The Indian Weekender, 29 October 2021

29OCTOBER2021 • VOL 13 ISSUE 34 

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The Indian Weekender Friday, October 29, 2021 

NEW ZEALAND 3 

‘Our Covid-19 contribution 

has been forgotten’ 

MIQ workers who have been ineligible for the One-off residence visa feel frustrated and 

anguished that despite working tirelessly during the Covid 19 they have been forgotten 

NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH 

The one-off residence visa, which was 

announced last month by the Hon 

Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi, has 

been welcomed by the 165,000 who are eligible 

and on their pathway to residence. 

However, many have been left out primarily 

because of the visa status they hold. One such 

category is that of MIQ workers. 

When we talk about Covid-19 and the 

frontline workers, there is no denying that 

MIQ workers have worked in the forefront 

and did their best in protecting New Zealand 

and New Zealanders. 

Indian Weekender spoke to some MIQ 

workers who are ineligible for this new visa to 

know their stories. 

The heart touching stories speak volumes 

of their frustration, anguish and helplessness 

of being left out despite contributing to New 

Zealand and its people by working relentlessly 

in a risky place like MIQ during the pandemic. 

One such story is that of an immigrant 

Matthew (name changed on request), who 

meets all the three criteria to be eligible but has 

been left out because he holds a partner of a 

worker visa. 

Sharing his story, he says, “I came to New 

Zealand in January 2017 to pursue my postgraduation 

study. I worked as a director at 

" 

We both had difficulties 

establishing our career 

here even after extensive 

experience as we did not 

have Kiwi experience and 

residency. However, we made 

our way to stable jobs, we 

have been hard-working and 

honest taxpayers since then 

a 5-star facility back in India, which I left to 

pursue my future here. My family and daughter 

moved here after a year. My wife left her senior 

position at an MNC company to be here with 

me and for our child. 

“We both had difficulties establishing our 

career here even after extensive experience as 

we did not have Kiwi experience and residency. 

However, we made our way to stable jobs, we 

have been hard-working and honest taxpayers 

since then. 

"When Covid stuck here, we had thought 

to move back to India but, we decided to 

stay back. Instead, my wife decided to pursue 

MBA to improve her capabilities. So she 

took up a student visa, and I got a partnership 

based visa. My company offered a work 

visa, I did not apply and continued with a 

partnership work visa.” 

Matthew, who has been working as a Manager 

in a MIQ facility for most of the Covid period, 

feels it is risky to work in MIQ, but the fact 

that he wanted to contribute and do his bit to 

contribute during Covid kept him going. 

However, this news has shattered him and 

his family. 

He says, “It is scary to be working in a risky 

environment like MIQ, especially when we 

have a small child at home, but, I didn’t take a 

step back even though I could have. 

"When this one-off visa was announced, 

knowing that we were ineligible just because 

of our visa status was very frustrating as we 

have done everything right - contributed to 

the community in many ways, being an honest 

citizen, taxpayer, well qualified and skilled. 

"I don’t know where did we go wrong. We are 

left heartbroken and disappointed due to this. 

My wife didn’t sleep for more than a week after 

the announcement and kept weeping thinking 

about our child’s future and SMC uncertainty. 

We were left thinking if the decision to upskill 

our knowledge was a big mistake we made? 

Aditya (name changed on request), another 

MIQ worker, feels that with this announcement 

all his contribution and hard work given to 

this country during the pandemic have been 

forgotten just because he holds a student visa. 

Aditya, who hails from Kerala says, “I came 

to NZ in 2016 to pursue level 5 and level 6 

Hospitality Management. 

• Continued on Page 4 

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Friday, October 29, 2021 

The Indian Weekender 

• Continued from Page 3 

After finishing my study, I received a poststudy 

work visa in March 2018. I started 

working full time in a hotel in Auckland CBD. 

Everything was going fine until March 

2020, when the first case of Covid caused 

the first lockdown. My employer made many 

employees redundant, but luckily they kept me 

on. Since the borders were closed and the hotel 

was unable to run in a normal operation, they 

opted to become a MIQ facility.” 

Sharing the hardships of working in MIQ 

and his frustration of being excluded from the 

One-off resident visa, he says, “Since my visa 

was expiring in March 2021 and my employer 

wasn’t able to support my application since it 

was a MIQ, I chose to do level 7 in Hospitality 

management. 

Today, I hold a student visa and still work 

for the same MIQ. Just because I held a student 

visa on 29 September, all my contribution and 

hard work, which I did for this country during 

the pandemic have been forgotten, how unfair 

is that? Government should do something for 

the MIQ workers and include them.” 

Victoria, another immigrant, who came to 

NZ in 2017 as a student and became a MIQ 

worker in 2020 feels the policy is unfair and 

made her feel miserable and frustrated. 

The fact that she is currently holding a 

student visa makes her ineligible. Sharing her 

story she says, “Ever since I joined MIQ, I’ve 

been working so hard and following the strict 

hygiene protocols. 

My parents have convinced me many times to 

leave this job due to their concerns and worries 

especially during the delta virus popped up 

but I never did and I never will. I’m happy to 

contribute my efforts to this country when it is 

needed and try my best to protect Aotearoa.” 

It was the decision to take a gap year that 

somehow backfired for Victoria: “I took a half 

year as a gap year doing full time work at my 

hotel from the end of 2020 till the beginning 

of 2021. I started a further study in the March 

of 2021 and will be graduating in December. 

However, my story changed on the 30 

September, when I realised that I am excluded 

from a One-off residency visa. However, my 

Hon Kris Faafoi Minister of Minister of Immigration 

friend, who didn’t take a gap year, is eligible 

to apply because she finished her study slightly 

earlier than me. If I didn’t take my little gap 

year, I would have already been on an eligible 

visa. I feel like I am abandoned, and no one 

recognises my effort.” 

Government’s response 

These are just a few stories of those MIQ 

workers who have been excluded from the oneoff 

residence visa despite doing their best for 

the community. When contacted, the Minister 

of Immigration told Indian Weekender, 

“Eligibility for the 2021 Resident visa is 

reasonably broad and could provide a pathway 

to residence for around 165,000 people. Some 

of those may well be people working in MIQ. 

Where people are not eligible for the oneoff 

resident visa, there may be other options 

towards residence available to them. 

There are also other options to continue 

working in New Zealand, such as the extended 

Essential Skills visa or other work visas for 

those who do not meet the criteria or do not 

want to apply for residence. The Government 

has also recently made it easier for people 

National Party’s MP and Immigration 

spokesperson, Erica Stanford 

working in lower-paid roles to be able to stay in 

New Zealand longer while border restrictions 

remain in place due to COVID-19.” 

National Party’s MP and Immigration 

spokesperson, Erica Stanford says that it is 

an ill-considered policy and the decision to 

exclude MIQ workers is a big gap. 

" 

The 2021 Resident Visa was 

a hastily thought out and 

ill-considered policy. This is 

clearly shown by the number 

of gaps we have seen in the 

policy, which has resulted in 

migrants worthy of residence 

missing out. This Government 

is prioritising migrants who 

don’t even have to prove they 

have a job over these border 

and MIQ workers. 

“The 2021 Resident Visa was a hastily 

thought out and ill-considered policy. This 

is clearly shown by the number of gaps we 

have seen in the policy, which has resulted in 

migrants worthy of residence missing out. This 

Government is prioritising migrants who don’t 

even have to prove they have a job over these 

border and MIQ workers. 

They go to work every day for 12-hour shifts 

in full PPE and put their lives at risk to keep 

us safe. That just reeks of policy made on the 

hoof,” says Erica. 

Even immigration experts say that it is a big 

disappointment that the one-off residence visa 

does not cover all of those staff who have been 

working at the frontline during the pandemic. 

Immigration lawyer Arran Hunt, says, “In one 

of the opening lines of his press release on the 

new visa, the Minister talked about ‘providing 

a way forward for our migrant families who 

have been long disrupted by COVID-19’. We 

can’t imagine anybody who would have been 

more disrupted than those working in MIQ, 

looking after the security and services for 

those who have either come in from offshore, 

where COVID-19 has been running rampant, or 

perhaps providing services for those on shore 

who were known to be infected. 

“It must have been a constant source of stress 

for these workers and their families, always 

worried about if they would catch it, or spread 

it to their loved ones. They are now being told 

that despite the amazing work they have done, 

and continue to do, that the government gives 

more future value to the services of florists, 

fencers, meat packers and knitting machine 

operators.” 

Giving the example of France, which granted 

citizenship to its frontline workers on Christmas 

eve 2020 and how New Zealand exclusion of 

them is a ‘disgrace’. 

“On Christmas Eve 2020, France gave its 

frontline workers citizenship. This included 

health workers, cleaners, shop workers, and 

even garbage collectors. By September, 12,000 

had gained citizenship. In New Zealand, 

the Minister won’t even let them apply for 

residence while granting 165,000 other people 

that opportunity. Despite working in a high-risk 

job, something we thanked them for during 

lockdown last year, they aren’t included in the 

one-off residence, and that’s a disgrace, “ he 

signs off. 

Why QR code scanning needs to be made mandatory 

SANDEEP SINGH 

With the latest instance of two cases 

of Covid in Christchurch who were 

sparingly scanning QR codes, it 

may be time for the government to make QR 

code scanning mandatory, even if for a limited 

period of time. 

The government is grappling with a multitude 

of issues, ideas and strategies as it transitions 

its approach from elimination to suppression 

of the Delta virus and leads the country 

into a new unknown. 

Decisive action in removing confusion and 

bringing as much clarity as possible around 

rules related to Covid management would 

be helpful for the country in the long term 

than worrying about its overall image in the 

short term. 

D 

ecisive action in 

removing confusion and 

bringing as much clarity 

as possible around 

rules related to Covid 

management would be 

helpful for the country in 

the long term than worrying 

about its overall image in 

the short term. 

Christchurch remains on the edge with at 

least two households caught up in the latest 

South Island community outbreak with more 

test results to come and a threat of restrictions 

looming large. 

As public health officials scramble to get 

more information and movement details of the 

pair from the same households, it has come as a 

grim surprise that the duo were rarely scanning 

QR codes. 

One of them travelled from Auckland on 

October 15 (where they were on an authorised 

visit) and infected the other person in the same 

household and had since then moved around 

without scanning QR codes. 

Despite the frenetic efforts by public health 

officials, it is clear that reconstructing all 

movement details of the duo will be a task, 

and that too with limited certainty – leaving 

Christchurch and the wider South Island 

community nervous and anxious. 

To be fair to the duo, although not following 

common sense, they had not broken any law by 

not scanning QR codes. 

Clearly – cases and situations like this are 

falling in no-man’s land where responsibility 

cannot be pinned down to anyone – 

thus weakening our collective response 

to Covid outbreak. 

It was okay while the government was 

pursuing an elimination strategy by stamping 

the virus out of the community and managing 

Covid at the borders, and a relaxed approach 

towards scanning QR codes was less costly for 

New Zealanders. 

This has changed now with Covid in the 

community, and the government needs to act 

fast and decisively to set up a clearer regime 

and rules based system. 

Making scanning of QR codes or leaving 

contact details at every commercial or public 

place will tighten a lot of loose ends in the 

government’s overall Covid-repsonse plan. 

Acting expeditiously, clearly and 

firmly has been one important area in the 

government’s otherwise reasonably successful 

Covid management approach that requires 

urgent attention. 

In most instances, the government has only 

acted conservatively, apprehensively and 

very late-mover in decisions around Covid 

management in the last eighteen months 

(such as closing borders, allowing temporary 

migrants stuck overseas back into the country, 

vaccination, or allowing self-isolation a 

t home etc). 

Now is the time for the government to fix that 

anomaly and change its image of being the latemover 

in every aspect of Covid management. 

Making scanning of QR codes mandatory 

for next 12 months would not hurt most Kiwis 

and will shore-up our collective response 

to Covid as we gear up to live with Delta 

virus in the country.


NEW ZEALAND 5 

Covid-19 Rent Relief 

Support measures refined 

IWK BUREAU/ MINISTRY OF 

JUSTICE 

The Government has landed on a 

balanced package of changes to improve 

rent relief measures for both landlords 

and tenants hit by Covid-19 restrictions, the 

Minister of Justice Kris Faafoi says. 

“Businesses in the Auckland region, and 

elsewhere under Covid Alert Level Three, have 

been doing it tough, and the Government has 

been responding with support in various ways,” 

Kris Faafoi has said. 

“The measures we are introducing around 

rent relief as part of the Covid-19 Response 

(Management Measures) Legislation Bill will 

offer more support measures, particularly for 

small to medium sized businesses hit hard by 

the restrictions that have been needed to contain 

Covid-19. 

“We are aware that many lease agreements 

already have provision for adjusted rent 

payments during an epidemic emergency, and 

many landlords and tenants have been able 

to negotiate agreed rent relief terms between 

themselves as a result of previous lockdowns. 

“In providing this support, we are also 

incorporating changes suggested by landlords 

and tenants to the Finance and Expenditure 

Select Committee. The changes will provide 

additional clarity and options for landlords and 

tenants to agree a fair proportion of rent to be 

paid where Covid restrictions have impacted a 

business’s ability to operate,” Kris Faafoi said. 

The changes introduced to the Bill will 

include a requirement to consider a commercial 

tenant’s loss of income in determining what a 

‘fair proportion’ of rent relief would be. 

“This change protects against the new rent 

relief provisions being used where a commercial 

tenant has not actually had any serious loss of 

income as a result of lockdown restrictions 

because, for instance, they have been able to 

continue operating from home.” 

Other changes include: 

A requirement that the parties to a 

commercial lease with this implied clause must 

respond to each other within 10 working days 

of communication about the clause. 

Clarifying that parties may seek to resolve 

disputes through mediation or other forms of 

alternative dispute resolution before a referral 

to arbitration, and that the Disputes Tribunal’s 

jurisdiction is not excluded as an option. 

Making the changes apply retrospectively 

from 18 August 2021, being the first day of 

the current Covid-19 Delta higher alert level 

restrictions. 

“Applying these measures from 18 August 

means businesses which have suffered serious 

loss of income due to the recent Delta alert 

restrictions will be able to access help to agree 

fair rent relief. 

“These new provisions will only apply 

to leases which do not already provide 

for adjusted rent payment terms during an 

epidemic emergency to ensure, in particular, 

that small businesses get the relief they need 

when Covid-19 response restrictions prevent 

them being able to access their premises,” Kris 

Faafoi said. 

The commercial rent relief changes add to 

the other Covid-19 business support measures 

the Government has implemented, such as the 

wage subsidy, an increase to the Resurgence 

Support payment scheme, and funding for 

business advice and mental health support. 

New Zealand Qualifications Authority 

Approved Category 1 Education Provider

6 NEW ZEALAND 

Rents slowing for first time in eight months 

IWK BUREAU/ TRADEME 

PROPERTY 

New Zealand’s national median weekly 

rent was $535 in September, showing 

a month-on-month drop for the first 

time in eight months, according to Trade Me’s 

latest Rental Price Index. 

Trade Me Property Sales Director Gavin 

Lloyd said September’s national median 

weekly rent fell by $15 when compared with 

the month prior. 

“The lockdown brought the country to a 

halt in August which, unsurprisingly, sent 

shockwaves through the rental market and as a 

result we saw rents stall in our two main centres 

in September. This will come as welcome news 

for tenants who have become accustomed to 

record-breaking rent increases over the last 12 

months.” 

The lockdown brought the 

country to a halt in August 

which, unsurprisingly, sent 

shockwaves through the rental 

market and as a result we saw 

rents stall in our two main 

centres in September. 

However, Mr Lloyd did acknowledge that 

the national median rent had still increased 5 

per cent on the year prior. “This is the smallest 

year-on-year percentage increase we have seen 

in six months, and the first time we have seen 

this rate of growth slow since February. 

“Nationally, demand was down by 14 per 

cent year-on-year in September. However, if 

we look at different regions around the country, 

it was not the same story across the board.” Mr 

Lloyd said Marlborough (up 43%), Canterbury 

(up 35%), and Manawatu (up 27%) all saw 

demand for rentals increase last month when 

compared with September last year. 

“Unsurprisingly, the locked-down region of 

Auckland saw a drop in the number of enquiries 

on rental listings , with demand down by 39 per 

cent year-on-year. Hawke’s Bay (-24%) and 

Southland (-13%) also saw demand drop off.” 

Mr Lloyd said when it comes to supply, the 

number of properties on the rental market was 

also down by 20 per cent in September when 

compared with the same month last year. 

Looking ahead, Mr Lloyd said the coming 

months would be telling in how the lockdowns 

have impacted the rental market. “We have seen 

rents climb consistently since the beginning of 

last year, unscathed by the various Alert Level 

changes, the next few months will be really 

interesting and we may see this lockdown have 

a deeper impact on the rental market than any 

other lockdown.” 

Auckland rents stagnant at $595 for third 

month 

In the Auckland region, the median weekly 

rent in September remained at $595 for the 

third month in a row in September. “As Kiwis 

in the Auckland region remain on hold with the 

Alert Level restrictions, the rental market has 

followed suit with rents on ice.” 

Looking at Auckland City alone, the median 

weekly rent was $580. “ 

The most expensive district in the region 

last month was North Shore City ($620), with 

Franklin, Manukau, and Rodney all sitting 

slightly lower at $600.” 



Aap sub ko Diwali ke 

shubhkamnayen 

David Seymour 

Leader of ACT Party 

I 

would like to wish everyone celebrating 

Diwali a safe, healthy, and joyous new year. 

It is likely celebrations will look different 

this year, but the essence of this festival -that 

light, hope, and knowledge will always triumph 

over darkness, evil, and ignorance is important 

now more than ever. 

The ACT Party is a party of pragmatic 

solutions on issues that affect New Zealanders. 

Recently we celebrated 25-years of the 

ACT Party entering Parliament, unique in the 

world for championing personal and economic 

freedom. 

ACT stands on principle for free markets 

and free minds. We do so because the record 

of human history is crystal clear, freedom is the 

only path to human flourishing. 

ACT has always put good law making and 

public policy at centre of everything we do. 

Right from when the party was founded 

ACT has consistently been the party of 

ideas, advocating for expanded personal 

freedom and responsibility. 

Creation of the Super City; rise of the 

Productivity Commission; 3 Strikes; 90-day 

trials for all businesses and our Covid plan are 

only some examples f good public policy ideas 

from ACT. 

People of Indian origin often share with 

me how their values of ‘jitne chadar utne pair 

phelana’ resonates with ACT’s principles of 

restricting wasteful spending. 

The Indian community values quality 

education for their children as education created 

opportunity. 

Charter Schools remain ACT’s signature 

achievement. They embody the liberation of 

the creative powers of a free society. Charter 

schools will be back, bigger, and stronger for 

more kids. 

ACT was founded to redistribute not wealth 

but opportunity. 

To allow poor people to purchase services 

they require off and open market, like rich 

people always have. 

As you celebrate Diwali, do remember that 

quality education for our children or fighting 

our way to freedom from Covid is only possible 

through pragmatic policy solutions that only 

ACT can provide. 

Namaste! 

10J/2 Bishop Dunn Place, 

Flat Bush, Auckland 

09 2739111 

50 Wordsworth Street, 

Sydenham, Christchurch 

03 3652677 

www.noveltysweets.co.nz

Happy Diwali! 

The ACT Party celebrates 

alongside you. 

Authorised by David Seymour MP, ACT Party Leader, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

8 NEW ZEALAND 

Friday, October 29, 2021 The Indian Weekender 

Experts believe 90% target good 

to open international border 


The New Zealand Government 

recently set a vaccine 

target of 90 percent fully 

vaccinated eligible population in 

each 20 District Health Board (DHB) 

areas before moving to a nationwide 

‘traffic light’ system which will 

replace the current alert level system 

and national lockdowns. 

In the Prime Minister’s 

announcement last week, though, 

there was no indication of when the 

international border would likely 

be opened. That announcement is 

due soon. 

However, Auckland is set to move 

into the new framework when 90 

percent of the eligible population 

in each of the three DHBs are 

fully vaccinated. An assessment 

of the situation would be made on 

29 November, the Prime Minister 

announced. 

As of October 24, 87 percent of 

the eligible population across New 

Zealand have had their first vaccine 

and 71 percent of the eligible 

population with two doses. In New 

Zealand, as of October 24, 6,623,500 

doses of the vaccine have been 

administered – 3,643,337 first dose 

and 2,980,163 second dose. 

Indian Weekender spoke to experts 

to find out if moving to the traffic 

light is feasible at a 90 percent target 

rate and when and how New Zealand 

should open its international border. 

Microbiologist Siouxsie 

Wiles believes the set target of a 90 

percent vaccine rate to move to the 

new system is feasible. She says, “I 

think it is feasible... but it will require 

all of us to help our family members 

and friends who are still nervous 

about getting vaccinated to access 

good information to help them make 

an informed choice.” 

On being asked what should be 

the vaccine target for New Zealand 

to open its international border, 

Wiles says, “The target to open 

international border should be when 

over 90 percent of all our population 

are vaccinated, including our under 

12s.” 

Wiles says that the approach 

toward opening up the international 

“ 

I think it is feasible... 

but it will require 

all of us to help our 

family members and 

friends who are still 

nervous about getting 

vaccinated to access 

good information to 

help them make an 

informed choice.” 

border would depend on how the 

move to the new traffic light system 

goes. She explains, “Depending 

on the level of Covid-19 in the 

community in New Zealand, and 

the level of vaccinations, we will 

want to limit the importation 

of further variants. 

"To open up fully to international 

travellers would not be possible with 

the MIQ system we currently have 

in place as it will involve assessing 

travellers for risk based on where 

they are coming from, requiring 

travellers to be fully vaccinated, 

and testing travellers on arrival and 

perhaps a few days after they have 

arrived. I am sure we will learn a lot 

from what other countries are doing 

in this space.” 

Sharing his thoughts on the 

New Zealand international border 

opening, University of Auckland 

infectious diseases Associate 

Professor Mark Thomas, says, “I 

think that 90 percent is an excellent 

target. However, I expect that if we 

do not seem to be likely to achieve 

this target within the next 6-8 

weeks, then we should re-evaluate 

whether we should open the border 

at a lower level of vaccination. Once 

we are ready to open the border, we 

should have the requirement that 

visitors from other countries are 

fully vaccinated and that they have 

tests after arrival in NZ on the day of 

arrival and again at about 3-5 days.” 

The recent modelling prepared 

by Shaun Hendy to support a future 

COVID-19 strategy for Aotearoa 

suggests that even with 90 percent 

vaccination and abandoning 

restrictions would result in 1500 

deaths and 13,000 to 14,000 

hospitalisations over the next year. 

Wiles says, “I would like to 

see illness and deaths minimised. 

Once we have a highly vaccinated 

population, cases and deaths will 

be decoupled. But we should be 

aiming to minimise cases too, and 

this will likely involve the use of 

other interventions like masks and 

ventilation.” 

Thomas also believes the number 

of deaths and cases will be dependent 

on vaccine rates, use of masks and 

maintaining social distancing. He 

says, “The final number of expected 

deaths and cases will depend on our 

vaccine uptake rates, and on our 

mixing patterns, i.e. whether we use 

masks and maintain social distancing 

or not, and how much we continue 

to use tests, trace, isolation and 

quarantine. I don’t doubt that Shaun 

Hendy’s figures are correct. His 

team provides a range of outcomes 

depending on vaccination rates and 

test, trace, isolate and quarantine 

implementation rates.” 

Lastly, when asked if New 

Zealand should start vaccines for 

under 12-year-olds, Wiles says, 

“New Zealand can’t start vaccinating 

under 12s until a vaccine has been 

approved, and this is waiting on data 

being submitted to Medsafe.” 

Thomas also believes that vaccine 

should be administered to under 12s 

if Medsafe considers both the safety 

and efficacy of the vaccine to be 

good in young children. 

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Shubh Diwali 

and Happy 

Bandi Chhor Divas 

HAPPY Diwali 2021 

Left to Right: Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern (Leader of the Labour Party, MP for Mt Albert, Prime Minister of New Zealand), 

Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan (MP for Maungakiekie, Minister for the Community & Voluntary Sector, Diversity, Inclusion & Ethnic 

Communities, and Youth), Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall (Labour List MP, Minister for Food Safety and Seniors), Marja Lubeck (Labour List 

MP based in Kaipara ki Mahurangi), Vanushi Walters (MP for Upper Harbour), Naisi Chen (Labour List MP based in Botany), 

Ibrahim Omer (Labour List MP), Dr Gaurav Sharma (MP for Hamilton West), Ingrid Leary (MP for Taieri). 

Contact Labour’s Ethnic Communities Team: 

09 622 2557 | ethnic_communities_labour@parliament.govt.nz 

/Labourethnic /labour_ethnic_communities 

Authorised by Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

10 NEW ZEALAND 



Auckland-Delhi flight petition 

garners 5k signatures 


Australia’s flag carrier Qantas 

announced, on 22 October, the launch 

of non-stop Delhi-Sydney flights from 

early December 2021. The new route will 

initially begin with three A330 flights a week. 

Qantas says it plans to run the schedule “until 

at least late March 2022, to continue if there is 

sufficient demand.” 

While flights from Sydney to Delhi will fly 

via Darwin, the flights from Delhi to Sydney 

would be nonstop. 

The starter schedule lists flights every 

Monday, Thursday and Saturday, with daily 

flights showing from January 3. However, 

Qantas says the arrangement is subject to 

discussions with Indian authorities to finalise 

necessary approvals. 

“Given the strong ties between Australia and 

India, flights between Sydney and Delhi have 

been on our radar for some time, and we think 

there will be strong demand from family and 

friends wanting to reconnect once borders open. 

This is the first time in 10 years that Qantas has 

gone back into the Indian market. We have 

been used to flying into India over the last few 

months, on behalf of the Australian government 

we’ve done 60 repeat flights,” Qantas Group 

CEO Alan Joyce was quoted as saying. 

It may be noted that all travellers will need 

to be fully vaccinated and return a negative 

Covid-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of 

their flight’s departure. 

The Indian community in Australia is 

delighted with the news as they had been 

waiting for Air India to resume its direct flight 

between the two countries. Air India was the 

only carrier that flew direct flights from India 

before the pandemic. 

Talking about New Zealand, this news has 

again highlighted the need to have a direct flight 

from New Zealand to India as there is no direct 

flight from New Zealand to India currently. 

At present airlines such as Emirates and 

Qatar Airlines take 30 to 42 hours to reach 

India from New Zealand. If there is a direct 

flight from New Zealand to India it will take 

approximately less than 15 hours. 

Auckland based travel professional Sijo 

Abraham has lodged a petition to start a direct 

flight from Auckland to Delhi and vice versa. 

The petition named Auckland- Delhi-Auckland 

Direct Flight Petition, which was lodged last 

month, has already got more 

than 5250 signatures. 

According to Sijo, “I’ve 

analysed current non-stops from 

Auckland to Singapore/ Kuala 

Lumpur the nearest country by air 

distance is 10 hours. 

My estimate for the new route AKL-DEL 

direct flight is 14 hours flying time. Auckland 

should be the best choice because out of the 

more than 250,000 Kiwi Indians, the majority 

is based in Auckland.” 

He adds, “Air India / Air New Zealand 

should seriously give a thought to start non 

stop Auckland del flight as it is an untapped 

market currently ‘owned’ by Emirates/ Qatar/ 

Singapore Airlines/ Malaysia with one or 

"The 

direct flight 

between Auckland 

and Delhi will be the 

biggest gift that the Indian 

community in New Zealand 

can get. I strongly feel we 

need this to happen as 

soon as possible" 

more stops through Dubai/ Qatar/ Singapore/ 

Kuala Lumpur. If these packed planes are any 

indication, there’s 100 percent plenty of market 

share to be had. Once the borders open it will 

attract more tourists to New Zealand / India. 

“I am planning to contact Airline leadership/ 

government officials/MPs who would be able 

to help us in making this proposal happen. 

More signatures on this petition will help. It’s 

time that Indians in New Zealand can travel 

to their home airport without stopping in a 

foreign country on a Non-Indian/Non-New 

Zealand airline.” 

Kiwi Indians are also open heartedly 

supporting the need to have a direct flight 

from India to New Zealand as it would be 

convenient as well as time-saving. 

Supporting the need for the 

direct flight between Indian 

and New Zealand, Auckland 

based Gursharan Banga, 

who hails from Delhi, says, 

“It will help save time. Also, 

it would be convenient for 

seniors like our parents who 

have to face hassles in transit due to 

communication issues.” 

Sharing the sentiment, Gurkirpal Singh 

Sandhu, who has also signed the petition, 

says, “The direct flight between Auckland and 

Delhi will be the biggest gift that the Indian 

community in New Zealand can get. I strongly 

feel we need this to happen as soon as possible.” 

Meanwhile, New Zealand is yet to make 

an official announcement of opening its 

international borders.


NEW ZEALAND 11 

How can we achieve the 90% 

vaccination rate? 

PRITI GARUDE KASTURE 

The Kiwi Indian community 

has now achieved a near-100 

percent double vaccination 

rate. But none of them will be 

enjoy freedom until at least 90 

percent of the rest of New Zealanders 

get double jabbed. 

How may we go about 

achieving this? 

Experts say offering 

personal incentives is now 

the key to achieving a high 

vaccination rate. 

On Friday, the government 

announced its decision to introduce 

a new traffic light framework in 

the country’s strategy to minimise 

and protect New Zealanders against 

COVID-19. During the press 

conference, Prime Minister Jacinda 

Ardern introduced details of its 

Covid-19 Protection Framework, 

involving the roll-out of a ‘trafficlight’ 

system once all District 

Health Boards hit 90 per cent full 

vaccination rates. 

On Labour Day, 87 percent of the 

eligible population in the country 

had received their first dose, while 

71 per cent had the second dose. 93 

percent of Auckland Central was 

administered their first dose, and 81 

per cent had received their second. 

Waitemata District Health Board had 

administered the first dose to 90 per 

cent of its eligible population, 76 per 

cent had received the second dose. 

Counties Manukau was catching up 

with 88 per cent having received 

their first dose and 73 per cent with 

second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. 

Auckland is expected to move into 

Red as soon as the Auckland DHBs 

hit the 90 per cent vaccination target, 

rather than wait for the rest of the 

country. Principal Investigator at Te 

Pūnaha Matatini, Dr Dion O’Neale 

who has been providing advice to the 

Department of the Prime Minister 

and the Cabinet says it is possible for 

Auckland and other regions to reach 

the 90 per cent target by Christmas. 

He said, “Whether we do or not 

depends on details about the last 

remaining people to get vaccinated 

— things like how many people are 

going to refuse vaccination, and how 

easy access is for people who might 

be willing to get vaccinated but 

“New 

Zealanders 

who have failed 

to be convinced by the 

government’s emotional 

and rational arguments thus 

far are likely to respond 

to incentives because 

incentives are personally 

haven’t 

had good 

access or relevant to them.” 

incentives 

until now.” 

Many such incentives such as food 

parcels, KFC buckets have been 

introduced for New Zealanders to go 

get vaccinated. 

The Indian community 

organisations have been working 

in overdrive to encourage people 

to get vaccinated. Bhartiya Samaj 

Charitable Trust organised transport 

to drive its senior citizen members to 

vaccination centres. 

Several New Zealand businesses 

are encouraging staff to get 

vaccinated via incentives of cash 

prizes, donations and extra holidays. 

Westpac and SkyCity 

Entertainment Group introduced 

paid special leave for employees 

to attend Covid-19 vaccination 

appointments. 

UP Education offered cash and 

charity donations, while Steel & 

Tube offered $150 cash along with 

other incentives to its staff. 

The mandate to be jabbed or miss 

out was clear in the Prime Minister’s 

address on Friday. She said, “If 

you want summer, if you want 

to go to bars and restaurants. 

Get vaccinated. If you want to 

get a haircut. Get vaccinated. If 

you want to go to a concert, or 

a festival, get vaccinated. If you 

want to go to a gym, or sports 

events, get vaccinated.” 

Several businesses have also 

already laid out their stand on full 

vaccinations for its staff. 

Perpetual Guardian has mandated 

vaccination for all its staff, while 

Fisher & Paykel is also aiming 

to have 100 per cent of its staff 

vaccinated. Auckland Airport will 

only hire staff vaccinated against 

Covid-19 in future and existing 

frontline staff without the jab face 

losing their jobs. 

Psychologists and behavioural 

scientists reason that the freedom 

afforded by the traffic light 

framework to those who are double 

jabbed, will act as a form of incentive 

to those who may still be hesitant. 

Dr Sarb Johal, registered 

clinical psychologist, in her blog 

commented that with the new traffic 

light framework, the government 

is looking to incentivise behaviour 

change to access goods and services. 

She said, “Nudges and policy 

settings are approached from 

different angles to show people a 

way of life, if they chose to remain 

unvaccinated.” 

“Life will be more open for those 

who are vaccinated, more limited 

for those who choose not to be,” she 

adds. 

Dr Bodo Lang, Senior Lecturer, 

Department of Marketing, University 

of Auckland says making things 

personal would drive people’s 

behaviour. 

He said, “New Zealanders who 

have failed to be convinced by 

the government’s emotional and 

rational arguments thus far are likely 

to respond to incentives because 

incentives are personally relevant to 

them.” 

He however, adds that New 

Zealand does need a specific 

deadline for the incentive to remain 

appealing. He said, “Regardless of 

what the incentive is, it needs to have 

a close deadline. Having a close, 

specific, and appealing incentive 

will likely see a marked increase in 

first and second vaccinations in New 

Zealand.” Good on Kiwi-Indians to 

have achieved 100 percent with no 

incentives whatsoever! 

Happy 

Diwali! 

Best wishes to 

you and your 

family as you 

celebrate Diwali. 

Hon Judith Collins 

National Party Leader 

Leader of the Opposition 

judithcollinsmp • judithcollins.co.nz 

Authorised by Judith Collins, Leader of the Opposition, Parliament Buildings, Wgtn.




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The Association of Salaried Medical 

Specialists (ASMS) Toi Mata Hauora is 

calling on the Government to put words 

into action when it comes to valuing frontline 

health workers, with Australia poised to bring 

in thousands of extra clinical staff. 

The Health Minister Andrew Little said last 

week that health workers should feel assured 

that the pressure they are under, is not unnoticed. 

“When you’ve been offered a zero percent 

pay rise, which effectively amounts to a pay 

cut, and no prospect of better staffing and 

conditions, those words seem very hollow,” 

says ASMS Executive Director Sarah Dalton. 

The senior doctor workforce is fatigued and 

demoralised as it juggles entrenched staffing 

shortages and overstretched services, alongside 

the immediate threat of Covid and resulting 

patient backlogs. 

ASMS and DHBs are due to go into 

mediation next month over stalled collective 

contract negotiations for senior hospital doctors 

and dentists. 

ASMS is asking for a very modest pay rise 

to simply reflect cost of living increases, but 

DHBs have continued to come back with a zero 

offer. 

“Employer gratitude should not equal pay 

restraint, especially at a time when our doctors, 

who work tirelessly for the public health system, 

are being asked to step up, cover staffing gaps, 

work longer hours and make personal sacrifices 

to keep their patients and their families safe 

during Covid,” Sarah Dalton says. 

Australia is reportedly set to allow 2,000 

overseas doctors and nurses into the country to 

ease a healthcare staffing crisis there. 

“With specialists earning up to 60% more in 

Australia, it’s a very promising option. We’ve 

had members writing to us saying they are 

being regularly targeted by Australian medical 

recruiters offering to double their current 

salaries”. 

“Our doctors are keeping New Zealanders 

safe and holding our health system together. 

The Government needs to show senior medical 

and dental specialists the same commitment and 

give them a reason to stay,” says Sarah Dalton.

The Indian Weekender Friday, October 29, 2021 FIJI 13 

ATMIYA YOUTH CULTURAL CENTRE (AYCC) 

Yogi Divine Society vision becomes a reality 

SUPPLIED CONTENT 

It all began in 1988 with a small group 

led by like minded individuals who 

were missing out on the values of 

rich culture and heritage. 

As time progressed more devotees 

joined this divine movement where 

many devotees would congregate at Mr 

Ramesh Maisuria’s house in Mt Roskill 

to celebrate our rich culture and heritage. 

By the early 2000’s Mohan Daya 

the President had led and inspired 

the orgasination to a scale where a 

community centre was essential. Mohan 

Ji along with other senior members 

of the society’s tireless search for the 

communal space ended in 2011 when 

we acquired 28 Waipereira Avenue in 

Henderson, Auckland. 

The international President of the 

Society H.D.H Hariprasad Swamiji 

Maharaj blessed the land in 2012. 

Yogi Divine Society is a trusted spiritual 

and humanitarian charity organisation 

founded by H.D.H Guru Hariprasad 

Swamiji Maharaj. 

With its vast network of centres and 

volunteers world-wide, the organisation 

has enabled hundreds of thousands of 

children, youth and families to lead a 

happy, peaceful and harmonious life. 

Followed by his demise in July 2021, 

his followers at Yogi Divine Society NZ 

Inc. have been uplifted and ever more 

determined to spread the message of 

“ATMIYATA” (spiritual harmony). In 

order to honour his legacy and bring his 

teaching to life. 

Yogi Divine Society New Zealand 

Inc.(YDS) has set aside a vision 

for the future. 

Today we are proud to see it 

coming to life. 

Through the development of a Youth 

Cultural Centre, Yogi Divine Society 

NZ Inc. is embarking on a journey to 

revolutionise the youth of yesterday, 

today and tomorrow. 

This is where the Atmiya Youth 

Community Centre (AYCC) serves as an 

essential platform for youth development. 

Project AYCC: 

The reality of this vision is ATMIYA 

YOUTH CULTURAL CENTRE based 

on 28 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, New 

Zealand. This three-storey Centre will 

be built on a piece of land which is 

8,900sqm. 

I 

n the testing times we are in, 

AYCC is the light at the end of 

tunnel for us, and we hope for it 

to be the same for West Auckland 

and the wider community. While 

we regret not celebrating Diwali 

and Indian New Years this year, 

we extend our heartiest Diwali 

and New years wishes to the 

community. 

we were persistent to build here, as we 

want to serve West Auckland and the 

wider community. 

We are pleased to announce that 

construction will be commencing on 1st 

November 2021 and will run through till 

late 2023. 

A1 Projects Limited, who are our 

trusted project management consultants 

for this project along with our team 

of expert design consultants and 

contractors are excited to deliver this 

monumental project. 

Our Vision/Mission: 

Through AYCC we hope to serve the 

community by providing socio-spiritual 

services, cultural training and other human 

services like health-care and educational 

activities on a secular basis to promote 

community development, family values 

enrichment, educational literacy, goodhealth 

and self-sufficiency and enable 

happy, peaceful and harmonious life. 

We are very grateful for the kind 

support through good and advice and 

donations that we have recieved so far 

from the members of the community. 

In the testing times we are in, AYCC is 

the light at the end of tunnel for us, and 

we hope for it to be the same for West 

Auckland and the wider community. 

While we regret not celebrating Diwali 

and Indian New Years this year, we 

extend our heartiest Diwali and New 

years wishes to the community. 

Together we remain strong through 

our imperishable desire to look out for 

each other. 

Every grain of soil, and individual 

brick is valuable towards serving our 

community. We welcome your financial 

contribution towards our noble cause. 

Despite this land requiring a strenuous 

amount of excavation and earthworks,

Editorial 

Red lights, U turns, 

roadblocks on Labour’s 

road to nowhere 

Kiwi Indians to spend Diwali staring at distant red traffic light 

There’s one thing we Aucklanders can be absolutely certain about: the light at 

the end of the lockdown tunnel is Labour-red – and we will know on November 

29 from the Beehive’s all-knowing red busy bees for how long we will be left 

staring at that red light. 

The traffic metaphor does not end with red, orange and green lights. This government’s 

road to most things that matter – whether pandemic related or not – are riddled with 

potholes, U turns and roadblocks. 

As each week passes, it appears to be intent on running ever so rough shod over every 

issue in its path. New Zealand today is a nanny state on steroids. 

It has long thrown out the window the very hallowed values of kindness and 

transparency which swept it to power ––except if you see the gratuitous billion plus 

dollars pumped into people’s wallets every week as some purported act of kindness. 

Also, with its new traffic light system it risks criticism of ‘vaccine apartheid’, dividing 

the team of five million into jabbed-therefore-jobbed and jabless-therefore-jobless, as 

it were. 

Infinitely more meaningful would have been to invest, not throw away, those billions 

on shoring up and future proofing health infrastructure with equipment and personnel 

to deal with the succession of pandemics that are expected in the years ahead –or build 

a permanent solution to quarantining instead of persisting with the leaky, unfit-forpurpose 

system that brought in Delta in the first place. 

At a time when the world is opening up learning to live with Covid, New Zealand 

remains completely shut, borders hermetically sealed. If all this while Kiwis stuck 

outside could not come home to their own homeland because of this government’s 

incredibly muddled border control regimes and broken MIQ system, Kiwis here can’t 

and won’t step out of the country because they don’t know when they can return. 

You’re forgiven if you said Auckland feels like Pyongyang. 

India has jabbed a billion people, is delivering vaccines to its remotest regions with 

drones and has a range of techniques to test for Covid. Citizens get their digital vaccine 

certificates delivered to their mobile devices as soon as they are double vaccinated – 

and with that certification they are welcomed into Europe, UK and the USA without 

having to quarantine at these destinations. And New Zealand continues to keep India on 

its ‘high risk countries’ list. 

One thing this government has done extremely efficiently is stop-gapping and buying 

time with levels, stages and traffic lights on its way out of Covid. 

Every time it sees public fatigue to some of the world’s severest restrictions, it 

announces some new system that only ends up perpetuating those very restrictions for 

a few more weeks if not months, with no demonstrable achievements or actions such as 

strengthening medical infrastructure or the MIQ system. 

On other matters, too, this government has U turned and roadblocked with metronomic 

regularity. In the run up to COP-26, which happens this week, it released a discussion 

document that proposed allowing for more greenhouse gas emissions over the four 

years to 2025, postponing decisively engaging with New Zealand’s gigantic agriculture 

and primary industries sector, by far the country’s biggest polluter – spewing 91 percent 

of biogenic methane emissions. This casts a bleak shadow on New Zealand’s longstanding 

“clean & green” claims and seriously jeopardises its carefully cultivated brand 

over several decades. 

And this week, it did another sudden, spectacular U turn on the Three Waters plan 

ramming the legislation with no opt-out clause for councils that did not want a bar of it, 

contrary to what it had proposed earlier. 

The government seems to have grossly underestimated the intensity of opposition to 

its plan, which does not portend well for its leadership. 

Finally, the government’s Covid Response (Management Measures) Legislation Bill 

also had a provision that smacked of high-handedness, giving it powers to adjourn local 

elections multiple times without constraint citing pandemic constraints. The opposition 

was fortunately successful in forcing the government to drop that clause. 

The government would do well to remember that this is a team of five million – not 

a gang of five million. 

Happy Diwali 

Thought of the week 

"If you don't value your time, neither will 

others. Stop giving away your time and 

talents--start charging for it." --Kim Garst 

29 October 2021 – 5 November 

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu 

On-and-off 

rain and 

drizzle 

22° 

15° 

On-and-off 

rain and 

drizzle 

19° 

13° 

This week in New Zealand’s history 

Indian Weekender : Volume 13 Issue 34 

Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited 

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

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

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

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

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

Sales and Distribution: 021 952218 | sales@indianweekender.co.nz 

Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher 

is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication 

Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent 

the views of the team at the Indian Weekender 

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

Printed at Horton Media, Auckland 

Clouds 

and 

sun 

19° 

14° 

Clouds 

and 

sun 

20° 

14° 

Clouds 

and 

showers 

20° 

14° 

29 October 1894 

SS Wairarapa wrecked on Great Barrier Island 

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

A few 

morning 

showers 

21° 

15° 

A few 

morning 

showers 

26° 

17° 

It remains the third deadliest shipwreck ever in New Zealand waters: 121 lives were lost when 

the steamer Wairarapa struck Miners Head, the north-west point of Great Barrier Island, 90 

km north-east of Auckland. 

29 October 1919 

Women can stand for Parliament 

On 29 October 1919, the Women’s Parliamentary Rights Act passed into law. Finally, 

women could stand for election to the House of Representatives. 

It had been 26 years since women had achieved the right to vote with the Electoral Act 1893. 

Previous bills drafted to enfranchise women had included the right to stand for election, but 

these had been unsuccessful. 

30 October 1865 

Native Land Court created 

The Native Land Court was one of the key products of the Native Lands Act 1865. It enabled 

the conversion of traditional communal landholdings into individual titles, making it much 

easier for Pākehā to purchase Māori land. 

30 October 1918 

Massive prohibition petition presented to Parliament 

Prohibition supporters presented Parliament with a petition containing more than 240,000 

signatures demanding an end to the manufacture and sale of alcohol in New Zealand. 

1 November 1898 

Old-age Pensions Act becomes law 

The Act gave a small means-tested pension to elderly people with few assets who were 

‘of good moral character’. Although Germany had earlier introduced a contributory state 

pension, New Zealand's was the first in the world funded from general taxation. 

1 November 1944 

Polish refugees land in New Zealand 

Over 800 Polish refugees seeking safety from war-torn Europe disembarked in Wellington. 

For the 733 children and 102 adults it was the end of a long and perilous journey. They 

had survived deportation to the Soviet Union, forced labour in Siberia and evacuation to the 

Middle East.

May the beauty of the 

festival of lights fill your 

home with happiness 

PARAM RANDHAWA 

Licensed Salesperson 

M: 0210 272 9077 

param.randhawa.@century21.co.nz 

KANWAR DHILLON 

Licensed Salesperson 

M: 022 023 9013 

kanwar.dhillon@century21.co.nz




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Priyanca Radhakrishnan 

Labour List MP based 

in Maungakiekie and 

Parliamentary Private 

Secretary to the Minister for 

Ethnic Communities 

Tena koutou katoa, Namaste 

As your Minister for Diversity, 

Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, 

it gives me great pleasure to wish you a very 

happy Diwali. Aap sabhi ko, Diwali ki hardik 

shubhkamnayen! 

The message of Diwali is one we can all 

celebrate. 

The triumph of light over darkness symbolises 

the victory of good over evil, of knowledge 

over ignorance, truth over falsehood and hope 

over fear. 

Diwali is an important festival for many 

of us. For some, it’s a religious and spiritual 

celebration. 

It’s also a special time for families and friends 

to celebrate together. 

For diaspora communities like ours, it is an 

opportunity to celebrate our Indian heritage and 

to showcase the beauty of Indian food, music, 

dance and attire to the rest of New Zealand. For 

new migrants, it is a welcome taste of home. 

This year, Diwali will look a bit different 

as we all continue to work as a team to get 

vaccination numbers up so we can return to 

doing more of what we love while ensuring 

our community, especially those who can’t get 

vaccinated, are protected from COVID-19. 

I want to thank everyone who has already 

been vaccinated and contributed to our high 

vaccine numbers – and our Asian communities 

are doing well. 

However, we need to keep going so I 

encourage anyone who hasn’t yet had their 1st 

or 2nd dose, to talk to a medical professional 

or someone you trust so you can get vaccinated 

in time to enjoy summer – and so that we can 

celebrate together in person again soon. 

However you choose to celebrate this year, I 

wish you and your family a very happy Diwali! 

Samaj and Roopa 

aur Aap Charitable 

trust wishes you all 

Happy India 

Independence Day 

Mr Jeet Suchdev QSM JP 

Mobile: 0212221020 | Email: jeet@xtra.co.nz | Address: 13 May Rd, Mount Roskill, Auckland 

Mr Jeet Suchdev QSM JP 

Mobile: 0212221020 | Email: jeet@xtra.co.nz | Address: 13 May Rd, Mount Roskill, Auckland 1041


NEW ZEALAND 17 

SMISHING: Cyber 

attackers use names 

you trust to hack 

your phone 

IWK BUREAU 

Ignoring the recent spate of cyberattacks 

targeting mobile phones using iconic New 

Zealand company names may prove costly. 

Author of the book ‘She’ll Be Right (Not!) 

– a cybersecurity guide for Kiwi business 

owners – SMB cybersecurity expert Daniel 

Watson, says that a flurry of texts (smishing) 

in recent weeks could dupe a higher number 

of Kiwis because the texts purport to be from 

recognisable companies like Mainfreight, 

Courier Post and Spark. 

“Scam text messages that, for example, 

require confirmation of parcel delivery – and 

there’s a lot of online shopping going on under 

Covid lockdown – will install malware on your 

phone. This may enable criminals to steal your 

banking passwords to extract funds from your 

bank account. 

“They go as far as to instruct the target 

on how to bypass their own phone’s inbuilt 

security system. In short, don’t trust apps that 

don’t come from one of the official app stores,” 

Watson said. 

He warned that the ultimate goal for some 

may be to use employees’ phones to access the 

company that employs them. 

“It is not uncommon, certainly for SMEs, 

to let staff use their phones for the business. If 

the employee accesses company systems using 

their phone – perhaps for email – there could 

be trouble. 

“Attacks on mobile phones are not new, 

but they’re certainly upping the ante and 

getting smarter by using brand names you 

trust to cheat, rob and steal from you. Bear in 

mind most people are online shopping, which 

demonstrates a lot of forethought and strategic 

intent on behalf of the cybercrime syndicates.” 

He offers the following advice to companies 

that need to improve cyber security via their 

mobile phones: 

1. Put in place written policies for mobile 

devices 

Regardless of whether staff use their phones 

or company phones, policies should apply 

specific rules and expectations. 

“Does the employee know that if they have 

access to a company system, then in the event 

of it being lost, they are required to report it and 

that it may be wiped remotely by the company? 

Does he or she know that the phone should also 

have password protection on it at boot? 

“If you don’t have those policies in place, staff 

may not report it, or they may object to sending 

a remote wipe signal. You want to avoid that 

because every 

minute counts.” 

2. Ensure compliance 

Watson said 

cybersecurity is not 

something anybody, 

let alone a business, can 

afford to take lightly. 

Attacks on 

mobile phones 

are not new, but 

they’re certainly 

upping the ante and 

getting smarter by using 

brand names you trust to 

cheat, rob and steal from 

you. Bear in mind most 

people are online shopping, 

which demonstrates a lot of 

forethought and strategic 

intent on behalf of the 

cybercrime syndicates. 

“If you have written policies, educate, 

EXPERIENCE 

CALL YOUR PROJECT 

EXPERTISE 

SPECIALIST 

EXCELLENCE 

TEAM TODAY 

EXPERIENCE EXPERTISE EXCELLENCE 



















Your Trusted Team 

for over 17 Years 

Tony Xu 

021 776 168 

t.xu2@barfoot.co.nz 

Barfoot & Thompson 

Top Salesperson 

Howick Branch 2021* 

*6 months ending Sep 2021 

barfoot.co.nz 

maintain 

awareness and 

enforce when necessary. Use tools, 

like Microsoft’s 365’s low-cost license upgrade 

for mobile device management, to make your 

phones as safe as possible.” 

3. Install endpoint protection 

Watson said anti-virus and other protection 

software is a must for mobile devices. Some 

protection software is even free and will help 

the company maintain control over mobile 

devices within the company’s ecosystem. 

“You need to be intentional about this,” 

Watson said. 

“Individuals and companies have to be lucky 

all the time. A cybercriminal only needs to get 

lucky once.” 

Munish Seth 

021 686 474 

m.seth@barfoot.co.nz 

Barfoot & Thompson 

Sales Partnership 

Eastern Beaches 2021*

18 FIJI 


Plans for booster shots in Fiji 

Fiji’s leading lights receive 

commemorative medals for 

Fiji’s 50th anniversary of 

FIJI TIMES 

announced 10 COVID-19 deaths for the period independence 

The Strategic Advisory Group of 

02 August to Wednesday last week — nine 

IWK BUREAU 

Experts on Immunisation (SAGE) has 

deaths from the Western division and one from 

recommended that moderately and 

the Central division. The deceased were aged 

severely immunocompromised persons be given 

between 45 and 92 years and all died at home 

an additional dose of all WHO Emergency Use 

or on their way to the hospital. Six were males. 

Listing Procedure (EUL) COVID-19 vaccines. 

“Six of these deaths were unvaccinated while 

Fiji’s Ministry of Health’s permanent secretary 

the remaining four received only one dose of the 

Dr James Fong said the Ministry of Health 

reiterated its advice for all workplaces and vaccine,” Dr Fong said. 

would be offering third doses to eligible persons. 

business places to establish strategies to ensure Nine of the deaths were reported from August 

“Booster doses for those over 60 years old, 

personal COVID safe practices continue and are due to a delay in the issuance of the death 

those 18 years or older with medical conditions 

monitored, improved, and escalated. 

certificates. 

that put them at high risk of COVID-19 and 

“We remind all businesses and workplaces of Dr Fong said 12 deaths were of COVID-19 

those 18 years and older who work in locations 

the need to focus on improving ventilation and positive patients, however, the deaths were 

that put them at high risk is currently being 

air quality to support their current COVID safe classified as non-COVID-19 deaths by the 

planned for,” he said. 

measures.” 

doctors, as patients died of serious pre-existing 

Dr Fong said as Fiji prepared for more 

Meanwhile, Fiji recorded 68 new cases of medical conditions. 

industries and workplaces to open, the ministry 

COVID-19 on Friday Ministry of Health’s “The seven-day average of new cases per day 

permanent secretary Dr James Fong also is 40 or 45 cases per million population per day.” 

Nine to twelve tropical cyclones predicted for 2021/22 cyclone season 

SPREP 

The National Institute of Water and 

Atmospheric Research (NIWA) has 

predicted that between nine to 12 

tropical cyclones could impact the the Pacific 

region this cyclone season. Three or more could 

develop into severe tropical cyclones. 

The prediction was revealed during the 

Ninth Pacific Island Climate Outlook Forum 

(PICOF-9) this week. Ben Noll, Meteorologist 

at NIWA, said the Pacific would have a near or 

slightly above normal season, with the increased 

likelihood for La Niña conditions. 

La Niña is the phenomenon, which results 

in below normal rainfall for countries in 

the Central and Eastern Pacific which can 

result in droughts, while countries in the 

South West Pacific will experience higher 

than normal rainfall, and will become more 

susceptible to flooding. 

The 2021/2022 Australian Bureau of 

Meteorology outlook predicted a 59% chance of 

more than four tropical cyclones in the western 

region of the Pacific, which includes countries 

like Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and 

New Caledonia. 

It predicted a 46% chance of more than six 

tropical cyclones for the eastern region, which 

includes countries like Fiji, French Polynesia, 

Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu. 

Noll also briefly provided a review of the 

previous tropical cyclone season 2020/2021. 

The Pacific also experienced La Niña conditions 

last year, and the same climate drivers are also 

present this year as the Pacific gears up for the 

upcoming cyclone season. 

A normal to slightly below normal season 

was accurately predicted by BOM and NIWA. 

Both agencies predicted about nine tropical 

cyclones, and NIWA predicted three to develop 

into severe tropical cyclones. 

“Last cyclone season, we observed a total of 

eight tropical cyclones and three of those were 

severe tropical cyclones,” Noll said. These 

included Cyclone Yasa, a Category 5 Tropical 

Cyclone which caused considerable damage to 

Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu. 

The South West Pacific’s cyclone season 

runs from November to April. Countries 

are reminded to remain vigilant at all times 

and take heed of information and warnings 

from the National Meteorological and 

Hydrological Services. 

Fiji’s lead frontliners in the fight against 

COVID-19 received commemorative 

medals for Fiji’s 50th anniversary of 

independence from President Jioji Konrote. 

They are Permanent Secretary for Health 

Doctor James Fong, the Health Ministry’s 

Head of Health Protection Doctor Aalisha 

Sahukhan, Chief Medical Advisor Doctor 

Jemesa Tudravu and National FEMAT Lead 

Doctor Luke Nasedra. 

The medals are given to those who 

contributed to Fiji’s development and 

progress in the past 50 years. 

Others who received commemorative 

medals at State House today were Minister 

for Defence and National Security Inia 

Seruiratu, former RFMF Commander 

Brigadier General Mosese Tikoitoga, former 

Minister for Youth and Sports Laisenia 

Tuitubou, Nephrologist Amrish Krishnan, 

Civil Engineer Sanjay Kaba, Rajesh Punja, 

Mahendra Tappoo, Gardiner Whiteside, 

Kalpesh Patel, Karalaini Macanawai, Rajesh 

Patel and Judy Compain. 

A number people who have contributed to 

the development of sports in the country also 

received commemorative medals. 

They are interim Fiji Airways Men’s and 

Fijiana 7s team coach Saiasi Fuli, FRU CEO 

John O’Connor, former Fiji men’s 7s team 

captain Jope Tuikabe, former Flying Fijian 

captain and FRU Development Manager 

Sale Sorovaki and provincial rugby title 

winning coach Reverend Joji Rinakama and 

former national netball captain and coach 

Unaisi Rokoura. 

PACNEWS 

We wish Happy Diwali to everyone! 

May this lockdown be over and bring 

happiness and joy in everyone's life.


INDIA 19 

India topped list of countries from where 

most paid reviews for Tripadvisor emanated 

Tripadvisor removed paid reviews from 

131 countries last year, including "a 

spike" in such reviews originating in 

India -- but not necessarily for businesses in the 

country, The Guardian reported. 

"As a result, India topped the list of countries 

from which the most paid reviews emanated 

last year, with Russia dropping out of the Top 

10", the report said. 

Further, the company said its fraud 

investigators identified 65 new paid review 

sites and blocked submissions from a total of 

372 different paid review sites last year. 

Almost 1 million reviews submitted for 

inclusion on Tripadvisor -- equivalent to 3.6 

per cent of the total -- were determined to 

be fraudulent by the website last year, the 

report said. In its second transparency report 

-- the first was released in 2019 -- the travel 

guidance platform said 67.1 per cent of the fake 

reviews had been caught before making it on 

to the platform by its pre-posting moderation 

algorithm. 

The report said: "While our overall review 

contributions dropped in line with the 

India largest generic medicine supplier in 

world: Mandaviya 

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on 

Wednesday said that India is the world's largest 

generic and affordable medicine supplier. 

"Pharma sector is our religion, we believe in the 

concept of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", said the Minister. 

Addressing an Investor Summit virtually on 

'Opportunities and Partnerships in Pharmaceuticals and 

Medical Devices', he said: "After the Covid pandemic, 

the investment in India's pharma sector has significantly 

increased. India's behaviour has always been pro 

industry." 

"I would like to tell investors that Prime Minister 

Narendra Modi ji said to invest in India, set up an 

industry here. You are as safe in India. The world's 

industry should take advantage of the efforts being made 

by the Indian Government to make this country the best 

investment destination," he added. 

Talking about being pro-farmer and industry-friendly, 

Mandaviya said: "We see to it that the industries go 

ahead and sustain. Indian companies never cheat while 

making supplies. Our character is to maintain quality." 

The virtual summit was a part of the vision to 

further strengthen India's position globally in terms 

of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The session 

was held to discuss how India can develop as a land of 

opportunities for medical devices and the key learnings 

from the leading innovators. 

The summit provided an opportunity for industry 

participants to discuss the success stories from the 

Indian medical devices sector, end to end integration 

for enhancing vaccine manufacturing capabilities, 

financing start-ups in the pharmaceutical and medical 

devices sector. 

slowdown in travel, fraudulent submissions 

-- which of course are not predicated on real 

customer experiences -- did not follow the 

same trend. Our team remained vigilant and 

effective at catching would-be fraudsters, and 

as a result the proportion of reviews we rejected 

or removed increased compared with prepandemic 

2018 figures." 

While they may pose the biggest threat 

to the platform's integrity and those of the 

businesses on it, fake reviews are not alone in 

being removed. In total, more than 2 million 

review submissions (representing 8.6 per cent 

JSR Life Motors wishes 

everyone Happy Diwali 

the total) were rejected or removed from the 

Tripadvisor platform, for instance because they 

included use of profanity. 

While travel restrictions imposed by Covid 

led to a reduction in submitted reviews -- the 

number in August last year (approximately 4m) 

was half that in August 2018 -- the virus also 

posed other challenges, which Tripadvisor said 

led to its team manually assessing an additional 

257,022 reviews, of which 46,145 were 

removed by moderators for violating posting 

guidelines, the report said. 

9 in 10 Indians say talking to 

chatbots better for career growth 

Nine in 10 Indians believe 

that chatbots or robots can 

support their career better 

than human HR managers, as they 

grapple with various mental health 

issues in the pandemic, a new report 

showed on Wednesday. 

The percentage of Indians 

negatively impacted by the pandemic 

is (91 per cent) with many (44 per 

cent) struggling financially, (36 per 

cent) are suffering from declining 

mental health, (32 per cent) lacking 

career motivation and (31 per cent) 

are feeling disconnected from their 

own lives, according to the study by 

Cloud major Oracle and Workplace 

Intelligence, an HR research and 

advisory firm. 

According to Deepa Param 

Singhal, Vice President, HCM, 

Oracle APAC, the chief human 

resource officers (CHROs) now 

have the additional responsibility of 

ensuring that the employees, their 

biggest asset, feel valued and have 

ample opportunities to grow and 

develop. "In this regard, using newage 

tech like Artificial intelligence 

can be an intelligent choice to provide 

employees with skill enhancement 

and career-building opportunities," 

she said. Workers worldwide have 

been negatively impacted over 

the past year, with people in India 

and the UAE struggling the most, 

but also being the most open to 

technology support. While 96 per 

cent of respondents in India said 

their meaning of success has changed 

since the pandemic started, 97 per 

cent of Indians want technology to 

help define their future. 

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YouTube crosses 50m 

music, premium subscribers 

with 2m creators 

YouTube continues to pen a success 

story for Google and according to 

Sundar Pichai, it has surpassed 50 

million music and premium subscribers, 

including those in trial, and short-video making 

app YouTube Shorts (launched first in India last 

year) continues to see higher adoption rates. 

"In the past year, the average number of daily 

first-time creators more than doubled. There's 

a lot more to come, including tapping into 

commerce on YouTube," Alphabet and Google 

CEO Pichai said during the company's earnings 

call late on Tuesday. 

"From shoppable live stream experiments 

with retailers like Sephora, Target and Walmart, 

to pilots that view us by directly from their 

favourite creators videos, we're still in the early 

innings of what's possible," he added. 

In the July-September quarter, YouTube 

recorded advertising revenues of $7.2 billion 

-- up 43 per cent due to strength in both direct 

response and brand advertising. 

Over 2 million creators are now making 

money and building their businesses on 

YouTube via YouTube partner programme with 

10 different ways to monetise -- their content 

from Super Chat to BrandConnect. 

Google said that YouTube's reach is becoming 

increasingly incremental to TV. 

"Connected TV is driving part of this growth. 

It's our fastest-growing screen. Advertisers can 

now drive conversions on the big screen, which 

brings me to brands of all sizes continue to buy 

YouTube at both ends of the funnel to create 

future demand while they convert existing 

demand," said Philipp Schindler, Senior Vice 

President/Chief Business Officer. 

" 

Content responsibility has 

been our most important 

focus for the past many years. 

And beyond that, I think we 

worked hard to make sure 

both creators can do well, 

and it's a great platform 

for advertisers. We've had 

strengthened brand. 

For Pichai, YouTube is unique in the sense 

that it's a true video -- native video first product 

from day one. 

"Content responsibility has been our most 

important focus for the past many years. And 

beyond that, I think we worked hard to make 

sure both creators can do well, and it's a great 

platform for advertisers. We've had strengthened 

brand. We've built on it with robust momentum 

in direct response," Pichai said. 

Celebrate your Diwali with Moti Mahal 

Sweets & Snacks Indian Restaurant 

Come and enjoy free Tea without any obligation 

726 Great South Road, Manukau City Centre, Auckland. 

Ph- 09263 0664


FEATURES 21 

Diwali sweets recipes: 

Fusion Poha Dhokla 

Ingredients 

• 140 gm brown pressed rice 

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 

• 2 cup yoghurt (curd) 

• 1 handful coriander leaves 

• water as required 

• 1 teaspoon fruit salt 

• 140 gm semolina 

• 2 pinches asafoetida 

• 3 green chillies 

• salt as required 

• 2 tablespoon refined oil 

Method 

• To prepare this delicious fusion recipe, start by taking the 

coriander leaves and green chillies and wash them under 

running water. Using a clean chopping board, finely chop 

the coriander leaves, then, crush the green chillies into a 

paste using mortar and pestle. 

• Now, take a large bowl and add in the yoghurt with water 

and whisk them together. 

• Then, add the semolina followed by the pressed rice, green 

chilli paste and salt and mix it thoroughly. Let the mixture 

rest for about 10 minutes. When the mixture is done resting, 

add fruit salt and water in it. When bubbles start emerging, 

lightly mix the mixture again. 

• Next, take a dish or plate and grease it with butter. Pour in 

the batter and place it inside a steamer. Steam the mixture 

for about 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, take a pan over 

medium flame and heat oil in it. When the oil is hot enough, 

add the mustard seeds and saute it till it starts to splutter. 

Then, add in asafoetida and saute it for a few minutes. Keep 

this aside. 

• When the Poha Dhoklas are sone, transfer them to a serving 

tray and spread the tempered mustard and asafoetida over 

it. Slice the Poha Dhokla into small cutes and serve to your 

loved ones! 

Spinach Pakora 

Ingredients 

200 gm gram flour 

(besan) 

• 3/4 cup water 

• 1 1/2 teaspoon 

powdered red 

chilli 

• 3 pinches salt 

• 100 gm finely 

chopped spinach 

• 1 1/2 teaspoon 

powdered turmeric 

• 1 cup sunflower oil 

• 2 green chilli 

Method 

• Wash and clean 

the spinach leaves 

under cold running 

water and keep them aside. Once the water has drained out 

completely, chop the leaves. 

• Take a glass bowl and combine the gram flour and spinach. 

Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and green 

chillies. Gently pour water and mix well until combined. 

• Heat oil in a deep frying pan over high flame. 

• Drop small portions of the dough and fry until light golden 

brown. Remove and drain excess oil. 

• Pair these pakoras with tamarind chutney and 

a hot cup of tea. 

Milk Barfi 

Ingredients 

• 300 ml condensed milk 

• 2 1/2 cup milk powder 

• 2 tablespoon ghee 

• 1 cup water 

• 1 teaspoon powdered green cardamom 

• 1 handful pistachios 

• For Garnishing 

• silver vark as required 

• 1 handful almonds 

Method 

Make the milk powder dough 

• Take a large bowl and add milk powder 

to it along with milk. Make a rigid 

dough using these ingredients. Once 

done, keep the dough in the freezer and 

freeze it for at least for 20 minutes. 

Grate the dough & heat some ghee 

• Take the dough and grate it in a bowl. 

Keep this grated dough aside for further 

usage. Take a deep bottomed pan, keep 

it on low flame and heat ghee in it. 

Cook the grated dough with cardamom 

• Add the grated dough to this pan with 

water. Mix well and stir in cardamom 

powder in the pan. Cook this mixture 

until the water dries out and the mixture 

accumulates in the centre of the pan. 

Garnish with silver varq & almonds 

before serving 

• Pour this prepared mixture into a 

greased tray and garnish it with 

almonds and pistachios. Let the 

mixture cool down and cut the barfi 

into desired shapes. Garnish it with 

silver varq and serve! 

Tips 

• You can also use evaporated milk 

instead of condensed milk. 

• You can skip the silver varq if you like. 

 

• Do not overcook the barfi mixture as it 

will turn chewy. 

• You can store the barfis in an airtight 

container.

22 

FEATURES 


Diwali sweets recipes: 

Celebrate the festival of Diwali with a range of fabulous sweet recipes. 

Kurkuri Chakli 

Ingredients 

structure, neither hard nor soft. 

• 400 gm rice flour 

• In a kadhai heat the oil and will 

• 2 tablespoon butter 

some dough in the chakli maker. 

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 

Now press on it and drop round 

• 2 tablespoon sesame seeds 

chaklis in the hot oil. 

• 1 cup refined oil 

• Deep fry chakli for at least 5 to 6 

• 2 tablespoon besan 

mins from both sides. 

• 1 tablespoon red chili powder • Once crispy, they are ready to be 

• 1 tablespoon salt 

served. You can also store it in an 

• 2 tablespoon carom seeds 

airtight jar for later usage. 

• 1/2 cup water 

Method 

• In a bowl, take rice flour, besan, 

red chilli powder, turmeric, salt, 

sesame seeds, carom seeds and 

butter. Add water in batches and 

mix it well to form a dough. 

• The dough should be medium in 

Baked Gujjia 

Ingredients 

• 125 gm refined flour 

• 2 tablespoon condensed milk 

• 2 tablespoon ghee 

• 4 green cardamom 

• 50 ml milk 

• 150 gm khoya 

• 100 gm powdered sugar 

• 1 handful mixed dry fruits 

Method 

• To prepare this delicious treat, start by chopping up the 

dry fruits using a clean chopping board and keep aside. 

• Then, crush the green cardamom into a powder. 

Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius and grease a 

baking tray. 

• Now, pour the refined flour into a large bowl and add 

melted ghee to it. Mix it well and then, gradually add 

lukewarm milk to the bowl and knead the mixture to 

form a stiff dough. 

• When the dough is done, cover the bowl with a moist 

cloth and keep it aside for 15-20 minutes. 

• In a separate bowl, add mawa and place it in the 

microwave to roast for 1 minute. 

• When the ghee starts coming out of the edges, it’s 

done. Stir the mawa with a wooden spoon and let it 

cool down. Then, add the chopped dry fruits and the 

powdered green cardamom to it. 

• When the mixture is completely cooled down, add 

the powdered sugar to it and mix well. Now, take the 

dough and divide it into small balls. 

• Press the balls and then, using a rolling pin, roll out 

the dough into small pooris. Repeat the process with 

all the balls. 

• Now. place the rolled out dough on a gujiya mold and 

place 2 tablespoons of the stuffing in the center. 

• Apply water on the edges and close the mold. Press 

it tightly from all sides and remove the excess dough. 

Remove the gujiya from the mold and place it on the 

greased tray. 

• Repeat the process with all the dough. 

• Next, place the tray in the preheated oven for 10 

minutes. Meanwhile, add milk in a bowl with the 

condensed milk and mix it together. 

• After 10 minutes, take the tray out (the gujiyas should 

be light brown in color) and apply the milk mixture on 

both sides of the gujiyas with a brush and place it back 

in the oven for 5 minutes. 

• Keep checking the gujiyas after every 2-3 minutes till 

they turn golden brown in color. When they are done, 

transfer them to a serving tray and enjoy the delicious 

treat! Note: You can store the gujiyas in an airtight 

container for up to 2 weeks. 

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24 

TIME OUT 


29 October to 4 November 2021 | By Manisha Koushik 

ARIES (MAR 21-APR 20) 

You can expect to have a nice time in the company 

of friends. A professionally a satisfying week is 

foreseen, when you will be able to complete all 

your tasks successfully. Things start looking 

bright on the financial front as earnings increase. 

Those in love can plan an outing to spend time 

together. You manage to motivate yourself for 

workouts and keep fit. An entertaining pastime can keep you busy. 

Horizon on the academic front brightens. Lucky No.:1 / Lucky 

Colour: Crimson 

TAURUS (APR 21-MAY 20) 

This is a good time to tackle an issue that has 

been bugging you for long. You somehow always 

manage to get on the wrong side of spouse and 

face the brunt! Beware, domestic front seems 

turbulent in this week. You are likely to be made 

answerable for something you failed to execute 

at work. Those indulging in romance on the sly can run the risk of 

getting exposed. You are likely to burn your fingers in a financial 

deal. Lucky No.: 9 / Lucky Colour: Saffron 

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 21) 

Times for you are getting better, so rejoice! You 

are likely to get an opportunity to impress a senior 

at work in this week. A business trip will prove 

fruitful. Those seeking a loan will be able to 

complete the paperwork. A choice posting is likely 

for government employees. Travelling to meet 

some old friends will prove exciting. An off mood 

lover will need your loving care to be brought into mood. Health 

remains good, as you make efforts. Lucky No.:7 / Lucky Colour: 

Sky Blue 

CANCER (JUN 22-JUL 20) 

This is a good time for going in for something being 

planned for long. You will succeed in removing 

an irritant at work. Your ideas on the professional 

front are likely to be accepted. Domestic issues 

will be sorted out amicably. An outing with 

lover is indicated for some. A journey may prove 

much more exciting than you had anticipated. Papers pertaining to 

property will be handed over to you. Workouts will keep you fit. 

Lucky No.: 6 / Lucky Colour: Purple 

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) 

Keep your options open on the financial front. You 

are likely to find the week favourable. Students can 

receive heartening news about their performance 

and are likely to make the parents proud. You will 

be able to get around your senior to take a favour. 

Shopping can give you a high and help unwind. The 

one you are going steady with is likely to spring a surprise. It will 

be difficult for some to get back in shape. Lucky No.:8 / Lucky 

Colour: Dark Grey 

VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 23) 

There is a good chance of meeting someone you 

have not met in years in this week. More you 

want to hide something, the more you are likely 

to reveal! Those enjoying love on the sly will 

need to take extra pains to keep it under wraps. 

Planning for a new project can find you busier 

than usual. Preparation for an overseas business trip is likely to 

start now. Keep control over expenditure. Spouse may need your 

emotional support. 

Lucky No.: 3 / Lucky Colour: Yellow 

LIBRA (SEP 24-OCT 23) 

You may find yourself a bundle of energy in 

this week. This is the time to reap the benefits 

of deeds done in the past. Workplace is likely to 

be a fun place in this week as bonhomie prevails. 

Some of you will manage to address all pending 

issues. Commuting to a new location will not 

pose any problem. Attending a celebrity do is 

indicated for some. Don’t be shy in shelling out money, where it 

serves your interests. Lucky No.:2 / Lucky Colour: Peach 

SCORPIO (OCT 24-NOV 22) 

Enjoying power and authority in a new appointment 

is indicated on the professional front. You will 

help ease the domestic atmosphere with your wit 

and humour. Your hard work on the academic 

front is likely to reflect in the result. Thinking up 

newer ways of keeping lover’s interest alive will 

help rejuvenate your love life. Money will not pose much problem, 

even if you overspend in this week. Those out of shape may take up 

fitness routine. Lucky No.: 4 / Lucky Colour: Violet 

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 23-DEC 21) 

There is someone who is attracted to you and 

wants to become a part of your life, so take your 

call. Value of something that you had invested 

in is likely to depreciate. Excesses can have 

an adverse effect on your health. An awaited 

result may have you on pins and needles. Your 

keenness for going on a vacation is not likely 

to be shared by other family members; at least not for now. Health 

remains satisfactory. Lucky No.: 11 / Lucky Colour: Cream 

CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 21) 

Someone may help you regain your position on 

the social front. You can feel it in your bones that 

something positive is going to happen. A slow 

and steady approach will help you in taking firm 

control of the present. Religious minded are likely 

to plan on a pilgrimage. Your ideas on the home 

front will be smoothly implemented. At work, you 

can be efficiency personified. A good week is foreseen for students 

appearing in a competitive exam. Lucky No.:18 / Lucky Colour: 

Red 

AQUARIUS (JAN 22-FEB 19) 

You will find things moving your way on the 

professional front. Once you make up your mind, 

you have to have your way. And you will have 

your way this time too! You go from strength 

to strength on the professional front. A family 

youngster setting out on a new job or higher 

studies will become a source of pride. You will 

keep partner’s romantic interest alive through your flirty ways! 

Good financial management is likely to benefit. Lucky No.: 22 / 

Lucky Colour: Turquoise 

PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 20) 

Time to impress others has arrived! Benefits 

accrue through networking. Good contacts 

will translate into new opportunities on the 

professional front. You will manage to remain 

motivated to undertake a difficult job and ensure 

its successful completion. Budding romance 

may find some sitting on Cloud Nine! Spending 

a vacation with friends and family will prove to 

be a lot of fun. Those into real estate will find a venture profitable. 

Health is likely to improve. Lucky No.:17 / Lucky Colour: 

Lavender 

May Diwali light the way 

for a year full of wisdom, 

truth, love, and joy.

May Diwali light the way for a year full of 

wisdom, truth, love, and joy. 

Jay Changlani 

Director 

2G/6 Kingdon Street, Newmarket, 

Auckland 

Ph: 09-377 4238 

Appointments: orb360.co.nz




How to capitalise on international 

money transfers this Diwali 

SUPPLIED CONTENT 

The festival of Diwali is all 

about spreading love, light, 

appreciation and coming 

together with family to celebrate 

with a message of hope and 

prosperity. 

With over 32 million Indians 

living overseas and most still unable 

to travel due to the pandemic, 

sending money to family and friends 

in India has become a popular way 

to send well wishes of wealth and 

spread happiness for Diwali. 

In fact, India remains a popular 

destination for money transfers on 

WorldRemit and Diwali is one of 

the busiest times of the year for 

sending money from all regions of 

the world. 

There are various ways to send 

money to loved ones in 

India and financial 

technology 

companies like 

WorldRemit 

offer a faster 

alternative 

to share gifts 

with friends 

and family 

from the 

comfort of your 

home 

Scott 

"No 

matter how 

or where you choose to 

celebrate Diwali this year, 

there are still plenty of ways to 

share your light from abroad which 

is why we are proud to support the 

200,000 New Zealanders of Indian 

heritage and their families back 

home by offering a cheaper 

way to send money." 

Eddington, 

Managing Director 

of Asia-Pacific at 

WorldRemit, 

said: “After 

a tough 

two years 

globally, 

we are 

sending well 

wishes to all 

celebrating 

Diwali with 

friends and family, 

together or from far.” 

“No matter how or where you 

choose to celebrate Diwali this year, 

there are still plenty of ways to share 

your light from abroad which is why 

we are proud to support the 200,000 

New Zealanders of Indian heritage 

and their families back home by 

offering a cheaper way to send 

money,” added Eddington. 

Eddington has the following four 

tips for using WorldRemit to send 

money for Diwali: 

Download the WorldRemit app - 

To be able to send money transfers 

on the go, download the free 

WorldRemit app from the Google 

Play Store or App Store. Enter the 

promo code ‘3FREE’ for your first 

three fee-free transfers. 

Manage all transfers efficiently 

- Turn on WhatsApp updates for 

transfer status to be able to check on 

the process and let recipients know 

that they can monitor the transfer 

through the WorldRemit Transfer 

Tracker app, available via the 

Google Store. 95% of transfers are 

ready within minutes. 

Know the recipient - To avoid 

any hiccups along the way, ensure 

recipient details, including bank 

account details and email, are 

correct before sending a transfer. 

Airtime Top-Up - As a unique 

gift, consider WorldRemit’s Airtime 

Top-Up option and send a mobile 

recharge to your loved one so you 

can call them during Diwali without 

them having to pay for a costly 

incoming call or online data. 

To learn more about digital 

remittances or how to send a money 

transfer for Diwali, visit worldremit. 

com.au. 

New Zealand to India 

India to New Zealand 

Quarantine package 

09 218 4000 

info@sehiontours.com 

www.sehiontours.com 

Flights to Australia 

Flights to Canada 

Flights to Fiji

With the Gleam of 

Diyas, And the Echo 

of the Chants, May 

Happiness and 

Contentment Fill 

your Life... Wish You 

Brijesh Patel ( Team Gurjeet) 

#1 South Auckland Team Barfoot & Thompson 

BRIJESH PATEL 

RESIDENTIAL SALES 

Mobile 021 529 003 | DDI 09 296 16 56 

www.brijeshpatel.co.nz

1 

1 

3 1 2 

1498 Dominion Road Ext, Mt Roskill 

Affordable - Mix Housing Suburban Zone - 809sqm 

Centrally located close to shops, transport and other amenities, this 809sqm freehold 

property is a great find. On the market after 13 years, the overseas investor is highly 

motivated to cash up and meet the market on the auction day. This 1940's very spacious 

brick and tile property is now ripe for renovation/development(subject to Council consent). 

AUCTION 

On Sunday, 7th November 2021 at 2:00 pm 

(Unless Sold Prior) 

VIEWINGS 

As advertised or By Appointment 

The three level house boasts of separate lounge, formal dining and two bedrooms 

accommodation on ground floor. On the top floor id offers a sunny large deck, second living 

room and a big bedroom. Very spacious rumpus is a bonus for the teenagers. And a huge 

double garage with two single garage doors is an added advantage. Kids and pets will love 

the fully fenced section in the front and back of the house. 

Opportunities like this don't knock your door very often. Call one of us today to view the 

house and do your sums to own this affordable dying breed in central location on the auction 

day. 

VK Verma 

027 577 3747 

Vk.verma@harcourts.co.nz 

09 629 0088 

mtroskill@harcourts.co.nz 

2 White Swan Road Mt Roskill

The Indian Weekender, 29 October 2021

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