The Indian Weekender, 29 October 2021
Labour's red lights, U turns, roadblocks
Labour's red lights, U turns, roadblocks
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<strong>29</strong>OCTOBER<strong>2021</strong> • VOL 13 ISSUE 34<br />
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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
NEW ZEALAND 3<br />
‘Our Covid-19 contribution<br />
has been forgotten’<br />
MIQ workers who have been ineligible for the One-off residence visa feel frustrated and<br />
anguished that despite working tirelessly during the Covid 19 they have been forgotten<br />
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH<br />
<strong>The</strong> one-off residence visa, which was<br />
announced last month by the Hon<br />
Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi, has<br />
been welcomed by the 165,000 who are eligible<br />
and on their pathway to residence.<br />
However, many have been left out primarily<br />
because of the visa status they hold. One such<br />
category is that of MIQ workers.<br />
When we talk about Covid-19 and the<br />
frontline workers, there is no denying that<br />
MIQ workers have worked in the forefront<br />
and did their best in protecting New Zealand<br />
and New Zealanders.<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> spoke to some MIQ<br />
workers who are ineligible for this new visa to<br />
know their stories.<br />
<strong>The</strong> heart touching stories speak volumes<br />
of their frustration, anguish and helplessness<br />
of being left out despite contributing to New<br />
Zealand and its people by working relentlessly<br />
in a risky place like MIQ during the pandemic.<br />
One such story is that of an immigrant<br />
Matthew (name changed on request), who<br />
meets all the three criteria to be eligible but has<br />
been left out because he holds a partner of a<br />
worker visa.<br />
Sharing his story, he says, “I came to New<br />
Zealand in January 2017 to pursue my postgraduation<br />
study. I worked as a director at<br />
"<br />
We both had difficulties<br />
establishing our career<br />
here even after extensive<br />
experience as we did not<br />
have Kiwi experience and<br />
residency. However, we made<br />
our way to stable jobs, we<br />
have been hard-working and<br />
honest taxpayers since then<br />
a 5-star facility back in India, which I left to<br />
pursue my future here. My family and daughter<br />
moved here after a year. My wife left her senior<br />
position at an MNC company to be here with<br />
me and for our child.<br />
“We both had difficulties establishing our<br />
career here even after extensive experience as<br />
we did not have Kiwi experience and residency.<br />
However, we made our way to stable jobs, we<br />
have been hard-working and honest taxpayers<br />
since then.<br />
"When Covid stuck here, we had thought<br />
to move back to India but, we decided to<br />
stay back. Instead, my wife decided to pursue<br />
MBA to improve her capabilities. So she<br />
took up a student visa, and I got a partnership<br />
based visa. My company offered a work<br />
visa, I did not apply and continued with a<br />
partnership work visa.”<br />
Matthew, who has been working as a Manager<br />
in a MIQ facility for most of the Covid period,<br />
feels it is risky to work in MIQ, but the fact<br />
that he wanted to contribute and do his bit to<br />
contribute during Covid kept him going.<br />
However, this news has shattered him and<br />
his family.<br />
He says, “It is scary to be working in a risky<br />
environment like MIQ, especially when we<br />
have a small child at home, but, I didn’t take a<br />
step back even though I could have.<br />
"When this one-off visa was announced,<br />
knowing that we were ineligible just because<br />
of our visa status was very frustrating as we<br />
have done everything right - contributed to<br />
the community in many ways, being an honest<br />
citizen, taxpayer, well qualified and skilled.<br />
"I don’t know where did we go wrong. We are<br />
left heartbroken and disappointed due to this.<br />
My wife didn’t sleep for more than a week after<br />
the announcement and kept weeping thinking<br />
about our child’s future and SMC uncertainty.<br />
We were left thinking if the decision to upskill<br />
our knowledge was a big mistake we made?<br />
Aditya (name changed on request), another<br />
MIQ worker, feels that with this announcement<br />
all his contribution and hard work given to<br />
this country during the pandemic have been<br />
forgotten just because he holds a student visa.<br />
Aditya, who hails from Kerala says, “I came<br />
to NZ in 2016 to pursue level 5 and level 6<br />
Hospitality Management.<br />
• Continued on Page 4<br />
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Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
• Continued from Page 3<br />
After finishing my study, I received a poststudy<br />
work visa in March 2018. I started<br />
working full time in a hotel in Auckland CBD.<br />
Everything was going fine until March<br />
2020, when the first case of Covid caused<br />
the first lockdown. My employer made many<br />
employees redundant, but luckily they kept me<br />
on. Since the borders were closed and the hotel<br />
was unable to run in a normal operation, they<br />
opted to become a MIQ facility.”<br />
Sharing the hardships of working in MIQ<br />
and his frustration of being excluded from the<br />
One-off resident visa, he says, “Since my visa<br />
was expiring in March <strong>2021</strong> and my employer<br />
wasn’t able to support my application since it<br />
was a MIQ, I chose to do level 7 in Hospitality<br />
management.<br />
Today, I hold a student visa and still work<br />
for the same MIQ. Just because I held a student<br />
visa on <strong>29</strong> September, all my contribution and<br />
hard work, which I did for this country during<br />
the pandemic have been forgotten, how unfair<br />
is that? Government should do something for<br />
the MIQ workers and include them.”<br />
Victoria, another immigrant, who came to<br />
NZ in 2017 as a student and became a MIQ<br />
worker in 2020 feels the policy is unfair and<br />
made her feel miserable and frustrated.<br />
<strong>The</strong> fact that she is currently holding a<br />
student visa makes her ineligible. Sharing her<br />
story she says, “Ever since I joined MIQ, I’ve<br />
been working so hard and following the strict<br />
hygiene protocols.<br />
My parents have convinced me many times to<br />
leave this job due to their concerns and worries<br />
especially during the delta virus popped up<br />
but I never did and I never will. I’m happy to<br />
contribute my efforts to this country when it is<br />
needed and try my best to protect Aotearoa.”<br />
It was the decision to take a gap year that<br />
somehow backfired for Victoria: “I took a half<br />
year as a gap year doing full time work at my<br />
hotel from the end of 2020 till the beginning<br />
of <strong>2021</strong>. I started a further study in the March<br />
of <strong>2021</strong> and will be graduating in December.<br />
However, my story changed on the 30<br />
September, when I realised that I am excluded<br />
from a One-off residency visa. However, my<br />
Hon Kris Faafoi Minister of Minister of Immigration<br />
friend, who didn’t take a gap year, is eligible<br />
to apply because she finished her study slightly<br />
earlier than me. If I didn’t take my little gap<br />
year, I would have already been on an eligible<br />
visa. I feel like I am abandoned, and no one<br />
recognises my effort.”<br />
Government’s response<br />
<strong>The</strong>se are just a few stories of those MIQ<br />
workers who have been excluded from the oneoff<br />
residence visa despite doing their best for<br />
the community. When contacted, the Minister<br />
of Immigration told <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong>,<br />
“Eligibility for the <strong>2021</strong> Resident visa is<br />
reasonably broad and could provide a pathway<br />
to residence for around 165,000 people. Some<br />
of those may well be people working in MIQ.<br />
Where people are not eligible for the oneoff<br />
resident visa, there may be other options<br />
towards residence available to them.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are also other options to continue<br />
working in New Zealand, such as the extended<br />
Essential Skills visa or other work visas for<br />
those who do not meet the criteria or do not<br />
want to apply for residence. <strong>The</strong> Government<br />
has also recently made it easier for people<br />
National Party’s MP and Immigration<br />
spokesperson, Erica Stanford<br />
working in lower-paid roles to be able to stay in<br />
New Zealand longer while border restrictions<br />
remain in place due to COVID-19.”<br />
National Party’s MP and Immigration<br />
spokesperson, Erica Stanford says that it is<br />
an ill-considered policy and the decision to<br />
exclude MIQ workers is a big gap.<br />
"<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>2021</strong> Resident Visa was<br />
a hastily thought out and<br />
ill-considered policy. This is<br />
clearly shown by the number<br />
of gaps we have seen in the<br />
policy, which has resulted in<br />
migrants worthy of residence<br />
missing out. This Government<br />
is prioritising migrants who<br />
don’t even have to prove they<br />
have a job over these border<br />
and MIQ workers.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> <strong>2021</strong> Resident Visa was a hastily<br />
thought out and ill-considered policy. This<br />
is clearly shown by the number of gaps we<br />
have seen in the policy, which has resulted in<br />
migrants worthy of residence missing out. This<br />
Government is prioritising migrants who don’t<br />
even have to prove they have a job over these<br />
border and MIQ workers.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y go to work every day for 12-hour shifts<br />
in full PPE and put their lives at risk to keep<br />
us safe. That just reeks of policy made on the<br />
hoof,” says Erica.<br />
Even immigration experts say that it is a big<br />
disappointment that the one-off residence visa<br />
does not cover all of those staff who have been<br />
working at the frontline during the pandemic.<br />
Immigration lawyer Arran Hunt, says, “In one<br />
of the opening lines of his press release on the<br />
new visa, the Minister talked about ‘providing<br />
a way forward for our migrant families who<br />
have been long disrupted by COVID-19’. We<br />
can’t imagine anybody who would have been<br />
more disrupted than those working in MIQ,<br />
looking after the security and services for<br />
those who have either come in from offshore,<br />
where COVID-19 has been running rampant, or<br />
perhaps providing services for those on shore<br />
who were known to be infected.<br />
“It must have been a constant source of stress<br />
for these workers and their families, always<br />
worried about if they would catch it, or spread<br />
it to their loved ones. <strong>The</strong>y are now being told<br />
that despite the amazing work they have done,<br />
and continue to do, that the government gives<br />
more future value to the services of florists,<br />
fencers, meat packers and knitting machine<br />
operators.”<br />
Giving the example of France, which granted<br />
citizenship to its frontline workers on Christmas<br />
eve 2020 and how New Zealand exclusion of<br />
them is a ‘disgrace’.<br />
“On Christmas Eve 2020, France gave its<br />
frontline workers citizenship. This included<br />
health workers, cleaners, shop workers, and<br />
even garbage collectors. By September, 12,000<br />
had gained citizenship. In New Zealand,<br />
the Minister won’t even let them apply for<br />
residence while granting 165,000 other people<br />
that opportunity. Despite working in a high-risk<br />
job, something we thanked them for during<br />
lockdown last year, they aren’t included in the<br />
one-off residence, and that’s a disgrace, “ he<br />
signs off.<br />
Why QR code scanning needs to be made mandatory<br />
SANDEEP SINGH<br />
With the latest instance of two cases<br />
of Covid in Christchurch who were<br />
sparingly scanning QR codes, it<br />
may be time for the government to make QR<br />
code scanning mandatory, even if for a limited<br />
period of time.<br />
<strong>The</strong> government is grappling with a multitude<br />
of issues, ideas and strategies as it transitions<br />
its approach from elimination to suppression<br />
of the Delta virus and leads the country<br />
into a new unknown.<br />
Decisive action in removing confusion and<br />
bringing as much clarity as possible around<br />
rules related to Covid management would<br />
be helpful for the country in the long term<br />
than worrying about its overall image in the<br />
short term.<br />
D<br />
ecisive action in<br />
removing confusion and<br />
bringing as much clarity<br />
as possible around<br />
rules related to Covid<br />
management would be<br />
helpful for the country in<br />
the long term than worrying<br />
about its overall image in<br />
the short term.<br />
Christchurch remains on the edge with at<br />
least two households caught up in the latest<br />
South Island community outbreak with more<br />
test results to come and a threat of restrictions<br />
looming large.<br />
As public health officials scramble to get<br />
more information and movement details of the<br />
pair from the same households, it has come as a<br />
grim surprise that the duo were rarely scanning<br />
QR codes.<br />
One of them travelled from Auckland on<br />
<strong>October</strong> 15 (where they were on an authorised<br />
visit) and infected the other person in the same<br />
household and had since then moved around<br />
without scanning QR codes.<br />
Despite the frenetic efforts by public health<br />
officials, it is clear that reconstructing all<br />
movement details of the duo will be a task,<br />
and that too with limited certainty – leaving<br />
Christchurch and the wider South Island<br />
community nervous and anxious.<br />
To be fair to the duo, although not following<br />
common sense, they had not broken any law by<br />
not scanning QR codes.<br />
Clearly – cases and situations like this are<br />
falling in no-man’s land where responsibility<br />
cannot be pinned down to anyone –<br />
thus weakening our collective response<br />
to Covid outbreak.<br />
It was okay while the government was<br />
pursuing an elimination strategy by stamping<br />
the virus out of the community and managing<br />
Covid at the borders, and a relaxed approach<br />
towards scanning QR codes was less costly for<br />
New Zealanders.<br />
This has changed now with Covid in the<br />
community, and the government needs to act<br />
fast and decisively to set up a clearer regime<br />
and rules based system.<br />
Making scanning of QR codes or leaving<br />
contact details at every commercial or public<br />
place will tighten a lot of loose ends in the<br />
government’s overall Covid-repsonse plan.<br />
Acting expeditiously, clearly and<br />
firmly has been one important area in the<br />
government’s otherwise reasonably successful<br />
Covid management approach that requires<br />
urgent attention.<br />
In most instances, the government has only<br />
acted conservatively, apprehensively and<br />
very late-mover in decisions around Covid<br />
management in the last eighteen months<br />
(such as closing borders, allowing temporary<br />
migrants stuck overseas back into the country,<br />
vaccination, or allowing self-isolation a<br />
t home etc).<br />
Now is the time for the government to fix that<br />
anomaly and change its image of being the latemover<br />
in every aspect of Covid management.<br />
Making scanning of QR codes mandatory<br />
for next 12 months would not hurt most Kiwis<br />
and will shore-up our collective response<br />
to Covid as we gear up to live with Delta<br />
virus in the country.
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
NEW ZEALAND 5<br />
Covid-19 Rent Relief<br />
Support measures refined<br />
IWK BUREAU/ MINISTRY OF<br />
JUSTICE<br />
<strong>The</strong> Government has landed on a<br />
balanced package of changes to improve<br />
rent relief measures for both landlords<br />
and tenants hit by Covid-19 restrictions, the<br />
Minister of Justice Kris Faafoi says.<br />
“Businesses in the Auckland region, and<br />
elsewhere under Covid Alert Level Three, have<br />
been doing it tough, and the Government has<br />
been responding with support in various ways,”<br />
Kris Faafoi has said.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> measures we are introducing around<br />
rent relief as part of the Covid-19 Response<br />
(Management Measures) Legislation Bill will<br />
offer more support measures, particularly for<br />
small to medium sized businesses hit hard by<br />
the restrictions that have been needed to contain<br />
Covid-19.<br />
“We are aware that many lease agreements<br />
already have provision for adjusted rent<br />
payments during an epidemic emergency, and<br />
many landlords and tenants have been able<br />
to negotiate agreed rent relief terms between<br />
themselves as a result of previous lockdowns.<br />
“In providing this support, we are also<br />
incorporating changes suggested by landlords<br />
and tenants to the Finance and Expenditure<br />
Select Committee. <strong>The</strong> changes will provide<br />
additional clarity and options for landlords and<br />
tenants to agree a fair proportion of rent to be<br />
paid where Covid restrictions have impacted a<br />
business’s ability to operate,” Kris Faafoi said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> changes introduced to the Bill will<br />
include a requirement to consider a commercial<br />
tenant’s loss of income in determining what a<br />
‘fair proportion’ of rent relief would be.<br />
“This change protects against the new rent<br />
relief provisions being used where a commercial<br />
tenant has not actually had any serious loss of<br />
income as a result of lockdown restrictions<br />
because, for instance, they have been able to<br />
continue operating from home.”<br />
Other changes include:<br />
A requirement that the parties to a<br />
commercial lease with this implied clause must<br />
respond to each other within 10 working days<br />
of communication about the clause.<br />
Clarifying that parties may seek to resolve<br />
disputes through mediation or other forms of<br />
alternative dispute resolution before a referral<br />
to arbitration, and that the Disputes Tribunal’s<br />
jurisdiction is not excluded as an option.<br />
Making the changes apply retrospectively<br />
from 18 August <strong>2021</strong>, being the first day of<br />
the current Covid-19 Delta higher alert level<br />
restrictions.<br />
“Applying these measures from 18 August<br />
means businesses which have suffered serious<br />
loss of income due to the recent Delta alert<br />
restrictions will be able to access help to agree<br />
fair rent relief.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>se new provisions will only apply<br />
to leases which do not already provide<br />
for adjusted rent payment terms during an<br />
epidemic emergency to ensure, in particular,<br />
that small businesses get the relief they need<br />
when Covid-19 response restrictions prevent<br />
them being able to access their premises,” Kris<br />
Faafoi said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> commercial rent relief changes add to<br />
the other Covid-19 business support measures<br />
the Government has implemented, such as the<br />
wage subsidy, an increase to the Resurgence<br />
Support payment scheme, and funding for<br />
business advice and mental health support.<br />
New Zealand Qualifications Authority<br />
Approved Category 1 Education Provider
6 NEW ZEALAND<br />
Rents slowing for first time in eight months<br />
IWK BUREAU/ TRADEME<br />
PROPERTY<br />
New Zealand’s national median weekly<br />
rent was $535 in September, showing<br />
a month-on-month drop for the first<br />
time in eight months, according to Trade Me’s<br />
latest Rental Price Index.<br />
Trade Me Property Sales Director Gavin<br />
Lloyd said September’s national median<br />
weekly rent fell by $15 when compared with<br />
the month prior.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> lockdown brought the country to a<br />
halt in August which, unsurprisingly, sent<br />
shockwaves through the rental market and as a<br />
result we saw rents stall in our two main centres<br />
in September. This will come as welcome news<br />
for tenants who have become accustomed to<br />
record-breaking rent increases over the last 12<br />
months.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> lockdown brought the<br />
country to a halt in August<br />
which, unsurprisingly, sent<br />
shockwaves through the rental<br />
market and as a result we saw<br />
rents stall in our two main<br />
centres in September.<br />
However, Mr Lloyd did acknowledge that<br />
the national median rent had still increased 5<br />
per cent on the year prior. “This is the smallest<br />
year-on-year percentage increase we have seen<br />
in six months, and the first time we have seen<br />
this rate of growth slow since February.<br />
“Nationally, demand was down by 14 per<br />
cent year-on-year in September. However, if<br />
we look at different regions around the country,<br />
it was not the same story across the board.” Mr<br />
Lloyd said Marlborough (up 43%), Canterbury<br />
(up 35%), and Manawatu (up 27%) all saw<br />
demand for rentals increase last month when<br />
compared with September last year.<br />
“Unsurprisingly, the locked-down region of<br />
Auckland saw a drop in the number of enquiries<br />
on rental listings , with demand down by 39 per<br />
cent year-on-year. Hawke’s Bay (-24%) and<br />
Southland (-13%) also saw demand drop off.”<br />
Mr Lloyd said when it comes to supply, the<br />
number of properties on the rental market was<br />
also down by 20 per cent in September when<br />
compared with the same month last year.<br />
Looking ahead, Mr Lloyd said the coming<br />
months would be telling in how the lockdowns<br />
have impacted the rental market. “We have seen<br />
rents climb consistently since the beginning of<br />
last year, unscathed by the various Alert Level<br />
changes, the next few months will be really<br />
interesting and we may see this lockdown have<br />
a deeper impact on the rental market than any<br />
other lockdown.”<br />
Auckland rents stagnant at $595 for third<br />
month<br />
In the Auckland region, the median weekly<br />
rent in September remained at $595 for the<br />
third month in a row in September. “As Kiwis<br />
in the Auckland region remain on hold with the<br />
Alert Level restrictions, the rental market has<br />
followed suit with rents on ice.”<br />
Looking at Auckland City alone, the median<br />
weekly rent was $580. “<br />
<strong>The</strong> most expensive district in the region<br />
last month was North Shore City ($620), with<br />
Franklin, Manukau, and Rodney all sitting<br />
slightly lower at $600.”<br />
Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
Aap sub ko Diwali ke<br />
shubhkamnayen<br />
David Seymour<br />
Leader of ACT Party<br />
I<br />
would like to wish everyone celebrating<br />
Diwali a safe, healthy, and joyous new year.<br />
It is likely celebrations will look different<br />
this year, but the essence of this festival -that<br />
light, hope, and knowledge will always triumph<br />
over darkness, evil, and ignorance is important<br />
now more than ever.<br />
<strong>The</strong> ACT Party is a party of pragmatic<br />
solutions on issues that affect New Zealanders.<br />
Recently we celebrated 25-years of the<br />
ACT Party entering Parliament, unique in the<br />
world for championing personal and economic<br />
freedom.<br />
ACT stands on principle for free markets<br />
and free minds. We do so because the record<br />
of human history is crystal clear, freedom is the<br />
only path to human flourishing.<br />
ACT has always put good law making and<br />
public policy at centre of everything we do.<br />
Right from when the party was founded<br />
ACT has consistently been the party of<br />
ideas, advocating for expanded personal<br />
freedom and responsibility.<br />
Creation of the Super City; rise of the<br />
Productivity Commission; 3 Strikes; 90-day<br />
trials for all businesses and our Covid plan are<br />
only some examples f good public policy ideas<br />
from ACT.<br />
People of <strong>Indian</strong> origin often share with<br />
me how their values of ‘jitne chadar utne pair<br />
phelana’ resonates with ACT’s principles of<br />
restricting wasteful spending.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> community values quality<br />
education for their children as education created<br />
opportunity.<br />
Charter Schools remain ACT’s signature<br />
achievement. <strong>The</strong>y embody the liberation of<br />
the creative powers of a free society. Charter<br />
schools will be back, bigger, and stronger for<br />
more kids.<br />
ACT was founded to redistribute not wealth<br />
but opportunity.<br />
To allow poor people to purchase services<br />
they require off and open market, like rich<br />
people always have.<br />
As you celebrate Diwali, do remember that<br />
quality education for our children or fighting<br />
our way to freedom from Covid is only possible<br />
through pragmatic policy solutions that only<br />
ACT can provide.<br />
Namaste!<br />
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Flat Bush, Auckland<br />
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50 Wordsworth Street,<br />
Sydenham, Christchurch<br />
03 3652677<br />
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Happy Diwali!<br />
<strong>The</strong> ACT Party celebrates<br />
alongside you.<br />
Authorised by David Seymour MP, ACT Party Leader, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.
8 NEW ZEALAND<br />
Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
Experts believe 90% target good<br />
to open international border<br />
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH<br />
<strong>The</strong> New Zealand Government<br />
recently set a vaccine<br />
target of 90 percent fully<br />
vaccinated eligible population in<br />
each 20 District Health Board (DHB)<br />
areas before moving to a nationwide<br />
‘traffic light’ system which will<br />
replace the current alert level system<br />
and national lockdowns.<br />
In the Prime Minister’s<br />
announcement last week, though,<br />
there was no indication of when the<br />
international border would likely<br />
be opened. That announcement is<br />
due soon.<br />
However, Auckland is set to move<br />
into the new framework when 90<br />
percent of the eligible population<br />
in each of the three DHBs are<br />
fully vaccinated. An assessment<br />
of the situation would be made on<br />
<strong>29</strong> November, the Prime Minister<br />
announced.<br />
As of <strong>October</strong> 24, 87 percent of<br />
the eligible population across New<br />
Zealand have had their first vaccine<br />
and 71 percent of the eligible<br />
population with two doses. In New<br />
Zealand, as of <strong>October</strong> 24, 6,623,500<br />
doses of the vaccine have been<br />
administered – 3,643,337 first dose<br />
and 2,980,163 second dose.<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> spoke to experts<br />
to find out if moving to the traffic<br />
light is feasible at a 90 percent target<br />
rate and when and how New Zealand<br />
should open its international border.<br />
Microbiologist Siouxsie<br />
Wiles believes the set target of a 90<br />
percent vaccine rate to move to the<br />
new system is feasible. She says, “I<br />
think it is feasible... but it will require<br />
all of us to help our family members<br />
and friends who are still nervous<br />
about getting vaccinated to access<br />
good information to help them make<br />
an informed choice.”<br />
On being asked what should be<br />
the vaccine target for New Zealand<br />
to open its international border,<br />
Wiles says, “<strong>The</strong> target to open<br />
international border should be when<br />
over 90 percent of all our population<br />
are vaccinated, including our under<br />
12s.”<br />
Wiles says that the approach<br />
toward opening up the international<br />
“<br />
I think it is feasible...<br />
but it will require<br />
all of us to help our<br />
family members and<br />
friends who are still<br />
nervous about getting<br />
vaccinated to access<br />
good information to<br />
help them make an<br />
informed choice.”<br />
border would depend on how the<br />
move to the new traffic light system<br />
goes. She explains, “Depending<br />
on the level of Covid-19 in the<br />
community in New Zealand, and<br />
the level of vaccinations, we will<br />
want to limit the importation<br />
of further variants.<br />
"To open up fully to international<br />
travellers would not be possible with<br />
the MIQ system we currently have<br />
in place as it will involve assessing<br />
travellers for risk based on where<br />
they are coming from, requiring<br />
travellers to be fully vaccinated,<br />
and testing travellers on arrival and<br />
perhaps a few days after they have<br />
arrived. I am sure we will learn a lot<br />
from what other countries are doing<br />
in this space.”<br />
Sharing his thoughts on the<br />
New Zealand international border<br />
opening, University of Auckland<br />
infectious diseases Associate<br />
Professor Mark Thomas, says, “I<br />
think that 90 percent is an excellent<br />
target. However, I expect that if we<br />
do not seem to be likely to achieve<br />
this target within the next 6-8<br />
weeks, then we should re-evaluate<br />
whether we should open the border<br />
at a lower level of vaccination. Once<br />
we are ready to open the border, we<br />
should have the requirement that<br />
visitors from other countries are<br />
fully vaccinated and that they have<br />
tests after arrival in NZ on the day of<br />
arrival and again at about 3-5 days.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> recent modelling prepared<br />
by Shaun Hendy to support a future<br />
COVID-19 strategy for Aotearoa<br />
suggests that even with 90 percent<br />
vaccination and abandoning<br />
restrictions would result in 1500<br />
deaths and 13,000 to 14,000<br />
hospitalisations over the next year.<br />
Wiles says, “I would like to<br />
see illness and deaths minimised.<br />
Once we have a highly vaccinated<br />
population, cases and deaths will<br />
be decoupled. But we should be<br />
aiming to minimise cases too, and<br />
this will likely involve the use of<br />
other interventions like masks and<br />
ventilation.”<br />
Thomas also believes the number<br />
of deaths and cases will be dependent<br />
on vaccine rates, use of masks and<br />
maintaining social distancing. He<br />
says, “<strong>The</strong> final number of expected<br />
deaths and cases will depend on our<br />
vaccine uptake rates, and on our<br />
mixing patterns, i.e. whether we use<br />
masks and maintain social distancing<br />
or not, and how much we continue<br />
to use tests, trace, isolation and<br />
quarantine. I don’t doubt that Shaun<br />
Hendy’s figures are correct. His<br />
team provides a range of outcomes<br />
depending on vaccination rates and<br />
test, trace, isolate and quarantine<br />
implementation rates.”<br />
Lastly, when asked if New<br />
Zealand should start vaccines for<br />
under 12-year-olds, Wiles says,<br />
“New Zealand can’t start vaccinating<br />
under 12s until a vaccine has been<br />
approved, and this is waiting on data<br />
being submitted to Medsafe.”<br />
Thomas also believes that vaccine<br />
should be administered to under 12s<br />
if Medsafe considers both the safety<br />
and efficacy of the vaccine to be<br />
good in young children.<br />
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Shubh Diwali<br />
and Happy<br />
Bandi Chhor Divas<br />
HAPPY Diwali <strong>2021</strong><br />
Left to Right: Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern (Leader of the Labour Party, MP for Mt Albert, Prime Minister of New Zealand),<br />
Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan (MP for Maungakiekie, Minister for the Community & Voluntary Sector, Diversity, Inclusion & Ethnic<br />
Communities, and Youth), Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall (Labour List MP, Minister for Food Safety and Seniors), Marja Lubeck (Labour List<br />
MP based in Kaipara ki Mahurangi), Vanushi Walters (MP for Upper Harbour), Naisi Chen (Labour List MP based in Botany),<br />
Ibrahim Omer (Labour List MP), Dr Gaurav Sharma (MP for Hamilton West), Ingrid Leary (MP for Taieri).<br />
Contact Labour’s Ethnic Communities Team:<br />
09 622 2557 | ethnic_communities_labour@parliament.govt.nz<br />
/Labourethnic /labour_ethnic_communities<br />
Authorised by Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.
10 NEW ZEALAND<br />
Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
Auckland-Delhi flight petition<br />
garners 5k signatures<br />
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH<br />
Australia’s flag carrier Qantas<br />
announced, on 22 <strong>October</strong>, the launch<br />
of non-stop Delhi-Sydney flights from<br />
early December <strong>2021</strong>. <strong>The</strong> new route will<br />
initially begin with three A330 flights a week.<br />
Qantas says it plans to run the schedule “until<br />
at least late March 2022, to continue if there is<br />
sufficient demand.”<br />
While flights from Sydney to Delhi will fly<br />
via Darwin, the flights from Delhi to Sydney<br />
would be nonstop.<br />
<strong>The</strong> starter schedule lists flights every<br />
Monday, Thursday and Saturday, with daily<br />
flights showing from January 3. However,<br />
Qantas says the arrangement is subject to<br />
discussions with <strong>Indian</strong> authorities to finalise<br />
necessary approvals.<br />
“Given the strong ties between Australia and<br />
India, flights between Sydney and Delhi have<br />
been on our radar for some time, and we think<br />
there will be strong demand from family and<br />
friends wanting to reconnect once borders open.<br />
This is the first time in 10 years that Qantas has<br />
gone back into the <strong>Indian</strong> market. We have<br />
been used to flying into India over the last few<br />
months, on behalf of the Australian government<br />
we’ve done 60 repeat flights,” Qantas Group<br />
CEO Alan Joyce was quoted as saying.<br />
It may be noted that all travellers will need<br />
to be fully vaccinated and return a negative<br />
Covid-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of<br />
their flight’s departure.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> community in Australia is<br />
delighted with the news as they had been<br />
waiting for Air India to resume its direct flight<br />
between the two countries. Air India was the<br />
only carrier that flew direct flights from India<br />
before the pandemic.<br />
Talking about New Zealand, this news has<br />
again highlighted the need to have a direct flight<br />
from New Zealand to India as there is no direct<br />
flight from New Zealand to India currently.<br />
At present airlines such as Emirates and<br />
Qatar Airlines take 30 to 42 hours to reach<br />
India from New Zealand. If there is a direct<br />
flight from New Zealand to India it will take<br />
approximately less than 15 hours.<br />
Auckland based travel professional Sijo<br />
Abraham has lodged a petition to start a direct<br />
flight from Auckland to Delhi and vice versa.<br />
<strong>The</strong> petition named Auckland- Delhi-Auckland<br />
Direct Flight Petition, which was lodged last<br />
month, has already got more<br />
than 5250 signatures.<br />
According to Sijo, “I’ve<br />
analysed current non-stops from<br />
Auckland to Singapore/ Kuala<br />
Lumpur the nearest country by air<br />
distance is 10 hours.<br />
My estimate for the new route AKL-DEL<br />
direct flight is 14 hours flying time. Auckland<br />
should be the best choice because out of the<br />
more than 250,000 Kiwi <strong>Indian</strong>s, the majority<br />
is based in Auckland.”<br />
He adds, “Air India / Air New Zealand<br />
should seriously give a thought to start non<br />
stop Auckland del flight as it is an untapped<br />
market currently ‘owned’ by Emirates/ Qatar/<br />
Singapore Airlines/ Malaysia with one or<br />
"<strong>The</strong><br />
direct flight<br />
between Auckland<br />
and Delhi will be the<br />
biggest gift that the <strong>Indian</strong><br />
community in New Zealand<br />
can get. I strongly feel we<br />
need this to happen as<br />
soon as possible"<br />
more stops through Dubai/ Qatar/ Singapore/<br />
Kuala Lumpur. If these packed planes are any<br />
indication, there’s 100 percent plenty of market<br />
share to be had. Once the borders open it will<br />
attract more tourists to New Zealand / India.<br />
“I am planning to contact Airline leadership/<br />
government officials/MPs who would be able<br />
to help us in making this proposal happen.<br />
More signatures on this petition will help. It’s<br />
time that <strong>Indian</strong>s in New Zealand can travel<br />
to their home airport without stopping in a<br />
foreign country on a Non-<strong>Indian</strong>/Non-New<br />
Zealand airline.”<br />
Kiwi <strong>Indian</strong>s are also open heartedly<br />
supporting the need to have a direct flight<br />
from India to New Zealand as it would be<br />
convenient as well as time-saving.<br />
Supporting the need for the<br />
direct flight between <strong>Indian</strong><br />
and New Zealand, Auckland<br />
based Gursharan Banga,<br />
who hails from Delhi, says,<br />
“It will help save time. Also,<br />
it would be convenient for<br />
seniors like our parents who<br />
have to face hassles in transit due to<br />
communication issues.”<br />
Sharing the sentiment, Gurkirpal Singh<br />
Sandhu, who has also signed the petition,<br />
says, “<strong>The</strong> direct flight between Auckland and<br />
Delhi will be the biggest gift that the <strong>Indian</strong><br />
community in New Zealand can get. I strongly<br />
feel we need this to happen as soon as possible.”<br />
Meanwhile, New Zealand is yet to make<br />
an official announcement of opening its<br />
international borders.
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
NEW ZEALAND 11<br />
How can we achieve the 90%<br />
vaccination rate?<br />
PRITI GARUDE KASTURE<br />
<strong>The</strong> Kiwi <strong>Indian</strong> community<br />
has now achieved a near-100<br />
percent double vaccination<br />
rate. But none of them will be<br />
enjoy freedom until at least 90<br />
percent of the rest of New Zealanders<br />
get double jabbed.<br />
How may we go about<br />
achieving this?<br />
Experts say offering<br />
personal incentives is now<br />
the key to achieving a high<br />
vaccination rate.<br />
On Friday, the government<br />
announced its decision to introduce<br />
a new traffic light framework in<br />
the country’s strategy to minimise<br />
and protect New Zealanders against<br />
COVID-19. During the press<br />
conference, Prime Minister Jacinda<br />
Ardern introduced details of its<br />
Covid-19 Protection Framework,<br />
involving the roll-out of a ‘trafficlight’<br />
system once all District<br />
Health Boards hit 90 per cent full<br />
vaccination rates.<br />
On Labour Day, 87 percent of the<br />
eligible population in the country<br />
had received their first dose, while<br />
71 per cent had the second dose. 93<br />
percent of Auckland Central was<br />
administered their first dose, and 81<br />
per cent had received their second.<br />
Waitemata District Health Board had<br />
administered the first dose to 90 per<br />
cent of its eligible population, 76 per<br />
cent had received the second dose.<br />
Counties Manukau was catching up<br />
with 88 per cent having received<br />
their first dose and 73 per cent with<br />
second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.<br />
Auckland is expected to move into<br />
Red as soon as the Auckland DHBs<br />
hit the 90 per cent vaccination target,<br />
rather than wait for the rest of the<br />
country. Principal Investigator at Te<br />
Pūnaha Matatini, Dr Dion O’Neale<br />
who has been providing advice to the<br />
Department of the Prime Minister<br />
and the Cabinet says it is possible for<br />
Auckland and other regions to reach<br />
the 90 per cent target by Christmas.<br />
He said, “Whether we do or not<br />
depends on details about the last<br />
remaining people to get vaccinated<br />
— things like how many people are<br />
going to refuse vaccination, and how<br />
easy access is for people who might<br />
be willing to get vaccinated but<br />
“New<br />
Zealanders<br />
who have failed<br />
to be convinced by the<br />
government’s emotional<br />
and rational arguments thus<br />
far are likely to respond<br />
to incentives because<br />
incentives are personally<br />
haven’t<br />
had good<br />
access or relevant to them.”<br />
incentives<br />
until now.”<br />
Many such incentives such as food<br />
parcels, KFC buckets have been<br />
introduced for New Zealanders to go<br />
get vaccinated.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> community<br />
organisations have been working<br />
in overdrive to encourage people<br />
to get vaccinated. Bhartiya Samaj<br />
Charitable Trust organised transport<br />
to drive its senior citizen members to<br />
vaccination centres.<br />
Several New Zealand businesses<br />
are encouraging staff to get<br />
vaccinated via incentives of cash<br />
prizes, donations and extra holidays.<br />
Westpac and SkyCity<br />
Entertainment Group introduced<br />
paid special leave for employees<br />
to attend Covid-19 vaccination<br />
appointments.<br />
UP Education offered cash and<br />
charity donations, while Steel &<br />
Tube offered $150 cash along with<br />
other incentives to its staff.<br />
<strong>The</strong> mandate to be jabbed or miss<br />
out was clear in the Prime Minister’s<br />
address on Friday. She said, “If<br />
you want summer, if you want<br />
to go to bars and restaurants.<br />
Get vaccinated. If you want to<br />
get a haircut. Get vaccinated. If<br />
you want to go to a concert, or<br />
a festival, get vaccinated. If you<br />
want to go to a gym, or sports<br />
events, get vaccinated.”<br />
Several businesses have also<br />
already laid out their stand on full<br />
vaccinations for its staff.<br />
Perpetual Guardian has mandated<br />
vaccination for all its staff, while<br />
Fisher & Paykel is also aiming<br />
to have 100 per cent of its staff<br />
vaccinated. Auckland Airport will<br />
only hire staff vaccinated against<br />
Covid-19 in future and existing<br />
frontline staff without the jab face<br />
losing their jobs.<br />
Psychologists and behavioural<br />
scientists reason that the freedom<br />
afforded by the traffic light<br />
framework to those who are double<br />
jabbed, will act as a form of incentive<br />
to those who may still be hesitant.<br />
Dr Sarb Johal, registered<br />
clinical psychologist, in her blog<br />
commented that with the new traffic<br />
light framework, the government<br />
is looking to incentivise behaviour<br />
change to access goods and services.<br />
She said, “Nudges and policy<br />
settings are approached from<br />
different angles to show people a<br />
way of life, if they chose to remain<br />
unvaccinated.”<br />
“Life will be more open for those<br />
who are vaccinated, more limited<br />
for those who choose not to be,” she<br />
adds.<br />
Dr Bodo Lang, Senior Lecturer,<br />
Department of Marketing, University<br />
of Auckland says making things<br />
personal would drive people’s<br />
behaviour.<br />
He said, “New Zealanders who<br />
have failed to be convinced by<br />
the government’s emotional and<br />
rational arguments thus far are likely<br />
to respond to incentives because<br />
incentives are personally relevant to<br />
them.”<br />
He however, adds that New<br />
Zealand does need a specific<br />
deadline for the incentive to remain<br />
appealing. He said, “Regardless of<br />
what the incentive is, it needs to have<br />
a close deadline. Having a close,<br />
specific, and appealing incentive<br />
will likely see a marked increase in<br />
first and second vaccinations in New<br />
Zealand.” Good on Kiwi-<strong>Indian</strong>s to<br />
have achieved 100 percent with no<br />
incentives whatsoever!<br />
Happy<br />
Diwali!<br />
Best wishes to<br />
you and your<br />
family as you<br />
celebrate Diwali.<br />
Hon Judith Collins<br />
National Party Leader<br />
Leader of the Opposition<br />
judithcollinsmp • judithcollins.co.nz<br />
Authorised by Judith Collins, Leader of the Opposition, Parliament Buildings, Wgtn.
12 NEW ZEALAND<br />
Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
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<strong>The</strong> Association of Salaried Medical<br />
Specialists (ASMS) Toi Mata Hauora is<br />
calling on the Government to put words<br />
into action when it comes to valuing frontline<br />
health workers, with Australia poised to bring<br />
in thousands of extra clinical staff.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Health Minister Andrew Little said last<br />
week that health workers should feel assured<br />
that the pressure they are under, is not unnoticed.<br />
“When you’ve been offered a zero percent<br />
pay rise, which effectively amounts to a pay<br />
cut, and no prospect of better staffing and<br />
conditions, those words seem very hollow,”<br />
says ASMS Executive Director Sarah Dalton.<br />
<strong>The</strong> senior doctor workforce is fatigued and<br />
demoralised as it juggles entrenched staffing<br />
shortages and overstretched services, alongside<br />
the immediate threat of Covid and resulting<br />
patient backlogs.<br />
ASMS and DHBs are due to go into<br />
mediation next month over stalled collective<br />
contract negotiations for senior hospital doctors<br />
and dentists.<br />
ASMS is asking for a very modest pay rise<br />
to simply reflect cost of living increases, but<br />
DHBs have continued to come back with a zero<br />
offer.<br />
“Employer gratitude should not equal pay<br />
restraint, especially at a time when our doctors,<br />
who work tirelessly for the public health system,<br />
are being asked to step up, cover staffing gaps,<br />
work longer hours and make personal sacrifices<br />
to keep their patients and their families safe<br />
during Covid,” Sarah Dalton says.<br />
Australia is reportedly set to allow 2,000<br />
overseas doctors and nurses into the country to<br />
ease a healthcare staffing crisis there.<br />
“With specialists earning up to 60% more in<br />
Australia, it’s a very promising option. We’ve<br />
had members writing to us saying they are<br />
being regularly targeted by Australian medical<br />
recruiters offering to double their current<br />
salaries”.<br />
“Our doctors are keeping New Zealanders<br />
safe and holding our health system together.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Government needs to show senior medical<br />
and dental specialists the same commitment and<br />
give them a reason to stay,” says Sarah Dalton.
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
NEW ZEALAND 13<br />
ATMIYA YOUTH CULTURAL CENTRE (AYCC)<br />
Yogi Divine Society vision becomes a reality<br />
SUPPLIED CONTENT<br />
It all began in 1988 with a small group<br />
led by like minded individuals who<br />
were missing out on the values of<br />
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As time progressed more devotees<br />
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many devotees would congregate at Mr<br />
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to celebrate our rich culture and heritage.<br />
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Yogi Divine Society is a trusted spiritual<br />
and humanitarian charity organisation<br />
founded by H.D.H Guru Hariprasad<br />
Swamiji Maharaj.<br />
With its vast network of centres and<br />
volunteers world-wide, the organisation<br />
has enabled hundreds of thousands of<br />
children, youth and families to lead a<br />
happy, peaceful and harmonious life.<br />
Followed by his demise in July <strong>2021</strong>,<br />
his followers at Yogi Divine Society NZ<br />
Inc. have been uplifted and ever more<br />
determined to spread the message of<br />
“ATMIYATA” (spiritual harmony). In<br />
order to honour his legacy and bring his<br />
teaching to life.<br />
Yogi Divine Society New Zealand<br />
Inc.(YDS) has set aside a vision<br />
for the future.<br />
Today we are proud to see it<br />
coming to life.<br />
Through the development of a Youth<br />
Cultural Centre, Yogi Divine Society<br />
NZ Inc. is embarking on a journey to<br />
revolutionise the youth of yesterday,<br />
today and tomorrow.<br />
This is where the Atmiya Youth<br />
Community Centre (AYCC) serves as an<br />
essential platform for youth development.<br />
Project AYCC:<br />
<strong>The</strong> reality of this vision is ATMIYA<br />
YOUTH CULTURAL CENTRE based<br />
on 28 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, New<br />
Zealand. This three-storey Centre will<br />
be built on a piece of land which is<br />
8,900sqm.<br />
I<br />
n the testing times we are in,<br />
AYCC is the light at the end of<br />
tunnel for us, and we hope for it<br />
to be the same for West Auckland<br />
and the wider community. While<br />
we regret not celebrating Diwali<br />
and <strong>Indian</strong> New Years this year,<br />
we extend our heartiest Diwali<br />
and New years wishes to the<br />
community.<br />
we were persistent to build here, as we<br />
want to serve West Auckland and the<br />
wider community.<br />
We are pleased to announce that<br />
construction will be commencing on 1st<br />
November <strong>2021</strong> and will run through till<br />
late 2023.<br />
A1 Projects Limited, who are our<br />
trusted project management consultants<br />
for this project along with our team<br />
of expert design consultants and<br />
contractors are excited to deliver this<br />
monumental project.<br />
Our Vision/Mission:<br />
Through AYCC we hope to serve the<br />
community by providing socio-spiritual<br />
services, cultural training and other human<br />
services like health-care and educational<br />
activities on a secular basis to promote<br />
community development, family values<br />
enrichment, educational literacy, goodhealth<br />
and self-sufficiency and enable<br />
happy, peaceful and harmonious life.<br />
We are very grateful for the kind<br />
support through good and advice and<br />
donations that we have recieved so far<br />
from the members of the community.<br />
In the testing times we are in, AYCC is<br />
the light at the end of tunnel for us, and<br />
we hope for it to be the same for West<br />
Auckland and the wider community.<br />
While we regret not celebrating Diwali<br />
and <strong>Indian</strong> New Years this year, we<br />
extend our heartiest Diwali and New<br />
years wishes to the community.<br />
Together we remain strong through<br />
our imperishable desire to look out for<br />
each other.<br />
Every grain of soil, and individual<br />
brick is valuable towards serving our<br />
community. We welcome your financial<br />
contribution towards our noble cause.<br />
Despite this land requiring a strenuous<br />
amount of excavation and earthworks,
Editorial<br />
Red lights, U turns,<br />
roadblocks on Labour’s<br />
road to nowhere<br />
Kiwi <strong>Indian</strong>s to spend Diwali staring at distant red traffic light<br />
<strong>The</strong>re’s one thing we Aucklanders can be absolutely certain about: the light at<br />
the end of the lockdown tunnel is Labour-red – and we will know on November<br />
<strong>29</strong> from the Beehive’s all-knowing red busy bees for how long we will be left<br />
staring at that red light.<br />
<strong>The</strong> traffic metaphor does not end with red, orange and green lights. This government’s<br />
road to most things that matter – whether pandemic related or not – are riddled with<br />
potholes, U turns and roadblocks.<br />
As each week passes, it appears to be intent on running ever so rough shod over every<br />
issue in its path. New Zealand today is a nanny state on steroids.<br />
It has long thrown out the window the very hallowed values of kindness and<br />
transparency which swept it to power ––except if you see the gratuitous billion plus<br />
dollars pumped into people’s wallets every week as some purported act of kindness.<br />
Also, with its new traffic light system it risks criticism of ‘vaccine apartheid’, dividing<br />
the team of five million into jabbed-therefore-jobbed and jabless-therefore-jobless, as<br />
it were.<br />
Infinitely more meaningful would have been to invest, not throw away, those billions<br />
on shoring up and future proofing health infrastructure with equipment and personnel<br />
to deal with the succession of pandemics that are expected in the years ahead –or build<br />
a permanent solution to quarantining instead of persisting with the leaky, unfit-forpurpose<br />
system that brought in Delta in the first place.<br />
At a time when the world is opening up learning to live with Covid, New Zealand<br />
remains completely shut, borders hermetically sealed. If all this while Kiwis stuck<br />
outside could not come home to their own homeland because of this government’s<br />
incredibly muddled border control regimes and broken MIQ system, Kiwis here can’t<br />
and won’t step out of the country because they don’t know when they can return.<br />
You’re forgiven if you said Auckland feels like Pyongyang.<br />
India has jabbed a billion people, is delivering vaccines to its remotest regions with<br />
drones and has a range of techniques to test for Covid. Citizens get their digital vaccine<br />
certificates delivered to their mobile devices as soon as they are double vaccinated –<br />
and with that certification they are welcomed into Europe, UK and the USA without<br />
having to quarantine at these destinations. And New Zealand continues to keep India on<br />
its ‘high risk countries’ list.<br />
One thing this government has done extremely efficiently is stop-gapping and buying<br />
time with levels, stages and traffic lights on its way out of Covid.<br />
Every time it sees public fatigue to some of the world’s severest restrictions, it<br />
announces some new system that only ends up perpetuating those very restrictions for<br />
a few more weeks if not months, with no demonstrable achievements or actions such as<br />
strengthening medical infrastructure or the MIQ system.<br />
On other matters, too, this government has U turned and roadblocked with metronomic<br />
regularity. In the run up to COP-26, which happens this week, it released a discussion<br />
document that proposed allowing for more greenhouse gas emissions over the four<br />
years to 2025, postponing decisively engaging with New Zealand’s gigantic agriculture<br />
and primary industries sector, by far the country’s biggest polluter – spewing 91 percent<br />
of biogenic methane emissions. This casts a bleak shadow on New Zealand’s longstanding<br />
“clean & green” claims and seriously jeopardises its carefully cultivated brand<br />
over several decades.<br />
And this week, it did another sudden, spectacular U turn on the Three Waters plan<br />
ramming the legislation with no opt-out clause for councils that did not want a bar of it,<br />
contrary to what it had proposed earlier.<br />
<strong>The</strong> government seems to have grossly underestimated the intensity of opposition to<br />
its plan, which does not portend well for its leadership.<br />
Finally, the government’s Covid Response (Management Measures) Legislation Bill<br />
also had a provision that smacked of high-handedness, giving it powers to adjourn local<br />
elections multiple times without constraint citing pandemic constraints. <strong>The</strong> opposition<br />
was fortunately successful in forcing the government to drop that clause.<br />
<strong>The</strong> government would do well to remember that this is a team of five million – not<br />
a gang of five million.<br />
Happy Diwali<br />
Thought of the week<br />
"If you don't value your time, neither will<br />
others. Stop giving away your time and<br />
talents--start charging for it." --Kim Garst<br />
<strong>29</strong> <strong>October</strong> <strong>2021</strong> – 5 November<br />
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu<br />
On-and-off<br />
rain and<br />
drizzle<br />
22°<br />
15°<br />
On-and-off<br />
rain and<br />
drizzle<br />
19°<br />
13°<br />
This week in New Zealand’s history<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> : Volume 13 Issue 34<br />
Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited<br />
Editor: Dev Nadkarni | dev@indianweekender.co.nz<br />
Chief Technical Officer: Rohan deSouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz<br />
Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | design@indianweekender.co.nz<br />
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Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher<br />
is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication<br />
Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent<br />
the views of the team at the <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland.<br />
Printed at Horton Media, Auckland<br />
Clouds<br />
and<br />
sun<br />
19°<br />
14°<br />
Clouds<br />
and<br />
sun<br />
20°<br />
14°<br />
Clouds<br />
and<br />
showers<br />
20°<br />
14°<br />
<strong>29</strong> <strong>October</strong> 1894<br />
SS Wairarapa wrecked on Great Barrier Island<br />
Copyright 2020. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.<br />
A few<br />
morning<br />
showers<br />
21°<br />
15°<br />
A few<br />
morning<br />
showers<br />
26°<br />
17°<br />
It remains the third deadliest shipwreck ever in New Zealand waters: 121 lives were lost when<br />
the steamer Wairarapa struck Miners Head, the north-west point of Great Barrier Island, 90<br />
km north-east of Auckland.<br />
<strong>29</strong> <strong>October</strong> 1919<br />
Women can stand for Parliament<br />
On <strong>29</strong> <strong>October</strong> 1919, the Women’s Parliamentary Rights Act passed into law. Finally,<br />
women could stand for election to the House of Representatives.<br />
It had been 26 years since women had achieved the right to vote with the Electoral Act 1893.<br />
Previous bills drafted to enfranchise women had included the right to stand for election, but<br />
these had been unsuccessful.<br />
30 <strong>October</strong> 1865<br />
Native Land Court created<br />
<strong>The</strong> Native Land Court was one of the key products of the Native Lands Act 1865. It enabled<br />
the conversion of traditional communal landholdings into individual titles, making it much<br />
easier for Pākehā to purchase Māori land.<br />
30 <strong>October</strong> 1918<br />
Massive prohibition petition presented to Parliament<br />
Prohibition supporters presented Parliament with a petition containing more than 240,000<br />
signatures demanding an end to the manufacture and sale of alcohol in New Zealand.<br />
1 November 1898<br />
Old-age Pensions Act becomes law<br />
<strong>The</strong> Act gave a small means-tested pension to elderly people with few assets who were<br />
‘of good moral character’. Although Germany had earlier introduced a contributory state<br />
pension, New Zealand's was the first in the world funded from general taxation.<br />
1 November 1944<br />
Polish refugees land in New Zealand<br />
Over 800 Polish refugees seeking safety from war-torn Europe disembarked in Wellington.<br />
For the 733 children and 102 adults it was the end of a long and perilous journey. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
had survived deportation to the Soviet Union, forced labour in Siberia and evacuation to the<br />
Middle East.
May the beauty of the<br />
festival of lights fill your<br />
home with happiness<br />
PARAM RANDHAWA<br />
Licensed Salesperson<br />
M: 0210 272 9077<br />
param.randhawa.@century21.co.nz<br />
KANWAR DHILLON<br />
Licensed Salesperson<br />
M: 022 023 9013<br />
kanwar.dhillon@century21.co.nz
16 NEW ZEALAND<br />
Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
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Wishing you all<br />
Happy Diwali<br />
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• Business Loans<br />
• Top up & Debt consolidation<br />
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M. 021 236 7070<br />
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www.saffronfinance.co.nz<br />
Priyanca Radhakrishnan<br />
Labour List MP based<br />
in Maungakiekie and<br />
Parliamentary Private<br />
Secretary to the Minister for<br />
Ethnic Communities<br />
Tena koutou katoa, Namaste<br />
As your Minister for Diversity,<br />
Inclusion and Ethnic Communities,<br />
it gives me great pleasure to wish you a very<br />
happy Diwali. Aap sabhi ko, Diwali ki hardik<br />
shubhkamnayen!<br />
<strong>The</strong> message of Diwali is one we can all<br />
celebrate.<br />
<strong>The</strong> triumph of light over darkness symbolises<br />
the victory of good over evil, of knowledge<br />
over ignorance, truth over falsehood and hope<br />
over fear.<br />
Diwali is an important festival for many<br />
of us. For some, it’s a religious and spiritual<br />
celebration.<br />
It’s also a special time for families and friends<br />
to celebrate together.<br />
For diaspora communities like ours, it is an<br />
opportunity to celebrate our <strong>Indian</strong> heritage and<br />
to showcase the beauty of <strong>Indian</strong> food, music,<br />
dance and attire to the rest of New Zealand. For<br />
new migrants, it is a welcome taste of home.<br />
This year, Diwali will look a bit different<br />
as we all continue to work as a team to get<br />
vaccination numbers up so we can return to<br />
doing more of what we love while ensuring<br />
our community, especially those who can’t get<br />
vaccinated, are protected from COVID-19.<br />
I want to thank everyone who has already<br />
been vaccinated and contributed to our high<br />
vaccine numbers – and our Asian communities<br />
are doing well.<br />
However, we need to keep going so I<br />
encourage anyone who hasn’t yet had their 1st<br />
or 2nd dose, to talk to a medical professional<br />
or someone you trust so you can get vaccinated<br />
in time to enjoy summer – and so that we can<br />
celebrate together in person again soon.<br />
However you choose to celebrate this year, I<br />
wish you and your family a very happy Diwali!<br />
Samaj and Roopa<br />
aur Aap Charitable<br />
trust wishes you all<br />
Happy India<br />
Independence Day<br />
Mr Jeet Suchdev QSM JP<br />
Mobile: 0212221020 | Email: jeet@xtra.co.nz | Address: 13 May Rd, Mount Roskill, Auckland<br />
Mr Jeet Suchdev QSM JP<br />
Mobile: 0212221020 | Email: jeet@xtra.co.nz | Address: 13 May Rd, Mount Roskill, Auckland 1041
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
NEW ZEALAND 17<br />
SMISHING: Cyber<br />
attackers use names<br />
you trust to hack<br />
your phone<br />
IWK BUREAU<br />
Ignoring the recent spate of cyberattacks<br />
targeting mobile phones using iconic New<br />
Zealand company names may prove costly.<br />
Author of the book ‘She’ll Be Right (Not!)<br />
– a cybersecurity guide for Kiwi business<br />
owners – SMB cybersecurity expert Daniel<br />
Watson, says that a flurry of texts (smishing)<br />
in recent weeks could dupe a higher number<br />
of Kiwis because the texts purport to be from<br />
recognisable companies like Mainfreight,<br />
Courier Post and Spark.<br />
“Scam text messages that, for example,<br />
require confirmation of parcel delivery – and<br />
there’s a lot of online shopping going on under<br />
Covid lockdown – will install malware on your<br />
phone. This may enable criminals to steal your<br />
banking passwords to extract funds from your<br />
bank account.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>y go as far as to instruct the target<br />
on how to bypass their own phone’s inbuilt<br />
security system. In short, don’t trust apps that<br />
don’t come from one of the official app stores,”<br />
Watson said.<br />
He warned that the ultimate goal for some<br />
may be to use employees’ phones to access the<br />
company that employs them.<br />
“It is not uncommon, certainly for SMEs,<br />
to let staff use their phones for the business. If<br />
the employee accesses company systems using<br />
their phone – perhaps for email – there could<br />
be trouble.<br />
“Attacks on mobile phones are not new,<br />
but they’re certainly upping the ante and<br />
getting smarter by using brand names you<br />
trust to cheat, rob and steal from you. Bear in<br />
mind most people are online shopping, which<br />
demonstrates a lot of forethought and strategic<br />
intent on behalf of the cybercrime syndicates.”<br />
He offers the following advice to companies<br />
that need to improve cyber security via their<br />
mobile phones:<br />
1. Put in place written policies for mobile<br />
devices<br />
Regardless of whether staff use their phones<br />
or company phones, policies should apply<br />
specific rules and expectations.<br />
“Does the employee know that if they have<br />
access to a company system, then in the event<br />
of it being lost, they are required to report it and<br />
that it may be wiped remotely by the company?<br />
Does he or she know that the phone should also<br />
have password protection on it at boot?<br />
“If you don’t have those policies in place, staff<br />
may not report it, or they may object to sending<br />
a remote wipe signal. You want to avoid that<br />
because every<br />
minute counts.”<br />
2. Ensure compliance<br />
Watson said<br />
cybersecurity is not<br />
something anybody,<br />
let alone a business, can<br />
afford to take lightly.<br />
Attacks on<br />
mobile phones<br />
are not new, but<br />
they’re certainly<br />
upping the ante and<br />
getting smarter by using<br />
brand names you trust to<br />
cheat, rob and steal from<br />
you. Bear in mind most<br />
people are online shopping,<br />
which demonstrates a lot of<br />
forethought and strategic<br />
intent on behalf of the<br />
cybercrime syndicates.<br />
“If you have written policies, educate,<br />
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Your Trusted Team<br />
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Tony Xu<br />
021 776 168<br />
t.xu2@barfoot.co.nz<br />
Barfoot & Thompson<br />
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maintain<br />
awareness and<br />
enforce when necessary. Use tools,<br />
like Microsoft’s 365’s low-cost license upgrade<br />
for mobile device management, to make your<br />
phones as safe as possible.”<br />
3. Install endpoint protection<br />
Watson said anti-virus and other protection<br />
software is a must for mobile devices. Some<br />
protection software is even free and will help<br />
the company maintain control over mobile<br />
devices within the company’s ecosystem.<br />
“You need to be intentional about this,”<br />
Watson said.<br />
“Individuals and companies have to be lucky<br />
all the time. A cybercriminal only needs to get<br />
lucky once.”<br />
Munish Seth<br />
021 686 474<br />
m.seth@barfoot.co.nz<br />
Barfoot & Thompson<br />
Sales Partnership<br />
Eastern Beaches <strong>2021</strong>*
18 FIJI<br />
Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
Plans for booster shots in Fiji<br />
Fiji’s leading lights receive<br />
commemorative medals for<br />
Fiji’s 50th anniversary of<br />
FIJI TIMES<br />
announced 10 COVID-19 deaths for the period independence<br />
<strong>The</strong> Strategic Advisory Group of<br />
02 August to Wednesday last week — nine<br />
IWK BUREAU<br />
Experts on Immunisation (SAGE) has<br />
deaths from the Western division and one from<br />
recommended that moderately and<br />
the Central division. <strong>The</strong> deceased were aged<br />
severely immunocompromised persons be given<br />
between 45 and 92 years and all died at home<br />
an additional dose of all WHO Emergency Use<br />
or on their way to the hospital. Six were males.<br />
Listing Procedure (EUL) COVID-19 vaccines.<br />
“Six of these deaths were unvaccinated while<br />
Fiji’s Ministry of Health’s permanent secretary<br />
the remaining four received only one dose of the<br />
Dr James Fong said the Ministry of Health<br />
reiterated its advice for all workplaces and vaccine,” Dr Fong said.<br />
would be offering third doses to eligible persons.<br />
business places to establish strategies to ensure Nine of the deaths were reported from August<br />
“Booster doses for those over 60 years old,<br />
personal COVID safe practices continue and are due to a delay in the issuance of the death<br />
those 18 years or older with medical conditions<br />
monitored, improved, and escalated.<br />
certificates.<br />
that put them at high risk of COVID-19 and<br />
“We remind all businesses and workplaces of Dr Fong said 12 deaths were of COVID-19<br />
those 18 years and older who work in locations<br />
the need to focus on improving ventilation and positive patients, however, the deaths were<br />
that put them at high risk is currently being<br />
air quality to support their current COVID safe classified as non-COVID-19 deaths by the<br />
planned for,” he said.<br />
measures.”<br />
doctors, as patients died of serious pre-existing<br />
Dr Fong said as Fiji prepared for more<br />
Meanwhile, Fiji recorded 68 new cases of medical conditions.<br />
industries and workplaces to open, the ministry<br />
COVID-19 on Friday Ministry of Health’s “<strong>The</strong> seven-day average of new cases per day<br />
permanent secretary Dr James Fong also is 40 or 45 cases per million population per day.”<br />
Nine to twelve tropical cyclones predicted for <strong>2021</strong>/22 cyclone season<br />
SPREP<br />
<strong>The</strong> National Institute of Water and<br />
Atmospheric Research (NIWA) has<br />
predicted that between nine to 12<br />
tropical cyclones could impact the the Pacific<br />
region this cyclone season. Three or more could<br />
develop into severe tropical cyclones.<br />
<strong>The</strong> prediction was revealed during the<br />
Ninth Pacific Island Climate Outlook Forum<br />
(PICOF-9) this week. Ben Noll, Meteorologist<br />
at NIWA, said the Pacific would have a near or<br />
slightly above normal season, with the increased<br />
likelihood for La Niña conditions.<br />
La Niña is the phenomenon, which results<br />
in below normal rainfall for countries in<br />
the Central and Eastern Pacific which can<br />
result in droughts, while countries in the<br />
South West Pacific will experience higher<br />
than normal rainfall, and will become more<br />
susceptible to flooding.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>2021</strong>/2022 Australian Bureau of<br />
Meteorology outlook predicted a 59% chance of<br />
more than four tropical cyclones in the western<br />
region of the Pacific, which includes countries<br />
like Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and<br />
New Caledonia.<br />
It predicted a 46% chance of more than six<br />
tropical cyclones for the eastern region, which<br />
includes countries like Fiji, French Polynesia,<br />
Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.<br />
Noll also briefly provided a review of the<br />
previous tropical cyclone season 2020/<strong>2021</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Pacific also experienced La Niña conditions<br />
last year, and the same climate drivers are also<br />
present this year as the Pacific gears up for the<br />
upcoming cyclone season.<br />
A normal to slightly below normal season<br />
was accurately predicted by BOM and NIWA.<br />
Both agencies predicted about nine tropical<br />
cyclones, and NIWA predicted three to develop<br />
into severe tropical cyclones.<br />
“Last cyclone season, we observed a total of<br />
eight tropical cyclones and three of those were<br />
severe tropical cyclones,” Noll said. <strong>The</strong>se<br />
included Cyclone Yasa, a Category 5 Tropical<br />
Cyclone which caused considerable damage to<br />
Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu.<br />
<strong>The</strong> South West Pacific’s cyclone season<br />
runs from November to April. Countries<br />
are reminded to remain vigilant at all times<br />
and take heed of information and warnings<br />
from the National Meteorological and<br />
Hydrological Services.<br />
Fiji’s lead frontliners in the fight against<br />
COVID-19 received commemorative<br />
medals for Fiji’s 50th anniversary of<br />
independence from President Jioji Konrote.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y are Permanent Secretary for Health<br />
Doctor James Fong, the Health Ministry’s<br />
Head of Health Protection Doctor Aalisha<br />
Sahukhan, Chief Medical Advisor Doctor<br />
Jemesa Tudravu and National FEMAT Lead<br />
Doctor Luke Nasedra.<br />
<strong>The</strong> medals are given to those who<br />
contributed to Fiji’s development and<br />
progress in the past 50 years.<br />
Others who received commemorative<br />
medals at State House today were Minister<br />
for Defence and National Security Inia<br />
Seruiratu, former RFMF Commander<br />
Brigadier General Mosese Tikoitoga, former<br />
Minister for Youth and Sports Laisenia<br />
Tuitubou, Nephrologist Amrish Krishnan,<br />
Civil Engineer Sanjay Kaba, Rajesh Punja,<br />
Mahendra Tappoo, Gardiner Whiteside,<br />
Kalpesh Patel, Karalaini Macanawai, Rajesh<br />
Patel and Judy Compain.<br />
A number people who have contributed to<br />
the development of sports in the country also<br />
received commemorative medals.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y are interim Fiji Airways Men’s and<br />
Fijiana 7s team coach Saiasi Fuli, FRU CEO<br />
John O’Connor, former Fiji men’s 7s team<br />
captain Jope Tuikabe, former Flying Fijian<br />
captain and FRU Development Manager<br />
Sale Sorovaki and provincial rugby title<br />
winning coach Reverend Joji Rinakama and<br />
former national netball captain and coach<br />
Unaisi Rokoura.<br />
PACNEWS<br />
We wish Happy Diwali to everyone!<br />
May this lockdown be over and bring<br />
happiness and joy in everyone's life.
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
INDIA 19<br />
India topped list of countries from where<br />
most paid reviews for Tripadvisor emanated<br />
Tripadvisor removed paid reviews from<br />
131 countries last year, including "a<br />
spike" in such reviews originating in<br />
India -- but not necessarily for businesses in the<br />
country, <strong>The</strong> Guardian reported.<br />
"As a result, India topped the list of countries<br />
from which the most paid reviews emanated<br />
last year, with Russia dropping out of the Top<br />
10", the report said.<br />
Further, the company said its fraud<br />
investigators identified 65 new paid review<br />
sites and blocked submissions from a total of<br />
372 different paid review sites last year.<br />
Almost 1 million reviews submitted for<br />
inclusion on Tripadvisor -- equivalent to 3.6<br />
per cent of the total -- were determined to<br />
be fraudulent by the website last year, the<br />
report said. In its second transparency report<br />
-- the first was released in 2019 -- the travel<br />
guidance platform said 67.1 per cent of the fake<br />
reviews had been caught before making it on<br />
to the platform by its pre-posting moderation<br />
algorithm.<br />
<strong>The</strong> report said: "While our overall review<br />
contributions dropped in line with the<br />
India largest generic medicine supplier in<br />
world: Mandaviya<br />
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on<br />
Wednesday said that India is the world's largest<br />
generic and affordable medicine supplier.<br />
"Pharma sector is our religion, we believe in the<br />
concept of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", said the Minister.<br />
Addressing an Investor Summit virtually on<br />
'Opportunities and Partnerships in Pharmaceuticals and<br />
Medical Devices', he said: "After the Covid pandemic,<br />
the investment in India's pharma sector has significantly<br />
increased. India's behaviour has always been pro<br />
industry."<br />
"I would like to tell investors that Prime Minister<br />
Narendra Modi ji said to invest in India, set up an<br />
industry here. You are as safe in India. <strong>The</strong> world's<br />
industry should take advantage of the efforts being made<br />
by the <strong>Indian</strong> Government to make this country the best<br />
investment destination," he added.<br />
Talking about being pro-farmer and industry-friendly,<br />
Mandaviya said: "We see to it that the industries go<br />
ahead and sustain. <strong>Indian</strong> companies never cheat while<br />
making supplies. Our character is to maintain quality."<br />
<strong>The</strong> virtual summit was a part of the vision to<br />
further strengthen India's position globally in terms<br />
of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. <strong>The</strong> session<br />
was held to discuss how India can develop as a land of<br />
opportunities for medical devices and the key learnings<br />
from the leading innovators.<br />
<strong>The</strong> summit provided an opportunity for industry<br />
participants to discuss the success stories from the<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> medical devices sector, end to end integration<br />
for enhancing vaccine manufacturing capabilities,<br />
financing start-ups in the pharmaceutical and medical<br />
devices sector.<br />
slowdown in travel, fraudulent submissions<br />
-- which of course are not predicated on real<br />
customer experiences -- did not follow the<br />
same trend. Our team remained vigilant and<br />
effective at catching would-be fraudsters, and<br />
as a result the proportion of reviews we rejected<br />
or removed increased compared with prepandemic<br />
2018 figures."<br />
While they may pose the biggest threat<br />
to the platform's integrity and those of the<br />
businesses on it, fake reviews are not alone in<br />
being removed. In total, more than 2 million<br />
review submissions (representing 8.6 per cent<br />
JSR Life Motors wishes<br />
everyone Happy Diwali<br />
the total) were rejected or removed from the<br />
Tripadvisor platform, for instance because they<br />
included use of profanity.<br />
While travel restrictions imposed by Covid<br />
led to a reduction in submitted reviews -- the<br />
number in August last year (approximately 4m)<br />
was half that in August 2018 -- the virus also<br />
posed other challenges, which Tripadvisor said<br />
led to its team manually assessing an additional<br />
257,022 reviews, of which 46,145 were<br />
removed by moderators for violating posting<br />
guidelines, the report said.<br />
9 in 10 <strong>Indian</strong>s say talking to<br />
chatbots better for career growth<br />
Nine in 10 <strong>Indian</strong>s believe<br />
that chatbots or robots can<br />
support their career better<br />
than human HR managers, as they<br />
grapple with various mental health<br />
issues in the pandemic, a new report<br />
showed on Wednesday.<br />
<strong>The</strong> percentage of <strong>Indian</strong>s<br />
negatively impacted by the pandemic<br />
is (91 per cent) with many (44 per<br />
cent) struggling financially, (36 per<br />
cent) are suffering from declining<br />
mental health, (32 per cent) lacking<br />
career motivation and (31 per cent)<br />
are feeling disconnected from their<br />
own lives, according to the study by<br />
Cloud major Oracle and Workplace<br />
Intelligence, an HR research and<br />
advisory firm.<br />
According to Deepa Param<br />
Singhal, Vice President, HCM,<br />
Oracle APAC, the chief human<br />
resource officers (CHROs) now<br />
have the additional responsibility of<br />
ensuring that the employees, their<br />
biggest asset, feel valued and have<br />
ample opportunities to grow and<br />
develop. "In this regard, using newage<br />
tech like Artificial intelligence<br />
can be an intelligent choice to provide<br />
employees with skill enhancement<br />
and career-building opportunities,"<br />
she said. Workers worldwide have<br />
been negatively impacted over<br />
the past year, with people in India<br />
and the UAE struggling the most,<br />
but also being the most open to<br />
technology support. While 96 per<br />
cent of respondents in India said<br />
their meaning of success has changed<br />
since the pandemic started, 97 per<br />
cent of <strong>Indian</strong>s want technology to<br />
help define their future.<br />
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YouTube crosses 50m<br />
music, premium subscribers<br />
with 2m creators<br />
YouTube continues to pen a success<br />
story for Google and according to<br />
Sundar Pichai, it has surpassed 50<br />
million music and premium subscribers,<br />
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app YouTube Shorts (launched first in India last<br />
year) continues to see higher adoption rates.<br />
"In the past year, the average number of daily<br />
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commerce on YouTube," Alphabet and Google<br />
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"From shoppable live stream experiments<br />
with retailers like Sephora, Target and Walmart,<br />
to pilots that view us by directly from their<br />
favourite creators videos, we're still in the early<br />
innings of what's possible," he added.<br />
In the July-September quarter, YouTube<br />
recorded advertising revenues of $7.2 billion<br />
-- up 43 per cent due to strength in both direct<br />
response and brand advertising.<br />
Over 2 million creators are now making<br />
money and building their businesses on<br />
YouTube via YouTube partner programme with<br />
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from Super Chat to BrandConnect.<br />
Google said that YouTube's reach is becoming<br />
increasingly incremental to TV.<br />
"Connected TV is driving part of this growth.<br />
It's our fastest-growing screen. Advertisers can<br />
now drive conversions on the big screen, which<br />
brings me to brands of all sizes continue to buy<br />
YouTube at both ends of the funnel to create<br />
future demand while they convert existing<br />
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President/Chief Business Officer.<br />
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Content responsibility has<br />
been our most important<br />
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And beyond that, I think we<br />
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Celebrate your Diwali with Moti Mahal<br />
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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
FEATURES 21<br />
Diwali sweets recipes:<br />
Fusion Poha Dhokla<br />
Ingredients<br />
• 140 gm brown pressed rice<br />
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds<br />
• 2 cup yoghurt (curd)<br />
• 1 handful coriander leaves<br />
• water as required<br />
• 1 teaspoon fruit salt<br />
• 140 gm semolina<br />
• 2 pinches asafoetida<br />
• 3 green chillies<br />
• salt as required<br />
• 2 tablespoon refined oil<br />
Method<br />
• To prepare this delicious fusion recipe, start by taking the<br />
coriander leaves and green chillies and wash them under<br />
running water. Using a clean chopping board, finely chop<br />
the coriander leaves, then, crush the green chillies into a<br />
paste using mortar and pestle.<br />
• Now, take a large bowl and add in the yoghurt with water<br />
and whisk them together.<br />
• <strong>The</strong>n, add the semolina followed by the pressed rice, green<br />
chilli paste and salt and mix it thoroughly. Let the mixture<br />
rest for about 10 minutes. When the mixture is done resting,<br />
add fruit salt and water in it. When bubbles start emerging,<br />
lightly mix the mixture again.<br />
• Next, take a dish or plate and grease it with butter. Pour in<br />
the batter and place it inside a steamer. Steam the mixture<br />
for about 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, take a pan over<br />
medium flame and heat oil in it. When the oil is hot enough,<br />
add the mustard seeds and saute it till it starts to splutter.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n, add in asafoetida and saute it for a few minutes. Keep<br />
this aside.<br />
• When the Poha Dhoklas are sone, transfer them to a serving<br />
tray and spread the tempered mustard and asafoetida over<br />
it. Slice the Poha Dhokla into small cutes and serve to your<br />
loved ones!<br />
Spinach Pakora<br />
Ingredients<br />
200 gm gram flour<br />
(besan)<br />
• 3/4 cup water<br />
• 1 1/2 teaspoon<br />
powdered red<br />
chilli<br />
• 3 pinches salt<br />
• 100 gm finely<br />
chopped spinach<br />
• 1 1/2 teaspoon<br />
powdered turmeric<br />
• 1 cup sunflower oil<br />
• 2 green chilli<br />
Method<br />
• Wash and clean<br />
the spinach leaves<br />
under cold running<br />
water and keep them aside. Once the water has drained out<br />
completely, chop the leaves.<br />
• Take a glass bowl and combine the gram flour and spinach.<br />
Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and green<br />
chillies. Gently pour water and mix well until combined.<br />
• Heat oil in a deep frying pan over high flame.<br />
• Drop small portions of the dough and fry until light golden<br />
brown. Remove and drain excess oil.<br />
• Pair these pakoras with tamarind chutney and<br />
a hot cup of tea.<br />
Milk Barfi<br />
Ingredients<br />
• 300 ml condensed milk<br />
• 2 1/2 cup milk powder<br />
• 2 tablespoon ghee<br />
• 1 cup water<br />
• 1 teaspoon powdered green cardamom<br />
• 1 handful pistachios<br />
• For Garnishing<br />
• silver vark as required<br />
• 1 handful almonds<br />
Method<br />
Make the milk powder dough<br />
• Take a large bowl and add milk powder<br />
to it along with milk. Make a rigid<br />
dough using these ingredients. Once<br />
done, keep the dough in the freezer and<br />
freeze it for at least for 20 minutes.<br />
Grate the dough & heat some ghee<br />
• Take the dough and grate it in a bowl.<br />
Keep this grated dough aside for further<br />
usage. Take a deep bottomed pan, keep<br />
it on low flame and heat ghee in it.<br />
Cook the grated dough with cardamom<br />
• Add the grated dough to this pan with<br />
water. Mix well and stir in cardamom<br />
powder in the pan. Cook this mixture<br />
until the water dries out and the mixture<br />
accumulates in the centre of the pan.<br />
Garnish with silver varq & almonds<br />
before serving<br />
• Pour this prepared mixture into a<br />
greased tray and garnish it with<br />
almonds and pistachios. Let the<br />
mixture cool down and cut the barfi<br />
into desired shapes. Garnish it with<br />
silver varq and serve!<br />
Tips<br />
• You can also use evaporated milk<br />
instead of condensed milk.<br />
• You can skip the silver varq if you like.<br />
<br />
• Do not overcook the barfi mixture as it<br />
will turn chewy.<br />
• You can store the barfis in an airtight<br />
container.
22<br />
FEATURES<br />
Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
Diwali sweets recipes:<br />
Celebrate the festival of Diwali with a range of fabulous sweet recipes.<br />
Kurkuri Chakli<br />
Ingredients<br />
structure, neither hard nor soft.<br />
• 400 gm rice flour<br />
• In a kadhai heat the oil and will<br />
• 2 tablespoon butter<br />
some dough in the chakli maker.<br />
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric<br />
Now press on it and drop round<br />
• 2 tablespoon sesame seeds<br />
chaklis in the hot oil.<br />
• 1 cup refined oil<br />
• Deep fry chakli for at least 5 to 6<br />
• 2 tablespoon besan<br />
mins from both sides.<br />
• 1 tablespoon red chili powder • Once crispy, they are ready to be<br />
• 1 tablespoon salt<br />
served. You can also store it in an<br />
• 2 tablespoon carom seeds<br />
airtight jar for later usage.<br />
• 1/2 cup water<br />
Method<br />
• In a bowl, take rice flour, besan,<br />
red chilli powder, turmeric, salt,<br />
sesame seeds, carom seeds and<br />
butter. Add water in batches and<br />
mix it well to form a dough.<br />
• <strong>The</strong> dough should be medium in<br />
Baked Gujjia<br />
Ingredients<br />
• 125 gm refined flour<br />
• 2 tablespoon condensed milk<br />
• 2 tablespoon ghee<br />
• 4 green cardamom<br />
• 50 ml milk<br />
• 150 gm khoya<br />
• 100 gm powdered sugar<br />
• 1 handful mixed dry fruits<br />
Method<br />
• To prepare this delicious treat, start by chopping up the<br />
dry fruits using a clean chopping board and keep aside.<br />
• <strong>The</strong>n, crush the green cardamom into a powder.<br />
Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius and grease a<br />
baking tray.<br />
• Now, pour the refined flour into a large bowl and add<br />
melted ghee to it. Mix it well and then, gradually add<br />
lukewarm milk to the bowl and knead the mixture to<br />
form a stiff dough.<br />
• When the dough is done, cover the bowl with a moist<br />
cloth and keep it aside for 15-20 minutes.<br />
• In a separate bowl, add mawa and place it in the<br />
microwave to roast for 1 minute.<br />
• When the ghee starts coming out of the edges, it’s<br />
done. Stir the mawa with a wooden spoon and let it<br />
cool down. <strong>The</strong>n, add the chopped dry fruits and the<br />
powdered green cardamom to it.<br />
• When the mixture is completely cooled down, add<br />
the powdered sugar to it and mix well. Now, take the<br />
dough and divide it into small balls.<br />
• Press the balls and then, using a rolling pin, roll out<br />
the dough into small pooris. Repeat the process with<br />
all the balls.<br />
• Now. place the rolled out dough on a gujiya mold and<br />
place 2 tablespoons of the stuffing in the center.<br />
• Apply water on the edges and close the mold. Press<br />
it tightly from all sides and remove the excess dough.<br />
Remove the gujiya from the mold and place it on the<br />
greased tray.<br />
• Repeat the process with all the dough.<br />
• Next, place the tray in the preheated oven for 10<br />
minutes. Meanwhile, add milk in a bowl with the<br />
condensed milk and mix it together.<br />
• After 10 minutes, take the tray out (the gujiyas should<br />
be light brown in color) and apply the milk mixture on<br />
both sides of the gujiyas with a brush and place it back<br />
in the oven for 5 minutes.<br />
• Keep checking the gujiyas after every 2-3 minutes till<br />
they turn golden brown in color. When they are done,<br />
transfer them to a serving tray and enjoy the delicious<br />
treat! Note: You can store the gujiyas in an airtight<br />
container for up to 2 weeks.<br />
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24<br />
TIME OUT<br />
Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
<strong>29</strong> <strong>October</strong> to 4 November <strong>2021</strong> | By Manisha Koushik<br />
ARIES (MAR 21-APR 20)<br />
You can expect to have a nice time in the company<br />
of friends. A professionally a satisfying week is<br />
foreseen, when you will be able to complete all<br />
your tasks successfully. Things start looking<br />
bright on the financial front as earnings increase.<br />
Those in love can plan an outing to spend time<br />
together. You manage to motivate yourself for<br />
workouts and keep fit. An entertaining pastime can keep you busy.<br />
Horizon on the academic front brightens. Lucky No.:1 / Lucky<br />
Colour: Crimson<br />
TAURUS (APR 21-MAY 20)<br />
This is a good time to tackle an issue that has<br />
been bugging you for long. You somehow always<br />
manage to get on the wrong side of spouse and<br />
face the brunt! Beware, domestic front seems<br />
turbulent in this week. You are likely to be made<br />
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at work. Those indulging in romance on the sly can run the risk of<br />
getting exposed. You are likely to burn your fingers in a financial<br />
deal. Lucky No.: 9 / Lucky Colour: Saffron<br />
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 21)<br />
Times for you are getting better, so rejoice! You<br />
are likely to get an opportunity to impress a senior<br />
at work in this week. A business trip will prove<br />
fruitful. Those seeking a loan will be able to<br />
complete the paperwork. A choice posting is likely<br />
for government employees. Travelling to meet<br />
some old friends will prove exciting. An off mood<br />
lover will need your loving care to be brought into mood. Health<br />
remains good, as you make efforts. Lucky No.:7 / Lucky Colour:<br />
Sky Blue<br />
CANCER (JUN 22-JUL 20)<br />
This is a good time for going in for something being<br />
planned for long. You will succeed in removing<br />
an irritant at work. Your ideas on the professional<br />
front are likely to be accepted. Domestic issues<br />
will be sorted out amicably. An outing with<br />
lover is indicated for some. A journey may prove<br />
much more exciting than you had anticipated. Papers pertaining to<br />
property will be handed over to you. Workouts will keep you fit.<br />
Lucky No.: 6 / Lucky Colour: Purple<br />
Manisha Koushik is a practicing astrologer, tarot card reader, numerologist, vastu and<br />
fengshui consultant based in India with a global presence through the online channels. She is<br />
available for consultations online as well. E-mail her at support@askmanisha.com or contact<br />
at +91-11-26449898 Mobile/Whatsapp: +91-9716145644 • www.askmanisha.com<br />
LEO (JUL21-AUG 20)<br />
Keep your options open on the financial front. You<br />
are likely to find the week favourable. Students can<br />
receive heartening news about their performance<br />
and are likely to make the parents proud. You will<br />
be able to get around your senior to take a favour.<br />
Shopping can give you a high and help unwind. <strong>The</strong><br />
one you are going steady with is likely to spring a surprise. It will<br />
be difficult for some to get back in shape. Lucky No.:8 / Lucky<br />
Colour: Dark Grey<br />
VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 23)<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a good chance of meeting someone you<br />
have not met in years in this week. More you<br />
want to hide something, the more you are likely<br />
to reveal! Those enjoying love on the sly will<br />
need to take extra pains to keep it under wraps.<br />
Planning for a new project can find you busier<br />
than usual. Preparation for an overseas business trip is likely to<br />
start now. Keep control over expenditure. Spouse may need your<br />
emotional support.<br />
Lucky No.: 3 / Lucky Colour: Yellow<br />
LIBRA (SEP 24-OCT 23)<br />
You may find yourself a bundle of energy in<br />
this week. This is the time to reap the benefits<br />
of deeds done in the past. Workplace is likely to<br />
be a fun place in this week as bonhomie prevails.<br />
Some of you will manage to address all pending<br />
issues. Commuting to a new location will not<br />
pose any problem. Attending a celebrity do is<br />
indicated for some. Don’t be shy in shelling out money, where it<br />
serves your interests. Lucky No.:2 / Lucky Colour: Peach<br />
SCORPIO (OCT 24-NOV 22)<br />
Enjoying power and authority in a new appointment<br />
is indicated on the professional front. You will<br />
help ease the domestic atmosphere with your wit<br />
and humour. Your hard work on the academic<br />
front is likely to reflect in the result. Thinking up<br />
newer ways of keeping lover’s interest alive will<br />
help rejuvenate your love life. Money will not pose much problem,<br />
even if you overspend in this week. Those out of shape may take up<br />
fitness routine. Lucky No.: 4 / Lucky Colour: Violet<br />
SAGITTARIUS (NOV 23-DEC 21)<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is someone who is attracted to you and<br />
wants to become a part of your life, so take your<br />
call. Value of something that you had invested<br />
in is likely to depreciate. Excesses can have<br />
an adverse effect on your health. An awaited<br />
result may have you on pins and needles. Your<br />
keenness for going on a vacation is not likely<br />
to be shared by other family members; at least not for now. Health<br />
remains satisfactory. Lucky No.: 11 / Lucky Colour: Cream<br />
CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 21)<br />
Someone may help you regain your position on<br />
the social front. You can feel it in your bones that<br />
something positive is going to happen. A slow<br />
and steady approach will help you in taking firm<br />
control of the present. Religious minded are likely<br />
to plan on a pilgrimage. Your ideas on the home<br />
front will be smoothly implemented. At work, you<br />
can be efficiency personified. A good week is foreseen for students<br />
appearing in a competitive exam. Lucky No.:18 / Lucky Colour:<br />
Red<br />
AQUARIUS (JAN 22-FEB 19)<br />
You will find things moving your way on the<br />
professional front. Once you make up your mind,<br />
you have to have your way. And you will have<br />
your way this time too! You go from strength<br />
to strength on the professional front. A family<br />
youngster setting out on a new job or higher<br />
studies will become a source of pride. You will<br />
keep partner’s romantic interest alive through your flirty ways!<br />
Good financial management is likely to benefit. Lucky No.: 22 /<br />
Lucky Colour: Turquoise<br />
PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 20)<br />
Time to impress others has arrived! Benefits<br />
accrue through networking. Good contacts<br />
will translate into new opportunities on the<br />
professional front. You will manage to remain<br />
motivated to undertake a difficult job and ensure<br />
its successful completion. Budding romance<br />
may find some sitting on Cloud Nine! Spending<br />
a vacation with friends and family will prove to<br />
be a lot of fun. Those into real estate will find a venture profitable.<br />
Health is likely to improve. Lucky No.:17 / Lucky Colour:<br />
Lavender<br />
May Diwali light the way<br />
for a year full of wisdom,<br />
truth, love, and joy.
May Diwali light the way for a year full of<br />
wisdom, truth, love, and joy.<br />
Jay Changlani<br />
Director<br />
2G/6 Kingdon Street, Newmarket,<br />
Auckland<br />
Ph: 09-377 4238<br />
Appointments: orb360.co.nz
26 NEW ZEALAND<br />
Friday, <strong>October</strong> <strong>29</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
How to capitalise on international<br />
money transfers this Diwali<br />
SUPPLIED CONTENT<br />
<strong>The</strong> festival of Diwali is all<br />
about spreading love, light,<br />
appreciation and coming<br />
together with family to celebrate<br />
with a message of hope and<br />
prosperity.<br />
With over 32 million <strong>Indian</strong>s<br />
living overseas and most still unable<br />
to travel due to the pandemic,<br />
sending money to family and friends<br />
in India has become a popular way<br />
to send well wishes of wealth and<br />
spread happiness for Diwali.<br />
In fact, India remains a popular<br />
destination for money transfers on<br />
WorldRemit and Diwali is one of<br />
the busiest times of the year for<br />
sending money from all regions of<br />
the world.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are various ways to send<br />
money to loved ones in<br />
India and financial<br />
technology<br />
companies like<br />
WorldRemit<br />
offer a faster<br />
alternative<br />
to share gifts<br />
with friends<br />
and family<br />
from the<br />
comfort of your<br />
home<br />
Scott<br />
"No<br />
matter how<br />
or where you choose to<br />
celebrate Diwali this year,<br />
there are still plenty of ways to<br />
share your light from abroad which<br />
is why we are proud to support the<br />
200,000 New Zealanders of <strong>Indian</strong><br />
heritage and their families back<br />
home by offering a cheaper<br />
way to send money."<br />
Eddington,<br />
Managing Director<br />
of Asia-Pacific at<br />
WorldRemit,<br />
said: “After<br />
a tough<br />
two years<br />
globally,<br />
we are<br />
sending well<br />
wishes to all<br />
celebrating<br />
Diwali with<br />
friends and family,<br />
together or from far.”<br />
“No matter how or where you<br />
choose to celebrate Diwali this year,<br />
there are still plenty of ways to share<br />
your light from abroad which is why<br />
we are proud to support the 200,000<br />
New Zealanders of <strong>Indian</strong> heritage<br />
and their families back home by<br />
offering a cheaper way to send<br />
money,” added Eddington.<br />
Eddington has the following four<br />
tips for using WorldRemit to send<br />
money for Diwali:<br />
Download the WorldRemit app -<br />
To be able to send money transfers<br />
on the go, download the free<br />
WorldRemit app from the Google<br />
Play Store or App Store. Enter the<br />
promo code ‘3FREE’ for your first<br />
three fee-free transfers.<br />
Manage all transfers efficiently<br />
- Turn on WhatsApp updates for<br />
transfer status to be able to check on<br />
the process and let recipients know<br />
that they can monitor the transfer<br />
through the WorldRemit Transfer<br />
Tracker app, available via the<br />
Google Store. 95% of transfers are<br />
ready within minutes.<br />
Know the recipient - To avoid<br />
any hiccups along the way, ensure<br />
recipient details, including bank<br />
account details and email, are<br />
correct before sending a transfer.<br />
Airtime Top-Up - As a unique<br />
gift, consider WorldRemit’s Airtime<br />
Top-Up option and send a mobile<br />
recharge to your loved one so you<br />
can call them during Diwali without<br />
them having to pay for a costly<br />
incoming call or online data.<br />
To learn more about digital<br />
remittances or how to send a money<br />
transfer for Diwali, visit worldremit.<br />
com.au.<br />
New Zealand to India<br />
India to New Zealand<br />
Quarantine package<br />
09 218 4000<br />
info@sehiontours.com<br />
www.sehiontours.com<br />
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With the Gleam of<br />
Diyas, And the Echo<br />
of the Chants, May<br />
Happiness and<br />
Contentment Fill<br />
your Life... Wish You<br />
Brijesh Patel ( Team Gurjeet)<br />
#1 South Auckland Team Barfoot & Thompson<br />
BRIJESH PATEL<br />
RESIDENTIAL SALES<br />
Mobile 021 5<strong>29</strong> 003 | DDI 09 <strong>29</strong>6 16 56<br />
www.brijeshpatel.co.nz
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VIEWINGS<br />
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09 6<strong>29</strong> 0088<br />
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2 White Swan Road Mt Roskill