India Weekender 23 Sep

Friday, 23 September 2022 

Volume 14 / Issue 27 

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Kiwi Indians honoured 

at NZICA awards 

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Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 23 September, 2022 

NEW ZEALAND 3 

NZ Traveller Declaration: 

A necessary annoyance? 

NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH 

It was on September 12 

afternoon that Prime 

Minister Jacinda Ardern 

proudly announced that the 

Covid-19 traffic light system 

would end at 11.59 pm on 

the same date, spelling the 

end of more than two years of 

Covid rules. 

Ardern also confirmed 

that masks would only be 

required in health and aged 

care settings, and household 

contacts do not have to 

isolate along with positive 

cases if they return daily 

negative RAT results. 

“In short, we now move on 

to a simple two requirements 

system of masks in healthcare 

settings and seven days of 

isolation for positive cases 

only,” Ardern said. 

Though NZ has opened its 

border and removed most 

of the Covid-19 restrictions, 

one thing that still stays is 

the New Zealand Traveller 

Declaration (NZTD). Simply 

put, everyone travelling to 

NZ by air must complete a 

declaration and receive a 

Traveller Pass before travelling. 

Dr Ayesha Verrall 

This includes NZ citizens and 

residents, children and infants. 

It means that travellers to NZ 

still need to get government 

permission to come to 

Aotearoa, and for that, they 

need to fill out an online form 

which takes about 10 minutes 

to fill. 

For the uninitiated, the NZTA 

system went live at 11.59 pm 

on March 31, 2022, and was 

primarily introduced to ensure 

that people coming here had 

vaccine passes, among others. 

However, the government has 

now dropped that requirement. 

So, many people are asking 

that since the government 

has now removed most of the 

covid-19 restrictions, including 

wearing masks, why NZTD is 

still there? 

Prachi Rastogi, a Kiwi-Indian 

Papakura resident, says, “I 

don’t understand the logic of 

having the Traveller declaration 

now. It is both time consuming 

and unnecessary stress for 

travellers, especially old ones.” 

"As a preparedness 

measure our ability 

to respond to a 

potential new variant 

of concern identified 

offshore relies on 

being able to contact 

trace at pace. On 

balance, I agree that 

the maintenance 

of this provision is 

appropriate.” 

- Dr Ayesha Verrall 

Sharing the frustration 

about the NZTD, another Kiwi- 

Indian, Siddharth Verma, says, 

“I think NZTD is just useless 

and a complete waste of time. 

When we travel, we already 

provide similar information in 

the Customs form but then 

what is the need to fill in the 

same information twice? 

I don’t think NZTD serves 

any purpose presently. The 

Government should remove this 

requirement.” 

The Government 

Response 

To find the Government’s 

rationale behind continuing 

NZTD, Indian Weekender got 

in touch with government 

authorities. 

Responding to our query, 

Minister for Covid-19 Response 

and Associate Minister of 

Health, Dr Ayesha Verrall, 

said, “The Director-General of 

Health recommended that the 

requirement to provide contact 

details and travel history 

information via the NZTD 

system for air arrivals should 

be retained to enable timely 

contact tracing, should this be 

needed. 

"As a preparedness measure 

our ability to respond to 

a potential new variant of 

concern identified offshore 

relies on being able to contact 

trace at pace. On balance, I 

agree that the maintenance of 

this provision is appropriate.” 

• Continued on Page 13

4 

NEW ZEALAND 

Friday, 23 September, 2022 

Read online www.iwk.co.nz 

Kiwi Indians honoured at 

NZICA’s gala award event 

DEV NADKARNI 

The second New Zealand 

Indian Central Association 

Inc. (NZICA) Gala Awards 

event was glittering affair held 

at Auckland’s Mahatma Gandhi 

Centre on Saturday night (17 

September). 

More than 400 guests 

including Government ministers, 

members of parliament, 

diplomats and several 

dignitaries and eminent citizens 

from all over New Zealand 

attended Saturday’s event. 

Established last year in 

New Plymouth, the awards 

recognise those who have 

made a significant difference 

to New Zealand Indians and 

wider communities and is 

spread across categories of 

the spheres of activity such 

as social, educational, sporting 

and cultural that the awardees 

have contributed to. 

The evening began with the 

lighting of the ceremonial lamp 

at the hands of dignitaries and 

eminent guests, followed by a 

stirring waiata and haka by the 

Wheiao Kapahaka Group and a 

traditional Indian semi-classical 

dance by Sushma Kuncha of 

Anuradha’s School of Dance. 

Former Governor General Sir 

Anand Satyanand, ministers 

Priyanca Radhakrishnan and 

Michael Wood, Indian diplomat 

Mukesh Ghiya, Honorary Consul 

of India in Auckland Bhav Dhillon 

and Member of Parliament 

Melissa Lee delivered brief 

speeches. 

NZICA Gala Awards Convener 

Ashok Darji spoke about the 

genesis of the awards and 

congratulated the awardees 

who were chosen by a jury 

panel. 

The highlight of this year’s 

awards night was the Honorary 

Membership of the NZICA 

conferred on former NZ prime 

minister Helen Clark. Unable to 

attend the ceremony because 

she was away taking care of 

her ailing centenarian father, 

her long time Labour Party 

and United Nations colleague 

and former minister Chris 

Carter accepted the award 

on her behalf. 

Madanjeet Singh Bange and 

Ishvarbhai Rambhai were both 

conferred Life Membership 

of NZICA on the evening. 

The award ceremonies kicked 

off after a most energetic 

yet graceful Bharatanatyam 

performance by the extremely 

talented Abhishek Ravi, who 

incorporated Maori elements 

into the dance with the use of 

poi (which was also used deftly 

by dancers after the haka 

performance at the beginning). 

Raman Chhima of the 

Wellington Indian Association 

(WIA) was conferred with the 

Wellbeing (Health) award; 

Shires of the Central Districts 

Indian Association conferred 

the Wellbeing (Business) award. 

Spirited nonagenarian 

Ruxmaniben V. Kasanji (WIA) 

was awarded the ‘Hidden 

Gem’ while 

Ekta Nathu, also of WIA 

received the Young Achiever 

award. WIA’s Shardaben 

Patel 

received the 

Women Empowerment award. 

Auckland Indian Association 

Inc (AIAI) President Dhansukh 

Lal received the award for 

the Association’s Centenary 

Celebration; Harshad Patel of 

AIAI received the Arts & Culture 

award and Pukekohe Indian 

Association’s veteran leader 

Prithipal Singh Basra received 

the Outstanding Leadership 

award. Community of the Year 

award was conferred on Central 

Districts Indian Association 

while Immigration NZ received 

the NZICA President’s Award. 

Speaking to Indian Weekender 

during the awards, NZICA 

President Narendra Bhana 

said, “I am privileged to have 

an opportunity to express my 

sincere congratulations and 

deep appreciation to each and 

every awardees. 

“It was a highly successful 

All for promoting Telugu Literature 


Alfred North Whitehead, 

a notable English 

mathematician, logician, 

educator and philosopher, once 

said, “It is in literature that the 

concrete outlook of humanity 

receives its expression.” 

And especially in today’s 

globalised world, for every 

culture, it becomes even more 

critical to preserve and promote 

its literature. 

And taking this sentiment 

forward was a recently held 

8th World Telugu Literary 

Conference that was held 

successfully non-stop for 24 

hours for the first time in New 

Zealand. For the uninitiated, 

World Telugu Literary 

Conference is a conference for 

the furtherance of the Telugu 

language. Literary luminaries 

attend and share their views on 

spreading and preserving the 

Telugu language. 

Organised by New Zealand 

Telugu Association (NZTA), 

Vanguri Foundation of America 

and six other organisations 

from India, Singapore, 

Australia, Norway, Canada and 

South Africa, the event saw 

numerous diaspora Telugu 

Writers from around the world 

coming together at Sai Baba 

Community Centre, Onehunga 

over the weekend (September 

17 and 18) 

The event was inaugurated by 

Hon Consul of India in Auckland 

Bhav Dhillon, who highlighted 

the contribution of diaspora 

writers to world literature and 

its constant importance. 

The program kicked off with 

the presentation of a research 

study done by Rekha Kuncha on 

the role of attitude in language 

shift and maintenance in the 

Telugu community submitted 

in 2001 at the University of 

Auckland, followed by research 

done by Lahari Kasarla on the 

use of Telugu language by 

young adults in 2021. 

The conference also took 

place online, with over 150 

Telugu poets, writers and 

scholars from about 30 

countries in five continents 

presenting papers and their 

literary work, which was viewed 

by over 10,000 worldwide. 

Srilatha Magatala of NZTA 

and Dr Raju Vanguri of Vanguri 

Foundation of America from 

Houston, Texas, conducted 

the proceedings with a touch 

of humour. The proceedings 

in 11 literary forums were 

conducted online by many 

stalwarts in Telugu literature 

from various countries. The 

event was broadcast live on 

many YouTube and Facebook 

channels. 

Many talented artists and 

organisations like Sangeeta 

Bharathi represented by Dr 

Padma Mallela and her students, 

Sushma Kuncha and Abhishek 

Ravi of Anuradha School of 

dance, Vasu Kunapuli of SG 

consultants, Rhythm School of 

dance, Hiral Pusarla and Kavya 

Itla of Wondergirls performed 

at the event. 

NZTA’s President Anitha 

Mogilicharla revealed that on 

both days, the event was very 

well planned and attended by 

almost 150 people. She said, 

“It is great that the event 

garnered an unprecedented 

response from speakers from 

various countries worldwide.” 

NZTA’s General Secretary 

Suneel Kuncha Said, “This is 

the second International event 

organised by NZTA successfully. 

We look forward to organising 

many more such events soon.” 

Even the guests appreciated 

the initiative and had all the 

praises for the organisers. 

One of the attendees, Kala 

evening. We have received 

so many compliments from 

our guests and sponsors. 

Attendees thoroughly enjoyed 

delicious food provided by the 

Auckland Indian Association 

Catering Team and amazing 

ambience created by my team 

of Officers.” 

NZICA is the only national 

Indian organisation in NZ set 

up as an umbrella body for 

regional Indian community 

groups throughout the country 

operating since 1926. NZICA 

provides a central channel for 

Indian communities to voice 

concerns. 

The association was 

established in 1926 by three 

Indian associations such as 

Auckland, Wellington and 

‘Country Section’ to advance 

the cause of all Indians present 

in the country be it educational, 

health, welfare or cultural 

identity. Today the central body 

is connected with 18 other 

associations and has a track 

history of 96 years dealing with 

the issues concerned to the 

members of the associations 

and Kiwi Indians. 

Srihari, said, “Telugu is one of 

the most beautiful languages 

and the fourth most spoken 

language in India. It is called 

“The Italian of the East” 

because Niccol de Conti, a 

16th-century Italian traveller, 

found that the Telugu language 

finishes with vowels just like 

the Italian language. Very proud 

to be part of 8th World Telugu 

Sahithi Sadassu organised by 

NZTA.” 

Another guest Sridevi Krishna 

Pusarla said that the event 

provided the youth with the 

richness and heritage of the 

Telugu language. “It is a great 

event for not only us but 

for the younger generation 

as well. Such events provide 

the youth with the richness 

and heritage of the Telugu 

language. It was inspiring to 

listen to knowledgeable guest 

speakers from around the world 

and our local speakers enriching 

us on how to love and care for 

our Telugu language. I thank 

NZTA for organising such great 

events.”


NEW ZEALAND 5 

Kiwi-Marathis celebrate 

Ganeshotsav in grand way 


The 

Kiwi-Marathi 

diaspora in Auckland 

came together in full 

enthusiasm to celebrate the 

Ganapati Utsav by the Auckland 

Marathi Association Inc. (AMAI). 

The event, which took place 

on Saturday (September 17) 

at Freemans Bay Community 

Centre, saw more than 350 

people in attendance. 

The event was graced by the 

presence of dignitaries, including 

Minister for Diversity, Inclusion 

and Ethnic Communities, 

Priyanca Radhakrishnan; Head 

of Chancery of Indian High 

Commission, Mukesh Ghiya and 

Leader of ACT Party, David 

Seymour. 

Sharing his experience, 

Seymour said, “Sensational 

(covid belated) celebration of 

Ganesh Chaturthi. New Zealand 

at its finest has many strands 

being who they are in harmony; 

it was a wonderful night.” 

Ghiya also called the event 

a wonderful program. He 

expressed his emotions on 

Facebook, “Feeling blessed 

and high morale booster after 

getting Ganapati’s blessings. 

Thanks to Auckland Marathi 

Association for the wonderful 

program and for inviting me.” 

The whole community hall, 

which was artistically decorated 

with flowers, lights, magnificent 

curtains and Rangoli, created 

by Smita Upadhye, provided 

the perfect festive ambience 

to the event. 

The puja rituals began at 

3.00 pm when all the members 

venerated the idol of Lord 

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Ganesha. The Lord was offered 

prayers and invocations, 

followed by Aartis and the 

distribution of Prasad among 

the members. 

This was followed by cultural 

performances, which included 

various Marathi folk dances 

like Gondhal. There was also 

a classical performance which 

was a tribute to Late Lata 

Mangeshkar, a speech on 

Lokmanya Tilak and lastly, a 

Dindi performed by Committee 

members and volunteers. 

Neha Nalawade, the President 

of AMAI, seemed delighted 

with the turnout at the event. 

She said, “I am overwhelmed 

at the support and response 

we got for the celebration. 

It was wonderful to see 

people singing Maha- 

Arti, enjoying the 

performances, and 

delighted to be 

able to celebrate 

our Bappa 

after a twoyear 

break due 

to the Covid-19 

pandemic. We 

hope to continue this 

celebration on Diwali, which will 

be celebrated on October 29 at 

Titirangi War Memorial Hall.” 

Another event highlight 

was the launch of AMAI’s 

initiative ‘Bring a book’, where 

community members donated 

notebooks and stationery. AMAI 

will present these to the most 

suitable service organisation 

locally or in India. 

Guests, too, couldn’t stop 

gushing about the event. 

One of the attendees, Priya 

Kulkarni, said, “The event 

recreated the magic and 

traditions of the Ganapati 

festival that we used to 

experience back in India. It was 

awesome to relive that through 

being part of this celebration. 

Everything transported me 

back to my hometown Mumbai, 

from food to dance.” 

“Feeling blessed 

and high morale 

booster after getting 

Ganapati’s blessings. 

Thanks to Auckland 

Marathi Association 

for the wonderful 

program and for 

inviting me.” 

As no cultural celebration 

is complete without the 

local delicacies, the guests 

were seen relishing authentic 

Maharashtrian food, which 

included Masale Bhat, Tomato 

Saar and Shrikhand Puri. 

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6 

NEW ZEALAND 

Every Kiwi-Indian across NZ does 

feel pride when any Indian product 

makes its way to Aotearoa. 

And the launch of Brand Telangana’s 

‘Rajanna Siri Pattu Sarees’ in Auckland 

made every Kiwi-Indian delighted. 

The event took place on Saturday 

(17 September) at Mt Roskill War 

Memorial Hall. 

The event was graced by the presence 

of New Zealand minister Priyanca 

Radhakrishnan and Hon Consul of India 

in Auckland Bhav Dhillon, who was 

accompanied by his wife, Ruby Dhillon. 

The credit for bringing Telangana’s 

Rajanna Sircilla district’s silk 

sarees, created by skilled weavers of 

Sircilla district of Telangana, ‘Rajanna 

Siri Pattu’ in NZ, goes to the Founder 

of ‘Brand Telangana’ Suneeta Vijay. 

She made it a point to take the work of 

Sircilla’s weavers to a global platform. 

Sharing her sentiments at the 

event, Radhakrishnan said it was 

commendable to introduce Rajanna Siri 

Pattu to the world. 

Assuring that all support would 

be extended in promoting Rajanna 

Sircilla weavers sarees in NZ, she said, 

“Telangana is one among fast 

progressing states in India. Initiatives 

and programmes like these will further 

strengthen the bilateral relations 

between the two countries.” 

Mr Dhillon, too, expressed his support 

to the indigenous weavers from 

Siricilla. He said, “It was an amazing 

showcase of pure Silk Rajanna Siri Pattu 

Sarees. Kudos to Telangana Diaspora 

led by Suneeta, Vijay Kosna and 

Kalyan Rao Kasuganti.” 

It may be noted Suneeta’s brilliant 

idea and vision to support the weavers 

in the Rajanna Sircilla inspired many of 

her friends from NZ, Australia, UK, USA, 

and Singapore to get involved, which 

resulted in the development of the 

Rajanna Siri pattu saree. 

Talking about the same, Suneeta, 

said, “It was four years back that I 

visited Rajanna Sircilla in Telangana 

and observed the techniques of saree 


weaving. I was highly impressed by 

the same, and that’s how I decided to 

promote Rajanna Sircilla sarees across 

the globe by creating a new brand 

Rajanna Siri Pattu, including in NZ. 

“The main motto behind Brand 


Rajanna Siru Pattu sarees 

launched in New Zealand 


Telangana is to ‘Help people even when 

you know they can’t help you back. 

I endeavour to empower weavers, 

craft makers and artists of Telangana.” 

Attended by over 200 guests, including 

Brand Telangana’s co-founders Narsinga 

Rao Engati and Kiran Kumar Pokala, the 

event saw a fashion show displaying 

different varieties of Sircilla collections as 

well as dance performances by Sushma 

Kuncha, Swetha Chepur, Aishwarya 

Koka and Bindu Dance school. The 

emcee of the event was Rekha Kuncha 

who did a marvellous job. 

Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao, popularly 

known by his initials KTR, the politician 

serving as the Minister for Municipal 

Administration & Urban Development, 

Industries & Commerce, and Information 

Technology of Telangana, also extended 

his best wishes for the initiative. Though 

he could not make it to NZ, he posted 

a tweet saying, “My wholehearted 

compliments to NZ minister @ 

priyancanzlp Garu & Sunita Vijay Garu 

for launching “Rajanna Siri Pattu” Sarees 

in NZ. Taking Siricilla weavers’ products 

global through ‘Brand Telangana’ is a 

great step forward in helping talented 

weavers.” 

"Telangana is one among 

fast progressing states 

in India. Initiatives and 

programmes like these 

will further strengthen the 

bilateral relations between 

the two countries.” 

- Priyanca Radhakrishnan 

Engineer turned local board member vies for a third term 

MAHESH KUMAR 

A 

well-known and respected 

community member, Shirish 

Paranjape, has lived in 

Christchurch for 20 years. His passion 

for the community and for making a 

positive change to everyday lives has 

only grown over the years. He represents 

the Fendalton-Waimairi-Harewood 

Community Board and contesting this 

year to be re-elected for a third term. 

Paranjape grew up in Bhopal and 

moved to Mumbai (then Bombay) when 

he got a campus placement at Larsen & 

Toubro (L&T). He lived in Mumbai for the 

next 20 years. Over these years, he got 

married, had two daughters. 

In the year 2000, he applied for New 

Zealand Residency. Paranjape moved 

to Christchurch in January 2002 and 

worked with the city based AuCom for 

almost 20 years. While he loved the new 

job, city and life, there were times when 

the family missed the culture, traditions 

and support system that India as a 

society offers. Luckily, the Indian Sports 

and Cultural Club (ISCC), provided 

Paranjape’s family with an opportunity 

to interact with the Indian community in 

Christchurch, with his wife performing as 

a singer and his daughters giving dance 

performances at the occasional cultural 

events that the club organised. 

As the association grew, he was asked 

to take up the position of Treasurer of the 

club. Soon, he also officially represented 

the Indian community to Christchurch 

Ethnic Council, which gave him more 

exposure and helped him understand 

Shirish Paranjape 

how the Council and other ethnic 

organisations worked. He also began to 

enjoy the interactions with the wider 

communities. Paranjape recalls, “I took 

up these opportunities to understand 

how other ethnic communities worked 

and learn from their experiences.” 

After the 2011 Christchurch 

Earthquake, he attended various ethnic 

community meetings. It was when 

hearing Jimmy Chen at the Ethnic 

Leaders Forum that the thought of 

contesting for the Local Board first 

came to Paranjape. 

In 2013, he put up his hand to contest 

for the local board. But, he had to stand 

from a different ward than his home 

ward in the elections. Though he lost the 

election, the experience taught him a lot. 

In 2016, he contested from Fendalton- 

Waimairi-Harewood Community Board 

and won the election. He got re-elected 

in 2019. 

Paranjape says, “The last six years 

have been incredible, and I feel I have 

been able to make some difference 

to the lives by advocating for various 

causes. My role involves working on 

various infrastructure projects where we 

act as a conduit between the community 

and the government. We convey what 

the community wants and advocate to 

get the projects approved or executed. 

But the role that I cherish the most 

is working with people. We strive to 

recognise and acknowledge those in the 

community who normally go unsung. It 

means a lot to people when they get 

appreciated. This also inspires others to 

act in similar ways.” 

Paranjape was also the first Indian 

Justice of the Peace in Christchurch 

and a founder member of Rotary 

Christchurch New Horizons club. Both 

these roles and his active involvement 

with the Indian community gave him 

various touchpoints to get insights into 

what the community needs. 

He is thankful to his former and 

current employers for supporting him 

and allowing him time to pursue his 

community work. 

He feels the role allows him to make 

a significant difference at a grassroots 

level that impacts everybody’s life and 

act as a spokesperson for the community 

enabling a positive change. 

Asked if a bigger role or more active 

participation in politics is on the horizon, 

he says, “I’m not currently thinking 

about it; instead, I’m concentrating on 

the task at hand and doing it right.” 

A goal-driven person, Paranjape sets 

a goal and works hard to achieve it. He 

gives an example of how he wanted to 

become a chartered engineer last year 

and set a goal of 1 year. He achieved the 

goal in July this year. 

He is following several other passion 

projects, like becoming a trained driver 

for the Christchurch peace train. He put 

up his hand when City council asked for 

volunteer drivers and is now a qualified 

driver. 

Furthermore, he wants to become the 

Christchurch Tram driver so that he can 

share his experiences and stories about 

living in Christchurch. 

The NZ Lotteries Commission selected 

him as a member of the Significant 

Projects Fund committee, providing him 

a front-row seat on some of the most 

iconic projects worth millions of dollars 

in funding, which he found an incredible 

learning experience. 

Paranjape says, “I want to make 

sure that people have a voice in the 

decisions that affect their lives, and 

we believe that by working together, 

we can accomplish great things. I also 

encourage the community to get 

involved at whatever level they can. You 

might not see it right now, but people 

out there need you to be involved in 

their lives. So, get involved!”


NEW ZEALAND 7 

VENU MENON 

Hindi Divas 2022 was marked on 

18 September at the Indian High 

Commission in Wellington. 

The event was conducted by the 

Wellington Hindi School in partnership 

with the High Commission, which 

coincided with celebrations to mark 30 

years since the school opened. 

Staff, children and former 

students hosted a morning of 

variety entertainment, speeches and 

prize distribution. 

Mayor Andy Foster gave away the 

prizes. Manoj Kumar Sahu, Second 

Secretary, Indian High Commission, was 

the chief guest. 

Vijeshni Rattan, school principal, 

welcomed the gathering. 

A student announcer explained to the 

audience that he would be speaking in 

Fiji Hindi (and English) as that was the 

Hindi close to his heart. 

The school was founded by a group 

of Fiji Indians based in Newlands three 

decades ago. 

The inaugural lamp was lit by the 

school’s founding member and Wellington 

ISKCON president Jagdish Prasad and 

Ministry of Ethnic Communities CEO 

Mervin Singham, which was followed by a 

welcome song and a dance performance 

by tiny tots. Poetry recital, Hindi songs, 

and storytelling ensued. 

Dilesh Prakash, a former student, 

spoke in Hindi and traced the history 

of the school, which was followed by a 

Hindi play enacted by students. 

Ra Uniyal and Dr. Del Carlini of Health 

NZ addressed the audience on the need 

to observe Covid protocols. 

Jagdish Prasad spoke on the 

importance of going beyond language 

proficiency and embracing the Bhagavad 

Gita. While commending the teachers 

for their wonderful efforts, Prasad also 

expressed his disappointment at seeing 

teachers walking with their footwear on 

stage before the idol of Lord Ganesh, 

when students had removed their shoes 

Hindi Divas observed in Wellington 

out of respect. 

Education starts with the parents, 

Prasad reminded the audience. 

Next up, young student Samiksha 

Singh of the Mayur Dance Academy 

put on a scintillating Bharatnatyam 

performance, which was followed by a 

brief speech by chief guest Sahu who 

applauded the school for its yeomen 

service in promoting the Hindi language. 

Singham, who spoke next, applauded 

the school for its tenacity in coping with 

the challenges and “high expectations 

from families and communities” and 

commended Sunita Narayan, the 

school’s coordinator, for her inspiring 

efforts to preserve the mother tongue. 

“Learning the mother tongue was 

discouraged in many families for fear 

that it would set us back. Some people 

even felt ashamed speaking their 

own languages because people might 

associate [that] with being backward,” 

he observed. 

People now understand that 

preserving our mother tongues is 

critical to the formation of our identity, 

Singham noted. 

Sunita Narayan gave a pat on the 

back to the student announcers and 

declared the winners of the excellence 

awards. She was followed at the mike 

by school board chairman Kashmir Kaur 

who delivered the vote of thanks. 

The staff and dignitaries present 

then cut a cake to mark the school’s 

30th birthday. 

“I joined the Wellington Hindi School 

15 years ago. In a foreign country there 

are challenges and obstacles [ to the 

promotion of Hindi]. But we overcame 

all that. 

"Thirty years is a very long time for 

a school to exist in a foreign country, 

teaching language and culture. We are 

looking forward to the school going 

another 30 years. We have three 

branches now-in Newlands, Johnsonville 

and the CBD. We are very proud of this 

moment,” Rattan said. 

HOWICK WARD 

Maurice 

Williamson 

Sharon 

Stewart 

Maurice Williamson was the 

member of parliament for 

Pakuranga (included Howick) for 

30 years. He has recently returned 

to New Zealand from a diplomatic 

posting as New Zealand’s Consul 

General in Los Angeles and is also 

standing for the Auckland Council 

here in the Howick Ward. 

Sharon Stewart QSM is standing 

for re-election to the Auckland 

Council to continue serving 

the community that she loves. 

Having lived here for most of 

her life, her family history within 

the district goes back over 100 

years. 

Together we have serious 

concerns for how the Auckland 

Council has been managed. 

Rates keep rising, spending 

exceeds income and debt is 

ballooning. Of more concern 

is the fact the wishes of the 

general public are being just 

totally ignored. Your vote can 

ensure Auckland’s future. 

JH17538

8 

NEW ZEALAND 



AKKA celebrates Konkani 

culture, language in Aotearoa 


India is an extremely 

culturally diverse country 

and assimilates so many 

different cultures in itself. 

While some cultures such as 

Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi and 

Tamil are more prominent given 

the larger geographical spread 

and the numbers of people who 

speak these languages, there 

are also several lesser-known 

cultures, such as the Konkani 

Culture which runs all along the 

western coastal strip of India. 

Konkani people are an 

Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic 

community who trace their 

history as far back as the 

fourth millennium BC. With 

their population concentrated 

in South coastal Maharashtra, 

Goa, Northern Karnataka, 

Mangalore and North coastal 

Kerala they share their name 

with the coastline and the 

language they speak. 

The Konkani language is 

spoken throughout the western 

coastal belt of India – from 

Maharashtra through Goa, 

Karnataka and Kerala, though in 

distinct regional flavours. 

And since many Indians have 

Of the women, for the women and by the women 


It is always a great feeling when 

community members come together 

for a cause. And the recent event 

organised by Naaree Women’s group 

was all about women from diverse 

backgrounds coming together to raise 

charity. 

Organised by the group’s founders 

Gargi Trivedi and Kashika Singh, the 

Bingo Night in aid of Breast Cancer 

Foundation NZ took place on Saturday 

(September 17). 

Talking about the overwhelming 

response to the event, Gargi told Indian 

Weekender, “ Our main reason to do 

a fundraising event in aid of Breast 

Cancer Foundation NZ is as we believe 

migrated to New Zealand, there 

is a small yet growing Konkani 

population in Aotearoa. 

In this twenty-first part of 

our series on Indian cultural 

associations in NZ, we feature 

the Association of Konkani Kiwis 

of Aotearoa (AKKA) – the only 

association of Konkani-speaking 

Kiwis that was established in 

late 2018. 

Interestingly, the idea to 

have this association was 

initiated way back in 2004. 

Nitin Kundapur, AKKA’s Vice- 

President, gives more details: 

“It all started in 2004 in 

Auckland where a small group 

came together mainly for 

supporting those who are fighting 

breast cancer as well as admiring those 

who have survived it. Every Naaree 

who supported this cause is a celebrity 

within herself.” 

Adding to that, Kashika said, “Naaree 

group brings confidence in ladies who 

are twice shy in public but this platform 

has seen so many budding confident 

ladies coming out of their shell and 

become extroverts. Absolutely amazed 

at the overwhelming turnout ladies are 

now hungry for more I guess.” 

The evening at Columbus Coffee in 

Grafton had ladies who have fought 

breast cancer sharing their journeys. 

There was also a nurse from the Breast 

Cancer Foundation NZ who gave an 

interactive talk. 

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Ganesh Utsav. 

That was the only time 

when families gathered. Most 

families are in Auckland, some 

in Wellington, and a handful in 

Christchurch. These gatherings 

went on for a while, and in 

2016 a need was felt to expand 

the group and make it a formal 

organisation. That led to the 

formation of AKKA.” 

There is only one main wing 

of the organisation, and it has 

a family-based membership 

with a very nominal annual fee. 

What started with 15 families 

in 2016 is now over 40 families 

registered with AKKA. 

AKKA endeavours to keep 

the Konkani spirit alive and 

to pass it on to the younger 

generation. “Our main aim is to 

educate the younger generation 

and encourage them to speak 

and understand Konkani 

and its roots. 

"The future generation is 

evolving fast, and knowledge 

of one’s cultural background 

is essential. India is diverse in 

many ways, and we need to 

provide all possible resources 

to the coming generations, 

so that ethnic fabric and 

identity stay for years to 

come,” says Kundapur. 

Translating their vision into 

action, AKKA organises regular 

community gatherings on 

key festivals such as Ganesh 

Pooja, Choodi Pooja and Diwali. 

“We also have our annual 

sports meet and family picnics. 

Programmes are mainly centred 

around Konkani culture, sports 

and recreation, performing arts, 

etc. The forum is open to nonmembers, 

and all are welcome/ 

encouraged to join,” reveals 

Kundapur. 

Kundapur further reveals that 

they want more families to 

join AKKA and to engage the 

younger generation. “We plan 

One of the event’s highlights 

was a pink walk by the ladies in 

attendance to support the cause 

which had the ladies wearing pink to 

support the cause. 

Gargi reveals that they kept 

their guest list limited due to 

Covid-19 still in NZ. 

For the uninitiated, Naaree Women’s 

Group - a women’s Facebook Group, was 

established during the lockdown in 2020 

It was a memorable evening 

with great food, bingo 

and spot prizes. 

Attendees, too, had a gala and shared 

their experience of the fun-filled do. 

Shital Sangani, one of the attendees, 

said, “It was really a great experience 

to be a part of this event, which had 

a very core purpose of enlightening 

all the Naaree on breast cancer 

- its symptoms, how to do a selfcheck-up 

and what are the facilities 

available for someone struggling with 

this. It was a very well-organised 

event that Naaree should be proud 

to pull off.” 

to have more gatherings and 

some fun theme-based events 

– hiking trips, Bring a pet event 

and more outdoor activities. 

We also want to focus on social 

media to discuss AKKA and its 

work. We want more people to 

attend for the effort, and the 

expense put into events.” 

Lastly, talking about 

AKKA plans, Kundapur says 

they have reached out to 

some international Konkani 

organisations and had a very 

positive response from Tristate- 

US, UK, Dubai, Mangalore-India 

and Melbourne. 

Moreover, plans to have 

virtual Konkani culture classes 

are also under way. 

“We are also working on 

having our online Konkani 

School so that we can have a 

virtual classroom each month 

that will focus on Konkani 

speaking, a few songs, 

stories in Konkani for kids,” 

signs off Kundapur. 

Another guest, Roshni Shetty, said the 

event brought a lot of awareness about 

breast cancer. “Thanks, Naaree, for 

organising the pink ribbon event and for 

getting narees (women) together under 

one roof and educating and bringing 

awareness of breast cancer. I gained a 

wealth of knowledge from guest speaker 

Debra.” 

Geetika Jalota Bhatnagar, another 

attendee, revealed that she couldn’t 

wait for more such events. 

“Beautiful event - well planned, 

coordinated and efficient meet and great 

for a great cause. Kashika and Gargi 

did an awesome job collaborating and 

organising the event, which was a super 

success. Pink walk, bingo, talks, and 

mingling was superb way to socialise. 

I look forward to attending more such 

events.”


NEW ZEALAND 9 

Labour, National lock horns 

over state of economy 

VENU MENON FROM THE 

PARLIAMENT PRESS GALLERY 

Acting Prime Minister and Minister 

of Finance Grant Robertson raised 

his decibel level to drown out the 

heckling from Opposition benches while 

defending the Labour government’s 

fiscal policy in Parliament on Tuesday. 

New Zealand’s public debt remained 

under 20 per cent of GDP, Robertson 

claimed. 

“Our level of national debt is lower 

than what National left us,” Grant added, 

while forecasting a surplus in the 2024- 

25 fiscal year. 

Robertson told the house he was 

hugely optimistic about the NZ economy 

that had been resilient through Covid. 

He claimed the prospects were strong 

with borders reopening and tourists 

and international students returning. 

Exporters were continuing to earn. 

However, National Party finance 

spokesperson Nicola Willis hotly 

contested those claims. 

Referring to the Appropriation 

(2022/23 Estimates) Bill, which had its 

third reading in Parliament, Willis said: 

“We see the biggest spending Budget in 

NZ’s history.” 

She said real wages had declined by 

3.7 per cent in the past year. Prices 

were rising in NZ at the fastest rate they 

have in 32 years, while wages were not 

keeping up. 

Willis claimed the government’s 

budget failed to address the drivers 

behind the cost-of-living crisis. 

She drew attention to the bungling 

over the recent cost- of-living payments 

of $350 made to more than 6000 New 

Zealanders living overseas. 

Willis listed a litany of government 

failures, including the Three Waters 

Reforms, the long waiting times for 

emergency treatment, fewer elective 

surgeries, fewer children attending 

school, declining numeracy and literacy 

rates, state housing waiting lists 

quadrupling, “and 4000 families putting 

their children to sleep in a motel room.” 

Willis concluded that government 

spending was out of control with plans 

to spend $51 billion more this year than 

the National Party did in its last year of 

government. 

This represented a 70 per cent 

increase in spending, she said. 

It was left to David Parker, Minister 

of Revenue, to fend off National’s 

onslaught. 

He disputed Willis’ figures, saying 

government spending stood at 31.6 per 

cent of GDP. 

Parker added in 2013 government 

spending was 32 per cent of GDP under 

the National government after five 

years. 

“Vaccine and mask mandates have 

gone and the trees are blooming.” 

Parker highlighted the low 

unemployment rate of 3.3 per cent 

while admitting inflation was high. “But 

in Europe it’s higher.” 

He cited Stats NZ figures to show 

median weekly earnings from wages and 

salaries grew 8.8 per cent in the year 

2022. 

Parker said the country’s net debt 

was lower than Australia, the US, Japan, 

the UK and Europe, and peaked on a 

net debt basis at less than 20 per cent 

of GDP, a “stunning result for NZ that 

shows prudent fiscal management.” 

Parker touted figures to show exports 

were up. 

Notwithstanding Covid, merchandise 

exports rose while primary sector 

exports have for the first time crossed $ 

15 billion. “We enabled productivity and 

supply lines to be maintained.” 

With claims, counter claims and 

disputed figures bandied about in the 

House, it was clear the last word had not 

been said on the state of the economy. 

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10 

NEW ZEALAND 


Kiwi Indians graduate from Health 

Care Assistance programme 


SANDEEP SINGH 

Seven Kiwi-Indians have graduated 

from Auckland Hospital’s newly 

introduced Health Care Assistance 

(HCA) Earn and Learn Program this week, 

giving wings to their aspirations and 

rising up on the professional healthcare 

career ladder. 

A total of 44 Health care Assistants 

have graduated on Wednesday, 

September 21 at the Auckland Hospital 

as Health Care Assistants with around 

15.9 per cent being of the Kiwi-Indian 

origin. 

Sarina Prasad, who was working as a 

cleaner in the ward 77 (Orthopaedic) 

of Auckland Hospital since 2014 is 

one such recent Kiwi-Indian graduate 

who has become a professional Health 

Care Assistant after going through nine 

months of earn and learn program at 

Auckland Hospital. 

Sharing her inspirational journey with 

the Indian Weekender Prasad said, “I 

am extremely delighted after having 

graduated from this earn and learn 

program and become a full-fledged 

health care assistant.” 

“Now I will be able to do what I love the 

most – helping our wonderful, registered 

nurses in serving patients in the ward,” 

said a visibly elated Prasad. 

Prasad had first arrived in New Zealand 

from Fiji around 2009 on a spouse 

work visa along with her husband 

and has been working in Auckland 

hospital since 2014. 

“I was always excited when we were 

called upon to help our nurses. But there 

were many things that I could not do 

despite having a passion because I was 

not professionally trained to do so.” 

Sarina Prasad (right) holding the certificate Jane Lees, Nurse Director Patient Management Services at Te 

Whatu Ora Te Toka Tumei, Auckland. 

“Now I will be able to help nurses 

in delivering professional care to our 

patients,” Prasad said. 

When asked if she received ample 

support from the ward 77 where she was 

previously working Prasad emphatically 

said, “In fact it were the colleagues at 

my ward who inspired me to consider 

opting for the Earn and Learn Program 

and upskill myself into a trained health 

care professional.” 

The Health Care Assistance (HCA) 

Earn and Learn Program is designed 

to train and upskill primarily (but not 

exclusively) those already working within 

the health care sector (as non-technical 

professional such as hospo, cleaning, 

childcare etc) and retrain them as health 

care professionals. 

The course may augur well for the 

current crisis of acute shortage of skilled 

health care workers in New Zealand. 

Revealing more details on this 

program HCA Earn & Learn Programme 

Lead, Helen Nattrass said, “This program 

was launched in August 2021 as one 

of the many measures of responding 

to staff shortage in health care sector 

where it aims to retrain health care 

assistants without having to lose regular 

stream of income.” 

“It can be hard to give up income 

to re-train, but with Earn and Learn 

programmes students can now make 

the transition, like Sarina did, from nonhealthcare 

roles like cleaners, hospo, 

childcare and caregiving.” 

“So far the program has helped People 

transition from roles like cleaners, hospo, 

childcare and caregiving into healthcare, 

Removed a financial barrier to training 

from day one – they no longer have to 

give up an income, Provide much needed 

support to our nurses and other staff 

during a particularly challenging year, 

Opened the door to other health careers 

like nursing, phlebotomy and midwifery 

and increase our Māori, Pacific and Indian 

staff to better reflect our communities.” 

Helen Nattrass said. 

Following this week’s cohort of 

graduates another group of 18 students 

from the second cohort, who finish 

their studies in July, a subsequent third 

cohort who enrolled in the program 

in May will also be graduating soon. A 

fourth group of students are set to start 

in late September. 

Expressing satisfaction on the 

retention rates of the program, Helen 

said, “The retention rate is high – from 

the first group of 31 students, 26 are on 

track to graduate.” 

Health Care Assistant Earn and Learn 

Programme 

The programme: 

The programme takes about 9 months 

to complete, and students work to 

complete a level 3 qualification in 

Health and Wellbeing. They can remain 

at Auckland City Hospital as one of the 

valued Health Care Assistants, or the 

qualification can be a springboard to 

other careers in health. 

What does a Health Care 

Assistant do? 

Our Health Care Assistants (HCA) 

provide help and support on the wards 

under the direction and delegation of a 

registered nurse. 

They work across clinics, wards, 

the emergency departments and in 

operating rooms, and have a wideranging 

role, from supporting patients 

with comfort and concerns to ensuring 

the environment is ready to provide the 

best care to our patients. 

Te reo warriors hailed for saving Maori language 

VENU MENON IN WELLINGTON 

The public gathered in strength 

outside Parliament on September 

14 to witness the commemoration 

of the historic day, 50 years ago, when 

a group of Maori activists presented 

a petition calling for te reo Maori 

to be declared an official language 

of New Zealand. 

Children clambered atop statues and 

streetlights for a better view of the 

event, which was marked by speeches 

delivered by Minister of Finance Grant 

Robertson, standing in for Prime Minister 

Jacinda Ardern who was away in the UK, 

as well as kaumatua [ Maori elders] drawn 

from among the original petitioners. 

The descendants of some of those 

petitioners were present on the occasion. 

There was Minister of Maori 

Development Willie Jackson, nephew 

of Syd Jackson who founded the Nga 

Tamatoa, the core activist group that 

submitted the petition in 1972. 

Also present to mark the occasion was 

Rawiri Paratene, father of Green Party 

co-leader Marama Davidson, who was 

one of the original petitioners. 

Jackson thanked his uncle’s 

generation for stepping up to save 

the Maori language. 

The minister noted that they belonged 

to a generation who were some of the 

first to grow up without their indigenous 

Robertson receiving petition at Maori language event 

“When a strong, determined 

and revolutionary group of 

New Zealanders challenged 

the Crown to do better, they 

knew that if things didn’t 

change, te reo Maori would 

be lost. Because of their 

actions, your actions, and 

the actions of others like 

them, Maori is an official 

language of this country.” 

language. Jackson added: “We must 

akiaki [encourage] our people. We must 

bring them along. There is real language 

trauma and sometimes people need time 

to heal. Kei te pai [It’s fine] 

“If you keep whakahe whakahe 

[criticising] our people, they may stop 

speaking Maori.” 

Earlier, at a function held at the 

National Library, Jackson said he was 

proud to present the government’s view 

from a Maori perspective in terms of 

“where we are now.” 

Robertson said: “When a strong, 

determined and revolutionary group 

of New Zealanders challenged the 

Crown to do better, they knew that 

if things didn’t change, te reo Maori 

would be lost. Because of their 

actions, your actions, and the actions 

of others like them, Maori is an official 

language of this country.” 

“These are events that are happening 

today that those who signed the petition 

[in 1972] may not have even considered 

possible at the time. 

"For the changes that they have made 

to our nation, that you have made to our 

nation, I am proud and I am grateful,” 

Robertson added. 

Robertson charted the progress made 

by indigenous Maori in the land of its 

origin. 

“We have the kohanga generation. We 

have more te reo Maori in the news. We 

have our children learning te reo in every 

setting in our educational system. And 

we have a much greater appreciation 

and understanding of te reo across 

Aotearoa. In fact today, throughout 

Aotearoa, people are learning te reo 

in record numbers. We can always do 

more, but the start has been made.” 

Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, a young 

schoolgirl and niece of Hana Te Hemara, 

who was a 22-year-old activist and a key 

member of the group that presented the 

1972 petition with 30,000 Maori and 

Pakiha signatories, delivered a stirring 

speech to round off the proceedings. 

Clarke’s speech was followed by a 

powerful haka and karanga performed 

by schoolchildren. 

Maori was made an official language 

after Parliament passed the Maori 

Language Act in 1987.


NEW ZEALAND 11 

Celebrating 129 years of New 

Zealand Women’s Suffrage 


September 19 holds 

extraordinary importance 

in New Zealand’s political 

history. Gender equality isn’t 

a new concept in NZ, and it 

was on this date in the year 

1893 that the governor, Lord 

Glasgow, signed a new electoral 

act into law giving all women 

in NZ the right to vote. As a 

result, Aotearoa became the 

first self-governing country in 

the world to extend this right 

to all women. 

On November 28 1893, 

90,290 women cast their votes 

in the parliamentary elections, a 

far higher turnout of registered 

voters (82 percent) than among 

male voters (70 percent). 

This year on the 129th 

anniversary of this day, also 

known as Suffrage Day, 

here’s what current women 

parliamentarians and leaders 

have to say about the 

significance of this historical 

day, for them and for NZ as a 

country. 

Priyanca Radhakrishnan 

Minister for the Community 

& Voluntary Sector, 

Diversity, Inclusion & Ethnic 

Communities, and Youth; 

Associate Minister for Social 

Development & Employment 

and Workplace Relations and 

Safety 

“I chose to migrate to NZ 

all those years ago for a few 

different reasons. One of them 

was because I loved the fact 

that NZ was the first country 

where women won the right to 

vote. 

I worked predominantly in the 

women’s right sector prior to 

entering Parliament, advocating 

for change that improves 

the status of women. It is a 

privilege to be able to continue 

to contribute to that work as 

part of our Government. 

“When I walk the halls of 

parliament, the photos on the 

wall are a constant reminder of 

how far we’ve come – and also 

how much further we have to 

go to achieve gender equality 

for all, including women of 

colour.” 

Dr. Megan Woods 

Minister of Housing, Minister 

of Energy and Resources, 

and Minister of Building and 

Construction, alongside 

Associate Minister of Finance 

“Happy Suffrage Day - on 

this day in 1893, NZ led the 

world when women won the 

right to vote. 

“On a much less noteworthy 

anniversary - It’s also on 

this date in 2010 that I was 

selected to be the NZ Labour 

Party candidate for Wigram.” 

Saunoamaali’i 

Karanina Sumeo 

Equal Employment Opportunity 

Commissioner 

“September 19 marks 129 years 

since women across Aotearoa 

NZ fought and earned the right 

to vote. This unprecedented 

change came about through 

a groundbreaking movement 

forged by a group of mana 

wāhine led by Kate Sheppard. 

“It’s heartening to know that 

more people believe in gender 

equality. The National Council 

of Women of NZ’s latest Gender 

Attitudes Surveys shows 

that around 80% of people 

believe gender equality is a 

fundamental right. 

“While we reflect on how far 

we’ve come to achieve gender 

equality, there is still a long way 

to go for ALL women across 

Aotearoa NZ to live a life of 

dignity and become equal!” 

Angela O’Leary 

Hamilton City Councillor 

“As we celebrate the 129th 

commemoration of New 

Zealand Suffrage Day. It’s been 

129 years since those giants 

that went before us won the 

right for women to vote. 

“It’s extra special that we 

celebrate this occasion as we 

start voting all over the country 

to elect our next bunch of local 

government representatives. 

Let’s make sure we all 

acknowledge the struggles 

those women faced and use our 

voices and our votes! Happy 

Suffrage Day!” 

Naisi Chen 

Labour List MP 

“Kate Sheppard (the leading 

light of the NZ women’s 

suffrage movement) and the 

suffragette movement are a 

source of pride for all 

New Zealanders. 

Winning the right to vote was 

a major step in the pathway to 

gender equality – something 

we must continue to fight 

for today. As part of the 

largest contingent of women 

ever elected to Parliament at 

the 2020 General Election, I 

feel a sense of hope but also 

responsibility to advance this 

cause. As only the second 

Chinese woman elected to 

Parliament, I am committed to 

progress in this space.” 

Golriz Ghahraman 

Green Party MP 

“What a day to honour the 

past and celebrate our hardwon 

rights by casting a vote in 

local elections for progressive, 

inclusive candidates. We 

celebrate the wins for equality, 

those who fought before us, 

those still fighting in the face 

of death and torture, and those 

who will celebrate our wins.” 

Nicola Grigg 

National Party MP 

“Suffrage Day is the day 

we celebrate NZ becoming 

the first country in the world 

to give women the right to 

vote. Thanks to the bravery of 

women like Kate Sheppard and 

the work they did on our behalf 

leading up to the historic 1893 

law change, women like me are 

not only able to vote but also 

to become Members 

of Parliament in 

NZ’s House of 

Representatives. 

“The white 

camelia became 

the symbol of 

the suffragette 

movement as 

many supporters 

wore them in their 

buttonhole, while 

opponents wore red. 

I am privileged to be the 

National Party’s spokesperson 

for Women and will continue to 

do everything I can to continue 

their legacy of pushing for 

equality and equity for the 

women of NZ.” 

Jenny Salesa 

Labour Party MP 

“On this day in 1893, Aotearoa 

New Zealand became the first 

self-governing country in the 

world in which women had won 

the right to vote. 

“A little later, over 90,000 

New Zealand women went to 

the polls on 28 November 

1893 - 82% of women eligible 

and enrolled. 

“In 2022, our Local Body 

elections are now on – I 

encourage all women to 

vote today to celebrate your 

right, which was won after a 

hard battle by the suffrage 

movement. 

“Suffrage Day gives us all 

the chance to celebrate our 

suffrage achievements and 

progress on the rights of 

women but also to reflect on 

how we can continue to support 

women in the ongoing fight for 

gender equality.”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India was right when he said the 

time is not for war. It is not for revenge against the West, or for opposing 

the West against the east. It is the time for a collective time for our 

sovereign equal states. To cope together with challenges we face. 

- French President Emmanuel Macron 

Editorial 

Optimism must be 

based on judgment 

and not rhetoric 

The unedifying spectacle of elected representatives locking horns in 

Parliament over the Labour government’s fiscal policy is matched 

only by a lack of direction and definition in the debate. Each political 

grouping appears to have its own take on the ground realities of the 

economy, leaving the average New Zealander neither better informed nor 

hopeful for the future. 

Minister of Finance Grant Robertson insists public debt remains under 20% 

of GDP, with visions of a surplus in the fiscal years ahead. 

While that may look like painting a pretty picture of the economy with 

broad strokes, the Opposition National’s approach appears to be to spraypaint 

the canvas. 

The National Party’s finance spokesperson Nicola Willis catalogues a 

litany of government failures, including the Three Waters Reforms, the long 

waiting times for emergency treatment, fewer elective surgeries, fewer 

children attending school, declining numeracy and literacy rates, state 

housing waiting lists quadrupling, and thousands of families checking into 

motel rooms with their children. 

Willis sees Labour running the biggest spending budget in NZ’s history. 

The Labour government appears to be basing its credentials on its 

management of the economy through the pandemic. But whether that 

model works now that borders have reopened, and the economy needs to 

shift gears and get going is a moot question. Robertson’s optimism about 

the economy hinges on tourists and international students returning. 

A record low unemployment rate of 3.2% has helped shore up tax revenue 

beyond the Treasury’s forecasts for financial year 2022 to date. 

But a tight labour market remains a key constraint. The government needs 

to manage its immigration policies to ensure that demand is not hamstrung 

by a shortage of workers as more New Zealanders head overseas. If wages 

don’t keep up with rising cost of living, that would provide a push for the 

brain drain to Australia and beyond. 

If the number of people leaving is not balanced by the number of people 

arriving, net immigration can be expected to drop, though the Treasury is 

forecasting annual net immigration to gradually increase to around 41,000 

by June 2026. 

Shortage of workers will retard growth and add to the inflationary spiral. 

If the brain drain picks up through 2022 and spills into 2023, the 

government will be under pressure to further fine tune its policy around 

immigration. 

The introduction of the Green List intended to make it easier to recruit 

overseas migrants for specific ‘hard- to –fill’ skill roles, which also includes 

a ‘straight to residence pathway’ for those in select occupations, may fall 

short of its objectives. 

NZ looks set to continue to struggle to meet its labour requirements for 

the foreseeable future, resulting in pressure on wages. 

Geographically, New Zealand is an island. Economically, it is not. 

The global economic outlook impacts New Zealand at the best and worst 

of times. Key drivers include the war in Ukraine and China’s Covid 19 

management which is hampering that country’s economy. 

But the Labour government’s optimism on exports would appear to be 

borne out. Notwithstanding Covid, merchandise exports rose while primary 

sector exports have for the first time crossed $15 billion, belying fears of 

supply line disruptions. 

On the domestic front, however, the government’s cost- of-living dole 

of $350 for those earning less than $70,000 a year, delivered in three 

monthly installments, which is aimed at offsetting the rise in cost of living, 

appears to have boomeranged, at least as a public relations move as an 

election year approaches. 

National was quick to pounce when the government bungled by delivering 

the cost-of-living largesse to a non-targeted segment of the population living 

overseas. Around 2.1 million New Zealanders are estimated to benefit from 

the cost-of-living payments. Along with other subsidies on public transport 

and fuel, the government’s total support package tips $1 billion. 

With the Treasury now acknowledging that inflationary trends are embedded 

in the economy, it is hoped that the Labour government’s optimism about 

the economy is based on sound judgment rather than rhetoric. 

IN FOCUS : Picture of the week 

Indian External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, on a 10-day official 

visit to the United States, met with his Brazilian counterpart Carlos 

Franca and South African Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla. The trio 

reaffirmed the cooperation between India, Brazil and South Africa. 

This week in New Zealand’s history 

24 September 1917 

Bere Ferrers rail accident 

Ten New Zealand soldiers were killed when they were hit by a train at Bere 

Ferrers in southern England. The accident occurred as troops from the 28th 

Reinforcements for the NZ Expeditionary Force were being transported from 

Plymouth to Sling Camp on Salisbury Plain. 


Māori Women’s Welfare League established 

Eighty-seven delegates attended the first day of the inaugural conference of 

the Māori Women’s Welfare League in Wellington. Dame Whina Cooper was 

appointed as president. 


New Zealand answers the empire’s call to arms 

Premier Richard ‘King Dick’ Seddon asked Parliament to approve an offer to the 

British government of a contingent of mounted riflemen to serve in South Africa. 

Amid emotional scenes, the members overwhelmingly endorsed the motion – only 

five voted against it. 


New Zealand’s first professional opera performance 

Dunedin’s Royal Princess Theatre was the venue for a performance of 

Donizetti’s Daughter of the regiment by the visiting English Opera Troupe, 

supplemented by local performers. 


New Christchurch Town Hall opens 

Designed by prominent Christchurch architects Warren and Mahoney, the Brutalist 

(blocky, using lots of concrete) structure was officially opened by Governor- 

General Sir Denis Blundell. 

Indian Weekender : Volume 14 Issue 27 

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



‘Lack of community centre, 

library, road safety main 

issues in Botany, Howick’ 

SANDEEP SINGH 

Ajay Bal – a wellknown 

business and 

community leader and 

candidate for Howick local 

board elections, is campaigning 

on three key issues - lack of a 

community centre, a library 

and road safety issues in the 

Botany-Howick area to inspire 

voters to cast their votes for 

him in the local elections 2022. 

Ajay was speaking with 

the Indian Weekender and 

responding to the question 

of the main issues that he 

was standing for, and he 

thinks would make a genuine 

difference if elected to the 

position of local community 

board member. 

Responding to the question, 

Bal emphatically said, “We do 

not have a community centre 

which could fit 100 or 150 

people together. If we have to 

organise a community event, 

then either we have to go 

Howick or we have to go to the 

other side of the motorway – 

Papatoetoe. The second thing 

Ajay Bal 

is that we do not have a leisure 

centre in the area.” 

When pointed if this lack of 

two key public amenities in 

the neighbourhood challenged 

the generally held perception 

that the Botany and Flatbush 

suburbs were a bit flashy, 

Bal was quick to say that 

those were relatively new 

developments and there were 

plans in place for eventually 

building community and 

leisure centres. 

“However, as of now, the plan 

to build such public amenities 

is relatively delayed, and I am 

campaigning to advocate for 

bringing forward those plans 

and expedite the construction 

of much-needed community 

and leisure centres,” Bal said. 

Explaining further the role 

of local community boards 

in spending the ratepayer’s 

money on public amenities 

based on priorities and 

identified gaps, Bal said, “I feel 

confident that once elected, 

I will be able to advocate for 

expediting investment towards 

these two immediate priorities 

of building a community and 

leisure centre.” 

Sharing one of the biggest 

challenges in his election 

campaign so far, which is 

probably shared mutually 

by many other fellow Kiwi- 

Indian and ethnic candidates, 

Bal said, “Getting voters, 

particularly within our Kiwi- 

Indian community inspired 

enough to cast their votes was 

the biggest challenge.” 

“There is much palpable 

support when you meet people 

individually while door knocking 

or at community events, yet 

there is always an element of 

uncertainty if it will eventually 

translate into votes, which is 

what actually matters,” Bal 

emphasised. 

Currently, voting is open 

for Auckland’s local council, 

including the Mayor, with 

postal ballots having arrived 

in letterboxes of Auckland 

residents and votes being 

accepted till mid-day, October 

8. Reiterating his key message 

to prospective voters in the 

community, Bal concluded by 

saying, “It is high time for the 

community to vote in local 

elections and ensure there is 

enough representation and 

diversity on decision tables.” 

• Continued from Page 3 

Moving on, we got in touch 

with New Zealand Customs, 

which protects and promotes 

NZ through border management, 

about the need and future of 

NZTD. A Customs spokesperson 

said that NZTD is still needed for 

contact tracing in case a new 

variant is detected. 

The spokesperson said, 

“Air travellers to NZ still need 

to provide information, through 

their NZTD before departure for 

NZ, for contact tracing purposes 

in case of a new Covid-19 variant 

of concern being detected. In the 

event of a variant of concern, 

this information may be used by 

health agencies. 

"In the longer term, the NZTD 

system will provide a platform to 

manage future risks such as other 

pandemics or new biosecurity 

threats.” 

The spokesperson confirmed 

that the travellers no longer need 

to upload proof of vaccination as 

part of their Traveller Declaration. 

The spokesperson further 

revealed that by June 2023, 

digital NZTD would likely replace 

the current paper arrival card. 

“By June 2023, the NZTD 

will enable travellers to 

digitally complete their 

full travel declaration including 

customs, immigration, and 

biosecurity declarations as well 

as health risk assessments as 

required. It is intended that 

this will replace the current 

paper arrival card”, said the 

spokesperson. 

Tanya Mehra

14 INDIA 

Prime Minister Narendra 

Modi was right when 

he said that the time is 

not for war, France President 

Emmanuel Macron said at 

the ongoing 77th session of 

the United Nations General 

Assembly in New York City. 

"Narendra Modi, the Prime 

Minister of India was right when 

he said the time is not for war. 

It is not for revenge against 

the West, or for opposing the 

West against the east. It is the 

time for a collective time for 

our sovereign equal states. To 

cope together with challenges 

we face," he said. 

This statement came in 

reference to PM Modi and 

Russia's President Vladimir 

Putin's conversation where the 

former said, "Today's era is not 

of war and I have spoken to you 

about it on the call. Today we 

will get the opportunity to talk 

about how we can progress on 

the path of peace. India and 

Russia have stayed together 

with each other for several 

decades." Prime Minister spoke 

this during a bilateral meeting 

on the sidelines of the Shanghai 

Cooperation Organization's 

summit in Uzbekistan's 

Samarkand. 

"We spoke several times on 

the phone about India-Russia 

bilateral relations and various 

issues. We should find ways to 

address the problems of food, 

fuel security and fertilizers. 

I want to thank Russia and 

Ukraine for helping us to 

evacuate our students from 

Ukraine," PM Modi added. 

Responding to PM Modi, 

Russian President Vladimir 

Putin said that he knows about 

India's position on the Ukraine 

conflict and "we want all of this 

to end as soon as possible". 

"I know about your position 

on the Ukraine conflict. I know 

about your concerns. We want 

all of this to end as soon as 

possible," Putin said. 

"But the other party, the 

leadership of Ukraine has 

claimed... that they refuse 

to engage in the negotiation 

process. They said they want 

to achieve their objectives, 


Piyush Goyal meets NZ Trade 

Minister Damien O’Connor 

Union Minister of 

Commerce and 

Industry Piyush Goyal 

on Tuesday met with the New 

Zealand Minister of Trade and 

Agriculture, Damien O'Connor 

and held a discussion on the 

economic ties between the two 

countries. 

"Met New Zealand's Minister 

for Trade & Export Growth 

@DamienOConnorMP. Both 

countries are keen to build 

on their existing strong trade 

& economic ties and expand 

partnerships across new & 

emerging sectors," Goyal 

tweeted. NZ Trade Minister is 

meeting with counterparts in 

India this week to strengthen 

trade relationships. 

"Spectacular outlook from 

my meeting today with 

friend and trade colleague @ 

PiyushGoyal,"Damien 

O'connor tweeted. 

Earlier, Minister Damien met 

Jaishankar began his 

hectic diplomatic week 

with a series of bilateral 

and multilateral engagements 

on the sidelines of the highlevel 

session. 

External Affairs Minister 

S Jaishankar reiterated 

India’s deep commitment 

to multilateralism during his 

meeting with President of 

the 77th session of the UN 

General Assembly Csaba Korosi 

“discussed the criticality” of 

Sustainable Development Goals 

agenda for global progress. 

“Delighted to meet @ 

UN_PGA Csaba Korösi at UN 

headquarters. Congratulated 

him on his priorities for 

#UNGA77. Assured him 

of India’s fullest support. 

New Zealand Minister of Trade and Agriculture, Damien O'Connor and Indian Union 

Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal 

with the Minister for Agriculture 

and Farmers' Welfare Narendra 

Singh Tomar. The two ministers 

discussed a number of 

topics related to agriculture 

and agricultural trade in 

both countries. 

"Great meeting my 

counterpart Minister for 

Agriculture and Farmers' 

Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar. 

We have a shared commitment 

to strong rural communities, 

and I look forward to building 

PM Modi was right, time is 

not for war: Macron At UN 

Discussed the criticality of SDG 

agenda for global progress. 

Shared Indian experiences 

in that regard. Reiterated 

India’s deep commitment to 

multilateralism,” Jaishankar 

tweeted Monday. 

Jaishankar, in New York 

for the high-level UN General 

Assembly session, began 

his hectic diplomatic week 

with a series of bilateral and 

our partnership through 

increased dialogue on all 

things agriculture," Damien 

O'connor tweeted. 

The NZ minister also held 

a bilateral meeting with the 

Union Minister of Fisheries, 

Animal Husbandry and Dairying, 

Parshottam Rupala and 

discussed the potential bilateral 

cooperation to strengthen Foot 

and Mouth Disease capability 

with him to advance India's and 

New Zealand's primary sectors. 

multilateral engagements on 

the sidelines of the high-level 

session. 

Official sources said that 

while issues such as UN 

reform and inter-governmental 

negotiations are more closely 

associated with the office of 

the President of the General 

Assembly, for India it is 

important that Korosi has a 

strong social development 

During the meeting, both 

sides felt that there is much 

to learn from each other in the 

related fields. The cooperation 

discussed today will help 

enhance bilateral cooperation 

between the two countries. 

Both the dignitaries discussed 

various ideas to further 

strengthen the close and unique 

India-New Zealand friendship. 

India and NZ historically share 

close and cordial ties. 

Diplomatic 

relations 

between the two countries 

were established in 1952. 

Commonalities 

such 

as membership of the 

Commonwealth, upholding of 

common law practices and 

pursuing shared aspirations 

of achieving economic 

development and prosperity 

through democratic governance 

systems provide an excellent 

backdrop for deepening 

ongoing ties. 

as they say, on the battlefield 

militarily. We will keep you 

abreast of everything that 

is happening over there," he 

added. "The rare reproach 

showed the 69-year-old 

Russian strongman coming 

under extraordinary pressure 

from all sides," the Post said. 

Putin said that relations 

between Russia and India are 

in the nature of a privileged 

strategic 

partnership 

and continue to develop 

very rapidly. 

Jaishankar reiterates India’s deep commitment to 

multilateralism in meeting with UNGA president 

commitment, with focus on 

issues important for India as 

well as for the developing 

countries and global South. 

Sources added that India 

believes that the global agenda 

should focus much more on the 

genuine, pressing needs of the 

international community, which 

currently are energy security 

concerns, food security 

concerns, fertilizer and health 

concerns, debt concerns and 

trade disruption concerns. 

The sources stressed that 

there is a growing sense in the 

world that these issues are 

not getting their fair share of 

attention and expressed hope 

that the new UN PGA would 

focus on such issues. 


India will overtake 

UK to become 3rd 

largest economy by 

end of decade: UK 

High Commissioner 

India will overtake the United 

Kingdom to become the 

third largest economy by 

the end of the decade and thus 

New Delhi and London need 

to work together, British High 

Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis 

said on Tuesday. 

"For two economies roughly 

the same size, India will grow 

fast overtaking the UK to 

become the third largest 

economy by end of the decade, 

thus both need to work 

together," Ellis said at the India- 

UK business outreach trade and 

investment alliances program 

in New Delhi. He further said, 

"The UK has left European 

Union is an opportunity to write 

our own rules which can really 

work well with India as there is 

political will... PM Modi and the 

UK PM Liz Truss spoke just over 

a week ago and had a very good 

conversation." 

Earlier, UK High Commissioner 

told ANI that New Delhi 

and London have the high 

ambition of completing the 

Free Trade Agreement (FTA) 

by Diwali this year, which will 

increase employment and bring 

economic development to India 

over the next 25 years. 

On being asked, if it could 

be a "Diwali Dhamaka", the UK 

High Commissioner nodded, 

saying, "I hope so." 

"I think we have high ambition 

on completing the FTA by 

Diwali. The FTA will create more 

jobs, more growth, and more 

opportunities for India to grow 

and develop," he added. 

The bilateral trade between 

India and the UK is likely to 

double by 2030 from the 

current level helped by greater 

economic engagements 

between the two countries, 

diversification of global supply 

chains, and overall ease of doing 

business, as per an industry 

report released last month. 

According to the report, 

618 UK companies have been 

identified in India that together 

employ approximately 4.66 lakh 

people and have a combined 

turnover of Rs 3,634.9 billion. 

58 of these 618 companies 

featured in the report's Growth 

Tracker (companies with 

turnover greater than Rs 500 

million and 10 per cent yearon-year 

growth) - these fastgrowing 

UK companies achieved 

an average growth of 36.3 per 

cent, which is a 10 per cent 

jump from 2021 where fastgrowing 

UK companies clocked 

an average growth rate of 26 

per cent. 

Meanwhile, last month the 

two countries concluded the 

fifth round of talks for the Free 

Trade Agreement (FTA), as per 

the Ministry of Commerce and 

Industry.

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 9 September, 2022 

WORLD 15 

Queen Elizabeth's 

funeral: For one 

day, the nation 

stood still 

It was a day when people 

stood still - on the streets 

and in their homes - to 

witness Queen Elizabeth II's 

final journey. 

Royals and world leaders were 

inside Westminster Abbey. But 

outside there were many more, 

ordinary mourners lining the 

streets of central London. And 

further beyond - in living rooms 

and parks, in pubs, cinemas 

and town squares - the British 

public marked the first state 

funeral for nearly six decades in 

millions of individual ways. 

Large crowds gathered in 

central London on Monday 

to pay their respects to 

Queen Elizabeth II as she 

made her final journey from 

Westminster to Windsor. 

The coffin, topped with the 

Royal Standard and Imperial 

State Crown, was carried to 

Westminster Abbey on the 

State Gun Carriage of the Royal 

Navy, drawn by 142 sailors. 

King Charles III and other senior 

members of the Royal Family 

followed behind on foot. 

Streets around Westminster 

were packed with people hoping 

to catch a glimpse of the 

procession from Westminster 

Hall to the Abbey, where the 

funeral service was held. 

Some 2,000 guests were 

inside the Abbey for the 

funeral service, including wider 

members of the Royal Family 

and dozens of world leaders 

and politicians from across 

the globe. While the streets 

of Westminster were packed, 

other parts of London were 

eerily quiet with many people 

using the Bank Holiday to gather 

round TV screens at home to 

watch the historic events. 

Big Ben tolled at one-minute 

intervals as the procession 

made its way slowly through 

the streets of the capital. Gun 

salutes were also fired every 

minute from Hyde Park. 

Among the personal touches 

was a handwritten message 

from the King, which was 

placed with a wreath of flowers 

cut from the gardens of 

Buckingham Palace, Highgrove 

House and Clarence House 

at his request. It read: "In 

loving and devoted memory. 

Charles R." 

After the coffin was 

transferred from carriage to 

hearse at Wellington Arch, 

it then travelled by road to 

Windsor Castle. There were 

further crowds of people along 

the route and thousands more 

waiting in Windsor, where there 

was another short procession. 

Two of the Queen’s corgis, 

Muick and Sandy, were also 

waiting for the procession at 

Windsor Castle - as was Emma, 

the late monarch's pony. 

There was a final ceremony at 

St George's Chapel in Windsor 

Castle, where the Imperial State 

Crown and the Orb and Sceptre 

were removed from the coffin 

by the Crown Jeweller. They will 

eventually be returned to the 

Tower of London.

16 ENTERTAINMENT 

Raju Srivastava death: 

Anil Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, 

Vivek Agnihotri pay tributes 

Raju Srivastava died at 

the age of 58 in Delhi. 

Several Bollywood 

celebrities paid their tribute 

to the comedian on social 

media platforms. 

Comedian Raju Srivastava, 

who made a mark as a standup 

comic and also featured in 

films, died on Wednesday after 

over 40 days of hospitalisation. 

Raju died at the age of 58 in 

Delhi's AIIMS. 

He was admitted after 

suffering a heart attack on 

August 10 while working out at 

a Delhi hotel gym. 

Several Bollywood celebrities 

grieved his death on social 

media platforms and paid 

Vivek Agnihotri has message 

for Oscar entry Chhello Show, 

The Kashmir Files fans 

Vivek Agnihotri has 

wished Chhello Show 

'best film award' 

at the Oscars. 

He has also shared a message 

for fans of The Kashmir Files. 

Filmmaker 

Vivek 

Agnihotri has wished Pan Nalindirectorial 

Chhello Show the 

'best film award' at the 95th 

Academy Awards. 

Taking to Twitter, Vivek 

also shared a message for 

those fans ‘rooting for' his 

film The Kashmir Files for the 

Oscars. Vivek shared a poster 

of the film, titled Last Film 

Show in English. 

Vivek captioned the post, 

"A big congratulations 

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan 

has turned narrator for a new 

series titled 'The Journey 

of India'. The show will commemorate 

India's tapestry of heritage, innovation 

and contemporary marvels that have 

paved the way for cutting-edge 

advancement. Arjun Nohwar, General 

tribute. Taking to his Instagram 

Stories, Anil Kapoor posted a 

photo from their film together 

and wrote, "Om Shanti." 

Film director Vivek 

Agnihotri shared a video 

message on Twitter. 

He credited Raju for solely 

to the entire team of 

#LastFilmShow (Chhello Show) 

for being selected as India’s 

official entry. 

Wishing them the best film 

Manager- South Asia, Warner Bros. 

Discovery said, "As India celebrates 

75 years of Independence, this 

commemorative new series reflects 

Warner Bros. Discovery's commitment 

to bringing to life unique stories that 

inspire. We are proud to work with the 

iconic Amitabh Bachchan to take the 

shouldering the trend of 

stand-up comedy. He wrote 

in Hindi, "There is no such 

friend or stranger whom Raju 

Srivastava did not make laugh. 

Raju brother, gone too soon. 

You were a true legend of 

stand-up comedy. Om Shanti 

#RajuShrivastava." 

Actor Ajay Devgn posted a 

black and white photo of Raju 

on Twitter. 

He said, "In your lifetime you 

gifted us laughs & more laughs, 

on & off the screen. 

Your untimely demise makes 

me very sad. RIP Raju. Om 

Shanti. May the Almighty give 

your family strength in this 

hour of bereavement." 

award at the #Oscars2023. I 

thank all the well-wishers and 

especially media which was 

rooting for #TheKashmirFiles 

(folded hands emojis)." 


Deepika Singh, who 

grew up in a joint 

family in Delhi, said she 

faced many difficulties in her 

childhood that have made her a 

strong person. 

Deepika Singh, who rose to 

fame after starring as the lead 

in the Star Plus show Diya Aur 

Baati Hum, has said that one 

of the reasons acting attracted 

her was that she saw it as 

a jackpot. This was because 

the actor, who grew up in a 

joint family in Delhi, saw many 

financial crises while she was 

growing up. 

Deepika, who is the eldest 

of four siblings, said she had 

a nice childhood but also saw 

many ups and downs. She 

also recalled that she and her 

siblings were once sent back 

home from school without their 

bags as their bus fees weren't 

paid on time. 

The actor told Pinkvilla, "After 

school, I'd go to my papa's 

factory because my school 

bus didn't go to Paharganj. I 

was at Airforce school till 8th 

standard, then I shifted to a 

government school. 

And it was I who went to 

the principal, showed my mark 

sheets, and report cards, and 

got admission on my own 

because my father didn't want 

me to leave the last school. 

But I was observing that 

because of our financial crisis, 

the fees for the school bus 

are not being paid. 

My principal at Airforce school 

told me that 'agar aapke bas 

ki nahi hai to itne bade school 

mein kyun aate ho (Why do you 

come to such a big school if you 

can't afford it). That gave me a 

audience on a vibrant journey of India, 

capturing the ethos of the nation, its 

diverse culture and the spirit of its 

people." 

Spanning a wide range of subjects, this 

one-of-a-kind series provides an in-depth 

look at the nation's progress, influences 

and accomplishments during the past 75 


Deepika Singh recalls 

principal’s cruel words 

when dad went bankrupt: 

‘Agar apke bas ki nahi hai...' 

kick that I want to do something 

so big that this school 

regrets it later." 

She also recalled, "I saw 

many downfalls that made me 

very strong. My father had an 

embroidery factory but it was 

facing many losses. When we 

were little, a shipment had 

gone from Mumbai to America, 

but then the plague spread 

around the same time so 

they burned it thinking it may 

have been infected. 

There were a lot of loans, my 

father went kind of bankrupt. 

But he still managed for 2-3 

years before he met with an 

accident and was put on bed 

rest for a year. 

"We didn't feel its impact 

too much when we were at 

home with our big family but 

did feel it at school when the 

fees won't go. I was old enough 

to see those things. We would 

get taunts. This one time 

they kept our school bags and 

sent me and my sister home 

without them. Those things 

made us understand that our 

time has changed." 

When Mahesh Bhatt compared Alia 

Bhatt to Smita Patil: ‘Why shouldn’t I…' 

Actor Alia Bhatt recently 

received the Smita Patil 

Memorial Award for best 

actor. While she celebrated 

the milestone with an 

announcement on Instagram, 

let’s rewind to the time when 

filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt 

reasoned why his daughter 

Alia is similar to the iconic 

Smita Patil. During an interview, 

he cited the example of Alia 

who had been working for 

only four years back then. The 

filmmaker said that Alia, like 

many other actors, has the 

potential to follow the path of 

Smita Patil who excelled in both 

commercial and experimental 

movies from a young age. 

Mahesh said, “There is a new 

dawn and new energy. There is 

a new beginning, I must say. I 

see a lot more actors, including 

a few regional and parallel 

cinema actresses and also my 

daughter Alia Bhatt walking the 

way this great actor Smita did 

way back in time. She could act 

both in commercial and parallel 

films and not become clichéd.” 

“Why shouldn't I mention my 

daughter Alia? She has done 

Highway and also some lighter 

roles at a very young age. She 

can do both commercial and 

experimental films as she has 

grown up seeing Smita Patil and 

Shabana Azmi's movies by my 

production house," he added. 

Amitabh Bachchan turns narrator for new series 'The Journey of India' 

years; from technological advancements, 

successful space missions, the world 

of cinema, fascinating stories of faith 

found across the length and breadth of 

the country to diverse food culture. 

'The Journey of India' will premiere 

in India on October 10. More details 

regarding the series are awaited.


FEATURES 17 

Technology 

Apple confirms serious new 

problems for iPhone 14 buyers 

Apple's new iOS 16 operating 

system is about to get its first 

significant set of bug fixes, 

including those that will address users' 

complaints over shaky cameras when 

using some apps, and a frustrating copy 

and paste bug that asks users far too 

often if an app has permission to access 

their clipboard, among other things. 

Apple's aim with the paste permissions 

feature was to protect users' privacy, 

as the prompt highlights when apps are 

reading the clipboard where sensitive 

data could be stored -- even when users 

may not be aware that's happening. 

TikTok, for instance, was found guilty 

of snooping on clipboard data, as were 

dozens of other iOS apps. But the prompt 

is not supposed to appear repeatedly, as 

it's doing in iOS 16, which is distracting 

and annoying. 

Breaking down the problems, Apple 

states that “After setting up your 

iPhone, you might experience one or 

more of the following issues”: 

• You can't receive iMessages or 

FaceTime calls. 

• You see a green message bubble 

instead of a blue one when you send 

a message to another Apple device. 

• Conversations in Messages show up 

as two separate threads, instead of 

one. 

Apple recommends that users update 

to iOS 16.0.1 “to resolve this”, but a) 

these bugs are not listed in the iOS 

16.0.1 release notes, and b) Apple 

suggests backup steps if you’re “still 

having issues” after updating. These are: 

• In the Settings app, tap ‘Cellular’. Make 

sure that your phone line is turned on. 

If you use multiple SIMs, make sure 

that the phone number you want to 

use is selected and turned on. 

• In the Settings app, tap ‘Messages’. 

Then tap ‘Send & Receive’. 

• Tap the phone number that you want 

to use with Messages. 

• Go back in the Settings app, and tap 

‘FaceTime’. 

• Tap the phone number that you want 

to use with FaceTime. 

The news of the iOS 16 update to 

address this issue and others was 

first reported by The Wall St. Journal. 

MacRumors additionally confirmed, via 

a reader email exchange with an Apple 

exec, that the annoying paste pop-ups 

was not intended behavior and would 

soon be fixed. 

The exec suggested the issue was 

not one that was caught internally, but 

admitted other users had experienced 

the same problem. 

Apple also confirmed to TechCrunch it 

was aware of the issues and noted a fix 

would be out next week. 

While the developer and public beta 

builds for iOS 16 had been relatively 

stable this time around, a full public 

Apple confirms iPhone 14 Pro camera prone to 

shake, rattle in apps like TikTok and Instagram; fix 

for issue on the way 

release of a new operating system 

often uncovers new issues that weren't 

discovered during testing phases -- in 

some cases because those issues don't 

impact all users. 

That seems to be the case with the 

camera shaking issue, for example, 

which had been reported by some early 

adopters on social media. 

They found select photo-sharing apps 

like TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram 

would record shaky videos when the 

rear-facing camera was used from inside 

the social media app, and their new 

iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max would make 

loud noises. This problem didn't occur 

when using Apple's first-party camera 

app, however, indicating the issue is 

rooted in software. 

This is not a universal bug, as it turns 

out, but Apple hasn't explained why 

some users encountered this problem 

and others did not. Here at TechCrunch, 

for instance, no one could replicate the 

issue when testing Apple's new devices, 

including the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, 

running iOS 16. 

Some other iPhone 14 Pro users also 

said their phones became unresponsive 

when restoring from iCloud and 

transferring data from older iPhones, the 

Journal reported. 

This will be addressed in the upcoming 

update, as well, it noted. 

Apple has not indicated which day 

next week users can expect the update, 

but if you're impacted by any of these 

issues, you may want to visit the iPhone 

Settings to check for the update directly. 

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18 FEATURES 


Healthy cooking every day 

Lighter Takes 

& Easy Tips 


A big, bountiful salad is the best way to celebrate delicious seasonal produce! 

Broccoli salad 

Ingredients 

• 1 pound broccoli crowns 

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

• 3 tablespoons mayo, I like Sir 

Kensington's or vegan mayo 

• 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar 

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 

• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey 

• 1 garlic clove, minced 

• ¼ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste 

• cup diced red onions 

• cup dried cranberries 

• Smoky tamari almonds 

• ½ cup almonds 

• ½ cup pepitas 

• 1 tablespoon tamari 

• ½ teaspoon maple syrup 

• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, more to 

taste 

Methods 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 

baking sheet with parchment paper. 

• Chop the broccoli florets into ½-inch pieces 

and any remaining stems into ¼-inch dice. 

Peel any woody or course parts from the 

stem first. 

• In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk 

together the olive oil, mayo, apple cider 

vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, garlic, and 

Ingredients 

Carrot Ginger Dressing 

• ½ cup chopped roasted carrots, from 3/4 

cup raw carrots 

• 1/3 to ½ cup water 

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 

• 2 teaspoons minced ginger 

• ¼ teaspoon sea salt 

• Salad 

• 1 batch Roasted Chickpeas 

• 1 bunch curly kale, stems removed, leaves 

torn 

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice 

• ½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 

• 1 small carrot, grated 

• 1 small red beet, grated* 

• ½ watermelon radish, very thinly sliced 

• 1 avocado, cubed 

• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries 

• ¼ cup pepitas, toasted 

• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds 

• Sea salt & Freshly ground black pepper 

Instruction 

• Make the dressing and roast the chickpeas: 

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large 

baking sheet with parchment paper. 

• Toss the chickpeas with a drizzle of olive 

oil and sprinkle with pinches of salt and 

pepper. Place the carrot pieces for the 

dressing in their own corner on the baking 

sheet to roast alongside the chickpeas. 

Roast for 25 to minutes, or until the 

chickpeas are browned and crisp and the 

salt. 

• Add the broccoli, onions, and cranberries 

and toss to coat. 

• Place the almonds and pepitas on the 

baking sheet, toss with the tamari, maple 

syrup, and smoked paprika and spread into 

a thin layer. Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until 

golden brown. 

• Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 

minutes (they’ll get crispier as they sit). 

• Toss the almonds and pepitas into the 

salad, reserving a few to sprinkle on top. 

Season to taste and serve. 

Kale salad with carrot ginger dressing 

carrots are soft. Set the roasted chickpeas 

aside. Transfer the carrots to a blender 

and add the water, olive oil, rice vinegar, 

ginger, and salt. 

• Blend the dressing until smooth and chill 

in the Place the kale leaves into a large 

bowl and drizzle with the lemon juice, ½ 

teaspoon of olive oil, and a few pinches of 

salt. 

• Use your hands to massage the leaves until 

they become soft and wilted and reduce in 

the bowl by about half. 

• Add the carrot, beet, watermelon radish, 

half of the cubed avocado, cranberries, 

pepitas, a few more good pinches of salt 

and a few grinds of pepper, and toss. 

Drizzle generously with the carrot ginger 

dressing. 

• Top with the remaining avocado, more 

dressing, the roasted chickpeas and 

sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Season to 

taste and serve. 

Notes - Make the dressing ahead so it has 

time to chill in the fridge before adding to 

the salad. 

Healthy taco salad 

Ingredients 

• 2 corn tortillas, sliced into strips 

• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling 

• 1 medium head romaine 

lettuce, chopped 

• 1 cup shredded red cabbage 

• ½ cup cooked black 

beans, drained and rinsed 

• 2 red radishes, thinly sliced 

• ½ cup sliced cherry tomatoes 

and/or pico de gallo 

• 1 avocado, sliced 

• Jalapeno slices, optional 

• Cilantro Lime Dressing, the 

creamy avocado variation 

• Sea salt 

• Lime wedges, for serving 

• Shiitake Taco 'Meat' 

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive 

oil 

• 8 ounces shiitake 

mushrooms, stemmed and diced 

• 1 cup crushed walnuts 

• 1 tablespoon tamari 

• 1 teaspoon chili powder 

• ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar 

• Sea salt and freshly ground black 

pepper 

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F 

and line a baking sheet with 

parchment paper. 

• Toss the tortilla strips with a tiny 

bit of olive oil and a few pinches 

of salt. Spread onto the sheet 

and bake for 10 to 14 minutes 

or until crispy. 

• Make the Shiitake Taco “Meat”: 

In a medium skillet, heat the 

olive oil over medium heat. 

• Add the mushrooms and cook, 

stirring only occasionally, until 

they begin to brown and soften, 

3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the 

walnuts and lightly toast for 1 to 

2 minutes. Stir in the tamari and 

the chili powder. 

• Add the balsamic vinegar and 

stir again. Remove from the heat 

and season with salt and pepper 

to taste. 

• Assemble the salad with the 

romaine lettuce, cabbage, black 

beans, taco meat, radishes, 

tomatoes, avocado, jalapenos, 

if using, and generous dollops of 

cilantro lime avocado dressing. 

• Drizzle with olive oil and 

sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with 

lime wedges and extra dressing 

on the side. 

Grilled corn salad 

Ingredients 

• 3 ears of grilled corn on the cob 

• 1 red pepper, diced 

• 1 green pepper, diced 

• ½ small cucumber, diced 

• 2 ripe peaches, pitted and diced 

• 1 small avocado, pitted and 

diced. 

• 8 basil leaves, thinly sliced 

• juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges 

for serving 

• 3 tablespoons Chile Lime 

Dressing, plus more to taste 

• sea salt 

• Chile Lime Dressing (this makes 

extra) 

• ¼ cup Sir Kensington’s Avocado 

Oil Mayo or vegan Fabanaise 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 

• ¼ cup chopped cilantro, including 

stems, plus more for garnish 

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, 

plus extra slices for serving 

• serrano chile, plus more to taste 

• pinch of garlic powder 

• pinch of onion powder 

• sea salt 

Method 

• Make the dressing: In a small 

food processor, combine the 

avocado mayonnaise, olive oil, 

cilantro, lime, serrano, garlic 

powder, onion powder and a few 

generous pinches of salt. 

• Pulse until combined. Chill until 

ready to use. 

• Slice the kernels off of the grilled 

corn and place in a large bowl. 

• Add the red pepper, green 

pepper, cucumber, peaches, 

avocado, basil, lime juice, a few 

pinches of salt, and toss. 

• Add a few tablespoons of 

dressing, toss again, then taste 

and add more dressing and/or 

salt to taste. 

• Serve with extra dressing and 

lime slices on the side. 

Chicken Broccoli 

Ingredients 

Method 

• 500 chicken breast fillet, skin off • Cut chicken breasts in half and 

• 2 broccoli, chopped 

if too thick slice lengthways, as 

• 420g canned cream of chicken soup well. 

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise 

• Fry each piece gently on both 

• 1/2 lemon, juiced 

sides. 

• 1 tbs mild curry powder *to taste 

• Steam broccoli until tender. 

• Place broccoli in a long or square 

casserole dish, then add chicken. 

• Mix soup, mayonnaise, lemon 

juice and curry powder in a bowl. 

Pour evenly over chicken and 

broccoli. 

• Bake at 180C for 50 minutes. 

• Serve with rice.



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