Final Draft

Friday, 12 July 2024 

Volume 16 / Issue 16 

READY TO 

SELL YOUR 

BUSINESS? 

WE HAVE 

BEEN 

SELLING 

BUSINESSES 

SINCE 1972. 

Read • Watch • Engage 

Looking to buy 

or sell a business? 

www.iwk.co.nz /indianweekendernz /indianweekender 

Awarded ABC’s Top Trusted Advisor 2021 

Contact Hemant Gupta 

Licensed Salesperson REAA 2008 

027 279 9534 

hemant.g@cmbusiness.co.nz 

CALL ME TODAY AND I CAN 

ARRANGE A FREE 

CONFIDENTIAL APPRAISAL 

ON YOUR BUSINESS. 

Licensed Agent REAA 2008 

'HE WAS A GOOD 

HUMAN BEING' 

Chch family mourns Indian killed in mistaken identity 

IWK BUREAU 

The late Mewa Singh with 

his grandchild. (Supplied 

photo) 

Mewa Singh, a 60-year-old Indian man visiting his 

son in New Zealand, was fatally attacked near a 

Christchurch skatepark. His son has spoken out 

about the "senseless" and "unfair" killing of his father. 

Singh lost his life on the evening of April 9 last year after 

being mistaken for a child abductor. 

The fatal incident occurred when an enraged father 

delivered a single "haymaker-style punch" to Singh. The 

attack took place near Linwood Park and was prompted by 

a misunderstanding. 

Himanshu Keshwer, Singh’s son, has shared his grief, 

describing the devastating moment he learned of his 

father's critical injuries. “When I left for work that day, 

everything was good. My family was happy, [my father] 

was playing with my daughter,” Keshwer said. He was 

informed of the attack by a police officer around 9:30 pm 

that night. 

Keshwer described his father as a kind and caring man 

who would never harm anyone, especially a child. “He 

was a very good human being. He never took anything 

seriously and always tried to help people 

wherever possible,” he added. 

Pg5

Dilip 

Tailor 

Residential Sales & Business Consultant 

M: 0223540440 

Specialises in: 

• Business Sales 

• Commercial Property 

• Leasing 

• Residential Sales 

• Apartment Sales 

• Project Marketing 

• House & Land Packages 

All Services Under One Roof 

One Stop Shop 

Your Local Real Estate Agent 

Licensed Agent REAA 2008

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 12 July 2024 

NEW ZEALAND 3 

What success 

of Jatt & Juliet 

3 tells us about 

Punjabis in NZ 

The phenomenon throws light on the cultural prominence of the Punjabi community in NZ 

RAVI BAJPAI 

Diljit Dosanjh-starrer ‘Jatt & Juliet 

3’ is blazing a trail in New Zealand. 

Nowhere else in the world has the 

Punjabi movie beaten the much-anticipated 

blockbuster ‘Kalki 2898AD’ at the box office. 

The film that also stars stalwart Neeru 

Bajwa grossed $209,434 in its opening 

weekend in Aotearoa, much more than the 

$145,635 that Kalki grossed in the same 

time. 

This isn’t the first time a Punjabi movie is 

breaking the box office in The Land of the 

Long White Cloud. ‘Mastaney’, which hit 

theatres in August 2023, raked in even more 

in its opening weekend, $234,514. 

The phenomenon throws light on 

the cultural prominence of the Punjabi 

community in New Zealand, highlighting 

their significant influence within the Indian 

diaspora. 

Pritesh Raniga of Forum Films, one of New 

Zealand’s biggest film distributors, says 

it has been an interesting year for Indian 

cinema. 

“We see different genres of movies 

working at the box office. Big Bollywood 

movies like ‘Animal’, ‘Fighter’ and ‘Shaitaan’ 

have always worked. But it’s the power of a 

culture and strong fan following of Punjabi 

movies…showing support for regional 

cinema since it’s in their mother tongue… 

keeps the younger generation in touch with 

their language and culture.” 

The Punjabi community in New Zealand, 

though a relatively small segment of 

the population, has made significant 

contributions to the country’s cultural 

tapestry. 

Punjabis began migrating to New Zealand 

in the early 20th century, initially drawn by 

opportunities in agriculture and labour. Over 

the decades, they have become an integral 

part of New Zealand’s multicultural society, 

excelling in various fields like business, 

education, and politics. 

The success of Jatt & Juliet 3 is a 

"It’s the power of a 

culture and strong 

fan following of 

Punjabi movies… 

keeps the younger 

generation in touch 

with their language 

and culture.” Pritesh 

Raniga 

testament to the strong cultural presence 

of Punjabis, who have maintained a close 

connection to their roots while embracing 

their Kiwi identity. 

The recent global stardom of Diljit Dosanjh 

has also contributed significantly to the 

film’s success. He made history as the first 

Punjabi singer to feature on "The Tonight 

Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," an appearance 

that catapulted him into the global spotlight. 

The achievement not only showcased 

Punjabi music and culture on an 

international platform but also solidified 

Dosanjh's status as a global icon. 

The success of Jatt & Juliet 3 over Kalki, 

a high-budget sci-fi thriller, has surprised 

many in the industry. Kalki had been 

expected to dominate box offices globally, 

with its futuristic storyline and star-studded 

cast. 

But in New Zealand, the charm and 

relatability of Jatt & Juliet 3 has won the 

hearts of the audience.

4 

NEW ZEALAND 


Read online www.iwk.co.nz 

For Sponsorship And Table Bookings 

Ravi Bajpai: ravi@indianweekender.co.nz


NEW ZEALAND 5 

'Someone killed my dad and I couldn't do anything' 

• Contined from Page 1 

Details of the incident were disclosed 

after a 32-year-old man, whose name is 

suppressed, pleaded guilty to manslaughter 

in the Christchurch High Court. 

The man had been at the park with his 

son and, in an attempt to discipline him, 

drove off when the boy did not follow his 

instructions. Upon returning, he saw Singh 

holding his son’s hand near a bus stop and, 

believing Singh was abducting his son, 

attacked him. 

The enraged father confronted Singh, 

accusing him of trying to abduct his 

son, and delivered a powerful punch that 

caused Singh to fall and hit his head on 

the pavement. The man then left the 

scene, later admitting to his ex-partner 

and flatmate that he believed he had killed 

'Softer tone on 

OCR is good 

news' 

SUSAN EDMUNDS/RNZ 

A 

significantly softer tone from the 

Reserve Bank on Wednesday is good 

news for home loan borrowers - even 

if it has frustrated a few commentators. 

The Reserve Bank left the official cash 

rate (OCR) at 5.5 percent but significantly 

changed the tone of its accompanying 

statement. 

While in its last update, it said the 

monetary policy committee had talked 

about a potential further increase, this time 

it noted that inflation had been significantly 

reduced, and that the restrictive monetary 

policy - higher interest rates - would be 

tempered over time, in line with an "expected 

decline inflation pressures". 

The markets responded to the change in 

tone. 

Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr 

said a cut in the OCR was now priced in to 

wholesale markets from as early as August, 

with a full cut priced in for October and more 

than two for November. 

Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr. 

Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr Photo: 

Supplied / Gino Demeer 

"We've seen a massive move in markets 

today. And it's a move we welcome, and we 

have called for." 

At ANZ, senior economist Miles Workman 

said the key would be that the markets 

remained at that level. 

"In the past, we have tended to see retail 

rates move relatively quickly after large and 

sustained moves in wholesale markets. 

However, sustained is a key word here, and 

we still have next week's CPI release which 

has the potential to either endorse today's 

market reaction or challenge it." 

Corelogic chief economist Kelvin Davidson 

said there could be "some light emerging" at 

the end of the mortgage rate tunnel. 

"Although they might not necessarily fall 

straight away or particularly quickly, any 

drops would no doubt be welcomed by 

borrowers. 

"To be fair, there's already been a drift 

lower for rates in the past few months, but 

OCR cuts would clearly add some impetus." 

ASB said it still expected the first drop 

in the OCR to be a 25 basis point fall in 

November, but the risk was now that the cut 

could be sooner, or bigger, if inflation data 

came in lower than expected. 

Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen 

said the Reserve Bank would be mindful of 

how wholesale markets behaved, because 

they had got out of sync with the central 

bank at the start of the year. 

Singh. Singh was taken to Christchurch 

Hospital's Intensive Care Unit with a skull 

Mewa Singh, left, pictured with his son Himanshu Keshwer, granddaughter 

Riana and Singh’s wife Darshni Devi. 

fracture and internal bleeding. Despite 

medical efforts, his injuries were inoperable, 

and he died after being taken off life 

support on April 9. 

Reflecting on the past year, Keshwer 

expressed his anger and sorrow. "Someone 

killed my dad and I couldn’t do anything, 

and still can’t do anything. It makes me sad, 

it shouldn’t have happened," he said. 

Jitender Sahi, from the Sikh Society, 

remarked on the impact of the tragedy on 

the community. 

"We thought New Zealand was a safe 

country, it’s just a shock," he told Stuff. Sahi 

urged the community to exercise caution 

and avoid going out alone after dark. 

"He was just visiting his kids... it’s tragic,” 

Sahi added, emphasising the need for 

safety and vigilance within the community. 

Himanshu has moved back to India to 

take care of his mother, he told Stuff.

6 

NEW ZEALAND 

Supermarket 

chain asking 

govt to improve 

trespass laws 



SOUMYA BHAMIDIPATI/RNZ 

A 

major supermarket chain 

is asking the government 

to improve trespass laws, 

saying the current system does 

not have enough teeth. 

Woolworths NZ - which 

also franchises SuperValue 

and FreshChoice - wants the 

government to do more to stop 

violence against retail workers. 

It has seen a 9 percent increase 

in acts of violence and aggression 

in the past year (925, up from 

848). Physical assaults have 

increased by 50 per cent, with 329 

instances in the past 12 months. 

Head of health, safety and 

well-being Denva Wren said 

the company had invested in a 

range of security measures, but 

staff were being threatened and 

hurt in broad daylight, many by 

repeat offenders. She said current 

trespass laws were "not fit for 

purpose". 

"The police could issue trespass 

to an individual or to a group of 

people and really those people 

could come straight back in 

and re-offend straight away. 

There's just not enough teeth in 

the trespass law as it currently 

stands," Wren said. 

"If a trespassed individual 

comes into your site, then you're 

actually supposed to call police 

... then it comes down to whether 

police have resourcing capacity to 

actually dispatch someone at that 

point in time to your location. 

"If they dispatch someone, will 

the [offender] actually be there by 

the time [police] actually get to 

that location? So it's very much 

reliant on police resource to turn 

out and they are obviously under a 

lot of pressure and also very busy 

at the moment." 

Woolworths New Zealand's 

director of stores Jason Stockill 

told Morning Report that stores 

have put in measures including 

shopping cart locks, more guards 

and even fog cannons. 

"You wouldn't think that we'd 

have to have fog cannons in some 

of our stores but that's what we've 

got," he said. 

He agreed with Wren that 

trespass orders needed to be 

beefed up, such as a trespass 

order from one Woolworth's that 

would forbid offenders from 

entering any of its stores. 

"If you're going to go into one 

Woolwoorths you're going to go 

into another one." 

Stockill said of crime that 

"you're never going to stop it but 

we're trying to do more". 

A number of factors were 

driving the increase in store crime. 

"There is a bit of desperation 

[over the economy] but there's 

also a lot of organised crime. 

"You don't go and steal a whole 

trolley of chocolate bars if it's 

not organised and it's not for a 

specific reason." Woolworths had 

asked police and justice ministers 

to consider implementing a 

system like the Australian 

workplace protection orders, Wren 

said. 

"A workplace protection order 

that is effectively issued by a 

judge has a lot more teeth, so 

to speak. A judge eyeballing an 

offender saying 'you will not go 

back into this location and you 

will not reoffend' actually is a lot 

more significant for that offender 

than a trespass piece of paper to 

say, effectively, 'please don't come 

back in'... if it's broken, then it has 

more significant outcomes." 

Neither minister confirmed 

whether they had spoken with the 

supermarket chain about trespass 

laws, or whether they would 

consider updating them. 

Police minister Mark Mitchell 

said the government was taking 

a number of steps to address 

violent retail crime. 

"This includes increasing the 

number of beat police in priority 

areas, putting in place legislation 

to ensure tougher consequences 

for violent offenders, and 

establishing youth military 

style academies. While it is for 

businesses to determine and 

put into place their own security 

measures, I am also engaging with 

the security industry to identify 

whether there are additional 

powers central government can 

look into to support the sector." 

Justice minister Paul Goldsmith 

said the government was keen on 

tougher consequences. 

"We are in the process of 

enacting firmer responses to deal 

with retail crime, and are actively 

considering further options." 

Wren said the government 

did seem to be listening to 

businesses, particularly through 

the Retail Crime Forum. 

"Both ministers have indicated 

that they are really up for 

considering lots of alternatives," 

she said. 

"It's up to government then to 

make a choice, all we can do is 

actually talk to the harm that's 

happening in our organisation 

and what we're trying to do to try 

and prevent that harm and what 

security measures we're putting 

in place, but also it's obvious that 

not one organisation can do this 

alone." 

We’ll help you find the sweetest mortgage deal whether it’s your first home, 

next home or investment property. 

Home loans 

Construction loans 

Refinances and restructures 

Top ups & debt consolidation 

Commercial loans 

Business loans 

Call us today 

0800 21 22 23 

29 Sale Street 

Auckland Central 

Best at what’s best for you


NEW ZEALAND 7 

Put victims first: 

Retailers move 

Parliament 

New Zealanders' most 

attractive workplace 

revealed in new survey 

URJITA BHARDWAJ 

Retailers upset over safety 

concerns have petitioned 

the Parliament in the hope 

that victims of crime can secure 

more support. 

The Auckland Indian Retailers 

Association (AIRA) has launched 

a petition titled "Changes in 

Legislation to Stop Young 

Offender’s Crime in NZ," aimed at 

the New Zealand Parliament. This 

initiative follows the violent attack 

on Gurdeep Singh, a 50-yearold 

Kiwi-Indian and owner of 

Pooja Jewellers, during a robbery 

attempt in Papatoetoe. 

"We have launched a hybrid 

petition, available both online 

and in physical form for those 

unfamiliar with digital signatures," 

said Jagjeet Singh Sidhu, General 

Secretary of AIRA. 

The petition, officially launched 

today, was taken to the Gurudwara 

Sahib for blessings during Ardas. 

It highlights five key areas: 

Harsher Sentences, Mandatory 

Rehabilitation Programs, 

Enhanced Support for Victims, 

Community Engagement and 

Prevention, and Accountability 

and Monitoring. 

"The recent surge in criminal 

activities involving juveniles has 

raised serious concerns within our 

communities, threatening public 

safety and the well-being of 

law-abiding citizens," the petition 

states. 

It urges policymakers to 

"discuss, deliberate, and 

implement more stringent 

legislation for juvenile offenders," 

with a significant focus on 

"Enhanced Support for Victims" 

to help them recover from trauma 

and rebuild their lives. 

The online petition has been 

submitted, and AIRA members are 

awaiting its clearance and listing 

on the Parliament website for 

public signatures. 

"We expect a response on the 

online petition soon," said Sidhu, 

noting that the physical petition 

has already garnered over 100 

signatures. 

"Our goal is to reach 5,000 

signatures within two months," 

Sidhu told The Indian Weekender. 

Once the signature mark 

is complete, the association 

members will approach a Member 

of Parliament to move the petition 

forward. 

AIRA is also planning a hunger 

strike in the coming weeks to 

press the government further for 

action. 

On July 2, 2024, local Kiwi- 

Indian business owners organised 

a peaceful protest on East Tamaki 

Road, Papatoetoe, in response 

to escalating violent crime and 

growing fears. They called for 

stricter measures against youth 

offenders. 

SUSAN EDMUNDS/RNZ 

Where do New Zealanders 

most want to work? 

According to Randstad's 

latest survey, it's still Air New 

Zealand. 

The airline has come top of the 

table eight times by its measure, 

and now two years in a row. 

The top three this year also 

included the Department of 

Conservation and the New Zealand 

Customs Service. 

PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) 

and WSP were in fourth and fifth 

place. PwC had moved up from 

44th place last year. 

The professional services 

were named the most attractive 

sector for employment, followed 

by tertiary education and 

information and technology and 

telecommunications, tied for 

second. 

The public sector dropped to 

eighth place from third last year - a 

move Randstad said was probably 

not surprising given the job losses 

happening in that sector. 

Massey University marketing 

expert Bodo Lang said there were 

a couple of reasons that Air New 

Zealand did so well in the survey. 

"First, the tourism industry 

and particularly our national 

carrier tend to have strong appeal 

as places to work as because 

would-be employees base their 

assessment on their experience as 

customers of those services. 

"Most people value going on 

holiday and nobody goes on 

holiday without wanting to do so. 

As a result, consumers' positive 

impression of holidays in general 

and tourism operators, such as 

Air New Zealand, cause some 

consumers to have the expectation 

that working for Air New Zealand 

would be 'sort of like being on 

holiday'. " 

He said that was naïve and the 

perks at the airline were not what 

they used to be. 

"Service providers in the tourism 

industry often have to battle with 

high staff turnover because of high 

expectations by tourists and poor 

conditions, such as pay, by service 

providers." 

He said the Air New Zealand 

brand was also strong. 

"Not all national carriers and 

airlines are held in high esteem. 

The becomes obvious when 

comparing Air New Zealand with, 

for example, other airlines such as 

Air Canada or United Airlines. 

"These airlines have much 

weaker brand equity than Air New 

Zealand." 

Haircut & Treatment Deal 

The most 

visited Indian 

news website 

in NZ 

Yogis Haircut 561 Great North 

Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland 1021 

For advertising 

options email: 

ravi@ 

indianweekender. 

co.nz 

Contact: 

Ravi Bajpai: 

Ph: 021 952245 

Valid until 31/12/2024. Must show the photo of this 

offer. You can share/forward to your family & friends. 

All Staffs Are Senior Level & Fully Qualified

8 

NEW ZEALAND 


Rachin Ravindra secures 

2024-25 season 

international contract 


IWK BUREAU 

Wellington's Rachin Ravindra, who 

enjoyed a breakout season with 

the BLACKCAPS, has earned his 

first International Playing Contract offer 

for the upcoming 2024-25 year. Ravindra, 

known for his stellar performance at the ICC 

Cricket World Cup 2023 where he ranked 

fourth in runs scored, has been recognised 

alongside his teammates Ben Sears, Will 

O’Rourke of Canterbury, and Otago’s Jacob 

Duffy as part of a proposed 20-member 

annual International Playing Contract list. 

Ajaz Patel, a seasoned player who missed 

out in the previous cycle, is also set to 

return. 

Ravindra's exceptional year was capped 

with the ICC Emerging Player of the Year 

award and the prestigious Sir Richard 

Hadlee Medal. Reflecting on his contract 

offer, Ravindra expressed gratitude, calling 

it a moment he had dreamed of since 

childhood. 

“Growing up you’d see those contract 

lists come out each year and think it would 

be cool to be on that list one day – and 

for it to eventuate now is a pinch-myself 

moment,” he said. 

“It’s been a really cool past 12 months 

playing international cricket. I’ve learned a 

lot and the hunger is definitely there to keep 

improving and giving to the BLACKCAPS. 

“It’s such a special group to be in, from 

players to support staff - and that’s been 

the most enjoyable part, to be honest. 

"Playing a game you love with your mates 

for a living is something very special, and I 

hold it close to my heart.” 

Ben Sears, who debuted alongside 

Ravindra at the ICC Under-19 Cricket World 

Cup in 2016, made significant contributions 

during the 2023-24 season, claiming 13 

wickets in T20Is and impressing in his Test 

debut against Australia. 

Will O’Rourke, the young seamer from 

Canterbury, also earned his contract after 

a standout year that included remarkable 

performances in all three formats, including 

a stellar Test debut against South Africa. 

“It’s such a special group 

to be in, from players to 

support staff - and that’s 

been the most enjoyable 

part, to be honest. Playing 

a game you love with 

your mates for a living is 

something very special, and 

I hold it close to my heart.” 

Jacob Duffy, Otago’s record-breaking 

wicket-taker, received his first contract offer 

after years of consistent performances in 

T20Is and ODIs. 

BLACKCAPS selector Sam Wells 

commended the 20 players selected 

for their dedication and performance, 

particularly highlighting the achievements 

of the younger players who are seen as the 

future of the team. 

The announcement comes amidst a 

dynamic cricket landscape where New 

Zealand players continue to attract 

attention globally, underscoring the 

strength and depth of the team. 

Key players like Kane 

Williamson and Neil 

Wagner, who retired from 

international cricket earlier 

this year, have opted out 

of central contracts, 

while others have been 

offered 'casual playing 

contracts' to align with 

their availability and 

commitments. 

NZC reaffirmed its 

commitment to ensuring 

contracted players participate in both 

national and domestic competitions, 

emphasizing the holistic development and 

readiness of the team. 

The upcoming season promises to be an 

exciting period for New Zealand cricket, 

with a blend of seasoned veterans and 

promising 

talents poised 

to make their 

mark on the 

international 

stage. 

• IMMIGRATION LAW 

• CRIMINAL LAW 

• FAMILY LAW 

• EMPLOYMENT LAW 

• PROPERTY LAW 

• WILLS & TRUSTS 

Winner of 

Indian Business 

Award 2018 

• Supreme Business of the year 

•Excellence in marketing 

• Best Young Entrepreneur 

of the Year 

• Businesswoman of the 

year(Special award) 

Winner of Indian 

Business Awards 2017 

• Best Employer of choice 

• Best Medium-sized 

Business 

Winner of Indian 

Business Awards 2016 

• Best Businesswoman 

of the year 

* Terms & conditions apply 

Raj and Ashima Singh 

• 31, East Tamaki Road, Level–1 Papatoetoe, Auckland.Ph: +64 9 2799439 | 02102417161 | Fax: +64 9 2799419 

• PO BOX 23445, Hunters Corner, Papatoetoe, Auckland. 2025 (Above Bank Of India) | www.legalassociates.co.nz 

CONTACT US AT: RAJ:raj@legalassociates.co.nz / ASHIMA: ashima@legalassociates.co.nz 

LEGAL CLINIC 

FREE 2-hour legal consultation. 

Saturday - 10 am to 12 pm


NEW ZEALAND 9 

Hammer-wielding teens arrested 

for Onehunga jeweller robbery 

IWK BUREAU 

Police have arrested 

suspects and recovered 

stolen jewellery following 

an aggravated robbery in 

Onehunga at Onehunga 

Jewellers on Tuesday afternoon. 

Last night, a vehicle connected 

to the crime was located, leading 

to a pursuit and the arrest of both 

occupants. 

Detective Senior Sergeant Scott 

Armstrong of Auckland City CIB 

reported that investigations into 

the robbery at a jewellery store on 

Onehunga Mall, which occurred 

just after 4 PM, were ongoing. A 

significant amount of jewellery 

was stolen. 

Around 10 PM, the fleeing 

vehicle was spotted in Papakura. 

“Officers were deployed to the 

area and observed the vehicle 

travelling through Manurewa, 

with aerial support from Eagle,” 

stated Detective Senior Sergeant 

Armstrong. 

“An attempt to stop the vehicle 

on Roscommon Road failed as it 

sped away, but a minor collision 

with a civilian vehicle occurred 

without causing injury.” 

Spikes were deployed as the 

vehicle entered the South-Western 

Motorway heading north. 

“Eagle continued to track 

the vehicle's erratic driving. It 

eventually headed south again 

and exited at Massey Road,” said 

Armstrong. 

The vehicle then moved towards 

Mt Wellington Highway, where 

spikes were successfully used 

again. 

A pursuit was initiated as 

the vehicle travelled on the 

South-Eastern Highway towards 

Pakuranga. 

“Despite the vehicle’s 

dangerous driving, no members 

of the public were harmed,” noted 

SEVA charitable trust hosts 

screening for Indian seniors 

IWK BUREAU 

On July 4, 2024, SEVA 

Charitable Trust organised 

a special movie screening 

for seniors of Indian origin at Event 

Cinemas, St. Lukes. The screening 

featured the film "Mr. and Mrs. 

Mahi," aiming to bring together 

members of the senior community 

for an enjoyable and entertaining 

experience. 

The event created a joyful 

atmosphere filled with warmth 

and a sense of community, as 

seniors enjoyed the movie and the 

chance to socialise and reconnect 

with friends. 

The event's success was 

bolstered by the generous support 

of Pritesh Raniga of Forum Films, 

who provided the movie for 

screening. Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, 

former Member of Parliament 

and General Manager of SEVA, 

highlighted the film's theme of 

cricket and relationships, noting 

its popularity among the seniors. 

He expressed SEVA’s 

commitment to organising more 

such events to entertain the senior 

community. Additionally, Bakshi 

thanked sponsors Mr. Ranjay 

Sikka, Chair of SEVA Trust, Ashok 

Bhatia from AB International, and 

DH Supermarket, who provided 

snacks and drinks for the 

attendees after the show. 

Rita Seth, a member and 

volunteer of the Seva group, 

shared her delight, stating, "It was 

a wonderful event, and I felt like 

I was back in India again!" Mrs. 

Surinder Chawla, another member, 

added, "I had a fantastic time 

watching the film with my friends 

and also went shopping in the 

mall after the movie." 

For more information or to 

become a member of SEVA, please 

contact Nilima Venkat, Head of 

Operations, at info@sevatrustnz. 

org. 

Seva Charitable Trust of New 

Zealand, affiliated with the Indian 

Global Business Chamber, is a 

non-profit organisation dedicated 

to serving the South Asian 

community in New Zealand. 

Established in 2023, SEVA provides 

culturally appropriate social 

support services to migrants, with 

a specific focus on empowering 

women and older adults. 

The organisation's vision is 

to create a vibrant and inclusive 

society where everyone can thrive 

and make a positive impact. 

The trust hosts a weekly 

programme in Papatoetoe, 

South Auckland, for South Asian 

seniors, engaging them in health 

and welfare activities, outings, 

physical fitness, entertainment, 

and more. 

These activities and cultural 

events aim to prevent isolation 

and loneliness among seniors, 

fostering a sense of community 

and belonging. 

SEVA’s social work and 

advocacy services assist clients 

who often face challenges such 

as settlement issues, elder abuse, 

and domestic violence. 

Committed to enhancing the 

well-being and quality of life for 

the South Asian diaspora in New 

Zealand, SEVA strives to ensure 

that everyone in the community 

can thrive and contribute 

positively to society. 

Armstrong. 

The pursuit concluded when the 

vehicle collided with barriers at 

the intersection of Ti Rakau Drive 

and Reeves Road. 

“The suspects, aged 15 and 

17, attempted to carjack another 

vehicle but were swiftly taken into 

custody. A large quantity of stolen 

jewellery was recovered from their 

vehicle,” Armstrong confirmed. 

Charges have been filed 

“An attempt to 

stop the vehicle on 

Roscommon Road 

failed as it sped away, 

but a minor collision 

with a civilian vehicle 

occurred without 

causing injury.” 

RNZ 

Finding a job is getting harder, 

as new data shows job 

listings continuing to fall 

and more competition than ever 

before for the limited places on 

offer. 

Employment website Seek NZ's 

June dashboard showed job ad 

volumes fell 8 percent in June, 

and were down by more than a 

third from a year ago. Volumes 

have been consistently falling 

since February. Applications per 

job ad, recorded with a one-month 

lag, showed a 1 percent increase 

in May and were at record highs, 

Seek said. Most regions saw a 

fall in job ad volumes, including 

a 9 percent fall in Wellington, 8 

percent in Auckland and 7 percent 

in Canterbury. 

Manawatū recorded the biggest 

fall in monthly job ads at 16 

percent, while Marlborough saw 

the highest annual fall of 50 

against the 17-year-old, including 

aggravated robbery, dangerous 

driving, failing to stop, and two 

counts of unlawfully taking a 

motor vehicle. 

He is also implicated in a violent 

attempted robbery at a Mt Albert 

sports bar on June 22, facing 

charges of aggravated wounding, 

assault with intent to rob, burglary 

with a weapon, and assault. 

He will appear in Auckland 

Youth Court today, with bail 

opposed. 

The 15-year-old has also been 

charged with aggravated robbery 

and two counts of unlawfully 

taking a motor vehicle. He is 

scheduled to appear in Auckland 

Youth Court this morning. 

“Police are appalled by the level 

of violence in such incidents,” 

Armstrong stated. “We will 

continue to investigate these 

crimes that cause significant 

harm to business owners and the 

community.” 

Looking for a job? 

It’s harder than ever 

percent. Seek country manager 

Rob Clark said the job market had 

become increasingly challenging 

for candidates. 

"It's a lot tougher than it has 

been in the past. We are seeing a 

gradual decline in the number of 

advertised roles, but we're also 

seeing a very large number of 

applicants applying for each of the 

roles." 

Clark said the website had more 

than 16,000 jobs listed, meaning 

"there still are roles out there". 

A number of factors had made 

the job market tighter and it was 

not all down to immigration, he 

said. 

"Immigration plays some role in 

it, but it's really about the economic 

cycle and the amount of economic 

activity, and at the moment, 

obviously, that's quite low." 

It meant employers had decided 

not to add more people to their 

workforce, and this translated to 

fewer job listings. 

Bride Wanted 

NZ Citizen, Sikh boy, 35 years 

old, 5"-5". Well settled family in 

NZ. Speaks English and Punjabi 

fluently. Studies at University 

of Auckland. Physically fit . 

Accounting and tax profession. 

Business owner and currently 

working. Seeking a suitable 

partner. 

Ph: 021 02573 268

10 

NEW ZEALAND 



'What have we done to deserve this?': 

Papatoetoe jeweller hit by hammer 

IWK BUREAU 

Gurdeep Singh, a 50 year old 

Pooja jewellery store owner 

in Papatoetoe, suffered a 

skull fracture and multiple cuts 

after teenage robbers violently 

attacked him with a hammer 

and knife at his South Auckland 

jewellery store on June 23, 2024. 

Speaking about the incident for 

the first time to The New Zealand 

Herald, Singh holds the parents of 

the offenders responsible for their 

actions. 

Singh described the harrowing 

attack at Pooja Jewellers on 

Kolmar Road, which left him 

bleeding on the ground. "I haven't 

been able to sleep and feel anger 

towards the criminal justice 

system," Singh told the Herald. 

The robbery occurred as Singh's 

family-owned store was closing 

for the night. 

Armed teenage robbers stormed 

the shop, with one attacker 

hitting Singh over the head with 

a hammer and slashing him 

multiple times as he tried to 

protect his family and store. 

The incident was captured on 

CCTV and only stopped when 

Singh's son, Sunny Singh, fought 

back with a ceremonial sword. 

Initially, police arrested three 

teenagers, aged 15, 16, and 17, 

charging them with aggravated 

robbery with intent to cause 

grievous bodily harm. Later, a 

16-year-old male and a 36-yearold 

woman were also arrested. 

The woman faces charges of 

being an accessory after the 

fact to aggravated robbery and 

receiving stolen property. 

Singh, who emigrated from 

Punjab to New Zealand in 1986 

and opened his first jewellery 

store in 2004, vividly recalled the 

attack. 

"I remember hearing my 

daughter scream and seeing the 

robbers force their way into the 

store," he told Herald. Despite his 

efforts to lock the security grille, 

the robbers managed to enter and 

attack him. 

Sunny Singh intervened with a 

ceremonial sword, holding off the 

attackers. 

"I remember telling Sunny to 

let them take what they wanted, 

but by then it was all over," Singh 

told Herald. He believes his son's 

"The anger towards 

the system is more 

than towards these 

individuals...I haven't 

been able to sleep and 

feel anger towards 

the criminal justice 

system... We work 

hard to provide for our 

family." Gurdeep Singh 

actions were a reaction to seeing 

his father bleeding and his family 

in danger. 

Singh expressed frustration with 

the justice system, feeling that 

it fails to prevent such crimes. 

"The anger towards the system 

is more than towards these 

individuals," he said. He criticised 

the government's inability to 

prevent such attacks and called 

for tougher punishments for youth 

offenders. 

In response to the attack, 

around 200 business owners 

staged a protest, closing their 

shops for an hour and demanding 

stricter penalties for youth 

offenders. 

Lawyer Haseeb Ashraf, speaking 

at the protest, emphasized that 

the state and police should ensure 

such crimes do not occur. 

Singh and his family have built 

a successful business with three 

jewellery stores across Auckland. 

He rejects the notion that 

criminals deserve leniency due 

to their backgrounds, arguing 

that hard work and perseverance 

should be respected and 

protected. 

Re-elected as chairman of 

the Hunters Corner Town Centre 

Association, Singh prioritises 

reducing crime in his community. 

Since the attack, he has struggled 

with anxiety and sleeplessness, 

constantly checking his home for 

security. 

Singh believes that parents 

should be held accountable for 

their children's actions, especially 

in serious crimes. He supports the 

government's recent measures 

to tackle youth crime, including 

harsher penalties and potential 

military-style boot camps for 

serious offenders. 

Reflecting on the incident, 

Singh lamented the impact on 

his family's sense of security and 

well-being. 

"We work hard to provide for 

our family. What have we done to 

deserve this?" he asked. 

He hopes for stricter laws to 

prevent future crimes and protect 

hardworking families like his, The 

New Zealand Herald reported. 

Is your whānau 

at risk? 

If your home was severely 

affected during last year’s 

storms, you can get a 

free risk assessment 

Register by 30 September 

ourauckland.nz/storms


NEW ZEALAND 11 

Migrant exploitation ringleader 

sentenced to home detention 

IWK BUREAU 

Steve Watson. 

This is not Kurisi’s first 

Jafar Kurisi, also known as Ali 

encounter with the law for worker 

or Tauranga Ali, has avoided 

exploitation. 

prison, receiving instead 

In 2017, he was sentenced 

a 12-month home detention 

sentence and an order to pay 

$80,000 to his victims for his role 

in exploiting migrant workers, 

Stuff reported. 

Kurisi, 60, was charged in 

late 2020 following numerous 

complaints about the 

mistreatment of migrant workers 

in the kiwifruit and horticultural 

industry. Investigations led 

to searches of five homes in 

Tauranga, during which 27 

individuals from Indonesia, 

Malaysia, India, and Bangladesh 

were interviewed about their 

Some of the migrants worked 

in the kiwifruit industry. 

endured, including withheld pay 

and being forced to sleep on the 

ground in a garage. 

on charges related to a human 

trafficking case involving 13 

workers not entitled to work in 

New Zealand. 

Steve Watson, Immigration 

Compliance and Investigations 

General Manager, expressed 

gratitude to the investigation team 

and other cooperating agencies, 

including the Labour Inspectorate, 

Tenancy Services, New Zealand 

Police, and Zespri. He hopes this 

sentencing will serve as a strong 

deterrent for future offences. 

“I’m incredibly grateful 

for the involvement of our 

immigration and employment They revealed they were paid 

Labour Inspectorate, Tenancy 

“They remained in New 

status in New Zealand. 

between $12-$15 per hour, well 

Services, New Zealand Police 

Kurisi was found to have 

below the New Zealand minimum Zealand to see this colleagues and to Zespri for their 

unlawfully employed migrants on wage of $18.90 at the time, and through and can now cooperation. 

visitor visas, continuing to do so were not compensated for all put this chapter behind "I am also very proud of our 

even after their visas had expired. hours worked. 

investigation team who worked 

He pleaded guilty to exploiting “They remained in New Zealand 

them, and finally return 

tirelessly to bring this matter to 

multiple migrants and attempting to see this through and can now home knowing that court,” said Watson. 

to pervert the course of justice. put this chapter behind them, and Kurisi has been held Kurisi’s sentence was reduced 

During the sentencing, two of finally return home knowing that 

to account.” Steve 

due to his early guilty plea, 

Kurisi’s victims recounted the Kurisi has been held to account,” 

reparation payment, as well as his 

financial and emotional harm they Stuff quoted MBIE spokesperson Watson 

ill health and age. 

Size matters: Why NZ’s new housing rules 

risk cheap builds and shoebox apartments 

CHRISTINE MCCARTHY 

There is a lot of good in Housing Minister 

Chris Bishop’s new housing policy 

– especially in relation to mixeduse 

developments and intensification along 

transit corridors. But he has also proposed the 

abolition of minimum floor area and balcony 

requirements. 

Will removing minimum dwelling sizes result 

in poor quality housing? The short answer is 

yes. 

The minister has justified the minimum 

requirements by arguing any apartment, 

regardless of the size, will be bigger than a car 

or an emergency motel room. 

Of course, he’s right about this. For those 

vulnerable to homelessness and poor housing 

– the poor, immigrants, pensioners, students 

and ex-prisoners, for example – a warm, dry 

shelter is vital. Anything is better than nothing 

for those without. 

But there are risks to removing size 

regulations, even when it is meant to help solve 

New Zealand’s long-running housing crisis. 

Small can work 

Small does not necessarily mean bad. As 

the United Nations has noted, smaller units 

are often more sustainable. Other factors 

also determine the quality of living spaces. 

Overcrowded conditions, for example, can 

make a perfectly liveable space unviable. 

There are numerous examples of highquality 

small and micro-apartments – usually 

defined as being 14–32 square metres (sqm). 

Take, for example, PKMN Architecture’s La 

Casa de Yolanda (Madrid, 50 sqm), Graham 

Hill’s Life Edited Apartment (SoHo, New 

York City, 39 sqm), Tsai Design’s Type Street 

Apartment (Richmond, Australia, 33 sqm), 

Proctor and Shaw’s Shoji Apartment (North 

London, 29 sqm), Brad Swartz’s Darlinghurst 

Apartment (Sydney, 27 sqm), Takeshi Hosaka’s 

Love2 House (Tokyo, 18 sqm), and A Little 

Design’s Taiwanese studio (Taipei, 17.6 sqm). 

But these are all architect-designed and 

expensive. They often use generous room 

heights to create a sense of spaciousness. 

On top of that, many require owners to have 

sufficient strength to move walls or unfold 

furniture to transform a room from, say, a 

bedroom into a living room. 

The fear of shoebox apartments 

A lack of minimum regulations can also 

cause unintended consequences. 

In Melbourne, loose regulations resulted in 

“saddleback bedrooms” – where long thin light 

corridors (or “snorkels”) were built to access 

the required external windows. Bedrooms 

became reliant on borrowed light from other 

rooms. 

Using borrowed light is now banned there, 

and snorkels have restrictions. 

Auckland’s late 20th century shoebox 

apartments were built as small as 12 sqm – 

smaller than many of the motel rooms Bishop 

uses to justify abandoning minimum dwelling 

sizes. 

These apartments led to the introduction of 

New Zealand’s minimum size requirements in 

the early 2000s. 

Existing protections 

New Zealand’s building code requires 

“adequate” openings for natural light, with 

illuminance of no less than 30 lux at floor 

level (for 75% of the time) – 30 lux being the 

equivalent of the light from 30 candles. 

Openings must be transparent, suitably 

located and provide awareness of the outside. 

Councils have different, but often similar, 

requirements for interior spaces. For example, 

Wellington’s District Plan’s Residential Design 

Guide requires dwellings get at least four hours 

sun in the main living room during the winter. 

All habitable rooms must have natural light, 

rooms must be large enough for furniture, and 

circulation and windows must be placed for 

privacy. 

The guide also requires that sleeping areas 

are shielded from external noises. These 

safeguards will mean there is a minimum 

quality for new apartments even if they are 

small. But it will also require political will from 

local government to ensure these safeguards 

are mantained. 

Building for future risks 

The real question, though, is whether the new 

policy will protect New Zealand long term – 

when the full wrath of climate change hits, or 

during any lockdown when the inevitable next 

pandemic emerges. 

New Zealand needs homes offering longevity 

and resilience, as well as compassion for when 

we are most vulnerable. Cramped spaces are 

not great for mental well-being. 

Housing rules need to be cognisant of 

infrastructure needs for a changing climate 

and decades of network neglect. This will be a 

challenge. Under the proposed policy, councils 

will not be able to refuse a development on the 

grounds that infrastructure costs are too high. 

So yes, these changes will undoubtedly 

increase housing supply – but we need to ask 

if these builds are fit for purpose. 

(The article was first published in The 

Conversation) 

Couple's 

homeowning 

dream 

washed 

away 

MAHVASH IKRAM/RNZ 

A 

West Auckland couple 

fear they will never be 

homeowners again after 

pouring their life savings into 

a house that has been deemed 

unliveable after the Auckland 

Anniversary floods. 

The couple says it took more 

than a year to get an offer from the 

council, but accepting it will leave 

them with little chance of getting 

another mortgage. 

Ella and Ryan - not their real 

names - were both full time 

workers, they saved for years 

and even sold jewellery to come 

up with a 10 percent deposit for 

their dream home: a $1.45 million 

property on Scenic Drive in West 

Auckland. They had been living 

there for just 10 months when the 

2023 Auckland Anniversary floods 

hit. 

"We are in a really bad situation," 

Ella said. 

The house initially seemed 

unaffected by the deluge, but two 

days later there was a landslide 

behind the property - they came 

back from work to find emergency 

services waiting outside their 

home. 

"They told us we have only 10 

minutes to evacuate the house. 

Then we went inside the house 

with a policeman. They gave us 

few minutes. I just dragged the 

laptop, some photos, passport and 

some clothes for one or two days," 

Ella said. 

Their home was red stickered 

and later put under category three, 

meaning it qualified for council 

purchase due to an intolerable risk 

to life. 

In a statement, Auckland Council 

said the price of the property was 

calculated based on its market 

value before the floods. 

Sixteen months after Ella and 

Ryan left their Scenic Drive home, 

they finally received an offer. 

Auckland Council valued their 

property at $1.37 million. Of 

this $1.1 million was covered 

by insurance and Earthquake 

Commission payments. 

In addition, the council would 

deduct 5 percent of the property's 

market value as homeowner 

contribution, so the couple 

would receive slightly more than 

$205,000 from the council. 

"The payment council pays just 

covers the loan and we end up with 

zero assets," Ryan said. 

In its statement, Auckland 

Council said the support scheme 

was not intended to compensate 

for financial losses. 

"The core intent of our 

support scheme, agreed with the 

government, is about helping 

people move away from situations 

where there is an intolerable risk."

Editorial 

Patience runs thin 

as crime spirals 

The rising tide of violent crime in New Zealand is not just a wave; it feels more 

like a tsunami that threatens to engulf the entire nation in fear and insecurity. 

From random acts of physical violence and drive-by shootings to carjacking 

and almost daily brutal retail crimes, the once-peaceful streets and neighbourhoods 

of this country feel increasingly unsafe. 

The recent tragic deaths of innocent citizens, such as Mewa Singh and the violent 

robbery of Gurdeep Singh’s jewellery store, have once again brought this crisis to the 

forefront, especially for the Kiwi Indian community. Despite the government’s lofty 

promises of stricter laws and tighter control over law and order, the reality on the 

ground tells a different, more harrowing story. 

The escalating crime rate underscores an urgent need for immediate and decisive 

action to restore safety and security for all. 

Mewa Singh’s untimely death near a Christchurch skatepark last year is a harrowing 

example of the senseless violence plaguing our streets. Singh, a kind-hearted man 

visiting his son was mistaken for a child abductor and fatally attacked by an enraged 

father. This tragic incident, resulting from a misunderstanding, left the community in 

shock and mourning. 

Singh’s death not only robbed a family of a beloved father and grandfather but also 

shattered the illusion of safety that many believed New Zealand offered. 

Equally distressing is the violent attack on 50-year-old jeweller Gurdeep Singh, in 

Auckland’s Papatoetoe. 

The brutal robbery attempt underscores the increasing danger faced by small 

business owners, particularly within the Kiwi Indian community. 

The Auckland Indian Retailers Association (AIRA) has responded by launching a 

petition calling for legislative changes to curb youth crime and provide better support 

for victims. 

The petition’s focus on harsher sentences, mandatory rehabilitation programmes, 

and enhanced victim support reflects the community’s demand for comprehensive 

and effective measures to address the root causes of crime and ensure justice for 

victims. 

The physical and online petitions, coupled with planned protests and a hunger strike, 

signify the community’s desperation and determination to see meaningful change. 

The current government’s failure to deliver on its promises of stricter laws and 

improved law enforcement has exacerbated the situation. 

Despite being voted into power on the platform of law and order, particularly by the 

Kiwi Indian and industrious migrant communities, there has been little progress in 

curbing the rising tide of crime. 

The community’s frustration is palpable, and the lack of tangible action only deepens 

the sense of betrayal and helplessness. 

The seemingly outdated justice system in New Zealand is failing not just its citizens 

but also the police force, who find themselves battling crime with one hand tied behind 

their backs, as it were. 

This antiquated framework, with its lenient sentencing and sluggish legal processes, 

undermines the efforts of law enforcement officers who are working tirelessly to 

maintain order and protect the public. 

Police officers, constrained by a system that does not adequately punish offenders 

or deter future crimes, could well be left frustrated and demoralised. 

As crime rates soar and the community’s trust in their safety erodes, it becomes 

clear that reforming the justice system is imperative. 

Without urgent updates and stronger legislative support, the police remain illequipped 

to confront the rising tide of violence and lawlessness, leaving both them 

and the public increasingly vulnerable. 

The justice system must impose stricter penalties for violent crimes, particularly 

those involving repeat offenders and juveniles. 

Sentencing should reflect the severity of the crimes and serve as a deterrent to 

others. 

Rehabilitation should be an integral part of the sentencing process. Offenders, 

especially juveniles, must undergo mandatory programmes to address underlying 

issues and prevent reoffending. However, the government’s announcement of military 

style boot camps has resulted in little action so far. 

The Kiwi Indian community’s response to the recent spate of violent crimes is a 

testament to its resilience and solidarity. 

The peaceful protests, petitions, and planned hunger strike are powerful 

demonstrations of the community’s commitment to effecting change. These efforts 

must be supported by a responsive and responsible government. 

The government’s failure to deliver on its promises cannot be tolerated any longer. 

It is time for our leaders to step up and fulfil their duty to protect all citizens, ensuring 

that New Zealand remains a safe and secure place for everyone. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

"When you believe in yourself and follow your 

own path, you can accomplish anything." 

– Malik Ducard 

IN FOCUS : Picture of the week 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a ceremonial Guard of Honour on his arrival 

at Federal Chancery Ballhausplatz in Vienna on Wednesday, as Austrian Federal Chancellor 

Karl Nehammer looks on. 

This week in New Zealand’s history 

7 July 1916 

New Zealand Labour Party founded 

What is now New Zealand’s oldest political party emerged from a joint conference in 

Wellington of the United Federation of Labour, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and 

local Labour Representation Committees (LRCs). 

8 July 1862 

New Zealand’s first prize fight? 

The boxing bout was fought in an improvised ring on the banks of the Waimakariri River 

near Kaiapoi after police were ejected from the scene. London prizefighter Harry Jones 

defeated labourer George Barton over 30 bloody bare-knuckle rounds for a purse of £100 

(worth $13,000 in 2022). 

8 July 1893 

New Zealand Racing Conference meets 

The New Zealand Racing Conference was formed to control the thoroughbred horse-racing 

industry in the colony. Horse racing had been quickly introduced to the early settlements. 

It was a feature of the first anniversary celebrations in Wellington, Auckland, Nelson, Otago 

and Canterbury. Race meetings were important social as well as sporting events. 

9 July 1986 

Homosexual Law Reform Bill passed 

Wellington Central MP Fran Wilde’s private member’s bill, which removed criminal 

sanctions against consensual male homosexual practices, was read a third time in 

Parliament by 49 votes to 44. 

10 July 1967 

New Zealand adopts decimal currency 

Pounds, shillings and pence were replaced by dollars and cents − 27 million new banknotes 

and 165 million new coins. The new money was valued at $120 million (more than $2.2 

billion in today’s money) and weighed more than 700 tonnes. The banks were closed from 

Wednesday 5 July to give staff time to convert their records. 

Indian Weekender : Volume 16 - Issue 16 

Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited 

Editor: Dev Nadkarni | dev@indianweekender.co.nz 

General Manager: Ravi Bajpai | 020 441 2233 | ravi@indianweekender.co.nz 

Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | design@indianweekender.co.nz 

Accounts and Admin.: 09-2173623 | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz 

Senior Digital Producer: Urjita Bhardwaj | 021 952 246 | urjita@indianweekender.co.nz 

Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher 

is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication 

Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent 

the views of the team at the Indian Weekender 

Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland. 

Printed at NZME, Auckland, New Zealand. 

Copyright ® 2022. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved. 

Send your suggestions and feedback to editor@indianweekender.co.nz

For all your digital and print advertising requirements, 

call us on 020 441 2233 / 0223078920 Or email at 

sales@indianweekender.co.nz / ravi@indianweekender.co.nz

14 

INDIA 


In Austria, PM Modi says 

terrorism not acceptable in any 

form, reiterates it’s not era of war 

Prime Minister Narendra 

Modi said he was happy that 

Modi, who is on a two-day 

he got the opportunity to visit 

bilateral visit to Austria 

Austria at the very beginning of 

on Wednesday said that he had 

discussed the conflicts in Ukraine 

and West Asia with Austrian 

Chancellor Karl Nehammer, he 

reiterated that the loss of innocent 

lives is not acceptable anywhere 

and solutions to conflicts cannot 

be found on the battlefield. 

Modi, who arrived here from 

Moscow after meeting Russian 

President Vladimir Putin on 

Tuesday night on a two-day visit 

– the first by an Indian prime 

minister in over 40 years, also said 

his third term. “This visit of mine 

is both historic and special; after 

41 years, no Indian PM has visited 

Austria.” He said shared belief 

in values such as democracy 

and the rule of law is the strong 

foundation of India-Austria 

relations. “Mutual trust and 

shared interests strengthen our 

relations,” he added. 

“We agree to reform the United 

Nations and other international 

institutions to make them 

contemporary and effective,” Modi 

India and Austria identified new Prime Minister Narendra Modi being greeted by Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in Vienna added. 

on Wednesday. 

possibilities to further strengthen 

Chancellor Nehammer 

mutual cooperation and prepared 

a blueprint for cooperation for the 

coming decade. 

“Today, Chancellor 

Nehammer and I had a very 

fruitful discussion. We have 

identified new possibilities to 

further strengthen our mutual 

cooperation. We have decided 

to give a strategic direction to 

our relationship. A blueprint for 

cooperation has been prepared 

for the coming decade,” Modi said 

in a joint media appearance with 

Chancellor Nehammer after their 

talks. 

“Chancellor Nehammer and 

I have spoken at length about 

ongoing conflicts around 

the world, be it the conflict 

in Ukraine or the situation in West 

Asia. I have said before that this 

is not the time for war,” the prime 

minister said. 

Asserting that solutions to 

problems can’t be found on the 

battlefield, Modi said India and 

Austria emphasize dialogue and 

diplomacy, and for that, they 

are ready to give any support 

required. 

Modi said both India and Austria 

strongly condemn terrorism and 

agree that it is not acceptable in 

any form. “This cannot be justified 

in any way,” he said. 

acknowledged the strong 

relationship between India 

and Austria, stating that it is a 

relationship of trust that began 

in the 1950s. He also highlighted 

the current challenges faced 

by the global economy and 

the importance of finding new 

forms of economic cooperation, 

particularly in areas such as 

renewable energy, environment, 

and urban development. 

Russia, India agree to speed up delivery of military spare parts 

India and Russia have agreed 

to expedite the delivery of 

spare parts of Russian-origin 

military platforms by setting up 

joint ventures in India among 

other ways, Foreign Secretary 

Vinay Kwatra said Tuesday, 

the Government’s first public 

acknowledgement of a delay in 

Russian supplies amid the war in 

Ukraine. 

Kwatra said Prime 

Minister Narendra Modi raised 

the issue with Russian President 

Vladimir as the two leaders 

discussed bilateral defence ties 

at the 22nd India-Russia annual 

summit in Moscow. 

“Both sides had a general 

sense of agreement that this 

would be expedited, including 

through setting up joint venture 

partnerships in India to look 

at some of these spare parts, 

particularly the more critical 

spare parts so that we are able to 

address this challenge in a more 

meaningful and sustainable way,” 

Kwatra said. 

Most of India’s existing military 

hardware is Russian-origin and 

needs a regular supply of spares 

for maintenance. The Ukraine war 

has also delayed Russia’s 

scheduled deliveries of certain 

big-ticket weapon systems 

to India, like the S-400 Triumf 

surface-to-air missile systems. 

Top Indian military leaders have, 

however, maintained that the delay 

in spares or maintenance support 

have not affected the Armed 

Forces’ operational preparedness. 

According to officials, since 

supplies began to be affected after 

the Russia-Ukraine war broke 

out in February 2022, India has 

been looking to procure spares 

both from indigenous sources as 

well as countries like Poland and 

Georgia. 

Last year, the former Army 

Chief, General Manoj Pande (retd), 

said that the Army had assessed 

its reliance on Soviet-origin 

equipment and was identifying 

alternative sources for spares 

and ammunition amid the Russia- 

Ukraine war. 

Meanwhile, a joint statement 

released Tuesday by the two 

countries said their defence 

partnership was reorienting 

presently to joint research and 

development, co-development 

and joint production of advanced 

defence technology and 

systems to meet India’s quest 

for self-sufficiency. 

They confirmed their 

commitment to maintain the 

momentum of joint military 

cooperation activities and expand 

military delegation exchanges. 

Both sides, the statement 

said, agreed to encourage 

joint manufacturing in India 

of “spare parts, components, 

aggregates and other products” 

for maintenance of Russian-origin 

arms and defence equipment 

under the Make-in-India 

programme. 

This would be done “through 

transfer of technology and setting 

up of joint ventures for meeting the 

needs of the Indian Armed Forces 

as well as subsequent export to 

mutually friendly third countries 

with their approval”. 

In this regard, the statement 

added, the two sides agreed on 

establishing a new Working Group 

on Technological Cooperation and 

discussing its provisions during 

the next meeting of IRIGC-M&MTC 

(Intergovernmental Commission 

on Military and Military Technical 

Cooperation) in Moscow in the 

second half of 2024. 

Nobel winner physicist lauds PM Modi: ‘Other world leaders should have…’ 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his 

visit to Austria, met with Nobel laureate 

and quantum physicist Anton Zeilinger. 

They held talks on varied subjects, including 

quantum physics and spirituality. 

After the meeting, Zeilinger said that 

he discussed quantum technology and 

information with the Indian leader. 

The Austrian quantum physicist said that he 

felt that the prime minister was a very spiritual 

person and that all world leaders should 

possess this quality. 

Zeilinger said that he had a “very pleasant 

discussion” with PM Modi on topics such as 

quantum technology, quantum information, 

spirituality and the fundamental concepts of 

quantum physics. 

“We discussed spiritual things, we talked 

about possibilities of quantum information, 

quantum technology, and the basic 

fundamental ideas of quantum physics. 

"I experienced him as a very spiritual person, 

and I think this is a feature which more leaders 

in the world should have today...The point is 

that you support the gifted young people to 

follow their ideas and from them, new ideas 

come. That is something which can happen in 

every country, certainly in India, since it has a 

gigantic, spiritual and technological past,” he 

added. 

PM Modi met with Austrian physicist Anton Zeilinger 


India, Russia 

eye $100 bn 

trade by 2030, 

cooperation 

in energy, 

agriculture 

India and Russia on Wednesday 

agreed to boost bilateral trade 

to over $100 billion by 2030 by 

reinvigorating investments, using 

national currencies for trade and 

increasing cooperations in sectors 

ranging from energy to agriculture 

and infrastructure. 

In the joint statement issued 

following the 22nd Annual 

Bilateral Summit between Russian 

President Vladimir Putin and 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 

Moscow, the two sides reiterated 

commitment to development 

of the special and privileged 

strategic partnership and vowed 

to give additional impetus to the 

deepening of bilateral interaction 

by promoting Russia-India trade 

and economic cooperation. 

The two sides agreed on nine key 

areas of cooperations that spanned 

trade, trade settlement using 

national currencies, increased 

cargo turnover through new routes 

such as the North-South Transport 

Corridor, raising volume of trade in 

agri products, food and fertiliser, 

deepening cooperation in the 

energy sector, including nuclear 

energy, strengthening interaction 

for infrastructure development, 

promotion of investments and 

joint projects across digital 

economy, collaborating on supply 

of medicines and development of 

humanitarian cooperation. 

The leaders agreed to aspire 

“for elimination of non-tariff trade 

barriers related to bilateral trade 

between India and Russia” and 

continue “dialogue in the field of 

liberalisation of bilateral trade, 

including the possibility of the 

establishment of the EAEU-India 

Free Trade Area”. 

This to achieve mutually agreed 

trade volume of more than $100 

billion by 2030, including increased 

supplies of goods from India to 

achieve balanced bilateral trade. 

Also, reinvigoration of investment 

activities within the framework of 

the special investment regimes 

was agreed. They agreed on 

“development of a bilateral 

settlement system using national 

currencies”, the joint statement 

said. 

This means any purchase by 

India from Russia such as crude 

oil, can potentially be paid in Indian 

rupee. This currency can then be 

used by Russia to settle payments 

for imports from India. A viceversa 

use of Russian rubles is also 

possible. 

The two leaders agreed for 

“increase of cargo turnover 

with India through the launch of 

new routes of the North-South 

International Transport Corridor, 

the Northern Sea Route and the 

Chennai-Vladivostok Sea Line,” it 

said, adding that optimisation of 

customs procedures through the 

application of intelligent digital 

systems for barrier-free movement 

of goods was also agreed. 

“Facilitation of mutual and 

international energy security" was 

also agreed upon.


WORLD 15 

From receiving ‘St Andrew 

the Apostle’ to bilateral talks: 

PM Modi’s 2-day visit to Russia 


Modi was on a two-day 

visit to Russia to attend 

the 22nd India-Russia summit 

which was held on July 8 and 9. 

The world leaders held bilateral 

talks to review ties between the 

two nations, including in areas 

like defence, investment, energy 

cooperation, education and 

culture. 

Here's what PM Modi's two-day 

visit looked like: 

PM Modi receives highest 

civilian honour 

PM Modi was conferred with 

Russia’s highest civilian honour 

–- Order of St Andrew the Apostle 

— by Russian President Vladimir 

Putin. The Order was established 

in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great, 

in honour of Saint Andrew, the 

first apostle of Jesus, and patron 

saint of Russia. It was bestowed 

in a single class and was only 

awarded for the most outstanding 

civilian or military merit. 

The bilateral talks 

PM Modi officially met the 

Russian President in Moscow 

on Tuesday and held extended 

meetings and private talks with 

each other. 

During the meeting, Modi 

told Putin that a solution to the 

Ukraine conflict is not possible on 

the battlefield and peace talks do 

not succeed amidst bombs, guns 

and bullets. 

He also said that the death 

of innocent children was very 

painful, a day after a lethal strike 

on a children’s hospital in Kyiv. 

“Whether it is war, conflicts, terror 

Can’t find solutions on battlefield, PM Modi tells Vladimir Putin 


Modi on Tuesday raised 

Russia’s missile strike on 

a children’s hospital in Ukraine 

with President Vladimir Putin and 

again nudged him to return to the 

path of dialogue and diplomacy, 

saying no solution can be found 

on the battlefield. 

Modi, on his first visit to 

Russia since the start of the 

war in Ukraine in February 2022, 

discussed the conflict at both a 

private meeting with Putin at his 

country home on Monday and at 

the annual summit in the Kremlin 

on Tuesday. He pointedly referred 

to the strike on the children’s 

hospital in his opening remarks at 

the summit, hours after Ukrainian 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 

criticised the meeting between 

the Indian and Russian leaders. 

“Whether it is war, conflicts, 

terror attacks, every person who 

believes in humanity is deeply 

affected when there is loss of life. 

But even in that, when innocent 

children are killed, when we see 

innocent children dying, then the 

attacks, everyone believing in 

humanity is deeply affected when 

there is a loss of lives. But even 

in that, when innocent children 

are killed, when we see innocent 

children dying, then it is heartwrenching 

and that pain is very 

horrible,” he said. He made the 

televised remarks at a meeting 

with Putin in the Kremlin. 

Prime Minister assured the 

world community that India is on 

the side of peace and the conflict 

must be resolved through talks. 

heart is pierced and that pain is 

very horrible,” Modi said, speaking 

in Hindi. 

“As a friend, I have always said 

that peace is most necessary 

for the bright future of next 

generation. But I also know that 

no solution is possible on the 

battlefield. Between bombs, guns 

and bullets, solutions and peace 

talks are not successful, and we 

have to find the path to peace 

through the medium of dialogue,” 

he said. 

Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital, 

Ukraine’s largest paediatric 

facility, sustained major damage 

when it was hit in a wave of 

Russian missile strikes on cities 

across the country. Thirty-nine 

people, including two at the 

hospital, were killed and 140 

others were injured in the strikes. 

Modi noted he extensively 

discussed this matter with 

Putin during their meeting at 

the Russian leader’s dacha on 

Monday evening, which lasted 

‘four to five hours”, and reiterated 

India’s call for a return to dialogue 

Modi interacts with Indian 

community 

The Prime Minister also 

interacted with the Indian 

community in Moscow and shared 

his thoughts on India’s rising 

global profile and its perception 

as a ‘Vishwa Bandhu’. During 

the address, he said, “You all 

are contributing to new heights 

in relations between India and 

Russia... I appreciate the efforts 

of President Putin towards 

strengthening the ties between 

and diplomacy to end the war. 

“I am happy we both were able 

to discuss our views on the issue 

of Ukraine with an open mind 

and at length, and we attempted 

to listen and understand each 

other’s views with a lot of 

respect,” Modi said. He added he 

also presented the Global South’s 

the two countries... We have 

met each other 17 times so far, 

all these meetings have led to 

an increase in trust and respect 

between us.” He announced the 

opening of Indian Consulates in 

Kazan and Yekaterinburg. 

‘Meeting of two close friends’ 

On July 8, PM Modi and 

President Putin held a private 

meeting at Putin's official 

residence at Novo-Ogaryovo. MEA 

in a statement said, “A meeting 

expectations for global peace to 

Putin. 

Modi said he was satisfied 

that Putin talked very openly at 

their meeting on Monday, with 

no covering up, and that “many 

interesting ideas” and a “new 

thinking” had emerged from these 

talks. He gave no details of these 

of two close friends and trusted 

partners. PM Narendra Modi was 

welcomed by President Vladimir 

Putin of Russia at his official 

residence at Novo-Ogaryovo for a 

private engagement. An occasion 

for the two leaders to cherish & 

celebrate the friendship." 

PM is all set to embark on 

a two-day trip to Austria on 

Tuesday. 

This will be the first visit by 

an Indian prime minister to the 

country in 41 years. 

ideas. 

India, he said, stands ready 

to provide all possible help for 

restoring peace. “I assure you 

that India is in favour of peace... 

and I have a new hope in my mind 

after hearing the views of my 

friend President Putin yesterday,” 

he said.

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) 


SUDOKU SOLUTIONS 

46 47 

52 

56 

59 

SUDOKU 

1; 4c 0 p 

Si> 

E 

A N E 

S 

5lJ R G E b N 

S 

R E 0 5 6'p A 

S 

b 

E 1< 5 01 

Mb N D 0 

A I R 51> L 0 

p A 5 E M 

Your Weekly Horoscope: 12 July - 18 July, 2024 

ARIES (MAR 21-APR 20) 

You will be extra productive this week, 

Aries, with the moon in Virgo. You may be 

busier at work, leading you to figure out 

what tasks and responsibilities are worth 

your time and energy. You could also 

be tending to your health by exercising, 

eating well, or scheduling routine doctor’s 

appointments. As Venus moves into Leo, you will still have 

downtime to relax, see friends, and possibly go on a date. 

.TAURUS (APR 21-MAY 20) 

You will be relaxing and having fun this 

week, Taurus, with the moon in Virgo. You 

may have time outside of work to socialise 

or tend to hobbies you do purely for your 

own enjoyment. There may be a fun event 

to attend too, or you could be going on a 

date or finding greater romance with your 

partner. As Venus moves into Leo, you may be spending 

quality time with your family. 

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 21) 

You may feel a bit introverted this week, 

Gemini, with the moon in Virgo. You could 

be sticking close to home, or you might be 

connecting with family. However, you could 

be emotional about family dynamics or a 

memory from childhood that is resurfacing. 

You may also be cleaning and organising your living space. 

You may be making travel plans, or you’re enjoying reading 

and writing in your free time.. 

CANCER (JUN 22-JUL 20) 

You will be motivated at work this week, Leo, 

with the moon in Virgo. You might be eager 

to develop new work projects, or you may be 

pitching your ideas at meetings. On another 

note, you may be spending more money, 

either by paying off bills or treating yourself 

to nice experiences. As Venus moves into your sign, you will 

be thinking about your personal image, and how you might 

change up your style or overall aesthetic. You may receive 

positive attention and opportunities from people too, or your 

love life might be a bigger focus. 

LEO (JUL21-AUG 20) 

You will be motivated at work this week, 

Leo, with the moon in Virgo. You might be 

eager to develop new work projects, or you 

may be pitching your ideas at meetings. On 

another note, you may be spending more 

money, either by paying off bills or treating 

yourself to nice experiences. As Venus moves into your sign, 

you will be thinking about your personal image, and how you 

might change up your style or overall aesthetic. 

VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 23) 

You will be feeling confident this week, Virgo, 

with the moon in your sign. You may be fully 

expressing yourself, either through your 

work or in social situations, or you could 

be reflecting on your personal goals. You 

may also be announcing a project that’s 

important to you, or you could get approached about a new 

opportunity. As Venus moves into Leo, you will be enjoying 

your alone time, and you may be tending to solo hobbies. 

LIBRA (SEP 24-OCT 23) 

You will be spending some much needed 

time alone this week, Libra, with the moon 

in Virgo. You could be a bit emotional, or 

you may be reflecting on certain habits or 

mindsets that are holding you back. You 

might be turning to a spiritual practice, 

like astrology or meditation to feel connected to something 

bigger than yourself. As Venus moves into Leo, at the same 

time you may have social invitations coming your way, and 

you could be reconnecting with friends. 

SCORPIO (OCT 24-NOV 22) 

You will be mixing and mingling with people 

this week, Scorpio, with the moon in Virgo. 

You may have a group event to attend, or 

you could be reaching out to friends. You 

may also be thinking strategically about 

your future and what you want to be working 

towards, or you may feel more supported by 

a community of people. As Venus moves into Leo, you may 

receive positive feedback at work, or you could feel creatively 

inspired in your career. . 

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 23-DEC 21) 

You will be building upon your relationships 

this week, Sagittarius, with the new moon in 

Gemini. You may feel closer to your partner, 

or you’re having greater success with dating. 

You could even reach a pivotal relationship 

milestone, or you may be meeting up with 

good friends to hang out. As the moon 

moves into Cancer over the weekend, you may want to open 

up emotionally to people, or you’re reflecting on how you can 

respond to conflict differently. 

CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 21) 

You will be productive at work this week, 

Capricorn, with the new moon in Gemini. A 

job opportunity may come your way, or you 

could be developing various projects. You 

may be taking greater care of your body 

too, by sticking to a regular exercise routine, 

eating healthy, or getting to sleep early. As the moon moves 

into Cancer over the weekend, you may be connecting with a 

good friend or going on a date. 

AQUARIUS (JAN 22-FEB 19) 

As the summer rolls in on Thursday, 

highlighting your sphere of work and wellness, 

go with it and enjoy more outdoorsy, vitalitybuilding 

social connections. This period has 

a “family and cherished friends” feel about 

it that’s oh so wholesome and emotionally 

nourishing. So relax your mind and feel the warmth those 

connections generate within you. That’s an aspect of good 

health right there. 

PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 20) 

Summer. Is. Finally. HERE! And that means 

the water babies come out to splash, frolic, 

and soak up vital solar energy. Enjoy your 

leisure time, and if you need a reason, this 

season lights up your playful sphere of 

fun, dating, romance, and talents. This 

area gives back in a mutually beneficial 

loop, boosting your presence, vitality, and self-esteem, so 

swim, immerse in music, read a good book, or nurture that 

artistic side.


FEATURE 17 

Healthy cooking every day 

Five-spice roast chicken 

Ingredients 

• 1 kilograms chicken legs 

• For Marination 

• 1 tablespoon 5 spice powder 

• 1/4 cup soy sauce 

• 2 tablespoon ginger 

• 2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine 

• 1/4 cup virgin olive oil 

• 2 tablespoon garlic paste 

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar 

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 

Method 

• To prepare this amazingly delicious 

chicken recipe, first, you need to prepare 

the marinade. 

• For the same, take a medium bowl and 

mix together 5 spice powder, lemon 

juice, Chinese rice wine, garlic paste, 

grated ginger, garlic salt, soy sauce, 

sugar, kosher salt and virgin olive oil. 

• Next, when you are done with the 

marinade, take the chicken leg pieces 

and put them in a large bowl. 

• Pour the marinade over these leg 

pieces and marinate them using 

your hands. 

• Let these chicken leg pieces marinate 

for about 2-3 hours. 

• You can even cover the bowl with a foil 

and put inside the refrigerator. 

• Once the chicken leg pieces are 

marinated, take them out of the 

refrigerator and spread them on a 

baking sheet in a tray. 

• Place this baking tray in a preheated 

oven and bake these chicken leg pieces 

at 190 degree Celsius for about 15-20 

minutes. 

• After 15 minutes, turn them upside d 

• own and bake once again for another 15 

minutes at the same temperature until 

golden brown in colour. 

• Take out the chicken leg pieces after 

they are done and transfer them to a 

serving plate and serve warm along 

with lemon wedges. Enjoy! 

Vegetable and chicken skewers 

Ingredients 

• 400 gm chicken breasts 

• 240 gm onion 

• 240 gm yellow bell pepper 

• 5 gm oregano 

• salt as required 

• 240 gm zucchini 

• 240 gm red bell pepper 

• 5 gm powdered black pepper 

• 150 ml virgin olive oil 

• lemon wedges as required 

Method 

• Soak the bamboo sticks in water for 

about 10 minutes. 

• Cut the chicken, zucchini, onion, red 

and yellow capsicums (bell peppers) 

into 1’’ square pieces. 

• Take one mixing bowl and put olive 

oil, salt, crushed black paper, oregano 

herbs and mix properly. 

• Marinate the chopped vegetables 

and chicken. Ensure all the pieces are 

Zucchini and cashew pasta 

Ingredients 

• 200 gm pasta spaghetti 

• 3 tablespoon peas 

• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow 

pepper 

• 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes 

• 2 tablespoon chopped parsley 

• 2 pinches salt 

• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 

• 3/4 cup water 

• 1/4 cup lemon juice 

• 1 dash sesame seeds 

• 3 zucchini 

• 1/2 cup finely chopped red peppers 

• 1 chopped,peeled carrot 

• 2 tablespoon chopped basil 

• 2 teaspoon lime zest 

• 1 dash black pepper 

• 1 cup soaked cashews 

• 1 clove chopped garlic 

• 1/2 teaspoon coconut water 

Method 

• In a saucepan containing boiling water, 

add the pasta, salt and a couple of 

drops of oil. 

• Boil them till tender. 

• In a large bowl, peel one cm wide 

coated well. You need not leave them 

to marinate for long. 5-6 minutes is 

enough. 

• Insert the chicken pieces and veggies 

into the bamboo skewers. Cook 

the skewers on preheated grill until 

vegetables and chicken are tender. 

Keep turning the skewers to cook 

evenly and prevent burning. 

• Once cooked, your Vegetable and 

Chicken Skewers are now ready to 

be served. Serve with some lemon 

wedges on the side. Enjoy! 

strips of zucchinis so that it resembles 

pencil shavings. You can do so using a 

vegetable peeler. 

• Take a pan over medium flame and add 

peas, bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, 

basil, parsley, lemon zest, salt and 

pepper. Toss all these ingredients well 

into a salad and set aside. 

• Prepare the sauce by using a blender 

on high speed to mix cashews, water, 

coconut nectar, garlic and lemon juice 

into a smooth paste. 

• Add a little salt. 

• In a serving dish, lay out the pasta. Add 

a layer of zucchini salad on it. Top the 

salad with a layer of sauce. 

• Garnish with the grated Parmesan 

cheese and indulge in the goodness. 

Ingredients 

• 400 gm halved chicken breasts 

• 3 tablespoon virgin olive oil 

• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

• 30 ml white wine 

• 30 gm broccoli 

• 20 ml red wine 

• 3 tablespoon chopped thyme 

• 1 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic 

• 1 pinch powdered black pepper 

• 2 stick blanched asparagus 

• 40 gm barbeque sauce 

For The Main Dish 

• 1 medium sliced thick 

zucchini 

Method 

• Get the grill started on medium 

high heat. 

• While the grill is heating up, whisk together 

half of the thyme, oil and 1/4 teaspoon of 

the minced garlic in a shallow dish. 

• Sprinkle salt and pepper on the chicken 

and add it to thyme mixture. Leave it for 

ten minutes. 

• Saute garlic in a large 

heavy-bottomed pan. 

• Add zucchini and handful of chopped 

thyme. Let it cook uncovered 

Lighter Takes 

& Easy Tips 

Pepper chicken with braised zucchini 

Chicken Momos 

Ingredients 

• 450 gm all purpose flour 

• 1 tablespoon refined oil 

• 2 large onion 

• 1 inch ginger 

• water as required 

• 1 tablespoon chilli garlic paste 

• 300 gm boiled chicken 

• 5 green chilli 

• salt as required 

• 2 teaspoon soy sauce 

• black pepper as required 

• 1/2 cup red bell pepper 

Method 

• Chicken Momos is a dish that needs no 

introduction. However, it is pretty easy to 

prepare it at home without putting in much 

effort. Here’s how you go about preparing 

it at home: To begin with, rinse the veggies 

and chicken with lukewarm water to 

thoroughly clean them. 

• Then take a clean chopping board, chop the 

vegetables separately and keep them aside. 

• Then take a pan or a pressure cooker and 

boil the chicken, with a pinch of salt and 

pepper. If you want to make it aromatic, 

you can add a small teaspoon of ginger and 

chilli garlic paste. If you like the flavour of 

garlic, you can add some more garlic paste. 

Once done, carefully mince the boiled 

chicken. Keep it aside. 

• Now, take a deep mixing bowl and add 

refined oil in it followed by all-purpose flour 

and salt. Mix well with enough water and 

knead the mixture into a smooth dough. 

on low flame. 

• Heat a new skillet and add white wine. 

Reduce it to half and add zucchini. Cook 

for a minute and 

remove the pan. 

• Grill chicken until brown for approx 5 

minutes on each side. 

• Blanch the broccoli and asparagus in hot 

water and keep them aside. 

• Take barbecue sauce and dilute it with red 

wine, and add black pepper. 

Knead well and ensure that no lumps are 

formed. 

• Take another mixing bowl and add chicken 

followed by chopped vegetables, mix well 

and combine everything together. Then, 

add soy sauce to the chicken mix and stir 

well. Now take the prepared dough and roll 

out small balls out of it. 

• Using a rolling pin, flatten the balls in a 

square shape and add the chicken and 

veggies stuffing at the centre. Bring the 

edges close and secure them to make a 

momo. 

• Repeat this step with the remaining balls. 

Transfer the prepared momos to a steamer 

and steam for 20 minutes or until they turn 

soft and tender. Serve fresh and hot with 

your choice of chutney or dip. 

Tips 

• The very first rule to make Chicken Momos 

is that always roll your edges thin and the 

centre should be thick. Many people miss 

this part, which makes the momo break 

apart. 

• You can also freeze Chicken Momos for 

20-30 days and boil them for 5 minutes and 

they will be ready to eat. 

• If you don’t have a steamer at home, you 

can always use aluminium foil for steaming 

your momos. Aluminium foil balls can 

help you create that steam in any type of 

container. 

• You can also pan fry or deep fry your 

chicken momos if you don't have a 

steamer at home.

18 

ENTERTAINMENT 

Ranbir has zero attitude, 

doesn’t present himself 

as ‘the star’: Ramayana 

co-star Indira Krishna 

A 

recent photograph of actor 

Indira Krishna alongside 

Ranbir Kapoor on the sets 

of the highly-anticipated film 

Ramayana, directed by Nitesh 

Tiwari, has caused quite a stir 

online. Netizens flooded the 

comments section of Krishna’s 

Instagram post with inquiries, 

eagerly awaiting the official 

announcement of the film. 

Following an internet frenzy 

about the picture, we reached out 

to Krishna to learn more about 

her involvement in the 

film. While confirming 

her role as Kaushalya, 

the 49-year-old 

said that she 

is governed 

by a strict 

confidentiality 

agreement and 

cannot divulge 

details about her 

character or the 

project. 

However, Krishna did 

has zero attitude. 

discuss the viral photo and her 

He’s not fake. In fact, 

experience working with Kapoor. he runs away from negativity 

“I hold Ranbir [Kapoor] in high and negative people. He doesn’t 

regard,” she says, shedding present himself as ‘the star’.” 

light on her experience of their On a separate note, when 

collaborations in Animal and asked about the leaked photos 

Ramayana. 

from the film’s set featuring 

“I’ve yet to encounter anyone Lara Dutta and Arun Govil in 

like him in this industry. He 

character as Kaikeyi and Dashrath 

has this magnetic presence. respectively, Krishna clarifies the 

He exudes care, love, and 

circumstances surrounding the 

kindness,” the 49-year-old tells incident. “It wasn’t leaked from 

us, recounting instances of his 

thoughtful demeanour on set. 

“If you’re seated in a corner, he’ll 

make his way over to you, greet 

you, and ask about your day. Who 

“I’ve yet to encounter 

does that these days? He’s a anyone like him in 

wonderful person,” she says. 

Underscoring Kapoor’s genuine this industry. He 

rapport with his colleagues, has this magnetic 

Krishna says he ensures he 

stands near the camera and gives presence. He 

cues to other actors. “He puts 

exudes care, love, 

everyone on set at ease,” Krishna 

remarks, expressing admiration and kindness,” the 

for Kapoor’s conduct, both on and 

49-year-old says. 

off-camera. She elaborates, “He 

the set,” she says. 

“People climb fences on the 

outside, and someone takes 

photos from a very close range. 

It is difficult to manage people,” 

the actor laments, noting the 

challenges of maintaining strict 

security protocols on shoot 

locations. 

Regarding the producers’ 

decision to maintain a stringent 

‘no-photo’ policy, Krishna says 

she supports the precautionary 

measure. 

“Why should one reveal the 

look?” she asks, stressing “it takes 

away not only the charm but also 

risks the easy replication of outfits 

and looks”. 

Krishna’s filmography includes 

Tere Naam (2003), Tathastu 

(2006), Holiday (2014), Hey Bro 

(2015), and Animal (2023). She 

has also been part of television 

shows like Manzilein Apani Apani 

(2001), Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii 

(2005), Krishnaben Khakhrawala 

(2010), Krishnadasi (2016) and 

Saavi Ki Savaari (2023). 



'Bol Bachchan' clocks 12 years: Amitabh Bachchan praises 

son Abhishek for his performance, says "you are the best" 

As Abhishek Bachchanstarrer 

action comedy film 

'Bol Bachchan' completed 

12 years of its release, megastar 

Amitabh Bachchan praised 

the actor and his son for his 

performance in the movie. 

Reacting to a post shared by 

Abhishek's fan club, Big B wrote, 

"you are the best Abhishek .. and 

this is not just a Father speaking .. 

pyar aur aashirvaad, sadaa" 

The original post had some 

hilarious clips of Abhishek from 

the 2012 flick. 

In one scene, Abhishek's 

character can be seen attempting 

to conceal the truth by having 

three fake mothers while talking 

to Prithviraj Raghuvanshi, played 

by Ajay Devgn. 

Directed by Rohit Shetty and 

Remembering Sanjeev 

Kumar: Celebrating 5 

timeless roles on his 

birth anniversary 

On the occasion of Sajeev 

Kumar's birth anniversary, 

we celebrate the life and 

career of one of Indian cinema's 

most versatile and beloved actors. 

Known for his remarkable 

ability to portray a wide range 

of characters with depth and 

authenticity, Sajeev Kumar left an 

indelible mark on the film industry. 

From intense dramas to 

light-hearted comedies, his 

performances have captivated 

audiences for decades. 

Let us revisit these cinematic 

gems and celebrate the legacy of 

a true acting genius who continues 

to inspire and entertain cinephiles 

even today. 

1. Sholay (1975) - 

Thakur Baldev Singh 

Sanjeev Kumar's portrayal of 

Thakur Baldev Singh in the epic 

blockbuster 'Sholay' is perhaps one 

of his most iconic roles. Despite 

being handless, his character 

displayed immense courage and 

determination in seeking justice, 

making him a pivotal part of the 

film's narrative. 

2. Angoor (1982) - 

Ashok R. Tilak/Bhura 

In this comedy classic directed 

by Gulzar, Sanjeev Kumar 

showcased his exceptional comic 

timing by playing a double role. His 

portrayal of both Ashok R. Tilak and 

Bhura was lauded for its precision 

and humour, establishing him as a 

versatile actor. 

3. Koshish (1972) - 

produced by Ajay Devgn, the 

film stars Ajay Devgan, Abhishek 

Bachchan, Asin, Prachi Desai, 

Krushna Abhishek, Neeraj Vora 

and Archana Puran Singh. 

The film revolves around Abbas 

Ali (Abhishek), a resident of Karol 

Bagh, New Delhi. 

He stays there with his sister 

Sania (Asin) and they are legally 

fighting to get the title of their 

ancestral property. But the odds 

turn against them and they lose 

the case. 

Their well-wisher, Shastri 

Chacha, advises and convinces 

them to migrate to his village 

Ranakpur and assures Abbas 

Hari Charan Mathur 

'Koshish' remains one of the 

most poignant films in Sanjeev 

Kumar's career. Portraying the role 

of a deaf and mute man alongside 

Jaya Bachchan, he delivered a 

deeply moving performance that 

showcased his sensitivity and 

depth as an actor. 

4. Aandhi (1975) - JK 

In 'Aandhi,' Sanjeev Kumar 

starred opposite Suchitra Sen in 

a role that highlighted his subtlety 

and ability to convey complex 

emotions. His portrayal of JK, a 

conflicted politician, added layers 

to the film's narrative and earned 

him critical acclaim. 

5. Khilona (1970) - Vijaykamal 

'Khilona' marked a significant 

milestone in Sanjeev Kumar's 

career, where he played the role 

of a mentally unstable man with 

utmost sensitivity and nuance. 

His performance not only garnered 

accolades but also touched the 

hearts of audiences. 

Sanjeev Kumar's contribution 

to Indian cinema continues to 

inspire generations of actors 

and filmmakers. His versatility, 

dedication, and ability to immerse 

himself in diverse roles remain 

unparalleled. 

As we remember him on his 

birth anniversary, his legacy 

lives on through these timeless 

performances that have etched a 

permanent place in the hearts of 

movie enthusiasts worldwide. 

that he will get him a job at his 

owner's place. The owner is none 

other than the powerful Prithviraj 

Raghuvanshi (Ajay). 

Talking about Amitabh 

Bachchan's work front, he is 

receiving a lot of appreciation 

from the audience for his strong 

performance in the film 'Kalki 

2898 AD'. 

Recently, he took to his X handle 

and wrote, "The essence of KALKI 

resounds within and without .. 

and my gracious gratitude." 

Apart from this, Amitabh 

Bachchan is busy shooting for 

'Vettaiyan', which also stars 

Rajinikanth.

Introducing 

Kashish Chakki 

F r e s h A t t a 

Nourish your family with the goodness of our pure atta. 

PESTICIDE FREE 

BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT 

RICH IN DIETARY FIBRE 

SOFT & FLUFFY ROTIES 

100% ATTA 

0% MAIDA 

www.kashishfood.co.nz

Final Draft

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?