The Indian Weekender, 29 March 2024

Friday, 29 March 2024
Volume 1 / Issue 01
Read • Watch • Engage
760A Dominion Road, Mt. Eden, Auckland – 1041
www.iwk.co.nz /indianweekendernz /indianweekender
Surya Phutane
Chartered Accountant
Financial Adviser
O: 09 218 6206 | M: 021 202 0331 I EMAIL - surya.phutane@pasl.co.nz
INDIAN STUDENTS
WORSE OFF THAN
SRI LANKANS
AS VISA APPROVAL
RATES FOR OFFSHORE
STUDENTS PLUMMET
PRESENTS
THE LEGEND IS BACK
AFTER 6 YEARS
NZ Soaked In
Colours As Holi
Fervour Takes Over
RAVI BAJPAI
Visa
approvals
for
offshore Indian students
plummeted to near
bottom in the 17 months
to December 2023, new
immigration data shows.
Between August 2022
and December 2023,
two in every five offshore
applications from Indian
students were rejected,
a decline rate worse than
Sri Lanka where three out
of four applications were
successful.
The Ministry of
Business, Innovation and
Employment last week
released data on student
visa applications filed via
offshore education agents
from the 10 countries it
considers to be “high risk”.
This data does not include
Licensed Immigration
Advisers based out of New
Zealand.
The only country worse
off than India was Nepal,
which ranked at the bottom
with only one in four
applications ever making it
through.
China topped the list with
an approval rate of 95 per
cent, followed by Thailand
and Colombia at about 94
per cent.
Despite the low approval
rate, Indian students were
still the biggest cohort
in absolute numbers–
with 4,926 successful
applicants–followed by
China at 4,419.
The latest approval
rates for student visa
applications from India are
in stark contrast to 2018
when nearly 77 per cent
of the applications were
successful, and even 2017
when the approval rate
stood at 70 per cent.
• Continued on Page 7
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Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 29 March, 2024
NEW ZEALAND 3
Jalandhar
man makes
it to NZ
Men’s 35s
hockey team
URJITA BHARDWAJ
Hockey New Zealand
recently announced the
teams chosen to represent
New Zealand at the Masters
World Cup, set to be held in Cape
Town and North Harbour later this
year. Among these teams is the
Men’s 35s category, which will
be competing in Cape Town in
October.
Harmandeep Singh, the sole
Indian selected among 18 players,
will be representing New Zealand
in this category.
Hailing from Jalandhar, Punjab,
Harman arrived in New Zealand on
a student visa in 2011, aiming to
build a better lifestyle and support
his family back home, consisting
of three sisters, one brother, and
his mother, after his father passed
away in 2008.
“My father always supported
and encouraged my passion for
playing hockey back home,” Singh
recalls. Despite concerns about
losing touch with his sport while
studying Business Management
in New Zealand, Harman joined
the Southern Hockey Club in
Papatoetoe alongside his poststudy
job.
Having played hockey since
the fifth grade, Singh notes that
while he has competed at the
national level, this will be his
first international representation.
Despite facing adversity, Singh
has remained dedicated to hockey,
driven by his father's dream to see
him excel in the sport.
Singh's hockey journey in
New Zealand began with the
Southern Districts Hockey club in
Papatoetoe before he joined the
New Zealand Punjab Hockey club.
“My father always
supported and
encouraged my passion
for playing hockey back
home... I have played
many tournaments for
New Zealand Punjabi
Hockey Club, and it
is my responsibility
to represent the club
with all my heart and
energy." Harmandeep
Singh
For the past three years, he has
been playing for North Harbour
Indians, which has further fueled
his passion for the game.
Looking beyond the Masters
World Cup, Singh is also preparing
for the Australian Sikh Games in
Adelaide, where he will represent
the New Zealand Punjabi Club on
March 29, 2024.
“I have played many
tournaments for New Zealand
Punjabi Hockey Club, and it is my
responsibility to represent the
club with all my heart and energy,”
Singh states.
Hockey New Zealand fields
teams across all age groups
and genders, provided there are
enough players of suitable quality
available.
The selection criteria for the
Masters World Cup require players
to participate in the National
Masters Tournament or apply
separately.
As the team prepares for the
tournament in October, training
sessions are held weekly.
Supported by his coach,
Paresh Bhikha from North
Harbour Indians hockey club,
and his community, Singh has
been preparing diligently for the
upcoming Masters World Cup.
For Harman, balancing work
and passion means practicing
every Thursday for two hours, with
an additional hour on Saturdays,
along with gym sessions and a
balanced diet.
The Masters World Cup is just
one of the many platforms where
he will showcase his talent, with
the Australian Sikh Games also on
his radar.
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Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 29 March, 2024
NEW ZEALAND 5
DEV NADKARNI
The 104-year-old Auckland
Indian Association Inc.
(AIAI) witnessed history
unfold on Sunday as Puspa
Lekinwala was elected as its
first-ever woman president. The
election, held at the Mahatma
Gandhi Centre on March 24, saw
Lekinwala securing her position
unopposed, marking a significant
milestone in the association’s
long-standing legacy.
Lekinwala, a stalwart in the
Auckland Indian community
known for her unwavering
dedication and selfless service,
expressed her profound gratitude
upon assuming the prestigious
role. In an exclusive interview with
Indian Weekender, she shared her
sentiments, saying, “I am humbled
and honoured to be the first
woman to be President of AIA in
104 years.”
Lekinwala’s journey with the
Auckland Indian Association
traces back to her childhood,
where her deep-rooted connection
began at the age of five.
From attending Gujarati
school to joining AIAI’s inaugural
women’s hockey team, her
involvement burgeoned over the
years, leading her to serve on
numerous committees, including
the 50-plus years old Mahila
Samaj.
Reflecting on the prevailing
societal biases, Lekinwala said
it is the transformative power
of education, experience, and
knowledge that has empowered
Indian women to transcend
traditional roles. “Indian women
have generally held positions of
A first in 104
years: Puspa
Lekinwala
makes history
wifehood and motherhood, and
that bias has remained,” she
remarked. “It is through education,
experience, and knowledge that
Indian women are now taking
roles that have been maledominated.”
Lekinwala outlined her
vision for the AIAI under her
leadership, prioritising unity,
diversity, teamwork, and the
active involvement of youth and
women. “My tasks will be to bring
unity, promote diversity, enhance
teamwork, and encourage new
experiences and knowledge,” she
said. “I aim to continue building
on past accomplishments of the
“Indian women
have generally
held positions
of wifehood and
motherhood, and
that bias has
remained.” Puspa
Lekinwala
AIAI, have more youth activities,
and invite youth to attend
association events.”
Lekinwala’s profile exemplifies
her lifelong commitment to
service. With a remarkable tenure
spanning over three decades
within the AIAI’s Executive
Committee, including roles as
Assistant Secretary and Vice-
President, she has left an indelible
mark on the organisation’s ethos
and operations.
Beyond her involvement with the
Association, Lekinwala’s extensive
engagement extends to various
community initiatives, including
her role as a Board Member of the
Mahatma Gandhi Charitable Trust
and her dedicated service to the
Mahila Samaj for nearly 40 years.
As a testament to her
exemplary service, Lekinwala
was granted life membership
of the Association in 2024,
acknowledging her invaluable
contributions to the community.
Her tireless efforts have been
recognised on multiple fronts,
including her role as Master
of Ceremonies for numerous
events and her involvement with
the New Zealand Indian Central
Association (NZICA), where she
was granted life membership in
2014.
Lekinwala’s illustrious career
spans various professional and
volunteer roles, including her
tenure as a Legal Executive for
a prestigious law firm and her
current endeavor as a business
owner.
Her commitment to community
welfare extends to her roles as
a Justice of Peace and Marriage
Celebrant, where she has served
diligently for over three decades.
Outgoing President Dhansukh
Lal will continue for a year as
Immediate Past President,
a newly created position to
ensure efficient continuity in
the Association’s tasks and
programmes.
President: Puspa Lekinwala;
Vice President: Barwant Bhikha;
General Secretary: Champa Patel;
1st Assistant Secretary: Vanita
Patel; 2nd Assistant Secretary:
Kalyan Rao Kasuganti; Treasurer:
Bhavisha Patel; Assistant
Treasurer: Pravin Hira
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6
RAVI BAJPAI
NEW ZEALAND
Act Party is calling out racial
segregation after photos
of signboards at Auckland
University reserving public areas
for Maori and Pasifika students
were shared online.
In a statement to media on
March 26, 2024, the party’s ethnic
affairs spokesperson pointed to
photos it said were posted online
last week.
“Photos posted online last night
show official-looking signs at the
entrance to what appears to be an
Auckland University study room
saying ‘This is a Designated Area
for Māori and Pasifika Students.
Thank You’.
“Act has seen similar accounts
from other universities. If true, this
is nothing short of segregation,”
the statement read.
“Blocking access to spaces
based on ethnicity has an ugly
past and has no future in New
Zealand. Universities owe the
Kiwis who pay their bills an
explanation.”
The party called on universities
to be open about whether they are
engaging in these practices or not.
“Kiwis pay to keep their doors
open with taxes, and deserve an
explanation. It is disappointing
that it even needs to be said, but
Act’s position is that blocking
people from spaces based on their
ethnicity is unequivocally wrong,”
the statement read.
Act leader David Seymour has
in the past pointed to government
policies that he believed were
based on race, most recently
when he called out race-based
prioritisation in healthcare last
year.
“There is no justification for
the public healthcare system to
assign care based on ethnicity.
It is lazy, divisive and doesn’t
address the core problems at the
heart of the health system. ACT
will stop dividing healthcare by
race,” Seymour had said.
Deputy Prime Minister and New
Zealand First Leader Winston
Peters said the University of
Auckland’s move to designate
areas for Māori and Pasifika
students was comparable to altright
racist groups like the Ku Klux
Klan.
“It is phenomenal that we not
only would accept this as New
Zealanders, but that some people
have not learnt the lessons of our
world’s history of horrors with this
type of thinking,” Peters said.
The Act Party is trying to shut
down segregated sections in
universities, an action which is
being slammed by Te Pāti Māori
as “damaging and inflammatory”.
Friday, 29 March, 2024
Act Party calls out Auckland
University for ethnic segregation
“Blocking access
to spaces based
on ethnicity has
an ugly past and
has no future in
New Zealand.
Universities owe
the Kiwis who
pay their bills
an explanation.”
David Seymour
“What we are seeing from the
Act Party is only another attempt
to misrepresent tangata whenua
and paint the picture that Māori
get preferential treatment. The
assertion is damaging and
inflammatory to their divideand-conquer
rhetoric that they
have been pushing since the
2023 campaign,” a Te Pāti Māori
spokesman said.
“Safe spaces for minority
groups in university aren’t new.
They exist for equity groups
such as students with rural
backgrounds, migrant students,
Māori, Pacific and our disabilities
whānau. What we see here is
another targeted attack on Māori
tauira.
“Creating safe spaces to
empower minority communities to
thrive and achieve whilst creating
a sense of interconnectedness
should be celebrated.”
Prime Minister Christopher
Luxon said he hasn’t seen “the
detail” of the segregated sections
but at first glance, he said they
looked “totally inappropriate”.
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Read online www.iwk.co.nz
Ministry
for Pacific
Peoples
looks to
cut 65 jobs
The government's "brutal"
spending cuts that
will see the size of the
Ministry for Pacific Peoples
slashed by 40 percent will hit
Pasifika communities hard, the
Public Service Association says.
The ministry told staff it was
seeking voluntary redundancies
and to redeploy and reassign
staff, as it looked to shed 63 of
156 positions, of which 31 are
vacant, the union said.
National secretary Duane Leo
said the cuts would have far
reaching consequences for the
health and wellbeing of Pasifika
families in New Zealand and
across the Pacific.
"The 40 percent reduction is
going to have a huge impact
on a small ministry serving a
population of about 400,000
Pasifika people in New Zealand,
many of whom have close links
across the Pacific," he said.
"This is a community that
needs dedicated government
support. We know that Pasifka
families are more likely to live in
overcrowded, unhealthy housing,
and that their families are more
likely to struggle financially
than other New Zealanders. The
Pasifika population has also
grown rapidly - by 43 percent
between 2006 and 2018, twice
the rate of New Zealand's
population."
He said the ministry has been
active in Pasifika communities
supporting
housing
development, the creation
of training and employment
opportunities, supporting
Pasifika languages, cultures and
identities, and developing social
enterprises.
"This work is needed now more
than ever. Pasifika communities
are grappling with the high cost
of living and are more at risk
than others from the downturn
in the employment market," he
said.
"The ministry carries out a
very important role by being a
bridge between the government
and Pasifika communities, and
particularly hard to reach groups
within those communities. The
value of this often-underrated
work was highlighted during the
Covid pandemic response."
Leo said the cuts showed the
"low level of importance" the
government gave to the Pasifika
community.
"Unfortunately, this isn't
surprising given a senior
Cabinet member joked before
the election about blowing the
ministry up.
"Once again, we are seeing the
cold, hard reality of the choice
this government has made -
giving $3 billion in tax cuts to
landlords, is somehow deemed
more important."

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 29 March, 2024
NEW ZEALAND 7
April school break: 9 Auckland
activities to keep children busy
IWK BUREAU
School break is upon us,
and that means it's time
to unleash the family
fun extravaganza. Auckland
Council's got you covered with
a smorgasbord of activities,
whether you're in for a quick thrill
or a marathon of fun to keep the
kiddos entertained.
Auckland Council's School
Holiday Programme
Sign up your children, aged 5 to
13, for an action-packed school
holiday extravaganza. Sit back,
relax, and know they're in for a
wild ride of team sports, cooking
escapades, and artsy adventures.
Plus, the organisers will whisk
them off to awesome Auckland
hotspots like Rainbow's End and
Butterfly Creek!
Booking is the name of the
game. Swing by aucklandleisure.
co.nz for all the deets.
Step Back in Time
Wanna journey through the
fashion epochs of Aotearoa?
Head to the Auckland Central City
Library and immerse yourself in
"That’s So Last Century: What We
Wore 1950s-90s". It's like a time
machine for fashionistas, with
bonus points for sustainable style
education.
Explore the Great Outdoors
Let's get wild, Auckland! With
a gazillion parks at our disposal,
it's time to unleash the outdoor
adventurer in your kiddos.
Partnering up with Craftlab NZ and
the Auckland Council Parks Team,
we've got an epic nature-based
day programme on hand that'll
have young explorers building
confidence, honing bushcraft
skills, and generally becoming
nature ninjas. Booking's a breeze
via Eventbrite.
And for the ultimate outdoor
escapade, check out Adventure
Into Nature, a free two-day crash
course in outdoor survival and
leadership skills at Tōtara Park.
Your kids will emerge as woodland
warriors, ready to take on any
parkland challenge. Booking?
Right this way.
Local Attractions Galore
Ready for some wild encounters?
Swing by Auckland Zoo to learn
about our unique wildlife, or dive
into the weird and wonderful
world of nature at Auckland War
Memorial Museum. And don't
miss the maritime magic at New
Zealand Maritime Museum! It's all
about friendship, adventure, and
earning your sailor stripes.
For Kids Big and Small
Join us at Myers Park for the
grand finale of Pop Up Play! It's all
about unleashing your inner child
with water spouts, playful art, and
games galore. Let the good times
roll!
Visa declines for
Indian students: 'This
affects even the most
qualified applicants'
• Continued from Page 1
The data release will only
exacerbate anxiety among the
scores of Indian students who are
hoping to study in New Zealand,
with thousands of applicants
already facing an uncertain future
as student visa applications are
piling on faster than Immigration
New Zealand (INZ) can process.
Official data shows as of
February 18, 2024, nearly nine in
every 10 student visa applications
from India were pending a final
decision.
The global number was
slightly better, with seven in 10
applications awaiting a decision.
Vandana Rai of Aucklandbased
Immigration Advisers New
Zealand Limited points out it’s not
like the applications being rejected
are sub par.
“This is an issue that affects
even the most qualified applicants
with sound financial profiles
aiming for high-value courses,”
she says.
“Drawing from our experience
across various markets, it is
evident that, as of the current
date, a Sri Lankan student
with a comparable academic,
professional, and financial
background stands a better
chance of receiving visa approval
than an Indian counterpart.”
Vandana says declines like
these have created widespread
uncertainty among many Indian
students, especially when
immigration officials aren’t clearly
saying why they have declined a
particular application.
“They have begun issuing
templated decline letters without
providing any rationale, mostly
citing vague reasons like lack of
‘bonafide’ intent.
"This has significantly damaged
New Zealand's educational
reputation, especially among highvalue
international students.”
Vandana says it’s time New
Zealand acknowledges it
competes with other nations
when it comes to international
students, and the adverse impact
of Immigration New Zealand’s
“disdainful handling” of student
visa applications undermines
Education New Zealand’s
“wonderful efforts” to promote
brand New Zealand throughout
the year, investing millions of
taxpayer’s money.

8
NEW ZEALAND
Friday, 29 March, 2024
Read online www.iwk.co.nz
NZ immigration scam: Claims of
fake visas and offers to sell jobs
GILL BONNETT/RNZ
Fraudulent overseas agents
are contacting New Zealand
employers to sell jobs and
visas - and some have taken up
the offer, according to experts in
the immigration industry.
Immigration advisers want a
crackdown on employers who
are in 'business partnerships'
with overseas recruiters who are
selling jobs.
And the Association for
Migration and Investment says
fake visas are also circulating,
including one that appears to
show the signature of US star
Oprah Winfrey.
Hundreds of companies that
used employer accredited work
visas (AEWVs) have either
been blacklisted or are being
investigated for a variety of scams
and exploitation.
The Serious Fraud Office said
it would not confirm or deny if it
had received complaints or if it
had opened an investigation, to
protect the maintenance of the
law and the right to a fair trial.
Auckland-based immigration
adviser Brandon Han said
overseas job-selling agents were
operating out of reach of New
Zealand legal consequences.
"Even myself, I have been
contacted by agents from
overseas so many times, and they
offer me huge money and ask
whether I have any employment
opportunities to sell. I've heard
a lot of New Zealand employers
have been contacted with
offers of money and business
partnerships."
He declined and knows his
employer-clients also did, but
was speaking out to highlight
deficiencies in the system. Other
advisers in his network had
almost all been contacted by
overseas recruiters in the same
way.
The demand from migrants
willing to pay for work made jobselling
extremely lucrative, and
it's not illegal in some countries,
he said. "In China you register to
operate as an overseas 'recruiter'.
The government openly allows
this to happen and leaves the
pricing entirely to the free market."
Han had heard that in some
cases another organisation
facilitated the job-selling.
"It's like a middleman who
created a company overseas
to avoid New Zealand's legal
obligations and then created a
bridge between the New Zealand
employer and the large overseas
recruiter. So you can see how the
production line works."
Critics have said the AEWV
scheme, brought in during the
Covid pandemic, had very little
checks and allowed migrants to
"It's like a middleman
who created a company
overseas to avoid
New Zealand's legal
obligations and then
created a bridge
between the New
Zealand employer and
the large overseas
recruiter."
buy jobs and be exploited.
Han said underpayment of
workers was still continuing and
some migrants were complicit in
cheating the system.
"For instance, they make up
stories to apply for refugee status.
"This is an example of asylum
claim abuse. A middleman
approached me with many
Chinese migrant workers ready to
go on this path."
Immigration minister Erica
Stanford last week spoke to RNZ
about a 70 percent increase in
asylum claims in the past few
months and how the government
was going to act to cut those
numbers.
Fixing the problem
Immigration industry group
NZAMI chair Arunima Dhingra
agreed some migrants knew when
their visa was fraudulent.
She said there had also been an
increase in reports of fake visas,
including one using the logo of
former associate immigration
minister Poto Williams and a
signature claiming to be from
Oprah Winfrey.
"I looked at that and I thought,
well, if you're a migrant, you
would need to use some common
sense. You know if you're
paying thousands of dollars for
something you're starting on the
wrong foot in the first place.
And I sympathise with a lot
of migrants that get taken for a
ride, but to be honest, many will
come here knowing that it's the
wrong foot, but it works for them
therefore they'll take it anyway."
She said immigration advisers
and lawyers foretold the fraud
problems, and now wanted to help
the government fix them before
companies started to come up for
re-accreditation this winter.
"Immigration and the
government have now got a
golden opportunity and a very
tiny window to weed out the
employers that should not be
accredited." In a statement, INZ
said job-selling was an offence
under the Immigration Act.

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 29 March, 2024
NEW ZEALAND 9
2024 soccer tournament
by NZGSCA: Celebrating
sports & legacy
URJITA BHARDWAJ
The New Zealand Gujarati
Sports and Cultural
Association (NZGSCA) is
gearing up to present the 2024
edition of the Soccer Tournament
at the end of this month.
Scheduled to take place from
March 29 to 31 at Bill McKinlay
Park, Mt Wellington.
The soccer tournament has
been played over the last 34
years. This year will see increased
participation from kids, women,
children and veterans.
The 2024 tournament is led by
Mehul Solanki (Vice President)
and Milan Kumar.
The tournament is just one of
many sporting events organised
by the association, which
features a diverse range of sports,
including Cricket, Soccer, Netball,
Squash, Table Tennis, Snooker,
and Golf.
Formed to encourage sports
and preserve Gujarati heritage
through cultural events, NZGSCA
has intensified its focus on
introducing new sports and
cultural activities since 2021 to
promote growth and continuity.
While initially founded on
Ritesh Raniga (left) with Christopher Luxon. (Supplied photo: Archives)
soccer, the association has
seen outstanding community
participation in all other sports.
"We are making efforts
to recognise young
talents, particularly
in sports, and seeing
women coming to the
fore to participate
in netball is truly
remarkable." Ritesh
Raniga
Netball, in particular, has been
highly successful in encouraging
female participation.
Ritesh Raniga, the president
of NZGSCA, emphasized
the significance of female
involvement in sports, stating, "We
are making efforts to recognise
young talents, particularly in
sports, and seeing women coming
to the fore to participate in netball
is truly remarkable"
This year’s netball tournament
will be held on Sunday 14 April at
The Auckland Netball Centre in
St. Johns.
The Grand Awards Night,
introduced in 2021, has been
a sell-out event, recognizing
and celebrating achievement
and excellence from individuals
and teams in the community.
Featuring Prime Minister
Christopher Luxon as a chief
guest on two occasions, and
Black Cap Ajaz Patel as a speaker,
motivating sports people within
our community.
The Grand Awards Night has
recently introduced a “Good
Sorts” segment where, as
Raniga highlighted, players and
administrators of yesteryear are
recognised and honoured for
their services.
The association has also
focused on giving back to the
wider New Zealand community
through charitable activities,
including a charity auction at the
Grand Awards Night to support
Hato Hone St John for the last
three years.
NZGSCA Office Bearers for
2024 are:
Ritesh Raniga (President) Ashok
Kapadia (Vice President), Mehul
Solanki (Vice
President), Hamendra Lal
(Secretary) | Abdullah Bangi
(Assistant Secretary),
Gigesh Pala (Treasurer) | Mohit
Killa (Assistant Treasurer)
Teen burglars
caught with
heaps of candy
in Tuakau
IWK BUREAU
Police have sweetened the
deal by nabbing a trio of
burglars who couldn't resist
the temptation of a Tuakau store's
lolly jar.
In a sugary twist, authorities
released an image of the stolen
treats laid out on the bonnet of a
patrol car. The loot included more
than 20 chocolate bars, over a
dozen ice creams, two bags of
lollies, and a soft drink.
Counties Manukau South Area
Commander, Inspector Joe Hunter,
recounted the night's events,
stating that police responded to
the break-in at the George Street
store around 2 am.
The Police Eagle Helicopter
swooped in to observe the sweettoothed
suspects as they made
their getaway. Thanks to vigilant
community members who reported
the store's alarm, police were able
to track down the burglars without
any trouble. Insp Hunter expressed
gratitude to the community, noting,
"This allowed us to respond to
this event with our best chance of
locating those persons involved."
The three culprits, aged between
14 and 16, have been handed over
to Youth Aid in connection with
the incident. The stolen goods
have all been safely returned to the
business, ensuring that justice is
as sweet as candy.

10
NEW ZEALAND
Friday, 29 March, 2024
Holi festivities bridge
Read online www.iwk.co.nz
communities in New Zealand
BLESSEN TOM/RNZ
popularity in the capital.
Morar agreed that people
In a riot of colour and
from other communities were
joyous revelry, South Asian
interested in Holi, especially
communities in New Zealand
young Kiwi families with children.
have celebrated the vibrant
festival of Holi, marking the
arrival of spring in the Northern
Hemisphere and the triumph of
good over evil.
Although some festivities were
held more than a month ago, the
Festival of Colours culminated in
two key celebrations on Sunday
and Monday.
Holika Dahan was marked on
24 March, where bonfires were lit
to symbolize the victory of good
over evil.
Rangwali Holi, or Dhulandi, was
then celebrated on 25 March,
where participants threw coloured
water or powder at each other as
they sang, danced and enjoyed
festive foods.
Thousands attended Holi Colour Splash in Tauranga’s Memorial Park. Photo: Blissful
Photography
"It's a day where we celebrate
Southern style
In the South Island, Holi
celebrations were organised in
Selwyn, Ashburton, Dunedin,
Invercargill and the Garden City.
Christchurch Holi - Festival
of Colours was hosted by Revel
Events at Hagley Park on 2 March.
The event featured cultural
performances, traditional food
and stories about Holi.
A week later, the Indian
New Zealand Association of
Christchurch hosted its firstever
Holi celebration in
Rolleston's Helpet Park
on 10 March.
"Around 2500
people participated
in the event, with
more than 20
brother and sisterhood," she said.
food vendors
"(We) try to have a new outlook
and dance
on life with enthusiasm and leave
performances,"
negative emotions."
said Gurvinder
In Hamilton, the Waikato Indian
Singh, secretary
Association organised a Holi
of the association.
celebration on 24 March.
Meanwhile,
"We had a huge gathering of
the Ashburton
people from all walks of life at our
Indian Multicultural
Waikato Indian Association Hall,"
Charitable Trust hosted
Ashburton Holi at Hotel
Ashburton on 2 March.
Further south, the Dunedin
Multicultural Council organized
the city's Holi festivities at North
Participants at Tauranga’s Memorial Park. Photo: Anna Menendez
East Valley Normal School
on 23 March, featuring dance
performances, food, competitions
Northern lights
Many legends are associated
and colours.
Holi festivities in Auckland
with the festival.
The Indian Students'
kicked off with Krishna Holi -
One recounts the story of
Association at Otago University
Festival of Colours in the town of
Prahlad and Holika, where the
also hosted a Holi event at the
Kumeu on 11 February. Around
former's unwavering devotion to
university's Union Lawn on the
15,000 people attended the event.
Lord Vishnu saved him from the
same day.
Almost a month later, more than
flames of a pyre as his malevolent
The Indian community in
2400 people came together at
aunt, who had lured him onto the
Southland celebrated Holi at
Tauranga's Memorial Park on 2
flames, met her demise.
Elizabeth Park in Invercargill on
March to celebrate the festival.
This tale symbolises the
"There were dance
Holi Colour Splash in Tauranga’s Memorial Park. Photo: Anna Menendez
23 March.
victory of good over evil and the
The event saw more than 300
performances and music
importance of faith.
throughout the event," said Bela
Manisha Morar, president of the people throughout the day and
Another popular legend revolves
Dasi Reid, organiser of Holi Colour
association.
was kicked off by a local DJ.
around the courtship of Lord
Splash. "We are very pleased with
"We (first) started with 50
Stalls featuring Indian food
Krishna and Radha.
the outcome."
people, but we had around 700 were available, as well as a stall
Krishna, envious of Radha's
Reid said the wider Tauranga
people on Monday, so it has for coloured powder and water.
fair complexion, playfully applied
Nearly 15,000 people attended the Holi festival celebration in Kumeu, Auckland. Photo: Peter
Jennings
colours to her face - beginning
the tradition of smearing coloured
powder onto others during Holi
and infusing the festival with
elements of romance and joy.
community was given an
opportunity to learn about the
cultural and religious significance
of Holi during the event.
said Tarun Kumar, president of the
association.
Kumar said about 300 people
attended the event, including
lawmakers Ryan Hamilton and
Minister of Māori Affairs Tama
Potaka.
"We had different people from
other communities who joined in,
including Kiwis," he said.
A day earlier, the Indian
community in New Plymouth
celebrated Holi at Puke Ariki in the
city center on 23 March.
"There were more than 250
participants, so a very good
turnout for our community,"
organiser Ashwini Kumar said.
He said the number of
participants in the festival had
grown over the years, reflecting
wider interest from the local
community.
In the capital, the Wellington
Indian Association led the
celebrations.
"We've been running Holi
celebrations in Wellington
for the past 15 years," said
Holi Colour Splash in Tauranga’s Memorial Park was a riot of colours. Photo: Blissful
Photography
grown exponentially."
She said a lot of young families
had started taking an interest in
the festival, leading to its growing
The organiser said visitors
included households from Nepal,
New Zealand and different parts
of the subcontinent.

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 29 March, 2024
NEW ZEALAND 11
TIM BROWN/RNZ
Authorities are investigating
concerns from a leading
human rights lawyer that
women from Gloriavale were
trafficked to India and entered
coerced marriages.
Last week on TVNZ's
docuseries, Escaping Utopia,
former Gloriavale members
Theophila Pratt and Rosanna
Overcomer travelled to India and
met with Pratt's sister Precious.
Precious moved to India seven
years ago and now has six
children.
She was among five women
born in Gloriavale, who had
mothered children in India.
Pratt and Overcomer were
deeply disturbed by what they
found and contacted Deborah
Manning - a specialist in refugee,
immigration and human rights law
- and asked her to look into their
concerns.
Manning told RNZ today
she had written to the Ministry
of Business, Innovation &
Employment and police.
"We've raised serious concerns
of trafficking under the Crimes Act
as well as coerced marriage," she
said.
"As expected the agencies have
clicked immediately into gear
and are taking this very seriously.
It's led out of MBIE, in terms of
the trafficking issue, along with
NZ Police and there are other
agencies involved as well. So it's
being taken seriously and there's
active work underway."
MBIE's head of irregular
migration and trafficking Kylie
Seumanu confirmed she had
received a letter.
"MBIE is aware of a connection
in India and, along with other
agencies, have recently received a
formal legal letter on this matter.
Immigration Investigators will be
making enquiries and assessing
the letter, along with the other
relevant agencies," Seumanu said.
Police also confirmed their
awareness of the connection in
India and that they had received a
formal legal letter.
They would not confirm whether
they were investigating trafficking.
Oranga Tamariki and the
Children join a protest calling for a government inquiry into Gloriavale in 2021. (Photo: RNZ/Nathan Mckinnon)
Were women
from Gloriavale
trafficked to India?
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Trade were also involved.
An MFAT spokesperson said the
ministry was aware of the issues
raised in Escaping Utopia.
"The Ministry has not been
approached to provide consular
assistance at this stage. We are,
however, actively looking into the
situation and considering what
further actions should be taken."
A Gloriavale spokesperson
provided a statement to RNZ: "We
are in constant contact with our
brethren in India and have heard
no complaints from them on these
issues.
"Our New Zealand women who
went to India and married there
did so of their own free will and
with the convictions they had in
their own hearts. Some of those
people have also returned to New
Zealand with their families, and
then gone back to India. Family
relatives from New Zealand also
visit them regularly."
Alarming documentary
Manning said the footage was
shocking.
"I think anyone watching the
Gloriavale documentary would
have been alarmed in terms of
what they saw of the Gloriavale
Indian community and what they
heard in terms of the descriptions
of conditions there and the
conditions and circumstances in
which the women from Gloriavale
in New Zealand went to that
community."
She described what had
happened to those women as
being unique in New Zealand.
"I can't think of being involved in
situation like this."
Stronghold's comments
alluded to a rape culture in the
community, Manning said.
Precious told her sister her
passport was held by Stronghold.
"Children are being born
there to Kiwi mums that are
undocumented - their births
aren't even registered and so if
those New Zealand mums wanted
to come back, how could they
travel?" Manning said.
"The children don't have
documentation or passports, so
that's a real concern in terms
of freedom of movement and
impacting their choices. We also
heard that they don't seem to have
control of their own passports.
These are all serious issues, it's
multi-layered and we've also got
issues concerning consent and
coercion . . . and it's complicated
because this particular issue is
happening outside New Zealand's
jurisdiction."
Manning was pleased with
the seriousness with which
authorities were treating the
matter.
"As soon as the authorities were
made aware of concerns under
the Crimes Act, they immediately
moved into action and they're
actively looking into that. So I
really just want to let them do
their job and trust them to do
that."
It comes as barrister Brian
Henry on Tuesday filed legal
proceedings in the High Court
accusing a group of government
departments of failing to protect
the women and children of
Gloriavale.
MBIE's Labour Inspectorate is
among the respondents, alongside
at least the Department of Internal
Affairs, Oranga Tamariki and the
Ministry of Social Development.
Henry told Morning
Report instead of helping the
women he represented, the
government had enabled their
abusers.
"They were left alone in an
organisation that, from what I can
see, is run by self-entitled males
who think they're their little play
things," Henry said.
On 6 December, he wrote to
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon,
Deputy Prime Minister Winston
Peters, Act Party leader David
Seymour as well as Attorney-
General Judith Collins, Minister
for Social Development Louise
Upston and Education Minister
Erica Stanford.
"My clients seek immediate
action at ministerial level to
close the Gloriavale community,"
Henry's letter said.
"Enabling ongoing abuse of little
children by the dint of their birth
into the community is a gross
dereliction of their duty."
Easter weekend: What's open, what's not
RNZ
If you want to get some
shopping done this long
weekend, it might pay to
plan ahead.
Some stores will be
forced to close on certain
days, but not all of them -
and which are and aren't
open could depend on what
part of the country you're
in.
And if that wasn't
enough, the law also
restricts what kind of items
can be purchased over
Easter.
And not all of them are
actually public holidays,
even if the shops can't
open.
Confused? Let's try and
fix that.
What's open?
There are just three-anda-half
days a year which
the Shop Trading Hours
Act 1990 prevents most
shopping - Good Friday,
Easter Sunday, Christmas
Day and the first half of
Anzac Day. All are also
public holidays, except
Easter Sunday (more on
that later).
There are three types
of exemption to the shop
shutdowns:
• Tourist resorts such as
Taupō and Queenstown
(full list here) on Easter
Sunday only
• Places where the local
council has said shops
can open (full list here)
on Easter Sunday only
• Certain kinds of shops
(limited to "small
grocery shops", service
stations, takeaways,
bars, cafes, dutyfree
stores, "shops
providing services"
(and not selling things),
real estate agencies,
pharmacies, garden
centres (only on
Easter Sunday), public
transport terminals,
souvenir shops and
exhibitions "devoted
entirely or primarily to
agriculture, art, industry
and science".
Everyone else has
to keep the doors shut
on Good Friday and
Easter Sunday, including
department stores and
supermarkets.
The stores that can
open are only meant to sell
items "people can't put off
buying until the next day",
according to the Ministry
of Business, Innovation
and Employment (MBIE)
website, which singles out
baby formula and pet food
as items that can wait.
Stores offering services
- such as haircuts or video
rentals - cannot sell you
things, just offer their
services. Souvenir shops
are only allowed to sell
things "connected to a
New Zealand place or New
Zealand culture".
A few dozen councils
have put in policies
allowing most shops to
open on Easter Sunday, but
the only place in Auckland
where it's allowed is on
Parnell Road, which has
had an exemption since the
1980s.
A notable exception to
Parnell Road's freedom
is bottle stores - like
everywhere else in the
country, off-licences are
covered by the Sale and
Supply of Alcohol Act 2012,
which outlaws sales on
the three-and-a-half days
mentioned above. But even
that has an exemption
for "grape wine or fruit
or vegetable wine made
on the premises; or from
produce harvested from
land on which the premises
are situated".
If you forgot to buy
alcohol in advance, you
can still get some at a
restaurant or bar, as long
as you're also dining in.
Surcharges
Some places like to add a
surcharge over Easter, but
there are strict guidelines
from the Commerce
Commission about how
much and when.
"It must be clearly
disclosed, for example, by
adding information to their
website for online sales
or placing a sign outside,"
chair Anna Rawlings said
in 2021.
"Customers should be
aware that a surcharge
will be payable before
they make a decision
to purchase or engage
the service, so they can
decide whether to pay the
surcharge or go elsewhere,"
Rawlings said.
"In addition, the reason
for any surcharge must be
accurately described and
must not be capable of
misleading consumers.
The surcharge should
not exceed those costs,
and the costs should
actually be incurred by the
business."

Editorial
Segregation is
the antithesis
of inclusivity
Segregation, whether by ethnicity or religion, remains a contentious issue that
challenges the principles of equality and inclusivity in modern society.
The recent controversy surrounding the University of Auckland’s decision
to designate areas for Māori and Pasifika students underscores the complexity of
navigating identity, representation, and belonging within educational institutions.
While the intention behind creating safe spaces for marginalised groups is often
well-meaning, questions inevitably arise when such segregation occurs, particularly
when it intersects with ethnic (and, importantly, religious) accommodations.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters drew a striking comparison, likening
this action to the practices of alt-right racist groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Such a
comparison might seem extreme to some, but it underscores the seriousness of
the issue. Segregation, regardless of its intentions, carries the weight of historical
injustices and perpetuates division within society.
Segregation, regardless of its motivations, evokes painful memories of historical
injustices and serves as a reminder of the enduring struggle for equality. In a
country like New Zealand, celebrated for its cultural diversity and commitment to
multiculturalism, such divisions run counter to the values of unity and inclusivity
that form the bedrock of its society.
The Act Party’s condemnation of racial segregation in universities echoes broader
concerns about the perpetuation of division within society.
Segregated spaces, whether for Māori and Pasifika students or for religious
purposes, risk reinforcing harmful stereotypes and limiting opportunities for
interaction and understanding among diverse groups.
While the argument for creating safe spaces to empower minority communities
is valid, it must be balanced against the broader goal of fostering an inclusive
environment where all students feel valued and supported.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s assertion that there is no place for
discrimination or segregation in New Zealand reflects a commitment to upholding
the principles of equality and diversity.
Universities, as centres of learning and enlightenment, have a responsibility
to cultivate environments where students from all backgrounds can thrive and
contribute positively to society. Segregation, in any form, undermines this objective
and impedes progress towards a more equitable future.
The Act Party’s criticism of racial segregation in universities is particularly
noteworthy in light of broader debates surrounding religious accommodations on
campuses.
Questions arise when segregated spaces are earmarked for prayer rooms for
certain religions instead of accommodating all faiths equally.
Public spaces in most secular countries have all-faith prayer rooms rather than
those specially labelled for a particular religion. While it is essential to respect
religious diversity and provide appropriate facilities for worship, it is equally
important to ensure that such accommodations do not inadvertently promote
exclusion or favouritism.
David Seymour’s call to end race-based policies in healthcare resonates with
concerns about the broader implications of identity-based segregation. Just as
race should not be a determining factor in access to healthcare, it should not dictate
access to educational resources or facilities.
The pursuit of equality requires a commitment to dismantling systemic
barriers and addressing underlying inequities that perpetuate discrimination and
marginalisation.
University student Shakeel Shamaail’s defence of segregated spaces for Māori
and Pasifika students reflects the complexity of the issue. While these segregated
or specially earmarked spaces may provide a sense of belonging and support
for some, they also raise questions about the potential for further division within
campus communities.
The challenge lies in striking a balance between creating spaces that empower
marginalised groups and fostering an inclusive environment that promotes dialogue,
understanding, and mutual respect among all students.
As New Zealand grapples with issues of equality and diversity, it is essential for
institutions and policymakers to prioritise solutions that promote genuine inclusivity
and empower all members of society to succeed, irrespective of their background
or beliefs.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Optimism is essential to achievement and
it is also the foundation of courage and true
progress. — Nicholas Murray Butler
IN FOCUS : Picture of the week
Indian President Droupadi Murmu accepts credentials from the High Commissioner of the
Republic of Kenya, Peter Maina Munyiri, during a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in
New Delhi on Wednesday.
This week in New Zealand’s history
30 March 1940
Funeral procession for Prime Minister Savage
New Zealand’s first Labour prime minister, Michael Joseph Savage, died in office on 27
March 1940. His body lay in state at Parliament for two days before his funeral cortège,
which was more than 1.6 km long, set off for the railway station at 9 a.m. on 30 March.
1 April 1773
First beer brewed in New Zealand
In an attempt to concoct a preventative against scurvy, Captain James Cook brewed a batch
of beer on Resolution Island in Dusky Sound, using rimu branches and leaves.
1 April 1965
TEAL becomes Air New Zealand
New Zealand’s international airline, Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL), was renamed
Air New Zealand Limited.
1 April 1974
ACC comes into operation
In 1972 legislation established the Accident Compensation Commission (ACC) to provide
insurance for all personal injury.
1 April 1978
Thermal insulation required in NZ homes
Māori houses (whare) were made of natural materials that had good thermal performance
(such as raupō reeds) or kept out the wind (such as earth). European-style timber frame
construction was less efficient at retaining heat, but it was not until 1978 that the level of
thermal insulation required in new houses was specified by law.
5 April 1871
NZ's first overseas diplomatic post created
It is no surprise that New Zealand’s first overseas diplomatic posting was to the United
Kingdom.
Indian Weekender : Volume 1 - Issue 1
Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited
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Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher
is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication
Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent
the views of the team at the Indian Weekender
Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland.
Printed at NZME, Auckland, New Zealand.
Copyright ® 2022. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Send your suggestions and feedback to editor@indianweekender.co.nz

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 29 March, 2024
NEW ZEALAND 13
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14
INDIA
Friday, 29 March, 2024
Read online www.iwk.co.nz
S Jaishankar in Singapore: 'India, Russia
took extra care for each other's interests'
EAM Jaishankar expressed
perspective and my experiences, community in Singapore and said
confidence in the future of
I will get the answer. And the it was a privilege to have been
India-Russia ties, saying
answer in this case is that Russia personally involved in this journey.
that both countries have “taken
extra care” of each other.
External Affairs Minister S
Jaishankar on Sunday expressed
confidence in the future of India-
Russia relations, and stressed that
Moscow has always maintained
a strong and positive relationship
with New Delhi.
EAM Jaishankar, while
interacting with the Indian
community during his visit to
is a country with which we have
always had a positive relationship.
Both India and Russia have taken
that extra care to look after each
other's interests,” he added.
The foreign minister further
insisted that both the countries
should move forward with
confidence, which will further
strengthen their ties.
Jaishankar is on an official visit
to Singapore, Philippines and
"As our connections grew
closer, as the community has
grown, as India has become more
globalized, the ties between India
and Singapore have reflected that
and it's been my privilege to be
part of this journey at least for a
decade and a half personally,” the
foreign minister said.
S Jaishankar's comments on
strong ties with Moscow came
hours after he interacted with
Singapore, said that both India
Malaysia from March 23-27, 2024. his Russian counterpart Sergei
While responding to a question, to be made from Russia? or is it
and Russia have taken “extra
Moreover, he also emphasised Lavrov, offering his condolences
Jaishankar said, “I will ask
only damage that will come out of
care” to look after each other's
India-Singapore ties during for the March 23 terror attack on a
myself...Has Russia helped us that?”
interests.
his interaction with the Indian Moscow shopping mall.
or harmed us?...Are there gains “If I do my calculation from my
PM Modi to BJP
candidate: ‘You have
fought huge battle in
Sandeshkhali’
Patra is one of the victims
from Sandeshkhali, a hamlet
in Bengal where massive
protests broke out in February
against local TMC leader Shahjahan
Sheikh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
Tuesday spoke to two of the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s
debutant candidates — Sandeshkhali
resident Rekha Patra who has been
fielded from Basirhat in West Bengal
and TN Sarasu who will contest on
the party ticket from Alathur seat in
Kerala — and inquired about their
campaign progress for the upcoming
Lok Sabha elections.
Patra is one of the victims
from Sandeshkhali, a hamlet in
Bengal where massive protests
broke out in February against
local Trinamool Congress leader
Shahjahan Sheikh and his aides over
allegations of sexual violence on
women, land grabbing and extortion.
Sheikh was later suspended by
TMC, and subsequently arrested
on February 29, on the order of the
Calcutta high court.
Patra was among 111 candidates
fielded by the BJP in its fifth list
released on March 24. The ruling
TMC has fielded former MP Haji
Nurul Islam from the seat, replacing
actor Nusrat Jahan. Islam had won
the Basirhat seat for the TMC in
2009 when the Left Front was in
power. Bengal will vote in all seven
phases to elect 42 members in the
Lok Sabha.
In an audio clip shared by the BJP
to media, Modi lauded Patra as a
“shakti swaroopa” (goddess-like) for
highlighting the atrocities against
Sandeshkhali women.
“You have fought a huge battle in
Sandeshkhali. You are truly a shakti
swarupa. You have sent so many
leaders to jail. Seeing your courage, I
feel that this time the women power
will shower their blessings on us
for the state’s bright future,” he was
heard saying in an audio message
shared by the Bengal BJP on media
WhatApp groups.
“You have all the traits to become
a public representative. We will all
fight for the respect of mothers and
sisters of Bengal. I assure you that I
am with you all. I will personally think
about you people,” he told Patra.
During the conversation, Patra
narrated the alleged atrocities faced
by women of Sandeshkhali. “We
have not been able to cast our votes
since 2011. The mothers and sisters
of Sandeshkhali would be happier if
they are able to vote without fear,”
she was heard saying in the clip.
Modi said: “I am sure that your
voice will reach the ECI and the poll
panel will take all steps so that all
voters can cast their votes... This
is very unfortunate how the state
government has behaved.”
Reacting to the conversation,
TMC’s state unit vice-president Jay
Prakash Majumdar said: “The PM
spoke for a few minutes with the
candidate but didn’t say a word on
how the Centre has stopped funds to
Bengal... She (Patra)said that people
of Sandeshkhali haven’t voted since
2011.
But ECI deployed central forces in
previous assembly and Lok Sabha
polls and have been claiming that
elections were peaceful and fair. Are
her allegations against ECI?”
Later in the day, Modi also spoke
to BJP candidate in Kerala’s Alathur
Lok Sabha seat TN Sarasu.
Sarasu, a retired college principal,
was fielded by the party on March
24. Alathur seat is reserved for the
Scheduled Castes.
Date set for largest
democratic election
in human history
Polls in the world’s
largest democracy
India will open on April
19, the country’s election
commissioner announced on
Saturday, setting the stage
for a nationwide election
expected to see Prime
Minister Narendra Modi clinch
a rare third consecutive term.
An estimated 960 million
people in a country of 1.4
billion are eligible to vote in
the widely anticipated polls
that will take a month to
complete.
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) is expected to
secure another five years in
power, ruling an India that has
become increasingly polarized
along religious lines.
Polling will unfold over
seven phases around the
country ending on June 1.
Indians will be voting for
543 seats in the 545-seat
lower house of parliament,
called the Lok Sabha, and
the other two seats in the
house are nominated by the
president.
All the votes – from the
country’s 28 states and
eight union territories – will
be counted on June 4, the
commission said at a press
conference in New Delhi.
Under Modi’s leadership,
India is poised to become a
21st-century powerhouse as
its economy rapidly expands.
But the populist leader,
analysts say, has tightened
his grip on its democratic
institutions in a way not
seen since the 1970s under
the iron-fisted rule of Indira
Gandhi, with minorities feeling
persecuted under the BJP’s
Hindu-nationalist policies and
dissent muzzled.
Going against Modi is
the main opposition Indian
National Congress, which
has governed the country
for much of the 77 years
since independence and last
year formed an alliance with
other parties. The Indian
A woman places a Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) symbol at a BJP election
office in Chennai on March 16.
National Developmental
Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA,
marked a significant step for
an opposition struggling to
regain national significance.
But cracks in the alliance
have already emerged, and
it has yet to put forward its
candidate for prime minister,
lacking anyone with the kind
of star quality and appeal
projected by Modi.
The prime minister’s
calendar last year included
diplomatic trips to Australia
and the United States, where
he presented himself as a
statesman cementing the
country as a modern global
power.
In August, India made
history by soft-landing a rover
on the moon, becoming just
the fourth nation to do so.
Weeks later, it launched its
first spacecraft dedicated to
studying the sun.
India hosted the Group
of 20 (G20) in September,
presenting New Delhi with
an opportunity to extend
its leadership beyond the
country’s borders at a time of
increasing political turmoil.
This January, Modi marked
the unofficial start of his
election campaign when he
inaugurated the controversial
Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, a
Hindu temple in the holy city
of Ayodhya that was built on
the site of the destroyed Babri
mosque.

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 22 March, 2024
WORLD 15
10 years on, is the world any
closer to finding MH370?
For the past 10 years it has
remained one of the modern
era’s greatest mysteries.
A commercial airliner with a
strong safety record carrying
239 people vanishing from the
map, spawning a wide variety
of competing theories, books
and documentaries and leaving
the families of those left behind
asking themselves every March 8
– what happened to those aboard
Malaysia Airlines flight 370?
In an era when black boxes have
been successfully hauled up from
the very depths of the ocean and
whole chunks of a downed
airliner painstakingly pieced
back together to determine what
caused a catastrophe, the fate
of MH370 remains infuriatingly
elusive.
It is a plane crash without
a plane. A disaster without
conclusive proof of what
happened to its victims. A story
that anyone who embarks on a
commercial flight can instantly
relate to but one that, for now
at least, doesn’t have a closing
chapter. Yet many experts believe
there is still a strong chance
MH370’s wreckage could be
located, if someone looks hard
enough and – crucially – coughs
up the staggering amount of
money that might be required to
achieve that goal. Qingming, the
annual festival when Chinese
people visit and clean their
ancestors’ graves, falls in early
April.
“But we never found MH370.
I never found my mother,” Jiang
told CNN. “I can’t commemorate
my mother just like everyone
else.”
His mother, Jiang Cuiyun, is still
listed as “missing” back home in
China, he said.
“I will only find my mom if I can
find MH370,” he added.
Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines
flight 370 dropped off the radar
shortly after departing Kuala
A helicopter takes off from Chinese warship Jinggangshan during an early search for the
missing Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines flight 370 on March 11, 2014.
Students pray for MH370 passengers on March 10, 2014, in Zhuji, China.
Lumpur in the small hours of
March 8, 2014.
The take-off was uneventful.
The flight reached its cruising
altitude of 35,000 feet and
the pilots spoke briefly with
Vietnamese air traffic as the plane
headed on its standard route.
After that the aircraft stopped
communicating, then vanished
from radar when it made an
unexpected turn to the west.
Apparent fragments have since
washed up on the eastern coast
of Africa and islands in the Indian
Ocean, where the aircraft and
those on board are believed to
have met their fate.
But to this day, the body of the
aircraft and its black box has
never been found. It’s believed to
have crashed. But we still don’t
know why.
A new search?
This week, many loved ones
of those missing returned to
Malaysia to urge local authorities
to relaunch a search ahead of
Friday’s anniversary.
“There have been ships lost that
are found after hundreds of years.
So we cannot say that this plane
will never be found,” one family
member V.P.R Nathan told Reuters
during a recent commemorative
event. His wife Anne Daisy was on
board MH370.
“Of course it can be found. It is
a matter of time,” he said.
Aviation experts tell CNN that
improved detection technology
will likely bring families closer to
the missing plane than they ever
have been, if a search were to be
relaunched.
But that will not be cheap.
Hundreds of millions of dollars
were spent scouring more than
710,000 square kilometers of
the Indian Ocean until 2018, but
nothing transpired that moved
our understanding on from that
already available since the very
early days.
United States-based sea
exploration firm Ocean Infinity
is offering the Malaysian
government another “no-find, nofee”
deal - like they did in 2018 -
but experts noted the authorities
would still have to pay up if the
aircraft was found.
To families’ encouragement,
Malaysian authorities have made
some positive remarks about
the prospect of a new search.
On Sunday, Transport Minister
Anthony Loke said his country
would “do everything possible to
solve this mystery once and for
all.”
He said his ministry is “ready”
to discuss a new “credible” search
proposal with Ocean Infinity and
will do “everything possible” to
get Cabinet approval for a new
contract with the firm.
“As we approach the 10 years
remembrance of this heartwrenching
tragedy, it is a painful
reminder of the decade-long
journey of grief and resilience that
loved ones of the victims have
endured,” he said.
Oliver Plunkett, CEO of Ocean
Infinity, said since the 2018
search, the company has been
honing its robotics and seaexploration
technology, while
working with analysts to narrow
down search areas to “one
in which success becomes
potentially achievable”.
But neither Ocean Infinity nor
the Malaysian government have
given more concrete details on
their possible plans.
Julian Assange wins temporary reprieve from extradition to US
WikiLeaks founder Julian
Assange's extradition
to the United States
from Britain was put on hold on
Tuesday after London's High
Court said the United States must
provide assurances he would not
face the death penalty.
US prosecutors are seeking
to put Assange, 52, on trial on
18 counts, all bar one under the
Espionage Act, over WikiLeaks'
release of confidential US military
records and diplomatic cables.
After Britain gave the go-ahead
for his extradition last year,
Assange's lawyers in February
launched a final attempt in the
English courts to challenge that
decision.
In their written ruling, which
Assange's wife Stella described
as "utterly bizarre", two senior
judges provisionally gave him
permission to launch a full
appeal against extradition on
three grounds, but only if the US
failed to provide "satisfactory
assurances" to the issues raised.
These were that Australianborn
Assange arguably would
not be entitled to rely on the First
Amendment right to free speech
as a non-US national and, while
none of the existing charges
carried the death penalty, he could
later face a capital offence such
as treason, meaning it would be
unlawful to extradite him.
Assange's lawyers had
highlighted a comment by former
US President Donald Trump who
said in 2010, when discussing
WikiLeaks, that "I think there
should be like a death penalty or
something", the ruling said.
The judges invited the US
authorities to provide assurances
on these matters, saying if they
were not forthcoming by 16 April,
then Assange would be granted
permission to appeal.
However, they rejected his
lawyers' argument the case was
politically motivated or that he
would not receive a fair trial. They
also said his accusation that CIA
officials had planned to kidnap
or murder him could not be
considered should he be allowed
an appeal.
A further hearing has been
scheduled for 20 May, with his
extradition - which his campaign
team said could have been
imminent depending on the ruling
- put on hold.
13-year legal fight
WikiLeaks first came to
prominence in 2010 when it
published a US military video
showing a 2007 attack by Apache
helicopters in Baghdad that killed
a dozen people, including two
Reuters news staff.
It then released thousands
of secret classified files and
diplomatic cables that laid bare
often highly critical US appraisals
of world leaders which the US
China to
develop
strategic
seaport, airport
in Sri Lanka: PM
Gunawardena
Sri Lanka's prime minister said
Wednesday that China has
pledged to develop the island
nation's strategic deep sea port
and the capital's airport after talks
with his counterpart in Beijing.
Prime Minister Dinesh
Gunawardena said China -- the
island's biggest bilateral creditor
-- would "assist" Sri Lanka's
restructuring of external debt, a
key condition to maintaining a $2.9
billion IMF bailout.
Beijing's position on debt
restructuring has not been made
public, but Sri Lankan officials
have said China was reluctant
to take a haircut on its loans but
could extend the tenure and adjust
interest rates.
Sri Lanka in 2022 ran out of
foreign exchange to finance
essential imports and declared a
sovereign default on its $46 billion
foreign debt. Months of protests
forced then-president Gotabaya
Rajapaksa out of office.
Gunawardena's office said
Premier Li Qiang had promised
China would "assist Sri Lanka's
debt restructuring process
continuously and help Sri Lanka to
develop its economy".
Gunawardena said Beijing had
offered "assistance to develop"
Colombo International Airport and
Hambantota port, the statement
added, without giving further
details.
The southern sea port of
Hambantota was handed to a
Chinese state-owned company in
2017 on a 99-year lease for $1.12
billion, sparking security concerns
in Beijing's regional rival India.
India and the United States are
both concerned that a Chinese
foothold at Hambantota, on the
island's southern coast, could
boost its naval advantage in the
Indian Ocean.
said imperilled the lives of their
agents.
Assange's many supporters
hail him as an anti-establishment
hero who is being persecuted,
despite being a journalist, for
exposing US wrongdoing and
alleged war crimes.
The US authorities say he
is not being prosecuted for
the publication of the leaked
materials but for the criminal
act of conspiring with former US
Army intelligence analyst Chelsea
Manning to unlawfully obtain
them.
Assange has now spent more
than 13 years battling various
legal cases in Britain, spending
seven of these holed up inside the
Ecuadorean Embassy in London
after skipping bail and the last
five in a maximum security jail.
His brother, Gabriel Shipton,
said he was suffering "rapidly
deteriorating physical and mental
health".

16
TIME OUT
i FreeDailyCrosswords.com
ACROSS-----------
1) "Brian's Song" star James
5) Comes out of one's skin
10) Self-congratulatory
14) Radius' comrade-in-arms?
15) Youngest-ever Oscar
winner
16) Folkestone farewell
17) "B 5!" "C 11!"?
19) Took_ (snoozed)
20) Downed
21) Typing type
22) Considers carefully
24) "Emma" author Austen
25) Hersey's bell town
26) Place or site
29) Transverse beam
32) Itsy-bitsy bits
33) "In_ tn1st"
34) Recipe word
35) Cravings
36) Emulate "Old Blue Eyes"
O, O!
1 2 3
14
17
20
26 27 28
32
35
38
41 42
CROSSWORD
37) Kid's "seat" on Santa
38) Alternative to .net
39) Less extroverted
40) TV's "Cosmos" creator
41) Author's explanation
43) Yuletide songs
44) Backup sounds
45) Random sampling
46) "Monkey Trial" teacher
48) Seafood choice
49) Josh
52) Door section
53) John Wayne character,
larger-than-life?
56) More than suggest
57) Recording studio alert
58) Water sport
59) Some antique autos
60) Family men
61) Bud holder
Richard Auer
11 12 13
7th June
DOWN
1) Island south of Florida
2) Dismounted
3) Archer or Heche
4) Endless faultfinder
5) Home of the John Deere
headquarters
6) Like beverages at barbecues
7) A 1 Capp character
8) Fielder's choice?
9) Trooper's warning
10) Wood-surface applications
11) Tropical fruit dance?
12) Great Salt Lake state
13) Adjusts, as a spark plug
18) Multicolored gems
23) "_ on Down the Road"
24) Traffic tangles
25) Eagerness
26)_ the land (how things stand)
27) Alamogordo's county
28) Kinshasa drum?
29) Australian bush call
30) Just right
31) Wonderlands
33) Southern breakfast dish
36) Auto despair site?
37) Marx or Benz
39) Pirate's knife
40) Town of many trials and hunts
42) Plains homes
43) Plays with crayons
45) Lecterns
46) Tim Duncan, for one
47) Kind of package
48) Cold spell
49) Nautical mile
50) Not going anywhere
51) Condemn
54) "Put_ Happy Face"
55) Photo_ (media events)
i FreeDailyCrosswords.com
ACROSS-----------
1) "Brian's Song" star James
5) Comes out of one's skin
10) Self-congratulatory
14) Radius' comrade-in-arms?
15) Youngest-ever Oscar
winner
16) Folkestone farewell
17) "B 5!" "C 11!"?
19) Took_ (snoozed)
20) Downed
21) Typing type
22) Considers carefully
24) "Emma" author Austen
25) Hersey's bell town
26) Place or site
29) Transverse beam
32) Itsy-bitsy bits
33) "In_ tn1st"
34) Recipe word
35) Cravings
36) Emulate "Old Blue Eyes"
O, O!
Friday, 29 March, 2024
CROSSWORD ANSWERS
37) Kid's "seat" on Santa
38) Alternative to .net
39) Less extroverted
40) TV's "Cosmos" creator
41) Author's explanation
43) Yuletide songs
44) Backup sounds
45) Random sampling
46) "Monkey Trial" teacher
48) Seafood choice
49) Josh
52) Door section
53) John Wayne character,
larger-than-life?
56) More than suggest
57) Recording studio alert
58) Water sport
59) Some antique autos
60) Family men
61) Bud holder
1M l.1 1 b
Richard Auer
ATA
N A p
I G H 5
0
T 30 1 3e
D D
E E
N
7th June
DOWN
1) Island south of Florida
2) Dismounted
3) Archer or Heche
4) Endless faultfinder
5) Home of the John Deere
headquarters
6) Like beverages at barbecues
7) A 1 Capp character
8) Fielder's choice?
9) Trooper's warning
10) Wood-surface applications
11) Tropical fruit dance?
12) Great Salt Lake state
13) Adjusts, as a spark plug
18) Multicolored gems
23) "_ on Down the Road"
24) Traffic tangles
25) Eagerness
26)_ the land (how things stand)
27) Alamogordo's county
28) Kinshasa drum?
29) Australian bush call
30) Just right
31) Wonderlands
33) Southern breakfast dish
36) Auto despair site?
37) Marx or Benz
39) Pirate's knife
40) Town of many trials and hunts
42) Plains homes
43) Plays with crayons
45) Lecterns
46) Tim Duncan, for one
47) Kind of package
48) Cold spell
49) Nautical mile
50) Not going anywhere
51) Condemn
54) "Put_ Happy Face"
55) Photo_ (media events)
Read online www.iwk.co.nz
SUDOKU SOLUTIONS
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Your Weekly Horoscope: 30 March - 4 April, 2024
ARIES (MAR 21-APR 20)
You are likely to do well for yourself on the
professional front. Realising a handsome
amount from someone is possible on the
financial front. Your health consciousness is
likely to contribute towards maintaining good
health. Busy schedule may not leave enough
time for you to enjoy the social scene. You can expect the
full support of your family in all your endeavours. An evening
out, just for a drive, will give you much fun. Shifting to a new
house is indicated, especially for those getting transferred.
.TAURUS (APR 21-MAY 20)
Your professional prospects look bright.
Career enhancement through promotion
is possible for people in uniform. A social
event may engross you totally and give you a
solid sense of achievement. Diet control may
become the key to your remaining fit. On the
home front, looking at the positive side of life will help boost
optimism. If you are undertaking a journey today, you are
certain to make good time. A suitable accommodation is
yours and that too is within your budget.
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 21)
Popularity on the social front is set to rise,
as you remain at your helpful best. The
chances of enjoying a vacation look strong.
Efforts to grow financially strong are likely to
show positive results soon. Health remains
good. Today, you are likely to impress those
who matter on the professional front. Your foresight is likely
to prove a big asset on the academic front. You are set to
enjoy a family gathering today.
CANCER (JUN 22-JUL 20)
Some of you are likely to top an exam or crack
a competition. Homemakers may organise a
function at home. Some of you are likely to
get a good bargain on property. A new vehicle
is on the cards for some. The much-awaited
feedback on the work front is likely to come
positively in your favour. Selective eating will keep you fit as
a fiddle. Money from some unexpected source may come to
you and make your bank balance healthy.
LEO (JUL21-AUG 20)
Payments may get delayed but will be
received. Health needs to be guarded,
especially for those suffering from lifestyle
diseases. The family will go all out to make
you comfortable. The chance of meeting
a celebrity on a journey is possible. This
is the right time to plan for the future on the professional
front. Seizing an opportunity to go on a trip will be in your
interest. Don't be hasty in disposing of your property as loss
is foreseen.
VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 23)
Financially, you are likely to remain in a
comfortable position. Regular workouts
will help in keeping fit. Things turn
favourable at work, as your contribution gets
acknowledged. The home front requires your
attention, so don't neglect it. A pilgrimage is
possible and is likely to prove most fulfilling. Buying a new
property cannot be ruled out for some. Expect to get VIP
treatment, as your social life perks up.
LIBRA (SEP 24-OCT 23)
You will be keen to impress those who matter
on the professional front. Being regular in
your workouts will prove good for your health.
You will be much more conscious of your
financial situation now, than previously and
budget your expenses. Organising a function
or an event on the home front can keep some busy today.
A good understanding with someone influential will be of
much advantage to you. A long journey is possible.
SCORPIO (OCT 24-NOV 22)
Good financial planning can get you in a
happy state. Professional front brightens
up for some as new projects come your way.
Some of you are likely to participate in a funfilled
activity on the home front. Resuming an
exercise routine is indicated for some. Getting
something new may get some youngsters all excited. A trip
may get cancelled or postponed. Some sacrifice on your part
will be required to get close to your partner emotionally.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV 23-DEC 21)
You are likely to adopt healthy options to
achieve total fitness. You are likely to grasp
a situation on the work front quickly and turn
it to your advantage. There are indications
that some of you can be asked to travel out
of the station on short notice. A lucrative deal
that brings in good returns is likely to be seized. Religiousminded
will be able to achieve total peace of mind. Socialise
more. Nearness to partner brings comfort and immense
happiness.
CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 21)
Completing an assigned job will give you
the edge at work. Discussing investment
options with a financial expert will help you
make the correct decision. Homemakers may
be tempted to buy an appliance or gadget.
Your fitness regime will benefit. Property
investments may not get immediate results but promise big
money at a later date. The desire for a change of scene may
take you out on an exotic vacation. The feeling of something
good happening to you may persist today.
AQUARIUS (JAN 22-FEB 19)
You are likely to benefit immensely by making
health your priority. Despite rising expenses,
you will be able to remain fairly well off
financially. You may have to seek alternatives
if you are unable to accomplish something at
work. Efforts on the academic front put in now
will pay rich dividends later. People are likely to appreciate
your upholding the family traditions. A chance to convert an
official trip into a leisurely one may come to some.
PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 20)
An active lifestyle will help keep minor
ailments at bay. You will manage to plan your
expenses well to remain within the budget.
Homemakers will need to be motivated to
go in for cleaning and painting of the house.
A promotion or increment is likely for some,
especially those in the armed forces. Those travelling on a
long journey will be able to find entertaining company en
route. The social front can keep some busy entertaining
guests.

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 29 March, 2024
FEATURE 17
Healthy cooking every day
Five-spice roast chicken
Ingredients
• 1 kilograms chicken legs
• For Marination
• 1 tablespoon 5 spice powder
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon ginger
• 2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
• 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoon garlic paste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Method
• To prepare this amazingly delicious
chicken recipe, first, you need to prepare
the marinade.
• For the same, take a medium bowl and
mix together 5 spice powder, lemon
juice, Chinese rice wine, garlic paste,
grated ginger, garlic salt, soy sauce,
sugar, kosher salt and virgin olive oil.
• Next, when you are done with the
marinade, take the chicken leg pieces
and put them in a large bowl.
• Pour the marinade over these leg
pieces and marinate them using
your hands.
• Let these chicken leg pieces marinate
for about 2-3 hours.
• You can even cover the bowl with a foil
and put inside the refrigerator.
• Once the chicken leg pieces are
marinated, take them out of the
refrigerator and spread them on a
baking sheet in a tray.
• Place this baking tray in a preheated
oven and bake these chicken leg pieces
at 190 degree Celsius for about 15-20
minutes.
• After 15 minutes, turn them upside d
• own and bake once again for another 15
minutes at the same temperature until
golden brown in colour.
• Take out the chicken leg pieces after
they are done and transfer them to a
serving plate and serve warm along
with lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Vegetable and chicken skewers
Ingredients
• 400 gm chicken breasts
• 240 gm onion
• 240 gm yellow bell pepper
• 5 gm oregano
• salt as required
• 240 gm zucchini
• 240 gm red bell pepper
• 5 gm powdered black pepper
• 150 ml virgin olive oil
• lemon wedges as required
Method
• Soak the bamboo sticks in water for
about 10 minutes.
• Cut the chicken, zucchini, onion, red
and yellow capsicums (bell peppers)
into 1’’ square pieces.
• Take one mixing bowl and put olive
oil, salt, crushed black paper, oregano
herbs and mix properly.
• Marinate the chopped vegetables
and chicken. Ensure all the pieces are
Zucchini and cashew pasta
Ingredients
• 200 gm pasta spaghetti
• 3 tablespoon peas
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow
pepper
• 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 2 pinches salt
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 dash sesame seeds
• 3 zucchini
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red peppers
• 1 chopped,peeled carrot
• 2 tablespoon chopped basil
• 2 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 dash black pepper
• 1 cup soaked cashews
• 1 clove chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut water
Method
• In a saucepan containing boiling water,
add the pasta, salt and a couple of
drops of oil.
• Boil them till tender.
• In a large bowl, peel one cm wide
coated well. You need not leave them
to marinate for long. 5-6 minutes is
enough.
• Insert the chicken pieces and veggies
into the bamboo skewers. Cook
the skewers on preheated grill until
vegetables and chicken are tender.
Keep turning the skewers to cook
evenly and prevent burning.
• Once cooked, your Vegetable and
Chicken Skewers are now ready to
be served. Serve with some lemon
wedges on the side. Enjoy!
strips of zucchinis so that it resembles
pencil shavings. You can do so using a
vegetable peeler.
• Take a pan over medium flame and add
peas, bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes,
basil, parsley, lemon zest, salt and
pepper. Toss all these ingredients well
into a salad and set aside.
• Prepare the sauce by using a blender
on high speed to mix cashews, water,
coconut nectar, garlic and lemon juice
into a smooth paste.
• Add a little salt.
• In a serving dish, lay out the pasta. Add
a layer of zucchini salad on it. Top the
salad with a layer of sauce.
• Garnish with the grated Parmesan
cheese and indulge in the goodness.
Ingredients
• 400 gm halved chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoon virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 30 ml white wine
• 30 gm broccoli
• 20 ml red wine
• 3 tablespoon chopped thyme
• 1 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 pinch powdered black pepper
• 2 stick blanched asparagus
• 40 gm barbeque sauce
For The Main Dish
• 1 medium sliced thick
zucchini
Method
• Get the grill started on medium
high heat.
• While the grill is heating up, whisk together
half of the thyme, oil and 1/4 teaspoon of
the minced garlic in a shallow dish.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper on the chicken
and add it to thyme mixture. Leave it for
ten minutes.
• Saute garlic in a large
heavy-bottomed pan.
• Add zucchini and handful of chopped
thyme. Let it cook uncovered
Lighter Takes
& Easy Tips
Pepper chicken with braised zucchini
Chicken Momos
Ingredients
• 450 gm all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon refined oil
• 2 large onion
• 1 inch ginger
• water as required
• 1 tablespoon chilli garlic paste
• 300 gm boiled chicken
• 5 green chilli
• salt as required
• 2 teaspoon soy sauce
• black pepper as required
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper
Method
• Chicken Momos is a dish that needs no
introduction. However, it is pretty easy to
prepare it at home without putting in much
effort. Here’s how you go about preparing
it at home: To begin with, rinse the veggies
and chicken with lukewarm water to
thoroughly clean them.
• Then take a clean chopping board, chop the
vegetables separately and keep them aside.
• Then take a pan or a pressure cooker and
boil the chicken, with a pinch of salt and
pepper. If you want to make it aromatic,
you can add a small teaspoon of ginger and
chilli garlic paste. If you like the flavour of
garlic, you can add some more garlic paste.
Once done, carefully mince the boiled
chicken. Keep it aside.
• Now, take a deep mixing bowl and add
refined oil in it followed by all-purpose flour
and salt. Mix well with enough water and
knead the mixture into a smooth dough.
on low flame.
• Heat a new skillet and add white wine.
Reduce it to half and add zucchini. Cook
for a minute and
remove the pan.
• Grill chicken until brown for approx 5
minutes on each side.
• Blanch the broccoli and asparagus in hot
water and keep them aside.
• Take barbecue sauce and dilute it with red
wine, and add black pepper.
Knead well and ensure that no lumps are
formed.
• Take another mixing bowl and add chicken
followed by chopped vegetables, mix well
and combine everything together. Then,
add soy sauce to the chicken mix and stir
well. Now take the prepared dough and roll
out small balls out of it.
• Using a rolling pin, flatten the balls in a
square shape and add the chicken and
veggies stuffing at the centre. Bring the
edges close and secure them to make a
momo.
• Repeat this step with the remaining balls.
Transfer the prepared momos to a steamer
and steam for 20 minutes or until they turn
soft and tender. Serve fresh and hot with
your choice of chutney or dip.
Tips
• The very first rule to make Chicken Momos
is that always roll your edges thin and the
centre should be thick. Many people miss
this part, which makes the momo break
apart.
• You can also freeze Chicken Momos for
20-30 days and boil them for 5 minutes and
they will be ready to eat.
• If you don’t have a steamer at home, you
can always use aluminium foil for steaming
your momos. Aluminium foil balls can
help you create that steam in any type of
container.
• You can also pan fry or deep fry your
chicken momos if you don't have a
steamer at home.

18
ENTERTAINMENT
As makers of most awaited
film 'Bade Miyan Chote
Miyan' unveiled the trailer
today, team has been receiving
appreciation from fans. Actor
Salman Khan also gave a special
shout-out to Akshay Kumar and
Tiger Shroff.
Taking to Instagram, Salman
shared the trailer video along with
the message.
He wrote, "'Bade Miyan Chote
Miyan', akki n tiger best of luck for
the movie yeh bohut badi hit hogi."
Salman also praised director Ali
Abbas Zafar, with whom he shares
a successful collaboration history
in films like 'Tiger Zinda Hai' and
'Sulta'.
He wrote, "Loved the trailer and
Ali u need to break tiger n sultan
ka record with this one."
Salman ended by saying, "
Umeed hai ke Hindustan ko aap aur
aap ko Hindustan Eidi dengein...@
akshaykumar@tigerjackieshroff."
Makers launched the actionpacked
trailer in Mumbai today.
Loaded with action, the almost
4-minute-long trailer showed
Akshay and Tiger as two egotistical
SRK, Kajol, Shilpa
Shetty-starrer
'Baazigar' all set to
re-release in theatres
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and
Shilpa Shetty-starrer cult classic film
'Baazigar' is all set for re-release in
cinemas. King Khan shared this exciting news
with his fans.
"Flashback to a time when magic unfolded
on the silver screen! Inviting you to relive
those moments at our Retro Film Festival with
the iconic Bollywood classic - 'Baazigar.' As
someone who had the privilege to bring this
magic to life, I'm thrilled to join you in this
nostalgic journey. Let's celebrate the timeless
era of Bollywood together!," King Khan
announced on his Instagram post.
After his post, fans expressed their
excitement. One of them wrote, "FAVOURITE
CHILDHOOD MOVIE". Another mentioned, "All
time fvrt srk"
Kajol and Shilpa Shetty also posted the
announcement.
Shilpa mentioned, "So proud to be a part of
both these 'Iconic Retro' films, with Baazigar
being my debut..Save the dates: 22/03/24 |
23/03/24 | 25/03/24 | 26/03/24..Join us for an
unforgettable cinematic experience. Be there to
witness the magic unfold!..."
Released on November 12, 1993, Baazigar
featured Shah Rukh as an anti-hero. The thriller,
also one of Kajol's earliest successes, turned
into a blockbuster.
'Break Tiger, Sultan
record': Salman
praises Akshay-
Tiger's 'Bade Miyan
Chote Miyan'
psychos tasked with taking down
Prithviraj Sukumaran's masked
villain.
"Sabse jyada khatarnak wo
dushman hota hai, jisme maut ka
darr he na ho. Ek aisa dushman
jiska na naam ho, na pehchaan ho
aur na chehra ho. Jiska sirf bas
ek lakshya ho, badla," Prithviraj
Sukumaran said at the beginning
of the trailer.
As per the trailer, what one can
understand is that Prithviraj has
hijacked a potent, powerful and
dangerous weapon and Akshay
Kumar and Tiger Shroff are
entrusted with the task of getting
it back safely.
Towards the end of the trailer,
Tiger Shroff and Akshay Kumar
were seen fighting each other
as well. As they locked horns
with each other, Akshay Kumar's
character in the background said,
"Hum bahut purane dost hai, ek
dusre ke liye jaan de sakte hai
aur ek dusre ki jaan le bhi sakte
hai (We can sacrifice our lives for
each other, but we can also take
each other's lives)"
The film,
helmed by director duo Abbas-Mustan, is still
famed for its dialogues and songs.
SRK's dialogue "Kabhi Kabhi Kabhi kabhi
jeetne ke liye kuch haarna bhi padta hai ... aur
haar kar jeetne waale ko baazigar kehte hai
(Sometimes to win you must l ose something
... and one who wins from a losing position is
called a gambler)," is still etched in the minds
of his fans.
Recently, SRK has had three back-to-back
hits in his kitty with Pathaan, Jawan and Dunki.
Friday, 29 March, 2024
Ronit Roy, Alay F, Manushi
Chhillar and Sonakshi Sinha
are also a part of the film. It is
produced by Pooja Entertainment
and AAZ Films and is scheduled
to release on April 10, 2024 on
the occasion of Eid. It will face a
box-office clash with Ajay Devgn's
'Maidaan'.
At the trailer launch, Akshay
expressed his gratitude to the
makers. He said, "A special thanks
to Jackky Bhagnani, Deepshikha,
and Vashu ji for making such a
huge film. It's one of the biggest
films I've worked with, and it's all
thanks to them."
Ali Abbas Zafar's directorial
is shot across locations such
as Mumbai, London, Abu Dhabi,
Scotland, and Jordan.
Meanwhile, Salman is currently
basking in the success of his
action thriller film 'Tiger 3'.
Helmed by Maneesh Sharma,
'Tiger 3' was released in theatres
on November 12, 2023. It is now
streaming on Prime Video. The
film also starred Katrina Kaif and
Emraan Hashmi in the lead roles.
On a day she turned
a year older,
Bollywood beauty
Rani Mukerji shared
how she felt when her
women-centric films like
'Mardaani' and 'Hichki'
emerged as box-office
successes.
Over the course of her
Bollywood career, Rani
has shone in a variety of
roles and performances,
both in commercial and
experimental cinema.
Speaking to ANI on
Thursday, the actor said,
"I feel very happy (when
her women-centric films
score at the box office)
because it shows that our
audience wants to watch
all kinds of cinema. They
want to see all kinds of
content and if we provide
good, interesting content
with a good story to go
with it, they will definitely
come to watch the film."
On whether she prefers
working on commercial
films, as opposed to
content-driven ones, Rani
said, "I enjoy both types
of cinema because when
I do the kind of cinema
that I have been doing,
where there are songs,
it's also a very big part of
our Indian culture. In our
weddings or any function,
music and dance play a
Read online www.iwk.co.nz
Manoj Bajpayee
is back with
second
installment of
'Silence'
Actor Manoj Bajpayee is
all set to come up with
the second installment of
'Silence'.
Helmed by Aban Bharucha
Deohans, 'Silence: The Night
Owl Bar Shootout' stars Manoj
Bajpayee as ACP Avinash Verma.
Prachi Desai, Sahil Vaid and
Vaquar Shaikh also feature in
the film. In the first installment,
ACP Avinash along with his team
solves the enigmatic murder of a
woman. As the suspense mounts,
viewers are taken on a riveting
journey culminating in a startling
revelation. Now, with 'Silence
2: The Night Owl Bar Shootout',
audiences can expect another
intriguing storyline teeming with
dark secrets and unforeseen
twists, read a statement.
Excited about Silence 2,
Manoj in a statement said, "ACP
Avinash Verma is back! He is
here to restore peace and order.
I am excited for the audience to
witness how the plot unravels
this time. Season 1 was loved by
the audience, and I hope that we
will meet the expectations of our
viewers and provide them with an
immersive experience yet again."
Director Aban Bharucha
Deohans also shared her
excitement about the launch of
the sequel.
She said, "I am thrilled to
announce the release of 'Silence
2: The Night Owl Bar Shootout' an
exhilarating project even bigger
than its predecessor. Working with
Manoj Bajpayee again was an
absolute joy, and his dedication to
the role brought an added depth to
the film."
'Our audience wants to watch all
kinds of cinema': Rani Mukerji
very important role. So,
when we dance, sing, or
play music in films, we are,
in a way, showcasing our
culture and traditions. So,
I can relate to that a lot."
"When I bring stories
inspired by true events,
it's also very interesting
because maybe we are
bringing something to
the audience that they
didn't know about before.
And through our films,
we are giving them that
information. So, both have
their own importance. It's
not that one is good and
the other is not. I think
both are very important
in their own way," Rani
added.
The actor, who is
married to producer
Aaditya Chopra, has
featured in acclaimed
hits such as 'Hichki',
'Mardaani', and 'Mrs.
Chatterjee Vs Norway',
among others, win the
hearts of the audience
with her captivating
screen presence and
performances.

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Alliance Partners, the Chamber Mentors,
and also the Awards. While savings were
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of like-minded people that has been really
beneficial for our business.”
Haman Shahpari
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