The Indian Weekender

Friday, 14 March 2025

Volume 16 / Issue 50

Read • Watch • Engage

www.iwk.co.nz /indianweekendernz /indianweekender

RACHIT BHATIA

Live in concert

WITH

NZ’s Finest

Musicians & Singers

www.spastore.co.nz

PRESENT

Dil

Chahta Hai

Legends of Bollywood & Beyond

Saturday 29th March 2025, 6.30pm

RAVI BAJPAI

Prime Minister Christopher

Luxon will be travelling to

India this weekend in what

the government is describing

as “the most high-profile and

consequential trip to India” a New

Zealand leader would have ever

made.

Luxon will be in India March 16-

20, four nights in national capital

Delhi and one in India’s financial

capital Mumbai.

“India is going to become the

world’s third biggest economy

soon. It’s about time we tapped into

a market of that size,” Luxon says.

Luxon will be the first leader

to travel to India since John Key

visited Delhi in 2016, and the first

Kiwi leader to visit India before

travelling to China, the country’s

biggest trade partner.

Luxon will mark another first on

the trip. He will be the first non-

European head of state to be chief

guest at India’s flagship conference

on geopolitics-Raisina Dialoguesignaling

New Zealand’s relevance

as a Pacific partner in defence and

security.

The trip will mark a tectonic shift

in the way New Zealand looks at

India - more than just a market for

its dairy products.

In 2023, goods made up 70 per

cent of New Zealand’s exports.

Nearly 60 per cent of that came

from agriculture products like

dairy and meat. Without exports,

the agriculture industry would

practically collapse.

• Continued on Pg12

Prime Minister to meet counterpart

Modi as he dusts off India-NZ ties

lying in cold storage for nearly 8 years

LUXON ON

HISTORIC

MISSION

TO INDIA

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• Total Disablement Cover

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Wishing

New Zealanders a

happy Holi from the

National Party!

Christopher Luxon

MP for Botany & National Party Leader

Botany@parliament.govt.nz

Authorised by Christopher Luxon, Parliament Buildings, Wgtn.

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 14 March 2025

NEW ZEALAND 3

Ultrasound delay leaves woman

feeling like a 'ticking time bomb'

ROBIN MARTIN/RNZ

ANew Plymouth woman

says a month-long delay

in getting the results of a

"semi-urgent" ultrasound left her

feeling like a "ticking time bomb".

Health New Zealand has

apologised, saying the scan

results should have been reported

back between 7-10 days, but

it was struggling with staff

shortages.

The woman - who RNZ has

agreed not to identify - visited

her GP on 10 January and was

advised she needed a "semiurgent"

pelvic ultrasound.

The Radiology Department at

Taranaki Base Hospital managed

to get her an appointment on

27 January, which she felt was

reasonably prompt, but there has

been a deafening silence ever

since.

"I'm sitting here and I don't know

if I've got a 'nasty' or something

that's just not as it should be.

"I think it stinks. I'm in limbo. I

can't do anything. I can't have any

treatment. I don't know if I need

treatment, you know?.

"Worst-case scenario I could

have a ticking time bomb."

A radiographer herself, the

woman said the delay was

The Radiology

Department at

Taranaki Base

Hospital is

blaming staff

shortage for

the mess.

baffling.

"Everything is digital these days,

so images can be sent all around

the place.

"A practice in New Plymouth

that takes x-rays, and they are

digital x-rays, they can be sent to

virtually anywhere in New Zealand

to be reported on."

Even staff shortages did not

explain it.

"I was told unofficially there

was only one radiologist up

there. I don't know if that's one

radiologist for the whole hospital,

I would assume not. Might be

just one radiologist reporting

ultrasound, I'm not sure. But I was

told over the phone 'we've only

got one radiologist'. Those were

the words.

"Working in the industry you

know if you've got a backlog in

patient care you do things stop

the backlog, so why couldn't they

move scans onto somebody else

to be reported on?"

The woman made multiple

attempts to contact the hospital

and her GP asking about her

results, but to no avail.

She believed they should have

been with her GP within days.

"The job I work in, the company I

work for, we say 24 hours for ours

to be reported on. It is a hospital

and they've got a lot going on, but

I would've thought a semi-urgent

scan should've been reported on

within a week."

In a statement, Te Whatu Ora

agreed that it should have taken

about that long.

"Health New Zealand would

like to apologise for the delay

in the reporting of the woman's

ultrasound results. The time

she waited for her results is not

acceptable and we are working

to reduce these waiting times.

The expected reporting time for a

semi-urgent pelvic ultrasound is

7-10 days."

It said radiologists were in short

supply.

"The radiology reporting

services at Taranaki Base

Hospital are impacted by a

national shortage of radiologists.

Health New Zealand is recruiting

both permanent and locum

radiologists.

"We are utilising external

reporting providers to reduce the

time patients and GPs are waiting

on results and are currently

renegotiating to increase our

contracts with the external

providers."

Health New Zealand advised

GPs that if a patient experienced

a change in their clinical condition

while waiting for their results, the

GP should call the duty radiologist

directly to speed up delivery of

reports.

It apologised again to the

woman and said it would continue

to explore all options to improve

reporting times in the future.

Meanwhile, the woman said

she was worried for patients with

less knowledge of the healthcare

system than her.

She has had no direct contact

from Health New Zealand.

HAVE A HAPPY

HOLI

Hon Jenny

Salesa

MP for Panmure–Ōtāhuhu

0800 677 253 | 09 274 9231

panmure.otahuhump@parliament.govt.nz

/jenny.salesa.labour

Tī Rākau Drive

layout changes

from 24 March

between Burswood Drive (east)

and Te Koha Road near The Hub

in Botany.

Thank you for your patience

while we build the Eastern Busway.

easternbusway.nz

info@easternbusway.nz

Authorised by Hon Jenny Salesa MP,

Parliament Buildings, Wellington

0800 BUSWAY (0800 287 929)

Wishing you a

Authorised by Jenny Salesa MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

Funded by Parliamentary Service. Jenny.Salesa@parliament.govt.nz


NEW ZEALAND 5

Curry&Wine

Chef Sid Chopra, owner of GOAT Restaurant in Auckland, and wine

enthusiast Timothy Giles pair wines with contemporary Indian dishes.

Prawn Balchão

A zesty, aromatic seafood specialty

from the coast of Goa

The flavours

hit hard. I

didn’t even

know dishes

like this existed

because nobody

sells them

outside Goa!

Two Rivers Marlborough Isle

of Beauty Rosé 2024

Mahi Marlborough

Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Sid loves

layers of flavour

in his dishes

and that’s

rewarding as

a diner. But

challenging for

wines.

Sid says: Every dish carries a

story, a journey, and a revelation.

Inspiration for my version of Prawn

Balchão comes from an unforgettable

trip to Goa. I call it my ‘Umami’ trip.

Every time I taste something incredibly

delicious there’s one word that comes to

mind - Umami.

I went to Goa with a mate, and we made

a deal—not to eat at any famous places.

Just back alleys, roadside stalls, small

joints. After 45 minutes of searching,

we found this tiny spot run by a single

woman—bar, kitchen, front of house,

everything. We told her, ‘Hey, we’re really

hungry,’ and she just got to work.

What she served was a revelation. The

flavours hit hard—spicy, tangy, slightly

sweet. I never thought of this as Indian

cooking. I didn’t even know dishes like

this existed because nobody sells them

outside Goa!

Seafood has its place in Indian cuisine,

but outside of India, prawn dishes are

often overlooked. I believe that needs to

change. I spent time in the kitchen, doing

R&D, breaking it down, trying to capture

the magic she made for us.

This is India. It’s heat, it’s tang, it’s

depth. Prawn Balchão is pure umami.

Timothy says: Sid loves layers

of flavour in his dishes and

that’s rewarding as a diner. But

challenging for wines.

First match is Two Rivers Marlborough

Isle of Beauty Rosé 2024.

Rosé is a fun summer wine, easy to

like as daytime refreshment. But well

made rosé like this, have the aromatic

appeal and prettiness rose drinkers love.

With texture and length of flavour to

make them lithe partners for a fragrant,

flavoursome dish like the Prawn Balchao.

Two Rivers’ winemaker David Clouston,

put himself under some pressure naming

this, Isle of Beauty, the French name for

Corsica. in Southern Europe, where Rosé

has achieved distinction over centuries.

An offering to that old-world heritage in

our new world home.

I think Corsica will appreciate the

tribute, they eat a lot of prawns over

there! My contrasting match is Mahi

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023.

Mahi is the wine of Brian and Nicola

Bicknell, for 25 years they have made

characterful Sauvignon Blanc that

reminds us in every glass, why the world

went crazy for NZ’s most famous wine,

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Dilworth now.

Offering day school options.

Now offering day school

Dilworth now offers a day school option for

Years 7 and 8. This provides the same best

in class schooling without the requirement

to board. From 2026 the day school option

will be extended to Year 9 students at the

senior campus.

Learning beyond the classroom

Delivering exceptional wider curriculum

programmes in sport, arts, culture and

outdoor education.

Small class sizes

Dilworth’s small class sizes allow

for personalised teaching to

accelerate learning.

Child Wise accredited

In 2022, Dilworth became the first

school in New Zealand to gain Child

Wise accreditation. This independent

Australasian programme helps schools

develop child safety and protection

processes that now live at the heart of

Dilworth’s culture.

Strong academic record

Dilworth has a high NCEA pass rate.

Fully funded scholarships

All successful applicants receive a fully

funded scholarship, providing access to

top-quality teaching and facilities and a

multitude of wider curriculum activities.

Open days

Come and learn more about

Dilworth now.

Register online

dilworth.school.nz

Junior Campus (Years 7 & 8)

Sunday 23 March, 2pm

Sunday 18 May, 2pm

Senior Campus (Years 9 – 13)

Sunday 30 March, 2pm

Asha karte hain ki ye tyohar apko aur

apke apno ke liye anant khushiyan

aur yaadein lekar aaye.

May this festival bring endless joy and

memories to you and your loved ones.


NEW ZEALAND 7

What should Auckland focus

on next year? Have your say

IWK BUREAU

Auckland Council has

opened public consultation

on its proposed Annual

Plan 2025/2026, inviting

residents to provide feedback on

investment priorities, services,

and funding allocations for the

year ahead. The consultation

period runs from 28 February to

28 March 2025.

The plan, which forms the

second year of the Long-term

Plan 2024-2034, includes key

discussions on funding major

events, destination marketing,

and local board priorities.

Mayor Wayne Brown

emphasised the importance of

community input in shaping the

council’s focus areas.

“Council is here to serve

Auckland ratepayers, and the

Annual Plan is an opportunity

for Aucklanders to speak up and

have their say on what the council

is focused on,” said Mayor Brown.

“We want the community’s

thoughts on a bed night levy to

fund major events like bringing

the America’s Cup back to

Auckland, hosting NRL rugby

league matches, the ASB Classic,

and concerts like Coldplay and

Taylor Swift. None of these will

happen without it, as I won’t

Scan the

QR code

above and

tell Auckland

Council what

you think.

rate struggling households to fill

hotels.

“This is also a chance to tell us

what they want from their Local

Boards and on the proposed rates

for the next year. My message

to Aucklanders is speak up, help

inform our decision-making.”

Auckland Council Group Chief

Financial Officer Ross Tucker

highlighted the plan’s focus on

financial and physical resilience

while prioritising necessary

investments.

“This Annual Plan is about

delivering on our Long-term Plan

commitments, at a time when we

know the cost of living is high

for our ratepayers. This year we

are prioritising investment in

transport, water and fair funding

for local communities,” said Mr

Tucker.

The proposed plan includes a

5.8 per cent rates increase for

the average residential property,

aligning with the Long-term Plan.

“We are also asking our

communities for feedback

on funding major events and

destination marketing for the

region. To help cover a shortfall

in funding that was outlined in

the Long-term Plan, the council

would like to see the introduction

of a bed night visitor levy,” Mr

Tucker added.

“The levy requires new

legislation and, to inform the

government, the council would

like to hear Aucklanders’ views on

a bed night visitor levy that could

help raise $27 million and not just

meet the shortfall, but fund even

more destination management,

marketing and major events

activities in Auckland.”

The final Annual Plan will

outline local board agreements,

detailing each of the 21 local

boards’ priorities and funding

allocations for their respective

communities. A phased-in fairer

funding approach aims to address

disparities between local boards.

“Each local board’s priorities

for the year are included in the

Consultation Document,” said

Mr Tucker. “Local boards provide

a wide range of services such

as local parks, libraries, pools,

community facilities, and local art

and environment activities, along

with community events.

“This makes their plans and

priorities really relevant at a

local level, and we encourage

Aucklanders to take a look at

what is planned by their local

board, and provide feedback.”

While no significant changes to

services or investment levels are

proposed compared to the Longterm

Plan, Auckland Council is

consulting on some adjustments,

including changes to targeted

rates, fees, and charges.

The cost of

cyber crime:

91% jump in

12 months

RNZ

New Zealanders lost $6.8 million

to cyber crime in the final three

months of 2024 - a 91 percent

increase in 12 months - according

to a new report.

The report by the government's

cyber security agency shows New

Zealanders are enduring larger

financial losses when targeted by

online criminals.

The National Cyber Security

Centre's (NCSC) quarterly report

- released today reveals the sum

was up 24 percent from $5.5

million during the previous three

months.

Between 1 October and 31

December 2024, there were 17

reports of "incidents" involving

losses of more than $100,000.

NCSC threat and incident response

team lead Tom Roberts said these

attacks accounted for $4.7 million

of total losses recorded during the

quarter.

"This is the largest number of

high-loss incidents we have seen

in a quarter," he said.

"These incidents are also quite

varied, ranging from cyber attacks

on computers and accounts, to

cyber-enabled scams..

"Many of these incidents started

with a phone call."

SNK Consultancy Limited

SPECIALISING IN COMPLEX IMMIGRATION MATTERS

HAPPY

HOLI

May holi and all the days ahead bring you and your

family joy, success, and wealth! Wishing you a bright

and happy holi!

Shaneel Kumar: LIA 201800694

021 2072 371 | shaneelsnkconsultancy@gmail.com

Level 1/11B Bakerfield Place, Manukau City Centre, Auckland

8

NEW ZEALAND


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NEW ZEALAND 9

Flatbush dips itself in

colour and curry at

NZ Holi celebrations

IWK BUREAU

Auckland’s Flatbush burst

into a kaleidoscope of

colour on March 8 as

Barry Curtis Park hosted its

first large-scale Holi festival.

Drawing a massive crowd of over

3,000 people, the event was a

spectacular mix of music, dance,

food, and cultural festivities.

Attendees indulged in a feast of

flavours at 16 vibrant food stalls,

offering everything from spicy

street snacks to refreshing Indian

sweets. Kids reveled in exciting

rides, while a live DJ kept the

energy soaring with Bollywood

and fusion beats. The festival

stage came alive with electrifying

dance performances, captivating

audiences with a blend of

traditional and modern moves.

Adding to the fun, all-natural

colours provided by Kashish

ensured a safe and joyous Holi

experience, as people of all

backgrounds smeared each other

in bright hues, embracing the

festival’s message of unity and

happiness.

The event was graced by

esteemed guests, including

Consul General of India in

Auckland, Madan Mohan Sethi,

alongside parliamentarians

Nancy Lu, Melissa Lee, and

Rima Nakhle. Their presence

highlighted the festival’s

significance in strengthening

cultural ties and celebrating

diversity in New Zealand.

Reflecting on the event’s

success, organiser Leena Singh

Thakur said, *“The event turned

out to be every bit what we hoped

for. Seeing thousands of people

come together, dancing, laughing,

and celebrating with colours was

truly heartwarming. This is the

second big event, after Diwali last

year, that we have organised in

Flatbush, and the response has

been incredible.

"It shows the growing

enthusiasm for cultural

celebrations in this community.

We are deeply grateful to our

sponsors, volunteers, and

supporters for making this event

possible, and we look forward to

making it even bigger next year.”*

Laughter and music filled

the air as families, friends, and

strangers came together in a

whirlwind of colours and festivity.

With such an overwhelming

response, organisers are

already planning an even bigger

celebration next year.

Snapshots

from NZ

Holi festival

oganised in

Flatbush,

Auckland.

(Supplied

photos)

10

NEW ZEALAND

Health NZ's

proposed

cuts will hurt,

say experts

RNZ

Nearly 98 percent of health IT

experts and healthworkers

say proposed cuts to Health

NZ's digital services budget will

hurt patients, according to a new

survey.

Frustrations with IT were

leading to extra workload and

fuelling burnout, some reported.

"We are already disillusioned.

Simple basic IT functionality

will now get in the way of us

delivering care and impede

research into how we can

improve. We will burn out," said

one. Crumbling and inadequate

IT systems were having a direct

impact on patients now, another

said. "I cannot in good faith

assure my patients they are

receiving high quality, equitable

care."

HiNZ said its December survey

received 358 responses from

digital health experts across the

sector, of which a quarter were

clinicians directly involved in

patient care.

Health Minister Simeon Brown

has asked officials to reconsider

the draft plan to slash the number

of data and digital roles from

2400 to 1285 as part of Health

NZ's wider Reset. Axing roles

was expected to save $100m a

year.

Pride Festival

protest: Four

arrested

AGENCIES

Police have arrested four

people as part of their

investigation into a protest during

the Auckland Pride Festival.

Officers have been investigating

complaints about protesters

actions on 15 February at the Te

Atatū Community Centre.

Around 30 adults and young

children had to be barricaded

into a room in a library in West

Auckland, when a group linked to

Destiny Church tried to drown out

a children's event taking place at

the centre as part of the annual

festival.

Police said eight victims

filed complaints with police

which have been "thoroughly

investigated" in recent weeks.

There were also six witnesses

that supplied statements.

Waitematā District Commander

Superintendent Naila Hassan

said police attended addresses

in south and west Auckland on

Wednesday morning.

"Four people were brought to

the Henderson Police Station for

interview and have since been

arrested and charged. There are

further arrests to be made, and I

strongly encourage those people

who have chosen to avoid our

staff today to pick up the phone."

IWK BUREAU

India has once again emerged

as the leading source of

overseas-born citizens in New

Zealand, with 5,777 out of 39,914

people granted citizenship in 2024

followed by the United Kingdom,

according to the Department of

Internal Affairs.

South Africans have surpassed

Filipinos, now making up the

third-largest group of overseasborn

citizens in New Zealand.

The number of Pacific Islanders

becoming New Zealanders saw a

significant 67 percent increase.

Among them, Tonga re-entered

the top 10 countries at 8th rank,

contributing to New Zealand's

new citizens, while Australia

dropped off the list.

Meanwhile, over 700 Germans

took advantage of a law change

in June last year, allowing them

to retain dual citizenship while

becoming New Zealanders. In

contrast, Chinese nationals still

have to renounce their citizenship,

which has resulted in relatively

lower numbers.

Indians have consistently

ranked among the top groups

acquiring New Zealand citizenship

for nearly a decade. Between

January 2013 and November

2023, they were second only to the

United Kingdom, which includes

England, Northern Ireland,


Scotland, Wales, and Great Britain,

followed by South Africa.

Historical data from 1949

to 2014 shows that Britain

accounted for over a quarter of

all overseas-born New Zealand

citizens, followed by China and

Migrants could get tax break

as FIF rules are reconsidered

AGENCIES

Changes are being proposed

to a tax regime that has often

been criticised for being unfair

in the way it targets investment

capital gains, even when they

aren't realised.

The government has

announced it is proposing

changes to the foreign

investment fund (FIF) rules, to

encourage investment in New

Zealand.

The proposed changes include

the addition of a new method

to calculate a person's taxable

income under the FIF regime.

Robyn Walker, a tax partner at

Deloitte, said the current settings

caused problems for many

migrants.

In general, when people own

shares in overseas companies,

they face an annual tax bill based

on 5 percent of the value of the

shares at the start of the income

year.

"These rules were essentially

brought in to reflect the fact that

a lot of companies overseas

don't pay a lot of dividends,"

Walker said.

"People were getting share

price appreciation and not being

taxed on capital gains. But they

didn't have a dividend [that was

taxed] so there was a concern

that there wasn't enough tax,

or it created a bias to invest

overseas rather than invest in

New Zealand companies that pay

more dividends."

But she said it could particularly

be a problem for people with

unlisted shares, or shares that

were restricted in some way.

"If you're not actually receiving

any income then you don't have

any cashflow to pay the tax that

arises under these methods."

There was a four-year period

where migrants to New Zealand

do not have the same tax

obligations but she said people

were coming to the end of that

and realising that if they did not

leave the country, they could

have an "astronomical" tax bill

and no cash on hand to pay it.

There were also issues of

people paying double tax,

she said. The United States'

tax rules particularly were an

uncomfortable fit with the New

Zealand regime and people could

end up being taxed twice.

"If they do sell their shares they

are taxed according to US capital

gains tax rules and the way New

Zealand would have been taxing

didn't give them a tax credit

because we're taxing something

different."

The new system would mean

that people were taxed on a

realisation basis, she said,

which would help with cashflow

and should help smooth the

interaction with overseas tax

obligations.

The changes would apply to

people who became tax residents

on or after 1 April last year.

Revenue Minister Simon Watts

said new migrants could opt for

a realisation basis when they had

investments that were not easily

disposable and were acquired

before coming to New Zealand.

"For migrants who risk being

double taxed due to their

continuing citizenship tax

obligations, this method can

apply to all their FIF interests.

"We want to act swiftly to

remove barriers for highly skilled

migrants to stay in New Zealand

and invest in the growth of our

economy, so the proposals will

be included in the next taxation

Bill, likely to be introduced around

August.

"This is an important step and

one which the private sector has

been calling for, but we need

to consider whether more can

be done. We are looking more

closely at the FIF rules and

related international tax settings

not only to encourage migration

to New Zealand, but also to

encourage our own residents to

stay and invest in New Zealand."


Hum Hindustani: India tops NZ’s

overseas-born citizen list in 2024

Children

decked up in

traditional

attire to

celebrate

Diwali in

Auckland.

(Supplied

photo)

"This is an important

step and one which

the private sector

has been calling

for, but we need to

consider whether

more can be done."

Revenue minister

Samoa. However, by 2023, India

had secured the second spot

overall and has now cemented its

position at the top for the second

consecutive year.

Professor Paul Spoonley, a

demographer, told RNZ that the

number of new citizens in New

Zealand represented a significant

increase, especially compared to

previous years.

He explained that migration

to New Zealand doesn't require

citizenship to access services

or vote, a system that has been

in place since the 1960s, with

Permanent Residence offering

nearly the same benefits as

citizenship.

He suggested that citizenship

serves both as an act of loyalty

to a new homeland and as a

practical means of obtaining a

passport, which facilitates global

movement.

He also predicted that people

from South Africa and the

Philippines would continue

migrating to New Zealand in large

numbers, keeping these countries

among the top contributors for

the foreseeable future.

Public trust

in police rises

slightly, finds

new survey

AGENCIES

The annual survey gathered

responses from 7705 New

Zealanders about their

perceptions, experiences, and

views on police.

Public trust and confidence in

police rose from 67 percent to 69

percent between October 2023

and October 2024.

Acting Deputy Commissioner

Mike Pannett said building

and maintaining high trust and

confidence within communities

was a priority for police, and it was

encouraging to see the numbers

trending in the right direction.

"These numbers are the direct

result of the hard work our staff

put in everyday when dealing with

victims of crime," he said.

Eighty three per cent of the

public believe New Zealand

Police conduct their duties

professionally, according to

the study, while 74 per cent of

respondents said they were either

satisfied or very satisfied with the

service they received when they

contacted police.

The proportion of people with no

trust and confidence in police

dropped from three per cent to

two per cent - the lowest it has

been since the survey began.

"While these results are

encouraging, we know there is

more work to do... We would like

to see these numbers continue to

increase as we want to have the

trus," said Pannett.

F E S T I V A L O F C O L O U R

May this Holi bring you the brightest hues of

happiness, laughter, and celebration!

From the team at

Barfoot & Thompson - Otahuhu

Bharat Kumar

A S S I S T A N T B R A N C H

M A N A G E R

021 912 866

Gurjeet Sekhon

B R A N C H M A N A G E R

027 282 9448

Deepika Gautam

H E A D O F P R O P E R T Y

M A N A G E M E N T

027 403 7151

Otahuhu Branch | barfoot.co.nz/otahuhu

12

NEW ZEALAND

No reason

to shy off:

Luxon on

dairy trade

with India

• continued from Pg1

For nearly eight years, the

Labour government led by

Jacinda Ardern didn’t pursue the

South Asian giant. Much of that

reluctance is attributed to littleto-no

chance of India opening up

its domestic market to Kiwi dairy

with lower tariffs. Luxon wants to

change that.

“In a world where we need

growth, you want to grow as

much as you can, and grow

all our categories and all our

sectors,” Luxon says.

“If you talk just horticulture, for

example, you look at what the

Australians have around apples…

Rockit Apples out of Australia

versus Rockit Apples out of New

Zealand…very, very different tariff

rates...

"I get it, there’s no doubt about

it, dairy will be an incredibly hard

part of the negotiation…it’ll be

very tough, very difficult, but

that’s not a reason to shy off and

say that’s a market we turn off.”

Luxon points out New Zealand

is economically a small player in

India’s scheme of things, but it

has significant value to offer. “It’s

about the presentation of that

offering,” he says.

“In our case, a lot of that’s got

to do with capacity building…huge

opportunities for us in agriculture,

food safety, bio security…there’s a

bunch of stuff in the governance

and system space that is of value

to these countries...

Scan the QR code above

to follow Prime Minister

Luxon's updates from

India on WhatsApp.

"...[there are] opportunities

around space, renewables, and

advanced agri tech. There’s huge

interest from the Indian side.”

The trip will be every bit what

Luxon has being promising even

before he became the prime

minister-that New Zealand is

finally getting serious about its

relationship with India.

For years, New Zealand’s

diplomatic efforts with India have

been half-hearted—sporadic

visits, a lack of follow-through,

and a misalignment in priorities.

The last time the two were

anywhere serious about doing

something was in 2016, whenas

officials point out-the two

sides were speaking a different

language.

RAVI BAJPAI

New Zealand is sending in

the big guns. Prime Minister

Christopher Luxon is heading to

India this weekend with some

of the country’s most influential

CEOs and industry leaders.

This isn’t just a trade trip—it’s a

full-scale commercial offensive,

with 40 power players from

aviation, banking, agribusiness,

education and tech among others.

Luxon will be in India from

March 16-20 – four nights in

national capital Delhi and one in

India’s financial capital Mumbai

– in a trip the government is

describing as “the most highprofile

and consequential trip to

India”.

The prime minister says the

roughly $2 billion of two-way

trade with India pales in front

of the $40b worth of trade with

China, despite the two countries

having similar populations.

In 2023, only about 1.5 per cent

of Kiwi exports went to India, the

world’s biggest consumer market.

Luxon’s 40-strong business

delegation includes as many as

29 CXO and Chair-level members.

Five people from the aviation

and transport sector will be

onboard, underscoring the

priority the government places

on launching the first direct flight

between the two countries.

Air New Zealand alone is

sending three of its big guns–

Chair Dame Therese Walsh,

outgoing Chief Executive Greg

Foran and Chief Digital Officer


Nikhil Ravishankar.

Chief executives of the Auckland

and Christchurch airports are also

travelling.

The dairy and agribusiness

delegation includes top

executives from Fonterra, Meat

Industry Association, Scales

Corporation, Woolworks, Zespri

and Pan Pac Forest Products.

India is the biggest student

market for New Zealand’s

education institutions and that

is reflected in the delegation.

Vice-Chancellors of University

of Auckland and University of

Waikato, Chief Executive of Te

Pukenga and Chair of Whitecliffe

Education will be travelling.

The technology and

telecommunications sector will

be represented by Spark New


Kiwi-Indians hopeful as Luxon

RNZ

The Indian community in New Zealand

is anticipating deepening ties between

the two countries as Prime Minister

Christopher Luxon takes one of the largest ever

delegations to India next week.

During the four-day trip to Delhi and Mumbai,

Luxon will sit down with his Indian counterpart

Narendra Modi, and deliver the inaugural address

at Raisina Dialogue, India's premier defence and

security conference.

Former National Party MP Kanwaljit Singh

Bakshi (2008-20), who was part of the

delegations Sir John Key took to India in 2011

and 2016, will be accompanying the PM this time

as well.

"Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has always

expressed a strong commitment to deepening

our relationship with India. This visit - where

he is leading such a large delegation there

- emphasises the importance of cultivating

bilateral relations, particularly in crucial areas

"The PM will be the first non-

European leader to do so.

This gesture reflects India's

readiness to improve relations

with New Zealand and mirrors

the growing recognition of

India's global influence."

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi

such as trade, education, technology, tourism,

and cultural exchange," Bakshi said.

The former MP called Luxon being invited

to be the keynote speaker at Raisina Dialogue

"a significant moment" in India-New Zealand

relations.

"The PM will be the first non-European leader

to do so. This gesture reflects India's readiness

"Indians already are a very

large minority group in New

Zealand. So we are close to

India in a cultural sense, and

now we need to leverage that

to bring the two countries

closer together."

Sudesh Jhunjhunwala

to improve relations with New Zealand and

mirrors the growing recognition of India's global

influence," he said.

"Reflecting on my involvement in both

delegations led by Sir John Key, which initiated

important trade negotiations, I recall the

significant progress achieved through ten rounds

of discussions between our countries.

Mean, not lean: Luxon’s business delegation

Zealand, Serko, Valocity Global

and Rakon Limited.

Cricket also takes centrestage,

demonstrating the cultural

importance of sports as a unifier

in bilateral relations. Former

Blackcaps Ross Taylor and Chief

Executive of New Zealand Cricket,

Scott Weenink, will be on the

plane.

Luxon will be the first leader

to travel to India since John Key

visited Delhi in 2016, and the first

Kiwi leader to visit India before

travelling to China, the country’s

biggest trade partner.

Luxon will mark another first

on the trip. He will be the first

non-European head of state to

be chief guest at India’s flagship

conference on geopolitics,

Raisina Dialogue.


NEW ZEALAND 13

travels to India

This history serves as a promising

backdrop for the future of our bilateral

relationship."

Prominent businesswoman Ranjna

Patel, who is part of the community

delegation accompanying the PM to India,

agreed.

"Having a big community delegation

shows the government is trying to bridge

the relationship gap we have talked about

for ages.

"When you work with the Indian

community, you have to focus on building

relationships first. The business part of it

comes later. I hope I can contribute to the

relationship part of it," she said.

Another prominent Kiwi-Indian

businessman Sudesh Jhunjhunwala, chief

executive of Sudima Hotels, noted India

is a large growing economy and New

Zealand should a part of that growth - be it

through investment, tourism, education or

free trade agreement.

"I hope the delegation [Jhunjhunwala

is part of the business delegation

accompanying the PM] can help bring

the two countries closer using their

established networks and business

associations," he said.

"Indians already are a very large minority

group in New Zealand. So we are close to

India in a cultural sense, and now we need

to leverage that to bring the two countries

closer together.

"I am hopeful we can cement those ties

with meaningful outcomes like direct flight

connectivity with India, and side trade

agreements which don't involve sensitive

"When you work with the

Indian community, you

have to focus on building

relationships first. The

business part comes later.

I hope I can contribute to

the relationship part of it."

Ranjna Patel

products like dairy."

Bharat Chawla, chair of India New

Zealand Business Council (INZBC),

welcomed the trip adding "industry

collaboration is key to trading success".

"We have been working to build

partnerships and collaborations with the

DAMIEN

O'CONNOR

Prime Minister Christopher

Luxon made a huge election

promise that he would secure a

free trade agreement with India,

but what will that deal actually

look like?

Leading a delegation to India is

always going to prove valuable for

New Zealand. Deals will be struck,

relationships strengthened, and

Indian industry in areas such as kiwifruit,

education, and fintech. And there has been

so much movement in such a short time,"

Chawla said.

"Building a wider relationship focused

on trade as well as cooperation in science,

education, culture, and sport was a key

recommendation of the INZBC report last

year. It's great to see this being picked up

in the relationship now."

New Zealand's exports to India have

risen steadily after 2022, when it stood at

$810 million.

In 2023, these were $1.22 billion, and

$1.54b last year.

Though this is still lower than the total

New Zealand exports to India in 2017,

which were $1.87b - the highest over the

last decade.

Sunil Kaushal, president of the Waitakere

Indian Association, hopes the trip will give

a much needed impetus to improving trade

relations between the two countries.

"We are hoping for some major

announcements from the two leaders

during the trip," Kaushal said.

Manisha Morar, president of the

Wellington Indian Association, expressed

hope direct flights between the two

countries was high on agenda.

"I think we will see more collaboration in

the education sector, as was highlighted

in Indian President Droupadi Murmu's

address at the New Zealand International

Education Conference in Wellington last

year," Morar said.

"There is a strong emphasis in India

on increasing access to our education

"I think we will see

more collaboration in

the education sector,

as was highlighted in

Indian President Droupadi

Murmu's address in

Wellington last year."

Manisha Morar

system, which is a positive sign. [In

addition to trade] there could be dialogue

in sports and digital areas as well," she

said.

Chawla, Morar and Kaushal are also part

of the PM's delegation going to India next

week.

progress made.

However, when Christopher

Luxon has made huge promises

about achieving free trade with

India this term, I worry that he’ll

prioritise saving face ahead of

getting the best deal for New

Zealanders.

Trade should never be political.

We’ve seen Luxon’s promise been

dubbed “ill-advised”, with

Trade Minister Todd McClay

already cushioning the blow by

claiming he’d cop the blame for

his boss, if they failed.

Leaders shouldn’t make trade

deals about themselves. It leads

to situations like these, where we

possibly see Luxon striking a deal

to save his own skin at the risk

of the dairy industry and our own

farmers losing out.

FIROZI MISTRY

The Labour Government took

significant steps in investing

in our ties with India. As Trade

Minister, I made a number of trips.

And, alongside Labour Ministers,

we built relationships through

business trips, diplomatic calls

and of course, banter about the

cricket.

There were many conversations

over our time in Government about

what a trade deal might look like

with India.

But the problem was always the

dairy sectors and our own farmers

getting a good deal into a market

that appreciates and consumes

large volumes of dairy products.

And for good reason.

India’s local farmers work hard

and compete in a small-scale way.

We know their industry leaders are

Healthcare: 'We can

learn from India'

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon

has a unique opportunity next week

during his trip to India to learn

from a country that has successfully

implemented tax-deductible health

insurance premiums. If New Zealand

adopts a similar approach, we can

significantly reduce the burden on our

overstrained public health system.

New Zealand’s public health system is

under immense pressure, with elective

surgery backlogs leaving thousands of

Kiwis in pain and uncertainty.

Last week’s announcement by Health

Minister Simeon Brown, outlining a

partnership with the private sector to clear

this backlog, is a welcome step.

However, this is merely a short-term

fix. If we truly want to reduce the burden

on our strained public health system, we

must adopt a more sustainable, long-term

solution—one that incentivizes private

health insurance through tax-free rebates.

Currently, many New Zealanders would

love to secure private health insurance

but refrain due to cost concerns. By

making health insurance premiums

tax-deductible, we provide a powerful

incentive for Kiwis to take responsibility

for their own healthcare.

This shift would lead to fewer people

relying solely on the public health system,

reducing wait times for non-elective

surgeries and freeing up critical resources

for those who need them most.

Many countries have already recognized

the benefits of such an approach. In

Australia and India, for example, premiums

paid toward private health insurance are

tax-deductible.

This policy encourages more individuals

to take up private health coverage,

very concerned about the possible

impacts on their livelihoods when

it comes to an international deal

that includes dairy.

We made good progress on

education, tourism and potential

migrants – with international

education being a key point of our

relationship.

An excellent example of this is

the New Zealand Centre at the

India Institute of Technology in

New Delhi. But there was always

that sticking point. Labour was

not prepared to abandon New

Zealand dairy farmers in any trade

deal with India.

Labour secured or upgraded

seven free trade agreements while

in Government, unlocking new

opportunities for Kiwi exporters.

We know how important it is to get

easing the strain on public hospitals,

improving health outcomes, and allowing

governments to allocate resources more

effectively.

By following suit, New Zealand stands

to gain significantly. A greater number

of insured individuals means reduced

pressure on public hospitals, leading to

better service for those who rely on the

public system.

Moreover, as more people access private

healthcare, public funding can be better

utilized to enhance overall healthcare

infrastructure, improve frontline services,

and ensure timely treatments for those

who need urgent care.

The financial case for this change is

also compelling. Instead of shouldering

the full burden of an overextended public

health system, the government could

share the load with the private sector.

With tax rebates offsetting part of the

cost, more New Zealanders would be able

to afford private insurance, leading to

overall cost savings in the long run.

Fewer hospital admissions and shorter

wait times would translate to reduced

government spending on healthcare—a

win-win situation for both taxpayers and

the system as a whole.

The government needs to act swiftly.

With an aging population and increasing

healthcare demands, our public

health system is at risk of becoming

unsustainable.

Offering tax-deductible health insurance

premiums is a practical, proven, and

financially responsible step toward

safeguarding our nation’s healthcare

future. It is time for Prime Minister

Christopher Luxon and Health Minister

Simeon Brown to seriously consider this

policy. The health and well-being of New

Zealanders must come first, and providing

incentives for private health insurance is a

crucial part of the solution.

We urge the government to take decisive

action now—before the strain on our

public health system reaches a breaking

point.

(Firozi Mistry, an Insurance Adviser

at Mazda Financial Services Ltd, has

22 years of experience in the banking

industry across India and New Zealand.

She has worked with reputed institutions

such as Canara Bank and Westpac Bank

and has been actively involved in the

financial sector, including banking and

private lending.)

'Luxon’s big trade promise with India: Will he deliver?'

right so that New Zealanders can

reap the most rewards.

Luxon must ensure any

comprehensive agreement he

signs with India, has our dairy

sector included.

Claiming they’d secure a

comprehensive free trade

agreement in this term of

government was naïve at best. A

claim that dairy could be set aside

and negotiated afterwards is also

naïve.

I do hope for New Zealand,

the trip goes well – but if Luxon

settles for anything less than an

agreement that includes our dairy

sector, then it’s a broken promise.

(The writer is a senior leader of

the Labour Party and has been

to India several times as former

trade minister of New Zealand.)


NEW ZEALAND 15

Baby shopping hack: Indians

mine South Asia for goods

BLESSEN TOM/RNZ

For many new parents in

New Zealand, the cost

of baby products can be

overwhelming.

From diapers and strollers to

clothing, the expenses quickly

add up, especially for recent

migrants who are still finding

their footing in a new country.

To ease the financial strain,

many Indian parents have

found an alternative: sourcing

baby essentials from India.

"We only bought a few things

from here, like a baby capsule

and some winter clothes," said

Archie Mohanlal, a quantity

surveyor in Auckland.

Mohanlal moved to New

Zealand in 2017 as a student.

The 31-year-old welcomed a

baby with his wife in January.

"All baby products are pretty

expensive here, so we brought

clothes and essentials like a

breast pump, baby bottles,

swaddle clothes and pregnancy

clothes for my partner [from

India]," he said.

Price comparisons highlight

the significant cost differences.

As of Thursday, the cheapest

available electric double breast

pump in New Zealand was

priced at $382.49 from Baby

Bunting, whereas the same

model was available on Amazon

India for 11,890 rupees (about

$240).

Similarly, the cheapest twinpack

baby feeding bottle that

sells in Chemist Warehouse

was $36.99, while the same

Aravind

Narayan

Suresh's

daughter

was born

in April

last year.

(Supplied

photo)

item from the same brand was

selling for 995 rupees (about

$20) in India.

According to Whānau Āwhina

Plunket, the cost of raising a

baby can reach up to $16,000

per year.

The organisation estimates

that parents would need

approximately $304 per week,

or $15,834 annually, for a

medium-spend budget.

For a high-spend budget, the

weekly cost would rise to $405.

Mohanlal said he purchased

as much as he could from India

because of the affordability.

His parents, who were visiting,

brought the products over.

"My wife ordered most of the

products from Amazon, and

it was so much cheaper," he

said. "It made us realize how

expensive some products are

here in Auckland."

Hamilton resident Aravind

Narayan Suresh, 29, shared a

similar experience.

Unlike Mohanlal, he opted to

ship a package from India.

An IT analyst, Narayan Suresh

moved to New Zealand in 2019

as an international student and

became a father in April last

year.

"It only cost me about $200

to send the package, but I

saved more than $1000 in baby

products," he said.

"Babies are expensive and

[the package] was such a big

relief for our family."

According to childcare

comparison website Care

For Kids, the average cost of

childcare in New Zealand is

$60.23 per child per day.

His shipment included

a variety of baby clothes,

particularly frocks and summer

outfits. "We feel like most of

the dresses available for girls

here are generic and not really

vibrant," he said. Other items in

his package included bathing

essentials, towels, blankets

and toys. Narayan Suresh

also noted that the quality of

products from India is often

superior to what is available in

New Zealand - and at a fraction

of the price.

"It was a no-brainer," he

said, pointing out the lack of

competition in New Zealand's

baby product market, coupled

with the absence of major online

retailers such as Amazon, had

driven up costs.

Climate: Falling

insurance cover

could hurt whole

economy, say

experts

ELOISE GIBSON & KATE NEWTON/RNZ

As insurers move towards individual risk

ratings for properties, industry leaders

have warned that a growing number of

homes could be left without insurance.

If a growing number of homes became

difficult or impossible to insure, that could

cause their value to plummet - creating a

problem for the whole economy, industry

members were told.

ANZ chief risk officer Ben Kelleher told

the recent Insurance Council conference

that New Zealanders had short memories

when it came to major flood events.

He cited a longitudinal study showing

prices drop when a major flood hits an

area, then return to their former levels

within about two years.

"What we lack is transparency of

information, so any party going into a

transaction would ideally have the same

base level of information. If I'm going to

buy a house in this location, what are its

natural hazard risks," he said.

"Right now we don't have that and

that creates winners and losers." While

potential buyers might have short

memories, insurers are acutely attuned to

the rising risks from extreme weather and

sea level rise - and they were increasingly

pricing those risks into their home

insurance policies.

Insurance leaders at the conference

called for greater information-sharing

between councils, central government,

scientists and insurance companies to

raise awareness of the hazards.

IAG chief executive Amanda Whiting said

every property in the country could have its

own hazard rating.

Wishing you a joyus and prosperous Holi filled

with vibrant colours and happiness. May this

festival bring success harmony and positivity to

you and your loved ones.

HAPPY HOLI !!

Mavana, Dabur, Vasu Healthcare

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

The people, and the people alone, are the

motive force in the making of world history.”

Indira Gandhi

Editorial

IN FOCUS : Picture of the week

Better late than

never: Why PM

Luxon going to

India is a big deal

Can Christopher Luxon deliver his election promise of getting a Free Trade

Agreement (FTA) with India? Can he ensure Kiwi dairy farmers tap into the

world’s biggest consumer market? Can he secure a direct flight between

India and New Zealand? Can Luxon do this, can Luxon do that?

Surely, the prime minister is expecting these questions as he prepares to visit India next

week. And, truth be told, there is no easy answer. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Before we gaze into the future, we must first look back. It’s been nearly nine

years since New Zealand so much as lifted a finger to do something meaningful

with India. Yes, the Labour government sent trade missions to India between 2017

and 2023. But they lacked a long-term vision—a real plan to build lasting relations

with India.

The piecemeal approach to trade got New Zealand nowhere. A senior foreign

official from that time put it succinctly: the two countries weren’t speaking the

same language.

New Zealand was focused on trading goods, whereas India sought a

broad-based relationship stretching beyond just trade. It’s no wonder those

conversations fizzled out.

Former foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta sealed the deal—or rather, undid

it—when, sharing the stage with her Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar in 2022,

she said pursuing an FTA with India wasn’t a government priority. That was the

diplomatic equivalent of shutting the door in India’s face.

It’s nothing short of a feat that Luxon has managed to secure a seat at the table

with India to start talking about the future of bilateral relations. A quick glance at

the economic big picture tells you why this is so crucial.

In 2023, for every $100 New Zealand traded globally, India accounted for

just $1.30. That’s embarrassingly low, especially for a country so dependent

on overseas markets. New Zealand’s economy is an export-driven one, with

70 per cent of its exports being goods, nearly 60 per cent of which come from

agriculture—dairy, meat, forestry, and seafood.

The country’s agricultural industry, in particular, would be in dire straits without

strong export markets, given that 90 per cent of its produce is shipped overseas.

Now, look at India. A government official recently pointed out that if New

Zealand were to export all the dairy it produces—not just what it currently exports,

but every ounce of milk produced—it would still meet only about 10 per cent of

India’s dairy needs. That statistic alone illustrates the sheer potential India’s

market holds for Kiwi products. The question is not whether India is willing to

open its market to New Zealand. The question is: for a country of its size, is India

even willing to spend time exploring that possibility?

That Luxon has gotten this far speaks volumes—not just about his commitment

to India, but also about his relatively strong grasp of how to deal with India. Unlike

his predecessors, Luxon has experience working with Indian stakeholders from his

time at Unilever.

He understands that New Zealand’s offerings alone won’t cut it—it will take

political capital to make things happen. Trade doesn’t happen in a vacuum; people

trade with people.

By prioritising relationship-building ahead of transactional trade discussions,

Luxon is playing the long game—one that New Zealand politicians should have

engaged in much sooner.

So, what outcomes can we realistically expect from Luxon’s visit? He certainly

can’t go down in history just for showing up in India. He needs to move the needle.

He insists that securing a Free Trade Agreement is a priority within his current

term. That goal, while ambitious, won’t materialise overnight. But laying the

groundwork? That’s entirely within reach. And moving the needle toward an FTA—

setting up the right framework and showing genuine commitment—would be a win

in itself.

We can also expect to see several sectoral agreements emerge from this trip.

India is keen to collaborate in space technology, renewable energy, and advanced

agritech—areas where New Zealand has expertise to offer.

These agreements might not be as headline-grabbing as an FTA, but they are

the building blocks of a more robust economic relationship. And, crucially, they

signal to India that New Zealand is serious about engagement beyond just dairy

and meat.

Luxon’s trip to India isn’t just another diplomatic tour—it’s a recalibration of a

relationship that has long been neglected. The real question isn’t whether he can

sign an FTA on this visit. The question is whether he can convince India that New

Zealand is finally ready to take this relationship seriously.

If he succeeds in that, then this trip will indeed be a big deal.

Devotees celebrate the Holi festival at Kashi Vishwanath Temple on the occasion of

Rangbhari Ekadashi in Varanasi on Monday. (ANI photo)

This week in New Zealand’s history

10 March 1869

New Zealand Cross created

This medal was created because members of New Zealand's colonial armed forces were

not eligible for the Victoria Cross. Only 23 were awarded, making it one of the world‘s

rarest military honours.

11 March 1884

New Zealand Freethought Association founded

Forty delegates from six regional associations met in Dunedin to adopt a constitution and

elect the first officeholders in the new organisation.

12 March 1864

Arthur's Pass 'discovered'

Arthur, George and Edward Dobson were searching for a route between Canterbury and

the West Coast that the chief Tarapuhi had told them about.

13 March 1956

New Zealand's first test cricket victory

New Zealand was already 3–0 down in the series going into the fourth and final test at

Eden Park in Auckland. Their West Indies opponents included household names such as

Gary Sobers and Everton Weekes, who had broken batting records for a New Zealand season.

14 March 1980

Split Enz hit no. 1

The Kiwi group’s first New Zealand no. 1 hit, from their album True colours, also topped

the charts in Australia and Canada. It reached no. 12 in Britain and no. 53 in the United

States.

15 March 1919

New Zealand troops riot in England

Four months after the end of the First World War, hundreds of New Zealand soldiers rioted

at Sling Camp on Salisbury Plain in southern England. It was the most serious breakdown

of discipline in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the European theatre.

Indian Weekender : Volume 16 - Issue 50

Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited

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

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NEW ZEALAND 17

Luxon open to

adopting some

of NZ First's

'anti-woke'

proposals

CRAIG MCCULLOCH/RNZ

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has

joined New Zealand First's anti-woke

crusade, saying he's open to adopting

some of his coalition partner's ideas.

New Zealand First last week proposed

new legislation which it said would end

"woke left-wing social engineering and

diversity targets" in the public sector.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday

morning, Luxon said he had tasked

minister Judith Collins - who was

"definitely not woke" - with overhauling

the Public Service Act to ensure it was a

"meritocracy".

Luxon said he would look at New

Zealand First's bill to see whether any of

the proposals could be incorporated in

the refresh.

"I'd just say, when we took the keys

to the place, it was pretty woke, and it's

entirely appropriate that we look at what

else we can do to make sure the public

service delivers."

Asked for examples of wokeness,

Luxon cited the Labour government's

focus on "Wellbeing Budgets", cogovernance,

and the target to reduce

prisoner numbers.

He refused to point to any cases where

he believe people had been wrongly

appointed because of diversity targets.

"We want to make sure it's a

meritocracy, meritocracy, meritocracy...

we need to make sure it's all about

meritocracy."

Speaking to media later, Collins agreed

with Luxon's assessment, declaring

herself to be "the least woke person"

around.

Collins said it was essential people

were chosen for public sector roles

based on merit and that they were

informed that was the case.

"People work really hard, in my

experience, and they really do need to

be looked at as humans, not just putting

labels on people," she said.

"People want respect. They don't want

labels."

Asked whether she believed in

"unconscious bias", Collins said she did,

having studied it in an executive course

at Harvard University.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins told

reporters it was vital that the public

service fairly represented the New

Zealand population.

NZ’s glaciers have already lost

nearly a third of their ice

Brewster

Glacier is

thinning and

retreating

because of

extremely low

retention of

winter snow

and high

summer melt

rates.

THE

CONVERSATION

New Zealand ranks

third globally in the

proportion of ice lost

from glaciers.

Almost 30% of ice volume

has melted during the past

24 years and what remains is

disappearing at an accelerating

pace, according to a recent

global assessment.

Almost 300 glaciers have now

vanished completely from New

Zealand’s mountains.

As warming temperatures

melt glaciers, the ice loss has

repercussions for climate

and water cycles. This in turn

has significant impacts on

landscapes, rivers, ecosystems

and, ultimately, people and

economies.

New Zealand is tracking

glacial ice loss closely, thanks

to a long-running monitoring

programme going back to 1977.

Each year, a team of scientists

carries out aerial surveys of

the end-of-summer snowline

to determine how much of

the previous winter snowpack

has survived the summer melt

season.

Winter snow supplies new

mass to glaciers and must

balance summer melt if glaciers

are to maintain their size.

Recent surveys have shown

that summer melt far exceeds

winter inputs.

During extremely warm years,

the winter snow pack is almost

entirely removed from some

Almost 300 glaciers

have now vanished

completely from

New Zealand’s

mountains.

glaciers and the underlying ice

has thinned by several metres.

Like a bank account where

expenses continually exceed

income, the glaciers are out

of balance. If left unchecked,

eventually the bank account

runs dry.

New Zealand is home to just

under 3,000 glaciers, covering

about 794 square kilometres

– equivalent to about 75% of

Auckland’s urban area.

Many of these ice bodies

are small. Most of the ice is

contained in just a few larger

glaciers situated close to Aoraki

Mt Cook.

We don’t have accurate

measurements of glacier

thickness but estimate they

hold as much water as Lake Te

Anau.

If all of the ice in New Zealand

melted – a possibility under

some climate scenarios for the

coming centuries – the impact

on global sea levels would be

barely perceptible, but we would

be affected in many other ways.

Physically, snow and ice

have a cooling effect on their

surrounding environment.

The highly reflective surface

of snow and ice means a high

proportion of solar radiation

(up to 90% on fresh snow) is

reflected back to space.

A reduction in seasonal

snow cover and glacial ice

due to warming increases the

absorption of solar radiation.

This further warms the

surface and adjacent air and

sets off a feedback loop that

accelerates further ice loss.

The same effect applies to

the loss of sea ice in both the

Arctic and Antarctica and is a

key reason why alpine and polar

regions warm faster than other

parts of the globe.

Loss of glacial ice also

destabilises the surrounding

landscape, with potentially

hazardous impacts. Glacial

retreat is causing weakening

and collapse of steep valley

sides that were once supported

by ice.

The lowering and flattening

of ice surfaces means rain and

meltwater form ponds that can

drain without notice.

Biologically, seasonal

snow plays an important role

in maintaining ecological

diversity.

Snow insulates and protects

alpine insects during winter and

regulates flowering times and

seed production of alpine flora.

Glacial meltwater cools

stream water, supporting coldwater

fish populations.

Furthermore, the fine silt

produced by the slow grinding of

rock under the weight of flowing

glacial ice is redistributed

by wind and rivers and can

maintain productive arable land

and help regulate atmospheric

carbon dioxide levels.

Snow and ice are also

culturally and economically

important in New Zealand.

Winter snow draws skiers and

alpinists to the mountains,

while the glaciers of the

central Southern Alps are

internationally recognised

icons that provide the economic

backbone to entire regional

communities.

The science of glacier loss is

clear: in a warming world, less

snow will be retained and more

ice will melt. This is why the

United Nations has designated

2025 the International Year

of Glaciers’ Preservation and

March 21 as the World Day for

Glaciers.

The only way to sustainably

arrest the current global

retreat of glacial ice is to

tackle the root cause: global

heating. Achieving this requires

international coordination to

move energy generation away

from fossil fuels quickly.

Failing this, we may soon

only remember our glaciers

from stories, paintings and

photographs.

(The writers are Shaun

Eaves, Andrew Lorrey, Brian

Anderson, Heather Purdie and

Lauren Vargo)

Criminal charges against meal delivery firm HelloFresh

RNZ

The Commerce Commission

has filed criminal charges

against meal delivery company

HelloFresh New Zealand for

alleged misleading behaviour.

The regulator claims the

company misled customers in cold

calls trying to get discontinued

subscribers to sign up again.

But in a statement, HelloFresh

says it had co-operated with the

Commission's investigation and

took remedial action as soon as

it became aware of the activities.

The claim related to conduct

between February 2022 and July

2023, when previous HelloFresh

customers were offered vouchers

without being told that accepting

them would reactivate their

subscription, the Commission

said.

Commission Deputy Chair Anne

Callinan said the Commission

believed HelloFresh breached the

Fair Trading Act as the conduct

resulted in some cancelled

subscriptions being reactivated

without the customers' express

knowledge or consent.

"Taking payment for services

customers aren't aware they're

buying or have not agreed

to purchase is unacceptable

behaviour," she said.

"We're concerned some

consumers have been misled

into paying for services from

HelloFresh they didn't want

through the use of misleading

wording and processes in cold

calls.

"In these calls, it was not made

clear to some customers that if

they accepted a discount voucher

offered, their subscription would

be reactivated, and their bank

account would be debited."

The Commission started an

investigation into HelloFresh

after receiving a high number of

complaints about its sign-up,

cancellation, and reactivation

processes. The charges were filed

in Wellington District Court.

HelloFresh issued a statement

in response to the decision to file

charges: "The alleged breaches

are in relation to reactivation of

cancelled subscriptions where

call centre staff did not follow our

strict processes and procedures

relating to the reactivation of

cancelled subscriptions following

offers sent to former customers.

"This practice fell well short

of our standards and should not

have happened. We sincerely

apologise to any customers who

were impacted or inconvenienced

at the time.

"Buying products online is

increasingly a way of life for

Kiwi consumers and so the

Commission is prioritising action

against illegal online sales

conduct," Callinan said.

"This includes subscription

traps, which come in many forms

and include situations where

consumers are misled into signing

up for a paid subscription without

knowing."

18

INDIA

Toilet mess

led to Air

India flight

diversion

AGENCIES

Days after its Delhi-bond

flight was forced to return

to Chicago after reports of

“unserviceable lavatories” on the

aircraft, Air India on Monday broke

its silence.

In a statement, the air carrier

said that its probe found

polythene bags, rags, and clothes

being flushed down, which got

stuck in the plumbing.

“We are aware of some

social media posts about the

unserviceable lavatories on

AI126 operating Chicago to

Delhi on 05 March 2025 that

caused the flight’s diversion

back to its origin, Chicago O’Hare

International Airport.

We would like to confirm that

as part of our investigation into

the incident, our teams found

polythene bags, rags, and clothes

that had been flushed down and

stuck in the plumbing.

This led the lavatories to

become unserviceable,” the

Air India statement said. While

saying it “fully empathised”

with the passengers who faced

discomfort and whose travel

plans were affected due to the

diversion, Air India said that the

flight departed on its time at

around 1648 Hrs (UTC), and that

it prioritised passenger comfort.

Couple killed

in suspected

honour killing

AGENCIES

young unmarried couple was

A found dead under suspicious

circumstances in Uttar Pradesh's

Baghpat raising suspicion of an

honour killing case.

According to the police, the

victims, Balram (21) and Drishti

(18) were allegedly reportedly

killed by the girl's family members

due to their secret relationship,

which the family did not approve

of.

On Sunday morning, Balram

visited Drishti's house to meet

her as her family was away.

However, upon returning home,

Drishti's father, Pushpendra,

allegedly found the couple in a

compromising position.

In a fit of rage, strangled the

duo to death with a rope, the

police said.

Locals revealed that the caste

difference between Balram and

Drishti might have played a role in

the crime as the boy belonged to

the Nai (barber) community, while

the girl was from a Jat family.

Police have arrested

Pushpendra and Drishti's cousin

Vineet after registering an FIR

based on a complaint lodged

by Balram's father Rajeshwar,

inspector Manoj Kumar Chahal

from Baraut police station said.

IWK BUREAU

Former Indian Premier

League (IPL) commissioner

Lalit Modi's Vanuatu

passport was cancelled on

Monday after the island nation's

Prime Minister, Jotham Napat,

issued a direction to the

Citizenship Commission.

Various enforcement agencies

are investigating Lalit Modi

for alleged foreign exchange

regulation violations related to a

telecast deal linked to the conduct

of the 2009 edition of the IPL.

During his stint as chairman of

the IPL governing body, he is also

accused of embezzling crores of

rupees.

The issue came to light when

Modi filed an application with

the Indian High Commission in

London on March 7 to surrender

his Indian passport.

Living in London, he is believed

to have acquired Vanuatu's

citizenship.

The island nation's citizenshipby-investment

program demands

a non-refundable ‘donation’ of

at least $130,000 (around Rs 1.3

crore) to the government.

The concerned individual need

not stay in the country and can

also hold dual citizenship.

Prime Minister Jotham Napat

said he issued instructions for

cancelling Modi's passport after


he became aware of “recent

revelations” in the international

media.

His statement asserted that

all standard background checks,

'Semi-nude men, women…’:

J&K grand mufti reacts to

Gulmarg fashion show

AGENCIES

Jammu and Kashmir’s grand

mufti Nasir-ur-Islam on

Monday strongly condemned the

fashion show held in Gulmarg

during the holy month of Ramzan,

calling it a “cultural invasion”.

"Semi-nude men and women

were walking on the ramp, which

is completely unacceptable. It

is against our traditions and

religious values.

"Legal action must be taken

against those responsible," the

grand mufti said, urging the

central government to intervene.

“...Such heinous acts are not

acceptable in Islam...We are badly

hurt and the central government

should take action in this matter

and stop such things to happen in

the soil of J&K,” he said.

The fashion show, featuring

models in skiwear, has triggered

widespread outrage, drawing

strong reactions from religious

leaders, political figures, and civil

society.

The controversy has prompted

Jammu and Kashmir chief

minister Omar Abdullah to order

an inquiry into the matter.

As the row snowballed into

a massive political outrage in

Jammu and Kashmir, designer duo

Shivan & Narresh have issued an

apology saying they deeply regret

any hurt caused their presentation

during the holy month of Ramzan.

The Delhi-based designers,

whose full names are Shivan

Bhatiya and Narresh Kukreja,

showcased their skiwear

collection on March 7 to mark the

15th anniversary of their label.

In an X post on Sunday,

Kashmir's chief priest, Mirwaiz

Umar Farooq called the fashion

show "outrageous". Omar

Abdullah also took congnisance

of Farooq's post, saying he has

ordered an inquiry into the matter,

which also triggered protests

in the Jammu and Kashmir

Assembly on Monday.

Following criticism, Shivan &

Narresh posted a statement of

apology on their official X page.

"We deeply regret any hurt

caused by our recent presentation

in Gulmarg during the holy month

of Ramadan. Our sole intention

was to celebrate creativity and the

ski & apres-ski lifestyle, without

any desire to offend anyone or any

religious sentiments.

"Respect for all cultures and

traditions is at our heart, and we

acknowledge the concerns raised.

"We sincerely apologise for

any unintended discomfort and

appreciate the feedback from

our community. We remain

committed to being more mindful

and respectful," they said in the

statement.

Kashmir's chief priest Farooq

on Sunday posted: "Outrageous!

That In the holy month of Ramzan

an obscene fashion show is

organised in #Gulmarg, pictures

and videos from which have gone

viral sparking shock and anger

among people.

"How could it be tolerated in

the valley known for its Sufi, saint

culture and the deeply religious

outlook of its people? Those

involved should be immediately

held accountable. Such obscenity

in the name of tourism promotion

will not be tolerated in #Kashmir!"

he added.

Abdullah responded to Farooq's

post, saying the shock and anger

are totally understandable.

"The images I have seen show

a complete disregard for local

sensitivities and that too during

this holy month. My office has

been in touch with the local

authorities and I've asked for a

report to be submitted within the

next 24 hours. Further action, as

appropriate, will follow from this

report," the chief minister wrote

on X.

Social activist Raja Muzaffar

Bhat described the event as an

attempt to demolish the moral,

religious and ethical values of

Kashmir.


Lalit Modi's failed Vanuatu attempt

Lalit Modi

is accused

of foreign

exchange

regulation

violations.

(Photo:

Instagram)

including Interpol screenings,

conducted during the application

stage did not show a record of

Modi's criminal conviction.

However, Napat added that he

was “made aware in the past 24

hours that Interpol twice rejected

Indian authorities' requests to

issue an alert notice on Lalit Modi

due to lack of substantive judicial

evidence.”

Emphasising that applications

seeking citizenship must be for

legitimate reasons, Napat said

that “holding a Vanuatu passport

is a privilege, not a right.”

“None of those legitimate

reasons include attempting to

avoid extradition, which the recent

facts brought to light indicate was

Modi’s intention,” the statement

said.

The prime minister suggested

that his country's authorities

should not have accepted Modi's

application.

However, he claimed that

scrutiny of applicants under

the 'Citizenship by Investment

Programme has increased in

recent years, and many individuals

have failed such stringent checks,

which included an Interpol

verification.

India may

log bumper

wheat and

maize output

AGENCIES

India is likely to produce a record

115.4 million metric tonnes of

wheat this year, the agriculture

ministry said on Monday, making

its second advance estimates.

Higher federally fixed guaranteed

prices and conducive weather

prompted farmers to expand the

area planted with high-yielding

seed varieties.

India is the world’s biggest wheat

producer after China and produced

113.3 million tonnes of the wintersown

grain in 2024, according to

the farm ministry.

A top industry body however said

the crop was nearly 6% lower than

the government’s projections.

“Under the leadership of

Prime Minister Narendra Modi,

the Central Government is

continuously working towards the

development of the agricultural

sector.

We are taking major steps to

enhance farmers’ income,” said

agriculture minister Shivraj Singh

Chouhan in a statement.

The country had banned wheat

exports in 2022 after an early

summer and a rise in temperatures

during February and March that

year shrivelled the crop.

India is set to witness a similar rise

in temperatures in March across

most wheat-growing regions, the

India Meteorological Department

said late last month in a forecast.

Analysts said higher temperatures

could threaten the wheat crop.

The grain is sown from October to

December.


WORLD 19

Mark Carney

speaks

during his

Liberal

leadership

campaign

launch in

January.

Mark Carney wins race to

replace Trudeau as Canada PM

AGENCIES

Former central banker Mark

Carney won the race to

become leader of Canada's

ruling Liberal Party and will

succeed Justin Trudeau as prime

minister, official results showed on

Sunday.

Carney will take over at a

tumultuous time in Canada,

which is in the midst of a trade

war with longtime ally the United

Statesunder President Donald

Trump and must hold a general

election soon.

Carney, 59, took 86% of votes

cast to beat former Finance

Minister Chrystia Freeland in

a contest in which just under

152,000 party members voted.

"There's someone who's trying

to weaken our economy," Carney

said of Trump, spurring loud

boos at the party gathering. "He's

attacking Canadian workers,

families, and businesses. We can't

let him succeed."

"This won’t be business as

usual," Carney said. "We will

have to do things that we haven’t

imagined before, at speeds we

didn’t think possible."

Trudeau announced in January

Applying for Green

Card? US may require

social media info

AGENCIES

Want to apply for a green

card? You might soon be

required to include details

about your social media

accounts on your immigration

application.

The United States

Department of Homeland

Security (DHS) announced

in a notice in the Federal

Register on March 5, 2025,

that it will need social media

information on applications

from millions of immigrants

desiring citizenship and green

card benefits.

The DHS claims that this is in

accordance with the executive

order that President Donald

Trump signed on his first day

in office on January 20th,

“Protecting the United States

from Foreign Terrorists and

Other National Security and

Public Safety Threats.”

The directive instructs

federal agencies to improve

their vetting and screening

processes for immigrants.

It calls for an evaluation

of immigration and visa

procedures for security

threats and restores some

of the previous Trump

administration's measures.

The notice states that in

order to confirm applicants'

identities and evaluate security

or public safety concerns, US

Citizenship and Immigration

Services (USCIS) will gather

social media handles

information but not passwords.

The policy may impact over

3.5 million (35 lakh) people,

according to the agency's

estimations. Officials say it will

improve fraud detection.

US military cancels

'crap' climate studies

AGENCIES

The U.S. military is

canceling more than 90

studies, including some that

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete

Hegseth dismissed as climate

change "crap."

Military and intelligence

officials have over the past

decade identified potential

security threats from climate

change that include natural

disasters in densely populated

coastal areas and damage

to American military bases

worldwide.

"The does not do climate

change crap," Hegseth posted

on X on Sunday. Hegseth took

office in President Donald

Trump's new administration on

January 25.

An official Pentagon account

then reposted a screenshot of

a story quoting Hegseth using

the word and added: "Fact

check true."

The Pentagon said in a

separate statement that it

would be scrapping 91 social

science-related studies on

topics ranging from global

migration patterns and climate

change impact to social trends

and would save $30 million in

a year.

It listed as canceled

studies including "Social and

Institutional Determinants of

Vulnerability and Resilience to

Climate Hazards in the African

Sahel" and "Food Fights:

War Narratives and Identity

Reproduction in Evolving

Conflicts."

A Pentagon study in 2018

found that nearly half of all U.S.

military sites were threatened

by weather linked to climate

change. During the previous

administration, the Pentagon

had said it would include

the risk of climate change in

military simulations and war

games.

Adopted Chinese man finds out sister lived 500m away

AGENCIES

A

Chinese man who

unexpectedly learned he

was adopted 34 years ago

was left even more shocked when

he discovered that his biological

sister had been living just 500

metres away from him. According

to a report by South China

Morning Post, the man, Zhang Lei,

made the life-changing discovery

after a heated family argument.

Zhang, 36, an advertising

company owner from Nanyang

in Henan province, had always

believed he was the biological son

of his adoptive parents.

His belief was reinforced by a

that he would step down after

more than nine years in power as

his approval rating plummeted,

forcing the ruling Liberal Party to

run a quick contest to replace him.

"Make no mistake, this is

a nation-defining moment.

Democracy is not a given.

Freedom is not a given. Even

Canada is not a given," Trudeau

said.

Carney, a political novice, argued

that he was best placed to revive

the party and to oversee trade

negotiations with Trump, who is

threatening additional tariffs that

could cripple Canada's exportdependent

economy. Trudeau has

imposed C$30 billion of retaliatory

tariffs on the United States in

response to tariffs Trump levied on

Canada.

"My government will keep our

tariffs on until the Americans

show us respect," Carney said.

Carney's win marks the first time

an outsider with no real political

background has become Canadian

prime minister.

He has said his experience as

the first person to serve as the

governor of two G7 central banks

- Canada and England - meant

he was the best candidate to deal

baby photo he carried in his wallet,

assuming it was his own.

However, everything changed

during a family dispute while his

wife was pregnant. In a moment of

anger, his adoptive mother blurted

out the shocking truth—that

Zhang was not their biological

son. The revelation shattered him,

and his mother even suggested

severing family ties.

A journey to find his roots

Deeply affected by the

revelation, Zhang moved out of

his parents’ home. Following the

birth of his own son, he decided to

uncover his origins.

“My wife always told me, ‘At

with Trump.

The prospect of a fresh start for

the Liberal Party under Carney,

combined with Trump's tariffs

and his repeated taunts to annex

Canada as the 51st U.S. state, led

to a remarkable revival of Liberal

fortunes.

At the start of 2025 the party

trailed by 20 or more points but

is now statistically tied with the

official opposition Conservatives

led by career politician Pierre

Poilievre in several polls.

At a protest outside Canada's

Parliament building in Ottawa on

Sunday, dozens of Canadians held

up signs protesting Trump with no

reference to domestic politics.

"There is a rallying-around-theflag

moment that we would never

have predicted a year ago," said

University of British Columbia

politics professor Richard

Johnston.

"I think it's probably true as

we speak that the Liberals have

been saved from oblivion." Polls

though indicate that neither the

Liberals nor the Conservatives

would be able to form a majority

government. An election must be

held by October 20.

the very least, you should find out

where you come from. No matter

how your biological parents

treated you, you need to know

where your roots are,’” Zhang told

China’s state broadcaster CCTV.

Unbeknownst to him, over

100km away in Zaoyang, Hubei

province, a woman named Xiong

Lianxian had spent more than

three decades searching for her

missing son, Liu Weiwei.

A family’s painful search

Xiong and her husband once

operated an oil shop and were

often busy with work, leaving their

daughter, Liu Yan, to care for her

younger siblings, including her

little brother, Liu Weiwei.

Tragedy struck in 1991 when

two-year-old Liu Weiwei went

missing after Liu Yan briefly left

him to fetch water.

A police investigation

determined that the toddler had

been kidnapped, leading his

devastated family on a desperate

but fruitless search.

In 2015, Xiong’s husband

passed away, never having

reunited with their son.

Breakthrough after decades

In August 2024, Zhang’s wife

came across an online platform,

Xiao Zhenyu’s Search Studio, and

urged him to register his details.

Since previous DNA searches

had failed, the studio took a

different approach, analysing

Zhang’s ancestral background.

Their efforts led them to a

man named Liu Tishun, who was

identified as a potential relative.

Through him, Zhang was finally

connected to Xiong, confirming

that he was, in fact, her longlost

son, Liu Weiwei. A DNA test

further verified their biological

relationship.

While reuniting with his birth

family was emotional, Zhang

was stunned to learn another

unbelievable truth—his biological

sister, Liu Yan, had been living in

Nanyang all along.

20

FEATURE

Ingredients

• 400 gm chicken

• 3 tablespoon lime juice

• 2 teaspoon honey

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 tablespoon spice paprika

• 1 1/2 cup beer

• 7 cloves minced garlic

• salt as required

• 3 tablespoon cilantro

Method

• Wash and clean the chicken,

cut them into desired pieces

and pat dry. Next, take a bowl

and add beer, lime juice, honey,

garlic, salt, paprika, pepper and

cilantro. Mix all the ingredients

and let the honey dissolve

completely.

• In the next step add the chicken

pieces to the bowl and and

marinate for about half an hour.

• Preheat the grill, and place the

chicken pieces after removing

the excess marinate. You can

keep the marinade for basting

the chicken and grill by flipping

sides. Place the chicken pieces

on the grill and let them cook

for 5-7 minutes each side or

until the chicken is tender and

juices run clear.

• Serve hot with lemon, green

chili sauce/green chutney.



Beer and lime chicken Chicken lemon coriander soup

Ingredients

• 250 gm chicken

• 1 inch ginger

• 1 green chilli

• black pepper as required

• 1 teaspoon vinegar

• 2 tablespoon lemon juice

• 5 cloves garlic

• 10 sprigs coriander leaves

• 2 teaspoon corn flour


• 1 tablespoon water

Method

• Add all the chicken in a pot and fill the pot with

Chilli chicken

Ingredients

• 500 gm chopped chicken

• 1/2 cup corn flour

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste

• 2 tablespoon sliced green chilli

• 2 tablespoon vinegar


• 1 beaten egg

• 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste

• 2 cup chopped onion

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1/2 cup sunflower oil

• 1/2 cup sliced capsicum (green

pepper)

• For Garnishing

Carefully place the chicken

pieces in the oil until cooked

through. Remove and drain

excess oil on absorbent paper.

Meanwhile, heat 1 or 2 tbsps

of oil in a separate pan over

medium flame. Once the oil is

sufficiently hot, add the onions

and fry for 2-3 minutes till they

turn translucent. Then add the

capsicum and green chillies

and mix well again. You can

also add some dry roasted

green chillies to accentuate the

taste. Moreover, If you prefer

• 1 handful chopped spring the dish extra spicy, you can

onions

Method

• To make this delicious recipe,

begin with washing the chicken

in some lukewarm water and

rinse it again in cold water.

Then take a large bowl and

combine chicken, eggs, gingergarlic

paste and cornflour in it.

Mix all the ingredients properly.

You can also drizzle a little

water to the batter to coat the

chicken pieces evenly. Once

done, refrigerate the chicken

for 1-2 hours.

• After 1-2 hours, take out the

marinade. Next, heat oil in a

deep pan over a high flame.

also add some vinegar-soaked

green chillies to this recipe, as

it adds to the taste and flavour.

(optional)

• When the veggies are partially

cooked, add soy sauce, vinegar,

chicken and salt. Mix all the

ingredients well and make sure

that the chicken is well coated

in the sauces. Keep stirring so

that the chicken does not stick

to the pan.

• Once done, remove and transfer

the dish to a bowl. Garnish with

the spring onions and roasted

sesame seeds (optional) and

serve it to your family and

friends.

water up to a level where it covers the chicken. Add

1 tbsp of salt, ½ inch ginger and a few coriander

leaves. Let this boil for 15 minutes

• Take the chicken out of the pot and let it cool down.

Once it cools down, start shredding the chicken

using either fork or knife. Meanwhile, add some

butter in a pan and add chopped garlic and ginger

to it. along with green chilli slit in half.

Indian grilled chicken pasta

Ingredients

• 150 gm halved chicken

• 5 gm salt

• 10 gm green olives

• 5 gm garlic

• 70 gm pasta penne

• tomato chili sauce as required

• barbeque sauce as required

• black pepper as required

• 30 gm lettuce leaf

• 10 gm cherry tomatoes

• 10 ml virgin olive oil

• 5 gm thyme

• 50 ml cocktail sauce

• mayonnaise as required

• tomato ketchup as required

Method

• To make this delicious recipe,

preheat the grill to a high heat.

Apply steak seasoning on the

chicken halves. (Note: steak

seasoning can be prepared

by mixing together salt, black

pepper, garlic and a tiny dash

of chili flakes)

• Now, grease the grill gate and

put the chicken to grill. Cook

Fried chicken momos

Ingredients

• 2 cup all purpose flour

• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder


• 2 cup refined oil

• For Filling

• 1 cup chicken

• 1 tablespoon garlic

• 1/4 tablespoon vinegar

• 1/2 cup onion

• 1/2 tablespoon light soya

sauce

• 1/4 tablespoon black pepper

Method

• To prepare this delicious

chicken momos recipe, mix allpurpose

flour, salt and baking

powder in a dough kneading

plate and knead to a stiff

dough using a little water. Keep

it aside to rest for at least 30

minutes before you make balls

out of it.

• Put a saucepan over medium

flame and heat 1 tbsp oil in it.

When the oil is hot enough, add

finely chopped onion and garlic

to it.

• Once they are cooked until soft,

add the chicken.

• Turn the heat high and take it

off the heat until the chicken

is almost cooked. Do not cook

it completely. Mix in the soya

sauce, salt, vinegar and black

pepper.

• Roll the dough thin (translucent)

and cut into 4"-5" rounds.

• Take a wrapper, wet the edges

and place some filling in the

centre, bring edges together to

cover the filling, twist to seal

and fill the rest in the same

way.

• Put a steamer over medium

flame and steam these chicken

momos for about 10 minutes,

and leave them to cool.

• Meanwhile, heat some oil in

a wok and once the oil is hot

enough, carefully slip these

steamed momos in it and

deep-fry them. Remove on

• Once the ginger and garlic cook nicely, add in 1 cup

of chicken stock and about 2 cups of water along

with the shredded chicken and bring this to a boil.

Season it with salt and pepper and add vinegar. To

this, add a cornflour slurry and coriander leaves

along with the juice of 2 lemons. Serve hot with

some toasted bread!

each side of the chicken for 6 to

8 minutes or until the juices are

cleared out. After the chicken

is grilled, remove from heat

and allow them to cool. Cut the

halves of chicken into strips.

• In the meanwhile, take a deep

bottomed vessel and boil

the penne pasta in a slightly

salted water.

• Boil the pasta for around 8 to

10 minutes or until it turns soft.

Now, drain the water and rinse

the pasta with cold water to

cool it down.

• Next, take a large mixing bowl

and combine all the sauces,

mayonnaise, olive, lettuce and

cherry tomatoes together.

Pop in the pasta and chicken

into the mixture and toss well.

You are now ready to rock this

amazing dish.

a kitchen napkin to soak the

extra oil. Serve hot with spicy

chutney!

Tips

• For Fried Chicken Momos,

make sure you have steamed

them before deep frying. If you

don't follow this step, there are

chances that momo skin will

tear up in hot oil.

• While frying the momos, make

sure that you balance the heat

of hot oil. It should be neither

too hot nor too warm as it can

hamper the momo skin.


ENTERTAINMENT 21

'Stop trolling her':

Kannada star stands

by Rashmika

Aamir was on

6-month break

when 'Dil Chahta

Hai' came along

Veteran lyricistscreenwriter

Javed

Akhtar on Sunday said

his son Farhan Akhtar went

to Bollywood superstar Aamir

Khan with the script of his

directorial debut "Dil Chahta

Hai" at a time when the actor

was on a six-month break

from narrations.

At the press conference

of PVR-INOX's "Aamir Khan:

Cinema Ka Jadugar", Javed

Akhtar recalled the incident

that Aamir once shared with

him.

"'I'd told my secretary that I

will not listen to any script for

the coming six months'. Then

this boy came to the set where

he was shooting. Aamir said, 'I

recognised that he is your son,

first by his face and then by

his name. So, I told him that I

am not listening to any script

till six months. I asked him to

come by later'.

"He told me, 'I was waiting

for you to call me, saying 'he

is my son, listen to the script'.

But after 10 days, you didn't

call me, I understood that he

didn't speak to his father. I

became curious. I thought the

boy had some guts that he

didn't talk to his father despite

knowing he shares good

relations with Aamir Khan. So, I

decided to listen to the script'.

The moment the narration

ended, Aamir said yes," the

noted writer told reporters

here. Later, Farhan Akhtar went

to his father and asked him to

read the script of "Dil Chahta

Hai".

She is a Kannada star

who rules the roost

despite not having

had a film release in nearly

a decade.

The Sandalwood Queen,

as Kannada actor Ramya is

popularly known, recently

defended Rashmika

Mandanna, who was

recently asked during the

promotion of her latest

Hindi film, Chhaava,

where she was from and

she replied, “I’m from

Hyderabad.”

This did not go down

well with Kannadigas

given that she started her

film career in the Kannada

film industry and found

success in Sandalwood

before she moved to the

Telugu film industry.

Rashmika was heavily

trolled online for ‘denying

her roots’.

In response to the trolling

of Rashmika, Ramya

came out in support of the

Pushpa actor and said,

“People should stop this

culture of trolling. I see

how Rashmika is getting

attacked daily and feel bad

about it. She is always at

the receiving end.”

Rashmika has also

posted certain posts on

Instagram that reflect her

state of mind.

Never imagined 'Sholay' would

receive so much love: Ramesh Sippy

Veteran director Ramesh

Sippy on Sunday said that

even after 50 years of its release,

"Sholay" still drawing audiences

to theatres is a testament to its

enduring love across generations.

The filmmaker attended a

special screening of his 1975

blockbuster, which completes

five decades of its release this

year, at Jaipur's Raj Mandir

Cinema on the sidelines of the

2025 International Indian Film

Academy Awards here.

Regarded as one of the greatest

Hindi films of all time, "Sholay"

featured Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad

Khan, Dharmendra, Amitabh

Bachchan, Hema Malini, and Jaya

Bachchan. Penned by Salim-

Javed, the movie was released on

August 15, 1975.

"Even after 50 years of 'Sholay',

we are celebrating it, and

people are still coming to see

it. It's proof enough that people

loved the film, and loved it for

everything that was in it. From

the story, dialogues, emotions,

action, adventure, performances,

everything...

"I definitely had a feeling

that we are going out to make

something really good. But, I

never imagined the kind of love,

appreciation, and success it

would receive. But stepping into

it was definitely with a purpose of

trying to make something which

had not been made before. I

didn't know how far I would get,"

Sippy told reporters at a postscreening

press conference.

The director credited his cast

and crew for helping him realise

his vision of "Sholay".

"I had a lot of wonderful people

working with me, from star cast

to technicians to the entire staff,

each and every member of the

staff who looked after not just the

technical side, just even picking

up stones and looking after the

horses...Everyone mattered.

Otherwise, it would not have been

possible to put together such a

difficult film."

Govinda recalls days when people in

Bollywood 'conspired' against him

Bollywood actor Govinda

has been away from the

film industry for a long

time. While he occasionally

appears as a guest on reality TV

shows and special events, he has

not had any films in the past six

years. In a recent conversation

with Mukesh Khanna on his

YouTube channel Bheeshm

International, the actor claimed

that Bollywood conspired against

him.

Govinda on rejecting

projects

Govinda recalled the time when

he had no work and said, "When

they were writing that I didn’t

have work, I had actually turned

down films worth ₹100 crore. I

would look in the mirror and slap

myself for refusing that money.

I told myself, ‘You have gone

mad; you could have financed

yourself with that money.’ The

films had the same kind of roles

that are working well these days."

However, Govinda defended his

decision, saying that one should

always listen to their heart and

sense what is right because

being honest with oneself is most

important.

Govinda says Bollywood

conspired against him

Speaking about why he

decided to join politics, Govinda

claimed that people in Bollywood

conspired against him. He said,

"I went through a defamation

phase, and it was pre-planned.

They wanted to remove me from

the industry. I understood that

these were all educated people,

and I, an uneducated outsider,

had entered their space. So they

started playing games with me.

I can't take their names because

I am still surviving because of

the work I did in the industry. Jab

mere saath shariantra shuru hue,

maranpryog shuru hue. Ghar ke

bahar bahut saare log gun ke

saath pakde gaye, bahut saare

log marne ke alag alag tareeke

nikalne lage. Fir shariantra ke

baad mera nature badal gaya."

(When conspiracies against me

began, even attempts on my

life started. Many people were

caught outside my house with

guns, and different methods

to eliminate me were being

devised. After these conspiracies,

my nature changed. I thought,

whether or not I engage in

politics, this is how things are.)

Govinda was last seen in

Rangeela Raja, which was

released in 2019. The comedy

film, directed by Sikander Bharti

and written and produced by

Pahlaj Nihalani, starred Govinda

in a dual role alongside Mishika

Chourasia and Anupama

Agnihotri. However, the film

failed at the box office. During

his appearance on The Great

Indian Kapil Show last year, the

actor revealed that he has three

projects in the pipeline.

Meanwhile, on the personal

front, Govinda recently made

headlines after rumours of his

divorce from his wife.

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