The Indian Weekender

Jaggi 

Navi 

Insurance Adviser 

Principal 

128 1823 

022 

navi@vsureu.co.nz 

27AUGUST2021 • VOL 13 ISSUE 25 

www.iwk.co.nz /indianweekender /indianweekender 

Every reason 

for Team of Five 

Million to feel let 

down 

Businesses 

seek certainty, 

definitive answers 

from govt 

What can 

you eat on 

Janmashtami 

fast 

Pg3 Pg7 Pg15 

FREE FOOD QUEUES 

GET LONGER 

Read full story on Page 6 

‘I chased my 

dream and now 

am living it’ Pg8 Migrants feeling used , abused 

Licensed under REAA 2008 

ISHAN SIKKA 

021 072 6692 

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SELLING 

YOUR BIGGEST ASSET 

YOU EXPECT TO GET A GREAT PRICE 

WE'VE GOT YOUR COVERED! 

Call us today for a friendly and confidential chat. 

MANDEEP SINGH 

021 025 09006 

No obligation review 

vsureu.co.nz

Or to scan the QR code (English and Hindi 

language available) to answer it online 

One of these New World Gifts Card value at $300 can be yours simply by answering the questions correctly. Lucky draws close at 12 

am (midnight) on Sunday 5 September 2021.We aim to announce the lucky winner on Tuesday 14 September at 12 pm on Asian Family 

Services’ Facebook page. All the lucky winners will be notified either by email or text message. 

1. Can you get free help and support from Asian Family 

Services if you are experiencing harm from your gambling? 

Yes 

No 

2. Who can receive the free harmful gambling support from 

Asian Family Services? 

Individuals who experience harmful gambling? 

Family and friends who are affected by someone else’s 

harmful gambling? 

International students who experience harmful gambling? 

Visa holders who experience harmful gambling? 

All of the above? 

3. Gambling addiction activates the same brain pathways as 

drug and alcohol cravings 

True 

False 

4. What are the signs of harmful gambling? (tick the answers 

that you believe are relevant) 

Hoping to win back the money that has been lost 

Spending more money on gambling than you wanted and 

hiding it from others 

Losing track of time while gambling and losing interest in 

other things 

Borrowing money to pay for gambling debts 

Gambling to deal with stress and loneliness. 

5. How should you approach someone who is experiencing 

harmful gambling? 

Talk to them about your concern with their gambling in a 

kind and caring manner 

Encourage them to contact Asian Helpline 

Contact Asian Helpline yourself to get some ideas about 

how to open the topic 

All of the above. 

6. When you get help, your information will be kept private 

and confidential. This means no one will know that you 

are getting help from Asian Family Services, including 

Immigration New Zealand. 

True 

False 

7. The Asian Helpline is available in which language(s)? 

Mandarin 

Cantonese 

Hindi 

Korean 

Thai 

Japanese 

Vietnamese 

English 

All of the above 

8. What is the Asian Helpline number? 

Answer here ........................................................................ 

9. Name and contact details: ......................................................... 

For more information, visit Asian Family Services’ 

website www.asianfamilyservices.nz or Safer Gambling 

Aoteaora https://www.safergambling.org.nz/ 

For help and support with harmful gambling, Contact 

Asian Helpline 0800 862 342 Monday to Friday from 

9am to 8:30pm. 

Languages available: English, Mandarin, Cantonese, 

Hindi, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese. 

POST YOUR ANSWER 

To: Asian Family Services 

C/c Gambling Harm Awareness Week Lucky Draw 

PO Box 8021, Symonds Street, Auckland 1150 

Or to scan the QR code (English and Hindi 

language available) to answer it online

The Indian Weekender Friday, August 27, 2021 

NEW ZEALAND 3 

Every reason for Team of 

Five Million to feel let down 

DEV NADKARNI 

The government has squandered its 

globally envied Covid-free position 

that it prided itself with since its early 

success in ‘stamping out’ the pandemic last 

year. It has wasted valuable time sitting on its 

hands on a range of issues through the valuable 

six-month Covid-free window it had to prepare 

for Delta’s onslaught. 

Soon after the considerably more infectious 

Delta strain began wreaking havoc in other 

parts of the world, we heard Prime Minister 

Jacinda Ardern say that it was a question of 

time when Delta would land on our shores. 

Though having admitted it so early in the 

piece, her government did little to nothing in 

readying the administration to face the pesky 

variant that so many other countries were and 

are still struggling to control as can be seen 

across the ditch in NSW. 

The government has dropped the ball on 

several fronts and allowed Delta to get the 

better of us solely due to a complete lack of 

forward planning and learning from last year’s 

mistakes. 

The ongoing quarantine 

shambles has let Delta in 

We have known since the very beginning 

that our sub-optimal MIQ quarantine 

system was indeed our Achille’s heel. 

All previous outbreaks have been traced to 

breaches in that system and it is no surprise 

F 

or one, it is not designed 

to do this onerous job. It 

does not have the demanding 

ventilation systems that 

are required to keep the air 

infection free, especially when 

air is a known vector. 

that the current Delta outbreak also points to a 

breach at the downtown Crowne Plaza. 

The current hotel quarantine system is not fit 

for purpose. For one, it is not designed to do this 

onerous job. It does not have the demanding 

ventilation systems that are required to keep 

the air infection free, especially when air is a 

known vector. 

Other countries have long realised 

this and are already constructing 

or have constructed purpose-built 

quarantine facilities. 

When the question was raised during one 

of the 1pm pressers last year, Health Minister 

Chris Hipkins said the government was not 

considering purpose-built quarantine facilities 

because the present system was adequate 

and “by the time we build them we may 

not need them.” 

Australia is well on its way in building 

dedicated quarantine facilities at least at a 

couple of locations and South Korea has them 

up and running close to international airports. 

In fact, they have moved health and medical 

staff to live close to these facilities to ring fence 

and contain any potential spread. 

The NZ government has shown a complete 

lack of vision on the quarantine front and is 

limping from one disaster to another with 

inadequately trained staff drawn from the likes 

of the NZ Defence Forces. 

The embarrassingly slow 

vaccine rollout has ensured long 

lockdowns 

New Zealand has one of the lowest number 

of fully vaccinated people among its peer 

nations in the OECD. Canada has 66% of its 

population fully vaccinated, the UK 62%, the 

USA 51% and Australia 24%. Just 20% of 

Kiwis are fully vaccinated as of Monday 23 

August, a figure that is even below the global 

average of 24.6%. 

The onset of Delta has spurred on the 

vaccination rate with new drive through centres, 

pharmacies and general practices added to the 

rollout but this is far too late and is almost 

like scrambling to shut the barn doors after the 

horse has bolted. 

• Continued on Page 4 

Century 21 Fairdeal Realty, Licensed: REAA 2008) 

Contact us for a FREE 

property appraisal! 

Architecturally designed house, AWARD WINNING POOL 

43 Harry Dreadon Road, Drury, Papakura, Auckland 

To be sold by auction on 7 Sep 

3 Beds 2 Baths 241m² Floor 1.16ha Land 

RUPINDER KAUR 

021 971 433 

TASREET DHATT 

020 403 90543 

TEAM DHATT 

THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING?

4 NEW ZEALAND 

• Continued on Page 3 

From being at the very front of the vaccine 

queue, the government has managed to push 

the nation to the very back of it through a mix 

of misplaced altruism initially and incompetent 

handling of the situation partly due to leaving 

out a specialised agency like Pharmac in 

acquiring the vaccine, instead entrusting that 

crucial function to the gargantuan MBIE, which 

has had no experience in this whatsoever 

The government wasted the six-month lead 

time it had to vaccinate the majority of New 

Zealanders before Delta came crashing through 

our borders early this month. 

This is all the more surprising because 

the government has always championed its 

‘elimination strategy’. It is almost as though 

vaccination of the majority of Kiwis wasn’t as 

important a part of this strategy as much as Level 4 

lockdowns were. 

By this time, most New Zealanders should 

have been vaccinated. If indeed that was the 

case, there probably would not have been a 

need for prolonged Level 4 lockdowns. 

The Immigration mess 

keeps much needed hands 

out of work 

Delta spreads rapidly and in a matter of a 

few days we’ve had nearly 500 locations of 

interest and rising, growing case numbers and 

some 20,000 people identified as close contacts 

and self-isolating ––to the point that several 

supermarkets have had to close because of lack 

of staff and/or for deep cleaning after being 

identified as locations of interest. 

This has badly affected essential frontline 

services, something that could have been 

avoided if Immigration New Zealand had 

moved quickly to decide on the pending 

residency and work permit applications of 

legions of migrants who have been stuck in the 

country. 

Many of these individuals were called 

to work as frontline staff during last year’s 

lockdowns only to be dumped into limbo once 

the lockdowns were gone. Several of these 

individuals have told Indian Weekender that 

they feel used and abused by the government’s 

lack of empathy to their plight. 

Once again with the current lockdown, 

Friday, August 27, 2021 

processing of applications has come to a 

grinding halt. Immigration New Zealand still 

uses a paper based system that needs physical 

handling of documents. 

With no access to offices, application 

processing cannot proceed and there will be 

more delays – all over again. The department 

has simply not upgraded its system during all 

this while. 

Confusing policies, lack of 

transparency undermine 

public confidence 

Butchers are not allowed to operate under 

Level 4 but liquor stores can. With many 

supermarkets having to close at short notice 

because of staff self-isolating or because they 

The Indian Weekender 

have been locations of interest, food shopping 

has become more inconvenient than in last 

year’s lockdown. 

In such a scenario it makes no sense to keep 

butchers closed. 

Rise in domestic violence during lockdowns 

has been well documented since last year 

and the connection of liquor consumption to 

domestic violence is all too well known. Yet, 

liquor stores are allowed to operate as normal 

through all stages of the lockdown. Some 

online stores are also advertising contactless 

deliveries in level 4. 

One wonders how the over-18 is implemented 

in such a scenario. 

The government is yet to articulate its strategy 

to lead this country out of the pandemic. Other 

western countries have already said they are 

devising strategies that accept the reality of 

the virus staying in the community long term. 

Prime Minister Ardern and her government 

still are backing the elimination strategy –– 

something that is starting to look difficult 

with each passing day, especially given all the 

lacunae listed above. 

We still do not have a clear picture of where 

the government will find the money to pay for 

the range of subsidies it has been doling out 

once its $60 billion Covid fund runs out. 

It has used the fund to finance non-Covid 

related projects already and has very little 

remaining in the kitty. If it plans to borrow 

more, it must take the voter-taxpayer into 

confidence immediately. 

Migrants feeling used, abused 

IWK Exclusive 

NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH 

Going by the growing numbers of 

Covid-19 Delta variant cases the 

dreaded Alert Level 4 lockdown will 

likely stay around for another couple of weeks 

at least in Auckland. 

As we know, during Alert Level 4 lockdowns, 

it is only those employed in essential services 

can work to make sure that others can manage 

their lockdown easily. 

Only those businesses that are essential to 

the provision of the necessities of life and those 

businesses that support them are operational 

and those employed by them continue to work 

––be it supermarkets, gas stations, health care 

centres or pharmacies to name a few. 

We know that most of the businesses in 

New Zealand employ migrants and are heavily 

dependent on them for their seamless operations. 

It is also not a hidden fact that during lockdowns 

we have seen migrants working at the forefront 

with even the government acknowledging their 

efforts during last year’s lockdowns. 

However, with no clear pathway to residency 

coupled with delays in the processing of 

thousands of work visa applications, migrants, 

especially essential service workers, have now 

started feeling used by the government and 

especially by Immigration New Zealand. 

One of such Essential Skills migrant workers 

is Harnoor who has a job offer to work as 

Clinical Engineering Technician by Counties 

Manukau District Health Board. She had 

put in her work visa in June and is currently 

on an interim visa and hence is unable to 

work for her employer. 

Sharing her frustration, Ms Harnoor says, “I 

am an essential worker and want to work during 

lockdown so that I serve the community. My 

employer also wants me to work. But it is just 

the delays by Immigration that has put me in 

this position that I am sitting idle at home and 

" 

I feel Immigration is deliberately delaying the 

application that is causing so much anxiety and 

stress to migrants like me. They don’t seem to care 

about migrants and their future. I had resigned from 

my previous job as I hoped that I would get VOC in a 

couple of weeks. But that didn’t happen." 

just waiting for my visa. I feel immigration 

should prioritise the application of essential 

services workers. I feel so frustrated.” 

Sailing in the same boat is Prince, an essential 

worker who has applied for his work visa 

through Progressive (owners of Countdown 

supermarkets) is still waiting for the decision 

by Immigration New Zealand. 

He says, “I had worked so hard during 

the last lockdown. I am ready to work even 

this time. But it is the delay by Immigration 

New Zealand that is not letting me work. 

I feel so used. 

"While we have the government appreciating 

the essential workers for their services 

during the lockdown, on the other hand, we 

have Immigration New Zealand, their own 

department, which is causing delays in issuing 

visas and hence not letting an essential worker 

like me work.” 

Jitan Bakshi, who applied for a visa to get 

a variation of condition effected so that he 

could work for another employer waited for 

two months for a decision by Immigration New 

Zealand and eventually decided to withdraw his 

application. “I feel Immigration is deliberately 

delaying the application that is causing so much 

anxiety and stress to migrants like me. 

"They don’t seem to care about migrants and 

their future. I had resigned from my previous 

job as I hoped that I would get VOC in a couple 

of weeks. 

"But that didn’t happen. I am not even 

eligible for wage subsidy as I am not currently 

employed. I have invested so much in this 

country, but I feel helpless with the kind of 

treatment given to migrants by the government. 

I do feel this country only wants to use migrants 

for its own good.” 

Social media is rife with cascading stories of 

migrants who feel used in this situation. Sharing 

his story on Facebook, another migrant Tafsirul 

Islam Alif, writes, “Dear Prime Minister 

Jacinda Ardern, I was an essential worker last 

year at the time of Lockdown, and this year 

again I am an part-time essential worker as I’m 

on student visa. 

When everything became normal last time, 

Immigration did not approve my Essential 

Skills Work Visa even after I applied from same 

company and for same position. Immigration 

officer emailed me saying – ‘There are New 

Zealand citizens or residents to do the work on 

offer’. 

Kind request to make sure that this not happen 

this time for others please. #immigration #work 

#jobs #government #newzeaIand (sic)” 

Immigration experts are acknowledging the 

uncertainty that migrants are facing. Arunima 

Dhingra, Director, NZAMI (New Zealand 

Association of Migration & Investment) and 

CEO of Aims Global says, “Migrants are 

currently facing a very uncertain future in NZ. 

This has forced many highly skilled 

professionals to consider leaving the country, in 

what could be a mass exodus of the very skilled 

workers the country hopes to retain. And it’s 

not surprising. 

“Many of these skilled workers arrived 

lawfully, thinking that they were working 

towards residency for themselves, and one 

day their families. However, the migrantfriendly 

options that many migrants based their 

immigration decisions on are now no longer 

available.

6 NEW ZEALAND 



Free food queues getting longer 

A three-kilometre-long queue for free food brings the needs of families affected by the lockdown to the front and centre 

INDIAN WEEKENDER’S 

PRITI GARUDE KASTURE 

INVESTIGATES 

IWK Exclusive 

One-thousand-five-hundred 

food parcels were snapped up 

in four hours at the Supreme 

Sikh Society of New Zealand’s free 

food drive organised on Saturday at 

the Takanini Gurudwara. 

Daljit Singh, the spokesperson for 

the Society, said that the demand for 

food parcels is at least three times 

more than the previous Level 4 

lockdown. 

“Last year, after a few hours of 

food distribution, the line would start 

to trickle down. But that is not the 

case this time. 

"Even if you distribute food for 

the whole day, people keep coming. 

There’s a huge line and even 

though they have not booked an 

appointment, they plead you for food 

for their kids,” he said. “We feel very 

sorry to say no to them.” 

The increased uncertainty caused 

by the Delta variant as well as the 

timeline of the lockdown has created 

anxiety among the masses. “People 

are panicking because they know this 

lockdown is going to go for a longer 

period of time,” he said. 

Within hours of the Facebook post 

for the food drive going live on the 

Takanini 

Gurdwara 

S r i 

Kalgidhar 

S a h i b 

page on 

August 20, 

it was shared 

172 times 

"Our 

food parcels 

have milk, vegetables, 

fruits – fresh food that is 

essential to the growth of a 

child and women. We provide 

food that families need and 

is important to them. Our 

parcels last a family 

for at least 3 to 4 

days" 

and generated 

engagement on social media that saw 

more than 2000 people turn up for 

the food drive in Takanini, Auckland. 

A three-kilometre-long gridlock 

outside the Takanini Gurudwara 

brought the needs of low-income 

families affected due to the lockdown 

to the front and centre. To be able 

to receive basics like healthy, fresh 

food parcels enough for a family of 

3 and essential for the growth of a 

child, saw people queueing up for 

hours. 

As a result of this huge demand, 

We provide the right solutions at very reasonable price! 

Accounting and Taxes 

• End of year Accounts 

• Income Tax & GST Returns 

• Book–keeping & Financial Accounts 

• Small Business / Rental Property Accounts 

• LTC & Trust Accounts 

• Tax Advisory 

• Business Valuations Due Diligence 

• MYOB & Xero Software Accounting 

Call me 

for a 

FREE 

Consultation 

Mobile: 021 129 0810 

Office Ph: 09 263 00 00 

Free Ph: 0800 82 55 99 

Chartered Accountants 

Mukesh Arora 

FCCA (UK) CA (NZ) 

Macro Accounting & Tax Advisors Limited 

116B, Cavendish Drive, 

Manukau, Auckland 2104, 

New Zealand 

Email: mukesh@macroaccounting.co.nz Website: www.macroaccounting.co.nz 

the organisers continued to distribute 

570 parcels on Sunday, followed by 

500 on Monday. They plan to carry 

on with the distribution as long as 

there is demand. 

According to modelling in a report 

from Child Poverty Action Group 

(CPAG) released in July 2021, an 

estimated 18,000 children have been 

pushed into poverty since the first 

lockdown. 

Report co-author and CPAG 

researcher McAllister thanked the 

collective efforts of hapū, community 

organisations, schools, whānau and 

families in managing the crisis of 

poverty from growing worse. 

When asked about the struggles 

faced by families during the 

lockdown, Mr Singh wholeheartedly 

agreed with the report and said that 

most people cannot afford to live 

even with the wage subsidy that 

is distributed by the government. 

“Some people have loans on 

furniture, cars, mortgages, so where 

they were able to live comfortably 

on $1000, now they can’t afford it on 

$600 – they are really struggling,” he 

said. 

The struggles faced by families 

were also highlighted by Jeet 

Suchdev, Chairman of Bhartiya 

Samaj Charitable Trust. He said, 

“There is obviously a need (for 

food drives). During the previous 

lockdown, we noticed a major 

demand for food as people were 

affected due to the long lockdown. 

So, if this lockdown persists, I can 

tell you there will be a need for more 

such food drives.” 

Eighty per cent of people who 

came to the food drive were women 

and children. 

“Our food parcels have milk, 

vegetables, fruits – fresh food that 

is essential to the growth of a child 

and women. We provide food that 

families need and is important to 

them. Our parcels last a family 

for at least 3 to 4 days,” said Mr 

Singh. The Supreme Sikh Society 

of New Zealand has since last 

year, distributed over 180,000 food 

parcels. 

Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust 

in collaboration with the Indian High 

Commission and Honorary Consul of 

India, last year ran a free food drive, 

focused on providing food to Indian 

students, stranded tourists, and those 

in need. 

The organisation has not yet 

launched its own food drive, 

however, at the time of writing, the 

team and volunteers are raring to go. 

Your chance to have a say 

on how to tackle racism 

IWK BUREAU 

Your voice is important, and your 

reflections and ideas are needed now. 

The Human Rights Commission 

has today begun an initiative to gather Aotearoa 

New Zealand’s thoughts on how to address 

racism. 

It has launched the website againstracism. 

hrc.co.nz as part of an engagement effort led 

by Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon, 

who is asking for everyone’s help. 

“We need your ideas to ensure this 

work reflects the vision, values and lived 

experiences of impacted communities, 

families, whānau, hapū, and iwi across the 

country,” he says. 

Contributions will be treated anonymously 

and summarised in a report which will be 

submitted to the government later this year. The 

HRC’s engagement report will also be made 

publicly available. 

It is expected that the government will 

consider this in its work on a national action 

plan against racism. 

“Now, more than ever, a government plan is 

needed to address racism against communities 

who experience such discrimination. It is 

necessary as racism will not stop of its own 

accord,” says Mr Foon. 

The national action plan against racism is 

expected to be an action-oriented document, 

setting out solutions and goals, and identifying 

the steps the government could take to promote 

racial equality and eliminate racism. 

It is United Nations-mandated work and 

comes as part of New Zealand’s obligations 

under the International Convention on 

the Elimination of All Forms of Racial 

Discrimination (CERD). 

“Now, more than ever, a government plan is 

needed to address racism against communities 

who experience such discrimination. It is 

necessary as racism will not stop of its own 

accord,” says Mr Foon. 

“We want you to help grow a national action 

plan against racism,” says Mr Foon. 

The most visited Indian news 

website in New Zealand 

For online advertising options, email at 

sales@indianweekender.co.nz


NEW ZEALAND 7 

Businesses seek certainty, definitive 

answers from govt 

PRITI GARUDE KASTURE 

As the current COVID 

lockdown extends into the 

coming week, business 

owners are worried that with no end 

in sight, there might be more ‘closed 

for business’ signs as compared to 

last year’s Alert Level 4 lockdown. 

Indian Weekender spoke to four 

business owners on the effect of 

the current lockdown compared to 

last year’s and if there are specific 

initiatives that the government 

can take to help ease the load of 

struggling owners. 

Jaspreet Kandhari, 

President, Indian Business 

FAssociation 

or most businesses, it’s not 

a good scenario. Other than 

essential businesses, all hospitality 

business are totally shut down. 

While, the government has extended 

wage subsidies, businesses are 

finding it difficult and struggling to 

pay other ongoing costs. 

It is the same sort of challenge 

which they faced last year. If we look 

at it financially, as compared to last 

year, there’s not a lot of difference. I 

would rather say, since then, rents and 

all other costs have gone up whereas 

the margins have shrunk because 

of rising wage levels. So, in terms 

of wages, businesses now must pay 

more from their own pockets, 

along with holidays pay and other 

entitlements, so definitely the costs 

have gone up compared to last year. 

We all know that after the first 

lockdown last year, many businesses 

shut their doors forever. So, what 

we fear is that if this lockdown 

prolongs, for maybe more than 

two or three weeks, then it will 

be a bad picture for many small 

businesses. 

Jay Changlani, 

Director, 

W 

Orb360 

hile the government has 

provided a general thing for 

everybody like the wage subsidy and 

the resurgence plan, there needs to 

be something for small businesses 

specific to an industry as well. 

Especially in the transport industry, 

where a lot of ethnic businesses are 

small businesses, owner operators 

who have one or two trucks. Mainly 

couriers, trucks, people who do 

small deliveries, movers – these 

people are struggling quite a bit. The 

wage subsidy and the resurgence 

money doesn’t equate to much for 

them because it doesn’t cover road 

user charges - you must pay that 

irrespective. 

So, if the government can do 

something similar like what they 

did in the previous lockdown, where 

they stopped the requirement to do a 

WOF and registration of a car, if they 

can do something similar for trucks, 

it will put a lot less pressure on these 

people. 

Secondly, government had a 

scheme last year for homeowners 

whose interest rates were deferred for 

a period. But nothing was done for 

businesses who don’t have a home 

but have assets, like trucks. There is 

no asset finance scheme. What about 

the people who are in businesses 

whose assets are their livelihood? 

What has been done for them? Can 

they get a deferral as well? What’s 

the government’s plan to engaging 

with the wider stakeholders to 

raise this issue? These are small 

businesses, they must still pay loans, 

pay the road user charges, pay for 

maintenance of the vehicle, which is 

probably parked, so they are going 

to lose cash flow, and the resurgence 

doesn’t cover it. Something needs to 

be done for them. 

Raj Chand, 

Principal, ABC Business Solutions 

and President of the Hunter 

Corner 

A 

Business Association 

s President of the Hunter 

Corner Business Association, I 

have seen the local community and 

businesses suffering because they’ve 

had to shut down their stores. This 

will have an ongoing effect, as this is 

New Zealanders expect an accountable 

and transparent Government 

David Seymour 

Leader of ACT Party 

The Labour Government’s 

recent decision around 

Alert Levels speaks to it 

unpreparedness for a Delta outbreak. 

We’ve known about Delta 

since December. We’ve seen what 

outbreaks have looked like around 

the world. There are steps the 

Government should have taken to 

protect us, the main one being higher 

rates of vaccination. 

The ACT Party has been consistent 

in calling this Government to be 

more open and transparent about the 

numbers of people who have been 

traced and tested, and what numbers 

it basis its decision to lockdown 

our country. When it makes these 

big decisions that affect our lives, 

we should know what they’re being 

based on. New Zealander’s want a 

Government that is accountable to 

the people, that lays out the data it 

has and what it needs to see to make 

a decision. The Government has 

started each 1pm pronouncement 

with self-congratulations about 

vaccination being on track and 

vaccines arriving in the country. 

These are things that we should 

just expect and should have been 

happening at greater rates before 

now. New Zealand is the lowest in the 

OECD for vaccinations. 

This Government knew that a 

community transmission of the 

Delta variant was an imminent 

threat, yet they have ignored ACT’s 

constructive inputs on vaccinations, 

testing and tracing. 

The Government should 

transparently tell us, how many 

contacts have they traced, how many 

have they contacted, and how many 

have returned a negative test. Without 

these numbers, it is impossible to say 

whether they have made the right 

decision. New Zealanders need is 

certainty. Parents want to know when 

their children will be back to school, 

business owners want to know when 

they can reopen, everyone wants to 

know when they’ll get back to living 

their lives. This Government’s lack 

of accountability could also be seen 

during the Finance and Expenditure 

Select Committee. Grant Robertson 

has today told the Select Committee 

that it doesn’t matter how much of 

the COVID-19 Recovery Fund he’s 

blown on unrelated spending because 

he can always borrow more. 

He’s so far spent it on things 

like school lunches, ballet and the 

orchestra. Three months ago, there 

was only $5 billion left from the $50 

billion fund. More money will either 

need to be borrowed or cuts will need 

to be made elsewhere. But Grant 

Robertson wasn’t keen to talk about 

that. Robertson has no appreciation 

that this money comes from 

hardworking taxpayers and will need 

to be paid back by future generations. 

ACT released our second version 

of a plan to prepare NZ in March 

and we have another version on 

the way. It revolves around five 

principles: Transparency, faster tech 

uptake, risk management, a culture 

of inviting criticism and continuous 

improvement. We will continue to 

make constructive criticisms where 

necessary and helpful suggestions 

where possible, while asking 

the questions New Zealanders 

need answered. 

not just about levels changing. 

It takes a long time for people to 

come into the shopping center after 

a lockdown ends. So, it’s an ongoing 

and flow on effect, which will be 

felt by businesses a month or two 

months after the lockdown is over. 

In terms of commercial businesses 

from my role as an accountant, I 

have seen that hospitality businesses 

are suffering. They have stock that’s 

going bad, staff payments that need 

to be processed. And despite the 

full-time staff wage subsidy of $600 

distributed by the government, it’s 

difficult for business owners to even 

pay the 80% because where is the 

fund going to come from, where can 

they find the difference to pay a staff 

that’s earns $1500 to $1700? 

Akhilesh, Owner, 

Moti Mahal, Manukau, 

MovenPick and Beach Café 

IMaraetai. 

t’s very bad for business owners. 

In level 4, we can’t operate at 

all. In level 3, at least there might 

Trust Saffron Finance for 

expert Mortgage/ Insurance 

advice backed by years 

of experience 

Mortgages: 

• Home loans 

• Commercial Property loans 

• Business Loans 

• Top up & Debt consolidation 

• Re-Finance and Refixing 

• Investment Property loans 

• Restructuring of loan 

• Construction & Renovation 

Nimish Parikh 

Registered Financial Advice Financial Provider Adviser 

M. 021 236 7070 

nimish@saffronfinance.co.nz 

be a possibility for us to operate 

deliveries and takeaway, but for a 

café that doesn’t help much. 

This current lockdown will affect 

business quite a bit because last time, 

at least, there were chances that you 

could recover. 

But this time, that seems difficult. 

Businesses might go bust, and 

people will face financial stress. We 

don’t know anything for certain, 

as we keep going into lockdowns. 

While, the government has provided 

support, this lockdown will be a hard 

one for many businesses! 

Also, summer is 

approaching, and 

this is the time when 

business starts to pick 

up. It will be festive 

season soon as well. 

So, it’s a big loss for 

us. We prepared sweets 

and food in quantity 

for Rakshabandhan 

this year, and then the 

lockdown happened. 

Also, summer is approaching, and 

this is the time when business starts to 

pick up. It will be festive season soon 

as well. So, it’s a big loss for us. We 

prepared sweets and food in quantity 

for Rakshabandhan this year, and 

then the lockdown happened. So, 

a lot of food, stock, money went to 

waste. So, we are very hesitant. 

Risk Insurances: 

• Life & Trauma 

• Key Person Cover 

• Medical / Health 

• TPD and Income Protection 

• Mortgage Repayment cover 

• New to Business & 

• Business Continuity Cover 

• Redundancy Cover 

Contact for 

free assessment 

18B Kirby Street, Glendene, 

Auckland 0602 

P O Box - 69263 , Glendene, 

Auckland 0645 

www.saffronfinance.co.nz

8 NEW ZEALAND 



IWK Exclusive 

NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH 

Being in New Zealand Police is a matter of pride for any 

individual and making a mark in the Police of another 

country has even more prestige attached to it. 

The story of Satinder Singh, the Acting Detective Sergeant 

at CIB (Criminal Investigation Branch) of Counties Manukau 

Police District is an inspiration for one and all. 

Singh, who hails from a small village, Jangpura near Mohali, 

Chandigarh, migrated to New Zealand about two decades ago. 

Like many migrants, he came to New Zealand on a student visa 

in the year 2002 and undertook Business Studies from Manukau 

Institute of Technology. 

He then started working as a Despatcher with Fletcher 

Building, but destiny had other plans for him. 

Talking about how he got into the NZ Police, Satinder says, “It 

‘I chased my dream 

and am now living it’ 

SATINDER SINGH of Counties Manukau Police wants to 

encourage more Kiwi-Indians to join the NZ police force 

was in the year 2006 that some of my friends who were planning 

to join the Police spoke to me about it and I got inspired from 

there on. I come from the family of army veterans …my dad 

being a retired army veteran and my grandfather being a British 

army veteran – hence I always wanted to serve the country.” 

Ask him on how the journey of joining the Police was and 

he says, “The pre joining preparation actually took a couple of 

years. In my case, since I didn’t know swimming, which was an 

important part of the joining eligibility back then, it took me little 

longer to complete the pre joining ticks.” 

It was in April 2008 that Satinder joined the NZ Police as a 

recruit and after completing further courses and training at the 

Royal New Zealand Police College, he got into the CIB in 2016 

as a training Detective. 

“It was my day one dream to join the CIB and I am so happy to 

have had the opportunity to fulfil my dream. We don’t have many 

qualified Detectives in CIB from Indian ethnicity and I am proud 

to be one of them.” 

It is indeed not easy to join Police and especially when it 

is not your home country. “I will tell everyone to follow their 

dreams. I joined Police as it was my passion to do something 

for the society. 

If coming from a small village, I can, nothing is impossible. I 

was the first one in my family to migrate abroad. I kept chasing 

my dream and eventually I am living one. It will be great to see 

more Indians joining the Police,” says Singh. 

Undoubtedly, the perception and image of Indian Police is 

very different from New Zealand and talking about the same, 

Satinder says, “In New Zealand, Police Officers are highly 

respected in the community. Public trust and confidence are some 

of the keys Police take on board very seriously. People often 

approach and thank me for joining the Police and keeping the 

neighborhood safe.” 

Ask him about his experience of being a migrant Police 

Officer and did he face any challenges because of it, Satinder 

says, “I have never faced any discrimination from the department 

because of where I come from. Sometimes it does happen 

in the community but that is just a fraction of people who 

indulge in that.” 

He further adds, “In fact, I would like to say that the way Indian 

community has grown in New Zealand and especially Auckland. 

The face of Auckland has changed. In my experience, Indians 

feel more comfortable talking to Police Officers from ethnic 

background than to a Kiwi Police Officer And that somewhere 

helps me in performing my duty even better.” 

On the personal front, Satinder got married to the love of 

his life Jotika Singh in 2004 and the couple are proud parents 

to two sons – Arjun Arya Singh (aged 13) and Karan Arnav 

Singh (aged 9). 

“When I am not on Police duty, I am on duty of my family. 

I love travelling and spending time with my family,” signs 

off Satinder. 

Helping to upskill New Zealand’s workforce during lockdown 

IWK BUREAU 

Hindu Youth New Zealand (HYNZ) is delighted to 

announce an online CV writing workshop, helping to 

upskill New Zealand’s current and future workforce. 

“Step Up, Stand Out” was a skill development webinar series 

that Hindu Youth New Zealand launched in 2020 during a 

previous lockdown. Its purpose was to help prepare individuals 

to stand out amongst the crowd during the employment 

recruitment process. 

“Sometimes individuals may not have clarity on what 

recruiters are looking for. At other times, though they may know 

what to write, they struggle with making their CV’s command 

attention” said Roshni Surti, Programs Coordinator, Hindu Youth 

New Zealand. 

“The aim of this webinar is to give an in-depth 

understanding about CV writing as well as give an opportunity 

to the participants to ask questions and interact with our 

industry expert.” 

This interactive online CV writing webinar is free and 

open for all. It will focus on the key aspects of writing a CV - 

focussing on getting the basics right, knowing what to include 

" 

In New Zealand, Police Officers 

are highly respected in the 

community. Public trust and 

confidence are some of the keys 

Police take on board very seriously. 

People often approach and thank 

me for joining the Police and 

keeping the neighborhood safe. 

and what to leave out as well as presenting the right content. 

Attendees will have an opportunity to gain insider tips and 

learn tricks that will help make their CV stand out. 

The online CV writing webinar will be conducted by an industry 

expert in recruitment, Nitika Sharma. She has several years of 

recruitment experience working at a recruitment agency and doing 

in-house recruitment. 

Now a Director at KPMG, she also gets involved in graduate 

recruitment. She has established and ran a successful permanent 

and temporary recruitment desk identifying local talent and 

bringing international talent to New Zealand - all that during 

the Global Financial Crisis. 

She will be giving insights and strategies for writing a CV 

that leaves an impression and will help you to put your best 

foot forward. 

“With New Zealand once again in Alert Level 4, many 

have been using this opportunity to develop their talents in 

various fields. Hindu Youth New Zealand are providing online 

workshops and webinars to support people who are looking 

to upskill during this challenging period” said Murali Krishna 

Magesan, President, Hindu Youth New Zealand. 

The online webinar will be held on Tuesday, 31st August 2021 

from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Use the link to join online: https:// 

tinyurl.com/hynzcv2021 

This is a free webinar brought to you by Hindu Youth 

New Zealand. For more information, email hinduyouth. 

newzealand@gmail.com. 

Follow ‘Hindu Youth New Zealand’ on Facebook to keep up 

with the latest events and workshops.


NEW ZEALAND 9 

UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND 

experiment mimics Covid-19 

-IWK BUREAU 

An experiment running at the University 

of Auckland can provide near-realtime 

information on the likely spread 

of Covid-19. 

In the experiment, virtual - not real - 

viruses are spread within an Android app that 

members of the experiment run on their phone. 

This virus transmission experiment uses a 

framework called Safe Blues, where virtual 

tokens are spread via Bluetooth between the 

phones of participants. 

When students taking part in the experiment 

are physically close to each other, their phones 

exchange tokens which then spread, mimicking 

the dynamics of the real epidemic. 

This allows researchers to estimate the spread 

rate of a real virus. 

Safe Blues involves hundreds of digital 

token variants with varying disease attributes. 

For example, one set of variants has a random 

incubation period with a mean of 3 days, and a 

random disease duration (during which a phone 

can infect other phones) with a mean of 10 

days. This is similar to Covid-19. 

If participants are socially distant and do not 

interact, then neither the Covid-19 virus nor the 

Safe Blues tokens can propagate. 

The researchers running Safe Blues use 

statistics and machine-learning techniques to 

predict what is happening. 

Each phone running the app carries many 

different “strands” of virtual Covid-19. It is 

Dr Azam Asanjarani and Associate Professor Ilze Ziedins 

the combination of the strands that gives the 

experiment the ability to predict how the virus 

is spreading in real life. 

The recent delta outbreak is very concerning 

given the rising numbers in parts of nearby 

Australia, says Safe Blues researcher Dr Azam 

Asanjarani from the University of Auckland’s 

Department of Statistics. 

“Following the rapid Auckland lockdown, 

the Safe Blues experiment is already giving 

signals showing that the lockdown works to 

inhibit the spread of both Covid-19 as well as 

Safe Blues strands,” she says. 

“Safe Blues can tell us about contact trends to 

help learn about the overall rate of virus spread 

and the effect of social distancing in controlling 

it. We can already see that Safe Blues is able to 

reflect the current state of the pandemic under 

lockdown.” 

Now, after five full days of lockdown, 

the system’s live measurements are already 

showing that the number of exposed 

participants is decreasing, as reflected in the 

number of incubating participants. However, 

the number of infected participants remains 

constant. 

Following the rapid 

Auckland lockdown, the 

Safe Blues experiment is already 

giving signals showing that the 

lockdown works to inhibit the 

spread of both Covid-19 as well 

as Safe Blues strands." 

Dr Azam Asanjarani 

University of Auckland’s 

Department of Statistics 

With real Covid cases, one cannot measure 

exposed cases, and hence the effect of the 

lockdown is not yet visible on the actual case 

numbers in New Zealand. 

Safe Blues allows us to immediately see the 

actual effect of lockdown measures - in the 

subset of the population that has the app on 

their devices.

10 NEW ZEALAND 



DENTAL PRACTICE offers free services 

Amidst the ongoing lockdown, where 

among other services, dental care is 

also hard to come by, Dr Nikita Verma, 

a well recognised and established dentist in 

Auckland has stepped in voluntarily to help 

the community. Indian Weekender spoke to 

Dr Verma about the free dental services her 

practice is offering to the community. 

IWK- Dental treatment is quite expensive 

and in demand too in New Zealand, 

how are you delivering it amidst the 

lockdown? 

Dr. Nikita- This is for sure a very difficult 

time for everyone so to be honest we are not 

thinking about the business at this stage and 

pursuing with people who are in desperate need 

of our services. So, our main focus is on the 

people who are in pain and can’t get access to 

the basic dental services. 

IWK- There are lot of people who 

might be in distress and are not able to 

afford the dental services at the time of 

crisis how can you help? 

Dr. Nikita- This week we have offered our 

free dental services to our community. We are 

based in Pt Chevalier and we can help the people 

who are within the reach of 3km radius or get 

the appointments on our number 09-8467777. 

At the same time, we have to make sure that the 

patients are genuinely in pain and are in need 

of the treatment. We don’t want people to break 

their bubble so we have provided them with 

free consultation on phone and if needed we are 

taking video appointments too. If the problem 

persists then only we ask them to visit our clinic 

and get their treatment done. 

IWK- What gave you the inspiration to 

help the community? 

Dr. Nikita- During the previous lockdown 

we felt there was a need as we were getting 

heaps of calls about their medical requirements, 

but they could not afford it. So, this time we 

realised that we have to help them as we were 

getting calls from our patients of being in 

Akal Foundation, NZFuture 

Community Trust, Lyallpur Sweets 

band together to help community 

While New Zealand might 

have gotten used to the idea 

of lockdowns from our 

experience in 2020, it is still a difficult 

thing to go into the new lockdown, 

brought on by the current spread of the 

Delta variant. 

During this lockdown we felt there 

were still people who were in need of 

some help with their groceries and food. 

Akal foundation and NZFuture 

Community Trust came together and 

with the generous support of Lyallpur 

Sweets & Restaurant (Flatbush), they 

gave away several parcels of food for 

those in need in the South Auckland area 

surrounding Papatoetoe, East Tamaki 

and Flatbush. 

Thanks to all the people who came 

together as volunteers to help do this 

food giveaway drive, and to assist 

people to deal with the unintended 

consequences of the lockdown. 

To all the folks out there - Stay 

Home, Stay Safe, make sure you mask 

up, keep social distances, wash your 

hands, get vaccinated and keep working 

toward stopping the spread of Covid-19, 

especially the more virulent Delta 

variant. 

excessive pain so we had to somehow come up 

with a plan to help them. 

IWK- How are you providing the services 

without any challenges or are 

there any? 

Dr Nikita- It is a huge challenge as we 

Sikh Aware volunteers 

rise to the occasion 

Eight days of staying 

confined to their 

homes, vulnerable 

groups like the elderly should 

get all the help they need 

to keep their lives going. 

are facing a big risk of delta outbreak, most 

importantly keeping in mind the safety of 

our staff and the patients. All the necessary 

requirements are being implemented in order 

to keep the flow and the safety of workforce. 

We make sure that the patient does not have the 

symptoms of covid or have not travelled to a 

location of interest, we also ask them to take 

necessary measures to avoid contact with any 

of the staff. 

IWK- Are you being provided with any 

compensation from the government as 

you are contributing with such noble 

services to the community. 

Dr Nikita- No, at the moment government is 

not aware of the free services we are offering, 

and we never expected anything from them 

either. This is us doing whatever in our power 

to lend a helping hand to the community. 

Government supports the under-18 patients but 

there is no support for the people beyond that 

age so this is the reason we initiated the free 

service plan. 

Community volunteers 

have once again risen to the 

occasion this time around just 

as they did during last year’s 

lockdowns. 

They have indeed become 

the shining light in helping 

people who are unable to go 

out and shop for groceries. 

Speaking with Indian 

Weekender Harpreet, one 

of the volunteers from 

Sikh Aware said, “We are 

getting calls from different 

“ 

communities across Auckland We have a lot of volunteers here in Auckland as well, 

and outside that too, providing we are trying our best to provide the groceries and 

our services throughout delivering them across Auckland within a span of 24 

New Zealand whether it is hours after placing their order’ 

Queenstown, Christchurch in 

South Island and also up North in Whangarei. 

“We have a lot of volunteers here in Auckland as well, we are trying our best to provide the groceries and 

delivering them across Auckland within a span of 24 hours after placing their order’ 

When asked about details of how the service works Harpreet said, “A person who is looking for groceries, 

these are the people who can afford them but the issue is that they cannot go out as they are probably sick or 

asked to self-isolate, so they pay for their own groceries and we spend the time and do the shopping for them and 

provide them with the deliveries. 

“Due to the long queues in the supermarket with no delivery service available online they stepped in and helped 

in the delivering what they need according to their list, whether it is 5 items or 50 items, we shop according to 

their specific requirements and deliver it.” 

They have also requested community leaders to offer help while they continue to do the noble work. Presently 

there are more than 30 volunteers across New Zealand, 100 plus families have been helped already. 

As of 26 August, there are 210 community cases and one million have been fully vaccinated.


NEW ZEALAND 11 

Migrant community to the rescue again 

Rrahul Doshhi and Bahvini Dosshi, 

who own both PORSE In-home 

Childcare and its associated education 

and training arm, as well as Rainbow Corner 

childcare centres throughout New Zealand are 

doing their bit for the community. 

Through their Rainbow Corner Centres, the 

couple is “putting their money where their 

mouth is” by allocating 10 per cent of enrolment 

places to those in need, a move that is costing 

the business more than $200,000 every year. 

Now they have stepped up to help the 

community by providing free childcare services 

to help the people get through the tough times. 

Indian Weekender spoke to the owners about 

how the essential workers can get full access to 

their services. 

IWK- Please tell us more about your 

childcare centres? 

Rrahul- Sure, Porse childhood Care which is 

one of our companies as well, has been awarded 

the contract by the ministry to look after the 

children of essential skill workers right across 

starting 23rd of this month. We have swung into 

action and I am happy to share that as of 10:00 

am this morning (August 24) we have matched 

about 125 families across the country. 

IWK- Are Essential Skills visa parents 

eligible to have free childcare services? 

Rrahul Dosshi- Every second to the worker 

in New Zealand there are directives put out 

by the government who are eligible for free 

childcare through uproot providers all over the 

country so that is what has come out as of this 

lockdown so we had the same service available 

in March 2020 lockdown, it’s now being reinstated 

with level 4 as well. 

IWK- What is the reason behind choosing 

the essential skill workers only to 

provide with the childcare facilities, 

why not everyone? 

Rrahul- It’s not limited to the visa, this is 

with anyone in New Zealand who is an essential 

skill worker during lockdown they are still at 

work and doing what they need to do, they are 

firemen, doctors, police, supermarket workers 

included. They have to leave their houses for 

work to keep our economy functioning --so 

their children are given priority at a the moment 

whilst rest of the families have a little bit of 

luxury where they are still at home trying to 

maintain their work life balance. 

IWK- Taking kids at an early stage of 

development under your wings is a huge 

responsibility so do you feel burdened 

with that pressure of expectations from 

the parents? 

Rrahul- It’s a pleasure and privilege to 

be shaping the future of New Zealand and at 

the same time we take this privilege quite 

seriously as well. We have put a whole lot 

of infrastructure around and how things are 

put in place in terms of infrastructure for the 

benefits of our children. The virtual playgroup 

we run as well has already kicked off and our 

families are engaged pretty much every day via 

teachers to make sure that they are kept active 

in constructive way. 

IWK- How are you able to provide to the 

community during the crisis of Covid 

19? 

Rrahul- What we learnt in our last lockdown 

is the policies procedure, checklist, posters, 

webinars we have developed a whole lot of IP 

at that time and we only grew stronger from 

that experience so what happened this time was 

we swung into action as soon as we know that 

level 4 was in commencement. 

The staff was ready, the policies were once 

again checked for validity and here we are the 

entire team of 600 plus educators and about 240 

employees was ready to face any problems that 

come our way providing to the services. 

IWK- How has the Lockdown affected 

your centres? 

Rrahul- We are all part of the game – we 

can’t run away from it. All your centres are 

closed so we can’t operate them, but we are 

fortunate enough to provide the care through 

Prose network. 

IWK- How are essential worker parents 

able to contact you? 

Rrahul- Easiest way is to drop an email 

hello@porse.co.nz and the email is sent to the 

processing team and then they start sharing the 

details across the country. 

NEWS FROM CHRISTCHURCH 

A bit of disappointment in the festive season 

Impact of 

covid 19 on 

upcoming 

Indian Events: 

SILKY SHARMA 

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a massive impact on 

the event industry in India and as a result, the industry’s 

future landscape is bound to transform. September and 

October are mainly season of festival in India. 

These Indian festivals are being celebrated in New Zealand 

by different Indian associations and organizations. 

This help people to get a chance to still celebrate their cultures, 

traditions and help to overcome the feeling of nostalgia. 

But with the Delta outbreak and cases found in Auckland and 

Wellington, the future of these events has been in danger now. 

Organisers are unsure what they should do as big events like 

Garba and Diwali are celebrated all over New Zealand.. 

Indian Weekender spoke to organisers in Christchurch about 

the impact of COVID 19 on these celebrations. 

Talking to various organisers in Christchurch, reveal the fear and 

anxiety of organiser. 

One of the forthcoming big events in Christchurch is “Ratri 

Before Navratri” which is scheduled to be held on 4 September. 

There are questions whether it will be held or not. Mr Gopin, 

the main organiser, says this is an uncertain time. They are not 

sure whether the event can go ahead. 

Rohan Chakarborty one of the main organisers of Graba Rolls 

2021 in Christchurch (A prominent event planner, coordinator 

and organiser) in Christchurch that is happening on 2 October 

expressed the same uncertainty one is sure about what will 

happen in future if COVID cases continue to rise like this. 

“These lockdowns have definitely been disappointing for a lot 

of us who have spent months planning large scale events which 

have been cancelled. There is also a great deal of uncertainty for 

us with upcoming events such as Dandiya Raas, ISCC Diwali 

" 

These lockdowns have 

definitely been disappointing for 

a lot of us who have spent months 

planning large scale events which 

have been cancelled. There is also 

a great deal of uncertainty for us 

with upcoming events such as 

Dandiya Raas, ISCC Diwali and R 

& B Events Mata Ki Chowki." 

and R & B Events Mata Ki Chowki,” he said. 

“These are events with turnouts between 500 to 20,000 

attendees and a lot of time, planning and financial investment 

involved. It’s a nervous time for us in the events industry, 

our contractors, sponsors and attendees who are excited in 

anticipation of these events as highlights of their festive season. 

“In saying that understand the importance of the lockdowns 

to control the outbreak of the virus, and are in total support of 

the rules in place to do so,” he added.

Editorial 

NZ chasing a 

chimera with 

elimination 

strategy 

The rapid community spread of the Delta variant has sorely exposed the government’s 

complete lack of preparedness to deal with it. It wasted precious months of New 

Zealand’s globally coveted Covid-free status, not getting on speedily with the 

vaccination rollout and failing to set right its clunky managed quarantine system. 

All the while Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris 

Hipkins and Finance Minister Grant Robertson have steadfastly stood by the Total 

Elimination Strategy. 

However, the government’s lack of action these past few months did little to bolster 

that strategy. It seemed as though a rapid vaccination rollout and the dire need to fix the 

quarantine system were not important parts of that strategy. 

The quickness and trickiness with which the Delta variant behaves and spreads has 

already begun to spark a rethink in other parts of the world as to whether something like a 

total elimination strategy that New Zealand has espoused can really work. In fact, several 

western countries have abandoned that tack. 

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said earlier this week New Zealand couldn’t 

follow the elimination strategy and keep borders closed indefinitely anymore – “It’s like 

living in a cave,” he said. 

But the New Zealand establishment will have no bar of it – at least at the moment. 

Minister Hipkins said this week that having come this far with the elimination strategy, 

it would be unwise to abandon it at this stage. We need to keep doing what we are doing, 

he said. 

What is the guarantee that the strategy will work? After all, when asked last year why 

dedicated quarantine facilities were not being built, Mr Hipkins had said that our current 

facilities were adequate and that by the time they were built, there might not be a need 

for them anymore. 

How way of the mark that comment was. 

No one has a crystal ball, and all options must be on the table if the government hopes 

to keep on top of the wily Delta variant, which Director General of Health Dr Ashley 

Bloomfield described this week as being “like a whole new virus”. 

It would be ill-advised to press on ahead with a mono-pronged elimination strategy. 

While it proceeds apace with the vaccination rollout – which has had an impressive boost 

since Delta spurred the government into overdrive over the past week – it must look at 

completely overhauling its quarantine system. 

At the same time, it must look at options of opening up the borders on reaching sufficient 

vaccination numbers – ninety per cent of the eligible population, according to modelers 

– which are deemed to keep infection levels manageable causing no undue strain on the 

country’s medical and intensive care infrastructure. 

Other countries are already working toward this. Simply because they have come round 

to the view that total elimination is impossible with ultra-virulent variants such as Delta. 

The emerging consensus around the world is that Delta and similar future variants are 

here to stay and we will simply have to learn to live with them, pretty much like we have 

had to learn to live with seasonal viral infections like influenza. 

In the meantime, the government must look to adopt new techniques more widely and 

quickly like saliva testing and even self-testing kits that are now being used in Europe 

including the UK. 

These new techniques further eliminate the risk for spread through human contact since 

people can conduct these tests when being isolated. 

The government’s total elimination strategy might be fast approaching its use by date 

if it hasn’t already passed it. 

Thought of the week 

“One of the lessons that I grew up with was to 

always stay true to yourself and never let what 

somebody else says distract you from your goals.” 

—Michelle Obama 

27 August – 2 September 2021 

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu 

On-and-off 

rain and 

drizzle 

22° 

15° 

On-and-off 

rain and 

drizzle 

19° 

13° 

Indian Weekender : Volume 13 Issue 25 

Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited 

Editor: Dev Nadkarni | dev@indianweekender.co.nz 

Chief Technical Officer: Rohan deSouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz 

Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | design@indianweekender.co.nz 

Accounts and Admin.: 09-2173623 | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz 

Media Sales Manager.: Leena Pal: 021 952 216 | leena@indianweekender.co.nz 

Sales and Distribution: 021 952218 | sales@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 

Clouds 

and 

sun 

19° 

14° 

Clouds 

and 

sun 

20° 

14° 

Clouds 

and 

showers 

This week in New Zealand’s history 

20° 

14° 

Copyright 2020. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved. 

A few 

morning 

showers 

21° 

15° 

A few 

morning 

showers 

27 August 1904 

Foundation stone for Victoria University’s first building 

laid 

26° 

17° 

Victoria College (now Victoria University of Wellington) was founded in 1897 to mark 

Queen Victoria’s 60th jubilee. In contrast to the strong physical presence the university has 

today, the college had no permanent accommodation in its first decade. 


Canterbury's 'Big Snow' 

Cantabrians awoke to find the region blanketed in snow. The ‘Big Snow’, as the storm came 

to be known, was the region’s heaviest for 30 years. 


New Zealand force captures German Samoa 

Colonel Robert Logan led a 1400-strong expeditionary force to capture German Samoa in 

New Zealand’s first military action of the First World War. This was the second German 

territory, after Togoland in West Africa, to fall to the Allies in the war. 


Arbitration Act becomes law 

The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration (IC&A) Act made New Zealand the first country 

in the world to outlaw strikes and introduce compulsory arbitration. 

1 September 1943 

Eleanor Roosevelt visits Auckland 

It was near the end of the US First Lady’s surprise visit to New Zealand to meet American 

forces based in the country, inspect the work of the US Red Cross – whose grey uniform 

she wore throughout her seven-day stay – and study the contribution of New Zealand women 

to the war effort. The most high-profile presidential spouse to that time, she was known for her 

concern for the downtrodden and for the rights of women. 

1 September 1987 

New Zealander sentenced to death in Malaysia 

Lorraine Cohen was sentenced to death by a Malaysian judge for heroin trafficking. On 

appeal her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. The trial of Lorraine and her son 

Aaron, who was arrested at the same time, gained worldwide attention. Both were pardoned and 

released in 1996.

The Indian Weekender Friday, August 27, 2021 FIJI 13 

Fiji opens up a little as cases spread East 

Fiji is easing up on its restriction 

order to prevent spread of the virus beyond Viti 

of movement on Monday as the 

Levu. Furthermore, we repeat our call to all 

government announced new curfew 

village leaders and elders to support our current 

hours to reflect improvements in its Covid-19 

vaccine delivery. 

Beginning on Monday, curfew hours move 

to start an hour later, from 7pm to 4am, its first 

change since the second outbreak began mid 

April. 

In his first national address on the pandemic 

in several weeks, Prime Minister Frank 

Baninimarama said the 6pm-4am curfew which 

was instituted on the main island Viti Levu but 

was 11pm-4am on other islands, would now be 

'responsibly eased.' 

"As more of Fiji becomes fully vaccinated, 

we will forge a powerful shield of protection 

against severe disease and death from Covid-19, 

and much of what we miss most about our lives 

can be restored," Bainimarama said. 

"This measure has provided necessary 

disregard any of our other health protection 

measures. Unless announced otherwise, they 

will all remain in place," Bainimarama said. 

while the Central Division infections were the 

lowest with only 33 new cases, the western 

division reported 185 and 85 new cases were 

efforts to protect our maritime islands and to 

immediately report any suspicious movements 

into your community." 

Despite its capacity to test close to 4000 

samples, the MOH reported 1613 tests only for 

21 August and said some data was still to come 

in from labs around the country. However, the 

daily test positivity rate remains high at 32.8 

percent. 

"We are currently doing a mop-up exercise 

of our first dose campaign, which will allow 

us to specifically target communities with low 

coverage, and subsequently also correct and 

update the total eligible population for our 

current vaccination programme," Dr Fong said. 

He added that despite a visible drop in 

reported new infections, the trend is likely to 

be an effect of drastically reduced community 

protection against non-essential nightly Parties a no-no at the moment 

from Kadavu. 

contact tracing, a "testing policy change" in the 

gatherings and assisted enormously with 

the movement of essential personnel during 

emergencies." 

Bainimarama said curfew would start at 

8pm once the fully vaccinated population is 

50 percent, at 9pm when it reaches 60 percent, 

10pm at the 70 percent threshold and back 

to 11pm like the rest of the country once the 

government is able to fully vaccinate 80 percent 

of the target population. 

He added containment area borders on the 

main island Viti Levu would be lifted once 60 

percent of the target population is reached. 

The government reports that 92 percent of 

the target population of 587,651 have received 

the first dose of the vaccine while 234,905 are 

fully vaccinated. 

"Just because we plan to shorten the curfew 

hours does not give anyone a free pass to 

Reminding people not to start "party 

planning" the prime minister said the extra 

hours of movements must not be at the cost 

of vigilance but rather be used for essential 

travel and added they would be rolled back if 

authorities see widespread violations of Covidsafe 

practices. 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health (MOH) 

has reported a drop in overall cases to 19,097, 

the first time in two months since Fiji has 

reported below 20,000 cases nationwide. 

However, cases in the outer islands of Vanua 

Levu and Kadavu continue to be an area of 

concern with Kadavu's total cases now at 131. 

In its latest report, the MOH reported five 

new deaths, 20 severe cases and 20 critically ill 

patients and 303 new infections for the period 

ending 8am August 22. 

Health Secretary James Fong reported that 

"The situation in Kadavu Island remains a 

major concern. The clinical scoping team in 

Kadavu have begun to put together a clinical 

response plan that will help to efficiently 

escalate our response to the expected wave of 

severe disease and deaths in Kadavu however 

we do anticipate this to be a challenging 

exercise," Dr Fong said. 

Community surveillance is now being 

conducted on the island with the key strategy 

being to identify people vulnerable to severe 

Covid to provide them with pre-emptive care so 

as to allow early identification of danger signs 

"and access to clinical care in a timely manner". 

"The Ministry of Health and Medical 

Services reiterates its call for maritime islanders 

not to engage in unauthorised travel to and from 

Viti Levu. All our current protocols to regulate 

domestic movements must be adhered to in 

capital city area. 

"This does not mean that the outbreak is 

on a downward trend in the Suva-Nausori 

community. 

"As previously announced by the Permanent 

Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori 

are currently not being used as an indicator 

to monitor progress of the outbreak in Suva- 

Nausori. 

The Ministry is closely monitoring other 

indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations 

and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak 

in Suva-Nausori. 

"We are seeing increasing cases reported 

in the Western Division with evidence of 

widespread community transmission in that 

division. Deaths per day at a seven-day average 

in the Western Division now surpass the Central 

Division." 

BOOK ADS IN 

NEWSPAPER 

The most widely circulated WEEKLY 

publication for Kiwi-Indians and the most 

popular news platform with a strong 

online, social media, and print. We deal 

with all major advertising: Digital, Social 

Media and Newspaper Print advertising. 

PROPERTY 

AUTOMOBILE 

EDUCATION 

Call us for a customised advertising 

solution with Indian Weekender 

www.indianweekender.co.nz 

IMMIGRATION 

MORTGAGE 

EVENTS 

021 952 216 

Email sales@indianweekender.co.nz / 

leena@indianweekender.co.nz 

NEW ZEALAND 

Over a ton of colour to be used at 

Krishna Holi 2021 event in Kumeu 

The Indian Weekender Friday, February 12, 2021 11 

RIZWAN MOHAMMAD 

T 

he biggest Holi event in the country 

on Sunday, February 14 at ISKCON 

Temple in Kumeu will put over one 

ton of colours for 10,000 visitors to play with 

celebrating the annual Hindu festival. 

Holi is one of the most popular and widely 

celebrated festivals for the Indian community 

after Diwali that is celebrated by the diaspora 

and the adjoining communities across the globe. 

The annual festival of colour falls on March 

28-29 this year, and the religious element of the 

festival signifies the triumph of good over evil. 

It is observed a the end of winter and advent of 

spring month (in the Indian subcontinent), and 

spiritual part of the festival starts with Holika 

Dahan (burning demon Holika) also known as 

Chhoti Holi and the following day as Holi. 

In its 9th year, Krishna Holi event at the 

iconic Hare Krishna Temple in Kumeu, West 

Auckland attracts thousands of people from all 

walks of life, different ethnicities and faiths to 

be a part of a colourful and joyous event. 

Speaking with the Indian Weekender, 

Krishna Chandra from the temple said they are 

excited to see the festive season of Holi back 

after a gloomy year of Covid-19 in the country. 

“Holi at the Krishna Temple is one of the 

most vibrant events in our calendar- we see 

families dressed white clothing visi the temple 

and then dance and drench in dry and wet 

colours from noon till early evening,” Krishna 

Chandra, secretary and spokesperson of Hare 

Krishna Temple said. 

The temple spread over 100 acres start the 

free event at 11 a.m. and will have stalls that 

distribute at least ten to 12 colours, and there 

will also be watercolours for the visitors. 

A giant LED screen is also installed on the 

stage with a DJ and live music for the attendees 

to dance and have fun. 

“It’s a family-friendly- tobacco and alcoholfree 

event. People of all ages can have fun as 

there will be colour stalls, water stations, food 

stalls, changing rooms, showering stations for 

people drenched in colour,” Mr Chandra said. 

He added tha the temple stocks colours to be sanitisers are in place for people, arrangements 

used at the festival at least 2-3 years at a time. for children activities, so that everyone gets to 

The temple will be used over a ton of colour at enjoy the even to its fullest. 

the event both in its dry form and with water. “We have volunteers, security to usher 

“We have given 200 kgs of colour to fire vehicles to park in the appropriate places, 

brigade who will mix it in their water tank manage the oncoming and returning traffic, 

and then splash it on the visitors at different and make sure visitors feel comfortable at the 

intervals. 

event,” Mr Chandra added. 

“Since this year’s event coincides with The event organisers have appealed the 

Valentine’s Day, we have kept valentine theme visitors to come in white dress as colours tend event like previous years will be high octane, 

gifts and gift station too at the venue for the to exhibit its vibrancy on white clothing, get full of energy and good vibes,” Mr Chandra 

public to celebrate the occasion there,” Mr spare clothing to change after playing with added. 

Chandra added. 

colour and food and water arrangements have ISKCON Temple is located on 1229 

Mr Chandra says all arrangements in been made a the venue. 

Coatesville-Riverhead Highway, Kumeu, West 

terms of Covid QR Code scanning and hand “Hol is always a fun event and Krishna Holi Auckland, and the event starts at noon to 5 p.m. 

Hare Krishna temple to host ‘Saatvik food festival’ 

RIZWAN MOHAMMAD 

T 

he Hare Krishna Temple in Kumeu, West Auckland 

is hosting its annual food festival event on Saturday, 

February 13, for the community. 

More than 3000 people are expected to attend the event 

where they will be served saatvik vegetarian food, tour the 

temple premises and have a relaxing family-fun day. 

“Our Hare Krishna Food Festival is very popular amongs the 

wider Kiwi community in Auckland, people from all faiths and 

ethnicities come to the temple, take a tour of the place knowing 

about the deities, the ISKCON establishment, its works for the 

community and have snacks and food during the day,” Krishna 

Chandra, secretary and spokesperson for Hare Krishna temple 

told the Indian Weekender. 

The event is said to be quiet, and exhibit a relaxing 

environment where people get to meet new people, make 

friends, experience the calmness being with nature, have 

Saatvik (pure) vegetarian food and have good family day. 

“This event is happening just one day before our most 

popular Krishna Holi event which is will be loud, full of energy, 

playfulness, music and dance,” Mr Chandra added. 

The events will start at 2 p.m. and end at seven in the evening. 

Besides the food festival, Krishna Temple organises lunch 

event every Sunday at its premises where 300-400 people 

come, chant mantras, meditate, spend some time with nature 

and dine with the community members. 

“It is a soothing atmosphere at the temple, chanting mantras 

with the community, knowing more about the religion, what 

can they do a the temple and how can they make a difference in 

the community by serving others and the less privileged. 

“There are also children’s activities 

organised so that they engage themselves 

and also have a good time at the temple,” Mr 

Chandra said.

14 INDIA 

Friday, August 27, 2021 The Indian Weekender 

India’s Science-Tech Ministry to 

connect diaspora to Indian researchers 

Stressing the important role that the substantial work,” Science and Technology Mathematics (STEMM). On August 20, 2021, been launched to connect Indian diaspora with 

Indian diaspora could play in connecting Secretary, Professor Ashutosh Sharma, said he, along with University Grants Commission Indian academic and research institutes. 

with Indian academia and Industry, a top during his recent interaction with several Indian Chairman, Professor D.P. Singh had interacted Prof Singh shared his insights on the new 

official said the government is determined to origin presidents of US-universities. 

with 11 Presidents/Chancellors of US National Educational Policy. 

connect them with Indian researchers. 

The Science and Technology Ministry is Universities in which India’s Ambassador in During the interaction, Indian diaspora 

determined to connect the Indian diaspora with the United States Taranjeet Singh Sandhu had suggested that frequent actions need to be taken 

“Given the constraints and cultural differences 

Indian researchers, and DST has had several also participated. 

on collaborations along with a set timelines and 

in research ambience of two countries, we 

dialogues with the National Science Foundation DST’s Head, International Cooperation, defined focus areas. They proposed upgrading 

can work through mutual collaborations with 

and the US Department of Energy on the S.K. Varshney pointed out that in STEMM the healthcare system and promotion of medical 

the help of government initiatives such as development of bilateral scientific cooperation, areas, the first significant step was taken by sciences along with technical education so as 

VAJRA, SPARC etc. particularly in futuristic he said, as per an official release. 

organising the Vaishwik Bharatiya Vaigyanik to develop cooperation in certain focus areas 

technologies like cyber-physical system, Sharma has been periodically interacting (VAIBHAV) summit in 2020, and now an like health care, artificial intelligence machine 

quantum, hydrogen, electric mobility, in with Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) in Science, online portal, Pravasi Bharatiya Academic and learning, agriculture, and so on, the release 

which several Indian scientists are also doing Technology, Engineering, Medicine, and Scientific Sampark (PRABHASS) has also added. 

Biodegradable bags for Tirumala laddus 

The Defence Research and 

Development Organisation 

(DRDO) has come out with 

eco-friendly biodegradable bags for 

laddus at Tirumala temple here. 

DRDO Chairman Satish Reddy 

along with the Tirumala Tirupati 

Devasthanam (TTD) Executive 

Officer Dr K.S. Jawahar Reddy 

and Additional EO A.V. Dharma 

Reddy inaugurated an exclusive sale 

counter at Tirumala on Sunday. 

Later talking to media persons 

outside the Laddu Complex where 

the new counter was launched, the 

DRDO Chairman said Advance 

Systems Laboratory of DRDO 

in Hyderabad has been doing 

a lot of research and inventing 

ways to find best environmentfriendly 

replacement for the 

hazardous plastic. 

“To minimize single use plastic, 

we have come out with these ecofriendly 

bags made of starch of corn 

NTPC commissions largest floating 

solar PV project in the country 

State-run NTPC has 

commissioned the largest 

floating solar PV project in 

India of 25MW on the reservoir 

of its Simhadri thermal station in 

Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. 

This is also the first solar project 

to be set up under the Flexibilisation 

Scheme, notified by the Government 

of India in 2018. 

The floating solar installation, 

which has a unique anchoring 

design, is spread over 75 acres in an 

RW reservoir. The project has the 

potential to generate electricity from 

more than 1 lakh solar PV modules. 

This would not only help light 

around 7,000 households, but also 

ensure that at least 46,000 tonnes 

of CO2e are kept at arm’s length 

every year during the lifespan of 

this project. The project would also 

save 1,364 million litres of water per 

annum, which would be adequate to 

Tom Cruise tucks away Chicken Tikka Masalas at Asha Bhosle’s restaurant 

Tom Cruise is in the UK shooting for 

‘Mission: Impossible 7’, and guess where 

he dined unnoticed for two hours this past 

Saturday? 

It was at iconic playback singer Asha Bhosle’s 

eponymous restaurant, Asha’s, in Birmingham, 

where he ordered two servings of Chicken Tikka 

Masala. The Hollywood star, among many other 

attributes, is also well-known for his fondness 

for Indian food. And Chicken Tikka Masala is his 

favourite dish. 

The news of Cruise’s meal at Asha’s was 

broken on Twitter by the singer herself. The 

local newspaper, ‘Birmingham Mail’, may have 

headlined the story ‘Risky Business?’, but Bhosle 

was ecstatic. 

She tweeted a picture of the star, grinning with 

evident satisfactions, with the restaurant’s general 

manager, Nouman Farooqui, and two others. 

Bhosle said Cruise had enjoyed his “fine dining 

experience” and “I look forward to him visiting us 

again soon”. 

The restaurant also tweeted: “Tom ordered our 

famous Chicken Tikka Masala and enjoyed it so 

much that as soon as he had finished, he ordered it 

all over again. The greatest compliment.” 

After such wholesome nourishment, a beaming 

Cruise, as seen in the tweeted picture, looked very 

much in control and raring for some action. 

IIT-M develops India’s first motorised 

wheelchair vehicle 

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras 

on Monday announced the development 

of India’s first indigenous motorised 

wheelchair vehicle that can be used not only on 

roads but also on uneven terrains. 

The wheelchair named as ‘NeoBolt’ has a 

maximum speed of 25 kmph and is powered by 

a lithium-ion battery that helps 25 kms for every 

charge, the institute said in a statement. 

NeoBolt was developed by IIT-M Researchers 

in consultations with organisations and hospitals 

working among people with locomotor 

disability. The wheelchair was built factoring in 

their experiences and making constant design 

adjustments. 

“Our centre’s vision is to transform the disability 

landscape in India by creating functional and 

which degrade naturally within 90 

days and are also not harmful even 

if the cattle consume them. After 

a detailed research and rigorous 

testing of the formula, we have come 

out with these bags for Tirumala,” he 

said. 

He pointed out that the 

conventional polyethylene bags 

made from petrochemicals are toxic 

to the environment and take nearly 

200 years to degrade. In contrast, 

these bags would be offered as 

a sustainable, cost-effective and 

ocean-safe alternative to such plastic 

products, he added. 

TTD EO said, the launch of biodegradable 

bags by DRDO is a 

remarkable initiative and an ecofriendly 

measure. 

“Products like these are essential 

for the survival of mankind. After 

observing the response from the 

pilgrims for a few days, we are 

planning to commence its sales in a 

full-fledged manner,” he said. 

affordable assistive devices. How often do you see 

a wheelchair user at a school, an office, a shop or 

a theatre? 

“Wheelchair users are typically restricted 

to the four walls of their home, which affects 

their community participation and their ability 

to contribute to the economy,” said Sujatha 

Srinivasan, Faculty Head, TTK Center for 

Rehabilitation Research and Device Development 

(R2D2), IIT Madras, in the statement. 

NeoBolt has been commercialised through 

a startup called ‘NeoMotion’, co-founded by 

Srinivasan and an IIT Madras Alumnus Swostik 

Sourav Dash. The startup has also developed and 

commercially launched ‘NeoFly,’ a personalised 

wheelchair designed to enhance health and lifestyle. 

As many as 18 customisations ensure a perfect fit to 

the user’s requirements. It is estimated that around 

three lakh wheelchairs are sold annually in India, 

of which 2.5 lakh are imported. Nearly 95 per cent 

of all wheelchairs sold in India are ‘one-size-fitsall,’ 

which restricts mobility, damages health, and 

lowers self-confidence. 

“NeoFly personalised wheelchair is available 

at Rs 39,900 and NeoBolt motorised add-on is 

available at Rs 55,000. We offer convenient EMI 

options. Users can pre-book their orders with us for 

just Rs 1,000 by registering on our website,” said 

Dash, who is also the CEO of NeoMotion. 

meet the yearly water requirement of 

6,700 households. 

The 2000MW coal-based Simhadri 

station is the first power project to 

implement an open sea intake from 

the Bay of Bengal, which has been 

functional for more than 20 years. 

NTPC is also planning to set up a 

hydrogen-based micro-grid system 

on a pilot basis at Simhadri. 

With a total installed capacity of 

66,900 MW, the NTPC group has 

71 power stations, including 29 

renewable projects. 

NTPC has set a target to install 60 

gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy 

capacity by 2032. It is also India’s 

first energy company to declare its 

energy compact goals as part of the 

UN High-level Dialogue on Energy 

(HLDE). The group has over 17 

GW of capacity under construction, 

including 5 GW of renewable energy 

projects. 

Facebook empowers 

small business 

advertisers in India 

Facebook on Friday announced 

a new programme, the small 

business loans initiative, to 

help small and medium businesses 

(SMBs) in India that advertise on the 

social media platform to get quick 

access to credit through independent 

lending partners. 

The initiative is open to businesses 

registered across 200 towns and 

cities of India, the company said in 

a statement. 

The announcement came at 

a recently held virtual event -- 

Enabling MSME Growth through 

Financial Inclusion -- hosted by 

Facebook India in partnership with 

Federation of Indian Chambers of 

Commerce and Industry (FICCI). 

“Facebook is deeply committed to 

creating economic opportunities for 

India’s small businesses. Access to 

timely capital is more important than 

ever as it can help them jump-start 

their recovery and drive big growth,” 

said Ajit Mohan, VP and MD 

Facebook India, in the statement. 

“As a company, we are at the spear 

end of the digital transformation and 

we believe that the Small Business 

Loans Initiative can provide big 

impetus to early entrepreneurs to 

fuel their ideas and their appetite for 

taking risks,” he added.


FEATURES 15 

Healthy cooking every day 

WHAT TO EAT FOR JANMASHTAMI FASTING 

Hindu religious fasting i.e Janmashtami, 

Navratri, Shivratri, Ekadashi, only 

permit certain grains, vegetables and 

spices are used. This list varies according to 

every family’s specific traditions, but these are 

the main grain, vegetables, and spices which are 

used during fasting: 

1. Flours: kuttu aata/buckwheat flour, rajgiri 

atta/ amaranth flour, singhoda aata/ water 

chestnut flour, sama/ samu/ varai/ Barnyarn 

Millet , Sabudana/ sago/ tapioca pearls, 

arrowroot 

2. Spices: Sendha namak/Rock salt, Amchoor/ 

mango powder, Kali mirch/pepper powder, 

Cumin/jeera, Carom seeds/Ajwain, 

Asafoetida/ Hing, Cloves/ Lavang 

3. Vegetables: Aloo/potato, Arbi/colocasia, 

Sweet potato/shakarkand, Yam/jimikand, 

Raw banana, lauki/ bottle gourd , yellow 

pumpkin /kaddu, Raw Papaya/papita, 

Sabudana (tapicoa) bhel, chaat 

Sabudana Bhel this is a 

delicious appetizer or also can 

be served with afternoon tea. 

Sabudana Bhel or I like to call this 

chaat is an elegant looking dish, that 

will sure to impress all your family 

and friends. 

INGREDIENTS 

For Sabudana - Tapioca 

• 1/2 cup sabudana tapioca, use the 

larger pearls 

• 2 tsp oil 

• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds jeera 

• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds rai 

• pinch turmeric haldi 

• 1/2 tsp salt 

• few drops lemon juice 

For Serving 

• 1 cup potato boiled peeled and cut 

into small cubes 

• 1 Tbsp green chili finely chopped 

• 1/2 tsp salt 

• 1/2 cup peanuts roasted and 

crushed 

• 2 tsp chaat masala 

• 1/2 cup aloo lacha check existing 

recipe 

• 1/4 cup tamarind chutney check 

existing recipe 

Method 

• Wash sabudana (tapioca) 

changing the water 2-3 time and 

soak with one cup of water, soak 

8 hours or more. Sabudana will 

become all most four time in 

volume and will be soft. 

• Heat the oil in a frying pan on 

medium heat. Test the heat by 

adding one cumin seed to the 

oil; if seed cracks right away oil 

is ready. Add cumin seeds and 

mustard seeds after seeds crack 

add turmeric, lower the heat to 

low. Add sabudana, and salt. 

Keep stir frying until sabudana 

becomes translucence, looks like 

pearls. This should take about 

another 4-5 minutes. Stir gently 

and making sure tapioca doesn’t 

get sticky and stuck to each other. 

Turn off the heat, and drizzle 3-4 

drops of lemon juice and stir. 

• Transfer sabudana to a wide bowl 

Paneer malai ladoo 

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 cup home made paneer 

• 1 cup whole milk 

• 1 cup milk powder 

• 1 Tbsp clarified butter ghee 

• 1/2 cup sugar 

• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder 

• 2 Tbsp sliced pistachios for 

garnishing 

Method: 

• I used 4 cups of whole milk to 

make 1 cup of paneer. I have done 

the recipe earlier how to make 

Paneer. 

• Use heavy bottom flat frying 

pan, add paneer, milk and milk 

powder, mix it well. 

• Cook the paneer mixture over low 

heat stirring continually, because 

of the milk powder mix can burn 

easily. Also keep scrapping the 

sides. Mix will come together and 

will be the texture of soft dough, 

this should take about 10-12 

minutes. 

• Add clarified butter mix it well 

and cook for one minute. Turn off 

the heat. Transfer the paneer mix 

on a plate, and let it come to room 

temperature. 

• Add sugar and cardamom 

powder, mix it well and knead, for 

a minute. this should be like a soft 

dough. Make them in about oneinch 

balls. Paneer Ladoos should 

be soft in texture. Garnish with 

pistachios. 

• NOTES: Paneer Ladoos taste best 

when they are served chilled. 

• if ladoo mix is dry add warm milk 

before adding the sugar. 

stir for few minutes with fork 

making sure sabudana pearls are 

separated and not sticky. Serve the 

sabudana at room temperature. 

• Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 

green chilies to cubed potatoes, 

mix it well and set aside. 

• Assembling the Sabudana Bhel, 

in a serving platter spread the 

cooked sabudana, sprinkle the 

roasted peanuts, over peanuts 

sprinkle the potatoes, then aloo 

lacha, some more peanuts and 

drizzle the chutney. 

NOTES: Suggestion, this is a easy 

recipe, you can prepare every thing 

in advance, cooked sabudana can be 

refrigerator for up to a week. Aloo 

Lacha and tamarind chutney can be 

stored for months. 

Cucumber/kheera, lemon/ neebu, Green chili, 

Ginger/adrak ,bathua and Green coriander 

4. Nuts: All the dry fruits and Nuts can be used 

in fasting i.e – Cashew, Phool makhana, 

Almonds, Pistachio, Chiroli, Raisins, 

Coconut, Walnut, Peanuts, Pine nuts, Prunes, 

Pecans, Pumpkin seeds,Sunflower Seeds 

5. Fruits: All the fruits- raw or ripe, sweet or 

sour are allowed to use during fasting. 

6. Dairy Products: Milk, Yogurt, Paneer, 

Lighter Takes 

& Easy Tips 

khoya, Cream, Malai, butter, ghee ,lassi. 

7. Sweets: All the sweets made purely with 

milk, khoya or paneer or nuts can be 

consumed.Desserts made with the allowed 

fruits,vegetables and nuts. i.e- potato halwa, 

doodhi halwa, sweet potato kheer etc. 

8. Cooking Medium: Ghee, butter and any 

cooking oil can be used but peanut and 

sunflower is the preferred oil to use during 

fasting. 

Roasted caramelize makhana 

Caramelized Makhana is the perfect snack for all ages, especially kids. 

My grandchildren absolutely love this recipe and my youngest even calls 

it kettle corn. This is not just quick and easy to make, but it is a healthy 

snack because it is high in protein and has many nutritional values. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 4 cup makhana fox nuts, 

lotus seeds 

• 3 Tbsp oil 

• 1 tsp salt 

• 6 Tbsp sugar 

• 2 Tbsp almonds sliced 

Method 

• Use a larger frying pan 

then you think you need, 

because it makes it easy to roast otherwise when you are roasting makhana 

will be dropping all over. Use heavy frying pan. 

• In a frying pan take the makhana and drizzle with the oil, (save 2 teaspoons 

of oil and set this oil aside we will use later) and sprinkle the salt. Using 

your fingers mix it well until makhanas are coated well with oil and salt. 

• Open the heat to medium low keep stirring till they are very light gold 

this should take about 6-8 minutes, try one makhana to make sure they are 

crispy. As they cool of, they will become crunchier. 

• Remove them from frying pan, you will notice most of the salt will remain 

in the frying pan, wipe the frying pan, we will use it again. 

• Use the same pan, heat over low medium heat. Put the oil we have saved 

in the frying pan, and sprinkle all the sugar, wait till you see sugar has start 

melting, now stir the sugar and keep stirring till the sugar has melted turn 

off the heat quick otherwise sugar will burn. 

• Add almonds and roasted makhana, keep stirring till all the makhanas are 

coated with caramelize sugar and almonds. Spread it over non-stick surface 

and with spatula keep separating or separate with your fingers. Carnalized 

Makhanas are ready. 

Notes: keep them air tight container they will stay good for month or more. 

I make them for holiday season, because they also make good homemade gift. 

Moong dal halwa (A low calorie version) 

The Low Calorie Moong Dal Halwa Recipe is an idol if you want to enjoy goodness of Moong Dal Halwa without 

the consuming the of tons of calories that most often goes into a halwa. This halwa recipe is great for the festive 

season when all of us want to consume dishes that are healthy and not too heavy on the tummy as well. 

Ingredients 

• 1 cup Yellow Moong Dal (Split) 

• 25 gram Sooji (Semolina/ Rava) 

• 200 ml Oil , or rice bran oil 

• Ingredients for sugar syrup 

• 1 cup Sugar 

• 1 cup Water 

• 1 teaspoon Cardamom (Elaichi) 

Pods/Seeds 

Ingredients for garnish 

• 1-1/2 tablespoon Mixed nuts , 

finely chopped (almonds r 

cashewnuts) 

Method: 

• To begin making the Moong Dal 

Halwa, we will first soak the 

moong dal in sufficient water 

overnight. 

• Drain all the water completely 

and grind it to a lightly coarse 

paste. Make sure you dont use too 

much water while you grind the 

dal batter. 

• Combine the sugar and water in 

sauce pan and bring the mixture 

to boil, stirring continuously until 

the sugar dissolves. 

• Add in the cardamom powder 

to the sugar water and stir well. 

Keep aside. 

• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed 

pan on medium heat. Add in the 

rava and roast on medium heat 

until lightly roasted and lightly 

browned. Now add the moong dal 

batter. 

• On low heat cook the batter until 

it is thick and begins to ooze out 

the oil. Keep stirring continuously 

until it gets a little darker golden 

brown in color. 

• Pour the hot sugar water to the 

moong dal mixture. 

• Keep stirring continuously until 

all the water is absorbed and the 

halwa comes out from the sides of 

the pan and the moong dal halwa 

is cooked. 

• Once cooked, turn off the heat and 

transfer the halwa to the serving 

bowl an garnish with the chopped 

nuts. 

• Serve Moong Dal Halwa with 

a one pot meal like Pudina Rice 

(Spicy Mint Pulao) and Burani 

Raita (Garlic Based Yogurt).

16 ENTERTAINMENT 

Friday, August 27, 2021 The Indian Weekender 

Top 10 Flicks from Netflix to binge watch this lockdown 

Sweet Girl 

Sweet Girl is a high-stakes action film about 

a man’s mission to bring the American 

healthcare system to justice. Jason Momoa 

(Aquaman) stars as Cooper, a loving father and 

husband who loses his wife thanks to the greed 

of the pharmaceutical industry. Grief-stricken 

and filled with rage, he sets out for revenge 

against her killers — the whole messedup 

system — all while trying to protect the 

only family he has left: his daughter (Isabela 

Merced). 

The Loud House 

Bake Squad 

Another baking series is topping the charts 

of Netflix’s most-watched series and 

films. Bake Squad follows expert bakers as they 

elevate their pastries with next-level ideas and 

epic execution. They’ll need to win over clients 

N 

Lin-Manuel Miranda strikes yet again — the hardest judges of them all — who need 

etflix’s newest animated movie, The 

with Vivo, an animated family film these very, very special baked goods. 

Loud House Movie, gives Nickelodeon’s 

following a stunning Capuchin monkey. The Defeated 

I T 

The Loud House TV series the feature film n Netflix’s new series The Chair, Sandra Oh Miranda voices Vivo the monkey, as well as he Defeated follows an American soldier 

treatment. In their first movie, the Loud Family plays an English professor who has been writing original songs for the movie. The film hunting for his missing brother in a warridden 

travels on a vacation to Scotland, where they 

find out that they’re descendants of Scottish 

royalty. 

made Chair of her department, which she likens 

to being “handed a ticking time bomb” because 

of how much chaos exists among her staff. 

also marks Sony Picture Animation’s first-ever 

musical film, venturing into new locations 

never before seen in the animated world. 

Berlin in 1946. As he hunts, he also 

helps a German policewoman fight violent 

crimes engulfing the city. 

Bollywood movies to watch this weekend 

Bell Bottom 

Manifest 

After theatres have open post second wave of COVID-19, 

Bell Bottom is the first Bollywood film that hit the screen 

and it is worth all the wait. 

The film is taking the internet by storm with all the hype and 

craze. Starring Akshay Kumar, Lara Dutta, Vaani Kapoor in lead 

roles, the film is directed by Ranjit M Tewari. 

The spy thriller is based on true incidents and the script has 

been well-researched to which an effective screenplay and 

direction are like cherries on the cake. 

Director has thought well of the script, and how he wants to 

project every single scene and situation. Be it London or Dubai, 

or any other city shown in the film, Rajiv Ravi’s cinematography 

captures the beauty of every single city. Music adds soul and 

thrill to this film which a must-watch this weekend. 

Bell Bottom Cast: Akshay Kumar, Lara Dutta, Vaani 

Kapoor. Bell Bottom Director: Ranjit M Tewari. Rating: 

4/5 

Shershaah 

Patriotic films with a tint of romance has always carried a 

certain success ratio on the Box Office. 

Shershaah is inspired from the life of decorated officer, Param 

Vir Chakra Captain Vikram Batra, who was a celebrated Indian 

Manifest follows the strange occurrences 

on one flight that disappears. After the 

passengers experience a bit of turbulence, they 

land — only to find they’ve been gone for 

five years. They start having visions, realizing 

something must’ve affected them way up in the 

air. 

The Chair 

army officer who laid down his life while fighting for the country 

during the 1999 Kargil War. Sidharth Malhotra essays the roles 

of both Vikram Batra and his brother Vishal Batra in the film, 

while Kiara Advani plays Dimple, with who Vikram falls in love. 

the issue with the film is that it is walking a tightrope between 

being a romantic film and a patriotic representation of a war hero. 

Cinema is a reflection of our society and the sacrifice of Capt. 

Vikram Batra will definitely make you emotional. But by the 

end of Shershaah, it does not do complete justice to either of the 

genres it falls into. Despite the lapses, it’s important that films on 

the lives of real-life heroes should be made more often for this 

generation to remember them in the right spirit. 

Shershaah Director: Vishnuvardhan 

Outer Banks 

Netflix’s new teen drama, Outer Banks, 

follows the Pogues, a group of friends 

in North Carolina who are trying to spend a 

carefree and fun summer together when they 

stumble upon a sunken ship and a hidden 

treasure. John B, the leader of the pack, is 

convinced his missing father is tied to the 

money and wreck after he finds a compass 

that belonged to him while diving around the 

sunken boat. 

Vivo 

Shershaah Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani. Stars: 

2.5/5 

Bhuj: The Pride of India 

All American 

All American Season 3 just dropped on 

Netflix, and the new episodes have 

made the CW show even more popular. This 

series tells the story of Spencer James (played 

by Daniel Ezra) as he uproots his life from 

Crenshaw to Beverly Hills. 

Cocomelon 

In the past, several war films have made our hearts swell 

with pride or made us take stock of the massive sacrifice that 

the Indian Army, Air Force and Naval officers make. Director 

Abhishek Dudhaiya’s Bhuj: The Pride of India tries to dig into 

that emotion but fails to hit the target. Starring Ajay Devgn, 

Sanjay Dutt, Sharad Kelkar and Sonakshi Sinha in prominent 

roles, Bhuj: The Pride of India is inspired from true events. If you 

don’t know which event it is, the film revolves around the Bhuj 

air base attack that happened in 1971. 

If you love patriotic films, you can give Bhuj: The Pride of 

India a watch over this Independence Day weekend. Otherwise, 

there’s plenty other content releasing this week to keep you 

hooked. 

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Sharad Kelkar, Sonakshi 

Sinha 

Director: Abhishek Dudhaiya 

Cocomelon, a children’s YouTube channel, 

has made its way to Netflix. The full first 

season of the preschool programming is now 

available to stream, which means parents now 

have three hour-long episodes to entertain their 

kids and teach them new skills. 

Streaming Platform: Disney+Hotstar VIP. Stars: 2.5/5


FEATURES 17 

FASHION AND BEAUTY 

TOP 

TRENDING 

SHOES FOR 

WOMEN 

IN 2021 

Whether you’re headed to work or 

a nightclub, stylish footwear will 

elevate your look and add a unique 

touch to every outfit. Own a pair of 

White Kitten Heels 

Add a trendy touch to your outfit with these 

cute kitten heel booties. White is one of the 

hottest shoe colors of the season, so showcase 

them by wearing pop or pastel shades to make 

them stand out. This footwear looks excellent 

with jeans and a trench coat or with a midi 

skirt. No matter how you style them, they’re an 

essential for every woman’s wardrobe. 

statement boots for winter or chunky 

sneakers for summer, there’s a myriad 

of styles to choose from. No one 

can have enough shoes, so what are 

you waiting for? Let the world be your 

runway with these trending shoes for 

women in 2021. 

Black and White Cowboy Boots 

Live out your Western fantasy with these funky black and white 

cowboy boots. Pick an ankle-length pair or the one that goes 

up to your shin – they’re a timeless classic that keeps coming back. 

Whether you’re rocking it with blue denim or a monochromatic 

ensemble, this is a pairing that will capture the attention of 

everyone you walk past, and for a good reason. 

Straight Leg Boots 

Say goodbye to the super tight footwear that you 

can’t walk in, and say hello to these straightleg 

boots. Not only do they look amazing with long 

and flowing dresses, but they’re a great way to keep 

yourself warm when the temperature drops. Choose 

from something simple and understated, or go wild 

with a funky pattern or an animal print. If you’re 

ready to show extra leg, rock these shoes with a short 

skirt and a long jacket, and you’ll be hitting up the 

streets in style all day. 

Types of jackets every girl needs in her 

wardrobe to channel her boss lady vibes 

Jackets are the coolest fashion picks 

to layer your look and to bring on the 

oomph factor. It creates a tough girl 

vibe and is surely a chic way to stand out. Here 

we bring to you 5 types of jackets you need 

to have in your wardrobe to look uber cool 

every day. Though jackets were initially worn 

as a functional piece of clothing to stay warm, 

today it’s about more than just staying warm. 

Jackets can be the statement-making piece of 

your outfit. 

Bolero Cardigan 

With cascading breezy front this sheer 

chiffon bolero jacket is an easy pick for any day 

to pair up with your sleeveless tops and add an 

effortlessly light layer of style to it. 

Military Jacket 

This twill jacket comes with a drawstring 

waist and elasticized balloon sleeves that add 

volume to your look. Team it up with your 

skinny jeans and comfy tees to look effortlessly 

cool like a dapper lady. 

Moto Jacket 

on and slay it! 

Racer Jacket 

Faux leather 

cropped moto 

jackets are a punk 

pick that comes 

with an edgy 

sophistication and 

boss babe written 

all over it. Ready 

for adventure? Get 

your moto jacket 

Adding a pinch 

of retro vibes this 

faux leather racer 

jacket features 

quilted details and 

a neatly snapped 

collar. The 

offbeat colour and 

its dope finishing 

enhances your style and gives a sporty spirit. 

Animal Print Jacket 

This snakeskin printed biker style jacket 

is one of a kind. The animal print trend is 

something that’ll never go out of style making 

it a must-buy fashion pick to don any style.

18 NEW ZEALAND 

CROSSWORD 

FreeDailyCrosswords.com 

NO: 82 

ACROSS------------, 

I) Native of Novi Sad 

5) Sassy, like a shampoo brand? 

9) Riding costume 

14) Cafe_ (black coffee) 

15) Gray-matter creation 

16) Freezing home 

17) Birdbath organism 

18) Godmother, sometimes 

19) Senator who made the 

rounds? 

20) Bird-brained baseball 

instructors? 

23) Snacked on 

24) Army bunk 

25) Initial start 

28) Pain spasm 

30) It's canceled when it's 

accepted 

33) It puts you off-course 

34) Chat 

36) Keg contents, sometimes 

37) Like average grades 

38) Result of a bird-brained 

dissection? 

BIRD BRAIN 

2 3 4 

14 

17 

20 

23 

28 

6 7 

42) Feature of some modern 

stadiums 

43) Model, originally 

44) Sphere 

45) Cousin of an ostrich 

46) One submitting a I 040 

48) Anything of material value 

52) A Rockefeller 

54) Have something 

56) In the style of, on menus 

57) Bird-brained posterior? 

61) Practical 

63) Java can be found in it 

64) Ready to be picked 

65) Strongboxes 

66) Talese and Goldin 

67) Aphrodite's husband 

68) Pharaoh's land 

69) Buttocks, in slang 

70) Nag, e.g. 

8 

26 27 

14th February 

DOWN 

I) Speak irritably to 

2) Stone Age tool 

3) Square-_ (sailing ship) 

4) Highlands hill 

5) Key instrument? 

6) Chemical extractions 

7) You may get a hand here 

8) "Bye now!" 

9) Loftily situated 

I 0) Shoelace end 

11) Response to a sneeze 

12) A positively charged atom 

13) Amount of bricks? 

21) Cousteau's bailiwick 

22) Certain facial blemish 

26) Opposite of west 

27) "_ can play that game" 

29) Jack's giant, for one 

31) One of the five senses 

32) Kentucky boxing legend 

35) It has two pieces on the beach 

37) Cries openly 

38) Scholarly reference book 

39) Disperse oil in water 

40) Nada 

41) One of the Muses 

42) Bear's lair 

46) Woodlands 

4 7) Pine products 

49) Comedic takeoff 

50) Emulates Romeo and Juliet 

51) Least wild 

53) Drag behind 

55) Make ashamed 

58) "The Metaphysics of Morals" author 

59) Jacob's twin brother, in the Bible 

60) Duffer's sandy challenge 

61) Fair_ ( copyright issue) 

62) Clothing attachment 

ANSWERS CROSSWORD NO: 82 

FreeDailyCrosswords.com 

ACROSS------------, 

I) Native of Novi Sad 

5) Sassy, like a shampoo brand? 

9) Riding costume 

14) Cafe_ (black coffee) 

15) Gray-matter creation 

16) Freezing home 

17) Birdbath organism 

18) Godmother, sometimes 

19) Senator who made the 

rounds? 

20) Bird-brained baseball 

instructors? 

23) Snacked on 

24) Army bunk 

25) Initial start 

28) Pain spasm 

30) It's canceled when it's 

accepted 

33) It puts you off-course 

34) Chat 

36) Keg contents, sometimes 

37) Like average grades 

38) Result of a bird-brained 

dissection? 

BIRD BRAIN 

1S 2E 3R 4B 

1 

N o 

42) Feature of some modern 

stadiums 

43) Model, originally 

44) Sphere 

45) Cousin of an ostrich 

46) One submitting a I 040 

48) Anything of material value 

52) A Rockefeller 

54) Have something 

56) In the style of, on menus 

57) Bird-brained posterior? 

61) Practical 

63) Java can be found in it 

64) Ready to be picked 

65) Strongboxes 

66) Talese and Goldin 

67) Aphrodite's husband 

68) Pharaoh's land 

69) Buttocks, in slang 

70) Nag, e.g. 

B Carla Azure 

9H 1A 18 11 

1l" 

6 

D E 

1 1 G L O 0 

U NT 1bL E N N 

COAC:HE s 

------ 

2b u s 

2'= 2,- 

3y AW 

0 S 0 

I L S I I P E 

A F E AN R E S 

Gyp us E S T 

HITORI NO: 82 

DOWN 

I) Speak irritably to 

2) Stone Age tool 

3) Square-_ (sailing ship) 

4) Highlands hill 

5) Key instrument? 

6) Chemical extractions 

7) You may get a hand here 

8) "Bye now!" 

9) Loftily situated 

I 0) Shoelace end 

11) Response to a sneeze 

12) A positively charged atom 

13) Amount of bricks? 

21) Cousteau's bailiwick 

22) Certain facial blemish 

26) Opposite of west 

27) "_ can play that game" 

29) Jack's giant, for one 

31) One of the five senses 

32) Kentucky boxing legend 

35) It has two pieces on the beach 

37) Cries openly 

38) Scholarly reference book 

39) Disperse oil in water 

40) Nada 

41) One of the Muses 

42) Bear's lair 

46) Woodlands 

47) Pine products 

49) Comedic takeoff 

50) Emulates Romeo and Juliet 

51) Least wild 

53) Drag behind 

14th February 

55) Make ashamed 

58) "The Metaphysics of Morals" author 

59) Jacob's twin brother, in the Bible 

60) Duffer's sandy challenge 

61) Fair_ ( copyright issue) 

62) Clothing attachment 

Eliminate numbers until there are no duplicates in any row or 

column. Eliminate numbers by marking them in Black. You are 

not allowed to have two Black squares touching horizontally or 

vertically (diagonally is ok). Any White square can be reached 

from any other (i.e. they are connected). 



SUDOKU SOLUSIONS AND ANSWERS NO: 82 

65 

68 

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 

1. Continental United States has 4 time 

zones, can you name them? Pacific, 

Mountain, Central, Eastern 

2. What was the Turkish city of Istanbul 

called before 1930? Constantinople 

3. From which US city do the band The 

Killers originate? Las Vegas 

4. Name the Coffee shop in US sitcom 

Friends. Central Perk 

5. How many human players are there on 

26 August to 2 September 2021 | By Manisha Koushik 

ARIES (MAR 21-APR 20) 

This is the time when you can let your hair down 

and enjoy life. Appreciation for something you 

have achieved at work is likely. Opportunities 

for making a quick buck come to you. You are 

likely to fare well on the academic front. Those 

in gold and jewellery business can expect gains. 

Domestic scene will be peaceful and serene. Someone in the family 

may require your support. You are likely to take steps to rejuvenate 

your love life. Lucky No.:4 / Lucky Colour: Light Blue 

TAURUS (APR 21-MAY 20) 

A proposal that is being offered to you needs 

scrutiny, so don’t be in any hurry to respond. 

You are likely to enjoy a short trip to someplace 

out of town. A gift-bearing relation may land 

from abroad and make your week. You will need 

determination and tact to make things favourable 

on the professional front. It will be important to resolve the problems 

faced on the academic front before they become insurmountable. 

Health poses no problems. Lucky No.: 1 / Lucky Colour: Green 

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 21) 

Steps may have to be taken to strengthen your 

financial front. You may need guidance and may be 

required to spend extra hours at work. Performance 

on the academic front may leave much to be desired. 

You will find immense satisfaction in spending time 

with family. Health-wise stars don’t augur well, as 

you may be troubled by one ailment or the other. Love beckons 

some, so make the most of it! Matters spiritual are likely to attract 

you. Lucky No.: 2 / Lucky Colour: Turquoise 

CANCER (JUN 22-JUL 20) 

A job offer may come to you, but see all pros and 

cons before acting. You will be able to achieve 

what you have set out for on the professional front. 

Someone’s comments may put you in a thoughtful 

mood on the social front. Opportunities you 

are awaiting may not arrive soon, but keep at it. 

Promises made by lover will keep you in an upbeat mood. You may 

help someone by offering your own vehicle. Lucky No.:7 / Lucky 

Colour: Lemon 

each side in a polo match? Four 

6. In what year did Tony Blair become 

British Prime Minister? 1997 

7. How many times has England won the 

men’s football World Cup? Once (1966) 

8. What is the capital of New Zealand? 

Wellington 

9. Street artist Banksy is originally associated 

with which British city? Bristol 

10. From what grain is the Japanese spirit 

Sake made? Rice 

11. In which part of your body would you find 

the cruciate ligament? Knee 

12. What is the name of the main antagonist 

in the Shakespeare play Othello? Iago 

13. What element is denoted by the chemical 

symbol Sn in the periodic table? Tin 

14. What is the name of the 1976 film about 

the Watergate scandal, starring Robert 

Redford and Dustin Hoffman? All the 

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 

LEO (JUL21-AUG 20) 

Certain closeness may once again develop with 

someone you had been ignoring for long. Several 

opportunities await you on the professional front 

and promise to come to you. Romantic endeavours 

for finding love are likely to succeed. A social 

function may be attended in this week. Talks about 

property are likely to vindicate your stand on a particular issue. You 

will be able to exercise self-control where food is concerned and 

enjoy satisfactory health. Losing money is foretold. Lucky No.:6 / 

Lucky Colour: Rust 

VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 23) 

Your ideas will be well taken at work and boost 

your confidence. A property matter is likely to get 

resolved satisfactorily. Financial problems may 

come to an end through your own efforts. You may 

decide to continue the exercise regimen that you 

have recently adopted. Better cater to spouse’s 

moodiness, rather than face tensions. Losing way to a new place 

cannot be ruled out for some. Take consent of others before going 

ahead with a decision. Lucky No. 9 / Lucky Colour: Red 

LIBRA (SEP 24-OCT 23) 

Someone in the family is likely to do you proud. 

This seems to be a favourable week which allows 

you to accomplish much. Financial constraints 

that you had been experiencing up till now are set 

to ease. Say goodbye to an old ailment that had 

been troubling you for long. Social front is likely 

to remain abuzz with excitement regarding an issue that concerns 

you. An overseas assignment may come your way and add to your 

prestige. Lucky No.:18 / Lucky Colour: Magenta 

SCORPIO (OCT 24-NOV 22) 

There is always a way out from a negative situation, 

the key is to find it. You are likely to get lucky 

with regard to both money and love. A previous 

investment will start giving handsome returns. 

Professionally, you will give a good account of 

yourself at work. An ex-flame is likely to bring 

excitement back into your life! Too much of anything is bad, so 

keep that in mind if you want to retain good health. Lucky No.: 22/ 

Lucky Colour: Purple 

President’s Men 

15. How many of Henry VIII’s wives were 

called Catherine?3 

16. What was the most popular girls name in 

the UK in 2019? Olivia 

17. In what US State is the city Nashville? 

Tennessee 

18. Which rock band was founded by Trent 

Reznor in 1988? Nine Inch Nails 

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 23-DEC 21) 

A sightseeing tour that may involve out of town or 

overseas trip is very much on the cards. You will 

get a free hand to exercise your authority on the 

professional front. Efforts of those trying to work 

up the corporate ladder are likely to get a boost. 

You are likely to become financially savvy and save money for 

something important. Resuming workouts or some physical activity 

is possible for some on the health front. Lucky No.: 8/ Lucky 

Colour: Peach 

CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 21) 

A relaxing time at work will prove most 

rejuvenating. You may worry over an issue on the 

academic front, but someone close to you will be 

there to help lay your fears to rest. On the work 

front, you may go all out to impress the ones who 

matter with your career in mind. Good financial 

management will find you in a healthy monetary situation. You 

may get a bit negligent on the health front by indulging in excesses. 

Lucky No.:7 / Lucky Colour: Orange 

AQUARIUS (JAN 22-FEB 19) 

Bold steps may be needed on the romantic front, 

if you want to achieve what you aspire for. You 

are likely to find yourself in a powerful position in 

a situation that warrants bargaining. Unwavering 

focus on the academic front is the need of the hour. 

Cutting corners and tightening belts will help you 

save a lot. You may have to turn a bit harsh to have your way at 

home. Health remains satisfactory through own efforts. Lucky No.: 

3 / Lucky Colour: Silver 

PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 20) 

You may have to ensure the completion of a task 

that you have initiated at work. Chance to visit 

someone you have known for long is bright. A 

major new household item is likely to be acquired 

soon. Savings made previously will stand you 

in good stead now. You will manage to diffuse a 

tense situation at home. It may take forever to explain workplace 

procedures to a new entrant, but patience will pay. Lucky No.: 17/ 

Lucky Colour: Grey


NEW ZEALAND 19 

Grow these Indian 

herbs right here in NZ 

AVINASH SEN 

India is a land of magnificent colours and 

exotic tastes; if you’ve eaten proper Indian 

food, you know I’m not lying. And if you 

haven’t, then put this down right now and go 

get some so we can be on the same page. 

Now, it’s probably obvious, but in case 

it isn’t, the secret behind good food lies the 

spices and herbs you use. Back in purane vale 

din, when traveling 100km would take at least 

a day, getting the spices was too much work, 

which meant unless you were living there, you 

probably weren’t going to get the food. 

However, thanks to the magic of technology, 

science and good old human ingenuity, we can 

bring the same herbs almost anywhere and 

everywhere. Which means, we can grow those 

almost anywhere and everywhere. 

So today we are going to talk about some 

herbs you can grow in your very own kitchen 

garden, right here in New Zealand. 

Tulsi (Basil) 

In India, tulsi is used for both worship and 

cooking. It also has medicinal properties that 

help soothe symptoms when you have a cold, 

especially when mixed with ginger and honey. 

It is said to be able to help prevent cancer as 

well. Tulsi grows best in warmth, and with 

plenty of sunlight, at least six hours’ worth 

every day. Also, make sure to keep the soil it 

grows in moist and well drained. 

Pudina (Mint) 

To no one’s surprise, pudina is used to help 

you cool down during the summer heat with 

cool drinks and to help stave bad breath. It’s 

also used to enhance the flavours of chutneys 

and sauces. It is also a part of many meat 

dishes. Pudina is another plant that needs plenty 

of water to grow well; sunlight is also good, but 

you can put the plant in the shade too. Light soil 

with good drainage works best for Pudina. 

Dhania (Coriander) 

The leaves from Dhania are especially 

flavourful, and so are used to garnish many 

an Indian dish, especially meats, chutneys 

and vegetable meals. Its seeds are one of the 

main ingredients of garam masala, a mixture 

of certain spices that is used in a good number 

of Indian recipes. Dhania grows well in cool 

climates, so it’s best to grow them during 

spring and autumn. You need to water this plant 

regularly, but don’t use too much water, just 

enough to keep the soil moist. Dhania grows 

well in both sunlight and shade. 

Lal Mirch (Red chilli) 

Normal Mirchi (chillies) are already pretty 

hot. Lal Mirch takes it to a whole new level. 

Warning, make sure you keep these out of the 

reach of small children and your pets. If they 

accidentally chew this, they will not be happy. 

As you can imagine, Lal Mirch is mostly used 

to give a little kick to your food. Lal Mirch 

grows best with full sunlight and a moderate 

amount of water. Make sure the soil is well 

drained. One Lal Mirch plant can give you 

plenty of Mirchi to work with. 

Curry leaves 

Guess which dish this plant is mostly used 

for? I’ll give you a hint, it’s in the name. 

Although it isn’t just used in curries, it is also 

used in some dals, especially sambar, just to 

give it that little extra something. Almost every 

self-respecting Indian cook will be growing a 

curry leaf plant in their household. This plant 

is very easy to keep and grow. Just keep it 

somewhere sunny, in a large pot or directly on 

the soil and make sure to water it every other 

day. It’s best if you grow this plant during the 

warmer part of spring and the summer. 

Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) 

This plant is mostly used in Ayurvedic 

medicine because of the health benefits it gives. 

It’s known to help calm nerves, aid sleep, lower 

blood pressure and even help with stomach 

problems. One can have it mixed with tea, in 

a paste or even mixed with oil. It’s a creeping 

herb and a very hardy plant which is known to 

be able to grow in rock, sand and mud, as long 

as it gets enough water. Just keep it in normal 

soil, give it plenty of water and watch it grow. 

Ajwain (Carom) 

Also known as bishop’s weed, it’s an herb 

which has a strong bitter taste and a pungent 

smell. Its sharp flavor is used in many lentil 

dishes and even in tea. It’s known to help 

with digestion, improve cold symptoms and 

give pain relief from Arthritis. This plant can 

be grown in both summer and winter, but it 

needs a lot of water in summer. Be careful not 

to overwater it though; waterlogged soil is its 

worst enemy. It can grow well in complete 

sunlight, but it prefers partial sunlight and/or 

shade. Make sure the soil you use has good 

draining capabilities. 

Adarak (Ginger) 

This root plant is pretty much grown for the 

sole purpose of flavouring food. It’s also very 

good for colds, especially when taken with tea. 

Adarak is best grown in temperate areas and 

can be grown in either a pot or outdoors. Loose 

and loamy soil works best for ginger, and they 

love it when you mix in some organic matter 

too. It’s best to keep the soil nice and moist if 

you want your ginger to grow well; and make 

sure it has good drainage, you do not want 

ginger to sit wet in winter. When it comes to 

sunlight, that will depend on the species/variety 

of ginger you have, as it can vary. 

Haldee (Tumeric) 

Haldee and ginger are close relatives and can 

be grown in pots too. The only difference is 

that haldee requires more water than its cousin. 

Like ginger, it is mostly grown for the purpose 

of seasoning/flavouring food, and has pungent 

flavour. It’s used in curries and is the cause of 

the distinct yellow colour in the dish. Haldee 

is also used as an Ayurvedic medicine. When 

growing, make sure you keep the soil moist and 

give it plenty of heat and sunlight. Be ready to 

transfer to bigger pot later, because they can 

grow pretty big. 

Sarson (Mustard) 

The mustard flowers are quite pretty, but the 

seeds are the most important part of this plant, 

because that’s the part that’s used for seasoning. 

It has a very strong flavour and can do anything 

from enhance a dish to completely change its 

taste, depending on how much of it you use. 

Mustard has antioxidants that can help the body 

and is a good source of fiber; it also helps lower 

your cholesterol and regulate your digestive 

system. You need to water this plant regularly 

and keep the soil moist for the best results. 

And there you have it. It’s not that hard to 

have your own exotic little garden. Now please 

bear in mind that this is not a comprehensive 

guide, more of a startup to pique your interest. 

If you plan to grow these plants, then make 

sure to do your research. It might take a little 

effort, but how many things are there in life that 

doesn’t? So apne green thumb dhikao, aur khud 

ka garden banao.

The Indian Weekender

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?