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Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 1

Indian
New Zealand - Budget Special

A confident, future-focused Budget

Dev Nadkarni was in the Budget 2010 media lock up at the Beehive in Wellington on the morning of Budget day
Being in the media lock up in Parliament on Budget
day feels like you’re about to write an exam. At pre- I am pleased with the budget. It represents a positive change for every New Zealander
cisely the appointed time, budget papers and esti- with lower tax, while businesses will be pleased also with the drop in company tax. These
mates are distributed to the couple of hundred assem- changes in our tax system will incentivise people to work hard and invest more in their
bled journalists from across the country. The thought business. The property depreciation and tax changes are not a surprise given the rorting
of combing through them and coming up with news taking place. Those in Auckland will like the progress for broadband and rail electrifica-
and analyses for the next day’s paper in time for the tion too. Over the next five years, I hope to see that top rate of tax for individuals and trusts
lifting of the embargo some three hours later (which drop to the 28c corporate rate too. - Aaron Bhatnagar, Auckland City councillor
is when we are permitted to transmit and broadcast almost became prime minister in 2005 – Don Brash.
our stories to our media outlets) can be daunting. Dr Brash, who is on the taskforce that consults the
Very clever and economic growth focused budget. This budget creates a fairer tax
The highlights of last week’s Budget, though, government on catching up with the Aussies by
system that encourages savings and productive investment, keeps skilled Kiwis in New
were all in line with expectations that were discussed 2025, told me he was happily surprised at the lowered
Zealand, and helps families to get ahead.The reduction in income, company and invest-
in the media for weeks: GST was increased, tax rates company tax rate. When I asked how he rated the
ment taxes – and the hike in GST – should encourage savings and restrain spending. It
were lowered across the board, depreciation rules for budget on a scale of one to ten, he said he would give
is impossible to please everyone, but the National Government has tried to spread the
property investment were altered and the horizon for it a seven or eight – which he also told a radio station
benefits to wider cross section of the society. This should cheer the nation in the present
running deficit budgets was revised – something that before he boarded the plane.
global economic turmoil. - Ram Rai, Kiwi Indian and Businessman
sends a message that New Zealand is emerging out Sitting in the lock up analysing the sectors, it was
of the global crisis far faster than was originally sur- easy to spot the winners because there are plenty
mised. A real budget which has dealt with all the real issues and taken out all the prevailing of them in this Budget. Though no budget can ever
The big surprises were the new 17.5 percent tax unfairness and other discrepancies. In the past it was more about bureaucracy but please all, the list of losers is comparatively shorter
rate for income between $14,000 and $48,000 down this budget was a step in the direction of making it equal for all New Zealanders. The this year. The big losers of course are property in-
from 21% and the lowering of the company tax rate drop in corporate tax rates is very motivating for the local businesses and this would vestors – more particularly the highly geared ones.
to 28 percent. New Zealand has definitively stolen a want companies to grow in New Zealand which would be a good thing. “Government Non-residential landlords are tipped to pay most of
march over Australia in this regard, which will start is trying to do something in the healthcare sector but changing entrenched systems the $700 million garnered by changes to the tax rules
rolling in lowered company tax rates from 2012. This in this area are a bit difficult. - Ranjana Patel, QSM, senior community leader, since about 70% of depreciation claimed was for non-
will certainly encourage Kiwi companies to stay director East Tamaki Healthcare residential property.
home and also attract overseas companies to set up What exact effect this will have on the property
here giving us an edge over our transtasman neigh- market is hard to predict – even Finance Minister Bill
The budget decimates the lower and middle-income workers by increasing the GST as it will result in English couldn’t say when asked. But in the week
bours.
inflation accelerating to 6%. To further inflict destruction of the low and middle-income workers the since the Budget, there already are straws in the wind.
The lowering of tax on savings vehicles to 28
ominous and enormously unpopular Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) to be introduced soon will rocket There have already been news reports that landlords
percent down from 30 percent is designed to encour-
propel the inflation and cause dire economic and social hardship to the most vulnerable in our society are contemplating raising rents, which indeed was an
age savings.
– the lower and middle-income earners. The higher income earners are the only winners. What the gov- expected fall out of these changes.
Expert’s endorsement
ernment should have done to help the lower and middle workers was to have no increase in GST, taxation More money in Kiwi pockets
On my return flight from Wellington after the budget,
thresholds of income up to $14,000 and from $14,001 to $40,000  be taxed at zero and 12.5% respectively. The changes in taxation will benefit almost all New
I happened to be sitting next to former governor of
- Alton Shameem, President of Fiji Club of New Zealand (FCNZ) Zealanders across the board though in different
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2 Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
degrees according to the government’s own ex-
amples, despite the rise in GST. Tax rules have been
tightened with more funding allocated to ensuring
compliance and there has been an attempt to plug
loopholes and remove grey areas, again affecting
property trusts and depreciation (especially changes
to LAQCs, with new rules aligning tax rates between
deductions and profits – LAQCs have hitherto been a
popular property investment vehicle).
It all points at a genuine attempt to make taxation
rules more equitable to all New Zealanders and the
result could well be that the new regime, that also
promotes better tax compliance with clearer rules
and a bigger budget to implement them (tax dodgers
beware), will leave most New Zealanders better off. It
is undoubtedly one of the biggest revamps of the tax
system in a generation.
The finance minister has also taken care to boost
the infrastructure and social sectors. Though we
would have liked to see more public private partner-
ships, a beginning has been made in the area of cor-
rections and there is some allusion to government and
private sector working together in building the super-
fast broadband network across the country.
Healthcare and schools will also receive more
funds. The pre-announced $30 million for tourism
marketing will concentrate on getting more tourists
here from New Zealand’s traditional source markets.
Clearly, the government has delivered a Budget
in line with what New Zealand has needed most in
recent years: encouragement to boost savings, reduce
debt, invest at home, boost productivity with better
transportation and communications infrastructure,
enhance the quality of life – and of course remove the
overwhelming dependence on property as an invest-
ment vehicle.
Worries and criticisms
There have been criticisms to some of the measures,
some of it quite valid: for instance, the inflation will
rise sharply in the near term before it begins to fall
over the next few years, which has the potential to
wipe off some of the tax gains as interest rates go
north.
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Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
New Zealand - Budget Special
This budget’s theme is basically to encourage saving.
The budgets biggest announcement on income tax changes send an excellent sign suggesting eco-
By providing tax cuts across the board the government
nomic growth for New Zealand; about the reward of working hard and saving more, however
is putting more money into one’s pocket and on the other
the disproportion of $4 vs. $4000 is basically bordering on “inequality” in anyone’s mind. Are
hand it has increased GST, which should act as deterrent
we therefore looking at more migration to Australia or will this opportunity see rise in pay packs
for expenditure. Thus one would end of saving the extras.
to save the skilled workforce who are still considering the move? Inland Revenue will not have
The downside here is it can raise inflation, if expenditure
an easy job finding tax evaders, but it’s worth a try. Exemption of GST on food should have been
is not controlled. For corporates, the tax cut is definitely
allowed maybe it’s in the “too hard” basket. Only time will tell. - Ann Pala QSM, community
welcome. With the change in laws pertaining to the property
advocate on social development issues; Co-Director, WinMac Computer Solutions Ltd.
market a conscious attempt has been made to shift the focus
of investors from property market to other markets like the
Having just come out of recession, it is hard for any government to please the voters when the budget comes out.
finance market or stock market. This move (if it works and
When comparing apples with apples, it is a fair enough say that from this budget everyone will be receiving some
is progressed further) will enable all New Zealand compa-
sort of tax cuts. I believe, and time will tell, whether this budget will deliver debt reduction, lift New Zealand produc-
nies to generate funds within the country which in turn will
tivity, increase household savings, encourage first home buyers with emphasis on investment in infrastructure and
improve the Capital Markets in the country.
attract investors into the New Zealand economy to be seen as one of the places to live in the world. - Sunil Kaushal,
- Harish Srinivasan, management professional
Waitakere resident; board member of Waitakere Indian Association and Waitakere Ethnic Board.
New Zealand’s external indebtedness will
The John Key government seems to preparing a lot early for the next term. It is good that balloon further as a percentage of its GDP before
he has brought the tax threshold down across the board. Even after GST increase, people it flattens out and drops – but the horizon for that
will have some more money to spend. I hope that businesses (and people in higher income has been brought closer because of this Budget’s
groups), who got the highest tax cut, invest that back into business which in turn could create provisions, which indeed is a positive. The hole
more jobs and get the economy moving. I think apart from tax cuts, there is nothing funda- will partly be filled with increased GST and
mental done to secure the momentum of economy going in the long term. Overall, it is an changed depreciation rules but the government
okay budget that will help National swing some more voters away from Labour. might well introduce curtailment of services over
- Prashant (Shaun) Tijore, financial planner and event organiser the short to medium terms to curb spending. And
of course there is fear from the opposition that the
I do believe that this budget is a positive one, and is a step toward economic growth and in- government will hive off Kiwi assets to foreign
crease in productivity. There have been talks about this budget leading to investment in other owners.
productive areas of the economy, including exports. As a business that provides export services, Probably the biggest and most justifiable fear
I am hoping that it is true, and that the high income earners who benefit from this budget, will is that provisions of Emissions Trading Scheme
invest in export oriented projects/businesses. My immediate reaction to this budget was ‘is this (ETS) that kicks in from July has the potential
for real! What’s the catch Mr. English?’ I am not sure if that concern has been addressed yet – to negate gains brought about by the tax cuts in
and I hope that the proverbial saying “if it’s too good to be true, then it most probably is,” does this Budget. The power companies have already
not hold true for this budget! - Raga D’silva, Managing Director, Global Village Unlimited communicated to clients that tariffs would be
raised. Fuel will follow suit shortly. And over the
next couple of years so will other sectors making
I am looking it as a positive move by national government. They have tried to cover the
almost everything dearer in varying degrees.
entire spectrum from lower to higher income. Even opposition leader can’t find anything
Even so, all in all, it is a confident budget, one
against it – of course they have something to say but nothing major. As a property investor
that reflects the mood of New Zealanders emerg-
I am disappointed with the depreciation part, but as a higher income group will be able
ing out of the recession relatively unscathed
to get some tax benefit compared to tax paid in past. Short and sweet, one more term of
and all set to ride the wave of resurgence with a
National government can bring some positive changes for the country.
growth factor that has handsomely surpassed es-
- Deepesh Parekh, management professional; Secretary of the NZ Vaishnav Parivar.
timates made as recently as last December.
tion
* Income
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3
Indian
More ayes than nays from the community
Indian Weekender canvassed a cross section of the Indian community for its reactions on the National government’s second
budget, Budget 2010. Most respondents gave the budget a thumbs up while some were cautiously positive being a bit wary of
the inflationary consequences some of measures are bound to result in. A few of the respndents, though, took a bleak view,
saying it would hurt low and medium income earners. Here are some of the responses:
Ashok Darji MNZM
ex-president NZICA
who currently operates
a successful superette
business in central
Auckland considered
the current budget as
okay – given the way
the economy is cur-
rently performing. He
said the budget was “reasonable” for every-
one and felt that the the GST rise will have
a more pronounced affect on big ticket items
like plasma TVs, cars and other luxury items.
When asked if the budget would affect his
own superette business, he said sales of daily
consumption items would not be affected –
most items at the superette level were around
the $5 mark.
Prominent jewellery
and fashion products
businessman Harish
Lodhia gave the budget
a thumbs up. Mr Lodhia
said this budget was
well balanced and was
future focused. He was
also optimistic about
his own business and
felt that business would improve.
Senior community
leader and Chairman
of the Bharatiya Samaj,
Jeet Suchdev QSM, a
felt that this budget was
a “failure as it is not a
budget benefiting the
common people”. He
said he personally felt
for the common man
and seriously hoped that the budget would
have done more for the masses. The increase
in GST, cut down on the early childhood
sector funding and the unabated borrowing
by the government were most concerning, he
said. Mr Suchdev felt that one of the persons
getting the most benefit of this budget was the
Prime Minister himself. For the common man
he felt it is giving with one hand and taking
from the other – thus leaving the person
worse off.
Ram Vasisht, a leading
commercial insurance
specialist and former
managing director
of New India Assur-
ance in New Zealand
considered the budget
to be overall a good
budget. Asked if there
was anything more the
government could have done, he said there
could have been more emphasis on new job
creation. He suggested that KiwiSaver should
be made compulsory and the administration
of these savings should be brought under
the direct ambit of the government and not
in private hands as the case now. He recom-
mended KiwiSaver should be compulsorily
invested within New Zealand thus increasing
investment which would have a positive effect
on job creation.
Kuldip Arora who runs a couple of Nandos
restaurants in Hamilton and also owns a prop-
erty development business in Auckland gave
this budget full marks. He said even though
he is in the property business himself – he felt
that taking the depreciation off was a balanced
4 Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
move especially since personal and corporate
tax rates have been lowered, thereby leaving
more money in everybody’s pockets.
Daljit Singh JP who is
a real estate agent with
Barfoot & Thompson
and actively involved in
the management of Sikh
Temples at Otahuhu and
Takanini commented
that the tax switch in
the budget favours the
well paid and unfairly
affects low and medium earners.  “Despite
the tax cut lower and medium income earners
are not fully compensated for the increase in
GST.  It is not widely realised that the gov-
ernment is funding the tax cut by borrowing
money overseas.  The government has not
come up with any plan to grow the economy
but is hoping that the tax cut will themselves
result in economic growth.  I can’t see how
the budget addresses any of the interest of the
ethnic sector.  I am worried about the cut in
the early childhood education and the health,”
he said.
Mandeep Gill, top sales
person with the award
winning Ray White
Manukau (Don Ha
Group) office gave full
marks to this budget.
He felt that all sectors of
the population had been
taken care of and this
would have a positive
long term effect on the
overall economy of the country. When asked
particularly as to how real estate prices would
be affected, he said it would make no differ-
ence to the residential real estate market and
might have some insignificant effect on the
commercial segment. Mr Gill further com-
mented that overall consumer confidence
was high and they were processing a record
number of transactions every week which
was a clear indication of the direction the
economy is taking.
Roshan Nauhria
MNZM who runs a suc-
cessful multi-million
dollar business in the
concrete precast and
steel sector felt very
buoyant, especially due
to the reduction in cor-
porate tax rates. He felt
the current government
had presented the best ever budget which
had positive wide ranging benefits for all. He
was confident that every sector of the popula-
tion had been presented with extra spending
power in their pockets unlike the past govern-
ment which increased GST from 10 to 12.5%
without decreasing the income tax rate. Mr
Nauhria is also the president of the Bharatiya
Mandir in Balmoral and also heads United
Indianz.
Harshad Patel, Presi-
dent of the Auck-
land Indian Associa-
tion based out of the
Mahatma Gandhi
Centre gave this budget
a thumbs up. His said
even though GST had
gone up, overall per-
New Zealand - Budget Special
sonal and corporate tax had come down, thus
translating into spare money in everyone’s
pockets. He also operates a successful Lotto
business and when asked if this budget would
have any effect on his business, he said Lotto
would be unaffected but maybe the other busi-
ness he has of magazines, toys and gifts would
be affected to some extent.
Thakorbhai Parbhu, a
respected senior member
of the community who
leads a semi retired life
working as a legal con-
sultant, commented
that GST was the most
efficient tax collection
method and thus sup-
ported this move. He also
supported the abolition of the depreciation on
buildings.
Dr Anil Channa, im-
mediate past president,
Manukau Indian Asso-
ciation; Deputy Chair-
man, Global Indians said
“Budget 2010 has come
at a time when New
Zealand is emerging out
of the recession. In my
opinion it is a budget that
has something for everyone. It rewards those
who work hard, as employees, employers or
businesses. It leaves all of us with extra cash
thanks to the tax cuts. This budget is a bold
effort by this government to boost the economy
and encourage people to save at the same time.
Allocation of money in Science was much re-
quired as robust scientific progress is a precur-
sor to economic growth. For People of Indian
origin this budget brings the incentive to go a
further mile. However the changes in GST may
bring some logistic difficulties to businesses.”
Manpreet Sodhi
(Manu) a cabbie with
Corporate Cabs consid-
ered this as a promis-
ing budget which would
have long term positive
effects. The nature of the
job gets Manu to hobnob
with the top business
leaders of this country
and he commented that almost everyone had
spoken highly of this budget. He was also per-
sonally impressed with the personality and
flair of Prime Minister John Key.
Paul Singh Bains Presi-
dent of the NZICA was
not particularly im-
pressed with the budget.
He felt that the well to
do would benefit and the
lower to middle class
would suffer. He was
confident that the GST
increase would negative-
ly affect most Indians as they are in the lower
to middle class.
Virender Bralli, a
leading liquor retailer,
community leader and
sports club owner of
South Auckland felt that
this budget would ad-
versely affect their busi-
ness which is already
under pressure due to
increased competition. The rise in GST will
lead to increase in prices of all products thus
making it difficult for the common man to buy.
He also feared that the duty on liquor will go up
in June which will multiply the negative effect
of this budget.
Outgoing president of the NZICA, Ratilal
Champaneri felt that the middle class was
worst affected as the increase in GST would
have an adverse effect on them.
Jaspal Singh termed the budget “as best as it
could get” in the given economic environment.
He works as an office assistant earning $52,000
a year and his wife is a retail assistant earning
$35,000 a year. They have a mortgage payment
of $820 per week and after hearing the radio
talk back shows he went to the site www.tax-
guide.govt.nz to calculate how he would be af-
fected. As per this site, the Singh family will
be $37.92 per week better off and nearly $2000
better off over the year. Mr Singh said the tax
rate of 17.5% up to a salary of $48,000 was
pragmatic on the part of this government and
felt that there would be very few countries in
the world that had such an encouraging tax rate
for the middle class.
Varinder Singh an IT
professional working
in a senior position at
the University of Auck-
land as Sytem Design
Manager, felt that the
tax rate of 17.5% for
income up to $48,000
was a very pragmatic
move on part of the
Government which will positively affect the
middle income earners who were reeling from
the after effects of recession.
KiwiBank manager
Shashi Srivastava said
that by virtue of lower
taxation, the budget
would likely spur expen-
diture, which was good
for the retail industry.
He said the budget was
a positive one and would
encourage both invest-
ment and growth in the New Zealand economy.
Avtar Singh Andrew
who owns a chain of Su-
pervalue Supermarkets
feels that this budget
will adversely affect the
lower income groups
and benefit the rich. The
increase in GST will put
pressure on their cash
flows in the supermarket
business, but felt that overall sales will not be
affected.
Ace Golfer and Four
Square Supermarket
owner Kharak Singh
considers this as a posi-
tive budget and a step in
the right direction. The
reduction in income tax
rates will surely add to
the disposable income
in people’s pockets and
the increase in GST will not eat up all this
surplus. He also did not see any major issues
with the scrapping of the depreciation on
buildings.
Indian
Inflation will negate tax
cut gains, Goff says
Labour Party leader
Phil Goff spoke to
Indian Weekender and
expressed his strong
criticism to the National
government’s second
budget. “The projected
inflation of 6 per cent
will negate any gains
that the tax cuts will
bring,” he said.
“Add to that the $2-$3 extra that ACC
payments will entail and the ETS (emissions
trading scheme) which kicks in from July this
year will make petrol costlier and the power
companies have already warned that elec-
tricity costs will see hikes as a result of the
ETS. All that wipes out any gains from the
tax cuts.”
Mr Goff further listed the woes of middle
and low-income earners: “Childcare will cost
an extra $25-$30 a week and because services
for the elderly have been curbed, some will
end up spending as much as $30 a week.”
Higher costs of living will outweigh ben-
efits from income tax cuts to all across the
board including students, he said.
Budget 2010 does not produce a fair dis-
tribution of income for New Zealanders,
he added. “The top five percent of income
earners will benefit by as much as $4 billion
over the next four years.”
Mortgage rates would undoubtedly go up
because of the rise in OCR which the Reserve
Bank would be forced to implement because
of rising fears of inflation that will go against
its mandate of keeping a lid on inflation, he
said. “People with large mortgages will feel
the impact and the property investor tax in
Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
effect becomes a rent tax.”
“Where is the money going to come for all
this, I’d like to ask,” Mr Goff said. “Of course
the government will borrow. The increase
in GST will help to an extent but not much.
Deficit that is 6 per cent of the GDP will rise
to 25 per cent by 2014 increasing the govern-
ment’s indebtedness greatly.”
Mr Goff New Zealanders to be prepared
for “pretty nasty cuts” in a number of servic-
es. For instance there was a $1.2 billion hole in
healthcare that needed to be filled.
He said the budget offered nothing to
address the needs of ethnic people. “By some
estimates, unemployment among Asians is as
high as 9.8 per cent. It’s not as if they are not
hard working. They are intelligent and willing
to work but there are just no jobs.”
He also saw no hopes for exports. “The
budget does not show any export led recovery.
Monetary policy should have helped exports.
It does not plug holes that the last budget
created,” he said.
Asked if there was anything positive he
found in the budget Mr Goff said, “the posi-
tives were in small amounts – by way of some
tax cuts.” He did not however elaborate or
speak of any other positives. He termed the
budget a “tax swindle” and accused Prime
Minister John Key of breaking his pre election
promises including that of a $50 tax cut. “It’s
turned out to be just $13.70,” he said. Accord-
ing to Mr Goff, Mr Key also had promised
that he wouldn’t raise GST. “Small business-
people have strongly expressed their feelings
against a GST rise. It’s hard to put trust in a
government that breaks promises,” he said.
- Dev Nadkarni
New Zealand - Budget Special
Budget builds on economic
recovery, says English
The National-led
Government’s second
Budget, delivered last
week, builds on our
economic recovery. It
helps families in our
Indian communities
get ahead and takes
concrete steps towards
delivering the brighter
future National campaigned on in 2008.
It’s great that we’ve come out of the re-
cession in stronger shape than many coun-
tries. Our economy is expected to grow by
3.2 per cent in the coming year.
But we’re not out of the woods yet, so
this is a sensible Budget that keeps a tight
rein on government spending, and returns
our books to surplus by 2016.
We’re taking a lot of positive steps. By
focusing on faster and more sustainable
economic growth, the Budget will help
create jobs, boost incomes, raise living
standards, and provide world-class public
services for you and your family.
Our tax package is the biggest reform
of the tax system in nearly 25 years. From
1 October this year, personal income taxes
will be cut across the board. GST will in-
crease from 12.5 per cent to 15 per cent.
New Zealand Superannuation, Working for
Families, and benefit rates will all increase
to compensate for the GST rise.
The changes will boost economic
growth, make the tax rules fairer, and help
hard-working New Zealanders get ahead.
Even after the rise in GST, it gives the vast
bulk of New Zealanders extra cash in their
pockets so they have more choices and the
right incentives to get ahead under their
own steam.
And next year, the company tax rate will
fall to 28 per cent, ensuring New Zealand is
competitive internationally.
The Budget continues the Government’s
multi-billion dollar investment in infra-
structure such as high-speed broadband,
roads, rail, and schools. And it makes a
substantial investment in research, science,
and technology – a key driver for a faster
growing economy.
We owe it to our hard-working Indian
families to provide them with the finan-
cial security, opportunities, and higher
incomes that allow them to get ahead in
this country.
Budget 2010 does those things and sets
out a path to build on our economic recov-
ery.
- Bill English
Turn to Page 29 for more views on
the Budget: Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi,
David Cunliffe & Ravi Mehta
IWK Online Budget Poll:
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21% say - not good
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Indian
the
one
school
for girls
ENrOl YOur DAughtEr NOw
fOr 2011 AND bEYOND
Diocesan School for Girls is a dynamic, independent, Anglican
school for girls from new entrants to Year 13.
We encourage individual choice and the development of personalised
learning with a curriculum that enriches your daughter’s education. We
are currently taking applications at all Year levels for 2011 and beyond.
OPEN DAY
Thursday 10 June
9.30AM - 12 NOON
You are warmly invited to our Open Day to meet academic staff and
senior management, and have a guided tour of our school and boarding
facilities. A presentation by the Principal will be at 10.30am.
A Diocesan education offers:
• Academic Curriculum: An impressive range of subjects. Our girls
consistently achieve among the country’s highest academic results.
• Dual Educational Pathway: National Certificate of Educational
Achievement (NCEA) or the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma.
• The Arts: Creative development in drama, dance, music and visual
arts is actively encouraged.
• Sports: Over 30 sporting codes for students of all abilities
and interests. Our girls have achieved many national titles.
• Scholarships: Worth 25% or 50% of school fees, these
are available for Junior High and Senior High. A Boarding
Scholarship is also available. (Criteria apply).
Clyde Street / Epsom / Auckland
Dio IndWeek
Email admissions@diocesan.school.nz where he first landed an assignment on arrival as a
Phone +64 9 520 0221 / 0800 DIO GIRL / 0800 346 4475 young doctor from India. “Not only was the style of
www.diocesan.school.nz
6 Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
ARMS clarifies stand on
Anglicised ethnic names
Lawton Hakaraia
Many migrant job seekers, more usually those from
Asian backgrounds, still experience a level of dis-
crimination when applying for jobs. This can be at
the very early stages of the selection process, when
they submit their CVs and applications to employers.
As the leading settlement support commu-
nity agency, providing employment assistance to
newcomers, Auckland Regional Migrant Services
(ARMS) supports many migrants and refugees
through the job seeking process in their new country.
ARMS does not itself promote the use of angli-
cisation of foreign names when applying for jobs,
despite what was incorrectly stated on TV 3 Camp-
bell Live on May 10. However, anglicising names
on CVs is a common practice used by many agen-
cies. It is not an illegal practice and its sole aim is
to give simplicity and to make the names easier to
pronounce.
ARMS coordinates the delivery of a range of em-
ployment assistance programmes, including generic
job search seminars, specialist job search seminars
such as Migrant Teachers, Human Resources, Ac-
counting, etc. These seminars include a range of pre-
senters from various occupational categories across
Auckland, who offer their time voluntarily to give
clients their perspectives on successful job hunting
skills, interview skills, CV preparation and so on.
Based on their experience, some presenters do
offer suggestions as to how CVs for example can be
presented in a more user-friendly way. This may also
include suggesting that clients can opt to anglicize
Popular clinics celebrate 20th anniversary
Two popular Auckland medical practices celebrated
their 20th anniversary last week with a sumptuous
lunch for associates, staff and friends at a popular
Indian restaurant in Auckland.
Mount Roskill Medical Centre and Epsom
Medical Centre based in Mt Roskill and Epsom
respectively have both grown from humble begin-
nings to sizeable practices serving the growing
communities of the two suburbs as also their neigh-
bouring ones over the past twenty years.
Outlining the stories of their small beginnings
and the trials and struggles of their earlier years,
Dr Vinod Sharma of Mt Roskill Medical Centre
and Dr Anshu Sharma of Epsom Medical Centre
thanked colleagues, co-workers, past employees,
well wishers, friends and all those who had a played
a role in the growth of these two busy practices.
Doctors Bashir, Anshu Sharma and
Neeraja Surendra of Epsom Medical
Centre (left front row) with doctors S
Reddy and M Hussain (to their right)
and doctors Vinod Sharma, Rajiv Sood,
Mukul Diesh and M Gonsalves (back
row, right)
Dr Vinod Sharma recalled the interesting expe-
riences he had in the Thames area of Coromandel
working different, but it took quite an effort to get
used to the language and culture,” he said.
He narrated several hilarious instances of these
cultural, lingual and pronunciation clashes with co-
workers and patients to the delight of the audience at
the New Delhi restaurant in Royal Oak.
At a time when most Indian doctors were pre-
dominantly located in South Auckland, Dr Vinod
said he took a conscious decision to set up his prac-
New Zealand
their names or translate their names into English.
Anglicising one’s name usually involves trans-
literating the name into English, so that it is easier
for others to pronounce. This is not an illegal prac-
tice, and is being used widely across many countries
where there are large immigrant populations.
This practice is also used with New Zealand
born citizens who have overseas names, and the
anglicisation of their names is conducted for the
same purpose. Many Maori Christian and surnames
are also anglicized to fulfill the same purposes
e.g. Karaka translated to English is Clarke. Other
common translations include the Samoan language,
Iosefa translated is Joseph. In Chinese, Lim Eu
Jin where Eu Jin is the first name and Lim is the
surname name, translated is Eugene Lim.
With the value of diversity to the NZ workplace
and economy now well proven, employers are to be
encouraged to welcome applications from interna-
tionally trained skilled migrants. It is imperative
that NZ employers assess these on their merits and
content of the CVs, without discrimination based
on applicants’ names. Surely the point must be that
clients (whoever they are and wherever they come
from), must be assessd and valued on their skills and
competencies. The acceptance of diversity across
New Zealand is a value that must be encouraged not
discouraged, particularly at a time when there are
large skill shortages across the country.
-Human Resources is Manager, Auckland
Regional Migrant Services
Doctors Vinod Sharma, Rajiv Sood, Mukul
Diesh and M Gonsalves
tice in Central Auckland, where also a large number
of Indian and South Asian immigrants had begun
settling in. In hindsight, it was indeed an excellent
decision, going by the considerable success the
clinic has had.
It is now one of the big practices in Auckland and
houses several diagnostic facilities and a pharmacy
on the premises, which is conveniently located at
one of the main junctions in the Mount Roskill area.
Dr Anshu Sharma also traced the history of the
Epsom practice – how it had grown from a single
room outfit to one that now occupies a sizeable
building on Manukau Road, complete with mul-
tiple consultation rooms and its very own pharmacy
besides parking spaces for several cars.
She also spoke about the longterm relationships
the practice had established with doctors, associ-
ates and the community. Her colleague, Dr Neeraja
Surendran has been with the practice since its earli-
est days.
Both doctors expressed gratitude to colleagues
and staff at the practices as well as those that had
worked with them down the years, peppering their
speeches with a string of interesting anecdotes –
both professional and personal.
National Party MP Peseta Sam Lotu Liga, who
was a guest of honour at the event, praised the
doctors and staff for their work and contribution to
the communities around the location of the practices
in his brief address.
Dr Rajiv Sood, both a doctor and director at the
Mt Roskill Medical Centre since inception recalled
how the doctors juggled their professional and per-
sonal lives with scarce infrastructure and resources
in the early years.
- Indian Weekender news desk
Indian

Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 7

Indian
New Zealand India

A golden opportunity Musharraf eyes comeback in Pak politics

Islamabad: Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf said on Thursday that he

for smart people

There’s a new business in town that’s helping
you get the best price for your unwanted gold.
Gold Smart was founded to provide a friend-
ly, confidential and professional service to help
people sell their unwanted gold for cash. The
company is based in central Auckland with reps
in the North Island and more to be appointed in
the South Island.
Senior Gold Buyer Anita says, “Indian gold
is unique because of it’s high carat so it becomes
very important to ensure you receive an accu-
rate weight based on the correct carat. The items
antly surprised by how easy and fast the process
is,” Anita says.
For convenience Gold Smart staff are avail-
able anytime by appointment to work in with
the varying job and family commitments of
customers. Appointments allow the Gold Smart
team to dedicate their attention to every indi-
vidual. Weekends and afterhours.
Experience is important in this business.
“We’ve had many customers come to us who
have been treated poorly by pawnbrokers and
second-hand dealers. They say to us that going
wants to return to politics and contest in the country’s next general elections.
Speaking to CNN, Musharraf said, “I am very sure of one thing, that whether it’s
end-term elections or midterm elections, I will be there before those elections.”
The former Pakistani military chief also hinted that he wishes to run for prime min-
ister. “Basically, you are heading the party, you are running for the prime minister-
ship,” he said. “Because in Pakistan, the chief executive is the prime minister, not
the president.”
However, Musharraf, who resigned from his post of President in 2008, did not men-
tion the exact time when he wishes to make his comeback into politics.
He cited security concerns for not naming any particular date.
“Maybe my wife and my family (are) more worried than I am,” he told CNN. “But
there are security issues which one needs to take into consideration. And that is
why I’m not laying down any dates for my return,” he added.
Musharraf left Pakistan a year ago and has mostly lived in London since then.

No mercy for Afzal Guru: Delhi CM

customers bring us can be very valuable and we
pride ourselves on clear and open communica-
tion throughout the process.”
Gold Smart turns gold into cash in a time
when prices are at historically high levels.
The uncertianty in global markets has
pushed the price of gold to record levels and
Gold Smart let’s you cash-in at a time when
prices are favourable.
Anita from Gold Smart says, “People sell
to us for many different reasons, however they
all leave happy and feeling positive from being
treated professionally and with respect. Cus-
tomers tell us that our prices are really good
compared with others in the market.”
Summarising Gold Smart’s points of differ-
ence, Anita says, “Firstly we are discreet. There
is no one looking over your shoulder such as at
a retail shop and especially in a shopping mall.
Confidentiality is assured and appraisals are
made in a private/secure location.”
As Gold Smart do not have the high over-
heads of a retail shop which it can pass better
rates on to customers. “People are also pleas-
to a second-hand shop or an old hall in the
middle of nowhere is a real turn-off. They can
now sell their gold in a fun, warm and relaxed
atmosphere,” says experienced buyer Anita.
The Gold Smart team are relaxed and friend-
ly, and there is no pressure to sell. “We enjoy
meeting with our customers and helping them
to fund their goals, whether it be a holiday, to
make a relative’s wedding, or just a long overdue
treat for themselves and their family. We want to
provide a positive experience that people enjoy
and remember” says Anita.
This is summarised in the many testimoni-
als from contented customers. Gold Smart have
many repeat customers and grow their business
through referrals.
“Our business grows through word-of-
mouth and every customer matters to us. No
matter how large or small the purchase you’ll
receive the best deal for your outdated and un-
wanted gold,” says Anita.
- Indian Weekender business correspondent
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit
on Friday said Parliament attack convict Afzal
Guru should be shown ‘no mercy’; however the
final decision will be taken by the Home Minis-
try and Lt Governor (L-G) of Delhi.
“The Supreme Court’s order to hang Afzal
Guru will prevail. He should be shown no
mercy. However, the  final decision  rests with
the Home Ministry and the L-G as against the
mercy petition filed by the wife of Afzal Guru,”
Dikshit told reporters.
On Tuesday, Dixit said that the file of Afzal
Guru’s mercy petition against death sentence,
that has been languishing with the Delhi gov-
ernment for years, has been sent to the Union
Home Ministry (MHA).
The Delhi Government had reportedly
landed itself in a spot with the MHA after the
Ministry sent it a hard-worded letter for not re-
sponding to a letter on Afzal Guru’s mercy peti-
tion.
After Afzal Guru pleaded for a mercy peti-
tion following upholding of his death sentence
by the Supreme Court in Aug 2005, the Presi-
dent sent a notice to the MHA seeking their
views and the MHA, in turn, asked the Delhi
Government for their comments as standard
procedure, since the 2001 attacks happened in
Delhi.
On Monday Sheila Dikshit had said that she
was not aware of any letter sent by the Union
Home Ministry seeking her government’s com-
ments on the mercy petition filed by Afzal Guru.
  Meanwhile, India’s principal Opposition
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the
Congress for “dithering” on the issue of Afzal
Guru’s death sentence and “questioning the pa-
triotism of the Muslims” by their action.

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8 Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
Florsheim goes online with
Bigshoebazaar
New Delhi: Asia’s largest online shopping
portal for shoes and accessories, Bigshoe-
bazaar.com has announced its accord with
popular shoemakers Florsheim.
 
Through this tie-up Bigshoebazaar.com will
provide the complete range of Florsheim
Footwear, which will be exclusively available
online.
 
The customers can shop for their favorite
florshiem shoes virtually from anywhere
only at a single click by visiting  HYPERLINK
“http://www.florshiemindia.com” http://www.
florshiemindia.com < HYPERLINK “http://
www.florshiemindia.com/” http://www.
florshiemindia.com/> .
 
According to  Manmohan Agarwal, Director,
Bigshoebazaar.com: “Our commitment is to
make fashion-forward thinking. What we see
is a world-class brand name that consumers
continue to rely on for quality, style, comfort
and value. True fashion lovers always see
classic styles and comfort which is in trends
and today we are trying to justify it, it’s just a
beginning!”
 
BigShoeBazaar.com is the largest shoe
store in India and among the top ecom-
merce websites in the country.
Govt employees take pledge
on Anti-Terrorism
 
New Delhi: Anti -Terrorism Day was ob-
served throughout the country on last Friday.
 
Employees in Govt. offices, Public Sector
Undertakings and other public institutions in
the country took a pledge in connection with
the Anti-Terrorism Day.
 
Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram
administered the oath to the officers and
staff of the Ministry of Home Affairs in North
Block lawns this morning.
 
The Day is observed to generate awareness
in the country among all sections of people,
about the danger of terrorism, violence
and its dangerous effect on the people, the
society and the country as a whole.
 
`The objective behind the observance of
Anti-Terrorism Day is to wean away the youth
from the terrorist/violence cult by highlight-
ing the suffering of the common people and
showing how it is prejudicial to the national
interest.
 
These objectives are aimed to be achieved
by organizing debates/discussions in
schools, colleges and universities; hold-
ing of symposia/seminars, lectures, etc. on
the dangers of terrorism & violence and a
determined and sustained drive to bring
about a mass awakening against terrorism
and violence.
Disney Stationery discounted
online
 
Mumbai, May 21 (IBNS) Online shopping
club Fashionandyou.com has brought
Disney Stationary, Sparkling Jewellery from
Karigari, Maya Toys at upto 25% off and
sunglasses from Dior, Chanel, D&G, Gucci,
Fendi, Louis Vuitton, and Marc Jacobs at
upto 50% off.
 
The Disney Stationary includes pencil
boxes, tiffins, water bottles, color pencils,
notepads and more from Disney’s ever loved
characters Mickey Mouse, Winni The Pooh,
The Darling Disney Princesses, Hannah
Montana, Fast Cars and More.
CBI seeks extradition of
Shankaran
New Delhi/London: The Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) is seeking the extradition
of Ravi Shankaran, one of the main accused
in the Naval War Room leak case, from the
UK  after he was held in London last month,
media reports said .
Shankaran, who was declared an offender
by a Delhi court four years ago, had fled to
the UK.
Ravi Shankaran was declared an absconder
after he failed to appear before the CBI. His
passport was revoked and bank accounts
frozen while a red corner notice was issued
by Interpol as well.
Shankaran, who is related to former Naval
Chief Admiral Arun Prakash, was arrested by
the Metropolitan Police in London on April
21.
The CBI was informed of the arrest and CBI
director Ashwini Kumar said a process has
been initiated to get him extradited to India.
He was declared a proclaimed offender
in  2006 by a Delhi court after he was ac-
cused of criminal conspiracy for collecting
classified documents in pen drives.
4 poachers gunned down at
Kaziranga
Guwahati: Four poachers were shot dead in
an encounter at the Kaziranga National Park
on Friday.
According to reports, the encounter took
place around 4am between six poachers
and a group of forest guards.
While two poachers managed to flee, the
security guards shot down the other four.
A World Heritage Site, the park hosts
two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned
rhinoceroses. Kaziranga also boasts the
highest density of tigers among protected
areas in the world.
The park is home to large breeding popula-
tions of elephants, wild water buffalo, and
swamp deer. Kaziranga is recognised as an
Important Bird Area by Birdlife International
for conservation of avifaunal species. 
Compared to other protected areas in India,
Kaziranga has achieved notable success in
wildlife conservation.  Sachin Pilot on Wednesday assured mobile
Hoax bomb scare grounds
Kingfisher flight
 
Mumbai: An anonymous call warning of a
bomb blast grounded a Lucknow-bound
Kingfisher flight at Mumbai airport on Thurs-
day evening.
 
However, according to reports, after a
thorough search, security personnel said no
explosives have been found in the aircraft.
 
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
have told Kingfisher authorities that the
aircraft is ‘safe’ and can ‘take off anytime’,
said local media.
 
But the airline authorities are yet to decide
on the time for take off.
 
 The IT-3149 flight, which was about to
take off from the airport at 1645 hours, was
grounded and all 166 passengers were
evacuated after the hoax bomb scare.
 
The anonymous call has been traced to a
public call office (PCO) at Marol in suburban
Mumbai.
 Zoom announces launch of
new jukebox
Mumbai: Popular entertainment channel
Zoom has announced the launch of its lat-
est initiative - Zoom Box.
This video jukebox is an interactive music
show wherein viewers can choose their
favorite song simply by sending an SMS to
the number provided i.e. 58888 powered by
indiatimes. 
 
The viewers can also comment on the songs
and even dedicate a song through the chan-
nel,
 
Commenting on the channel’s latest
initiative, Bala Iyengar, Business Head,
Zoom, said, “We are quite excited to an-
nounce the launch of ZoOm Box. This latest
show from ZoOm is all set to cater to audi-
ences who are constantly looking out for
instant entertainment. This show format is
created keeping in mind the need to interact
India - briefs
more with the viewers and provide them with
their favourite Bollywood content.”
 
In the show, Zoombox, which will be aired
every Monday to Sunday, audience can vote
for their favourite movie songs and the song
that receives the maximum votes will be
played on Zoom.
Mobile Services for Amar-
nath Yatris: Sachin Pilot
New Delhi: Communications and IT minister
connectivity to Amarnath pilgrims before
30th June this year.
He added that it has been the endeavor of
the BSNL to provide telephone services
throughout the country, including rural,
remote, inhospitable and geographically
difficult areas. The announcement is sure
to raise hope amongst the lakhs of tourists
scheduled to leave for the Amarnath pilgrim-
age on 1st July this year.
Amarnath Dham is a religious and tourist
destination at the height of 13,500 ft that war-
rants supreme importance for people of all
faiths located. At present, no other telephone
operator provides service in that area.
The installation of 9 mobile towers – at
Baltal-I, Baltal-II, Domail, Barari, Sangam/
Holi Cave, Panchtarni, Mahagunastop,
Sheshnag & Chandanwari – of which four
are on motorable road and the rest are on
pony track will immensely help over four
lakh pilgrims visiting the Shrine every year
especially the old and the infirm, and others
wanting to stay in touch with their families.
The proposed project, once completed,
will also come as a huge sigh of relief to the
local residents, administration and security
forces facilitating connectivity to the people
living there both within themselves and also
outside.
Border-Gavaskar scholarship
announced
Mumbai: The Borad of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI) on Thursday announced the
awardees of Border-Gavaskar scholarship
for the year 2010.
 
Mandeep Singh - R/H Batsman, Abhimanyu
Mithun - R/A Pace Bowler, and, Harpreet
Singh - L/H Batsman & R/H Pace Bowler,
have been selected for the scholarship this
year
 
The trio will undergo training at Cricket
Australia’s Centre for Excellence, Brisbane,
from Maym15-28, said BCCI secretary N
Srinivasan in a statement.

Cartoon network starts Toon Cup

Mumbai: Cartoon Network has launched first online toon football tourna-
ment, The Toon Cup.
 India has been an outstanding performer in Asia Pacific with nearly a
quarter million users accessing the game since its launch in March, said
a channel release.
This free-to-play online game catapults players into the action packed,
animated world of Cartoon Network and right onto the football pitch.
Each player creates their own personalized avatar by choosing hair
styles, skin colour, eyes, gender, outfits and shoes. They can then join an
existing team or get together with friends and family to create a new team
altogether.
Each team will comprise of four friends or family members and
also one Toon player, which can be chosen from a selection of Cartoon
Network favourites including Chowder, Dexter, Four Arms and many
more. Players can take to the field to challenge family, friends or other
teams, play exclusive tournaments or hone their football skills in a bunch
of fun mini games.
Toon Football is being sponsored by Perfetti Van Melle’s Big Babol
(Presenting Sponsor) and Cadbury’s  Gems and Bournvita  (Associate
Sponsor).
 Players can kick start their Toon Cup campaign by entering as many
tournaments as possible to earn points, train up, unlock new characters,
purchase special items and even represent India in the Toon Cup.
 The road to fun and glory starts by choosing a team to challenge or
letting the system arrange a match. Each team member plays the game
separately, so players can ‘go for goal’ at their own convenience.
Toon Football allows users to game in a fun and safe online arena.
The Toon Cup Finals will be held May 21-June 8.

Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 9

Indian
‘62 mn Indians to suffer Coastal security high
from heart diseases’ priority: Antony
Kolkata: When most people think about heart
disease, they usually imagine its most dramatic
symptom - heart attacks.   such as muscles in the limbs, and send it to the
 However, the first symptoms usually begin
much earlier, developing gradually over a period
of days, months and even years. This makes it
possible to detect heart-related illnesses early
by observing our own bodies for early warning
signs.
And, with 62 million Indians estimated to
suffer from heart disease by 2015, according
to the latest study by National Commission on
Macroeconomics and Health, Indian Ministry
of Health & Family Welfare, knowing which
symptoms to look for has never been more im-
portant.  all listen to what our bodies are telling us. It
One of the key signals to look out for is tired-
ness. According to the American Heart Asso-
ciation, tiredness can be a sign that your heart
is not able to pump enough blood and oxygen
through the body to meet the needs of your
Govt, NGOs join hands for
Right to Education
Kolkata: The Indian government has joined
hands with country’s NGOs to make Right to
Education a reality.
  Well-known NGO Save the Children re-
cently organized a city Level consultation here
facilitated by Child In Need Institute to share
the responsibilities to make Right to Education
a reality especially for the urban deprived chil-
dren.
  About 20 NGOs along with UNICEF and
government officials including Rathindranath
De, Director, State Council of Educational Re-
search and Training (SCERT), West Bengal,
Kartick Manna, Chairperson, Kolkata Primary
School Council, Sikha Roy, District Project
Officer, Sarva Siksha Mission, Kolkata par-
ticipated in the consultation which flagged the
issues that need immediate attention and con-
vergent action.
  The enactment of The Right of Children
to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2010
makes education a fundamental right of every
child between the ages of 6 to 14 years.
 Officially, there are over 12 million children
who are now engaged in child labour; unofficial
estimates put this figure at over 40 million. The
Act has not made any specific provision to bring
these children back into regular school. The
Government must make special provisions to
Pakistan bans You Tube
after Facebook
Islamabad: After Facebook it is now
YouTube that drew the anger of the Pakistan
authorities. Pakistan has blocked the popular
video sharing website to stop streaming of
anti-Islamic content.  game participat-
The Pakistan Telecommunication Au-
thority (PTA) directed Internet service pro-
viders to stop access to social network Face-
book indefinitely on Wednesday because of
an online competition to draw the Prophet
Mohammad (Peace be upon him) in gross
violation of fundamental human rights per-
taining to one’s religion, reports Geo TV.  looking for persons
And they followed it up with YouTube
soon after. YouTube was also blocked in
2007 for about a year for containing un-Is-
lamic videos.
10
tissues. This drop in blood flow causes the body
to divert blood away from less vital body parts,
heart and brain.   Ministry to take immediate steps to ensure that
When people are affected by this condi-
tion they suffer from a continuous feeling of
tiredness. They will usually find it difficult to
complete everyday activities, such as shopping,
climbing stairs, carrying groceries and walking.  Conference in New Delhi, he said the Govern-
Of course, this should not be confused with
the natural reaction to feel fatigued and breath-
less after carrying a heavy item up a flight of
stairs or participating in energetic exercise.   the Government and the nation.   Navy plays a
Instead, it is when we are excessively tired
over an extended period of days that we should
could be our hearts warning us to take better
care of them by visiting our doctor for regular
check-ups and leading active lifestyles with
healthier eating and more exercise.
remove the anomaly of millions of children out
of school in a country where elementary educa-
tion is now a fundamental right.
 Sarva Siksha Mission, being one of the flag-
ship programmes of Government of India, has
contributed substantially towards ‘access’ to
schools, training of teachers and curriculum
development. However, the high pupil-teacher
ratio at 53 against the national average of 42 has
been a hindrance for quality education.
According to Government estimate about
one-third of the teacher positions at the primary
level were vacant for a long time, leaving the
children to suffer. Despite of all efforts of gov-
ernment and NGOs, large number of children
still remains out of formal schools, which has
been a concern for all.
  Manabendranath Ray, State Programme
Manager, Save the Children West Bengal said,
‘We must strive to ensure community owner-
ship and participation of children in school
management to make the school truly child
friendly and inclusive’.
 Rathindranath De, Director, SCERT urged
for active involvement of NGOs to develop rep-
licable models of education especially keeping
in mind the hardest to reach children.
New Delhi: Defence Minister AK Antony on
Thursday asked the top brass of Navy and the
proposals and assets approved by the Govern-
ment for Coastal Security are put in place at the
earliest.
 He was addressing the Naval Commanders’
ment attaches highest priority to Coastal Secu-
rity.
 “Coastal security is a very high priority for
key role in this with heavy and overall responsi-
bility.  Government is equipping both Navy and
Coast Guard for coastal surveillance and patrol
both in terms of assets and manpower,” Antony
said.
 “ Proposals towards this end have been ap-
proved.   It is now the responsibility of all of
you to ensure that these are put in place at the
earliest and used effectively and efficiently for
coastal security,” he said.
Antony said the Government is fully com-
mitted to the modernisation of the Navy and
funds will not be allowed to become a constraint
in this direction.
  However, the onus of utilising allocated
funds, optimally and judiciously, lies collec-
tively on both the Navy and Defence Finance
together.   indigenisation will proceed at the desired pace,
He said the Ministry is trying its best to suit-
ably fine tune the procurement process from
time to time to bring in more transparency, ef-
ficiency and accountability. Annual review of
the Defence Procurement Procedure is one such
step in the direction.
“We need to firmly secure our maritime
frontiers, waterways and offshore resources on
a permanent basis. He said there is a need to
create necessary infrastructure for the security
Delhi High Court asks IOA to
reinstate Gill-led IHF
New Delhi: The K.P.S. Gill led Indian
Hockey Federation (IHF) received a shot in
the arm Friday after the Delhi High Court
Friday quashed the centre government order
of derecognising it and termed the govern-
ment’s action as illegal.
Justice S.Muralidhar gave relief to IHF
president K.P.S.Gill and said: “None of the
explanations offered by the Indian Olympic
Association (IOA) convinces the court that
there was justification in disaffiliating the
IHF without issuing a show cause notice to
it and violating the law of natural justice.”
Justice Muralidhar termed the de-rec-
ognition of IHF by IOA as illegal and said:
“Sports bodies need to have a degree of
autonomy with the government playing the
role of an effective regulator. They
should be allowed to
function in a
democratic
manner with
persons really
interested in
developing the
ing in its affairs.”
“The knee-jerk
reaction to losses
at international
events, which are
inevitable in com-
petitive events, and
to blame, cannot be c on -
ducive to a healthy development of
any national sport. For a proper enquiry into
the problems besetting Indian hockey the
cloud of suspension over the IHF should be
Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
India
of Andaman and Nicobar Islands as also Lak-
shadweep.
  “Our island territories form natural bul-
warks that extend our strategic arms to our East
and West and also function as the last outposts
for the defence of our mainland.  
“Considering the importance of the
eastern region, we need to create the neces-
sary infrastructure in Andaman and Nicobar
islands.  Similarly, Lakshadweep islands, which
straddle the oil artery of the world, require our
undivided attention”. 
Referring to the threat posed by piracy, es-
pecially off the coast of Somalia, Antony said
it continues to be a major concern as piracy
affects the security and economy of the entire
region. He said his discussion with the Sultan
and other top functionaries of Oman during the
just concluded two-day visit has given us ‘new
hints which we must pursue, seriously’.
Turning to shipbuilding activities, Shri
Antony said the recent commissioning of the
first indigenous stealth frigate INS Shivalik is a
welcome development.
 He said there are 33 ships and submarines in
various stages of construction at our shipyards.
He called for adherence to timelines and quality
standards to meet indigenisation requirements.
 “Our efforts to modernise the Navy through
only if the shipyards embrace modern ideas and
technology.   This will enable the shipyards to
produce the best quality ships in a shorter time-
frame and at competitive costs.  The Navy and
the shipyards must interact closely with the
other agencies to meet contractual timelines and
adhere to the best quality standards”, Antony
said.
lifted. The past should be put behind and a
new beginning made,” the court said while
imposing a cost of Rs. 10,000 each on the
government and IOA.
The IOA had dis-
solved the IHF in April
2008 and Hockey India
was formed as the
interim goevrning
body for the national
game.
The decision has
come as a blow to
Hockey India, who
are yet to have
their elections.
The International
Hockey Federa-
tion (FIH) had
given them the
deadline of 31st May to
conduct the elections. But Vidya Stokes,
President of Hockey India, said that it is not
possible to organize the elections before
June.
This could also result in Hockey India
losing its FIH membership.
Indian
India

150 years of Tagore

celebrated in Kolkata

Raga Music launches Tagore’s metaphor ON S

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Kolkata: Commemorating the 150th birthday of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Raaga Music
presents “Amar Mukti Aloe Aloe”- an audio-visual presentation that for the first time reveals the
plays of the bard as a metaphor for liberalization.
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  The presentation is a collage of Gurudev’s symbolic and metaphorical plays that have been
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generally pushed to the back-burners behind the more popular ones.
 Explaining the principal idea of the presentation, Bandopadhyay, who was awarded with Rabi-
ndra Kabya Tirtha from Visva Bharati, said, “In Rakta Karabi the greedy king was liberated by
Nandini’s love. In Acholaiton, the Acharya breaks the boundaries of meaningless convention and
liberates the thoughts of education. There are similar metaphors in the plays Malini, Muktodhara,
Bisorjon and Tasher Desh which have been combined through the commonality of liberalization MINS MINS MINS
and a collage presented as a tribute.”
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Karnataka stops flying Hrithik’s ‘Kites’ Malaysia
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Karnataka: The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) on Friday banned the screening of

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“We wanted the matter to be solved peacefully. There was a meeting on the issue on Thursday,
but producer Rakesh Roshan did not turn up. We are the supreme body and they can’t violate the
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Indian
India

‘India developing at tremendous speed’

New Delhi: India is developing at a ‘tremendous
speed’ and Indo-China relationship will give
impetus to the industrial sector, said a Chinese
diplomat.
 Zhu Zhiping, Asst. Director, Trade Develop-
ment Board, China said, “India is developing at
a tremendous pace. To keep up with this growth,
the latest technology, machinery and equipment
are a necessity. China fulfils this requirement
perfectly through the production and supply of
internationally recognised equipment at com-
petitive costs. This synergy between the two
countries will go a long way in providing a fresh
impetus to India’s industrial and manufactur-
ing sector with the collaboration and assistance
from the Chinese industry”.  of Commerce, the People’s Republic of China
“India’s coming success story will be written
by the growth in  communication, infrastruc-
ture, logistics, real estate and power sectors,” he
added.
He was speaking at the inauguration of one
of the biggest International B2B exhibition in
India on Machinery and Retail Products, namely
the InterMachinery India (IMI) 2010 & the In-
ternational Retail Products Show.
IMI 2010 is showcasing 125 international
machinery and equipment exhibitors from
China and is expected to attract over 8000 visi-
tors from all over India and South Asia.
The second trade show - The International
Retail Products show comes at a time when the
retail industry is growing by leaps and bounds
and where market savvy customers are on the
lookout for advanced products.
With customers exposed to international
taste, the huge variety offered by Chinese manu-
facturers brings a distinct advantage to retailers
and distributors for whom first mover advantage
is crucial in their industry.
Variety coupled with competitive pricing
brings a win-win combination to the table for
Indian business as well as the Chinese manu-
facturers.
To put things in perspective, the Indian retail
sector grew to US$ 511 billion in 2008 and is
currently clocking an annual growth rate of
30%. It is expected to rise to US$ 833 billion by
2013 and to US$ 1.3 trillion by 2018, at a rate of
10% CAGR.  
The trade fairs offer excellent prospects for
Indian entrepreneurs to tap into long term busi-
ness opportunities and enter into collaborations
and joint ventures at the national and interna-
tional level.
On display at IMI are machinery products
from all verticals like construction, machine
tools and related products, agriculture and food
processing, packaging, sheet metal fabrication,
materials & accessories, heavy engineering etc.
  The exhibitions are organised jointly with
the Trade Development Bureau (TDB), Ministry
and the China National Machinery & Equip-
ment Import & Export Corporation (CMEC).
InterMachinery India 2010 is also being held
in association with the Process Plant and Ma-
chinery Association of India (PPMAI) and is
supported by the SME Chamber of India, the
Tarapur Industrial Manufacturers’ Association
(TIMA) and the Additional Ambarnath Manu-
facturer’s Association (AAMA).
Worldex India is an international trade show
and exhibition company having more than two
decades of experience in successfully organis-
ing international trade shows all over the world.

Zakir Hussain good human: Javed Akhtar gets life threat

Rahul Sharma
Mumbai: Santoor player Rahul Sharma was
Mumbai: Veteran poet and lyricist
Javed Akhtar has received a life threat
for voicing his support against a fatwa
tra anti-terrorism squad chief,  Rakesh
Maria. Within 30 minutes, the in-charge
of Juhu police station came to my resi-
full of praises fir table maestro Zakir Hussain issued by Darul dence, took my
at the recent launch of his new classical album Uloom Deoband complaint and
‘Rhythm of Love’. banning working said I have been
  Rahul  will be featuring for the first time of Muslim women. given police pro-
with  Zakir Hussain in the album released by   Darul tection,” Aktar
Saregama music company. Uloom Deoband said.
  “I really enjoyed working with  Zakir.  Ev- is an Islamic   The popular
eryone knows how talented and brilliant he is school  propagat- Bollywood lyri-
and apart from it he is also a very good human ing Sunni Islam cist said he had
being. We both discussed a lot of things,” said in the Indian Sub- earlier received
Rahul. continent. sms threats, but
Talking about the album, Rahul said:  “This cordings.   Akhtar, who had ignored.
album is composed of recordings of  6 con- “Recording helps to main- has recently   “I got differ-
certs which took place in America.” tain the good quality of the sound and we can become a Rajya ent kinds of re-
When asked about the title of the album, use a lot of techniques to enhance the quality of Sabha MP, said he sponses. While on
he said: “We have named the album  ‘Rhythm music. To do a live concert is to be make con- received an anon- one hand people
of Love’  because when we had our live scious efforts in maintaining a connection with ymous email that had reservations
concert, the concert was based on  Raag Cha- the audiences. There is no re-take on the stage said ‘countdown’ about my stance,
rukeshi and ‘Drut’ taal and Raag Charukeshi is so along with the audiences we also have to be to his ‘end’ has on the other I
in symphony with romance and emotions. Apart interesting ourselves.” ‘begun’. was applauded
from this my album also comprises of pure clas- So far, Rahul Sharma has released about 45  The email also for my com-
sical music compositions.” albums on fusion and classical music.  challenged him to ments. You can
Rahul further said he prefers to do studio re- ‘save’ his life if he can. voice your opinion but can’t threaten
 “I immediately called up Maharash- anyone,” Akhtar told IBN7.

For all your

legal needs
Aaron Kashyap
BA, LLB
Barrister and solicitor
Level 1, 351 Manukau Road, PO Box 26-596, DXCP 32513, Epsom, Auckland
Mobile: 0274 857 302 Phone: (09) 6238277 Fax: (09)6235177
Email: aaron@kashyaplaw.co.nz

12 Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
Anoushka Shankar face
of Haute Curry
Mumbai/Kolkata: Sitar player Anoushka
Shankar has been appointed the brand ambassa-
dor for Haute Curry, an apparel brand of Shop-
pers Stop.
  Anoushka’s signature line for Haute
Curry  was recently launched across all Shop-
pers Stop stores.
Haute Curry’s Spring-Summer 2010 collec-
tion is a visual treat with its rich Indian palette
of floral colors such as lotus pink, deep ver-
million, ink blue, emerald green and marigold
yellows.
“I believe in endorsements that match my
Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
personality. Bright Indian colors and feminine
silhouettes are an intrinsic and fundamental
part of my style. This is why I absolutely love
Haute Curry. The Haute Curry collection is just
so wonderfully bright and colorful with typical
Indian flavors. The clothes are funky yet retain
a typical Indian flavor that I’m sure young girls
will love to wear,” said Anoushka Shankar.
Haute Curry is a young & funky ethno-
fusion brand for today’s young & trans-global
fashion divas. Haute Curry makes Indian wear a
definitive style statement for the youth of today,
claimed the company.
Railway revenue earnings up 7.94%   
New Delhi: The total approximate earnings of
Indian Railways on originating basis during the
period from 1st to 10th May 2010 were Rs. 2384.21
crore compared to Rs. 2208.83 crore during the
same period last year, registering an increase of
7.94 per cent.
 The total goods earnings have gone up from Rs.
1500.00 crore during the period from 1st   to 10th
May 2009 to Rs. 1634.00 crore during 1st May –
10th May 2010, showing an increase of 8.93 per
cent.
  The total passenger revenue earnings during
the period 1st to 10th May 2010 were Rs. 664.80
crore compared to Rs. 629.44 crore during the same
period last year, reflecting an increase of 5.62 per
cent.
Beauty problems to be solved online
New Delhi: With the launch of Boutiquecosme-
ceuticals.com, solving beauty problems online
is possible.
 Beauty is skin deep therefore every woman
should give utmost importance to their skin as
it is supposed to be an important element for
success in all social interaction this being the
age of the personality ethics.
 Most of the Cosmetic Companies as a whole
are offering mass based products, despite the
fact that the latest advances in sciences clearly
show that our skin types might be the same but
the designing of the genetic sequence make
them as unique as our fingertips.
 Boutiquecosmeceuticals.com research facil-
ity studies and services beauty needs of Asian
women, we have created an elite team of scien-
tific beauty innovators.  beauticians and the beauty parlours across the
  The team has been tasked with a single-
minded brief to beautify the skin of women
across Asia.
 Sudhir Sharma, Director Marketing, on the
launch of this website, said, “Ignorance regard-
India Business
  The revenue earnings from other coaching
amounted to Rs. 64.96 crore during this period
compared to Rs. 63.09 crore during the same period
last year, showing an increase of 2.96 per cent.
  The total approximate number of passengers
booked during the period 1st to 10th May 2010 were
218.59 million compared to 201.10 million during
the same period last year, showing an increase of
8.70 per cent.  
 In the suburban and non-suburban sectors, the
number of passengers booked during 1st to 10th
May, 2010 were 113.92 million and 104.67 million
compared to 100.57 million and 100.53 million
during the same period last year, registering an in-
crease of 13.27 per cent and   4.12 per cent respec-
tively.
ing beauty products is very high in India and
Boutiquecosmeceuticals.com is being promoted
for dissemination of knowledge for them. In
India, 99% of the skin problems are actually
related to your life style and the dietary defi-
ciency. A nutritious diet accounts for healthy
skin.
 “Healthy skin begins from within and hence
it is essential not only to treat the skin from the
outside but also from the inside. At Boutique-
cosmeceuticals.com, panels of experts are not
only from the field of beauty but also expert
dermatologist and dieticians. These experts will
provide beauty tips and also a complete beauty
solution for the queries of consumers.” 
Experts on the site will not only solve beauty
queries of the mailer, but also educate the
country about the real reason for the disorders
and how they can be cured. 
The site will also promote those Parlors who
show this scientific bent so that the consumer
can get the best deal.
13
 Indian
Indian
From the Editor
ETS discontent could be Labour’s big break
A couple of issues ago I had written in these pages that National’s popularity was
close to the tipping point. It would be too much to expect the dream lead it had
amassed over Labour during almost all of its term so far to remain intact forever.
We had identified two major events that could have a swift and direct effect on
National’s popularity. One was Budget 2010 – which went without incident last
week, much to its glee and the opposition’s understandable dismay despite it having
raised so many red flags, a few of them quite convincing.
The second is yet to come. And as we had said, this event, which will begin to
unfold in July, has the potential to narrow National’s dream run of a lead over
Labour and if it is not careful – and of course if Labour can at all get its act together
– it might make the run up to 2011 that much harder for the ruling party.
That event is the contentious emissions trading scheme or ETS. The govern-
ment has so far refused to change, back down or postpone the politically dangerous
journey it has committed the country on.
The government’s plan subjects all of New Zealand’s emissions over the next
few years to ETS, something that runs contrary to the plans of almost every other
country in the world. Australia has postponed its own scheme, of course amid con-
troversy, but it has at least decided to take on board all concerns including the
highly skeptical fringe among its heavy industries and mining sector.
The New Zealand government though has so far brushed all concerns aside on
the premise of non negotiably sticking to Kyoto commitments besides the compul-
sion to stick to the country’s clean green credentials and breaking forth a leadership
path.
If the government thinks it is carving a new path for others to follow, that is
unlikely to happen in a hurry. For other nations seem to be taking a far more prag-
matic, practical and careful look at the whole business of carbon credits that is
based on the increasingly controversial belief of anthropogenic global warming.
The world is perfectly happy for New Zealand to strike out a lone path in yet another
social laboratory experiment.
Despite loud and shrill warning bells sounded by international events surround-
ing the Copenhagen fiasco, the leaked University of East Anglia emails and the
Himalayan hoax on which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
built a whole bleak theory that painted a dire scenario for the river plains of north-
ern India, the government has not even as much as stopped to consider.
On the other hand, there have been some media reports that government spin
doctors are already planning to convince us all about how good it is for all of us,
with the help of a campaign that will be upon us soon.
But even before the euphoria over the tax cuts in the budget had died down, the
power companies have announced increases in power and gas tariffs because of
the impending ETS. Petrol and diesel will follow suit shortly. In the next two years,
almost all manufacturing and industrial activity in the country will come under the
purview of the ETS including the vitally important dairy industry.
As well as increasing prices, it will put our manufacturers, exporters and the
dairy industry progressively uncompetitive in the international marketplace while
also making everything within New Zealand dearer.
The ETS certainly has the potential to put a massive speed breaker in National’s
plans to coast toward the next election and cruise past it: if at the same time next
year, people begin to feel poorer because of the cumulative effects of the rising
costs wrought by the implementation of the ETS and the curtailment of services as
is envisaged in the budget, the public mood will be very different toward National
that what it is today.
And if in the meantime, Labour can get its act together and put up a credible face
and programme forward, rising above its present state of despondency and the lack
of a sense of direction and leadership, National’s road will become that much uphill.
How it handles ETS will to a great extent influence the public mood toward Na-
tional over the next few months.
– Dev Nadkarni
Indian Weekender Volume 2 No 5
Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited
Group editor-in-chief: Dev Nadkarni dev@indianweekender.co.nz
Online editor: Arvind Kumar arvind@indianweekender.co.nz
India Correspondent: Shobha Rao shobha@indianweekender.co.nz
Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza rohan@ 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 appearingv in the publication
Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, New Market
and printed at APN Print, Ellerslie, Auckland
Copyright 2010. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.
14
Letters
Indentured labourers
2010 marks the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in South Africa. We also were brought to
South Africa by the British to work the sugar cane fields. It was such a wonderful experience to go back
and find our ancestral village in India.
Lakshmi Maharaj, South Africa
Awesome work Mr. Kumar, we hardly get any Indian from this side of the world promoting Girmitiyas in
this century. After all, we all are Indians and deep in his/her heart every Indian is filled with true vales
and beliefs because their mothers teach them same thing when they are young. Its only when people grow
up seem to change. Good Work!
Shanil Chandra
Vegetarian diets
I was born in India and have been a vegetarian since birth, however, I never had passion for vegetarian-
ism before I relocated to Australia. Now, promoting vegetarianism is the main goal of my life. India,
definitely, is a beautiful country; increasing affordability and globalization are improving the living
standards on one hand but are bringing in meat-culture through KFC and McDonald’s. I wish every
Indian reads this article and gets some inspiration to continue to remain a vegetarian.
Sid
New Indian forums and organisations
The people who make new forums just want their own names prominence and have nothing to do with
community work or love. They help in making fractions within communities, which is not good.
Ravi Dahiya
Oh my God! What is wrong with all our so called community leaders. We need to grow-up as a com-
munity and get away from these ego satisfying forums. We have more grave issues in community than
celebrating Raksha Bandhan. Wait and watch the next event of this forum will be to celebrate Diwali. Do
we really need one more Diwali in Auckland.
Ravinesh
Subhashitas
In the heritage article, the translation given under ‘samsaravishavrukshasya ...’ is incorrect. It actu-
ally means “The poison tree of samsara has only two fruits that taste like nectar. One is the taste of the
essence of subhashitas; the other is the company of good people.”
Madhusudana
Healing made simple
This is great work. I know of people who have healed themselves through similar principles laid out here.
Also through meditation. This is not a new fangled approach, or a New Age approach - just common
sense and mental effort and visualisation on one’s part. Good job, and best wishes in your efforts....
Nalinesh
Bula Vinaka India
India does have many languages spoken other than Hindi, but the article was referring to Indians from
abroad, born and brought up in countries other than India. I found out from the other participants of
the program that some do practice the culture as much as in Fiji, while some only experience it slightly
through media, e.g. bollywood movies. So some only speak their country’s language or only English.
Priya
I am surprised to read that some Indians from India don’t know Hindi, and you are right we Fiji Indians
are lucky enough that we speak Hindi and also know a great deal about our cultures despite the distance
from India.
Amrita
Top 10 stories on www.iwk.co.nz
l Hindu conference launches HOTA forum
l Pakistan bans 800 web pages, URLs
l Fiji’s defining moment
l Bula Vinaka, India!
l Kiwi Indians proudly welcome Commonwealth Games baton
l Why is Tagore still important?
l Touching tribute to sacrifice of Girmit ancestors
l Studies confirm high cardiovascular risk for Indians
l Rock star of NZ cricket quits
l A confident Budget that will boost growth
Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Indian
Comment

Colonial mindsets still cloud Anzac nations’ outlook

PADMINI GaUNDER
During the colonial days the metropolitan
powers that ruled over the Pacific Islands
formed their own group, the South Pacific Com-
mission. SPC dealt with some of the common
problems that they faced such as the eradication
of rhinoceros beetles that affected the coconut
plantations in all the islands. Initially the island-
ers were not included at all in the SPC but later
they attended the meetings as observers.
After Fiji’s independence Prime Minister
Ratu Mara took the initiative to form a group
consisting only of the leaders of the Pacific
island nations, the South Pacific Forum (later
known as the Pacific Island Forum). He was
against colonialism and wanted to keep Austra-
lia and New Zealand also out of the Forum as
he knew that otherwise slowly the Forum would
become dominated by these two countries.
Ratu Mara knew that they would act as the
‘big brothers’. He had earlier described colonial-
ism as “the western people, people who come
from the western hemisphere and brought up
in the western civilization” thinking that “they
are the only people who know anything in this
world and no one else knows anything”. This,
of course, included Australia and New Zealand
who are part of the western civilisation.
It was not easy to keep Australia and New
Zealand out of the Forum for long. Slowly but
surely they started penetrating and over the
years they have become dominant in the re-
gional organisation. Today they seem to be able
to dictate to the small nations what is good for
them. One of the things they consider good is
democracy where the majority rules. They fail
to realise that majority rule may not always be
the best form of government, especially if the
country is multiethnic. This is the problem that
Fiji has faced since Independence.
Indigenous Fijians did not want the British
to leave their country ushering in democracy pected coup-makers”. The policies that Qarase not in the best interests of the long term welfare
for fear of Indian domination because Indians had were very popular with Fijian nationalists of the indigenous people. Trouble had already
had become the majority ethnic group. The as they were given preference over other ethnic started in the tourism industry with the Fiji
Fijian commoners very reluctantly agreed to in- groups. Qarase got elected for a second term in Times reporting on November 20, 2006 that
dependence when their chiefs persuaded them 2006 because of this popularity and he wanted tourists and hotel guests were held ransom in
to accept it and Indians agreed to certain safe- to consolidate his Fijian support by continuing exchange for money over the use of beaches
guards to protect the Fijians’ position as the with such policies. and coastal waters, which Qarase’s government
original settlers. These provisions included the In 2006 Bainimarama wanted the Qarase wanted to give back to the indigenous owners.
protection of their land rights and veto powers Government to drop two key pieces of legisla- Bainimarama had warned that when all the
in the Senate to any legislation that affected the tion: an amnesty for those involved in George investors left Fiji because of the policies of the
indigenous people. Speight’s 2000 coup and a bill that would give Qarase government then the Fijians would be
In 1987 Indians were indigenous Fijians the right left with their grass skirts and canoes! Foreign
fifty percent of the popula- to claim money from other countries like Australia and New Zealand who
tion outnumbering indig-
In 1987 Indians were fifty percent ethnic groups for using supported Qarase, believing in the rights of an
enous Fijians by more than of the population outnumbering coastal waters. The military elected government, perhaps did not understand
ten per cent so the major- indigenous Fijians by more than chief maintained neither the deeper implications of his government’s
ity rule worked against the ten per cent so the majority rule was in the national interest, policies.
Fijians. That was why in noted Graham Davis, a Fiji- When Helen Clark’s government facilitated
1987 the Fijians support- worked against the Fijians. That born Australian journalist. a meeting of Qarase and Bainimarama in Wel-
ed the coup almost to the was why in 1987 the Fijians sup- Davis wrote a month lington a little before Qarase was removed from
last man. In 2000 George ported the coup almost to the before the 2006 coup: ‘I’m power, New Zealand had a good opportunity
Speight tried to pose as a not alone among Fiji-born to influence events in Fiji for the better. Qarase
champion of indigenous last man. Australians in being per- should have been told that New Zealand would
Fijian rights but it failed for plexed at the Howard Gov- not support an amnesty for convicted traitors
several reasons. Not only Speight was not an ernment’s support for the Qarase Government. and that they did not agree with legislations that
indigenous Fijian; there was also no threat to It is a racist Government pursuing racist poli- discriminated against a significant proportion of
the indigenous people as they had already as- cies, and has in its ranks many of the shadowy its own citizens. Then the talks between the two
serted their position by then. Indians no longer figures behind the 2000 coup who are desperate Fijian leaders perhaps would have been fruitful.
were the majority ethnic group in Fiji as a large to avoid justice.’ New Zealand was blinded by its faith in
percentage had left the country after the coups Davis believed that what was not appreci- democracy. The NZ leaders saw Qarase as
of 1987. Ethnic Fijians did not support Speight ated in Australia (and New Zealand) was “the the elected leader who could do no wrong and
unlike in 1987 when they stood solidly behind intensity of [Bainimarama’s] rage at what he Bainimarama as the military strongman who
Rabuka because they realised that by 2000 there saw as Qarase’s betrayal of the understandings was trying to usurp power. They seemed to have
was no threat to their rights or even to the image between them, especially the need to punish forgotten that the ideal of democracy was not
of the country as a Fijian nation. those behind the coup”. Instead, Qarase brought just majority rule but it also involved providing
After locking up George Speight in 2000 many of the coup-makers into government and good governance. When Bainimarama seized
Commodore Bainimarama had made Laisenia wanted a general amnesty that would have led to power “he was only taking back what he gave
Qarase the interim Prime Minister. Qarase sub- the likes of Speight being pardoned. Qarase when he invited him to form a govern-
sequently got elected to the position and brought The policies that the Qarase government ment after arresting Speight in 2000,” wrote
into his cabinet some of the “convicted and sus- followed, though they seemed pro-Fijian, were Davis.

Continuing the series Government by greed

Qarase government’s escalating corruption

Subhash Appana
The main aim of the group that lobbied Qarase
for interim PM after the 2000 coup and then
propped him for elected PM in 2001 was to
ensure that all obstacles, real and potential, were
effectively removed or neutralized so that they
could access the seemingly unending opportuni-
ties and wealth that would inevitably flow from
holding political power in the country.
This group was closely linked to the visible
perpetrators of the 2000 coup; in fact they could
be likened to puppet-masters in that arrange-
ment. Hence they knew that in order to ensure
the continued support and confidence of the
coup-group they had to ensure that there was
active help from government. This took the form
of early releases from prison, resumption of paid
political positions, a tropical resort-type prison
environment, etc.
The assistance campaign was taken a step
further through Qarase’s controversial Recon-
ciliation Truth and Unity Bill (RTU) which was
tabled in 2005. Fully aware of potential schisms
in the Great Council of Chiefs (BLV), Qarase
ignored the BLV in this enterprise. Furthermore,
he misled church leaders on the same Bill by
keeping its amnesty provision for coup-makers
silent.
All this time, Qarase was pretending that
coup investigations had the support of his gov-
ernment as seen in the presence of 2 Australians
in key positions: Andrew Hughes as Police Com-
missioner and Peter Ridgeway as Deputy Direc-
tor of Public Prosecutions. It is no secret that
Hughes showed a baffling averseness to “push”
lines of investigation as seen in his reluctance to
action various concerns raised by deposed PM
Chaudhry. So Hughes stayed.
Ridgeway, on the other hand, was removed
from Fiji by the Qarase regime on 22nd June
2005 while investigating alleged links between
members of his government and the coup of
2000. This decision, which has been argued as
the Aussie’s refusal to sign a renewal of contract,
came after Ridgeway had strongly criticized the
RTU Bill, which he interpreted as a legal mecha-
nism for pardoning individuals convicted of par-
ticipating in the coup.
He had also accused the government of in-
terfering with the course of justice by interven-
ing in a number of coup-related trials. Ridgeway
thus had to go as Qarase continued in his at-
tempts to operate above established structures of
governance. In this regard, he made a number of
decisions that clearly showed an attempt to dis-
regard, change and hijack the government ma-
chinery. This had a direct impact in escalating
corruption in Fiji.
Structures of Good Governance
The Fiji Independent Commission Against Cor-
ruption or FICAC as it is commonly known, was
recommended by the Law Reform Commission
in 2003 largely in recognition of the need to curb
burgeoning white-collar crime and corruption in
Fiji. PSC chairman, Sakeasi Waqanivavalagi ad-
mitted at a press conference earlier in 2002 that
scams, nepotism, favouritism and visible cor-
ruption were rife in the Fiji civil service (fijilive
12/12/02).
FICAC was adopted by government in 2004
with a promise that it would be operational by the
end of 2006 - strategically after the 2006 elec-
tions. FICAC thus remained a dormant concept
during Qarase’s reign until it finally came into
being through a Bainimarama promulgation on
4th May 2007.
Qarase’s excesses and disregard for con-
trols had prompted Taito Waradi, the President
of the Fiji Chamber of Commerce, to highlight
that the key to maintaining a healthy budget lay
in prudent management. “This means that the
Government will need to impose strict financial
discipline in the management of government
finance. Any public official found guilty of fi-
nancial mismanagement therefore should be im-
mediately dismissed because they have no right
to abuse taxpayer funds”.
Qarase’s secretiveness and exclusiveness was
seen in his continued refusal to acknowledge
input from any of the Parliamentary Select Com-
mittees. This was referred to as “government’s
confrontational and uncompromising approach
(to prevent) bipartisan constructive co-oper-
ation” by the then House Speaker, Ratu Epeli
Nailatikau at the Commonwealth Parliamentar-
ians and NGOs Workshop on 29th August 2005
(CCF).
There were more sinister implications as the
Public Accounts Committee was a joint watch-
dog chaired by FLP’s Poseci Bune. Despite its
crucial role, the Public Accounts Committee had
been allowed to become defunct for a long time.
In reaction to the Auditor General’s report
released 19/08/05, Transparency International
said that the Public Accounts Committee as a
crucial pillar of integrity in governance “has
not been functioning properly, we ( ) must re-
grettably view this as the price we have to pay,
when the principles of good governance and ad-
ministrative best practices are underestimated,
downplayed, ignored and/or not observed at all”
(Transparency International Fiji, Press Release
No 5/05).
Furthermore, in response to Qarase’s at-
tempts to compromise public scrutiny, increased
calls were made for a Code of Conduct Bill to be
tabled in parliament. Social worker, Peter Dry-
sdale, called for the appointment of an ‘Ethics
Committee’ to deal with disciplinary cases in-
volving Government ministers and members of
Parliament (fijilive, 9/11/02). PSC’s Waqanivava-
lagi also mentioned the possibility of setting up
an ethics commission for investigating allega-
tions against corruption or abuse of office (fi-
jilive, 12/12/02).
In March 2003, after the Auditor General’s
2002 Report became an issue of intense public
debate, PM Qarase declared that suitable leg-
islation would be enacted to combat unaccept-
able conduct by public officials. In reference to
a report from the non-functioning Bribery and
Corruption Commission of Inquiry, Qarase was
reported to have said, “I can assure you that we
will act as soon as possible.”
The PM also promised a whistle blowers
act and an anti-corruption bill (fijilive, 3/3/03).
Alarmed at the degree of political interference
in bureaucratic decision making, an Australian
journalist told the 31st Fiji Institute of Accoun-
tants Annual Congress that Fiji should urgently
set up an independent commission against cor-
ruption along the same lines as that in New South
Wales so that questionable political interference
could be detected (fijilive, 11/5/03).
The stench of corruption emanating from
Fiji’s government machinery had apparently
reached the usually-blunt noses of Australians.
Despite all these publicly articulated concerns,
FICAC and other structures of good governance
remained proposals as Qarase and his cabal
continued to ply their trade within the confines
of government in Fiji. His legacy would need
painful surgical correction at some stage.
(To be continued)
- Subhash Appana is an academic and
political commentator. The opinions contained
in this article are entirely his and not neces-
sarily shared by any organizations he may be
associated with both in Fiji and abroad. Email
subhasha@ais.ac.nz

Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 15

Indian

MIND BLOWING FILMS presents

RAAJNEETI Releasing June 4

Raajneeti is a story about Indian
politics. About Indian democracy.
About Indian elections.

Above all, it is the story of a few

people who control the destiny of
millions. It is the story of their
unstoppable ambition, & their
bitter and violent battle to
achieve it.

This is the story of people who

understand power - and know
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Indian
3G auction ends, govt
makes over Rs 67,719 cr
New Delhi: The 3 G auction licence ended on
Wednesday on the 34th day of the bidding,
with the government earning over a whop-
ping Rs 67, 719 crore from the nine operators
altogether, much above its expectations.
The key Mumbai and Delhi circles went
to operators like Vodafone, Bharti Airtel and
Reliance Communications  at Rs 3247 crore
and  Rs 3317 crore respectively.      3 G technology facilitates   downloading
Among the major bidders, Idea paid
nearly Rs 5,765 cr for 11 circles, Bharti paid
Rs 12,290 cr for 13 circles, Vodafone paid
3G license auction
draws criticism
The frenzied 3G license auction that ended on
Wednesday is facing criticism from bidders
and experts with Bharti Airtel blaming the
bidding format for being unable to achieve a
pan-India footprint.
The 3 G auction licence ended on the
34th day of the bidding, with the government
earning over a whopping Rs 67, 719 crore
from the nine operators altogether, much
above its expectations.
However, Bharti Airtel, India’s largest
mobile phone operator, had blamed the
auction format and severe shortage of spec-
trum for the abnormal prices.
“We would like to point out that the
auction format and severe spectrum short-
age, along with ensuing policy uncertainty,
drove the prices beyond reasonable levels.
As a result, we could not achieve our objec-
tive of pan-India 3G footprint
in this round,” Bharti Airtel was quoted
by Financial Times.
Kapil Dev Singh, strategic business
advisor of technology market intelligence
firm IDC India said, “The issue of quality of
service must be taken up sooner or later.”
He said it is important since “with the im-
minent advent of 3G services the India Tele-
coms industry is going to enter a new phase”.
“This phase is expected to witness in-
troduction of innovative services and
heightened collaboration between Telecoms
players, application developers, IT infra-
structure providers, content providers and
Tata Swach wins Sniff Award
Mumbai: Tata Swach, the recently launched low
cost water purifier, won the much Sniff Award
for New Product Innovation  in  Leapvault
Change leadership
Awards 2010  at a
glittering ceremo-
ny held in Mumbai.  motivation and will
  Minister of
Corporate affairs
and Minor-
ity affairs, Salman
Khursheed, was
the chief guest for
the awards.
 P K Ghose, Ex-
ecutive Director &
CFO, Tata Chemi-
cals Limited,  said:
“Tata Swach com-
bines technol-
ogy, performance,
convenience and
above all, afford-
ability to serve
the basic human right of millions of consum-
ers.  Just as Tata Chemicals dedicated itself to
Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
India Business
Rs 11,617 crore for 9 circle while Reliance
Comunications paid  Rs 8,583 crore for 13
circles.
No single carrier won spectrum up for pan
India bid in all 22 circles but Delhi emerged
the most valuable circle at Rs 3,317 crore. The
national capital is followed by Mumbai at Rs
3,247 crore.
hi-speed data and stream videos on mobile
telephones.
consumer products companies.”
“The auction  has not thrown up even a
single pan-India  player. This phenomenon
needs to be watched in the medium term,”
he said.
Earlier Vodafone chief executive Vittorio
Colao said the spectrum should not be seen
as something that the government must use
to squeeze money out of private capital.
Mobile spectrum is the radio waves over
which voice and data information is sent and
without which no calls can be made or inter-
net accessed. It is owned by the government. 
However, the government does not seem
too worried as Finance Minister  Pranab
Mukherjee told a daily: “I calculated Rs
35,000 crore (revenue from 3G  and Broad-
band Wireless spectrum sale) in the Budget.
I’m getting Rs 67,000 crore, almost double.
So, (I will get) that much elbow room.”
Among the major bidders, Idea paid
nearly Rs 5,765 cr for 11 circles, Bharti paid
Rs 12,290 cr for 13 circles, Vodafone paid
Rs 11,617 crore for 9 circle while Reliance
Comunications paid  Rs 8,583 crore for 13
circles.
No single carrier won spectrum up for
pan India bid in all 22 circles but Delhi
emerged the most valuable circle at Rs 3,317
crore. The national capital is followed by
Mumbai at Rs 3,247 crore. 
3 G technology facilitates  downloading
hi-speed data and stream videos on mobile
telephones.
the eradication of goiter with Tata Salt, so with
the launch of this product we committed our-
selves to address the problem of water-borne
diseases.
“These welcome
gestures boost our
definitely help us ac-
celerate our efforts in
making this wonderful
innovation available
across India.”
The LeapVault
Change Leadership
Awards  endeavor to
applaud the work of
thought Leaders who
have not only accepted
but lead the change in
their respective fields.   
Tata Swach  is the
result of years of col-
laboration between
several Tata compa-
nies, including TCS and Tata Chemicals.
17
Indian
All Fijian final for Pacific Rugby Cup
SIGATOKA --- It will be an all Fijian affair
in the final of the 2010 IRB Pacific Rugby
Cup after the two home teams kept the
dreams of silverware alive with impressive
victories in the final round of pool matches
in Sigatoka last Saturday.
Defending champions Fiji Warriors
showed their title credentials by defeating a
dogged Tau’uta Reds team 48-0 in the final
match of the day in front of yet another large
and partisan crowd.
Before the match kicked-off one Fiji
team had already booked a place in the final
as the Fiji Barbarians capped an impressive
campaign with an 18-14 victory over Savaii
Samoa to finish top of the PRC standings.
Tautahi Gold had an outside chance of
making the final if other results went their
way, but in the day’s opening match they
could not stave off a spirited Upolu Samoa
side and went down 24-10 in a thrilling
match.
The Fiji Warriors v Fiji Barbarians final
is bound to attract significant local inter-
est on Saturday, but even before a ball has
kicked off the tournament will have been
declared a success for the Fiji Rugby Union.
Aside from guaranteeing a Fiji team on
the trophy for a second year, the tournament
has delivered significant legacy objectives,
proving the worth of moving to a single
hosting format.
Upolu Upset the Odds
Before the final round of matches got
under way Tautahi Gold had a slim chance
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18
of qualifying for the grand final if other
results went their way.
However, their dreams were dashed in
what was a thrilling second half, demon-
strating the intense competitive action gen-
erated by the PRC.
After a 5-5 deadlock at half time, it ap-
peared neither team would take the game
by the scruff of the neck, but the onlooking
supporters were treated to a feast of excel-
lent rugby in the second half as both sides
scored three tries to take the match to the
wire.
Uplou Samoa rushed into the lead
through early second half tries from Sama-
soni Moala and Esera Lauina, but midway
through the second half the Gold hit back
with two tries of their own through replace-
ments Afele Tongia and Petelo Tupou.
However, missed conversions for the
Gold were to prove decisive and Pesamino
Alauni added a fourth try for Upolu deep in
stoppage time. The Gold threw everything
at their opponents in the dying minutes and
were rewarded with a second try by Tonguia,
but it was not enough to secure victory.
Barbarians Edge Through to top table
Fiji Barbarians secured top spot and a
place in next week’s final with an edgy 19-14
win over Savai’i Samoa in the second match
of the day.
Savai’i were in party spoiling mood and
took the lead through a Ted Sikovi penalty
in the third minute. However, it was a short-
lived advantage as Jaoji Dakuvula tied the
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scores for the Barbarians.
The first try of the match was scored by
Barbarians winger William Saukuru after a
brilliant break by half back Emosi Vucago to
put the Fijians in front 5-3.
A try to Savai’i outside centre Taulagi
Afamasaga, on the back of a slick set-piece
move, brought the Samoans back level with
the Barbarians 8-all with 14 minutes re-
maining in the half.
A penalty to Savai’i fullback Ted Sikovi
broke the deadlock and gave Savai’i an 11-8
lead.
Dakuvula levelled the scores for the Bar-
barians with a penalty right at the end of the
first half to leave the scores locked at 11-11.
A try to the Barbarians reserve Joe
Nabou in the 8th minute of the second half
gave the Barbarians a 16-11 lead, while Da-
kuvula kicked a penalty with 10 minutes to
go to give the Barbarians an 8 point cushion.
Savai’I, who needed a bonus point win to
have any chance of making the finals, closed
the gap 14-19 with a penalty through Sikovi,
but with time running out it was looking
highly unlikely that they would score the
three tries that they required and the Bar-
barians held out to book their passage to the
final next weekend.
Warriors Win in Style to claim final spot
The PRC records tumbled as the War-
riors booked their place in the final in style
with a 48-0 thrashing of Tau’uta Reds and
in doing so posted the largest margin of
victory in the competition’s history.
Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Fiji
Spurred on by a vociferous home
support, the tournament’s form side had to
wait half an hour to break the deadlock after
the Tongan team came out hard.
It was Warriors half back Joeli Na-
bogikolo who touched down after a five
metre scrum was awarded to the defending
Champions. Converted by Taniela Rawaqa,
the Warriors jumped to a 7-0 lead.
Four minutes later the Warriors were in
again when Centre Paula Karatu was put
into a gap by his 5/8, Kori Yavala to sprint
15metres and score down the left flank.
Rawaqa converted from out wide to give the
Warriors a 14-0 lead at the interval.
The Warriors scored a try immediately
after the break when winger Aminisitai
Niukula raced down the left flank untouched
to score in the left corner and open up a 19-0
lead. Rawaqa made it a 22 point lead with a
penalty in the 18th minute.
Replacement centre, Nikola Matawalu
intercepted a loose ball and completed a 50
metre sash to extend the Warriors lead to
27-0 and secure the bonus point.
Replacement hooker Tuapati Talemai-
toga scored just two metres later with a bril-
liant individual effort and the conversion
gave the Warriors a 34-0 lead, much to the
delight of the home support.
A third try in the space of two minutes
was finished off by Ropate Ratu and Number
eight Mosese Volavola crashed over for the
final score. Rawaqa again converted on full
time to give the Warriors an impressive 48-0
win.
Indian
Fiji

PER extended Fiji Tourism lauds

Sumeet’s achievement
Suva: The Public Emergency Regulations have been extended for another 30 days
effective from May 28, 2010. President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau extended the PER
through a gazette published May 17, 2010, in exercise of the powers vested in him
by virtue of the Office of the President and Executive Authority Decree 2009. The
Public Emergency Regulation 2009 has been in effect since April 10, 2009. This
was after former President; Ratu Josefa Iloilo abrogated the 1997 Constitution. Sumeet Tappoo’s success as a singer in Bol- tination and hopefully in the not too distant
lywood is expected to pay huge dividends to future more Indians will visit Sumeet’s
– The Fiji Sun his homeland of Fiji. country of birth,” says Tourism Fiji’s CEO
“Sumeet’s success in India will contrib- Josefa Tuamoto. “We are all proud of Su-
ute significantly to increasing Fiji’s visibility meet’s achievement. He has done extremely
in the music and film industry there; thereby well to be in the #2 position in a very com-

Air Pacific wary of brain drain

Nadi: Although Fiji’s national airline Air Pacific
Limited continues to face competition with
the introduction of new airlines, yesterday the
company revealed that retaining their skill
workers is a major challenge for them.
General Manager People Isake Komailevu-
ka said that as a small player in global aviation,
they had lost people to larger and wealthier op-
erators.
“As one of the country’s largest employers,
Air Pacific takes great pride in its workers and
ensures that remuneration packages it offers are
competitive and in keeping with market rates,”
Mr Komailevuka said.
“Retention of skills workers continues to be
a major challenge. We have lost people to opera-
tors in the Middle East who offer lucrative US
dollar salaries and incentive packages,” he said.
Mr Komailevuka was responding to queries
sent with regards to local engineers who have
been re-hired from abroad as expatriates.
“Recently, Air Pacific lost several avionic
engineers to an airline in Oman,” he said.
Avionic engineers perform highly complex
technical tasks and their certification authorities
are achieved over a considerable period of time.
“As such avionic engineers are not produced
overnight; therefore one can appreciate that re-
placements need to be hired during period of
skills loss to make sure our fleet is airworthy
and services not disrupted,” Mr Komailevuka
said.
He said that short-term engagements of ex-
patriates had had to be employed to meet the
skills gaps until our “homegrown” were ready
to assume substantive appointments.
“So really, this short-term measure runs
parallel with our in-house aircraft engineering
training programme.”
According to Mr Komailevuka, Air Pacific
has three expatriate engineers in their team at
Nadi International Airport at this time, all of
whom hold short-term contracts with the airline.
He said Air Pacific provided accommoda-
tion and other assistance to expatriate engineers
where appropriate.
Fiji’s national airline has been facing stiff
competition with the introduction of Jet Star, V
Australia and Continental Airlines services to
Nadi.
– The Fiji Sun
showcasing the best of local talent that we
have here,” says Florence Swamy, Acting
CEO of Fiji Audio Visual Commission.
FAVC has been selling the idea of Fiji as a
major filmmaking destination for both Mum-
bai’s Bollywood and Hollywood with the
quaintly-named Bulawood, the Hollywood of
the South Pacific.
Sumeet has hit number two in India’s
Top 10 music chart (published by the Times
of India) with the title track from his album
Meri Deewangi. It entered the Planet M
Indian Charts at number nine, the Rhythm
House Charts at number three, the Mirchi
Charts at number nine and the Bollywood
Online Charts at number six.
The success the Fiji-born singer was im-
portant to the FAVC – “As we try to attract
productions from India to Fiji, it is impera-
tive that we have the appropriate services,
infrastructure and suitably trained cast and
crew locally to support these productions.
Sumeet exemplifies this and is a great emis-
sary for us in this sense,” says Ms Swamy.
“Tourism Fiji salutes Mr Tappoo for this
achievement and we are hoping that his
performance will create interest in the des-
Meri Deewangi, features eight ro-
mantic ‘ballads’ composed by one of
India’s most talented music directors
Deepak Pandit who has several
Bollywood movies to his
credit.
The album features deep,
meaningful & contempo-
rary poetry in simple to
understand language.
The ballads incorporate
a wide variety of moods
which create a nostalgic
feel for music lovers.
The composition, orchestration, in-
strumentation and singing style has a
Bollywood feel to it.
The Dance Track in the album by UK-
based Priest J gives the album an inter-
national dimension. Priest J has worked
petitive music industry like India.”  
“The response to the album has far ex-
ceeded my initial expectation,” says Sumeet.
“I had wanted it to be liked by music lovers
all over the world, and it is. But to have the
added bonus of hitting #2 in the top ten
charts, that is icing on the cake.”
The music video of the title track of Su-
meet’s album has also become a huge hit with
music lovers across the world. The video
features upcoming actress Anjali Pandey
alongside Sumeet in a stunning music video
created and produced by talented direc-
tor Cunal Ranjan who has created a surreal
world with the use of VFX and high- end
graphics. The video can be viewed on You-
Tube on the internet.
Meri Deewangi features eight romantic
tracks which have been composed by Music
Director Deepak Pandit, with Music arrange-
ment by Hira Pandit and Dhiren Raichura,
and backed by well-known musicians from
within the industry. Lyricists include Manoj
Muntashir, Asir Burahanpuri and Shaqeel
Azmi. The album was mastered in London
by Mauro Cacclalanza.
with artists such as Rihanna and Black
Eyed Peas.
Sumeet learnt music under the guid-
ance of Sangeet Samrat
Anup Jalota since his
childhood and has been
based in Bollywood since
2005.
Sumeet has performed over
350 concerts in India and
worldwide.
Sumeet has performed for
prestigious music festivals
in India including concerts
alongside legendary artists from the
Indian music world.
Sumeet has 12 devotional albums to
his credit which have been interna-
tional releases by India’s leading music
companies.

Weekend of musical treat

for Aucklanders
A long weekend of musical treat awaits Carnatic
music lovers next month.
The New Zealand Carnatic Music Society
is running the Sangeethotsavam. The Utsavam
will run over the three days of the Queen’s
birthday weekend.
“We will be showcasing our local youth
talent at the Yuvabharathi concerts on Saturday,
5th of June,” society president Dr Ashok Malur
said.
“We expect this will go on for the morning
and afternoon sessions. This programme will be
at the Fickling Convention Centre.”
Dr Malur said the overseas artists would
perform on June 6-7 in the evening. The artists
this time are, the legendary Kum KanyaKu-
mari who will present a violin duet with Embar
Kannan who is a violinist of great repute. Kum
Kanyakumari will present on 6th of June at
6.30pm.
The supremely acclaimed member of the
Youth Brigade of the world of Carnatic Music,
T M Krishna will present a vocal concert on the
7th of June at 5pm. He will be accompanied by
R K Sriramkumar another excellent violinist.
Both the artists will be accompanied by the
highly respected Mr Mannargudi Easwaran on
the mridangam.
The evening concerts will be followed by a
simple dinner for the members of the audience.
“So we welcome all to partake in this feast
of spiritually uplifting music over the Queen’s
birthday weekend.It is said that the Margam
of sangeetham is the quickest way of attaining
spiritual enlightenment. Here is our opportu-
nity to do so.”

Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 19

Indian
Community
Kiwi Indians proudly welcome Queen’s Baton
Auckland’s Indian community welcomed the being ready on time. “There is no question of event that was organised and coordinated by
Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 Queen’s that happening,” he said, pointing to the rapid Sunil Kaushal of ANZ National Bank.
Baton in New Zealand at a small ceremony progress made in completing the sporting and The Commonwealth Games’ Queen’s
and a relay run at the Manukau Square on other infrastructure including the new airport Baton began its 170,000 km journey around
May 17. terminal and refurbishment of hotels in the the world’s Commonwealth nations when the
Though an appeal was made for twenty past few months. Queen handed it over to the President of India
runners to participate in the ceremony, far Mr Bhanot was in the country as a repre- Smt Pratibha Patil at a ceremony in London on
more turned up and proudly carried the ex- sentative of the Games Organising Commit- October 29 last year.
quisitely designed baton around the square in tee. MP Kanwaljit Bakshi, Deputy Indian It reached New Zealand on Monday as part
a relay run. A diverse range of people – chil- High Commissioner Kunal Roy and several of its journey through 71 countries. The baton
dren, youth, middle age and the elderly from community leaders were also present at the will conclude its round-the-world run when it
various Indian communities – participated in
the run.
Speaking at the event, Jagmohan Bhanot,
the Organising Committee’s Officer on
Special Duty for Communications said this
year’s Games would be the biggest and best
ever and outlined the preparations.
A whole new world class terminal was
being built at New Delhi’s international
airport for the occasion and would be inaugu-
rated by Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan
Singh on July 7, he said.
The renovated Jawaharlal Nehru stadium
where the opening and closing ceremonies
besides other sporting events like boxing will
be held has also been completed along with
five other major sporting venues. The Games
village was also complete, he said.
Some 40,000 rooms were being readied to
receive over 100,000 guests expected to arrive
from all over the world to watch the games
and dedicated subcommittees for nearly every
aspect of organisation were geared to make
the Games successful and memorable he said.
Speaking to Indian Weekender exclusive-
ly the previous evening, Mr Bhanot allayed
fears of security that have been expressed in
the New Zealand media. He acknowledged
that there was a concern about security and
it needed to be strengthened. But countries
had sent in their representatives for security
audits and leading nations had found them to
be satisfactory, he said.
“There is no truth that there is fear in any
quarter about the safety at the Games. The UK
has announced last week that it will send its
largest ever contingent and Australia has said
it has reviewed the arrangements in India.
Chef de Missions of the 71 participating
countries were in Delhi last month and have
announced that after reviewing security ar-
rangements they are fully satisfied,” he added.
He also clarified any doubts raised in the
media from time to time about the facilities

Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010

Queen’s Baton is welcomed at a small
ceremony and a relay run at the
Manukau Square

Viewing of the Queen’s Baton at the

Mahatma Gandhi Centre

re-enters India through Pakistan at the Wagah

border on June 25 and continues on its last
leg of 20,000 km through the states of India.
The Commonwealth Games begin in Delhi on
October 3.
Unlike previous batons, this one, designed
in India, is a hi tech piece of equipment that
has elements that change colour according to
the flag colours of the host country that it is
visiting guided by a GPRS device. It also has a
camera and a voice recorder capturing events
around the world.
The Auckland Indian Association hosted
a public viewing of the Queen’s Baton
on Tuesday, May 18, from 4-6pm at the
Mahatma Gandhi Centre, Eden Terrace.
Kiwi Indians enthusiastically attended
and posed for pictures with the Baton
since it would indeed make for a cher-
ished memento in the years to come.
For more information on the Delhi
2010 Queens Baton Relay and to keep
up to date on the Batons progress please
visit http://cwgdelhi2010.org/batonre-
lay2010/

- Indian Weekender news desk

20 Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
Girmit Era part of NZ
history says de Bres
It is important that Fiji’s Girmit era, when over
60,000 Indian workers were brought to Fiji as in-
dentured labourers under oppressive conditions,
is acknowledged and commemorated in New
Zealand says Race Relations Commissioner Joris
de Bres.
Mr de Bres was guest speaker at a girmit an-
niversary function in Petone on Sunday 16 May
organised by the Wellington Fiji Indian Associa-
tion. The afternoon included photos and stories
from the girmit era, girmit songs, a short play,
dance and dinner.
He said that this week marked not only the
arrival of the first ship carrying indentured labour-
ers, the Leonidas, on May 15 1879, introducing
four decades of what was essentially slave labour,
but was also the anniversary of the 1987 coup
(May 14) and the 2000 coup (May 19), which led
to a major exodus opf Fiji Indians to Canada, Aus-
tralia, the UK, the US, Canada and New Zealand.
“Today the Fiji Indian community is an im-
portant part of the New Zealand community, and
Fiji Indians have a unique identity as “Pacific
Indians(You are PI’s too)”.
South Asians are sitting
ducks for burglars
Police have noted that a significant number of
burglaries are committed at homes, where there
are obvious signs that the occupants are South
Asians. The most common items that have been
stolen in these burglaries are jewellery and cash,
which are favoured by criminals, owing to ease
of concealment and disposal.
Burglars are very well aware of the fact that
South Asian communities tend to keep consider-
able amounts of cash and jewellery at home.
In a number of cases homes have been burgled
where red flags have been flying outside. Whilst
homeowners may choose to fly flags for cultural
purposes, it should be realised that it does iden-
tify a property as a potential target for burglars,
by indicating that the residents are likely to be
South Asians.
Religious signs, personalised plates on ve-
hicles such as INDIAN, putting lights on the
outside of the house at night on occasions like
Diwali, are some of the signs to burglars that a
South Asian family is likely to reside at a par-
ticular address. Specifically identifying a house
as belonging to a particular ethnic group, may
increase the risk of burglary.
To reduce the risks of loss and protect proper-
ty, particularly valuable or sentimental jewellery,
it makes sense not to keep large amounts of cash
and jewellery at home.
Burglars are aware that most people keep
their jewellery in the master bedroom. It can be
a good idea to keep jewellery in another room in
the house, in a well concealed position, where a
thief is unlikely to find it, preferably in a room
covered by an alarm, if a burglar alarm is fitted.
An alternative would be to keep jewellery in a
small safe of a sufficient attack resistant standard,
with the safe securely bolted to a solid surface.
For homeowners having large amounts of valu-
able jewellery, consideration should be given to
storage at a Bank or secure safety deposit boxes
elsewhere.
Record the serial numbers of expensive items
and photograph these and other valuables.
It is advisable to install an alarm system and
external sensor lights. Burglars do not like to
be observed when committing offences. Sensor
lights are a deterrent to burglars.
Burglars usually first assess a property to
determine how easy or difficult it might be to
commit the offence. They may conceal them-
selves behind high or dense foliage, or trees, and
knock on the doors to see if anyone is home.
It is advisable to ensure that all plants and
shrubs are trimmed to a reasonable height to
prevent burglars from having opportunities for
Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Community
Hattamala to stage this week
“Fiji Indians play an increasingly important
part in New Zealand life, counting among their
number the Governor General (himself descended
from girmitiya), the former Race Relations Con-
ciliator and Member of Parliament, Rajen Prasad
and many others.”
Mr de Bres said that because of their history,
Fiji Indians were understandably passionate about
human rights and religious diversity, being both
Asian and Pacific, being Muslim, Hindu, Chris-
tian and Sikh, and having a collective experience
of exploitation and oppression, racial conflict and
military rule”.
The Fiji Indian story is a story of triumph over
adversity, a story of hope not yet fully realised”.
Mr de Bres quoted Rajendra Prasad”s book, An innovative Auckland Indian theatre group is guarded. While the story is told in a simple fashion,
Tears in Paradise, which described the girmit next week staging its latest play – an usual mix of it offers the actors a chance to explore economics and
system as “a system of domination, intimidation street theatre, children’s story telling, politics and live politics.
and exploitation of human labour, where mental music. Anybody will enjoy it, the story does not preach,
and physical violence were mercilessly used to “Its a simple play but with many elements,” Rahul it is fun and it has laughs, lots of laughs.
increase productivity and raise the profitability of Gandhi, director of Beyond the land of Hattamala: A For Dr Gandhi, who is also a musician, the play
the white planters”. tale of two thieves, says. has also the change to expose Auckland audiences
- Indian Weekender news desk The play comes from the growing repertoire from to Sufi music. An ancient form of Islamic devotional
Prayas, a theatre group made up of mainly Indian music, its distinctive sounds are now heard across
migrants to New Zealand offering this country an Asia and occasionally even make it into Bollywood
insight into the culture of their homeland. films.
Dr Gandhi, who otherwise is a house surgeon at Hattamala was written by influential dramatist
Auckland Hospital, acted in Prayas’ big success last and theatre director Badal Sarkar, now 85. He has
year, Khoj: The Search, which won good reviews and written around 50 plays, many of them in a pioneer-
big audiences. ing street theatre style. Sircar is also one of India’s
Hattamala tells the story of two thieves, Kena and most translated playwrights.
his bumbling apprentice, Becha. They see robbery as He describes himself as “just a theatre person
concealment. If neighbours and persons passing their road to riches and happiness, but as Dr Gandhi who began with acting, then directing and because I
in the street have visibility into the property, this says, they end up after one bungled heist finding wanted plays to my liking, I started writing.”
is a deterrent for burglars, as their suspicious ac- themselves on a different kind of road. Hattamala is being preformed on TAPAC in
tivities can be observed. By chance they are taken to a land where money Western Springs Road on May 28, 29 and 30. More
Doors and windows should be kept locked, and possessions are not so widely sought after or details can be found at http://www.prayas.co.nz
with deadbolt locks recommended for external
doors, and patio bolts fitted to french doors and
ranchsliders.
It is advisable to keep a radio on timer switch
when occupants of the house are away as it acts
as a deterrent for burglars.
While you are away on a Holiday
Do not mention on your answering machine that
you will be away from home for a few days.
Get a neighbour or friend to make regular checks
on the property from time to time.
Make arrangements for your mail and news-
paper to be stopped or collected by a friend or
neighbour.
Hide valuable items, financial documents and
spare keys to vehicles at a safer place.
Festive Time
Take care when leaving empty boxes outside
your home. They can give away details of new
and valuable equipment that might be worth
stealing. It is advisable not to decorate the house
with lights during festive times as burglars often
make such houses their target. If you are to deco-
rate your house with lighting, someone should be
present at home at all times during festive period.
Other Advice
It is always advisable to have a household con-
tents insurance policy, and Police encourage
members of the public to join their local neigh-
bourhood support group. Information on how
neigbourhood support functions can be found on
the website www.ns.org.nz., with crime preven-
tion advice listed under the heading of “safety
tips”.
To join neighbourhood support, telephone
your nearest Police Station, provide your suburb
and ask for the contact details of your local com-
munity constable.
Report any suspicious activity including sus-
picious vehicles or anything out of ordinary, to
Police immediately. Information on reporting
suspicious activity can be found on the Police
website, www.police.govt.nz
21
Indian
Auckland mourns the passing of meastro– Jayant Bhalodkar
May 19, 2010 would be remembered forever by
the music lovers of Auckland as the day when
we lost the foremost Samvadini (Harmonium)
player of our era. Jayant Bhalodkar, hailing from
Baroda, and living in Auckland for the past 8
years breathed his last on on this day at 1.30 am.
His end came swiftly after a period of brief illness.
He is survived by a son (Sameer), daughter-in-law
(Mruga) and a grand daughter (Tanvi). His only
daughter Seema was also by his bedside during his
last hours as she had flown down a week before
from India.
Jayant Bhalodkar, an authority on Samvadini,
had the privilege of getting guidance under the leg-
endary Samvadini player, Govindrao Patwardhan,
the finest player of Samvadini and Natya sangeet.
Originally from Baroda in Gujarat, music ran
in the family. He inherited the family legacy of
music from his father and his uncle, both noted
musicians in their own right. He pursued a master’s
degree and achieved ‘Sangeet Visharad’ in Flute.
Health problems forced him to switch to Samva-
dini. Baroda had been a hotbed of music thanks
to some excellent patronage that was received in
the region to the musicians. He was lucky to meet
many luminaries who helped him achieve success
Community
in his field. music and was instru- lodious ‘Sur’ with flawless precision, his fingers
Dr Sudhalkar mental in spreading moved with delicacy, sensitivity and rhythm. The
(Baroda) intro- this in New Zealand as Indian Classical Music circle will miss him a lot.
duced him to well. He had played at Tributes were paid to him at the Garden of
Govindrao Pat- ISKON festival, shows Memories by Satish Sharma, Suresh Bhana,
wardhan, who for Migrant Heritage Harish Khatnaur, Sandhya Gogtay (Auckland
immediately saw Charitable Trust Inc, Marathi Association), Senior Citizens group,
potential in him Auckland Marathi As- ISKON among others. Each one had a touching
and took him sociation. He also had story to tell about his musical knowledge and how
under his guid- the privilege of accom- he touched their lives. All will miss the great depth
ance and taught panying Smt Basavi and knowledge that he possessed in Classical
him all about Mukherjee of Shan- music. However, his legacy will live on through
Natya sangeet. tiniketan as well as the efforts of MigHT-i. We wish the best for his
Listening to the Maharaja Ranjitsingh family in these difficult times.
legendary ‘Bal Gaikwad of Baroda, This couplet from the ‘Neethishathakam’ of
Gandharva’ and himself a well known Bharthrihari, extols the virtues of those who are
Govindrao was a lesson in itself and he had the singer, in New Zealand. He also conducted work- self-respecting. They carve out a niche for them-
privilege of attending several such sessions. shops on Samvadini with other instrument players selves.
He was an arts graduate, who preferred volun- like Lester Silver, Basant Madhur, Satish Sharma,
tary retirement to focus on a music career. He was Suresh Bhana. High-souled persons have only two states like
the only ‘accredited’ Samvadini player for the All His only unfulfilled ambition was to hold a that of a bunch of flowers; either they have to be on
India Radio in Gujarat. His book on ‘Samvadini’ “National Samvadini sammelan” in India. It has top of the whole world or they should wither away.
is the first and only reference book on Harmonium been my privilege to meet Jayant Bhalodkar and Jayantji always epitomised this behaviour!
in India. It has all the basic ingredients that are re- listen to him harmonising musical chords with
quired for reference books! artists as well as audience at the musical concerts. - Prashant Belwalkar
He kept himself occupied with his interest in He awesomely stroke chords by producing me-

Orbituary Gita lectures in New Lynn

Mrs Krishna Bajaj, mother
of Lalit Bajaj, passed away
on Friday,the 21st of May
at the age of 86.
May her soul rest in
peace. We at the Indian
Weekender, send our heart
felt condolences to the
bereaved family.
Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre, Auckland invites anyone interested to a series of Lectures in English by Rev. Swami Sridha-
rananda, President Vedanta Centre of Sydney & Ramakrishna Vedanta Centres of NZ Inc.
He will speak on SRIMAD BHAGAVAD GITA
Dates: Thursday 3rd to Saturday 5th June 2010
Time: 7.30 P.M. to 9.00 P.M.
Venue: 27 Arawa Street, New Lynn, Auckland
Sunday 6th June 2010 Time: 10.30 A.M. to 12.30 P.M.
Venue: 27 Arawa Street, New Lynn Auckland
Prasadam will be provided on Sunday 6th 2010
For further details, please contact Mahesh Sundarji – 09 627 0499 Mobile – 021 310 279 ; Amrat Lal – 09 627 0909 Jai Lal – 09
626 7143; Kumar – 09 576 3103 Mobile: 021 167 5134

22 Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
Feature

Why insulation is important

Balu Mistry
These days we hear a lot about insulation as
winter is setting in – the topic is being discussed
everywhere – on TV, radio, newspaper adver-
tisements and also through government, power
companies and council newsletters.
Obviously it is an important topic and affects
us all in several ways. It is therefore important
to understand what insulation is and why it has
been promoted as energy saver.
Heat energy always flows in the direction
– from high temperature to lower temperature
area. Imagine you have a heater on in your
lounge and you want to have maximum advan-
tage of the heat energy produced by that heater.
The heat energy will travel in all directions,
to the ceiling, windows, and doors and propa-
gate wherever there is a temperature difference
– ie flow from high temperature to lower tem-
perature areas.
In order to stop escaping the energy, you
must put up barriers so that the energy is con-
tained within the room. These barriers to the
heat energy flow are “insulation” as referred
commonly. The duty of the insulation material
is to stop flow or slow down the rate of energy
flow past it.
It does not have to be only the “heat” energy.
Suppose you are using an air conditioner to cool
the room and the temperature outside your room
is very high- as in summer months. The insu-
lation material will stop or slow down the heat
energy transmitting to the inside of the room-
means keeping the cooler temperature inside
the room, as produced by the air conditioner. In
other words, the insulation helps maintain the
cool energy within the room.
The energy can escape through various
surfaces such as windows, walls, ceilings, and
floors. If these surfaces have good insulation
material within them-for example, fibreglass
batts in the ceiling, thermal lined curtains or
double glazing on windows and insulation
materials in the floor and walls, the rate of
energy escape will slow down. And if you have
a heating source in a well insulated room, the
energy stays in the room for a much longer
period than if the room did not have insulated
surfaces.
So now you can understand why there is
so much publicity about insulating your home.
If your house surfaces such as walls, ceilings,
floors and walls are not insulated, all the heating
energy will escape through them and you will
be cold. And also your power bill will be very
high. But if the house is well insulated, you will
feel warm and will not have to spend as much
on energy bills.
By keeping warm, you will also feel better
rather than miserable and shivering. You will
not catch cold, flue and other dampness related
illnesses and your overall health will be better.
You or your family will not end up going to
doctors or hospital and your productivity will
improve. This is all result of your house being
insulated, warm and energy efficient.
And this explains the government drive to
insulate the homes and the campaign “Warm up
New Zealand”.
- Balu MistryB.E.(Mech) MIPENZ is a
mechanical Engineer specialising in heating,
ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration.
He has in depth knowledge and expertise in
these fields with related experience of over 30
years in New Zealand. Currently he operates
his own consulting and design build company.
www.comfortsystems.co.nz

Health
Hepatitis C: The Stealth Disease
Often undetected until too late, the Hepatitis C iour, such as multiple sexual partners, leads to
Virus can be controlled if detected early. an increased risk of HCV.
 Sometimes called a ‘Silent Killer’, like other Discovered in April 1989, it is estimated that
liver diseases, the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is 170 million people worldwide are infected with
often clinically silent, with mild symptoms HCV. As per an INASL study, HCV is spreading
undetected initially, until it’s at an irreversible fast in India and more than 100,000 people are
stage with serious damage already done. Com- infected each year. Nearly 12.5 million Indians
moner or celebrity, anybody can fall victim to have HCV affecting the liver, every 15th carrier
HCV. is an Indian and more than 100,000 succumb to
 Hollywood actress Pamela Anderson is one it every year. Medical personnel run a higher
such celebrity with Hepatitis C, contracting the risk of contracting Hepatitis C as they come
disease after sharing a tattoo needle with former in contact with infected patients. Dentists also
husband, rock musician Tommy Lee. have a significantly high prevalence of HCV.
 Caused by a virus present  In the first six months after
in infected blood, HCV can Discovered in April infection with HCV – acute
occur as acute or chronic hep- Hepatitis C – a small percent-
atitis, and is usually detected 1989, it is estimated age of patients show symptoms
through a blood test. In the that 170 million people like loss of appetite, fatigue,
first six months after it enters abdominal pain, jaundice,
the bloodstream, there may worldwide are infected itching, etc., found in other
be no symptoms and 20% of forms of hepatitis infection.
those infected may clear the
with HCV.  A majority of those infect-
virus naturally from their ed develop chronic Hepatitis C,
bodies. lasting more than six months. Once the infec-
  But in nearly 80% cases, the virus will tion progresses, it causes scarring of the liver.
continue to reside in the liver. Approximately Called fibrosis, scarring can lead to the more
20% of patients with chronic Hepatitis C will dangerous liver cirrhosis, which may cause
progress to cirrhosis over a decade, while 25% liver cancer and even liver failure. Around 25%
may develop symptomatic acute hepatitis with of liver cancer cases and 20% of chronic liver
jaundice. disease is attributed to HCV.
  The most common risk factor for trans-  With no preventive vaccine, the symptoms
mission is drug use via intravenous route (IV, of infection can be controlled medically if HCV
directly into the vein), especially by sharing is diagnosed early. “A sizeable number of pa-
contaminated needles, according to the Indian tients are cured by an anti-viral regimen,” says
National Association for the Study of Liver Dr.T.N.Lahari Mazumdar, Consultant Gastro-
(INASL). Up to 80% of all IV-drug users may enterology, C.M.R.I hospital. “Patients infected
be infected with HCV. with genotype 1 require 48 weeks of combina-
  The other common means of transfer are tion treatment, while those with genotype 2 or 3
blood transfusions, unsafe therapeutic injec- need a 24-week course.”
tions and healthcare-related procedures, includ-  With HCV threatening to significantly raise
ing tattooing and body piercing with improperly death and disease figures in the coming years,
sterilized needles. Although not easily spread regular tests and timely treatment are the best
through sexual intercourse, high-risk behav- way to avoid becoming another statistic.

Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 23

Indian
‘Giant’ surprise
for DID kids
Mumbai: There was a “Giant” surprise
in store for the kids of Zee TV’s DID Li’l
Masters this week!
 A surprise that stands 7 feet 3 inches tall
and weighs ... hold your breath ...  190 kgs!
  Yes!  They had a visit by none other
than “The Great Khali”.  zingy zany title track of DID L’il Masters
 On his recent trip to India, the WWE su-
perstar mentioned to his staff that if there’s
one Indian TV show he’s enjoyed in recent
times, it was Lux Dance India Dance.
 Khali’s every wish being their command,
his staff immediately organized for Khali
a  visit the sets of his favorite show where
the  16 bright little contestants of  DID Li’l
Masters were busy rehearsing their upcom-
ing acts.
  Thrilled to bits on seeing  the  world’s
most famous Indian wrestler, the kids went
ballistic and flung themselves at him, flock-
ing him for pictures and autographs.
  Khali insisted that he sees each one of
them perform an act and the kids were not
about to refuse!
 Having shaken a leg with the kids, Khali
was heard saying, “These kids can just blow
you away! They dance better than most adult
professional dancers.”
While most little boys were  keen
Zee Cinema to promote short film-makers
Mumbai: Popular entertainment channel Zee
Cinema  has partnered with  International Cul-
tural Exchange (ICE), a Pune-based non-profit
organization to present the 5th chapter of their
ICE Digital Short Film Festival.
The fest is designed to help some of the
finest short films made by
talented, budding film-
makers in India find an
audience.
Zee Cinema will
select 3 outstanding
films from amongst the
30 short films screened
at the fest and showcase
them on the channel in
a special, dedicated slot
in coming months. The
films, additionally, will
also be played on  Zee
Premier.
Mohan Gopinath, Business Head, Zee
Cinema said, “Zee Cinema, as the leading Hindi
movie channel of India, is now keen to present
talented film-makers from across the country
with a chance to showcase their finest work on
national television. In our endeavor to give the
most deserving filmmakers a chance, we have
partnered with ICE as we have great regard
for the sheer quality of cinema their fests have
24
on learning how to wrestle from The Great
Khali, one li’l sardarji Manpreet taught him
a thing or two ... reports have it that the giant
wrestler learnt how to “Balle Balle” in style
from this mischievous little brat!
Meanwhile, drawing attention to the
which one hears on the lips of every
kid  “…… Kholenge job ye mutthi hum..
kar denge sabki chutti hum…samjho na
koi humko kam….Hum hain  Dance Ke
Baap..”;  little did you know that this groovy
track has been sung by the Saregamapa L’il
Champs winners – Shreyasi Bhattacharya,
Hemant Brijwasi and Yatharth Ratnam!
The team was looking for a bunch of kid
singers to sing the title track and who but the
super talented singers of Saregamapa  L’il
Champs?
In fact, Master choreographer and judge
of L’il Masters Sandip Soparrkar is so very
impressed by the sound track that he is in-
tending to do an entire choreography on it.
“The tune is on my mind all the time… it is
so peppy and lively,” says the master ball-
room dancer.
“It can just put you on to your toes in-
stantly,” he adds.
thrown up over the last 4 years.”   be weighed on a balance.
The 30 short films that will be screened at
the fest touch upon a wide array of subjects
ranging from  table manners  to  the  frenzy of
Mumbai locals  to  abortion  to the  insecurities
faced by the father of a beautiful 16 year old to
the  current craze of
Facebook.    probably want to take revenge
 
  Samar Nakhate,
Festival Director,
ICE  said, “We’re
extremely fortu-
nate that we have
the support of Zee
Cinema in present-
ing some of the best
short films made in
India to the audience
in Pune at ICE. It’s a
great privilege for 3 of our film-makers whose
short films will be selected for telecast on Zee
Cinema in the near future. We couldn’t have
asked for a platform with a wider reach and
connect for our short films!”  The scene which en-
The fest spanning over 3 days started Thurs-
day (May 20).
The screenings held at  S. M. Joshi Foun-
dation, Pune  between  6 and 9 PM  are free of
charge and open to general audience.
Saif Ali Khan unveils
Taj Andaaz
Agra: Brooke Bond Taj Mahal, the premium
tea brand from Hindustan Unilever Limited
(HUL) on Thursday launched a new campaign
at a grand ceremony in Agra with leading Bolly-
wood actor Saif Ali Khan, actress Chitrangada
Singh and Arun Srinivas, Category Head - Bev-
erages, HUL.
 For the first time ever, Saif Ali Khan show-
cased the ritual of drinking Taj Mahal tea with
the exquisite Taj Mahal, as a befitting backdrop.  with Taj Mahal tea and to introduce you to this
The event was a culmination of Saif’s recent
visits to Chandigarh and Hyderabad where he
was not too happy with the tea he was served.
When asked on both occasions about the kind of
tea he liked, he stated that he would reveal the
same at Agra.
Finally when the day arrived, Saif along with
Arun Srinivas,  unveiled the new advertising
campaign which showcases Saif demonstrat-
ing the Taj Andaaz - the Smell, See and Savour
ritual of Taj!
Saif then spoke about how tea drinking is a
Lali’s taraazu tales
Mumbai: Recently, in a sequence Laliya of
Zee TV’s popular serial ‘Agle Janam…’ had to
 It was a serious scene wherein Loha Singh
impersonally tries to be per-
sonal with Lali after getting to
know that she is pregnant with
Shekhar’s child.
Anxious that Lali would
and hurt the  ‘Waaris’  of his
family, he devises a plan and
installs a balance ( taarazu)
in the haveli .
He does this to keep a
check on Lali’s weight and
make certain that she is
takes care of her health and
at the same time remind
her of the fact that she is
nothing but a mistress!
Ratan, who plays Lali,
was totally in splits of
laughter when this partic-
ular sequence was being
shot.
tailed a lot of high voltage drama and heavy
duty emotions, while shooting had completely
become a comedy circus with nobody willing
to get serious!
 
Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Bollywood
special experience for him and most significant-
ly, how it engages all his senses.
Endorsing the association, Saif Ali Khan
said, “This is a splendid moment for me. There
could not have been a better place than this to
unveil this campaign. I have a strong emotion-
al attachment with the brand, since tea for me
needs to engage all my senses which Taj Mahal
tea does. Hence, I am delighted to be associated
experience.”
The new commercial also features actors
Chitrangada Singh and Shriya Saran. 
The new commercial featuring Saif Ali
Khan accompanied by Chitrangada Singh in the
north and Shriya Saran in the south will go on
air shortly.
The campaign showcases Saif Ali Khan
demonstrating the tea drinking ritual to both
Chitrangada Singh and Shriya Saran, specifi-
cally emphasizing how it needs to be savoured
and relished.
A feather-light Ratan, who weighs below
40kgs, found it very funny to weigh herself on
a giant balance.
Where the scene required her to be grim
and serious, she was totally in a flippant mood
and would just not stop
giggling. In fact all the
other actors present
there – Shekhar, Ranvi-
jay, Siddheshwari, Loha
Singh - wanted to sit on
the balance and try some
horseplay!
The tomfoolery went to
a point that the shoot had to
be stalled for an hour!
A gleeful Ratan said
post the shoot, “ I felt so
weird and funny sitting on
that giant  taraazu.  Imagine
a teeny – weeny me sitting
on am enormous balance. I
just could not get serious for
the sequence. My director
had a real tough time getting
the act right. It was a difficult
shot and all of us were in a real
carefree mood.”
“Hopefully my audiences will sympa-
thize with me on my plight …” added the
‘heavy weight’ actress sitting tight on a colos-
sal taraazu!
Indian
Bollywood

Rahman, Katrina
launch ‘Rhyme Skool’ Entertainment the
roundClock
movies

music

Mumbai: Oscar-winning music composer AR said.

Rahman and Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif re-
cently launched ‘Rhyme Skool’ a music CD for
kids, in Mumbai.
Katrina has done the commentary in Sare-
gama’s ‘Rhyme Skool’.
  “When I was launching this CD I remem-
bered my own childhood. I am very happy that
I am playing a part in entertaining the children
and it makes me very proud to be associated
Rahman said it’s not he, but his students who
have composed the music in the CD.
“I have not composed the music in this CD.
The music has been composed by my students.
When they composed the music they waited for
news
my approval and asked my guidance for it. But
let me tell you the music was very melodious
and I really loved it. I have a lot of expectations
from my students and I am confident that even

The best of
with this project. The music is simply amazing though it is a kid’s music album, the music will
because it was composed under the guidance loved by people of all age groups. Saregama is
of a world renowned music composer like A.R a one of its kind’s music company who releases

Indian
.Rahman and his very talented students,” Kat such melodious music for the kids.”

gossip
SRK to play super dad for Pepsodent Entertainment
only for

Mumbai: Pepsodent,  Hindustan  Unilever’s
leading oral care brand, will be launching
the “Papa & Pappu (P&P)” campaign to encour-
age fathers to spend quality time with their chil-
dren and make brushing more fun.
49
better and healthy families. In this modern age,
we see parents engrossed in work and missing
out on engaging with their children.
“Through the Papa & Pappu campaign,
Pepsodent attempts to put forth this issue and

$
  Bollywood superstar and a devoted father
in real life, Shahrukh Khan has been signed on
reach out to parents, encouraging them to spend
quality time with their family while instilling
*
as a brand ambassador to lead by example and health habits in their children.” 
drive the campaign message. 
  The campaign
  “Shahrukh Khan is the best choice for
‘Papa’ in the cam-
daily
appeals to fathers to
spend just 2 minutes with
paign as this super
successful actor also
soaps
their kids  to brush their practices what he
teeth  which  will help preaches. He is the
remove 95 percent of the perfect role model
germs and in the longer- of a father who finds
term build a strong rela-
tionship with their chil-
ways to spend time
with his own chil-
reality
dren.
 With this campaign,
dren away from his
active schedule and
shows Extended by popular
Pepsodent attempts to
make brushing, an oth-
stardom,” he added.
Papa & Pappu is
demand for a
erwise mundane activity
into an interesting event
a simple concept, in-
spired from realities
limited time only!
where fathers can spend of the modern lives
quality time with their where both parents
children and instill good are working, and *conditions apply
habits laying the founda- they do not have
tion for stronger father- enough time or
kid relationship. energy to play with or educate their kids on oral
The TV campaign revolves around two char- health, a serious and generally ignored health
acters, Papa (played by Shahrukh Khan) and concern in India.
Pappu (played by child actor Keval), a father With hectic lifestyles, involving parents to
and son duo who make brushing enjoyable and brush their teeth with their children is beneficial
exciting. to nurturing good oral health habits at an early
‘The advertisements will take viewers age.
through the life journey of Papa who uses humor When a routine becomes an enjoyable expe-
and storytelling to educate his son - Pappu on rience, both children and parents stop treating
the importance of two minute brushing and it as a task and instead look forward to spend-
killing up to 95 percent germs. ing time with each other. The result, children
Srinandan Sundaram, Category Head –
Oral Care, Hindustan Unilever Limited  said,
are more likely to adopt these habits as part of
their daily routine and continue throughout their All NZ: 0508 933 546
Auckland: 09 621 0520
“The parent-child relationship is increasingly adult life.
a concern and currently the focus for building

www.visionasia.co.nz
Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 25
Indian
Mithun becomes a ‘kid’
Mumbai: DID Li’l Masters’ Grandmaster Mithun
Chakraborty’s first shoot with the kids of the Zee
TV reality show was nothing but a blast!
 The kids freaked out and so did Mithun da on
the sets!
 Dada totally became childlike with 16 adorable
kids around him.
 “These kids are rock stars! I had an amazing
time shooting with this bunch of mischievous but
extremely talented bachaas…! I had so much fun
after a long long time…” gushed Mithun post the
shoot.      Dharmesh sir said, “We felt that it’s perhaps a
  “Mithun
da had actually
become one with
the kids! The chil-
dren pestered him
so much but not
even once was
dada irritated or
annoyed! We had
never seen this
side of Dada in
the first 2 seasons
of Dance India
Dance.. He readily
agreed to sit with
the kids and the skippers on the couch instead of the
judges’ seat alongside Sandip Soparrkar and Farah
Khan!” said an onlooker from the sets.
 It was very cute to see dada giving special pet
names to the children.
 Manoj was named ‘ Aloo paratha’ because he
had promised to get ‘Aloo paratha’ for the judges if
he won the super wings but he never got it.
A slightly bulky ‘Ruturaj’ was called ‘football’.
Vaishnavi was named ‘Pencil’ because of her
extremely thin frame.
The Bollywood actor also made a rocking entry
with the kids, Farah and Sandip Soparrkar while
dancing on ‘Om Shanti Om’ song.
Meanwhile, when it comes to kids, everybody
Bollywood
just goes weak in the knees. And when the kids Lalu Prasad
in ‘Kushti’
are as cute, chirpy and talented as the little ones on
DID Li’l Masters, the anchors, the judges and the
audience are simply left eating out of their hands! 
So when it was time for the first round of elimi-
nations on DID Li’l Masters, the show’s skippers –
Dharmesh sir, Mayuresh-Vrushali, Amrita  & Jay
Kumar Nair who’ve spent all their time rehearsing Mumbai: Rashtriya Janata Dal
with the kids, coaching & grooming them, ear- (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav
nestly pleaded with judges Farah Khan & Sandip to act in Hindi film ‘Kushti’!
Soparrkar to not eliminate them just as yet.
little too soon for the Well, don’t misunderstand, the
kids to face disap- veteran politician will not be
pointment. Besides,
the kids are all bril- acting in the movie, but actor-
liant. So it would be comedian Manoj Joshi will be
painful to see any of seen in the same get-up as Lalu
them go!”
Prasad. 
So are the judges
going to pay heed to
this request? Manoj Joshi plays a character
Farah Khan said, by the name Kripashankar in the
“Well, a show is a
show. And if there is movie.
a format, we’ll have to When asked about his get-
stick to it.”   up, Manoj said: “Please don’t
The channel, on its own part, is trying its best
in ensuring that the kids are in good humor for the speculate such things. My name
most part. in the movie is Kripashankar not
Reports have it that there’s a charming play area Kripashankar Singh (Congress
for kids on the sets of DID Li’l Masters replete with
leader). You can easily guess
comics, toys & board games to keep them engaged.
Most importantly, the shoot timings are kept from this, that neither Lalu
in sharp check to ensure that the kids aren’t over- Prasad nor Kripashankar has
strained. acted in the movie, but the
Smoking is strictly not allowed on the sets and
so aren’t aerated drinks and any unhealthy food. movie will still see some of their
With the kids being treated so sensitively, let’s hope aspects”.
that the li’l ones that get eliminated in the episodes
to come take it sportingly and just have a blast in the
true spirit of the competition! 

26 Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
Khalid Mohamed, former editor of India’s
top film magazine Filmfare, who is also
an acclaimed fproducer-director and one
of India’s best known film critics reviews
‘Kites,’ which released last week.
Khalid is well known for his caustic yet per-
ceptive Bollywood film reviews in India. Indian
Weekender reproduces this review with his per-
mission. Khalid has rated ‘Kites’ with two stars.
Hear here. At a restobar, a baddy bozo leers
at his ‘exotic’ gal pal to hiss, “She has long
long legs…these legs are a road to heaven.”
Ulp, gulp. An unsmiling Sphinx declares, “You
can buy happiness but you must know where
to shop.” Dead drop. And a young man, in the
most flowery shirts this side of Hawaii, informs
the obscure object of his desire, “Tum ullu ki
patthi ho.” She doesn’t know Hindi, tsk tsk, and
responds happily, “Mayan ooollooo keee paati
hoinnn.”
Such ghastly gems stud Kites, directed by
Anurag Basu, produced by Rakesh Roshan, and
unfortunately viewed by some of us at Mumbai’s
Metro Adlabs in a paid preview. That’s where a
middle-aged, middle-class guy in a middle row,
bellowed succinctly, “Kya bakwas!” To put it
more politely, though, this manically hyped
roam-com is a vast let-down: as redundant as
flying those titular kites without manja. How the
background score grates with its pump-up-the-
volume band baaja.
Incidentally, the kites are a vaguely sym-
bolic allusion to life being a delusion. Patangs
are mentioned at the beginning of the picture
and towards the end credits. Amnesiacally, the
aforecited kites are forgotten in the rest of the
14-reeler, which is frequently so sloooow-paced
that you find yourself drifting away into a siesta.
Meaning the ouchcome is hardly a cool-
crackling fiesta; it is a misconceived enterprise
at best to crisscross over to the international
market. Once Bombay-produced cinema prided
itself in using Hindustani language. Out here,
most of the dialogue is in English, Spanish (sub-
titled) and gobbledygook. Honestly, you have
to be a multi-linguist to know what exactly is
Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Bollywood
going yawn. thousand water fountains break into a ballet in a a black bikini on her person, and he changes
Be that as it may, you might still ask, but dark, thirsty night. Indeed, life’s getting very fiz- his shirts and stubble cuts faster than director
the plotline (story by producer Roshan no less, zical for your Las Vegas dude (Hrithik Roshan) Basu can organise that old-fashioned element
scripted by a trio of writers) must have some- who lives by his wits. Or does he? How he got called continuity. The runaway couple canoodle
thing to proffer. Kaho na story hai? Sorry, if there, in the first place, is an Agatha Christie-ish in the wilderness, get cuter than teddy bears,
there is one, it’s replete with cheesy coincidenc- mystery. Anyway jaane bhi do yaaro, so there’s and survive bullets. Meanwhile every Ameri-
es, mind-spinning implausiblities, senseless Dude, on the neon-splashed roads, selling can they encounter, is shot dead by the Creepy
killings and heisted material from more movies DVDs (umm, what kind – desi?) and marry- Crawly and his henchguys. In the tradition of
than you can count on your toes and fingers. ing women by the dozen (11 actually) – so the the 1950s, there’s a Muslim bystander who helps
Detect some of the obvious ones: an avarice- ladies can get themselves Green Cards. Surpris- the couple at crises points. Expectedly, nice
afflicted dude worms his way to the dining table ingly, he doesn’t ever divorce them, and neither Jamal bhai is also shot dead. So are your nerves
of a wealthy family (Woody Allen’s Match- do the American authorities have the time nor by now. Scattershot.
point), a cash- the inclination to check For the mandatory emotional quotient, Dude
strapped fugitive such a bigamous spree. weeps on a rainy night, remembering his mom
couple holds up a Glee. Wheeee are the who left him one monsoon night. Not to feel left
bank (Bonnie and world, really. out, Ma’am Mexican sobs about her impover-
Clyde..or should Next: Dude ished dad and his hats! Hello, hello, a Mexican
that be Bunty (Hrithik Roshan, marriage interlude’s on the way. Now if this is
aur Babli?), and natch) reconnects international quality, the sort which raises the
la ng u age - chal- underwater with a bar of Bollywood cinema, you are about to
lenged lovebirds Mexican ma’am. She’s break into tears.Sob.
end up on a deso- one of his discarded No redeeming factors? Mercifully there are:
late cliffside (Ek Green wives (Barbara primarily Ayananka Bose’s cool, moody cin-
Phati Patang
Duje Ke Liye). Mori), uh huh. And ematography is outstanding throughout.
More jarringly, he’s zapped-zoomed. Rajesh Roshan’s music score is passable. Sa-
there is a straight He forgets all his plans lim-Suleiman’s background score is obtrusive,
lift of Charlie to woo his dance class even breaking into a country-`n’-western jig at a
Chaplin’s won- student (Kangana cowboy-style motel.
derful ‘Dance of Ranaut, tiresomely Aha, the performances: Theatre actor Anand
the Bread Rolls’ by Khalid Mohamed psycho as usual). Tiwari is remarkable in a brief role of the dude’s
from Gold Rush Green Mexican forgets puckish friend. Lucklessly, Barbara Mori isn’t
(bread is pierced with a fork and manipulated her plans to marry dance student’s creepy-craw- the fabulous femme fatale essential for such a
into a hot-stepper moment). What next? A vari- ly brother (Nick Brown, about as menacing as a project. She smiles, smiles, smiles, till your jaws
ation on the chariot race from Ben-Hur? soft toy). Oye. hurt.
Talking about races, the action set-pieces Dude and Ma’am Mexico count the value As for Hrithik Roshan, you’ve seen him
here of cars vrooming, crashing, and flying in dollars of the cars-`n’-diamonds received dance better (the competition sequence here
topsy-turvy have been far more effective- as gifts from Wealthy Family (spearheaded by isn’t a patch on his title number for Dhoom 2).
ly achieved (Abbas-Mustan’s Race to cite a Kabir Bedi, gruff gruff). The besotted two say He pops his eyes excessively, preens peacock-
random example). As for leaping in and out of what the heck. Trouble ahead: they forget that like and just isn’t convincing enough as a man
a rainbow-hued air-balloon, man, haven’t these the family owns a lavish casino, controls Las lost in love. Like it or not, the Barbara-Hrithik
become ancient history? Moreover, whenever Vegas (viva NRIs?), and even hang cheats at chemistry, or the lack of it, reminds you of a
the fugitive couple is in dire distress, there is the roulette tables upside down. Clown. Such school science laboratory.
divine aid, like a doctor’s clinic popping up like torture methods went out with Ajit the ‘Loin’, Bottomwhine: Save yourself your multiplex
a Jackson-in-the-box right in the midst of a des- but let that pass please. Cheese. money, fly a kite instead. Much more entertain-
ertscape. Laaga chunari mein doc, what! Soaked in amour fou, Dude and Ma’am ing that.
And if a champane bottle is uncorked, a Mexican, run run run. Aha, she does carry
27
Indian
Gautama Buddha ~ India’s gift to the world
ram lingam
This week on 27th May was Buddha
Purnima – the birth anniversary of the great
Prophet from India - Gautama Buddha.
Buddha meaning ‘the Enlightened One’.
Most of us know about the life story of
the prince Gautama who became the prophet
of compassion and founder of Buddhism
and it’s best to know the real teachings that
will benefit us rather than the legend.
Gautama Buddha is said to have been
born around 563 BCE and passed away
around 483 BCE. Most modern scholars
agree on these dates.
In Buddhist tradition Gautama Buddha’s
birth name was Siddhartha Gautama, which
was changed after he went on a quest for the
truth behind life and death.
Gautama, also known as Śākyamuni or
Shakyamuni (“sage of the Shakyas clan”),
is the key figure in Buddhism.
The story of the prince who awakened to
become the Buddha is one of the most dra-
matic and compelling stories of all time.
Buddha’s teachings are fundamental to
a spiritual revolution in the East that took
place some 500 years before Common Era
(BCE), some 2500 years ago from today.
Buddha’s self discovery of the ultimate
universal truth under the Bodhi Tree was
that the cause of human suffering is igno-
rance. Forty-nine days after Buddha at-
tained enlightenment he was requested to
teach.
As a result of this request, Buddha rose
from meditation and taught the first Wheel
of Dharma (Dhamma).
The teachings include the Sutra of the
Four Noble Truths and his prescribed eight-
fold noble path, among other teachings.
The Four Noble Truths are:
l Suffering is an inherent part of living
in this world
l The origin of this suffering is ignorance
and that is due to attachment and craving
l Attachment and craving can be ceased
l Following the Noble Eightfold Path will
lead to the end of suffering.
The Noble Eightfold Path
prescribed by him are:
Right understanding,
Right thought,
Right speech,
Right action,
Right livelihood,
Right effort,
Right mindfulness, and
Right concentration.
Don’t believe me blindly
Believe nothing, no
matter where you read
it, or who said it, no
matter if I have said it,
unless it agrees with
your own reason and
your own common
sense.
- Gautama Buddha
The Buddha never believed in blind faith
and taught that his teachings should not be
accepted unless they are borne out of our
experience. He said ‘Believe nothing, no
matter where you read it, or who said it, no
matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with
your own reason and your own common
sense.’ He taught that all things are imper-
manent and that all beings suffer from all
situations due to unclear mind.
One of the significant stories in the life
of Buddha is the story of Angulimaal– the
serial killer. Buddha was once threatened
with death by a bandit called Angulimaal.
“Then be good enough to fulfill my dying
wish,” said Buddha. “Cut off the branch of
that tree.”
One slash of the sword, and it was done!  ness follows him, like a shadow that never
“What now?” asked the bandit.
“Put it back again,” said Buddha. The
Heritage
bandit laughed. “You must be crazy to think
that anyone can do that. On the contrary, it
is you who are crazy to think that you are
mighty because you can wound and destroy.
That is the task of children.
The mighty know how to create and
heal.” The bandit was instantly transformed
and joined his order. Such was Buddha’s
abidance in the truth and the fearlessness
that comes out of it.
To understand this great master and
his teachings, here are some of his famous
sayings:
Better than a thousand hollow words, is
one word that brings peace.
Do not dwell in the past; do not dream
of the future, concentrate the mind on the
present moment.
Even death is not to be feared by one who
has lived wisely.
Every human being is the author of his
own health or disease.
Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only
by love; this is the eternal rule.
Have compassion for all beings, rich and
poor alike; each has their suffering. Some
suffer too much, others too little.
He is able who thinks he is able.
He who experiences the unity of life sees
his own Self in all beings, and all beings in
his own Self, and looks on everything with
an impartial eye.
All that we are is the result of what we
have thought. If a man speaks or acts with
an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man
speaks or acts with a pure thought, happi-
leaves him.

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28 Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
Biggest tax reform
in 25 years
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
Budget 2010 is about building economic recov-
ery and providing opportunities for all New
Zealanders. As a National MP it is my privi-
lege to support this Budget which, I believe,
will benefit the Indian community.
The Budget includes the most compre-
hensive reform of the tax system in nearly 25
years. We’re making it fairer, more sustain-
able, and a better support for economic growth.
Economic growth is vital to providing hard
working New Zealanders and their families
with the services and living standards they
want and deserve.
From October 1 this year, personal taxes
will be cut. GST will increase a small amount
to 15 per cent. Superannuation, Working for
Families, and benefit rates will all increase to
compensate for the GST rise. Most households
will be better off.
The average family in our community on a
combined income of $85,000 with two kids and
a mortgage of $400 a week will be $28 a week
better off after tax cuts, and the GST rise.
The hard-working Indian community will
see particular benefits in the areas of health,
education, and small business.
Health is the single biggest item of new
operating spending in Budget 2010 – up $512
Budget 2010, likely impact on
Property Investors
RAVI MEHTA
Finance Minister Bill English presented the
2010 Budget in Parliament last week. Ever since
the Tax Working Group’s recommendations
were made public, uncertainty was created in
the property market about expected changes to
tax treatment of property losses and resultant
impact on property prices. Initial speculation
as to imposition of land tax and capital gains tax
was put to rest by the Prime Minister a couple of
months ago, still there were fears that property
losses will be ring fenced and restrictions may
be laid down as to how much rental loss can be
claimed against other income.
But now after the budget has been presented,
all speculations have been put to rest. As was
widely expected, property investors will not
able to claim depreciation on those buildings
whose expected life is more than 50 years.
Simply to say, residential property investors
will not be able to claim depreciation on build-
ings, though they will be able to claim deprecia-
tion on chattels as usual. Here it is worth men-
tioning that as per present rules, one can claim
depreciation on buildings, but when the proper-
ty is sold at more than written down value of the
property, the depreciation is considered to be
recovered and
forms part of
taxable income.
An example can
be summarized
in the follow-
ing table. In
this example,
the original
purchase price
of building was
$200,000 and
depreciation
claimed till date
is $10,000.
It means the
book value of the building is $190,000. Now if
the building is sold for less than $190,000, the
depreciation recovered is nil. If the building is
sold for more than $190,000, the depreciation
recovered will be excess of sales price over
$190,000 subject to maximum of $10,000. The
difference over and above $200,000 is capital
gain.
So, in the above scenario, if the building
Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
million to $13.5 billion in 2010/11. Health
spending is now $1.4 billion a year more than
when National came into government. These
new resources will help us continue improv-
ing frontline health services. We’re committed
to delivering better, sooner, more convenient
healthcare for all New Zealanders.
National recognises the vital economic role
of business. Next year the company tax rate
will fall to 28 per cent, ensuring New Zealand
is competitive internationally, and supporting
hard working Indian businesses.
Under this year’s Budget, education spend-
ing will increase by $1.4 billion over the next
four years, including an extra $417 million this
year.
National is committed to delivering a more
accountable, higher-performing tertiary edu-
cation sector for New Zealand. Budget 2010
will deliver better value for money for taxpay-
ers, and see more money freed up for reinvest-
ment in student places.
We owe it to hard-working Indian families
to provide the financial security, opportuni-
ties, and higher incomes that allow them to get
ahead in this country.
Budget 2010 does those things and sets out
a path to build on our economic recovery.
is sold for $200,000 or more, the depreciation
recovered will be added to taxable income. It
means tax advantage to property investor is not
real as long as the property is sold at more than
cost price. Depreciation only helps cash flow
during the period of time the property is held
as an investment property. In fact, there are few
property investors who elect not to claim depre-
ciation as they don’t like to claim tax benefits
initially and pay back later.
The second major change regarding taxation
of property investors announced is calculation
of family tax credits. There are few people who
become eligible for family tax credits when
rental property loss is deducted from their
taxable income, means their taxable income
goes lower. There will be very few property in-
vestors who fall under this category.
In my opinion, none of above two changes
will impact property market. Majority of people
buy investment properties for capital appre-
ciation, tax benefits being bonus. Real estate is
considered the safest investment by many. They
prefer it over other forms of investment.
The only thing that can have adverse impact
on property market in short term will be rising
interest
Considering
rates.
future inflation
expect ations,
Reserve bank
will start raising
the rates soon.
The future di-
rection of prop-
erty prices will
be determined
by economic
conditions and
im mig ration.
New Zealand
economy is ex-
pected to do well in coming years; still inves-
tors are advised to invest wisely and not to take
unnecessary risks.
- Ravi Mehta is an Auckland based Finan-
cial Advisor and can be contacted on ravi.
mehta@pfsl.co.nz. A disclosure statement as
required under Securities Act 1988 is freely
available on request.
Columns -Budget special
A budget for the few,
not the many
David Cunliffe
I bring greetings from the Labour Caucus to all
Kiwi Indian friends at this important time for our
country. The decisions made by the government
will affect all of us – in or homes, in our businesses
and in our communities.
Unfortunately the budget delivered on May 20
is a not the “step change” we were promised for our
economy, nor the step up for our families. Worse
than a “tax switch” it is actually tax swindle – a
budget for the few not the many. The Prime Minister
has advised you not to be envious.
Last week’s tax package delivers windfalls to
high earners and leaves lower income earners with
only small gains and ultimately bearing more of the
tax burden.
Tax cuts for high-income earners are far higher
than tax cuts for people on the average wage. Fifteen
per cent of the package goes to the top 1%. A third
goes to the top five percent.
The expectations folks have of relief from the
rising cost of living will be dashed at the supermar-
ket checkout. Treasury predicts inflation will reach
5.9% next year.
The income adjustment to those on national
super to accommodate the rise in GST comes
nowhere near. The inevitable increases in mortgage
rates and prices from this inflation will mean most
on middle and lower incomes will be worse off.
In fact, for the average earner, neither real gross
nor net wages will catch up to inflation until at least
2014.
Some may argue that the tax cuts change that,
but net income already includes the tax change, so
let’s consider that idea carefully.
Money doesn’t grow on trees. Tax cuts don’t
come from nowhere. Most of them go to top earners:
some on $1million pa get $1000 a week extra.
Meanwhile the government is “redirecting” $1.8
billion over four years of what it calls lower quality
government spending. Are cuts to early childhood
and tertiary education examples of what National is
referring to?
WEEKENDCUISINE
Fish
Pakora
Recipe by Ruby Dhillon • Clean, wash and cut the fish into chunk
Ingredients:
• 1kg- boneless large Snapper fillet
• 2tbs ginger paste
• 2tbs- garlic paste
• 1tsp- red chilli powder
• 1/2tsp- turmeric powder
• 2tbs- ajwain (carom seeds)
• 1tbs- white vinegar
• 1cup- besan (gram flour)
• 2 lemons cut in wedges
• Salt according to taste
• Oil for deep frying & Chaat masala
There will be fewer and less available health ser-
vices, with higher surcharges. Health is $300 million
short of just keeping up with inflation in 2011 alone.
Early childhood education loses $255 million
over four years – which could mean a lost subsidy
of up to $31 a week for quality childcare centres that
have invested in good teaching. It remains to be seen
if this will be passed on to parents.
Not to mention the loss of what Bill English calls
other ’low quality’ spending such as home help for
the elderly; and his refusal to recommence pre-fund-
ing New Zealand Superannuation.
And all for what? Treasury forecasts that eco-
nomic growth resulting from this budget will total
less than 1% over seven years. New Zealand will
need to grow 3.2 percentage points faster than Aus-
tralia to have any hope of catching up by 2025. The
Budget has done nothing to create jobs.
The yawning national debt chasm is rapidly ap-
proaching 100 percent of GDP. At the same time
that National is borrowing increases to pay for tax
cuts for the wealthy, it’s not investing in the things
we need.
They’re giving huge tax cuts to millionaires, but
turning students away from universities and poly-
technics and cutting research and development in-
vestment.
And to top it all off Mr English is now musing
openly about selling Kiwibank – thus giving away
the only real stake we have in our own financial
system.
As any prudent business person knows, when
you lose control of your finances, you lose control of
your business. We need KiwiBank to help keep the
market competitive and to keep an increasing slice
of it in Kiwi hands.
These are just a few of the issues with the
Budget. More will be revealed in the coming weeks.
- David Cunliffe MP for New Lynn, is Labour
Party Spokesperson on Finance
Method:
• Ensure that you buy large thick fillets as
they are best suited for this dish.
size thick pieces.
• In a big bowl mix all the ingredients with
besan, add water if needed and make it
into a thick paste of coating consistency.
• Heat oil in a wok. (Tip: Rice bran oil is best
for frying).
• Coat the fish pieces with the above besan
paste and deep fry the fish over medium
heat until crisp. Do not overcook the fish.
• Serve hot and crisp with lemon wedges
and chaat masala on it.
29
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30 Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 31

Indian

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32 Indian Weekender | May 28, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz