Indian Weeekender 24 May 2024

Friday, 24 May 2024 

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A WALLET 

RAVI BAJPAI 

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Kiwi-Indian, 28, builds tech 

company worth millions 

“I am creating the next financial 

institution of the world.” 

Devrath Soni is hardly the tech 

entrepreneur I was expecting to meet. 

All of 28, the man has launched a 

micro-investment app that allows users 

to buy gold with as little as `1. 

Sugar Wallet, which first launched 

in 2022, expanded this year into the 

Indian and Turkish markets. It’s valued 

at $20m USD, approximately. 

Devrath is sporting jeans paired 

with two t-shirts (a half-sleeve over a 

full-sleeve) as he extends his arm to 

greet me, exuding the demeanour of an 

undergrad student. 

“The point is to cut through the clutter 

in the investment space. How can 

we simplify this for those who aren’t 

inclined to investing?” says Devrath, 

with an accent heavily Indian for 

someone who moved to New Zealand at 

just seven years old. 

• Continued on Page 6 

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Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 24 May 2024 

NEW ZEALAND 3 

Kiwi-Indian drives broken car after 

robbery as police fail to show up 

URJITA BHARDWAJ 

A 

Kiwi-Indian bodybuilder 

and fitness trainer feels 

"hopeless" about the police 

taking any action after her car was 

broken into on Monday. 

Namrata Rai is "shaken" after 

her car windows were smashed 

outside a gym and her purse 

stolen in the early hours of May 

20, 2024. 

Not just that, she tried to reach 

the police for help over the phone 

twice, but her calls were queued 

up for a response for nearly an 

hour. 

Rai had only just wrapped up 

her early morning training session 

at City Fitness Three Kings when 

she saw the co-driver’s window of 

her parked 

“It was about 5.15 am. All my 

belongings were strewn on the 

road, and my purse had been 

stolen. I lost my driver’s license 

and all my cards, including 

debit, credit and gift cards,” says 

Namrata. Hours after the robbery, 

she posted on social media, “I 

was a victim of a crime, and it's 

been a challenging experience. It 

RAVI BAJPAI 

has left me feeling shaken 

and vulnerable, but I’m trying 

to process everything and take 

things one step at a time.” 

“I was a victim of a 

crime, and it's been a 

challenging experience. 

It has left me feeling 

shaken and vulnerable, 

but I’m trying to 

process everything and 

take things one step at 

a time.” Namrata Rai 

But the robbery was seemingly 

not the end of her ordeal. Soon 

after discovering the break-in, she 

called the police from the 

parking lot. 

“First, I was placed on hold for 

15 minutes. I disconnected the 

call because I was panicking. 

I called the police again and 

was put on hold for at least 45 

minutes. I then decided to drive 

back home with my broken car." 

Namrata trains at CityFitness 

Three Kings every day between 

3 am and 5 am and also runs her 

own fitness studio, Family Fitness, 

in Mount Roskill. The incident 

Three strikes could become 

no strikes, warn dairy owners 

occurred on Monday during her 

training session from 4.45 am 

to 5.15 am. 

She says she is disappointed 

by the lack of police response 

despite calling twice and being 

put on hold for nearly an hour. 

"It was very dark when the 

incident happened, and the first 

thing that came to my mind was 

contacting the police. But there 

was no response for so long. 

"Finally, when I got in touch 

with the police, they gave me a 

complaint registration number. 

Now my husband and I are waiting 

for details and will follow 

up," she says. 

The car is insured, Namrata 

says, but she is more concerned 

about her safety and the safety 

of others who might face similar 

situations in the future. 

"I usually park in a safe spot, 

and the place I go for personal 

training…it has a lot of homeless 

people roaming around. I make 

sure my car is always locked 

properly." 

"Yesterday, I received a formal 

email from the police about my 

complaint. That is all." 

Namrata also emphasises the 

importance of having enough 

CCTV cameras in the city to 

provide evidence if such incidents 

occur. She says her own studio, 

Family Fitness in Mount Roskill, 

is very secure and equipped with 

CCTV cameras. 

"I hope individuals and 

businesses can see my post 

and share it. If businesses have 

CCTV cameras that can show 

what happened, please report 

to the police with file number 

240520/9779. I hope the culprit 

can be caught.” 

Small business owners are 

warning the three strikes 

law the government is 

reinstating is too weak and could 

easily end up being a “no strikes” 

law. 

Last month, the National-led 

government said it will bring back 

the three-stage system that the 

Labour government axed on the 

grounds it disproportionately 

affected Maori and prevented 

judges from taking individual 

circumstances into account. 

The system–first introduced 

by National and ACT in 2010– 

required judges to hand down the 

maximum sentence if an offender 

is convicted of three qualifying 

offences. Small business owners, 

already riled by rising retail crime, 

are picking on a provision in the 

revised version that requires 

three strikes to be applied only to 

sentences more than 24 months. 

“All we see is something that 

sounds good but will give criminals 

a get-out-of-jail-free card,” Chair 

of the Dairy and Business Owners 

Group Incorporated Sunny 

Kaushal said on May 21. 

“The government doesn’t 

seem to grasp that there are two 

sentences. There’s a starting 

point sentence but then there’s 

the end point after the judge 

considers discounts. So, what 

sentence does the government 

actually mean?” 

Kaushal says business 

owners are also peeved at a new 

provision that allows judges to 

have discretion where a strike is 

“manifestly unjust”. 

That, he says, leaves a lot of 

room for discretion, and therefore 

casts doubts over achieving what 

he describes as real consequences 

for actions. 

“We’ll tell you what is manifestly 

unjust. That’s 298 thefts and 17 

burglaries every day last year 

in a record year for retail crime. 

Something that officials, judges 

and, sadly now, ministers don’t 

want to face up to.” 

Kaushal points to an incident 

this February to illustrate his 

frustration. “In February, a person 

was finally sent to prison but 

only after 105 convictions over 

many years including ‘intensive 

supervision for burglary’. They 

got 14 months.” 

The dairy owners association 

is now calling on the coalition 

government to toughen Three 

Strikes 2.0. 

“In Opposition, the new 

government talked a great game 

so we’re guttered to see Three 

Strikes 2.0 turn into no strikes,” 

says Kaushal. 

He says the small businesses 

his group represents want that – 

1. After the first strike, the second 

strike to be for any crime, 

with the final third strike upon 

conviction where the starting 

point sentence is 24 months or 

more 

2. It includes all burglary offences, 

not just aggravated burglary. 

Homes and home businesses 

like dairies or farms are the 

most personal of spaces. With 

dairies and farms, there is 

greater risk a burglary could go 

wrong. This crime needs to be 

treated seriously. 

3. The “manifestly unjust” 

exception is removed. This 

will make it almost impossible 

to land a third strike. With 

24-month starting point 

sentence for the third-strike, 

the bar is set higher while the 

Royal prerogative of Mercy 

exists for true miscarriages of 

justice 

4. “Attempted murder” is added 

to a proposal that those who 

commit murder at second or 

third strike go down for an 

appropriately lengthy nonparole 

period 

5. All ‘strikes’ to those who were 

on them before the old law 

was repealed are reinstated, 

and only apply new strike(s) 

to crimes committed after this 

new law comes into effect.

4 

NEW ZEALAND 


Read online www.iwk.co.nz 

Top of the world: 53-year-old 

Kiwi-Indian scales Mt Everest 


This fifty-three-year-old 

Kiwi-Indian's journey to 

the top of the world stands 

as a testament to the power of 

perseverance and passion. 

On May 19, 2024, at 8:37 am, 

Malkiat Singh achieved a lifelong 

dream by "reaching the summit 

of Mount Everest." Singh, who 

resides and works in Auckland, 

migrated from Fatehgarh Sahib, 

Punjab, in 1998 and has always 

been known for his athleticism. 

“I did it,” Malkiat told his family 

in Auckland during an emotional 

phone call. His brother, Pargat 

Singh, expressed the family's 

mixed emotions, saying, “We 

were relieved and elated at 

the same time by my brother’s 

achievement.” 

Malkiat's family claims that 

he scaled Mount Everest "all the 

way to the top", standing at an 

elevation of 8,849 meters. 

A senior member of the 

Supreme Sikh Society for 25 

years, Malkiat Singh is a graduate 

of Punjab Agricultural University, 

Ludhiana. He had a promising 

career in Mumbai, India as a 

manager at the Oil and Natural 

Gas Corporation (ONGC) but 

chose to relocate due to his 

dissatisfaction with city's train 

services. 

“My brother did not like the train 

services in Mumbai, so he decided 

to move,” Pargat Singh quipped. 

Malkiat's family describes him 

as a bright academic achiever and 

an exceptional sportsman. 

His inspiration to climb Everest 

came from meeting Sir Edmund 

Hillary, the famed New Zealand 

mountaineer who, along with 

Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, first 

reached Everest’s summit in 1953. 

In addition to mountaineering, 

Malkiat has a background in 

hockey, having played for various 

clubs in Auckland before retiring 

a few years ago. However, his 

passion for sports never waned. “I 

“I did it,” Malkiat told 

his family in Auckland 

during an emotional 

phone call. His 

brother, Pargat Singh, 

expressed the family's 

mixed emotions, 

saying, “We were 

relieved and elated at 

the same time by my 

brother’s achievement.” 

guess he picked up a new hobby,” 

Malkiat’s elder son Mansimrit told 

The Indian Weekender. 

Mansimrit Singh, a second 

lieutenant in the New Zealand 

Army, played a crucial role in his 

father's achievement. 

“I helped my father with 

physical training for about a 

year,” he said. Malkiat underwent 

rigorous training, focusing on core 

strength, cardiovascular health, 

and hypoxic training with his 

coach, Walter. 

Altitude training, also known 

as hypoxic training or low oxygen 

training, involves exercising in, 

living in or otherwise breathing 

oxygen-reduced air. 

This specialised training 

mimicked the low-oxygen 

conditions of high altitudes. 

Additionally, Malkiat practiced 

yoga to enhance his physical and 

mental resilience. 

Last year, Malkiat participated 

in the 14 Peaks Expedition, a highaltitude 

sports company and one 

of the world’s largest expedition 

organisers for mountains above 

8,000 meters, including the 14 

Peaks and Seven Summits. 

Initially, Malkiat’s family was 

apprehensive about his decision 

to climb Everest due to the risks 

involved. “No one was willingly 

happy about his decision,” 

Pargat Singh said. However, 

Mansimrit had unwavering faith 

in his father’s capabilities and 

strengths. 

Currently, Malkiat is recovering 

at a monastery after his 

successful ascent. His journey to 

recovery has been smooth, and he 

is expected to return to his family 

in June. 

As for what lies ahead, Malkiat 

plans to focus on recovery and 

inspiring younger generations 

to pursue their passions and 

embrace hard work. “Firstly to 

recover and inspire younger 

generations to go for their 

passions and love for hard work,” 

his son said. 

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NEW ZEALAND 5 

New to NZ job market? Here is how 

Auckland Malayali Samajam can help 


For a first-time job seeker in 

New Zealand, the process 

can be overwhelming, 

with numerous interviews and 

unfamiliar rules. 

To aid in this transition, the 

Auckland Malayali Samajam is 

hosting a seminar specifically for 

South Asian professionals, inviting 

all new South Asian immigrants to 

attend. 

Scheduled for 15th June 2024, 

the seminar aims to empower 

South Asian immigrants who 

may be facing obstacles in their 

journey to find employment. 

Leading the seminar will be 

Mahesh Murlidhar, an alumnus 

of the University of Auckland 

with a career in management and 

strategy consulting. 

Murlidhar will provide insights 

to job seekers on navigating the 

New Zealand job market and an 

attempt to integrate into kiwiculture. 

In addition to this seminar, the 

association helps Malayalees in 

Auckland build connections, form 

friendships, and gain a deeper 

understanding of their community. 

The Auckland Malayali 

Samajam (AMS), established in 

1999, is dedicated to promoting, 

preserving, and nurturing the 

unique cultural and linguistic 

heritage of the Malayalee 

community. It also aims 

to foster connections 

and friendships among 

Malayalees in Auckland 

and across New Zealand, 

enriching the country's 

diverse cultural fabric 

with the best Malayalee 

traditions. The organisation 

also offers Malayalam 

classes to ensure the 

younger generation of the 

diaspora remains connected 

to their mother tongue. 

AMS’s primary objectives 

include fostering friendship 

and unity among New 

Zealand societies, aiding the 

integration of community 

members into the broader 

New Zealand society, and 

conducting activities aligned 

with these goals. The society 

Ranjna Patel to receive business honour 

RNZ 

Ranjna Patel, co-founder of New 

Zealand's largest private primary 

healthcare network Tamaki Health 

and a well-known philanthropist, is poised to 

be inducted into the New Zealand Business 

Hall of Fame this year. 

According to the award citation, Tamaki 

Health has impacted more than 300,000 

patients through 50 clinics nationwide as 

well as on digital platform Bettr. 

"Her notable contributions extend to 

founding Gandhi Nivas, an innovative 

family harm prevention program delivering 

significant social returns," the citation said. 

"Awarded the QSM and ONZM for her 

charitable efforts, Ranjna also serves as 

a Trustee for the Swaminarayan Temple, 

promoting extensive community and social 

services. Her leadership in healthcare 

and social welfare has made her a pivotal 

figure in fostering community well-being 

and equity." 

Established in 1994 by Young Enterprise, 

the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame has 

honoured more than 200 individuals who 

have made a significant contribution to the 

economic and social development of the 

country over the past three decades. 

The annual event celebrates its 30th 

anniversary on 11 September, with Rod 

Duke, Sir Mark Dunajtschik, Sir Owen Glenn, 

Todd Heller, Diane Foreman and Sir Ian 

Taylor also being inducted into the Business 

Hall of Fame. 

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi named new ambassador 

of Breast Cancer Foundation 

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, a former list MP 

for the National Party and the country's firstever 

India-born lawmaker, has been named 

ambassador of Breast Cancer Foundation 

New Zealand. 

"After witnessing the impact of breast 

cancer on my loved ones, I have come to 

realise the importance of educating people 

and providing support for those who need 

it," Bakshi said. 

"Unfortunately, cultural stigmas and a 

lack of awareness is still preventing timely 

diagnosis and treatment. By engaging with 

the Indian community, we can dispel myths, 

promote regular breast screening and offer 

culturally sensitive support." 

Ah-Leen Rayner, chief executive of Breast 

Cancer Foundation NZ, said it was important 

for the charity to reach more Kiwi-Indians 

about the importance of early screening. 

"Asian women in New Zealand are getting 

breast cancer at a younger age than other 

ethnic groups, and also have the lowest 

breast screening participation rates. So, 

there's a lot we must do to ensure more 

Asian women survive breast cancer." 

Breast cancer is the most common 

female cancer in New Zealand, with around 

3,500 women diagnosed with the disease 

every year. 

is committed to educating the 

younger generation about rich 

Malayalee culture and language, 

helping them grow as responsible 

citizens. AMS organises cultural 

functions and promotes solidarity 

with other cultural organisations 

within New Zealand and beyond. 

It emphasises promoting family 

values among its members and 

the wider New Zealand society 

and educates members about the 

dangers of family violence, drug 

abuse, and alcohol dependence. 

AMS also partakes in 

development programmes aimed 

at the welfare and well-being 

of the New Zealand community, 

promotes health education among 

its communities, and assists in 

settling new immigrants to New 

Zealand. 

The organisation encourages 

sports and cultural activities, 

collects necessary funds from 

members and the community 

to achieve its objectives, and 

acquires and manages properties 

to further its goals. 

The primary mission of AMS 

is to promote the interests of the 

organisation and its members 

within the broader community, 

striving to make a difference 

by educating the public and 

expanding its reach. 

The AGM of AMS annually 

elects the Executive Committee. 

The current executive committee 

comprises: 

• Robin K Babu - President 

• Mebin John - Secretary 

• Libi Jacob - Vice President 

• Divya Vijay - Joint Secretary 

• Lesley Corray - Treasurer 

• Aby Joseph - Executive 

Member 

• Vinu Mani - Executive Member 

• Daisy Sujo - Executive Member 

• Shiji Joby - Executive Member 

• Jaimon Menachery - Executive 

Member 

• Sana Ram - Area 

Representative 

• Abhinand Paul - Area 


• Gopal Nair - Area 


• Joyal Jose - Area 


One of the largest events 

organised by the Auckland 

Malayali Samajam is the Onam 

Celebration, attracting over 

1,200 community members 

annually. Additionally, AMS hosts 

celebrations for Christmas, 

Easter, Vishu, and Eid each year, 

showcasing the unity in diversity 

within the organisation. The 

annual Kalotsavam cultural 

performance competition for 

children and various sports 

events further engage the wider 

Malayalee community in New 

Zealand. 

This year marks the 25th 

anniversary of AMS, and in 

celebration, the organisation plans 

to host a mega event that will 

highlight the unique contributions 

and vibrant culture of the 

Auckland Malayali Samajam.

6 

NEW ZEALAND 


How to become a cop in NZ 

IWK BUREAU 

In a move to strengthen its 

workforce and better mirror the 

diverse communities it serves, 

the New Zealand Police hosted 

an ethnic recruitment drive on 

May 18, 2024. This initiative aims 

to augment the number of police 

officers nationwide. 

"The National government 

announced 500 additional police 

officers for New Zealanders. My 

team, Police Ethnic Service Team, 

is dedicated and has joined forces 

with the Police Recruitment Team 

to achieve the government's goal," 

Constable Terry Lin of Counties 

Manukau Police told The Indian 

Weekender. The Police Ethnic 

Service Team has collaborated 

with the Police Recruitment Team 

to boost the representation of 

ethnic backgrounds within the 

force. 

"Our intent is to increase 

the number of police officers, 

particularly from ethnic 

backgrounds, in our organisation. 

We need to diversify our police 

members, and that's why we are 

reaching out to communities 

and their leaders," added 

Constable Lin. The recruitment 

drive aims to enhance the 

engagement of diverse 

ethnic communities with the 

• Continued from Page 1 

Sugar Wallet’s journey began in 

2022 in New Zealand. 

The first iteration of the app 

offered users the ability to put 

aside as little as $1 while also 

keeping the investment 

choices simple. 

“We realised complexity was a 

big barrier keeping newbies away 

from investing in the market. 

Our solution was to offer them 

not just a low threshold for the 

amount invested but also just 

three investment choices.” 

The app has since pivoted from 

investing in markets. 

Now users get to buy 

gold instead of stocks, an 

option Devrath feels sits rather 

well with the conventional Indian 

wisdom of investing in gold. 

“When I look back at my 

journey, I have always tried to find 

ways to empower people.” Sugar 

Wallet is not his first rodeo. 

Devrath was fresh out of 

college and out shopping for a 

good suit when he realised he 

couldn’t afford any good ones on 

the market. 

“It was so expensive! Later in 

India I had one made that was the 

same quality for only a fraction of 

the cost. I was like, surely it won’t 

cost so much for it to be shipped 

to New Zealand.” 

He returned to Auckland 

and opened his first venture, a 

custom-tailoring business. The 

plan was simple. Take customer 

measurements here and get the 

suit stitched back in India. 

“It worked like magic. 

Customers began coming in by 

"Language barriers 

often create anxiety 

and uncertainty for our 

ethnic communities. 

When they see officers 

of their own kind, they 

open up and are willing 

to talk more, which 

may result in solving 

crimes and increasing 

police trust and 

confidence." 

word of mouth. I didn’t realise it 

then but what really satisfied me 

was the happiness on their face 

at having worn a world-class suit 

at an affordable price.” 

That business lasted a good 

four years until the Covid-19 

pandemic, when he sold it off and 

began searching for his next big 

idea. This one came to him 

closer home. 

“One day, a relative told me 

New Zealand Police. 

"Every time I dealt with an 

incident involving my Chinese 

community, they felt a sense of 

relief as they could talk to someone 

in their own language," shared 

Constable Lin. 

"Language barriers often create 

anxiety and uncertainty for our 

ethnic communities. 

"When they see officers of 

their own kind, they open up and 

are willing to talk more, which 

may result in solving crimes 

and increasing police trust and 

confidence," he added. 

To achieve this, the Police 

Ethnic Service team will host one 

she had her savings sitting in the 

bank. She said investing it was 

too complex and risky. It might 

not seem like much today, but 

that stirred me up.” 

He toyed with the premise of a 

product to educate people about 

investing, an idea that led him to 

his mentor–a tech entreprenuer 

in his 30s. 

Mahesh Muralidhar flashes a 

disarming smile as he turns to 

recruitment seminar per month, 

focusing on different ethnicities 

each time. The upcoming seminar 

in June will target the Chinese 

community, although the sessions 

are open to everyone. 

Feedback from various ethnic 

communities regarding the 

recruitment drive has been 

overwhelmingly positive. 

"They welcome the police 

recruitment drive, which 

demonstrates that the police 

value our community," said 

Constable Lin. 

Successful candidates will 

undergo training as constabulary 

recruits at the Royal New 

Zealand Police College (RNZPC). 

The training program lasts 

approximately five months, during 

which candidates reside at the 

college. However, they are allowed 

to travel home during study breaks 

or weekends. Moreover, recruits 

receive payment during the 

training period. 

The criteria for selection and 

further details can be found on 

the website newcops.govt.nz or by 

attending one of the recruitment 

seminars. 

This recruitment drive represents 

a significant step towards a more 

inclusive and diverse police force, 

reflecting the multicultural fabric 

of New Zealand's society. 

'Sugar Wallet is the next financial 

institution of the future': Devrath Soni 

Mahesh Muralidhar/ Photo: Supplied 

“It worked like magic. 

Customers began 

coming in by word of 

mouth. I didn’t realise 

it then but what really 

satisfied me was the 

happiness on their 

face at having worn a 

world-class suit at an 

affordable price.” 

me. The soft-spoken Kiwi-Indian 

is hosting us at his place in 

Ponsonby for this meeting on a 

sunny Friday morning. 

Mahesh wears many hats. 

He struck gold as a founding 

member of Canva, the popular 

web graphic designing app. 

More recently, he came a 

close second as a National Party 

candidate from Auckland CBD 

in Election 2023, giving Green’s 

Chloe Swarbrick a run for her 

money. Over the last three years, 

Mahesh has put his heart and 

soul into building Phase One 

Ventures, an early-stage founder 

community supporting young 

Kiwi entrepreneurs. 

“When I first met Devrath, I 

saw a young man brimming with 

passion. He truly wanted to make 

a difference, he believed in 

his mission.” 

Mahesh worked with Devrath 

to chisel his idea and helped him 

launch Sugar Wallet in 2022. 

“He is at the cusp of exploding 

on the global stage,” Mahesh 

says of his protege, his eyes 

giving away a hint of pride. 

Devrath is no less excited about 

what the future holds for him. 

“Sugar Wallet is the next financial 

institution of the future. 

"We will be expanding the 

product soon to also offer lending 

services against your gold 

assets." 


Meet India's 

first space 

tourist, Gopi 

Thotakura 

IWK BUREAU 

Indian expatriate Gopi 

Thotakura has made history 

by becoming the first Indian 

space tourist and the second 

Indian to venture into space, 

participating in Amazon founder 

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin NS- 

25 mission. The Blue Origin 

successfully completed its 

seventh human spaceflight 

and the 25th flight for the New 

Shepard program on Sunday. 

Born in Andhra Pradesh, Gopi 

Thotakura was among the six 

crew members on this mission. 

The astronaut crew included 

Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, 

Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller, 

and former Air Force Captain 

Ed Dwight, who was selected 

by President John F. Kennedy 

in 1961 as the nation's first 

black astronaut candidate but 

never had the opportunity to 

fly, according to Blue Origin's 

official website. 

The New Shepard program 

has now flown 37 people into 

space, including the latest crew. 

Phil Joyce, Senior Vice President 

of New Shepard, expressed 

gratitude, saying, "A big thank 

you to our astronaut customers 

for the opportunity to provide 

this life-changing experience. 

Each of you are pioneers helping 

to advance our mission to build 

a road to space for the benefit of 

Earth." 

Last month, in an exclusive 

interview with ANI, Thotakura 

discussed his lifelong dream 

and passion for flying, as well 

as the mission's commitment 

to protecting Mother Earth. He 

highlighted how space tourism 

can open new avenues and 

make space more accessible 

and affordable for civilians. 

Reflecting on his feelings, 

Thotakura said, "I can't express 

my feelings right now because 

it is something that is not in the 

urban dictionary. It is something 

I take with me. I always tell 

people that right from when you 

are born till the time you leave, 

you wake up and want to see the 

sky, want to take a breath, but I 

want to have this opportunity 

to do the reverse, to go up there 

and see down here. 

Movies do a fantastic job, but 

to see what the naked eye can 

see, you have to do that yourself. 

The whole excitement is 

about looking back and seeing 

what's going on without being 

documented or seen through 

someone else's eyes."


NEW ZEALAND 7 

Fiji-Indian parents suffering in debt 

after crash claims son's life 

IWK BUREAU 

An Indian family of five who 

migrated from Fiji to New 

Zealand to build a better 

future had their dreams shattered 

when their son, the family’s 

primary earner, was killed in a 

fatal car crash caused by a drunk 

driver. 

An apprentice diesel mechanic, 

who had previously been 

convicted of drink driving, is now 

facing severe consequences after 

a tragic incident that resulted in 

the death of a young man, New 

Zealand Herald reported. Jack 

Isaac Halliday, 26, had after-work 

drinks before getting behind the 

wheel and crashing, causing the 

death of 24-year-old Sahil Prasad. 

In a similar pattern, Halliday, 

who worked at J Swap 

Contracting in Matamata, had 

been caught by police for drink 

driving in March last year. 

However, just four months later, he 

repeated his reckless behaviour, 

this time with fatal consequences. 

On the evening of July 21, 

Halliday finished work at 5:53 

PM and joined his colleagues for 

drinks at their workshop. 

CCTV footage captured him 

consuming five drinks before 

leaving in his work ute at 8:15 

PM to head to a local pub, where 

he continued drinking with 

Parents of Sahil Prasad. Photo / Mike Scott: NZ Herald 

workmates. 

Despite warnings from a coworker 

who suggested he stay 

the night due to his apparent 

intoxication, Halliday chose to 

drive to Hamilton. 

At 11:19 PM, as he approached 

Newstead on State Highway 26, 

his vehicle crossed the centre 

line, colliding with Prasad’s car. 

Prasad, who was returning home 

to Eureka, died at the scene from 

severe brain and head injuries. 

Halliday, who sustained minor 

injuries, was found to have a 

blood alcohol level of 144mg per 

100ml, nearly three times the 

legal limit. In court, he admitted to 

drinking but claimed he thought 

he was under the limit. 

Prasad’s family has been 

left heartbroken and financially 

strained. His parents, Rajesh and 

Ashima, are struggling with the 

loss of their only son and the 

substantial costs associated with 

his funeral. 

They are now planning to move 

away from the crash site, which is 

painfully close to their home. 

Rajesh expressed frustration 

over Halliday's actions and the 

legal outcome. “What he did was 

“What he did was 

not an accident. An 

accident is when 

something goes wrong 

with your vehicle, but 

drink driving is not an 

accident,” 

not an accident. An accident is 

when something goes wrong with 

your vehicle, but drink driving is 

not an accident,” he said. 

The couple has become fearful 

of driving, with Rajesh now doing 

all the driving for the family. 

Sahil Prasad, described as 

a self-taught mechanic with a 

passion for fixing vehicles, had 

been out celebrating a friend’s 

birthday on the night of the 

crash. His death has left a void 

in his family’s life, particularly 

for his mother, Ashima, who 

visits a memorial site for her son 

regularly. 

Halliday has admitted to a 

charge of drink driving causing 

death and is due to be sentenced 

in August. Prasad's family 

continues to grapple with their 

grief and the financial burden left 

by his untimely death. 

The community has rallied 

around the Prasad family, with the 

owner of the property where the 

crash occurred allowing them to 

build a memorial for Sahil. Despite 

this support, the pain of their loss 

remains overwhelming. 

The parents found themselves 

approximately $30,000 in debt 

due to expenses related to his 

death, including funeral costs and 

ongoing cultural memorial events. 

Sahil is also survived by his two 

sisters, Seenal, 28, and Shyla, 12. 

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8 

NEW ZEALAND 


Kiwi-Indian left frustrated by 

police silence following assault RNZ 


Reserve Bank 

holds official cash 

rate at 5.5pc 

IWK BUREAU 

The manager of a Ponsonby 

petrol station, Ronark 

Patel, 28, was left 

frustrated after an assault at 

work when police reportedly 

failed to respond to calls for 

help from his rescuer, off-duty 

paramedic Alice Tolich, The New 

Zealand Herald reported. 

The incident occurred two 

weeks ago at the BP 2go in 

Jervois Rd. 

Patel, working alone as night 

manager, was approached by 

a man he describes as "highly 

agitated" who asked to use the 

bathroom. 

CCTV footage shows the 

man leaving the bathroom and 

launching an unprovoked attack 

on Patel, repeatedly punching 

him. 

Patel tried to defend himself, 

but it was Tolich who intervened. 

Off-duty and on her way back 

to her car after dinner with 

her husband, Tolich heard the 

commotion and came to Patel's 

Ronark Patel, the night manager at BP 2GO on Jervois Rd. He was viciously assaulted and 

worried he could lose his right eye. Photo / Michael Craig/ NZ Herald 

aid. Despite feeling frightened, 

Tolich confronted the attacker, 

who eventually fled the scene in 

his car. 

Patel attempted to call the 

police but was hindered by his 

injuries. Tolich made two calls to 

111 for help, requesting both an 

ambulance and police assistance. 

However, neither emergency 

service responded to their calls. 

Following the attack, Patel 

expressed his frustration, stating, 

"Why call the police when they 

don't turn up? ... Does someone 

have to die before they take 

any notice?" The petrol station 

owner, known as Kumar, rushed 

to the scene upon hearing of the 

incident. 

After waiting for 50 minutes 

with no response from first 

responders, Tolich suggested 

Kumar drive Patel to the hospital 

himself. 

Inspector Wayne Kitcher 

of Auckland City West Police 

explained that at the time of the 

incident, units in the area were 

attending other priority incidents, 

and the victim had already been 

transported to the hospital 

when police attempted to make 

contact. 

Patel, who suffered fractures to 

his orbital bone, is still awaiting 

an eye operation and an update 

from the police regarding the 

attacker. 

His attacker, an 18-year-old 

man, has since been arrested 

and charged with wounding with 

intent to cause grievous bodily 

harm and threatening to kill. 

He is expected to appear in 

the Auckland District Court next 

week. 

The Reserve Bank has held the 

official cash rate at 5.5 percent 

The Reserve Bank has held 

the official cash rate unchanged at 5.5 

percent for the seventh consecutive 

meeting. The central bank said the 

economy has slowed, unemployment 

was rising, and acknowledged 

household budgets were under 

pressure . 

"While weaker capacity pressures 

and an easing labour market are 

reducing domestic inflation, this 

decline is tempered by sectors of the 

economy that are less sensitive to 

interest rates," the monetary policy 

committee said in a statement. 

"These near-term factors include, 

for example, higher dwelling rents, 

insurance costs, council rates, 

and other domestic services price 

inflation. A slow decline in domestic 

inflation poses a risk to inflation 

expectations." 

It said annual consumer price 

inflation remained above the 1 to 3 

percent target band, and monetary 

policy needed to remain restrictive 

to ensure inflation returned to target 

within a reasonable timeframe. 

Why are homeowners rushing to sell houses? 

SUSAN EDMUNDS/RNZ 

Interest rates might have 

peaked but the mortgage 

pain is not over yet, and 

there is likely more of an impact 

felt in the housing market, 

commentators say. 

The Reserve Bank is expected 

to keep the official cash rate on 

hold at 5.5 percent on Wednesday 

and most forecasts are for it not 

to drop until the end of the year. 

Higher interest rates have been 

blamed for a significant fall in 

house values. 

While the market drop has now 

largely stopped, prices are still 

well down on their peak - about 

15 percent by the Real Estate 

Institute's (REINZ) measure. 

That is putting pressure on 

people who bought in recent years 

and now face both higher interest 

rates and softer values. 

Corelogic data showed that 7.1 

percent of homes that changed 

hands in the first quarter of this 

year sold for less than they had 

been bought for. 

The median hold period of those 

that made a loss was 2.4 years. 

The median loss was $50,000. 

Chief property economist 

Kelvin Davidson said about 4 

percent of property resales had 

been owned for two years or less, 

compared to 9 percent in the first 

quarter of 2020. 

"I suspect that rather than 

financial strain showing though 

- although there will clearly be 

some, I think this probably just 

reflects the changed market - you 

could hold short prior to Covid 

and make a solid capital gain; in 

the past few years you don't want 

to hold short as capital gains have 

been flatter." 

He said while homeowners had 

adjusted relatively well to higher 

mortgage rates so far, the process 

was not over yet. 

Economists say there are signs of increased stress in the housing market. File photo. Photo: Supplied/ Dan Bailey 

"I suspect that rather 

than financial strain 

showing though - 

although there will 

clearly be some, I 

think this probably just 

reflects the changed 

market - you could 

hold short prior to 

Covid and make a 

solid capital gain; in 

the past few years 

you don't want to 

hold short as capital 

gains have been 

flatter." Chief property 

economist Kelvin 

Davidson 

"Not everyone has priced up to 

7 percent yet, and now we've got 

the extra pressure on job losses 

coming through. I'm not sure this 

will trigger a wave of of financial 

stress - not least because banks 

are strongly willing to help 

people through - and nobody is 

expecting a huge blowout in the 

unemployment rate. But it's still a 

risk to watch, and another reason 

to think this housing 'upturn' will 

remain slow and patchy." 

He said mortgagee sale rates 

were still relatively low. 

Infometrics chief forecaster 

Gareth Kiernan said there were 

signs of increased stress in the 

housing market. 

The number of houses for sale 

on Realestate.co.nz was up 23 

percent since July last year, to its 

highest level since 2015. 

"The biggest lifts have been 

in Wellington and Wairarapa - 

up 43 percent and 35 percent 

respectively, as the spectre of 

public sector job cuts has hung 

over the lower North Island. 

Other regions with increases of 

30 percent or more over the same 

period are Auckland, Bay of Plenty, 

and Coromandel - areas where 

affordability metrics remain 

highly stretched given the current 

combination of house prices and 

mortgage rates." 

He said it could not be argued 

the sellers were coming back 

to the market because their 

prospects for sale had improved. 

"After a 3 percent lift between 

April and July last year, REINZ's 

house price index has gone 

sideways over the last six months. 

Instead, higher numbers of new 

listings and the increased stock 

of property for sale suggest that 

more people are struggling with 

larger mortgage payments, and 

looking to unload property before 

the bank sells it from under them. 

This inference is consistent 

with Reserve Bank data showing 

that the proportions of nonperforming 

and overdue mortgage 

lending have trended upwards 

since mid-2022 and are now at 

their highest levels since 2013. 

"Anecdotally, the extra bite from 

increased mortgage rates over 

the last six months has come 

as highly indebted households 

have burned through their cash 

reserves and are struggling to 

meet their increased payments, 

with mortgage rates of 6.5 percent 

or over. 

"Some homeowners or investors 

will previously have been able to 

put cash aside while they were on 

lower fixed mortgage rates." 

He said only people who were 

coming off one-year fixes were 

able to access a rate that was 

lower than they had previously 

had, and only then if they were 

willing to take a longer term. 

But almost 70 percent of new 

lending is being done at terms of 

six or 12 months. 

Property investor and coach 

Steve Goodey said he had seen 

a number of people buying 

houses from people taking a big 

loss. "Some are really feeling the 

interest rates." 

He said some developers were 

probably under pressure because 

it was possible to buy new-build 

homes at prices below what it 

would cost to build them. 

Kiwibank chief economist 

Jarrod Kerr said there were still 

about 15 percent of households 

who had not rolled off the Covid 

low interest rates at all. 

New Corelogic data shows 

the number of transactions 

by "movers" shifting from one 

owner-occupied house to another 

has increased 27 percent. 

First-home buyers' market 

share dropped to 25 percent and 

investors with mortgages were 

about 20 percent to 21 percent of 

activity, a low level compared to 

history.


NEW ZEALAND 9

10 

NEW ZEALAND 



How can NZ be a 'rockstar' economy again? 


New Zealand should aspire 

to become a "rockstar" 

economy again, but it will 

take some work to get there. 

That is according to HSBC 

chief economist for Australia 

and NZ Paul Bloxham, who made 

headlines a decade ago when he 

said New Zealand would be the 

"rockstar economy of 2014". 

But now he says times are 

tough and the picture is a lot 

different. 

"I described it as a rockstar 10 

years ago when lots of things 

were going in a positive direction," 

he said. 

"You were a big exporter of 

dairy and meat products, getting 

a big influx of tourists promoting 

growth as well." 

Now, rockstar status was 

something the country would have 

to aspire to, he said. Households 

in particular had borne the brunt 

of getting the economy in balance 

again post-Covid. 

All the focus of battling inflation 

had gone on denting demand, but 

policy-makers would also need 

to work on improving the supply 

side of the economy to beat the 

country's inflation problem, he 

said. 

There needed to be a focus on 

looking for the things that New 

Zealand did best to grow the 

Finance Minister Nicola Willis. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone 

economy, he said. 

"A clearer focus on what the 

growth engines are and how to 

best make use of those to grow 

the economy. Deregulation ought 

to play a role, making labour 

markets as flexible as possible 

ought to play a role." 

He said times were tough for 

New Zealand, with unemployment 

rising, the economy tipping into 

recession and four of the past five 

GDP updates showing declines. 

Bloxham said that situation had 

been created because when New 

Zealand emerged from lockdowns, 

demand picked up, but the supply 

side of the economy was not 

ready to deliver enough goods and 

services to meet that demand. 

"What you had was a big 

pickup in inflation, policy makers 

responded, central banks 

responded by lifting interest rates. 

"The Reserve Bank has lifted its 

policy rate by 525 basis points… 

it was one of the earliest central 

"A clearer focus on 

what the growth 

engines are and how 

to best make use of 

those to grow the 

economy. Deregulation 

ought to play a role, 

making labour markets 

as flexible as possible 

ought to play a role." 

banks to lift interest rates. 

The intention was to lift interest 

rates, slow down the economy 

and get inflation to come back 

to target. In doing that they've 

delivered a recession." 

Higher interest rates were 

weighing on households, he said. 

The impact of that could be seen 

in consumption figures, which had 

been weak and falling over the 

past year. 

He said it had not necessarily 

had to be that way. 

"A better way to get inflation 

to come down would be at the 

same time to be seeing a large 

improvement on the supply side 

- not just weakened demand but 

an improvement in supply. Some 

countries have had that. America 

has had quite a large pickup in 

productivity which has helped to 

bring inflation down." 

He said New Zealand's supply 

response had been "dismal" 

compared to the rest of the world. 

"Inflation has been coming 

down very, very slowly.. Inflation 

isn't yet back where the Reserve 

Bank needs it to be." 

He said the biggest risk to 

the economy was that inflation 

continued to persist and remained 

sticky at elevated levels. That 

would mean a longer period of 

weak demand could be seen to be 

needed. 

"It's a really tough spot to be 

in. The Reserve Bank has lifted 

interest rates to get inflation to 

come down and it has pushed 

the economy into a downturn but 

you've still got inflation that's 

sticky and elevated." 

He said he did not expect the 

Reserve Bank to be able to lower 

the cash rate until the end of the 

year. 

"We think ahead of Christmas 

there might be a bit of rate relief 

coming through." 

He said improving productivity 

and flexibility of the supply side 

of the economy would be a big 

question for the upcoming Budget 

to address. 

"Are the policy settings going 

to help to improve the supply side 

of the economy? Will there be 

measures taken by Government 

that aim at lifting productivity? 

That's what ought to be in focus… 

The Reserve Bank has lifted a 

lot and that has had a big effect 

on slowing down consumers but 

it still hasn't got inflation down 

quickly." 

New Zealand's closed borders 

had been very disruptive to supply, 

he said. 

"The first thing that happened 

[when borders reopened] was a 

net outflow and that tightened 

the labour market even more… 

that has gummed up the supply 

side of the economy. Even 

with a weakening in demand 

and slowdown in the economy 

overall." 

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NEW ZEALAND 11 

New Zealand economy may be 

in worse shape than you think 


New Zealand's economy 

is going through an 

undeniable downturn. 

Unemployment is up, gross 

domestic product (GDP) is 

down and sentiment has fallen 

significantly. 

But economists warn that the 

situation may be worse than the 

headline figures indicate. 

Here are five things that could 

show that the economy is in worse 

shape than you think. 

GDP per capita 

Gross domestic product (GDP) has 

recorded four slight contractions 

in the last five quarters - perhaps 

indicating we've had a soft 

landing as the brakes went on the 

economy. 

But what those figures do not 

show is the extent of the population 

increase over that same period. 

The country has had a record 

influx of migrants so on a per 

capita basis, GDP was down 2 

percent in December compared to 

September, and 2.8 percent over 

the year to December. 

"Had we not seen the increase in 

migration we've seen, the nominal 

numbers would be a lot worse," 

Jarrod Kerr, chief economist at 

Kiwibank, said. Kim Mundy, a 

senior economist at ASB, said 

she expected GDP per capita to 

continue declining until early to 

mid-2025. "The New Zealand 

economy would be in a pretty deep 

recession right now if it wasn't for 

record high immigration." 

Spending data 

In April, the value of electronic card 

transactions was down 0.4 percent 

on April in the retail industries and 

down 0.7 percent in core retail 

industries. 

Mundy said retail activity was 

another indicator of weakness. 

"It's been flat to falling… But 

with high inflation and high 

population growth if that spending 

is flat to lower it shows how much 

households are pulling back on 

their consumption." 

Kerr said retail sales numbers 

had shown nine contractions in a 

row. 

"People are spending less 

because they've been hit hard by 

inflation and higher interest rates. 

The dollar amount of spending is 

slightly higher but because we've 

had so much inflation, when you 

deflate it for price increases, 

people are getting less. 

"They are spending more but 

getting less in volume. That 

highlights the weakness." 

Non-tradeable inflation 

Tradeable inflation (that's the 

type that is influenced by global 

factors) has come down much 

more quickly than domestic 

inflation. 

The problem is that it is domestic 

inflation that the Reserve Bank can 

hope to influence. 

"The worry there is that the 

economy feels bad," Infometrics 

chief executive Brad Olsen said. 

"Everyone says the economy 

feels bad. Pricing pressures are 

not reflecting that enough." 

He said normally when there was 

not as much spending, businesses 

would not put up their prices as 

much. 

"But businesses are still putting 

up prices." 

He said factors such as local 

government rates, rent and 

insurance were particularly sticky. 

"If the Reserve Bank has to 

get inflation back to 2 percent, 

it almost does imply they might 

have to hit or keep the pressure on 

longer so you squeeze all the other 

parts of the economy more so the 

average number gets down to 2 

percent." 

The Reserve Bank hinted at that 

on Wednesday, when it indicated a 

hike still remained a possibility if 

inflation did not fall as expected. 

Financial stress 

The number of consumers behind 

on credit payments reached 

463,000 in March, up 6000 on the 

month before. 

That is equal to 12.7 percent of 

the "credit active" population. 

Just under 1.5 percent of 

mortgages were in arrears. 

Businesses were also being 

liquidated at a faster rate - the 

230 companies put into liquidation 

during March was the highest 

number since March 2015. 

ANZ chief economist Sharon 

Zollner said it was important to 

put these data points in historical 

context because they were still low 

compared to periods such as the 

Global Financial Crisis. 

"That's not to say there is no 

stress out there, we can see that 

in financial hardship withdrawals, 

foodbanks." 

Unemployment was still low 

but many people who were 

working were still financially 

stressed, she said. The impact 

was also being primarily felt by 

younger generations who had not 

experienced a downturn before, 

and lower-skilled workers who 

were facing more competition 

from migrant workers. 

"The fact that the migration wave 

has been so enormous and lowskilled, 

its impact on the labour 

market is going to be particularly 

brutal for the lower-skilled end." 

NZ Council of Trade Unions 

economist Craig Renney said 

NEET figures - representing young 

people who are not in employment, 

education or training - were 

particularly concerning. 

In the March 2024 quarter, the 

seasonally adjusted proportion 

of people aged 15 to 24 years old 

who were NEET was 12.4 percent. 

It was 10.9 percent a year earlier. 

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

"Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our 

imaginations, our possibilities become limitless." 

– Jamie Paolinetti 

Editorial 

Emergency response 

failures putting 

community at risk 

Recent events in Auckland reveal a troubling trend in the responsiveness and 

effectiveness of emergency services in handling violent incidents, a problem 

that could have far-reaching consequences on community safety and trust in 

law enforcement. The incidents, as reported, showcase significant delays and lack of 

police action, which not only undermines public trust but also raises critical questions 

about the adequacy of current security measures and law enforcement in New Zealand’s 

largest city. 

These fears are exacerbated by regular news reports of the flight of trained police 

personnel overseas, especially to Australia, for better wages and working conditions. 

Police union negotiations with the coalition government have come a cropper and there 

is a growing public perception of a disaffected police force. 

The last few days have seen reports of insufficient police response to violent crime 

involving retail workers in Auckland, further emphasising the severity of the situation. 

A notable incident involved the violent attack on a Kiwi Indian gas station attendant in 

Ponsonby, where the lack of a timely police and emergency services response left the 

larger community feeling vulnerable and neglected, to speak nothing of the victim and 

the owner of the business. 

Similarly, a woman’s car was broken into, and when she tried calling emergency 

services, she was unable to get through for the better part of an hour. 

These cases add to the growing list of crimes that are not being adequately addressed, 

reinforcing the public’s perception of a failing criminal justice system in terms of 

responsiveness and effectiveness. 

These incidents underline the critical need for a systematic overhaul of how emergency 

services respond to crime. There is no gainsaying that he safety of citizens should be 

the utmost priority for the government and the authorities. The repeated failures call 

for an urgent reassessment of resource allocation, emergency response protocols, and 

community policing strategies to restore confidence in the system designed to protect 

and serve the community. 

In another recent alarming instance, a jewellery store in Manurewa was the target of 

a smash-and-grab robbery by six masked robbers armed with hammers and machetes, 

yet the response from the authorities was notably insufficient. 

In yet another one, the owner of a vape store in Papatoetoe decided to close down 

his business after repeated robberies, the last of which involved a threat at gunpoint, 

highlighting a pattern of escalating violence and inadequate preventive measures by 

local police. Last week, premier mobile services provider OneNZ (formerly Vodafone) 

announced it would close down its downtown Auckland store because staff felt unsafe 

in the area. Other employers in downtown Auckland are increasingly allowing their 

employees to work from home pending their tenancies coming up for renewal which 

they plan not to renew. Retailers have complained to the government to urgently address 

the dire situation as customer footfalls taper off because of the perception of growing 

unsafe conditions in the CBD. 

These incidents, indicative of a broader inability to effectively manage and respond to 

crime, could potentially drive community members to consider taking matters into their 

own hands, thereby increasing the risk of vigilantism. 

When people feel unprotected and see no recourse in the formal justice system, they 

might feel compelled to defend themselves and their property, leading to an even more 

lawless environment. 

The slow or non-existent responses to these violent crimes are part of a larger narrative 

of frustration among residents with the National Party-led government’s inability to 

uphold its promises on reducing crime, as articulated by local business owners who feel 

let down by the lack of action following such incidents. 

Given this situation, it is crucial for community members to engage proactively with 

local law enforcement to voice their concerns and push for tangible improvements in 

police responsiveness and effectiveness. 

This could include attending community meetings, participating in local government, 

and collaborating with neighbourhood watch programmes to ensure a collective and 

coordinated approach to safety. 

However, it is equally important for the government and law enforcement agencies to 

take immediate steps to restore public trust. 

This could involve increasing police presence in high-risk areas, improving response 

times to emergency calls, and implementing more robust measures to deter and manage 

criminal activities effectively. 

Ultimately, while the rise in crime and the apparent ineffectiveness of current responses 

are alarming, the solution does not lie in vigilantism but rather in a concerted effort from 

both the community and the government to rebuild a responsive and trustworthy system 

that can ensure the safety and security of all citizens. 

That, sadly, appears to an uphill task, as things stand in New Zealand today. 

IN FOCUS : Picture of the week 

Children take a bath to get relief from the scorching sun on a hot summer day, in Patna on 

Wednesday. (ANI Photo) 

25 May 1861 

The Press goes to press 

This week in New Zealand’s history 

The first edition, published from a cottage in Montreal Street, Christchurch, was a six-page 

tabloid which sold for sixpence (equivalent to about $3.20 in 2020). 


Bastion Point protesters evicted 

Police and army personnel removed 222 people from Bastion Point, above Auckland’s 

Waitematā Harbour, ending an occupation that had lasted 506 days. Local iwi Ngāti 

Whātua were protesting against the loss of land in the Ōrākei block, which had once been 

declared ‘absolutely inalienable’. 


First episode of Shortland Street goes to air 

‘ 

You’re not in Guatemala now, Dr Ropata.’ This politically incorrect rebuke of new staffer 

Dr Hone Ropata (Temuera Morrison) by Shortland Street clinic’s director of nursing Carrie 

Burton (Lisa Crittenden) was an early hint that this would be no orthodox medical drama 

series. 


Parihaka ploughing campaign begins 

Under the leadership of Te Whiti-o-Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi, Parihaka Māori began a 

ploughing campaign in protest against European settlement on land confiscated from 

Māori. 


World’s first state-run maternity hospital opens 

At the beginning of the 20th century, the quality of midwives varied from caring and 

competent to dirty and dangerous. As Assistant Inspector of Hospitals, Grace Neill had 

seen first-hand the harm done by poor midwifery. She wanted to improve the standard of 

care for mothers and babies. 


Mabel Howard becomes first female Cabinet minister 

First elected to Parliament for Christchurch East in a by-election in February 1943, Mabel 

Howard became a high-profile and sometimes flamboyant minister in the first two Labour 

governments. 

Indian Weekender : Volume 16 - Issue 9 

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NEW ZEALAND 13 

Men abused worshipper before 

Mosque attack: Inquest hears 

TIM BROWN/RNZ 

A 

worshipper at Al Noor Mosque was 

trapped in a room and verbally 

abused before the Christchurch 

terror attacks. 

The inquest into the deaths of the 51 

worshippers murdered on 15 March 2019 

was this morning played an audio recording 

of Imam Gamal Fouda which detailed the 

incident. 

Gamal Fouda described how two people 

came to the mosque and verbally abused a 

worshipper. 

"They were saying 'go back to your 

country' and they were very rude. They 

locked [the worshipper] in the kitchen and 

shouted at him," Fouda said. 

It was reported to police. 

"We report it that they are dangerous with 

the police and the police kept saying they 

can't do nothing and if they come back just 

ask them to leave." 

A volunteer at the mosque, who cannot be 

identified, had been giving evidence to the 

inquest this morning. 

The recording was played to him during 

questioning from Wendy Aldred, the counsel 

assisting the coroner. 

The witness said he remembered the two 

men were drunk and came into the mosque 

on a weekend night. 

He could not recall if they broke into the 

mosque or just walked in. 

Later, during questioning from another 

lawyer, the witness said such verbal 

abuse, directed at the Muslim community, 

"happens all the time". 

Deputy Chief Coroner Brigitte Windley 

was hearing evidence on an emergency 

Imam Gamal Fouda gives evidence to the coronial hearing last October. Photo: Pool / Iain McGregor / The Press 

door in the mosque's main prayer room 

which failed to open during the attack. 

Why the door failed to open and the 

regulatory regime surrounding emergency 

exits are being scrutinised during the twoweek 

hearing. 

The door's failure to open potentially 

contributed to the deaths of 11 people. 

Fouda's statement included a claim 

that the emergency exit door in Al Noor 

Mosque's main prayer room was damaged 

"They were saying 'go 

back to your country' and 

they were very rude. They 

locked [the worshipper] in 

the kitchen and shouted 

at him." Gamal Founda 

during a robbery. 

"He [the offender] actually broke the door 

that didn't open [on 15 March 2019], so he 

used probably leverage to open the door 

and the frame got bent and when the police 

came, they suggested this lock is easy to be 

opened from outside with a screwdriver, so 

they need to replace it," Fouda said. 

"I reported it to the management and 

this is how they probably started fixing the 

door." 

The inquest yesterday saw photos which 

demonstrated damage to the lock's strike 

plate. 

The inquest also heard the door was old 

and a mechanical lock, which kept it shut, 

could be a "little tricky" to operate. 

When the gunman entered Al Noor 

Mosque, worshippers rushed for the door 

but could not open the lock and as a result, 

the glass in the bottom pane was smashed 

and some worshippers crawled out. 

Gopichand 

Hinduja tops in 

UK's rich list for 

six years in a row 

IWK BUREAU 

Gopichand Hinduja, the esteemed 

Chairperson of the Hinduja Group, 

has once again claimed the pinnacle 

position in the prestigious Sunday Times 

Rich List, an annual ranking that meticulously 

evaluates the wealth of the 1,000 most 

affluent individuals or families residing 

in the United Kingdom. This remarkable 

achievement marks the sixth successive year 

that the Hinduja family has clinched the title 

of Britain's wealthiest, as reported by the 

Mirror. 

The ascent of Hinduja's wealth by 

approximately £2.196 billion in 2024 has 

propelled his total assets to a staggering 

£37.196 billion, solidifying his status as a titan 

in the realm of business and finance. 

Gopichand Hinduja, affectionately known as 

'GP' within business circles, was born in 1940 

and presently serves as the Chairman of both 

the Hinduja Group and Hinduja Automotive 

Ltd, UK. The Hinduja Group stands as a 

multinational conglomerate with diverse 

interests spanning trucks, lubricants, banking, 

and cable television. 

Originating from India's Sindh region, 

Gopichand Hinduja is the second son of 

Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, the visionary 

patriarch who laid the foundation of the family 

enterprise in 1914. Renowned for his pivotal 

role in the transformation of the business 

from a regional trading venture to a globally 

acclaimed conglomerate, Hinduja's strategic 

acumen has been instrumental in steering the 

company to unparalleled heights of success. 

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14 

INDIA 

What lies ahead for 

Indian operations 

at Iran port 



India and Iran are eyeing the 

next steps for implementing 

their long-term agreement for 

Indian operations at Chabahar 

port, including acquisition of 

equipment and steps to increase 

the use of the facility for transshipment 

of goods to destinations 

such as Russia, people familiar 

with the matter said. 

The two countries inked the 10- 

year pact on operations at Shahid 

Beheshti terminal of Chabahar 

port in Tehran on May 13. Besides 

a commitment to invest $120 

million to acquire equipment for 

port operations, India offered a 

credit window of $250 million for 

developing infrastructure around 

the deep-sea port in the Gulf of 

Oman. 

A focus area for both sides 

now will be the acquisition of 

equipment and machinery that 

can boost operations at Shahid 

Beheshti terminal, which is 

operated by a subsidiary of Staterun 

India Global Ports Limited 

(IGPL), the people cited above 

said on condition of anonymity. 

These efforts have been hampered 

in the past by US sanctions on 

Iran, they said. The Indian side 

will procure equipment such as 

mobile harbor cranes, rail mounted 

quay cranes, rubber tyred gantry 

cranes, reach stackers, forklifts 

and pneumatic unloaders as part 

of its commitment to invest $120 

million. This amount includes 

an initial Indian commitment 

to invest $85 million when the 

original framework agreement on 

Chabahar was signed in 2016. 

“Iran has a lot of experience 

in dealing with sanctions and 

it is capable of coming up with 

customised solutions that will 

help joint efforts by both countries 

to acquire equipment,” one of the 

people cited above said. 

The two sides are also looking 

at the possibility of making greater 

use of Chabahar port for moving 

goods between India and Russia, 

the people said. “Chabahar port 

is all about the trans-shipment of 

goods and if one talks of transshipment, 

Russia is one of the 

most important destinations,” a 

second person said. 

Iranian ambassador 

Iraj Elahi said the 

immediate priority for 

Iran is ensuring that 

both sides take steps 

to enhance the volume 

of cargo handled by 

the port. 

“Steps must be taken 

to bring in heavy equipment such 

as cranes. Simultaneously, more 

cargo from India must be pushed 

towards Chabahar. 

India must be committed to 

making greater use of Chabahar 

for transit, instead of other Iranian 

ports such as Bandar Abbas or 

Khorramshahr,” Elahi told the 

media. 

“Simultaneously, both sides 

have to implement other projects 

to enhance the infrastructure, such 

as connecting Chabahar to the 

railway network,” he said. 

The long-term agreement 

was signed after protracted 

negotiations between the two sides 

to address differences on several 

issues, including the crucial matter 

“Simultaneously, 

both sides have to 

implement other 

projects to enhance the 

infrastructure, such as 

connecting Chabahar to 

the railway network 

Entry into force of BIMSTEC charter 

expected to bolster regional cooperation 

The charter of the Bay 

of Bengal Initiative for 

Multi-Sectoral Technical 

and Economic Cooperation 

(BIMSTEC), which has come into 

force, is expected to give a fillip 

to India’s efforts to bolster its 

position as a key grouping in the 

region. 

External affairs minister S 

Jaishankar hailed the entry into 

force of the BIMSTEC charter 

on Wednesday, saying the 

development reaffirms India’s 

commitment to a prosperous, 

peaceful and sustainable 

neighbourhood. 

“It is achieved by building 

on our shared history, culture, 

vision and mutual respect for 

each other. BIMSTEC reflects the 

synthesis of our Neighbourhood 

First and Act East policies!” he 

said in a post on X. 

The BIMSTEC charter, which 

entered into force on May 20, 

articulates the long-term vision 

and priorities of the member 

states – Bangladesh, Bhutan, 

India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka 

and Thailand – and establishes 

the legal and institutional 

framework for cooperation in the 

region. 

The charter also confers legal 

personality on the grouping, 

enables the admission of new 

members and observers, and 

enables the conclusion of 

agreements with countries 

or sub-regional, regional and 

international organisations and 

institutions. 

The development is a 

“significant milestone” and 

Jaishankar hailed the entry into force of the BIMSTEC charter, 

saying the development reaffirms India’s commitment to a 

prosperous and sustainable neighbourhood 

provides a framework for 

meaningful cooperation and 

The BIMSTEC charter, which entered into 

force on May 20, articulates the long-term 

vision and priorities of the member states 

(Facebook/BimstecInDhaka) 

“It is achieved by 

building on our shared 

history, culture, vision 

and mutual respect for 

each other. BIMSTEC 

reflects the synthesis 

of our Neighbourhood 

First and Act East 

policies!” 

deeper integration of the Bay of 

Bengal region, external affairs 

ministry spokesperson Randhir 

Jaiswal said in a post on X. 

The BIMSTEC charter was 

signed and adopted during the 

fifth summit of the grouping in 

Colombo, Sri Lanka, in March 

2022. 

With the endorsement of the 

charter by Nepal’s Parliament in 

April this year, all member states 

completed the ratification of the 

foundational document and the 

charter came into force. 

The adoption and coming 

into force of the charter is 

a testament to the shared 

commitment of member states 

to promote regional cooperation 

in key sectors such as security, 

connectivity, trade, agriculture, 

environment, science and 

technology, agriculture and 

people-to-people contacts. 

The seven members of 

BIMSTEC are home to nearly 22% 

of the global population and have 

a combined GDP of $3.6 trillion. 

With cooperation under the 

South Asian Association for 

Regional Cooperation (Saarc) 

having stalled because of 

differences between India and 

Pakistan, New Delhi has sought 

to bolster regional cooperation 

under BIMSTEC and BBIN, which 

includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, 

India and Nepal. 

of resolution of disputes. 

The people cited above said 

a provision on international 

arbitration, which was part of the 

original framework agreement, 

was included in the long-term 

pact. The Iranian side had initially 

opposed its inclusion in the 

agreement. 

“We have a good agreement 

but there can be obstacles in its 

implementation because of the 

sanctions,” a third person said. 

Hours after the India-Iran 

agreement was signed, the US 

state department warned that 

all entities considering business 

deals with Iran faced the “potential 

risk of sanctions”. The US also said 

there was no exemption from its 

sanctions for the India-Iran pact. 

India to 

participate in 

G-7, Ukraine 

peace summits: 

PM Modi 

India will participate in all 

important summits that 

promote the agenda of global 

peace, security and development, 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has 

said while referring to invitations 

to him to attend the G-7 meeting 

and the Ukraine peace summit 

next month. 

In an interview to PTI, the prime 

minister said India will “resonate 

the voice of the Global South” at 

these summits to shape the global 

discourse and advance the vision 

for human centric development 

and a prosperous and peaceful 

world.“The level of participation 

will be the factor of timing, logistics 

and parallel commitments,” Modi 

said in response to a question on 

whether he will be attending the 

two multilateral gatherings. 

Italy is hosting the G-7 Summit 

meeting from June 13-15, while 

the Ukraine peace summit will 

be held in Switzerland from June 

15-16. Modi said the invitations 

extended to India to attend the 

summits were an acknowledgment 

of its significance and contribution 

to international affairs. 

“These reflect the robust 

global engagement that we have 

in keeping with our philosophy 

of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam 

(the world is one family),” the 

prime minister said. “India will 

be participating in all important 

summits that promote the agenda 

of global peace, security and 

development,” Modi said.


WORLD 15 

Sherpa scales Mt Everest 

A 

Nepali sherpa guide scaled 

the summit of Mount 

Everest for a record 30th 

time on May 22, an official said, 

while two climbers went missing 

while descending from the world’s 

tallest peak. 

Ordinary climbers are known 

to take several days to climb the 

summit of Everest, and it is very 

rare for mountaineers to make 

multiple ascents in a short time. 

Mr Kami Rita Sherpa, 54, 

reached the 8,849-metre peak by 

the traditional southeast ridge 

route, Nepali tourism official Khim 

Lal Gautam said. 

Mr Kami Rita had climbed the 

peak for the 29th time on May 12. 

He “broke his own record ... this 

marks his 30th ascent to the top 

of the world,” Mr Gautam, chief 

of the expedition monitoring and 

facilitation field office at the base 

camp, said in a post on social 

media website X. 

Nepal tourism officials said a 

Mr Kami Rita Sherpa reached the 

8,849-metre peak by the traditional 

southeast ridge route. Photo: REUTERS 

Nepali Kami Rita Sherpa on the summit of 

Mount Everest during his 28th summit on 

May 23. Photo: REUTERS 

British climber and a Nepali guide 

have been missing since May 21, 

after they slipped and fell near the 

South Summit in the mountain’s 

“death zone” where oxygen is 

very sparse. 

They were on the way down 

after having reached the summit. 

Mr Kami Rita first climbed 

Everest in 1994, and has done so 

almost every year since, except 

for three years when authorities 

closed the mountain for 

various reasons. 

Early on May 22, officials said 

they were waiting for more details 

of Mr Kami Rita’s climb. 

Another sherpa climber has 

climbed Everest 27 times, the 

most summits after Mr Kami Rita. 

Mountain climbing is a key 

tourism activity, source of revenue 

and employment in Nepal, home 

to eight of the world’s 14 

highest peaks. 

Russia starts exercise to simulate 

launch of tactical nuclear weapons 

Russian forces have started 

the first stage of exercises 

ordered by President 

Vladimir Putin to simulate 

preparation for the launch of 

tactical nuclear weapons, the 

Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. 

Moscow has linked the 

exercises to what it calls 

"militant statements" by Western 

officials, including French 

President Emmanuel Macron, 

which it said created security 

threats for Russia. 

Nuclear analysts say the 

exercises are designed as a 

warning signal by Putin to deter 

the West from wading more deeply 

into the war in Ukraine. Western 

countries have provided weapons 

and intelligence to Kyiv but have 

refrained from sending troops. 

The Defence Ministry said the 

first stage of the exercise involved 

Iskander and Kinzhal missiles. 

It is aimed at ensuring that 

units and equipment are ready for 

"the combat use of non-strategic 

nuclear weapons to respond 

and unconditionally ensure the 

territorial integrity and sovereignty 

of the Russian state in response 

to provocative statements and 

threats of individual Western 

officials against the Russian 

Federation", the ministry said. 

The drills involve missile forces 

in Russia's Southern Military 

District, which lies adjacent to 

Ukraine and also includes parts of 

Ireland, Norway and Spain recognise Palestinian state 

Ireland, Norway and Spain said in 

coordinated announcements on 

Wednesday that they will recognise 

a Palestinian state amid the tensions 

created by the Israel-Hamas conflict, with 

the leadership of these countries saying 

they expect more European states to take a 

similar step. 

The formal recognition of Palestine as 

a state by Ireland, Norway and Spain will 

take effect on May 28. A statement from the 

Russian troops load an Iskander missile as part of drills on 21 May 2024. Photo: (Russian 

Defense Ministry Press Service via AP 

Ukraine that Russia now controls. 

Belarus, where Russia said last 

year it was deploying tactical 

nuclear weapons, will also be 

involved, the two countries 

have said. 

Tactical, or non-strategic, 

nuclear weapons are less powerful 

than the strategic arms designed 

to wipe out whole enemy cities, 

but they nevertheless have vast 

destructive potential. 

Some Western analysts believe 

non-strategic nuclear weapons 

have acquired greater importance 

in Moscow's thinking since the 

start of the war in Ukraine, where 

its conventional forces struggled 

in the first two years. 

In theory, the use of such a 

weapon could deliver a stunning 

Norwegian foreign ministry said a “number 

of other like-minded European countries will 

also formally recognise Palestine on that 

same date”. 

“The Norwegian government has decided 

that Norway will recognise Palestine as a 

state. 

In the midst of a war, with tens of 

thousands killed and injured, we must keep 

alive the only alternative that offers a political 

solution for Israelis and Palestinians alike: 

shock to the West without 

necessarily triggering a full-blown 

nuclear war, though the risk of 

triggering a cycle of escalation 

would be huge. 

Russia has about 1558 nonstrategic 

nuclear warheads, 

according to the Federation of 

American Scientists, although 

there is uncertainty about exact 

figures. They are controlled by the 

Russian Defence Ministry's 12th 

Main Directorate, known as 12th 

GUMO. 

The ministry said troops were 

practising obtaining "special 

ammunition" - meaning nuclear 

warheads - for Iskander missiles, 

equipping launch vehicles with 

them and "covertly advancing 

to the designated position in 

preparation for missile launches". 

It said aviation units were also 

practising the fitting of special 

warheads to Kinzhal hypersonic 

missiles, and flying into 

designated patrol areas. 

Video released by the 

ministry showed missiles being 

transported in a convoy of military 

vehicles and placed in position 

ready for firing. 

"The exercises are, obviously, a 

signal in response to discussion of 

NATO countries' troops in Ukraine. 

The most important features 

are advance announcement and 

visibility," Nikolai Sokov, a former 

Soviet and Russian arms control 

official, told Reuters. 

Western militaries will be 

watching the exercises closely 

and seeking to draw conclusions 

about how much warning time 

they would have if Russia deployed 

such weapons for real, he said. 

"The involvement of 12th 

GUMO can produce insights 

into how much time the release 

of warheads takes, how well 

detectable, how much warning," 

said Sokov, a senior fellow at the 

Vienna Center for Disarmament 

and Non-Proliferation. 

The involvement of Kinzhal, 

he said, was "a new element I 

did not expect to see", although 

there was no doubt about its 

capability to carry both nuclear 

and conventional warheads. 

- Reuters 

Two states, living side by side, in peace and 

security,” Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas 

Gahr Støre said at an event in Oslo. 

Minutes later, Spanish Prime Minister 

Pedro Sánchez announced in Parliament in 

Madrid that his country too would recognise 

a Palestinian state. 

“The time has come to move from words 

to action,” he said. He made it clear the 

decision was not being made against Israel 

or the Jews or in favour of Hamas. 

TikTok to 

lay off up 

to 1,000 

operation and 

marketing 

employees 

as US ban 

looms 

TikTok announced laying 

off its employees upto 

1,000 employees around 

the world. 

On Tuesday The 

Information disclosed this in 

a report citing several staff 

members. This is quite a shift 

in the company’s practices 

as it commonly sought to 

address its crises in phases – 

specifically, through stages of 

cost reductions. 

ByteDance, the owner of 

TikTok, is planning to do this 

in today’s tough climate after 

the recent legislation passed in 

the US. 

President Joe Biden’s recent 

signing of a House bill that 

prohibits TikTok’s operation in 

the United States unless sold to 

an American company has put 

ByteDance in a tight spot. 

ByteDance has initiated legal 

action against the US federal 

government in response to the 

ban. The company argues that 

the prohibition infringes upon 

the First Amendment rights of 

American TikTok users. 

ByteDance has been adamant 

about not selling TikTok or 

its proprietary algorithm. 

However, current reports 

from The Information suggest 

that the company is open to 

considering sales that exclude 

the algorithm. This potential 

shift in stance comes as the 

company faces unprecedented 

pressure from the US 

government. 

The layoffs are expected 

to predominantly impact 

the content and marketing 

departments, according to 

anonymous employees who 

spoke to the tech news outlet. 

Notifications regarding the 

job cuts are scheduled to be roll 

out late Wednesday and early 

Thursday. 

TikTok also plans to dissolve 

its global user operations team 

responsible for user support 

and communication. 

The remaining staff 

members from this team 

will be transitioned to other 

departments within the 

company, including trust and 

safety, marketing, content, and 

product teams. 

The Palestinian flag was raised in the courtyard outside 

Oslo City Hall on Wednesday morning in Oslo, Norway, 

(Reuters Photo)

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! 


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) 


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Your Weekly Horoscope: 24 May - 30 May, 2024 

ARIES (MAR 21-APR 20) 

You could get lucky early in the week with 

a windfall or with a flirtation, as love and 

money planet Venus hooks up with Jupiter, 

the planet of luck, in your zone of romance 

and finance. This is potentially a big thing, 

in a cosmic move that hasn’t occurred 

since 2012 and won’t happen again until 

2036. At the same time, a Full Moon hints at fulfilment 

around a media or travel issue or a situation linked to your 

spiritual side and soulfulness. 

.TAURUS (APR 21-MAY 20) 

Midweek is a special time for you this week, 

with a cosmic hook-up that happens only 

once every 12 years. Your ruling planet 

Venus joins Jupiter, the planet of luck, 

in your very own sign now so make the 

most of this cosmic connection that you 

won’t see or experience again until 2036, 

with acts of indulgence, pleasure, or even laziness (one of 

your sign’s guilty pleasures!) if the mood takes you down 

that route.. 

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 21) 

Venus and Jupiter fill your mind with 

positive thoughts at the start of this week 

to set you up for even bigger and better 

things to come as the week progresses. 

This unusual cosmic alignment only 

occurs every 12 years, making it big news, 

so tune into any insights and hunches you 

get good vibes about around midweek as they could rock 

your world in a wonderful way. 

. CANCER (JUN 22-JUL 20) 

If you’ve been tuning into the cosmos over 

the past 12 months you’ll have noticed that 

your go-to crew have been more fun during 

this time, and that if you dared to reach for 

some big dreams you might very well have 

achieved them. It’s all due to hosting lucky 

planet Jupiter in your zone of friendships 

and ambitions. Venus meets Jupiter for a rare final embrace 

in your friendship zone this week. 

LEO (JUL21-AUG 20) 

As the week begins you get a final boost 

for your career from the presence of 

Venus and Jupiter hanging out together 

and bringing the potential for love, money, 

recognition and fun in your day job before 

both planets switch signs a little later in 

the week. This is a rare and rather fabulous 

cosmic combination that won’t be back to influence your 

career in the same way again until 2036. 

VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 23) 

All your recent hard work plus a little luck 

could pay off this week, thanks to Venus 

and Jupiter hooking up for the final time in 

your zone of knowledge, travel, adventure, 

publishing, spirituality and legal issues. 

You might have spent these past few 

months studying or training for the next step in your career 

in one or more of these areas, and if so the cosmos is on 

your side with the Sun, Venus and Jupiter leaving your zone 

of learning now to re-align in your career zone. 

LIBRA (SEP 24-OCT 23) 

This week you’re blessed by your ruler 

Venus and the planet of luck, Jupiter, 

joining together to amp up power plays, 

commitments, finance and intimacy. 

Midweek brings a rare cosmic meet-up 

between these two planets, the kind that 

only happens once every 12 years, so 

make the most of some deep, almost uncannily intuitive 

connections you might encounter around this time. 

SCORPIO (OCT 24-NOV 22) 

You could have a magical moment this 

week with a lover, a would-be lover or a 

business partner as Venus embraces 

Jupiter in your relationships zone. This 

cosmic encounter between the two planets 

is a rarity so make the most of it as Venus 

and Jupiter in harmony could bring love, 

softness, romance, money, joy or luck to a partnership now, 

and even sworn enemies could be back on talking terms as 

a result of this astrological alliance.. 

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 23-DEC 21) 

It’s all about relationships for you this week, 

and for some time to come too. The Sun 

moves into your partnership zone for a 

month-long stay as the week begins and 

pairing up either personally or professionally 

gets a cosmic boost as a result. You could 

have a touch of luck when it comes to your 

well-being and work routines around midweek, with love 

planet Venus embracing your ruling planet Jupiter in this 

zone, so a romance at the gym. 

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. 

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.


FEATURE 17 

Healthy snacks 

that can help 

you lose weight 

You may wonder if it’s possible to lose 

weight while not giving up snacks. 

If you choose healthy, whole-food 

options with a lot of protein and nutrients, 

snacks can be integral to weight loss. Some 

can even help keep you full throughout the 

day and limit your cravings for unhealthy 

foods. 

Mixed nuts 

Nuts are an ideal nutritious snack. 

They’re linked to a reduced risk of 

heart disease and may help prevent certain 

cancers, depression, and other illnesses. 

Despite being relatively high in fat, they 

are very filling. Several studies suggest that 

eating nuts in moderation can help you lose 

weight. 

Nuts provide the perfect balance of 

healthy fat, protein, and fiber. They contain 

180 calories in a 1-ounce (28-gram) 

serving, on average. 

Because they don’t require refrigeration, 

they’re perfect for taking on the go. 

Red bell pepper with guacamole 

Red bell peppers are extremely healthy. 

Although all bell peppers are 

nutritious, red varieties are particularly 

high in antioxidants like beta carotene, 

capsanthin, and quercetin. 

They’re are also rich in vitamin C. In fact, 

1 large red bell pepper contains over 300% 

of the daily value (DV) for this nutrient (7). 

Pairing 1 large red bell pepper with 3 

ounces (85 grams) of guacamole adds 

healthy fat and fiber while keeping this 

snack’s calorie count under 200. 

Greek yogurt and mixed berries 

Plain Greek yogurt and berries make a 

delicious, nutrient-dense snack. 

In addition to being a great source of 

calcium and potassium, Greek yogurt is 

also high in protein. 

Berries are one of the best sources of 

antioxidants around. Eat a mixture of 

differently colored berries to get an array of 

these powerful compounds. 

Combining 3.5 

ounces 

(100 

Healthy 

Snacking 

Guide 

Cucumber slices with hummus 

grams) of plain, full-fat Greek yogurt 

with 1/2 cup (50 grams) of mixed berries 

provides about 10 grams of protein and 

under 150 calories. 

Cottage cheese with flax seeds 

and cinnamon 

Cottage cheese, flax seeds, 

and cinnamon each have impressive 

health benefits. Together, they›re incredibly 

healthy.Cottage cheese is high in protein 

and very filling, and full-fat varieties 

boast conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty 

acid linked to health benefits. Flax seeds 

are beneficial for weight loss and blood 

sugar control. They may also reduce breast 

cancer risk. Cinnamon helps lower blood 

sugar and may improve gut health. 

Celery sticks with cream cheese 

Celery sticks with cream cheese are a 

classic low-carb, filling snack. 

Celery contains luteolin, an antioxidant 

that reduces inflammation and may help 

prevent cancer. Five small celery sticks 

with 2 ounces (60 grams) of cream cheese 

harbors fewer than 200 calories. 

Dark chocolate and almonds 

Dark chocolate and almonds make a rich, 

satisfying, and portable snack. 

Dark chocolate is loaded with flavanols 

that may lower blood pressure and reduce 

heart disease risk, provided the chocolate 

contains at least 70% cocoa solids. 

Almonds are high in heart-healthy 

monounsaturated fat and have 

beneficial effects on blood 

sugar control. Studies 

also show that they can 

reduce appetite and 

help you lose weight. 

Both dark 

chocolate and 

almonds are high 

in magnesium. 

One ounce (30 

grams) of each 

provides about 

300 calories in 

total, depending 

on cocoa 

content. 

Cucumber and hummus go well together. 

Cucumbers contain cucurbitacin 

E, a compound that may have anticancer 

effects. Hummus is made from chickpeas, 

olive oil, and garlic, which reduce 

inflammation and may improve heart 

health.One cup (52 grams) of sliced 

cucumbers dipped in 3.5 ounces (100 

grams) of hummus has about 180 calories. 

Hard-boiled eggs 

Eggs are one of the healthiest and 

most weight-loss-friendly foods you 

can eat.They pack plenty of protein, as well 

as vitamins K2 and B12. 

Eggs are incredibly filling and may reduce 

the number of calories you eat for many 

hours, which should help you lose weight. 

Although their high cholesterol 

content gave them a bad reputation for 

years, more recent studies suggest that 

moderate egg intake doesn’t have any 

effect on your risk of heart disease. 

Two large, hard-boiled eggs contain 

about 140 calories and 13 grams of protein. 

Baby carrots with blue cheese 

dressing 

Carrots are among the best sources of 

carotenoids, including beta carotene, 

which your body can convert into vitamin A. 

The carotenoids in carrots may reduce 

your risk of cancer, heart disease, and 

cataracts. 

It’s a good idea to pair carrots with a 

creamy salad dressing or dip because fat 

increases your absorption of carotenoids. 

A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of baby 

carrots with 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of 

blue cheese dressing provides about 200 

calories. 

Whey protein shake 

Awhey protein shake is a good snack 

when you need something substantial 

until your next meal. Studies show that 

whey protein can help you gain muscle, lose 

fat, and improve body composition. 

Many great whey protein supplements 

are available online. Look for types without 

added sugar. Here’s a recipe for a shake 

that contains about 150–200 calories and 

20–25 grams of protein, depending on the 

type of protein powder used. 

Ingredients: 

• 8 ounces (225 ml) of unsweetened 

almond milk 

• 1 scoop (30 grams) of whey powder 

• A pinch of stevia or other healthy 

sweetener, if desired 

• 1/2 cup (140 grams) of crushed ice 

• For this recipe, combine all ingredients 

in a blender and process until smooth. 

Spicy avocado 

Avocados are among the most nutritious 

and satisfying foods on the planet. 

Studies show that they can help lower 

LDL (bad) cholesterol, improve symptoms 

of arthritis, and protect your skin 

from sun damage. 

What’s more, avocados are high 

in fiber, potassium, magnesium, and 

monounsaturated fat. Sprinkle half a 

medium avocado with salt and a dash of 

cayenne pepper for a savory, filling snack 

with around 130 calories.

18 

ENTERTAINMENT 

Raveena Tandon: 



South works 'effortlessly' on a low 

budget as compared to Bollywood 

Actress Raveena Tandon who has 

worked across several industries 

recently pointed out the difference 

between Hindi and South cinema. 

Not just Bollywood, Raveena Tandon 

has given proof of her skills in several 

other film industries. Recently while 

speaking to Rajshri Unplugged, the actress 

revealed that a major difference she found 

between South and Hindi cinema was 

their crew deployment calculations which 

varied drastically. While discussing the 

same, Raveena Tandon recalled how South 

cinema’s limited budget didn’t make them 

lack anything but only made them more 

efficient and mindful of their resources. 

Taqdeerwala also starred Venkatesh and 

was bankrolled by a Hyderabad-based 

10 best old Hindi comedy movies that are a laugh-riot 

Bollywood has a rich history boasting 

thousands of mega hits. Among them 

are some old Hindi comedy movies 

that became cult classics. Take a look! 

Among the many movies made every year 

by the Indian film industry, only some end 

up becoming iconic and cult classics just 

like these 10 best old Bollywood comedy 

movies. In his article, we explore a handful 

of feature films of yesteryear that impacted 

the audience's minds. 

Padosan 

• Cast: Sunil Dutt, Saira Banu, Kishore 

Kumar, Mukri, Raj Kishore, Keshto 

Mukherjee 

• Director: Jyoti Swaroop 

• IMDB Rating: 8.1/10 

• Movie Genre: Comedy/Musical/ 

Romance 

• Release year: 1968 

• Where to watch: Prime Video 

Padosan is a classic Bollywood comedy 

movie that has entertained the audience for 

ages. Be it our grandparents or the current 

generation of movie lovers, everyone has 

and should watch this entertaining feature 

once in their lifetime. Songs like Mere 

Samnewali Khidki Mein and Ek Chatur Naar 

Karke Sringar are as iconic as the film. 

Bawarchi 

• Cast: Rajesh Khanna, Jaya Bhaduri, 

Asrani, Harindranath Chattopadhyay, 

A.K. Hangal, Durga Khote, Manisha, Kali 

Banerjee, Usha Kiran, Raju Shrestha 

• Director: Hrishikesh Mukherjee 


• Movie Genre: Comedy/Musical/Drama 


• Where to watch: Prime Video, Sony Liv 

As the name suggests, Bawarchi revolves 

around a multi-talented household servant, 

employed by a dysfunctional household 

that has a reputation for not retaining house 

production house named Suresh 

Productions. 

“We shot five songs in Mauritius with 

a crew of only 9 people, no light men, no 

generators, no lights, nothing. They shot 

the songs with two baby lights and only 

reflectors, the ones with the silver foil. 

That’s how all the songs were shot and 

you look at the quality of those songs,” the 

49-year-old expressed in shock. 

A remake of the Telugu film Yamaleela, 

Taqdeerwala was directed by K 

Murali Mohana Rao and was shot by 

cinematographer K Ravindra Babu whom 

Raveena ‘can never forget’. Raveena went 

on to claim that the south crew “used to 

work so effortlessly and effectively on a low 

budget and did great work”. 

help due to their ill-treatment. However, this 

one surprisingly becomes their apple of the 

eye and even meddles in their family drama 

to resolve internal conflicts. 

Heeralal Pannalal 

• Cast: Shashi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, 

Zeenat Aman, Neetu Singh, Premnath, 

Ranjeet, Ajit, Amjad Khan, Madan Puri, 

Kamini Kaushal 

• Director: Ashok Roy 


• Movie Genre: Comedy/ Action 


• Where to watch: YouTube 

Heeralal Pannalal is a funny old Hindi 

movie about two boys who grow up together 

in an orphanage. They end up becoming 

best friends and even fall in love with two 

beautiful ladies in the quest to unearth 

some unknown secrets about their parents. 

Chupke Chupke 

• Cast: Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, 

Sharmila Tagore, Jaya Bachchan, Om 

Prakash, Usha Kiran, David Abraham 

Cheulkar, Asrani, Keshto Mukherje 

• Director: Hrishikesh Mukherjee 


• Movie Genre: Comedy/Romance/Drama 



The audience saw Dharmendra and 

Amitabh Bachchan’s hit jodi in this old 

Hindi comedy movie Chupke Chupke. 

Their hilarious act together was highly 

appreciated by cinephiles who still revisit 

the film for an unlimited dose of laughter 

and entertainment. 

Further in the interview, the Mohra 

actress recalled shooting outdoors for a 

Hindu song, the makers deployed close to 

200 people which made her question the 

drastic difference. She recalled, “When I 

would shoot in Mumbai and we would go 

outdoors from here, to Switzerland or some 

other place, 200 people would go along. 

I used to say why do you need so many 

people when we can do all of this work with 

10 people?”. 

In the south, Raveena who featured in 

the blockbuster Kannada film KGF: Chapter 

2 is waiting for the release of its third 

instalment which is already announced. 

Last seen in Disney+ Hotstar’s legal drama 

Patna Shuklla, the actress will next be seen 

in Welcome To The Jungle and Ghudchadi. 

Bombay to Goa 

• Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Aruna Irani, 

Shatrughan Sinha, Nazir Hussain, 

Mehmood, Anwar Ali 

• Director: S. Ramanathan 


• Movie Genre: Comedy/Action 



Next up in this list of best old Bollywood 

comedy movies is Bombay to Goa. The 

road comedy film showcases how a 

woman, who ran away from home, falls in 

love with her bodyguard trying to protect 

her from an armed henchman. Their road 

trip from Bombay to Goa with some of the 

entertaining bunch from the industry will 

take you on a fun comical ride. 

Pati Patni Aur Woh 

• Cast: Sanjeev Kumar, Vidya Sinha, 

Ranjeeta Kaur, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu 

Singh, Tina Munim, Parveen Babi 

• Director: BR Chopra 


• Movie Genre: Comedy/Romance 



Seeta Aur Geeta 

• Cast: Hema Malini, Dharmendra, 

Sanjeev Kumar, Roopesh Kumar, 

Manorama, Satyen Kappu, Honey Irani, 

Pratima Devi 

• Director: Ramesh Sippy 


• Movie Genre: Comedy/Drama 



Identical long-lost sisters who are 

opposites in nature intentionally exchange 

places to teach Seeta’s greedy and abusive 

aunt a lesson. While living different lives, 

they meet their lovers who fall for their 

original identities in Seeta Aur Geeta. Hema 

Malini plays a double role in this best old 

Bollywood comedy movie. 

Chachi 420 

• Cast: Kamal Haasan, Nassar, Tabu, 

Amrish Puri, Om Puri, Johnny Walker, 

Paresh Rawal, Rajendranath Zutshi, 

Ayesha Jhulka, Fatima Sana Shaikh 

• Director: Kamal Haasan 





As a director and lead actor, Kamal 

Haasan did a magnificent job in Chachi 420. 

He plays the role of a desperate father who 

disguises himself as the child’s nanny to be 

with him. 

Kunwara Baap 

• Cast: Mehmood, Macky Ali, Vinod 

Mehra, Lalita Pawar, Nazir Hussain 

• Director: Mehmood 




• Where to watch: Prime Video, Zee 5 

A kind-hearted poor rickshaw driver 

adopts a child and brings him up along 

with his son. But tragedy hits when the 

boy end becomes crippled as a result of 

polio infection. An interesting fact about 

this Hindi comedy movie is that Mehmood 

made the film to raise awareness of polio 

which had affected his son Macky Ali. 

Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke 

• Cast: Aamir Khan, Juhi Chawla, Kunal 

Khemu, Baby Ashrafa 

• Director: Mahesh Bhatt 


• Movie Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance 



Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke is one of the best 

old Bollywood comedy movies of all time. 

It narrates how two lovers, who meet by 

fate, take care of the guy’s dead sister's 

mischievous kids and protect the family 

from a woman trying to break them apart. 

The movie also won a Nation Film Award.

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Indian Weeekender 24 May 2024

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