The Indian Weekender - 24 December 2021

24DECEMBER2021 • VOL 13 ISSUE 42
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The Indian Weekender Friday, December 24, 2021
NEW ZEALAND 3
Opposition broadly agrees
with govt’s Omicron strategy
Border opening delay unfortunate but necessary, parties agree in varying degrees
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH
The threat of the Omicron variant of
Covid-19 has undoubtedly impacted
the globe recently and has led to every
country relooking at the ways to the latest
version of the Covid pandemic. New Zealand
is no exception.
Ever since South Africa reported the new
variant of Covid-19 to the World Health
Organisation (WHO) on 24 November,
Omicron has become a household name.
Omicron is now in more than 72 countries
around the world. There are 28 cases with this
variant in NZ so far.
The NZ government made a few
announcements on Tuesday about dealing with
the variant. Some of the fundamental changes
announced by Covid-19 Response Minister
Chris Hipkins on Tuesday included the interval
between the second dose and the booster shot
is reduced from 6 months to 4 months starting
from January.
Moreover, there will be a delay in the start
of the self-isolation scheme for Australian
arrivals pushed out to the end of February,
which was earlier 17 January, and roll out of
paediatric doses of Pfizer for 5-11s to start from
17 January before schools reopening in 2022.
Other changes that were announced
included that the requirement for travellers to
NZ to return a negative test within 72 hours
of departure will be reduced to 48 hours of
departure, and the current MIQ stay of seven
Chris Bishop David Seymour Dr. Elizabeth Kerekere,
"
The pushback of the partial
opening of the border to
Kiwis in Australia to the end
of February is disappointing.
The sooner we can return
to the plan of allowing fully
vaccinated travellers to enter
New Zealand without entering
MIQ, the better.”
days in a facility will also be extended to 10
days. Lastly, all countries will be removed from
the Very High-Risk country list.
Indian Weekender spoke to leading
political parties to know their take on the
strategy that NZ is planning to deal with the
Omicron variant.
Chris Bishop, National
Party’s Covid-19 Response
spokesperson
On shortening of booster shots interval: "It’s
good news that the government has reduced
the standard gap between the second dose and
booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine from six
months to four months.
"We need as many people to get booster
vaccines as possible. The government needs
to change the tone and tempo of its advertising
campaign quickly – “two shots for summer”
now needs to become “three shots over summer.
"Why do people need to wait until early
January before booking a booster after four
months? The Book My Vaccine website should
be updated immediately to allow people to
book after four months.
"It’s essential we quickly roll out boosters
to everyone working at the border and on the
frontline of our health workforce."
On delaying the border opening: “The
pushback of the partial opening of the border
to Kiwis in Australia to the end of February is
disappointing."
• Continued on Page 16
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Merry Christmas &
Happy New Year
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4
NEWZEALAND / INDIA
Friday, December 24, 2021 The Indian Weekender
Signposts 2021: The year that was
We’re coming close to the end of the year, and what a year it has been! If there is one word that can describe it, that word
would be, eventful. And even that word is an understatement. As we get closer to the end of one year and the beginning of a
new one, let’s take a look back at some of the really noteworthy things that happened in 2021 in India and in New Zealand.
COMPILED BY IWK TEAM
Politics
Farmers protest India
On 20th September 2020, the Indian
parliament passed new laws to allow
farmers to sell their produce directly to
bulk buyers.
National party leadership change
to eventually weed out the selling of cigarettes
altogether; and by 2025, to have a smoking
population of less than 5 per cent in all of
Aotearoa.
Changes in immigration
laws in New Zealand
Australia win their first
T20 World Cup
Later that month, farmers all over India
began a protest against these laws, claiming
they were anti-farmer welfare.
The protest lasted for just over a year, until
the Indian government decided to repeal the
controversial laws this year.
In late November, Christopher Luxon was
voted in as the new Leader of the National
Party in New Zealand, after his main rival,
Simon Bridges, moved to support him.
This happened following the clamorous exit
of Judith Collins as the party’s leader. Nicola
Willis was elected as the deputy leader of the
party.
Future smoking ban
in New Zealand
On 9 December, a radical new legislation
was proposed where New Zealand is planning
to eventually ban the selling of cigarettes.
This is part of a plan to prevent the younger
generations from taking up the habit. Starting
from 2023, anyone under the age of 15 will
not be allowed to buy cigarettes. The goal is
This year, the New Zealand government has
made a number of changes to their immigration
laws, such as changes in resident visa as well as
essential skills work visa requirements.
The criteria should make it easier for
migrants who have supported NZ during the
Covid-19 crisis to obtain a resident visa. The
new labour market rules for migrant workers
will affect employers.
Sports
Tokyo Olympics
On 7th November 2021, Australia secured
their first T20 World Cup title. They pulled
this off after a resounding victory over New
Zealand, beating them by eight wickets. From
the coin toss to the point when Glenn Maxwell
struck the winning runs, Australia looked like
it was in complete control of the match till the
very last run.
Ronaldo and Messi join new clubs
The 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics finally
took place between 23 July and 9th August after
facing delays for its original launch date due to
the Covid pandemic.
During these Olympics, NZ won a total
of 20 medals, 7 gold, 6 silver and 7 bronze.
Meanwhile India won 7 medals in total, 1 gold,
2 silvers and 4 bronze. For both countries this
was their best ever Olympic performance.
India Vs. Australia
During the 2021 summer transfer window
(from 9th June till 31st August), two of the
game’s most celebrated players in the modern
era, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
moved to new clubs. Messi joined Paris Saint-
Germain and Ronaldo was welcomed back to
Manchester United.
Covid
Omicron
Back in January of this year, the Indian cricket
team pulled off a stunning performance and
ended Australia’s 32-year Gabba dominance
when they beat them by three wickets. Despite
a series of setbacks, the Indian team persevered
and won the fourth test match 2-1 at the famous
Gabba grounds in Brisbane.
On 24 November, the WHO was made aware
of a new variant of Covid which was designated
as Omicron.
The new variant was first detected in
specimens from Botswana, collected on 11th
November and in South Africa, collected
on 14 November.
Omicron is likely to spread more easily
among the populace, compared to the original
Covid strain.
• Continued on Page 6

Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
and look forward to another year
representing you in 2022.
act.office@parliament.govt.nz
act.org.nz
Authorised by David Seymour MP, ACT Party Leader, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

6
NEWZEALAND / INDIA
Friday, December 24, 2021 The Indian Weekender
• Continued from Page 4
April and May: Maximum
Covid deaths in India
It is shocking to think about, but it is a fact
that about half of India’s Covid related deaths
occurred during April and May of this year.
It showed just how deadly the second wave
of Covid was in India. It overwhelmed the
country’s health infrastructure, with hospitals
running out of available beds and oxygen for
their patients. There were a tragic166,632
Covid related fatalities during this time period.
Delta variant noted for the first
time in New Zealand
In October 2020, the earliest documented
case of the Delta variant of Covid-19 came up
in Maharashtra, India. On 17 August, one of
the first cases of Covid-19 caused by the Delta
Variant was confirmed here. Following this,
all of NZ went into immediate Alert Level-4
Lockdown.
Other happenings
Death of General Bipin Rawat
On 8 December the Indian Armed Forces
Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat
tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash
alongside his wife Madhulika Rawat, and 13
others. General Rawat was en-route to the
Defense Services Staff College in Wellington,
Tamil Nadu, to address the faculty and students
there. Unfortunately, the helicopter crashed and
went down near Coonoor hill station, killing all
14 on board.
Cop 26
From 31st October to 13th November the
United Kingdom hosted the 26th United
Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties
(COP26) in Glasgow. During the summit,
members of the UN came together and made
a range of decisions with the goal of reducing
the effects of climate change, reducing
greenhouse gases, and limiting the global rise
of temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Meta
On 28 October, Facebook announced at
Connect 2021, that it was changing its company
name to Meta. The name was chosen due to the
‘Metaverse concept’, which involves Virtual
Reality, Augmented Reality and persistent
online 3-D virtual environments. Meta will be
focusing on making the Metaverse a reality and
enriching the internet experience.
Stabbing attack in Dunedin
On 10 May, at a Countdown supermarket
in Dunedin, shoppers and employees were
surprised by a sudden knife attack in the
afternoon. The attacker, a longhaired, bearded,
scruffy man, was a regular. The man, who was
armed with two knives, attacked and injured
four people, before he was detained and
arrested.
A Stabber in Auckland
On 3 September, at a Countdown in New
Lynn, Auckland, a stabbing attack took place
leaving seven people injured. The attacker,
Ahamed Aathil Mohamed Samsudeen, a
32-year-old Sri-Lankan National, had been
under police surveillance due to concerns about
his ideology, and had been recently sentenced
to one year of supervision for the possession
of terrorist propaganda. The episode was later
described as a terror attack by Prime Minister
Jacinda Arden, and led to her promising to
toughen anti-terror laws in the country.
Tsunami warning after earthquake
in Kermadec Islands
On the 5th of March of this year, a huge 8.1
magnitude earthquake hit near the Kermadec
Islands, the third one of that day. Following
this, a Tsunami warning was issued and
an evacuation order given to residents in
Northland, Bay of Plenty and Great Barrier
Island. Thankfully, the alert was lifted a few
hours later and the residents were able to go
back home safely.
Miss Universe
At the end of the 70th Miss Universe Pageant
held on 12 December, India’s own Harnaaz
Sandhu was crowned as Miss Universe. The
Pageant was held in the resort city of Eilat in
southern Israel, where 80 women from around
the world competed for the crown. After
Sandhu won, she celebrated by shouting, “Chak
de Phatte India!”
Those were just a few of the many things that
happened this year. Here’s to more celebrations
and hope for happiness in the coming year and
the years to come.
Happy New Year to you all!
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8 NEW ZEALAND
Friday, December 24, 2021
The Indian Weekender
Petition seeks option
for migrants to pledge
allegiance to NZ – not
just the Queen
SANDEEP SINGH
A
Kiwi-Indian migrant has launched a
petition with parliament to include the
option of declaring their allegiance to
New Zealand, and not just with the Queen as is
now, during the citizenship ceremony.
Ankit Parikh, a Research and Development
Engineer, who has been living, studying,
and working in New Zealand for almost
twenty years, with six years as a citizen, has
started a petition to remove the compulsion
of stating allegiance to Queen, and including
the additional and clearer option of taking
allegiance to New Zealand.
“I am requesting the NZ government to
provide people applying for citizenship with
the choice to pledge allegiance to New Zealand
or to the reigning Sovereign (the Queen),”
Ankit said.
Indeed, this will once again stir the
longstanding monarchist-republican debate – a
debate that has not grown to be a full-blown
political issue in New Zealand at least as of
now. But the numbers supporting republicanism
have been steadily growing over recent years in
Australia and New Zealand.
However, Ankit is reluctant for his petition
to be seen as another attempt of stirring up the
‘monarchism’ versus ‘republicanism’ debate
in the country and is instead keen to present
it in the context of the discomfort of colonial
oppression often associated with the long
British Monarchical lineage.
“I am only seeking to bring forward the
expression of allegiance to New Zealand on
an equal footing as an expression of allegiance
to the monarch and be presented as alternative
options for people to choose at the citizenship
ceremony,” Ankit said.
Citizenship ceremony
The citizenship ceremony is the last step
“
I feel (and believe that
many migrants do as
well) that it is insensitive, in
this day and age, to expect
new citizens to pledge their
allegiance to the Queen who
represents the colonialists
that mistreated our parents,
grandparents, and great
grandparents in the past."
in the citizenship journey of any new migrant
seeking to become a New Zealander, which
requires everyone to make an oath or affirmation
statement about their loyalty to New Zealand.
However, the oath or the affirmation that
a new citizen has to read out loud at the
citizenship ceremony is written in the manner
where allegiance to the sovereign (Queen of
England) precedes the commitment to the laws
of New Zealand.
Ankit’s petition seeks to remove this
aberration, or at least to put the option of stating
allegiance to New Zealand on an equal footing
as stating allegiance to the monarch.
What is the current oath/ affirmation of
allegiance?
Under the current Citizenship Act, it is
prescribed for a new citizen to make an oath
or affirmation statement to say they are loyal to
New Zealand.
The Oath in English (Te Reo option is
available) reads out as, “I [say your name]
swear that I will be faithful and bear true
allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
the Second, Queen of New Zealand, her heirs
and successors according to law and that I will
faithfully observe the laws of New Zealand and
fulfil my duties as a New Zealand citizen. So
help me God.”
It is this formal requirement imposed on new
citizens to explicitly express their allegiance
to the monarch (understood as synonymous to
the nation and country in legal terms within a
constitutional monarchy) that Ankit’s petition
is seeking to amend and include an alternative
choice to those who might find it uncomfortable
owing to the colonial oppression subjected in
the historical past.
What does this petition envisage to
amend in the Oath of Allegiance?
“I feel (and believe that many migrants do as
well) that it is insensitive, in this day and age, to
expect new citizens to pledge their allegiance to
the Queen who represents the colonialists that
mistreated our parents, grandparents, and great
grandparents in the past,” Ankit said.
“If the parliament can legislate to amend
Citizenship Act and include an additional
choice for new citizens reluctant to express
allegiance to the monarch and instead express
their allegiance to New Zealand the country –
its laws, its people, its land – it would be great,”
Ankit said.
The petition is available online here and is
open for signatures till February 1, 2022.
Vaccine pass won’t be required
of people to physically attend court
RADIO NEW ZEALAND
People required to physically attend court
hearings will be exempt from new rules
requiring anyone visiting a courthouse
to provide a vaccine pass.
From 31 January next year, a pass or recent
negative Covid-19 test will be required to enter
a court house.
This will apply to people if they have a
pursuant to a summons, legislative requirement
or judicial direction.
But this will not apply to people required to
attend court in person - instead other measures
will be used to manage risks.
Some courts will apply these rules sooner
than others, depending on the court’s capacity
to enforce them.
Chief Justice Dame Helen Winkelmann says
all protocols are still being finalised, including
rules around jury trials.
Jury trials are scheduled to begin from 31
January 2022 in the District Court, and from 8
February 2022 in the High Court.
“The judiciary is committed to minimising
the risk of transmission of Covid-19 in court
buildings. People can expect that all court staff,
judges and judicial officers in court buildings
are fully vaccinated.
The judiciary continues to work with the
Ministry of Justice to safeguard the health of
people in court buildings.
The Ministry is responsible for setting up the
necessary systems in courthouses to manage
the risks posed by Covid-19.”
wishes everyone Merry
Christmas & Happy New Year

The Indian Weekender Friday, December 24, 2021
NEW ZEALAND 9

10 NEW ZEALAND
Friday, December 24, 2021
The Indian Weekender
Let’s talk Investments
Make most of this holiday break to sharpen your investment skills, familiarising
yourself with the range of platforms we now have for investing our dollars
PRITI GARUDE-KASTURE
The long-preferred method of earning more was to work
hard, put money in the bank and buy a house. However,
millennials and Gen Z are currently re-shaping the look
of the new investor.
Having entered the workforce during the Great Recession
of early 2000, and experienced the increase in living expenses,
stagnant wage rise, soaring housing prices, and low interest rates
have put young investors on a path to exploring newer options
of creating wealth.
Dubbed as the “instant gratification generation”, 45 percent of
millennials are more interested in investing in the stock market
today than they were just five years ago, according to a survey
from asset manager BlackRock.
The latest Sharesies survey which analyses Kiwis’ attitudes
to financial wellbeing and investing also found that Kiwis’ love
affair with property is waning.
Over a 27 percent of the over 1000 Kiwis who don’t already
own a home said that they do not want to own a property,
according to the survey. Compared to last year, only 12 percent
of Kiwis were not wanting to get on the property ladder.
It seems, there’s been a sea change in the way Kiwis invest.
It started in 2007, with KiwiSaver, followed by a dramatic shift
in the launch of several investment platforms and preferences
over the past few years. Now New Zealanders are embracing the
opportunity to buy a slice of global companies and experimenting
with different ways of increasing their wealth.
How are Kiwis growing their long-term wealth
and achieving financial security?
KiwiSaver
The original and simplest form of investing in NZ, KiwiSaver
is a retirement scheme that was set up by the government in 2007
to help Kiwis build financial security leading up to retirement
age.
It takes a small percentage from your fixed wage to put into
your KiwiSaver account. While, it sounds like a savings account,
the difference is that people are not able to withdraw those funds,
whenever they like.
Dependent on individual risk profile, people can choose to
put in percentage contribution of 3, 4, 6, 8 or 10 of their gross
(before tax) salary. This is then matched by the employer and the
government.
KiwiSaver is a voluntary savings scheme, which every
employee is given an option of signing up to. However, do keep
in mind though that most people get automatically enrolled in
KiwiSaver when they start their first job, so if you don’t want to
pay anything, you’ll have to consciously opt-out.
DIY share market investment platforms or
Retail Investing
Historically, investing in shares has been a go-to option for
many intending to grow long-term, sustainable wealth. Over the
past 100 years, the US share markets have returned an average
growth of over 10 percent a year. But there’s always been a lot of
jargon, and fear-induced paranoia about the share market, thanks
to movies and headlines-grabbing news articles.
Nowadays, online, do-it-yourself platforms provide an easier,
user friendly, convenient way of investing in the share markets
and buying a slice of the world’s most successful companies.
Unlike traditional routes which involve hiring a middleman
(broker), online platforms have made investing simple for
people, due to their low transaction or brokerage fees, and low
investment minimums.
Today, there are dozens of options in the market. We’ve
rounded up a few of the popular ones.
Sharesies – Ideal for newbies,
starts as low as $5
The most widely known investment platforms in NZ,
Wellington-based Sharesies has played a pretty big role in the
rise of retail investing in NZ.
Launched in 2017, Sharesies captured a big chunk of the
new-age investor market primarily as the country’s first lowfee
online share investing platform. It recently raised $NZ500
million valuation in a series C funding round.
With Sharesies, investors have access to ETFs, or Exchange
Traded Funds, in NZ, the US, and Australia. There are also
eight managed funds on offer as well as hundreds of individual
companies listed on the NZ, Australian and US stock exchanges.
With 48,000 people from across New Zealand and Australia
using the platform, Sharesies can be a good platform to dip toes
in the investment world without the burden of having to make a
significant financial commitment.
Hatch – Ideal for the somewhat
experienced investor
Hatch launched in NZ in 2018 and is focused exclusively on
US shares.
With more than 4,000 listed companies and 900 ETFs to
choose from, Hatch provides an easier and accessible way to
invest in the global companies like Amazon, Google, Apple,
Netflix and more.
While there are no investment minimums, and no subscription
fees, Hatch charges a flat US$3 fee (up to 300 shares) plus a
0.5 percent exchange fee for each transaction. Because of this
flat fee, investing via Hatch isn’t always ideal for those looking
to learn and see how it’s going or even those looking to put in
relatively small amounts of money.
Stake – Ideal for an active investor
Sydney-based platform Stake currently has more than 330,000
customers, with the company having just announced a successful
AU$40 million funding round to boost its global expansion.
Another platform focused on US shares and ETFs; Stake’s
main drawcard is its zero-transaction fee structure which means
investors can make as many trades as they want for free.
However, Stake’s pricing structure is designed keeping in
mind the more active investor.
InvestNow – Investing in KiwiSaver
& Managed Funds
InvestNow is a Wellington-based DIY investment platform
that started in 2017, but unlike Sharesies, is primarily focused on
“
There are a few existing
property owners who are young,
who are in their late 20s, early 30s,
who have bought their first homes
in the last 12 months, and on the
back of the growth of the property
value have now put down a deposit
for a second property, or even third
in some cases.”
providing online access to KiwiSaver, Managed Funds and Term
Deposits from leading fund managers and banks from around
the world.
Currently, there are more than 150 managed funds on offer
from 26 local and global providers.
The biggest drawcard for InvestNow is that there are no
membership or transaction fees – only management fees which vary
between providers.
Anyone with a NZ IRD number and a NZ bank account can
use InvestNow. You don’t need to have hundreds of thousands
to invest, you can get started from as little as $50 when part of
a regular investment plan or $250 for a lump sum investment.
The good old property investment
While we look at the new-age ways of investment platforms,
we cannot forget the most common option, real estate.
More than any other country in the OECD, Kiwis are obsessed
with residential property. Satish Kamath, Financial Advice
Provider, Mortgage Mantra said, “New Zealanders love real
estate, no matter what you do.”
Over the past 12 months, as property prices increased, investor
confidence continued to boom in the market, with millennials
and savvy young investors entering the property market.
Kamath said, “There are a few existing property owners who
are young, who are in their late 20s, early 30s, who have bought
their first homes in the last 12 months, and on the back of the
growth of the property value have now put down a deposit for a
second property, or even third in some cases.”
With current credit restrictions applied by the Reserve Bank
to bring inflation under control, investors have now backed off,
and are looking at new builds rather than existing dwellings,
primarily because of tax implications, says Kamath.
New investments - Cryptocurrency and NFTs
With emerging technologies such as blockchain, the increasing
power and importance of retail investors, and a growing appetite
for new assets, everything from shoes to artwork to classic cars
is being broken up into pieces and offered to investors in bitesized
portions.
• Continued on Page 11

The Indian Weekender Friday, December 24, 2021
NEW ZEALAND 11
• Continued from Page 10
These new investments such as non-fungible
tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrency are growing
in popularity due to various factors.
Cryptocurrency is decentralised digital
money that’s based on blockchain technology.
Unlike the dollar or the euro, there is no central
authority that manages and maintains the value
of a cryptocurrency.
Crypto can be used to buy regular goods and
services, however, it’s not a form of payment
with mainstream quite yet. Most people invest
in cryptocurrencies as they would in other
assets, like stocks or precious metals.
Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency,
outlined in principle by Satoshi Nakamoto
in a 2008, since then, more than 5,000
different cryptocurrencies, including
Ethereum are in circulation.
Crypto can also be used as an alternative
investment option outside of stocks and bonds
and can be purchased on peer-to-peer networks
and cryptocurrency exchanges.
However, global experts hold mixed opinions
about investing in cryptocurrency. Because
crypto is a highly speculative investment, with
the potential for intense price swings, some
financial advisors have a wait and see policy.
Cryptocurrencies, unlike most established
currencies, can be very volatile and change
value frequently.
For example, in 2017 Bitcoin became wildly
popular when its price rallied from $777.76 to
$19,497.40 during the year. By March 2020, it
was again back to trading at $5,000. However,
that year Bitcoin’s value rose nearly 300
percent, outperforming gold 10 times.
By the end of December 2020, Bitcoin was
trading at close to $30,000. This year, by end
February, Bitcoin had risen to over $55,000. It
went up to close to $80,000 before its current
value (December) of around $70,000.
On 23 November this year, the Indian
government said that it would consider a bill
called the Cryptocurrency & Regulation of
Official Digital Currency Bill 2021 that could
possibly ban the trading of most private crypto
currencies.
What are NFTs?
Where Bitcoin was hailed as the digital
answer to currency, NFTs are now being touted
as the digital answer to collectables.
NFTs are “one-of-a-kind” assets in the digital
world that can be bought and sold like any other
piece of property, but which have no tangible
form of their own.
This can be any unique digital or physical
assets, such as art, music, an autographed tweet
or even a part from a video game.
In economics, a fungible asset is something
with units that can be readily interchanged
– like money. However, if something is nonfungible,
for example swapping two $5 notes
for $10 notes is impossible, which means it has
unique properties so it can’t be interchanged
with something else.
With NFTs, artwork can be “tokenised” to
create a digital certificate of ownership that can
be bought and sold.
As with cryptocurrency, a record of who
“
My children, they are so
much more aware of the
options available to them.
They talk among their friends,
and they are discussing
investments, they’re
discussing options of crypto
currencies. It’s fascinating
for them. There’s a lot more
discussion and awareness
owns what is stored on a shared ledger known
as the blockchain. The records cannot be forged
because the ledger is maintained by thousands
of computers around the world.
In theory, anybody can tokenise their work to
sell as an NFT, but interest has been fueled by
recent headlines of multi-million-dollar sales.
Twitter’s founder Jack Dorsey promoted an
NFT of the first-ever tweet, with bids hitting
$2.5m. The NFT marketplace experienced an
enormous month-over-month growth in trading
volume. In US, NFTs went up by more than
900% in trading volume from $300 million in
July to an all-time high of $3 billion in August
this year.
Closer to home, NFTs and cryptocurrencies
like Ethereum and Bitcoin are booming in New
Zealand.
Former All Black star Dan Carter and a
small group of business high-fliers launched
a Kiwi-owned NFT studio and marketplace
named Glorious, to deal largely in high calibre,
exclusive works for collectors and art and
music lovers.
So, what is causing this shift in
investment preferences from
traditional forms like real estate?
Sumita Paul, Certified Financial Planner,
Athena Wealth believes it is a combination of
multiple factors. “While investing in shares
or other platforms is not a total replacement
for home buying, there are multiple factors
that influence this behaviour. Share market
investment is now more accessible, interest
rates are low, so people don’t see a point in
leaving money in the bank - all those different
factors have encouraged people to look at
diverse options.”
Increased financial literacy and awareness of
new ways of doing things is also a factor that
may have resulted in this change, according to
Paul.
“My children, they are so much more aware
of the options available to them. They talk
among their friends, and they are discussing
investments, they’re discussing options of
crypto currencies. It’s fascinating for them.
There’s a lot more discussion and awareness,”
she said.
She says that people are also willing to take
more risks now, primarily because of the low
interest rates. “Behaviorally, we tend to follow
return and we feel very bullish about how much
risk we can take depending on the returns. It’s
that kind of mentality as well which encourages
people to invest into the share market, crypto
a bit more than probably generations before.”
Bank of India (New Zealand) Ltd
Bank of India (NZ) Ltd wishes everyone
Services we offer :
1. Opening of Zero balance saving account
2. Free remittance to India with attractive exchange rate
3. Same day credit to any bank in India.
Contact here:
Auckland: 09 9265797
Papatoetoe: 09 2781784
www.bankofindia.co.nz
Head Office:
10 Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland 1023
Papatoetoe branch:
31 East Tamaki Road, Papatoetoe, Manukau 2025

Editorial
Migrants wary of
shifting goalposts on
border reopening
That the government has shifted goalposts many times in its Covid-19 response management
is not new; however, Omicron’s emergence on the scene is exacerbating concerns like never
before, especially for migrant communities and travel denied New Zealanders.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced a host of changes on Tuesday, December
21, to bolster NZ’s defences against the Omicron variant of Covid-19 – including pushing out
changes to border rules until the end of February.
The decision to delay reopening the borders has dealt another blow to New Zealanders stuck
overseas and desperate to return home.
This announcement has come across as another example of the now much-known fact that
nothing this government has said or announced earlier means anything as it can be changed without
much regret or sharing of responsibility of accurate planning.
It was an announcement that no one wanted to hear in this Christmas season. Only a few weeks
ago, the government had almost reluctantly ended one of the longest lockdowns that Aucklanders
have endured by shifting the country from the previous Alert Level system to the new Traffic Light
System Covid-19 protection framework.
The government had then announced with much fanfare that lockdown would be a thing of the
past under the new system and affirmed that the planned border opening would continue in a staged
manner. As it turned out eventually, the government has already shown that it was not prepared and
ready to stick to an announcement that it has made earlier for allowing vaccinated Kiwis to return
from Australia while managing any additional potential risk that may emanate from the escalation
in numbers of Omicron infected cases.
It is this lack of preparedness to even tolerate, manage and mitigate some minimal risk to restore
some semblance of normalcy for an extended period of time that frustrates many New Zealanders.
Indeed, there are many positives in the government’s overall public health management response
in the last two years that have saved many precious lives in NZ, especially amongst vulnerable
communities.
However, equally, on the other hand, governments stated overly cautious response had escalated
the level of human miseries for a large number of people connected with NZ, including Kiwis living
at home, Kiwis stuck overseas, and obviously migrant communities.
The wellbeing of migrant communities is often the last priority for governments, as it struggles
to marshal scant resources or options and make them available first to their own citizens before
temporary visitors.
In that regard, undoubtedly, this government had shown some compassion and care for temporary
migrants and visitors who were stuck onshore when the Covid-19 pandemic suddenly descended
upon us in March last year.
However, it has failed miserably to provide certainty, especially in terms of guarantees of
extending the visas of those unfortunate temporary migrants who were caught on the wrong side of
NZ’s closed borders by the stroke of luck.
Tens of thousands of temporary migrants who have invested thousands of dollars in studying,
working, and building a life in NZ remain cut out from NZ without any signs and assurance of being
considered compassionately when all this madness ends.
Naively, they were watching the decisions of the last few weeks, ranging from 90 percent
vaccination, the opening of lockdown staged plan for border-reopening, and the promise made by
the government that the lockdown will become a thing of the past with a sense of falsified hope, that
finally, this government will get some mental-bandwidth to respond to their plight.
That false sense of hope will come crashing down, as the government once again demonstrates
that it is refusing to come out of its seemingly besieged mentality in handling the pandemic.
If the government has pushed the January 17 deadline for opening MIQ-free return of Kiwis
from Australia, just at the beginning when Omicron is rampant overseas, then to expect that the
government will stick to April 30 deadline to allow all vaccinated Kiwis to travel to NZ is a tall
order. It is not to suggest that the government should become oblivious to the new variant rampant
overseas and lower its defences against the virus onshore.
Rather it is to suggest that the government should pace its response according to the “real threat”
knocking at our doors, than responding disproportionately to mere “perceived potential threats.”
It is this variance in the government’s level of thinking in managing Covid-19 that had kept NZ
aloof and disconnected from the rest of the world in previous months when the rest of the world was
pacing its efforts in restoring connections.
A case in point is that when the Delta outbreak happened in Auckland in August this year,
catapulting the city and the country into one of the strictest lockdowns of the world, the rest of
the world, at least the developed world, had slowly come out of lockdowns and enjoying both –
unrestricted domestic freedom and unfettered overseas travel.
New Zealanders, on the other hand, first were denied international travel (inward return has been
more problematic) for almost two years of this pandemic and then had to cede domestic freedom
for an extended period of time.
All this without New Zealand’s health system not having been overwhelmed even once during
the pandemic.
Migrant communities, especially the new migrants and temporary visa holders with strong family
connections overseas, have already lived in an emotional cage, with no opportunity for a family
reunion, would be further disheartened to see that the government has no intention to keep its
promise of border reopening.
Thought of the week
“The bad news is time flies. The
good news is you’re the pilot.”
— Michael Altshuler
24 December - 30 December 2021
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu
On-and-off
rain and
drizzle
25°
17°
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and
sunny
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This week in New Zealand’s history
Indian Weekender : Volume 13 Issue 42
Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited
Editor: Dev Nadkarni | dev@indianweekender.co.nz
Chief Technical Officer: Rohan deSouza | rohan@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
Fine
and
sunny
26°
18°
Fine
and
sunny
25°
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December 25 , 1814
First Christian mission established
On-and-off
rain and
drizzle
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Copyright 2020. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Clouds
and
sun
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sun
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At Hohi (Oihi) Beach in the Bay of Islands, Samuel Marsden preached in English to a
largely Māori gathering, launching New Zealand’s first Christian mission. The Ngāpuhi
leader Ruatara translated Marsden’s sermon.
December 25, 1894
First ascent of Mt Cook
At 1.30 on the afternoon of Christmas Day 1894, while many New Zealanders were relaxing
and enjoying festive fare, three young men based at the Hermitage became the first to stand
atop 3764-m Aoraki/Mt Cook, the highest mountain in the colony.
December, 26 1879
Sectarian violence in Canterbury
In Christchurch, 30 Catholic Irishmen attacked an Orange (Protestant) procession with pickhandles,
while in Timaru, 150 men from Thomas O’Driscoll’s Hibernian Hotel surrounded
Orangemen and prevented their procession taking place.
December 28, 1929
‘Black Saturday’ in Samoa
New Zealand military police fired on Mau independence demonstrators in Apia, killing 11
Samoans, including the independence leader Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III.
December 31, 1853
Grey leaves New Zealand after first term as governor
During his first term as governor, George Grey was praised for ending the Northern War and
obtaining land from Māori, but he angered settlers by delaying the implementation of a
constitution that would have given them some political power
January 1, 1859
New Zealand’s first lighthouse lit
Pencarrow Head lighthouse, at the entrance to Wellington Harbour, was lit for the first
time amid great celebration. After years of inadequate solutions, Wellington finally had a
permanent lighthouse – New Zealand’s first. Equally notable was the lighthouse’s first keeper,
Mary Bennett, who had tended Pencarrow’s temporary light since her husband’s death in 1855
– she remains New Zealand’s only female lighthouse keeper.

The Indian Weekender Friday, December 24, 2021 FIJI 13
Six travellers test
positive for COVID-19
Six travellers have tested
positive for COVID-19 during
the mandatory 3-day hotel
stay and testing since the opening of
international travel borders to travel
partner countries.
Permanent Secretary for Health,
Doctor James Fong says in
accordance with entry requirements,
all cases had tested negative in
the 72 hours before departure and
are fully vaccinated.
He says all cases are either
asymptomatic or have mild symptoms
and have been isolated within
hotels with protocols that have been
established in the lead-up to border
opening. Doctor Fong says the positive
NZ’s new envoy
to Fiji presents
credentials at
the State House
The new New Zealand High
Commissioner to Fiji, Charlotte
Darlow, presented her credentials
to Fijian President Ratu Wiliame Maivalili
Katonivere at the State House in Suva.
Ms Darlow who is married with two children
comes to Fiji from her previous role as the
Divisional Manager for the Pacific Regional
Division at New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Trade.
A post on the Fijian Government’s official
samples will be sent to our partner
laboratory in Australia for genomic
sequencing. He adds have ensured
that the default quarantine period for
all travellers from non-Travel Partner
countries is 14 days.
He says the temporary removal of
Facebook page states in this role, she was New
Zealand’s senior official for Pacific regional
processes, including the Pacific Islands Forum
and the regional CROP (science and technical)
agencies.
Ms Darlow was New Zealand’s lead
negotiator for the Boe Declaration on Regional
Security and the Kainaki II Declaration for
Urgent Climate Action Now.
For the last five years, she has been a
member of the senior leadership team for the
New Zealand Aid Programme and governed
the Pacific Regional Development Programme
spend (NZ$280 million).
She joined New Zealand’s Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2000.
She was the Deputy in the Ministry’s United
Nations, Human Rights and Commonwealth
Division during New Zealand’s term on the
United Nations Security Council.
any country from our Travel Partner
Country list is already an ongoing
assessment process.
Doctor Fong says they have ensured
that the default quarantine period
for all travellers from non-Travel
Partner countries is 14 days. The
Health Ministry has also noted that a
number of our travel partner countries
now have widespread community
transmission of Omicron.
The MOH team continues to
promote COVID safe behaviour and
ensure that Fijians remain safe against
the virus. Meanwhile, Fiji has recorded
28 new cases of COVID- 19.
No new COVID-19 death
have been reported.
Fiji Airways amend check-in
times for international travel
Fiji’s international airline
service provider Fiji
Airways has amended its
international check-in times to take
into account documentation checks
now required in this COVID-travel
time. The amendment encourages
travellers to check-in early and
ensure compliance to the numerous
documentation checks now
required by most countries.
From December 22, 2021, Fiji
Airways international check-in
counters will open four hours prior
to departure, and close two hours
prior to departure.
“The new check-in times are
designed to minimise delays and
allow ample time for the increased
documentation checks now in
place,” the airline stated.
“
Travellers not
checked-in on
time will be denied
boarding and
rebooked on to the
next available flight.”
“Customers and travel agents
are requested to take note of the
two-hpur prior check-in close out
time and plan travel to the airport
carefully.
“Travellers not checked-in on
time will be denied boarding and
rebooked on to the next available
flight.”
According to the airline, it has a
travel ready hub on its website to
assist travellers plan and prepare
for every step of their journey.
The new New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji, Charlotte Darlow inspects a guard of honour before
presenting her credentials to the President, Ratu Wiliame Maivalili. Picture: FIJIAN GOVERNMENT
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14 NEW ZEALAND
Friday, December 24, 2021
The Indian Weekender
Kiwi-Indian
conferred
with Bharat
Gaurav award
SANDEEP SINGH
Sunil Kaushal, President Waitakere Indian
Association and a champion of promoting
India-New Zealand relations, has been
conferred with the Bharat Gaurav Award by
an India-based Non-Government Organisation
(NGO) in the category of service to the Indian
Diaspora in New Zealand.
Kaushal became the third Kiwi-Indian after
the noted Judge Dr Ajit Swaran Singh and
Tarun Pragji of Hamilton Indian Association
to be conferred with the Bharat Gaurav Award.
The award, now in its ninth year, was
constituted by Sanskriti Yuva Sanstha - an India
based Non-Government Organisation (NGO)
with the vision of promoting Indian culture
and society – and every year recognises the
significant contributions of Indian people from
all around the world in the field of education,
business, culture and other areas of societal
development.
According to Suresh Mishra, the President
of Sanskriti Yuva Sanstha, “This award
felicitates people with extraordinary excellence
in their fields and makes India proud.”
Every year a glittering award ceremony is
held in different iconic locations all around the
world, including the USA, the UK, and others,
with the 2021 event scheduled to be held in
Dubai on Friday, December 24.
Sharing the excitement about the news with
the Indian Weekender, Kaushal said, “It came
as a shock out of the blue when I was informed
RNZ / REUTERS
A
recent study by Imperial College
London says there is no evidence
Omicron is milder than Delta, but
just how severe it is may not be known until
mid-January, Imperial College researcher Gary
McLean says. Researchers compared 11,329
people with confirmed or likely Omicron
infections with nearly 200,000 people infected
with other variants.
So far, according to a report issued ahead of
peer review and updated on Monday, they see
“no evidence of Omicron having lower severity
than Delta, judged by either the proportion of
people testing positive who report symptoms,
or by the proportion of cases seeking hospital
care after infection.”
The report also estimated that after taking
individual risk factors into account, the odds
of reinfection with Omicron are 5.4 times
greater than for reinfection with Delta. London
Metropolitan University Professor of molecular
immunology and Imperial College researcher
Gary McLean told Morning Report it is too
soon to say how severe Omicron is.
He said definitive data about its severity
won’t be available until there is a significant
number of cases.
“That’s going to take a number of weeks,
perhaps into early next year. I would expect
in January, perhaps by the middle of January,
we might be able to say with some confidence
whether or not this variant is milder or more
severe.” In the UK hospitalisations are slowly
by the past Awardee judge Ajit Swaran Singh
that I had been awarded the Bharat Gaurav
Award. It took me a while to sink.”
A champion in advocating
India in NZ
Living and working in NZ for two decades,
Kaushal has slowly carved a special place
for himself for passionately advocating India
and highlighting the potential that India and
Indian people offer to NZ through his different
capacities and different roles.
In the finance industry, Kaushal had shown
excellence and risen from the ranks to the
position of Head of India Relations at National
Bank (and then subsequently ANZ Bank after
their merger). He was the first Indian to hold
that position in the bank.
Kaushal was also amongst the first few
initiators of the Indian Networking Group,
which brought together the Indian Diaspora in
the bank to showcase not only their talent and
skills but also their culture.
Subsequently, the bank also presented
him with the global CEO award for his
efforts in championing Diversity & Inclusion
at the workplace.
However, it is his contribution and passion
for advocacy for India beyond his workplaces,
such as in the roles of Chair, India New Zealand
Business Council (INZBC) – a premium trade
body for promoting NZ-India bilateral trade
that has left a significant mark and impression.
Kaushal has been part of the outgoing trade
going up, with most of the Omicron cases in
London, he said. “But we’re not yet seeing
that translate into any more severity of SARS-
CoV-2 disease. You’d expect to see those
people maybe ending up in hospital and I
think the data is just too limited and they can’t
say much about the link with this variant and
hospitalisation or severity of disease.”
As the number of Omicron cases around
the world rises, the government has agreed to
a “suite of precautionary measures”.
McLean says New Zealand has a huge
delegation that accompanied the then Prime
Minister Sir John Key on his first visit to India
in 2011.
Kaushal has also operated a consultancy
providing Indian market entry strategies for
many Kiwi businesses by assisting them on the
ground operations in the vibrant Indian market.
Among many varied roles that Kaushal plays,
another role of significance is the President,
Waitakere Indian Association – one of the
largest Indian Community Organisations based
in West Auckland.
am very humbled and
"I honoured to receive the
Bharat Gaurav award,
and it certainly motivates
me to continue to serve
the diaspora as well as
advocate for a stronger NZ
India relationship
In that role and leadership position, Kaushal
used his influence to commission a special
research report showcasing the first-ever
research into the economic contributions of
Kiwi Indians - $10bn and growing.
History of quiet philanthropic
work in the community
Born to parents who served their lives
in the service of underprivileged people
back in India, Kaushal had developed an
affinity to serve people who were less
fortunate than him.
In the 1990s he got involved with his
parents in establishing of an orphanage
in Dharamgarh village of Kalahandi
district in Odisha – an area then
undergoing severe drought and acute
human miseries.
In NZ, Kaushal continues to remain
connected with the community and
his roots back in India through silent
philanthropic work.
Kaushal has been married to
Cherie for the past 22 years, and
they have four lovely children aged
from 11 to 20 years.
advantage, a strong border and can watch what
is happening around the world.
There are currently no community cases
of Omicron in New Zealand, with cases
confined to MIQ.
“Public health advice suggests that soon
every case coming into our border, into our
managed isolation facilities, will be the
Omicron variant,” Covid-19 Response Minister
Hipkins said. When it does get there it will
spread, because it spreads faster than Delta,”
McLean said.
We can say “without doubt” that people who
have had two doses of a vaccine are still pretty
likely to get Omicron, he said.
“Two doses of the existing vaccine is clearly
not good enough, lab tests have shown that
antibodies are significantly impaired even T cell
When not working for the passionate causes
that he represents, Kaushal loves playing
cricket, taking photos, and taking his dog for
long walks.
“I am very humbled and honoured to receive
the Bharat Gaurav award, and it certainly
motivates me to continue to serve the diaspora
as well as advocate for a stronger NZ India
relationship,” Kaushal
said.
Omicron ‘spreads faster than Delta': Researcher
Imperial College researcher Gary McLean
immunity is reduce, although not as badly as
the antibody response.” The booster shot gives
immunity a chance to combat the variant, he
said. “It’s the booster programme that’s going
to be super important over the next little while.”
Cabinet has agreed to reduce the
interval between the second Pfizer dose and
booster shot from six to four months.
Epidemiologist Professor Rod Jackson said
New Zealand is in a prime position against
Omicron before winter settles - if we get our
booster shots as soon as possible.
“Boosters are clearly going to be
needed for all of those who are eligible
and already vaccinated. Kids is the other big
issue because 5 - 11 year olds, while they’re at
school that’s a super spreader setting and we
need to keep a lid on that as well.”
The good news is, New Zealand has things
in its favour - it is one of the most recently
vaccinated countries, meaning the level of
immunity from two doses is still high, it’s
summer and school is out.
“We’ve got a whole lot of things in our
favour, it just depends on whether Omicron gets
loose and goes crazy,” he said.
“The trouble with Omicron is there’s so many
unknowns, the only thing we know for sure is
it’s incredibly contagious. We don’t know if it’s
any less severe or the same severity as Delta,
we just don’t know.”
We need to be cautious, he said.
“Every decision by government is attempting
to balance the risk to health and the risk to the
economy...”

16
WORLD
Friday, December 17, 2021 The Indian Weekender
Chanel hires
Indian-origin
Leena Nair
as new CEO
AVINASH SEN
“It’s
very
encouraging and
motivating, especially
since we haven’t seen this
before. Coming from a
non-luxury background, I
expect she’ll bring a fresh
perspective — it’s a
sign that things are
changing.”
• Continued from Page 3
"National has pushed for vaccinated travellers to be subject to
different rules to unvaccinated travellers, and for home isolation
to be the default setting for people, rather than using the blunt
instrument of MIQ.
“We acknowledge that in the difficult circumstances presented
by Omicron, a short delay in ending MIQ to allow as many
people to be boosted as possible is necessary, but we should
not underestimate the suffering this will cause for many Kiwis
offshore. The sooner we can return to the plan of allowing fully
vaccinated travellers to enter New Zealand without entering
MIQ, the better.”
On vaccination for children: “The rollout of vaccination
for 5-11-year-olds is good news but has been too slow. A real
opportunity to get kids vaccinated in school-based settings
before Christmas has been missed. Hundreds of millions of 5-11-
year olds’ vaccines have been given worldwide, but NZ has been
slow to approve it and will now be slow to roll it out."
David Seymour, ACT Party leader
On shortening of booster shots interval: “Chris Hipkins has
told the country that we need to buy time against Omicron, but is
happy to wait two weeks before bringing forward boosters. If it’s
urgent, they could have said, ‘from today, you can book a booster
from four months after your second dose.’ If there is not enough
capacity, bookings will be full.’ Isn’t that what we’d want?
“There are no other initiatives to boost NZ’s resilience besides
The recent appointment of Parag
Agrawal as Twitter CEO shone the light
once again on the long list of Indianorigin
CEOs heading global tech and fintech
firms. But women of Indian origin are also
blazing a trail in the global CEO stakes, with
the latest being Leena Nair who heads global
fashion brand Chanel.
Indian-born Nair is a British citizen and has
been a longtime executive for Unilever before
taking up her new role. Interestingly, she
comes from outside the fashion industry. On
the announcement she tweeted “humbled
and honored to be appointed the Global
Chief Executive Officer of @CHANEL,
an iconic and admired company.”
She received waves of
congratulations and compliments
from her peers in India after the
news was announced. One of the
congratulatory messages called her
a “serial glass-ceiling breaker.”
In fact, the CEO and founder of
consultancy group Luxury Connect
in India, Abhay Gupta, said the
appointment was full of “historic
firsts.”
Though many people of
Indian origin have been
taking the lead when it
comes to global tech,
finance and other
companies, Indians hadn’t
really broken into the
luxury brand market on a
global scale – until now.
Gupta, who also runs a
school for luxury management
said, “It’s very encouraging and
motivating, especially since we haven’t
seen this before. Coming from a nonluxury
background, I expect she’ll bring a
fresh perspective — it’s a sign that things
are changing.”
Nair will be succeeding Alain Wertheimer,
a grandson of Chanel co-founder Pierre
Wertheimer, billionaire co-owner and chairman
of Chanel. He will remain a global executive
chairman of the fashion house.
Nair is slated to step into her new role in
January.She joins a steadily lengthening line of
females of Indian origin to head major global
companies:
Indra Nooyi
Chennai-born Nooyi is an Indian-American
business executive and the former CEO of the
well-known brand, Pepsico. She also takes an
active role in taking care of her family. She
holds many accolades to her name. In 2008 she
was named one of America’s best leaders by US
news and World report; in 2009 she was named
CEO of the year by Global Supply Chain
Leader Group; and in 2013 she was awarded by
the then President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.
She released a book about herself this year in
late September, titled “My Life in Full.”
Shikha Sharma
Ms Sharma was the managing director and
CEO of Axis bank, one of the most well-known
and widely used banks in India. Before that she
worked for the ICICI group for nearly thirty
years. She also has a number of awards under
her belt: she won the Entrepreneur of the year
award in 2007; Businesswoman of the year in
2008; and India’s best woman CEO in 2013.
needing a test within 48 hours of departing for New Zealand and
extending MIQ to 10 days. There is nothing about ICU or general
hospital capacity. We have to assume they’ve given up on contact
tracing such a rapid variant. How are new treatments coming
along, is the Government doing anything other than waiting to
boost?”
On delaying the border opening: “The government doesn’t
know what to do about Omicron. We know there’s no certainty,
but people want clarity. Tens of thousands of people will have
their hopes dashed, often after waiting for an age to be reunited.
There is no logic in the reopening delay. It’s unclear why a sixweek
delay in home isolation is worth it when even Hipkins
admits the virus may well escape MIQ anyway will get here and
spread rapidly despite MIQ, perhaps as soon as next month. He
is buying time at others’ expense. They will pay, and we’ll end
up in the same place anyway. The Government has again shown
that it has no forward-thinking or balancing New Zealanders’
different risks in its Covid response.”
On vaccination for children: “Children have given up a lot
to protect older people; it’s time to protect them. The Food and
Drug Administration trial showed the Pfizer vaccine is no danger
to children. Sadly, the virus is a danger to children, so we need
to protect them."
Dr. Elizabeth Kerekere, Green Party Covid-19
Response spokesperson
On shortening of booster shots interval: “The emergence of
Revathi Advaithi
Ms Advaithi is an Indian American and the
CEO of Flex (formerly known as Flextronics).
She assumed the role of CEO for Flex in
February 2019. Before that, she was the
president and Chief Operating Officer at Eaton.
In addition to that, she has also worked at,
and held leadership roles in Honeywell for six
years. She graduated from the Birla institute
of Technology and Science in 1990, earning a
Bachelor’s degree. She later earned her MBA
in 2005, from the Thunderbird school of Global
Management.
Jayshree Ullal
London-born and New Delhi raised
Jayshree Ullal was appointed in 2008 as
CEO & President of Arista Networks, a cloud
networking company located in California.
Ullal was named by Forbes magazine as “one
of the top five most influential people in the
networking industry today” for her work at
Arista Networks. In June 2014, Ullal led Arista
Networks to an IPO on the New York Stock
Exchange.
The billionaire CEO was named one of
Barron’s “World’s Best CEOs” in 2018 and
one of Fortune’s “Top 20 Business persons” in
2019. Hearty congratulations to Leena Nair and
all the women CEOs. Here’s to your continued
success as you push the boundaries and bring
the community to new heights.
the Omicron variant does present significant challenges for New
Zealanders. The speed at which it is spreading in other countries
shows how important it is that we do what we can to keep people
safe.”
On delaying the border opening: “The recent announcement
must have been really tough for people outside of Aotearoa to
hear, as well as for their whānau waiting to see them. The Green
Party have been moved by the many stories of New Zealanders
and residents living overseas who have faced difficulties
returning home, whether to be reunited with their children or to
look after a sick family member. As hard as it is, delaying the
opening of the border is necessary to keep our communities safe.
“From the start of the pandemic, the Greens have called for
a more compassionate approach to MIQ. Our proposals would
ensure people who urgently need to come home – for example,
for health reasons, family reunification or visa expiry – can get
a spot. We have also pushed for increased capacity so more can
come home. The Government must make sure that those who
need to get home, can.”
On vaccination for children: "When the vaccination rollout
begins for children aged 5 to 11 years on 17 January 2022, Māori
and Pasifika providers must be empowered and resourced to
lead the hauora journey of their communities. Vaccinations are a
powerful tool for keeping loved ones, whānau, and communities
safe from Covid-19. But from the beginning of the rollout of
vaccines to people aged over 11 years, the specific needs of
Māori and Pacific providers were not prioritised.”

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18
NEWZEALAND / INDIA
Friday, December 24, 2021 The Indian Weekender
Unesco adds Kolkata Durga
Puja to exclusive heritage list
AVINASH SEN
Bengalis love Durga Puja. In fact, they love it so much that
even UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organisation) noticed. What’s more, Unesco
was so impressed by Kolkata’s Durga Puja celebrations that
they decided to make it official and added it to their “Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity” list.
You may or may not have heard, but on Wednesday (15
December 2021), during the 16th session of the Intergovernmental
Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage (ICH) in Paris, West Bengal’s Durga Puja was included
on to the list. It joins other Indian practices that have made it to
the world stage, such as Yoga, and the Kumbh Mela.
Durga Puja is Kolkata’s biggest religious and cultural festival,
touching the lives of all who live there. Personally, I’m not
surprised. I’ve been in Kolkata during Durga Puja, and it is no
exaggeration to say that almost every road is filled with multiple
joyous processions of people celebrating Ma Durga.
There are over 36,000 community Durga Pujas organised in
the state of West Bengal. Out of that, 2,500 of them take place
in the city of Kolkata alone. Apart from West Bengal, the Durga
Puja is celebrated by Bengalis all over the world, and is the
cultural, artistic and religious highlight of their year.
Recently, many organisations have been urging UNESCO to
recognise Durga Puja. And all that hard work has finally paid off.
Unesco have stated the following on their website, “Durga
Puja is an annual festival celebrated in September or October,
most notably in Kolkata, in West Bengal of India, but also in
other parts of India and amongst the Bengali diaspora. It marks
the ten-day worship of the Hindu mother-goddess Durga. In the
“
A matter of great pride and
joy for every Indian! Durga
Puja highlights the best of
our traditions and ethos. And,
Kolkata’s Durga Puja is an
experience everyone must have.”
months preceding the festival, small artisanal workshops sculpt
images of Durga and her family using unfired clay pulled from
the Ganga River.”
They also said, “Durga Puja is seen as the best instance of
the public performance of religion and art, and as a thriving
ground for collaborative artists and designers. The festival is
characterized by large-scale installations and pavilions in urban
areas, as well as by traditional Bengali drumming and veneration
of the goddess. During the event, the divides of class, religion
and ethnicities collapse as crowds of spectators walk around to
admire the installations.”
Speaking on what is considered a cultural heritage, UNESCO
has said that this is not just limited to a collection of objects
or monuments. It also includes, “traditions or living expressions
inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants”.
Indian Prime Minister retweeted Unesco’s announcement
and wrote, “A matter of great pride and joy for every Indian!
Durga Puja highlights the best of our traditions and ethos. And,
Kolkata’s Durga Puja is an experience everyone must have.”
It wasn’t just the Prime minister
though, West Bengal’s Chief Minister,
Mamata Banerjee also went on Twitter:
“Proud moment for Bengal!
To every #Bengali across the world,
Durga Puja is much more than a
festival, it is an emotion that unites
everyone. And now, #DurgaPuja has
been added to the Representative List
of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. We are all beaming
with joy!”
Partho Ghosh, the founder of the Forum for Durgotsav in
Kolkata said, “The recognition as a world heritage will not
only attract more international tourists to Kolkata and Bengal,
I believe it will also lead to foreign investment in the festival.”
All of this was possible thanks to a dossier which was sent
to Unesco by the union cultural ministry of India. Historian
Tapati Guha Thakurta and her team helped prepare the dossier
with her research on Durga Puja and archival material at the
Jadunath Bhavan Museum & Resource Centre, a unit of the
Centre for Studies in Social Sciences (CSSS). They believe that
the creativity that surrounds and flourishes around the Puja, will
see a great boost following this recognition.
Said Thakurta, “Durga Puja is a religious festival that has
become a cultural and secular event. It has also become a space
for social and artistic activities. This prestigious tag will open up
this thriving festival to the world.”
CSSS research scholars Sandipan Mitra and Devi Chakrabarti,
and filmmaker Nilanjan Bhattacharya, also played pivotal roles
in bringing Durga Puja to the global stage.
Congratulations to all our Bengali brothers and sisters all
around the world, for this majestic feather in your cap.
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The Indian Weekender Friday, December 24, 2021
FEATURES 19
Healthy cooking every day
Coconut marinated chicken
Coconut Marinated Chicken
is a delectable recipe. The
specialty of this chicken is that
it is marinated in coconut milk for a
whole night, barbequed and grilled.
Ingredients
• 375 gm chicken thighs
• 1/2 tablespoon refined oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cloves crushed garlic
• black pepper as required
• 1 tablespoon red chilli sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 6 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• salt as required
• 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
For Garnishing
• 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
leaves
Method
• To make this delicious recipe, take
a deep bowl, add coconut milk,
lime zest, lemon juice, curry
powder, paprika, ginger, chilli
sauce, salt and black pepper.
• Mix the ingredients well to
incorporate with each other.
• Then, take chicken thigh
fillets, which should be
skinless and boneless and
marinate in the mixture.
• Put the marinated chicken in
a ziplock bag for an overnight
to set.
• When done, take out the chicken
from bag and brush off the extra
marinade mixture on it. Now, take
a little amount of oil and brush the
BBQ and cook chicken on it over
a medium heat from about 6-7
minutes.
• Then, flip gently and cook for
another 5-6 minutes.
• When the chicken is cooked,
arrange on a serving plate and
garnish with coriander leaves.
Honey garlic coated chicken chops
Chicken recipes are the most
versatile recipes of all time
and nothing can beat their
wonderful taste. Kick off your
dinner party with this chic starter
recipe, blended with honey and
garlic.
This is an easy starter
recipe cooked in the
amazing soya sauce with
the goodness of honey.
Honey Garlic Coated
Chicken Chops will
turn out to be a star dish
amongst all other dishes
on your table and we bet
your family members are
sure to fight for the last piece
of this moist and juicy chicken.
• Meanwhile,
for the
preparation of sauce
take a saucepan and cook the
marinade over a medium flame and
add water to it.
Chicken Teriyaki
Chicken
Teriyaki,
originally from Japan, has
now started appearing in
the menu cards of leading hotel
chains and restaurants all over the
world. The best thing about this
Asian recipe is that you can make
it at home without much hassle.
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 8 pieces chicken breasts
• salt as required
• 4 tablespoon virgin olive oil
• 2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup fresh cream
• ground black pepper as required
• For Garnishing
• sesame seeds as required
Ingredients
• 3/4 cup honey
Method
• 6 cloves garlic
• To prepare this main dish recipe,
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce
take the mayonnaise and fresh
• 6 pieces chicken breasts
cream together in a bowl, and mix
mixture for basting (pouring over them well.
Method
the chicken pieces while cooking • Add the soy sauce, salt and
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk in order to keep it moist).
ground black pepper to it and mix
together honey, garlic and soya • Place these coated chicken pieces them in. Make sure that they form
sauce well.
on a greased grill over medium a smooth and creamy mixture.
• One by one coat the chicken high heat. Close the lid and cook, • Dip the chicken pieces in the
breast pieces in this mixture basting twice in between. Serve cream mixture and keep aside
evenly and reserve left over hot and enjoy.
for about 20 minutes so that the
Mexican lime chicken
chicken softens, and acquires the
creamy texture.
• Meanwhile, preheat a grill at high
temperature and lightly grease it
with oil.
• When the chicken is ready, place
it on the grill and let it cook.
Make sure that the chicken is no
longer raw and pink.
• Keep flipping the pieces to make
sure that they don’t burn. Grill the
chicken for about 20 minutes.
• Once done, Garnish with sesame
seeds and serve it hot with some
steamed rice to enjoy!
Lighter Takes
• Bring
it to simmer
and cook for about 10
minutes.
• Serve it with marinated chicken.
&
Easy Tips
Cheddar cheese crust
sandwich
Sandwiches are the ultimate
answer to even the most
stubborn hunger pangs and if
they are oozing with cheese insideout,
then there’s no point trying to
resist them.
Ingredients
• 4 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• powdered black pepper as
required
• 4 slices bread- white
• salt as required
Method
• Take a frying pan, add butter and
toast the bread slices on both
the sides, until they are crisp.
Now, sprinkle two tablespoons
grated cheese on two of the
bread slices, while adding salt
and pepper, and place the other
two slices on the top of them,
forming a sandwich.
• Use the rest of the cheese by
putting it on the top of the
sandwiches. Keep flipping
the sandwiches until they turn
crispy and golden-brown in
colour. Serve hot and fresh.
Banana and butter
sandwich
Ingredients
• 1 banana
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• chopped mixed dry fruits as
required
• 4 bread slices
• 2 tablespoon butter
• honey as required
Method
• Spread butter on a bread slice
and sprinkle some powdered
sugar on it. Afterwards, peel the
banana and cut into slices.
• Arrange a few banana slices on
the bread and add a few chopped
nuts over it, cover with another
slice of bread.
• Put a grill pan on medium flame
and apply some butter on both
the sides of the sandwich, when
the pan is hot enough put the
sandwich on it and cook for 5 to
8 minutes.
• Cook from both sides and place
the prepared sandwich on a plate
and drizzle some honey over it.
Repeat the procedure to cook
more such sandwiches.
If you are a non-vegetarian who loves
to gorge on chicken meat, then you
must try this Mexican Lime Chicken
recipe. Prepared with chicken wings
marinated in lemon, lime zest, garlic and
a melange of spices, this appetizer recipe
is grilled to perfection.
Ingredients
• 5 chicken wings
• 5 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon garlic
• salt as required
• 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoon lime zest
• 2 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoon paprika powder
Method
• Wash the chicken wings thoroughly
before proceeding further. On a
chopping board, chop the garlic and
add them to a bowl.
• In the same bowl, add olive oil, lemon
juice, lime zest, coriander seeds,
paprika and salt as per your taste.
• Mix these well and add the chicken
wings to it.
• Brush well with the marinade and coat
the wings evenly and put them in a
large bowl.
• Place this bowl in a refrigerator and let
the chicken marinate for an hour.
• Cover this bowl with a cling film and
refrigerate the mixture for an hour to
marinate the chicken well.
• Meanwhile, preheat the grill to
medium-high temperature.
• Take out the marinated chicken out
from the refrigerator and place the
wings on the preheated griller for
about 10 minutes or until it is moist
and brown on every side.
• Once done, remove from the griller
and transfer the wings in a plate. Serve
these hot with a dip of your choice to
enjoy!

20 ENTERTAINMENT
Friday, December 24, 2021 The Indian Weekender
Bollywood Recap 2021 - Ka
As we all are ready to usher in the New Year, here’s a recap of all the ha
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH
From lavish weddings to Bollywood stars becoming
parents to some big break ups, the year saw everything
and of course, we saw some of our loved celebrities
bidding adieu to us forever.
Band Baaja Baaraat
Here’s a glimpse of the most talked-about celebrity
wedding of 2021
Katrina Kaif – Vicky Kaushal
by the couple’s close friends and family members. Sharing the
first official pictures as a married couple, Varun Dhawan took
to Instagram to introduce his better half to the world. Sharing
beautiful clicks from the wedding, the Kalank actor wrote,
“Lifelong love just became official.
Talking about the low key pandemic wedding. Varun , was
quoted as saying, “We had to be responsible during this period
and follow rules. I’m someone who didn’t want to do something
big, you’ve to respect whatever things have been put in place.
I had elderly citizens from my family coming, and I wanted
everyone to be safe, that’s why it was low key.”
Yami Gautam – Aditya Dhar
Actor Saif Ali Khan and his wife actor Kareena Kapoor,
welcomed their second child, a son named Jehangir Ali Khan
(lovingly called Jeh) on February 21. The couple already has a
son named Taimur Ali Khan, who was born on 20 December
2016. The actress-author often shares posts featuring her children
on Instagram.
Preity Zinta – Gene Goodenough
This has to be the most talked-about wedding of the year. The
couple tied the knot in an intimate wedding at the Six Senses
Fort Barwara in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur on December 9.
A few hours after they tied the knot, the couple took to their
respective Instagram accounts and shared several pictures. They
captioned the post, “Only love and gratitude in our hearts for
everything that brought us to this moment. Seeking all your love
and blessings as we begin this new journey together.” They also
shared pics from their pre-wedding festivities including haldi
and mehendi ceremonies which excluded love, masti and fun.
Rajkummar – Patralekha
The couple had been in a relationship for over a decade and
finally, they tied the knot at a beautiful intimate wedding at
The Oberoi Sukhvilas Spa Resort on November 15. The event
was a close-knit affair with only close friends and family.On
completing the first month of their wedding, Rajkumar shared a
photo on Instagram where the two are lying on wet soil and grass.
Patralekha is wearing a bikini while Rajkumar is shirtless. “मेरा
यार तुम, मेरा प्यार तुम, मेरा दिल भी तुम, दिलदार तुम @patralekhaa .. It’s
already been a month,” read the caption.
Varun Dhawan – Natasha Dalal
Varun Dhawan married longtime sweetheart Natasha Dalal in
an intimate ceremony which was held in The Mansion House
in Alibaug, Maharashtra on January 24. It which was attended
The Vicky Donor actor married filmmaker Aditya Dhar on
June 4 amid the hills of Himachal Pradesh in Mandi, Himachal
Pradesh in the presence of 20 guests. Dhar had directed Gautam
in the 2019 blockbuster Uri – The Surgical Strike. “The more I
attended big weddings, I knew I didn’t want that. Of course, we
don’t know the meaning of marriage early on, but going by my
understanding and experience of attending weddings, I was sure
about what I didn’t want. I am fortunate that both Aditya and I
shared this thought” Yami was quoted as saying.
Sharing the first picture from her wedding, she wrote, “In your
light, I learn to love - Rumi. With the blessings of our family,
we have tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony today.
Being very private people, we celebrated this joyous occasion
with our immediate family. As we embark on the journey of
love and friendship, we seek all your blessings and good wishes.
Love, Yami and Aditya.” Aditya also shared the same message
on his page.
Dia Mirza – Vaibhav Rekhi
Dia Mirza’s ‘sustainable’ and ‘eco-friendly’ wedding to
businessman Vaibhav Rekhi, on February 14, which had a
woman priest Sheila Atta solemnising the ceremony, got noticed
for its simplicity and elegance. The wedding, which took place
in the garden of her apartment complex in Mumbai was attended
by close family and friends, and the actor has said she ensured a
no-waste ceremony.
The couple became parents to a baby boy named Avyaan
Azaad Rekhi on May 14 2021. On July 14, Dia Mirza and
Vaibhav Rekhi took to social media to announce the birth of their
son and also revealed that the baby was born prematurely and via
an emergency C-section.
The family factor
Lot of celebrities became parents in 2021. Here’s a dekko
Anushka Sharma – Virat Kohli
The celebrity power couple embraced parenthood on January
11 2021 with the birth of their daughter Vamika.
The couple has been closely guarded about the privacy of their
daughter.
Virat, in an Instagram live with his fans, had even mentioned
that the couple has decided not to reveal Vamika’s face in public
till she grows up and is old often to take her own decisions. Since
the toddler’s birth, the couple have shared pictures of their baby
girl on social media – without showing her face.
Saif Ali Khan – Kareena Kapoor Khan
Bollywood actress Preity Zinta and her financial analyst
husband Gene Goodenough took everyone by surprise on
November 18 when they announced the arrival of their twins –
son Jai Zinta Goodenough and daughter Gia Zinta Goodenough
into the family through surrogacy.
The 46-year-old dimpled actor shared the news tweeting, “Hi
everyone, I wanted to share our amazing news with all of you
today. Gene and I are overjoyed and our hearts are filled with
so much gratitude and with so much love as we welcomed our
twins Jai Zinta Goodenough and Gia Zinta Goodenough into our
family”.
She further added, “We are very excited about this new phase
in our lives. A heartfelt thank you to the doctors, nurses and to
our surrogate for being part of this incredible journey. Loads of
love and light – Gene, Preity, Jai and Gia.”
Kapil Sharma – Ginni Chatrath
Ace comedian Kapil Sharma and his wife Ginni Chatrath
became proud parents to their son – Trishaan – on February 1.
The couple is also doting parents to their daughter Anayra, who
was born on 10th December 2019. The couple had got married in
Jalandhar on 12th December 2018.
Neha Dhupia – Angad Bedi
The couple became parents for the second time this year,
welcoming a son on October 3. Revealing the news, Angad
Bedi posted on social media: «Bedis’ boy is here! The almighty
today blessed us with a baby boy.
Both Neha and the baby are well. Mehr is ready to pass on

The Indian Weekender Friday, December 24, 2021
ENTERTAINMENT 21
bhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
ppenings from the entertainment industry that made headlines in 2021
the “baby” title to the new arrival. Waheguru mehr kare. Neha
Dhupia, thank you for being such a warrior through this journey.
Let’s make it a memorable one for all 4 of us now.” They have
however not revealed the name of the son yet.
The couple also has a daughter, Mehr, who was born on
November 18, 2018. Neha was three months pregnant with her
when she tied the knot with Angad Bedi in an intimate wedding
ceremony in a Delhi gurudwara in May 2018.
The big losses
Bollywood industry lost several gems in the year 2021. Here’s
a look at those who left for their heavenly abodes in 2021:
Dilip Kumar
On July 7, veteran actor Dilip Kumar, who was 98, breathed
his last in a Mumbai hospital after prolonged illness. Celebs, fans
and politicians were seen mourning the demise of one of Hindi
cinema’s biggest icons known for films like Mughal-e-Azam,
Devdas, Naya Daur and Ram Aur Shyam, Dilip Saab as he was
fondly called. Remembering his late husband, actor’s wife Saira
Banu was recently quoted as saying, “(I believe) he is walking
side-by-side with me with his hands in mine. He is very much
there, that’s the way I think and that is the way I want to live
and be alive. It is unimaginable for me to walk without him, you
know, we have shared a life together. It’s been 55-56 years of
togetherness,”
Siddharth Shukla
The death of The Balika Vadhu fame actor and Bigg Boss
13 winner Siddharth Shukla was undoubtedly one of the most
shocking news of 2021. The 40-year old passed away following
a massive heart attack on the morning of September 2. As per
reports, the actor had already passed away by the time his family
was able to take him to Cooper Hospital, in Mumbai.
Surekha Sikri
Veteran actress Surekha Sikri died on 16 July at the age of 75
after suffering a cardiac arrest. The actress had been unwell for
several months and had suffered a brain stroke in 2020. The Balika
Vadhu star had won the National Film Award for Best Supporting
Actress thrice, for her roles in Tamas (1988), Mammo (1995),
and Badhaai Ho (2018).
Amit Mistry
Actor Amit Mistry, who worked in TV shows like Tenali Rama,
Maddam Sir and played roles in many films like Yamla Pagla
Deewana, Shor In The City and also web shows, died of a heart
attack on 23 April. The 47-year-old actor was at his residence in
Andheri with his mother when he breathed his last. “He woke up,
had his breakfast and even exercised before he suffered a cardiac
arrest. He was absolutely fit and fine. Amit had no underlying
medical condition. It›s an absolutely shocking news,” the actor›s
manager Maharshi Desai was quoted as saying.
Rajiv Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor’s younger brother and
Raj Kapoor’s son, Rajiv Kapoor, died of a cardiac arrest, at
the age of 58 on February 9 this year. He was rushed to Inlaks
Hospital, Chembur, but was declared dead on arrival. Neetu
Kapoor, wife of late actor Rishi Kapoor, was the first to confirm
the news on Instagram. She wrote “RIP” alongside a picture of
her brother-in-law. The actor was cremated after a small family
funeral.
Of break ups and more
Here’s a look at the celebrity splits of 2021 and what went
wrong.
Aamir Khan – Kiran Rao
The popular Bollywood celebrities Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao
announced their separation in a joint statement on 3 July, ending
their 15-year marriage. “In these 15 beautiful years together we
have shared a lifetime of experiences, joy and laughter, and our
relationship has only grown in trust, respect and love. Now we
would like to begin a new chapter in our lives - no longer as
husband and wife, but as co-parents and family for each other.
We began a planned separation some time ago, and now feel
comfortable to formalise this arrangement, of living separately
yet sharing our lives the way an extended family does. We remain
devoted parents to our son Azad, who we will nurture and raise
together. We will also continue to work as collaborators on films,
Paani Foundation, and other projects that we feel passionate
about,” the statement read.
Aamir tied the knot with Kiran on December 28, 2005 and
welcomed their son Azad Rao Khan through surrogacy in 2011.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu – Naga Chaitanya
Samantha Ruth Prabhu, a popular South actress, separated
with her actor-husband Naga Chaitanya, (who is son of famous
actor Nagarjuna) in October 2021. The couple issued a joint
statement on October 2, confirming the same which read, “To all
our well-wishers, After much deliberation and thought, Chay and
I have decided to part ways as husband and wife to pursue our
own paths. We are fortunate to have a friendship of over a decade
that was the very core of our relationship which we believe will
always hold a special bond between us. We request our fans,
well-wishers, and the media to support us during this difficult
time and give us the privacy we need to move on. Thanking you
for your support. (sic)” Samantha and Chaitanya got married on
6 October 2017.
Yo Yo Honey Singh – Shalini Talwar
On August 3, 2021, rapper-singer Yo Yo Honey Singh’s wife
Shalini Talwar filed a domestic violence case against him. The
complaint was lodged under the Protection of Women from
Domestic Violence Act. Shalini Talwar has filed for divorce
on the grounds of repeated domestic violence and serial
infidelity amongst a litany of other damning allegations, seeking
compensation and regular alimony to the tune of several crores.
Taking to his official Twitter handle on August 7, Honey
Singh wrote: “I am deeply pained and distressed by the false and
malicious allegations levied against we and my family by any
companion/wife of 20 years, Mrs. Shalini Talwar. The allegations
are severely odious. I have never issued a public statement or
press note in the past despite being subjected to harsh criticism
for my lyrics, speculation on my health, and negative media
coverage in general.
The duo were childhood sweethearts, and Honey Singh had
tied the knot with his ladylove on January 23, 2011.
Karan Mehra – Nisha Rawal
Nisha Rawal and Karan Mehra’s crumbling marriage entered
the spotlight in June. The details of the fight came to light
after Karan Mehra was arrested, following a complaint by Nisha
Rawal. Karan was later granted bail.
After this, Karan and Nisha hurled accusations at each other,
with Nisha saying that Karan physically abused her, and that he
was also having an extra-marital affair. She also shared photos of
her bruises. Nisha had also called for a press conference where
she showed the bruises on her head and claimed Karan of hurting
her physically. Karan, on the other hand, said that Nisha had
created the entire scene to portray him wrongly and extract a
large amount as alimony.
While the case is still in court, in a recent interview Nisha
stated that she doesn’t want anything from Karan, apart from the
sole custody of their son Kavish.
According to Rawal, her lawyers have informed Karan that
she does not want any alimony. Demanding sole custody of her
son, she shared that Karan will be allowed to meet him regularly.
However, Nisha shared that Karan hasn’t been agreeing
to the same.
“I don’t want any alimony. What will he provide me with
that I haven’t given him? We built everything together. I started
earning at a very young age and supported him throughout even
before he became a part of Yeh Rishta. I have done so much
work and whoever I collaborated with will vouch for the fact that
Karan was in charge of the commercials,” she had told a leading
Indian newspaper.
Karan Mehra and Nisha Rawal got married on November 24,
2012 and welcomed their first child, a son named Kavish on June
15, 2017,
Kirti Kulhari – Saahil Sehgal
On April 1 of the year, 2021, actress Kirti Kulhari announced
her separation from her husband Saahil Sehgal. Kirti Kulhari,
who has featured in movies such as Pink, Uri: The Surgical
Strike, Mission Mangal, and Shaitan, shared a simple note stating
their mutual separation decision and reassured everyone that she
is in a “good place” right now. She admitted that the choice was
not “easy,” but that “it is what it is.”
The note read, “A simple note to let everyone know that my
husband Saahil and I have decided to separate. Not on papers,
but in life. A decision that’s probably harder than the decision of
“being with somebody”, because coming together is celebrated
by everyone you love and care about. And the decision of “not
being with somebody” brings along pain and hurt to the same
people. It’s not easy. Guess it is not meant to be easy but IT IS
WHAT IT IS.
To all those who really care, I am in a good place and hope
everyone who matters in my life is too. Will not be commenting
further on this. Upward and Onward… Always Kirti Kulhari.”
When asked if she tried to save her marraige, she was quoted
as saying, “Being in the marriage had stopped me from being
at peace. It wasn’t making me peaceful. It wasn’t adding to my
peace. It was rather taking away from itI tried a lot, I have never
tried so much. I tried because I wanted to give it everything I had.
When all that failed, then I had to let go.”
Kirti Kulhari married actor Saahil Sehgal in June 2016

22
FEATURES
Friday, December 24, 2021 The Indian Weekender
Antarctica’s ‘doomsday’
glacier could shatter in
five years
AVINASH SEN
Here’s why we should be
worried.
In the Antarctic, the ice
is starting to make waves, and that is
not a good thing.
Scientists are worried about what
may happen to the Thwaites Glacier,
one of the biggest glaciers in the
Antarctic region, over the next five
to 10 years. The potential danger
is such that they are calling it the
doomsday glacier.
The part of the glacier which
scientists are worried about is the
Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, which
acts as a kind of dam for a third
of the crucial Glacier, keeping
the ice in place. Unfortunately,
satellite images have shown that
the shelf has been weakening and
developing cracks.
The Glacier itself is as big as a
country (around the size of New
Zealand) and is the widest on earth,
a little less than 130 km.
Scientists who are observing the
glacier believe that the Ice Shelf
(a square kilometer section of the
glacier) may just shatter in five to ten
years, because it has so many cracks.
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
Lead researcher Erin Pettit explains the main drivers for the rapid collapse of the
Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf. Source: Screenshot from AGU presentation
Erin Pettit, an Oregon State
University glaciologist, said, “I
visualise it somewhat similar to a car
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?
window where you have a few cracks
that are slowly propagating, and then
suddenly you go over a bump in your
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
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
FOUR SICK DAYS
1 2
s E 3E M
s
s 7R 8 1 gc 1 A
1
b N T A p
1 l 0 C A L
1 1
il E A R I L L w I L L I
2
t: R u 1: M u E
2!, 2 2
b C k
2 R E D
1 i I R
2b B I N 35 3k E A L
,, A s u C 3k A L 35
3b T
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I A 4b
0 B E 4b
4s
HITORI NO: 94
S N 0 N
511 I
A
T
E
D
L I 6 T 66 1 6 7S
7
ENAC T
1
bEWEY
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?
car and the whole thing just shatters
in every direction.”
If this does happen, it will result
in all of the ice behind it to break
apart, enter the ocean, and eventually
melt, raising the sea-level even more,
which could lead to catastrophic
events all over the world.
“We are already on track for
sea level rise in the next several
decades that will impact coastal
communities worldwide,” Erin Pettit
further explained.
“We can’t reverse this sea level
rise, so we need to consider how to
mitigate it and protect our coastal
communities now.”
And it isn’t just her. Dr. Peter
Davis, Physical Oceanographer at
British Antarctic Survey, has this to
say on the matter.
“I
visualise it
somewhat similar to
a car window where you
have a few cracks that are
slowly propagating, and then
suddenly you go over a bump
in your car and the whole
thing just shatters in
every direction.”
“Thwaites Glacier in
West Antarctica is
a river of ice the
size of Great
Britain that
has been
changing
dramatically
over the past
30 years.
"The speed at
which it flows into
the ocean has doubled,
and there are fears that a complete
collapse of the glacier could raise
sea levels by over 60cm. Critically,
the glacier is currently held back by
an ice shelf, a floating extension of
the glacier that is held in place by an
underwater mountain.”
“Recent research as part of the
International Thwaites Glacier
Collaboration has shown that this ice
shelf is under attack from all sides.
It is being melted from below by
warm ocean waters, causing it to lose
its grip on the underwater mountain.
"At the same time, massive
fractures are forming and growing
across the ice shelf surface.
1st February
Eliminate numbers until there are no duplicates in any row or
column. Eliminate numbers by marking them in Black. You are
not allowed to have two Black squares touching horizontally or
vertically (diagonally is ok). Any White square can be reached
from any other (i.e. they are connected).
The research suggests that at the
current rate of change, this critical
ice shelf will begin to break apart
within the next two decades, with
severe consequences for the stability
of Glacier and ultimately, sea level
here in the UK.”
This has of course occurred due
to the rise in global temperatures
that has been occurring over the
past few decades.
As you can imagine, a rise in
sea levels would be especially
bad for coastal cities in India like
Mumbai, Kochi, Visakhapatnam,
Kanyakumari, Pondicherry and
more. And it’s not just India, cities
in New Zealand like Auckland,
Dunedin, Wellington, Christchurch,
Napier and others would very
well see themselves facing a
similar situation.
All these cities would find
themselves facing massive floods,
they may even end up finding
themselves as part of the ocean floor,
facing a fate similar to the mythical
city of Atlantis.
Of course, flooding isn’t the
only problem the world is facing
due to global warming. The
highest temperature ever recorded
in the Arctic right now is 38
degrees Celsius.
The world meteorological
organisation confirmed that the
record took place on the 20th of
June 2020, in the Siberian town of
Verkhoyansk, which sits just inside
the Arctic circle.
The region experienced
unprecedented heatwaves and saw
wildfires due to the extreme heat,
across the forests in Northern Russia.
If there is one thing this situation
teaches us, it is how crucial global
climate change is to the planet.
Friends, we all need to do our part to
help mitigate this, in any and every
way we can.
SUDOKU SOLUSIONS AND ANSWERS NO: 94
65 66 67

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