a ‘gutter’ and 99% of
people in the industry engage in the
use of drugs.

18 SPORTS
Friday, September 18, 2020 The Indian Weekender
Bumrah probably the best T20
bowler in the world: James Pattinson
While terming Jasprit Bumrah as Obviously, Bumrah is probably the best T20 Malinga for this year's IPL.
the best T20 bowler in the world, bowler in the world. And Boulty [Trent Boult] Pattinson also spoke about the conditions
Australia pacer James Pattinson has is up there as well. So, for me it will be a great in the UAE, saying the slower ball might be
said he is looking forward to working with the experience to be around those guys," Pattinson used a lot on surfaces which could be slower
India pacer and New Zealand fast bowler Trent said in a video shared on Mumbai Indians' and lower as the tournament progresses. "The
Boult, among others, in the Mumbai Indians' official handle. "I have played a few One-day wickets are drier and there will be three wickets
bowling unit during the Indian Premier League Internationals here in the UAE before, so I have which will be used throughout the tournament
(IPL) starting on September 19.
got a bit of experience over here in UAE." so it will be slower and lower as the tournament
"Personally, it's just fantastic to work Reigning champions MI named Pattinson as goes on. May be the slower ball and stuff like
with some of the best bowlers in the world. a replacement for veteran fast bowler Lasith that might come into play a lot more."
Australia’s Smith no certainty for
series-decider against England: Langer
Australia batsman Steve Smith is recovering
from his head injury but is no certainty to
be recalled for the one-day series decider
against England, coach Justin Langer said.
Smith missed the first two matches after being
hit on the head by a ball in the nets last week and
is expected to have his fitness assessed during a
training session later in the day. The decider is at
Old Trafford on Wednesday.
“He is definitely tracking in the right
direction and we are hopeful he will be right
for (Wednesday),” Langer told reporters in a
video call. He did all his running (on Monday),
some high speed running, worked hard as part
of the protocols. He has ticked every box at the
moment.” England won the second ODI on
Sunday by 24 runs to level the three-match series
after the visitors, chasing a modest target of 232,
suffered a dramatic collapse.
Australia opener David Warner has struggled
for form, scoring six, six and a duck in his last
three innings of the white-ball tour, including the
T20 series.
He has been dismissed in all four matches
he has played by Jofra Archer, who has now
taken the lefthander’s wicket seven times in 10
internationals, including three in last year’s Ashes.
“It’s been a great contest, hasn’t it?” said
Langer. Davey, he is a superstar. He is an
incredibly important part of our side, so I am sure
he is working over-time to certainly be up for
(Wednesday) night’s game.”
‘I feel he will be a good captain:’ Aakash Chopra picks
player who can succeed Virat Kohli as next India skipper
Former India opening batsman Aakash
Chopra believes KL Rahul could be
the ideal successor to Virat Kohli as
the captain of the Indian team but for that
it will be important to see how the batsman
performs as captain of Kings XI Punjab in
IPL 2020.
With previous year’s captain R Ashwin
traded to Delhi Capitals, Rahul has been
appointed the man in charge, and the coming
season will prove whether he has what it
takes to be the captain of the Indian team
when the time comes.
“I have hope that his captaincy will be
good. Actually, we will get an idea of his
captaincy, how he runs the game, what
strategies he uses. If we see Kohli and
Rohit, they are of the same age bracket and
at one time you may feel that they are not
captain material anymore,” Chopra said
while responding to fan questions in a video
shared on his Facebook page.
India resort to Rohit Sharma as Kohli’s
replacement whenever the captain is out
injured or offered a break. But it cannot be
the solution going forward. Indian cricket
has over the years groomed its next captain
in line – like MS Dhoni did with Virat
Kohli. Surprisingly, with so many chop and
changes, not too many options come to mind
when you think of the next in line. Chopra
feels Rahul, 28, might be the man to lead
India post Kohli’s captaincy, with the IPL
certain to test his leadership skills.
“As they say, a time comes when you
have to pass on the baton like MS Dhoni did
to Kohli and Kohli will also have to do to
someone at some point. When he does that,
it is possible that Rahul will be next in line,”
Chopra said.
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