The Indian Weekender 15 July 2022

Friday, 15 July 2022 

Volume 14 / Issue 17 

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Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, July 15, 2022 

NEW ZEALAND 3 

Government announces new 

measures to tackle gangs 

RNZ 

Police will have expanded 

powers for dealing with 

gang violence including 

a new intimidation offence, 

but stronger search and seize 

powers will still need a warrant. 

Police Minister Chris 

Hipkins and Justice Minister 

Kiri Allan have this morning 

announced plans detailing the 

government’s efforts to crack 

down on gang activity. 

Their proposals would see a 

new criminal offence introduced 

which would make it illegal to 

discharge a firearm with an 

intent to intimidate, which 

would apply in any setting - a 

strengthening of the current 

law which applies only inside a 

dwelling. 

The new crime would carry 

a maximum five-year prison 

sentence. 

Police search and seize 

powers would also be expanded: 

Warrants could allow searches 

of occupied gang properties 

and vehicles over 14 days 

The threshold for impounding 

gang vehicles involved in 

convoys will be lowered 

to include aggravated 

carelessness and reasonable 

belief the vehicle was used for 

dangerous or reckless driving 

Cash over $10,000 found in 

suspicious circumstances can 

be seized for up to seven days 

Watches, jewellery, precious 

metals, stones and ships 

that could be used for money 

laundering will be added to 

a list of goods which highvalue 

dealers will be prohibited 

from selling for cash over 

a certain value 

Violent crime has been on 

the rise around the country, 

including in relation to a conflict 

between the Killer Beez and 

Tribesmen gangs, and the 

government has been under 

pressure to do something 

about it. 

Hipkins said more than 1800 

firearms, and 10,000 grams of 

methamphetamine had been 

seized, and 1500 arrests made 

as part of operation Tauwhiro. 

“But as a government we 

are keen to make sure that we 

can do more and that involves 

making sure that the police 

have the right tools to do that.” 

Police are responding 

to increased 

incidents of 

intimidation 

and violence on 

roads, streets 

and in homes, 

Hipkins said. 

The opposition 

National Party has 

been calling for a ban on 

patches and gang gatherings, 

although gang leaders decried 

that policy as ‹dog whistle› 

politics and expert Jarrod 

Gilbert warned it would do little 

to address the problem. 

Gilbert warned more broadly 

against listening to politicians 

with easy answers to gang 

violence, saying what was 

needed was to tackle the 

specific symptoms and causes 

of crime, while putting pressure 

on the gangs through policing. 

Allan quoted Dr Gilbert, who 

said solutions were needed to 

“New 

Zealanders 

have the absolute 

right to feel safe 

in their homes and 

the police need the 

adequate powers 

to do their 

job." 

target particular problems. 

“This has been the approach 

that we have taken since we 

have pulled together this suite 

of reforms. 

"One of the current problems 

New Zealanders are worried 

about - and rightly so - is 

the spike in gang warfare, as 

evidenced just here,” Allan said. 

She said going after guns, 

vehicles and cash was hitting 

the gangs where it 

hurt. 

“ N e w 

Zealanders have 

the absolute 

right to feel 

safe in their 

homes and the 

police need the 

adequate powers 

to do their job. 

"The ministry of 

justice have worked 

closely with police to design 

the suite of targeted measures, 

to ensure police have the tools 

that they need to tackle violent 

organised criminal behaviour 

whilst also ensuring that the 

measures are evidence-based 

and uphold the rule of law.” 

We all know people did 

not become gang members 

overnight, and the government 

was “acutely aware” the 

best tool was prevention, 

rather than “a belated 

cure”, Allan said. 

Hipkins said police had asked 

for stronger powers to allow 

them to deal with violent 

offending and other criminal 

activities. 

“Recent brazen gang activities 

have been totally unacceptable, 

and our communities deserve 

better,” he said. 

“These are practical and 

targeted measures that will 

help the police do their job to 

keep communities safe. We are 

interested in real solutions, not 

empty slogans.” 

He said there was also 

work being done to address 

the drivers of crime 

including youth crime. 

Allan said the causes of 

crime were complex and often 

inter-generational, and the 

changes being introduced 

would give New Zealanders 

confidence that police had the 

powers they needed to tackle 

gang behaviour that made 

them feel unsafe. 

“We will continue to ensure 

we are upping the ante on 

intervention and prevention 

measures that are focused on 

steering young people away 

from a life with organised 

criminal groups,” she said. 

“I will be looking closely at 

the youth justice system in 

particular to see how we can 

make changes that will improve 

both the lives of at-risk young 

people and public safety 

over the long term,” Minister 

Allan said. 

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NEW ZEALAND 

Friday, July 15, 2022 

Read online www.iwk.co.nz 

Govt rolls out new measures to 

tackle Second Omicron wave and flu 

DR AYESHA VERALL, 

MINISTER FOR COVID-19 

RESPONSE 

The Government has 

rolled out additional 

measures to help tackle 

the second Omicron wave and 

record levels of flu to ease 

pressure on the health system 

and health workers. 

There’s no question the 

combination of a spike 

in COVID-19 cases and 

hospitalisations, the worst flu 

season in recent memory and 

corresponding staff absences 

are putting health workers and 

the whole health system under 

extreme pressure. 

Our modelling suggests we’re 

at the beginning of a second 

Omicron wave that could be 

bigger than the first, with the 

more transmissible BA.5 variant 

becoming the dominant strain 

in the community. 

There has been a significant 

increase in cases over the past 

two weeks, and worryingly 

the biggest jump is in cases 

amongst New Zealanders 

aged 65 and over. That in 

turn has led to an increase in 

hospital occupancy. 

We are continuing to ask 

New Zealanders to do three 

things - get vaccinated, wear 

a mask in many or most indoor 

settings and isolate when sick 

to suppress the spread of the 

virus over the remaining winter 

India’s potential for young Kiwi entrepreneurs 

discussed at INZBC Christchurch’s Fire side Chat 

MAHESH KUMAR 

With Covid numbers going down 

and international borders 

reopening, this is the best 

time to start looking at the Indian 

market for expansion and scaling up Kiwi 

businesses, according to Mr. David Pine, 

New Zealand’s High Commissioner to 

India and Bangladesh, and Ambassador 

designate to Nepal. 

Mr. Pine was speaking at a “Fire Side 

Chat”, organised by the India New 

Zealand Business Council (INZBC), 

Christchurch chapter, at the Ara 

Institute of Canterbury’s City campus 

on July 12. 

Braving bad weather, several 

enthusiastic invitees gathered to 

hear Mr. Pine, who took charge in 

August 2020 when he flew to India 

on a Vande Bharat flight in the 

midst of the pandemic. 

INZBC hosted the event to help Kiwi 

entrepreneurs understand the potential 

of the expanding Indian market. 

Mr. Pine shared his assessment 

of the ground realities in India in 

terms of politics, the economy and 

post-covid opportunities. 

He noted that Indian markets have 

months. If we all play our part 

we can take some pressure off 

the health system. 

To support this we are 

implementing a range of 

measures to help Kiwis stay 

well. These extra measures 

will help get us and the health 

system through the winter 

months. Please do your bit. 

Medicines 

We are increasing access to 

antiviral medication to those 

most likely to end up in hospital, 

making free masks and RATs 

more widely available and doing 

another push to lift uptake of 

flu and COVID-19 vaccines 

including the second booster. 

Antiviral medications can 

reduce the seriousness of 

COVID-19 meaning fewer 

people need to be hospitalised, 

so we are making these more 

widely available as pharmacyonly 

medications. 

Pharmac are also broadening 

been resilient, making an incredible 

recovery after going through the worst 

phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 

almost all parameters of the economy 

crossing their pre-COVID levels. 

Mr. Pine added that a popular 

government at the helm 

offered stability. 

It was recognised that there is a need 

for more engagement on the ground 

with frequent visits from either side and 

getting Indian business associations 

like FICCI and CII involved to enable 

dialogue and learning about the 

market opportunities. 

We are encouraging 

everyone who needs 

extra RATs or masks 

to head to a testing 

site or other location 

and collect a free 

pack for you and your 

whānau. There is no 

criteria, you don’t 

need to be unwell 

or have symptoms. 

the eligibility criteria to enable 

more people from higher risk 

groups to access antiviral 

medications. Pharmac will be 

making further announcements 

about this today. 

These eligible groups will 

be able to access antivirals 

without the need for a doctor’s 

prescription. This means access 

will expand from 2 per cent to 

10 per cent of cases. 

From Monday 18 July 

anyone over 75 years of age 

who has tested positive for 

COVID-19 or anyone who has 

been admitted previously to 

an Intensive Care Unit directly 

as a result of COVID-19, will 

be eligible to access antivirals 

through their GP. 

This will help alleviate 

pressure on primary care by 

removing the need for GPs 

to review every COVID-19 

patient that may be eligible for 

antivirals. 

To speed up access to 

antivirals, GPs can now provide 

back pocket prescriptions 

which means at-risk patients 

for acute respiratory illnesses 

can be preapproved and have 

their prescription ready should 

they become unwell and need 

the medicine immediately. 

RATs and masks 

To increase uptake in use 

in RATs and masks packs of 

medical will be provided free 

along with free RAT kits for 

individuals and households from 

testing centres and in more 

locations by the end of the 

week. You do not need to have 

COVID-19 symptoms. And P2/ 

N95 masks will be available for 

clinically vulnerable and high 

risk individuals. 

Free RATs will be available 

from all current community 

providers, 

including 

marae, testing stations 

and local pharmacies. 

The increased visits and exchange of 

information will also provide a chance to 

experience the market and its potential 

first-hand. 

Some of the specific areas where 

India could benefit from Kiwi innovation 

and technology know-how are dairy, 

agriculture and related industries 

Mr. Pine said that there is a need 

to build and develop relations on the 

foundations of common interests 

that include cricket, culture, and 

shared history like Indian soldiers 

serving with ANZACs. 

Mr. Pine also mentioned how the 

We are encouraging everyone 

who needs extra RATs or masks 

to head to a testing site or 

other location and collect a 

free pack for you and your 

whānau. There is no criteria, 

you don’t need to be unwell 

or have symptoms. 

Wearing masks can reduce 

new cases of the virus by as 

much as 53 per cent. We are 

asking New Zealanders to 

keep up good mask wearing, 

especially over the remaining 

winter months where the virus 

is more likely to pass in indoor 

settings. The tried and tested 

measures: wearing a highquality 

mask, strong vaccine 

and booster uptake, antivirals 

and testing are highly effective 

and will put us in the best 

position to get through what 

is one of the toughest winters 

we’ve faced. 

We are also providing 

10 million child-size masks 

available for year 4-7 students 

in New Zealand and up to 

30,000 masks a week for all 

other students and school 

staff, alongside extra funding 

to support better ventilation 

over winter. 

These are the most effective 

measures we have. They are 

simple but if we all do them 

we can lessen illness and the 

burden on our health system 

and dedicated health workers, 

and get through this darkest 

part of winter. 

recent visits of Minister Priyanka 

Radhakrishnan and MP Gaurav Sharma 

to India have raised the profile of the 

Indian diaspora in New Zealand. 

INZBC Christchurch Head Sandeep 

Sharma reiterated the importance of 

continued dialogue and getting more 

young businesses on the table to 

exchange notes, explore potential and 

create an environment conducive to 

more trade opportunities. 

Despite having 1.3 billion people, 

India has one of the youngest 

populations, with an average age of 

29. India is also home to a fifth of the 

world’s youth population. 

These young individuals foster a 

culture of creativity, entrepreneurship, 

and diversity. India believes this young 

population is its most valuable asset. 

But this also offers a huge market for 

entrepreneurs and businesses across 

the world.


NEW ZEALAND 5 

Bonalu festival 

celebrated at iconic 

Ganesh Temple 

SANDEEP SINGH 

The Telangana diaspora 

celebrated the festival of 

Bonalu at the iconic Shri 

Ganesh Temple in Papakura, 

South Auckland, on July 11. 

Bonalu is a Hindu festival 

celebrated traditionally in the 

twin cities of Hyderabad and 

Secunderabad and other parts 

of Telangana to commemorate 

the Goddess Kali. It is usually 

held in the month of Ashada in 

July/August. 

The festival name Bonalu 

is derived from the word 

Bojanaalu or a meal in Telugu 

and means an offering to the 

Goddess Mahakali. Women 

bring cooked rice with milk, 

sugar sometimes onions in a 

brass or earthen pot, adorned 

with small neem branches and 

turmeric, vermilion (Kumkum), 

or Kadi (white chalk) and a lamp 

on the top. 

Women place the pots on 

their heads and bear them to 

the temple, led by drummers 

and dancers. 

It was the fourth edition of 

the festival being celebrated 

at Shri Ganesh Temple after 

previously being celebrated 

in various community halls 

to ensure the religious 

sanctity and spirituality was 

maintained and not lost upon 

the forthcoming generations of 

Telangana diaspora. 

The festival was organised 

under the aegis of Telangana 

Federation of New Zealand – a 

federation body that strives 

to bring different Telangana 

community associations of New 

Zealand together under one 

umbrella witnessed enthusiastic 

The origin of this 

festival can be traced 

back to around 1813 

in the erstwhile 

Hyderabad State, 

when plague broke 

out in the twin 

cities of Hyderabad 

and Secunderabad 

and took lives of 

thousands of people. 

participation from more than 

two hundred community 

members including wider Kiwi- 

I n d i a n 

community. 

Hon Consul of 

India Bhav Dhillon 

was the chief guest at the 

festival, who thanked the 

organisers and the executive 

team of Sri Ganesha Temple for 

putting together a ritualistic 

ceremony and a real cultural 

feast for the wider Kiwi-Indian 

communities. 

The pooja was conducted 

by chief priest Subramaniam 

Parameswaran, who is known as 

Priest Chandru and considered 

as the one of the most revered 

Hindu priests in New Zealand. 

About Bonalu 

The origin of this festival can 

be traced back to around 1813 

in the erstwhile Hyderabad 

State, when plague broke out 

in the twin cities of Hyderabad 

and Secunderabad and took 

lives of thousands of people. 

Soldiers and people from 

a military battalion of 

Hyderabad state, which was 

then deployed in Ujjain – a 

prominent Hindu pilgrim city 

and the centre of the famous 

Mahakaleshwara Temple began 

worshipping Goddess Mahakali 

to emancipate the sufferings 

of the people of the state of 

Hyderabad. 

It is believed that Goddess 

Mahkali bestowed her blessings 

and the plague receded thus 

prompting the military battalion 

to install an idol of Goddess 

Mahakali on their return to 

Hyderabad. 

Since then, it has become 

a tradition to offer Bonalu to 

Goddess Mahakali in the month 

of Asadh by the people of 

Telangana all around the world. 

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6 

NEW ZEALAND 


Indian woman helms 

Rotary Club in Wellington 


VENU MENON IN 

WELLINGTON 

Zaheda Davies is the 

serving president of the 

North Wellington Rotary 

Club. She is also the lone 

woman member of Indian origin 

in the club. She also runs a 

travel-related business. 

Zaheda Davies spoke to 

Indian Weekender of her 

trials and triumphs along 

the way. Excerpts : 

Are you the first woman 

of Indian origin to be elected 

President of the North 

Wellington Rotary club? 

Yes. At present, I am the only 

member who is of Indian origin 

at our club. I do hope that I 

will not be the sole member of 

Indian origin for too long and 

that others will follow. 

Are women breaking new 

ground within the Rotary 

fraternity and filling leadership 

positions more than in 

the past? 

Rotary clubs started inviting 

lady members more than 10 

years ago. 

Since then, there are a 

growing number of women 

joining Rotary clubs to serve 

their communities. 

This year, there is the first ever 

Rotary International President 

who is a woman from Canada, 

Jennifer E Jones. 

We have a number of women 

elected as presidents of their 

clubs around Wellington. 

The District Governor of 

Rotary 9940, which covers the 

Of the women, for the women and by the women 

IWK BUREAU 

The recently held event in Auckland 

by the ladies’ support group, 

Sakhi from Bharatiya Mandir, was 

all about celebrating womanhood. About 

65 ladies attended the hi-tea event at 

Balmoral Community Centre 

The attendees were seen having a 

great time meeting with others, enjoying 

food, music and fantastic company. 

For the uninitiated, this support group 

was started in 2017 by a group of 

volunteers to provide a platform where 

ladies can regularly interact, connect 

with others, and support those who 

require help. 

Zahida Davies ( right) with past Rotary President Stephen Spence 

lower part of the North Island, 

is a woman. 

What are the focus areas in 

terms of community engagement 

of the Rotary club in the 

Greater Wellington region? 

The motto of Rotary is 

Service above Self. Being an 

international organisation, most 

Rotary clubs will have a local 

support initiative like schools. 

Education and leadership 

programmes for youth, avenues 

for supporting communities 

in distress within our 

geographical area. 

We provided aid for the Pacific 

islands during the earthquake/ 

Tsunami in Tonga/Samoa, are 

some of the activities we have 

undertaken. 

Rotarians are also involved 

Jyoti Parashar, Sakhi’s program 

convener, said, “Being a part of Bharatiya 

Mandir has allowed me to give back to 

the community. 

To me, racism begins 

with oneself. As a 

migrant, I must be 

prepared to face 

obstacles, whether 

they are driven by 

racism or not. I chose 

not to react in any 

particular way that 

would hamper my 

progress. Basically, I 

don’t let it get to me. 

in global endeavours such as 

eradicating Polio worldwide. 

Every year, Rotary runs a 

RYLA programme (Rotary Youth 

Leadership Award) for youth 

and we also sponsor students 

for the IYM (Innovative Young 

Minds) open to young women in 

Year 11 and 12 at schools. 

Has racism been an obstacle 

that you had to overcome on 

your way up within the Rotary 

as well as the travel sector? 

To me, racism begins with 

oneself. 

As a migrant, I must be 

prepared to face obstacles, 

whether they are driven by 

racism or not. 

I chose not to react in 

any particular way that 

would hamper my progress. 

Basically, I don’t let 

it get to me. 

I do know that 

perseverance and persistence 

helped me to continue in the 

Travel business. Clients come 

to me for the care and support 

they get from me. 

At our Rotary Club of 

Wellington North, we welcome 

people from all walks of life and 

ethnicities. We invite visitors/ 

guests to come and find out 

more about how we support our 

communities. 

What is your message to 

other aspirants within the minority 

communities in general 

and women in particular? 

Step out of your comfort 

zone and join in with your local 

communities. 

By engaging with them, we 

find out there is so much on 

offer and so many opportunities 

to avail of. 

Organisations like Rotary 

Clubs have so much to offer. 

For instance, our club offers 

scholarships for tertiary and 

"It was great to see ladies having a 

relaxed time at this event.” Sharing her 

experience, Dyuti, who is a teacher by 

profession and writer by hobby), said, “It 

secondary students so they 

can be helped to achieve their 

study goals. 

Scholarships are available for 

essential life skills. But, if they 

do not know where to apply or 

how to apply, they would miss 

out each year. 

Growing up in India allowed 

us to form friendships across 

communities. 

In the same way, if we opened 

up with our Kiwi communities, 

we will make friends and 

also educate them about us. 

Let’s not forget there are no 

strangers, only friends who we 

haven’t met yet. 

What was your interest in 

joining the Rotary? 

I grew up in the Rotary 

community. My father, Zain 

Rangoonwala, was a member 

of the Rotary Club of Bombay. 

I was always aware of how 

Rotarians serve and it is a 

highly popular and widespread 

movement in India. 

Since migrating to New 

Zealand, I fell back on support 

from Rotarians and others. 

Our Rotary club meets over 

lunch twice a month and once 

for an evening meal with Pizza 

and Salad. 

I’d love to invite likeminded 

members who would like to 

come meet us and connect with 

our values. 

“It was great to be 

among an amazing 

group of welcoming, 

warm-hearted ladies who 

together for laughter, 

chatter, music, dancing, 

loads of delicious food & 

much more.” 

was great to be among an amazing group 

of welcoming, warm-hearted ladies who 

together for laughter, chatter, music, 

dancing, loads of delicious food & much 

more.”


NEW ZEALAND 7 

Investment Fiji’s new CEO Kamal 

Chetty to lead island nation’s 

push into global markets 

SANDEEP SINGH 

Investment Fiji – the premium Fijian 

government body for investment and 

trade promotion – had a change of 

mandate recently to help prepare homegrown 

companies to invest abroad in the 

global markets. 

Newly appointed CEO 

Kamal Chetty is tasked with 

leading this mandate. 

The Indian Weekender spoke to 

Kamal Chetty to know more about the 

strategic vision and the plan of action 

for promoting the two-way bilateral 

trade between Fiji and New Zealand, 

and also how the Fijian diaspora in New 

Zealand can contribute in driving this 

key economic partnership. 

Excerpts: 

IWK: Can you please tell us more 

about the change of mandate for 

Investment Fiji, tasking it with the 

additional responsibility of facilitating 

Fiji’s investment in global markets? 

Kamal Chetty: Earlier, Investment 

Fiji was an investment promotion 

agency and an investment monitoring 

agency. So, we were monitoring 

investment as well. 

Now we have taken that out of our 

mandate, which leaves us as a fullfledged 

investment and trade promotion 

agency that is going to assist investors 

or facilitate investors and try to attract 

the right kind of investment for Fiji. 

We are now also working to 

prepare Fijian companies to foray 

into foreign markets. 

Recently, as you would know, a 

Fijian company has launched a new 

product in the New Zealand market, 

and there are many more with whom 

we are closely working to help them 

in their foreign market entry plans, 

including in New Zealand. 

We are focussing on Kava, timber and 

some other agriculture products, which 

we believe have a good chance in the 

New Zealand market. 

IWK: There has been a lot of dynamism 

in Fiji’s economy ever since it 

came out of Covid pandemic-related 

lockdowns. Please tell us 

more about it. 

Mr Chetty: We are very optimistic 

about the situation currently in Fiji. But 

let me put things in a global context, 

specifically in our space, there is still a 

lot of uncertainty, especially in terms 

of geopolitical situation, and it impacts 

Fiji as well. But for Fiji, obviously, since 

we opened our borders quite early in 

the pandemic and were one of the first 

countries to do so in the Pacific has 

helped us in reviving our tourism sector. 

Our economy has done really well, and 

the numbers have picked up. We have 

a lot of Australians and New Zealanders 

coming into Fiji, and the future looks 

promising. 

In terms of overall economic activity 

in the country, you must have seen 

the latest release by Reserve Bank, 

there is a bit of optimism that the 

economy will grow at about 4.4%. 

And that’s basically driven by a lot 

from tourism. 

IWK: Recently, Fiji investment 

signed a memorandum of 

understanding with the 

‘outsourcing industry’. Not 

many people here in New 

Zealand would know that 

Fiji is fast emerging as 

a global hub of the outsourcing 

industry. Can 

you tell us more about 

the growth of Fiji as a 

global outsourcing hub? 

Mr Chetty: The 

outsourcing industry is not 

altogether new in Fiji, and we have had 

a vibrant outsourcing sector for quite 

some time owing to our competitive 

advantage globally in terms of neutral 

English-speaking accent, the time 

zone, low operating costs, high 

literacy rates and other factors. 

• Continued on Page 9

8 

NEW ZEALAND 

Empowering women 

of rural India through 

ethical clothing: 

Inspiring story 

of a Kiwi fashion 

designer 



MAHESH KUMAR 

Ana’s is an incredible story of 

courage and determination. One 

needs to be really strong to 

give up the fabulous Kiwi way of life 

and migrate to India- a country with a 

completely different culture, language 

and way of living. 

Ana, who got her fashion design 

qualification from Christchurch, moved 

to a small village in Odisha, India, along 

with her husband Daniel Wilkinson- 

Gee. The couple were driven by a 

passion to empower rural women by 

providing them with sewing skills and e 

mployment opportunities. 

Indian Weekender spoke to Ana 

about her journey, her motivations and 

the impact she has been able to make 

through her venture. 

What motivated you to move to India 

,leaving a relaxed life in New Zealand 

and how has your journey been so 

far? 

I grew up watching my parents share 

their skills with people in remote places 

on islands in the pacific. My Dad was a 

teacher and carpenter and my Mum a 

nurse. 

My Mum taught me how to sew and 

make a pattern while we lived in a village 

with no electricity, in the hot and humid 

jungle of Papua New Guinea. After 

returning to New Zealand, I followed my 

passion for sewing and gained a Fashion 

Design Diploma from the Fashion and 

Interior Design College of New Zealand 

in Christchurch (now called the Design & 

Arts College of NZ). 

I had always been curious about India, 

ever since I was a young child. In 2006 

I got an opportunity to travel to India 

for the first time with my husband. My 

spirit let out a joyful sigh as soon as my 

feet landed, and I felt as though I had 

reached my heart’s home. 

Being a vegetarian all my life, India 

met both my culinary inclinations and 

my passion for textiles. I discovered that 

if I shared my dressmaking skills with the 

women in the remote villages, it would 

give them a chance to improve their 

lives and become self-sufficient. 

So in 2010 we packed up life in New 

Zealand and relocated our family to a 

village located 12 hours train ride from 

Kolkata, in the state of Odisha. 

Our daughter was only 16 months old 

at that time. I discovered that being a 

Mum with a baby on my hip helped bridge 

cultural boundaries and somehow made 

me more accessible, more relatable. I 

found the women to be very friendly and 

gracious. 

I purchased a local treadle sewing 

machine (like the ones I had seen sitting 

in many village homes) and taught 

myself how to use it and how to fix it. 

I turned salwars and sari blouses inside 

out and taught myself how to pattern 

make these garments. 

Next, I developed a curriculum that 

included techniques to construct Indian 

dresses and started teaching sewing 

classes in my neighbourhood. We would 

communicate by actions and laugh a lot. 

After a few months I hired a local lady 

(who could speak both English and Odia) 

as my translator for sewing class. 

This was very helpful as I could then 

explain the ‘why’s and importance of 

each stitching technique. I learnt a lot 

from my translator, including how to run 

a meaningful graduation ceremony in 

that context and culture. Since that first 

graduation ceremony, I have run every 

graduation that way. 

It has been a privilege to hear each 

woman’s story during the graduation 

ceremony, of how and why she came 

to be at sewing class and to hear 

of the benefit it has been to her, 

both in physical/economic terms and 

emotionally and mentally also. 

Many ladies describe feeling a sense 

of belonging, peace and safety at our 

sewing house and they want to keep 

coming back. 

Many friendships develop and they 

leave with a good support network 

of other women who encourage each 

other, as well as skills to earn money by 

cutting and sewing at home or in a tailor 

shop. They speak of the ‘fellowship’ that 

they have enjoyed at the sewing house. 

As I would be teaching sewing, I was 

also listening, learning and picking up the 

language from my students. After a few 

years, one of my sewing class graduates 

asked me to give her a job. I discussed 

with my husband how we could afford 

to pay someone a wage. He suggested 

that if I could teach her to sew westernstyle 

dresses and get her sewing quality 

to international standard, then we could 

sell the garments online to family and 

friends back in New Zealand and that 

would pay her wages. 

That was the birth of our ethical 

fashion brand and manufacturing sewing 

house called Holi Boli. 

As demand increased in NZ for our 

dresses, we were able to employ another 

graduate, and then another one. Now 

we provide fair and safe employment to 

21 ladies at our sewing house and have 

trained over 200 women in dressmaking. 

After a decade of living in India, and 

raising our three kids there, we reluctantly 

left the village and repatriated back to 

NZ in April 2020, due to the pandemic. 

We continued running the business 

remotely from Waikato and worked 

hard to keep all our ladies empowered 

with wages, month after month through 

all lockdowns. From MIQ we made and 

sold Journals for $35 to help keep cash 

flow going when the pandemic caused a 

slowdown in sales. 

Then I started sewing and selling 

dresses from my garage to keep paying 

the ladies while they (and our stock in 

India) continued in lockdown and our 

distribution channel was temporarily 

closed. For the past two years I’ve joined 

our team on video calls from 3:30pm till 

midnight Monday-Friday, to continue 

production. 

There are many dress patterns in the 

almara there that I have made over the 

past ten years, and they know how to 

make most things now. They are highly 

skilled and well trained. They know that 

the most important thing for Holi Boli is 

quality. 

What made you choose Odisha and 

Sambalpur in particular as a base for 

your venture? 

We chose Odisha as we loved the 

greenery, rice paddy fields and quieter 

village life. It’s so beautiful and feels 

close to nature. We loved walking past 

the free-roaming chickens and goats as 

we wandered through the village lanes 

and watched kids play kabaddi. We also 

wanted to settle in the village as we felt 

while cities offered more opportunities, 

it was the village women who needed 

employment near their doorstep 

rather than having to migrate to big 

cities in quest for work. We thought 

it would be good if we could help to 

keep families together, in their natural 

place, by bringing small business and 

empowerment to the village. 

Tell us about the name Holi Boli. How 

did you come about it? 

The inspiration for the name ‘Holi 

Boli’ was partly from Hollywood and 

Bollywood. It’s a mix of Indian and 

western fashion. 

Holi is an Indian festival of colours and 

at ‘Holi Boli’ we like to celebrate colours 

and diversity. We thought the name 

reflected a quirky image for an indowestern 

fusion company that exists to 

empower rural women with ethically 

made, colourful, fun, female fashion. 

How does the ‘Holi Boli’ function as a 

business? 

I do all the designing, pattern-making 

and sourcing of the fabric. The ladies at 

our sewing house do the pre-washing of 

fabric, lay, cut and sew the garments. 

My husband Daniel takes care of all 

the administrative side of running the 

business including the legal, financial 

and compliance-related documentation 

to bring the product to shelves in NZ. 

• Continued on Page 11


NEW ZEALAND 9 

Eid al-Adha celebrated 

in Wellington 

VENU MENON 

Eid al -Adha was celebrated in 

Wellington for the first time on 

July 10. 

The event marks the end of the 

five-day Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca 

in Saudi Arabia. The pilgrimage is 

one of the five pillars of Islam. 

Auckland has hitherto hosted the Eid 

festivals for the past 11 years. 

More recently, Christchurch became 

a venue for celebrating this important 

event on the Islamic calendar. 

Eid al- Adha and Eid al-Fitr (which 

marks the end of the fast during 

Ramdan) are attended and observed by 

more than 60,000 New Zealanders. 

“The vision has always been to 

celebrate Eid as a large scale event 

in every major city and region of New 

Zealand, and to bring the Muslim and 

non-Muslim communities together to 

share and embrace their differences. 

This is an event for all, and all are 

welcome, whether you are in Auckland, 

Christchurch or Wellington,” said Javed 

AARON MARTIN 

There is good news for the partners 

of work visa holders, with the 

Government backtracking on 

rules announced in the immigration reset 

which would have seen them limited to 

visitor visas. 

In May this year, a ‘big reset’ was 

announced in immigration, to make 

it easier for employers to fill skill 

shortages, via an Accredited Employers 

Work Visa (AEWV). 

It also included an immigration Green 

List of 85 hard-to-fill, high-skill jobs that 

provide a priority pathway to residency. 

However, this reset also set a plan 

to be implemented this December that 

would have meant partners of those 

on AEWVs unable to get an open work 

visa, unless they too could secure a job 

with an Accredited employer, unless 

the AEWV holder had a job on the 

immigration Green List or being paid 

200% above the median wage. 

If they didn’t meet either of these 

criteria, their partner was only eligible 

for a visitor visa, which would severely 

limit their earning potential, leading to 

financial insecurity just as they moved 

to a new country. 

It would also make it much less 

desirable to move to New Zealand at all 

and thus less likely for employers to be 

able to fill vacancies – the opposite of 

what this ‘big reset’ intended to do. 

The government announced as from 

the 4th of July that partners are now 

Dadabhai, chairperson, New Zealand Eid 

Day Wellington. In Wellington, Eid al- 

Adha was celebrated at the Sky Stadium 

and was attended by over 3,500 

members of the public. 

In a statement, the Federation of 

Islamic Associations of New Zealand 

(FIANZ) described the event as social 

cohesion in action, with people from 

all ethnicities and walks of life coming 

together to celebrate Eid. 

Eid al-Adha allows Muslims to 

“spiritually join the celebration in Mecca,” 

said Amal Al-Sheemy, spokeswoman for 

New Zealand Eid Day Wellington. 

Al-Sheemy was quoted as saying 

the turnout at the event had 

defied expectations. 

The morning prayer was followed 

by festivities centred around food, 

activities and games for children. 

Organisers coordinated with NZ Police 

leading up to the event. 

Eid commemorates the supreme 

sacrifice that Prophet Ibrahim 

was prepared to undertake in 

obedience to Allah. 

Govt backtracks on new 

partnership visa rules 

eligible for an open work visa, as long 

as the first applicant (the AEWV holder) 

is earning above the median wage of 

$27.76 an hour. 

Though the government is calling this 

a clarification, it is, in reality, a backtrack 

on what was made quite explicit in the 

May 7th announcement - that, from 

December this year, only partners of 

those on the Green List, or being paid 

200% above the median wage were 

eligible for a work visa. 

Now that they have seen the 

potentially disastrous consequences of 

this original plan, they have drafted a 

completely new policy. 

It’s a big sigh of relief for those wishing 

to find work and move their partners and 

families to New Zealand, and something 

that should have been the case from the 

beginning. 

Aaron Martin is the Principal 

Immigration Lawyer at New Zealand 

Immigration Law 

• Continued on Page 9 

However, the sector had played a key 

role in not only diversifying our economy 

(moving away from dependency on 

tourism) but also growing and giving 

employment during the Covid pandemic 

period. 

I’m sure you’ve looked at recent 

releases from outsourcing Council and 

from us during COVID…It created 3000 

new jobs in the country. 

This is the reason we have signed an 

MOU with the outsourcing Council. 

IWK: Tell us more about the recent 

business delegation visit by NZ Fiji 

Business Council to Suva and the 

business outcomes? 

Mr Chetty: We’ve been really wanting 

to do this for last two years, but we 

couldn’t because of Covid and closed 

borders, so it was really great to be able 

to meet face to face, and I think it was a 

very successful visit. 

As part of that strategy, 

we have also identified 

New Zealand as a key 

market with whom we 

have a special relationship 

because of the large 

number of our Fijian 

diaspora living in New 

Zealand. There are a lot 

of opportunities we can 

explore between the two 

countries. 

We had a one-week program where 

we went throughout the country, and 

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there were a number of presentations, 

then there was a conference at the end 

of the forum that led to a lot of B2B 

meetings. In total, there were about 90 

B2B meetings for different individual 

New Zealand and Fijian companies at the 

same time. 

There were a few registrations in the 

outsourcing space which is something 

very exciting for us. 

IWK: What are the key areas of capability 

for Fiji companies? What are the 

sectors they can excel in overseas 

markets, including in New Zealand 

and Australia? 

Mr Chetty: We have a clear strategic 

plan based on our study of Fiji’s 

competitive advantage where we have 

looked at different countries where we 

can export and can get investment out 

at the same time. 

We looked at sectors as a country 

where we have a competitive advantage, 

and by competitive advantage, I mean 

there is an ecosystem available. 

As part of that strategy, we have also 

identified New Zealand as a key market 

with whom we have a special relationship 

because of the large number of our Fijian 

diaspora living in New Zealand. 

There are a lot of opportunities we 

can explore between the two countries. 

Later in the year, we plan to take a 

business delegation to New Zealand and 

discuss ways of promoting investment 

in Fiji and helping Fijian companies find 

market access to New Zealand. 

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10 

NEW ZEALAND 



Book launch followed by library 

opening at Indian High Commission 

VENU MENON IN 

WELLINGTON 

The library at the Indian 

High Commission 

in Wellington was 

inaugurated on July 7. 

The ribbon was cut by 

Prof Stephen Levine of 

Victoria University, in 

the presence of other 

dignitaries, including outgoing 

Indian High Commissioner 

Muktesh Pardeshi. 

The library inauguration 

was preceded by the launch 

of Prof J.L. Shaw’s book 

titled The Relevance of Indian 

Philosophy to Contemporary 

Western Philosophy. 

Prof Shaw is a former Victoria 

University academician and 

acclaimed author of over 14 

books on philosophy. 

In his opening remarks at the 

book launch, Mr. Pardeshi said 

Prof Shaw’s book bridged the 

gap between East and West. 

He said the book aims to 

promote an international 

culture of philosophical debate 

that respected human dignity 

and diversity. 

“Philosophy is an inspiring 

discipline as well as an everyday 

practice that can stimulate 

intercultural dialogue,” Mr. 

Pardeshi observed. 

Towards this end, the High 

Commission planned to host 

a series of talks as part of an 

academic cycle to promote 

international dialogue. 

The significance of the book 

launch was explained by the 

author himself. 

“It is a unique event not only 

in Wellington or New Zealand, 

but also in the world,” Prof Shaw 

told the assembled invitees. 

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Philosophy is an inspiring discipline as 

well as an everyday practice that can 

stimulate intercultural dialogue.” 

- Mr Muktesh Pardeshi 

Contact for 

free assessment 

“A book launch on Indian and 

Comparative Philosophy has 

never been held in the past.” 

Prof Shaw took the audience 

on a guided tour of the history of 

Indian and Western philosophy 

and introduced the towering 

figures who dominated their 

era with their contributions to 

philosophical thought. 

The hour-long talk was 

peppered by references to 

Western thinkers such as the 

overarching father figure Plato, 

Bertrand Russell, Karl Marx, 

Hegel, Wittgenstein, as well 

as Eastern thinkers from the 

3000-year-old Nyaya tradition 

of Indian philosophy and 

stalwarts such as Panini, 

Shankaracharya 

and 

Vivekananda. 

But more importantly, Prof 

Shaw’s book demonstrates 

how the two distinct systems 

of thought are not mutually 

antagonistic or irreconcilable. 

The path-breaking feature 

of the book is its compelling 

premise that the techniques 

of Indian philosophers can 

be utilised to resolve the 

conundrums and dead-ends 

encountered by contemporary 

Western philosophers. 

Prof Shaw began his hourlong 

discourse at the book 

launch by debunking British 

author Rudyard Kipling’s 

famous contention that “East 

is East and West is West, and 

never the twain shall meet.” 

“The aim is to have a dialogue 

between the diverse traditions 

of Europe, Asia, North and 

South, East and West, so that 

each tradition derives some 

inspiration from the other,” 

Prof Shaw said. 

“It is an extremely rewarding 

forum and falsifies the claim of 

Rudyard Kipling.” 

The aim of the book is 

to demonstrate how Indian 

philosophy could contribute 

to the discussion of “shared 

problems” with Western 

philosophy, and “especially how 

Indian philosophy and Western 

philosophy can derive insights 

from each other.” 

But to achieve that elusive 

synergy between the two 

apparently incompatible 

systems of thought, Prof Shaw 

realised he needed to address a 

fundamental question. 

“Now, the Western 

philosopher might ask why 

should we study Indian 

philosophy if it is not useful 

for solving the problems of 

Western philosophy?” 

To answer this question, Prof 

Shaw understood he needed 

first to demonstrate the 

relevance of Indian philosophy 

with respect to certain “shared 

problems or questions” of 

epistemology, philosophy of 

language, logic and values. 

Prof Shaw laid out a twostep 

approach to bridge 

Indian and Cotemporary 

Western philosophies. 

First, identify the ageold, 

unsolved problems that 

dog contemporary Western 

philosophy. 

Second, find new or better 

solutions to those problems by 

using the techniques of Indian 

philosophers. 

Prof Shaw cites Russell’s 

famous claim that the 

syllogism in Shakespeare’s 

Othello is an unresolvable 

philosophical question. 

“Othello believes Desdemona 

loves Cassio. That is true. 

But Desdemona does not 

love Cassio. That is false,” 

Prof Shaw explained. 

He continued: “Russell says 

nobody has solved this, not 

even Plato who is the forerunner 

of Western philosophy.” 

But Prof Shaw relies on 

the Nyaya tradition of Indian 

philosophy, which goes back 

2,500 years and was postulated 

by Mangeswar Upadhyay, to 

counter Russell. 

“The mental state of Othello 

is attached to some love and 

that love plays a role here. So, 

it is not unreal love. It is real 

love, but projected there,” Prof 

Shaw said, adding, “This solves 

the unsolved philosophical 

problem of contemporary 

Western philosophy.” 

Prof Shaw acknowledged that 

Russell’s great contribution to 

the philosophy of language, 

or to logic, was his Theory of 

Definite Description. 

But the Theory of Definite 

Description was in vogue 

centuries before Russell in the 

Indian philosophical tradition of 

Nyaya, Prof Shaw pointed out. 

Similarly, contemporary 

Western philosophers weaned 

on Plato defined knowledge as 

a “justified true belief.” 

This theory has left 

contemporary Western 

philosophers polarised. 

However, while the Nyaya 

tradition of Indian philosophy 

also agrees that knowledge 

is justified true belief, it puts 

“belief first, then truth and 

then the guarantee for its 

truth,” Prof Shaw explained. 

This illustrates the typical 

way of how a traditional 

problem stemming from 

Plato and forming part of 

the current discourse by 

contemporary Western 

philosophers can be resolved by 

|cross-disciplinary exchange. 

Prof Shaw hailed the Indian 

philosopher Panini, who lived 

3000 years ago, as “the 

greatest intellectual of human 

civilisation,” whose contribution 

to the structure of language is 

endorsed by the contemporary 

philosopher Chomsky and the 

MIT School of Philosophy. 

Prof Shaw ended his 

discourse with Vivekananda’s 

view that religion must be 

universal and rational, and “not 

be in contradiction to reason.” 

The aim of religion must be 

to “alleviate suffering for all.” 

Prof Shaw said this matched 

his own one-world concept 

and the interpretation of the 

Brahman. 

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at sales@indianweekender.co.nz


NEW ZEALAND 11 

Hall of Fame is back – Nominations now open! 

SANDEEP SINGH 

The Indian Weekender Honours, aka 

Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame, is where 

the rarest of rare, especially 

those who have contributed immensely 

to the community are honoured, at 

a platform which is considered the 

biggest formal-event of the Indian 

diaspora in New Zealand. 

The rest of the community takes 

pride and inspiration from the Honours 

while showering their generous 

appreciation on those who eventually 

take home the Honours. 

The Honours, which initially started 

with the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame, 

has over the years incorporated the 

Young Achievers and Community 

Excellence Award, to reflect the 

community’s growing expectations and 

ambitions – the two cherished goals 

that The Indian Weekender has been 

pursuing relentlessly. 

The list of former Hall of Fame 

inductees is illustrious and includes 

the likes of MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi 

(2013), Judge Dr Ajit Swaran Singh 

(2014), Dr Kantilal Naranji Patel (2015) 

and Dr C.S. Benjamin (2016) and Sukhi 

Turner (2017), Dr Sharad Paul (2018), 

Sir Anand Satyanand (2019), Roshan 

Nauhria (2021), 

The Kiwi Indian Young Achiever of the 

Year award recognises a young Kiwi- 

Indian (aged between 16 and 35) who 

has done exceptionally well in his/her 

field of work. 

The award was launched in 2015 

and was bestowed upon DJ Charlie aka 

Prerna Singh in 2015, neuroscientist 

Dr Malvindar Singh-Bains in 2016, and 

budding politician Shail Kaushal in 2017, 

Muskan Devta (2018), Sarpreet Singh 

(2019), and Dr Gaurav Sharma, MP 

(2021). 

The Community Excellence Award came 

into existence in 2017 realising a longfelt 

expectation within the community 

of recognising and facilitating some of 

the most dedicated personalities who 

have worked incessantly in the area of 

community service. 

The inaugural edition of this award 

went to Thakor Parbhu Singh, while in 

subsequent years went to well known faces 

of the community Jeet Suchdev, Harshad 

Patel and Anjum Rahman. 

The brief description of awards as 

mentioned above will inform everyone 

that the basic DNA of The Indian 

Weekender Honours is recognition by 

the community and of the community. 

Undeniably, the Honours are not 

mere recognition of a selected 

few by the community. 

In fact, the Honours are also 

recognition of the Indian community 

in New Zealand when the crème de la 

crème of the country gets a first-hand 

experience of energy and vibrancy that 

our community brings to Kiwi life. 

An exclusive red-carpet reception is 

rolled out to every guest at the event 

with flashing cameras, so as to make 

them feel like a celebrity. 

The glamour and entertainment 

quotient of this annual event has always 

been the talk of the town, months after 

the awards night. 

In 2017, Bollywood heartthrob singers 

Armaan and Amaal Malik and seasoned 

stand-up comedian from India, Amit 

Tandon, had been able to create a truly 

memorable night for those who attended 

the event. This overseas star-attraction 

was separate from the usual pool of 

talented local artists who delivered highoctane 

performances to keep guests 

glued to their seats. 

The event also has an envious tradition 

of having the country’s Prime Minister as 

the chief guest of the event, along with 

the presence of many key politicians 

including the Leader of Opposition, 

Mayor of Auckland, Ministers of the 

Crown and Members of Parliament. 

Not to forget, major community 

organisations like New Zealand Indian 

Central Association (NZICA), Auckland 

Indian Association, Indian Association 

of NZ, Shanti Niwas, Gandhi Niwas, 

Telangana Association, Auckland 

Tamil Association, Auckland Marathi 

Association, Bhartiya Samaj, Auckland 

Sikh Society, Hindu Council, and 

Punjabi Cultural Association have been 

graciously gracing the occasion. 

In 2017, The Indian Weekender Honours 

reached new heights when Indian Union 

Minister of State for External Affairs, 

Gen. V. K. Singh, visited the country 

exclusively for this event, thus raising 

the profile of this premium diaspora 

event high up in the Indian government’s 

calendar of global diaspora events 

around the world. 

Indeed, this was a great benchmark 

to just match, leaving aside the task 

of raising the benchmark in 2018 and 

beyond. 

In the ensuing years, while on one 

hand the Indian Weekender stepped 

up the ante on the benchmark for the 

achievements of the new inductees in 

the Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame, there was 

a never seen before push for achieving 

high production standards of the actual 

event night with world class audio-visual 

background and entertainment packages 

to deliver a world class event. 

For many in the community, the Kiwi- 

Indian Hall of Fame may be an epitome of 

celebrating excellence in the community, 

yet the publisher and the team at The 

Indian Weekender are committed to 

put in their best efforts for the show 

and promise to bring another night to 

remember and cherish about. 

The call for nominations is out now 

for the three categories—Kiwi Indian 

Hall of Fame, Kiwi Indian Young Achiever 

of the Year, and Kiwi Indian Community 

Excellence Award for the year 2022. 

While our team works in the background 

to present another memorable award 

night, the community is on call for 

keeping an eye around to identify who 

they think would be worthy of the 

awards and nominate their names. 

The nomination form can be found at 

www.halloffame.co.nz. Just fill it in 

and submit (as per directions on the 

website). 

• Continued on Page 8 

We sell it from our new flagship store 

in Hamilton and also via our website 

www.holiboli.com Since Covid, we also 

do some production here in NZ. I am also 

involved in arranging all the photoshoots, 

marketing and managing production. 

How are you currently dividing your 

time between India & NZ? 

We lived in India for a full decade and 

loved it. After returning to NZ due to the 

global pandemic, our kids have settled in 

school here now, so Hamilton will remain 

our base going forward. 

But Daniel and I will continue to travel 

and stay for four or five months each 

year in India with our team 

How did you handle 

challenges like heat, pollution, crowd 

etc.? 

Yes, India can be a culture shock for 

many. I don’t think we could have enjoyed 

living in an Indian city so much. But the 

village life in Sambalpur and Odisha worked 

great for us. The heat is scorching in 

May and June. The hottest we 

experienced was 53 degrees C 

for three days and nights, we also 

experienced a three-day (and night) 

power cut. 

We improvised by collecting water 

from the well in buckets and carrying it 

to our house as the water pump had no 

electricity to pump water to the tank. 

We would usually visit NZ in the months 

of May and June and put our team on 

two months fully-paid holiday. 

What kind of impact have you been 

It has been very fulfilling to 

see my sisters in the village 

feel appreciated because 

they are all wonderful 

women who deserve the 

best in the world. It has 

been our privilege to create 

opportunities and platforms 

for them to grow and 

flourish. 

able to make and what gives you most 

satisfaction? 

I have seen the positive impact of the 

business for our staff and sewing students 

in so many ways. Receiving more than a 

living wage, allowed them to save after 

buying necessities and also to improve 

their living standards. 

One of my staff Lakshmi was 

able to afford to build a bathroom 

in her house. So now she and her 

sisters don’t have to go out in the 

open to go toilet. 

This has also improved their emotional 

well-being. Lakshmi essentially built 

dignity for her and her family. Nini 

was able to lay concrete in her mudbrick 

home. By doing this, her babies 

will have a more hygienic environment 

to grow in, thereby reducing sickness 

and school absences. 

I have been totally amazed as many 

students have shared the impact 

that the sewing classes have had 

on their self-esteem. Receiving the 

first certificate in their lives is a huge 

confidence booster and they feel worthy, 

valued and validated. 

It has been very fulfilling to see my 

sisters in the village feel appreciated 

because they are all wonderful women 

who deserve the best in the world. 

It has been our privilege to create 

opportunities and platforms for them to 

grow and flourish. 

We also intentionally chose to go into 

slow fashion which means that every 

woman learns to sew the whole garment, 

not just a part of it. 

The idea is in case she gets married 

and has to move, she will have the whole 

set of skills and will be equipped for a 

brighter future. 

How is the business doing and what 

are you future plans? 

Over the past two years, 

we have seen growth 

in our business. Our seamstresses have 

really stepped up and have been running 

the operations without me there. Their 

talent and hard work has made me 

extremely proud. 

My husband and I are planning to go 

in October to visit our team and branch 

out at the other locations. 

In the future, we would like to empower 

even more women in other rural areas 

in India. At the end of the day, it’s the 

women who buy the Holi Boli clothing 

that actually make it all happen - they 

are funding the empowerment of our 

sisters in rural India. I am doing my part, 

but I can’t do it alone. 

We’ve had generous people donate 

so we can buy air conditioners and 

machinery for the sewing house. 

We’ve now got a ‘pay a tip’ on our 

website so people can buy a Journal and 

then increase their payment if they want 

to give to help me help more women. 

I always had a deep conviction that we 

are here to help make the world a better 

place. I also had a deep love for India. I 

really feel that the women in my team 

are my long-lost sisters and we were 

always meant to be reunited. I just have 

so much love and admiration for them, 

mixed with a sense of responsibility. 

I am really glad that I got a chance to 

do my bit through my platform of ethical 

fashion.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

Winning doesn’t always mean being first. Winning 

means you’re doing better than you’ve done before. 

- Bonnie Blair - Speed Skater 

Editorial 

Govt’s action on gangs 

and rising crime: 

Public debate should 

also reflect victim’s 

perspectives 

Unfortunately, it seems to have become unfashionable in New Zealand to reflect 

upon and respect the victim’s perspectives in the public debate around rising 

crime and gang violence and the accompanying government (in)action. 

Instead, the debate largely remains rooted in the “left” versus “right” view or the 

“politics” versus “experts’ views” of law and order. 

The recent most instance is the public debate after the government’s latest 

crackdown on gangs and crime in the form of a new intimidation offence and slightly 

stronger search and seize powers. 

The ensuing public debate has been once again, and almost boringly, on the 

expected lines. 

The opposition - National and the ACT Party – were quick to dismiss the new 

announcement as too little and too late, while the experts were equally quick to 

register their view that the government was forced to respond “politically” with a 

set of measures that will have little impact on the emboldened gangs and the rising 

spate of crime. 

The Green Party viewed it as a possible encroachment of rights and protections 

under the ‘Bill of Rights,”, especially of Maori and Pacifica communities. 

Sadly, there was no representation and advocacy for the view of the victims of 

rising retail crime, which largely comprises ethnic migrant minority communities, who 

by default finds themselves at the forefront of increasing retail crime. 

While the news about gang-related violence attracts maximum attention from the 

mainstream media, political leadership and crime experts, the day-to-day pain and 

fear of small dairy store operators largely go unnoticed or at least do not attract 

similar political attention. 

It is conveniently assumed that the victims’ views on the deteriorating law and 

order situation - calling for strong-handed response largely juxtapose with the views 

of political “right” – and hence socially regressive and not worthy of representation 

at the higher echelons of power. 

It is important to clear, though, that those at the forefront of experiencing an 

unprecedented spike in ram raids at their workplaces do not necessarily call for 

“strong police and law enforcement action.” 

Their actual and more inherent desire is for an immediate sense of security and 

annihilation of fear that automatically spikes up after every instance of an audacious 

act of crime, ram raid and armed assault on them or in their neighbourhood. 

If this could be delivered immediately, in real-time, through social intervention 

measures aiming to fix the inter-generational anomalies and inequalities, that would 

be great and welcome with open hearts. 

While the government continues to self-pat their backs for not being the 

government of “rhetoric” as their political opposition and instead a government that 

listens and follows the advice of “experts,” they seem to accentuate the contempt 

of victims who first-hand experience the rising crime graph. 

Maybe it is time for law-and-order experts to commission some studies on how to 

ameliorate the pervading sense of fear within the dairy-store owners, retail operators 

and their staff and families, which fails to receive any credible political ownership, 

particularly from those who pride themselves as socially progressive. 

It is also prudent to ask this government which always makes it a point that it is 

not a government of rhetoric but a government committed to targeting the long 

pending inter-generational issues that precipitate gang-related violence - about what 

steps it has taken so far and how significant has been the impact in the last two 

terms in the government. 

So far, the rising crime graph, as evident in the form of audacious ram raids by 

unbridled young offenders, clearly demonstrates that there has been little impact 

of the so-called social intervention measures – something hard to digest for the 

government. 

It is in the absence of a reduction in the crime graph and an increasing level of fear 

and uncertainty around safety in dairy stores and retail shops and any accompanying 

confidence and reassuring measures by the police that the call for some strong 

actions automatically spikes up. 

And to always underplay those genuine real, word voices under the guise of being 

socially regressive and just for chest-thumping and the politics of law and order is 

not progressive at all. 

More needs to be done, and always. 

IN FOCUS : Picture of the week 

This week in New Zealand’s history 

15 July 1915 

First Gallipoli wounded arrive home 

Indian Weekender : Volume 14 Issue17 

PM Narendra Modi unveiled 

the 6.5m long bronze 

National Emblem cast on the 

roof of the New Parliament 

Building. He also interacted 

with the workers involved 

in the work of the new 

Parliament. The 6.5-meter 

installation, weighing 16,000 

kg, including the supporting 

structure (9,500 kg – 

national emblem, and 6500 

kg – supporting structure), 

entirely handcrafted by Indian 

artisans, is made of highpurity 

bronze. 

The first large group of Gallipoli wounded to return to New Zealand arrived in 

Wellington on the troopship Willochra as part of a draft of around 300 men. 

16 July 1965 

New Zealand artillery opens fire in Vietnam 

Gunners of 161 Field Battery fired New Zealand’s first shots of the Vietnam War 

from their base at Bien Hoa, near Saigon. 


New Zealand's first postage stamps go on sale 

These adhesive, non-perforated stamps for prepaid postage were the famous 

‘Chalon Head’ design, showing Queen Victoria in her coronation robes. New 

Zealand issued its first postage stamps 15 years after they were introduced in 

Britain. The three stamps in the ‘Full-face Queen’ set – one penny (1d), twopence 

(2d) and one shilling (1s) – were printed in Britain. Other values were added later. 


Privy Council rules on Samoan citizenship 

When the Privy Council granted New Zealand citizenship to Western Samoans 

born since 1924, the government did not accept this decision. It rushed 

through an act granting New Zealand citizenship only to Western Samoans who were 

living in New Zealand on 14 September 1982 or subsequently obtained permanent 

residence. 


Steam locomotive sets world speed record 

T 

he Wellington and Manawatu Railway (WMR) Company’s locomotive No. 10 

established a world speed record for the narrow 3 foot 6 inch (1067 mm) gauge, 

averaging 68 km per hour on a two-hour run and hitting a top speed of 103 kph. 

Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited 

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

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

Multimedia Specialist: Karan Bhasin | 022 0772 156 | karan@indianweekender.co.nz 

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

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

Wellington Reporter: Venu Menon | 021 538 356 | venu@indianweekender.co.nz 

Christchurch Reporter: Mahesh Kumar | 021 952 218 | mahesh@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 

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Printed at Horton Media, Auckland 

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Send your suggestions and feedback to editor@indianweekender.co.nz


FIJI 13 

NZ announces $10m funding 

New Zealand has 

today announced a 

contribution of $10 

million to the conservation of 

Pacific crop seeds impacted by 

climate change. 

This is the first investment 

from the recently boosted 

$1.3 billion climate aid fund, 

NZ commits $12.6m to address gender inequality 

Prime Minister Jacinda 

Ardern has announced 

New Zealand will provide 

a $12.6 million towards the the 

Fiji Gender Action Programme 

— Marama Ni Viti for the next 

five years. 

This funding will support the 

implementation of the Fiji Gender 

Action Programme to advance 

women’s empowerment and 

social protection. 

She says the recent Fiji 

Gender Assessment showed 

big gaps in pay between men 

and women amongst a range of 

other disparities – this funding 

will go towards programmes 

that help address the issues 

and inequalities the report 

highlighted. 

This funding will be directed 

to the Ministry for Women, 

Children and Poverty Alleviation 

as well as Fiji Women’s Rights 

Movement, Women’s Fund Fiji, 

Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and 

UN Women. 

This is an opportunity to also 

a contribution of $10 million 

to the conservation of Pacific 

crop seeds impacted by climate 

change. 

$10 million will be allocated 

to the Fiji-based Centre 

for Pacific Crops and Trees 

(CePaCT), which since 1998 

has been conserving the 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. 

Arden is adamant 

that the programme 

will help reduce the 

prevalence of violence 

against women and 

children and create 

a greater societal 

awareness of women’s 

rights and gender 

equality. 

region’s collections of 17 crops 

including yam, coconut and 

70 percent of the world’s taro 

varieties. 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern 

says climate change is a major 

threat to Pacific agriculture, 

putting our regions food 

security at risk. 

deliver increased support to 

a wide range of services such 

as those that responded to 

and prevent violence against 

women to programmes 

that support exchange and 

mentoring between female 

New Zealand and Fijian 

Members of Parliament. 

The funding will also expand 

work undertaken by the Fiji 

Ministry for Women, Children 

She adds this investment will 

increase the Pacific’s resilience 

by ensuring our regions 

seeds and plant materials are 

preserved and protected for 

future generations. 

The NZ PM adding that climate 

change and extreme weather 

are impacting crop yields 

and Poverty Alleviation to 

ensure Fiji’s public service 

agencies have policies 

that are responsive to and 

empower women. 

This funding is not limited 

to biological females but 

will be integral in providing 

core services to women in 

all their diversity, particularly 

in reaching people with 

disabilities, LGBTIQA+/ 

SOGIESC communities and 

women in rural, remote and 

maritime areas. 

The NZ Prime Minister adds 

that The ultimate goal of the 

programme is to support Fijian 

women and girls, in all their 

diversity and to increase the 

voice of women in leadership 

and decision-making. 

Arden is adamant that the 

programme will help reduce the 

prevalence of violence against 

women and children and create 

a greater societal awareness 

of women’s rights and gender 

equality. 

and reducing supply which 

exacerbates food insecurity 

and increases food prices. 

Minister of Climate Change, 

James Shaw said the investment 

will help communities protect 

important crops for generations 

to come. 

Australia is a 

trusted global climate 

action partner 

Australian Prime Minister, 

Anthony Albanese 

says his country will 

once again be a trusted global 

partner on climate action. 

Albanese, who will arrive 

into the country later today 

to attend the 51st Pacific 

Islands Forum in Suva says he 

is ambitious about what he 

and the regional leaders can 

achieve together. He says he 

looks forward to discussing a 

proposal to co-host a United 

Nations climate summit with his 

Pacific partners, to elevate and 

prioritize issues which impact 

the region the most. 

With Albanese at the helm for 

over a month, the Australian 

Government has moved quickly 

to step up its climate action. 

Australia’s carbon emissions 

2030 reduction target, under 

the Paris Agreement, was 

increased from 26 to 28 

percent.

14 

INDIA 


India is fastest growing 

economy in the world with 8.2% 

growth rate in 2022: Amit Shah 

Union Home Minister and 

China and 8 per cent of Brazil. 

Cooperation Minister 

Criticising Congress leader 

Amit Shah on Tuesday 

Rahul Gandhi's comment on 

announced that India is the 

fastest-growing economy in the 

world with a growth rate of 8.2 

per cent in 2022. 

Goods and Services Tax (GST), 

Shah said our GST collection 

has crossed Rs 1.62 lakh crore. 

The Home Minister further 

"Today India is the fastestgrowing 

said there is a smooth 

economy in the world. 

With a growth rate of 8.2 per 

cent, we are the world's fastestgrowing 

atmosphere for those doing 

business in current regime of 

the Central government led by 

economy in 2022," 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Shah said while addressing the the Government in garnering Shah also said India has 

6th National Conclave on Mines valuable feedback for the achieved a record 421 billion 

and Minerals. 

sustained growth of the mineral dollar merchandise export, an 

The National Conclave on sector. The Minister also all-time high in India's export 

Mines and Minerals is reckoned compared India's growth rate history, mentioning "the 

as an overwhelming success in with various countries of the achievement is the result of 

providing an effective platform same period and said it was 3.7 hard work of Indian youth". 

to showcase key policy per cent in the US, 2.1 per cent The Minister also emphasised 

initiatives undertaken and help in Germany, 4.4 per cent of how India recorded the "highest 

India is set to 

surpass China as the world's 

most populous country 

in 2023, with each counting 

more than 1.4 billion residents 

this year, a United Nations 

report said , warning that 

high fertility would challenge 

economic growth. 

The world's population, 

estimated to reach 8 billion by 

November 15 this year, could 

grow to 8.5bn in 2030, and 

10.4bn in 2100, as the pace of 

mortality slows, said the report 

released on World Population 

Day. India's population was 

1.21bn in 2011, according to 

the domestic census, which 

is conducted once a decade. 

The government had deferred 

the 2021 census due to the 

Covid-19 pandemic. 

The world's population 

was growing at its slowest 

pace since 1950, having 

fallen below 1% in 2020, UN 

estimates showed. In 2021, 

The Indian government 

has defended the look 

of the national emblem 

on top of the new parliament 

building amid criticism over its 

appearance. 

The new statue, adapted from 

an ancient Indian sculpture, 

was unveiled by Prime Minister 

Narendra Modi on Monday. 

The 6.5m (21ft 3in)-tall 

cast shows four Asiatic lions 

mounted back-to-back on a 

circular disc. 

Critics say the new lions look 

"ferocious" and stray from their 

original depiction. 

Opposition leaders have also 

criticised the government, 

saying that the new avatar of 

the emblem - adapted from 

the Lion Capital of Ashoka, a 

the average fertility of the 

world's population stood at 

2.3 births per woman over a 

lifetime, having fallen from 

about 5 births in 1950. Global 

fertility is projected to decline 

further to 2.1 births per woman 

by 2050. 

"This is an occasion to 

celebrate our diversity, 

recognize our common 

humanity, and marvel at 

advancements in health that 

have extended lifespans and 

dramatically reduced maternal 

and child mortality rates," UN 

Secretary-General António 

Guterres said in a statement. 

Still, a growing 

sculpture that was atop one of 

the several pillars erected by 

Emperor Ashoka during his reign 

in 250BC - was a "brazen insult 

to India's national symbol". 

But a federal government 

minister on Tuesday dismissed 

the criticism, saying the statue 

was a "perfect replica" of the 

original "except for the size". 

"Sense of proportion and 

perspective. Beauty is famously 

regarded as lying in the eyes 

of the beholder. So is the 

case with calm and anger. 

The original Sarnath Emblem 

ever" annual foreign direct 

investment of 83.57 billion 

dollar in 2021-22. Speaking 

on inflation in the event, Shah 

said "we have controlled" 

it in comparison with other 

countries in the world. 

"There is inflation across 

the world. We've controlled 

inflation compared to the world. 

We're seeing the situation in 

Sri Lanka, Pakistan and our 

neighbouring countries even in 

the US," Shah said. 

The Home Minister lauded 

the policies of BJP-led Central 

government under supervision 

of Prime Minister Narendra Modi 

for the effort despite facing 

Covid-19 pandemic, world's 

worst ever health crisis. 

India to surpass China as most populous country in 2023, 

UN report says 

is 1.6-metre high whereas the 

emblem on the top of the New 

Parliament building is huge at 

6.5 metres," Hardeep Singh 

Puri wrote on Twitter, posting 

photos comparing the original 

emblem and the new statue. 

The minister added that the if 

an exact replica of the original 

were to be placed on the new 

building, "it would barely be 

visible beyond the peripheral 

rail". 

Sunil Deora, one of the two 

sculptors behind the statue, said 

that the perceived difference 

in the lion's demeanour was 

because of the "scale and 

dimension" of the new emblem. 

"If you look at the Sarnath 

Lion Capital from below, it will 

look the same as the parliament 


National emblem: India rejects criticism over ‘snarling’ lion statue 

The bronze cast of the 

national emblem was 

unveiled by Prime Minister 

Narendra Modi on Monday 

population was a reminder of 

a shared responsibility of care 

for the planet and to "reflect 

on where we still fall short 

of our commitments to one 

another," he said. 

Referring to an earlier World 

Health Organization report -- 

estimating about 14.9 million 

deaths relating to the Covid-19 

pandemic between January 

2020 and December 2021, 

the UN report said global life 

expectancy at birth fell to 71 

years in 2021 from 72.8 years 

in 2019, mostly due to the 

pandemic. 

The United Nations said 

more than half of the 

"This is an occasion to 

celebrate our diversity, 

recognize our common 

humanity, and marvel 

at advancements 

in health that have 

extended lifespans 

and dramatically 

reduced maternal and 

child mortality rates 

projected increase in the global 

population up to 2050 will be 

concentrated in eight countries 

-- Democratic Republic of 

Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, 

India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the 

Philippines and Tanzania. 

Countries of sub-Saharan Africa 

are expected to contribute 

more than half of the increase 

anticipated through 2050. 

However, the population 

of 61 countries is projected 

to decrease by 1% or more 

between 2022 and 2050, 

driven by a fall in fertility. 

China says India 

risks scaring 

away investors 

with raids on its 

companies 

India risks damaging 

its reputation among 

foreign investors with its 

"frequent investigations" into 

Chinese companies, Beijing 

said this week. 

China's embassy in 

India said in a statement 

Thursday that probes by 

Indian authorities into Chinese 

companies were disrupting 

"normal business activities" 

and chilling "the confidence and 

willingness of market entities 

from other countries, including 

Chinese enterprises to invest 

and operate in India." 

The criticism comes after 

India's Enforcement Directorate 

— the country's main financial 

investigation agency — raided 

major Chinese smartphone 

company Vivo over allegations 

of money-laundering earlier 

this week. In a press release on 

Thursday, the Indian agency 

said it had carried out searches 

at 48 Vivo locations in the 

country, and seized 4.65 billion 

rupees ($60 million) from 119 

bank accounts, including fixed 

deposits, cash and gold bars. 

In the statement, the 

Enforcement Directorate has 

accused Vivo of tax fraud and 

said the firm remitted 624.8 

billion rupees ($7.9 billion), 

mostly to China. 

Xiaomi also targeted 

The raids on Vivo offices 

come two months after India 

seized more than $700 million 

from another big Chinese 

smartphone maker — Xiaomi. 

It was also accused of moving 

money out of the country 

illegally. 

Xiaomi India said at the time 

that "all our operations are 

firmly compliant with local laws 

and regulations." Chinese phone 

makers dominate the Indian 

market, with Xiaomi being the 

top-selling brand, according to 

data compiled by Counterpoint. 

Vivo is also among the top five 

brands, the firm said. 

emblem does," the 49-yearold 

sculptor told The Indian 

Express. 

Prime Minister Modi had 

shared a video of the unveiling 

on Monday morning which 

showed the cast - weighing 

9,500kg (20,943 pounds) - on 

top of the central foyer of the 

new parliament building. 

A senior government official 

called the installation of 

the emblem an "important 

milestone in the decolonisation" 

of the capital city. 

But many social media users 

pointed out that the demeanour 

of the lions in the new cast 

differed significantly from the 

original depiction and that 

instead of looking "benevolent 

and regal", they now "snarled".


WORLD 15 

Protesters storm Sri 

Lanka's prime minister's 

office, as president flees 

country without resigning 

Sri Lanka's political and 

economic crisis escalated 

as protesters stormed 

the prime minister's office on 

Wednesday, demanding the 

country's leaders step down 

after President Gotabaya 

Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives 

without resigning. 

Rajapaksa had been expected 

to formally resign Wednesday 

but instead left the crisis-hit 

nation and appointed Prime 

Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe 

as its acting leader, citing a 

section of the constitution 

that allows a prime minister to 

"discharge the powers, duties 

and functions of the office of 

president" when the president 

is ill or "absent" from Sri Lanka. 

Wickremesinghe was also due 

to formally resign "to make way 

for an all-party government." 

The move further enraged 

protesters, who want both 

leaders to vacate their roles as 

the country's 22 million people 

struggle to buy basic goods, 

fuel and medicine. 

Hundreds of demonstrators 

breached the compound of the 

prime minister's office in Sri 

Lanka's largest city Colombo 

on Wednesday and entered the 

premises, according to footage 

from the scene and local 

witnesses. 

The grounds have now been 

taken over by protesters who 

are gathering in celebration, 

following standoffs with armed 

police at the gates of the 

Police use teargas on Wednesday as protesters storm the prime minister's office. 

property. At least 30 people 

have sustained injuries and 

been admitted to the hospital, 

according to the Colombo 

National Hospital. 

A nurse at the hospital told 

CNN that many people were 

brought in due to tear gas 

inhalation, while others had cuts 

and bruises likely received when 

trying to jump over fences. 

The nurse did not confirm any 

gunshot injuries. Demonstrators 

outside demanded that neither 

the President nor the Prime 

Minister "be spared." 

This follows months 

of escalating anger over 

the economic crisis, with 

Rajapaksa accused of high-level 

corruption and mismanagement 

that ultimately bankrupted the 

country. As demonstrators took 

to the streets, acting President 

Wickremesinghe appointed a 

committee of senior armed 

forces commanders headed 

by the Chief of Defense Staff 

Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva to 

Half a world 

away from 

the political 

drama in London, 

many Indians are 

closely following the 

twists and turns of 

who replaces Boris 

Johnson as British prime 

minister, curious to see 

how two candidates with 

Indian ancestry fare. 

Rishi Sunak, the 

bookmakers' favourite to 

prevail, and Suella Braverman are 

campaigning for the Conservative 

party leadership and have made 

reference to the opportunities 

Britain gave members of 

minorities like them. 

If either were to win the race for 

the premiership, they would be 

the first prime minister of Indian 

origin in the United Kingdom. 

In both cases, their Indian 

families migrated to Britain in 

the 1960s in search of better 

lives. Britain ruled India for 

about 200 years before the 

South Asian country gained 

independence in 1947 after a 

"restore law and order" in the 

nation, a high-ranking military 

official told CNN Wednesday. 

Wickremesinghe declared 

a state of emergency across 

Sri Lanka and a curfew on 

Wednesday only to later cancel 

both orders, according to the 

prime minister's office. 

In Colombo, a handful of 

protesters also entered the 

premises of state broadcaster 

Sri Lanka Rupavahini on 

Wednesday, negotiating a 

"deal" with broadcast staff to 

not give airtime to politicians 

such as Wickremesinghe. The 

broadcaster instead played 

history and culture programs. 

Rajapaksa was forced to 

announce his resignation after 

after more than 100,000 

people massed outside his 

residence over the weekend. 

His planned resignation would 

leave him without presidential 

immunity -- potentially exposing 

him to a raft of legal charges 

and reduced security. 

prolonged freedom struggle. 

"It will be a great feeling to see 

an Indian as the PM of a country 

which very ruthlessly ruled India for 

a very long time!" said a Twitter user 

named Emon Mukherjee. 

There are around 1.4m Indians 

in Britain, making them its single 

largest ethnic minority, and the two 

countries enjoy friendly relations. 

Bilateral trade stood at 21.5bn 

pounds ($25.55 bn) in 2020-21. 

Leading Indian industrialist Anand 

Mahindra joined a steady stream 

of social media reaction to the 

possibility of a British prime minister 

with Indian heritage. 

He shared a digitally altered 

photograph of 10 Downing Street, 

the prime minister's official 

residence, with its famous black door 

adorned with marigolds and mango 

leaves, symbols of an auspicious 

beginning in the Hindu religion. 

Sunak, 42, is the son-in-law of 

Indian billionaire N. R. Narayana 

Murthy, founder of Indian outsourcing 

giant Infosys Ltd . 

CONTROVERSY 

That connection threatened 

to dent his popularity in Britain 

after it was revealed that his wife, 

NASA draws back curtain 

on Webb space telescope’s 

first full-colour images 

NASA drew back the 

curtain on billions 

of years of cosmic 

evolution with the inaugural 

batch of photos from the 

largest, most powerful 

observatory ever launched to 

space, saying the luminous 

imagery showed the telescope 

exceeds expectations. 

The first full-color, highresolution 

pictures from the 

James Webb Space Telescope, 

designed to peer farther than 

before with greater clarity 

to the dawn of the universe, 

were hailed by NASA as 

milestone marking a new era of 

astronomical exploration. 

Nearly two decades in the 

making and built under contract 

for NASA by aerospace giant 

Northrop Grumman Corp, the 

$9 billion infrared telescope was 

launched on Dec. 25, 2021. It 

reached its destination in solar 

orbit nearly 1 million miles from 

Earth a month later. 

With Webb finely tuned after 

months spent remotely aligning 

its mirrors and calibrating its 

instruments, scientists will 

embark on a competitively 

selected agenda exploring 

the evolution of galaxies, life 

cycle of stars, atmospheres of 

distant exoplanets, and moons 

of our outer solar system. 

“All of us are just blown 

away,” Amber Straughn, 

Webb deputy project scientist 

at NASA’s Goddard Space 

Flight Center in Maryland, said 

among a panel of experts who 

briefed reporters following 

the big reveal. 

Whoops and hollers from 

a sprightly “cheer team” 

welcomed some 300 scientists, 

telescope engineers, politicians 

Ancestral ties: India avidly watching British leadership race 

Murthy's daughter, had not been 

paying British tax on her foreign 

income through her "non-domiciled" 

status, which is available to foreign 

nationals who do not regard Britain 

as their permanent home. 

Akshata Murthy later said she 

would start to pay British tax on her 

global income. 

"It was Britain that gave 

them hope, security and 

opportunity and this 

country has afforded me 

incredible opportunities 

in education and my 

career, and I owe a debt of 

gratitude to this country." 

Murthy is an Indian citizen and 

owns a 0.9% stake in Infosys. She 

and Sunak entered The Sunday 

Times UK Rich List at number 222 

with a reported net worth of 730 

million pounds, the Sunday Times 

newspaper reported in May. 

Murthy's family, based in the 

southern Indian city of Bengaluru, 

has largely avoided discussing 

Sunak's political journey, and did not 

and senior officials from NASA 

and its international partners 

into a packed and auditorium 

at Goddard for the official 

unveiling. 

“I didn’t know I was 

coming to a pep rally,” NASA 

Administrator James Nelson 

said from the stage, enthusing 

that Webb’s “every image is a 

discovery.” 

The event was simulcast to 

watch parties of astronomy 

enthusiasts worldwide, from 

Bhopal, India, to Vancouver, 

British Columbia. 

The first photos, which took 

weeks to render from raw 

telescope data, were selected 

by NASA to show off Webb’s 

capabilities and foreshadow 

science missions ahead. 

The crowning debut image, 

previewed on Monday by 

U.S. President Biden but 

displayed with greater fanfare 

on Tuesday, was a “deep 

field” photo of a distant 

galaxy cluster, SMACS 0723, 

revealing the most detailed 

glimpse of the early universe 

recorded to date. 

At least one faint galaxy 

measured among the thousands 

in the image is nearly 95% 

as old as the Big Bang, the 

theoretical flashpoint that set 

the expansion of the known 

universe in motion some 13.8 

billion years ago, NASA said. 

respond to a request for comment. 

Sunak's colleague Braverman, 

currently Britain's attorney general 

and also in the race to succeed 

Johnson, was born into a Christian 

family of Indian origin. Her parents 

migrated to Britain in the 1960s 

from Kenya and Mauritius. 

She has previously spoken about 

her parents, saying they came to 

Britain with nothing. 

In 2017, Braverman posted on 

Facebook that her mother was 

awarded the British Empire Medal for 

45 years of service in the National 

Health Service as a nurse and for 

voluntary work abroad. 

"It was Britain that gave them 

hope, security and opportunity 

and this country has afforded 

me incredible opportunities in 

education and my career, and I owe 

a debt of gratitude to this country," 

Braverman said. 

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris 

is another recent example of a 

politician of Indian origin who made 

it big abroad. Residents of her 

ancestral village in southern India 

celebrated her inauguration with 

firecrackers and gifts of food.

16 

FEATURES 


The best coat trends 

for 2022—winter coat 

trends to wear now 


CAPES 

REASONS TO BUY 

• Always looks glamorous 

• Great for layering 

The cape has become one of those 

trends that reemerge every few years, so if you're looking at how 

to build a capsule wardrobe, a cape is a great choice as its reentry 

to the spotlight is inevitable. This trend is great for those who love 

to layer but can be a tricky one to execute. For easy (and warm!) 

daytime style, wear your cape over a leather jacket, or try a pair of 

long leather gloves for instant evening glamour. 

HERRINGBONE 

COATS 


• Smart style for work 

and play 

• Really versatile pattern 

• Timeless 

If you're looking for a 

real investment piece, 

then you can't go wrong 

with monochromatic 

herringbone. While this 

trend is seeing a particular 

resurgence right now, it is 

a style that is ever-present 

across the high street and 

beyond. Usually tailored, 

a herringbone coat will 

instantly smarten up your 

look, and largely made in 

wool fabrications, they 

often guarantee a good 

level of warmth. 

SHEARLING COATS 


• Warmth and 

comfortable 

• Super stylish for cold 

days 

• Works with trousers or 

dresses 

A shearling coat or 

jacket is a standout 

favorite amongst 

the fashion pack. 

Drawing inspiration 

from vintage flight 

jackets and later 

from seventies 

fashion, this is 

a really cozy 

and stylish look 

to see you through the 

winter months.While actual 

shearling is from sheep, 

most brands use synthetic 

shearling style alternatives 

that expertly mimic the 

fabrication and feel. 

This fabric development 

has also made this trend 

more accessible and 

budget-friendly. 

TEDDY COATS 


• Cozy textured fabric that's great for winter 

• Lots of colours available to suit different tastes 

• Great for smart and casual dressing 

The teddy or teddy bear coat is the coziest of coat trends. Warm, 

fuzzy, and immediately comforting, wearing one of these textured 

pieces of outerwear will make you feel safe and protected against 

the elements. In a range of hues and sizes, there is something for 

everyone in this huggable style. As this look can be quite dramatic, 

you can easily wear this look for smarter or more casual occasions.


FEATURES 17 

MUSHROOM 65 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 200gm - button mushrooms 

• 1/2cup - yoghurt 

• 1tsp ginger and garlic paste 

• 2tbsp - plain flour 

• 1tbsp - rice flour 

• 1tbsp - corn flour 

• 1/2tsp - kashmiri red chilli 

powder 

• 1/2tsp - coriander powder 

• 1/2tsp - garam masala 

powder 

• 1/2tsp salt or according to 

taste 

• 1tsp lemon juice 

• Pinch of orange food colour 

(optional ) 

• Oil for frying 

FOR SEASONING 

• 1/2tsp - cumin seeds 

• 1tsp - garlic, chopped 

• 8 - curry leaves 

• 2 - green chilies, sliced 

• 3/4tsp - red chilli powder 

• 1/2tsp - sugar 

• 1/4tsp - salt or according 

to taste 

• 1tsp - vinegar with 2 tbsp 

of water 

• 1/2tsp - black pepper 

powder 

• 2tbsp - oil 

METHOD: 

• Wash mushrooms and pat 

dry them with the kitchen 

paper towel. 

• Cut the mushrooms into 

quarters and set aside. 

• In a medium size bowl add 

yoghurt. 

• Add ginger-garlic paste to 

the yoghurt and mix well. 

• Add flour, rice flour, corn 

flour, red chilli powder, 

coriander powder, garam 

masala powder and salt. 

Give a good mix until 

everything is well combined. 

• Then add lemon juice and 

food colour to the yoghurt 

and mix well again. 

• Add water in tablespoons 

and make a batter 

of medium to thick 

consistency. 

• Add the mushroom pieces 

and slowly mix them until 

they are well coated with 

the batter. If necessary, 

sprinkle some more water. 

• Cover and leave it aside for 

5 to 8 minutes to marinate. 

• Heat oil in a deep 

heavy base sauce pan over 

medium flame. 

• When the oil is hot 

enough, add the mushroom 

pieces in batches and fry 

them till they are fried and 

crisp (do not overcrowd 

the mushrooms in the pan 

while frying and when they 

become crispy from one 

side then quickly give them 

a turn, otherwise, they will 

start leaving their coating 

from the other side). 

• Drain them on the 

paper towel. 

FOR SEASONING: 

• Heat oil over medium flame 

in a fry pan. 

• Add cumin seeds, chopped 

garlic, curry leaves and 

green chilies. Fry till the 

leaves turn crisp. 

• Then add red chilli powder, 

sugar and salt, add vinegar 

mixed with water. 

• Stir 

well. 

When the mixture 

bubbles, add fried 

mushrooms and toss well. 

Fry on medium heat till it 

absorbs all the moisture 

and mushrooms are well 

coated. 

• Serve immediately. 

• TIP: 

• The temperature of the oil 

must be checked before the 

start of the frying process. 

Otherwise the mushrooms 

will absorb extra oil. So to 

try; fry one piece first. 

• Serves - 2 

CHILLI GARLIC MUSHROOMS 

INGREDIENTS: 


• 8 - whole dry red chillies 

• 8 - garlic cloves 

• 1/4tsp - sugar 

• 1tsp - salt or according to taste 

• 2 - onions, medium 


METHOD: 

• Fill a large bowl with water, and dunk the 

mushrooms into it. 

• Swirl the water around with your hands, and 

rub the mushrooms softly with your fingers 

to remove any dirt then drain them. 

• Lay the mushrooms on a double layer of 

cotton dish towels and pat them dry. 

• Cut the mushrooms into halve if they are big 

or keep them as it is if the size is small. Keep 

them aside for later use. 

• Soak whole red chillies in warm water for 6-8 

hours or leave it overnight. 

• In a blender add soaked red chillies with out 

its water ( if you want spicy mushrooms then 

you can add chilli water in which they were 

soaked ) along with peeled garlic cloves, 

sugar and salt. 

• Blend everything together into a paste while 

adding water in tablespoons and keep aside. 

• In a heavy base fry pan add oil over medium 

flame. 

• Add red chilli paste and sauté for 3-4 minutes 

while stirring continuously. 

• Peel, wash and thinly slice the onions. Add 

them to the paste and sauté for 2-3 minutes 

or until the onions are brown and soft. 

• Add mushrooms and stir until extra water 

evaporates. 

MUSHROOM 

MASALA 

INGREDIENTS: 


• 2cups - matar (peas) 

• 3 - onions, large 

• 1tsp - cumin seeds 

• 2- green chillies 

• 1tsp - ginger paste 

• 1tsp - garlic paste 

• 1/2tsp - turmeric powder 

• 1tsp - kashmiri red chilli 

powder 

• 1/4tsp - red chilli powder 

• 2tsp - coriander powder 

• 1tsp - meat masala powder 

• 1/2cup - yoghurt 

• 2 - tomatoes, large 

• 1tsp - garam masala 

powder 

• 1tsp - dry kasoori methi 

(fenugreek leaves) 

• Salt according to taste 


METHOD: 

• Fill a large bowl with water, 

and dunk the mushrooms 

into it. Swirl the water 

around with your hands, 

and rub the mushrooms 

softly with your fingers to 

remove any dirt then drain 

them. 

• Lay the mushrooms on a 

double layer of cotton dish 

towels and pat them dry. 

• Cut the 

mushrooms into halve if 

they are big or keep them 

as it is if the size is small. 

• In a bowl add frozen peas, 

add warm water ( enough 

water to cover the peas 

) and keep aside for later 

use. 

• Heat the oil in a heavy 

bottom non stick sauce 

pan over a medium flame. 

• Add washed and chopped 

onions. Fry onions for a few 

minutes or until they turn 

brown in colour. 

• Add the cumin seeds, stir, 

add washed and chopped 

green chillies and stir for a 

few seconds. 

• Add ginger paste, stir, add 

garlic paste and fry the 

paste for 3-4 minutes. 

• Stir continuously, making 

sure it doesn’t stick to the 

bottom of the pan. 

• Now lower the flame 

and add turmeric powder, 

kashmiri red chilli 

powder, red chilli 

powder, coriander 

powder and meat 

masala powder, 

sauté for few 

seconds. 

• Add 2 tablespoons of water, mix well, cover 

and let simmer until the mushrooms are soft 

and well coated with the masala ( masala 

should not be very dry, medium consistency 

is best ). 

• Serve with rice. 

• TIP; to clean mushrooms add them into a 

bowl along with 2 tablespoons of flour. 

• Rub the mushrooms and flour with your 

fingers then rinse them under the running 

water. 

• Serves - 2 

• Whisk yoghurt well with 

the fork and then add to 

the masala while stirring 

constantly so that it does 

not get cuddled. It takes 

about 2 minutes. 

• Add chopped tomatoes and 

sauté until oil comes on 

top. 

• Add peas along with 1 cup 

of water, stir, cover and let 

cook for 4-5 minutes. 

• Add mushrooms and mix it 

well. 

• Add garam masala powder 

and kasoori methi to the 

mushrooms, mix well. 

• Fry everything together 

for 3-4 minutes until 

extra water of mushrooms 

evaporates and they are 

well coated with the peas 

and masala. 

• Add half cup of water ( 

more water can be added 

according to the gravy 

preferences ) and salt, mix, 

cover and cook for another 

2-3 minutes or until the 

mushrooms are soft and 

well combined. 

• Serve with paratha or naan 

• Serves - 4

18 

ENTERTAINMENT 


‘What Deepika did in Gehraaiyaan, 


I did 15 years ago’: Mallika 

Mallika Sherawat has said 

that a section of the 

industry always talked about 

her body and glamour, never her 

acting, She also compared her 2004 

film, Murder with Deepika Padukone's 

recent outing, Gehraaiyaan. 

Deepika featured in Shakun 

Batra's Gehraiyaan alongside Siddhanth 

Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday and 

Naseeruddin Shah. The film explored the 

grey areas of modern relationships. 

Asked about the changes that the 

new age brought in the film industry, 

Mallika told Prabhat Khabar, “Earlier, 

the heroines were either too good, satisavitri 

types who were too innocent 

to know anything, or they were the 

characterless vamps. These were the 

only two types of roles written for 

heroines. The change that we see now, 

shows women as humans. She can be 

Ranbir on being a versatile 

artist: An actor should not 

get stuck in a typecast 

happy or sad. She can make mistakes, 

she can falter, and you love them despite 

all of that.” 

She added, “The heroines are more 

confident about their bodies as well. 

Such hue and cry was created when 

I did Murder. People said all kinds 

of things about the kiss and the 

bikini. What Deepika Padukone did in 

Gehraaiyaan, I did that 15 years ago, but 

people were too narrow-minded back 

then. I should tell you that a section of 

the industry and media was mentally 

torturing me. These people only talked 

about my body and glamour, not my 

acting. I worked in Dashavataram, Pyaar 

Ke Side Effects and Welcome but none 

talked about my acting.” 

Directed by Anurag Basu, Murder 

starred Mallika opposite Emraan Hashmi 

and was widely talked about for the 

steamy scenes that Emraan and Mallika 

Ranbir Kapoor is one of the biggest movie stars 

to have graced Bollywood. He had been in the 

entertainment industry for almost a decade and a half 

and has been a part of some of the most iconic films like Yeh 

Jawani Hai Deewani, Barfi, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Rajneeti and most 

recently, Sanju. 

He is going to be back on the silver screens after more than 

4 years with Shamshera and has been actively working on other 

feature projects too, which will see a release next year. 

Ranbir, in a recent interaction with Tamil host Dhivyadharshini 

Neelakandan, on her YouTube channel 'House Of DD', talked 

about his admiration for actors like Vijay Sethupathi and Dhanush, 

about his movie choices and his approach towards his craft. 

DD asked Ranbir about why he didn't play the massy or the happygo-lucky 

characters and preferred to play flawed or closer to reality 

characters for a better part of his career, and whether it was a 

conscious decision. 

To this, Ranbir said, "It is a mix of things, starting with the 

opportunities you get. When I was younger, the kind of roles I 

was relating to were like Wake Up Sid, Barfi and Rockstar. 

As a matter of fact, Shamshera is a larger than life character 

and a first for me. As an actor, it is your job to keep reinventing 

yourself. and not get stuck in a typecast. Shamshera is a film 

that probably my audience has not expected from me and I am 

really looking forward to release and the audience's response. 

But I will keep changing it. Probably, I will go back to what I 

did. It is the duty of an actor to keep the audiences engaged 

and surprised." From what Ranbir has said, his fans are in for an 

absolute treat. Ranbir Kapoor will next be seen in Yash Raj Film’s 

historical epic, Shamshera, which co-stars Sanjay Dutt and Vani 

Kapoor. The film is directed by Karan Malhotra. He will then be seen 

in Dharma Productions’ mythological fantasy drama, Brahmastra, 

directed by Ayan Mukerji and co-starring his wife Alia Bhatt, 

Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna Akkineni. 

He will be seen in the romantic drama with Shraddha Kapoor, 

directed by Luv Ranjan on Holi next year and then, he will end his 

year with Animal, by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, which is among the 

most awaited films of next year. 

The film will also feature Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Rashmika 

Mandanna and is scheduled to release on Independence day 2023. 

Rajkummar Rao has 

shared a list of ridiculous 

things said about 

his appearance during his 

struggling period. 

The actor has a National Film 

Award in his resume and has 

proved his mettle over his morethan-a-decade-long-journey 

in 

Bollywood. The actor will now 

be seen along with actor Sanya 

Malhotra in HIT: The First Case. 

Rajkummar was noticed 

as Adarsh in Dibakar 

Banerjee's 2010 film Love Sex 

Aur Dhokha. He said is thankful 

to Dibakar and casting director 

Atul Mongia for choosing him 

for his acting talent regardless 

of his looks. On being asked to 

share some ridiculous reasons he 

was given, while being rejected 

for films, Rajkummar told 

Bollywood Bubble in a recent 

shared in the film. 

Mallika is now gearing up for the release 

of her next, RK/RKay. Written and 

directed by Rajat Kapoor, the film also 

stars Kubbra Sait, Ranvir Shorey, Manu 

Rishi Chadha, Chandrachoor 

Rai, Abhijeet Deshpande, 

Abhishek Sharrma, Grace 

Girdhar, and Vaishali 

Malhara in key roles. 

The film has already 

been screened at 

several international 

festivals including 

Shanghai international 

interview, “I was told so many 

things. You are not tall enough, 

your built is not right, your 

eyebrows are not in a certain 

shape and very weird things. 

And I was like what, what about 

acting? wo kisko chahiye (does 

anyone want that)." He added, 

"I am glad Dibakar wanted that 

and Atul Mongia saw that, the 

casting director of my first 

film (Love Sex Aur Dhokha). 

film festival, River to River 

festival in Florence, Bucheon 

International Fantastic Film Festival, 

Austin Film Festival and Pune 

International Film Festival. It 

is now set for a theatrical 

release on July 22. 

"The 

heroines are 

more confident 

about their bodies as 

well. Such hue and cry 

was created when I did 

Murder. People said all 

kinds of things about 

the kiss and the 

bikini." 

Puneet Issar: Thanks to OTT, 

good work is happening 

Puneet Issar is a household 

name. Having played 

the role of Duryodhan 

in BR Chopra’s television show 

Mahabharat, he went on to do 

various shows and films. But, 

the actor admits it wasn’t easy 

to get good offers, as he got 

stuck in the same rut of roles. 

“My first film was Coolie 

(1983) where the unfortunate 

incident happened (he 

accidentally inflicted a serious 

injury on actor Amitabh 

Bachchan) and thereafter, I 

was labelled as an action guy 

because of my personality, 

though I preferred emotionally 

intense characters. Then 

fortunately, I got to play 

the character of Duryodhan 

and was able to prove that 

I’m an actor of repute and 

substance,” he says. 

Issar admits that it wasn’t 

easy to get good offers as 

he got stuck in the same rut 

again, despite a hit under his 

belt. He says, “The role became 

so popular and whenever 

people thought of a negative 

character, they would think of 

me. I got offered only negative 

roles which I did.” 

However, Issar, last seen 

in the film Jayeshbhai 

Jordaar, believes OTT has 

been a game-changer. 

“People have become 

more accepting towards new 

thoughts. Earlier, people 

used to watch [and create] 

conventional things with the 

That’s the thing which will take 

you forward and nothing else. 

Eventually, the talent stays and 

nothing else remains.” 

Rajkummar was last seen as a 

gay police officer in Badhaai Do. 

Among his lineup of films are Mr 

And Mrs Mahi that will unite him 

with his Roohi co-star Janhvi 

Kapoor. The actor also has 

Bheed and Monica O My Darling 

in pipeline. 

fear that the project might flop. 

With OTT coming in, good work 

is happening,” says the actor, 

who also wants to explore the 

web space. 

“It’s not about chasing after 

OTT. Agar OTT mein substantial 

role milega, where I can show my 

versatility, kyun nahin karenge? 

With the entry of new writers 

and directors, entertainment 

is getting better each day,” 

he adds. Not wanting to stick 

to one type of roles, Issar says 

he likes to keep reinventing 

himself and doing roles and 

surprise his audience. 

He is excited that OTT is 

giving many actors a variety of 

roles and opportunities. 

“It is not a question about 

chasing after OTT. An actor 

is an actor. Agar OTT mein 

substantial role milega, where 

I can show my versatility then 

kyun nahin kaarenge. With 

the entry of new writers and 

directors, entertainment is 

getting better and better with 

each day as they are doing 

some amazing work.” 

Rajkummar Rao reveals he was rejected over ridiculous reasons like height, built

Inviting nominations for 

The Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 2022 

The guidelines, which need to be adhered to, for 

nominations, are as follows: 

1. The nominee needs to have an undisputable 

2. Should be nominated by a person of repute. Further, 

the nominee. 

3. The nominator has to provide their full contact 

details. No anonymous applications will 

be accepted. 

4. 

business, sports, art, culture, or any other 

profession). 

5. 

‘The Indian Weekender Honours’ recognises individuals who have built a road to 

glory for themselves and left a path for the coming generations to tread on; who 

have touched the lives of thousands and enriched the society with their being; 

who have brought fame and respect to New Zealand and the Kiwi-Indian community. 

The Indian Weekender invites nominations for such personalities from the 

community for getting inducted into the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 2022. 

We also invite nominations for Kiwi Indian Young Achiever of the Year 

and Kiwi Indian Community Service Exellence Award 2022. 

Nominate Online: visit www.halloffame.co.nz 

Post your nominations: Fill this form and post it to the address given below. 

Indian origin, from any part of the world, who has 

settled here in New Zealand. To be of Indian origin, 

at least one of the parents of the nominee have to 

be Indian, by blood, thereby making the nominee 

of Indian lineage. 

6. The nominee must have either a Permanent 

Residency (PR), or Citizenship of New Zealand to 

be eligible for consideration. 

7. The nominee should have no prior convictions. 

8. For minors, under the age of 18, parental consent 

will be required. 

9. The successful candidate will be required to attend 

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jury will use its discretion. 

10. 

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ENTRY FORM: Nomination form for The Indian Weekender Honour s 2022 | Pleas e fill and pos t it to the addres s below 

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Please state your reasons for nominating the above person. You may mention the 

achievements of the nominee in his/her profession. 

Gender M F 

Address & Contact number of nominator 

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Category 

Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 

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How according to you has the Nominee brought fame and respect to the Kiwi-Indian 

community? (Add extra sheets to this form, if required) 

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the nominee for this application. 

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The Indian Weekender 15 July 2022

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