The Indian Weekender, 18 March 2022

18MARCH2022 • VOL 13 ISSUE 52 

www.iwk.co.nz /indianweekender /indianweekender 

Pg6 

(New Zealand) Ltd. 

NZSO’s 

AUCKLAND 

Pg3 

Pg9 

only 

Indian 

muso 

WELLINGTON 

Call Toll Free 

0800 024 404 

www.barodanzltd.co.nz 

Don’t dream it’s paid off - Live it now 

Mortgage Genius Plan designed to get you where you want to be financially! 

Home Loans Business Loans Commercial Loans Insurance 

Allow you to pay off your 

mortgage quicker 

Build wealth faster 

Enable you to free up cash to 

purchase additional properties 

Disclosure Statement available free of cost 

Airport Oaks 09 255 5500 Manukau 09 263 5555 Henderson 09 836 5555 Tauranga 07 577 0011

The Indian Weekender Friday, March 18, 2022 

NEW ZEALAND 3 

Don’t discriminate against people 

from non-visa waiver countries 

Kiwi Indians, as well as opposition leaders, feel that the government’s latest announcement is biased 

NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH 

On Wednesday, March 16, Prime 

Minister Jacinda Ardern announced 

that from 11.59 pm Tuesday, April 

12, Australians will be able to travel to New 

Zealand isolation-free. 

From 11.59 pm Sunday, May 1, vaccinated 

travellers from visa waiver countries such as the 

UK, US, Japan, Germany, Korea and Singapore 

and also those with valid visitor visas will be 

able to arrive in NZ. 

While the news has delighted many, 

including the tourism sector, it has also added 

stress for many Kiwi Indians waiting to reunite 

with their families. Since India is not a visawaiver 

country, the opening of arrivals of 

tourists from there will take place in October as 

per the plan till now. 

Sharing her sentiment on Facebook, 

Ruhi Sethi Vij wrote, “Most discriminating 

government policies. It’s been almost three 

years [since] we didn’t see our family. Is it 

that hard to understand that non-visa waiver 

country people have same emotions like others. 

Really heartbreaking.” 

Another migrant, Ankit Nagpal wrote, “no 

good news for us India is still not on list … 

temp worker overseas need to consider canada 

rather NZ anymore as it is not a immigrant 

friendly anymore specially for indian’s.” 

Sharing her disappointment at the 

announcement, Rini Mohandas Vishnu wrote 

on social media, “Nothing is happening for us. 

Please help the non-visa waiver countries to get 

GVV at least as it is in the enhanced system. 

"It will solve the partnership living together 

issue, parents or children can also apply for it. 

It’s a one solution for the reunification.” 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern 

It is not just Kiwi Indians, but even opposition 

leaders feel that the government needs to 

prioritise family reunification. 

National Party’s Immigration spokesperson 

Erica Stanford said, “PM in May 2020: Split 

migrant families will be a priority for me. 

PM today: Announces tourists and working 

holiday makers can come next month. Split 

families have to wait until October. 

This is beyond cruel.” 

Green Party’s Immigration spokesperson 

Ricardo Menendez March, too, believes 

that reuniting families must come 

before industry profits. 

Sharing his sentiments, he said, “The 

racialised inequities between visa waiver 

countries (mostly global north) and non visa 

waiver countries (mostly global south) really 

exposed by this decision. Tourists from the 

global north are being prioritised over reuniting 

families from non-visa waiver countries. 

“ 

Most discriminating 

government policies. 

It’s been almost three 

years [since] we didn’t 

see our family. Is it that 

hard to understand that 

non-visa waiver country 

people have same 

emotions like others. 

Really heartbreaking.” 

“It was disappointing to hear the Prime 

Minister talk about ‘reuniting tourists with our 

regional economies’ today, with no mention 

of reuniting partners with their families, who 

have been divided by the border for years. We 

shouldn’t be prioritising industry profit over 

people and their families. 

There was no good news for all the split 

partners and children in non-visa-waiver 

countries like India and South Africa, who still 

need to wait till October to apply for visas and 

finally be reunited. Family reunification must 

become the top priority.” 

Indian Weekender contacted the office of 

prime minister Jacinda Ardern to know the 

government’s plan to reopen the border from 

those who are not from visa waiver countries, 

especially India, which has the most significant 

migrant cohort in NZ. 

Responding to the query, a Covid-19 Group 

spokesperson said, “The government is aware 

there is a strong desire to bring forward the 

reopening date for all visitors from October to 

allow family and friends from non-visa-waiver 

countries to visit NZ. There are a number 

of factors that will determine how feasible 

it is to bring forward this date that are being 

worked through. 

Officials will be providing further advice 

to Ministers shortly on options for non-visa 

waiver travellers. 

“It’s important to note that as part of the 

recent announcement, around 570,000 people 

offshore with valid visitor visas will be eligible 

to enter NZ from 11.59 pm on Sunday, May 1. 

This group includes thousands of people 

from India who hold visitor visas, who will be 

able to travel to New Zealand from this date. 

Visitor visa holders already onshore will also 

be able to leave and re-enter New Zealand from 

May 1 to visit family and friends overseas.” 

CENTURY 21 

DHATT & Co 

#1 

In New Zealand 

SUPPORTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY 

FOR OVER 2 DECADES 

Licensed Under REAA 2008 

TASREET DHATT RUPINDER KAUR 021 971 433

4 NEW ZEALAND 

Friday, March 18, 2022 The Indian Weekender 

Tourism industry thrilled as 

border reopening announced 

MAHESH KUMAR 

In an announcement on Wednesday, PM 

Jacinda Ardern announced that it was 

bringing forward the date for opening the 

border to tourists. The news was welcomed 

by Tourism sector though it still believes 

that full recovery of the sector will only 

happen around 2024. 

From 11.59pm Tuesday 12 April, Australians 

will be able to travel to New Zealand isolationfree, 

and then two and a half weeks later from 

11.59 Sunday 1 May, vaccinated travellers from 

visa-waiver countries such as the large tourist 

markets of the UK, US, Japan, Germany, Korea 

and Singapore, and those with valid visitor 

visas, will be able to arrive. 

“While we know it will take some time to see 

tourism scale up again, today’s announcement 

will be a welcome boost for our tourism 

operators who have done it harder than many 

over the last two years.” Ardern said. 

Tourism Minister Stuart Nash said, “We are 

rolling out the green and gold carpet to our 

vaccinated trans-Tasman cousins.” 

He also revealed a new marketing campaign 

for Tourism New Zealand, ‘Within Your Wildest 

Dreams’. The campaign encourages Australians 

to dream of a journey to NZ, and experience 

the unique landscapes and hospitality that the 

country offers. 

Nash said, “Apart from three months of 

quarantine-free travel in 2021 when around 

160,000 Australians came here, we have missed 

our Aussie visitors. We cannot wait to have our 

mates back. Bringing forward the date will 

accelerate our economic recovery. 

According to past data, Australians form 

71% of all international ski tourists who spend 

$211 million during their stay. The timing 

announced coincides with the Australian school 

holidays, Easter and ski season which might 

spell great news for NZ’s tourism with inbound 

international tourists. 

“Our investment and partnership with the 

sector will continue. Tourism NZ has also 

Govt responds to falling poll numbers 

with fuel tax cut, border reopening 

spent the past two years targeting trade shows, 

and has trained 80,000 international travel 

agents who connect foreign travellers with NZ 

destinations and operators.” Nash said. 

Tourism Industry Aotearoa Communications 

Manager Ann-Marie Johnson says, “After 

around 730 days of pain in the two years 

since our international borders closed, tourism 

operators finally have confirmation they can get 

back to business, tourism was the first industry 

to be affected by the pandemic and will be the 

last to recover.” 

Auckland Business Chamber CEO Michael 

Barnett says that all New Zealanders need to 

encourage fully vaccinated family, friends and 

visitors from Australia to come and experience 

NZ hospitality. 

“Tourism operators, airlines and the 

hospitality sector now have certainty over the 

timings and will be working feverishly to create 

appealing, affordable and unique packages to 

put New Zealand back on the map and at the top 

of the list of must go to countries,” Barnett said. 

Flight Centre welcomed the news but said the 

government should consider moving this date 

two weeks earlier to 1 April, to capture all of 

Australia’s school holiday dates, which vary 

per state. 

Auckland Airport Chief Executive Carrie 

“ 

After around 730 days of 

pain in the two years since 

our international borders 

closed, tourism operators 

finally have confirmation 

they can get back to business, 

tourism was the first industry 

to be affected by the pandemic 

and will be the last to 

recover.” 

Hurihanganui said she was delighted the 

international terminal at Auckland Airport 

would soon be filled with travellers from around 

the world eager to visit NZ and emotional scenes 

of friends and family reuniting after years apart, 

without the need to isolate on arrival. 

Australia was New Zealand’s largest source 

of travellers before the pandemic, with 4.6 

million passengers each year or 12,500 per day 

pre-pandemic. 

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer 

Greg Foran says it’s the day NZ has been 

waiting for. 

“It’s been incredibly hard for our tourism 

operators around the country. Today’s 

announcement will help them get back to what 

they do best – welcoming international visitors 

to Aotearoa.” 

Foran also noted NZ is still at the top of 

the bucket list as is evident from the booking 

interest shown by North American travellers. 

Air NZ has been building both capacity and 

capabilities leading up to the border reopening. 

Currently, it has more than 50 flights per week 

on its 15 international routes with the flexibility 

to adjust capacity as per the demand. It has also 

rehired around 700 flight attendants and pilots. 

International flying checklist for travellers 

entering NZ: 

• Travellers will need to show their 

International Vaccine Certificate to board an 

Air New Zealand international flight. 

• The NZ Government requires proof of a 

negative RAT, LAMP or PCR test before 

departure. Check the Covid-19 website for 

timeframes. 

• All passengers will be required to fill out the 

NZ Travel Declaration before departure 

• Visitors from visa-waiver countries will 

need to hold a NZeTA before they travel 

• Allow plenty of time (we recommend 

around three hours) to check in and verify 

all travel documents. 

International flying checklist for customers 

departing NZ: 

• Customers will need to show their 

International Vaccine Certificate to board an 

Air New Zealand international flight. 

• Different countries have varying entry 

requirements (pre-departure testing and 

travel declarations) so check these before 

getting to the airport 

• Allow plenty of time (we recommend 

around three hours) to check in and verify 

all travel documents at the airport. 

SANDEEP SINGH 

Last week’s dramatic poll numbers 

that saw Labour trailing behind the 

opposition National Party for the first 

time in two years seems to have forced the 

government to come out of slumber, resulting 

in two key decisions before the end of 

the mid-week. 

The first decision was the unprecedented 

slashing of the fuel tax, in a bid to arrest the 

spiralling inflation and rising living cost crisis 

after being in denial for weeks that there 

was such a crisis, and the other decision was 

bringing forward the staged reopening of 

New Zealand borders to support the country’s 

beleaguered tourism sector. 

The dramatic numbers from the last week’s 

1News Kantar opinion poll that saw Labour 

dropping to 37 percent support - the party’s 

lowest since 2017, and National rising to 

39 percent – their best return in almost two 

years had a clear impact on the government’s 

newfound vigour to act fast and decisively. 

On Monday, March 14, Prime Minister 

Jacinda Ardern announced the slashing of fuel 

taxes from midnight by 25 cents a litre as also 

a 50 percent discount on all public transport 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern 

travel as an immediate measure to address the 

rise in living cost crisis. 

It is expected that the tax reduction will cost 

some $350 million – and will save motorists 

$11 to $17 per average fill-up, depending on 

the vehicle and the type of duel consumed. The 

National Leader Christopher Luxon 

halving of the cost of public transport will cost 

around $25m to $40m. 

Slashing of excise tax on the fuel by 

any government is unprecedented by any 

standards and coming from a government that 

has been repeatedly accused by the political 

opposition of indulging in “tax grab,” to quote 

National’s Leader Christopher Luxon, is indeed 

extraordinary. 

Lately the government has come under 

intense pressure to help alleviate three-decade 

high inflation, which had witnessed a gradual 

hike in petrol prices, much before the global 

market disruptions precipitated by Russia’s 

invasion of Ukraine as per government’s 

seemingly sluggish explanation of the steep 

hike in petrol prices. 

However, what seems to have moved the 

government fast on this critically important 

issue for the New Zealanders is the flight of 

voters from Labour’s fold who had supported 

the government’s response to Covid pandemic 

in recent years, to the National’s fold. 

Most importantly, it is the steep rise of the 

popularity of National Leader Christopher 

Luxon as opposed to Prime Minister Jacinda 

Ardern, who had till now been largely 

unchallenged as the preferred prime minister 

of the country that might have rung alarm bells 

within the government forcing it to slash petrol 

tax and relieve some pressure from the back 

pockets of New Zealanders. 

• Continued on Page 13

Happy Holi - 

Festival of Colours 

The ACT Party celebrates 

alongside you. 

Authorised by David Seymour MP, ACT Party 

Leader, Parliament Buildings, Wellington. 

act.office@parliament.govt.nz 

act.org.nz

6 NEW ZEALAND 

Friday, March 18, 2022 

The Indian Weekender 

Pandemic takes the colour off Holi 

It’s going to be a rather dull Holi this time. Many Holi celebrations across New Zealand have 

been cancelled owing to the Omicron surge. 


There is no denying that the pandemic 

has changed the way we live, eat, travel, 

and celebrate our cultural festivals. 

For the Kiwi Indian community, Holi has 

always been associated with celebrating in big 

groups with laughter, gaiety and feasting. But 

this year, due to the pandemic and the Omicron 

surge, many events across the country have 

been cancelled. 

One of the most significant Holi events 

organised by Auckland Indian Association Inc 

(AIAI) has been cancelled for the first time 

in its history. Dhansukh Lal, President, AIAI, 

says, “Due to the Covid Red Light allowing 

only gatherings of 100 people, AIAI has to 

cancel the festival of Holi, which is an outdoor 

event we celebrate. 

"We are very disappointed that for the first 

time in the history of the AIAI, we have no 

option but to cancel this important event in our 

calendar.” 

Lal added: “We normally get more than 

500 people to come to celebrate Holi, and it 

will be hard to allow only 100 people and still 

be able to follow the government guidelines 

such as keeping the two-metre distance, 

wearing of masks and scanning everyone’s 

vaccination passes.” 

Bharatiya Mandir will also not organise any 

Holi event this year. Secretary Yugal Parashar, 

said, "Unfortunately, due to the situation created 

by the daily number of infected Covid19 cases, 

Bharatiya Mandir Management Committee has 

decided not to hold the annual Holi festival and 

the lighting of bonfire this year. 

"It is disappointing for sure, but in almost 

two years since this pandemic first struck, many 

things have changed in everyone’s life, and we 

NZ awaits elusive consensus before lending support to India’s NSG bid 

VENU MENON 

There is little indication of any 

constructive engagement between New 

Delhi and Wellington on India’s bid 

to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), 

despite the claims made in bilateral exchanges 

between the two countries. 

New Zealand, which withheld its support to 

India, exerts a strong influence over member 

states opposed to India’s membership of the 

group. This influence stems from NZ’s long 

history of adopting a principled stand against 

nuclear proliferation. Winning its support is, 

therefore, critical for India. 

Wellington is not opposed in principle 

to India’s entry into the NSG and wants 

resene.co.nz 

all are getting accustomed to a new kind of 

lifestyle. The safety and wellbeing of everyone 

are paramount for us, and celebrations can be 

held once the situation is conducive to it.” 

The International Society for Krishna 

Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known 

as the Hare Krishna Movement, have also 

cancelled their Holi plans. “Unfortunately, this 

year’s Holi will not go ahead due to pandemic,” 

confirmed ISKCON NZ’s spokesperson 

“We have been organising 

Holi festival for many years, 

but it has been the second 

year in a row that we could 

not celebrate it. Even though 

it is very disappointing, we 

understand that people’s 

health and safety is most 

important. We respect the 

government’s decision. We 

hope this year will be the 

last year of covid and we can 

celebrate our festivals again.” 

Krishnacandra Das 

Auckland’s Indian dance school, Aaja 

Nachle, has decided not to go ahead with any 

Holi event. Senior Manager Jaspal Singh said, 

“Unfortunately, we had to cancel the Holi event 

due to Omicron. 

"Even though we had a plan to celebrate 

Holi with limited capacity, it wasn’t supported 

by Auckland Council, so we had to cancel the 

event. 

"This cancellation guts us as well as the 

community members as we were preparing for 

this since January and had everything in place.” 

clear criteria for letting in countries that 

have not signed up to the Nuclear Non- 

Proliferation Treaty (NPT), such as India, 

Pakistan and Israel. 

“NZ remains ready to continue the 

discussion on establishing clear and objective 

criteria against which applications for NSG 

membership by States not party to the Nuclear 

Non-Proliferation Treaty (including India) can 

be assessed,” a spokesperson for the Ministry 

of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Indian 

Weekender via email. 

“Agreement on these criteria is an important 

first step in the two-step process mandated 

by NSG members and we regret that a lack 

of consensus has hampered progress on this 

Choose New Zealand’s 

most trusted paint brand! 

Visit your local Resene ColorShop 

or shop online at shop.resene.co.nz 

Ashburton Indian Multicultural Charitable 

Trust, which was planning to organise 

the Ashburton Holi 2022 event, has also 

decided to cancel it. 

“We have been organising Holi festival 

for many years, but it has been the second 

year in a row that we could not celebrate 

it. Even though it is very disappointing, we 

understand that people’s health and safety is 

most important. We respect the government’s 

issue over the past few years. In keeping with 

our advocacy of the two-step process, NZ will 

support the timely consideration of India’s 

application once the Group has agreed objective 

criteria,” the MFAT spokesperson pointed out. 

But creating a consensus around criteria 

among the 48 member states of the NSG goes 

to the core of the problem. 

The membership issue has left a clear divide 

within the grouping. The 2011 push by the US 

administration to accord India membership of 

the NSG, based on India’s non-proliferation 

credentials, met with stiff resistance from a 

cross-section of NSG members, including 

China. The US’s advocacy for India’s 

membership of the NSG cemented China’s 

nuclear collaboration with Pakistan. Beijing 

actively thwarted New Delhi’s entry into the 

elite nuclear club. 

The NSG , which works to promote nuclear 

non-proliferation globally, has strict export 

control guidelines for trading in nuclear-related 

goods and technologies that are binding on its 

member states. Since its inception in 1975, the 

NSG has been dogged by the perception that it 

was formed as a direct fallout of India’s 1974 

Pokhran nuclear test. After Pakistan followed 

suit with its own nuclear tests, the membership 

debate has veered towards a comparison 

of the non-proliferation credentials of the 

two nuclearised neighbours with competing 

interests in the South Asian region. 

Both India and Pakistan formally applied for 

membership of the NSG in May 2016. Faced 

with a difficult choice, the NSG Chair from 

South Korea entrusted Ambassador Rafael 

Grossi of Argentina to evolve a consensus for 

considering non-NPT states for membership. 

decision. We hope this year will be the last 

year of covid and we can celebrate our 

festivals again,” said Silky Sharma, the 

rust’s Events Coordinator. 

Govt guidelines for having events at Red Light 

As per the red light guidelines, gatherings are limited to 100 people if everyone has a My 

Vaccine Pass and Gatherings are limited to 25 people if My Vaccine Passes are not being used. 

If the organiser of a gathering chooses to follow My Vaccine Pass requirements, only people 

with a My Vaccine Pass are allowed to be there. This includes the people working at the gathering. 

It is the responsibility of the venue to ensure it complies with capacity limits. Smaller venues 

will be limited to fewer than 100 people. These limits include children under the age of 12 years 

and three months who cannot get a My Vaccine Pass. 

When food and drink is being served, you must be seated and separated. Face masks should be 

worn at an event. 

Events staff and volunteers must wear a face covering. 

But the nine-point Grossi formula failed to 

deliver consensus after it appeared to many to 

favour India. 

India then fell back on the tactical ploy of 

signing up to three alternative multilateral 

export control regimes – the Missile Technology 

Control Regime (MTCR), the Wassenaar 

Arrangement and the Australia Group – on the 

calculation that membership of these regimes 

would be viewed favourably by the bulk of the 

NSG members, who themselves are members 

of those regimes. 

However, NSG members are signatories to 

the NPT, which is not a precondition for joining 

the other multilateral regimes. 

The stalemate on membership around the 

applications of India and Pakistan remained 

unresolved at the 2021 NSG Plenary meeting 

held in Brussels, Belgium (the plenary session 

for the previous year was called off due to the 

Covid-19 pandemic). All eyes are on the next 

NSG Plenary with Poland as the new NSG 

Chair for 2022. Meanwhile, there is no let-up 

in the campaign by both applicants to canvass 

support among the member states of the NSG. 

Clearly, the criteria-based approach appears 

to defy consensus. 

NZ’s two-step solution, based on criteria 

and consensus, to India’s application for 

membership of the NSG is, some might argue, 

open-ended and nowhere in sight.


NEW ZEALAND 7 

Spirit of Cricket 

reaches semifinal stage 

IWK BUREAU 

The Relianz Forex Spirit of Cricket 

tournament’s 24th Edition has reached 

its climax despite the stumbles and 

challenges faced during the pandemic period. 

Managing the Covid scare, the tournament 

semifinal line up has been drawn and a tough 

one at that. 

Top placed team in the pool plays - AIS 

United will be challenged by Mighty Blues for 

the first semifinal. 

Both of these teams have been past winners 

and know what it takes to beat each other. The 

other semi-final is between another top placed 

pool team and past winner City Boyz and 

newbie to Semi-finals - Auckland Falcons. 

This will be an interesting line up between 

experienced winners and experience challengers 

who would like to go one step further. 

The matches will be played at Mt Wellington 

War Memorial reserve in Dunkirk Avenue 

Mt Wellington instead of the usual Auckland 

Domain due to another event there! 

The right to get into the semi-finals was 

earned by the quarterfinalist Mighty Blues who 

subdued the challengers ATA Spearheads in a 

high scoring match. 

On the back of unbeaten 55 runs by 

Hariprasath Balakrishnan supported ably by 

Shrikrishna Bhaskaran (25) and Goutham 

Elangovan (20) Mighty Blues posted a massive 

137 runs challenge to the ATA Spearheads. 

Unfortunately, some excellent bowling by 

all the Blues bowlers prevented any chance 

of the chase by the ATA Spearheads who 

folded for 51 runs. 

Hariprasath bagging the Man of the Match 

performance! Last year’s runners up Deccan 

Acers were hoping to reach their second 

consecutive semi-final and continue their 

winning spree. 

However, some tight bowling by Auckland 

Falcons restricted the Acers to 63 runs. At one 

time they were 6/28 but some active rearguard 

action saw them reaching 63. Auckland Falcons 

started the chase disastrously. 

As often happens, small chases can be tricky 

and accurate bowling by Acers specially Hemal 

Mooni, who grabbed 3 quick wickets, saw 

Falcons down to 4/15 and looked like Acers 

would have another quarterfinal victory under 

their belt. But a captains knock by Farhan 

(36 not out) ably assisted by Harsimran (19 

not out) saw to it that their were no further 

hiccups and they easily passed the 63 runs 

challenge in 15 overs. 

So after four gruelling months and 2 rounds 

of round robins, the tournament is reaching 

towards its peak. Played under strict Red- 

Light conditions first and then Omnicron 

scare, the tournament was lucky not to face 

any major disruption. 

The teams cooperated in terms of ensuring 

scanning, bubble protocols and all necessary 

requirements to make it safe for the tournament 

to continue. 

The semifinals are a testimony of the 

dedication of the tournament participants 

and hence its 24th year of occurrence! 

Ably supported by Relianz Forex (title 

sponsors), Indian Weekender (Media sponsor), 

Cricket Express (gear support), Waitakere 

Cricket Club (affiliated partner), Cricclubs 

(scoring partner) and all the community 

associations who have gracefully participated 

in this edition. 

Namaste 

have a happy and colourful Holi! 

New Zealand Qualifications Authority 

Approved Category 1 Education Provider 

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

Radhakrishnan (MP for Maungakiekie, Minister for the Community & Voluntary Sector, Diversity, Inclusion & Ethnic Communities, and 

Youth), Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall (Labour list MP, Minister for Food Safety and Seniors), Marja Lubeck (Labour list MP based in Kaipara ki 

Mahurangi), Vanushi Walters (MP for Upper Harbour), Naisi Chen (Labour list MP based in Botany), Ibrahim Omer (Labour list MP), 

Dr Gaurav Sharma (MP for Hamilton West), Ingrid Leary (MP for Taieri). 

Contact Labour’s Ethnic Communities Team: 

09 622 2557 | ethnic_communities_labour@parliament.govt.nz 

/Labourethnic /labour_ethnic_communities 

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

8 NEW ZEALAND 



The government as well as those working in the mental health services 

acknowledge that there is a gap and that needs to be worked on 


When one talks about health, most 

of us immediately associate it 

with physical health, but there is 

no denying that one’s mental health and wellbeing 

is also critical. In this stressful globalised 

world that we live in, coupled with the global 

pandemic, it sometimes gets challenging to be 

mentally strong and well. 

And that is when one does need the 

intervention of the mental health system. But 

it doesn’t seem that New Zealand’s mental 

health system is strong enough to deal with the 

increasing pressure. 

And that is why a petition called ‘Improve the 

NZ mental health system and crisis response’ 

was started by Melissa Lodge. It has so far got 

around 330 signatures. 

Sharing her reason for starting the petition, 

Lodge wrote, “The pandemic has taken a big 

toll on people’s mental health, which means 

there are a lot more people struggling and 

unable to access help. Our mental health system 

is literally the ambulance at the bottom of a 

cliff. It is not okay that NZ continues to have 

one of the highest rates of youth suicide, and 

the mental health system is only getting worse. 

Things need to change. 

“I am watching friends get sicker and sicker 

as they sit on a waiting list for help. And I am 

seeing friends move overseas just to get help 

with their mental health because NZ’s system 

doesn’t help. The wait times are months long to 

even get a first appointment with a professional, 

and then often, people are classed as not 

‘serious’ enough for help in the public system. 

They are understaffed, don’t have enough 

resources.” 

Lodge also points out that even the private 

sector finds it difficult to cope with the 

increasing demand. “The private sector is now 

NAME CHANGE 

struggling to keep up with the number of people 

being failed by the public system, and there 

are extremely long waitlists to be seen by a 

private therapist, which a lot of people who are 

struggling with their mental health are unable 

to afford.” 

One of the signatories, Rihannon Renee, 

wrote, “The mental health crisis is a way bigger 

pandemic than covid will ever be.” 

Another petition supporter, Gabby Good, 

wrote, “The mental health system has failed 

me endless amount of times to date. They 

never listen until it’s too late. I hate seeing so 

many people of all ages struggle mentally. WE. 

NEED. HELP. I just wish they would hear us 

and listen to us.” 

Indian Weekender spoke to people working 

in the mental health sector to know about their 

take and their expectation from the government 

in this space. 

“Those in most need and 

with fewest resources miss 

out” 

Mental health distress continues to grow, but 

help doesn’t keep up. That’s the view of the 

New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists 

(NZAP). It’s also the evidence from a recent 

This is to declare that I, APEKSHABEN ASHOKBHAI PATEL 

R/o 4/4 Croydon Road, New Lynn, Auckland, have changed my 

name to APEKSHA ASHOKBHAI PATEL for all future purposes. 

CHANGE OF NAME 

I, Surjit Alias Sohan Lal Birdi S/o Sh. Paramjit, Native Village 

Bulandpur Post office Nurpur, Jalandhar, Punjab, India and 

currently residing in New Zealand (4 Crisp Avenue, Pukekohe, 

Auckland 2120) do hereby declare that now I have changed my 

name to Surjit Birdi (new name) in place of my previous name 

i.e Surjit Alias Sohan Lal Birdi. Concern may note. 

Much needs 

to be done in 

NZ’s mental 

health space 

critical report from Otago University about 

New Zealand’s overworked mental health 

system. Dr John Farnsworth, NZAP’s Chair 

of Public Issues, comments, “We know there 

are long waiting lists in the public system, 

especially for acute assistance. It’s true in the 

private system too. We know hospital services 

also can’t meet mental health or addictions 

demands. Often, those in most need and with 

fewest resources miss out.” 

“Our people require more 

accessible, timely, holistic 

and clinical interventions” 

Amitesh Singh, Chairperson, NZ Fiji Families 

Wellbeing Trust, also maintains that the 

community struggles to get adequate help and 

support. He says, “ We are a community with 

a high level of suicide attempts and lives are 

lost due to suicide, as well as a high number of 

family violence cases. We are struggling to get 

support and access to help in a timely manner. 

Over the last two years, despite our numerous 

requests to various organisations whose purpose 

is to serve our community, we have found them 

to be unhelpful and irresponsive. Moreover, our 

Fijian i-taukei community is not well consulted 

and informed of the available services. We do 

not get much support, and this becomes the sad 

truth of our struggles as a community. 

“The Ministry of Pacific Peoples and the 

Ministry of Ethnic Communities have to 

work more closely together in this space. Our 

people require more accessible, timely, 

holistic and clinical interventions, as well as 

adequate support for the most vulnerable in our 

community.” 

“We have limited resources” 

Presbyterian Support Northern (PSN), which 

provides Lifeline Aotearoa (a 24/7 helpline 

service for people in a state of distress and 

people concerned about someone they know), 

also believes that the resources are limited. 

Commenting on the same, a spokesperson of 

PSN says, “We receive more than 10,000 calls 

and receive and send more than 30,000 texts a 

month. With no Government funding, we have 

limited resources and are entirely dependent on 

donations to provide our services.” 

“There is considerable 

pressure on inpatient mental 

health services across the 

country.” 

When we contacted the government, Philip 

Grady, acting Deputy Director-General, 

Mental Health and Addiction, acknowledged 

that there is pressure on the mental health 

services across NZ. 

He said, “There is considerable pressure 

on inpatient mental health services across the 

country, and the demands of Covid-19 has 

only increased this pressure on our people and 

systems. It is unlikely that anyone working in 

the sector feels things are where they need 

to be. That is why we are all working hard to 

improve and transform the mental health and 

addiction system.” 

“Improving mental health facilities is also 

a priority for this government, and as part of 

Budget 2019, a significant investment has been 

set aside to upgrade existing mental health and 

addiction facilities and build new facilities. 

This work is being driven by the government’s 

2019 budget investment of $1.9 billion. It also 

involves the wider health reforms underway 

which will see Health NZ, the Maori Health 

Authority and the Ministry of Health working 

together.” 

“Since 2019, there are already new and 

enhanced services in every area of New 

Zealand aiming to help thousands of New 

Zealanders every month. Our Access and 

Choice programme, which provides free mental 

health and addiction support in GPs offices and 

clinics around the country, is ensuring that 

people with mild to moderate issues can find 

support more easily. 

“We know that vulnerable people may be 

adversely affected at times of uncertainty, such 

as the Covid-19 pandemic we are in. Access 

and Choice services have been working hard to 

take some of the pressure off frontline hospital 

staff and provide support to those who need it.” 

Giving details about the services, he 

pointed out, “Access and Choice services 

(including IPMHA, Māori, Pacific, and 

Youth programmes) have provided more than 

323,000 sessions since the programme began 

and supported more than 17,500 people in 

January alone. We now have 850 Access, and 

Choice health professionals and health coaches 

added to the frontline of services through this 

programme, covering a population base of two 

million New Zealanders. 

“There has also been significant investment 

in online self-help tools and telehealth services 

(like 1737), so New Zealanders can access 

support at any time. Moreover, since Budget 

19, the government has established the Suicide 

Prevention Office. Substantial progress has 

been made implementing suicide prevention 

efforts since September 2019. This includes 

committed investment of $40 million invested 

over four years.”


NEW ZEALAND 9 

Malavika Gopal – NZSO’s 

only Indian-origin musician 

VENU MENON 

Malavika Gopal has the distinction of 

being the only Indian-origin member 

of the New Zealand Symphony 

Orchestra (NZSO). Born in Palakkad in Kerala, 

she migrated with her parents, Gopal and Leela, 

to NZ at the age of one. 

It was in kindergarten that she got her first 

exposure to western classical music. Malavika 

recalls going through a range of instruments 

before settling for the violin. 

As the 1st Violin of the NZSO, Malavika is one 

of a select group of around 16 such violinists in the 

orchestra who play the main tunes or melodies. 

The 2nd Violins play a supporting role to 

the other instruments. 

“They often provide inner rhythms 

and the harmonies to the melodies. They 

provide the inner richness and fullness to the 

music alongside many other instruments,” 

Malavika explains. 

To the uninitiated, a symphony orchestra is 

made up of four sections: strings, woodwind, 

brass and percussion. 

There are around twelve 1st Violins, ten 

2nd Violins, along with around eight violas, 

eight cellos and six double basses. Every piece 

requires a slightly different number specified 

by the era or composer. 

The 1st Violin section is led by the 

Concertmaster, who is seated close to the 

conductor and is responsible for tuning the 

orchestra and leading along with the conductor. 

Malavika has been with NZSO for eight 

years now. The NZSO being a Crown entity, 

Malavika Gopal 

the orchestra members are paid a salary. But the 

discipline is gruelling. 

Rehearsals can stretch for hours. Standards 

are strictly upheld under the keen eye of the 

Concertmaster. 

Like any violinist, Malavika has a deep 

bond with her instrument. Professional 

violinists with the NZSO buy their violins 

with their own resources. 

Currently, she has a French violin, but covets 

one of Italian make that comes with a price tag 

that is unaffordable for now. 

It has been hectic getting to where Malavika 

finds herself in her career as a professional 

violinist. Since graduating in music from the 

University of Auckland, she has played in 

different settings internationally. 

The standing ovation, indeed raucous 

applause, she and other members of the orchestra 

received following a performance at the Royal 

Albert Hall in London has stayed with her. “It 

was like a rock show. They were going crazy,” 

she recalls. 

In a more sombre vein, Malavika observes 

that the engagement with classical western 

music in European capitals 

“They 

often provide 

inner rhythms and 

the harmonies to the 

melodies. They provide 

the inner richness and 

fullness to the music 

alongside many other 

instruments,” 

is on a scale seldom 

encountered in other 

parts of the world. 

But she is most at 

home performing 

to audiences in 

Aotearoa, whether 

playing chamber 

music before a small 

audience of 100 or 

performing in a symphony 

orchestra in packed halls that seat 

over a 1000. 

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra 

marked the 75th year of its existence early 

this month. But the on-site programmes before 

a live audience were called off owing to 

restrictions imposed by the pandemic and live 

streamed instead. 

Malavika is set to perform in an online 

concert on Sunday, March 20 at 5pm, 

which can be viewed on https://www. 

tikstream.com/anzfa/Event/chambermusic-spectacular 

Air NZ looks to land 

$1.3b in capital 

RNZ 

The Australian and Australian Financial 

Review have reported that the airline 

has hired UBS, Citi, and Forsyth Barr 

to organise the raising of nearly $1.3 billion 

by the end of the month after the government 

brought forward the opening of borders. 

The two papers quoted a note by analysts at 

Macquarie that the raising was imminent. 

“We believe a A$1.1b-1.2b capital raise ... 

is required to restore enough balance sheet 

flexibility, while other measures (debt liquidity, 

retained earnings) will supplement this over 

time,” the Macquarie note to clients said. 

“Air New Zealand previously targeted a raise 

by the end of March, and given recent reopening 

announcements, there [doesn’t seem] to be a 

reason to delay this again.” 

Air NZ has twice deferred its equity raising 

last year as borders remained closed because of 

the pandemic, causing it to post massive losses. 

The airline has been kept afloat through 

a government support facility, which has 

provided the necessary cash to cover large 

payments such as deferred tax payments and 

new plane costs. 

The government has affirmed that it intends 

to maintain its majority shareholding. 

Air New Zealand chief executive Greg 

Foran last month said the carrier had already 

started preparing for a rebound in global travel 

in the second half by bringing back about 250 

cabin crew and pilots and firing up one of its 

grounded long haul Boeing 777-300 planes, 

while it aimed to increase flights to North 

America and start direct services to New York. 

Macquarie said Air NZ’s book value could 

fall a further 40 percent in the next 12 months, 

and it still regarded the airline as overvalued. 

Happy Holi 

Dr Gaurav Sharma MP for Hamilton West 

gaurav.sharma@parliament.govt.nz 

43 Pembroke St, Hamilton Lake, Hamilton 

Follow me on facebook.com/gmsharmanz 

Authorised by Dr Gaurav Sharma MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

Buy the home 

be in to 

WIN THE 

CAR! 

Buy a brand new Fletcher Living home between 7 February - 31 March 2022 

and be in to win a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid! Find your dream home today at fletcherliving.co.nz. 

Visit fletcherliving.co.nz/toyota for more info. T&C’s Apply 

*Terms and conditions apply. To qualify to go into the draw to win a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid vehicle you must have signed and entered into a legally binding Sale and Purchase Agreement to purchase a Fletcher Living home from 

one of our Auckland or Canterbury locations, between 7 February 2022 and 31 March 2022 (inclusive). To qualify for an automatic entry, the Sale and Purchase Agreement will have gone unconditional (or conditions waived) on or 

before 14 April 2022; and you have paid the deposit in accordance with the Sale and Purchase Agreement in full. A list of our Auckland and Canterbury locations can be found on our website https://www.fletcherliving.co.nz/locations/. 

Only one entry to the prize draw per signed unconditional Sale and Purchase agreement for an individual home is permitted. The draw will take place within 5 working days of the 14th April 2022 and the winner will be notified 

by email and/or phone. Fletcher Living will use reasonable endeavours to arrange for the car to be delivered to the winner in a timely manner, following the prize being drawn, however, this is governed by availability of stock 

with Toyota NZ. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid vehicle pictured in the Fletcher Living promotional material for this prize is representative only and may differ from the vehicle available and supplied by Toyota NZ. The prize offer is not 

transferable or redeemable for cash, nor can the vehicle be exchanged for any other model, product or service. If for any reason the unconditional Sale and Purchase agreement falls over following the customer taking ownership of 

the vehicle, the full cost of the vehicle will be deducted from the deposit. For more details on this promotion and the full terms and conditions visit fletcherliving.co.nz/toyota 

Waiata Shores / 6 Lady Mckenzie Mews 

Karaka / 27 Exmoor Road 

$1,399,000 

4 2.5 1 2 House 182m 2 / Land 382m 2 

$1,235,000 

4 2.5 2 1 House 184m 2 / Land 251m 2 

Four bedroom family home in a stunning location 

This single level home features open plan kitchen living, and dining with easy outdoor flow to the courtyard. 

The elegant, light and open living spaces in this home will be suitable for a number of different lifestyles. 

The well appointed kitchen features a scullery, caesarstone benchtops, and quality appliances. 

Live in close proximity to open green space and well-connected outdoor living spaces with Pahurehure 

Inlet walkway only a moments stroll away. Located in a very desirable location our stunning homes are a 

must view 

Find a number of amenities at your doorstep with supermarkets, eateries and transport and motorway links 

located nearby. 

Open to view by appointment. 

Contact Sheryl Pohl - 027 216 1739 

Neville Garda - 027 584 0348 

Final homes at Karaka - selling now 

Traditional architecture with an interior encompassing the latest in fixtures and fittings, reflect the 

highest standards of quality to ensure easy, comfortable living in this well-established location. 

The kitchen flows seamlessly into the spacious dining and family area. This home also features two 

downstairs lounge spaces as well as upstairs living area, ensuring plenty of space for the whole 

family to enjoy. 

Everything is in reach with only a short distance to Karaka shopping centre, supermarkets, schools, 

coastal reserves, and stunning walkways. 

Open to view by appointment only. 

Contact Sarah Payne - 027 382 1263 

MeeLei Ang - 027 472 1276 

fletcherliving.co.nz

Whenuapai 

Hobsonville Point 

Priced from $969,000 

3 1.5 1 1 House sizes range from 102m 2 

Priced from $1,039,000 3 1.5 1 1 House 143m 2 

Stunning three bedroom terrace homes - selling now! 

Fletcher Living have a range of stylish new three bedroom terrace homes selling now in Whenuapai. 

These modern homes offer the perfect solution for a range of lifestyles and life stages - from first home 

buyers, to growing families or downsizers. These homes offer all the comforts of brand new and low 

maintenance living. Featuring a stylish designer kitchen with quality appliances, spacious living area, 

outdoor patio and more. Perfectly positioned in the heart of Whenuapai, only a short walk from the local 

shops, a popular cafe, park and with more shops on the way. 

Open to view by appointment only 

Contact our New Home Consultants to book an appointment 

Debbie Dickens / 027 203 4802 

Roselyn Chand / 027 586 8472 

Richard Du / 027 564 5709 

Three bedroom homes in a vibrant and thriving community! 

We are excited to release our stylish new terrace-style apartments in popular Hobsonville Point. 

Situated on the second and third levels, these light filled homes are sure to impress. Featuring open 

plan living spaces with seamless indoor/outdoor flow to sunny north/west facing decks, perfect 

for entertaining. The designer kitchen opens to the generous dining area and is fitted with quality 

appliances. Perfectly positioned so you can enjoy all that Hobsonville Point has to offer. Walking 

distance to parks, playgrounds, cafes & eateries, local amenities, two supermarkets, public transport, 

coastal walkways, farmers markets and more - everything you need is right on your doorstep. 

Open to view by appointment only 

Contact our New Home Consultants to book an appointment 

Susan Annett / 027 209 5371 

Christina Tubman / 027 334 4752 

Richard Du / 027 564 5709 

Artist impression 



Panmure / Riverside Avenue 

Stonefields / Pohatu Lane 

Priced from $2,459,000 

4-5 3-4 2 1-2 

House 189m 2 / Land 250m 2 

House 220m 2 / Land 248m 2 

Two bedrooms priced from $1,290,000 2-4 1-3 1-2 1-2 

Luxury homes that perfectly fit your lifestyle 

Live close to the water with Dunkirk Reserve only a few minutes’ walk from your front door. This tranquil 

and extensive waterfront amenity connects Panmure, Point England, Wai O Taiki Bay through to 

Glendowie - home to riverside parks and green sports fields that give way to stretches of estuary and 

nature reserves. These beautiful, architecturally designed, light-filled homes take full advantage of the 

stunning outlook from the front deck and living space and are well positioned to admire the coastal 

waterfront views that Riverside Reserve and Tāmaki Estuary have to offer. 

Each home has been cleverly designed with open plan living, dining and practicality complimentary to 

family living. Featuring a stunning entertainer’s designer kitchen with quality appliances, butler’s pantry 

and stone island benchtop. Book in an appointment to view with our New Home Consultant today. 

Open Viewing by appointment only. 

Contact Judy McGaffin - 027 807 6536. 

Upgrade to exceptional - new homes coming soon! 

We are excited to announce the highly anticipated upcoming release of homes in our Stonefields 

location. This well established community showcases premium living and convenience at its finest, 

with beautifully designed homes and amenities right on your doorstep. 

Setting a benchmark for inspirational living, our range of brand new 2 - 4 bedroom terrace and stand 

alone home options will be available for purchase. Upgrade to exceptional with each home boasting 

a north-east aspect, open plan living with a premium designer kitchen, and seamless indoor-outdoor 

entertaining reflecting style and elegance. Get in touch with our New Home Consultant today to find 

out more about our release. 

Contact Judy McGaffin - 027 807 6536. 

fletcherliving.co.nz

Editorial 

Border reopening 

announcement exposes 

INZ’s incompetence 

The government has so brazenly announced that it is ready to “welcome the world 

back” while remaining stunningly unwelcoming, even uncompassionate, toward 

thousands of families living in forced separation due to New Zealand’s closed borders 

for two years, and in doing so, has chosen to shield the colossal incompetency of immigration 

bureaucracy. 

It is not clear if the government is following the Public Health advice or Immigration NZ’s 

advice, in deciding the order of the sequential entry of people from overseas in the country. 

From the onset of the pandemic and the border closure in March 2020, we were told that the 

public health advice and the need for preserving NZ’s public health system was the primary 

driving factor in restricting or limiting the number of people entering in the country. 

Over two years, this core public health advice had to be reconciled with the legal rights 

of citizens, residents, and their immediate families, including with citizens of Australia with 

whom NZ shares a special bond and relationship and allowing them intermittently whenever 

Covid situation in the community was under control. 

Some special attention was also given to high skilled, high wage temporary workers, 

including a minuscule category of existing work visa holders who were locked out of the 

borders but had a proven long-term connection with NZ - in being allowed to enter the country. 

However, at no stage of the two yearlong pandemic and the border closure did the partners 

and families separated from NZ based citizens, residents, and workers were made to feel 

prioritised even after the foreign tourists and visitors with no connection to the country. 

Except, when the government took another shot at border reopening in February early this 

year, (after having developed a cold foot about the original border reopening plan late last 

year) and announced a five-stage plan of allowing sequential entry into the country. 

It was then that the government first made its intention clear that the partners and families 

of NZ based people will be considered even after the foreigners from visa-waiver countries 

– a revelation that has caused both, frustration and surprise on the seemingly senseless order 

of frustration. 

The ensuing media-probing had then revealed that the decision to prioritise travellers from 

visa waiver countries over the partners and families, predominantly from non-visa waiver 

countries, including India, was a determinant of immigration advice and not public health 

advice. To be clear, public health advice will not seek to allow inward travellers based on 

visa status or the colour of passport – at least that would be a bare minimum expectation in a 

modern, diverse and progressive country like NZ. 

Subsequently, media reports had emerged confirming the worst fears of many that the 

decision had an imprint of the chaos facing the immigration bureaucracy – which had been 

under the weather for last many years for failing to deliver a time-bound visa processing 

causing embarrassment to the government of the day and to brand-NZ overseas. 

Responding to an RNZ story the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) had then said the staging 

was because visas were ‘resource-intensive’, and visa processing could not be opened fully 

in the next eight months in part because INZ was focused on processing the one-off residence 

visa (RV21) for an estimated 165,000 people. 

That acknowledgement was nothing short of acceptance of gross incompetency by a 

government department which is responsible for approving foreigners’ entry into the country 

under different visa categories. 

It was nothing new, though, as Immigration NZ has been for last many years hiding behind 

the gimmicks of planning failure, including the repeated story of the closure of offshore visa 

processing centres (2016 onwards) and failure of accurately forecasting the demand for visas 

and entry into NZ resulting in prolonged visa processing queues and ensuing delays. 

The current government had been sheepishly tolerating and even perpetuating the culture of 

incompetency that has seeped within Immigration NZ in the last few years, probably because 

of the lack of enough depth within its own ranks in the cabinet as successive Immigration 

Ministers have failed to jolt the system. 

The fact that the current Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi is willing to accept the lame 

excuse pedalled by immigration bureaucracy that their resources have been over-deployed in 

managing the one-off 2021 residency visa applications and hence unable to prioritise looking 

into visa applications of few thousand separated partners and families does not augur well for 

the ministerial talent within this government. 

This has got nothing to do with the Covid pandemic. It is all about what minimum standards 

under which this government’s ministers are allowed to operate. 

For the last two years of the Covid pandemic, with no, or extremely limited inward travel 

in the country, NZ’s immigration bureaucracy and the immigration minister had been almost 

sitting idle. 

And they have been found wanting and utterly inadequate to the first challenge coming their 

way in the form of border reopening. It is unfortunate and unacceptable that the government 

is shielding the colossal incompetence of Immigration NZ. 

Thought of the week 

“The whole secret of a successful life 

is to find out what is one’s destiny to 

do, and then do it.”– Henry Ford 

18 March – 25 March 2022 

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu 

Fine apart 

from 

morning 

cloud 

23° 

18° 

Partly 

cloudy 

24° 


24° 

17° 

This week in New Zealand’s history 

Indian Weekender : Volume 13 Issue 52 

Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited 

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

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

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

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

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

Reporter: Navdeep Kaur Marwah: | 021 952 246 | navdeep@indianweekender.co.nz 

Reporter: Sandeep Singh: | 021 952 245 | sandeep@indianweekender.co.nz 

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

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

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

the views of the team at the Indian Weekender 

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

Printed at Horton Media, Auckland 

Partly 

cloudy 

Fine light 

winds 

26° 


Fine, then 

showers 

26° 

19° 

18 March 1983 

Waitangi Tribunal rules on Motunui claim 

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

Showers 

25° 


Few 

showers 

25° 


In a landmark ruling, the Waitangi Tribunal (see 10 October) found that the Crown’s 

obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi included a duty to protect Māori fishing grounds. 

19 March 1839 

Honey bees brought to New Zealand 

Mary Bumby, the sister of a Methodist missionary, was probably the person who introduced 

honey bees to New Zealand. She brought two hives ashore when she landed at the 

Mangungu Mission Station in the Hokianga in March 1839. 

20 March 1834 

New Zealand's first recognised flag chosen 

A 

New Zealand flag was first suggested in 1830 after Sydney customs officials seized a 

Hokianga-built ship. Australia was subject to British navigation laws, under which ships 

had to carry official certificates. As New Zealand was not a British colony, New Zealand-built 

ships could not sail under a British flag or register. Without this, they and their cargoes would 

continue to be seized. 

21 March 2003 

Race Relations Day celebrated for first time 

Race Relations Day was first formally celebrated in 2003 with the theme, ‘Hands Up for 

Kiwis of Every Race and Place’. 


RainbowYOUTH formed 

YOUTH was conceived at a Gay and Lesbian Conference held in Auckland on 24 March 

1989. Set up mainly to provide a safe place where young lesbians and gay men could come 

together, the group was named Auckland Lesbian and Gay Youth (ALGY). It also organised 

social activities such as peer-support meet-ups, camps and other outdoor activities. 


NZ enters nationwide lockdown in 

fight against COVID-19 

At 11.59 p.m. on Wednesday 25 March 2020, New 

Zealand entered a nationwide lockdown designed 

to prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus 

around the country.


NEW ZEALAND 13 

#Breakthebias 

with Ziena Jalil 

PRITI GARUDE KASTURE 

As a part of the 2022 International Women’s Day 

theme, Indian Weekender brings you a series of 

interviews with respected Indian businesswomen who 

share their journeys as a woman of colour in business, their 

challenges, the biases they’ve broken, the passion that drives 

them and their inspirations. 

This week, we put the spotlight on Ziena Jalil, keynote 

speaker, facilitator, MC and commentator on topics as 

diverse as her achievement, Ziena. has worked across the 

I’ve 

felt the burden 

of the communities 

I represent, because if 

someone from a dominant 

group screws up, no one stops 

hiring people from those groups. 

But when you screw up as a 

minority, there’s a view that 

perhaps your community 

is not fit. 

public, private and NGO sectors, in governance and strategy, 

marketing and business development, and communications 

and stakeholder engagement. A former international student 

from Fiji, Ziena was recently appointed by the Education 

Minister, Chris Hipkins, on the board of Education New 

Zealand. Ziena is hard to put in a boxes and neither does she 

believe in them. 

What does this year’s International Women’s Day 

theme, #breakthebias mean to you, professionally 

and personally? 

When I was thinking about what “break the bias” means to 

me – one thought kept coming to my mind. We often think 

of biases as those stereotypes and perceptions that others hold 

against us. Biases which influence how people from different 

communities are viewed and treated – in education, 

health, social services, and criminal justice systems. 

Biases which influence hiring and promotion 

decisions; biases which lead to pay gaps; 

which lead to people leaving organisations, 

regardless of their good results and even 

greater potential, because they don’t feel 

they belong. We recall all the many ways in 

which we have been wronged in some way 

because of the biases that others hold. But 

here’s the thing! We all hold biases. They can 

be exhibited based on many factors, including 

gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, 

religion, age, physical ability, education, socioeconomic 

background, and even looks. 

The halo effect is also a form of bias – where we place someone 

on a pedestal based on something impressive we associate them 

with, for example an Ivy League education or employment at a 

particular company. Biases stem from our own background and 

past experiences. Laws and agencies can’t change the biases 

we hold; education can. Education at home in terms of the 

values we teach our children, what they observe us doing and 

saying, and education in the formal system as well as through 

community groups. 

What are some of the biases you faced as a woman 

of colour in business and how did you overcome 

them? 

When people hear of my career journey – the sentiment is 

always – you’ve done really well for yourself. The next words, 

which are often unspoken, but nonetheless felt, are: you’ve 

done very well for a young, brown, migrant, woman. And 

perhaps sadly that’s true, because I had to work twice as 

hard, not to deliver results, but to prove I could. I have been 

paid less than not just my male counterparts but also my 

female colleagues. My ideas and suggestions at meetings were 

heard, but credit was given to a man or female colleague who 

repeated it. When I asked for the location for one of my roles to 

be moved because it made business sense, I was told it was too 

expensive. But it wasn’t too expensive for my male successor. I 

have often been made to feel that I should be grateful for the 

roles that I’ve had in my career. And I am grateful. But we all 

know no one hires you as a favour. 

You get hired because you deliver. I’ve been questioned about 

my presence at an event or meeting based on the assumption 

that I couldn’t be there in my own right and must have come 

as someone’s guest or as an observer, even when I’m the host! 

I’ve felt the burden of the communities I represent, because 

if someone from a dominant group screws up, no one stops 

hiring people from those groups. But when you screw up as a 

minority, there’s a view that perhaps your community is not fit. 

In terms of how I overcame biases - mostly it’s about 

surrounding yourself with people whose opinions and 

perspectives matter to you, and who help to build you up rather 

than tear you down. Biases often stem from a place of fear - a 

fear of being displaced somehow. 

Knowing this, as I’ve grown older and more confident in my 

own skin, I’ve also become a bit more assertive in terms of 

pushing back on biases - in a non-threatening way, to try and 

understand the other person’s point of view and help to build 

understanding, and break down stereotypes. 

There’s also the aspect around my own biases - and to 

overcome these I try and be more self-aware and reflective 

– questioning my own beliefs and whether or not they are 

backed by facts and are justified. It’s easy to over generalise 

and stereotype, and it’s important that we avoid doing so. 

We can act as checks for our friends, family members and 

colleagues, respectfully pointing out biases when we see them 

in action, and asking them to do the same for us. 

We need to learn to become comfortable with the 

uncomfortable. We can learn about people who are different 

from us by sharing our story and listening to theirs. 

What drives you? 

My parents and teachers taught me that we should try and leave 

the world a bit better than what we found. For me, this is about 

bringing equity and opportunity to those with diverse cultures, 

abilities and experiences. As a mother - this is personal 

too. Auckland is already one of the most diverse cities in the 

world. I dream of a day when New Zealand is recognised as the 

most inclusive country. A country where my daughter is able 

to realise her potential in the same way as my son. Where my 

children aren’t discriminated against because of the colour of 

their skin. Where they don’t lose out on opportunities because 

of the connections their parents don’t have. 

What advice would you give to a woman about to 

start her career in your industry? 

Be prepared to learn everyday - from all your experiences - 

good and bad. We tend to fear failure, when it can be an 

incredible teacher. Find your champions and champion others 

as you build your career and get into positions where you can 

influence. Most importantly - dare to compete! You lose 100% 

of the races you don’t start. 

Who is a powerful woman that you most admire? 

I’ve been blessed with many strong women in my family - 

including my mother and grandmother, and other women 

leaders who don’t just advance their own careers, but improve 

outcomes for marginalised communities. Internationally - I 

love some of the work that Michelle Obama is championing 

around education and empowerment for girls and women, and 

Indra Nooyi’s phenomenal story of breaking through glass 

ceilings while prioritising people and planet. 

• Continued from Page 4 

To be fair to the government and National as 

well, this swing of numbers in the poll, is not 

because of the latter’s successful hit on the 

government on any particular issue, including 

the “tax grab” jibe by its Leader Luxon in the 

state of nation address, but is largely because 

of growing fatigue with the government’s 

obsession of managing the Covid pandemic 

bit conservatively, often at the cost of key 

parameters of the economy, which have started 

to affect Kiwis. 

The second major decision by the government 

this week, announced with much fanfare by 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Minister 

of Tourism Stuart Nash on Wednesday, March 

16 of fast-tracking of border reopening also 

seem to be driven by dipping poll numbers and 

Minister of Tourism Stuart Nash 

expedited by a Stats NZ press release showing 

a massive dip in incoming travellers last year. 

Earlier on Monday, Stats NZ have quietly 

released data of incoming international 

travellers that witnessed a massive cull of 

numbers in 2021, despite eight long months of 

Covid-free and lockdown free run and minimal 

travel disruptions. 

“ 

We are a safe place to visit, 

and NZ will be ready with 

open arms,” 

(The Delta lockdown since August 2021 and 

accompanied lockdowns may have disrupted 

the incoming international travel). 

According to Stats NZ press release, the 

overseas visitor arrivals were 205,000 in the 

January 2022 year, down 386,000 from the 

January 2021 year. The biggest decreases were 

in arrivals from United States (down 78,000), 

Australia (down 58,000), United Kingdom 

(down 54,000), Germany (down 22,000), and 

Canada (down 20,000). 

It is these dwindling numbers of travellers that 

Ardern and her government are seeking to bring 

back to NZ shores, and expeditiously, through 

the latest border reopening announcement. 

“We are a safe place to visit, and NZ will be 

ready with open arms,” Ardern said. 

Transtasman travellers have traditionally 

made-up 40 percent of tourists to NZ and will 

be able to travel in time for the Australia school 

holidays, and provide a boost for the winter ski 

season, Ardern further added. 

By expediting these two decisions, on which 

the government had been sitting relatively for 

quite some time, the government is indeed 

seeking to turn the tide of falling poll numbers.

14 NEW ZEALAND 



ICC Women’s World Cup at crucial 

stage for Indian Women’s Team 

MAHESH KUMAR 

The loss to England has changed things 

for the India Women and if it wants 

to qualify for the knockouts, it needs 

to win all three matches starting with the one 

against Australia on Saturday in Auckland›s 

Eden Park. 

Fans of Indian Women’s Cricket Team 

looking for sweet revenge against England for 

the nine-run defeat in the 2017 ICC Women’s 

World Cup final, were disappointed as England 

beat India by four wickets in Tauranga on 

Wednesday. England bowled India all out for 

just 134 in 36.2 overs which is their lowest total 

in World Cup since 2005. 

There was little resistance from the Indian 

batting team against a tight England attack 

other than Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, 

and Jhulan Goswami putting up some fight. 

Batting first, India lost five wickets inside the 

first 17 overs. 

With two wins from the four matches, India 

are third on the table as its Net Run Rate 

went down from 1.333 to 0.632. Defending 

champions England, are placed sixth on the 

table. Australia tops the tally, having won all of 

its four matches and with an excellent NRR of 

1.744. 

India will now have to fight with all might 

when it plays against Australia, on Saturday. 

India also has a match against Bangladesh on 

Tuesday and their final fixture against a strong 

South Africa on March 27. 

India women displayed their brilliance when 

they registered a comprehensive 155-run win 

over West Indies on Saturday in Hamilton. 

India scored 317 which is its second-highest 

total in ODI cricket and first time it has crossed 

300-run mark in the Women’s World Cup. 

But playing against England, India looked 

jaded with uninspired batting. 

So far Australia and South Africa have been 

unbeaten and seem to be all set to cruise to the 

semi-finals. Australian team is the hot favourite 

for the title, having been consistent with bat and 

ball. If India needs to keep the dream of winning 

the Cup alive, it must avoid any slipups. 

In the next few matches, all eyes will be on 

Harmanpreet and Mandhana. But India needs to 

come out with all guns blazing. 

All-rounder Deepti Sharma and skipper 

Mithali Raj need to put more runs on the board. 

18-year-old Richa Ghosh has been brilliant 

behind the wickets but has not been too 

consistent with the bat. 

All-rounders like Sneh Rana and Pooja 

Vastrakar have the ability to surprise with their 

scoring ability. 

On the bowling side, pacers Meghna Singh, 

Pooja Vastrakar and Jhulan Goswami are doing 

good while spinners Rajeshwari Gayakwad and 

Sneh Rana are amongst the top wicket-takers. 

Whatever the outcome of the match on 

Wednesday, all eyes will be on blockbuster 

face-off between India and Australia in 

Auckland’s Eden Park. 

You can buy your tickets to ICC Women’s 

World Cup by visiting https://tickets. 

cricketworldcup.com/ 

New online encyclopedia 

for Indian Art coming soon 

AVINASH SEN 

India is a land filled to the brim with 

centuries of history and culture. And of 

course, wherever these two meet, there 

will also be an abundance of art. 

From the Bhimbetka cave drawings and the 

monuments in Khajuraho, no one can argue 

ki hamara Bharat ma has a lot of artistic skill 

and an impressive portfolio to show off to the 

world. 

However, while Indian art definitely has its 

audience, it has not been so easily accessible 

to the world at large, with many people 

completely unaware of many amazing and 

wondrous pieces. 

Now, thanks to the Museum of Art & 

Photography (MAP) Academy, Bengaluru, 

that is all going to change. On April 21st of 

this year, MAP Academy will be launching 

its Encyclopedia of Indian Art, a digital, open 

sourced encyclopedia, which is accessible on 

its own website. 

The encyclopedia will have entries in 

article form, as well as images. It will 

cover a wide range of topics and 

pieces, including textiles, paintings, 

photography and even contemporary 

art from the last ten years. 

This is a massive project and 

possibly the first comprehensive 

encyclopedia on Indian art ever. 

MAP’s founder Abhishek Poddar 

told the New York Times that not even 

India, the art’s country of origin, has an 

encyclopedia on its pieces. 

Said Poddar, “There was not a single 

comprehensive encyclopedia 

that existed, which is 

quite a shame.” 

First reported by 

the New York Times 

on 9 March 2022, the 

encyclopedia will have 

over 2000 initial 

entries, all 

of which 

h a v e 

been peerreviewed 

by some of 

the world’s 

experts on 

South Asia as well as 

leading art historians. 

MAP was an 

initiative that was 

established in 2017, 

which, according 

to their website, 

was made “to 

foster cultural 

collaboration 

between the 

USA and 

India through 

the visual arts 

of the Indian 

subcontinent, 

with special 

emphases on 

exhibitions, art education, and conservation.” 

They have an American branch and an 

Indian branch. 

The American branch also has a secondary 

objective, which is to, “support American 

institutions in their efforts to present 

exhibitions, the loaning of art objects, and 

educational programming related to Indian art 

and culture in order to heighten an appreciation 

of India’s creative legacy among American 

audiences,” according to their website. 

The Indian branch’s aim is to make art 

more accessible to a diverse audience, and to 

create a culture which, “encourages people to 

experience art and heritage in new ways.” 

The Indian branch of the museum is slated 

to open later in 2022. 

More about the digital 

encyclopedia 

In accordance with MAP’s objective, the 

idea behind this encyclopedia is to attract a 

wide audience. This includes collectors as 

well as students, curators, academics, and 

anyone interested in finding out more about 

the art. Ayesha Bulchandani, a New Yorkbased 

collector of Indian art, said, “ The 

digital presence of this encyclopedia really 

connects global cultures. It will inform 

libraries, curatorial staff, educational staff and 

the membership community because it just 

opens up dialogue across platforms.” 

What is MAP Academy? 

MAP Academy is the name of the museum’s 

education arm. They are the ones responsible 

for putting this encyclopedia together. They 

have also been put in charge of running online 

art-history courses. 

Nathaniel Gaskell, the director of the 

Academy, came up with the idea for the 

encyclopedia three years ago. 

The academy hired over two dozen early 

career Indian academics and art historians 

to put the encyclopedia together. They 

researched and wrote every entry, which were 

then reviewed by international experts. 

At the moment, the encyclopedia will be 

presented in English, but there are plans for it 

to be translated into regional languages as well. 

The project also plans to focus on translating 

historical texts from local languages to 

English, so that they can be appreciated by a 

wider audience. 

We at Indian Weekender see this as a big 

win for the Indian art community, and the 

whole World. We are happy to see Indian art 

get the recognition it richly deserves.


NEW ZEALAND 15 

The dance of faith 

Fourteen-year-old Sowjanya to perform arangetram in Wellington 


It will be a dream come true for 

Sowjanya Vinitha Rajaraman, a 

student of Wellington-based Natraj 

School of Dance, who will be performing 

her Bharatanatyam arangetram on March 

27. For those not familiar with the term 

arangetram has a special significance for 

any classical dancer, as it is the first solo 

debut of an entire repertoire performed to 

an appreciative audience and to publicly 

thank the guru. It also demonstrates the 

successful completion of many years of 

formal training and is a ritual proclaiming 

a level of proficiency in this art form. 

Interestingly, despite the Covid-19 

pandemic challenges, this will be the 

fourth arangetram for the school within 

a year, and Sowjanya will be the tenth 

student completing her arangetram at the 

school, which was established in 1999 by 

Prabhavathi Ravi. 

The 14-year-old migrated to NZ from 

Chennai with her parents when she 

was seven. The year 11 student at Hutt 

Valley High School started learning 

Bharatanatyam from the age of 8 under 

her gurus Prabhavathi Ravi and Radhika 

Maisuria. She will be performing 

the arangetram with a live orchestra 

comprising several very talented and 

well-known artists from Wellington and 

Auckland. 

Talking about her preparations for the 

big day, she says, “Preparations are going 

very intensely. I am practising multiple 

hours every day and waiting eagerly 

for graduation day. I am both nervous 

and excited. I am more excited as I will 

be completing my graduation, which I 

consider as my first step in achieving 

greater heights.” 

“ 

Preparations are going 

very intensely. I am 

practising multiple hours 

every day and waiting 

eagerly for graduation 

day. I am both nervous and 

excited. I am more excited 

as I will be completing 

my graduation, which I 

consider as my first step in 

achieving greater heights.” 

She adds, “I would like to dedicate my 

performance to my guru Prabha aunty, my 

parents, grandparents, and our Wellington 

friends, who I consider as my extended 

family." 

There is no denying that the bond 

that a guru and their disciple share is 

special. Sowjanya credits her guru Ravi 

for imbibing positivity in her. She says, 

“Prabha aunty inspired me to concentrate 

on dance more than anything. Her 

training gave me confidence, patience, 

and dedication to give a hundred per cent 

to every moment. She taught me to be 

positive and try again and again when I fail 

on difficult steps.” 

Talking about Sowjanya’s performance 

and her association with her, Ravi, says, 

“I am very excited and looking forward 

to her arangetram at Little Theatre, 

Lower Hutt, Wellington. It is a very proud 

moment for our school and me personally 

to see Sowjanya realise her dream in 

Bharatanatyam at this very young age. 

She can be proud of her dance journey and 

learning, especially during the past year. 

She has come a long way, and I wish her 

all the very best for her big day.” 

On being asked about the difficulties in 

organising this event during the pandemic, 

Ravi, who believe classical art forms 

such as Bharatanatyam is the easiest way 

to understand and retain our culture, 

says, “It wasn’t easy. There are many 

unknowns regarding alert levels, 

theatre availability and restriction on 

numbers attending, increased costs 

in shipment, theatre light and sound, 

delays in receiving various things 

from India for the arangetram, 

including costumes, 

jewellery, decorations 

etc. I guess everything 

was challenging from 

the word go and 

continues till date 

with the increased 

Omicron cases 

in the country. It 

is quite stressful 

for the parents and 

Sowjanya, who have 

been planning this for 

over a year now.” 

Lastly, when asked about her 

future plans, Sowjanya revealed that 

she would like to explore more 

dance forms while continuing 

to learn Bharatanatyam. “I 

would like to continue learning 

Bharatanatyam and its 

history and become 

a teacher at 

Natraj School 

of Dance. I 

would 

also 

like 

t o 

explore 

other dance 

styles like jazz, 

contemporary 

which I am currently 

learning at school,” 

she signs off. 

LUXURY WEDDING SHOW 

SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2022, 11AM - 3PM 

$20 Per Person 

Tickets Include: 

Bubbles on Arrival 

Food Tasting by Park Hyatt & iVillage Indian Kitchen & Bar 

Goody Bag 

Venue Tour 

Meet Preferred Vendors 

25% Off Spa Treatment Voucher 

Special Offer $55 Per Person Afternoon Tea Voucher 

For More Information 

parkhyattauckland.com 

jared.irwin@hyatt.com / 09 366 1234

16 INDIA 

Friday, March 11, 2022 The Indian Weekender 

Airline industry calls for 

Venkaiah Naidu 

underlines need 

rationalisation of ATF taxes 

to deepen trade, 

investment ties 

between India, 

India's domestic airlines have 

fuel prices, denominated in the US 

Austria in 

called for rationalisation of taxes 

dollar, thereby rendering the ATF 

on jet fuel to counter the massive 

prices susceptible to exchange rate post-Covid world 

rise in fuel prices. 

On Wednesday, high crude oil 

prices led OMCs to hike ATF prices 

to more than Rs 1 lakh per kilolitre. 

In the national capital, the price of jet 

fuel was raised by 18.32 per cent to 

Rs 1,10,666.29 per kilolitre (kl) from 

Rs 93,530.66 per kl. 

In the other metro cities of Kolkata, 

Mumbai and Chennai, the price was 

increased to Rs 1,14,979.70, Rs 

1,09,119.83 and Rs 1,14,133.73 per 

oil prices have soared to a seven-year 

high nearing $140 per barrel, due to 

the ongoing conflict in Europe. This 

has resulted in over 50 per cent ATF 

price hike from January 2022 till 

date, including the 18 per cent hike 

today," said Ronojoy Dutta, Wholetime 

as it brings the benefit of input tax 

credit," Dutta added. 

According to Dutta, such measures 

are needed now more than ever 

to offset this increase in cost and 

make flying viable for airlines and 

affordable for consumers. 

movements. 

Notably, the rupee has also seen 

depreciation against the US dollar 

lately, which has been reflected in 

the prices. The ATF prices are much 

more expensive than international 

benchmarks due to high levels of 

taxation. The industry has been 

demanding that the fuel type be 

brought under the ambit of GST, 

similar to the status given to 'Bunker 

Diesel' which is used in the shipping 

kl, respectively. 

Director and Chief Executive "A rationalisation of taxes sector. 

The rise came as crude oil price 

has remained on elevated levels due 

to the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Fuel 

retailers revise jet fuel prices on a 

fortnightly basis. 

"Over the past few weeks, crude 

Officer, IndiGo. 

"This situation adversely impacts 

us, given that ATF constitutes over 

45 per cent of our operational costs. 

We have been in talks with the 

government to bring ATF under GST 

will result in high growth for the 

sector, creating a multiplier effect 

throughout the economy, promoting 

trade, tourism and job creation," 

Dutta said. In India, the domestic ATF 

prices are derived from international 

A Vistara spokesperson said: "The 

resumption of scheduled international 

flights from March 27 is expected to 

stimulate demand and we hope it will 

help the industry in managing the 

increase in ATF prices." 

India at forefront of uplifting and empowering women: 

Smriti Irani at UN 

Union Minister for Women 

and Child Development 

Smriti Irani said that India 

has been at the forefront of uplifting 

and empowering women at the 

socio-economic and political front 

while addressing the 66th session 

of the United Nations Commission 

on Status of Women (UNCSW). 

“India is witnessing a rapid transition 

from women’s development to 

women-led development, we have 

developed a multi-pronged approach 

in our strategy under the leadership 

of our honorable Prime Minister,” 

Irani said in her address. 

The Minister highlighted several 

aspects of the socio-economic and 

political status of women in India, 

giving various statistics related to 

female literacy, sex ratio, female 

ownership of land, houses, and 

bank accounts, and also political 

participation of women in parliament. 

“We are firmly committed 

to eliminating all forms of 

discrimination, disadvantages, and 

violence against women. 

This is the fundamental framework 

that underpins our development 

story in which women’s agency 

and leadership plays a key role in 

the realization of our aspiration of 

an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, that is an 

India that is self-reliant, not just for 

our own sake, but in the interest of 

the global community in the post- 

COVID world,” the minister said. 

Irani also paid homage to female 

healthcare workers and scientists 

for their major role in handling 

the COVID-19 pandemic in India. 

“I pay homage to the service 

and resilience of over 6m Indian 

female frontline workers who 

have protected our communities 

during the pandemic and Indian 

female scientists who have 

immensely contributed to the 

development of the vaccine 

and test kits in India,” she said. 

She further highlighted the steps 

being taken by the Indian government 

to facilitate gender equality in India. 

“The government of India has taken 

various steps to ensure that women 

in India are educationally, socially, 

economically and politically lifted,” 

Irani said while citing steps like the 

introduction of a Gender Inclusion 

Fund under the New Education 

Policy (NEP), provisions in the new 

labour codes to promote female 

employment and encouraging 

female participation in previously 

unconventional sectors like mining 

and defence The Commission on 

the Status of Women (CSW) is the 

principal global intergovernmental 

body exclusively dedicated to 

the promotion of gender equality 

and the empowerment of women. 

It is a functional commission of 

the Economic and Social Council 

(ECOSOC) and was established on 

June 21, 1946. 

An Austrian Parliamentary 

delegation led by Wolfgang 

Sobotka, President of the 

National Council of the Austrian 

Parliament, called upon the Vice 

President M. Venkaiah Naidu on 

Wednesday and Naidu underlined the 

need to deepen trade and investment 

ties between India and Austria in the 

post-Covid world. 

Welcoming the delegation, Naidu 

said that regular exchange of such 

high-level visits between both the 

countries will help to sustain the 

momentum in bilateral relations and 

also provide the required direction to 

the executive officials. 

Naidu highlighted that both 

the countries share similar values 

and goals such as commitment 

to democracy, respect for rule of 

law, global peace and security. He 

also added that India has proven 

that democracy can flourish in 

developing nations with very 

large populations and immense 

diversity, as per the press release. 

Speaking on the cultural interaction 

between the two countries, Naidu 

stressed that people-to-people contact 

needs to be further encouraged. 

He further underlined that a longstanding; 

vibrant deep interface 

across institutions, academia, 

political institutions and people 

of the two nations is a key pillar 

of the bilateral relationship. 

Naidu also appreciated the signing 

of the MoU between ICCR and 

the University of Vienna for the 

creation of a Short-Term Chair on 

India Studies in May 2021 that 

should facilitate further exchange of 

information and interaction between 

the two countries. 

While highlighting India’s 

contribution to the world in fighting 

Covid-19, Naidu said that India has 

exported more than 166.4 million 

doses of Covid-19 vaccines to 

more than 96 countries and two UN 

entities till March 9, 2022, under the 

initiative Vaccine Maitri. 

India at UNSC calls for elections in Libya at 

earliest, hopes political issues resolve peacefully 

At the United Nations 

Security Council (UNSC) 

briefing on the situation in 

Libya, R. Madhu Sudan, Counsellor 

at Permanent Mission of India 

to the United Nations reiterated 

the imperative for holding the 

Presidential and Parliamentary 

elections in the North African 

country at the earliest. 

Noting with concern the recent 

developments and political 

disagreements in Libya, Sudan said 

India hopes that all outstanding 

political issues could be resolved 

peacefully by the parties concerned, 

keeping the larger interests of the 

Libyan people in mind. 

Moreover, he appreciated the 

efforts of the UN to form a Joint 

Committee of representatives from 

the House of Representatives and 

the High Council of State to decide 

on the constitutional basis for 

holding elections. 

“Security challenges remain 

serious in Libya, including reported 

mobilization of armed groups in and 

around Tripoli. Priority right now 

must be to ensure that elections are 

held at the earliest in a free, fair, 

inclusive and credible 

manner,” said the 

Counsellor. 

He highlighted 

that there 

should be a 

clear message 

against 

the violence 

of all forms 

“Security 

challenges 

remain serious in 

Libya, including reported 

mobilization of armed groups 

in and around Tripoli. Priority 

right now must be to ensure that 

elections are held at the earliest 

in a free, fair, inclusive and 

credible manner,” 

R. Madhu Sudan, Counsellor 

at Permanent Mission of 

India to the United Nations 

that could undermine the 

progress achieved since 

2020. “Sovereignty, unity 

and territorial integrity 

of Libya need to be safeguarded. 

The political process 

must be fully Libyan-led and 

Libyan-owned with no imposition or 

external interference,” he added. 

Furthermore, he emphasized the 

need for concrete progress in the full 

and complete withdrawal of foreign 

forces and mercenaries. 

“Important for the international 

community to focus its attention 

on the threat of terrorism in Africa, 

particularly in the Sahel region. It 

is critical for the Security Council 

to focus and act upon the growing 

threat of terrorism in Africa,” said the 

counsellor on terrorism in the region. 

The Libyan House of 

Representatives, the country’s 

parliament, on March 1, granted 

confidence to a new government 

to replace the government led by 

Dbeibah. The new government was 

sworn in on March 3. 

The House of Representatives 

withdrew confidence from Dbeibah’s 

government in September 2021 and 

kept it as a caretaker government. 

On February 10, it unanimously 

voted to appoint Fathi Bashagha as 

the new Prime Minister. 

However, Dbeibah said his 

government would remain in office 

until an elected government is 

established. On February 21, he 

announced a plan to hold general 

elections in June. Dbeibah’s 

government accused the House 

of Representatives of approving 

the new government “without 

achieving quorum” during the 

session, confirming that it would 

continue to work and prepare for 

elections in June.


WORLD 17 

Indian govt helps launch 

app for Samoan farmers 

DEV NADKARNI 

Samoa’s Ministry of 

Agriculture and Fisheries 

recently launched Samoa’s 

very own ‘AgriTouch’ application 

for Smartphones. The Indian High 

Commission in New Zealand in 

partnership with international 

agencies helped develop the app. 

AgriTouch is a product of 

the Ministry under the Samoa 

Knowledge Society Initiative 

(SKSI); a joint programme of the 

United Nations under its agencies 

(UNDP and UNESCO) funded 

by the Indian-UN Development 

Partnership Fund. 

The event was attended by 

special guests Indian Consul 

to Samoa Va’atu’itu’i, Apete 

Meredith; United Nations Resident 

Coordinator, Simona Marinescu 

and Director UNESCO Pacific, Ms 

Nisha as well as local farmers and 

Ministry staff. 

The functions of AgriTouch App 

aim to address knowledge gaps 

identified by farmers in consultations 

with MAF and SKSI partners in 

July and October 2021 by providing 

up to date information focused on 

markets, crop management, and 

current projects co-ordinated by the 

Ministry, funding opportunities as 

well as a tool to track production 

and expenses for farmers. 

In his opening remarks the 

Minister of Agriculture and 

Fisheries, Hon. Laaulialemalietoa 

The peace 

plan of Russia- 

Ukraine makes 

progress 

The delegations have made 

significant progress on 

a 15-point draft deal, 

including a ceasefire and Russian 

troop withdrawal, if Kiev renounces 

NATO membership ambitions and 

accepts limits on its armed forces, 

the Financial Times reported, citing 

three unnamed officials involved 

in the Russia-Ukraine talks, Kyiv 

Independent reported. 

The proposed deal also requires 

that Ukraine vows not to host foreign 

military bases, but gets security 

guarantees from allies such as the 

US, the UK and Turkey, according to 

the publication. 

As per media reports, at the same 

time, the FT writes that Kiev is 

skeptical about the commitment of 

Russian President Vladimir Putin 

establishing peace and resolving the 

crisis. According to the newspaper, 

the Ukrainian authorities fear that 

Moscow is trying to buy time to 

regroup the army and continue the 

offensive. 

Russia and Ukraine, during the 

negotiations, developed a 15-point 

plan, including a ceasefire and the 

withdrawal of troops, subject to the 

neutrality of Kiev and the reduction 

of the Armed Forces of Ukraine 

(AFU). 

Polataivao Fossie Schmidt said 

the development of the App is 

a significant achievement in 

laying the foundation for MAF 

to promote knowledge-based 

sharing to support sustainable 

development of agriculture. He 

also hailed the event as a local 

success story demonstrating 

the young Samoan tech talent 

driving the digital agricultural 

innovation in Samoa. 

“Today we now wish to share 

with you the App designed and 

named by our very own farmers as 

“AgriTouch” said Minister Laauli. 

“While designed by our very 

own farmers, it was built by Ms 

Tooa Brown of Brown Consult, an 

innovative young Samoan woman 

who is currently working for our 

Ministry. Therefore, we can be 

proud to say that it is 100% made 

in Samoa. 

“I wish to acknowledge the 

funding through the Indian-UN 

Development Partnership Fund 

which paid for all the workshops for 

our farmers as well as the consultant 

and our new graduates from the 

University of the South Pacific 

studying in the Agriculture 

Programme.” 

Due to travel restrictions, Indian 

High Commissioner in New Zealand 

who is also accredited to Samoa, 

Muktesh K. Pardeshi, was unable to 

make the event but his remarks were 

delivered by CEO Tilafono David 

Hunter on his behalf: 

“The initiative was developed in 

the belief that access to information 

and knowledge represents for 

building inclusive knowledge 

societies. Information not only 

empowers people to make decisions 

but also allows them to exercise 

their rights, be economically 

active and learn new skills,” High 

Commissioner Pardeshi wrote. 

“The AgriTouch app is an efficient 

tool for farmers; this will go a long 

way to strengthen the partnership 

between government and farmers. 

Congratulations for the excellent 

work done on the development 

of the App which will ensure 

access to a treasure of information 

for the farmers. 

“The Government of India 

through the SKSI looks to 

contribute towards Samoa’s vision 

of placing itself as a knowledge hub 

in the region to help in developing 

its E-Governments, E-Education 

and E- Health services. India 

is a partner and true friend and 

would like to extend a helping 

hand to Samoa towards its social 

economic development “ 

Smart App developer, Tooa 

Brown gave a presentation on the 

AgriTouch App demonstrating how 

the different functions supports 

farmers with information and 

knowledge about farming methods, 

business operations and funding 

opportunities. 

The AgriTouch is a free 

App available on Google Play 

and Apple Store. 

Fiji economy to 

grow by 11.3% 

this year 

IWK BUREAU 

The national economy is expected 

to grow by 11.3 per cent this year, 

says Fijian Economy Minister 

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. 

He made the comment during public 

consultations for the revised 2021-2022 

National Budget in Nadi last week. 

“Our economy before Covid-19 hit, 

grew consecutively for nine years, 

however, due to the pandemic it 

contracted by 15.2 percent in 2020 and 

by 4.1 percent in 2021,” he said. 

Sayed-Khaiyum said there was a 

massive drop in tourist numbers with 

the onset of Covid-19 with 747,000 less 

tourist arrivals in 2020 over 2019. 

“In 2019, we recorded 894,000 

tourists and the projected path we were 

on, we would have reached one million 

tourist arrivals by now, however, due 

to Covid-19, the numbers dropped to 

147,000 in 2020 and even lower last 

year.” 

The A-G said people working in the 

hospitality sector were out of work 

because of border closures during the 

peak Covid-19 period. 

“We cannot run a hotel if no one is 

coming. We expect our tourist numbers 

to reach 447,000 for this year — that is 

our projection in terms of our current 

bookings in place.” 

Sayed-Khaiyum said with more 

tourists expected to arrive in the coming 

months, it would create a multiplier 

effect on the hospitality sector. 

“It would bring more people back to 

their jobs, and more foreign exchange 

coming into the country as well,” he said. 

UK to provide Ukraine with high-velocity anti-aircraft missile 

systems Starstreak, confirms Defense Ministry 

The United Kingdom will 

provide Ukraine with 

high-velocity anti-aircraft 

missile systems Starstreak along 

with other military aid, the UK 

Defence Ministry said, following 

an extraordinary meeting of NATO 

defence chiefs. 

“During the meeting, Defense 

Ministers agreed to continue 

providing significant military 

supplies to Ukraine including lethal 

and non-lethal aid. The UK Defence 

Daily Covid-19 infections in several 

Australian states witnessed a big spike on 

Wednesday as the new BA.2 sub-variant 

of Omicron is spreading rapidly in the country. 

The state of New South Wales (NSW) recorded 

30,402 new cases on Wednesday, a big increase 

from Tuesday’s 10,689. The state also recorded 

five deaths and 1,016 hospitalisations with 36 

people in intensive care, Xinhua news agency 

reported. 

The health authorities said the high number 

of new cases is partly due to a data processing 

issue. About 10,000 positive rapid antigen test 

results registered from Sunday and Monday were 

included in Wednesday’s numbers, inflating the 

number reported in the 24 hours to 4 p.m. local 

time on Tuesday. 

Despite the data problem, the health authorities 

“ 

While designed 

by our very own 

farmers, it was built 

by Ms Tooa Brown 

of Brown Consult, 

an innovative young 

Samoan woman who 

is currently working 

for our Ministry. 

Therefore, we can be 

proud to say that it is 

100% made in Samoa. 

Secretary highlighted that the UK 

would be providing Starstreak, a 

high-velocity anti-aircraft missile 

system, that complements the other 

military aid provided by the UK 

Armed Forces, including over 4,000 

anti-tank missiles,” the ministry 

said. 

The ministry cited Ben Wallace 

as saying that the UK and allies will 

continue to support Ukraine against 

Russia’s military operation. 

The ministry added that it has 

recently doubled the number of 

troops in Estonia, has sent the 

patrolling vessel HMS Trent and the 

air defence destroyer HMS Diamond 

to the Eastern Mediterranean, 

warned the state to brace for a new Covid wave, 

with cases likely to double by the middle of next 

month over concerns on the spread of the new 

variant. 

NSW Acting Chief Health Officer Marianne 

Gale said the BA.2 sub-variant will be “by far the 

dominant strain” in the state within weeks. 

The neighbouring state of Victoria also recorded 

its highest number of new Covid cases for five 

weeks, with 9,426 new infections on Wednesday, a 

sharp increase from 7,460 on Tuesday. 

Victoria Health Minister Martin Foley said new 

daily case numbers were increasing by about 10 

per cent on a week-by-week basis. 

“In the space of a few weeks we’ve seen the 

Omicron BA.2 variant go from pretty much 

nowhere to be seen to the initial reports of at least 

half of cases,” he said. 

and is conducting joint air 

policing missions in Romanian 

and Polish airspace to bolster its 

commitments in Eastern Europe. 

Russia launched an operation 

in Ukraine on February 24 

after the breakaway Donbas 

republics “appealed for help” in 

defending themselves against the 

Ukrainian military. 

In response, Western nations have 

rolled out a comprehensive sanctions 

campaign against Moscow. 

Cases surge in Australian states amid Omicron 

new sub-variant concern 

The daily infections in South Australia also 

jumped from Tuesday’s 2,380 to Wednesday’s 

3,122, the highest daily cases in almost two months, 

after 3,777 cases were recorded on January 20. 

West Australia recorded 6,062 new cases on 

Wednesday, the first time for the state’s daily cases 

to top 6,000. 

Adrian Esterman, chair of Biostatistics and 

Epidemiology in the University of South Australia, 

told Xinhua on Wednesday that early studies show 

the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant to be up to 40 per 

cent more transmissible than its predecessor.

18 

FEATURES 

Friday, March 18, 2022 The Indian Weekender 

Healthy cooking every day 

Ingredients 

• 250 gm all purpose flour 

• 2 cup virgin olive oil 

• 150 gm shredded coconut 

• 2 handful mixed dry fruits 

• 2 tablespoon ghee 

• water as required 

• 1 cup powdered sugar 

• 1 teaspoon powdered black 

cardamom 

Methods 

Prepare the dough 

• To prepare this delicious recipe, 

start by crushing the dry fruits 

into small pieces. Now, take a 

large bowl and add flour in it with 

melted ghee. 

• Mix it together. Then gradually 

add water to form a stiff dough. 

Cover the bowl with a moist cloth 

and keep aside for 10-15 minutes. 

Prepare the coconut stuffing 

• Now, take a pan over a low flame 

and add shredded coconut to it. 

Fry the coconut for 2-3 minutes 

and then add the powdered 

sugar to it. Saute the mixture for 

a couple of minutes and then, 

add crushed dry fruit along with 

cardamom powder. 

• Mix it all together and cook for 1 

minute. Transfer the stuffing to a 

bowl and keep aside. 

Divide dough into balls 

• Next, divide the dough and make 

small balls. Press the small balls 

with the palm of your hands and 

then, using a rolling pin, roll them 

out into small pooris. 

Roll out and stuff the mixture 

• Place the rolled out dough on the 

gujiya mold and place 2 tbsp of 

stuffing in the center. Apply water 

on the edges and close the mold. 

• Press it tightly from all sides 

and remove the excess dough. 

Remove the gujiya from the mold 

and place it on a plate. Repeat the 

process with all of the dough. 

Fry the Gujiyas 

• Now, take a deep bottomed pan 

over medium flame and heat olive 

oil in it for frying. When the oil 

is hot enough, carefully place the 

prepared gujiya into the oil and 

fry from both sides till it turns 

golden brown. 

• Serve! 

Lighter Takes 

& Easy Tips 

From lip-smacking dessert recipes to chilled beverages, this Holi recipes collection brings 

you amazing snack recipes as well that you can make at home for your loved ones. 

Coconut Gujiya 

Crispy aloo chaat 

Ingredients 

• 4 boiled,chopped into cubes 

potato 

• 1 small chopped green chilli 

• 1 tablespoon dry mango powder 

• 1 tablespoon chaat masala 

• 2 tablespoon garlic mayonnaise 

• salt as required 

• 2 tablespoon pomegranate seeds 

• 1 tablespoon red chilli powder 

• 1 tablespoon coriander powder 

• 2 tablespoon sev 

• 2 tablespoon chopped coriander 

leaves 

• 3 tablespoon vegetable oil 

Method 

Shallow fry the potatoes 

Heat some oil in a pan. And add 

jeera, green chillies and let them 

splutter. Then add potatoes and 

shallow fry till they turn golden 

brown in colour and crisp in texture. 

Make Aloo Chaat 

Add red chilli powder, dry mango 

powder, coriander powder, chaat 

masala and salt. Give a good mix. 

Garnish and serve 

Take out the chaat in a bowl. 

Garnish with pomegranate, coriander 

leaves, sev and garlic mayo. Give a 

toss and serve. 

Mango malai laddoo 

Ingredients 

• 2 cup paneer 

• 4 tablespoon milk powder 

• 8 tablespoon condensed milk 

• 12 pistachios 

• 2 pinches saffron 

• 2 cup mango puree 

• 2 teaspoon ghee 

• 4 tablespoon milk 

• 12 almonds 

Gulab Jamun 

Ingredients 

• 50 gm paneer 

• 2 cup canola oil/ rapeseed oil 

• 500 ml boiling water 

• 1 slice lemon 

• 2 cup powdered sugar 

• 1 1/2 teaspoon powdered green cardamom 

• 150 gm mashed khoya 

• 2 tablespoon ghee 

• 4 strand saffron 

• For Dough 

• 30 gm all purpose flour 

• 2 tablespoon corn flour 

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 

Methods 

Prepare the sugar syrup 

To make this simple Gulab jamun recipe, you need to 

take a vessel and add sugar, water and a slice of lemon. 

Mix the sugar syrup well and reduce the consistency to 

two-string. Then turn off the flame and let it attain normal 

room temperature. 

Make the dough for Gulab Jamun 

• Take a wide tray and add equal proportions of chenna 

or paneer and khoya, mash them together using a 

masher. 

• To accentuate the taste add some saffron strands. Make 

sure that there are no lumps in the mixture. Once the 

mixture is smooth enough, move on to the next step. 

• Mix, all-purpose flour, cardamom powder, cornflour 

and baking powder in the khoya-paneer mixture. 

• To make the gulab jamun more delicious, add some 

Puri Bhaji 

Method 

• To prepare this delicious sweet dish, take 

a large bowl and add grated paneer, milk 

powder, and sugar into it. Mix well all the 

ingredients till the mix turns smooth. 

• Next, take a deep-bottomed pan and put it 

over low flame. Next, add the paneer mix 

from the bowl to the pan and keep stirring it. 

• Then, add mango puree and coconut milk to 

the pan along with condensed milk, and stir 

to simmer it over low flame. 

Ingredients 

• 4 boiled,peeled,mashed potato 

• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds 

• 1 tablespoon turmeric 

• 2 tablespoon red chilli powder 

• 1 handful coriander leaves 

• 1 tablespoon asafoetida 

• sugar as required 

• 1 tablespoon dry mango powder 

• 2 cup wheat flour 

• 4 tablespoon vegetable oil 

• 2 tablespoon coriander powder 

• 2 chopped green chilli 

• 2 tablespoon lemon juice 

• salt as required 

• 2 cup water 

Methods 

• To prepare this delicious meal, we will start with 

preparing the bhaji. First, take a medium sized pan and 

place it on medium flame. Then, pour and heat some 

oil in it. Once the oil has heated, add cumin seeds and 

asafoetida in the pan and stir until they start crackling. 

Now, add the gently mashed potatoes in the pan and 

toss well. Next, add turmeric along with red chilli 

powder, coriander powder in it. Also, add salt and 

sugar as required. 

• Then, stir well for next 3-4 minutes. After that, pour 

water as required in the pan and stir for another 5 

minutes. Now, add chopped green chillies, coriander 

• Next, add chopped almonds, pistachios and 

saffron powder to the pan. Keep stirring the 

pan and allow the mixture to thicken. 

• Once the mixture becomes thick, turn off the 

flame. Pour melted ghee over the mixture 

and mix once again, allow the mixture to 

cool down. Once the mix is cooled, take out 

small portions from the mix and form small 

balls out of it. 

• Mould it into small balls using your hands, 

and mango malai laddoo is ready to eat! 

ghee to the mix. This will leave a nice aroma and give 

it an authentic taste. 

Shape the dough in small balls 

Now, rub some ghee in your palms and take some 

dough and shape them into small balls. In the meantime, 

put a kadhai over medium flame and heat oil for frying. 

Once the oil is hot enough, slowly slide the balls and let 

them cook. Wait till the balls turn golden brown in colour. 

Soak the fried balls in Gulab Jamun 

• Take out the balls and remove the excess oil, then 

gently leave the gulab jamun balls in the sugar syrup. 

Let the Gulab Jamuns absorb the syrup. After half an 

hour, extract them and place them in a bowl and gently 

pour some sugar syrup.Step 5 Garnish with dry fruits 

• Last, but not the least, garnish the gulab jamuns with 

some finely chopped pistachios. Serve these gulab 

jamuns after an elaborate and we are sure your guests 

will praise your culinary skills. 

leaves, dry mango powder in it. Stir for a while and 

then turn off the flame. Transfer the bhaji to a serving 

dish. Drizzle some lemon juice on the top. 

• Now to prepare the dough for puri, first, take a large 

sized bowl and add wheat flour along with some oil 

in it. Mix well and then add water as required. Knead 

it properly to make a soft dough. Then, make small 

round balls from the prepared dough. Roll and flatten 

them all to make puris. 

• Next, take a medium sized deep-bottomed pan and 

place it on medium flame. 

• Then, pour and heat good amount of oil in it. Once the 

oil has heated, place a rolled puri in the pan and fry it 

properly from both the sides until its colour changes to 

golden-brown. Then, transfer the puri on an absorbent 

paper. Similarly, do the same with remaining rolled 

puris. 

• Serve the puri fresh along with tasteful bhaji prepared.


ENTERTAINMENT 19 

Shakti Kapoor recalls 

working in 'Satte Pe Satta' 

as movie completes 40 yrs 

Bollywood's popular and 

versatile actor Shakti Kapoor 

took a trip down memory 

lane and spoke about his working 

experience in the Amitabh Bachchanstarrer 

'Satte Pe Satta'. 

As the movie has completed 40 

years, the actor looks back and shares 

his insight on why he can always go 

back to watching 'Satte Pe Satta' and 

what made the film special. 

He also recalled how after the 

completion of the movie, megastar 

Amitabh Bachchan invited the entire 

cast for dinner. 

Recalling the shooting experience, 

he said: "It was a film shot like a 

family and watched by the audience 

like a family which was honestly 

a great feeling. We shot the movie 

in Kashmir and there are so many 

memories that if I start to talk about 

it, I won't stop soon." 

"I can watch 'Satte pe Satta' 200 

times and I watch it whenever I 

am sad. I watch it when I want 

to remember my younger days. 

The relationship that we shared as 

brothers in the film has never been 

seen on screen ever. 

"It wasn't a comedy film but 

the laughter came in due to the 

genuineness of the film, the 

performances, a good script and a 

team that was passionate to make 

this film." 

He further briefed about his 

character and shared that initially 

he was not supposed to play the 

character with a speech disorder. But 

he only convinced the director to add 

certain variations to make his onscreen 

personality more interesting. 

"Initially, my character was not 

supposed to be a guy with a speech 

disorder. I even shot my first scene 

normally but later realized that some 

variation could add more spark to my 

character. I convinced my director 

to change that element and he was 

so happy with the way I played the 

character. We went ahead with my 

idea and reshot the entire scene," he 

shared. 

He further remembered how 

Amitabh Bachchan invited him and 

the entire cast for dinner at his place. 

"Our shoot days were full of fun. 

When the movie got completed, we 

used to miss each other so much 

that one day Mr Bachchan specially 

invited all of us for dinner to his 

house. That evening was so much 

fun that we started at 8:30 PM 

and wrapped it up by 7 AM in the 

morning. 

It was such a fun dinner and an 

unforgettable experience as well," he 

concluded. 

Talking about a remake he said: 

"I wish this movie is remade and I 

believe that the young actors these 

days are so good that they will 

definitely do an amazing job playing 

the characters. " 

Adapted from 'Seven Brides for 

Seven Brothers' and 'Kitna Badal 

Gaya Insaan', 'Satte Pe Satta' is a 

1982 Hindi action comedy film. It 

features Amitabh Bachchan, Hema 

Malini, Amjad Khan, Ranjeeta Kaur, 

Sachin, Shakti Kapoor, Paintal, 

Sudhir, Inderjeet, Sarika, Kanwaljit 

Singh, Prema Narayan, Mac Mohan 

and Kalpana Iyer. 

Raashi Khanna: My family was 

shocked to see me in 'Rudra' 

Actress Raashi Khanna 

recently made her OTT 

debut with 'Rudra: The 

edge of darkness', where she played 

the role of Dr Aliyah Choksi, a 

sociopath. She says her family was 

shocked to see her in the series, but 

in a good way. 

Talking about her role, Raashi said, 

"Pulling off an eccentric character 

like Aliyah was the only thing that 

mattered to me, I guess I had always 

been looking for something that 

threw me out of my comfort zone and 

this character did just that. I gave it 

my best and was selected and that's 

how I got on board. 

" 

My family and 

friends were shocked 

but yes, in a good 

way. The way I am, 

they must have never 

thought I could pull a 

character like this off. 

Come to think of it, I 

never thought I could 

pull it off! But, They are 

all happy and proud" 

She adds,'It was a wonderful 

experience working with all the 

actors in the series. Especially Ajay 

sir and Atul sir. Ajay sir was a pillar 

of support from day one. He is 

such a good actor and I learnt a lot 

from him. Atul sir also is a brilliant 

actor and working with him was a 

blessing too. 

Raashi received all kinds of praises 

for her role, people on the sets feared 

seeing her in the character, her family 

was surprised too when they saw her 

in Rudra. 

"My family and friends were 

shocked but yes, in a good way. 

The way I am, they must have never 

thought I could pull a character like 

this off. Come to think of it, I never 

thought I could pull it off! But, They 

are all happy and proud" adds Raashi 

Produced by Applause 

Entertainment in association with 

BBC Studios India, Rudra - The 

Edge of Darkness is now streaming 

on Disney+ Hotstar 

‘We want a rubbish 

collection service that 

works for everyone’ 

Have your say on whether you prefer to pay through 

your rates or with bin tags in Auckland Council’s 

Annual Budget 2022/2023. 

Go to akhaveyoursay.nz/budget 

22-PRO-0751-IW-B

3 1 1 1 54 Glen Road, Ranui 

A solid & secure start 

Step inside and be amazed - this sizeable three-bedroom house provides ample 

storage and opportunity for separated living. 

Set on a Freehold 570m2 site, this weatherboard home provides everything you'd 

want and more. 

Scan code to 

download documents 

027 577 3747 

vk.verma@harcourts.co.nz 

021 186 6969 

nick.kochhar@harcourts.co.nz 

VIEWING: 

Sat/Sun 11:00am-11:30am or By Appointment 

PRICE BY NEGOTIATION 

1 4 3 

3 

3 

54 

4 2 1 2 5 

2 

Brand New Family Home 

This home will fascinate all growing families with young kids. Situated in a 

prime location with easy access to City and South Western Motorway and 

Waterview tunnel. Hillsborough Primary School Zone. Stop looking and start 

living now. Motivated seller ready to move on will meet the market. 

51 Hendry Avenue, Hillsborough 

027 577 3747 

vk.verma@harcourts.co.nz 

021 186 6969 

Call Tam NICKVK (0275 NICKVK) 

nick.kochhar@harcourts.co.nz 

09 629 0088 

mtroskill@harcourts.co.nz 

2 White Swan Road Mt Roskill 

VIEWING: 

Sat/Sun 12:30pm-13:00pm or By Appointment 

AUCTION: On site, Sunday, 27th March at 1:00pm 

(Unless Sold Prior)

The Indian Weekender, 18 March 2022

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?