The Indian Weekender, 3 September 2021

03SEPTEMBER2021 • VOL 13 ISSUE 26 

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

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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 

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The Indian Weekender Friday, September 3, 2021 

NEW ZEALAND 3 

MIQ pause causing anxiety, stress 

IWK Exclusive 

NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH 

On August 23, MBIE (NZ Ministry of 

Business, Innovation and Employment) 

made it official that Managed Isolation 

and Quarantine is temporarily pausing the 

release and re-release of rooms on the Managed 

Isolation Allocation System due to the current 

COVID-19 outbreak. 

This included cancelled vouchers that are 

normally automatically re-released back into 

the system and that no rooms will be available 

to book for a few days. 

It has already been a week but looking 

at the current number of positive Covid 19 

delta variant cases in New Zealand which has 

surpassed 500, there seems to be no indication 

when these ‘few days’ are likely to be over. 

This news has caused nervousness and 

tension to thousands of Kiwis who either 

want to travel back to New Zealand or those 

who wish to travel from New Zealand and 

then return. 

Dr Arushi Kaura, a General Practitioner at 

The Holistic Medical Centre in Auckland and 

mother of two two sons, is also feeling the 

pressure of this MIQ pause. 

Dr Kaura, who hails from Punjab, India, 

says, “One of my sons, Neil, is in India since 

December 2019 and is staying with my parents. 

I want to get him back to New Zealand, but the 

MIQ debacle has ruined all my plans. 

“I had been searching for a MIQ slot for 

months now but have had no luck. And now 

this pause has come about. It is stressful that I 

can neither go to India to get him nor someone 

can come to drop him as MIQ seems to be the 

biggest challenge.” 

She adds, “I am a doctor and have been 

working relentlessly during this current 

lockdown. I am doing all my bit to serve 

New Zealand, but I am personally suffering 

due to this whole MIQ system or, I must say, 

lack of it.” 

NZ permanent resident Parmeet Kaur who is 

currently in India for the past few months says, 

“Both my parents were diagnosed with cancer, 

and I came to India to be with them in March 

this year. 

Fortunately, their health is stable now and 

I want to come back to New Zealand where I 

have my work commitment as well as family. 

“I had been trying to secure a MIQ voucher 

for the past few weeks but all in vain and now 

with this pause, all my hopes of returning to 

New Zealand are gone. I hope things get better 

and I can come back to my home.” 

Calling the situation “sad and heartbreaking”, 

Andrea Palomec Urrea, a member of Grounded 

Kiwis, a network of New Zealanders seeking to 

change the Managed Isolation and Quarantine 

" 

I am a doctor and 

have been working 

relentlessly during this 

current lockdown. I am 

doing all my bit to serve 

New Zealand, but I am 

personally suffering 

due to this whole MIQ 

system or, I must say, 

lack of it.” 

system, wrote on Facebook, “This situation is 

heartbreaking and is making me mentally ill 

and tired. I used to respect and admire the way 

that Jacinda led the country. 

Even last year, when Covid started I would 

compare it to the rest of the world, and I would 

be proud of the way she was managing the 

whole situation. 

“The elimination strategy is unrealistic now. 

Being here, having family abroad…the failure 

system of MIQ have completely changed my 

point of view of her.” 

Since the announcement of the pause, the 

MIQ contact centre is flooded with calls of 

people filled with nervousness and frustration. 

One of the contact centre executives Nick, 

explained, “It is a stressful situation for many 

who want to travel to NZ. 

"We are getting an increased number of calls 

from people asking us to tell them when this 

pause will be lifted. We understand the anxiety 

but we can only ask them to wait and watch for 

the government’s announcement.” 

The current community outbreak means 

MIQ needs to carefully manage capacity 

as community members enter facilities to 

quarantine. Brigadier Rose King, Joint Head 

of MIQ, says, “MIQ is not only an important 

part of our border measures to keep COVID-19 

out of New Zealand - in community outbreaks 

such as this, we now also have a role to play 

in protecting the rest of New Zealand from 

COVID-19 spreading wider in the community. 

“MIQ has been making changes to the 

configuration of our facilities in Auckland 

and elsewhere in response to the community 

outbreak, at the same time as we are continuing 

to provide for international returnees. 

"These changes are enabling people in 

the community who are positive cases to 

enter quarantine facilities, and close contacts 

of positive community cases that are not 

able to isolate at home, to go into managed 

isolation facilities.” 

Giving details about the quarantine facilities, 

King adds, “Jet Park in Auckland continues to be 

used for positive community cases and positive 

border cases, and Novotel and Ibis Ellerslie are 

now also being used as a quarantine facility. 

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4 NEW ZEALAND 

Friday, September 3, 2021 The Indian Weekender 

With no end in sight, 

this is a struggle too far 

IWK Exclusive 

Yadharsh Yathin is a young, highly 

qualified professional who came 

here as a student and is contributing 

meaningfully to the New Zealand economy in 

a crucial activity – construction design. Like 

so many others like him who tick all the boxes 

and are proven to possess NZ-certified skills 

that are needed in the country, he is a victim 

of bureaucratic paralysis in New Zealand’s 

Immigration Service. 

Frustrated and disheartened he is now on 

the verge of leaving New Zealand because 

he can no longer to put his personal life on 

hold. This government that sings paeans to 

kindness, fairness, work-life balance and the 

importance of mental health, seems to think 

little of people like Yadharsh are being put 

through. 

We will let Yadharsh tell his story in his 

own words... 

I am Yadharsh Yathin, just another migrant 

here in New Zealand. I came to NZ on a 

Student Visa in 2017 for a better future. I 

studied Masters of Architecture (Professional), 

one of the most competitive courses in NZ, in 

Unitec Institute of Technology. I worked hard 

to overcome all obstacles. I remember the cold 

winter walks to my accommodation, five km 

away, because there was no bus service after 

11:45PM, with my architecture drawings and 

drafting tools. 

A real challenge presented during my final 

thesis semester when my grandfather died of 

old age. The man who raised me, was no more. 

Thankfully, I was able to go back home for his 

funeral. 

In those depressing times, my professors and 

thesis mentors asked me to extend the thesis. 

But I was not ready to give up. I pushed myself 

to complete within the initial stipulated time 

and graduated in 2019. 

Facing the reality of life 

I come from a medium income family. 

For me, working was never an option. It was 

imperative. I didn’t have the choices to pick my 

Job. I worked wherever opportunity presented 

itself. I worked as a labourer in factory, cleaner 

at a mall, weekend gardener and factory 

assistant. 

With my constant effort, I was also able to get 

into some jobs that strengthened my resume – 

like internship at one of the reputed architecture 

firms, design internship at a reputed digital 

marketing firm, and assistant project manager 

with a construction firm. All these jobs were 

either minimum wage or unpaid. 

A light at the end 

After months of struggle, my hard work paid 

off with an Architectural Designer job in 2019. 

It’s a dream come true. 

So far in this job, I have had the opportunity 

to design more than 75+ residential building in 

less than two years. 

It’s a huge step up in my career. I get to design 

conceptual plans, elevations, make 3D renders, 

print 3D models... How cool is my Job! This 

opportunity didn’t simply fall into my hands. I 

worked really hard to earn it. 

Long distance relationship! 

It’s been eight years and counting. I met my 

fiancée, Ash, in 2013. 

We quickly fell in love; I wanted to be 

financially stable before I could ask her to 

marry me. So, in 2019, I thought I was in a 

position to propose so I did, and she said yes! 

Like the rest of my story, it wasn’t smooth. I’d 

meticulously planned my proposal ––from a 

helicopter ride to the Alps, to photographers 

and a spa, the entire engagement celebration 

was booked for. I even personally designed and 

had the diamond engagement ring specially 

made by a jeweller. 

However, my excitement evaporated when 

my fiancée’s visitor visa was rejected. The 

reason “we are not satisfied that you have 

strong intensions in returning to your home 

country.” 

It seems it’s one of several ways that 

Immigration NZ rejects people from a country 

and a culture that is different. 

But we were granted one-year multiple entry 

tourist visas in Australia! Heartbroken but 

unwilling to give up, I shifted my whole plan to 

Australia. It wasn’t a grand Alpine engagement 

but a humble deep woods surprise. 

When the Land of the Long White Cloud 

said NO, the mighty blue mountains said YES! 

What has changed today? 

I went home in January 2020 to get elders’ 

blessing for our wedding. We planned our 

wedding for July 2020. 

Everything went downhill after that. 

COVID-19 happened; borders closed in March 

2020. In November 2020, I submitted my EOI 

for an SMC visa with 185 points. Because of 

my professional experience, I will receive an 

additional 20 points in October 2021. 

The EOI Pool is still closed, therefore 

it’s no use. With no promises from INZ, 

the processing duration is unpredictable. In 

addition, Immigration New Zealand has closed 

down its office in my home country, India. 

To choose between Family 

and Career 

On the one side, I am unable 

to be with my fiancée due 

to border closures, and 

we are unable to show 

our union ––since we 

lack the typical ‘Proof’ 

required by Immigration 

NZ. Our chances of 

remaining together in 

New Zealand are growing 

"If 

things go as 

per plan, I will go 

home, get married and 

come back with my wife when 

border closure gets relaxed. If 

things don’t get any better with 

Immigration NZ or border 

closure, I will choose other 

options. " 

slim by the day. 

On the other hand, I have a wonderful job 

with good pay, a boss who treats me like family 

(I spent last year’s Christmas break with his 

entire family at his sister’s house), friends, and 

a community that loves me. 

I’ve even started saving for a home that to 

build our future in here, after I get my residency. 

We are compelled to choose between our 

families and our careers. Why can’t our visa 

have a pause button? In these trying times, we 

could go home and care for our families and 

loved ones. 

And then return to New Zealand to resume 

our careers. 

Most of us (migrants) are not afraid of losing 

our jobs, or finding another one, but of losing 

our chance to return to New Zealand if we 

leave. 

What’s going on inside me? 

I feel uneasy and disposable since INZ 

changes its guidelines so frequently. Prior to the 

closure of the border, I used to close my eyes at 

10:00 p.m. and wake up at sharp 6:30 the next 

morning, without the need for an alarm. 

Everything in my life was meticulously 

organised, and I always had a backup plan in 

place, so my mind was at ease and I was able 

to sleep soundly. 

However, I can hear every clock tick tonight 

as I sleep, and I wake up to every notification 

from NZ migration Facebook page. 

I can’t stop thinking about a strategy to keep 

both my family and my job. I am aware that I 

am depressed, but I simply put on a cheerful 

front and go about my business. 

Depression, mental health, and well-being 

are all luxury items that poor migrants cannot 

afford; they are only available to New Zealand 

permanent residents and citizens. 

What’s Next? 

I’ve decided on a plan. 2022 February will 

mark the end of my two-year battle in New 

Zealand as a result of the border closure, and 

I will not travel any further. I’m now putting 

together a proposal to work remotely from my 

home country for my firm. 

If things go as per plan, I will go home, get 

married and come back with my wife when 

border closure gets relaxed. 

If things don’t get any better with 

Immigration NZ or border closure, I will 

choose other options. 

I have hundreds of opportunities in other 

counties. I am sure it will set me back by 2-3 

years in my career; at least I could be with my 

loved ones. I would definitely miss my job, my 

boss, friends and this beautiful country. But 

it’s a sacrifice worth taking for being with my 

family again. 

I will not consider this part of 

my journey as a sad ending 

but an adventurous one. NZ 

made me who I am today. 

NZ gave me the best 

career opportunities, 

amazing work culture 

and wonderful 

memories. 

Most importantly, 

beautiful people to 

call family.


NEW ZEALAND 5 

Fast-track residency process 

for medical staff – Now! 

NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH 

There is no denying that the Covid 19 

pandemic has brought into light the 

great work that healthcare professionals 

are doing across New Zealand. The current 

Covid 19 outbreak is seeing thousands of 

medical staff including doctors, nurses, 

healthcare workers and residential care workers 

at the front line with many being migrants. 

Even though the government acknowledges 

and appreciates the great work that migrants are 

doing in the healthcare sector, the fact that there 

is no clear pathway to residency and no priority 

being given to them is not only worrying but 

also frustrating them. 

Not least because it is endangering the level 

of the raised levels of medical care that Kiwis 

need at this time. 

There are increasing demands being made 

to fast-track the residency process for medical 

staff. That’s because these delays are expected 

to lead to the loss of urgently needed medical 

staff during the Covid-19 outbreak – which has 

already started to happen. 

In a recent interview with RNZ, Immigration 

lawyer Kamil Lakshman has said, “This virus 

is like an enemy, an unseen enemy - and our 

doctors and our medical profession and our 

health care workers are the soldiers that are 

guarding us if it blew up. So then surely we 

need to protect these people, surely we need to 

retain them.” 

Sharing similar sentiments, Immigration 

advisor Jagjeet Singh Sidhu, says, “We know 

that there are critical shortages throughout the 

health sector in New Zealand and temporary 

visa holders are the main proportion of our 

healthcare professionals’ especially healthcare 

assistants and aged home workers. Their 

residence application should be prioritised else 

we are at risk of losing them.” 

The Association of Salaried Medical 

Specialists Toi Mata Hauora has also called on 

the Government to urgently address residency 

difficulties for doctors and other desperately 

needed health workers. 

ASMD Executive Director was recently 

quoted as saying, “The delay in the processing 

of residence applications coupled with the 

closure of processing of EOIs is creating a lot of 

frustration and angst. The current approach to 

managing the pathway of medical professionals 

to residency is shambolic and could become a 

worrying contributor to our shortage of medical 

specialists in NZ”. 

Even the health care workers feel that they 

are working relentlessly during this pandemic 

and the government should prioritise their 

residence application. 

" 

This virus is like an enemy, 

an unseen enemy - and 

our doctors and our medical 

profession and our health 

care workers are the soldiers 

that are guarding us if it blew 

up. So then surely we need to 

protect these people, surely we 

need to retain them.” 

Amandeep Kaur, who works as Healthcare 

Assistant with Summerset Karaka, filed her 

residence application under the skilled migrant 

category on 26 February 2020, says, “It has been 

more than 18 months and my application is still 

in the queue to be assigned to a case officer. As 

healthcare workers, we have been working so 

hard especially during this Covid 19 pandemic. 

This delay and uncertainty of our future in New 

Zealand has been a cause of stress for me and 

my family. I humbly request the government 

to prioritise the residence application for 

medical staff.” 

Harjinder Kaur, who works as Residential 

Care Officer in Dunedin and lodged her SMC 

application in March 2020 says, “As a migrant, 

the uncertainty of our future in NZ is killing. 

As a healthcare professional, we have been 

working at the frontline during this COVID 19 

outbreak. 

"We are keeping our lives at risk while we 

work during this pandemic and are working so 

hard so that our community remains safe from 

this virus. The government should be thinking 

about us and should prioritise the residence 

application of those working in healthcare.” 

Harpreet Kaur, who works as a Homecare 

worker with The Lifewise Trust, also feels 

that it is high time that the government thinks 

about giving priority to medical staff. Harpreet, 

who lodged her residence application in March 

2020, says, “As an essential worker, we have 

always been at the forefront whenever there 

has been lockdown in New Zealand. There are 

already critical shortages in healthcare. 

“The government should think about 

healthcare workers who are working round 

the clock, and even risking our lives during 

this pandemic. We should not be subjected to 

the stress of endless months of wait for our 

residence application to be processed.” 

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6 NEW ZEALAND 

Friday, September 3, 2021 

The Indian Weekender 

Hope of fairer MIQ system, but 

booking pause puts people in limbo 

RADIO NEW ZEALAND 

A 

new 

virtual lottery is on its 

way for those seeking to 

book a stay in highly sought 

after managed isolation, but it’s 

on hold for now, deemed too risky 

during the Delta outbreak. 

Covid-19 Response Minister 

Chris Hipkins said it would be at 

least another two weeks before those 

hoping to return to New Zealand can 

enter an online hotel ‘lobby’ and wait 

to book a room. 

Northland man Andrew is worried 

he won’t see his elderly father again. 

His parents live in the UK, and his 

dad recently had a stroke. 

“They’ve had a stairlift installed in 

the house and everything like that so I 

need to be there but I can’t go when I 

know I can’t get back. It’s absolutely 

frustrating and inhumane.” 

Before he books a trip to visit 

his parents, Andrew wants to 

confirm his return stay in managed 

isolation, so he knows he can 

come home. 

“I’d much prefer them to say let’s 

have a waiting list so even if it was 

two or three or six months’ time you 

know you have a date, you know 

when you can come back. At the 

moment it’s still up in the air.” 

Tim Malone oversees the Kiwis 

Coming Home group, helping those 

returning home to navigate the 

system. 

He said the extended pause put 

many in limbo. 

“It’s probably the most 

disappointing aspect of the whole 

thing, that the pause has gone on for 

so long. When they first paused it 

they said it would be a few days and 

it’s definitely going to be turning into 

Emergency benefits for 

temporary visa holders halted 

a few weeks.” 

There’s been ongoing criticism of 

the fairness of the booking system, 

where people have to keep refreshing 

the page to secure a place. 

Malone said the booking system 

needs to change. 

“Currently we have bots fighting 

people for spots, we even have 

government departments employing 

students to be first on the button. That 

situation is just completely unfair so 

anything that’s an improvement on 

that, I’m for.” 

"It’s 

probably the 

most disappointing 

aspect of the whole 

thing, that the pause has 

gone on for so long. When 

they first paused it they said 

it would be a few days and 

it’s definitely going to be 

turning into a few 

weeks" 

The Covid-19 Response Minister 

Chris Hipkins said when the booking 

system resumed for managed 

isolation, applicants would enter a 

virtual lobby and wait to be randomly 

chosen. 

“Once all the rooms have been 

taken the lobby will be closed 

and anybody in the queue will be 

informed that they have unfortunately 

missed out this time,” he said. 

“We will then continue to 

announce large room releases so 

that people will know when to come 

back.” 

Malone said that mean’t for the 

first time the exact number of those 

who missed out on rooms would be 

counted. 

But he is waiting for more detail 

about how the virtual lobby will 

operate. 

“We don’t even know how 

many lobbies people can stand 

in at once, so will there be a 

separate lobby for each day? Can 

people stand in seven lobbies and 

will they end up booking multiple 

spots? Those are details that we 

need.” 

Malone said it was an anxious 

time for those hoping to return. 

He’s helping one woman book 

flights home for Christmas to see her 

family. She works as a nurse for the 

Red Cross. 

“They’re still an employer that she 

has to give them some certainty as 

to will she be going back to NZ or 

not and I think we booked flights for 

her to arrive on 5 December. We’ll 

be hanging out hoping she gets her 

space.” 

For now, only those returning 

for emergency reasons can stay in 

managed isolation. 

Travel conditions extended for 

NZ resident visa holders overseas 

IWK BUREAU/ SCOOP MEDIA 

With emergency benefits for 

temporary visa holders running out 

on August 31, the Auckland Action 

Against Poverty says, people and families 

relying on these benefits are left without any 

income support. 

“The government has the capacity to extend 

this to ensure that everyone is part of the team 

of 5 million and can participate in the level 4 

lockdown. We shouldn’t have to continuously 

justify why people are deserving of these 

supports - they are basic human rights” says 

Auckland Action Against Poverty Coordinator 

Brooke Pao Stanley. 

“It’s already been so hard for people and 

families who have been separated, who have 

been living without any assurances of having 

their visas extended, who have had to prove 

that they’re leaving the country to access this 

emergency benefit” says Federation of Aotearoa 

Migrants spokesperson Anu Kaloti. 

International students are also left ineligible 

for income support and have been told to 

I 

t’s already been so hard for 

people and families who 

have been separated, who 

have been living without any 

assurances of having their 

visas extended, who have had 

to prove that they’re leaving 

the country to access this 

emergency benefit 

contact their own embassies. We’re happy to 

take their money when it suits us, but then deny 

them support when they need it most. 

It’s likely that we’re going to be living with 

rolling lockdowns because of the Delta variant, 

so why not ensure that we create a robust and 

strong support system moving forward for all 

of us? 

With rolling lockdowns we’re going to see 

the same issues resurface and we shouldn’t 

expect people to deal with such injustice ever. 

We’re asking for emergency benefits to 

be extended, and to remove barriers to these 

people accessing work and income support 

during this period. 

IWK BUREAU 

COVID-19 border restrictions mean many 

people granted a resident visa could not 

travel or return to New Zealand before 

the travel conditions on their visa expire. 

Those who hold a resident visa with travel 

conditions set to expire between 25 August 

2021 and 10 September 2022 and were outside 

New Zealand on 22 August 2021 will have their 

travel conditions extended to 11 September 

2022. 

A notification on the Immigration New 

Zealand website says, “Resident visa holders 

who have had their travel conditions extended 

will be contacted by Immigration New Zealand 

by email by 10 September 2021. The email will 

be sent to the most recent email address held by 

Immigration New Zealand.” 

Resident visa holders will be able to see the 

new travel conditions online by 10 September 

2021. 

Border restrictions have affected people who 

have been granted their resident visa offshore 

and have not been able to travel to New 

Zealand, or who have left New Zealand and 

whose resident visa will expire soon. 

Most people granted a resident visa within 

New Zealand have travel conditions of 24 

months. 

Resident visas will expire if you are outside 

New Zealand with expired travel conditions. 

People who have been granted residence 

while outside New Zealand, and would be 

travelling to New Zealand for the first time as 

resident visa holders, must meet requirements 

to be exempt from border restrictions before 

they can travel to New Zealand. 

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NEW ZEALAND 7 

Alcohol delivery services 

make hay in Level 4 

IWK Exclusive 

PRITI GARUDE KASTURE 

The inability to buy spirits in 

supermarkets has had many from 

affluent suburbs of Auckland ordering 

from alcohol delivery services like Bevee, for 

their daily tipple and nightcap. 

Upmarket suburbs like Epsom, Remuera, 

Parnell, Mount Eden, Herne Bay, Ponsonby 

along with Auckland CBD where people live 

in apartments and may not own cars, are the 

most popular areas where Bevee, an online, 

on-demand alcohol delivery service receives its 

most orders during the week. 

Bevee owner, Nick Ewart says demand 

for alcohol delivery has gone up 300% up on 

normal, since the start of the Level 4 lockdown 

in New Zealand, two weeks ago. He says, 

“People are reluctant to go out and prefer to 

stay at home, so online purchase and delivery 

is a safe option for them. 

“You can go to the supermarket, and you 

could buy beer and wine, but you can’t buy 

ready-to-drink beverages (RTDs) or spirits, so 

we get a lot of orders for those products on our 

website,” he continued. 

The volume of spirits available for 

consumption rose 5.2 per cent in 2020, with 

spirit-based drinks such as RTDs, showing 

an increase of 5.4 per cent and spirits such as 

vodka, gin, and whisky went up by 4.4 per cent. 

One among the many local companies 

now operating in the market, Bevee delivers 

Dr Anil Channa 

alcohol on demand and contactless to the 

central suburbs of Auckland. Having refined 

their contactless delivery process through the 

previous lockdowns, Bevee’s team of drivers 

are in high demand over Thursday, Friday, and 

Saturday when according to reports Auckland’s 

alcohol consumption peaks by almost 

171 per cent. 

While there aren’t many direct correlations 

between socioeconomics and the amount of 

alcohol consumed in a particular area – a 2019 

study by the New Zealand Health Survey 

suggests that people living in the least deprived 

areas are likely to drink more frequently than 

those living in the most deprived areas. 

Adwait, a resident of Grey Lynn discovered 

Deliver Easy, another alcohol delivery player 

Nick Ewart 

" 

There are several reasons 

why people might drink 

more in lockdown – the most 

important one is anxiety. Any 

uncertainty in a person’s life 

creates anxiety. Financial 

difficulty could be the next 

factor. The third factor is 

boredom. When you have 

nothing to do, you tend to 

drink more 

during this year’s lockdown. 

Describing himself as a social drinker, 

Adwait admits that his consumption of alcohol 

has increased during the lockdown, and he 

usually has a drink every evening, while 

talking to his friends on WhatsApp or just after 

finishing work. 

According to a Health Promotion Agency 

survey released in April last year, one in five 

reported drinking more than usual during the 

Level 4 lockdown in 2020. 

Increased drinking was more prevalent 

among 25–49-year-olds and the majority of 

those who are drinking more said it is helped 

them relax or switch off. 

Drinking habits also returned to prelockdown 

levels for most New Zealanders 

after the announcement of Level 1 in July last 

year. Some 64% of those surveyed drank at 

their usual (pre-lockdown) levels. This meant 

that those who were drinking more during 

lockdown decreased their drinking, but also 

those who were drinking less during lockdown 

had now increased their drinking. 

Dr Anil Channa, mental health specialist 

and psychiatrist breaks down this increase 

in consumption of alcohol on three factors 

– anxiety caused by uncertainty, financial 

difficulties, and boredom. Worry over the length 

of lockdown and employment insecurity creates 

anxiety in people, who then seek answers in a 

drink, as it acts as a distraction. 

“There are several reasons why people might 

drink more in lockdown – the most important 

one is anxiety. Any uncertainty in a person’s 

life creates anxiety. 

"Financial difficulty could be the next factor. 

The third factor is boredom. When you have 

nothing to do, you tend to drink more,” Dr 

Channa concluded. 

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8 NEW ZEALAND 

MIQ pause causing anxiety, stress 

• Continued on Page 11 

The Holiday Inn Auckland Airport is being used as an isolation facility 

for close community cases and symptomatic border cases, and planning 

is also well under way to transition the Holiday Inn managed isolation 

facility to a dual facility which, if necessary, can make 58 of its 247 

isolation rooms available for quarantine purposes in a separate wing. 

The Grand Mercure in Wellington has become a quarantine-only 

facility and the Bay Plaza Wellington is now used exclusively for close 

contacts of community cases who are required to isolate and cannot do 

so safely at home. 

"We’re continuing to explore reconfiguring more facilities. 

Conversations are ongoing between the hotels, our partner agencies 

who supply our crucial workforce and wider stakeholders as we work 

together to respond to this evolving situation.” 

Meanwhile, the Māori Party has launched a petition against more MIQ 

in Rotorua stating that a new facility would stretch healthcare staff and 

resources apart from bringing greater risks for exposure to the Covid 19. 

Talking about MIQ, as of now, there’s still several thousand rooms yet 

to be released through to the end of November. 

On being asked if there is any indication of when the pause will be 

lifted, King says, “We will let people know when the system returns to 

normal, in the meantime the emergency allocation process remains open 

for New Zealanders who require urgent travel within the next 14 days”. 



Auckland hospitals calling 

for more ICU nurses 


Auckland’s hospitals are 

asking others around the 

country to send intensive care 

nurses to help them cope with the 

Covid outbreak. 

The call-out went out last night after 

the number of people in ICU across 

the region reached eight, with three of 

them on ventilators. 

There are 32 patients in hospital. 

The highly specialised nurses 

provide round-the-clock, one-on-one 

care, and without them patients cannot 

be moved into intensive care. 

It was estimated 30 nurses with ICU 

training were needed in Auckland to 

help in the outbreak, with another 30 

to help in managed isolation facilities. 

College of Critical Care Nurses 

chair Tania Mitchell said the country’s 

intensive care units often work together 

and support each other. But there was a 

limited pool of nurses and morale was 

low, she said. 

“With out a trained nurse, intensive 

care beds could not be used,” she said 

“There has been a large increase in 

the equipment needed to look after an 

ICU patients in New Zealand since we 

have been preparing for an outbreak 

of Covid, but not a similar increase in 

trained staff to care for these patients,” 

she said. 

There were already big staff 

" 

Everybody in the 

health system 

acknowledges that 

Auckland is doing some 

of the heavy lifting here 

and we need to support 

them to be successful 

if we want to avoid this 

becoming a potentially 

bigger outbreak that 

then ends up spreading 

around the rest of the 

country 

shortages. Nurses had been working 

hard to do Covid testing and 

vaccinations in the past few months 

as well as, dealing with winter illness 

outbreaks, she said. 

“So it is putting a lot of pressure 

on the workforce who came in to this 

particular Delta outbreak with not 

much left in the tank,” she said. 

They would be used for non-Covid 

work to free up the existing nurses to 

concentrate on Covid patients, she said. 

Covid-19 Response Minster Chris 

Hipkins told Checkpoint 30 more 

nurses were needed to help with 

managed isolation facilities. 

Part of the DHBs’ surge plans was 

to move staff around if needed and 

everyone was happy to chip in to help, 

he said. 

“Everybody in the health system 

acknowledges that Auckland is doing 

some of the heavy lifting here and we 

need to support them to be successful 

if we want to avoid this becoming a 

potentially bigger outbreak that then 

ends up spreading around the rest of 

the country,” he said. 

The situation would be much 

worse if the country had not gone into 

lockdown, he said.


NEW ZEALAND 9 

NZ in ‘uncharted territory’ trying to keep 

Delta R number below 1 – modeller 


New Zealand is in “slightly uncharted 

territory” as it attempts to drive the R 

number of the Delta variant outbreak 

down under 1 for a sustained period, a Covid-19 

modeller says. 

The Ministry of Health reported 75 new cases 

in the community yesterday, a number that 

was no cause for alarm, according to Director- 

General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield, 

despite being up from the 49 reported 

the day before. 

Bloomfield said the R value, based on the 

latest modelling, continued to be promising. 

There was a 90 percent probability it remained 

under 1, showing the lockdown was continuing 

to work and chains of transmission were 

being broken. 

The R number (reproduction number) is the 

average number of people infected by someone 

with the virus. If the R number’s bigger than 1, 

the outbreak grow. If it’s less than 1, the number 

of cases goes down. 

University of Canterbury Covid-19 modeller 

professor Michael Plank told Morning 

Report the R number was “likely” below 1, but 

that was not enough on its own. 

“We really need to get it well below 1 in order 

to start bringing cases down quickly, because if 

the R number is .9 that means cases are coming 

down, but they’ll come down very slowly and 

you know the lockdown could then drag on for 

weeks or months. 

“So we really need to drive that R number 

down so more like .7 and just to start seeing the 

cases come down more quickly and hopefully 

be able to eliminate the outbreak.” 

Asked if anyone had got the R number 

for Delta down as low as .6 of .7, Plank said 

“Queensland did eliminate - or it looks like they 

eliminated an outbreak of the Delta variant. 

It wasn’t as big as this one, and it’s difficult 

to estimate these R numbers when you have 

a small number of cases, but we know it is 

possible to control Delta in that way. 

Have your say – National 

Action Plan Against Racism 

IWK BUREAU 

The Human Rights Commission is 

engaging with the public over the best 

action to take to eliminate racism in 

Aotearoa New Zealand. 

This is a strategic priority for the Commission, 

which is the nation’s independent human rights 

body. The national action plan against racism 

is the government’s responsibility to devise and 

implement. 

“We want your ideas to ensure this work 

reflects the vision, values and lived experiences 

of impacted communities, families, whānau, 

hapū, and iwi across the country. 

“Your contributions with be 

treated anonymously and will be summarised 

in the Commission’s engagement report, which 

will be submitted to the government in order to 

The R number (reproduction number) is the average number of people infected by someone with the 

virus. If the R number’s bigger than 1, the outbreak grow. If it’s less than 1, the number of cases goes 

down. Photo: 123rf.com 

inform its work on this crucial kaupapa. 

The report will also be made publicly 

available,” the Commission’s media 

release says 

How can you help? 

• Ensure your voice is heard 

by answering these questions: 

• What is your vision for an Aotearoa New 

Zealand that is free of racism? (up to 300 

words) 

• What difference would a racism-free 

Aotearoa New Zealand make to your life? 

• What are your best ideas that would enable 

Aotearoa New Zealand to be free of racism? 

• If you have any queries, or if 

you would prefer to contribute your 

ideas by email, please email us 

at againstracism@hrc.co.nz 

Submissions close: 23rd November 2021 

“New Zealand is in slightly uncharted 

territory here. Not many countries have 

managed to control Delta and get an R number 

that’s less than 1 over sustained period, but we 

know that what we’re doing is effective and we 

have a good chance of doing that. 

“It’s a good sign that that you know three 

quarters of new cases are not in the community 

whilst infectious, because that means they’re 

not at risk of spreading the virus to other 

bubbles, but this is a key number, and so it’ll 

be important to watch over time the number 

of new cases that are in the community whilst 

infectious, and we will obviously want to see 

that number coming down.” 

As for the daily case numbers, Plank said: 

" 

It’s a good sign that that 

you know three quarters 

of new cases are not in the 

community whilst infectious, 

because that means they’re 

not at risk of spreading the 

virus to other bubbles, but this 

is a key number, and so it’ll 

be important to watch over 

time the number of new cases 

that are in the community 

whilst infectious, and we will 

obviously want to see that 

number coming down." 

“We never want to read too much into a single 

day’s numbers. What matters is the trend, I 

think it looks like we’re seeing the beginnings 

of a downward trend, but it is very early days, 

and we’ll need to see how that trend develops 

and how quickly it’s going downwards over the 

next few days. 

“One of the reasons the numbers will bounce 

around is that people will be due for tests on 

different days, and that can certainly contribute 

to, you know, when exactly the cases are 

reported.” 

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10 NEW ZEALAND 



WHEN BUTTER MET CHICKEN 

A Mouthwatering Love Story 

AVINASH SEN 

Doston, countrymen and my fellow nonvegetarians, 

lend me tickle your minds 

and your tastebuds, because today, 

we are going to be talking about the mouthwatering, 

starting-a-party-in-your-mouth dish 

called butter-chicken. 

Anyone who has eaten it will know why I 

sing its praises, and anyone who hasn’t eaten 

it, all I can say is you’re missing out. Agar 

chance mila, and if you eat non-veg, you should 

definitely give it a try. 

The reason I’m writing this piece is because 

one day, I heard about how they had some 

awesome butter-chicken in England, and that 

reminded me of some really good butterchicken 

I had here in New Zealand. 

That’s when I started to wonder, how has 

butter-chicken become so widespread? And 

why do so many people like it? 

In fact, what are the origins of butter chicken? 

When was it first made and by whom? 

So many questions but sadly, no answers. So 

I decided to look into it myself 

and share my knowledge with 

you. 

So let’s board a chicken leg and head 

down the butter river, and look for some 

answers. 

The origins of butter-chicken 

I used to think that butter-chicken was 

something that had been in India’s cookbook 

for hundreds of years. It turns out I was wrong. 

According to NDTV Food.com, butter 

chicken came at the time of pre-partition 

India, in Peshawar, from a man named 

Kundan Lal Gujral. 

One day, he realised that “the Tandoori 

chicken hanging on the seekhs above the 

tandoor all day would tend to dry out if unsold.” 

To solve this, he had the idea of making 

gravy from tomatoes, butter, cream and spices. 

Once the chicken touched this concoction, 

butter chicken was born. 

When India was partitioned, Gujral went to 

Delhi and brought his recipes with him. Over 

the years, his butter-chicken became coveted 

and famous. And the rest is history. 

So now we’ve seen its origin. Now let’s look 

into how it spread. 

Butter-Chicken’s rise in the world 

Nowadays you can find butter-chicken 

almost everywhere. From India to Malaysia to 

New-Zealand to England. How and why? 

First-off, the world has become more 

connected than ever before. 

Thanks to this, the people who know how 

to make butter-chicken are able to go around 

the world, settle down and give their delicious 

meals to anyone who asks for it. They are also 

able to teach more people, who go on to spread 

the joy, and the knowledge. 

Another reason why it became so popular is 

probably because of the taste. 

There are two things which make butterchicken 

so tasty. The butter and cream, 

and the spices. 

Now, anyone who is familiar with cooking 

will know that adding things like butter and 

cream to meats, tends to make it much richer 

and tastier. Jab swaad hain tub jadoo hain. 

The next thing is spices. Spices have always 

made food taste better. 

Heck, merchants used to risk their 

lives to sell spices in faraway lands; 

empires were built on them, they were just 

that popular. 

So, when you take a dish that combines 

these two awesome things together, is it any 

wonder that butter-chicken became as popular 

and coveted as it is? Nahi yaar, of course it 

makes sense. 

I have to say that now I have worked up an 

appetite and I think I’ll go and get myself a nice 

plate of butter-chicken and Naan. As soon as 

this lockdown is over! 

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NEW ZEALAND 11 

Stamping out DELTA 

by sticking together 

Dr Gaurav Sharma 

MP for Hamilton West 

As we have all returned to our bubbles 

once more, I want to thank everyone 

in Hamilton and across the country for 

their hard work to stop the spread of COVID-19. 

I know many people will be a little anxious or 

frustrated that once again we are back at Alert 

Levels 3 and 4, but going hard and early is the 

best way to stop the virus in its tracks and keep 

Kiwis safe. 

This is especially important now that we are 

dealing with the more infectious Delta variant. 

We do not have to look very far to see what 

can happen if Delta is allowed to spread in the 

community. 

In New South Wales, for example, more than 

5,000 people have tested positive in the past 

few weeks. 

The good news is that we have stamped out 

COVID before, and by sticking together and 

sticking to the rules, I am confident we can 

do it again. 

As a doctor who was a frontline essential 

worker during last year’s COVID-19 lockdown, 

I understand the importance of quickly 

responding to cases and going hard and early 

with lockdowns to flatten the curve. 

You will remember the golden rules from 

last year: stay home, stick to your bubble, and 

get tested if you have COVID symptoms. Now, 

with the Delta variant in the community, there 

are a few extra things we need to do to keep 

COVID at bay. 

As part of the team of five million, we all 

have a role to play in this. 

One of the most important ways you can help 

is by wearing a mask. 

If you are visiting an essential service like a 

supermarket or getting a COVID test or vaccine, 

you are required to wear a face covering, but it 

is also a good idea to wear one whenever you 

leave your house. 

Covering up when you are away from home 

protects you and your family, and keeps our 

essential workers safe. 

You will 

remember the 

golden rules from 

last year: stay 

home, stick to your 

bubble, and get 

tested if you have 

COVID symptoms. 

Now, with the 

Delta variant in the 

community, there 

are a few extra 

things we need to 

do to keep COVID at 

bay. 

Another key part of our response is our 

vaccine rollout. Vaccination centres are still 

operating and it is important that everyone 

who can gets vaccinated, so together we can 

protect all of New Zealand. 

Everyone is eligible to book their vaccine 

now at bookmyvaccine.nz or by calling 0800 

28 29 26. 

I would encourage everyone to book as soon 

as they are able to. 

Over 3.3 million doses of the Covid-19 

vaccine have now been administered – 2.17 

million are first doses and 1.16 million are 

second doses. 

I was excited to get my vaccine earlier this 

month at the Hamilton medical practice I used 

to work at as a GP before I became an MP! 

Finally, I know life in lockdown can be 

tough, so do check in on your friends and 

family. Send a message, pick up the phone or 

arrange a coffee date via Zoom, and make sure 

your loved ones are doing OK. 

If you or someone you know is having a hard 

time, you can call or text 1737 at any time for 

free to speak with a trained counsellor. 

There are also plenty of resources online at 

covid19.govt.nz/health-and-wellbeing 

For now, thank you once again for doing your 

bit to keep us safe. 

Stamping out COVID is not easy, but 

together, we are stronger than the virus. We 

have done it before, and if we all continue to 

play our part, I know we can do it again. 

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Editorial 

So, what’s 

the postvaccination 

plan? 

It took the icy grip of the dreaded Delta variant and the resulting countrywide Alert 

Level 4 lockdown to spur the government into belated action on such a vital matter 

relating to the global pandemic as the vaccine rollout. 

In the past just over two weeks, through the lockdown, the government has made 

great progress on vaccinating New Zealanders with more than a quarter of the eligible 

population fully jabbed and a sizable chunk having received the first dose. 

There is no reason why this strong sense of purpose in rolling out the vaccine was so 

conspicuously missing in the government’s action plan throughout the crucial months 

gone by. If the vaccination rollout had matched the current pace months ago, there 

probably would not have been the need for a prolonged lockdown like the one we find 

ourselves in right now, according to some sources. 

There is no doubt that some of the government machinery dropped the ball at least on 

a couple of counts. We were late in procuring the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine and were way 

behind our OECD peers in obtaining stocks. 

The government prevaricated all the while on reasons why both the planning and 

implementation turned out to be so lax. 

On the management isolation and quarantine front too, the government appears to 

have to done little to improve infrastructure and processes incrementally, being late in 

upgrading ventilation systems in several of the facilities and completely ruling out even 

to consider purpose-built quarantine facilities like the way several other countries have 

done. 

Australia, too, like New Zealand, had initially ruled against building dedicated 

quarantine facilities. But they’ve seen the light quicker than New Zealand and are well on 

their way to building at least a couple of facilities. New Zealand politicians seem rather 

more preoccupied in fanciful projects like the nearly $700 million cycleway across the 

Waitemata Harbour – a plan that fortunately came crashing down before it went up. 

The one thing that hasn’t changed with the New Zealand government though is its 

steadfastness on its much-avowed Covid-19 Elimination Strategy. The strategy looked 

very good and doable with the less infectious alpha variant but looks far more resource 

intensive to achieve with the more virulent Delta variant. 

The question here is what are the government’s strategies to continue with this 

Elimination Strategy with Delta in the mix? For how long can it keep the borders closed 

in pursuit of this ideal? 

For how long will it keep enforcing lockdowns? For how long will it keep 

doling out cash? 

Delta is a tough customer and can’t be wished away. Once the borders are opened, it 

is sure to make a comeback, there is no doubt about that whatsoever. So how does the 

government plan to deal with it then? 

Other than sticking to the Elimination Strategy, we have heard almost nothing on how 

the government plans to actually stick to it once the borders are opened, which it will 

have to at some point even before Delta and any other subsequent variants are eliminated 

globally – something which may never eventuate. 

Will the government build dedicated quarantine facilities, which makes complete 

sense? Will it increase capacities at its hospitals to care for patients needing intensive 

care? (New Zealand has just five intensive care beds per 100,000 population, which is 

near the bottom of the OECD scale – and this is half of Australia’s.) 

Will it continue to dither on immigration and keep much-needed trained, skilled 

migrants away from our borders solely citing the pandemic as a reason? 

We do realise the government has to deal with far bigger issues at the moment. But that 

doesn’t mean it cannot look at what may be on the horizon and make plans to deal with it. 

Leadership is as much about planning for the future as it is about putting out current fires. 

It would be good for New Zealand to have a part of this government focused solely on 

how to deal with what may be on store after most of us Kiwis are vaccinated. 

Thought of the week 

“Goals. There’s no telling what you can do when 

you get inspired by them. There’s no telling what 

you can do when you believe in them. And there’s 

no telling what will happen when you act upon 

them.” —Jim Rohn 

3 September – 9 September 2021 

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu 

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This week in New Zealand’s history 

Indian Weekender : Volume 13 Issue 26 

Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited 

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

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Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland. 

Printed at Horton Media, Auckland 

Clouds 

and 

sun 

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sun 

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3 September 1939 

New Zealand declares war on Germany 

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

A few 

morning 

showers 

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morning 

showers 

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Alongside Britain and Australia, New Zealand was one of the first countries to become 

involved in the global conflict precipitated by Germany’s invasion of Poland on 1 September 

1939. 


First open-heart surgery in New Zealand 

Pioneering heart surgeon Brian Barratt-Boyes performed the surgery using a heart-lung bypass 

machine. The procedure, at Green Lane Hospital in Auckland, was carried out on an 11-yearold 

girl with a hole in her heart. 


The wreck of the Delaware 

After leaving Nelson for Napier, the newly built brig Delaware ran into bad weather. It was 

wrecked on rocks in a bay between Grahams Point and Pepin Island, about 30 km north-east 

of Nelson, that is now known as Delaware Bay. 


7.1 earthquake rocks Canterbury 

The earthquake which struck at 4.35 a.m. on a Saturday morning was felt by many people 

in the South Island and southern North Island. There was considerable damage in central 

Canterbury, especially in Christchurch, but no loss of life. 


Prime minister declares New Zealand’s support for Britain 

When New Zealand declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, Prime Minister 

Michael Joseph Savage was recovering from an operation for colon cancer. Acting Prime 

Minister Peter Fraser issued a statement in his place. 


New Zealand citizenship established 

The British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948 (the order of the terms showed 

their relative importance) gave New Zealand citizenship to all current residents who had 

been either born British subjects or later naturalised (granted citizenship). Until this Act came 

into force, people born in New Zealand were British subjects but not New Zealand citizens.

The Indian Weekender Friday, September 3, 2021 FIJI 13 

Fiji’s High Commission mobilises 

assistance for national response to Covid-19 

The Fiji High Commission in India 

(FHCI) in partnership with its 

networks in New Delhi has coordinated 

assistance to support Fiji’s national response to 

COVID-19. 

The Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) 

consignment which was recently mobilised by 

the Fiji High Commission, consisted of 5000 

N95 face masks, 5000 three-ply surgical masks, 

50 boxes of surgical gloves and face shields 

to assist the Ministry of Health and Medical 

Services’ response to contain the pandemic. 

Fiji’s High Commissioner to India, Mr 

Kamlesh Prakash extended his appreciation to 

Dr Madhu Handa from Moolchand Hospital 

for the timely collaboration, which enabled this 

mobilisation of Personal Protective Equipment 

to Fiji. 

He added that this initiative complements 

the efforts of Fiji’s frontline workers 

in providing health care service 

to the nation. 

Dr Handa, who originally hails from Fiji, 

said she is grateful for the opportunity to 

reach out and give back to Fiji at this time 

of great need. 

In a similar initiative, the Fiji High 

Commission in India collaborated with 

Medivisor Health in India and mobilised a 

donation of 5,000 face masks to Fiji. 

High Commissioner Prakash also expressed 

his appreciation to the Director of Medivisor 

Health, Mr Kumar Sushant and Manager of 

International Department at Artemis Hospital, 

Mr Abhishek Kumar for their timely support 

and generosity in providing accommodation 

to Fijian patients and their families upon 

National vaccine lottery 

draw on Fiji Constitution day 

Fiji’ first draw for the national vaccine 

lottery “Win Together Sweepstakes” 

will be held on 7 September, 2021. 

This was announced by the Prime Minister 

Voreqe Bainimarama. 

He said the first draw will be for $8,000 

(US$4,000) to coincide with the 8th anniversary 

of our Constitution. 

He said the lottery is open to all fullyvaccinated 

Fijians living in Fiji. 

“In other words, you must have received 

two doses of the vaccine at the time of the 

application, and you must be a citizen of Fiji,” 

Bainimarama said. 

He said to apply, everyone needs to provide 

their birth registration number or citizenship 

number, their first and last name, their date of 

birth, Tax Identification Number, and the date 

and site of your second vaccination, which you 

can find on your vaccine card. 

“Once you have that information ready, 

you can dial *166# to enter the Win Together 

Sweepstakes, can find the details of the 

registration process on the Fijian Government 

Facebook page and website, and radio 

announcements,” Bainimarama said. 

“The application window for the first draw 

is open from today (Sunday) at 5 pm until 

Tuesday morning at 5 am,” he said. 

“That means you have 60 hours to register, 

with a strict limit of one application per phone. 

“Applications from persons who have received 

only the first dose will not be considered. 

“I know many of you have not yet had the 

chance to be fully vaccinated. But don’t worry, 

there will be more chances to register for future 

draws in the coming weeks once you are fully 

vaccinated.” 

completion of their medical treatment in India. 

Medivisor Health provided 3 weeks of free 

accommodation while Artemis Hospital gave 

a week’s free accommodation to the Fijian 

nationals, and thereafter at discounted rates. 

He said Fiji’s High Commission in India 

provides such additional support to Fijian 

Meanwhile, Fiji is making strong progress 

towards a target reopening of December. 

In a statement, Tourism Fiji stated the role 

that vaccination played in ensuring borders 

reopen cannot be underestimated, and with 

almost 95 percent of Fijians receiving one jab 

and more than 45 percent now fully vaccinated. 

It said Tourism Fiji’s vaccination campaign, 

“It’s Our Best Shot for Travel”, was gaining 

strong momentum as the message was shared 

across Fiji, with support from tourism partners 

in Australia and New Zealand. 

Minister for Commerce, Trade, Tourism 

and Transport Faiyaz Koya said the fastest 

way to bring our tourism workers back into 

employment, was by reaching the 80 percent 

vaccination target,” because when we open up, 

it will not only be about protecting visitors, but 

protecting Fijians. 

“We need to reach our national vaccination 

targets and we need to maintain a culture 

of COVID Safe practice, in order to be in a 

position to welcome back visitors,” he said. 

The ministry has also encouraged everyone 

to get involved with this initiative and play their 

part for Fiji. 

“In this newspaper you will find “Our Best 

Shot for Travel” full page advertisement. 

“Please take either a selfie with this ad or get 

someone else to take a picture for you. 

“If you take a selfie – be sure to reverse the 

image so everyone can read the copy! Post the 

picture to your social media channels and tag 

@tourismfiji. 

“This simple gesture will encourage others 

to get vaccinated and will show the world that 

Fiji is getting ready to welcome visitors back 

again,” stated Tourism Fiji. 

nationals in India, together with consular 

services which is an important component of 

their role. 

Additionally, he also thanked Capajet for 

delivering the consignment of PPEs to Fiji 

without any freight charges. 

High Commissioner Prakash reaffirmed the 

Fiji High Commission’s commitment to pursue 

opportunities to further support Fiji’s response 

to contain the pandemic, ultimately advancing 

economic recovery and building back better. 

He said there are potential areas of 

collaboration currently pursued with the 

Government of India, based on Fiji’s 

national priorities which have been 

communicated to the Indian counterparts. 

He added that Fiji and India are good 

friends with greater opportunities for more 

engagements in the future. 

“No jab, no play” - for future 

sports participation in Fiji 

“No jab, no play.” That’s the message from 

Fiji’s National Sports Commission as 

Covid-19 cases continue to surge in the 

country. All sporting events were suspended 

in May because of the pandemic, and anyone 

who wishes to be part of sporting activities in 

the future must be fully vaccinated. Chairman, 

Peter Mazey, said sporting bodies found 

breaching the return-to-play protocols will not 

be funded. 

“If you’re not double vaccinated, you won’t 

be able to play sport, and that will include 

spectators attending events in stadiums and 

national and indoor arenas,” said Peter Mazey. 

“If we want to keep sports safe and to keep 

playing, we’re going to have to put in place 

strict rules and if they’re not following the 

rules, then we would not be there to help them 

with funding,” he said. 

The return-to-play protocols include, but are 

not limited to, staying within bubbles, social 

distancing, mask wearing and mandatory 

vaccination. 

“We want to get back into sports, and to do 

that, they have to follow the guidelines... those 

guidelines are there to ensure the safety of the 

athletes, the technical officials and even the 

spectators,” Peter Mazey said. 

A three tier system will also help set a 

possible future date of when sport can resume 

in the country again. Mazey said they want to 

get rid of Covid-19 and so the future of local 

and international sporting events in Fiji relies 

on compliance to safety protocols. 

“Sport plays a huge role in our communities 

everywhere. Everybody’s excited about 

the announcement of the new Super Rugby 

draw, and the Fijian Drua playing in that, but 

if we’re going to have Super Rugby games 

played in Fiji, to make those safe for the teams 

and everything, we’re going to have to be 

safe,” he said.

14 INDIA 


Afghan situation concerning; 

India on alert: Defence Minister 

The deteriorating situation in 

nationals winds down, a US missile 

neighbouring Afghanistan is 

defence system intercepted rockets 

of concern, Defence Minister 

fired towards the Kabul international 

Rajnath Singh said on Monday. 

airport. 

At a seminar on ‘National 

The minister also said that 

Security’, he said: “Whatever is 

India is prepared to deal with any 

happening in the neighbouring 

eventualities in a bid to secure its 

Afghanistan raises concern with 

sovereignty. 

regards to the security apparatus. 

“Our objective is to make India, 

Our government is monitoring the 

a prosperous, strong and secure 

evolving situation in the country.” 

"Our country.” 

He also stressed that the 

government He said that India does not 

government wants security of 

is alert and threaten other countries but 

Indians and also ensure that no crossborder 

ready to deal with all seeks to instill in them a sense 

terror activities could take 

situations. We are always of faith and trust that a strong 

place, taking a cue from the ongoing 

prepared to deal with India is not a threat for them. 

situation in Afghanistan. 

threats emanating from About the border dispute 

About the challenges India could 

anywhere - land, air with China, he said that 

face amid the deteriorating situation emanating from anywhere - land, air crisis. Pakistan and water." there was an attempt to change 

in Afghanistan, Rajnath Singh said: and water.” 

is perceived as 

the status quo unilaterally but 

“Our government is alert and ready After Taliban took over Kabul having played a major 

“the Narendra Modi government 

to deal with all situations. We are on August 15, Afghanistan has role in bringing the Taliban back has clearly given direction not to 

always prepared to deal with threats plunged into a big humanitarian to power. As evacuation of foreign compromise on such an issue”. 

India extends ban on international passengers till Sep 30 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation 

has extended the ban on scheduled 

international commercial passenger flights 

to and from India till September 30. 

The ban was previously extended till the end of 

August. In a circular on Sunday, the civil aviation 

regulator said: “The competent authority has 

further extended the validity of circular issued 

on the subject cited above regarding Scheduled 

International commercial passenger services to/ 

from India till 2359 hrs IST of September 30, 

2021.” 

It added that this restriction shall not apply 

to international all-cargo operations and flights 

approved by the DGCA. 

However, international scheduled flights may 

be allowed on selected routes by the regulator on 

a case-to-case basis. 

Scheduled international passenger flights were 

India completes one-month 

presidency of UNSC: A look 

at key outcomes 

India's month-long presidency 

of the UN Security Council 

(UNSC) saw significant 

outcomes on important global 

issues. India’s presidency came to 

an end with the UN body adopting 

a resolution on the situation in 

Afghanistan, demanding that the 

war-torn country not be used to 

threaten or attack any nation or 

shelter terrorists. 

India is currently a nonpermanent 

member of the UNSC 

for a two-year term. It assumed 

the Presidency of the UN body for 

the month of August. 

India began its presidency 

with a high-level signature event 

on maritime security presided 

over by Prime Minister Narendra 

Modi. This was the first time the 

Prime Minister of India chaired 

the Security Council. 

External Affairs Minister 

S Jaishankar chaired the two 

other signature events – on 

Peacekeeping and Technology 

on August 18 and the briefing on 

ISIL on August 19. 

US Ambassador to the UN Linda 

Thomas-Greenfield congratulated 

India for a successful presidency 

of the UNSC for the month of 

August. 

India held the Presidency amid 

critical Afghan situation 

Under India's Presidency, the 

Council held three sessions on 

Afghanistan and issued three 

press statements on August 3, 

16 and 27, the last one strongly 

condemning the bomb blasts near 

Kabul airport on August 26. 

India's presidency ended with 

a strong resolution being adopted 

by the Council on the situation in 

Afghanistan. It reflected India’s 

views and concerns on the issues 

of peace and security. 

The resolution demanded that 

the Afghan territory not be used 

to threaten any country or shelter 

terrorists. Foreign Secretary Harsh 

Vardhan Shringla chaired the 

UNSC meeting on Afghanistan in 

which the resolution was adopted. 

suspended in India in March last year due to the 

Covid pandemic. 

While domestic flights resumed in May 2020 

Discussions on FTAs with several 

countries progressing fast: Union min 

India is fast progressing in 

discussions with several countries 

for Free Trade Agreements 

(FTAs), Union Minister Piyush Goyal 

has said. Currently, India is in 

discussions on FTAs with several 

countries including the UK, UAE 

and GCC countries, Australia and 

European Union. 

" 

Whether it is FDI, 

forex reserves, 

food grain reserves, 

agriculture production, 

manufacturing, all sectors 

are on a growth path. We 

now need to sprint ahead 

The Union Minister of Commerce & 

Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & 

Public Distribution and Textiles cited 

that India and US have agreed to aspire 

for $500 billion trade in near future. 

Furthermore, while addressing the 

business and trade fraternity through 

the platform of Jain International Trade 

Organisation (JITO), he noted that 

recently India emerged as the world’s 

second most desirable manufacturing 

destination overtaking the US. 

and were gradually increased, international travel 

remained suspended with consecutive extension 

of the ban. 

The minister pointed out that the 

trend showed the potential and promise 

of India to become the “manufacturing 

hub” of the world. 

He asserted that along with becoming 

the “manufacturing hub”, India should 

also become a “trading hub”. 

According to Goyal, every growth 

parameter is showing an extremely 

“exciting future for all of us”. 

“Whether it is FDI, forex reserves, 

food grain reserves, agriculture 

production, manufacturing, all sectors 

are on a growth path. We now need to 

sprint ahead,” the minister was quoted as 

saying in an official statement. 

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s proposed 

FTA with India continues to languish. 

100k 

Indian kids 

orphaned 

or lost a 

parent 

amid Covid 

The National Commission for 

Protection of Child Rights 

(NCPCR) has informed 

the Supreme Court that over a lakh 

children have either been orphaned, 

lost a parent, or abandoned amid the 

ongoing Covid-19 pandemic from 

April 2020. 

The child rights body, in an 

additional affidavit, told the top 

court that these children need 

care and protection. The affidavit 

was filed in a suo motu case on 

contagion of Covid-19 in children 

protection homes. 

According to information uploaded 

on its Bal Swaraj portal by the states 

and Union Territories, the child rights 

body said up to August 23, there are 

total 1,01,032 children who are in 

need of care and protection. 

The data reflects children who 

have lost either lost a parent or both 

between April 1, 2020 to August 23. 

The affidavit said out of the 

total 1,01,032 children -- 52,532 

are boys, 48,495 are girls, and five 

are transgender. 

According to the data collated 

after entries from states and UTs 

-- 8,161 children have become 

orphans, 92,475 have lost either 

of their parents, and 396 have 

been abandoned. 

The data shows that 10,980 

children are in the age group of 0-3 

years and 16,182 are in age group of 

16 to up to 18 years. 

The affidavit also said that in 

Delhi, there are total 5,391 such 

children -- 5,101 have lost one parent 

,275 have become orphans, and 15 

are abandoned. 

In Maharashtra, there are total 

15,401 children -- 14,925 have lost 

one parent, 470 have been orphaned, 

and six have been abandoned. The 

child rights body the data analysis 

regarding uploaded individual child 

entry is in the process. 

On Thursday, the case was taken 

up for hearing by a bench of Justices 

L. Nageswara Rao and Aniruddha 

Bose. 

In July, the NCPCR had informed 

the Supreme Court that over 75,000 

children have either lost one or 

became an orphan during the 

pandemic and they are in need of 

care and protection.


FEATURES 15 

Healthy cooking every day 

MYSORE MASALA DOSA 

Mysore masala dosa is a delicious dosa recipe with potato masala and spicy chutney. If 

you have dosa batter handy this dosa is easy to make in a few mins. 

Ingredients 

• 2 cups dosa batter 

• 1 no potato (medium sizes) 

• 1/2 cup onion (sliced thinly) 

• 2 no green chillies 

• 1 tbsp oil 

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 

• 1 tsp urad dal 

• 1/2 tsp ginger grated 

• 1 tbsp coriander leaves raw 

• 1 tsp salt (to taste) 

• 1 cup onion chopped 

• 2 tbsp coconut shredded 

• 2 tbsp channa dal 

• 15 gms garlic 

• 1/2 tsp Tamarind 

• 1 tbsp oil 

• 6 red chillies raw 

Instructions 

• For spicy chutney: In a pan heat a tbsp of oil, add 

channa dal, red chilies and roast until the channa dal 

color changes to golden brown. 

• Add garlic, chopped onion and cook until the onion 

becomes soft. Add grated coconut, tamarind and saute 

until the nice coconut aroma comes out. Allow to cool 

and grind to a smooth paste by adding water little by 

little. 

• For potato masala: Peel the potatoes and cut them 

roughly. In a saucepan add water, chopped potatoes 

and boil until the potatoes become tender. Mash the 

potatoes using a fork or potato masher. 

• In a pan heat oil, add mustard seeds and allow to 

splutter. Add urad dal and saute until the color changes 

to golden brown. 

• Add asafoetida and mix well in the oil. Add grated 

ginger, chopped onion, chopped green chilies and cook 

until the onion becomes soft. 

• Add turmeric powder and cook until the turmeric 

powder loses its raw smell. 

• Add water and cook until the onion becomes soft. 

Add mashed potato, salt and mix well. Garnish with 

chopped coriander leaves. 

• For Mysore masala dosa: In a non-stick skillet, pour 

a laddle full of batter and spread into a thin circle. 

Drizzle oil on the corners of a dosa and cook until the 

dosa get cooked completely. 

Lighter Takes 

& Easy Tips 

Quinoa salad with eggs & dill 

Quinoa is a complete protein that contains all eight essential 

amino acids. Enjoy it here as part of a salad 

Ingredients 

• 120g quinoa, rinsed 

• 6 eggs 

• 320g asparagus, woody ends 

trimmed and halved if too long 

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar 

• 6 spring onions, finely chopped 

• 2 tbsp chopped dill 

• 2 tbsp chopped basil, plus a few 

leaves to serve 

• 15g capers, rinsed 

• 320g cherry tomatoes, halved 

Method 

• Boil the quinoa in plenty of water 

for 20 mins. 

• Leave for 5 mins, then rinse and 

drain well. Meanwhile, boil the 

eggs for 7 mins in another pan 

with the asparagus above in a 

steamer. 

• If the eggs are ready and the 

asparagus isn't quite tender, 

remove the eggs from the pan and 

put in cold water while continuing 

to cook the asparagus for a few 

more minutes. Peel the eggs. 

• To make the dressing, mix the 

extra virgin olive oil and apple 

cider vinegar with the chopped 

spring onions, herbs and capers. 

• Tip the quinoa into a bowl and 

toss through three-quarters of the 

dressing and the tomatoes. Spoon 

half onto plates and the rest into 

two containers. 

• Arrange the asparagus on top of 

the salads with three egg halves 

on each one, then spoon over the 

remaining dressing and scatter 

with the basil leaves. 

• Seal and chill the packed 

salads. Will keep in an airtight 

container in the fridge for 

up to a day. 

Pepper Chicken 

Fenugreek rasam with rice 

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 lb Chicken 

• 1 tsp pepper black 

• 1/2 cup oil 

• 10 no curry leaves 

• 2 cup onion chopped 

• 1/2 tbsp salt Table 

• 1/2 tbsp red chilly powder 

• 1/2 tbsp coriander powder 

• 1 1/2 tbsp garam masala 

• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste 

• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 

• 1 tsp fennel seed 

• 1/4 cup coriander leaves raw 

• 4 green chillies 

Instructions 

• Chop the chicken into small 

pieces and slice the onions thinly. 

In a pan heat oil, add in the fennel 

seeds, curry leaves, green chilies, 

sliced onion and cook until onion 

becomes soft. 

• Add the turmeric powder, ginger 

garlic paste mix well and cook 

until the ginger garlic paste loses 

its raw smell. 

• Add the chopped chicken 

pieces, coriander powder, red 

chili powder, salt, black pepper 

powder, garam masala and mix 

well. 

• Cover and cook, until chicken, 

get cooked thoroughly over a 

medium heat. Make sure to stir 

in between to avoid burning the 

onions and spices. 

• Take off the lid and mix in the 

crushed whole black pepper. 

Garnish it with chopped 

coriander leaves. 

Fenugreek rasam (vendhaya rasam) with rice is an easy meal ideas in 25 mins. It is a 

healthy South Indian rasam recipe using fenugreek seeds and Indian spices. 

Ingredients 

• 2 no tomatoes 

• 1 tbsp fenugreek seed 

• 1/2 tbsp channa dal raw 

• 1/2 tbsp pepper black 

• 1 tsp cumin seed 

• 8 gms garlic raw 

• 1 tsp tamarind 

• 1 tsp oil 

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 

• 1/2 tsp urad dal 

• 1/4 tsp hing or asafoetida 

• 3 no red chillies 

• 4 cup water 

• 10 no curry leaves 

• 1 tsp salt (to taste) 

Chicken satay salad 

Marinate chicken breasts, then drizzle with a punchy peanut satay sauce 

for a no-fuss, midweek meal that's high in protein and big on flavour. 

Ingredients 

• 1tbsp tamari 

• 1tsp medium curry powder 

• ¼tsp ground cumin 

• 1 garlic clove, finely grated 

• 1tsp clear honey 

• 2 skinless chicken breast fillets (or use 

turkey breast) 

• 1tbsp crunchy peanut butter (choose a 

sugar-free version with no palm oil, if 

possible) 

• 1tbsp sweet chilli sauce 

• 1tbsp lime juice 

• sunflower oil, for wiping the pan 

• 2 Little Gem lettuce hearts, cut into wedges 

• ¼ cucumber, halved and sliced 

• 1 banana shallot, halved and thinly sliced 

• coriander, chopped 

• seeds from ½ pomegranate 

Method 

• Pour the tamari into a large dish and stir in 

the curry powder, cumin, garlic and honey. 

Mix well. Slice the chicken breasts in half 

horizontally to make 4 fillets in total, then 

add to the marinade and mix well to coat. 

Set aside in the fridge for at least 1 hr, or 

overnight, to allow the flavours to penetrate 

Instructions 

• Dry roast fenugreek seeds, black 

pepper, cumin seeds, and channa 

together until the fenugreek seeds 

color changes into golden brown. 

Allow to cool and grind it to a 

coarse powder. 

the chicken. 

• Meanwhile, mix the peanut butter with the 

chilli sauce, lime juice, and 1 tbsp water to 

make a spoonable sauce. 

• When ready to cook the chicken, wipe a 

large non-stick frying pan with a little oil. 

• Add the chicken and cook, covered with a 

lid, for 5-6 mins on a medium heat, turning 

the fillets over for the last min, until cooked 

but still moist. 

• Set aside, covered, to rest for a few mins. 

• While the chicken rests, toss the lettuce 

wedges with the cucumber, shallot, 

coriander and pomegranate, and pile onto 

plates. 

• Spoon over a little sauce. 

• Slice the chicken, pile on top of the salad 

and spoon over the remaining sauce. 

• Eat while the chicken is still warm. 

• Crush garlic and red chilies 

together coarsely. I used mortar 

and pestle to crush. 

• In a pan heat oil add mustard 

seeds and allow it to splutter. Add 

urad dal, curry leaves, asafoetida 

and mix well in the oil. 

• Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric 

powder, salt and mix well. 

• Cover and cook until the tomatoes 

become soft (keep stirring in 

between to avoid burning). 

• Add water, tamarind concentrate, 

salt, and mix well. 

• Boil until the form started forming 

on top. 

• Add grounded fenugreek seeds 

and spices powder, crushed garlic 

and red chilies to the rasam and 

turn off the heat. Garnish with 

chopped coriander stems.

16 ENTERTAINMENT 


Most popular movies on Netflix right now 

Home: 

The Water Man: 

Cast: Brigitte Kali Canales, Andrea Cortes, 

Julia Vera, Sal Lopez, and AJ Bowen 

Vivo: 

with his daughter in tow. Cast: Jason Momoa, 

Isabela Merced, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Justin 

Bartha, and Amy Brenneman 

The Vault: 

cowardly alien race begin a “gentle” 

A invasion of Earth, but one of their kind 

strikes up a friendship with a human. Cast: Jim 

Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin, and Jennifer 

Lopez 

Untold: 

young boy coping with his mother’s 

A serious illness takes a journey through the 

woods that contain a local legend named “the 

Water Man.” Cast: David Oyelowo, Rosario 

Dawson, Lonnie Chavis, Amiah Miller, Alfred 

Molina, and Maria Bello 

The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf: 

music-loving kinkajou embarks on a 

A journey to fulfill his destiny and deliver a 

love song for an old friend. Cast: Lin-Manuel 

Miranda, Zoe Saldana, Juan de Marcos, Brian 

Tyree Henry, Michael Rooker, Nicole Byer, and 

Gloria Estefan 

The Loud House Movie: 

This installment of the docuseries Untold 

focuses on Caitlyn Jenner’s mission to win 

decathlon gold in the 1976 Olympics. 

Really Love: 

This animated prequel to the Netflix series 

The Witcher tells the origin story of 

Geralt’s mentor Vesemir. Cast: Theo James, 

Lara Pulver, Graham McTavish, and Mary 

McDonnell 

The Old Ways: 

This feature film version of the TV series 

The Loud House finds Lincoln Loud and 

his family heading to Scotland. Cast: Asher 

Bishop, David Tennant, and Michelle Gomez 

Sweet Girl: 

Its runtime passes painlessly enough, but The 

Vault's slickly engineered thrills are dulled by 

familiarity.Starring: Freddie Highmore, Astrid 

Berges-Firsbey, Sam Riley, Liam Cunningham. 

MANIFEST: 

An aspiring Black painter tries to break into 

the competitive art world while balancing 

an unexpected romance. Cast: Uzo Aduba, 

Michael Ealy, Jade Eshete, Naturi Naughton, 

Tristan Mack Wilds, and Kofi Sirobe 

Mexican-American reporter returns to 

A her hometown to investigate witchcraft. 

When a man’s wife dies, he goes after the 

pharmaceutical company responsible 

When Montego Air Flight 828 landed 

safely after a turbulent but routine 

flight, the crew and passengers were relieved. 

But in the span of those few hours, the world 

had aged five years -- and after mourning their 

loss, their friends, families and colleagues had 

given up hope and moved on. Starring: Melissa 

Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Athena Karkanis. 

Let us help whittle down your "must-watch" list 

Luca 

The 2021 Pixar film Luca is a sweet, summery 

delight. Inspired by director Enrico 

Casarosa’s childhood, the movie takes place 

in 1950s-60s Italian Riviera where a young sea 

monster named Luca (Jacob Tremblay) gets 

his wish to meet humans when he goes to the 

surface, only to discover he transforms into a 

human boy when out of the water. Cast: Jacob 

Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, 

Maya Rudolph, Jim Gaffigan, and Sacha Baron 

Cohen 

We Bought a Zoo 

Filmmaker Cameron Crowe is known 

for making some of the best films of all 

time, from Almost Famous to Jerry Maguire, 

but running through all of his work is an 

earnestness that shines through. That’s put on 

full display in his 2011 family film We Bought 

a Zoo, which stars Matt Damon as a grieving 

single father of two who decides to buy a house 

that’s connected to a zoo – despite knowing 

nothing about how to run a zoo. Cast: Matt 

Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden 

Church, Patrick Fugit, Elle Fanning, and John 

Michael Higgins 

Isle of Dogs 

Thanks to Disney’s acquisition of 20th 

Century Fox, Wes Anderson’s two 

stop-motion animated movies (distributed 

by Fox Searchlight) are streaming on 

Disney+. Cast: Koyu Rankin, Bryan Cranston, 

Greta Gerwig, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, 

Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Kunichi 

Nomura, Ken Watanabe, Akira Ito, and Tilda 

Swinton 

The Kid Who Would Be King 

One of the good things about Disney’s 

acquisition of 20th Century Fox is that it 

can now showcase films that got a bit lost in 

the shuffle on its big fancy streaming service. 

That’s certainly the case with The Kid Who 

Would Be King, an excellent younger-skewing 

fantasy adventure film that was released by Fox 

in 2019. Cast: Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Tom 

Taylor, Rebecca Ferguson, Patrick Stewart, and 

Angus Imrie 

Raya and the Last Dragon 

While Raya and the Last Dragon kind 

of flew under the radar given the 

circumstances of its pandemic release, now’s a 

great time to catch up with what is honestly one 

of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ best films 

in the last few years. Cast: Kelly Marie Tran, 

Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, 

Benedict Wong, Sandra Oh, and Alan Tudyk. 

Queen of Katwe 

2016’s Queen of Katwe is a bit of a hidden 

gem, as this true-story drama flew almost 

completely under the radar and was one of the 

last theatrically released “live-action drama” 

movies from Disney. The story follows a young 

girl living in Uganda who learns to play chess 

and becomes a Woman Candidate Master. 

Cast: Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo, 

Lupita Nyong’o, Esteri Tebandeke, Peter 

Odeke, and Sheebah Karungi 

Ralph Breaks the Internet 

W 

hile Wreck-It Ralph delved into the 

world of arcade and classic gaming to 

tremendous results, the sequel Ralph Breaks the 

Internet turns its focus to an entirely different 

kind of beast: the internet. In the mold of 

successful Disney sequels, this film maintains 

the core characters that mean so much to 

audiences while evolving and challenging them 

to compelling results.


FEATURES 17 

FASHION AND BEAUTY 

THE TREND 

DENIM- 

ON-DENIM 

OUTFITS 

ARE TRULY 

EASY TO 

PULL OFF 

Denim on denim: a style choice 

that's had its fair share of shade. 

From referring to the look as a 

Canadian tuxedo to Britney and Justin's 

infamous 2001 matching-denim situation, 

the concept of pairing one jean item with 

another is the epitome of a fashion Don't 

for those people who still think “rules” 

matter. 

The truth is few other materials 

can define America and its 

storied subcultures better 

than denim: rockers, 

bikers, cowboys, farmers, 

hippies, rappers—they 

all put their own very 

different stamp on 

the same staple, 

intentionally or 

not. 

And today 

we’re just 

as connected to our 

own interpretations of 

denim, which often means 

pairing pieces up for a vibe 

that's, in a word, cool. 

As you'll see below, some 

of the world's most stylish 

women are fans of the 

double-denim look but have 

put their own spin on it. 

From dark jeans paired 

with a light jean shirt or 

buttoned jacket to a 

frayed denim skirt with 

an oversized chambray 

top, the options are pretty 

endless—and infinitely 

easy to pull off. 

Fashion trends come and go, but denim jeans are one item 

of clothing that will always be a staple in many closets. 

Adding a turtleneck to a 

buttoned denim jacket never 

fails to be chic. Just add 

jeans. 

Adding a turtleneck to a 

buttoned denim jacket never 

fails to be chic. Just add 

jeans. 

The definition of classic. 

A denim corset, a 

ruffled denim mini, and 

a denim jacket create 

an unexpectedly chic 

ensemble. 

Add a plaid blazer to your 

light-denim look. 

A belted denim trench and wideleg 

jeans have a distinct ’70s 

vibe, especially paired with a 

turtleneck and gold pendant.

18 NEW ZEALAND 

CROSSWORD NO: 83 

FreeDailyCrosswords.com 

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

I) Jason's ship 

5) Scarecrow's stuffing 

10) Sound of a hoofbeat 

14) Saturday service site 

15) English Channel harbor 

town 

16) Fury 

17) Fish measurement 

19) Cay 

20) Talked, talked and talked 

21) Scrabble unit 

23) Attention-attracting sound 

24) Twisted lock? 

25) Fastens anew 

28) Half-moon 

3 I) A void capture by 

32) Skirt fold 

33) Bluejacket 

34) Gentlemen 

35) Turned sharply 

REAR END? 

2 3 4 

14 

17 18 

20 

31 

34 

7 

36) Birthday party centerpiece 

37) 2,000 pounds 

38) Acted the farrier 

39) Minds your own business? 

40) Goulash containers 

42) Answers skillfully 

43) Sweeties 

44) No longer working (Abbr.) 

45) Eighth of a circle 

47) They play by themselves 

51) Sheep calls 

52) Hare ball? 

54) Lake near Niagara Falls 

55) Teamsters, for one 

56) Sandwich cookie 

57) Bellow 

58) Absorbent cloth 

59) Go by bus 

8 9 

Gia Kilro 

12 13 

16th February 

DOWN 

I) Like a post-volcanic landscape 

2) Ostrich cousin 

3) Island discovered by Magellan 

4) Unmarried ladies, once 

5) Germ cells 

6) Carved pole 

7) Highway or street alternative 

8) "Aladdin" prince 

9) Knowledgeable, via books 

10) Film reviewer 

11) Perfectionist's concern 

12) Look up and down 

13) Jury member 

18) Slightly amused reaction 

22) "_ ofEden" 

24) Raise Labradors, e.g. 

25) Bandstand breaks 

26) "Adam Bede" novelist 

27) Was a coward 

28) Parts of a crossword puzzle 

29) In one's birthday suit 

30) Highlight holder? 

32) Conspires 

35) Timesaver 

36) IOU holder 

38) Bridge measurement 

39) Scaler's spike 

41) Animal that goes "pop" 

42) Arson or robbery, e.g. 

44) Helicopter blade 

45) Follow, as orders 

46) Be concerned 

4 7) Cookbook direction 

48) Delhi dress 

49) Drew even with 

50) _ gin fizz 

53) Best-selling number? 

ANSWERS CROSSWORD NO: 83 

FreeDailyCrosswords.com 

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

DOWN 

I) Jason's ship 

36) Birthday party centerpiece I) Like a post-volcanic landscape 

5) Scarecrow's stuffing 37) 2,000 pounds 

2) Ostrich cousin 

10) Sound of a hoofbeat 38) Acted the farrier 

3) Island discovered by Magellan 

14) Saturday service site 39) Minds your own business? 4) Unmarried ladies, once 

15) English Channel harbor 40) Goulash containers 

5) Germ cells 

town 

42) Answers skillfully 

6) Carved pole 

16) Fury 

43) Sweeties 

7) Highway or street alternative 

17) Fish measurement 44) No longer working (Abbr.) 8) "Aladdin" prince 

19) Cay 

45) Eighth of a circle 

9) Knowledgeable, via books 

20) Talked, talked and talked 47) They play by themselves 10) Film reviewer 

21) Scrabble unit 

51) Sheep calls 

11) Perfectionist's concern 

23) Attention-attracting sound 52) Hare ball? 

12) Look up and down 

24) Twisted lock? 

54) Lake near Niagara Falls 13) Jury member 

25) Fastens anew 

55) Teamsters, for one 

18) Slightly amused reaction 

28) Half-moon 

56) Sandwich cookie 

22) "_ ofEden" 

3 I) A void capture by 57) Bellow 

24) Raise Labradors, e.g. 

32) Skirt fold 

58) Absorbent cloth 

25) Bandstand breaks 

33) Bluejacket 

59) Go by bus 

26) "Adam Bede" novelist 

34) Gentlemen 

27) Was a coward 

35) Turned sharply 

28) Parts of a crossword puzzle 

29) In one's birthday suit 

30) Highlight holder? 

32) Conspires 

35) Timesaver 

REAR END? 

B Gia Kilro 

1 A 2 s G R 3G 40 s T 7R S 36) IOU holder 

1 

A c 

1 l 

1 1 b 1> 

38) Bridge measurement 

39) Scaler's spike 

1 ;, 

1 0 0 k A G E 41) Animal that goes "pop" 

42) Arson or robbery, e.g. 

1 1 ... E A D 0 T 

s L E 44) Helicopter blade 

45) Follow, as orders 

2y A M M E R 

T E R 46) Be concerned 

47) Cookbook direction 

H 

D 

48) Delhi dress 

E '" 49) Drew even with 

50) _ gin fizz 

31: L u '" A R 53) Best-selling number? 

3s 

K E 

E s 

0 

L D s 

T D 

N T L 0 I 

S s B A A t b T 0 N T A I L 

5i: R I E 5lJ N 0 N 5b R E 0 

S 

5v E L L E R R y R I D E 

1 5 H u L 

HITORI NO: 83 

16th February 

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: 83 

37 

41 

51 

54 

57 

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR 

KIDS BETWEEN 4-7 YEARS 

1. How many days do we have in a week? 

Answer: Seven 

2. How many days are there in a normal 

year? Answer: 365 (not a leap year) 

3. How many colours are there in a 

rainbow? Answer: 7 

4. Which animal is known as the ‘Ship of 

the Desert?’ Answer: Camel 

5. How many letters are there in the 

English alphabet? Answer: 26 

6. How many consonants are there in the 

3 September to 9 September 2021 | By Manisha Koushik 

ARIES (MAR 21-APR 20) 

There is an outside chance of gaining something 

out of the blue, so keep your fingers crossed! 

Keeping in touch with the achievers will be a 

step in the right direction on the academic front. 

Your performance at work is likely to be praised. 

Some developments on the romantic front will 

make you feel on the top of the world. Stars appear strong for the 

eligible for getting a suitable matrimonial alliance. Someone is set 

to brighten your week. Lucky No.:9 / Lucky Colour: Yellow 

TAURUS (APR 21-MAY 20) 

This is an auspicious week for you. So, if you are 

planning to start something new or buy a major 

item, this week is good. Your efforts at work will 

help accomplish much. A deal is likely to work 

out in your favour. Health wise, you are likely to 

feel fit and energetic. Those trying hard on the 

academic front will find things happening in a favourable way. 

Love life promises to cruise along smoothly. Lucky No.:1 / Lucky 

Colour: Red 

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 21) 

Your wish is likely to be fulfilled soon. A favourable 

time is foreseen for those making efforts on the 

academic front. Your performance at work will be 

appreciated and bring you to the notice of higher 

ups. Someone is likely to give good advice and help 

you add to your wealth. Your social image is set to 

rise, as you manage to play your cards well. Romance on the sly 

cannot be ruled out for some. Lucky No.:8 / Lucky Colour: Blue 

CANCER (JUN 22-JUL 20) 

You may need to deal with those you don’t 

particularly like, so maintain your dignity. A 

lucrative deal is likely to be finalised on the 

business front. Your professional reputation is set 

to rise. A scholarship or monetary compensation 

can be expected by some on the academic front. 

Excellent returns from previous investments will keep your coffers 

brimming. An active lifestyle will help you enjoy excellent health. 

Bonhomie prevails on the home front. You may get attracted to 

someone. Lucky No.: 7 / Lucky Colour: Grey 

English alphabet? Answer: 21 

7. How many sides are there in a triangle? 

Answer: Three 

8. Which month of the year has the least 

number of days? Answer: February 

9. Which are the vowels in the English 

alphabet series? Answer: A, E, I, O, U 

10. Which animal is called King of Jungle? 

Answer: Lion 

11. How many primary colors are there? 

Answer: Three (red, yellow, blue) 

12. How many days are there in the month 

of February in a leap year? Answer: 29 

days 

13. What do you call a house made of ice? 

Answer: Igloo 

14. Which is the largest animal in the 

world? Answer: Blue whale 

15. Which is the tallest animal on the 

earth? Answer: Giraffe 

16. Which festival is known as the festival 

of colours? Answer: Holi 

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) 

A big responsibility is about to come on your head, 

so be prepared to face it. Someone may come to 

stay with you and add to your enjoyment. A family 

youngster is likely to do you proud by his or her 

achievements. Some of you may be poised for a 

higher academic qualification. A pat on the back for 

a job well done cannot be ruled out. Wise investments will help 

keep you financially secure. Lucky No.:3 / Lucky Colour: Saffron 

VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 23) 

You need to restore something that you have 

changed or moved, as it is in your interest. This is 

an excellent week when you achieve much, both 

on the personal and professional front. A break 

that you had been hoping on the business front 

is likely to materialise. Good profits accrue in a 

venture and promise to make your wealth grow. You will be able to 

accomplish something important on the social front and add to your 

prestige. Lucky No.: 4 / Lucky Colour: Electric Blue 

LIBRA (SEP 24-OCT 23) 

A celebration will bring you into the limelight. 

You will manage to overcome stiff competition 

on the business front and be able to hold your 

own. Getting financially stronger is indicated. In 

this week you savoured are likely to return and 

keep you in an upbeat mood. Your efforts on the 

fitness front will prove immensely beneficial to you. Nurturing a 

relationship may make it a lifelong commitment. An outing with 

near and dear ones proves most enjoyable. Lucky No.:2 / Lucky 

Colour: White 

SCORPIO (OCT 24-NOV 22) 

Someone’s appreciation is likely to boost your 

morale and encourage you to give in your best. You 

may get a pat on the back at work for something 

that you have achieved. On the academic front, 

you remain a cut above the rest. Your passion for 

what you do is likely to be much appreciated. Good 

earning is indicated and will ease things on the monetary front. 

Those on a match-making mission will find anyone suitable. Lucky 

No.:9 / Lucky Colour: Yellow 

17. Which festival is called the festival of 

light? Answer: Diwali 

18. What is the top color in a rainbow? 

Answer: Red 

19. What type of bird lays the largest 

eggs? Answer: Ostrich 

20. Which festival is known as the ‘Festival 

of flowers’? Answers: Onam 

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 23-DEC 21) 

This is the right time to get into the social scene. 

A marriage or an event may keep you under the 

spotlight. Great opportunities will be on offer for 

those looking for a suitable job. Getting enrolled 

for higher studies may mark a watershed in your 

progress on the academic front. Financially, you may find yourself 

much more secure now, than before. An advice on the health front is 

likely to come in handy for those aspiring total fitness. Lucky No.:6 

/ Lucky Colour: Turquoise 

CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 21) 

Excellent opportunity for a fun trip is likely to 

come your way. Your reputation is set to enhance, 

due to your helpful attitude on the social front. 

Some of you may afford shifting into a bigger 

accommodation. Some financial aspects may 

warrant your personal attention. Remaining regular 

in your exercise routine will be in your interest. You can cross 

swords with someone influential at work. Lucky No.: 5 / Lucky 

Colour: Green 

AQUARIUS (JAN 22-FEB 19) 

Meeting old friends and acquaintances is likely 

to make your week. Things progress most 

satisfactorily on the professional front. Good 

showing on the academic front is likely to open 

many doors for you. There is no need to cut 

corners as money flows in. Keeping in touch with 

someone influential is likely to benefit you in the long run. Health 

remains good. Lucky No.: 11 / Lucky Colour: Off White 

PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 20) 

You may need to handle a tricky social situation 

well. A financial bonanza cannot be ruled out for 

some. Those working hard to get the right figure 

and physique are likely to achieve it. Your efforts 

on the professional front will come in for praise. A 

pat on the back is expected for those pursuing academics. Going 

out of town and staying with someone close is likely to prove most 

exciting. Lucky No.:22 / Lucky Colour: Purple


NEW ZEALAND 19 

Log kya kahenge? 

What will people say? 

SHIVANI KERSHAW (MODERATED 

BY DR. VIJAY DYVADI) 

For those of us that have ever considered 

talking about our mental health issues, 

this question always stays at the 

forefront of our mind. Log kya kahenge? What 

will people say? 

This question, so simple, is often the 

driver behind mental health stigma in the 

Indian community. It is a question that 

leaves us in silence. 

In New Zealand (NZ), Indians show some 

of the lowest rates of mental health service 

utilisation across the country. 

Hospitalisation rates for intentional injury 

and harm are increasing in young Indian 

women, as are suicide rates in our Indian youth. 

Mental health stigma remains as the biggest 

barrier to accessing the support they so 

desperately require (Machiraju, 2018). 

Still, log kya kahenge? What will people say? 

There is often the misconception that mental 

distress is due to something that is “wrong” 

with us, a result of nazaar, or the repercussion 

of something we’ve done in our past lives. 

Really, it’s a combination of many things. 

Mental illness is the experience of ongoing 

distress that impacts our ability to function. It 

influences our thoughts, feelings, behaviours 

and ways of relating to others. 

As seen in the picture, we develop mental 

distress due to genetic precursors, living 

in a stressful environments, like poverty 

or domestic abuse, experiencing stressful 

events, such as losing a loved one, developing 

unhealthy habits, or impacts of our physical 

health, such as cardiovascular disease. Still, log 

kya kahenge? What will people say? 

No matter your age, gender, upbringing, 

caste, religion, or socioeconomic status, this 

question of “log kya kahenge?” makes us 

believe that our vulnerabilities and struggles 

are for everyone to see, and that speaking 

up and asking for help only brings shame, 

dishonour to our family and gossip. Some fear 

that they will be told they are “not thinking the 

right thoughts,” or what they are experiencing 

is “not real,” or that it is their “own doing” that 

they are feeling distress. 

Being told that we are “mental” or that our 

feelings are not real invalidates our experiences 

and makes us doubt ourselves. 

These stressors often contribute to risk 

factors for suicide in the Indian community and 

further prevent access to mental health services. 

This fear we have is much stronger than the 

need to feel heard, but these feelings we have 

are completely normal. 

Life is extremely hard, and sometimes harder 

when we go through different life stages. 

Sometimes we are expected to do well in school, 

get a good job, support our parivaar (“family”) 

financially and emotionally, or learn to adapt to 

a new country after migrating. Sometimes our 

parents have moved from their home country 

for a better life for their children, and we are 

told to be grateful for their sacrifices. 

But having mental distress doesn’t mean we 

are less grateful for their sacrifice, nor does it 

mean we are ‘crazy’ or wrong. 

It is normal to feel down or anxious or 

unsure. If we continue to fear what other people 

will say, we will never be able to get the help 

we need. Just like in the picture, breaking down 

this stigma is incredibly hard. 

As hard as it can be, your mental 

health is a priority. 

The more we talk about mental health, the 

more we normalise it, the easier it becomes to 

seek help. 

I leave you with this conversation from 

Deepika Padukone at the 2020 World 

Economic Forum. 

“There was a lot of hush hush, there was a 

lot of not wanting to tell people what I was 

experiencing. Parents don’t want to take their 

children to counsellors or psychiatric treatment 

because they are concerned what other family 

members may think, concerned about what 

society may think. 

I realised that if I was to express the signs 

and symptoms that I experienced and if there 

were was even one person in the same room 

going through the same thing and couldn’t put 

a finger on it, I wanted to make my journey for 

somebody in the same situation to understand 

what they are going through…The same way 

we take care of our physical health, it is equally 

important to take care of our mental health. 

There is hope.” 

If you, or someone you know, is struggling 

and needs help, there is support available. 

Support Services: 

Asian Family Services: call 0800 862 342 or visit 

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Disclaimer: This article was written by a 

health science student from the University 

of Auckland Migrant Health Group. The 

information and opinions expressed in the 

article are not a reflection of the Indian 

Weekender, University, our employers 

or any DHB. We hope that you find 

them useful. Always chat to your GP or 

specialist if you have any concerns. 

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 wi l 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 fa ls 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 fo lowing day as Holi. 

In its 9th year, Krishna Holi event at the 

iconic Hare Krishna Temple in Kumeu, West 

Auckland a tracts thousands of people from a l 

walks of life, di ferent 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 ti l 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 wi l have sta ls that 

distribute at least ten to 12 colours, and there 

wi l also be watercolours for the visitors. 

A giant LED screen is also insta led on the 

stage with a DJ and live music for the a tendees 

to dance and have fun. 

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

event. People of a l ages can have fun as 

there wi l be colour sta ls, water stations, food 

sta ls, changing rooms, showering stations for 

people drenched in colour,” Mr Chandra said. 

He added tha the temple stocks colours to be 

used at the festival at least 2-3 years at a time. 

The temple wi l be used over a ton of colour at 

the event both in its dry form and with water. 

“We have given 200 kgs of colour to fire 

brigade who wi l mix it in their water tank 

and then splash it on the visitors at di ferent 

intervals. 

“Since this year’s event coincides with 

Valentine’s Day, we have kept valentine theme 

gifts and gift station too at the venue for the 

public to celebrate the occasion there,” Mr 

Chandra added. 

Mr Chandra says a l a rangements in 

terms of Covid QR Code scanning and hand 

sanitisers are in place for people, a rangements 

for children activities, so that everyone gets to 

enjoy the even to its fu lest. 

“We have volunteers, security to usher 

vehicles to park in the appropriate places, 

manage the oncoming and returning traffic, 

and make sure visitors feel comfortable at the 

event,” Mr Chandra added. 

The event organisers have appealed the 

visitors to come in white dress as colours tend 

to exhibit its vibrancy on white clothing, get 

spare clothing to change after playing with 

colour and food and water a rangements have 

been made a the venue. 

“Hol is always a fun event and Krishna Holi 

event like previous years wi l be high octane, 

fu l of energy and good vibes,” Mr Chandra 

added. 

ISKCON Temple is located on 1229 

Coatesvi le-Riverhead Highway, Kumeu, West 

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 a tend the event 

where they wi l 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 a l faiths and 

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

abou 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 wi l be loud, fu l of energy, 

playfulness, music and dance,” Mr Chandra added. 

The events wi l 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 a 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 di ference 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.

STOP THE SPREAD 

2 M / 6 FT 

WASH YOUR HANDS 

FREQUENTLY 

Regularly and thoroughly clean 

your hands with an alcohol-based 

hand rub or wash them with soap 

and water. 

MAINTAIN 

PHYSICAL DISTANCING 

Maintain at least 2 meters (6 feet) 

distance between yourself and 

anyone who is coughing or 

sneezing. 

AVOID! 

AVOID TOUCHING EYES, NOSE 

AND MOUTH 

Hands touch many surfaces and 

can pick up viruses. Once 

contaminated, hands can transfer 

the virus to your eyes, nose or 

mouth. 

IF YOU HAVE A FEVER, COUGH 

AND DIFFICULTY BREATHING, 

SEEK MEDICAL CARE EARLY 

Stay home if you feel unwell. If 

you have a fever, cough and 

difficulty breathing, seek medical 

attention and call in advance. 

Source: World Health Organization

The Indian Weekender, 3 September 2021

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