FIMO aims to dispel misconceptions about India’s various cultural faiths
Inclusion was the buzzword as the Federation of Indian Origin Multi-faith Organisation (FIMO) launched an Indian Interfaith Guide at Museum India, Dandenong, recently. The guide was launched in alignment with FIMO’s objective of fostering interaction and harmony between Indian Victorians irrespective of their religious or regional backgrounds.
The Victorian Government’s Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship funded guide includes information about diverse Indian faiths, their social norms and practices. The guide will be promoted and utilised by mainstream courts, religious sectors, police and other services and is aimed at educating and benefiting wider Australian society.
It is expected the guide will proactively dispel misconceptions about cultures by raising awareness of various Indian faiths including Jainism, Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism and more.
The launch was held at Museum India amidst an eclectic collection of paintings, etchings, photographs and sculptures depicting the rich heritage of the nation of India and its people.
The event was well attended by representatives of local government organisations, members of the Indian Consulate, various faith leaders and community organisations. Dandenong Mayor Heang Tak, Member for Dandenong Gabrielle Williams and Member for Kew Tim Smith were among those who officially launched the guide.
The founder of FIMO and current chairperson of CIAA (Confederation of Indian Australian Association Inc.) Vasan Srinivasan conducted the proceedings. He availed of every opportunity to seek assistance and funding from the politicians for FIMO’s future projects and the ‘much needed’ upgrade of Museum India.
According to Gabrielle Williams MP, the guide is a valuable tool that is practical, pragmatic contribution to creating harmony and a sense of understanding in Victoria and will be significant in fostering a healthy and vibrant Victoria.
Dr Seham Muhsen Ali al-Shwayli, from FIMO’s Multi-Faith Reference Committee, urged the audience to take time to understand and respect the unique values and customs of other faiths in order to further and sustain a harmonious, multi faith society.
Networking continued over dinner that was served in a marquee beside the Museum. During the course of the evening, Bayswater MP Heidi Victoria received many compliments on her choice of attire, as she sported a vibrant, traditional Indian outfit.
The overarching message from the various speakers at the event was to congratulate FIMO for their initiative in creating a multi faith dialogue in Australia where religious, cultural and ethnic diversity is constantly increasing. They all concurred on the importance of collaborative working across various faiths.
According to FIMO President Paramjit Jaswal, this launch was just the start. FIMO will continue to be involved in more initiatives that address community issues with the support of Multicultural Services, Government and non-government bodies.
Indian govt opens coffers for rural India, unveils another tax amnesty
Focusing on rural economy and infrastructure with minor rebate for small taxpayers but amnesty for defaulters, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unveiled on 29 February a Rs.19.78 lakh crore ($300 billion) budget for 2016-17, earmarking more money for health, literacy and roads.
The focus on rural economy and the promise to double the income of farmers in five years came against the backdrop of a distressed agrarian economy, fewer jobs and assembly elections in five states this and next year.
The direct impact on taxpayers from the proposals announced during the 100-minute budget speech will be a Rs.3,000 rebate, benefiting 20 million assessees. Those living in rented homes will get a higher exemption of Rs.60,000 now, against Rs.24,000 earlier. But the tax slabs remain unchanged.
At the same time, withdrawal of provident fund and pension upon retirement are partially taxable.
Jaitley also announced an amnesty for those with disputed tax claims, with a waiver of penalty on amounts up to Rs.10 lakh. He said 300,000 such cases were pending before appellate authorities, for an amount totalling Rs.5.5 lakh crore.
Similarly he also unveiled a limited tax compliance window from June 1 to September 30 for people to declare their undisclosed incomes, with a tax liability of 45 percent of value, including the surcharge and penalties — together with immunity from scrutiny, enquiry and prosecution.
His other steps include a pilot project to extend the direct cash benefit transfers, currently in areas like cooking gas to the fertiliser sector, as also Rs.25,000 crore for the recapitalisation of state-run banks that are under financial stress on account of mounting bad loans.
While there were misgivings over money set aside for additional capital for banks, Jaitley told a press conference later that more money will follow as and when warranted. “The budget is not the last word on this,” he said, adding he was also open to consolidation of commercial banks.
On cutting subsidies, he promised a bill soon to use Aadhaar for direct transfer of cash.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quick to appreciate the budget and said its focus on development of agriculture, farmers, women and rural areas will give a major push to India’s agrarian economy. “It will also help the poor man realise the dream of owning a house,” he said.
Jaitley also said the government will meet its fiscal targets but said that from next year he proposed to do away with the classification of plan and non-plan expenditure, a move bound to stir up a controversy.
“I have weighed the policy options and decided that prudence lies in adhering to fiscal targets. Consequently, the fiscal deficit in revised estimated 2015-16 and budget estimates 2016-17 have been retained at 3.9 percent and 3.5 percent of GDP, respectively,” he said.
Jaitley also enhanced the total expenditure for this fiscal to Rs.19.78 lakh crore from Rs.17.85 lakh crore in the revised estimates for this fiscal — a hike of 10.7 percent — while the plan expenditure component was revised upward by 15.3 percent.
“A broad understanding over years has been plan expenditures are good and non-plan expenditures are bad. This results in skewed allocations in the budget,” he said, adding this would be dispensed with from 2017-18 to focus on revenue and capital classification of expenditure.
This move is likely to face stiff opposition.
Jaitley, a lawyer by profession, decided to bring his fellow practitioners under the service tax net of 14 percent. He also imposed an across-the-board cess of 0.5 percent on services towards farmer welfare, which will add 50 paise for every Rs.100 one spends on food to mobile bills.
He also left the market mood sullen by proposing to hike securities transaction tax for options to 0.05 percent from 0.017 percent, levy an additional dividend distribution tax of 10 percent payable by recipients in excess of Rs.10 lakh per annum and 1 percent surcharge on luxury cars.
This was enough to sully the market mood. The sensitive index of the BSE dipped sharply to a 52-week low soon after the finance minister read out these proposals, but eventually recovered slightly towards the end of the day, but still down 152.30 points, or 0.66 percent, at 23,002.00 points.
Jaitley said the bulk of his tax plan was in nine categories: Relief to small assessees, boosting growth and employment, incentivising “Make in India”, encouraging pension, promoting affordable housing, pushing rural economy, reducing litigation, taxation simplification and accountability.
Among the various sectors, the allocation for the ministry of agriculture and farmers’ welfare was enhanced by 93 percent to Rs.44,485 crore, for rural development by 10.7 percent at Rs.87,765 crore and for health and family welfare by 13 percent to Rs.39,533 crore.
A major boost was also given to infrastructure including energy with a 11.3 percent hike in the outlay to Rs.246,246 crore, as also for human resource development with allocation up by 7 percent at Rs.72,394 crore.
The budget also used the opportunity to send out signals to the global investor, seeking to ease the foreign equity norms. Notably, 100 percent such equity will now be permitted in multi-brand retailing where the produce sold has been processed and sourced locally.
In a bid to boost entrepreneurship, a lower corporate tax rate has been proposed for small firms with a turnover of below Rs.5 crore, to 29 plus surcharge and cess, and 100 percent deduction of profits for three out of five years for start-ups set up between April 2016 and March 2019.
Similarly to boost “Make in India”, changes were proposed in customs and excise levies on certain inputs to reduce costs and improve competitiveness in sectors such as IT hardware, capital goods, defence, textiles, minerals fuels, chemicals and petrochemicals, and aircraft and ship repair. IANS
New perspectives reveal the largely unknown history behind the Sino-Indian war
The 1962 Sino-Indian war, long forgotten by the world, continues to cast a long shadow over India’s foreign and security policy-making. In some ways, it remains shrouded in myth and mystery, for the only official inquiry, the Brooks-Henderson/Bhagat Report on India’s catastrophic defeat in the war, has remained locked away, seen only by very few in the military hierarchy over the past 50 odd years.
Two recently published books have suddenly brought the conflict into the limelight – although they have been written from entirely different perspectives. Bruce Riedel’s new book, JFK: The Forgotten Crisis: Tibet, CIA and the Sino-Indian War (Brookings Institution Press, 2015) explains why the world has forgotten that war. ‘Forgotten’ is perhaps not quite the right word; the world never quite registered the conflict in the first place because at the very moment China was invading India in 1962, the American U-2 spy planes had spotted Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. So huge was this looming Cuban Missile Crisis in the context of the Cold War – and it grabbed the headlines all over the world – that the Chinese invasion of India went completely under the radar. John Kenneth Galbraith, US Ambassador to India at that time, wrote, “The same week – almost the same day – that the superpowers confronted each other in Cuba, the two great Asian powers were locking horns over the Himalayas.”
Riedel is the Director of the Brookings Intelligence Project, had worked for the CIA, and was National Security Advisor to four US Presidents. Bruce Riedel
He identifies three main reasons behind China’s aggression, and most serious scholars of the subcontinent will be familiar with them. First, he points to the CIA’s clandestine support of the Tibetan people (mainly among the Tibetan refugee population in India) in their resistance to Chinese occupation as a factor that partly precipitated the Sino-Indian War. Although this may come as a surprise to many Indians, this was actually first brought to the world’s attention by Allen Whiting, another CIA operative, in his book The Chinese Calculus of Deterrence, published in 1975. Riedel expands on this, and tells us how the United States, beginning in 1957, trained and parachuted Tibetan guerrillas into Tibet to fight Chinese military forces. This covert operation may well have been the proximate cause of China’s invasion of India in 1962. Riedel explains that the United States did not end its support, and training of Tibetan exiles well into the 1970s – when relations between the United States and China were normalised.
The second reason that Riedel identifies is the Chinese wish to humiliate Nehru as they viewed him as trying to arrogate to himself the leadership of the Third World which they wanted as theirs. The third was India’s so-called “Forward Policy” in the Himalayas – both of which have been dealt with in-depth by Neville Maxwell in his famous expose India’s China War, published five decades ago.
Most of us know that Nehru had been disdainful of the US, and had crafted the policy of Non-Alignment to keep it at arms’ length; he had also been firmly behind the Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai sloganeering. Yet when China invaded India, it was to the US that Nehru went rushing for direct American Air Force intervention, asking President John F. Kennedy to provide India with fighter jets to stem the Chinese aggression, to strike in Tibet. Neither were Chinese ‘Bhais’ nor was the US malevolent as Nehru had projected. At the end of the war, his reputation was in tatters and his humiliation complete. He died a broken man a few months later.
Riedel tells us that it was India’s fear of China, and the prospect of a resumption of its war with that country, that haunted the final weeks of Kennedy’s life. He draws on newly declassified letters between Kennedy and Nehru, along with the diaries and memoirs of key players and other sources.
We also learn how Ambassador Galbraith played a crucial role in the crisis. Most in India are unaware of the seminal role that the US played in stymieing Chinese advances through India’s North-east. Galbraith urged Washington and the President to respond generously. Within days, 10,000 US servicemen had arrived in India; eight flights a day of US and British weapons were sent to Calcutta; and a US aircraft carrier was diverted to the Bay of Bengal. Having advanced with ease into northeastern India, it was then that Mao abruptly declared a ceasefire. Another Riedel revelation is that China had wanted Pakistan to simultaneously attack India. JFK managed to get Pakistan to stay out of the war by keeping it engaged in diplomatic talks.
Galbraith forged a role that is a lesson for ambassadors the world over. For a full week after China’s invasion, he received no letter, call or telegram from Washington as it was completely preoccupied with the Cuban crisis. Kennedy entrusted the US response entirely to Galbraith. It was a shrewd – and correct – decision, for it was the Ambassador who crafted a calibrated and successful response to the Chinese attack entirely on his own.
Quite fortuitously, Shiv Kunal Verma has just come out with a book on the same subject, 1962: The War That Wasn’t (Aleph, 2016). Riveting in both style and substance, this book chronicles the story of an army that was let down by some of its senior officers – many of whom were political appointees – as well as their political masters. The book also documents the early history of the regions, especially NEFA, which along with Ladakh, was the main theatre of the War, and the goings-on in the Indian Army, including political meddling which led to India’s catastrophic defeat. Verma was a guest at the The Hindu’s Lit for Life last month. He was the first to film the Kargil War (1999) and has written extensively on the Indian armed forces, including the Assam Rifles, Siachen, and the North East. Shiv Kunal Verma
What motivated Kunal Verma to write about the Sino-Indian war? His father, Major Gen AK Verma, was in the Army, and his battalion, the 2 Rajput, was completely wiped out in the 1962 War – 282 men died in one hour. His father survived because he was posted elsewhere at that time. He later distinguished himself as the commander of the Indian Army’s 18 Rajput during the 1971 Indo-Pak War. “It got me interested in military history and, ever since, I have been documenting the history of the Armed Forces,” says the author. This close family association with the army seems to have given Verma a certain advantage: for though he knows the military intimately, he does not shy away from exposing events as they unfolded – as he has not himself served in the army.
In this book, Verma shows us how those who stood and fought the battles, despite every kind of handicap, were repeatedly let down by those who should have been holding their hands in Nam Ka Chu, Bum-la, Tawang, Se-la, Thembang, Bomdila – all in the Kameng Frontier Division of NEFA. For example, C Company of 13 Kumaon, led by Major Shaitan Singh, fought to the last man and last round at Razangla at 1,600 feet, before being overwhelmed. Of the 123 jawans, 114 were killed, including the company commander. This was a battle which has no parallel in the annals of modern military history.
The main cause of India’s defeat at China’s hand was Jawaharlal Nehru’s naïve faith in the India-China friendship, and a refusal to even consider views to the contrary emanating from the army – no matter how well informed they were. It was perhaps Nehru’s skewed idea of what civilian control entailed. When General KM Cariappa brought to Nehru’s notice in early 1951 that some Chinese troops were apprehended with maps showing parts of the North East Frontier Agency as part of China, he retorted, “It is not for the Army to decide who the nation’s likely enemies would be.”
In 1959, General Thimmayya had flagged a Chinese attack: Nehru and Menon ignored him again. This was compounded by wanton interference in internal army matters, favouring those that the duo liked – or those that reflected their political views – over officers who had combat experience or could assess threats on the ground. In 1960, then Chief of the Eastern Command Lt Gen SPP Thorat, held an exercise, code named ‘Operation Lal Quila’, in Lucknow, to assess the Chinese threat. It was attended by all Principal Staff Officers from the Army HQ, who unequivocally demonstrated that with the troops, weapons and equipment available at that time, a Chinese attack could not be contained, and the ‘forward policy’, advocated by the Defence Minister and General Officer commanding the North East, Lt Gen BM Kaul, (a Nehru appointee with little experience of battle), was not practical. In 1961, General Thimayya handed his resignation to Nehru following differences with the Defence Minister Krishna Menon over the issue, saying, “With the present state of the Army, I can hardly assure success. We are not prepared. All my efforts …have failed for the past 24 to 30 months to make the Armed Forces a viable defence force.”
Nothing was done on Gen Thimayya’s recommendations, and indeed when he left, Thorat was not considered for promotion: in his place Gen Thapar was appointed as the Army chief and Lt Gen Kaul as the Chief of General Staff.
Both backed the ill-fated ‘forward policy’. In the aftermath of the humiliating defeat, the duo, along with Menon, resigned in ignominy.
Volunteering is a way of life for community icon Dilnaz Billimoria
To those in Melbourne’s Parsee community, Dilnaz Billimoria is a well-loved figure.
Her genuine desire to make life a little more liveable for many in need, especially new migrants, has seen her become a role model and icon in the community.
This Australia Day, she was recognised for her efforts with the 2016 Menzies Community Australia Day Award, presented by Kevin Andrews MP (Federal Member for Menzies), and the 2016 Whitehorse Australia Day Civic Award for Community Achievement, presented by Mayor Philip Daw.
“Being a Parsee migrant myself, and a descendent of ancestors who fled persecution by the Arab invaders in the 7th century, I understand the barriers migrants face and wish to ease their transition into the Great Southern Land with a warm and welcoming environment,” Billimoria told Indian Link. “As a migrant here myself, I understand the difficulties involved in moving to a new country and want to make sure that no matter where you come from, there will always be friends waiting to appreciate your arrival.”
A workplace diversity specialist within the finance industry, Dilnaz is an upstanding citizen and ambassador in the community for multiculturalism. After her day job, you will usually find her running off to a committee meeting, helping set-up an event or working with councillors and organisations on new community events.
Over a decade ago, she started volunteering with the City of Whitehorse on projects like the Human Book Project and Blackburn Lake Sanctuary, and assisting at local op shops. She also became a member of the Manningham Interfaith Network, Women’s Interfaith Network and Centre for Melbourne Multi-faith and Other Network.
These days, she is busy organising faith tours, volunteering at the Migration Settlement Centre and working on projects such as the ‘Matters of Trust’ seminar that helps elderly people stay alert to financial abuse.
Blessed with unbounded energy and a bright personality, Billimoria is always on the go and confident in her stride. But she is always willing to stop for a quick chat, ready with a smile and a warm embrace.
A deeply spiritual person, Dilnaz is a member of a very old monotheistic religion. Founded by Zarathushtra around 3,500 years ago in the city of Yazd, located in ancient Iran (Persia), Zoroastrianism has had a profound influence on the development of eastern and western civilisation. Predating Islam, Christianity and Judaism, Zoroastrians worship the fire (purity) and practice three simple tenets: good words, good thoughts and good deeds. They pray to Ahura Mazda and practice the law of Asha – the divine order of things.
Although her own faith is very important in her life, Billimoria respects all other faiths equally.
“I am sure that all faiths and cultures encourage their followers to assist all mankind,” she remarked.
She wishes to educate the public on diverse faiths and likes all cultures to participate in sharing their skills.
Through the course of her work, Billimoria has come in contact with people of diverse backgrounds. This has led to an engagement with activities that help to promote understanding, increased tolerance and greater acceptance.
She has organised faith tours to different places of worship, seminars on meditation and yoga, lessons on spirituality through music and dance, and workshops for refugees and asylum seekers on their role, rights and responsibilities.
She has served on the committee at Manningham Council to discuss issues surrounding violence against women. She has worked with refugees and members of CALD background understand their rights to access health resources. As well, she regularly participates in International Women’s Day events organised in Whitehorse and Boroondara, to make women aware of opportunities and to continue to work towards gender equality. She recently worked with the Whitehorse Interfaith Network on organising a panel event for the public to witness the stories of an asylum seeker’s journey to Australia.
Dilnaz is also a great leader and team player. She has volunteered, for some years now, as the MC for the Global Fiesta and Harmony Day events in Whitehorse as part of Cultural Diversity Week in March and the Spring Festival in October for the Multicultural Stage.
As a well-spoken role model, Dilnaz embodies a can-do and down-to-earth persona. Her free and giving nature is remarkable and many people respect her because she is positive and productive, bubbly and proactive.
She never misses an opportunity to inspire others towards community work.
“Volunteering takes passion, professionalism and patience – the three Ps, I say. A volunteer has to be committed to the cause and has to be passionate about helping and supporting others. It comes from the heart. Never take ‘no’ for an answer and search for a win-win solution.”
She advises everyone to volunteer in whatever way possible “It will help you become a better person at work and at home.”
Yarraville Club Cricket Club is making the sport accessible to people from all walks of life
The game moves more often than not in a leisurely way; and so the watcher can be mindful, as the men in white come onto the field at the fresh of the morning, that the sun is beginning its comfortable journey up the sky; that, while the game pauses in the hour for rest and lunch, the earth is sleeping in the heat of noon; that, as the end of the day comes and the shadows fall over the grass, the yellow light touches the cricketers’ flannel. These things matter to the game; it is these things, and not the winning and losing and the records that we remember in old age after our limbs have become stiff and we can play no more.
So wrote the great English writer Neville Cardus some 80 years ago, yet you would be forgiven for thinking he had written those words today. For despite its many evolutions, at the core of the game, its beauty remains its inherent ability to transcend. In addition to rising above mere statistics, as noted by Cardus, it has transcended race, politics, age, gender and time. Given its long and storied history, it was not until relatively recently that administrators of the game began formalising avenues through which cricket could transcend disability – the delay perhaps a fitting example of the many ways in which cricket allegorises society itself.
Australia’s first all abilities cricket association, the Melbourne All Abilities Cricket Association (MAACA), has given scores of cricketers the opportunity to overcome the barriers that have at times no doubt threatened to define them. Established in 2015, MAACA now has six participating clubs, and is one of the jewels in the crown of Cricket Australia’s National Disability Cricket Strategy and Cricket Victoria’s All Abilities Action Plan, under which all abilities cricket is being expanded throughout the state and country.
Yarraville Club Cricket Club (YCCC) is the only all-abilities cricket club in Melbourne’s western suburbs, a veritable melting pot of cultures and backgrounds. Hussain Hanif, the YCCC coach, notes the high proportion of overweight and diabetic residents in some of these suburbs, as well as families of low socioeconomic and migrant backgrounds. YCCC coach Hussain Hanif with volunteer Lorraine Woodman
“I use the cricket program to provide education on and off the sports field: to show how you can get the most out of life and not let the disability stop you from chasing your dreams,” says Hussain. In its first season, Hussain’s dedication has seen YCCC become incredibly successful on and off the field, and its inclusive, comfortable culture is frequently attracting new players.
One of those players is 22-year-old Christopher Quinn-Scheib. After having the last year off from playing cricket, this season Chris joined his friends at YCCC – and he has enjoyed every minute.
“Playing cricket has helped my confidence,” says Chris. “We’re a big family at Yarraville, everyone gets along so well. It makes it a lot easier to communicate and function as a team.”
Like most cricketers in Melbourne – and Australia – Chris’s passion for the game was ignited through backyard cricket. However, as his mother Patricia recalls, cricket had a more profound influence on Chris than anticipated. Chris dedicates a wicket to his late uncle
“Chris was bullied at school, and he had low self-esteem for a while until he started wanting to play cricket and football. Once he started getting into playing cricket, there was no turning back. He absolutely loved it, he brought a lot more of himself out. He was always somewhat shy, but it’s brought him out of his shell,” says Patricia. “It’s made us a lot happier now with him, because he’s not holding everything back and getting frustrated. He keeps going from strength to strength.”
Alexander Skinner, who plays mainstream cricket as well as all abilities cricket, can scarcely believe the heights he has reached today. Once never picked for school sporting teams, Alex is now playing in the first division of the Eastern Cricket Association, playing alongside a former international cricketer and keeping wickets to bowlers bowling in excess of 135km/h.
“Being autistic is hard, especially at school, having very few friends and being bullied a lot…when I wanted to start playing cricket it was a big shock to my family, as I was thought too unsocial to play,” Alex says. Alex Skinner plays a perfect straight drive
“Being autistic is in most cases a problem that affects your ability to be social and read people’s body language and be part of a team. Playing with the guys in my side has really helped me with my own problems and allows me to be more social with more people. It has changed my life for the better.” Alex credits his hard work and persistence with allowing him to play at the highest possible level, something that still “boggles [his] mind”.
Justin West, a football and cricket fan who was born with hydrocephalus, as well as a learning disability and a spinal disorder, is not allowed to play football due to the risk of seriously damaging his spine. However, Justin has always enjoyed the “laid-back, non-contact” atmosphere of cricket, which gives his life important balance while he studies a course in events management at Evocca College. Justin West rolls the arm over before a game
“You just zone out on the field and focus on the game,” says Justin. “Cricket is a good anger management tool. It’s not as frustrating. If you get a bad decision, you take it on the chin. There’s no point arguing with the umpire, his decision is final. There’s been a big change [in me]. I’m a lot happier, I look forward to matches every second week and training weekly – it’s definitely a confidence booster.” Although his spinal disorder can sometimes make it “agony” to get through a whole day of cricket, Justin, a former representative player with the Victoria Vikings, is determined to keep playing cricket as long as his body will let him. Zach Ireland of YCCC bowls against Morrabbin Cricket Club
The challenges faced by YCCC players are ongoing.
“I went through a rough stage with the passing of my uncle,” recalls Chris. “I didn’t want to play anymore. Huss told me to push through it. When my uncle passed away, a week later, we had a cricket game. I decided to play, and I told myself, if I get a wicket, I’ll do a celebration and dedicate it to my uncle.”
Chris did take the wicket, and treasures it as a defining moment for him on the cricket field.
At the end of last month, YCCC won their grand final match off the last ball, but as Cardus wrote, winning and losing will eventually fade beyond memory; to players like Chris, Alex and Justin, the positive impact of cricket on their quality of life will remain profound.
“People say people with disabilities can’t play sport,” Chris says. “All abilities cricket helps us prove people wrong – people with disabilities can do as much as a normal person can do.”
Melbourne family mourns the loss of military hero Captain Tushar Mahajan
As Prakash Gupta grieved the loss of his cousin, the community in Australia and across India paid tribute to martyred Captain Tushar Mahajan.
The 26-year-old Captain was killed in a gunfight between alleged terrorists and Indian forces in Pampore, part of Pulwama district, South Kashmir, recently.
In a moving ceremony, his mortal remains were cremated with full military honours in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir.
Captain Mahajan’s cousin, Prakash Gupta lives in Melbourne and is a successful entrepreneur from TechnoSource Australia.
In an update provided to Indian Link, Prakash said he was in touch with Tushar’s parents in India and they are understandably shaken with the death of their son, however are very proud that he sacrificed his life for the nation.
Though Prakash did not spend a lot of time with Tushar, as he has lived overseas for 30 years, 16 of which have been spent in Melbourne, Tushar’s life and death have both been inspirational to him.
“I am fortunate to have known him. RIP brother,” said Prakash.
Captain Mahajan’s parents, retired principal Dev Raj Gupta and mother Aasha Rani, had seen their son briefly around ten days before the incident, when he visited them for half an hour. Little did they know that it was the last time they would see him alive. The mother of Tushar Mahajan, an Indian army officer who was killed in a gunbattle, weeps as she touches the coffin of her son Tushar during his wreath laying ceremony in Udhampur, north of Jammu, February 22, 2016. REUTERS/Mukesh Gupta
His mother was inconsolable with grief, as she wept loudly, hugging his coffin during the official wreath laying ceremony. His grief-stricken father was quoted as saying, “How long will children continue to become martyrs? When will politicians take a decision that puts an end to this?”
Captain Mahajan was hit with four bullets whilst leading his team in an operation to flush out armed militants that were holed up inside a Government building.
The encounter took place inside the multi-storeyed Entrepreneurship Development Institute where the alleged terrorists were hiding after attacking a CRPF convoy.
Captain Tushar Mahajan was also remembered at an event at Melbourne’s Federation Square, where some of the community came together to pay their respects. Tushar Mahajan’s father salutes his coffin
His friends, who created a Facebook page dedicated to his memory, remembered how Tushar always wished to join the army and fight terrorists since his childhood. Captain Mahajan was enlisted in the Indian army to the elite Para 9, and had earlier completed his course from the National Defence Academy, India’s premier Joint Services Academy in Khadakwasla, Pune.
Bhavesh Malviya in an emotional Facebook post wrote, “Thank you Sir, we will miss you, and we all know that no one can replace you, but I still want to become like you.”
On India’s Republic Day, 26 January, Tushar posted an expression of his patriotism on WhatsApp. He wrote on his status, “So jayegi kal lipatkar tirange ke saath, yeh deshbhakti hai saheb, tarikhon par jagti hai” which loosely translates as, ‘Tomorrow patriotism will go to sleep along with the folding of the national flag, it only wakes up on a few days.’
The thousands that thronged the streets of Udhampur to attend his memorial, and the millions who watched the extensive coverage, could only lament the loss of a brave son, one who did the nation proud.
Subrata Joy Saha from India wrote in a Facebook post: “People are sacrificing life so that we people can live a happy life, and we are fighting with each other for reservation, money and power. Wake up India. Change it, time has come. Salute Captain Tushar Mahajan.”
Poetry and verse bring South Asians together at the inaugural SAPAC Literary and Poetic Seminar
A new first-of-its-kind literary and poetry event lit up the twilight, and its success will be talked about in Melbourne’s poetry circuit for a while to come.
The South Asian Public Affairs Council (SAPAC) recently organised a soulful evening filled with great lyrical poetry, at Stirling Theological College, Mulgrave. The distinctive aspect of the occasion was that it was a multilingual platform for the nationals of the seven South Asian countries: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Maldives.
The event had a great turnout, with even more people than the organisers expected. The evening kicked off with greetings from Dr Shahbaaz Chaudhry, President of SAPAC. He welcomed everyone to this new platform for the intellects of the South Asian community to come together and share their works.
“We may be from different countries, we may speak different languages but our values are the same,” he said. Through his poems (in Urdu and Punjabi) he claimed that a poet has no religion, a poet only brings humanity together.
Dr Kaushal Srivastava, Convenor, expressed a similar sentiment with his own words of poetry. His work in Hindi (with English translations) spoke of the common ground that Australia has become for all those present, from different backgrounds.
The literary event was divided into two segments: Poetry Recitation and Book Introductions. The first segment was quite elaborate with around 20 poets who read their works in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, English, Sinhalese, Tamil, and Bengali. All participants had been requested to speak in their mother-tongue with a translation of their works in English for the audience’s sake.
Dilini Eriyawala, a poet who recited at the event was ecstatic to read. “It was a different experience for me as a Sri Lankan, as this is the first event I attended with people who share the same interest,” she said. “The event was very interesting and hearing poems in different languages was awesome, though I didn’t understand much, but it was so musical.”
A wide array of topics were covered by the poets, including migration issues, love, current affairs, new age technology-driven relationships, and hope for a united India.
Dinesh Srivastava, a regular at literary events said, “This was a first-of-its-kind event where various South Asian languages have been brought together which is kudos to the organisers.”
The second part of the evening was brief and dedicated to book enthusiasts. Ten authors read paragraphs from their published and upcoming works. The passion with which each writer read and explained their works was exemplary.
The audience also enjoyed a dance recital by the Pravaha Dancing Foundation.
Dignitaries present at the occasion were Jennifer Yang, Mayor of Koonung Ward and Julian Hill, Labor Candidate for Bruce. Ms Yang congratulated the organisers on the great event. “It was wonderful opportunity for so many talented people from different countries to come together and have a cultural interchange,” she said. “It’s critical for us to be in touch with our roots and pass our heritage on to our next generations. We are proud Australians but we are also proud of the countries we originally come from.”
Mr Hill made a spontaneous visit and thanked the Council for inviting him to this event. He admitted candidly, “I don’t understand much that is going on here, but I’m delighted to meet people with such diverse backgrounds that have gathered today.”
Dr Shahbaaz Chaudhry said, “The response was overwhelming even though the event wasn’t advertised much.”
He added, “The Council might consider to hold this event twice a year since there has been so much interest.”
He hopes that next time around the event will be more structured and a much bigger success.
There were however a few pointers that the Council would do well to consider for future events.
Yasmine, one of the attendees said, “The event was great but it was too lengthy. The organisers could have limited the number of participants in each category to say two or three. And there should have been a break in between the four-hour long program.” Chitra, another attendee, added, “All poets should have their poems translated so as to reach all members of the audience.”
Kaushaliya Vaghela, Secretary of SAPAC agreed. “Yes, translations could have been presented on screen to keep the audience engaged.”
She added, “The youth was missing in action, but today’s success and word of mouth would draw them in next time.”
The shortcomings of the inaugural event can easily be tackled in Version 2.0.
SAPAC has been formed with the idea of bringing all the communities of South Asia together and this event seems to have achieved that to a large extent. To date, the Council has tried to touch various issues and interests that are close to these communities including sports, business and migration, and is now engaging with literary works. For further information visit: sapac.org.au
The inaugural Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Melbourne is a learning ground for the future
Traditionally, the two-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas event has been held in different cities of India featuring discussions on important topics and concerns of the Indian diaspora, along with felicitating the exceptional works of people of Indian origin living abroad.
However, from this year onwards the Indian government experimented with a new format. Many felt the old arrangements weren’t giving the expected results and that issues raised by the Indian diaspora weren’t being addressed to satisfaction.
Henceforth, every alternate year PBD will be held in New Delhi, India with all the associated pageantry, while every other year it will be celebrated on a small scale in India and individually at all the embassies and missions across the world. This new format is aimed at the inclusion of a larger audience, while the issues raised in each individual centre will be collated and forwarded to the Indian government for resolution.
The Consulate General of India in Melbourne marked its version of PBD 2016 on 21 February. The event kicked off with a welcome note from Manika Jain, Consul General of India. This was followed by a moderator-driven group discussion with six speakers: Dr Rajkumar, Mr Vasan Srinivasan, Dr Ravi Bhatia, Mr Srinivasan, Dr Manjula Datta O’Connor, and Prof. Suresh Bhargava.
Vasan Srinivasan spoke about the sanitation project in India and about the potential for creating an app to collect funding from the NRI community and making sure it reaches the right places in India.
Mr Srinivasan highlighted the issues being faced by Indian exporters of jewellery and diamonds since there is still no Free Trade Agreement between India and Australia.
Dr Ravi Bhatia talked about how the government is making is easier to “Make in India”. Dr Manjula O’Connor talked about the role of welfare and the steps being taken to improve the status of women. Prof. Suresh Bhargava touched upon the importance of education for the growth of Indians.
This was a short session and audience inclusion was limited. The speakers were asked to stick to their scripts which left very little room for an open discussion and Q&A.
“The session could have been delivered more innovatively,” said Ajit Singh, Founder, Oorja Foundation. “There could have been more audience inclusion instead of lecture-style presentations. Only a few skills were discussed and many other topics like tourism weren’t even covered by any speakers. There was no youth involvement and only group leaders were present.”
The general purpose of the event was to highlight current projects initiated by the government in India and explore how the Indian diaspora can contribute to their progress.
Prabhat Sangwan, Consul Officer said, “This new format for PBD is intended to include a larger audience who weren’t making it to the event being held in India each year. Each embassy or mission will collate the major points of discussion and hand it over to the Indian Government.” However, she noted, they were certainly expecting a bigger turnout for this event.
Consul General of India, Melbourne, Manika Jain said, “It was very encouraging to hear what the speakers had to say. The ideas are in the nascent stages but there is a lot of enthusiasm by the Indian diaspora here. They (NRIs) want to give back to India.”
Jain is optimistic about the future of PBD. “This new model will be more beneficial as more people will be able to contribute with their ideas,” she said. Though the turnout was low this time around, she expressed hopes that next year there will be greater awareness and participation.
There was a plethora of topics but only a few were discussed. Some were very specific to particular industries so it wasn’t relevant to everyone present. For a more insightful discussion, perhaps only a couple of themes could have been shortlisted prior to the event.
“It was a great initiative and a commendable effort by the consulate for holding this event,” said another attendee Sunny Chandra. He added, “There should be more such events and Indian business leaders should be invited which seemed to be missing today.”
Molina Asthana, Principal Solicitor, Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office pointed out, “There was no diversity in the speakers (with only one female to five male speakers), or amongst the audience either.”
The event could have been better advertised for a bigger turnout.
The Melbourne Indian community is vibrant and has already established itself as one that the Australian government and its various agencies pay close attention to. There is much that the community can offer to the Indian government as well, and the desire is always there to contribute to the homeland. Here’s hoping the PBD becomes a more effective platform next time round. For further information, visit: cgimelb.org
Liverpool set to come alive this weekend with the return of the Liverpool Night Markets and the CBD Exposed Urban Youth Music Festival
Macquarie Mall is set to come alive for the CBD Exposed Urban Youth Music Festival on Saturday 5 March 2016.
A range of performers from the Street University will take to the stage from 6pm and there will be a free screening of the family favourite, Monsters University from 8pm.
“If you like urban dance you won’t want to miss the amazing performances by the Street University crew,” said Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun. “These guys and girls really know how to move.”
“There will be an outdoor screening of Monsters University, as well as free popcorn, prizes and other giveaways, so bring your picnic blankets and rugs and settle in to the lawn at Macquarie Mall for a huge night of free entertainment.”
“On the same night we will also be hosting the Liverpool Night Markets at nearby St Luke’s Church.”
“We are doing everything we can to activate the night time economy of our CBD and provide opportunities for local young people to express their artistic talents through music and dance,” said Mayor Ned Mannoun.
The Liverpool Night Markets are back – and they’re set to be bigger and better than ever, thanks to their new home at historic St Luke’s Church in the heart of Liverpool.
“I’m very excited about the re-launch of the Night Markets, which will have a medieval theme,” said Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun. “The kids will love the Danelaw Medieval Fighting Society, who will be doing live fighting demonstrations, and there will be a medieval banquet and lots of free entertainment for the whole family.
“The Night Markets have outgrown their original home in Macquarie Street, where they operated successfully since May 2014. Instead of being held on a monthly basis, they will now be held quarterly on 5 March, 4 June, 8 October, and 10 December 2016,” said Mayor Ned Mannoun.
“This is a fantastic development for our city – St Luke’s Anglican Church is right next to Macquarie Mall and Westfield so it’s the ideal venue for this event.
“The church was built by Francis Greenway in 1819 and is one of the oldest in Australia and it still has a central place in Liverpool’s past, present and future.”
“The Night Markets have been a great success at activating Liverpool’s night time economy. The new location is only going to make our city even more vibrant at night.”
“There is ample parking available at Westfield, Bathurst St North and Liverpool Plaza and it’s only a short walk from Liverpool Station,” said Mayor Ned Mannoun.
“I am also very much looking forward to the medieval theme. So come along and enjoy a fabulous variety of street food, live music and family entertainment.” CBD Exposed Urban Youth Music Festival highlights include:
Free entertainment by Street University performers from 6pm-7.30pm
Free Outdoor Movie – Monsters University (rated G) from 7.45pm-9.30pm
Free popcorn
Free live entertainment
Prizes and giveaways Liverpool Night Markets highlights include:
Medieval banquet
Medieval fighting demonstrations
Petting zoo
Medieval face painting
Medieval dress ups Market stalls – Unique products, specialty gifts, fashion, books, arts and crafts, and other delicious treats. Kids’ activities including free face painting, Balloon Creations, story time, arts and crafts and more. Delicious street food from around the world. Share your experience of the Night Markets via Instagram and upload your photos to @liverpoolnightmarkets #liverpoolnightmarkets.
No alcohol is permitted at these events. For more information aplease phone 1300 36 2170, visit www.liverpool.nsw.gov.au/whats-on or www.liverpool.nsw.gov.au/nightmarkets or to get involved, email nightmarkets@liverpool.nsw.gov.au.
While the Modi Government has overseen the growth of the country’s economy, India is witnessing a similar growth in fundamentalist nationalism. LINDSAY HUGHES writes
Background
Students from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), one of India’s more prestigious learning institutions, organised an event on the third anniversary of the hanging of Afzal Guru, a convicted terrorist who was hanged for his role in the attack on the Indian Parliament building in December 2001. They planned to protest the “judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat” at the event through art, music and poetry.
Student members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP or All India Students Council, which is said to be the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a right-wing, nationalist organisation that is the parent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP party) took offence when, as they allege, other students at the gathering shouted anti-India and pro-Pakistan slogans. The ABVP members began a protest of their own and demanded that the organisers of the event be expelled from JNU. Apart from stopping the organisers from attending classes, charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy were brought against them. Comment
The situation is rapidly becoming a clash of ideologies. On the one side are the ABVP members who, true to the policies of the RSS, refuse to countenance any perceived act or sloganeering against the national interest. On the other are the more liberal-minded students who claim that in a secular democracy freedom of thought and speech is vital to its functioning. It is interesting to note that many academic staff have aligned with the liberals. As one student who was involved in organising the event asked, ‘Considering this is a democratic republic, why should dissent be suppressed?’
Matters took a turn for the worse when the powerful Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, spoke to Delhi Police Commissioner, B.S. Bassi, and the President of the JNU Students Union, Kanhaiya Kumar, was arrested on charges of sedition. When Mr Kumar was brought to court on 17 February for his hearing, he was reported to have been beaten up by “people wearing lawyers’ robes” and shouting pro-India slogans. It was also reported that the police escort stood by and did not attempt to protect Kumar. Police Commissioner Bassi, however, denied Kumar had been beaten up and said he had only been jostled by the crowd. That denial was refuted when two lawyers admittedto having beaten Kumar up over the space of three hours when a magazine crew carried out a sting operation.
Other event organisers who had fled were being pursued by the authorities. Police from New Delhi’s south district command and personnel from its anti-terror forces were said to be tracking these students. When five of them re-appeared at the JNU campus, Commissioner Bassi appeared to redefine the law, stating, ‘If they are innocent, they should produce evidence.’ If that is true, it would appear that the officer pays little, if any, regard to the presumption of innocence until found guilty.
More worrying, however, is the general mood among many of those who are charged with upholding the law, including lawyers. By beating up Kumar, these individuals, who are duty-bound to uphold the law and the presumption of innocence, have shown that they take it upon themselves to determine what is and is not just, who is innocent and who guilty without the benefit of procedure and, essentially, place themselves above the very legal edifice they are sworn to uphold. The fact that they shouted pro-India slogans does not indemnify them in any way. In fact, it would appear that they have sullied patriotism in India with their version of justice.
Their actions, however, epitomise the creeping nationalism that is growing in India with the election of the BJP into government. In 2009, for instance, several women in a pub in the city of Mangalore were beaten up by a mob led by Pramod Muthalik, the chief of a right-wing, nationalist organisation, the Sri Rama Sene. In 2014, Muthalik was allowed to campaign for the BJP in the general election even though he was not permitted to run for office. He was, however, inducted into the BJP by the state party President. Muthalik’s reason for beating up women in a pub was said to be to prevent them from bringing dishonour to Indian women.
Here again, Muthalik epitomises creeping nationalism in the world’s largest democracy and by inducting him into the party, the BJP appears to have condoned his actions as being understandable. India’s greatest strength, bar none, has been its historic ability to absorb aspects of other cultures, religions and societies and to integrate those into its own while giving them a decidedly Indian flavour. It withstood invasions from the time of the Greeks as well as invasions that stemmed from Central Asia and from Europe. While it may have been politically and militarily subjugated by the British for two hundred years, India left its own impression upon British culture, its language and thinking. It is, sadly, losing that strength due to the myopia shown by a relative few who cannot discern between India’s strength and their own insecurities. Nationalism could easily be, if allowed to get out of hand, a precursor to social collapse. If students raise “seditious” chants on a university campus, they ought to be defeated in debate and in discussion. Physical might, violence and coercion will never take the place of persuasion. Lindsay Hughes, Research Analyst, Indian Ocean Research Programme This post has been republished from Future Directions International Pty Ltd. 80 Birdwood Parade, Dalkeith WA 6009, Australia www.futuredirections.org.au
