Indian Weekender 9 December 2016

9 DEC2016
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NEW ZEALAND
9 December 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz
Prime Minister resigns,

shocks the nation
Rizwan Mohammad
rime Minister John Key on Monday,

December 5, announced his decision to
resign in a weeks time from his position.
Mr Keys expectation is that the National
Party caucus will hold a special meeting on
December 12 to select a new leader.
In an emotional speech, Mr Key announced
his decision to leave the leadership of the
National Party and to step down as the prime
minister of the country.
It has been an enormous privilege to be
Prime Minister of New Zealand, and these last
eight years have been an incredible experience.
Mr Key said.
Reports say that the prime ministers close
staffs were made privy about this incoming
announcement a day before going to public.
Mr Keys speech suggested that he intended
to give enough time to the new leader before the
next general elections in 2017.
Just a few days ago I marked the anniversary
of my eighth year as Prime Minister and my
tenth as leader of the National Party.
Such an occasion seems a fitting time to not
only take stock of the past 10 years, but to look
forward, Mr Key said.
He cited the immense pressure on his
supportive family during his political career as
the driving factor behind his resignation.
Throughout these years, I have given
everything I could to this job that I cherish, and
this country that I love.All of this has come

at quite some sacrifice for the people who are
dearest to memy family.
For my wife Bronagh, there have been
many nights and weekends spent alone, many
occasions that were important to her that I
simply could not attend, he added.
The National Party is in great shape.Bill
English has told me that in all his years here,
ours is the most cohesive Cabinet he has seen.
But I do not believe that, if you asked me if
I was committed to serving out a fourth term
that I could look the public in the eye and
say yes.
Mr Key has conveyed the Governor-General
and Cabinet coalition partners that he will be
leaving his position on December 12.
Thishas been the hardest decision I have
ever made, and I do not know what I will do
next. But for me, this feels the right time to go,
Mr Key said.
Anticipating the disorient that accompanies
any leadership transition, Mr Key has endorsed
his trusted colleague and deputy for last 10
years, Deputy PM Bill English, if Mr English
chose to bid for the leadership role.
Leader of the Opposition Andrew Little
acknowledged Mr Keys service to the nation:
John Key has served New Zealand generously
and with dedication. I wish him and his family
the best for the future.
Although we may have had our policy

differences over the years, I respect the prime
ministers decision to stand down.
Well, he has certainly led this country
through pretty difficult times. He has been there
at the end of the global financial crisis, he has
been there at the times of natural disaster like
the earthquake in Christchurch, and he has
provided that reassurance that New Zealand
had needed, Mr Little said.
The Labour leader asserted that the party has
been preparing for the next general elections
in 2017 and is confident to stand against any
National Party candidate for the top job.
Labour is ready and willing to contest
the 2017 general election. We will present a
credible choice for people and look forward to
the opportunity to contest the election on our
values and vision for New Zealand, Mr Little
said in a media statement.
The business community of New Zealand is
calculating the aftermath of Keys resignation
may bring to the economy of the country.
The announcement of Prime Minister
John Keys resignation has come as yet another
surprise and shock on the political scene this
year, PwCs Corporate Treasury Advisory
Roger Kerr said.
The National Party caucus will vote on
Monday, December 12, to elect a new leader
and prime minister of the country.
NEW ZEALAND
www.iwk.co.nz | 9 December 2016
John Keys tryst with India
(Top) John Key with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to India
and (above) Mr Key with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee during latters visit to
New Zealand
thinking has also been undergoing

some significant changes from seeing
itself as a sub-continental power to a
maritime power. The vast stretches of
South Pacific Ocean and the island
nations in that region, including New
Zealand, gradually started gaining
traction in Indias overall strategic
thinking. At home, New Zealand

has just recently managed to sign a
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with
China under the previous Labour
government, which has a potential to
significantly increase bilateral trade
between the two countries and bring
more prosperity to New Zealand. Mr
Learn computing
skills
2014 when Narendra Modi became

the new Prime Minister of India
riding on a massive mandate for
domestic economic reforms in India.
Since then, there has been a lot of
anticipation in enhancing bilateral
trade between both the countries.
Towards this goal, Mr Key again
visited India earlier in October
this year. The two main issues that
attracted major attention in his
second visit were FTA and Indias
request for New Zealands support in
gaining membership of elite Nuclear
Supplier Group (NSG). Once again,
this visit was not short of personal
bonhomie between Mr Key and
Mr Modi, although fell short of
achieving mutually desired goals.
In conclusion to Mr Keys tryst
with India, there are two important
unfulfilled goals. First, he has
invested significant emotional energy
in securing an FTA with India and
would have wished to leave a legacy
like Helen Clarks FTA with China.
His early retirement plan may have
left that goal unachieved. Similarly,
for India, Mr Keys departure may
have an effect on Indias efforts in
gaining entry into the coveted NSG.
He has personally taken great strides
in understanding Indias energy
needs and commitment to global
climate change that are driving its
current desire to get access to NSG.
John Key will be missed by
India, too.
See John Keys Indian connect, in
pictures on page 4
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827
rime Minister John Key

can safely take credit of
repositioning New Zealands
bilateral relationship with India. New
Zealands bilateral relationship with
India has always been underpinned
on Commonwealth ties, shared
democratic values, people-to-people
relations and sporting links between
the two countries.
However, it is to the credit of PM
Key to take leadership in taking
this relationship to a different level.
Although much remains to be
achieved in this bilateral relationship,
still there is a remarkable progress in
the way two nations have begun to
see each other since the beginning of
21st century.
Mr Key came to power in New
Zealand (2008) when Indias
political and economic environment
was maturing after a tumultuous
decade of the 1990s. India in the
90s witnessed tremendous changes
and its world view then can at best
be described as evolving. In India,
economic socialism has given way to
liberalisation and globalisation and
political idealism was replaced by a
new found pragmatism and realism
in the foreign policy.
Since the beginning of the 21st
century, India has begun attracting
significant global attention due to its
decade-long high economic growth
and the hard power capabilities.
Added to this, Indias strategic
Key was looking towards the second

fastest growing major economy in the
world for bringing more prosperity
in New Zealand and stability and
world peace.
It was in these circumstances that
New Zealand and India were both
looking towards each other that
Mr Key took the initiative to build
bridges with India and launched
the famous NZ-India Inc Strategy.
Initiated in 2011, the stated vision
of this strategy was to make India a
core trade, economic, and political
partner for New Zealand by 2015.
Working towards this goal, Mr Key
visited India for the first time in 2011
on the invitation of the then Indian
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan
Singh. During this visit, Mr Key was
accompanied by Trade Minister Hon
Tim Groser, a high-level business
delegation. Both prime ministers
discussed the possibility of FTA
between the two countries and agreed
to create a task force to coordinate
efforts towards this direction.
It will not be an exaggeration to
say that post this visit , the mutual
bonhomie between the political elites
of the two countries was elevated to
a level unseen before. The personal
effect of Mr Keys charisma on Indian
political elites cannot be undermined.
Since then, Prime Minister Key
has been regularly meeting Indian
leadership on the sidelines of many
global events and conferences around
the world. This continued even after
the change of government in India in
Future
Sandeep Singh
NEW ZEALAND
The end of another innings: time to move on

John Key,
Outgoing PM of New Zealand
his week I announced

my resignation as Prime
Minister and Leader of the
National Party.
This was the hardest decision Ive
ever had to make but for me this feels
the right time to go.
Throughout my 14 years in
Parliament, including eight years
as Prime Minister, I have given
everything I could to this job that I
cherish, and this country that I love.
Being leader of both the National
Party and the country has been an
incredible experience.
Along with my Cabinet and
National Party Caucus colleagues, we
have helped create a more confident,
outward-looking and multi-cultural
New Zealand that competes and
succeeds on the world stage.
Simply put, for me, being
Prime Minister has been the most
remarkable, satisfying and exciting
time of my life.But despite the
amazing career I have had in
On the day I walk from the

Parliament buildings for the
last time, I will leave a richer person for
the experience, and hoping and believing
that New Zealand has been well served
by the Government I led.
politics, all of this has come at

quite some sacrifice for the people
who are dearest to me - my family.

I want to spend more time with my
wife Bronagh and our two children

Stephie and Max.
I have also never seen myself as
a career politician, and I certainly
never wanted my success in politics
to be measured by how long I spent
in Parliament.
More than anything else in my
time in Parliament, I have tried
to be straight and true with New
Zealanders. I believe a leadership
change, for the right reasons and
handled well, is good for a political
party.It allows for fresh thinking and
new ideas.
For all these reasons, I made the
decision to step down as Leader
of the National Party and as
Prime Minister.
On Monday, December 12,
National MPs will hold a special
caucus meeting to select a new leader
and later that day I will tender my
resignation to the Governor-General.
The National Party is in great
shape and I absolutely believe we can
win the next election.
LOOKING BACK:
Announcing my resignation this

week gives the Cabinet and National
Caucus plenty of time to settle in
with a new leader before heading into
the next election with a proud record
of strong economic management, a
commitment to the most vulnerable
in our society and lots of ideas to
keep lifting New Zealanders up in
the world.
While I intend to stay in
Parliament long enough to avoid the
cost and inconvenience a by-election
would cause the good people of my
electorate of Helensville, I will at an
appropriate time prior to the next
election step down as a Member
of Parliament.
On the day I walk from the
Parliament buildings for the last
time, I will leave a richer person
for the experience, and hoping and
believing that New Zealand has been
well served by the Government I led.
Last but not least, I wish to put
on record my everlasting gratitude
to the New Zealand public for their
support, faith and encouragement.
It has been my absolute privilege to
serve you all.
JOHN KEYS INDIAN CONNECT
Andrew Little cancels

India visit again
I
Sandeep Singh
n a span of two months, Labour Leader

Andrew Little has to cancel his India visit
the second time.
Earlier, it was due to the shock waves
of the deadly Kaikoura earthquake in the
South Island.
Now, it is due to the political shock waves
send by the surprise resignation of the Prime
Minister John Key.
NEW ZEALAND
The Labour Leader was scheduled to

depart for India on Tuesday, December 6.
However, when Mr Key chose to surprise
the nation on Monday and announce
his resignation, Mr Little called off his
India visit.
Mr Little was scheduled to travel directly to
New Delhi and meet several high-level ministers
in the Indian government.
Year of missed India visits
n a rare tweak of destiny, the year 2016

can be safely declared as a year of botched
India visits from the New Zealands
political elites.
Till now there have been three occasions of
scheduled visit from the New Zealand Prime
Minister and the Leader of Opposition and
all three have their shares of forced delay
and cancellation.
It started in October when Prime Minister
John Keys official Royal New Zealand Air
Force Boeing 757 broke down in Townsville
in Australia, en-route to India.
Earlier it was anticipated as a minor
technical snag, however, later turned out to
be a major technical problem floundering
repeated attempts to take off from the
Australian town.
Eventually, the flight had to be aborted, and
another New Zealand Defence Force plane
was called from Antarctica to take the Prime
Minister entourage to India.
There was more than twelve hours delay
which necessitated the cancellation of
Mumbai leg of PMs India trip.
Mumbai is the financial centre of India,

and many important business-to-business
engagements between the two countries had
to be abandoned due to that forced delay.
Subsequently, Labour Leader Andrew
Littles two successive plans to travel India in
a span of two months were cancelled due to
unforeseen circumstances.
Apart from this, another interesting
though a trivial, connection between India
and New Zealands political elites is the
fact that Prime Minister Keys India visit in
October was his last official bilateral visit to
any foreign country as the Prime Minister of
the country.
Mr Key had travelled to Peru to attend
the APEC Economic Leaders meeting from
November 19-20.
Before Peru, Prime Minister was scheduled
to travel to Argentina for an official
bilateral visit which was cancelled due to
Kaikoura earthquakes.
Thus, making the India visit as his last
official bilateral visit, in the capacity as the
Prime Minister of New Zealand.
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NEW ZEALAND
Mt Roskill gets a new MP after three decades

Sandeep Singh
t
Roskill
electorate
gets a new MP for the
first time in almost
three decades.
The by-election was necessitated
when Phil Goff, the longstanding
Labour
MP
vacated
the
parliamentary seat after being elected
as Aucklands Mayor.
The
overwhelming
electoral
verdict handed in favour of Labours
Michael Wood does not do complete
justice with the tense pre-election
campaigning in the constituency. It
also does not vindicate the perceived
close call projections made by many
media commentators before the
election night.
On the contrary, the results on
election night on Saturday, December
3, made it appear as almost a nocontest where Mr Wood romped
home in style to resurrect himself
and the Labour Party by winning
the much hotly contested Mt Roskill
by-election. The final vote count
confirmed Mr Woods tally of
total votes at 11,170a clear
majority of 6518 over his nearest
rival Dr Parmjeet Parmar of the
National Party.
As expected in any by-election,
there was a low voter turnout (35.6 per
cent) where only 16,857 voters turned
out to cast their ballot as opposed to
a total of 47,266 enrolled voters in
Mt Roskill.
In the last general election
(2014), 33,392 in the Mt Roskill
electorate voted.
Michael Wood and Labour Party leader Andrew Little at the celebrations
Dr Parmar conceded her defeat

in a post-result media stand up
and extended congratulations to
Mr Wood.
The atmosphere at the Winstone
Park Tennis Club, which was hosting
the election night reception for the
Labour candidate, was electrifying.
Labour leader Andrew Little, who
was apparently under pressure to
save this traditional Labour bastion,
finally breathed a sigh of relief with
the outcome.
Mr Wood, ecstatic with the results,
thanked his supporters and voters for
entrusting their confidence in him.
He pledged to follow Phil Goffs
legacy of caring and nurturing
his electorate. Undeniably, Mr Wood
has saved the Labours bastion

for now. There is no doubt that the
Labour Party was under tremendous
pressure to retain its traditionally
safe seat.
National has been playing an
intense mind game since the start of
campaigning by claiming to be under
no pressure to win the Mt Roskill
seat, thus shifting all the pressure
on the Labours. The outgoing
prime minister has intensified the
pressure on the Labour leader just
before the end of the campaign
by stating, I think if Mt Roskill
was to go to National, then I think
really that would be terminal for
Andrew Little.
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I think
if Mt
Roskill was to go
to National, then
I think really that
would be terminal
for Andrew Little
Against this backdrop, it will not be

an exaggeration to suggest that the
Labour has done well in taking up
the challenge thrown upon them by
the National in this by-election.
Mr Little has taken the lead early
in, setting the momentum for the byelection by bringing forward the light
rail project on the Dominion Road.
He has pledged his partys support

in funding half the cost of the project.
Simultaneously, they have done
well in retaining the ethnic electorate
votes with the party after the
emergence of the exclusive ethnic
immigrant-based New Zealand
Peoples Party (NZPP) in the fray.
Mt Roskill is one of the most
ethnically diverse electorates in New
Zealand with 39 per cent of voters
identifying themselves as of Asian
origin, and 45 per cent of the entire
voters being born overseas.
Roshan
Nauhria,
NZPPs
president and a candidate in this byelection, has openly claimed while
campaigning that we will get more
Labours vote than the Nationals.
This
submission
evidently
emanated from his belief that Mt
Roskill was Phil Goffs safe seat
rather than a Labours safe seat.
Mr Nauhria managed to get only
709 votes.
Speaking to Indian
Weekender immediately after the
results were announced, Mr Naurhia
acknowledged that they might have
failed in getting their message across
to the voters.
The Labour win has not only
ascertained Mr Littles right to
return to the parliament as the party
leader as questioned by Mr Key but
it has also resurrected Mr Woods
political career, which would have
been questioned by a possible second
defeat after the previous defeat in
Botany (2011) by-election.
Undeterred Nauhria,
focused on 2017 elections
Rizwan Mohammad
he Mt Roskill by-elections ended on

Saturday, December 3, as Michael Wood
retained the long-standing Labour seat
for the constituency.
Roshan Nauhria, who started New Zealand
Peoples Party (NZPP) a few months back, was
able to collect only 709 votes at the election.
Although the numbers were significantly low
for Mr Nauhria, far below his closest contestants
Mr Wood and Dr Parmjeet Parmar, the party
leader is undeterred and confident for the
general elections in 2017.
Mr Nauhria announced his candidature for
the Mt Roskill seat on October 9the day
Phil Goff won the Auckland Mayoral elections.
From the day it was formed, NZPP focussed
its campaign on addressing law and order and
the rising crime against ethnic migrants in
the constituency.
It is largely believed that Mr Nauhria secured
his votes from the ethnic migrants in the
electorate. On days leading up to the election
results, Mr Nauhria was seen distributing
newsletters and pamphlets outside Lotus
Supermarket on Stoddard Road, Veggie stores
on Carr Road and on the Royal Oak roundabout
a day before the election.
We were expecting a lot more vote,
but it did not happen, Mr Nauhria told
Indian Weekender.
Talking about the reason behind not securing
enough votes, Mr Nauhria said, Maybe I am
not much experienced [or] did not do the right
campaigning. Perhaps we could not get the
message across to the community.
NZPP Chair Roshan Nauhria
Mr Nauhria confirmed that he would

definitely run for the general elections and
with a better and stronger planning. Labours
Michael Wood received 11,170 votes followed
by Dr Parmar with 4,652 votes from a total of
16,857 votes received in the by-elections.
I am surprised that Michael won with such a
huge majority, Mr Nauhria said.
He conceded his defeat congratulating Mr
Wood, and he added, I didnt think Dr Parmar
could have won. Next year we will have better
strategies to connect more with the community
in Mt Roskill.
NEW ZEALAND
John Key takes a shot

at immortalisation
Sandeep Singh
n a shocking announcement on Monday,

December 5, Prime Minister John Key
surprised the nation by declaring his
decision to step down from his position.
The announcement came in the traditional
media stand-up due every Monday after his
cabinet meetings.
Over the past eight years, these post-cabinet
meeting media stand-ups have witnessed many
major policy decisions of the government.
However, not many would have anticipated
something such as this coming from a seemingly
mundane media stand up.
The speech, which began at 12:45 p.m. had
its normal elements of composed elegance
one of the many attributes of Mr Keys brand
of politicsbefore the prime minister began
to meander into the uncharted territory of
signalling the decision to step down when his
voice began to waver emotionally.
No politician in recent public memory has
embarked on this unchartered territory.
With a risk of being dubbed as a eulogy, it
is asserted here that through this uncharted
pathway, Mr Key has taken a shot at
immortalisation in public memory.
It is not every day that an immensely
successful and popular prime minister of a
country, with a record approval ratings for a
third consecutive term, and no real challenge
in sight to his position and charisma, either in
government or opposition, makes a deliberate
choice of stepping down.
Abdicating power at its peak is usually not
associated with the mortals.
For the ordinary ones, 19th-century British
politician and commentator Lord Acton has
commented that power corrupts, and absolute
power corrupts absolutely.
The corruption for a politician in Mr
Keys shoes of high popularity and absence
of any real challenge to his position would be
in faltering to abdicate power timely, before it
becomes too late.
Lateness here implies reaching a stage where
leaders are displaced through an internal coup
or loss of popularity in public that would lead
to being gently chided away from the position
of authority.
Nothing of this sort happened with Mr Key.
He has exercised his power from within
with courage, to despise the absolute power
conferred on him externally by the dynamics of
modern electoral politics to defy Lord Actons
comment on the mortals that absolute power
corrupts absolutely.
This surely gives him a pathway to
immortalisation in the public minds.
Mr Keys claim to perennial fame is not
purely from his domestic popularity in
this country.
In fact, he can take some credit in contributing
towards New Zealands global image in
world politics.
The way Mr Key has led the nation through

the global financial crisis, the way he made New
Zealands voice heard with respect at the global
power centres, and his personal connect with
world leaders such as US President Barrack
Obama and former UK Prime Minister David
Cameron and many others have enhanced New
Zealands international image.
Make no mistake. If New Zealand would not
have been a small nation in the vast stretches of
the South Pacific Ocean and seemingly situated
somewhere else in the main global heartland,
then Mr Keys resignation would have
attracted far more awe and reverence from the
world community.
However, the Prime Ministers script
to immortalisation is not purely without
some challenge.
What could potentially blemish if not
altogether spoil Mr Keys legacy is the ensuing
competition for the leadership transition in the
National Party.
So far, the decision to resign appears to be
made on the basis of what is good for Mr Key
himself and not necessarily for the National
Party and New Zealand.
However, this is yet to be proven.
If National Partys and New Zealands script
is to falter slightly from the current cruising
position, then history will point back to this
present moment when Mr Key arbitrarily chose
to press the reboot button.
What if this forced leadership transition does
not translate into a reality as envisaged by the
outgoing prime minister.
It will certainly be asked then that why this
reboot was deliberately set at the first place.
Even in computers, usually, the reboot
button is pressed when a computer is not
working properly.
It must be for some reason that we do not
press reboot button in computers when it is
functioning efficiently.
However, this again is something that will be
determined in the future.
Until that time, Mr Key can be exonerated
from any imaginary blemish on his bid on
immortalising himself within public minds.
The pride that he seeks for leaving on
his terms, can be safely granted to him by a
thankful nation.
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SOUTH LINE
News-in-brief
from South Island
Santa comes to town

The 70th and 19th editions of the annual Santa parades concluded in
Christchurch and Dunedin respectively this week
Gaurav Sharma
arking 70 years of something is no

mean feat. Especially in the rapidly
changing modern life with so many
distractions all around. But Christchurchs
Annual Santa Parade achieved that on
December 4. With time, the event has become
more multicultural in nature, with Indian,
Chinese, Nepalese and Fiji floats proving to be
great crowd pullers.
While the first edition of the annual event
featured just three horse-driven floats, this
yearthe 70th editionhad more than 130
floats parading through the 1.9km route with
thousands gathering on the sides of the citys
famous Riccarton Road. More than 3,500
people took part in the parade, which was
skilfully managed by more than 4,00 volunteers.
Run by the Christchurch Childrens Christmas
Parade Trust, which owns 40 floats, the parade
ended with Santa coming on a speciallydesigned float, depicting fairies, reindeer, and
his castle.
However, this year, the Parade was not free
from controversies. First was the issue of the
Confederate flag, which was flown on the Dukes
of Hazzard float last year. It was absent from
this years parade when the Trust decided to
remove it after some members of the public
raised objection due to the flags link with white
supremacist movement.
Another was the float featuring children
dressed as First Nations and native Americans,
specifically the Ojibwe tribe. Called by some as
highly inappropriate and culturally insensitive,
the organisers decided to keep the float saying
that they have the blessing of the Ojibwe tribe
to parade the float.
Dunedin
Further down from Christchurch, in the

Otago region, another annual Santa Parade
was held on Sunday, December 4, announcing
the arrival of Christmas festivities in the town.
The parade, which is in its 19th year, saw more
State of local emergency

extended in Kaikoura | the
touristic town has seen massive
booking cancellations |
insurance claims pile up | ship
routes being thought off | milk is
being picked up now from dairy
farms | demolition of buildings
start in Wellington
Gaurav Sharma
W
Christchurch Santa
Parade; (right) Sikh
community part of
the Parade
than 80 floats, with

many local businesses
contributing
towards
making Otagos largest
free public event a great
success. Fire engines,
clowns,
and
Santa
Claus were the main
attractions for children.
The event ended with a
family-friendly musical
concert held at Octagon,
Dunedins city centre.
According to Dunedin City Council, the
festivities will continue this week with the
opening of Pixie Town at Otago Settlers
Museum on December 9.
Visitors will be able to enjoy the historic
exhibition, visit Santa and have their photo
taken, make Christmas crafts, dress-up like
a pixie or relax with a Christmas book, the

Council informed.
Notably, public will have access to the
historical display only for a short time due
to increasing fragility caused by age. Pixie
Town was first displayed at the Dunedin DIC
department store in 1951.
South Island focuses international students well-being

The Ministry of Education initiates public discussions with all stakeholders on a new education strategy
based on the Auckland experience
Gaurav Sharma
ssues of international students coming to

New Zealand, which adds almost $3b to the
countrys economy annually, is a hot topic
in the country now, especially when hundreds
of Indian students are being deported on
charges of providing false information to the
authorities here.
Set in this context was the public meeting
organised by the Ministry of Education in
Christchurch on December 5 to deliberate ideas
on improving on the draft international student
wellbeing strategy.
When in force, the strategy will update
the Leadership Statement for International
Education announced in 2011.
With inputs from the the Human Rights
Commission and Education New Zealand,
the new strategy is based on the four pillars of
economic well-being, quality education, health
well-being, and inclusion, Belinda Himiona,
Senior Policy Manager, International Division,
Ministry of Education said.
On the question of how to ensure that
international students are not exploited in
workplaces, she added, That will form an
important part of the new strategy, and we
are working with the Ministry of Business,
Recovery in full
swing, but this
summer is a
write-off
Public meeting in Christchurch to discuss the new international students well-being strategy; Rakesh
Naidoo, Strategic Advisor, Race Relations, New Zealands Human Rights Commission (seen on
extreme left)
Innovation and Employment to chalk out

the details.
Furthermore, on the question of why is the
Ministry of Education not naming and shaming
the private tertiary education providers that are
engaging in education trafficking, Ms Himiona
explained, Not naming such providers, which
are alleged to be engaged in these activities, is
fair so as to give them a chance to share their
side of the story with the authorities.
As and when the investigations are complete,
the names are revealed as is evident from some
of the recent examples in Auckland.
Sahinde Pala, Regional Project Manager,
Education New Zealand, and Rakesh Naidoo,
Strategic Advisor, Race Relations, New

Zealands Human Rights Commission, also
attended the meeting.
Sharing the actions taken to date, Ms Pala
concluded, The orientation information
stocktake and student focus groups undertaken
by the Auckland Agencies Group have revealed
the difficulties international students face in
getting jobs after [the] completion of their
courses. This is mainly due to not having
adequate New Zealand experience. Pairing done
through programmes such as Industry Connect
and Work Ready, volunteering, and internships
are some of the proposed solutionsa pilot for
which are already in place.
hile Civil Defense has made huge

progress in the recovery and relief
efforts after the 7.8 magnitude
earthquake in North Canterbury, the state of
local emergency in the worst-hit Kaikoura
was extended for another week on December
6. This comes as electricity supply has been
restored to most of the areas, fuel restrictions
have been lifted, and water supply is slowly
coming to normal.
Meanwhile, giving a major relief to the 22
dairy farms in Kaikoura, Fonterra has started
picking up milk from these farms on December
5, the first time in more than three weeks. This
came as Civil Defense opened the inland route
(of State Highway 70) for milk tankers, taking
out the stuck campervans, essential freight, and
other vehicles.
Almost 60 businesses have also taken up
the employee wage subsidy announced by
the government as part of the ongoing relief
efforts. The subsidy will be reviewed just before
Christmas and a decision of whether to extend
the scheme would be made then.
But one thing is certain. This summer is a
complete write-off for the tourism-dependent
town with campgrounds, motels, and B&Bs
reporting massive booking cancellations.
Even Hamner Springsfamous for its
natural hot water poolswhich escaped
any damage has seen almost half of their
bookings cancelled.
Insurance claims are also piling up with the
Earthquake Commission (EQC) revealing that
it has received nearly 15,000 November 14
earthquake-related claims till now, with more
than 2,00 alone from the Marlborough region.
FMG, the rural insurance company, has
put the figure for claims to be close to $40m
in rural areas of the three districts of North
Canterbury, Marlborough, and Kaikoura. Till
date, the company has received more than
700 claims.
Looking forward, alternate routes for freight
transport, namely the use of ships, are being
advocated. Not without its problems, though.
New Zealand Shipping Federation while
welcoming the idea, which would provide a
much-needed lifeline during natural disasters,
called for more investment in the countrys
ports to ensure the ideas feasibility.
In the capital also, which suffered extensive
damage to some of its CBDs buildings, the
demolition work of the northeastern area of
the Queensgate mall got under way this week.
The entire work will take close to two months.
The Wellington High Court building, cleared
by engineers to be structurally sound, will only
open by early 2017.
Finally, the parliament also passed two of
the three earthquake-related bills this week,
including the Hurunui/Kaikoura Earthquakes
Emergency Relief Bill and the Civil Defence
Emergency Management Amendment Bill. A
third bill is still in discussions.
NEW ZEALAND
Nooran sisters
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t was a perfect evening for all the Sufi

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Saturdayevening at Vodafone Events
Centre saw Jyoti and Sultana Nooran crooning
their popular numbers like Allah Hoo, Patakha
Guddi and Tung Tung among many others in
the packed hall, that left the audience asking
for more.
The sisters, who hail from Jalandhar, India
and follow the Sham Chaurasi Gharana and
Mirasi traditions of music, enthralled one and
all with the high on energy performance which
went on for over three hours. Audiences were
seen enjoying their vocal range as well as their
trademark style which includes clapping above
their heads during singing.
The duo was also accompanied by their
father Gulshan Meer, who accompanied them
on the harmonium along with occasional
singing during the concert. The Nooran

family also shared a few experiences and
anecdotesof their musical journey which has
been full of problems as their family didnt have
enough money.
One of the highlights of the show was
when the duo sang a Tamil song amidst a
loud applause.
Talking about their experience of performing
in New Zealand, Jyoti said, I am so happy to
be in New Zealand and performing in front of
such a just great audience. It is overwhelming. I
have never seen such a great audience Sharing
the same sentiment, Sultana said, We are so
humbled by all the love and affection we have
got here. We would surely want to come back
to New Zealand soon. I would like to say a big
thank you to everyone for their love.
The sisters, who are blessed with strong voice
along with pleasing personalities, shot to fame
thanks to MTV Soundtrippin and Coke Studio
and are slowly but steadily creating a niche
for themselves.
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10
NEW ZEALAND
The politics of student

protests in Mt Roskill
Sandeep Singh
ndian student deportation is a sensitive

issue for the wider community, and
Indian Weekender has always taken the
lead in covering this issue and raising a voice
with the concerned authorities through our
various platforms.
However, the latest student protest at a Mt
Roskill polling station during the electoral
voting has raised some questions that deserve
serious attention.
The Mt Roskill by-election has attracted
much public attention for the fact that it
represents one of the most ethnically diverse
electorates in New Zealand, and there were
two Indian-descent candidates in the fray,
prominent among them being National List
MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar.
Probably this explains a provocative title
for the event March on Parmar for Indian
students with an apparent goal of cornering
the Indian-descent MP on the pretext of failing
to support the Indian students.
As reported earlier on our website, Migrant
Worker Association, the lead organiser of
student protest, had organised a student
protest, supposedly to raise voice for the hapless
students facing deportation notice on Saturday,
December 3.
For the uninitiated, December 3 was the
scheduled voting day for the Mt Roskill byelections. On an election day in New Zealand,
electoral commission directive is in place, clearly
embargoing media or any member of public
from refraining from indulging in any activity or
publishing that can potentially affect the voters.
It is therefore that a typical media entourage

that is visible on any such protestations was
mostly missing from the scene.
Though, Indian Weekender had still covered the
event and delayed publishing of this news till 7
p.m. till when there was an embargo on news
publishing.
The protest rightly brought the police on the
scene with a warning to the protesters about a
possible arrest if they did not back off, leaving
some questions that need answers.
First, the important issue is that are the
international students prepared to risk an arrest
while already being on the shaky ground in the
country with a deportation notice served?
Although the students desperate situation is
understandable and widely acknowledged by
the community, it needs to be established that
they are prepared to be arrested on the charge
of interfering election process in the country.
The organisations leading such student
protest on the pretext they have been
exploited by the current National-led
government have to answer the question if
they are also not themselves exploiting these
hapless studentsa charge that they lay so
repeatedly on the National government.
Migrant Worker Associations event
announcement on social media says about Dr
Parmar that she serves the wealthy and the
Government and not the people in need. How
many houses can one person own in the midst
of a housing crisis, with people sleeping in
garages and cars?
Against this backdrop, it is important to ask
if our international students should be worried
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Police speaking to rotestors on Stoddard Road
or be seen publically lobbying to seek answers to

such questions that Migrant Worker Association
raises on their social media platform.
International students in New Zealand are
considered as guests of the country until they
gain residency if that is a goal at all.
Should a countrys guests be seen publically
protesting on such questions completely
unrelated to their stay relatively short stay in
the country?
To argue that these students are consciously
indulging in such misguided protests will be an
over-statement. To this day, student protest
organisers have not been able to approach
the immigration minister directly or devise an

alternative strategy to achieve the desired help
for the students.
All they have been doing is singularly
targeting Indian-origin MPs, which questions
the sanctity of their intentions.
Apparently, as of now, it is appearing that
the student protest organisers are using hapless
students to politically ambush Indian-descent
MPs, with the obvious intention of creating
political space for some other aspirants.
However, this does not help the situation of
international students in any possible way.
Paper from stone offers new

solution to deforestation
Rizwan Mohammad
ith deforestation being one of the

main global concerns, a company
in Auckland has secured an agency
to make papers from waste rocks.
The process of creating stone paper was
first started in Taiwan in 1999, and it has been
under development since then.
In 2009, Auckland-based Stone Paper
Company branded the product Rockstock
for the Australian, New Zealand, and
Pacific markets.
The demand for global paper is 400 million
tonnes and it is estimated to shoot up to 500
million tonnes in the next decade.
Stone Paper Company uses waste rocks
from the building industry such as stone rock,
marble, and tiles, as it is rich in Calcium
Carbonate (CaCO3). The products produced
by Rockstock essentially contain 80.9 per cent
of CaCO3.
The waste marble is cracked to 30 mm
pebbles and then grounded to fine CaCO3
powder (as found in tofu, baby powder, paint,
and toothpaste). The powder is mixed with
High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) resin (18
per cent), which is just a minor ingredient that
turns into pellets and then converts it into rolls
of paper.
The pulp-based paper industry uses acid,
alkali, bleach, and other adhesive chemicals
that give colour and texture to the final
product. Stone Paper manufacturing uses no
chemicals to whiten the product, as CaCO3
gives the white colour and makes the end
product more environmental friendly.
The papers produced using this technology
is divided into two classes: R-Class, the
papers that can be recycled, and S-Class, the
sustainable range.
These papers are of much superior quality
from the papers available in the market, and
it is environmentally friendly as well. It does
not emit carbon dioxide into the air, does
not need water and chemicals that otherwise
pollute the river streams and affect the natural
habitat, Alan Good, CEO of Rockstock said.
The rich mineral stone papers are nontoxic and photodegradable. The process of
discarding the product also does not harm the
environment. It solidifies and turns as hard as
an egg shell when kept under the heat of the
sun, eventually turning into dust and mixing
with the soil.
Rockstock is a tree-free paper that preserves
the rapidly diminishing forests. By utilising
ground up waste (CaCO3) as the essential
substance rather than tree fibre, Rockstock
replaces a constrained and required resource
with a superfluous mineral, considered as
generation waste in different businesses.
For every tonne of paper manufactured
by this process as compared to pulp-based
paper production, 7480 gallons of fresh
water is saved, 19.05 kg of water-borne waste
is reduced, approximately 20 trees are less
chopped, and less CO2 and other chemicals
are emitted into the environment.
Rockstock produces four million tonnes of
paper every year that has a huge market in
the United States, UK, and Canada and an
increasing market in New Zealand, Australia,
and the Pacific region.
Rockstock products are already being
seen in the market. The papers used as
receipts in the supermarkets, parking tickets,
thermoformed range of food trays, polythene
lookalike photodegradable carry bags, etc.,
are mostly Rockstock products.
NEW ZEALAND
Auckland to witness classical

Indian music concert
Rizwan Mohammad
two-day classical music concert is

being held on December 10 and 11 at
Blockhouse Bay Community Hall in
Auckland. More than 250 people are expected
to attend on each day.
Music Extravaganza 2016 is the annual music
show by Sargam School of Indian Music that
was started in 2013 with the aim of providing
a platform to students who are learning the art
of Indian classical and semi-classical music. It is
held in December every year.
This year, the concert will see 80 participants
with instruments such as sitar, violin, piano,
and tabla, performing Indian classical, semiclassical (film classical songs), devotional, and
instrumental songs. But the highlight of the
show would the performance from Satvik
Veena (modified slide guitar) player Pt Salil
Bhatt from India.
A total of 80 performers using instruments
such as Sitar, Violin, Piano and Tabla are set
to enthral its audience, and the highlight of
the concert will be the Satvik Veena recital by
Pt Salil Bhatt.
Sargam School of Music has a pool of
talented young musicians. Most of them have
performed at different community events
and national-level shows. The musicians are
renowned for their fusion performances at
award community functions and ATEED
Diwali, which is held at Aotea Square
every year.
There will be choirs presenting ancient
raaga music in vocal and instrumental music in
tabla recitals.
Formed in 2006, Sargam School of Indian
Music is devoted to Indian classical music.
The school was established with the aim to
train students in Indian classical vocals and
instrumental music. Students come different
ethnic backgrounds such Europe, Fiji, Malaysia,
South Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New

Zealand, Tonga, China, and the United States
form a part of Sargam.
Since it was established, the school has
organised Indian classical music concerts with
international and local musicians.
About Salil Bhatt

Salil Bhatt is the creator of the Satvik Veena
and an heir to a 500-year musical legacy.
Bhatt represents the the dynamic, newage, Indian musician. Hailed as the Global
Indian Musician, Bhatt has done solo
concerts and international collaboration for
exotic jugal bandies and global fusions. In
his 25-year career as a musician, he has
gathered a big fan base across Germany,
Australia, America, Taiwan, England, Saudi
Arabia, Oman, Austria, and Italy.
Bhat is the son of legendary slide guitar
player Indias Grammy award-winner
Padmashree Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.
Bhatt has been trained by his mentor,
Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, and specialises
in playing high-speed taans. He follows
Classical Indian Raga to its purest form.
Salil Bhatt will conduct a workshop on
Sunday, December 11 from noon to 2 p.m.
followed by a performance by the students
at 5.30 p.m.
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11
12
NEW ZEALAND
Dream of first Indian-origin electorate

MP halted, needs more work
Sandeep Singh
he political tsunami unleashed by

Prime Minister John Keys sudden
announcement of resignation on
Monday has dwarfed many other political news
of interest.
One such news that can potentially diminish
fast from the public attention under the massive
emotional deluge precipitated by Mr Keys
resignation and the ensuing contest for the next
leader of the National Party is the news that
the dream of sending the first Indian-origin
electorate MP to parliament came to a grinding
halt on Saturday, December 3.
Although nipped in the bud, it came
tantalisingly close to realisation in the recently
concluded Mt Roskill by-election.
Just before the election day, Indian Weekender
came out with its editorial piece stating that
let the best candidate win in this Mt Roskill
by-election.
Michael Woods sweeping majority has put
aside any doubt who was the best candidate in
this by-election.
The nature of his landslide victory would
have necessitated multidimensional analysis
on local and national politics if otherwise not
precluded by the sudden announcement of
Prime Ministers resignation.
This piece picks up a line of analysis about
the grinding halt to the budding dream of
sending the first Indian-origin electorate MP to
the Parliament. It is not to suggest that there
was a consolidated urge within the wider Indian
community to see an Indian-origin electorate
MP. It is only to suggest that Mt Roskill is one of
the most ethnically diverse constituency in New
Zealand with roughly around 20% population
of Indian descent and two candidates who
succeeded in making most of the pre-election
noise were of Indian origin.
One was self-made successful businessman
Roshan Nauhria, who formed his political
party claiming to speak exclusively for ethnic
immigrants in New Zealand.
The other was sitting National List MP Dr
Parmjeet Parmar, who had a good run in the
last general election at the same Mt Roskill seat
against the mighty Phil Goff.
It will not be an exaggeration to assert that it

was Dr Parmars candidacy that raised the most
expectation of seeing the first Indian-origin
electorate MP in parliament.
In fact, this was a projection made by some
National supporters and members of Dr
Parmars campaigning team as reported by
Indian Weekender previously.
Many National supporters have then seen
this by-election as an opportunity to effectuate
some dramatic results after Mr Goffs fortuitous
departure from the scene.
If that was a chance at all, then it has been
squandered or lost for some considerable time.
Mr Woods landslide victory has set aside any
such hopes in the near future.
Adding to this is the Labours pre-election
claim that has been gaining traction in media
post election results that the Nationals chose a
weak candidate.
It is of some interest to investigate further
about this lost opportunity to send the first
Indian-origin electorate MP and the perceived
weak candidacy of Dr Parmar.
Indian Weekender initially spoke to several
community leaders about Dr Parmars defeat,
as these leaders are often expected to be bearers
of community sentiments and aspirations. So it
was natural to expect to get some real reasons
behind Dr Parmars loss.
Our efforts were checkmated by astonishing
levels of political correctness in this postTrump era of politics where political correctness
stands threatened altogether.
Indian Calendar - December 2016

Date
Day
Festivals & Observances
1 Dec
Thur
Chandra Darshan
3 Dec
Sat
Chathurthi Vrat
5 Dec
Mon
Vivaah Panchami
6 Dec
Tue
Champa Sashti/ Subramanya Sashti
8 Dec
Thur
Masik Durgashtami
10 Dec
Sat
Mokshada Ekadashi, Gita Jayanthi
11 Dec
Sun
Vaishnava Mokshada Ekadashi
12 Dec
Mon
Pradosh Vrat, Karthikai Deepam
13 Dec
Tue
Dattatreya Jayanthi, Rohini Vrat
14 Dec
Wed
Margashirsha Purnima, Annapurna Jayanthi
16 Dec
Fri
Dhanu Sankranthi
17 Dec
Sat
Sankastha Chathurthi
19 Dec
Mon
Shashti
21 Dec
Wed
Kalashtami
25 Dec Sun
Saphala Ekadashi
26 Dec
Mon
Pradosh Vrat/ Shani Tratodashi
27 Dec
Tue
Masik Shivaratri
29 Dec
Thur
Paush Amavasya/ Hanumanth Jayanthi
31 Dec
Sat
Chandra Darshan
Courtesy of e-Puja.co.nz The largest religious online Puja platform
Most of the community leaders even failed to

acknowledge that Dr Parmar has experienced a
crushing defeat.
Kuldeep Arora, owner of the India Gate
restaurant and a Mt Roskill resident, expressed
satisfaction in the number of votes secured by
both Indian-origin candidates.
I would not say that Dr Parmar fared
poorly or even Roshan Nauhria, for a first-time
aspirant in electoral politics, Mr Arora said.
Similarly, Prakash Biradar, secretary New
Zealand Indian Citizen Association (NZICA)
was unaware of the six per cent decline in Dr
Parmars votes from the last general election
and affirmed that she was well connected with
the community.
Many other community leaders chose to
find respite in Mt Roskills traditional affinity
with the Labour Party and Phil Goffs personal
legacy in the electorate.
Petrified with this level of political
correctness in the community leaders take
and the squandered opportunity of sending an
Indian-descent electorate MP to parliament,
Indian Weekender dug in deep to directly engage
with the community.
Unsurprisingly, in this endeavour, some
key factors emerged, which better explain Dr
Parmars electoral defeat and threw some light
for the future if the dream of Indian-origin
electorate MP has to be ever realised.
Vaishali Sharma, a doctor and a resident
in Mt Roskill said, Dr Parmar is only a face
of the National Party who goes to community
events and give speeches but does not appear to
be connected with the community.
She is very cold and straight-faced.
Echoing similar views was another resident
of Mt Roskill, Mukesh Kumar, who argued
that although she was seen everywhere around
campaigning, she was not connecting with the
people. That is why she got fewer votes than the
last time.
Another Mt Roskill resident who preferred
to remain anonymous commented that Dr
Parmar was of little help for the real problems
in the community.
Nikhil Kalluri, a resident of Richardson
Street, took exception to the fact that Dr

Parmar was seen too often with the prime
minister rather than with the community.
That was more a reflection of arrogance,
Mr Kalluri said.
Almost as a rule, everyone in the community
compared Dr Parmars perceived distance
from the community with Phil Goffs personal
connect with everyone he met in public.
In fact, hearing from the community, it will
not be an exaggeration to assert that many
residents have extended their loyalty from Mr
Goff to the next Labour candidate Mr Wood.
Although, it will be unfair to draw any
comparison between Dr Parmar and Mr Goff,
who has mastered a personal brand style politics
that possibly only Mr Key does better than him
in the current New Zealand politics.
It will be naive for Dr Parmar or any other
future Indian-origin aspirant to parliament to
ignore the underlying message of need for
connecting more with the community.
There is no point in hiding behind the
National Party assertion that Mt Roskill was
a safe seat for the Labour and we were not
expecting to win.
The main political parties are welcome to
make their independent assessment of byelection results.
Jasbir Dhillon, president of Global Indians,
a National Party outfit, declined to comment
on this seemingly overwhelming community
feeling of disconnect with Dr Parmar.
There is always an opportunity to connect
more with the Indian community and translate
that into a win for the National Party in 2017
that should not be missed, Mr Dhillon said.
Indian Weekenders attempts to get comment
from Dr Parmar on this line of enquiry was
unsuccessful as she chose to deflect the question
and continue with a standard message of thank
you to the Indian community.
From an Indian community perspective,
this by-election was a lost opportunity to send
the first Indian-origin electorate MP to the
parliament and the community, community
leaders, commentators, and political aspirants
should not leave the scene without some
critical learning for the future.
Community Patrol ensures

more safety in Mt Roskill
Rizwan Mohammad
team of volunteers have been

patrolling the streets of Mt
Roskill to ensure safety in
the community. The Mount Roskill
Community Patrol is affiliated to
Community Patrols of New Zealand
(CPNZ), which has more than 160
community patrols, involving around
6,000 volunteers nationwide. It also
covers Sandringham, Three Kings,
Balmoral, Lynfield and Hillsborough.
A growing number of active
volunteers have been signing up for
community patrolling to help the
police make the community a safer
place to live in. Any individual over 18
who shares concerns over the safety
of the community can be a part of
the group.
The applicants are examined by the
police and trained within the patrol.
Those selected abide by the code
of conduct and sign a declaration

of confidentiality. A police liaison
officer is also allocated to work with
the patrol.
The goal of the patrol is to make
sure the people and the businesses in
the area are safer, and the offenders
are aware that they are being
watched, Merril Bourne, secretary
for Mt Roskill Community Patrol said.
Patrollers go out in pairs regularly,
acting as the eyes and ears for the
community and inform the police in
case of any suspicious activity or an
incident that requires urgent attention.
The police also notify the patrol of
any trouble spots or any suspicious
activities to keep an eye on,
monitoring it on a regular basis. The
patrol also operates during the day in
shopping malls and supermarkets to
reduce shoplifting.
It is hoped that a recent reduction
in crime in the Mt Roskill area may
be as a result of the supervision and

regular scrutiny by the community
patrol group.
We write reports on activities
in the areas we patrol, noting any
suspicious behaviour or vehicles etc.,
which the police may find useful for
their investigations, Vai Ravindran, a
Community Patrol member said.
Currently, the patrollers use their
personal vehicles for patrolling, using
CPNZ magnetic strips on their cars.
Besides helping reduce crime, the
group also aims to raise funds to
purchase a patrol vehicle.
The patrol closely works with Roskill
Together, a community initiative at
various local events and has received
immense support from Puketepapa
Local Board and Auckland Council.
The patrol is based at the Mt Roskill
Community Policing Centre on 1213
Dominion Road, Mt Roskill.
NEW ZEALAND
Ashima Singh: creating new

benchmarks in business
Rizwan Mohammad
shima Singh is the lawyer

and co-founder of Legal
Associates,
a
successful
law firm in South Auckland.
She was recently honoured with
Businesswoman of the year 2016
at Indian Newslink Business
Awards 2016.
Indian Weekender spoke to
Ashima to know more about
her journey from starting as a
student to working as a registrar at
Auckland Court to winning this
prestigeous award.
IWK: Tell us about your journey
as a lawyer.
Ashima: Since I started studying
LLB from the University of
Auckland, I had dreamt of becoming
a successful lawyer. In my early days,
I worked in Auckland Court as a
registrar. I practised law in different
firms in the city for some time before
I started Legal Associates with my
husband, Raj Pardeep Singh. The
focus of my legal career has not just
been to use the legal knowledge and
skills I have to cater to clients legal
concerns. I have been extremely
passionate about educating the
community about legal matters
as well.
IWK: Tell us a little about
your firm?
Ashima: Legal Associates is a law
firm based in Papatoetoe, South
Ashima Singh receiving the award from

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff
Auckland. Raj is the principal owner

of the company and we have been in
practice for almost two years. Our
company specialises in Immigration
Law, Property Law, Employment
Law, Family Law, Criminal Law, and
Wills & Trusts. We have a diverse
ethnic team of lawyers and admin
that come from different backgrounds
such as India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh,
Samoa, China, Tonga, and Japan.
This diversity helps us to connect
with our clients and gain a better
understanding of their issues. Thus,
we can provide the best legal advice.
IWK: How did you feel receiving
the award?
We
have
a diverse ethnic
team from different
backgrounds which
helps us to connect
with our clients
and gain a better
understanding of
their issues.
Ashima: With a humble heart,

I accepted the award for the
Businesswoman of the Year 2016 at
the Ninth Annual Indian Business

Awards by Indian Newslink on
November 28. As a co-founder of
Legal Associates, I am proud to
have been recognised for my efforts
and the efforts of the Team in the
past year.
I was also recently appointed as a
partner at Legal Associates, which is
an indication of a significant phase in
my life. I would add that this would
not have been possible without the
great work that the team does and the
clients that we have. I am confident
that this achievement will allow me
to continue to help and educate the
community in a greater way.
IWK: What was the criterion for

the nomination for the award?
Ashima: The nominated should
have a successful business and a
sound financial stability and work
ethics. The business must also be
running for at least full one fiscal year.
IWK: Legal Associates was
the finalist in Excellence in
Innovation and Best MediumSized Business. What do you
think the company has best
to offer?
Ashima: Regarding innovation, we
provide training to our staffs that
inspire new thoughts and approaches
to the way we do things. The team
gains additional experience that the
business will benefit from possible
and new ideas and approaches.
The basis for our innovative

project selection and management
process is to address the need in
the community for a law firm that
understands the needs of immigrants
to New Zealand.
We also focus on client satisfaction.
We ensure that our clients are given
the best legal services. Our customers
continue to refer potential clients to
us because they are happy with the
services we provide.
IWK: What do you think is the
USP of Legal Associates?
Ashima: Employees of
our
firm come from different ethnic
backgrounds. We believe that this is
strength for us because it allows us to
cater to a broader range of clients. We
understand migrant needs because
we are all first-hand migrants, and
we understand the struggle that our
customers face while establishing a
life in New Zealand.
We continue to train our staff so
that they can better address the needs
of migrants. We also encourage new
ideas and ways to provide timely and
quality legal services to our clients.
IWK: How valuable is the
award for the company and its
growth for the long run?
Ashima: We are pleased that our
services have been recognised. The
award will boost our firms business,
extend the reach of our brand,
and people will know that we are
an award-winning team who they
can trust.
Winners of Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards 2016
Best Businesswoman of the Year 2016

Finalist
Business Excellence in Innovation

Best Medium sized Business
IMMIGRATION LAW
Visitor / Student / Work Visas

Entrepreneur Work (Business)Visa
Immigration & Protection Tribunal
(IPT) Appeals
Section 61 Applications
Judicial Review
Ministerial Appeals
CRIMINAL LAW

Careless / Dangerous / Drink Driving

Domestic Violence
Limited / Work License
Criminal Offenses
FAMILY LAW
Relationship Property Disputes

Drafting and Execution of Separation
Agreements
Divorce Matters
EMPLOYMENT LAW
Represent Employees / Employers

Employment Mediation &
Court Hearings
PROPERTY LAW
Sale & Purchase of Properties

Sale & Purchase of Businesses
Transfer of Title (to Trusts or Look
Through Companies)
Guarantees & General Security Agreements
Leases
WILLS & TRUSTS

Will Drafting
Will Execution / Probate
Setting Up Trusts
Transmission
Power of Attorney
Raj and Ashima Singh

31, East Tamaki Road, Level1 Papatoetoe, Auckland.
Ph: +64 9 2799439 | 02102417161 | Fax: +64 9 2799419
* Terms & conditions apply
PO BOX 23445, Hunters Corner, Papatoetoe,

Auckland. 2025 (Above Bank Of India)
www.legalassociates.co.nz
CONTACT US AT: RAJ:raj@legalassociates.co.nz / ASHIMA: ashima@legalassociates.co.nz
13
14
NEW ZEALAND
Auckland girl soares high in

modelling world
Rizwan Mohammad
uckland-based Kiwi-Indian
Neekita Naidu dominated
the stage at Miss India
AustraliaTouch the Soul 2016
in Sydney earlier in September
2016. Neekita, a travel and tourism
consultant at a company in Sydney,
started her journey at a mall photo
shoot in Auckland, and today has
become a supermodel renowned in
both New Zealand and Australia.
Neekita was on a short trip to
Auckland last weekend, and Indian
Weekender spoke to her about her
journey into the world of glamour
and fashion.
gave me significant exposure in the

Asia-Pacific region. Thailand hosted
the final event of the pageantry, and
it was a grand event. The contest was
my first national exposure into the
fashion world and the fact I made to
the top finalists was a big confidence
boost for me.
Neekita Naidu with Ms Universe Super

Model 2016 trophy in Bulgaria
IWK: What changed following

Miss Universe NZ contest?
Neekita: I started getting more
recognition in the fashion industry,
and it was another kick-start for the
modelling career. Print adverts, TV
commercials for beauty products,
everything just flowed in.
IWK: When did you develop the

passion for modelling?
Neekita: I started my journey in
the modelling industry almost seven
years ago. I was walking down Sylvia
Park mall when I came across a walkin photo shoot. I just went in for fun,
and my pictures came out well. Later,
the media agency approached me
and asked if I would be interested in
doing some photo shoots for print. So
I grabbed the opportunity and that is
how I was in the industry.
IWK: How did you manage your

professional life as a travel
consultant in Auckland?
Neekita: It was a little difficult to
balance both. After a while, in late
2014, I took a short break from the
fashion world and focussed on my job.
So in the meantime, I would perform
at different fashion shows, but mostly,
I concentrated on my work. I did
wedding and bridal shows, walked
the ramp during the Diwali function
in Auckland and other fashion shows
in the city.
IWK: What was your turning

point in this industry?
Neekita: I participated in the Miss
Universe NZ contest in 2013 and
that was a big turning point for me.
It was surprising, as I steadily made
my way into the top 15 finalists. I was
ranked number 13, and that contest
IWK: How was it winning two

titles in 2016?
Neekita: 2016 has turned to be
amazing as I participated in two
international contests and won both.
For a change, I moved to Sydney
in mid-2016 and started working
in another travel company there.
Neekita: I never dreamt of

becoming a supermodel but things
fell into place, and I kept progressing.
It has been humbling, and I wish to
work harder to scale better heights.
Neekita Naidu being crowned as Ms

India Australia - Touch the Soul 2016
by Krisma Kapoor
In September, I won Miss Indian

AustraliaTouch the Soul 2016 in
Sydney. I was crowned by Bollywood
Diva Karishma Kapoor as she was
the judge for the finals. In November,
I won the Miss Universe Supermodel
title held in Bulgaria. This was one
of the toughest competitions I have
faced in my seven-year career in the
fashion world.
Neekita: I see Priyanka Chopra as

my role model. I have been following
her from the day she stepped on to
the Miss India stage. She has proved
herself and now is she is renowned
even in the Hollywood industry.
IWK: What do you think was

your USP at the Miss Universe
Supermodel 2016?
Neekita: I would say my Indian
background, and my tall, dusky and
skinny personality.
IWK: What draws you towards

the glamour world?
Neekita: I love what I do. I enjoy
doing the photo shoots, walking the
ramp, and expressing myself. This is
what keeps me glued to the glamour
industry. Doing more shows across
different platforms and places has
polished my skills and I have become
better than I was a day before.
IWK: Who do you see as your

role model?
IWK: Looking back, how would

you describe your journey?
IWK: How was been the

support from your family?
Neekita: I come from a conservative
Fiji-Indian family, and there were
objections initially. Once I stepped
into the fashion world, I kept moving
forward, and I gained quite a
momentum very soon. I followed my
passion, and later I started getting
support from my family members. It
feels proud when a friend calls and
says they saw my picture in some
magazine or a newspaper.
IWK: What advice would you
like to give to budding models?
Neekita: I would say, if modelling is
your passion, then do not look back.
There will be sleepless nights but just
follow your dreams. Confidence is the
key, and if you do not exhibit that,
then you will not succeed. There are
different shades to this industry so do
not let people take advantage of you
and make your decisions wisely.
NEW ZEALAND
Diversified, strong economy is an important buffer in challenging times

Kanwaljit Bakshi
National List MP
he focus of government ministers at

present is very much on developing,
and then rolling out, support packages
for people affected by the Kaikura earthquake
and its aftershocks. But the recent display of the
force of nature has been a timely reminder to all
New Zealanders about the need to be prepared
for potential natural disaster events.
Indian students
suffer from
flawed system
It is important we ensure to be prepared

not just for ourselves, but for the ones we care
forfamilies, friends, elderly neighbours or the
young family next door. We cant be shy about
sitting down with family to talk about a plan
and how we might work together and check-up
on each other in the event of an earthquake.
And just as it is prudent to have a personal
plan of action for challenging times, so it is with
the economy.
The best-performing societies in the world
dont get there by luck. They get there by
adopting polices which reward investment in
job-creating, and income growth-supporting
enterprises.And in these times of somewhat
turbulent geopolitical events in parts of the
world, weve also been reminded in recent

weeks of the benefit of living in a country with
a strong, and increasingly diversified economy.
New Zealands regional economies are
reaping significant employment and income
growth opportunities due to the success of the
National governments tourism strategy.
In this years budget, we invested a further
$45 million in tourism over the next four years,
on top of the over $130 million National was
already investing every year to facilitate tourism
sector growth.
That the strategy is paying growing dividends
to our regional economies was confirmed in
data just publishedby the Ministry of Business,
Innovation and Employment or MBIE.
15
MBIE says tourism expenditure grew

in every single region in the 12 months to
October 31, 2016.
Expenditurein the Nelson region, for
example, increased 16 per cent over the year to
stand at $334 million, while spending in Otago
was up 14 per cent to $3.4 billion. Tourism
spending in the Bay of Plenty was up 10 per
cent to stand at $1.7 billion in the same period.
MBIEs analysis indicates Nationals
strategy to ensure all regions benefit from the
exceptional growth happening right now in
tourism is working to diversify our economy
and strengthen its resilience to deal with any
unexpected local or global challenges on
the horizon.
toll free
0508 15 16 17
Barry Coates
Green Party List MP
he failure of the New Zealand tertiary

education system has left Indian students
at risk from deportation and degraded
qualifications. It is not an isolated case. The
governments approach to light regulation has
too often meant failed self-regulation, or no
rules enforced at all.
As a result, there is system-wide failure across
the tertiary education sector. Students caught
up in the scams and criminal activity have lost
out, but so has New Zealands reputation and
the international education sector. It is shameful
that National Party politicians have put the
blame on the students, without recognising that
it is the deregulation-at-all-costs model that has
let them down and imposed costs on us all.
There have been plenty of warning signs.
In 2003, taxpayers spent $620,000 bailing out
220 students after the Modern Age Institute of
Learning Schools failed, seriously damaging
New Zealands reputation with Chinese
students. The government bailed out two other
language schools soon thereafter, and there has
been a long list of scandals subsequently.
However, the lure of big business has been
strong. The government has competed for
students in India against competition from
Australia, Canada and the UK, and has
facilitated a race to the bottom in enforcement
of regulation. Not only has corruption been
allowed to flourish amongst agents, but there
has been collusion with the education providers.
They and the government regulators have
turned a blind eye to students without the
necessary funds, qualifications and English
language skills. Despite mounting evidence of
fraud perpetrated by agents in India, it was not
until March that Immigration New Zealand
undertook an investigation into collusion
between agents and banks to falsify applications.
There are multiple investigations still ongoing
and further cases of fraud are likely.
This is no way to build a successful
international education sector for the future.
There needs to be a sound regulatory
structure, properly enforced. The governments
deregulatory approach has caused a litany
of failures in other sectors, including the
Pike River mining disaster, finance company
collapses, and leaky buildings. Thousands of
vulnerable New Zealanders have suffered and
the economic costs for taxpayers have run into
billions of dollars.
The Green Party is calling for a change in
approach. Lax regulation and the chase for
short term returns needs to be replaced by
smart regulation identify the potential risks
and put in place proper standards, controls
and institutional accountability that is required.
Smart regulation aims to protect the vulnerable,
enhance New Zealands reputation, build the
sector over the long term and provide a decent
education for students.
Barry Coates is a Green Party List MP

based in Auckland. His portfolios include
Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
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READERS SPEAK
What do you think about

Prime Ministers resignation
Editorial
Leadership change: from

contest to consensus
t is evident now that Bill English has got the numbers to cross the line to become the next
Prime Minister of the country.
Obviously, unless no more drama unfolds in the next few days.
Harold Wilsons popular quote that a week is a long time in politics has probably never
been so relevant for the New Zealand politics than now.
Soon after Prime Ministers resignation on Monday, December 5, our small editorial team
has struggled with one question that possibly every New Zealander is keenly watching who
will be the next Prime Minister of the country?
Initially within our editorial team, a slightly different question was raised how will the next
Prime Minister be elected?
The line of enquiry proposed within our team was that how the next Prime Minister should
be elected: contest or consensus?
The proponents of this idea in our team were of the opinion that consensus should be the
preferred way of transition of power.
This way stability and cohesiveness could be maintained in the post-John Key cabinet.
Given that John Key himself has made a claim while announcing his resignation that he was
told by his deputy Bill English that this was the most cohesive cabinet in the last eight years, it
was assumed that cohesiveness of cabinet is an important factor for this National government.
It was argued in our editorial team debate that consensus building should be the best strategy
to elect new National Party leader and the Prime Minister.
This argument was based on the assumption that an open and possibly, a fierce contest can
potentially risk stability.
It is not always easy to roll back leadership ambitions once they are blown out openly in
public and fiercely contested. Like all editorial ideas, this idea was also debated and then
discarded in favour of a better idea. The better idea at that time was that contest is the essence
of any successful democracy.
Believing in the essence of the contest within a democracy, our team worked on another
story that why, not the next Prime Minister be elected directly by the people of New Zealand
instead of just 59 MPs, especially six to nine months before next general elections could
be held.
Come Thursday, this fast emerging news that Bill English has got enough numbers of MPs
who have openly declared their support for his leadership bid has again forced us to visit back
to our earlier discarded idea of the importance of consensus in electing the next Leader.
With news of Mr English having sufficient numbers Judith Collins in a smart move has
already withdrawn her name from the contest, possibly saving her leadership ambitions for
another day.
It is not clear for how long Jonathon Coleman will hold the forte remains to be seen, though
he has made conciliatory comments in the Parliament today.
However, it appears that contest has given way to consensus for now which is not altogether
bad for the general health of New Zealands democracy.
Without sounding arrogant, it can be argued that common sense dictates that any unsolicited
leadership change should be handled carefully through consensus.
Leaving contest for another day probably when all New Zealanders can participate in
electing their new Prime Minister.
For now, consensus prevails on contest.
Indian Weekender : Volume 8 Issue 38

Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited
Managing Editor: Bhav Dhillon | bhav@indianweekender.co.nz
Content Editor: Sandeep Singh | sandeep@indianweekender.co.nz
Chief Reporter: Swati Sharma | swati@indianweekender.co.nz
Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | rizwan@indianweekender.co.nz
Chief ReporterSouth Island: Gaurav Sharma
Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz
Sr Graphics and Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar | mahesh@indianweekender.co.nz
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Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher
is not responsible for advertisers claims as appearing in the publication
Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent
the views of the team at the Indian Weekender
Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 711 Mt Albert Road, Royal Oak, Auckland.
Printed at Horton Media, Auckland
Copyright 2016. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Dr Nadeem Ahmad, Epsom

I think John Key has done an excellent job as the
Prime Minister for the last eight years. There will be
a time when you call it a day and want to dedicate
most of your time with your family, and I think he has
the liberty to do that. There will be a little uncertainty
when the seat vacates but I think thats momentarily
and things should be stable in no time.
Kirit Patel, Onehunga

John Keys resignation is a bit of a loss for the people;
he was a person with a good grasp on the economy.
John Key did not come with a political baggage; he was
down to earth and could relate to the people. He should
have stayed for the next term, and I am sure he would
have won the election again.
Shaibal Chakraborty, Mt Eden

I think John Key took an early call by resigning from
the post. He is a man of many talents and has the
potential to deliver more. Of course, there will be a
little instability and chaos, but that will vanish soon.
National has an excellent talent pool, and the most
deserving person will take the Prime Ministerial post.
Sam Varghese, North Shore

NZ PM stunned me with his decision when he
announced that he was resigning. He is one of
the most outstanding national leaders in the world
today and has done an extraordinary job for the
country. But I also agree that it would be a good
time for fresh blood and some new faces.
Shradha Ramani, CBD

He has been the Prime Minister for a long time. I
am curious to see how his resignation will have an
impact on the housing market. The candidates put
forward by the party for the new National leader
position are nowhere as popular as him. Its a game
changer for the next election.
Richa Bajaj, CBD

I am still disturbed from our Prime Ministers
resignation. I supported John Key because he
related to people. I respect his wish to spend more
time with his family but still leaving the position at
such big time of Kaikoura earthquake is shocking.
There isnt anyone worthy of taking over from him as
the leader of the National Party. Well, his resignation
is good or bad, only time will tell. I hope and wish for
a better New Zealand.
The re is a close conne c t ion be t we e n

ge t t ing up in t he wor ld and ge t t ing up
in t he mor ning.
Anonymous
OPINION/EDITORIAL
17
Less-cash society can ensure financial,

digital inclusion of the masses
Amit Kapoor
ith
the
government
decision to withdraw Rs
1,000 and Rs 500 notes
as legal tender, an ongoing debate on
cash, no-cash or less-cash society has
gathered steam. Before moving into
a debate on cash, it is necessary to
understand the nature of money.
It is hard to define what money is.
If one looks at the nature of money,
one is inclined to agree with Aristotle
who believed that every object has
two beingsone for which it was
created and other a value for which
it could be bartered or sold. From
the coral shells in Africa to minted
coins during the Roman Empire to
the paper currency notes during the
Tang Dynasty in China to Stockholm
Banco issuing the first notes in
Europe in the late 17th-century,
money/currency has undergone
several changes but yet has remained
the same.
The rise of the central bank came
next, and post that the innovation of
charge cards, which later transformed
into credit cards, debit cards and
travel cards. After the 1990s, with
digitisation, there is an interesting
story that is unfolding around
digital currency.
Before discussing the merits and
demerits of cash-versus-digital, it
is pertinent to note the function
money serves. Money has primarily
three functions, namely, as a store of
wealth, as a unit of measurement,
and as a medium of exchange.
The first function can be served

well by a physical asset as welllike
gold or a piece of real estatebut
the other two functions of money
as a unit of measurement and as a
medium of exchangeseem to be
better conceived in terms of cash
currency than physical objects/
commodities. With respect to an
exchange, this is especially acute
since money also acquires a liquidity
aspect. You cannot exchange land for
money very quickly.
Similarly, real estate and value of
gold can change considerably with
time and are dependent on cash. So
cash has utility in being used as a

meaningful means for transactions to
take place between individuals who
dont know each other.
Despite these benefits, in recent
times, cashs utility has been
questioned. In his recent book on
cash titled The Curse of Cash,
Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff
raises some fundamental concerns
about cash in advance economies in
general and the US 100 dollar bill.
Even as people in advanced
economies use less paper money
there is more cash in circulation,
he argues. A record $1.4 trillion,
or $4,200 for every American, is

circulating, mostly in $100 bills.
He raises concern about this excess
cash being used for tax evasion,
corruption, terrorism, the drug
trade, human trafficking and the like
of a massive global underground
economy. Another problem of cash
in developed markets is of limiting
possible monetary policy choices in
a negative interest rate regime where
people will stockpile more cash and
abandon treasury bills. In the Indian
context, too, these problems of
cash hold true barring the last one
as the interest rate situation is very
different at present from what it is in
developed countries.
The fact that cash has limitations
does not mean digital money is
without its share of problems. A
recent report by the Cambridge
Security Initiative (CSI) authored
by Alfred Rolington points out that
threats posed on the digital currency
are considerable.
These include threats like criminal
cyber theft, attacks on ATM machines
and on electronic bank accounts.
Another important point is
digital moneys usage in the time
of calamitous situations like a flood
when electronic device usage may
be disrupted. Then there are aspects
related to privacy that raise questions
about governments and individual
freedom in societies that are aiming
to go cashless. Some countries,
especially the Nordic countries like
Sweden, have been tempted to go
cashless. However, despite this, at

present they do use paper money.
One can see a move away
from physical currency towards
digitisation, which is fundamentally
information. The nature of money
is yet again at a crossroads with
information replacing paper and
coin currency.
It is a disruptive change similar
to the move away from barter to
commodity currency to fiat currency.
The Utopian conception of
a cashless society is still an
idea whose time is yet to come.
Pime Minister Narendra Modi is
right when he says that the move is
towards a more less-cash society
rather than a complete cashless
society. Even governments elsewhere
are taking a hard look at where 17
cash
and digital currency fit the need of
citizens to store and exchange goods
and services in an economy.
In that, the Indian government has
taken a bold and hard step (critics say
rather abruptly) and fundamentally
shifted the balance towards lesscash, not more of it.
Over the coming years, it must
think about making this less-cash
society plug more leakages and
bring in more financial and digital
inclusion of the masses.
(The article is co-authored with
Sankalp Sharma, Senior Researcher
at the Institute for Competitiveness,
India. Amit Kapoor is Chair,
Institute for Competitiveness &
Editor of Thinkers. The views
expressed are personal. )
The Indian right is more moderate than the

far-right in West
Amulya Ganguli
onald Trumps victory has

been ascribed to the anger
of the white working class in
the US over the discontent caused
by globalisation because of the
curtailment of job opportunities.
The same explanation has been
offered for the success of the proBrexit group in Britain and the rise
of the far-right parties in France,
Germany and elsewhere in Europe.
But there are deeper reasons.
First, the discomfiture of the white
Europeans over the ascent of the
black and brown nations after the
end of colonisation was compounded
by the need for the immigration of
these very same coloured people
to make up for the shortfall in the
working population in Europe caused
by the two World Wars.
As long as these new citizens
performed menial jobs and looked
upon their stay in their adopted
countries as a temporary sojourn
that would end as soon as they had
made enough money to go back
home, the British or the French
reluctantly accepted their presence in
their midst.
But the newcomers never returned
home. Moreover, the second- and
third-generation immigrants were
no longer as subservient as their

parents to the whites or willing to do
lowly jobs. Then came the new laws
on racial equality which meant that
they could no longer be discriminated
against at the workplace or elsewhere.
As a result, the white mans
country was becoming multicultural
or multi-culti, as the brown
sahib, Nobel laureate V.S. Naipaul,
ruefully said.
In the US, the scene was different
but only slightly. There, too, the civil
rights movement sought to give equal
status to the blacks.
But racism persisted, as is evident
from the recent ugly episode of
Michelle Obama being called an
ape in heels by a Trump supporter
who expressed relief at the possibility
of the First Lady in the White House
again being classyand white.
As the blacks remained an
unassimilated group in the US
more than a century-and-a-half
after the end of the Civil War, the
racial problem was exacerbated by
the influx of the light brownsthe
Mexicans and Latinos.
These aliens might have
continued to live as second-class
citizens in the US and the UK if
globalisation and automation did not
ensure that factories could operate
anywhere in the world where the
wages were lower than those in the

advanced countries of the West.
The relocation of the industries
and the outsourcing of service sector
jobs meant that for the first time in
living memory, the whites were at the
receiving end.
To make matters worse for them,
the new-fangled concepts of human
rights and open borders meant
that asylum-seekers from war-torn
countries of the Middle East
cockroaches as a writer in the
pro-Brexit Daily Mail called them
would have to be given shelter in
the white countries of Europe and
North America, thereby further
skewing their colour composition
and bringing in new cultural and
religious practices.
As Brigitte Bardot said, My
country, France, my homeland,
my land is again invaded by an

overpopulation
of
foreigners,
especially Muslims.
It is not surprising that Bardot has
called Marine Le Pen the modern
Joan of Arc, for the leader of
the National Front in France fears
that immigration is an organised
replacement of our population,
threatening our very survival.
In the US, the leader of the white
supremacist National Policy Institute
has noted that America was, until
this last generation, a white country
designed for ourselves and our
posterity. It is our creation, it is our
inheritance and it belongs to us.
The ideas of Liberte, Egalite,
Fraternite have gone for a toss,
therefore, in France, as has the
Magna Carta in Britain along with
the stirring words of the Statue of

Liberty near the New York harbour,
Give me your tired, your poor, your
huddled masses...
These reflected the views of
the enlightened whites. But, now,
old-fashioned racism, which had
simmered below the surface, has
come to the fore.
But even as a majority of the whites
turn to racism and xenophobia, India
has shown that multi-culti is not a
dirty word. Indeed, the values of
pluralism are so deeply ingrained in
India that even the right-of-centre
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has
become moderate under Narendra
Modi, who, in the words of Congress
MP Shashi Tharoor, has changed
from being a hate figure to an avatar
of modernity and progress.
Unlike the preference of the whites
to either exterminate or subdue the
indigenous populationsthe Native
Americans in the US, the Aborigines
in AustraliaIndia has always been
a land of assimilation with its 4,635
communities and 22 constitutionally
recognised languages.
In contrast, Europe and the US
have been conflict-prone with the
enemy ranging from blacks to Jews
to Muslims.
Amulya Ganguli is a writer
on current affairs. The views
expressed are personal.
18
FIJI
PM outlines plans for COP23 to UK official

P
rime
Minister
Voreqe
Bainimarama
outlined
Fijis plans for the COP23
presidency at a meeting with the
United Kingdoms Minister of State
for the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office, Baroness Anelay of St Johns.
This is part of a global effort to
build support for Fijis presidential
agenda at the 23rd session of the
Conference of the Parties. He
highlighted this during a meeting in
London. Mr Bainimarama laid out

Fijis vision as president of COP23
and as co-host of the High-Level UN
Conference on Oceans to be held in
New York in June 2017.
During the bilateral talks, the
Prime Minister and Baroness Anelay
explored opportunities for closer
economic co-operation between Fiji
and the UK.
This was particularly in relation to
Fijian Made goods and Fijian sugar.
The
Prime
Minister
also
noted Fijis bid for a seat on the
Human Rights Council for the
2018-2020 term.
He held the meeting in London
prior to attending the 50th
International Sugar Organisation
Council Meeting.
Mr Bainimarama would then head
to Brussels where he is scheduled
to meet with the President of the
European Council Donald Tusk.
The Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama (middle), held talks with the UK sugar
company, Tate & Lyle Sugar, in London
Pooja makes Miss World Talent semi finals
ijis pick to the Miss World

competition Pooja Priyanka
yesterday qualified for the
semi finals for the talent category.
She performed a dance from
a Bollywood movie Taal which
featured Aishwarya Rai Bachchan,
who was a Miss World in 1994.
Ms Priyanka, who is competing
with over 110 contestants from
all over the globe at the United
States capital Washington DC, is
excited with her first foray into the
international event.
On Miss World- Fijis, Facebook
page Ms Priyanka said, YaY! First
round of results are in and Im so excited to be showcasing our incredible
fusion of cultures. Thank you to my
dear #MissWorldteam.
This would not be possible without
you. Anita Chand Shokoufeh Shojaei
Arthi Wardan Ashishna Sharma Pallavi Wardan Vishal Sharma Shaleen
Jas Andhy Blake This one is for you.
Fiji Broadcasting Corporation
(FBC) TV producer and presenter
Andhy Blake said: This is the
huge achievement for any Miss
Fiji contestants to the Miss World
platform because this is the first time
Fiji has made it in the talents and we
look forward to the finals.
High Level
political dialogue
between EU
and Fiji
Miss World Fiji Pooja Priyanka, with Miss Seychelles Christinne Barbier sharing the Christmas spirit in Washinton DC (Photo:
Miss World Fiji)
Vote for Miss World-Fiji
iss World Fiji, Pooja

Priyanka is urging Fijians
at home and overseas
to vote for her in the Miss World,
Peoples Choice Award category.
On Miss World-Fijis Facebook
page, Ms Priyanka said: Bula Fiji!
Have you voted yet? Please download

the Miss World App in the App
store for FREE, browse contestants,
SELECT FIJI and cast your vote.
Your vote is important and
count towards the Peoples Choice
Award! Help Fiji reach Number 1!
#MissWorld #MissFiji.
Ms Priyanka is competing with

over 110 contestants from all over
the globe at the United States capital,
Washington DC.
Fiji Broadcasting Corporation
(FBC) TV producer and presenter,
Andhy Blake is also urging all Fijians
to continue voting for Ms Priyanka.
he second High Level

Political Dialogue between
the European Union and
Fiji under article 8 of the ACP-EU
partnership (Cotonou) Agreement
was held in Brussels, Belgium.
The meeting which was a
continuation of last years dialogue in
Suva was opened by Prime Minister,
Voreqe Bainimarama.
Managing Director for Asia and
the Pacific of the European External
Action Service, Gunnar Wiegand,
outlined priorities for international
and regional cooperation with
Fiji arising from global challenges
such as climate change, oceans
and migration.
Fiji presented its global agenda
in 2017 and invited the EU to
support Fijis COP23 Presidency
and the High Level UN Conference
on Oceans, co-hosted by Fiji
and Sweden.
The Parties exchanged views
on future cooperation after 2020,
recognising the need to replace
the Cotonou Agreement with an
ambitious successor that would
build on the success of the current
Agreement and reflect the specificities
and needs of the Pacific region.
Fiji has sugar at heart: PM
iji will not give up on its sugar

industry. A new action plan
will be put together to identify
what works, Prime Minister Voreqe
Bainimarama told a major industry
meeting in London.
While delivering remarks at the
50th Session of the International
Sugar Organisation Council in
London, Mr Bainimarama spoke
about the resilience of the industry in
the face of devastation by Category 5
Tropical Cyclone Winston.
The Fijian industry is undertaking
a review of its Sugar Action Plan
2013-2017 to identify what is working
and what is not.
To find out why certain targets
havent been met and what needs to
be done to meet them, he said.
And set new targets and time
lines, plus new policy guidelines and
investment plans, to take us forward.
All this will be included in a new
successor plan for the industry for the
next three to five years starting next
year 2017.
He said Fiji does not intend to give
up on sugar cane.
On the contrary, we intend to
continue with our programme to
modernise the industry, to embrace
new technology to improve our yields
and give us the information we need

to make better planning decisions,
the PM said.
We must extract as much sugar
as we can from a single plant
and value add with new products
and by-products.
We must build our resilience to
the threat to the industry posed by
climate change.
And we must constantly scan the
horizon for new markets and work as
hard as we can as an industry to give
those markets what they require.
Fijis aim, he said, was to reduce
the cost of production, maximise
revenue and ensure that the industry
remains viable and sustainable.
Because that is our ultimate duty
to Fijian people and especially those
who rely on sugar.
That we provide the industry with
the right leadership and all work as
a teamone people, one industry
as we move forward together in
challenging times.
Special
mention
to
EuropeanUnions
assistance
to
the industry.
Mr Bainimarama made special
mention of the European Union for
assistance provided post-Winston in
rehabilitation efforts.
The Minister for Local Government Parveen Bala today announced that Miss Pacific Islands 2016 Anne Dunn is Fijis new
Ambassador for Climate Change and Environment
Dunn named Fijis new ambassador for

Climate Change and Environment
he Minister for Local

Government Parveen Bala
today announced that Miss
Pacific Islands 2016 Anne Dunn is
Fijis new Ambassador for Climate
Change and Environment.
Speaking at the welcome reception
for the newly crowned Miss Pacific
Islands, Bala says he is proud of what
Dunn has achieved and making her
the new ambassador will be a very

good platform for Climate Change
and Environment in the country.
Meanwhile Dunn says she is
honored to have come this far as
Miss Hibiscus, Miss Fiji, Miss Pacific
Islands and now the Ambassador for
Climate Change and Environment.
Dunn says whatever she has
achieved has given her the
confidence to speak about issues and

has given her the privilege to meet
many people.
Bala has also announced that
the committee to organise the Miss
Pacific Islands Pageant 2017 will be
formed in January 2017.
The Miss Pacific Pageant 2017
will be held in Nadi in November
next year.
JAYALALITHAA:
INDIA
19
A shy actress who became queen of Tamil Nadu
Venkatachari Jagannathan
he was a shy girl when she first stepped

into the movie world. Decades later, by
when she was one of the most popular
actors in Tamil, Jayalalithaa became a colossus
in Tamil Nadus politics, one who dreamt of
playing a larger national role too.
Jayalalithaa, who died on Monday (December
5) night after a 74-day battle for life, was a
politician par excellence, a Brahmin woman
who reached the pinnacle in a state where
anti-Brahminism is very strong and led her
AIADMK party to four victories in assembly
elections the last two in succession.
Affectionately called Amma by fans and
party activists, Jayalalithaa wielded power with
an iron hand, many men in the party falling
at her feet at public events. But she enjoyed
genuine popularity, particularly among the
economically weaker sections who regarded her
as a virtual goddess.
Jayalalithaa certainly knew what it takes
to negotiate the roller-coaster ride of power.
Born in Karnataka on February 2, 1948 into
an Iyengar family and named Komavalli,
Jayalalithaa moved to Chennai in the 1950s to
live with her mother who worked as a stage and
Tamil film actress.
At 16, she acted in a Kannada movie which
turned out to be a blockbuster. She also acted
on stage for years even as she continued to study.
Although she wanted to pursue higher
studies, Jayalalithaa gradually veered towards
acting. Her first Tamil movie was Vennira
Aadai (1965). Over the decades, she acted in
140 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and even
one in Hindi Izzat opposite Dharmendra.
Losing in 1996, Jalayalithaa returned to

Her acting career peaked after she was paired
power in 2001 but had to step down after
with the legendary M.G. Ramachandran or
her name figured in a court case. After
MGR. The success of their film Aayirathil
being cleared, she took over again in
Oruvan (1965) turned Jayalalithaa into a
2002 and ruled till 2006. She wrested the
leading heroine in Tamil movies. The two were
state from the DMK in 2011, but had
an instant hit on the silver screen and they were
to step down in September 2014 after
said to be friends too in real life.
being convicted in a corruption case by a
It is widely believed that it was MGR who
Bengaluru court.
prompted Jayalalithaa to join politics. But in
Acquitted, she took back the reins in
reality, she made her own choice.
May
2015 and led her party back to power
MGR appointed her the AIADMKs
in
2016,
when she became the first in three
Propaganda Secretary in 1984. But it was her
decades to win an assembly poll in the state for
grit and tenacity that helped Jayalalithaa, a
a successive term. Jayalalithaa was considered
Brahmin in the Dravidian movement, to move
Senator Hillary Clinton. But her governments
mercurial. She withdrew her support to the
her way up. When MGR fell ill and was under
response to the 2015 Chennai floods cost her
BJP government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee after
medical treatment in the US, Jayalalithaa led
some seats in the city in 2016.
giving the government several sleepless nights
the AIADMKs alliance with the Congress in
When she was admitted to Apollo Hospitals
in 1999. She also had a love-hate relationship
the 1984 general and assembly elections.
on September 22, no one believed she would
with the Congress. At the same time, she was
Life became choppy after MGR died in
come out of it in a coffin. She was hyperactive
not at home with the national opposition which
December 1987, leaving Jayalalithaa to battle
in May, winning the election. She was dead
preferred the DMK over the AIADMK.
it out with his wife Janaki for the leadership of
in December.
Jayalalithaa implemented a water scheme to
the AIADMK. The party split into two factions.
A charismatic leader who was at home in
quench the thirst of Chennai and made rain
In 1989, the two factions reunited under
Tamil, English and Hindi, a rare quality in
water harvesting mandatory.
Jayalalithaas leadership and she was elected
Tamil Nadu politics, Jayalalithaa has also
She also brought in womens police in the
its General Secretary. In the same year, she was
recorded many songs and written several stories.
state and the Cradle Baby scheme.
elected to the Tamil Nadu assembly for the first
Jayalalithaa had been in and out of power
The way she managed relief work after
time. She became the first woman opposition
several times, battling incumbency and
the 2004 tsunami drew praise from then US
leader in the state. There was vitriolic opposition
corruption charges. But she never gave up.
to Jayalalithaas ascendancy in Tamil
politics, especially from the DMK.
But she countered all that. In 1991,
In her sad demise, we have lost a unique mothers
embers of Auckland Tamil Association
she became the Chief Minister of
touch that had brightened the lives of millions of
express their deep sorrow at the demise
Tamil Nadu in elections held after
people during the last three decades. She was the
of Ms. Jayalalitha, Chief Minister of
former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhis
greatest woman political leader in contemporary
Tamil
Nadu.In
her
we
saw
the
perfect
blending
assassination at an election rally
India. An Era comes to an end in Tamil Nadu politics.
of the strong will of an able administrator and the
near Chennai.
RIP Puratchi Thalaivi
compassion of a philanthropist.
Message from Auckland Tamil Association
FAMILY VISITING SOON?

Please tell family from India
who are visiting New Zealand
to declare any gifts of food
or ingredients or theyll
face a $400 fine. That
includes spices, tonics,
pickles and preserves.
Items they should definitely
not bring at all include
seeds, fruit, honey products,
meat, vegetables and fresh
flowers, or temple offerings.
For more information
visit mpi.govt.nz/declare
0262 MPI Indian Visitor Press-Indian Wkend (255x175)_0.7_LB_FA.indd 1
30/09/16 10:20 am
20
INDIA
9 December 2016| www.iwk.co.nz
India explains plan to
Demonetisation has had

an adverse impact: Air
India Express
expand n-power capacity

N
A
s it continues in its attempt
for membership in the
Nuclear Suppliers Group
(NSG), India on Monday, December
5, explained how it will expand its
nuclear energy capacity to 60 GW.
I would also like to reiterate at
the outset Indias commitment to
global nuclear disarmament, nonproliferation and peaceful uses of
nuclear energy, Minister of State
for External Affairs M.J. Akbar said
in his address to the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Ministerial Conference on Nuclear
Security in Vienna.
Today, with India having taken
a leadership position in the effort to
combat climate change, India will
expand its nuclear energy capacity
from the current level of around 6
GW to over 60 GW, he said
At the same time, without
naming Pakistan, Akbar said that
few phrases in the language can
wholly convey the magnitude of the
potential danger of terrorists finding
their way, while acting on their
own or with the help of revanchist
elements, to nuclear instruments.
The sane world wants to
prevent malignant actors from
getting access to nuclear and
radiological material and facilities.
Recent developments show that
terrorist use of WMD (weapon of
mass destruction) materials is not a
theoretical concern.
A breach of nuclear security
could
lead
to
unimaginable
consequences,
he
said,
Akbar said that the ministerial
conference was critical, and
underlined the IAEAs central role
in strengthening the global nuclear
security framework, in facilitating

national efforts on nuclear security,
in fostering effective international
cooperation, in setting future
priorities and in forging technical
and policy guidance
India has always held that
nuclear security is the domain of
national sovereignty but this national
prerogative
demands
national
responsibility, he noted, adding that
responsible national actions and
effective international cooperation
should be pursued together to
prevent non-state actors and other
malignant forces from threatening
the lives of innocents on a mass scale,
destabilising regional stability and
international peace.
He also asserted that India
was party to all the 13 universal
instruments accepted as benchmarks
for a states commitments to
combat international terrorism, and
welcomed the entry into force of the
2005 Amendment to the Convention
on the Physical Protection of Nuclear
Materials (CPPNM) this year. But he
also sought the worlds support for
the India-initiated Comprehensive

Convention
on
International
Terrorism (CCIT) at the UN.
As we continue efforts to achieve
universal adherence and reporting
to these instruments, we must not
forget the urgent task of closing out
negotiations on a Comprehensive
Convention
on
International
Terrorism at the UN which has
been under discussion since 1996,
Akbar said.
Such delay hints at a lack of
collective will on an existentialist
issue that has become the most
serious threat to world peace
since 1945. Stating that IAEA
occupied a crucial space between
the international legal foundation of
nuclear security and the initiatives
of its member states, he said, India
has been consistent in its support for
the agency. It must have predictable
and sufficient resources for its nuclear
security work. In April this year, India
announced another contribution
of $1 million to IAEAs Nuclear
Security Fund.
Tata Group no ones personal
fiefdom, says Mistry; Tatas hit back
head of the extraordinary

general meetings called
by several Tata Group
companies to remove him from their
boards, Tata Sons ousted Chairman
Cyrus Mistry appealed for support
from stakeholders on Monday,
December 5, saying the group is no
ones personal fiefdom, even as the
Tata Sons hit back at him.
The Tata Group is no ones
personal fiefdom: it does not belong
to any individual, not to the trustees
of Tata Trusts, not to the Tata Sons
directors, and not to the directors of
the operating companies.
It belongs to all the stakeholders,
including every one of you. I,
therefore, urge all you to think
beyond the here and now. I urge you
to have your voice heard loud and
clear. I ask you to be part of defining
the future, said Mistry in a letter
addressed to the stakeholders.
Tata Sons, however, rebutted
the
charges
Mistry
levelled
against the Group and dubbed
his letter a rehashed version of his
earlier statements, press reports
and leakages.
Indeed, the Tata Group is no

continue, Mistry told the companys
ones personal fiefdom. After he
investors in the letter.
became the Chairman of Tata Sons,
The governance charter across
it is Mistry who converted the Group
the Tata Group, including the
into his personal fiefdom, with his
holding and operating companies,
unilateral actions destroying precious
requires repair to conform to
institutional memory of the House of
company law and global best
Tata, said Tata Sons in a statement.
practices viz. protection of interests
of all stakeholders, including
Mistrys
14-page
letter
minority shareholder, he reiterated.
Representation under section 169
Recalling his familys 75
of the Companies Act, 2013.
The
years of
relationship
In respect of special notice
Tata Trusts
for removal of Cyrus P.
are public charitable with the Group, with
Mistry as Director trusts. Their beneficiaries significant stake in
Tata Sons over 50
also called upon the are the general public of
government to ensure India. They are not family years, Mistry said
neither his family
trusts as one normally
that
Tata
Trusts
thinks of trusts carrying nor he had thought
function under the law.
a family name
that ownership of a
Tata Trusts hold 66
substantial
equity stake
per cent stake in the holding
gave
them
a
special
position
company of the industrial
in the Group.
conglomerate Tata Sons, with 18 per
The Tata Trusts are public
cent held by the Mistry family, 13
charitable trusts. Their beneficiaries
per cent by Tata companies and the
are the general public of India. They
balance three by individuals.
are not family trusts as one normally
People who have been complicit
thinks of trusts carrying a family
or have enabled ethical and legal
name, said Mistry in his letter.
transgressions or have demonstrated
The Tata Group has over
a blatant disregard for good
660,000
employees
and
4
governance should not be allowed to
million shareholders.
ational passenger carrier Air Indias international budget subsidiary

Air India Express on Monday, December 5, said that demonetisation
has had an adverse impact on the number of passengers flying out
of India.
Demonetisation has had an adverse impact. We believe it to be a short
term one, K. Shyamsundar, Chief Executive Officer of Air India Express,
said in an interview to BTVi. Even the overseas manpower agencies have
slowed down. So, there has been an impact, weve not been able to quantify
it, but it is visible in daily collections and we are hoping that it will be a shortterm impact. According to Shyamsundar, the impact of demonetisation
has been seen impacting the number of passengers flying from India.
The impact is actually on passengers flying from India. Its basically
those passengers who pay for their own fares. So if there is an actual physical
cash crunch, it impacts, Shyamsundar said.
On the financial performance front, he pointed out that the company had
increased its revenues last year by about Rs 250 crore.
There was of course an impact of fuel. It might have contributed to the
extent of half of our net surpluses. But, then it is an all-round improvement
in load factors, in efficiencies which led to the load factor being high,
Shyamsundar added.
India considering long-term gas

contracts for power plants: Goyal
ndia is looking at signing long-term gas contracts with other countries

to run its under-utilised power plants, Power Minister Piyush Goyal said
on Tuesday, December 6.
We are hoping to tie up long-term gas contracts so that we can start
powering our gas-based power plants once again many of which are
running at a very low level of capacity utilisation, Goyal said addressing
a ministerial session at Petrotech 2016 hydrocarbons conference in
New Delhi. Three phases of auction for re-gasified liquefied natural gas
(RLNG) have been completed so far and the fourth phase is presently under
operation. In September, nine stranded gas-fired power plants emerged as
successful bidders for Rs 187.14 crore subsidy to get natural gas supplies of
9.93 million standard cubic metres per day (mscmd).
The plants include that of the Ratnagiri power project at Dabhol in
Maharashtra, and of the firms GMR, GVK and Lanco, for running a total
5,070 MW capacity.
These plants would generate 8.81 billion units of electricity which will be
supplied at or below Rs 4.70 per unit to the purchaser discoms (distribution
companies) during the period from 1st October 2016 to 31st March 2017,
the statement said. This will involve government support of Rs 187.14
crore from the Power System Development Fund, it added. According to
the ministry, 29 plants comprising 14,305 MW capacity had no supply of
domestic gas and were eligible to participate in the latest auction process.
Patanjali targets reaching one lakh

crore production by 2020
oga guru turned businessman

Ramdev on Tuesday, December 6,
said his FMCG venture Patanjali
Ayurved is targeting to shore up its
production to Rs one lakh crore by 2020.
Patanjali has been registering 100
percent growth for the last four years and
this year too we have been growing at the
same pace. Our target is to take our inhouse production to Rs 50,000 crore in the
next two-three years and ultimately reach
the target of Rs one lakh crore by 2020,
Ramdev said at the Agenda Aaj Tak event
in New Delhi.The aim to end the hegemony of international companies on
the Indian economy, he said
Our imports consist of over Rs 25 lakh crore while another Rs 25 lakh
crore is taken away by foreign companies. If we need to break this hegemony
and our dependence on foreign companies, we need in house production of
at least Rs.100 lakh crore. Our endeavour is to create and promote Indian
entrepreneurship, said Ramdev.
While hailing the Narendra Modi governments move to demonetise
higher denomination notes, Ramdev said it was essential to continue taking
further steps to check and prevent corruption and black money.
Demonetisation has broken the back of terrorism and Naxalism (Maoism)
as their entire funding was in black money. This move will effectively address
the issue of black money. However, the government should continue to
take further steps to ensure black money does not make a comeback to the
system, he said.
Admitting that demonetisation has caused hardships for the common
people, Ramdev said: Maybe there was needed some more preparation for
implementing the scheme but at the same time, it could have led to leaking
of information and the entire exercise would have failed.
He also said that the government needed to reconsider its decision to
introduce the Rs 2,000 notes.
INDIA ABROAD
Trump to retain Indian
prosecutor appointed by Obama

Arul Louis
S President-elect Donald Trump is

going to keep Indian American Preet
Bharara in his job as a high-profile
federal prosecutor with charge of Wall Street
and important security matters in New York.
Bharara, who was appointed by President
Barack Obama, told reporters after meeting
with the president-elect recently that Trump
asked him to continue as the US District
Attorney for Southern New York and I agreed
to stay on.
Bharara has the reputation of being a
crusader against financial institutions that have
been blamed for the recent great recession
and have been attacked by Trump for causing
economic hardship around the nation.
He has taken action against major banks like
Citibank and JP Morgan Chase, forcing them
to pay billions of dollars to the government to
settle the cases. He has prosecuted over 100 of
Wall Street executives for criminal activities
like stock trading irregularities using insider
information. They include several Indians
like Rajat Gupta, the former head of the
consulting company McKinsey and Goldman
Sachs director, who served two years in jail
for colluding with the Sri Lankan American
hedge fund operator Raj Rajaratnam in a stock
market scam. The meeting with Trump and the
offer to have Bharara is unusual both because
he is a Democrat and an Obama appointee
Preet Bharara
the only one so far that the Republican has

said he will keep onand because despite its
visibility, the job is not of the high-level that
Trump is currently trying to fill.
Therefore, it shows the importance Trump
attaches to the areas of potential prosecution
that Bharara oversees.
Like Bharara, Trump is highly critical of Wall
Street manipulations and irregularities, saying:
Wall Street has caused tremendous problems
for us. Im not going to let Wall Street get

away with murder, Trump has declared, and
Bharara would be his minion to ensure that.
Bharara has prosecuted several New York
politicians for corruption. The senior-most
among them is state assembly Speaker Sheldon
Silver, a Democrat, who was given a 12-year
sentence for corruption.
Bharara, whose full name is Preetinder Preet
Singh Bharara, was born in Ferozepore in 1968
and immigrated to the US as a child.
He sparked a diplomatic stand-off between
India and the United States in 2013 when
he had a Dalit Indian diplomat, Devyani
Khobragade, arrested and strip-searched over
allegations that she had made a false statement
in the visa application for her maid.
Other diplomats accused of similar offenses
were not similarly treated by Bharara and
the humiliating action against Khobragade,
the Deputy Consul General in New York,
brought retaliatory action against by India
against US diplomats in India. Secretary of
State John Kerry expressed regret for the
incident and the matter was diplomatically
resolved with her being allowed to leave the US
without prosecution.
Citibank paid a $158m fine to settle a case
Bharara brought against it for misleading the
government about loans and in another case
made a $7bn payment to the government after
Bharara began investigating its Mexican unit.
Indian-origin astronomer spots tiniest asteroid
sing data from four different telescopes,

a team of astronomers led by an
Indian-origin researcher has reported
that an asteroid discovered last year is the tiniest
known asteroid.
At two meters (six feet) in diameter, the
asteroid, named 2015 TC25, is also one of the
brightest near-Earth asteroids ever discovered,
the researchers said.
If we can discover and characterise
asteroids and meteoroids this small, then we
can understand the population of objects from
which they originate: large asteroids, which
have a much smaller likelihood of impacting
Earth, said Vishnu Reddy, Assistant Professor
at University of Arizonas Lunar and Planetary
Laboratory in the US .
In the case of 2015 TC25, the likelihood
of impacting Earth is fairly small, Reddy, an
alumnus of Madurai Kamraj University in
Tamil Nadu, said.
Small near-Earth asteroids such as 2015
TC25 are in the same size range as meteorites
that fall on Earth. Astronomers discover them
frequently, but not very much is known about
them as they are difficult to characterise.
By studying such objects in more detail,
astronomers hope to better understand the
parent bodies from which these meteorites
originate. Discovered by the University of
Arizonas Catalina Sky Survey last October,
Reddy argues that new observations from the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility and Arecibo Planetary
Radar show that the surface of 2015 TC25 is similar to a rare type of highly reflective meteorite called an
aubrite (Representational Image)
2015 TC25 was studied extensively by Earthbased telescopes during a close flyby that saw
the micro world sailing past Earth at 128,000
kilometres, a mere third of the distance to
the moon.
In a paper published in The Astronomical
Journal, Reddy noted that new observations
from the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility
and Arecibo Planetary Radar showed that the
surface of the asteroid is similar to a rare type
of highly reflective meteorite called an aubrite.
Aubrites consist of very bright minerals,

mostly silicates, that formed in an oxygen-free,
basaltic environment at very high temperatures.
Only one out of every 1,000 meteorites that fall
on Earth belong to this class.
This is the first time we have optical, infrared
and radar data on such a small asteroid, which
is essentially a meteoroid, Reddy said.
You can think of it as a meteorite floating in
space that hasnt hit the atmosphere and made
it to the ground, yet, Reddy noted.
21
UAE-based
teen wins
Children
Peace Prize
n Indian schoolgirl based in UAE

has won this years International
Childrens Peace Prize for her fight
to save the planet.
Kehkashan Basu, a 16-year-old schoolgirl,
was presented the award by Nobel Peace
laureate Mohammad Yunus at a ceremony
held in The Hague on December 2, Gulf
News reported.
At the age of eight, Basu organised an
awareness-raising campaign for the recycling
of waste in her Dubai neighbourhood.
In 2012, she founded her own
organisation, Green Hope, which carries
out environment-focused campaigns.
Basu went on to become the youngest
ever Global Coordinator for the Major
Group for Children and Youth of
the
UN Environmental
Programme.
Basu
has
addressed
various international
conferences and
her
org a n i s at i o n
Green Hope
was now active
Kehkashan Basu
in ten countries
with more than 1,000
young volunteers.
It is a great achievement for such a
young person to already have such reach
and impact with her important message,
said Yunus.
Kehkashan teaches us that we all have a
responsibility to work towards a sustainable
future, he added.
The schoolgirl won because she had
proved her ability to start a movement with
real impact, said Marc Dullaert, the founder
of the KidsRights Foundation.
The Amsterdam-based global childrens
aid group runs the award programme,
which started in 2005.
After receiving the prize, Basu said she
would keep campaigning to encourage
children and adults to create a more
sustainable future.
Basu currently divides her time between
the UAE and Canada, where she has moved
to study.
I call upon everyone to think of how they
can contribute to the preservation of the
environment...Time is not on our sidewe
have to act now, or we will have polar bears
under palm trees, she said.
Researcher bypasses Apples iPad activation lock
emanth Joseph, a Kerala-based

security researcher, has identified a bug
running in iOS 10.1 version of Apples
operating system that allowed him to bypass the
activation lock on an iPad.
The activation lock in Apples iPhone or iPad
is hard for someone other than owner of the
device to hack and set it up as a new device.
Joseph bypassed activation lock in a locked
iPad by discovering a weakness in the device
setup process running iOS 10.1, Forbes
reported on December 2.
When Joseph was asked to select a Wi-Fi

network, he chose other network and selected
WPA2-enterprise as the type of network to
connect to, that gave him three input fields to
fillname, username and password.
Upon testing, he came to know that there
is no character restriction in those fields and
he typed thousands of characters than iOS
can handle, expecting that it would cause the
software to crash.
This caused the iPad to freeze and then he
locked it by closing Apples magnetic Smart
Cover over the screen. After opening the

cover, the device was at the same screen, but
as few seconds passed by, it crashed to iOS
home screen.
This made Joseph bypassed the activation
lock and to have full access to the iPad.
The bug discovered by Joseph was reportedly
fixed in an iOS update last month.
According to Josephs website, he is currently
working as information security researcher
at the firm Slash Secure and also serving as
commander at Kerala Police Cyberdome.
He is founder of Indias first open security

community for students called 0SecCon
(www.0SecCon.com).
Joseph has been listed Googles Hall of fame
and received a bounty of $7500 for reporting a
critical vulnerability in Google Cloud Platform.
Earlier, researchers at US-based Vulnerability
Lab discovered the iOS 10.1.1 bug. Like Joseph,
the team began by overloading the Wi-Fi setup
fields and employed a smart cover. Just like
in Josephs iPad scenario, the home screen
appeared for an instant and then its gone.
22
SPORTS
deserved to beat
India beat Pakistan to lift Barcelona
Real Madrid: Enrique
Womens Asia Cup title
F
I
ndia defeated Pakistan by 17
runs to retain the Asian Cricket
Council
(ACC)
Womens
Twenty20 Asia Cup title at the Asian
Institute of Technology Ground in
Bangkok on December 4.
The Bangkok win was Indias sixth
Asia Cup victory in as many meets.
India last won the title at Guangzhou,
in China, in 2012.
Opting to bat first, India scored
121/5 with veteran Mithali Raj
scoring a brilliant unbeaten 73 runs.
Apart from her, lower-order
batswoman Jhulan Goswami (17)
was the second top scorer for India.
India refused to play a bilateral
series against Pakistan between
August 1 and October 31 in the
sixth round of the International
Cricket Councils (ICC) Womens
Championship calendar recently.
India won the final by 17 runs
The ICC docked six points from

India as a punishment.
For Pakistan, Anam Amin scalped
two wickets while Sana Mir and
Sadia Yousuf took one wicket each.
In reply, Pakistan started off the
run chase on a good note as openers
Ayesha Zafar (15) and Javeria Khan
(22) scored 24 runs in four overs.
Middle order batswoman Bismah

Maroof also played a crucial role by
scoring 25 runs. But apart from them
no other player contributed much as
they could manage 104/6 in their
allotted 20 overs.
For India, Ekta Bisht scalped two
wickets while Anuja Patil, Jhulan,
Shikha Pandey and Preeti Bose
contributed with one wicket each.
Cash crunch rules out Federer, Serena from IPTL
he current cash crunch in

the country, following the
November 8 demonetisation
has led to multiple Grand Slam
champions Roger Federer and
Serena Williams pulling out of
this seasons International Premier
Tennis League (IPTL), the organisers
announced on Tuesday, December
6. Both Federer and Serena were
scheduled to play the final leg of the
$100,000 tournament in Hyderabad
from December 9 to 11.
The Swiss star was to play for
the Indian Aces while Williams was
signed by the Singapore Slammers.
We are sad to announce that

Roger Federer and Serena Williams
wont participate at this years
IPTL, founder and managing
director of IPTL, Mahesh Bhupathi,
said in a statement in New Delhi.
We have had challenges this
year, and we were hoping to get past
them. With the current economic
climate in India and the uncertainty
of spending money, I reached out to
both Roger and Serena to explain
the situation. They have been both
been very supportive of the IPTL the
first two seasons and we look forward
to bring them in future years. The

IPTL could have been Federers
comeback tournament ahead of the
Australian Open early next year. He
has been out since July following a
knee surgery.
Williams, on the other hand,
last played at the US Open in
September, following which she has
stayed away from the circuit with a
shoulder injury.
The season will witness a total of
17 matches, with each of the four
teams playing eight matches in a
customised round robin format.
Singapore Airlines 2017 to India (Blackout dates apply)

(NEW DELHI / MUMBAI / KOCHI)
Commence travel between (01 February to 30 November 2017)
One-way Fares starting from NZD 595*
Return Fares starting from NZD1090*
Sales ends on 19 December 2016.
Malaysia Airlines
(CHENNAI / MUMBAI / HYDERABAD/BANGALORE / DHAKA /

NEW DELHI / COLOMBO)
Economy return fares starting from NZD 999*
Departures between 16 Jan to 31 Oct 17.
THAI AIRLINES TO INDIA (Limited availability)
Economy return fares starting from NZD 1299*

Departures between 15 Jan to 30 Oct 17.
Please note availability is Limited/FLIGHT RESTRICTION APPLY. Fares may not be available on all flights.
C Barcelona manager Luis

Enrique has asserted that
his team deserved to win
and blamed the players for wasting
chances following the draw against
arch-rivals Real Madrid at the Nou
Camp Stadium in Barcelona.
Barcelona had taken the lead
eight minutes into the second half
on Saturday (December 3) evening
thanks to a Luis Suarez strike. But
Real Madrid managed to snatch
a point from the El Classico
when Sergio Ramos found a last
Luis Enrique
minute equaliser.
In the second half, we were the
with the chances we had, the former
better side, but we didnt manage to
Spain international was quoted as
get the second (goal) and they ended
saying by the FC Barcelona website.
up equalising. That said, we deserved
Following Saturdays result, Real
to win. It is not the best result for
Madrid continue to lead the Spanish
us. It was a very even first half and
top flight standings with 34 points
a second that we were better, we
from 14 matches. Barcelona are at
created chances. We continued
the second spot with 28 points, one
looking for the second to
In
ahead of third placed Sevilla.
avoid being levelled, but
my opinion, the
Enrique rued the fact
we were unable to do
performance of the
that
Barcelona were
so, a bitter Enrique
team was higher than
unable to reduce Real
said after the match.
that of the rival, but we Madrids lead and urged
In the first half we have to improve, it is clear.
his players to improve
saw two good teams I say this even when we
their
record at home.
win, and even when
trying to control the
Even though many
we draw.
ball, an equal duel
games still remain, we must
without real chances,
improve,
especially at home.
with a lot of tension and
In my opinion, the performance
evenness. The second was different,
of the team was higher than that of
we created chances, we took the lead
the rival, but we have to improve,
via a set play, and then we continued
it is clear. I say this even when we
having the ball, wanting the second
win, and even when we draw. We
goal and controlling the game.
can improve in all aspects of the
Madrid, in a very characteristic
game: offensive, defensive ... We are
play from them, drew level, and we
ambitious, he added.
paid the price for not killing the game
FUN ZONE
23
Answers to last week's puzzles
Sudoku
Crossword
Animal Word Scramble

1. DRBI
8. OLIN
15. POLNIHD
2. DGO
9. MYOEKN
16. LARLIGO
3. OENDYK
10. EEB
17. EMSUO
4. GFRIEFA
11. KDUC
18. EGTRI
5. GLOILARTA
12. RGFO
19. ABRITB
6. TAC
13. TPNLEHEA
20. ATR
7. EHSOR
14. ORCDCIELO
Send us stories,
drawings, poems and
other contributions
by your little ones
along with their
photographs for
this page. E-mail
us at editor@
indianweekender.
co.nz
24
FEATURES
Bookshops will always remain a paradise

for avid readers
Somrita Ghosh
he smell of books while entering

a bookstore is probably the most
hypnotising aroma for an avid reader.
Though e-commerce platforms have been
muscling in, shop owners maintain that book
stores will always be the first preference for
those bitten by the reading bug.
Who says people dont like coming to book
stores? Good books will always bring readers
back to shops. For them a shop is not just a place
to buy books but also a platform where likeminded meet and talk about common interests.
Why else would chains like Crosswords and
Om Book Stores be opening more and more
outlets? Anuj Bahri Malhotra, the secondgeneration owner of the iconic Bahrisons in
New Delhi, asked.
Bahrisons, located in upscale Khan Market
in New Delhi, was established in 1953 by Anujs
father, Balraj Bahri Malhotra.
Book lovers will always opt for buying from
book stores because, for them, getting physically
connected with a book is important. They
can never trust books purchased online and
therefore, for us, those book lovers are treasured
ones, Sanjeev Arora of Famous Book
Store said.
Located in the Janpath market near
Connaught Place, New Delhi, the book store
was established in 1943 in Lahore and, after
partition, it shifted to Delhi in 1948.
Mirza Asad, who looks after the Midland
bookstore located in South Extension-1, also
shared similar thoughts on the survival of
bookstores in the e-commerce era.
Old customers always keep coming to
bookstores. We have even seen three generations
who have been our regular customers. There
are many old books, translated works which
you wont find on e-commerce platforms but

will surely get in a book-store and this is a big
advantage, Asad added. Bookshop owners can
perfectly understand the need of a customer
and this keeps them ahead of online sales.
Only a shop-owner can understand the
need of a reader, and that makes a vast
difference from online sales. They can only
provide discounts but can never understand the
requirements of a reader, Bahri maintained.
Asad too stated that he can now easily
identify a readers preference when someone
enters his shop.
This is what I have been doing so long. Not
just the book lovers but we also read books and
keep a track so that we can immediately provide
Bahrisons bookstore in Khan Market, New Delhi
the requisite book, beamed Asad as he handed
over a copy of Bapsi Sidhwas The Pakistani Bride
is certainly a craze, but this does not mean
to me.
bookshops will close down or wont receive
Asked about the craze for purchasing
readers. Offering discounts wont
Only
books online or opting for a Kindle
help you to survive in the long
a
shop-owner
version, the bookshop owners
run, Arora responded.
can understand the
opined that it is the youth who
Online has also given
need of a reader, and
are failing to get physically
rise to the sale of pirated
that
makes
a
vast
difference
connected with books.
books. Most of the time
A major problem with from online sales. They can people cannot judge from
only provide discounts but
the youth is that they cannot
its advertisements and end
can never understand the
connect physically with books.
up purchasing a pirated copy.
requirements
of
They can wait for five days
There have even been cases
a reade
after ordering a book online,
where pages are not printed
but are not ready to give that same
properly or paper quality is very
time to a bookshop, because they are
poor, Asad added.
impatient, Bahri replied.
The owners also conveyed their dissatisfaction
People are opting for online purchases
with publishers as well. Publishers are giving
because of the discounts they are offering.
preferential treatment to the online sellers
We bookshop owners cant blame the people
with a higher discount and full coverage of
because anybody will tend to purchase products
discounts, Bahri lamented.
available at a lesser price, Asad pointed out.
With high discounts offered by publishers
Despite this, the owners voiced similar
to e-commerce platforms, they are killing
thoughts when asked why they dont consider
themselves; the owner loses interest in the
e-commerce platforms themselves. There
books. If we order a good number of copies,

the publishers offer discountsbut they are
not ready to give discounts for fewer copies,
Asad explained.
A number of book stores have been closing
down, but the shop-owners said this was not
due to lack of sales but soaring real estate prices.
People have assumed that online
marketplace has captured the market and that
shops are closing down owing to this. However,
this is not true. A bookshop like Fact and Fiction
(in Basant Lok in Vasant Vihar) closed down
last year (after a 30-year run) because they lost a
(rent) case in court, Bahri stated
Real estate prices have gone up and shop
owners often fail to adjust to the soaring rents.
Those who have their own shops are safe. In
Connaught Place, there used to be 19 book
shops, now only eight are surviving, Asad
pointed out. One thing is for sure: e-commerce
or whatever, bookshops are going to be around
for everperhaps in reduced numbers, but
theyll be there for sure.
Blissfulness is just the beginning

Sadhguru, Isha Foundation
he moment I say spirituality, people

say, Yes, I want to be peaceful. Dont
walk the spiritual path for peace.
You dont have to be on the spiritual path to
be peaceful. If you go climb a mountain and sit
there, it will happen.
If you take a long walk and lie down, you will
sleep peacefully. If you eat a complete meal,
you will sleep peacefully.
You dont need the spiritual process to
be peaceful. It is a shame that the so-called
spiritual teachers around the world proclaim
that spirituality is about being peaceful. The
longing for peace has essentially come from
troubled minds.
For them, peace is a big commodity that they
have to seek. If you are not using your mind
for self-torture, why would you think of peace?
Would you seek exuberance of life or would you
seek peace?
All of us will rest in peace when we are
dead. Now is the time to live. But people have
lost control over their mental faculty what
should have been a miracle has become a
misery manufacturing machine. Even being
ecstatic is not a goal by itself.
If you are blissful by your own nature,
then the important thing is, you are not the
issue anymore.
There may be other issues in existence that
you can look at them. But if you are an issue
yourself, what other issue will you take into your
Sadhguru
Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, visionary, and a
spiritual master with a difference. An author, poet,
and internationally-renowned speaker, his wit and
piercing logic provoke and widen our perception
of life.isha.sadhguru.org
hands? Mysticism evolved only in those places

where people learnt the technology of being
ecstatic by their own nature.
If you experience a little bit of pleasantness
whether it is by drinking, dancing, or doing
some other crazy thingyou will never explore
any other dimension of life because keeping
yourself happy is a great challenge and a fulltime job.
For most people, the pursuit of happiness
has become the goal of life. Happiness is not
something that you achieve. It is something
that you start with. As children, we all started
joyfully without any hassle.
Only if you are blissful, you will truly explore

all aspects of life. Otherwise, you will not
dare to because maintaining your own little
bit of pleasantness within you is such a big
challenge. Where is the question of taking on
bigger challenges?
There was a time when we believed that
whether the tree in our house bears fruit or not
depended on Gods will. But we took charge of
these things.
Now we know what the problem is if this tree
is not bearing fruit.
We know what to do with it. Slowly, we
figured out all these things. Similarly, if your
self has not blossomed, it is because you
are not doing the right thing with yourself.
When we understand this, a spiritual
process begins. Once you are not an issue,

being peaceful, joyful, or blissful is not
an effort anymore. Then naturally you
want to know what is behind everything.
This is not an induced quest. It is natural for
humans to seek.
However, the spiritual process is not a
conscious choice. It is a kind of a compulsive
behaviour. But unless you handle it consciously,
it will not yield.
Unless one experiences the universality
of ones nature, I would say the human form
is wasted. You do not need a human body,
intelligence, and awareness to eat, sleep,
reproduce, and die.
Every worm or insect can fulfil that better
than a human being. If you want to know,
experience, and be able to handle other
dimensions of life, it is important that you
have no rigid structures in your mind. The
biggest thing in the existence is not some God
sitting somewhere.
The life process itself contains the creation
and the Creator. If you are willing to go
beyond the surface substance of what you call
yourself, suddenly everything is malleable.
Here and there, now and then are all mixed
up. The individual and the universal are no
longer different.
Isha New Zealand conducts free monthly Isha
kriya meditation practice and Upa yoga for
general public. For more information, contact
0221099771/02102763956 or visit
www.ishafoundation.org
FEATURES
December 9 to 15 | By Manisha Koushik

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 20)
If love is what you seek, it is celebration time
already as you manage to impress someone from
the opposite camp. You may resent someone in the
family keeping a tab on your activities, but it may be
for your own good. Dont feel reluctant in meeting
a senior to explain things in person on the work
front, as it will save you the hassle of being called
for explanation later. Some of you may devote your
energy in finding ways to enhance your earning.
Lucky number: 9 / Lucky colour: Rosy brown
Cancer (Jun 22-Jul 20)

You are likely to add to your fame and prestige on the
social front. An initiative taken by you on the family
front will be appreciated by all. A secret admirer may
express his or her feelings for you. Those pursuing
higher studies are likely to taste success soon. Praise
is in store for those working for a professional setup. Better remunerations can be expected by those
going in for a job switch. You manage to keep good
health by adopting a better and healthier lifestyle.
Lucky number: 22 / Lucky colour: Dark slate grey
Taurus (Apr 21-May 20)

Overstraining on the fitness front may cause
problems, so take it easy. Employees may demand
a pay hike and put you in a spot. Professional
matters will need to be handled with care to avoid
mistakes. Differences with spouse over some issue
are foreseen towards the mid of the week. Power
game may ensue on the romantic front and threaten
to end the relationship. Problems are foreseen
for those undertaking a long journey over the
weekend. Discussing property matters with someone
knowledgeable is okay, but take your own call.
You are likely to achieve something big on the social

front through family support. If love has eluded you
up till now, dont despair as your perfect mate is
waiting to begin a romantic journey together. Dont
take on more than you can handle on a business trip.
Someone can go back on his or her word at work
and put you in an embarrassing situation. Impulse
buying can affect your bank balance adversely. Your
health doesnt appear all hunky-dory, so take care.
Lucky number: 1 / Lucky colour: Peach
Lucky number: 18 / Lucky colour: Sandy brown
Gemini (May 21-Jun 21)

An active social life is likely to keep you busy. Love
can come knocking at your door, so be prompt in
letting it in. Those fond of travel are likely to have
their wish fulfilled this week. Keeping someone in
good humour on the professional front will prove
beneficial to your career. Those looking for a suitable
accommodation are likely to find one that fits their
pocket. You will have to tighten your belt on the
financial front, if you want to save for an expensive
item.
Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 23)
Lucky number: 5 / Lucky colour: Bluish green
Leo (Jul 21-Aug 22)
25
Manisha Koushik is a practicing astrologer, tarot card reader,

numerologist, vastu and fengshui consultant based in India with a
global presence through the online channels. She is available for
consultations online as well. E-mail her at support@askmanisha.
com or contact at +91-11-26449898 Mobile/Whatsapp:
+919015607139 www.askmanisha.com
Libra (Sep 24-Oct 23)

Some of you are likely to enjoy a long drive as the
week begins, maybe to meet someone related to
you. Efforts on the work front are likely to bring
praise and appreciation for you. A social event
may be organised at home for someone who has
come from overseas or out of town. Your romantic
endeavours are likely to bear fruit as the one you
love sends positive signals. Money will not pose any
problems as you spend judiciously. You are likely to
find yourself more energetic than usual as the week
progresses.
Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 21)

A windfall can be expected by some on the financial
front. Figure and physique that you are trying to
achieve is likely to become a reality with regular
workouts. A professional matter will be resolved in
your favour. You may find spouse off mood due to
some misunderstanding, so try to clear the air. Lover
may resent you not being able to spend more time
with him or her and can create a scene. You will need
to be careful while on the road.
Lucky number: 3 / Lucky colour: Coffee
Aquarius (Jan 22-Feb 19)

You are likely to devote some more time in looking
after your fitness and physique. Your work on the
academic front may not be found up to the mark
and require reworking. A game of one-upmanship
may ensue on the social front and may lead you
to frustration. Stagnation may set into a long-term
relationship on the romantic front, if you dont do
something about it. Delays are foreseen for those
undertaking a long journeys. Dont expect immediate
reciprocation for the help extended to someone.
Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 22)

Your interest in spirituality is likely to be awakened.
Possibility of visiting a pilgrimage site cannot be
ruled out for some. Good intentions in accomplishing
something at work will make higher ups overlook
your mistakes. You can make plans with friends to
organise a beat up on the social front. Love life
promises to be exciting as partner gives his or
her support. Conserving money at this juncture is
advised, but do spend money on essentials. Dont
take undue liberties where health is concerned.
Lucky number: 11 / Lucky colour: Purple
Lucky number: 6 / Lucky colour: Forest green
Lucky number: 8 / Lucky colour: Light blue
This is a lucky week for you. A situation causing worry

on the professional front is likely to be resolved
without any difficulty. You will be able to enjoy the
same quality of life that you used to as money comes
to you. Those unwell are likely to enjoy perfect health
soon. You are likely to be much sought after on the
social front. Love life proves most satisfying as you
enjoy a better understanding with partner. Shifting
to a new house can become a hassle for some.
Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21)

You feel nice with people around you, but dont do
enough to make this happen. The week may find you
socialise with your near and dear ones. Love begets
love, more so on the romantic front. So, give love and
expect to have a scintillating time in the company
of lover. Someone may take you to meet one of your
old friends or associates. On the professional front,
you will be able to put adequate efforts to complete
a difficult task within the deadline.
Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20)

You are likely to achieve much on the professional
front this week. Businesspersons will find business
picking up. Profits accrue for those who have
ventured into something new. A family get together
may find you in your element. Someone from the
opposite camp can tug at your heartstrings and
usher in romance! Disruptions while travelling can
be expected by some, but it will be due to outside
factors. Not heeding the advice of elders can lay you
up in bed with an ailment or two.
Lucky number: 4 / Lucky colour: Dark grey
Lucky number: 2 / Lucky colour: Pink
Lucky number: 17 / Lucky colour: White
26
FEATURES
Why no one is buying a tablet anymore

@maheshk
pple launched iPad in 2010 and it was

instantly hailed as a device that had the
potential of revolutionising mainstream
computing. In the last six years, Apple has
introduced various new iterations and updates
to the iPad range. Besides Apple, almost every
other hardware manufacturer jumped into
the fray with their version of tabletmostly
based on Googles Android operating system,
with Samsung, Asus, and Amazon leading
among them.
Tablets were a completely new line of
devices, something between a mobile phone
and a laptop that offered the portability of a
mobile phone and the power of a laptop. It
became a huge success with sales peaking at 26
million units reported in Q1 of 2014. However,
in the last three years, there has been a marked
decline in the sale of iPad units. To its credit,
Apple has been trying to reinvent the lineup by experimenting with different sizes and
introducing new software features, but the sales
seem to have tapered off.
Similarly, when Samsung launched Galaxy
Tab in 2010, Android aficionados bought the
device in hordes. Samsung also introduced new
sizes starting from 7.0 inch to 7.7, 8.9, 10.1 and
10.5. Despite initial momentum and a hugely
popular Galaxy branding, Samsungs tablet
range recently recorded almost 25% decline in
the year-over-year market share.
So why is no one buying a tablet anymore?
Lets look at three main reasons that might be
causing the across-the-board lag in the demand
for tablet computing devices.
Mobile phones and

laptops are getting
better
hen the iPad was launched, the average

size of mobile phones was around
4.5inches. So the iPad seemed a great device to
consume media, browse the internet, or check
e-mail. Since then, mobile phone displays have
Slowdown in innovation
got bigger and better. Currently, the size of an

average mobile phone is 5.25 inches. Also, the
phones have got smarter and more powerful. A
new line-up of phones known as Phablet with a
display size of six inches and more has also been
introduced by some manufacturers. This bigger
screen size enables better media consumption
and web surfing, thus eliminating the need for
a tablet.
On the other hand, laptops are evolving in this
new landscape. They are going portable with
detachable screens. Googles Chromebooks and
Microsofts Surface series among other similar
devices, bring greater firepower in a compact
form, thereby hurting the sale of tablets.
With all these latest developments, a
consumer does not want to own three devices
when they can just have one in-pocket device
and one in-bag device.
When tablets made their way into mainstream

computing, there was genuine excitement and
curiosity with what an iPad or a Galaxy Tab
could do. Since then, there have only been
modest or iterative changes. Different sizes,
retina display, haptic feedback, or pressuresensitive stylus are not enough anymore to lure
new customers in big numbers who are ready to
shell out $700 to $1000. Also in terms of apps,
there has not been any breakthrough noticeable
enough to warrant an upswing in the sales.
Almost all new tablet devices lack a compelling
reason to bring in new buyers who seem to be
happy with their phones and laptops.
Lack of motivation to
upgrade
So you already have an earlier model of iPad.
Are you enticed enough to upgrade to a newer
model? While this links to the second reason,
the upgrade cycle has some merits on its own.
Normally, a consumer holds onto a mobile
phone for about 1824 months. On the other
Technology used in Netflix, Google

can help planetary research
achine
learninga
powerful tool used for
a variety of tasks in
modern life, from fraud detection
and sorting spam in Google, to
making movie recommendations
on Netflixcan help scientists
determine whether planetary systems
are stable or not, a study says.
Machine learning offers a
powerful way to tackle a problem
in astrophysics, and thats predicting
whether planetary systems are
stable, said study lead author Dan
Tamayo from the University of
Toronto Scarborough in Canada.
Machine learning is a form of
artificial intelligence that gives
computers the ability to learn without
having to be constantly programmed
for a specific task. The benefit is that
it can teach computers to learn and
change when exposed to new data,
not to mention its also very efficient.
The researchers found that the
same class of algorithms used by
Google and Netflix can also tell us if
distant planetary systems are stable
or not.
The method developed by
Tamayo and his team is 1,000 times
faster than traditional methods in
predicting stability.
Machine
learning
offers a powerful way
to tackle a problem in
astrophysics, and thats
predicting whether
planetary systems
are stable
In the past weve been hamstrung

in trying to figure out whether
planetary systems are stable by
methods that couldnt handle the
amount of data we were throwing at
it, Tamayo said.
Its important to know whether

planetary systems are stable or not
because it can tell us a great deal
about how these systems formed.
It can also offer valuable new
information about exoplanets that
is not offered by current methods
of observation.
There are several current methods
of detecting exoplanets that provide
information such as the size of the
planet and its orbital period, but they
may not provide the planets mass
or how elliptical their orbit is, which
are all factors that affect stability,
Tamayo noted.
The method developed by Tamayo
and his team was published online in
the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Whats encouraging is that our
findings tell us that investing weeks
of computation to train machine
learning models is worth it because
not only is this tool accurate, it also
works much faster, he added.
It may also come in handy
when analysing data from NASAs
Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite
(TESS) set to launch next year.
The two-year mission will focus
on discovering new exoplanets by
focusing on the brightest stars near
our solar system.
hand, the refresh cycle for a laptop is from

three to five years. Barring a few earlier models
of Android-based tablets, the old tablets
seem good enough for web surfing or media
consumption. It seems that tablets have got into
the territory of TV sets. There is no incentive
to upgrade to a newer model that just has some
minor design changes or a new chip inside. As a
result, consumers hang on to the tablet devices
for four or more years.
With all the above reasons for not buying a
tablet device, there are still enough reasons for
some consumers to buy them. These include
the fact that seniors find big screens more
usable for media consumption or for reading
a book. These are also great for kids to take
to their school and work on their projects or
assignments. Some enterprises are also trying to
find new uses of tablet devices in their businesses
to offer customer-focused experiences.
I think tablets can still make a comeback
if a company comes up with a breakthrough
in design or a great new app comes out that
benefits consumer or business users.
If you are planning to buy or upgrade to a
new tablet device, do share your thoughts.
Writing, accessing data made

easy with new material
n a first, scientists from

Switzerland have developed a
new perovskite material with
unique magnetic properties that can
be used to build next-generation hard
drives, making writing and accessing
data on them easy.
Due to generation of more and
more data, storage systems like
hard drives with higher density and
efficiency are required.
To fulfil this requirement, materials
whose magnetic properties can be
quickly and easily manipulated in
order to write and access data on
them are needed.
Scientists
from
Ecole
Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
(EPFL) have now developed a
perovskite materiala calcium
titanium oxide mineral composed of
calcium titanatewhose magnetic
order can be rapidly changed without
disrupting it due to heating.
The work done in this Research
institution in Lausanne, Switzerland,
has been published in Nature
Communications.
Magnetism in material arises from
the interactions of localised and
moving electrons of the material. By
easily modifying magnetic properties,
it could of an enormous advantage in
many applications such as magnetic
data storage.
The new material that the scientists

developed offers exactly that.
Blint Nfrdi, project lead,
synthesised
a
ferromagnetic
photovoltaic material in a lab. We
have essentially discovered the first
magnetic photoconductor, Blint
Nfrdi said.
This new crystal structure
combines the advantages of both
ferromagnets,
whose
magnetic
moments are aligned in a well-defined
order, and photoconductors, where
light illumination generates high
density free conduction electrons.
This study provides the basis for
the development of a new generation
of magneto-optical data storage
devices, Nfrdi pointed out.
These would combine the
advantages of magnetic storage
long-term stability, high data density,
non-volatile operation and rewritabilitywith the speed of optical
writing and reading, he added.
ENTERTAINMENT
FEATURES
Having
a party? We would
like to hear from you.
Reach us at
editor@indianweekender.co.nz
and get featured on this page.
Meet and Greet

dinner for
Nooran Sisters at
DGrand Haveli
restaurant in
Manukau,
Auckland
Bollywood Affair
party in full swing
at
Mikano,
Auckland
27
WANTED!
28
FEATURES
ENTERTAINMENT
U. Prashanth Nayak
IWK Reviews
he more one watches cinema,

the better one appreciates
the crucial value of a strong
script. The cinematographer, editor,
director, et al, can only do so much if
the script fails to soar.
Sujoy Ghosh rides on the strength
of his outstanding thriller Kahaani
(2012) to team up this time with cowriter Suresh Nair for a different
version of the same formula (they
have averred that this is not a sequel).
They rustle up a good deal of
quality suspenseful story-telling for
two-thirds of the run-time, but then
the fatigue in thinking starts to show.
The one unquestionable reason for
this movie to exist is the impressively
direct way with which it deals with the
issue of child sexual abuse, especially
in a country where discussion of
sex is still largely a taboo and sexual
abuse of children is even more of a
suppressed reality.
The same month of release two
years ago, Kashyaps remarkable Ugly
dealt with this subject as a tangential
plot angle, but here it is, right at the
open centre of this thriller.
The movie commences as Vidya
Sinha (Vidya Balan) rushes through
her morning chores to set out for
work, while cautioning her young
daughter to look after herself.
That juncture onwards, both
mother and daughter are pushed
into a succession of harrowing events
straight out of a nightmare.
Higher leaps
of imagination
The most arresting parts

involve the attempts to rescue
a little girl from sexual abuse by a relative
who lives in the same house.
Hospitals,
abductions,
cops,
criminals, the rescue of a traumatised
child and even a coma are thrown
into the mix as timelines are shuffled,
and the story runs on parallel tracks
covering a police investigation
while rewinding Vidyas past.
Inevitable comparisons with the
first instalment reveal the second
pictures weaknesses.
Vidya Balans character lacks the
behavioural sparkle of her previous
avatar, though she is resourceful
and determined to the same degree.
She is plump, dresses frowsily, is
poorly kept, and looks tired all the
time, but none of that would have
mattered much had a bit more of
brightness and wit been introduced
into her demeanour. Balan remains a
gifted actress but one wishes she had
improvised more in Kahaani 2.
Arjun Rampal as a young
cop delivers a solidly controlled
performance but is not given more to
chew on.
Shades of moral complexity and
sly treachery would have better suited
this films villain, but once his true
nature is revealed, Jugal Hansrajs
antagonist is reduced to a boring
two-dimensional baddie.
The most arresting parts involve
the attempts to rescue a little girl
from sexual abuse by a relative who
lives in the same house. An elderly
lady in the family wonders aloud
how this can possibly happen
an inherently stupid question that
betrays a poor understanding of the

range of human nature.
A police inspector concludes it
is a false case after he questions the
six-year-old girl who denies any
such abuse. Kahaani 2 plainly shows
this moronic circus to demonstrate
how incompetently and blindly
these incidents are often handled in
real life.
Did I miss the movies absence of
songs? No. This has little to do with
the movies excellent narrative flow.
The main reason is that I have left
behind in the cradle of childhood
the rattle toys that many grown-ups
among the audience and producers
still insist on being musically shaken
in their face for every Indian movie.
It looks like theres going to be a
Kahaani 3.
Ghosh thus ably draws upon his
MBA background to employ some
principles of vertical integration
where one venture is used to create
more and directly connected business
opportunities for another one.
I would not begrudge this type
of further enrichment of his
bank account as long as he able
to rediscover and infuse the same
superb story-telling into the potential
third version as he did in the
first Kahaani.
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Hindi (English subtitles available)

Rating: 3.5/ 5 (between good
and excellent)
Befikre has more than just kissing scenes: Ranveer
ctor Ranveer Singh says that his

forthcoming film Befikre has a nice
story apart from the much talked about
kissing scenes.
Yes, there is a story. When Adi sir (the films
director Aditya Chopra) showed the trailer
to me before releasing it, I asked him why he
is releasing a promo that has so much more
to it? The promo does not give you anything
about the world of the film, Ranveer said in
Mumbai.
I had an argument with him regarding that,
but I think he wants the audience to discover
the characters of the film while watching and
that is why he deliberately cut a very surface
level promo. Its a very conscious choice that he
made to under promise and over deliver to his
audience, he added.
The actor, who is paired with actress Vaani
Kapoor in the film, said the audience will start
discovering the two characters from the first
scene of the film once people watch it.
Though it is light-hearted, it is not a
frivolous film, said Ranveer, who has shown
his romantic side in films like Band Baaja Baaraat,
Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Lootera and Bajirao
Mastani. The audience will get to see more of
it in Befikre, which is the celebration of carefree
love and a romantic relationship.
How are love stories in Hindi cinema
changing and is the audience receptive towards
it?
He said: I think we have room for
bothBefikre and Bajirao Mastani. Yes, there
is a generational shift when it comes to the
outlook of a romantic relationship. The young
generation communicates through social media

more. That was not accessible during my
formative years like when I was 17-18 years
old.
Now, judging people based on their choices
of romantic relationship is not cool. The young
generation is open-minded. However, there is
room for classic romantic love stories as well.
Befikre is his first film in which he is being
directed by Chopra, head honcho of Yash Raj
Films.
Talking about his equation with the
filmmaker, Ranveer said, You see the directoractor equation is more substantial and dynamic
than a producer-actor. We have interacted
more during the shooting of the film.
So, I got to know a different side of him...
whether he has a wicked sense of humour or
has a bindass
carefree attitude. He
is a private
person
and
as an actor,
I feel
fortunate
to
know
him
closely.
In the
p a s t ,
Ranveer has acted in Chopra-produced films,

including the actors debut movie Band Baaja
Baaraat. What makes it so special to be
part of any Yash Raj Films project?
He said, I think there is
a certain amount of
assurance
with
which
the
production
will
be
executed.
The film will
be mounted
and you know
there will be
no stone
unturned from the producers end to do the

best for the film. And there is a certain amount
o f prestige value to it.
Befikre is all set to release on
December 9.
ENTERTAINMENT
FEATURES
Anoushka Shankar: Im interested

in composing film music
Haricharan Pudipeddi
ive-time Grammy nominated

sitarist
and
composer
Anoushka Shankar, who is
currently touring India as part of a
charity event and in support of her
ninth album Land of Gold, says she is
interested to foray into writing and
composing music for feature films.
Even though its not her greatest
desire in the world, Anoushka said
in an interview, Ive been making
music for a while, and composing
for films is an area I really want to
explore. I would love to start writing
music for films.
Asked if she has any composer in
mind she would like to collaborate
with, she said, There are so many
amazing musicians and I want to
work with all of them.
On her fifth nation-wide solo tour
of India, she said a lot of magic can
happen on stage.
Our lives have become so
mechanical, that sometimes even
playing with a kid can bring you back
into the current moment.
Playing in front of a live audience
is one of those things where youre
connecting with people in that
moment, said the daughter of late
sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar.
When youre performing at a
concert, you experience a kind of
electricity and that allows alchemy
to happen between people and thats
very powerful.
Big B, Sunny
lead in hottest
vegetarian
celebrity
contest
egastar
Amitabh
Bachchan and actress
Sunny Leone have been
raking in the votes for People for
the Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA) Indias Hottest Vegetarian
Celebrity 2016 contest.
Sunny, who makes her debut on
the list, said, (It) took me a while (to)
come (to) terms with (vegetarianism)...
but I have seen things I cant erase
from my mind which made me stop
eating meat.
Hot on their heels are Sonam
Kapoor,
Anushka
Sharma,
Jacqueline
Fernandez,
Shahid
Kapoor and R. Madhavan.
In PETAs Glass Walls video expos,
narrated by R. Madhavan, chickens
As a musician, theres nothing

more incredible than that, she
explained. For Anoushka, who has
been touring the word since she was
14, life motivates her music.
Its hard for me to write
constantly. So most of the times
my writing tends to be in response
to my emotions. Everything I
go through or experience in life
channels through my music, she
said, admitting this results in a lot of
personal unfoldment in her work.
The 35-year-old is married to
British filmmaker Joe Wright, and
they have two sons.
How
has
her
music
changed
after
she
became
a parent?
Its the biggest change Ive gone
through in life. It has changed
me hugely as a person and it has
automatically changed my music,
too, she said.
Having been playing sitar from a
very young age, asked as a musician
does she ever face a saturation
point, Anoushka said, A musician
is
continuously
expressing
through music, constantly
creating new music, and
hence, the saturation level
of not being fulfilled wont
come up.
Even if shes down
on one project, she said,
I always have another
project to reinvent. And
then theres
throats are cut while they are still

conscious, and pigs scream as theyre
stabbed in the heart.
Cows are seen crammed into
vehicles in such large numbers that
while you are walking on the ramp,

said Aamir. Aamir, 51, who looked
dapper in a pinstripe suit, said he isnt
a fashion-conscious person.
I am habituated in wearing wrong
outfits. People dont take me seriously
when it comes to fashion. So, I dont
have any fear of poor fashion sense,
he said. The PK star, however,
praised his onscreen daughters for
their fashion sense and performances
in the forthcoming film Dangal.
Sanya and Fatima are fashion
their bones break as theyre hauled

off to slaughter houses, where many
are dismembered while theyre
still alive. PETA India will announce
the winners before the end of
the year.
Aamir shies
away from
walking on ramp
uperstar Aamir Khan, who

was recently spotted at a
menswear fashion event, says
he doesnt like to walk on the fashion
ramps as he gets nervous of the
attention received while sashaying
down the ramp.
Ive walked once... only for
Salman Khan for his Being Human
charity. Otherwise, I shy away from
walking at fashion shows. I feel like
hiding while everybody watches you
queens. They have a great fashion

sense. Both of them give me tips on
what to wear, said Aamir.
Watch Dangal to see Sanya and
Fatimas performances. They are
outstanding... much better than me.
You will forget me after watching
them, he added.
Aamir, who featured in the fourth
season of talk show Koffee with Karan
with wife Kiran Rao, was also asked
about his appearance in the current
season.
He said, I would definitely want
to go to Koffee with Karan, but he is not
calling me.
29
life and other influences to

get inspired.
Her latest album, Land of Gold,
explores the stories of the voiceless
and dispossessed.
The central message of Land of
Gold is the recognition of resilience
of the human spirit and our ability to
find the place where enduring hope
resides. Everyone is, in some way or
another, searching for their own Land
of Gold, she said.
Apart
from
her
regular
collaboration, she has teamed up
with guest artistes rapper M.I.A
and actress-activist Vanessa
Redgrave on this album.
Theyre wonderful artistes
but they also represent
something in context of
the album.
For instance, M.I.As
status as a refugee and
Vanessas activism
brings a different
perspective
to
the music, she
said.
As part of the
tour, Anoushka
has
already
performed
in
Chennai, Mumbai
and Pune. Next
on the itinerary
are New Delhi
on
December
9, Bengaluru on
December 10 and
Hyderabad
on
December 11.
Will work on my biopic after

10 years, says Sushant
ctor Sushant Singh Rajput,

who tasted fame with the
TV show Pavitra Rishta, says
he will work on his biopic after 10 to
15 years.
Sushant, 30, who was praised for
playing ace cricketer M.S Dhoni in
the film M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story,
said, After 10 to 15 years, I will work
on my own biopic.
He was speaking to media at the
Van Heusen and GQ Fashion Nights
2016 in Mumbai on December
4.
About the show, Sushant
said, It is a great experience
and Im feeling great in
this outfit by Shantanu
& Nikhil. The thought
behind the collection
is amazing.
Titled Kashmiriyat 1990
by the popular fashion
designer duo Shantanu
and Nikhil Mehra, the
collection was inspired by
the tribesmen of the valley.
Other
Bollywood
celebrities
like
Hrithik
Roshan, Anushka Sharma,
Mandira Bedi, Yami Gautam and
Prateik Babbar were also present at
the menswear fashion event.
Sushant also spoke about his
much-awaited film Raabta, which
has been in news for his chemistry
with his co-star Kriti Sanon.
Raabta will be released next
year. I am working on it. I hope
the film gets appreciated like my
last film on Dhoni, he said.
30
FEATURES
Jeet wins hearts with his bat

Swati Sharma
he young Jeet Raval, born in

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, would
probably have never thought
that one day he would be playing
for the BlackcapsNew Zealands
national cricket team.
Raised in a traditional joint family
in India, Jeet developed the passion
for the sport in the backyard of his
house where he played cricket with
his cousins.
At the age of 16, Jeet moved to New
Zealand with his parents. Just like
any other migrant, he went through
initial struggles trying to adjust to
the new culture and language. But it
wasnt too long before he picked up
his bat again and hit the field.
He started playing cricket for
Avondale College and Suburbs New
Lynn Club.
Jeet recently rose to fame when
he played his first international Test
match for his country.
He says that people call his wife
Surabhi, whom he married in May
2016, his lucky charm and he cannot
agree with them more.
Indian Weekender spoke to the rising
star about his journey and more.
IWK: How was your experience
playing for the national
team recently?
Jeet: It was an amazing experience
playing for the Blackcaps.
There is no better feeling than
receiving your test cap for the first
time and walking out on the field
to sing the national anthem with
your teammates.
I was emotional thinking of my
family, all the sacrifices they have
made for me to realise my dream,
and the years of hard work.
And then to go out and make
contributions towards us winning
a series against number two test
side in the world was a whole new
experienceone that I will cherish
for the rest of my life. It was a
wonderful beginning.
IWK: How and when did you
develop an interest in cricket?
Who is your idol?
Jeet: From what I have been told, I
started playing cricket as soon as I
Pujara as they are all from the same

age group. They were the big guns in
the opposition teams at the time, and
they have rightly gone on to do well
for the Indian cricket team.
Jeet Raval
Jeet Raval
could walk. I grew up playing gully

cricket with my cousins.
It wasnt until the 1996 Cricket
World Cup that I started to follow the
game more seriously. My dad put me
in a coaching clinic where I learnt the
basic techniques of the game.
My dad used to play volleyball at
the same time, and he took me to one
his training sessions.
Near his volleyball training session,
I spotted Shree Vidyanagar High
Schools cricket team training and
asked my dad if I could bowl to them.
My dad asked the team coach,
Praful Tailor, and he agreed. The
coach liked what he saw and offered
me to join the school so I could play
for the team.
This is how I got into cricket,
and the opportunities opened up
from there.
I have had quite a few idols over
the years. I always admired Sachin
(Tendulkar). He was Gods gift to
India, and I was fortunate to have
witnessed his batting on TV. I also
admire Sourav Ganguly. I am a lefthanded batsman, so I tried to bat
like Ganguly.
During recent years, I have
admired
Rahul
Dravid
and
Michael Hussey.
IWK: Tell us about your journey

from a cricket-lover schoolboy
to the National team batsman.
Jeet: It has been a long journey
and one that has had a lot of ups
and downs.
After performing well for
Avondale College and Suburbs New
Lynn cricket club in late 2004, I was
selected for Auckland age group
sides Under-17 and Under-19.
Playing for Auckland Under-19
was a big stepping stone back, as
it allowed for an opportunity to be
selected for the prestigious New
Zealand Under-19 cricket team.
I was selected for the
team to participate in
I wouldnt say
the ICC Under-19
cricket
world
we need more Kiwicup held in
Indian players in the team, M a l a y s i a ,
Both of these
mentally tough but it should be encouraging which India
guys epitomise for Kiwi-Indian cricketers to ended
up
the
definition
winning.
pursue their cricketing dreams
of hard work,
I
later
deter mination, after seeing the likes of Ish
found out that
grit, and sheer
Sodhi, Jeetan Patel playing I had not been
concentration
for the Blackcaps.
in the country
required to succeed
for long enough to
in cricket.
represent New Zealand
And it is not just on the field.
at the international stage.
I admire them for the way they have
It restricted my participation in
carried themselves off the field in a
the Under-19 world cup, which was
humble and genuine way.
a major setback in terms of proving
my worth against my peers around
IWK: Tell us about your cricket
the world.
experience back in India.
Two years later, I made my first
Jeet: I played cricket for Gujarat
debut for the Auckland Aces against
Under-15 and Under-17 team.
the touring West Indies team, and
I started out as a medium-fast
later that season I played my first
bowler in my first match against
domestic match against Central
Mumbai Under-15.
District where I scored 256. That
I didnt bowl well in that match,
was the highlight of my career until
but I managed to score 21 runs
this recent test series victory against
batting at number nine and almost
Pakistan.
saved the match for our team.
After a strong season for the
For the next match, my coach
Aces last year, I was selected for the
asked me to bat at number four, and
Blackcaps to tour Zimbabwe and
I scored a century at Sardar Patel
South Africa in July this year.
Stadium in Motera, in Ahmedabad.
Since then, I gave up bowling
IWK: How was your experience
and concentrated on batting. I have
during Zimbabwe and South
played against the likes of Ravindra
Africa tour?
Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar
ofSargamSchool of Music. Tickets: $20, one ticket for

two concerts.
Sargam School of Music Annual

Concert
Date: Saturday-Sunday, December 10-11
Time: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Venue: Blockhouse Bay Community Hall, 524
Blockhouse Bay Road, Auckland
Rabii al Awwal Event: The life of

Prophet Muhammad
Date: Sunday, December 11

Time: 3:30 p.m. onwards
Venue: Zayed College, 44 Westney Road, Mangere,
Aucklan
Join us for the annual gathering where we recite The
Shimmering Light compiled by Habib Umar bin Hafiz, in
the remembrance of our beloved Prophet Muhammad. All
are welcome, food will be served.
Children and Youth Summer

Camp 2017
SargamSchool of Music is organising its annual concert

on December 10 & 11. Pt Salil Bhatt(Renowned Indian
Classical Musician, deciple and son of Grammy Award
Winner Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.) will perform and also
it will be featuring the performances by the students
Date: Monday to Friday January 9 to 13

Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Venue: Mt Roskill War Memorial Hall, 13 May Road, Mt
Roskill Auckland
Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust isorganising the annual
Summer Camp 2017 for children aged 6 to 14 years.
The summer camp is aimed at translating cultural values
into everyday activities for children and to promote
emotional development and enrichment of the young
minds.The focus will be on imparting skills like personality
Jeet: It was a wonderful experience

touring Africa with the Blackcaps.
Although I did not play any match
on the tour, I got an opportunity to
learn about the team dynamics and
also had a first-hand experience of
international cricket.
It can be daunting when you
first go in the set-up, but I became
familiar with the training routines,
game day set-up, etc.
IWK: What do you think about
the current line-up of the
Blackcaps? Do you think we
need more Kiwi-Indian players
in the team?
Jeet: This Blackcaps team is strong
in every facet of the game, and I am
sure it will continue to entertain Kiwi
fans for a long time.
I wouldnt say we need more
Kiwi-Indian players in the team,
but it should be encouraging for
Kiwi-Indian cricketers to pursue
their cricketing dreams after seeing
the likes of Ish Sodhi, Jeetan Patel
playing for the Blackcaps.
IWK: Who are your personal
favourites in the Indian cricket
team? And what do you think
about Virat Kohlis captaincy?
Jeet: My personal favourites in
current Indian team are Virat Kohli
and Ravichandran Ashwin. Both of
them are extremely hard working
and have an incredible level of skill.
I enjoy Kohlis captaincy. He
is a positive captain who leads by
example. It seems as he has the
ability to bring the best out of every
single player, and he also engages the
crowd in the battle.
IWK: The Indian community

in New Zealand is proud
of your selection in the
national team. Any message
to the community?
Jeet: All I would like to say
is that New Zealand is a land
of opportunities.
You will get your share of success
if you are willing to work hard and
not give up through tough times.
Whatever you may be interested in,
I would say set goals, work hard, seek
professional guidance, and enjoy
the journey.
development, leadership, community involvement and

tolerance/understanding of multiple culture andethnicity,
at an early age.
The multiple activities which will include writing, sports,
draw/colouring/paint, craft, music, playing on wheels,
planting and other fun-filled amusement activities, will
polish and groom the children.For more information and
enrolment, contact Jeet Suchdev on 0212221020 or
Ruchika Agarwal on 620 0579 / 021 08881461 or drop off
an emailat bsct1995@gmail.com
Vipassana Meditation Centre

Open Day
Date: Sunday, February 5, 2017

Time: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Venue: 153 Burnside Road, Makarau, Kaukapakapa,
Near Auckland
Vipassana Centre near Auckland has been operating for
more than 25 years, offering 10 day residential courses
in Vipassana Meditation as taught by Mr. S.N. Goenka.
Vipassana Technique is a practical technique which
enables one to lead a more positive,balanced and happy
life and has nothing to do with any organised religion.
Vipassana Trust is a charitable organization. All expenses
are met by donations from students who have benefited
from a 10 day meditation course. info@medini.dhamma.
org, website: www.medini.dhamma.org
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9 DEC2016

Auckland | Christchurch | Wellington | Hamilton | Palmerston North | Hastings | Invercargill

The Pulse of Kiwi-Indians since 2009

NZs only Kiwi-Indian weekly

9 December 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Prime Minister resigns,

rime Minister John Key on Monday,

this country that I love.All of this has come

Although we may have had our policy

www.iwk.co.nz | 9 December 2016

John Keys tryst with India

thinking has also been undergoing

thinking. At home, New Zealand

2014 when Narendra Modi became

Want to use computers for home, study,

Find out more. Call us today or go online.

rime Minister John Key

Key was looking towards the second

9 December 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

The end of another innings: time to move on

his week I announced

On the day I walk from the

politics, all of this has come at

who are dearest to me - my family.

wife Bronagh and our two children

Announcing my resignation this

JOHN KEYS INDIAN CONNECT

www.iwk.co.nz | 9 December 2016

Andrew Little cancels

n a span of two months, Labour Leader

The Labour Leader was scheduled to

Year of missed India visits

n a rare tweak of destiny, the year 2016

Mumbai is the financial centre of India,

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9 December 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Mt Roskill gets a new MP after three decades

Dr Parmar conceded her defeat

has saved the Labours bastion

Barristers and Solicitors

NEED LEGAL ADVICE?

Against this backdrop, it will not be

He has pledged his partys support

he Mt Roskill by-elections ended on

NZPP Chair Roshan Nauhria

Mr Nauhria confirmed that he would

www.iwk.co.nz | 9 December 2016

John Key takes a shot

n a shocking announcement on Monday,

The way Mr Key has led the nation through

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9 December 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Santa comes to town

arking 70 years of something is no

Further down from Christchurch, in the