The Indian Weekender, 17 December 2021

17DECEMBER2021 • VOL 13 ISSUE 41
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The Indian Weekender Friday, December 17, 2021
NEW ZEALAND 3
New Zealand universities
woo international students
Universities across New Zealand are leaving no stone unturned to lure
international students as the borders are expected to re-open next year
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH
Last month that Covid-19
Response Minister Chris
Hipkins announced that New
Zealand would open its borders in
a phased manner to all vaccinated
international travellers, including
international students, next year.
International students, especially
from India, are waiting to get to NZ
due to its globally well regarded
education system.
Indian Weekender spoke to
leading universities and education
providers across NZ to find out how
they are gearing up and providing
extra support to those coming to
study in 2022.
The University of Auckland, which
has launched a ‘support package’ that
has been specifically designed for
undergraduate and masters students
from India who want to advance their
study ahead of NZ’s phased border
re-opening during 2022.
University of Auckland’s
International director Brett Berquist
was recently quoted as saying, “We
are offering deferred fees payment
“
As Covid-19 has
introduced many
unforeseen challenges
and expenses, the grant
has been established to
help reduce some of the
increased costs students
are now experiencing.
for Science, Technology, Engineering
and Mathematics (STEM) masters
students,” he said.
As part of it, the master’s students
will be able to begin their studies
online from India while delaying
their tuition payments until they
activate their education loan when
they travel to New Zealand. They
will also be offered a 30 percent
bursary starting in 2022.”
An undergraduate student support
package that includes virtual microinternships
with NZ companies and a
loyalty programme providing a onecourse
fee waiver after completing
two semesters of full-time study is
also on offer.
This programme includes
additional online support.
“Our support package will allow
students to begin building their
employability skills, while starting
their studies in India. And once they
arrive in NZ, they will benefit from
our work rights provisions which
they can use while studying and for
three years once their studies are
complete,” University of Auckland
Vice-Chancellor Dawn Freshwater
was quoted as saying.
Unitec Institute of Technology,
too, is providing International Study
Grants to new international students
intending to come in 2022.
Don Sirimanne, Unitec’s Manager
Marketing and International
Development said, “To assist our
international students and maintain
their connection with New Zealand,
Unitec has launched an International
Study Grant worth up to $5000 for all
new international students enrolling
in Bachelor’s, Postgraduate Diploma,
and Master’s programmes in 2022.
“As Covid-19 has introduced many
unforeseen challenges and expenses,
the grant has been established to help
reduce some of the increased costs
students are now experiencing. We’re
continuing to explore additional
support mechanisms we may be
able to provide and look forward to
welcoming our new international
students in 2022.
“Our Learner Outreach Programme
also provides unique and dedicated
assistance to international students
through one-on-one engagement
calls ensuring their wellbeing
and providing additional support.
1972 learner outreach engagement
calls were conducted with 502
international students in Semester 1
and Semester 2 this year.
The University of Otago is another
university that has been doing its
bit to support international students,
particularly those affected by
financial hardships due to the global
Covid-19 pandemic.
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4 NEW ZEALAND
Friday, December 17, 2021
The Indian Weekender
Parent category visa
applicants continue in limbo
Many Kiwi Indians face the brunt of the closure of the parents’ residence
category and feel that it is unfair
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH
If one talks about New Zealand’s
immigration policy, one category that
seems forgotten entirely is the Parents’
residence category. Five years ago, the parent
category – that invited parents of current
residents and citizen migrants to settle in NZ
– was suspended. Despite the government
announcing a new programme two years ago
in 2019 and then with the Covid 19 pandemic
coming in, it was again halted in March 2020.
According to immigration data, the total
number of parent category expressions of
interest in the pool as of 10 November 2021 is
5493 involving 8675 people.
In September 2021, immigration Minister
Kris Faafoi announced the One-Off residency
programme, which relieved many migrants.
Still, it was disheartening that no mention
about the resumption of the EOIs of the parents’
category has ever been spoken about.
Many Kiwi Indians feel frustrated and
stressed about not being able to apply for their
parents’ residence despite meeting the income
threshold just because the category has been
closed since 2016.
‘It is a shame on this
country’s system’
Shivam Verma with mother Amita Verma
Kiwi Indian Entrepreneur Shivam, the owner
of dental clinics across Auckland, has been
waiting since 2016 for his mother’s EOI under
the parents’ category to be picked up. His
mother Amita Verma is a 64-year-old widow
staying alone in Lucknow, India. Sharing his
frustration, he says, “I have honestly lost hope
that my mom would get residence here. I have
been waiting for years, but the suspension of
the category has shattered all my plans. I pay
thousands of dollars as taxes to this government,
but it is a shame on this country’s system that I
can’t even apply for my mom’s residence.”
He further adds, “We, as Indians, value our
parents so much, and every day despite being
in New Zealand, I am constantly thinking about
my mom’s well-being. I only watch her through
CCTV. No one is more important than one’s
parents, but New Zealand immigration fails to
under it. Our parents have done so much for us,
and it is a pity that now in old age when they
need us the most, we are not with them. I hope
this government understands this and opens the
parents’ category as soon as possible.”
‘I want to take care of my parents
when they need it the most’
Gurjeet (right), with his parents, father Rajinder
Singh Dua and mother Mohinder Singh Dua
Another similar heart-touching story is that
of Kiwi Indian Gurjeet Singh. His elderly
parents – father Rajinder Singh Dua and mother
Mohinder Kaur Dua, are currently staying alone
in Delhi, India. Sharing his story, Gurjeet says,
“My other brother and I have stayed in NZ for
the past many years along with our respective
families. We had been waiting to apply for our
parent’s residence since 2017.
“My parents stayed with my elder brother
and his family in Delhi. But unfortunately, last
year in August, my elder brother passed away
and hence there is no one to look after them.
Though I am physically here in NZ, my heart
and mind constantly think about my parents. I
so badly want them to be with us here so that
we can take care of them when they need it the
most.”
The stringent border restrictions have added
to the stress and trauma of Kiwi Indians like
Gurjeet. He says, “Due to the border restrictions,
neither they can visit us, nor we can go and be
with them. It is so frustrating. I pray and hope
that things change and immigration does open
parents’ category soon.”
“
I highly recommend the
reopening of residence
visa policy for parents.
Though it has been delayed,
our community has full trust
and faith in this current
government to bring back the
policy to reunite the families.
The parents’ residence visa
policy will bring joy to all the
migrant families."
When Indian Weekender contacted
Immigration New Zealand, a spokesperson
from the Immigration Minister’s office said,
“The Government continues to assess when
Expressions of Interest selections can take
place. However, decisions are still yet to be
made. The Minister will be reporting back to
Cabinet colleagues who are involved in the
work to reconnect NZ on options for phasing
the reopening of visa categories and options for
visa processing priorities. Announcements will
be made once decisions have been agreed.”
The spokesperson further revealed that the
Covid 19 pandemic is also the reason behind the
defer of reopening of the category: “The Parent
Category was due to reopen in February 2020
with new criteria, and the first Expression of
Interest (EOI) selection was scheduled to take
place in May 2020. However, this was deferred
due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.”
Immigration experts, too, feel the frustration
and hope that the category should be opened to
bring joy to migrant families.
Raj Pardeep Singh of Legal Associates,
says, “I highly recommend the reopening of
residence visa policy for parents. Though it has
been delayed, our community has full trust and
faith in this current government to bring back
the policy to reunite the families. The parents’
residence visa policy will bring joy to all the
migrant families as we believe the parents are
the strong roots for our cultural values and give
shape to our bright future.”
However, experts feel that given the current
Covid-19 situation in New Zealand, parent
category resident visas will be very low on
INZ’s priority list.
Sharing his views, Himang Bhardwaj
from Counsel One Immigration Services and
former warranted immigration officer and
People Leader at MBIE says, “NZ government
considers parent category resident visa to be
of low value and is unlikely to open the parent
category selections during the pandemic given
the perceived impact the applicants can have
on NZ’s healthcare infrastructure. I will not be
surprised if the category is completely closed in
the near future.
“I believe that the last changes made to
parent category were not thought through, and
the intent behind the changes was to limit the
number of applicants who can qualify for a
visa. I was involved with creating resources and
implementing training for MBIE staff members
when the changes were announced in 2019, and
a lot of changes were made to the policy last
minute.”
Former Immigration Minister Tuariki
Delamere feels a similar sentiment and says
that the government’s focus is currently on
those onshore, which explains the delay. He
says, “While I understand the frustrations of
those who are trying to get their parents to New
Zealand, it is, in the whole scheme of things,
not an issue that is of any great importance,
given the demands that covid has placed on the
Government in looking after those already in
New Zealand.”
• Continued: From Page 3
The university’s Director-International,
Jason Cushen said, “We continue to support
all international students through online
delivery of courses where possible, expansion
of scholarship provision to undergraduate and
postgraduate international students as well as
providing financial support to help offset MIQ
costs for those students who have returned
through government-mandated cohorts.”
It may be noted that the University of Otago
committed $1.5 million as an initial investment
to support Otago students where appropriate
facing financial hardship as a result of the
Covid-19 global outbreak through a hardship
fund, Pūtea Tautoko, which was established by
the University in April 2020.
Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT),
provides study grants of up to $5000. MIT’s
Director of International Luka Crosbie says,
“MIT has provided education for a significant
number of international students from India
over the past twenty years. Many have enrolled
with us because of strong recommendations
from our local community.
However, due to Covid-19 restrictions on
travel, MIT’s recent focus has been on locallybased
international learners.
“In 2022, we are offering new international
students enrolling in Bachelor of Applied
Management, Bachelor of Digital Technologies,
Post Graduate Diploma, or Masters in Applied
Technologies a study grant of up to $5,000
to help them achieve the next level of their
qualifications (conditions apply).”
However, other education providers are
not jumping on the bandwagon just yet. The
University of Canterbury is one of them.
Director of International Relations, Tracey
Wilson said, “We have our dedicated support
programmes for anyone that starts learning
online, such as online mentors, online
orientation but we don’t want to incentivise
this option for international students given the
lack of clarity in some areas, including the fact
that despite the border beginning to re-open,
overseas students can’t apply for visas before
August 5, 2022.”

The Indian Weekender Friday, December 17, 2021
NEW ZEALAND 5
New Zealand needs to be
better prepared for Omicron
SANDEEP SINGH
The government needs to be better
prepared for dealing with Omicron
variant of the Covid-19 virus
onshore than it was for the Delta variant in
August this year.
There is no doubt that the government was
caught unprepared for the inevitable arrival of
the Delta virus and its spread in the community
in August this year forcing Auckland (and the
rest of the country) into one of the longest and
strictest lockdowns anywhere in the world – a
situation that has broken the backbone of small
businesses sector forcing livelihoods, jobs, and
financial freedoms at stake.
Such is the fall-out of the zero or reduced
commercial activity resulting from the long
lockdown that small businesses, particularly
the hospitality sector in Auckland, which
has struggled even in the first week of traffic
light system and is already appealing to Prime
Minister Jacinda Ardern to consider moving
Auckland to Orange light today for the
remainder of Christmas season despite cautious
approach from experts.
Ardern is already between a rock and a hard
place ahead of the 4 pm announcement today
and has so far not given away any suggestion
which way the cabinet will eventually decide
about Auckland’s freedom.
Ardern said New Zealand is still transitioning
into the new Covid protection framework, and
there has not yet been a full transmission cycle
of 14 days since the change was made.
“As we’re easing, just making sure that
we’ve seen the full impact of that easing, we
only eased on the third, so we haven’t seen a
full transmission cycle yet, and that’s something
you’ll remember we’ve always used as a bit of
a guide to show us what the likely impact of a
step change is.”
While the country remains focused on
today’s upcoming announcement, it is pertinent
to remind that the government does not loses
focus on being prepared for the eventual arrival
of the Omicron virus onshore and ensuring the
country does not have to huddle down to let the
infection wave pass through.
The last time when Delta arrived onshore
in August, the country was solely and overly
relying on closed borders (which has been
closed for the last 18 months), leaving aside
both the vaccination rates (abysmally low at
around 40 percent single dose) and extremely
low number of ICU beds across the country.
In the last few months of hunkering down
under a strict lockdown, New Zealanders have
shown exemplary spirit and courage to turn
up for vaccination and help a beleaguered
government in its collective response to
managing the Delta outbreak and increase the
“
As we’re easing, just
making sure that we’ve
seen the full impact of that
easing, we only eased on the
third, so we haven’t seen a
full transmission cycle yet,
and that’s something you’ll
remember we’ve always used
as a bit of a guide to show us
what the likely impact of a
step change is.”
vaccination rate.
However, the government should not always
rely on the generosity of New Zealanders
without being innovative and leading the
charge itself.
Undoubtedly, the patience of New Zealanders
is running thin with the government, particularly
those who are bearing the maximum brunt of
the government’s huddle-down approach, in
the form of family separation by closed and
restricted borders, archaic MIQ system, and
financial indebtedness because of prolonged
commercial restriction.
As of now, Ardern can easily shrug off the
new Leader of Opposition Chris Luxon’s first
question in Parliament about the shambolic
preparation of the number of ICU beds, largely
because of National Party’s own credibility
issue with the Kiwi public, but the question
remains of utmost significance.
NZ needs to be better prepared for the
Omicron variant of Covid-virus that is rampant
in many countries overseas forcing Australia
and the United Kingdom to bring forward their
respective booster doses.
Both countries have shown urgency
to bring forward booster doses by one
month in response to rising numbers of
Omicron variant infections.
NZ is comfortably placed right now in
terms of booster doses, which are already
available to eligible people from November
29, but that was long before the emergence of
Omicron on the scene.
What has NZ done differently since the
emergence of Omicron?
Basking in the glory of a 90 percent
vaccination rate that has come at a huge cost of
putting the country at a standstill under a strict
lockdown should not be accepted as a costeffective
response.
Similarly, the government should not be
wasting the lead time that New Zealand always
gets because of its remoteness and forced
closed borders with the rest of the world in
self-adulation.
More work is required to be better prepared
before Omicron eventually finds way into our
community.
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6 NEW ZEALAND
Friday, December 17, 2021
The Indian Weekender
‘If we want the best
migrants, we need
to be the best’
National Party MP and Immigration and Education
spokesperson Erica Stanford in conversation with
the Indian Weekender on issues related to education,
immigration and the way forward for NZ
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH
On the reopening of borders
for international students:
If you look at other countries like Australia,
which are aggressively targeting international
students, we’re sitting back doing nothing.
We’ve also treated students pretty poorly.
"
We’ve also treated students
pretty poorly.
Looking at the students who got stuck offshore,
we haven’t got an excellent track record. So,
we’ve got a little bit of international reputation
that needs to be fixed. But also, in the global
context where everyone’s trying to grow their
economy and their international student sector,
we are going to be competing against countries
like Australia and Canada.
They are out there right now aggressively
going after those markets while we’re sitting
back. I have seen some documents, though,
where the government has looked like they will
be starting to prioritise international students.
But we need to see evidence of that, and we
haven’t seen anything yet.
On reopening borders for
the migrant workforce:
In our Covid response policy document a month
or so ago we said if you’re from a low-risk
country, and you have a pre-departure negative
test, and you’re double vaxxed, and you test
negative on arrival, then we do need to start
opening up to both students and international
migrant workforce.
The single biggest concern holding businesses
back right now is a lack of ability to get skilled
workers. And border closure has been a big part
of it. So, I saw just yesterday, the government
has started to announce slight border exceptions
for this, you know, we need 600 IT workers.
This government has been announcing border
exceptions for different classes of workers all
year, and no one has been able to get into the
country. It doesn’t matter if it’s teachers, dairy
farmworkers, or crane operators.
"
We see big headlines, but
there’s no actual action.
The government keeps saying these people
will come to the country, and no one has gotten
in because MIQ is a problem. We see big
headlines, but there’s no actual action.
They’re not either getting rid of MIQ for these
workers or setting aside space –so we end up
with no workers.
On post-study visa holders
stuck offshore:
It’s something that the minister has been told
about as it’s been brought up with him many
times, and he’s just refusing to address the
situation. Will he extend the work visas of those
post-study work visa holders stuck offshore,
so they can come back and complete the time
they had left on a visa, or will he just let them
run out and then have to apply for brand new
work visas? I suspect what he will do is the
latter, given that he’s made no indication about
leaving some of those post-study work visa
holders back, and I have sympathy for them.
"
I know that they’re in pretty
vulnerable situations.
They’ve spent a lot of money here on their
education with the promise that they would
have work rights in NZ to pay some of that debt
off, but now they are not going to get the chance
to do that.
And I know that they’re in pretty vulnerable
situations.
On impending protests by
those excluded in One-off
residence visa:
I had a zoom with the group organising the
protests just a few days ago. And I’m going to
be in Wellington when they have their protests,
which I believe are happening in Auckland, so
I won’t be able to go. But like I have said many
times, I’ve sympathies with them. I think it is
a government master trick. And in the end, if
you’re, say, a healthcare worker, why do we
care what visa you’re on? Right?
Indeed, if you’re a Ph.D. student, those are
people we want to stay within NZ. I think he’s
drawn a circle around certain visa types without
considering the kinds of people we want to stay
in this country.
"
In the end, if you’re, say, a
healthcare worker, why do
we care what visa you’re on?
And if he had put a little bit more thought
into it, I think he would have had a much better
policy. So, we’re in a situation now where we
have someone who came to NZ to study and
who may not even be employed may not even
have a job, but just because they hold a poststudy
work visa, totally unemployable.
Whereas if you happen to be on a partnership
visa, and you’re a dentist or a nurse or a doctor,
you don’t get results, or just, you know, there
are some really weird anomalies. I don’t think
he thought enough.
On resuming the Parents
visa category:
In my view, I don’t think from what I see that
the parent category is going to come back like
it used to be in terms of residents. Especially
given that we’ve just granted residency to
165,000 people.
Considering the scale of that, granting
residents to parents is going to be problematic
in the future.
And so, I don’t see that resuming. But what
"
If we want to get that
best talent, we need to
allow them to bring their
parents here.
I do see, and what I see happen
overseas, is much longer
multiple entry visas, parents to
come and spend considerable
amounts of time with their
families, pets, when children
are born to provide support
when their children are going
back to work, they can look
after the grandkids, just to be
here in their older age, and to
be with their families. I think
there is undoubtedly a case for a
longer-term multiple entry visa
where there are requirements
for private health insurance,
maybe some kind of deposit or
bond or something. But also
a requirement for them to
maintain their residence in the
country they’re from. And so
they have to return now and
then.
And I’ve always said, if
you want the best migrants,
we need to be the best.
And, if we want to get
that best talent, we need
to allow them to bring
their parents here. And
I think offering some
form of extended visitor
visa multiple entry visa
over a longer period is
probably the right thing.
On the way
forward:
We need to work out a way that we
get back to businesses being able to
bring in the migrant labour that they
need rather than this government just
offering a few little places here and
there for a few vets or a few teachers, we
actually need to figure out how we get workers
back as the single biggest thing we can do right
now.
Secondly, there needs to be a pathway to
residence. At the moment, unless you can get
the one-off visas, there’s no other pathway
to residency. So those are the sort of the two
significant issues in Immigration is how do we
start allowing people back in and give them
"
Education-wise, we
are sliding down the
international scale. We’re not
where we used to be 20 years
ago.
some kind of idea of what the future is in this
country?
Education-wise, we are sliding down the
international scale. We’re not where we used
to be 20 years ago. We need to go back to
what we used to do –with a knowledge base
curriculum. We need to go back to some form
of assessment, seeing kids as they progress, just
so that we know what is working and what is
not. But my main focus is how do we equip our
kids? Now and for the future? What kind of
learner do we want?
We also need to make sure that we clean
up our education system to offer international
students good quality courses.

The Indian Weekender Friday, December 17, 2021
NEW ZEALAND 7
Demand for NZ as education
destination still remains
But international students await clarity
PRITI GARUDE-KASTURE
Research from Australia’s Victoria
University shows that a record number
of students are heading to Canada,
UK, USA, with Australia and New Zealand
continuing to experience a dramatic drop in
new international students.
‘Student, interrupted: international education
and the pandemic’ research examined five
major destinations for international students:
Australia, Canada, NZ, the UK and the US.
According to student visa data, UK recovered
stronger, with international students enrolments
38 percent higher than pre-Covid.
This research is in line with the latest figures
released by Immigration New Zealand which
shows that only 19,191 foreign students remain
in the country, as compared to a normal year
when there would be up to 86,000 foreign
students in the country at any one time and
about 115,000 over the course of a year.
The total is down from 51,580 in April last
year, with the private sector being the worst hit
of all the institutions with just 3181 students
remaining in the country, a fall of about 72
percent.
Polytechnics had 2892 full-fee foreign
students in NZ, a drop of 69 percent since April
last year. In schools, there were 4197 foreign
students, down from 10,500 in April last year.
However, despite this drop in numbers
largely associated to border closures, industry
professionals say that the demand for NZ as an
international education destination continues.
“Students want to come to NZ because
it’s safe, supportive and as a country, we are
doing well,” says Bharat Chawla, an education
industry leader who is currently working on
developing various platforms for NZ education.
Sarita Sharma, an education advisor from
India says that demand for NZ still remains,
however uncertainty and lack of clarity on
borders and visa processing has left students
opting for other options.
This year, in April, the Navitas Agent
Perception Research found that while Australia
and NZ continue to be perceived as ‘safe and
stable’ due to their elimination strategies
and low COVID-19 cases, the survey said
this perception is increasingly irrelevant
to a country’s reputation as a study abroad
destination. Around 30 percent of agents
viewed Australia and NZ as being “open
and welcoming” to international students.
Conversely, the figure is 51 percent, 74 percent
and 76 percent for the US, the UK and Canada
respectively.
The survey captured the views of nearly 900
agents in 73 countries around the world.
According to news reports, Australia
processed over 20,000 student visas in last oneand-half
year, while over half a million students
are headed to Canada to pursue their studies.
The US is also actively processing student visas
for Indian students.
Nimish Chaudhari who applied for his
Masters from Waikato University, expected to
be in NZ for the July 2020 intake. However, due
to border closures, he was unable to travel for
his course, and was given an option of pursuing
his course online. Instead, he chose to apply to
a university in London.
“I wanted to come to NZ to pursue my
Masters, however, I wanted to do it in person,
in the country,” he said. “I waited to for a year,
however, I am 25 now, I cannot put my life on
hold for the borders to open, and hence decided
to apply for a UK university.”
Victoria University research shows that new
Indian international students to the UK have
more than doubled since before Covid, jumping
by 174 percent.
Sharma said, “We continue to receive queries
from students across the country, and some of
them are excited to do online courses, but for
many, the appeal is being in the country.”
Last month, Covid-19 Response Minister
Chris Hipkins said that NZ will open its borders
to all vaccinated international travellers,
including international students, on April 30.
The reopening is set to occur in a staged way,
details for which have not yet been released.
During the announcement Hipkins said, “We
will work through the details closer to the time,
but the crux of it is – this is certainty for the
sector that international students will return
next year.”
Chawla remarked, “People are willing
to investing in NZ’s education strategy of
providing high value, and high quality, but they
need more of a timeline on when borders will
be opening, and what the process will be like.”
The government previously announced that
up to 1000 bachelor and postgraduate students
might be eligible for a border exemption to
continue their studies in NZ. Last year, it also
established a category that will allow 250
international PhD and postgraduate students to
enter NZ and continue their studies.
However, fewer than 200 students out of
the planned 1000 were reportedly allowed into
the country, largely attributed to the drawn-out
application process and lack of spots in MIQ.
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8
NEW ZEALAND / COMMUNITY
Friday, December 17, 2021 The Indian Weekender
Coming
together to
serve the
community
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH
Famous British statesman
Winston Churchill once said,
“We make a living by what
we get, but we make a life by what
we give.”
And taking a cue from the same
is the “Clap for Cause” – a group
constituted by eight strong and
inspiring Kiwi Indian women who
came together in January 2021 to
spend some time every month with
one other and with the community.
The group comprises professional
women from diverse fields
who want to do their bit for the
community and society.
The members are Sreesutha
Nampally (Processing Officer at
Ministry); Lavanya Komal (Key
Accounts & Data Analyst in FMCG
industry); Siri Koripa (Credit
Manager at Häfele New Zealand
Limited); Sreekala Srihari
(Shipping Line CS Officer), Sujala
Tiyyagura (Regional Lead Supported
Housing at Kāinga Ora - Homes and
Communities); Neha Patidar (QA
Manager at Fiserv Ltd), Kalyani
Atmala (QA Test Analyst at Fidelity
Life Assurance Company Ltd), and
Sheethal Allam (Team Leader at
Genesis Energy).
Sheethal, the 39-year-old mother
of two who hails from Hyderabad,
says, “The idea behind the group was
to do something for the community.
The group intends to meet every
month and do a community
activity together.
The member herself chose the
activity according to her passion.
“Since we all get so busy with our
lives and work, the group started
with the thought of spending some
time with this bunch of like-minded
friends to live life with fun and
laughter at least for a few hours
every month as a stress buster and
fortunately, just in no time, this
thought turned out to be a great idea
of doing some awesome service
while we are together. I can’t tell you
the satisfaction that we all get when
giving back to the community.”
Another member and one of the
founders, Sreesutha Nampally,
says the shared passion for giving
back to the community brought
these ladies together.
“Most of us have been involved
di1rectly or indirectly in social or
community work for last many years.
So, this common quality among us
and the passion for doing something
for our society and nature apart from
our personal and work lives brought
us all together feel motivated to join
hands to move forward with strong
positive intentions. Since we are
together, we feel even stronger.”
Interestingly, the group has
so far done many community
activities including mask donation;
planting at Western Springs along
with Conservation Volunteers
New Zealand; beach clean up at
Mission Bay, Auckland; weeding
and prepping for winter plantation
around Earth Day 2021; packing
lunches for school kids at Auckland
CBD Eat My Lunch and Langar
Seva at Gurudwara Sahib Takanini.
Due to the lockdown and Covid-19
restrictions in place in Auckland
since August, the group has not
been able to do the community
activities monthly. However, since
now things are better, the group
hopes to resume doing their monthly
community activity.
“Though this Covid lockdown
did put a break on put plans, we are
so happy to share that this coming
Saturday 18 December, we are
resuming our activities by giving
a food hamper along with some
household essential goodies hamper
to some needy people with the Help
"
The common
quality among us
and the passion for
doing something
for our society and
nature apart from our
personal and work
lives brought us all
together feel motivated
to join hands to move
forward with strong
positive intentions
of Salvation Army. Hoping that
we can bring a smile to their faces
this Xmas with this small gesture,”
reveals Sheethal.
The group has got an overwhelming
response from the community, with
many wanting to join and contribute.
“We feel so proud and thankful to
our families, friends, and community
members who have given and still
giving us so much love and energy to
continue our journey.
"In fact, so many people have
already expressed their interest in
joining us in the ‘Clap for Cause’
service-oriented activities. Some
have already been part of us, which
means it inspires others to make
some difference in our society, and
this is where we get inspiration to
inspire others,” signs off Sreesutha.
Spreading Christmas cheer in Christchurch
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH
With just a few more days to go, the
Christmas vibes and cheers can
undoubtedly be felt in the air. The
Kerala Cultural Forum (KCF) Christchurch
is doing its bit in spreading joy and
festivity in the community.
KCF was formed in 2011 to bring together
Indians of Kerala origin living in Christchurch,
NZ, to maintain the rich heritage and to provide
their children with an opportunity to get a
glimpse of our culture.
The group is now visiting Kerala community
houses in Christchurch to sing Christmas carols
during the weekends.
The group goes to every Christchurch home
that requests them for a visit.
While at the house, Santa gives gifts and
Christmas greeting cards to the house members.
Syam Dev, Treasurer of KFC, says, “We have
so far visited almost 42 houses with 25 more to
go, which is happening this coming week. This
Sunday is our last day of the carol.”
Given the times that we live in, one needs to
keep the Covid-19 restrictions and protocols
in mind. On being asked about how the group
is adhering to the protocols while visiting
other households, Syam says, “We have made
it mandatory that people who join in carols
above 12 years old need to be fully vaccinated.
Moreover, we make sure that the house
members of the house we are going to are fully
vaccinated. Apart from that, we always try to
maintain distance as much as possible.”
"
We have made it mandatory
that people who join in
carols above 12 years old
need to be fully vaccinated.
Moreover, we make sure that
the house members of the
house we are going to are fully
vaccinated. Apart from that,
we always try to maintain
distance as much as possible
Lastly, owing to the pandemic, the forum’s
plans to hold a Christmas event have been
put on hold this year. Syam says, “This is the
10th anniversary of Kerala Cultural Forum.
Every year we used to celebrate the Christmas
function with great enthusiasm. But, due to the
uncertainty related to the number of people
attending the function due to the pandemic,
we are not doing any
Christmas functions
this year. However, if
everything goes well,
we do have plans to
celebrate our 10th
anniversary in the month
of February.”

The Indian Weekender Friday, December 17, 2021
NEW ZEALAND 9
Half of Kiwis experienced
road rage this year
IWK BUREAU
The ongoing strain of living with
Covid-19 could be starting to show up
on our roads, with 50 percent of New
Zealanders having experienced some form of
road rage in the past 12 months – according to
a national survey by State Insurance and market
research company Ipsos.
Forty-one per cent said the road rage incident
included swearing, yelling and/or rude gestures,
while more than a quarter (27 percent) said it
involved aggressive or intimidating driving
directed at them.
Six per cent said the road rage incident
involved threats of violence, while four percent
claimed it led to their vehicle being damaged.
One percent of respondents said the incident
resulted in someone getting physically hurt.
Almost one in four of all respondents
admitted to inflicting some form of road rage on
to another driver during the 12-month period.
Of those who have experienced or inflicted road
rage during the period, 38 percent believe road
rage has worsened over the past 12 months.
According to the survey, failure to follow
road rules triggered the majority (81 percent) of
road rage incidents, with failing to give way a
main cause. State’s Executive General Manager
Claims, Dean MacGregor, says all kiwis have
an important role to play in creating safe
and enjoyable environment on our roads this
summer.
“When it comes to road rage, we know that
starting or escalating conflict never helps the
situation – regardless of who is in the wrong.
This is especially relevant if responding
aggressively leads to someone getting hurt, or
someone’s property getting damaged.
“In light of these survey results, we hope all
New Zealand property prices double in five years
IWK BUREAU
on-year in November, while demand was down
17 percent as Covid-19 restrictions continued.
In the Wellington region, the average asking
price for a property reached a new high of
$964,250 in November, increasing by 23 per
cent year-on-year.
In Wellington, supply was up 31 per cent
year-on-year while demand was down 18 per
cent. Small houses saw the largest year-onyear
percentage increase of 27 percent to reach
$693,250.
The national average asking price for urban
properties (townhouses, apartments and units)
reached a record high in November, at $756,550.
The average asking price for a townhouse saw
November were Waiheke Island ($1,732,350) the biggest increase of all urban property types,
and North Shore City ($1,455,100). Supply in up 25 percent on the same month last year and
the Auckland region was up one percent year-
reaching an all-time high of $873,000.
The national average asking price
reached a new record of $936,150 last
month, increasing by 50 per cent when
compared with November 2016, according to
the latest Trade Me Property Price Index.
November was the first time the national
average entered the $900,000 bracket, and that
in the past 12 months prices had climbed by
nearly a quarter.
“If we compare November’s national
average asking price to the same month in
2020, we saw an eye-watering increase of 23
percent – the largest year-on-year jump we’ve
ever seen,” Trade Me Property Sales Director
Gavin Lloyd said.
“If we compare the national average asking
price to five years ago, homeowners have made
an average of $311,450 on their property.”
Looking around the country, Lloyd
said the average asking prices reached an
all-time high in every region last month,
except for Southland.
"
With the national average
asking price increasing by
5 per cent in the past month
alone it’s easy to see why
New Zealanders don’t foresee
any drop in property values,
despite the momentous uplift
in listings we’re seeing and
some experts predicting
otherwise
“Even after months of record-breaking price
increases this year, the market is heading full
drivers will take a moment to exercise patience
and restraint when interacting with others –
especially now as the busy shopping and holiday
travel season gets underway.”
State’s survey also found that almost three
quarters (71 percent) of recipients think finding
an available carpark in a busy shopping centre is
a stressful activity, with 55 percent agreeing that
travelling long distances can test their resilience.
As the holidays season approaches and
Auckland’s borders prepare to open, State’s
safety advice for drivers is well-timed.
Top tips to avoid road rage this holiday
season:
1. Give yourself more time
Feeling stressed or rushed can lead to mistakes
on the road and can inflame conflict with other
drivers. Allow extra time for your various trips
and try and avoid travelling when traffic is at
its peak.
2. Drive safely and avoid tailgating and
cutting into traffic
If you are patient and use your indicators, a
courteous driver will clear the way for you faster
than you think. Tailgating only puts yourself and
others in danger – always remember the two
second rule.
3. Keep your cool and show restraint
steam ahead into 2022,” he said.
Nationwide, while the number of houses
for sale dropped by two percent year-on-year,
this was a massive 25 percent increase when
compared with the month prior.
“With the national average asking price
increasing by 5 per cent in the past month alone
it’s easy to see why New Zealanders don’t
foresee any drop in property values, despite the
momentous uplift in listings we’re seeing and
some experts predicting otherwise,” Lloyd said.
Auckland touches
$1.2m; Wellington
prices close $1m
Despite lockdown restrictions, the average
asking price in the Auckland region reached a
record $1,251,150 in November after climbing
22 per cent year-on-year.
The average asking price was an all-time
high of $1,402,900, making it the third most
expensive district in the region.
The most expensive districts in Auckland in
"
In light of these survey
results, we hope all
drivers will take a moment
to exercise patience and
restraint when interacting
with others – especially
now as the busy shopping
and holiday travel season
gets underway
If something happens, avoid using the horn
excessively or making rude gestures at others.
Instead, take deep breaths which will help
relieve tension. If another driver is in the wrong
or acting aggressively – ignore them. Your
chief responsibility is to keep yourself and your
passengers safe. If your passengers are too loud
and are preventing you from focusing on the
road, pull over and take time to restore order.
4. Ignore bad drivers and resist the urge to
get even
If someone else’s driving doesn’t meet your
standards, just move away to allow space
between yourself and the other driver. Don’t
ever add fuel to the fire or try to get even with
someone else. Remember your responsibility is
to keep yourself and your passengers safe.
5. Use friendly hand gestures, say “Thanks”
and “Sorry”
Civility and good manners encourage other
drivers to do the same. Acknowledge your
mistakes and apologise through eye contact or
a quick friendly gesture. This can defuse a hot
situation and avoid a direct confrontation.
6. Protect yourself
If you feel seriously threatened by another
driver, stop your car, lock the doors and call 1-1-
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Medsafe gives
provisional approval
for Pfizer vaccine
for children
Medsafe has granted provisional
approval for the Pfizer Covid-19
vaccine for children aged 5 to 11
years old. The provisional approval is for two
doses of the paediatric vaccine, given at least
21 days apart. The Pfizer vaccine for this age
group has been adapted for use on children,
said Medsafe group manager Chris James.
“The Medsafe team has worked tirelessly
this year to ensure that Covid-19 vaccine
applications are prioritised and urgently
reviewed, while still maintaining the same
scrutiny that all medicine applications
undergo before they can be approved,” James
said in a statement.
“Medsafe will only approve a vaccine or
medicine for use in New Zealand once it is
satisfied that it has met high standards for
quality, safety and efficacy.”
The Covid-19 Vaccine Technical Advisory
Group is now providing advice to the Ministry
of Health to inform Cabinet’s decision on
whether to use this version of the vaccine
in New Zealand. In a statement, National
Immunisation Programme director Astrid
Koornneef said work was well underway to
prepare for the potential rollout, but Cabinet
has yet to make a decision.
“If Cabinet agrees to use the vaccine in New
Zealand, we want to have systems in place to
roll out the vaccine safely and efficiently, at
the earliest opportunity,” Koornneef said.
“This means completing the necessary
training and working with the community
to roll out the vaccine, including through
whānau-based approaches.” If approved
by Cabinet, the Ministry of Health said the
rollout is expected to start in New Zealand no
later than the end of January 2022.
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10 NEW ZEALAND
Friday, December 17, 2021
NZ’s first case of Omicron
confirmed in a Christchurch MIQ
RADIO NEW ZEALAND
Director-General of Health Ashley
Bloomfield has confirmed the country’s
first case of the Omicron variant has
been found at a MIQ facility in Christchurch.
Dr Bloomfield confirmed the news at a media
conference this afternoon.
Dr Bloomfield said the person arrived in New
Zealand on a flight from Germany via Dubai
that landed in Auckland. People on that flight
were then transferred to Christchurch on a
chartered domestic flight.
He said all the people on that flight are in two
separate hotels in Christchurch.
“This person was tested on day 1, a positive
test result on day 2 was reported - that was on
the 12th [of December]. The case was reported
on the 13th in our numbers as a case that had
come from the border.” Dr Bloomfield said
there was one other case that had already been
confirmed from that flight on day 0-1 testing,
“but the whole genome sequencing on that
other case show it’s Delta strain”.
“We’re doing urgent whole genome
sequencing on all our cases at the border. We
fully expected we would find a case of Omicron
and in fact we are treating every border related
case as if it were Omicron until proven
otherwise.”
Dr Bloomfield said today there were good
protocols in place “that are designed to stop
the virus getting across the border that have
served us incredibly well”, like with the highly
transmissible Delta variant.
He said one change made to protocols is that
if there were an Omicron case at the border then
everybody on that flight would be considered
a close contact - on both the international and
domestic flights.
Everyone on the floor of the MIQ facility
where they were staying would be considered
a close contact.
“They complete their full 10 days at the
isolation facility at this point while we await
further data on Omicron, that’s our interim
approach.”
Bloomfield said returnees could not leave
their rooms until day 1 test results were in.When
this case was found, they were immediately
moved to a quarantine facility, he said.
“We think there’s very little risk to others in
the MIQ facility, both staff and people who are
staying there.”
Dr Bloomfield said he did not know the name
of the hotel where the Omicron case was found.
But he confirmed the new case would stay
in MIQ for the full 14 days as part of the new
protocol.
“We have every intention of keeping Omicron
out of the country for as long as possible.”
He said New Zealand was “very well
prepared” in case Omicron was found in the
community.
Initial data suggested Omicron was spreading
in a few southern African countries that were
then put on the very high risk list, but “that’s
not particularly helpful, because Omicron is
everywhere, really”.
Lastly, on being asked if Omicron was found
in the community, would he recommend a
lockdown, Dr Bloomfield said: “We would just
have to see what the situation was. When we
went into lockdown in August, the vaccination
rate was a lot lower. We need to have as much
time as possible to learn about Omicron, he
said. We will be learning from the Australian
experience”
It may be noted that Ninety percent of eligible
New Zealanders are now fully vaccinated.
Although it was first reported to the WHO by
South Africa, subsequent data showed Omicron
was initially detected in four foreign nationals
who entered Botswana on 7 November, 2021.
The Indian Weekender
Reserve Bank appoints
three new executives
The Reserve Bank has made three
appointments to its executive leadership
team, following the resignation and
retirement of several members.
arah Owen, Kate Kolich and Greg Smith will
join the Reserve Bank as assistant governors,
governor Adrian Orr said.
The appointments followed the departure of
long serving members of the team, including
head of supervision, Andy Wood, and head
of financial system, Toby Fiennes, and the
announced departures of deputy governor
Geoff Bascand, and chief economist Yuong Ha.
The Reserve Bank announced plans to
bolster the overall capability and capacity of
the executive team.
Kolich will take up a new role of assistant
governor and general manager of information,
data and analytics in February.
“The role will ensure that the bank’s
information and data strategy, policy, and
processes are future-focused and robust to
support evidence-based decision-making
across the bank,” Orr said.
Owen will join as the central bank’s first
assistant governor and general manager of
risk compliance and legal services in March,
in addition to the roles of RBNZ’s chief risk
officer, chief privacy officer and anti-money
laundering officer.
“Sarah is joining us from the Guardians of
NZ Superannuation where she is part of their
senior leadership team as general counsel and
general manager of corporate strategy,” Orr
said.
Smith will take on the role of assistant
governor and general manager of finance and
commercial operations, and had been working
at the central bank since July as the acting head
of risk.
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Albany / Botany / Glenfield / Henderson / Mt Eden / Newmarket / Queen St / Stonefields
‘Our economy needs a shot and this is it’:
Queenstown welcomes Auckland tourists
RADIO NEW ZEALAND
Queenstown welcomed nearly 2000
Aucklanders yesterday but things
are still dire for businesses without
international tourism, says mayor Jim Boult.
The first day of border-free travel boosted the
number of people in Queenstown.
Queenstown mayor Jim Boult said people
are excited but there’s a bit of trepidation, with
locals realising they might end up with Covid
in the district.
“But generally, our economy needs a shot
and this is it.” Boult says domestic business
is usually about a third of the the total tourism
spend. “So things are pretty dire without the
international spend, by hey, we are where we
are.” Hearing from the tourism ministry that
might be another year before international
tourism resumes has cast “a pretty doomy mood
around the town”, he said.
“We’re now almost two years since we
said goodbye to our international visitors.
Businesses are literally hanging on by the skin
of their teeth.” The plan to allow tourists to
enter the country if they isolate for seven days
won’t work, he said. “Nobody’s going to come
here for a two or three week holiday and have
to spend the first week sitting in a hotel room.”
Migrant worker numbers in the town have
dropped dramatically, with almost every
restaurant in town is advertising for staff, he
said.
“What we are saying to government is when
you are going to open the borders and let
visitors back in, you need to allow us to bring
some workers in before that happens otherwise
we’re going to have a real shortage,” he said.
“Aucklanders make up a massive percentage
of domestic spend, we’re very happy to have
them back and certainly talking to businesses
around town, there’s quite a lot of excitement.”
Several bars and restaurants spoken to
by RNZ say business didn’t really boom
last night but predict better times are just
around the corner.

The Indian Weekender Friday, December 17, 2021
NEW ZEALAND 11
Aucklanders be quick: 100,000
vouchers up for grabs!
IWK BUREAU
in and visit.”
as well as perhaps some lesserknown
options too. Once we have
The Explore Tāmaki Makaurau
How Aucklanders can take part:
Voucher Programme
1. Register
all the operators on board, we will
registration is now live and
Aucklanders can register now share more about the exact deals
open for Aucklanders to register
until 25 February at http://www. in early January, ahead of the first
for the chance to receive one of
exploreaucklandnow.co.nz/ for the draw on 15 January.
100,000 vouchers that can cover or
chance to receive a voucher.
Eligible operators are encouraged
contribute towards enjoying a range
2. Receive
to take part in the programme by
of experiences this summer.
Once registered, the entrant will offering experiences that the voucher
Aucklanders can register
have the chance to be allocated values can be put towards on
to receive either one $100
a voucher in one of four draws. Bookme.co.nz.
family voucher or one $50
Entrants will be notified by email. Further information for businesses,
individual voucher.
3. Redeem
including eligibility, is available
The value of the voucher can be
If allocated a voucher, the value here.
and explore their region over Covid-19 restrictions, both through
used to cover or contribute towards
of the voucher can be used to cover The Explore Tāmaki Makaurau
the summer months.
direct voucher benefits to businesses
the value of eligible activities and
or contribute towards the cost of Voucher Programme is one
“With the city having now and the wider stimulus it will provide
attractions on Bookme.
eligible Auckland experiences on programme of the Reactivating
transitioned to the Covid-19 to the regional economy as people
Registrations are open from 15
Bookme.co.nz
Tāmaki Makaurau Support Package
Protection Framework and move around the city and spend at
December 2021 to 25 February 2022.
The region’s economic and announced by the New Zealand
Aucklanders enjoying many of their other venues such as cafes, bars and
The 100,000 vouchers will be
cultural agency, Auckland Government on 1 December 2021.
freedoms once again, this is a great restaurants.
randomly allocated in four draws,
Unlimited, is delivering the voucher Other programmes include the
way to acknowledge Aucklanders for “I look forward to families and
with 25,000 vouchers allocated on
programme on behalf of the Explore Tāmaki Makaurau Discount
their hard work and support them to people across our region taking
15 January, 1 February, 15 February
New Zealand Government.
Programme and the Local Activation
have a proper Kiwi summer.
advantage of these vouchers and
and 1 March.
The voucher value can be put Programme.
“It will also provide a boost to enjoying some of the worldclass
attractions that help to make
Further information on these
Mayor Phil Goff is encouraging
towards booking deals with many
businesses that have been under real
Aucklanders to make the most
familiar attractions and activities
pressure as the result of the necessary Auckland such a great place to live
programmes is available at www.
of the opportunity to get out
that Aucklanders know and love, aucklandnz.com/reactivate.
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making millions through this operation. One Let’s take this as a warning. If you
Bitcoin address shared by a victim shows that have invested in bitcoin or other crypto,
it has sent over 1.4 million dollars in tokens. then stay cautious about who you share
And that is just from one Bitcoin address. your information and money with. Stick
Sophos suspects that this is just, “the tip of to trading apps you are familiar with
the iceberg. There could be several, with and avoid engaging in crypto trading via
millions being lost.”
dating apps.
The scammers are at it again. What’s
their game this time? It’s got to
do with Crypto.
Crypto currencies have been making the
rounds for a while now, with currencies like
Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin climbing up
the ranks and even outdoing some of the more
traditional forms of currency like the Dollar or
the Rupee.
In fact, nowadays there are a number
of different crypto currencies you can
choose from, like Cardano, Stellar and
even Doge coin (which started out a meme
but has become a serious form of crypto
currency now).
The scam is called CryptoRom and was first
brought to public attention by Cyber security
company Sophos. Scammers tempt apple users
into downloading phony crypto trading apps
from the app store. But what makes the scam all
the more devious is that the scammers approach
potential victims via dating app services like
Tinder, Facebook dating and Bumble.
The scammers contact potential victims on
the dating apps and then move the conversation
to messaging apps. After that they build trust
with the victim and ask them to install a fake
trading app.
A spokesperson from Sophos said that these
fake apps have, “legitimate-looking domains
and customer support.
They move the conversation to investment
and ask them to invest a small amount, and
even let them withdraw that money with profit
as bait.”
“After this, they will be told to buy various
financial products or asked to invest in special
‘profitable’ trading events.
The new friend even lends some money into
the fake app, to make the victim believe they’re
real and caring. When the victim wants their
money back or gets suspicious, they get locked
out of the account.”
But it’s not just that. These fake apps allow
the scammers to take control of a user’s iPhone
and take their personal data.
But why are the scammers targeting iPhone
users? According to Sophos, this is because the
"
After this, they will
be told to buy various
financial products or
asked to invest in special
‘profitable’ trading events.
The new friend even lends
some money into the fake
app, to make the victim
believe they’re real and
caring. When the victim
wants their money back or
gets suspicious, they get
locked out of the account
scammers assume iPhone owners are “likely to
be wealthy.”
In Sophos’ initial research, they discovered,
“that the crooks behind these applications
were targeting iOS users using Apple’s
ad hoc distribution method, through
distribution operations known as ‘Super
Signature services.’”
“As we expanded our search based on userprovided
data and additional threat hunting,
we also witnessed malicious apps tied to
these scams on iOS leveraging configuration
profiles that abuse Apple’s Enterprise Signature
distribution scheme to target victims.”
Research suggests that the scammers are
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Editorial
Auckland border
opening lifts hope
in migrants
Aucklanders and the rest of New Zealanders are rejoicing on the first day of being allowed
to travel for work, reunite with family in New Zealand – a privilege not yet available for
migrants with family connections overseas.
The current buzz in the air with Auckland’s borders opening and accompanying
stories of family reunion is touching the hearts of many in migrant communities of New
Zealand in the face of closed international borders for almost two years resulting in forced
separation from families and loved ones and restricted travel opportunities.
Touched with the emotional stories of family reunion dominating the mainstream media
from Wednesday, December 15, when Aucklanders were allowed to travel out of the
supercity (without exception) for the first time in four months ever since Delta Outbreak
began on August 17 – many in migrant communities are hoping that they would also be
able to enjoy their own family reunions once New Zealand borders open fully in April
2022 as per the government’s border opening plans.
For many new age migrants, who normally have families spread across different parts
of the world, the ability to travel internationally quite frequently and often at short notice,
is paramount and fundamental for their emotional well-being.
Something which has been radically disrupted amidst the global Covid pandemic, and
more so in NZ, where the government’s cautious response has seen international borders
remain firmly closed, not only for foreign travellers, but also for temporary migrants who
were ordinarily resident in NZ before being locked out of the borders.
In that regard, the recent news of the government’s plan to reopen NZ’s international
borders in a staggered manner early next year has generated some hopes and expectations
amongst the travel-deprived Kiwis and those keen to come to NZ for work, leisure, or
visiting families.
While the government has boldly stood its ground for months – despite the Delta
outbreak in the community, a few days after their initial announcement on the opening
of international borders remaining committed to international border-opening as per the
original plan – the emergence of the Omicron variant has cast a new shadow.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s sudden announcement on Monday, December 13, that
the government will be looking into the emergence of the Omicron variant on the scene
and its spread around the world before taking any final decision to fully open international
borders has indeed sent jitters across the anxiously waiting travellers and the migrant
communities, in particular.
However, many in migrant communities are finding hope from the overwhelming news
of bear-hugs, of tears of joy and smiles interspersed with choking voices that are currently
dominating mainstream media.
They are hopeful that a similar fate awaits them in the not-too-distant future, provided
the government does not fiddle away from its own commitment and stick to international
border reopening. For every border, reopening generates tremendous emotions, as evident
from Auckland’s recent border opening after four months.
The Indian Weekender spoke to many members of the Kiwi-Indian community
who found themselves almost unconsciously reeling with a similar emotional high as
experienced by many Aucklanders and New Zealanders who finally got a chance to meet
with their loved ones.
After almost two years of closed international borders, they desperately long for
restoration of some semblance of normalcy and the announcement of the opening of
international borders.
And the news of the opening of Auckland’s borders and subsequent images of family
reunions is rightly triggering them and the wider migrant communities with their hearts
stretched across different countries.
However, instead of sulking or allowing themselves to be the victim of any sense of
pain, many in the Kiwi-Indian community who have spoken with the Indian Weekender
remain cautiously optimistic.
In their limited but highly optimistic worldviews, they sincerely believe that they have
seen the back of a once in a hundred-year global pandemic and hope that it is just a matter
of time that the government will open international borders and they can have their own
family reunions.
And in true Christmas spirit, the Indian Weekender has no intention to unnecessarily
serve them with any apprehension or caution, letting them enjoy the Christmas holiday
season with a rejuvenated sense of hope.
Once again in true Christmas spirit, Indian Weekender would rather send all power
to the government to stand ground and remain committed to the international border
opening early next year.
Thought of the week
"Just when the caterpillar
thought the world was ending, he
turned into a butterfly." – Proverb
17 December - 23 December 2021
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu
On-and-off
rain and
drizzle
22°
16°
Clouds
and
sun
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This week in New Zealand’s history
Indian Weekender : Volume 13 Issue 41
Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited
Editor: Dev Nadkarni | dev@indianweekender.co.nz
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Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher
is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication
Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent
the views of the team at the Indian Weekender
Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland.
Printed at Horton Media, Auckland
Clouds
and
sun
22°
15°
Clouds
and
sun
24°
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17 December 1889
New Zealand’s Eiffel Tower opens
On-and-off
rain and
drizzle
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17°
Copyright 2020. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Clouds
and
sun
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Just 8½ months after Gustave Eiffel’s famous Paris tower was officially completed in March
1889, a wooden replica Eiffel Tower opened at the 1889–90 New Zealand and South Seas
Exhibition in Dunedin.
18 December 1988
Air New Zealand women cabin crew win antidiscrimination
case
On 18 December 1988, the Equal Opportunities Tribunal ruled that Air New Zealand had
breached the Human Rights Commission Act 1977 by not offering female cabin crew
the same opportunities for promotion as their male co-workers. The Tribunal declared that the
female flight attendants could take claims for damages totalling $1.5 million to the High Court.
19 December 1879
Universal male suffrage introduced
The Qualification of Electors Act extended the right to vote (the franchise) to all European
men aged 21 or over, regardless of whether they owned or rented property. This reform,
known as universal male suffrage – or, at the time, as ‘manhood suffrage’ – helped transform
New Zealand politics in the late 19th century.
19 December 1941
HMS Neptune lost in Mediterranean minefield
In New Zealand’s worst naval tragedy, the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Neptune struck enemy
mines and sank off Libya. Of the 764 men who lost their lives, 150 were New Zealanders.
20 December 1832
New Zealand’s first cricket match
Church Missionary Society (CMS) leader Henry Williams gave the male pupils (Māori and
Pākehā) of his mission school at Paihia in the Bay of Islands a rare day off.
20 December 1893
Women vote in Māori seats for first time
Just over three weeks after the landmark 28 November general election in which New Zealand
women became the first in the world to vote in a national parliamentary election, voting was
held in the four Māori electorates.

The Indian Weekender Friday, December 17, 2021 FIJI 13
Fiji steps up childhood immunisation
for vaccine-preventable disease
The Fijian Government has put together
a national plan to be rolled out in early
January next year for the vaccination
of all children in eligible age groups against
diseases that are prevented with childhood
Fiji has the ability
to capitalise from
the outsourcing
market
Fiji needs to ensure it properly positions
itself to respond to the outsourcing
market.
Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
says the outsourcing market is becoming more
sophisticated which Fiji can capitalize on.
Sayed-Khaiyum says the Fiji National
University plays a critical role in ensuring
Fijians are trained and equipped with the skill
for outsourcing services.
“So there is obviously opportunity there and
our people are quite capable people as well.
We have over six-hundred thousand Facebook
users in Fiji and 95 percent of Fiji is connected
with mobile telecommunication.”
He adds that the BPO Council is working
with key stakeholders to create Brand
Awareness for Fiji on the global stage as the
Preferred Outsourcing Destination and to assist
the Industry to become a major employer in the
Fijian economy.
“The reason why they come to Fiji is
apart from the infrastructure, is because of
the people. The people are their assets not
bricks and water, not tables and chairs. The
assets are the people.” The Attorney-General
launched the Outsource Fiji Brand at the FNU,
Nasinu campus.
immunization. Ministry of Health and Medical
Services permanent secretary Dr James Fong
said with ongoing vaccination campaigns
for COVID-19, and the identification of two
cases of measles in the Serua-Namosi Health
Australia provides further AUD$85 million direct budget support to Fiji.
Subdivision, they were also focused on
stepping up the national immunization program
for vaccine-preventable disease.
In the meantime, he encouraged all parents
to review their children’s vaccination cards, in
Australia provides a further AUD$85m
in direct budget support to Fiji
Australia has provided a further AUD$85
million in direct budget support to the
Fijian Government.
Since the pandemic started, Australia has
provided AUD$168.5 million in financial
support to Fiji.
Australian Minister for International
Development and the Pacific Zed Seselja
while speaking virtually from Australia says
Fiji’s economy has been one of the hardest hit
globally due to COVID and the scars of the
pandemic will be felt in the region for years to
come.
Seselja says their fiscal support is helping
address Fiji’s immediate fiscal pressures, debt
sustainability and bolstering vital services.
He adds this package supports Fiji’s ongoing
reforms and also acknowledged Fiji’s response
to COVID-19.
Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-
Khaiyum says this direct budget support
has been of tremendous assistance to Fiji in
particular given the pandemic.
Sayed-Khaiyum says the funding will go to a
host of programs that have been announced in
the budget itself.
He further says this direct budget support is
in conjunction with the ADB loans that Fiji has
taken out, and Fiji has had to take and meet a
number of policy measures. Sayed-Khaiyum
adds Fiji was fortunate to partner with Australia
and NZ to get vaccines for Fijians.
He thanked Seselja for the confidence to
provide direct budget support to Fiji which is an
endorsement of the practices that the Ministry
of Economy has engaged in.
particular those below five years old, to ensure
their vaccination was up to date.
Members of the public are advised to contact
their nearest health facility if their child has
missed out on any scheduled vaccination.
Fijian Elections
Office continues
preparations for
2022 Election
The Fijian Elections Office will continue
recruitment from January 10th as it
continues preparations for the 2022
General Election.
Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed
Saneem, says so far they have recruited over
4,000 individuals with an aim to recruit more
in the New Year.
Saneem adds that FEO is looking to hire
around 11,000-15,000 people in the lead up to
elections.
He has also highlighted that they will also
have COVID safety measures in place at
respective polling stations.
“We will be requiring individuals who turn
up to vote, to wear a mask, and we will be
providing hand sanitizers at the polling places.
And we will ensure that there are protocols in
place to protect people from contamination and
as well as from being exposed.”
Saneem has also confirmed that voting will
be completely manual with the use of ballot
papers and similar to the voting process in 2018
and 2014.
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EVENTS
NEW ZEALAND
Over a ton of colour to be used at
Krishna Holi 2021 event in Kumeu
The Indian Weekender Friday, February 12, 2021 11
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
T
he biggest Holi event in the country
on Sunday, February 14 at ISKCON
Temple in Kumeu will put over one
ton of colours for 10,000 visitors to play with
celebrating the annual Hindu festival.
Holi is one of the most popular and widely
celebrated festivals for the Indian community
after Diwali that is celebrated by the diaspora
and the adjoining communities across the globe.
The annual festival of colour falls on March
28-29 this year, and the religious element of the
festival signifies the triumph of good over evil.
It is observed a the end of winter and advent of
spring month (in the Indian subcontinent), and
spiritual part of the festival starts with Holika
Dahan (burning demon Holika) also known as
Chhoti Holi and the following day as Holi.
In its 9th year, Krishna Holi event at the
iconic Hare Krishna Temple in Kumeu, West
Auckland attracts thousands of people from all
walks of life, different ethnicities and faiths to
be a part of a colourful and joyous event.
Speaking with the Indian Weekender,
Krishna Chandra from the temple said they are
excited to see the festive season of Holi back
after a gloomy year of Covid-19 in the country.
“Holi at the Krishna Temple is one of the
most vibrant events in our calendar- we see
families dressed white clothing visi the temple
and then dance and drench in dry and wet
colours from noon till early evening,” Krishna
Chandra, secretary and spokesperson of Hare
Krishna Temple said.
The temple spread over 100 acres start the
free event at 11 a.m. and will have stalls that
distribute at least ten to 12 colours, and there
will also be watercolours for the visitors.
A giant LED screen is also installed on the
stage with a DJ and live music for the attendees
to dance and have fun.
“It’s a family-friendly- tobacco and alcoholfree
event. People of all ages can have fun as
there will be colour stalls, water stations, food
stalls, changing rooms, showering stations for
people drenched in colour,” Mr Chandra said.
He added tha the temple stocks colours to be sanitisers are in place for people, arrangements
used at the festival at least 2-3 years at a time. for children activities, so that everyone gets to
The temple will be used over a ton of colour at enjoy the even to its fullest.
the event both in its dry form and with water. “We have volunteers, security to usher
“We have given 200 kgs of colour to fire vehicles to park in the appropriate places,
brigade who will mix it in their water tank manage the oncoming and returning traffic,
and then splash it on the visitors at different and make sure visitors feel comfortable at the
intervals.
event,” Mr Chandra added.
“Since this year’s event coincides with The event organisers have appealed the
Valentine’s Day, we have kept valentine theme visitors to come in white dress as colours tend event like previous years will be high octane,
gifts and gift station too at the venue for the to exhibit its vibrancy on white clothing, get full of energy and good vibes,” Mr Chandra
public to celebrate the occasion there,” Mr spare clothing to change after playing with added.
Chandra added.
colour and food and water arrangements have ISKCON Temple is located on 1229
Mr Chandra says all arrangements in been made a the venue.
Coatesville-Riverhead Highway, Kumeu, West
terms of Covid QR Code scanning and hand “Hol is always a fun event and Krishna Holi Auckland, and the event starts at noon to 5 p.m.
Hare Krishna temple to host ‘Saatvik food festival’
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
T
he Hare Krishna Temple in Kumeu, West Auckland
is hosting its annual food festival event on Saturday,
February 13, for the community.
More than 3000 people are expected to attend the event
where they will be served saatvik vegetarian food, tour the
temple premises and have a relaxing family-fun day.
“Our Hare Krishna Food Festival is very popular amongs the
wider Kiwi community in Auckland, people from all faiths and
ethnicities come to the temple, take a tour of the place knowing
about the deities, the ISKCON establishment, its works for the
community and have snacks and food during the day,” Krishna
Chandra, secretary and spokesperson for Hare Krishna temple
told the Indian Weekender.
The event is said to be quiet, and exhibit a relaxing
environment where people get to meet new people, make
friends, experience the calmness being with nature, have
Saatvik (pure) vegetarian food and have good family day.
“This event is happening just one day before our most
popular Krishna Holi event which is will be loud, full of energy,
playfulness, music and dance,” Mr Chandra added.
The events will start at 2 p.m. and end at seven in the evening.
Besides the food festival, Krishna Temple organises lunch
event every Sunday at its premises where 300-400 people
come, chant mantras, meditate, spend some time with nature
and dine with the community members.
“It is a soothing atmosphere at the temple, chanting mantras
with the community, knowing more about the religion, what
can they do a the temple and how can they make a difference in
the community by serving others and the less privileged.
“There are also children’s activities
organised so that they engage themselves
and also have a good time at the temple,” Mr
Chandra said.

14
INDIA
Friday, December 17, 2021 The Indian Weekender
India, UK natural partners,
says Boris Johnson
UK PM Boris Johnson was speaking at the 6th Global Tech Summit 2021
With shared culture
and innovation and
entrepreneurial spirit,
India and UK were natural partners
already working together on many
fantastic projects from the UK-India
Partnership including on 5G and
telecoms, said UK Prime Minister
Boris Johnson on Tuesday.
Delivering the Special Address at
the 6th Global Tech Summit 2021,
PM Johnson said, the summit comes
at a time when we are on the cusp of
an amazing new technological era.
“We have seen how technology
has risen to our rescue repeatedly
throughout this pandemic, bringing
people and businesses together even
when they have been many miles
even sometimes continents apart,” he
said in his virtual address.
“A huge advantage awaits us with
Artificial Intelligence and Quantum
Computing, with technology poised
to help us find answers to some of
humanity’s biggest challenges,”
Johnson added.
“That’s why I was so pleased
earlier this year when my friend
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and I
IIT-D develops kit
that tests Omicron
in 90 minutes
Researchers at IIT Delhi's
Kusuma School of
Biological Sciences have
developed an RT-PCR based assay
for the specific detection of the
Omicron (B.1.1.529.1) variant of
SARS-CoV-2.
The assay is based on detecting
specific mutations, which are present
in the Omicron variant and absent in
other currently circulating variants of
SARS-CoV-2. Primer sets targeting
these unique mutations in the S
gene were designed for the specific
amplification of either the Omicron
variant or other currently circulating
variants of SARS-CoV-2 and tested
using real time PCR. Using synthetic
DNA fragments, the assays were
optimised to distinguish the wildtype
from the Omicron variant in a
dynamic range from 107 to less than
100 copies per reaction.
Currently, the identification or
screening for Omicron is done
world-wide using next-generation
sequencing based methods, which
require over 3 days. By using this
RT-PCR based assay, it will be
possible to test for the presence of the
Omicron variant within 90 minutes.
This can be used as a rapid
screening assay for the identification
and isolation of individuals with the
Omicron variant. IIT Delhi has filed
an Indian patent application for the
same and is in the process of initiating
talks with potential industry partners.
IIT Delhi had earlier obtained
ICMR approval (first academic
Institute in India to do so) for an RT-
PCR kit for the diagnosis of SARS-
CoV-2, which was successfully
launched in the market.
agreed that our two countries should
work closer than ever before on the
technology and rules that would help
to shape the coming age,” he stated.
“Of course it is India, land of
the mathematical genius Srinivasa
Ramanujan that is powering ahead
with new technology and where there
is so much brilliant talent,” the UK
Prime Minister reckoned.
“For ourselves in the UK, we are
turbo-charging our plans for a science
and technology superpower, already
a world-beating tech hub attracting
more investment that anywhere in
"
A huge advantage
awaits us with
Artificial Intelligence
and Quantum
Computing, with
technology poised to
help us find answers
to some of humanity’s
biggest challenges
Europe and we are one of the three
countries world-wide with more than
100 unicorns,” he informed.
“So, with our shared culture and
innovation and entrepreneurial
spirit, India and UK are natural
partners already working together
on many fantastic projects from the
UK-India Partnership including on
5G and telecoms to the UK startups
who are working with Indian
Giants- Tata Group and Godrej
on the green technology to help
power our countries to net zero,”
Johnson mentioned.
“In the coming decade we will
continue to deepen our bonds of
tech and in other areas as we set out
in the 2030 UK-India/ India-UK
Roadmap and as we do so working
side-by-side we will not only make
the breakthroughs for transform and
liberate people’s lives but will help
shape a new technological age based
on the principles of freedom and
openness and peace,” he added.
The theme of the 2021 Global
Technology Summit is ‘Global
Meets Local’.
Being held from December 14-
16, the Summit will discuss diverse
topics on emerging technology
including the cryptocurrencies,
encryption, vaccine supply chains,
cloud computing, green technology,
digital payments, cyber security,
and science & tech cooperation
in the Quad.
India witnesses 40 pc increase in nuclear power
capacity in last seven year
India witnessed a 40 per cent
increase in nuclear power
capacity grew from 4780 MW to
6780 MW in the last seven years, said
Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister
of State (Prime Minister’s Office),
Department of Atomic Energy.
“India is pursuing an indigenous
three-stage nuclear power
programme to provide the country
with long term energy security in a
sustainable manner.
In addition, Light Water Reactors
based on foreign cooperation are also
being set up as additional facilities to
provide the country clean electricity,”
reads a written reply by the minister
in Lok Sabha.
In a separate question on Nuclear
Power augmentation, Dr Jitendra
Omicron will not
likely affect India
the way Delta did:
Top virologist
The new hyper-mutated Omicron
variant of Covid-19 will not affect
India as badly as Delta did early
this year, yet the country cannot be
complacent but must be careful and
alert, as per top virologist Dr Shahid
Jameel.
The Omicron variant, thought to
be more virulent than its predecessor
Delta, was first identified in South
Africa in November and has since
spread to more than 60 countries
around the world.
"India in December 2021 is very
different from India in March 2021,"
Dr Jameel, a visiting scientist at
Ashoka University, told IANS.
"Both in terms of numbers of, you
know, the vaccination percentage as
well as exposure to the virus. India
has had a very, very bad second
wave. And because of that, the
blessing in disguise is that many of
us got exposed to the virus.
"I think even if we get high
numbers of infections, the rate of
severe disease rate of hospitalisation
is going to be lower than what we
saw in Delta," added Jameel, who
is also Fellow at Green Templeton
College, University of Oxford.
Besides South Africa, the Omicron
strain has surged Covid cases in
many countries including France,
Russia, the US, and Israel. In the UK,
it is expected to replace Delta as the
dominant variant and the UK Health
Security Agency estimates that the
number of daily infections could
touch 200,000.
Jameel said the national sero
surveys has shown that a majority of
Indians have already been exposed
to the virus. So while "India, so far,
has about 40-odd reported cases of
Omicron and the rise in India has not
been as fast as the rise in the UK".
7 in 10 parents confess their phone use hurting relations
with kids: Report
At least 69 per cent of parents believe
that they lose track of their children,
surroundings when they are immersed in
their smartphones and 74 per cent admit to getting
irritated when their children ask them something,
a report said.
A new report titled 'Smartphones and Human
Relationships' by the smartphone brand Vivo in
association with Cybermedia Research (CMR)
showcases the impact of smartphones on users and
its effect on their relationships.
"The most difficult thing in any behaviour
change that we need is to take that first step,"
addressing the excessive use of smartphones,
Yogendra Sriramula, DGM, Brand Strategy, Vivo
India said.
"Our job here through this survey and the rest
of the campaign is to bring that knowledge from
Singh informed that the Kudankulam
Nuclear Power Plant KKNPP 3
and 4 (2X1000 MW) project was
implemented by the Nuclear Power
Corporation of India Limited
(NPCIL) has achieved physical
progress of 54.96 per cent as of
November 2021.
“
India is pursuing an
indigenous threestage
nuclear power
programme to provide
the country with long
term energy security in
a sustainable manner.
“The units of KKNPP 3 and 4
projects are expected to be completed
by March 2023 and November 2023
respectively.
The fast Reactor Fuel Cycle
Facility (FRFCF) project is presently
being executed by the Nuclear
Recycle Board, Bhabha Atomic
Research Centre, Department of
Atomic Energy.
Financial progress of the project as
of November 30 is 32 per cent and the
Project is expected to be completed
by December 2027,” he said.
the subconscious mind to the conscious mind,"
Sriramula added.
The report underlines that the average daily time
spent on smartphones remains at alarming levels in
the post-Covid era as there has been a 32 per cent
increase in the time spent on smartphones from
the pre-Covid period. Interestingly, the report also
highlighted that while the time that is spent with
kids and family, in general, has gone up, the quality
of time spent has deteriorated.
At least 80 per cent of smartphone users are on
their phones even when they are spending time
with their kids and 75 per cent admit to having
been distracted by their smartphones and not being
attentive to kids even while with them.
While 85 per cent of parents feel that their
children find it difficult to mix with other kids in
a social setting and the overall outdoor experience
to be daunting, 90 per cent of parents said that
their children are sometimes found to be lacking in
acceptable moral and social behaviour.
The overall dependency on phones has increased.
People use their phones while eating food (70 per
cent), in the living room (72 per cent) and even
while sitting with family (75 per cent), said the
survey that covered 1100 consumers, across age
groups and demographics, in the top 8 Indian
cities, including, New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata.

The Indian Weekender Friday, December 17, 2021
WORLD 15
COVID-19: First UK death
recorded with Omicron variant
At least one person in the UK
has died with the Omicron
coronavirus variant, the
prime minister has said.
Boris Johnson said the new
variant was also resulting in hospital
admissions and the “best thing”
people could do was get their booster
jab. Health Secretary Sajid Javid told
MPs Omicron now represented 20%
of cases in England.
The PM has set a new target for
all adults in England to be offered a
booster by the end of the month.
Mr Johnson said on Monday that
people needed to recognise “the
sheer pace at which [Omicron]
accelerates through the population”
and that they should set aside the idea
that Omicron was a milder variant.
The UK recorded 54,661 new
coronavirus cases on Monday, as
well as 38 deaths within 28 days of
a positive test.
There are 4,713 confirmed cases of
the Omicron variant, Mr Javid said,
although the true figure is believed
to be much higher. Omicron has
risen to more than 44% of cases in
London and is expected to become
Aus state to
ease curbs
despite rising
cases
Despite rising Covid-19 cases, the
Australian state of New South
Wales (NSW) remains on track
to ease more restrictions starting from
Wednesday onwards. On Tuesday, daily
new cases in NSW jumped to a 10-week
high of 804, an increase from 536 on
Monday, and almost four times since last
week, reports Xinhua news agency.
There was one reported death in the
last 24 hours, but unlike previous waves,
hospitalisations remain steady.
And despite the upward trend, mask
wearing in NSW will no longer be
mandatory in indoor settings from
Wednesday, and will only be required on
public transport.
In addition, non-essential retail venues
such as restaurants and retail shops, would
also open to the unvaccinated.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard
said on Tuesday that the state would not
"backflip" on its path to opening up, but
the dominant variant in the city in the
next 48 hours, he said.
Parliament will vote on the
government’s strategy to counter the
Omicron variant on Tuesday, with a
Conservative rebellion expected, but
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said
it was his party’s “patriotic duty” to
back the measures.
In a televised address, he said
Labour backed the target of giving
boosters to all adults by the end of
the month and urged people to come
forward for their top-up jab.
On Monday, the UK Health
Security Agency confirmed 10
people had been admitted to hospital
in England with the Omicron variant.
Their ages ranged from 18 to
urged citizens to get a booster shots, and
warned of dangers to the unvaccinated.
"New South Wales is not planning on any
snap lockdowns; what we are planning on
is making sure the community understands
the need to be vaccinated and the need to
have boosters," Hazzard said.
"You (unvaccinated people) might be out
and about now, but you are very vulnerable
to what is a rapidly increasing number of
Covid cases."
The fully vaccination rate for the
state's over-16 population stands at 93.2,
with 94.8 per cent having received at
least one dose.
Australia also remains on track to open
its national borders from Wednesday to
international students and skilled workers.
The nation was originally due to open to
the two groups from December 1, however,
this was delayed following the emergence
of the new Omicron variant.
85 years old and the majority had
received two doses of a Covid
vaccination, the agency said.
As hospital admissions and deaths
lag behind infections by about two
weeks, Mr Javid said the country
could “expect those numbers to
dramatically increase in the days and
weeks that lie ahead”.
England’s booster programme has
been expanded in response to the
new variant, with online bookings
for boosters opened for over-30s on
Monday, while 18 to 29-year-olds
will be able to book online from
Wednesday.
The health secretary described the
UK as being in a “race between the
virus and the vaccine”, stressing that
The Omicron variant
was first identified by
South Africa. The World
Health Organization (WHO) has
warned that the new coronavirus
variant Omicron is probably
already present in most countries
around the world.
Cases of the heavily mutated
variant have been confirmed in
77 countries. But WHO chief
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
said it was probably in many
others that had yet to detect
it, and was spreading at an
unprecedented rate.
Dr Tedros said he was
concerned that Omicron was
being underestimated.
"Surely, we have learned
by now that we underestimate
this virus at our peril. Even if
Omicron does cause less severe
disease, the sheer number
of cases could once again
the vaccination push would come
with “difficult trade-offs” – with
primary care services focusing on
urgent clinical needs and vaccines.
The prime minister’s official
spokesman said that while there
would be some “disruption”, cancer
treatments would not be affected by
the requirement to redeploy staff.
Mr Javid said setting the booster
target would mean “asking a huge
amount” of NHS staff and was not
a guarantee that every person would
get their vaccine by the end of the
month.
The NHS had announced it
would return to its highest level of
emergency preparedness, he said,
meaning the response to Omicron
could be coordinated as a national
effort rather than led by individual
trusts.
He also said the NHS Covid pass
would be rolled out to 12 to 15-yearolds
for international travel.
Meanwhile, the NHS website
crashed on Monday as thousands of
people tried to book their booster,
and there have also been long queues
at walk-in centres.
overwhelm unprepared health
systems," he said.
The Omicron variant was
first identified in South Africa
in November, and the country
has since seen a surge in
infections. President Cyril
Ramaphosa has tested positive
for Covid-19, and is currently
isolating with mild symptoms.
A number of countries have
introduced travel bans affecting
South Africa and its neighbours
following the emergence of
Omicron, but this has failed to
stop it from spreading around
the world. Dr Tedros told
reporters that Omicron was
The newest Omicron variant is
likely to become
a dominant
Covid-19
variant in the
US, said top
US infectious
disease expert
Anthony Fauci.
"Omicron is going
to be a challenge because it spreads
very rapidly, and the vaccines that we
use -- the regular two-dose mRNA --
don't do very well against infection
itself," he said on Tuesday in an
interview with CNN.
In South Africa, where the
Omicron variant was first identified,
while there is almost a vertical spike
of infection, the country is not seeing
severe hospitalisations, according to
Fauci, Director of the US National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases.
The Omicron variant, which is
possibly more contagious than the
Delta variant, had been found in
at least 31 US states as of Monday,
since the first case in the country was
detected in California on December
1, Xinhua news agency reported.
"spreading at a rate we have not
seen with any previous variant".
The UK government
announced on Tuesday that all
11 countries on its travel red list
would be taken off, with Health
Secretary Sajid Javid saying the
variant had spread so widely
the rules no longer had much
purpose. The UK is among
several European countries to
have tightened coronavirus
measures amid concerns over
the variant.
People in Scotland have
been asked to limit socialising
to three households at a time in
the run-up to Christmas.
Omicron cases in China threaten its manufacturing hubs
China has been battling
sporadic Covid outbreaks
that are weighing on its major
manufacturing hubs, Global Times
reported.
Less than 24 hours after North
China's Tianjin reported the Chinese
mainland's first case of an imported
infection of the Omicron coronavirus
variant on Monday night, Guangzhou,
capital of South China's Guangdong
Province, reported a new imported
case infected with the Omicron strain
on Tuesday.
While the sporadic outbreaks
are affecting major manufacturing
hubs and ports such as Shaoxing
and Ningbo, two cities in Zhejiang,
Dongguan, which is deemed as
the world's factory located in
Guangdong, also rolled out nucleic
Covid: Omicron
probably in
most countries,
WHO says
acid tests in two of its counties
at midnight on Monday after two
patients tested positive for Covid.
Businesses in Zhejiang are facing
logistical challenges which may
impact clothing firms and other
sectors of the local economy, after
factory activity and transportation
channels in parts of the province
were suspended amid the recent
resurgence of coronavirus cases, the
Global Times learned.
Starting December 8, all
companies, except for those making
essential products or personal
protective equipment (PPE) in
Zhenhai, a district in Ningbo, have
been required to suspend production.
On the same day, Shangyu district
in Shaoxing also required local
companies to suspend production,
Omicron likely to
become dominant
Covid-19 variant
in US: Fauci
with the exception of firms producing
PPE or other essential products.
Shangyu is a key hub for textile
dye firms, while Zhenhai is a key
base for the domestic petrochemical
industry.
Aside from halting factory
production, those cities have also
restricted intercity transportation.
Zhejiang has closed 10 freeway
toll stations on five highways,
while Zhenhai and Shangyu have
suspended package delivery services.
A total of 247 bus lines have also been
suspended in Ningbo and Shaoxing.

16
FEATURES
Friday, December 17, 2021 The Indian Weekender
MUSHROOM 65
INGREDIENTS:
• 200gm - button mushrooms
• 1/2cup - yoghurt
• 1tsp ginger and garlic paste
• 2tbsp - plain flour
• 1tbsp - rice flour
• 1tbsp - corn flour
• 1/2tsp - kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1/2tsp - coriander powder
• 1/2tsp - garam masala powder
• 1/2tsp salt or according to taste
• 1tsp lemon juice
• Pinch of orange food colour
(optional )
• Oil for frying
FOR SEASONING
• 1/2tsp - cumin seeds
• 1tsp - garlic, chopped
• 8 - curry leaves
• 2 - green chilies, sliced
• 3/4tsp - red chilli powder
• 1/2tsp - sugar
• 1/4tsp - salt or according to taste
• 1tsp - vinegar with 2 tbsp of water
• 1/2tsp - black pepper powder
• 2tbsp - oil
METHOD:
• Wash mushrooms and pat dry
them with the kitchen paper
towel.
• Cut the mushrooms into quarters
and set aside.
• In a medium size bowl add
yoghurt.
• Add ginger-garlic paste to the
yoghurt and mix well.
• Add flour, rice flour, corn flour,
red chilli powder, coriander
powder, garam masala powder
and salt. Give a good mix until
everything is well combined.
• Then add lemon juice and food
colour to the yoghurt and mix
well again.
• Add water in tablespoons and
make a batter of medium to thick
consistency.
• Add the mushroom pieces and
slowly mix them until they are
well coated with the batter. If
necessary, sprinkle some more
water.
• Cover and leave it aside for 5 to 8
minutes to marinate.
• Heat oil in a deep heavy base
sauce pan over medium flame.
• When the oil is hot enough, add
the mushroom pieces in batches
and fry them till they are fried
and crisp (do not overcrowd
the mushrooms in the pan while
frying and when they become
crispy from one side then quickly
give them a turn, otherwise, they
will start leaving their coating
from the other side).
• Drain them on the paper towel.
FOR SEASONING:
• Heat oil over medium flame in a
fry pan.
• Add cumin seeds, chopped garlic,
curry leaves and green chilies. Fry
till the leaves turn crisp.
• Then add red chilli powder, sugar
and salt, add vinegar mixed with
water.
• Stir
well.
When the mixture bubbles, add
fried mushrooms and toss well.
Fry on medium heat till it absorbs
all the moisture and mushrooms
are well coated.
• Serve immediately.
• TIP:
• The temperature of the oil must
be checked before the start of
the frying process. Otherwise the
mushrooms will absorb extra oil.
So to try; fry one piece first.
• Serves - 2
CHILLI GARLIC MUSHROOMS
INGREDIENTS:
• 200gm - button mushrooms
• 8 - whole dry red chillies
• 8 - garlic cloves
• 1/4tsp - sugar
• 1tsp - salt or according to taste
• 2 - onions, medium
• 2tbsp - oil
METHOD:
• Fill a large bowl with water, and dunk the mushrooms
into it.
• Swirl the water around with your hands, and rub the
mushrooms softly with your fingers to remove any dirt
then drain them.
• Lay the mushrooms on a double layer of cotton dish
towels and pat them dry.
• Cut the mushrooms into halve if they are big or keep
them as it is if the size is small. Keep them aside for
later use.
• Soak whole red chillies in warm water for 6-8 hours or
leave it overnight.
• In a blender add soaked red chillies with out its water
( if you want spicy mushrooms then you can add chilli
water in which they were soaked ) along with peeled
garlic cloves, sugar and salt.
• Blend everything together into a paste while adding
water in tablespoons and keep aside.
• In a heavy base fry pan add oil over medium flame.
• Add red chilli paste and sauté for 3-4 minutes while
stirring continuously.
• Peel, wash and thinly slice the onions. Add them to the
paste and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are
brown and soft.
• Add mushrooms and stir until extra water evaporates.
• Add 2 tablespoons of water, mix well, cover and let
MUSHROOM
MASALA
INGREDIENTS:
• 400gm - button mushrooms
• 2cups - matar (peas)
• 3 - onions, large
• 1tsp - cumin seeds
• 2- green chillies
• 1tsp - ginger paste
• 1tsp - garlic paste
• 1/2tsp - turmeric powder
• 1tsp - kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1/4tsp - red chilli powder
• 2tsp - coriander powder
• 1tsp - meat masala powder
• 1/2cup - yoghurt
• 2 - tomatoes, large
• 1tsp - garam masala powder
• 1tsp - dry kasoori methi
(fenugreek leaves)
• Salt according to taste
• 3tbsp - oil
METHOD:
• Fill a large bowl with water, and
dunk the mushrooms into it. Swirl
the water around with your hands,
and rub the mushrooms softly
with your fingers to remove any
dirt then drain them.
• Lay the mushrooms on a double
layer of cotton dish towels and pat
them dry.
• Cut the mushrooms into halve if
they are big or keep them as it is
if the size is
small.
• I n
a bowl add frozen peas, add warm
water ( enough water to cover the
peas ) and keep aside for later use.
• Heat the oil in a heavy bottom non
stick sauce pan over a medium
flame.
• Add washed and chopped onions.
Fry onions for a few minutes or
until they turn brown in colour.
• Add the cumin seeds, stir, add
washed and chopped green
chillies and stir for a few seconds.
• Add ginger paste, stir, add garlic
paste and fry the paste for 3-4
minutes.
• Stir continuously, making sure it
doesn’t stick to the bottom of the
pan.
• Now lower the flame
and add turmeric powder,
kashmiri red chilli
powder, red chilli
powder, coriander
powder and meat
masala powder,
sauté for few
seconds.
simmer until the mushrooms are soft and well coated
with the masala ( masala should not be very dry,
medium consistency is best ).
• Serve with rice.
• TIP; to clean mushrooms add them into a bowl along
with 2 tablespoons of flour.
• Rub the mushrooms and flour with your fingers then
rinse them under the running water.
• Serves - 2
• Whisk yoghurt well with the fork
and then add to the masala while
stirring constantly so that it does
not get cuddled. It takes about 2
minutes.
• Add chopped tomatoes and sauté
until oil comes on top.
• Add peas along with 1 cup of
water, stir, cover and let cook for
4-5 minutes.
• Add mushrooms and mix it well.
• Add garam masala powder and
kasoori methi to the mushrooms,
mix well.
• Fry everything together for 3-4
minutes until extra water of
mushrooms evaporates and they
are well coated with the peas and
masala.
• Add half cup of water ( more water
can be added according to the
gravy preferences ) and salt, mix,
cover and cook for another 2-3
minutes or until the mushrooms
are soft and well combined.
• Serve with paratha or naan
• Serves - 4

The Indian Weekender Friday, December 17, 2021
WORLD 17
AVINASH SEN
It goes by many names: flatbread, phulka,
chapati, safati, but the most well-known
name for it is roti. You can eat almost any
and every meal with roti as a staple dish. It’s
so deeply rooted in Indian culture, that it has
become part of its essence. In fact, we’ve come
to a point where roti and Indian culture are one
and the same, you cannot separate the two.
I especially love roti. Usually, if there is a
choice between roti and rice, I’ll pick roti nine
times out of ten. One day, when I was eating my
dinner (with roti of course) I started thinking
about how I’ve had it all my life, and how my
parents and grandparents have eaten it for most
of their lives too. Then I started to wonder,
where did it all begin? Who came up with the
idea for eating food with roti and how did they
figure it out? So I decided to dig deeper and this
is what I found.
There are actually a number of different
theories as to the origins of roti. One theory
says that roti originally came all the way from
the kingdom of Persia. The Persian roti was
much thicker and made from maida or refined
white flour. And how did it come here? One line
of thought says that it was most likely brought
by travellers, who would use rotis as a type of
bowl to hold their other foods while traveling.
That way, they didn’t need to carry utensils
around as they moved about.
Another theory says that roti comes all the
way from East Africa, since they knew how to
make round flatbreads too. History shows that
there was a trade route between the two regions,
so it is possibly true.
The existence of roti is even noted in a 16th
century document called Ain-i-Akbari, written
FreeDailyCrosswords.com
CROSSWORD NO: 94
ACROSS------------,
I) "_ like old times"
6) "Fear of Fifty" author Jong
11) Endorsing
14) Like draft beer
15) Union group
16) "Anytown, _"
17) Hold grudges
19) Blazing
20) French wine classification
21) Australian with three toes
22) Doctor's due
23) Pathetically inept person
27) Cardinal
29) Japanese tie
30) Focal device
32) One-eighth of a piece of
eight
33) Faux_ (blunder)
34) Moved stealthily
36) Latin music type
39) Chancellor von Bismarck
41) Three-tone chord
FOUR SICK DAYS
14
17
2 3 4 5
43) Holier-than-thou
44) Jockey's controls
46) Like brains and ears
48) Alter _
49) The moon in Paris
51) Double negative?
52) One of the Bobbsey Twins
53) Some wrestling holds
56) Prejudice
58) Historic time
59) Alternative to NC, once
60) Cleo's killer
61) Butter unit
62) Reason for many surgeries
68) Brunched
69) Disease of cereals
70) Establish as law
71) _ Altos, Calif.
72) Does a casino job
73) Disney duck
Berns
1st February
DOWN
I) Weep
2) Memphis-to-Nashville dir.
3) Heathrow airport listing (Abbr.)
4) Chagall and Antony
5) DNA shapes
6) Architectural annex
7) Propel a boat
8) More frigid and slippery
9) Less agitated
10) Hints at (with "to")
11) Feeling of satisfaction
12) Basket weaver's material
13) Appraised
18) Giving off light
23) Deep sleep
24) Diminish in intensity
25) Some purified liquids
26) Small projecting ridge
28) Cotswold cries
31) Descendant or heir
35) Skewered fare
37) Common sweetener
38) Opposite of ecstasy
40) Unwelcome obligation
42) Rejection of a request
45) Emulated a bull
47) Iditarod vehicle
50) Curtain call
53) Country in the Himalayas
54) A Muse
55) _ different tune (changed one's
mind)
57) State one's views
63) Costa del _
64) "_ a deal!"
65) Shooter's marble
66) Bar rocks
67) Where bacon is stored?
The story of
roti – and other
by Abu’l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, a vizier to Mughal
Emperor Akbar, as one of the ruler’s favourite
dishes. Even the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb
showed a fondness for it.
There are even older texts, which say that roti
was present during the Harappan civilisation,
and it’s even mentioned in Kannada literature
between the 10th and 18th centuries.
If that wasn’t enough, Ayurveda puts the
existence of roti all the way back to the Vedic
period.
There’s even more, but I think you get the
idea. So what are the origins of roti? The truth
is that it’s hard to say. The history of roti goes
so far back, that its origins are lost in the mists
of time.
But all this talk of roti and it’s trip around the
world has got me thinking, roti isn’t the only
flatbread around. Since we can’t find out where
roti came from, how about we say hello to some
of its relatives?
Dholl Puri
Found in Mauritius, Africa, Dholl Puri is a
small, stuffed pan-fried flatbread which can
be filled with anything from rice pudding to
prawns. It can be eaten as a meal or just a snack
and is a popular street food item.
ANSWERS CROSSWORD NO: 94
FreeDailyCrosswords.com
ACROSS------------,
I) "_ like old times"
6) "Fear of Fifty" author Jong
11) Endorsing
14) Like draft beer
15) Union group
16) "Anytown, _"
17) Hold grudges
19) Blazing
20) French wine classification
21) Australian with three toes
22) Doctor's due
23) Pathetically inept person
27) Cardinal
29) Japanese tie
30) Focal device
32) One-eighth of a piece of
eight
33) Faux_ (blunder)
34) Moved stealthily
36) Latin music type
39) Chancellor von Bismarck
41) Three-tone chord
FOUR SICK DAYS
1
s
2 E 3E M
s
s
1
b N T A p
1 l
1
il E A R I
t: R u
1 L L
43) Holier-than-thou
44) Jockey's controls
46) Like brains and ears
48) Alter _
49) The moon in Paris
51) Double negative?
52) One of the Bobbsey Twins
53) Some wrestling holds
56) Prejudice
58) Historic time
59) Alternative to NC, once
60) Cleo's killer
61) Butter unit
62) Reason for many surgeries
68) Brunched
69) Disease of cereals
70) Establish as law
71) _ Altos, Calif.
72) Does a casino job
73) Disney duck
7R 8 1 gc 1 A
0 C A L
w I L L I
2 1: M u E
2 R E D
1 i I R
2!, 2 2
b C k
2b B I N 35 3k E A L
,, A s u C 3k A L 35
3b T
E
I A 4b
0 B E 4b
4s
HITORI NO: 94
S N 0 N
511 I
flat breads
Scarpaccia
Tortilla
Coming from Italy, Scarpaccia is a type of
flatbread which can be either savoury or sweet
depending on how you make it.
What makes it especially different is that
grated zucchini is added on top of the dough
before it is baked. The name means “old shoe”,
because it is supposed to be as thin as the sole
of an old shoe.
Pita
A popular Mediterranean flatbread, Pita is
soft, round and built with a pocket of air. The
pocket is usually stuffed with meat and/or
vegetables. It can also be served as a wrap or
dipped in a sauce and eaten as is.
A
T
E
D
L I 6 T 66 1 6 7S
7
ENAC T
1
bEWEY
1st February
DOWN
I) Weep
2) Memphis-to-Nashville dir.
3) Heathrow airport listing (Abbr.)
4) Chagall and Antony
5) DNA shapes
6) Architectural annex
7) Propel a boat
8) More frigid and slippery
9) Less agitated
10) Hints at (with "to")
11) Feeling of satisfaction
12) Basket weaver's material
13) Appraised
18) Giving off light
23) Deep sleep
24) Diminish in intensity
25) Some purified liquids
26) Small projecting ridge
28) Cotswold cries
31) Descendant or heir
35) Skewered fare
37) Common sweetener
38) Opposite of ecstasy
40) Unwelcome obligation
42) Rejection of a request
45) Emulated a bull
47) Iditarod vehicle
50) Curtain call
53) Country in the Himalayas
54) A Muse
55) _ different tune (changed one's
mind)
57) State one's views
63) Costa del _
64) "_ a deal!"
65) Shooter's marble
66) Bar rocks
67) Where bacon is stored?
Eliminate numbers until there are no duplicates in any row or
column. Eliminate numbers by marking them in Black. You are
not allowed to have two Black squares touching horizontally or
vertically (diagonally is ok). Any White square can be reached
from any other (i.e. they are connected).
Native to the Central Americas and Spain,
Tortilla is actually the name given to a variety
of flatbreads coming from those areas. They
generally come in two types: corn tortillas and
flour tortillas. Corn tortillas are made with a
special type of maize flour and can be grilled
or fried. Flour tortillas came into existence
when Spanish explorers came to the Central
Americas and introduced wheat to the area.
Tortillas are usually used to make enchiladas,
burritos, quesadillas and wraps.
Lahoh
This is a spongy flatbread you can find in
Djibouti, Somalia, Ethiopia and other places.
You can recognise it very easily thanks to its
round shape and its numerous holes. It’s a
pancake like bread which you can eat with both
savoury and/or sweet ingredients, like honey or
soup. I hope you enjoyed this journey across
the flat(bread) world as much as I did. Now
if you’ll excuse me, I need to heat up my rotisabzi.
SUDOKU SOLUSIONS AND ANSWERS NO: 94
65 66 67

ENTERTAINMENT
18 Friday, December 17, 2021 The Indian Weekender
WAHEEDA REHMAN:
I feel fortunate to have worked
with the top three – Dilip
Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand
They were the golden boys of the Golden Era. Dilip Kumar-Dev
Anand-Raj Kapoor formed the triumphant triumvirate
between the ’50s-’70s capturing the fantasies
of generations and the trade at the turnstiles. Individual in their
idiosyncrasies, separate in their sensibilities but similar in sheer
stardom. Amongst the few privileged actresses, who shared
screen space with all three is veteran Waheeda Rehman. In sync
with Dilip Kumar’s nonpareil intensity, Raj Kapoor’s earthy
earnestness and Dev Anand’s urbane charm… Waheeda Rehman
pro- vided the yin to their yang.
December is a special month, marking
as it does the death anniversary of Dev
Anand and the birth anniversaries of
Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor. Waheeda
Rehman goes back in time
and brings alive memories of this
league of amazing gentlemen. “I
feel l fortunate to have worked with
the top three,” she says softly before
she rewinds…
“Dilip Kumar could express so much
emotion, so much dard”
Dilip saab and I did four films –
‘Dil Diya Dard Liya’ (1966),
‘Ram Aur Shyam’ (1967),
‘Aadmi’ (1968) and later
‘Mashaal’ (1984). Sadly,
only ‘Ram Aur Shyam’
worked. However, it’s
been an honour to have
worked with such a
great actor.
On the first day of
shooting ‘Dil Diya
Dard Liya’, I was
naturally nervous
about sharing the
screen with Dilip
saab. But he was a
perfect gentleman,
graceful and supportive.
Dilip saab
had a particular
style of working.
He’d do many rehearsals.
He’d ask me to
use glycerine even
during the rehearsals
to get the ‘total
effect’. Unfortunately,
glycerine
didn’t suit my eyes.
Sometimes, I’d
get exhausted with
the try-outs. So,
I’d take a break,
rest and then begin
anew. Because
the satisfaction of
working with the
best is something
else. In a single
close-up shot and
without dialogue,
he could express
so much emotion,
so much dard…
he was fantastic!
Those days
there were no
vans. The makeup
rooms and
studios were in
horrible condition.
So, once we’d get ready,
we’d prefer sitting on the set.
It was the best place to chat,
discuss our previous films
and also new stories. Once
Dilip saab had narrated a story
W
hen a film of ours had flopped,
Dev saab said, “Irrespective of
whether a film runs or not – there’s
Dev Anand, there’s Waheeda
Rehman. Your name and mine has
been engraved on stone. Nobody can
wipe it. So, move on and welcome
the future.”
idea about a young girl being buried in ice and discovered years
later by her old lover. The story left me intrigued. While Dilip
saab and Raj (Kapoor) saab would enjoy discussing concepts,
Dev (Anand) saab largely remained quiet.
I was always interested in photography. I’d carry the camera
around my neck – even when in full costume – and take
interesting shots of my co-actors and things around. Dilip saab
once chided me in jest saying, “Itne acche kapde pehenkar, kya
ladkon ki tarah camera lekar ghoomti rehti ho! (Having worn
such good clothes, why do you roam like a boy, carrying that
camera around)”. While shooting for ‘Dil Diya Dard Liya’, just
to have some fun, we’d planned that each artiste would get lunch
from home for the rest of the unit turn by turn. One day lunch
came from Pran saab’s home, one day from mine and so on.
But no lunch came from Dilip saab’s house. So, we teased him,
“Hamein nahin pata tha aap itne kanjoos hai (We didn’t know
you’re such a miser).” He sweetly smiled and said, “There’s
no one at home to do that.” He was unmarried those days. I
was glad when ‘Ram Aur Shyam’ clicked at the box-office.
Koi toh picture chali unke saath (Atleast one movie with him
became a hit)!
My last meeting with Dilip saab was perhaps on his birthday
some years back. He was trying hard to recognise people. He
tried to place me too. Looking at me, his eyes turned moist and
so did mine. He was truly extraordinary. Saira (Banu) looked
after him so devotedly. Unko toh salaam karna chahiye (She
deserves a salute). She’s truly the heroine of his life.
“Raj Kapoor may have had the reputation of being a ladies’
man, but he was so protective”
My first film with Raj saab was ‘Ek Dil Sao Afsane’
(1963). Unfortunately, it didn’t work. The second was
‘Teesri Kasam’ (1966). We were surprised that a glamorous
man like Raj Kapoor had agreed to play a rustic character.
Lyricist Shailendra, who produced ‘Teesri Kasam’, was
Raj saab’s close friend. That’s why he agreed to do the
film. Director Basu Bhattacharya also had great conviction
in Raj saab.
Raj saab was always great company. In between shots, he’d
narrate various story ideas including those of his future films
‘Mera Naam Joker’ (1970) and ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’
(1978). One day, something about the particular shot didn’t seem
right. I told Raj saab why don’t you guide the director as he was
a newcomer. Raj saab replied, “I agreed to be here as an actor.
And I will behave like one. I don’t want the director to feel that
I’m making a point to show I’m better than him.” That was a
commendable quality in him.
Raj saab’s idea was that my character Hirabai (a nautanki
dancer) and his Hiraman (a bullock-cart driver) should meet in
the end. He was in favour of a commercially viable ending. But
I said a happy ending would not have justified the title ‘Teesri
Kasam’. Hiraman’s ‘third promise’ was that he’d never again
ferry a nautanki dancer. Also, if the ending were to be changed,
the title would also have to be changed. Writer Phanishwarnath
Renu (the film was based on his short story Mare Gaye Gulfam)
was not in favour of changing the story or the title.
Even with a happy ending, the film would still have not
worked it as it was too arty. Having said that, the cinematography
by Subrata Mitra (part of Satyajit Ray’s team) was brilliant. He
gave a beautiful soft effect to the film. ‘Teesri Kasam’ won the
National Award for Best Feature film.
‘Teesri Kasam’ was also the special entry at the film festival
in Moscow. Raj saab may have had the reputation of being a
ladies’ man, but he was so protective of me. He cautioned me
not to be too friendly with the interpreter and others around.
He said caringly, “Malkin (the way he addressed me in ‘Teesri
Kasam’) zara sambhal ke! Idhar udhar muskurate huwe mat
chale jaana (madam, please be careful. Don’t get carried away
flaunting your smiles)!” When I told him my sister was with me,
he joked, “Sister ko pata bhi nahin chalega (Your sister won’t
even know) when you will be carried away!” Though I enjoyed
working with Raj saab, given the fact that we had two flops, our
pairing was not repeated.
“I used to call Dev Anand a decent flirt”
I was a great fan of Dev saab even before I joined films. I loved
his pairing with Madhubala. I had not imagined that I’d feature
with him in my first Hindi film. I was introduced to Dev saab on
the set of ‘C.I.D’ (1956) as the girl from Chennai. I addressed
him as ‘Dev saab’. He reacted sharply, “No Dev saab!” I then
asked, “Can I call you Anandji?” He retorted, “No, no… call me
only Dev.” I said, “You’re my senior. How can I address you by
your first name?” He explained he couldn’t work with anyone,
who addressed him so formally.
The next day, aadat se majboor (out of habit), I addressed him
as ‘Dev saab’. He didn’t respond even though he was within
hearing distance. When this happened one more time, I asked
him why he wasn’t answering. He said, “I told you no ‘saab’, no
‘ji’ and no ‘Mr’.”
He was the only hero, who insisted I call him by his first name.
Somewhere, he made me feel relaxed. We then went on to share
a fine understanding, a comfort zone. I did seven films – the
maximum I have done with any hero – with him.
He asked me if I wanted to get married and whether I had
someone in mind. When I said no, he remarked, “Then why do
you want to go back and live with your married sisters?”
It made me think. Today, I value the good advice he gave me
because it changed the course of my life.
A significant memory of our association is ‘Guide’ (1965).
Several scenes remain memorable from the film. One such was
the scene before the song Dil dhal jaaye, which sensitively hints
at the growing distance between our characters, Raju and Rosie.
Another was the scene just before the song Aaj phir jeene ki
tamanna hai, shot on a sadak (street) in Udaipur. The scene has
me telling Raju, “Ghungroo bandho!” Dev saab later told me,
“I felt awkward shooting the scene in public. But you were so
bindaas. Didn’t you feel conscious?” I said if I bothered so much
it would have required so many retakes. I just switched on and
off believing that just the two of us were there.
Whenever he met his heroines, including Nanda, Sadhana,
Asha (Parekh) or me, Dev saab would affectionately put his
hand on our shoulder. But we girls never minded it because he
had such a clean vibe. But if others were to do so, we’d move
back. The heroes would remark, “Arrey waah you don’t object to
Dev saab. But when we come even a bit close, you move away.”
Some people had a lecherous vibe. They wouldn’t leave your
hand if they happened to hold it… but Dev saab gave you a safe
feeling. That’s why I called him a ‘decent flirt’.
Till ‘Prem Pujari’ (1970), Dev saab carried the same youthful
attitude. He had tremendous energy. I’d tease him saying he
was like an ‘Eveready battery’, always charged. Fortunately, we
shared the same positive attitude: Forget the past – both the good
and the bad – and look ahead. That’s why we got along. When a
film of ours had flopped, Dev saab said, “Irrespective of whether
a film runs or not – there’s Dev Anand, there’s Waheeda Rehman.
Your name and mine has been engraved on stone. Nobody can
wipe it. So, move on and welcome the future.”

The Indian Weekender Friday, December 17, 2021
NEW ZEALAND 19
Energy, enthusiasm underline
2022 for National Party
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
Former National Party MP
National Party heads into the the Christmas season
and the summer break, with renewed energy and
optimism. We have a solid new leadership team
in leader Christopher Luxon and deputy leader Nicola
Willis. They are backed by a strong team, working in
tandem, to hold this government to account, and bring to
light issues that matter most to everyday New Zealanders.
That this new team is gaining traction with the voters,
can be gauged from the latest Taxpayers’ Union Curia
Poll. Compared to the last few polls, it has seen a
significant gain, both for the party and for Christopher
Luxon as the preferred Prime Minister.
This year undoubtedly has been challenging for the
National Party, but we have also had plenty to be proud
of. Personally, one of the most satisfying part of the year
has been the announcement of the Resident Visa. The
government finally bowed down to sustained pressure
from migrants and the business sector.
They announced a one-off, simplified pathway to
residence for an estimated 165,000 migrants currently in
New Zealand.
This means that these hard working and skilled
individuals, can finally hope to call New Zealand home
permanently. Its introduction, like most other initiatives
from this Government, has been marred with confusion
and a lack of detailing.
As a responsible opposition, National Party will be
holding the government to account and trying our best
to ensure that immigrants receive what is lawfully theirs.
But there is a lot more that needs to be done in this space.
Hundreds of skilled migrants on working visas are still
stuck overseas.
They have contributed to New Zealand’s growth
and hence were granted these visas. So why are these
individuals and international students (a sector that used
to contribute $5 billion annually to the Kiwi economy till
2019) and added intellectual heft to our country, with
valid visas issued by the Government, not been allowed
to re-enter the country?
What plans if any, does this so-called caring government
have for them? These people have suffered a lot of stress
and economic setbacks on this count.
This is an issue I will carry to pursue vigorously in the
coming year also.
I had written to the immigration minister close to
ten months ago (and again since), outlining the plight
of more than 250 Hindu and Sikh families stuck in the
war-torn country of Afghanistan. I had informed him of
an initiative being run by the Indian community in New
Zealand, where we requested that 10 of these families
be allowed to enter our country under the Community
Sponsored Refugee Resident visa category, for a period
of two years to begin with.
These families when in the country will be looked after
by us. Disappointingly there has been no response on this.
Another example of an increasingly arrogant and out of
touch government.
Law and Order has been another issue this Government
has been found lacking on. Not surprising, since they
disregarded their own medical advice, and decided to use
police resources to patrol the Auckland boundary, that
should have been long gone.
National Party is a strong champion for ensuring
crime free communities, and this is another issue the
Government can expect no leeway on from our party in
the coming year.
I would like to take the opportunity to wish you and
your families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year. May the new year bring with it a lot of peace and
happiness for all of us.
Season’s Greetings.
The views expressed in this article are not necessarily
those held by the Indian Weekender.
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