Indian Weekender 7 August 2015

The Pulse of Kiwi-Indians Auckland Christchurch Wellington Hamilton Palmerston North Hastings Invercargill

7 August, 2015 Vol. 7 Issue 20 | www.iwk.co.nz

New Zealands first Kiwi-Indian weekly newspaper

Thinking is the capital, Enterprise is the way, hard work is the solution. Late Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.We at Relianz Forex believe the best way to pay homage to Indias most loved President is to live by his noble thoughts and words.

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7 August 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

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2 CONTENTS

FIJI

SPORTS

PIMP YOUR CAUSE

HEALTH

INDIA

FACE OF THE WEEK

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www.iwk.co.nz | 7 August 2015

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3EXCLUSIVE

How safe are you?This week we round up our three-part series on safety. Indian Weekender thanks its readers and the Police fortheir participation in bringing up the key points that contribute to our safety. Maya ShivaM

A recent survey states that Kiwis say New Zealand is becoming more dangerous, with over a third of us having been burgled, and many battling long-term psychological damage following a break-in.

The Vivint survey found that two-third (68%) of the people believe living in New Zealand is less safe and burglaries have a long-term negative impact on the victims. Of the one-third respondents who said they had been burgled, more than a fifth (21%) said it took them some time to feel safe again following the crime, while more than 220,000 New Zealanders (5%) said they have never been able to feel secure in their house again.

For some Kiwis, a burglary continues to affect them years down the track and even after moving, with over one-third (38%) of that group admitting they have never felt safe in any other house following the incident.

However, despite New Zealanders growing concerns over safety, a majority of us are lax when it comes to home security. Around six out of the 10 respondents said they do not have a home security system, and a further sixth (17%) have a home security system but do not always turn it on when they leave the house.

Many of those surveyed said they only take basic security

measures at night, with two-thirds (63%) saying they usually only lock doors and windows after dark while they are at home. More than 300,000 Kiwis also admit they usually dont lock up at all, day or night.

A more safety-conscious 29% say they always lock doors and windows when they are at home, regardless of the time of day, which is something former police officer and Vivint general manager Marsden Hulme says

is becoming more common following reports of daytime opportunist break-ins.

During my experience in the police force, we often came across situations where thieves had capitalised on an open front door, bedroom window or garage door.

This is particularly common if high-value items are in a position where they are easy to spot, such as laptops, smartphones, cameras, tools and jewellery left in plain sight and close to unsecured doors and windows. (Source: Vivint by Impact PR)

This has been the consistent message that our safety, at the end of the day, is our responsibility.

In running this series, we received tremendous feedback from the community and numerous questions that we took back to the Police. Here is what Jessica Phuang, Asian Liason Officer and Senior Sergeant Marty Brown had to say to your top questions when speaking to Rizwan Mohammed and Kumar Suresh of the Indian Weekender.

IWK: One of the biggest

complaints from the people is that when the emergency number is called, the operators ask too many and at times unwanted questions that make the victim or the caller impatient.

Jessica: I think people have to understand the way 111 works. When people call 111, the line is transferred to the telecom department where the operator asks the caller what emergency service they are seekingambulance, fire, police, etc. The caller is connected to the Police department only when asked for Police service.

I would like to advise people that if English is not your first language, you could ask for help in Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, etc. We offer services in 44 different languages.

While a person is talking to an operator, the operator types every word spoken by the caller, which is displayed on the screen of a dispatcher who on priority basis calls the police on ground. So even as the operator is talking over the phone and taking down

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4 EXCLUSIVEthe description or asking about the specifics, the information is being processed and the Police are already in action.

The additional information is for the Police on ground to help the caller and in some cases, identify the criminal. The safety of the caller is also a priority for the operator. They usually make sure that the caller is safe until the Police arrives. This is another reason why operators ask so many questions.

Some complain that Police is always late but the fact is, if the Police car is around the vicinity, they will arrive as early as possible to the crime scene, but if there is another situation that requires immediate attention and is of higher priority, the Police will always attend to that crime scene first. For example, if there is a car broken into and on the way to the crime scene, the officer finds out from the operator about a domestic violence case, he will attend to the more pressing

and important case of domestic violence first.

IWK: We have come across cases where shops have been broken into, but the owners have not reported the crime, as they feel this would make them vulnerable to burglary again. What do you have to say to them?

Jessica: If the incident goes unreported, the signal that is being sent to the criminal is that he can do it again and get away with it. If the incident is reported to police and the next day, the offender sees the Police vehicle in the vicinity, it makes a statement that you are not taking the theft lightly. Automatically you are no more the target.

IWK: We have also heard that once the theft has taken place and the insurance money is claimed, the place becomes the potential target for theft again as the things are being replaced.

Jessica: When a person reports to the Police, the report goes into our system. We have something called victim focus. In this system, a victim or an area gets different levels of attention depending on the number of crimes that has taken place in that area or with the individual. So if a house or an area has been burgled on multiple occasions, Police will give multiple visits every now and then to make sure things are under control. The Police area manager may also increase patrolling in the area. So it is always better to report burglaries or the Police will not

be able to give proper resources required to stop the crime in areas where crimes are taking place repeatedly.

Also when valuables are being replaced, I would advise not to put package boxes outside the house. It is like advertising that I have recently bought new items.

Marty Brown: When you buy new things, keep a record of the serial numbers, model numbers, etc. You could also take photographs and keep it as a backup. This helps Police track your belongings when it is lost.

IWK: How can one get the update on the complaint filed?

Marty Brown: The first step would be to call the local Police station and ask for the file management center. They would be able to check electronically where the file is and what stage it is in. They will also be able to advise you about the investigating

officer handling the case and how to get in touch with the concerned person.

Jessica: Each district has a file management department, which has all the information about all the reporting that has

taken place. At times, it becomes challenging for people in the file management department to come on the phone to answer all the calls. That is why we advise the community to approach their liaison officers. They will be in a better position to help with their cases and also help them find the right people to talk to.

IWK: There are times when the cases are closed or the offender is not caught and the victim is not satisfied with the investigation. What can a person do in such a scenario?

Marty Brown: There could be a number of possible reasons why a person could not be caught. Maybe the person left the country, has gone underground and we are not able to find them. There are a number of occasions when the offences are minor and if we are unable to solve the case in say, six months, we close the file.

We have a list of guidelines that we follow and we discuss these things with the person who has filed the complaint. But having said that, if someone has committed a serious offence and has gone out of the

country or has gone underground and we cant find them, it doesnt mean that we wont deal with them when we find them even if it means many years after the crime.

If someone is not satisfied with the investigation, they should talk to the investigating officer and give them an opportunity to explain. Many times there are a lot of things complainers may not be aware of. If they are not happy with the explanation, they can contact the supervisor. The issue can also be taken to Independent Police Conduct Authority by writing to them at PO box 5025 Wellington or visiting their website.

IWK: People have complained that Police takes burglary lightly after finding out that the property was insured. And in many cases, only 40% or less of the insured amount claimed is given to the victim. What is the police viewpoint on this issue?

Marty Brown: The fact that someone is insured or not has nothing to do with how we go about our investigation. It has no bearing or impact on the investigation.

Jessica: I always advise people to get themselves and their property insured. When Police ask the victim if the stolen items were insured, it is to make sure that they are able to carry on with their lives normally. The Police have no say in how the insurance company pays the victims.

IWK: We have heard that teenagers in a group, under the influence of alcohol, intimidate

When you buy new things, keep a record of the serial numbers, model numbers, etc. You could also take photographs and keep it as a backup. This helps Police track your belongings when it is lost.

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people in public. What is the Polices stand on alcohol-related crime?

Jessica: We advise people to call the Police immediately when they see drunken teenagers outside shops selling alcohol. Not only does it help us identify and fix problems, it also helps us to review licenses of the stores selling alcohol to underage people.

Marty Brown: We understand that alcohol is one of the drivers of crime. We urge people to drink sensibly and not to be victims when drinking. We usually advise that one person should be sober when others are drinking in a group. The co-relation between alcohol and crime is well established through research both nationally and internationally. That is why

we are also reviewing Auckland Councils decisions towards local alcohol policy. But again, it comes down to common sense. Alcohol is an aggravator and more drinking means more chances of being a victim or even being offenders.

IWK: How do you think the public and Police can work together to make our city a better place?

Marty Brown: Auckland District Police is proud of the fact that we have reduced the amount of crime in the city over the years. We have done it through the strategy called Prevention First. The basis of the strategy is to enable people to look after themselves and their property.

It is basically avoiding putting oneself in a situation where they lose stuff in the first place. We do everything to investigate once the offence has occurred, but we would rather make sure it doesnt occur at all. That means taking basic precautions such as not leaving your valuables unattended, not putting yourself in a situation where you might get hurt, avoid walking in dark, unlit places during the night and avoiding places where you might get victimised. That is what we would advise the community and we would do as much as we can to protect them. But it is also peoples responsibility to take care of themselves.

Jessica: It is also about common sense. For example, in India, would you leave your bag unattended? A lot of people think that New Zealand is safe and they are not wrong. We are safer than many countries but at the same time it doesnt mean that we should be careless. It is our responsibility to keep ourselves safe. We just need to be extra careful.

Auckland District Police is proud of the fact that we have reduced the amount of crime in the city over the years. We have done it through the strategy called prevention first.

We would like to encourage our readers to keep writing to us as we will henceforth run a regular column on various aspects of our safety in the community. Please send your queries and questions to [email protected]

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6 NEW ZEALAND

Kiwi-Indian food scientist gets international awardA noted Indian-origin food scientist based in New Zealand has been honoured for his contribution in improving the quality, safety and processing efficiency of dairy food.

Harjinder Singh, who was recently named head of Massey Universitys Institute of Food Science and Technology, was conferred the International Dairy Foods Association Award in dairy food processing by the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA), technology news website voxy.co.nz reported.

Singh is the first recipient from outside North America of the prestigious award, given at a ceremony organised in Orlando, Florida.

This recognition reflects our innovative and sustained dairy foods research activities at Massey

during the last 25 years. Our programmes are characterised by excellent science combined with relevance to industry needs, he was quoted as saying.

The award was created to recognise individuals whose research findings have allowed dairy food processors to develop

new products and improve the quality, safety and processing efficiency of dairy foods. He is co-recipient of the Prime Ministers Science Prize (2012), the most prestigious science honour in NZ.

Singh was elected fellow of Royal Society of New Zealand in 2002 in recognition of distinction in research and the advancement of science.

He was also elected fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology in 2006. This fellowship recognises outstanding contributions to the field of food science and advancement of knowledge.

Singh, who has received several international awards, has published more than 300 papers in international journals and books and is a co-inventor of 12 patents.

Harjinder Singh, the head of Massey Universitys Institute of Food Science and Technology (Photo: www.massey.ac.nz)

yes students learning on the jobAucklands future business leaders and entrepreneurs will be continuing their on-the-job education as part of the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) this weekend, demonstrating and selling innovative products and services at the annual Auckland YES Trade Fair.

The trade fair is a free event taking place at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, August. YES, which involves students forming teams to come up with a real-life business product or service, and running their business

for a year, is delivered across the Auckland region by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED).

Around 100 teams will be demonstrating and selling the goods and services they have created through YES at the trade fair, ranging from recycled furniture and robot making classes to boxed herbal teas and yogurt made from almond milk.

This year, more than 1,400 students from 52 Auckland schools are taking part in YES, forming more than 180 small enterprises. YES students have had mentoring from their teachers and members of Aucklands business community, and taken part in a Dragons Den

type pitch event. Patrick McVeigh, ATEED General Manager Business, Innovation and Skills, says YES is an important initiative to help develop a skilled workforce for Auckland.

Auckland regional YES winners will be announced in October, before national winners are announced in December.

Auckland schools have a strong track record in the YES national competition, winning the national title in 2012 and 2013. Last years Auckland Central regional champions, Nude Water from St Cuthberts School, were runner-up for the 2014 national title, while Bizz Broz from Pakuranga College (joint Auckland South champions) came third.

air passengers to face new biosecurity controlsNew biosecurity measures will be introduced by the Ministry for Primary Industries to make it tougher for air passengers to bring goods into New Zealand that could carry pests or diseases.

The measures are the result of new biosecurity funding from the governments 2015 budget.

Expected to be in place by December for the busy summer season, the measures include the introduction of 20 more biosecurity detector dog teams, more x-raying of baggage and more targeting of passengers likely to be carrying risk goods.

One of the plans is to use

detector dogs to screen passengers much earlier than before in the arrival process for international passengers, says Steve Gilbert, MPI Border Clearance Services Director.

Were keen to have dogs as close as possible to where passengers leave the aircraft. This approach will provide more opportunity to detect risk goods, particularly within hand-held baggage, where passengers often carry fruit and other food.

Rising international passenger numbers is one of the reasons behind the new measures, he says.

He says MPI recently recruited 42 new trainee quarantine officers and 24 trainee dog

handlers to ensure it has sufficient biosecurity staff to introduce the new measures.

The planned new biosecurity measures include: Introducing 20 new biosecurity

detector dog teams. Introducing five new x-ray

machines. Trialing a mobile x-ray machine

that can shifted to different sites. Greater ability to increase the

level of biosecurity intervention for air passengers according to risk.

Introducing specific communications to target passengers more likely to carry Queensland fruit fly host materials.

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More than 350 students learn about sikhism More than 350 students of Greenmeadows Intermediate school visited Gurdwara Nanaksar on Friday, 24th July 2015 to learn about Sikhs and Sikhism. The Year 7 and 8 students of various ethnicities were shown a powerpoint presentation on Sikhism followed by a Q&A session wherein they got answers for their queries about Sikhism and the Gurdwara.

The day started with the first group reaching Gurdwara Nanaksar at 9.30 am and very patiently waited for their turn to cover their heads. Then they walked in line to the Darbar Hall where they sat quietly and listened very attentively to the presentation.

The children were accompanied by their teachers and some parents who also were visiting a Gurdwara for the first time. The second group came

in at 12.30 and spent about two hours at the Gurdwara.

The children, parents and the staff were highly appreciative of the chance to visit the Gurdwara and thanked the volunteers for spending time guiding them and taking care of them during the visit. This visit from Greenmeadows Intermediate school is a bi-annual visit and is promoted by Gurdwara Nanaksar to make the wider community aware of the teachings of Guru Nanak and also the concept of Sewa.

Join us at the aNZ Migrant expo

Indian Weekender is proud to partner with ANZ for the upcoming Migrant Expo.Whether you are a migrant

looking for help to settle in New Zealand, want to connect with migrant communities or simply looking for a fun, free family event, come along to the ANZ Migrant Expo.

At the Expo you can get helpful information and support from government agencies, consulates, ethnic community groups, law firms, construction, media and a range of other businesses where you can experience their products and services.

We will also be running a number of helpful seminars, and fun activities for the whole family.

ANZ Migrant ExpoDate: Saturday, September 5, 2015Time: 10.00 a.m. 4.00 p.m.Location: The Cloud, Queens Wharf, AucklandAdmission is free. We are looking forward to seeing you there.


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7NEW ZEALAND

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Packed house premiere for Twisted families

Rizwan MohaMMad

The premiere of Twisted Families 100% New Zealand made, motion picture under Dreamz Productions held on Monday, August 3 received a full house. The romantic drama-comedy stars Amit Sharma, Lucy Russel, Rishi Deepak in lead supported by Neelam Madhu, Rupinder Virk.

The premiere was screened at Hoyts Sylvia Park and a total of 460 people attended the premiere which included eminent personalities from the industry and the Members of Parliament too. The film will also be premiered in three cities in Fiji this monthSuva, Nandi and Lautoka on August 19, 20 and 21 respectively.

The response from the movie goers has been extremely positive, people have loved the story, and applauded its comic timings, says Rishi Deepak, lead actor and also the executive producer of the film.

Twisted Families is a love story of a Punjabi boy Aman played by Amit Sharma and a rich Fijian girl Tina played by Lucy Russel, and clash between the two families when they meet to plan their wedding.

The movie is a romantic drama; it shows the bond and differences between not so similar cultures. The movie takes the audience on a roller coaster ride of emotions

and laughter, a good plot and brilliant acting by both the lead and supporting cast.

The film has taken one year from script to release, shot in Auckland, Pukekohe and parts of Fiji.

The film has been directed by Devesh Sharma and produced by Dr Rachel Singh and Curran Singh under Dreamz Productions banner.

The film officially releases on September 11 in both New Zealand and Fiji.


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8 NEW ZEALAND

Bindra rises to the occasion KuMaR SuReSh

Last week, at the annual meeting of the NZ First Party in Rotorua, an idea was proposed that all the migrants coming to New Zealand would need to be covered by personal medical insurance for a period of 10 years. Although backed by many leaders such as party leader Winston Peters, the idea was put in cold storage after a fierce debate. Those opposing the policy included the Indian-born MP, our very own, Mahesh Bindra. When the Indian Weekender caught up with Bindra, he stated that it was a no-brainer because, for NZ First, every single New Zealander is equal. So the basic idea of treating new Kiwis as unequal did not make sense. The idea was termed as discriminatory and against the bill of Rights. The policy, therefore, was passionately opposed, which led to NZ First MP ORourke threatening to resign if the party supported the policy.

Even as the idea was shelved, those in support of the policy came

out in the open and defended the logic behind the proposed idea. On Saturday, Winston Peters said, You can climb off a plane in New Zealand and be in the hospital the next day. We have long waiting lists... It seems to me to be only reasonable and fair.

Although the idea of getting insured before travelling is always advisable, enforcing it for a period of 10 years on every new migrant coming into the country is absurd and illogical. Even bigger question is who are the ones who really need to get themselves insured?

One of the major chunks of migrants is the student community. A student coming to New Zealand from India has

to undergo eye test, blood test, urine test and routine check up to see if they are carrying any of those forty plus diseases. As if, these are not enough, a separate X-ray report needs to be sent to the New Zealand embassy to get a study visa along with these reports. Students then again are forced to spend big amounts on the insurance coverage charged by the university.

On the other hand, people with a work permit in the country are already paying their taxes and with the cost of living so high, it will be unfair to expect everyone to buy insurance cover for themselves and their family. One needs to understand that they are here because of their skill sets and are actively contributing to the growth of the country. They wouldnt be here if they were not required in the country in the first place. Thus, emergency service in the dire situation becomes the fundamental right of a person who is expected to contribute to the countrys cause even without insurance.

entries now open for Tasty Takeaway awards 2015

The search is on for New Zealands best takeaway restaurant. The online and mobile ordering service for takeaway food, Menulog.co.nz, has launched its search for New Zealands best takeaway restaurant, as part of its annual

Tasty Takeaway Awards.The premier awards for

takeaway restaurants, now in their second year, nationally recognise takeaway establishments that provide great-tasting food, good value for money and superior customer service.

More than 500 restaurants listed on the online service will encourage their customers to vote for them as the Best Takeaway Outlet. Votes will be totalled to announce one national winner, in addition to the Top 5 winners.

Following the announcement of

the national winner, which will be awarded to the restaurant with the most overall votes, the next five runners-up will also be awarded as a Top 5 winner, letting customers know which restaurants lead the way in the world of takeaway.

To vote, New Zealanders

simply need to log on to Menulog.co.nz and select their favourite restaurant. In doing so, they will automatically be entered into a prize draw with a grand prize of $2,000 cash and five other prizes of $250 vouchers, to be used on the website.

Kiwi-Indian rugby coach is Personality of the year

An Indian-descent rugby coach has been named Personality of the Year for guiding his team to its first title in last five years. Rahul Das, who was born in Auckland and is of Fijian Indian descent, was honoured at the Dunedin club rugby awards held earlier this week, Otago Daily Times reported.

Das, a fourth-year medical student, finds time during his busy schedule to coach rugby. I am not sure how I got into rugby. I have just always followed the All Blacks I guess, Das was quoted as saying. His effort was all the more impressive considering he is a rookie at premier level. Das played rugby at school and at a social club when he was 18 years old. But he gave up playing in his early 20s after facing some injuries.

The 30-year-old coach stayed involved in the sport through coaching, getting his start with the university womens team. Fitting the game into the busy life is a juggling act but easy when you have a passion for the sport, he said. There are definitely some long hours. But you cant have too much of one thing in your life, so I guess rugby gives me some of that balance. I get to do something that I really enjoy and also get to work with some really cool people, Das said.

IwK face of the week crowned Mrs India NZCongratulations Rupal!

(Extreme left and middle) Crowing moment- Rupal C Solanki being crowned as Mrs India NZ (Left) Runner-Up, Sonal Bhavsar-Joshi, Mrs India New Zealand 2015 Winner, Rupal C Solanki, 2nd Runner-up, Bharvi Padhiyar and 1st Runner-up, Pusarla Sridevi Krishna


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Three tips for avoiding the biggest insurance mistakes

ajay KuMaR

In todays world of uncertainty, insurance is one thing that protects a person and his family at the time of need. It is a time where your family is better off dealing with other issues than arranging for finances or dealing with the insurance company. As such, one needs to invest time, effort and wisdom in not just buying a life and personal risk insurance policy but also in maintaining and reviewing it from time to time.

This brings me to this weeks discussion on the Paul Henry show and the recent article in NZ Herald biggest life insurance mistakes Kiwis make. I was really happy that they talked about what we at Global Financial Services (GFS) have been asking customers for more than 16 years. I am providing three tips that I feel are most critical and will help you avoid the biggest mistakes, not just while buying insurance but also for maintaining it.

Life insurance, critical illness and trauma insurance, total and partial disability cover, health insurance or medical insurance and income protection insurance

are some of the most popular types of personal risk insurance. Different companies have different products but the underlying principles remain the same.

Ensure the cover is sufficient

Personal risk and not just life insurance is very important to protect your family home and family from the mortgage in unforeseen circumstances. The insurance cover should be sufficient to cover your mortgage in addition to your familys other requirements. For instance, if your insurance is of $200K but mortgage of $500K, it may not be sufficient in such circumstances.

Review your policy every year

I can hear a clear echo of our voice when the NZ Herald article says, Your circumstances can change and insurance policies evolve. It repeats what GFS tells all its customers and even posted on its Facebook

page last month. Adding to this, in my experience many times customers dont even realize that they may be eligible for a claim against their personal risk insurance policies. This is another important reason for a review.

Policy terms and Reputation for claims

Dont buy just on price, look at other terms and conditions, customer service and reputation at claim time. Almost every month we come across families who had bought insurance from a friend many years back. Fifteen to 20 years later when they need a claim, they find that their friend stopped working as an insurance adviser many years back. You can read of such cases on our Facebook page as well. GFS has assisted not only our insurance customers but also mortgage customers get their claim even if they took insurance from someone else. Whenever you take insurance, think about who can help you at the time of claim years from now, not just the best deal you are getting today.

Ajay Kumar is New Zealands largest

single mortgage adviser, leading insurance adviser

and Director of Global Financial Services Ltd

(GFS) based in Auckland.


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10 NEW ZEALAND

Interpretation services for 111 calls essential, says LabourLabour Spokesperson for Ethnic Communities, Phil Goff, says it is essential that every person in New Zealand is able to communicate risk to life and the need for help using the 111 emergency phone number.

Police disclosure that no 24/7 interpretation service is available to back up their 111 call system in emergencies is a recipe for disaster, Phil Goff says.

Not having this service puts lives at risk. Any new migrant or person who has difficulty with English faces not being able to communicate with the service when accidents, fire or criminal actions endanger human life and wellbeing. This was highlighted by a recent case in Auckland where the emergency call operator failed, in a 12-minute connection, to understand what a member of the Chinese community who had limited English was trying to tell her.

Its not good enough to have to rely on informal assistance

through family and friends, Language Line during office hours, or the chance that some 111 operators are bilingual to communicate the need for help when lives are at stake.

There needs to be a professional 24/7 interpretation service available especially in the case of communities such as Chinese, Indian, Korean and Filipino where there are large numbers, not all of whom speak English fluently, Mr Goff said.

I know Police have suffered big cuts in funding that make additional expenditure by them difficult. Government needs to come up with the extra money needed because in this case it can involve a life or death situation.

Protection of human well-being is a core Government responsibility. They should fund it as an essential service from general taxation. Alternatively, they could use the migrant levy, which has been diverted to cover Immigration New Zealand costs,

in line with the purpose for which is was originally intended. It is Governments responsibility to make sure that migrants have the essential services they need when they come to New Zealand, Phil Goff said.

Mr Goff and his colleague Labour Spokesperson for Police, Kelvin Davis, have both written to the Minister of Police urging that a 24/7 emergency interpretation service be put in place urgently.

Improving results for youth Guarantee learnersTertiary Education Organisations have increased achievement rates across all sectors, particularly in course and qualification rates for students at Youth Guarantee Providers, Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce announced this week.

The Education Performance Indicators (EPIs) for all tertiary

institutions in 2014 including Industry Training

Organisations ( I T O s ) ,

Y o u t h

Guarantee providers and Student Achievement Component (SAC) funded providers were published this week by the Tertiary Education Commission.

The EPIs saw a significant improvement in both course and qualification completion rates across Youth Guarantee providers when compared with 2013. Course completion rates increased from 61 per cent to 66 per cent, while qualification completion rates jumped from 52 per cent to 60 per cent, says Mr Joyce.

The improvement in completion rates for Youth Guarantee learners is a good result

as these are hard to reach learners who either have

disengaged or are at risk of disengaging from conventional schooling.

This Government remains committed to providing a range of learning opportunities that ensure all young New Zealanders have the skills they need to prosper and contribute to their

communities, Mr Joyce says.It shows the governments

approach of measuring and incentivising educational performance rather than just the number of enrolments is working.

Course completions rates across SAC providers are now averaging over 80 per cent for universities, institutes of technology and polytechnics, Wnanga and private training establishments. The most significant increases for the year in SAC providers occurred in the Private Training Establishments sector, with marked improvement in qualification completions as well as student progression rates. ITOs also recorded a four per cent increase in their credit achievement rate, which rose to 76 per cent.

The increase came on the back of an improving labour market with employers showing increasing confidence when making hiring and training decisions.

The data released this week measures areas such as course and qualification completions, progression and retention of students, and credit and programme achievements.

More housing support for vulnerable youth Vulnerable young people, who need a supportive and stable living environment will benefit from a new accommodation service, Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett says.

Supported Accommodation for Youth will see up to 21 young people aged 16-19, who are on the social housing register, housed for as long as they need it.

Im thrilled to launch this initiative, because it will make a genuine difference to the lives of some of our most vulnerable young New Zealanders, says Mrs Bennett.

The service started in Palmerston North and Christchurch at the beginning of July with two young people already placed in the service in Christchurch and referrals underway in Palmerston North.

Aucklands service will commence in early August. Nationwide, the service costs around $125,000 per year.

Delivered by community providers, the service also provides young people with a range of support from learning basic living skills to helping them access other support in the community, such as Youth Service.

We have always been more ambitious for our youth. Ensuring they have a roof over their heads means we can more effectively

dig in and ensure theyre getting access to education, employment, and we are supporting them back to independence.

The combination of a stable, safe living environment gives these young people a better opportunity to become self-sufficient. They will be living with others their own age in properties ranging from two to five bedrooms with ready access to adult support, Mrs Bennett says.

The community organisations will provide alternative housing in two- to five-bedroom properties to house youths referred from the social housing register.

This includes accommodation suitable for teen parents, particularly mothers and their child. As either specialist social services providers or health service providers, the organisations will mentor these young people and connect them to other support.

The service will help improve the lives of nearly a quarter of the 82 young people on the register at the end of June, who will have access to social workers and psychologists if required.

Supported Accommodation for Youth is a part of the Governments Social Housing Reform Programme, which is increasing the supply of social housing and better supporting vulnerable New Zealanders in housing that suits their needs.

Carrying tasers a welcome move Police Minister Michael Woodhouse welcomes the announcement by Police Commissioner Mike Bush that all frontline first response staff will soon routinely carry tasers.

The taser rollout is an important step to help ensure the safety of both the community and our frontline officers and I fully support the decision, Mr Woodhouse says.

We know frontline officers often find themselves in rapidly changing situations and it is not always practical to return to their vehicle to retrieve a taser.

Having a taser strapped to their hip provides officers with another option to diffuse or deal with violent offenders.

This Government has always acknowledged the use of the Taser as a vital tool available to Police. They have proven to be

an effective tactical option for both preventing and responding to high risk situations, with a consistently low risk of injury to the public, offenders and police staff.

Over the past five years, tasers have been available to Police during more than 30,000 reported incidents attended by Police, but due to their deterrent effect, in almost 90 per cent of cases they have not been discharged.

We owe it to the frontline officers protecting our communities and keeping us safe to ensure they have access to all tactical options they may need during the course of duty.

The change will require around 400600 additional devices to be purchased and will be funded from within Polices current budget.


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12 NEW ZEALAND

Winston PetersNZ First leader

Kanwaljit BakshiNational List MP

Phil GoffLabour MP

Gangs, not serco, running Mt eden prison

The recent disclosure of events at Mt Eden prison will have appalled everyone. What the videos on You Tube showed was that gangs, and not private contractor Serco, are running the prison.

The organised prison fights are brutal and uneven. Uneven because brawny Black Power gang members are pitched against other much smaller inmates forced into fights, and brutal because of the serious injuries incurred.

Mt Eden has a high recorded level of assaults of prisoners

on prisoners. The likelihood, however, is that most assaults are probably not even recorded. The reason? If the figures are bad, Serco loses some of its $1.2 million annual bonus. You have to think the figures are being cooked and that Corrections werent doing their job in properly monitoring Sercos performance.

When inmates are found to be seriously injured, Serco has the responsibility of finding out how the injuries were sustained and taking action to prevent this occurring. Instead, injured prisoners just seem to be shuffled off to public prisons, arriving with serious injuries. One prisoner, Nick Evans, sent up to Ngawha prison subsequently died after suffering a lung injury.

Other allegations have been made about inmates being

dropped from second storey balconies. One, who suffered two broken legs, named the gang members responsible. Serco and apparently the Minister said he fell off the balcony.

Like most New Zealanders, Ive had a gutsful of gang members behaving violently in the community. When they are imprisoned for this, I dont expect to see them ruling the roost in our prisons and getting away with continuing to act violently there. Serco, the Corrections Department and the Minister need to clean up their act and do something about it.

Other videos show inmates smoking dope and drinking home brew. They are filmed on cellphones, which are meant to be illegal in prisons, and the gangs put the films up on the net to

boast about what they are getting away with.

In all of this, you wonder where the prison officers are and why Serco as the prison authority let them get away with it. One answer seems to be that in order to improve their profits Serco have cut the ratio of guards to prisoners.

The problem with private companies running prisons for profit is that they cut corners to save money often at the expense of public safety and security. Over the years, Serco has been involved in scandals in a number of countries for the way in which they run prisons. In the United Kingdom, Serco has recently had to repay $70 million for ripping off the British taxpayers.

National, and specifically the then Justice Minister Judith

Collins, were warned about this. In 2009 as Leader of the Opposition, I opposed Nationals private prison legislation.

I said that every private prison in the world has made its profit by reducing staff levels and reducing services.

In 2001 the United States National Council on Crime and Delinquency reported that privatisation led to a 15 per cent lower ratio of staffing to inmates.

It stated that the number of serious incidents was higher in the privately run system than in the public system and that there was a higher rate of assaults by prisoners on prisoners, and by prisoners on staff, in the private sector.

Sadly, what I warned about in Parliament, and they ignored, seems to have come to pass.

waking up to TPPa

New Zealand depends on trade exports for our livelihood. So it was an easy sell for the National government to talk up the TPPA as a big deal for the country and our future, while telling us they were keeping the negotiations secret for our own good. Like many Kiwis, we had reservations too.

New Zealand First is keen on trade, but we were suspicious

that things were not going well for us. When a government wont even talk about the overall picture of negotiations there is something wrong.

Why were we signing up to a deal that allowed big corporations to sue our government if they felt our regulations and law changes might affect their profits?

Finally, the Prime Minister fronted up and revealed that no government would ever be able to ban foreigners from buying our land and houses under this new agreement.

He wasnt worried of course. One, he wont be around, and two, he didnt care that future

governments might want to ban non-residents purchases.

We feel that Trade Minister Tim Groser and Prime Minister John Key have been working as double agents, pretending to negotiate on our behalf but

in fact dancing to the strings of the US. Mr Key has realised over the past month that public outrage is growing. Hes been in serious damage control and is trying to soften the public and media. Weve also suddenly seen

representatives from our primary industries speak out, worried that they wont get more market access to Japan, Canada and the US.

It took a long time for everyone to wake up to the fact that a trade deal must be about improved trading conditions for New Zealand, and not just for the big players.

It is disappointing that the National Government has not been up front about the TPPA.

Malaysia has now said it will not sign until its people and its parliament has a chance to scrutinise the agreement. Thats being open and transparent. Our government could learn that lesson.

electricity market reforms warmly received by New Zealanders

The electricity market is more competitive than ever. Thanks to Nationals reforms, consumers are benefitting from more choice in the electricity market, and are saving more on their power as a result.

In Auckland alone there are 21 retailers operating in the electricity market. As a result, more people are switching electricity providers.

Latest estimates show 107,470

of households took advantage of the competitive electricity market in the region by switching their supplier. I encourage you to check whether you are getting the best

deal on your power. Data shows that, across all

regions, there were savings to be made for people who switched providers. Last year, more than 385,000 consumers around New

Zealand switched retailers, and by doing so they saved an average of $162 a year. The Governments efforts to open up the market are seeing results as 27 brands, the most ever, currently operating in New Zealands electricity market.

All regions saw an increase in the number of retail brands on offer. Part of the Governments reforms has been to create a level playing field and encourage new players into the New Zealand retail market.

Its encouraging to see more Kiwis choosing to switch to small- and medium-sized retailers, with this group growing its market

share 23 per cent last year. By doing so theyre benefitting from increasing choice and innovative deals that have come about as a result of Nationals reform of the market. Our careful management of the economy, delivering low inflation and low interest rates across the board, is benefitting families. According to the latest Consumer Price Index there was a zero per cent change in electricity pricesthe lowest annual increase since 2001. It is a great sign that Nationals commitment to an open and competitive retail market is making a real difference for Kiwi households.


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auckland Council announces new Community empowerment unit

A new community-focused unit that aims to better serve Aucklanders and its communities will be up and running from October 1.

The Community Empowerment unit will replace the Community Safety and Development Unit (CDS), which currently sits within the Community Development, Arts and Culture (CDAC) department.

Community Empowerment is being established as part of Auckland Councils commitment to deliver the Empowered Communities Approach (ECA), as driven by the Mayors Proposal under the Long Term Plan (2015-2025). An empowered community is one where individuals, whanau and communities have the means to influence decisions, take action and make change happen in their lives and communities.

This includes communities of place, interest and identity, says CDAC General Manager, Graham Bodman.

By working in fresh and innovative ways, the new unit will help enable and support communities to better improve

their areas, energise them about coming together to shape local activities, and have more influence over things they care about and which matter uniquely to them.

As part of the decision-making around designing and developing the new unit, CDS staff have participated in a robust feedback and consultation process.

We were really pleased to see the overall clear support for the proposal, which included endorsement for the intent of the Empowered Communities Approach to embed responsiveness to Mori, says Mr Bodman.

Two new positions that will focus on inclusive design and CPTED (Crime Prevention through Environmental Design)

have been also been created a Principal Specialist, Universal Access, and a fixed-term Specialist, Safety and Security Advisor. They will be located in the Auckland Design Office.

Mr Bodman adds, We took steps to ensure the skill-set of accessibility knowledge is maintained. By creating these roles we are ensuring that council continues to receive considered, strategic advice on matters of importance to the disability community.

otahuhu recreation precinct opening soon

A fter years of anticipation, thuhus new recreational precinct, Tia (pronounced taw-e-ah), will open on August 8.

Tia is a $30.9 million project that incorporates the new thuhu Library, aquatic and leisure centre, new playground and outdoor recreational and community spaces.

The community is so excited to finally have this facility opening something they have wanted and talked about for more than 10 years, says Mngere-thuhu Local Board Chair Lemauga Lydia Sosene.

Its going to be a great place for them to gather, relax, get fit and learn.

Opening day festivities start with a dawn blessing at 6 a.m., followed by a civic opening from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and entertainment, performances and activities from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

railway safety week 2015 - stay safe around the tracks

Aucklanders are reminded to Expect a Train during Rail Safety Week 2015, which launches on August 10.

The campaign encourages people to talk about safe behaviour around train tracks with their friends, family and colleagues.

Trains can come from both directions at any time, and often in quick succession, says TrackSAFE NZ Manager Megan Drayton. We are urging Aucklanders to be especially careful around the new electric trains, which are faster and quieter. Stay alert, look for trains in both directions, and never cross while the warning lights and bells are operating.

Organisations supporting Rail Safety Week include KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, Transdev Auckland, NZ Transport Agency and the New Zealand Police.


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14 FIJI

News source: Fiji Sun

Vakamoce, Lal top essay writingTwenty-eight students from schools across Fiji took part in an essay writing competition in Suva last week.

This competition was organised by the New Zealand High Commission and the Fiji Association in Auckland (Inc).

The competition is seven years old and has attracted 400 entries from 83 secondary schools.

The topic this year is How trade and economic links between Fiji and New Zealand can be further strengthened and Celebrating Fijis cultural diversity at school and beyond. Sunia Vakamoce of Kadavu Provincial High School,

Kadavu, and Rohitesh Lal from All Saints Secondary School, Labasa, shared the best all around prize.

The judges were Lady June Hillary of New Zealand and Satendra Singh of the Fiji

Association in Auckland (Inc).Lady Hillary is the wife of the

late Sir Edmund Hillary of Mt Everest fame.

Mr Singh piled praises on the performance of participants.

The topics obviously appealed to writers, Mr Singh said.

Selecting the winners was a daunting task. We enjoyed reading interesting accounts of improving trading links between Fiji and New Zealand, as well as the celebration of cultural diversity in Fiji.

Following the prize giving ceremony, representatives from the New Zealand High Commission and Fiji Association in Auckland (Inc) will visit schools to meet the participants and their teachers, present Certificates of Appreciation, and donate library books to participants.

fiji sun press crew heads for NZ trainingThree of the press crew who print the Fiji Sun each night are off to New Zealand this month for intensive professional development.

They are head printer Mohammed Akbar, senior printer Hirdesh Chand and lead colour hand Joana Ratunimatari.

Fiji Sun publisher/CEO Peter Lomas said, This is part of our continuing commitment to investing in training and development. It reflects the emphasis on this from the ownership and management of the C. J. Patel Group, of which we are proudly part.

Mohammed, Hirdesh and Joana are three of our key people as we continue to develop our press site in Walu Bay.

Weve invested in industry leading pre-press and press facilities. Same time were developing our people. In all areas.

We now send Production people to SWUG every year. This year, with support from

Webcos managing director, Brendon Whitley, weve expanded the programme.

Brendon is a former leading newspaper production manager himself. Hes been able to open doors for our team to get a warm welcome and access from the people running sites like Beacon Print. Our production capacity is growing day by day. It is increasingly recognised both here in Fiji and in the region.

As well as the Fiji Sun we now print newspapers from Samoa and Vanuatu here at Walu Bay. We also print the fast growing local Mandarin-language China Mail Newspaper.

Our new Production Centre in Walu Bay is not only a Fijian

market leader. Its attracting business from the region, coupled with the development of Fiji Airways regional services.

The trio will:Do a working attachment

at Beacon Print, a high-quality multi-newspaper production site in Hastings.

Tour the Norske Skog mill at Kawerau to understand how Fiji Sun is printed.

Spend time in Tauranga with engineers at Webco, the company which puts together, provides and supports the press which prints the Fiji Sun.

Go to Rotorua to attend SWUG, the big annual conference of New Zealand newspaper printers, and its associated workshops.

Officer tells of Ebola outbreak horrorThe outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in West African countries last year was a career highlight of a senior Police officer who was on tour-of-duty in Liberia.

Fiji Police Force Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Anil Prasad led an 18-member team for a year-long tour-of-duty in March last year under the United Nations Missions In Liberia (UNMIL).

ASP Prasad said the one year spent in Liberia was an eye-opener and a testing time for him since it was his first peacekeeping mission overseas.

He said one of the scariest and testing times he went through was when the outbreak of the Ebola virus came about.

The only difficult situation we faced at one stage was the outbreak of Ebola, ASP Prasad said.

During the month of July to December there were like 20 to 25 cases per day reported and we were very fearful about it.

We were told about it by the UN media brief that this was a killer disease and if one gets it there was no cure, but we were glad all the precautions were taken by the UN to prevent us from getting it.

It was frightening especially when we were moving around in the UN vehicle. We would see a person dead on the street for a couple of days before special teams come with protective gear and vehicles to transport the body, so basically it was scary at times.

However, ASP Prasad said he was overwhelmed with what he was able to grasp from the year-long tour.

He said the use of new technologies in their workplace also made work easier for them.

FIjI-INdIA movE oN mEdIcAL pLANSF ijian and Indian Government health officials plan on working together on medical education, drug procurement and other areas of mutual interest.

As part of this, a delegation led by acting Health Minister Jioji Konrote, acting Permanent Secretary for Health Dr Meciusela Tuicakau and other senior officials welcomed a delegation from Indias Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva.

The latest meeting is a follow- up from the first Joint Working Group Meeting in India five years ago. Indias Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Joint Secretary Dharitri Panda said Fiji and India had a Memorandum of Understanding on medical education, drugs procurement and other areas that had been highlighted by the Fijian Government.

This is a secretary-level discussion between both countries to progress and follow-up on the

various actions that have been taken and also to detail more new areas of co-operation, Ms Panda said.

The areas we are looking forward to are working with pharmaceutical companies for drug distribution, for procurement of medicines, especially generic medicines and for training under the procurement.

She hopes an MOU can be signed in the areas of attachments, training and exposure visits for Fijian health officials to India.

The areas which the Government of Fiji has elaborated are basically training and admission in Indias medical colleges and institutions, manufacturing supplies of pharmaceuticals, Indian doctors to work in Fiji under the Indian governments assistance and to collaborate in public health and assistance for developments in a new 500-bed hospital for tertiary care.

Mr Konrote said that the meeting was a milestone in the two countries bilateral relations.

Sunia Vakamoce (left), and Rohitesh Lal (right) shared the best all around prize

Mohammed Akbar, (front), Hirdesh Chand (back), and Joana Ratunimatari (centre)

fijian PM condoles death of former Indian President abdul Kalam

F ijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has sent a message of condolence to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, expressing sorrow at the death of Indias former President Abdul Kalam, the Fijian government announced last week.

Kalam, who was Indias 11th president from 2002 to 2007, died at the age of 83 during a lecture in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya last week.

In the message, Bainimarama described Kalam as a great man who became known as Indias Peoples President because he was undoubtedly one of the most dearly loved figures in India.

The Fijian prime minister also described Kalam of a great friend of developing countries such as Fiji, and a great believer in South-South cooperation - the ability of developing countries to learn from each other and carve out their own paths to prosperity and happiness.

We mourn his passing in Fiji and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, the Indian government and the Indian people at this time, said Bainimarama.


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15

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air NZ cargo hosts annual awards night

A ir New Zealand hosted its stakeholders to the annual awards night at FNU Namaka Campus. Air New Zealand Sales Cargo manager Pradip Singh said the Cargo Agents Awards commenced in 1991.

Air New Zealand was the first to host this event in honouring and recognising the tremendous support rendered to the airline by you agents and customers, he said.

He said this also allowed taking another proactive approach in recognising key customers from both the airline and forwarders fraternity (The Shippers) who have contributed solely in supporting their industry.

Through this, I believe we have managed to establish a profound relationship which has developed from the past 25 years, in which we can now regard each of you as being part of the Air New Zealand family.

Air New Zealand Cargo has put Fiji on the world Arena by means of carrying and delivering Fijian Made products

around the globe. We have concurred with the Fijian Governments initiative in ensuring our products produced locally are marketed around the world on a whole new spectrum.

Mr Singh said it had been an exciting year and was pleased to announce that they have met their revenue projection from Fiji and also Pacific Island Region.

Meanwhile, they currently have nine IATA credited agents of which International Freight and Clearance Services Limited is their top agent for the past 15 years. Also raked in the top five includes William & Gosling, Carpenters Air Freight, Corporate Freight and Gibson Freight.

sahaydri Group doctors to conduct surgeries in fiji

A team from the Sahaydri Group of Hospitals in India will be in the country this week to conduct Angio-grams and Advance Cardiology. They will be based in Suva for almost three weeks conducting surgeries at a fraction of the cost involved in overseas treatment. Health Ministrys Spokesperson Evelyn Mani says the team consists of ten doctors, nurses and cardio surgeons.

Its a public private partnership with the Ministry and Sahaydri hospital. We are trying to provide our people with services within the country so that way they dont have to travel abroad to receive these specialist treatment. So far seven patients have shown interest in having their treatment done by the Sahaydri Group. The Ministry is urging more patients to come forward. Surgeons from Indias Sahaydri Hospital have been coming to Fiji since 2012.

fiji secures prime land in India

The Indian g o v e r n m e n t has offered Fiji some property in New Delhis diplomatic quarter.

The property has been given to build our new High Commission. Fijis High Commissioner to India, Yogesh Karan revealed on FBC TVs 4 The Record last night that the property is worth $120 million.

Its a very prime area close to Rashtrapati Bhawan and India Gate. The price of real estate in India is perhaps one of the most expensive in the world now. Were very privileged because theres hardly any land available in that area. Were very fortunate to be very close to the bigger countries, the superpowers.

The property is in Chanakyapuri, an affluent neighborhood and diplomatic enclave established in the 1950s. It plays host to the majority of foreign embassies in India and is home to many staff members of the consulates.

education, an investment for the future says a-G

Celebrating the opening of the Early Childhood Week Awareness, Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said education is an investment for the future.

Kindergarten students and parents from eight different schools around Sigatoka gathered at Korotogo Andhra Sangam Kindergarten School for the celebrations this morning.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said, The Government is very much focussed on providing for the future and we are investing in the future.

These children in about 18 to 25 years time will be running the country. These children are the future of the country.

Amongst them you have a very good chef, you may have a Minister, you may have Prime Minister, you may have a very good farmer, and you may have a very good engineer, doctor or lawyer.

He said the young children are the contributors to the economy of Fiji in the future.

Editorial

Indian Weekender : Volume 7 Issue 20Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited Managing Editor: Giri Gupta | [email protected] Editor: Annu Sharma | [email protected] Chief Reporter: Swati Sharma | [email protected] Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | [email protected]: Esha Chanda | [email protected]: Kumar Suresh | [email protected] Columnist: Paula Ray | [email protected] Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | [email protected] Graphic & Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar | [email protected] Designer: Yashmin Chand | [email protected] Accounts and Admin.: Farah Khan | [email protected] Sales and Marketing: 021 1507950 / 09-2137335 | [email protected]

Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher is not responsible for advertisers claims as appearing in the publication

Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent the views of the team at the Indian Weekender

Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, AucklandPrinted at Horton Media, Auckland

Copyright 2015. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

Tom Hanks

Thought of the week If it wasnt hard, everyone would do it.

Its the hard that makes it great.

from the desk of the Managing editor

This week we flaunt two Kiwi Indians being honoured with awards, Harjinder Singh, the head of Massey Universitys Institute of Food Science and Technology, and Rahul Das, Rugby coach. Read their stories in this issue. Josh Billings great line comes to mind when I hear of achievers: Be like a postage stampstick to one thing until you get there.

Sometimes that can be the key that differentiates winners from the rest of the crowd. Often the people who finish on the top are the ones who made up their mind and stuck to the grind. This is something you will often find me talking about. Among the many strengths in people, I advocate persistence probably often comes on the top.

Our Face of The Week this week also has a similar story to tell. We have tried to bring some snippets of everything that he has achieved at a young age, but there is a lot more to Dr Gaurav Sharma and hopefully we will bring you some more from him in subsequent issues.

Indian Weekender is known for constantly bringing events that add value to the community and dedicated to making our country a better place for all Indians. We are now proud to bring another such endeavour--the ANZ Migrant Expo to be held on September 5, 2015 at The Cloud, Auckland City. We will bring you more details on this in our coming issues.

The other upcoming event that Indian Weekender is proud to be a presenter for is the upcoming dedication to the legend Lata Mangeshkar in a musical evening called Khamoshian Gun Gunane Lagi. You will find more details of the event in this issue.

Talking of achievers, we had Mahesh Bindra do us proud recently when he passionately took a stand against the policy of making it compulsory for new migrants/students to take out a 10-year personal medical policy. We all understand how this could clearly impact our own community. This is what it means to have our representatives, who can become the voice of our people.

As we approach our Independence Day, there are many celebrations taking place all around. This issue carries many community notifications of what is happening and where. This is a wonderful time to come together as a community and celebrate the day of our independence, so make sure you mark out the event that appeals to you and attend with family and friends. No doubt we will bring you reports from each one, but you would surely not want to lose out on the experience.

This week we round up our cover story on safety in the community. We are proud to be the first ones to speak on this issue and even go out into the community to interview people and bring to you their stories. It has been heartening to see that mainstream media have also chosen to speak on the issue. Coming out of our various interviews and feedback from our readers, we went back to the Police to seek advice on various issues and have included them here. We also bring you statistics from a recent survey stating how safe people actually currently feel. We would like to thank NZ Police and our readers in participating in our series. We do wish to continue to hear from you on the issue of safety and security and would like to address this through a regular column.

Have a great week ahead. Until next time.

Giri Gupta

Pick of the week

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Tip from the trenches

The enormous full moon rising over the Kazan Kremlin and the Qol Sharif mosque in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, Russia on early Wednesday, July 29, 2015. (Photo credit: Denis Tyrin/AP)

Ka kitePronounced: kaa-ki-te

Meaning: God bless

Usage: Ka kite and take care

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Red Black Orange

17OPINION / EDITORIAL

India and the effects of the first world warThe First World War was an important watershed that saw a major change in the Indians attitudes to the British Empire. At the end of the war, when the Indian soldiers returned homesome with life changing injuries and with a variety of eye-opening experiencesthey came back to a country where people were seething with discontent against the empire they were defending. And their stories of suffering only exacerbated that accumulated anger.

There were indeed many reasons for the Indians to be angry, as the war had caused serious economic and social dislocations in Indias domestic life. First of all, since all the expenses for the deployment of the British Indian Army had to be borne by the Government of India, there was increasing war expenditure, causing war debts, which rose by Rs 3 million between 1914 and 1923. The government could only manage this fiscal deficit by imposing new

indirect taxes, as land taxes were already fixed either permanently or for longer terms. The higher taxes and transport dislocation caused by the war led to rising prices for essential goods, as the price index rose from 147 in 1914

to 281 in 1920, with 1873 as the base year.

The poor peasants, who had already suffered from forced recruitment and family disruptions, as they sent their sons to war in Europe, now had to bear

the brunt of high inflation. This was compounded by unusual crop failures in 1918-19 and 1920-21, leading to near famine situations in parts of the country. To add to that, there was an influenza epidemic in 1918-19. And all these factors cumulatively led to high mortality ratesbetween 12 and 13 million people died in a decade between the census years of 1911 and 1921. Apart from the poor peasants, the rich peasants suffered from stagnant export prices of cash crops, and a market crash in 1917-18, which led to dispossession, most visible in Madras and UP between 1914 and 1922.

In the urban areas, the middle and small traders were aggrieved against high taxes and fluctuating exchange rates. And the industrial working class suffered from falling real wages, resulting in an epidemic strike fever.

More importantly, the educated middle classes, who had supported British war efforts at the beginning, were now thoroughly disillusioned because this was

no ordinary war, and it made them see for the first time the ugly face of Western civilization in its destructive worst. The ideological disillusionment about the West was accompanied by political disappointment with the constitutional reformthe Montagu-Chelmsford Reform of 1919, which did not give them the Home Rule they desired.

As the Ottoman Empire was dismembered in Peace Treaties of 1919, the Khilafat issue rattled almost the entire Muslim community. And over and above everything, came the Rowlatt Act on March 18, 1919 to equip the government with extraordinary coercive power to deal with the problem of terrorism.

This was not the reward the nationalists were expecting in return for the sacrifices of thousands of Indian soldiers in the battlefields of Europe and Mesopotamia. The result was the beginning of mass nationalism in India under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.

Can wTo legitimately make global trading rules?

aMit daSgupta

The last quarter of 2001 saw two dramatic events that had a transformational impact on the global community: first the terrorist attacks on the US in September followed by the launch of the Doha Development Round through the WTOs 4th Ministerial Conference in Qatar in November.

A couple of months prior to the commencement of the conference, Muraosoli Maran, then the Indian commerce minister, commissioned a book to be released prior to the meeting. The objective was to capture the sentiments and, more importantly, the fears of the developing and under-developed countries, as seen through the member states of SAARC. Bibek Debroy and I edited the volume, which, thereafter, went into multiple editions.

After the manuscript was complete, Bibek and I argued about the title. All the chapters in the book were highly critical of the WTO and the arm-twisting of the developed countries, especially the US and EU, as also the autocratic manner in which the WTO, under its then director general, Mike Moore, was functioning.

I had argued that there was a clear political agenda, driven primarily by the US, as to why the Doha Round was being dubbed the Development Round. None of the developing countries, for

instance, were demanders of a Development Round. It was a proposal from the developed countries, especially the US. In my view, post-9/11 and the WTO negotiations were intrinsically linked. Washington needed friends because chasing al-Qaida through overt and covert operations would necessarily require friendly and cooperative governments in the developing world.

It was my assessment that proposing a development round was to win friends and influence governments in poor countries. This was nothing short of deception at the highest level. After all, a genuine development round meant that trade would lie at the heart of the development agenda with the developed world unilaterally opening-up to products from poorer countries. This was least likely to happen. I believed then, and I maintain now, that the WTO is a rich mans club and that Doha was a fraud foisted on the developing world as it was always intended to collapse.

My suggestion to Bibek, consequently, was to title the book: Savaging the WTO. With supreme diplomatic finesse, Bibek persuaded me to agree to something milder and the book was finally published under the title Salvaging the WTOs Future: Doha and Beyond. Maran released the book on the eve of his departure for Doha and was forthcoming in expressing his apprehensions on the

proposed Round. After almost 15 years, the

Development Round negotiations are yet to be concluded. Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz had argued that the so-called free trade talks should be in public and not corporate interest if they

are to be genuinely development oriented; instead, in his view, the talks would perpetuate a managed trade regime and a negotiation process that is undemocratic and non-transparent.

The mandated deadline of July 31 to agree on a clearly defined work programme on the remaining Doha issues, especially because they have been so polarizing, has gone without substantive progress. India, too, has already given indication that it will not ratify the trade facilitation pact for want of any visible progress in negotiations on finding a permanent solution on food security for public stockholding purposes.

At a time when farmers

suicides continue unabated, the government recognizes that it is first accountable to its own people and not to an amorphous multilateral trading system that is visibly biased in favour of developed countries. For the WTO Secretariat, the talks are a make-or-break scenario that clearly reflects the widening chasm between rich and poor countries. Indeed, even the most diehard negotiator would concede that talks on the Doha Development Round are on the verge of collapse.

The US does not see any significant gains through a successful round. Consequently, it is focussing on regional agreements. Europe is crisis-ridden to offer any major concessions. The Chinese economy is under severe strain with signs of a slowdown. A well-crafted deception, forged in the aftermath of 9/11, has played itself through successfully. Development was never the end objective.

Perhaps it is time to ask if WTO, controlled as it is by the corporate sector and developed countries, can legitimately be the policeman, guardian and rulemaker of the international trading system. If not, the obituary for the Doha Development Round might well turn out to be the obituary for the WTO as well.

Amit Dasgupta, a former diplomat, is the head of the

Mumbai campus of the SP Jain School of Global Management.

The views expressed are personal

Perhaps it is time to ask if WTO, controlled as it is by the corporate sector and developed countries, can legitimately be the policeman, guardian and rulemaker of the international trading system.


Red Black Orange

18 INDIA INDIA INDIA

Land law: victim of cynicism and lack of vision aMulya ganguli

The clumsily designated Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill has been the victim of clumsiness in forms other than its name. To start with, these relate to the absence of an uncluttered vision among politicians about the best way to achieve the objective of protecting farmers interests while advancing the cause of industrialisation.

In a hasty manoeuvre to negate the provisions of the 1894 land acquisition law, the politicians seemingly lost a sense of balance and tilted rather too heavily in favour of the cultivators. Among those who noted the imbalance was the commerce minister in the Manmohan Singh government, Anand Sharma, who said that insistence on the consent of 80 per cent of affected families will seriously delay land acquisition and in many cases halt essential infrastructure projects.

As Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has pointed out, this objection echoes the Narendra

Modi governments views. But the Congress has chosen to ignore what Sharma said two years ago because it runs counter to the partys objective of throwing a spanner in Modis Make in India industrial endeavours.

The Congress is well aware that if the process of industrialisation takes off, then the party can say goodbye to any immediate chance of returning to power. Hence, the aggressiveness with which the partys vice president, Rahul Gandhi, has been opposing the proposed amendments to dilute the provisions on securing the consent of farmers, and declaring that he will not allow an inch of land to be acquired by the government or the industrialists.

The Congress crown prince does not seem to care that stalling industrialisation will hurt the country in the long run since it will stop a large number of peasants to move from farms to factories and also be detrimental to overall development by scuppering infrastructural projects. But it will not do to blame the cynicism of the Congress alone. As Modi once pointed out, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs supported the land bill in 2013, they desisted from taking a long-

term view of industrial growth presumably because such a stance would have enabled the BJPs opponents to accuse it of being pro-corporate, as Rahul Gandhi is doing today by alleging that the Modi government is suit-boot ki sarkar.

This one-sidedness has long been a feature of Indian politics and also of the popular culture reflected in fiction and films, which propagates that the rich are evil while the poor are the repositories of all that is good in human beings.

In this respect, B.R. Ambedkar was in a league of his own when he described villages as a den of ignorance, narrow mindedness and communalism, echoing Karl Marxs condemnation of the idiocy of rural life. If the BJP is now taking a stand,

which is diametrically opposite to what it did in 2013, the reason is that the responsibility of governance has made it realise that employment generation via industrialisation and economic reforms is the best way to lift millions out of poverty.

The opposition of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, including Anand Sharma is not only a major hindrance to the acquisition of land by the industrialists, but also condemns the cultivators to remain confined to their increasingly unproductive and sub-divided plots as the land is parcelled out among the succeeding generations. Although the charges about being anti-industry have recently persuaded Rahul Gandhi to say that he is not anti-big business, the no-longer-young

heir apparent has never said a word about his economic vision. On the other hand, the BJPs attempt to wriggle out of the logjam created by the opponents of the proposed amendments by calling upon the states to frame their own laws offers no solution.

Since land is in the concurrent list of the constitution, the states will be unable to draft a law, which goes against the central legislation. For instance, the 80 per cent stipulation cannot be tampered with, nor the directive about assessing the social impact of the acquisition.

The BJPs hope, therefore, that the need to attract investors will persuade the states to prepare industry-friendly laws is unlikely to be fulfilled. However, even as parties such as the Congress, which is leading the charge against the land law, continue to pose as champions of the underprivileged, they may ponder over why they were defeated in last years general election despite enacting supposedly pro-poor laws such as the one on land and the other on providing subsidised food-grain.

Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst. The views expressed

Indian Weekender 7 August 2015

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Transcript of Indian Weekender 7 August 2015