The Indian Weekender, 27 May 2022

27 MAY 2022
VOL 14 ISSUE 10
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Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, May 27, 2022
NEW ZEALAND 3
Govt announces new $6m
Crime Prevention Package
RNZ
Police will manage a $6
million crime prevention
programme, installing
bollards and similar measures
to prevent ram raids, as
part of the government’s
response to such attacks.
Police Minister Poto
Williams announced the Small
Retailer Crime Prevention
Fund at Chartwell Food
Centre in Auckland this
morning, saying it would help
the small retailers who did
not have the resources to
protect themselves.
It would be funded through
the Proceeds of Crime Fund,
which comes from assets and
money seized from criminals
under the Criminal Proceeds
(Recovery) Act.
Dairy owners have been
among those calling for
tougher penalties for the
offenders after a spike in ram
raids. Some of the businesses
that have been ram-raided
have incurred losses totalling
thousands of dollars.
“Retail stores and dairies
and superettes are the two
most common locations for
ram raids and other types of
crime ... it is expected that an
estimated 500 retailers will
likely qualify,” Williams said.
“This funding will enable
Police to work closely with
vulnerable small retailers
to identify effective and
practical solutions based on
the particular features of each
location.”
She said ram raids were
“something that is definitely
spiking”, rising in recent
months to about 40 per
month. Police were doing what
they could, and an operation
This funding will
enable Police to
work closely with
vulnerable small
retailers to identify
effective and
practical solutions
based on the
particular features
of each location.
had made 150 arrests with
more than 750 charges laid.
The new scheme would allow
them to individually consider
the risks for each small retailer
and what measures - which
could also include fog cannons,
security alarms or screens -
were most appropriate.
Bollards were one option, but
often could not be installed due
to underground infrastructure.
Other measures could also
include strobe lighting or highpitched
sound bars.
The work would begin with
five stores in Auckland and
expand wider as required
including in Hamilton,
Wellington, Christchurch
and other centres.
“This is not a one-size-fits
all approach. In some cases
council consent or other
approvals will be required
before things like physical
barriers or bollards are put in
place,” Williams said.
“While there has been a
significant reduction in youth
offending over the past
decade, there has also been a
recent spike in ram raids and
related offending which we
urgently need to address for
these business owners.”
Experts such as Children’s
Commissioner Judge Frances
Eivers say an increase in young
people behind the wheel in
ram raids is being created by
families living in a “total state
of hopelessness” and social
issues need to be addressed.
Willliams said the National
Retail Investigation Support
Unit was also working with
Retail New Zealand to identify
high-priority repeat retail
offenders who would be
held accountable, as well as
offering advice on smaller
things that could be done to
improve safety like keeping
windows clear of advertising
and having lower shelves to
improve visibility.
There has been a regular
increase in retail crime,
especially ram raids on
suburban dairy stores and
liquor stores in last year, with
a sudden spurt in incidences
of ram raids of more centrally
located retail outlets in large
shopping centres.
The advocates for crime
prevention had been calling for
a stronger response from the
government, including tougher
penalties on the offenders.

4
NEW ZEALAND
VENU MENON IN WELLINGTON
Plans are under way to
build a new Hare Krishna
temple in Wellington.
Set against the rural backdrop of
Newlands, about 30 minutes’ drive
from the city centre, the proposed
temple will be the third to be set
up by the International Society for
Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)
in New Zealand. There are two
existing temples in Auckland and
Christchurch, respectively.
The love feast is an important event
in the ISKCON calendar, when followers
congregate every Sunday to share a
vegetarian meal, or prasadam, following
prayers marked by loud chants of
Hare Krishna as devotees sway, hands
aloft. There is also a discourse on the
Bhagavad Gita.
The Wellington congregation, which
meets regularly at the Hare Krishna
centre on Newlands Road, comprises
mostly members of the local Kiwi
Indian community living in and
around the suburb.
The giving away of food, similar
to the custom of the ‘langar’ or free
kitchen followed by the Sikh gurudwara,
underpins the Hare Krishna movement.
Jagjeevan Das, president of ISKCON
Wellington, explains the origin and
significance of the love feast.
“The Hare Krishna movement is
centred around the distribution of
prasadam,” Das says. “When Swami
Prabhupada (ISKCON founder) was
sitting in his ashram in India, he
Friday, May 27, 2022
Read online www.iwk.co.nz
New Hare Krishna temple
to come up in Wellington
Chch Gurudwara endeavours to connect communities
with social initiatives
MAHESH KUMAR IN
CHRISTCHURCH
For the Canterbury Sikh
community, Gurudwara
Sigh Sabha Christchurch
is a true blessing. One of the
only two Gurudwaras in the
entire South Island, it is not
just a place for the devoted
Sangat to be at peace with
their Gurus, but it is also
a place where friends, and
families can meet and catch
up over community Langar.
The Gurudwara, which
operates under the umbrella
of the New Zealand Sikh
Society(South Island) Inc
(NZSS) is located at Ferry
Road, Christchurch.
NZSS was set up by a group
of like-minded residents of
Christchurch in 2009 when
they bought an old church and
converted it into a Gurudwara.
Unfortunately, the building
was severely damaged in
Jagjeevan Das, president of ISKCON Wellington
noticed little boys searching for food in
rubbish bins.”
The free distribution of food became
institutionalised in Hare Krishna centres
everywhere from that day on.
Das believes the food is sanctified by
offering it to Lord Krishna first, before
it is distributed.
“Food eaten thus cleanses you of
your sins,” he says.
the Christchurch earthquake
2011. However, the prayers
never stopped with the
Sangat still gathering every
Sunday at the Community Hall
in Cashmere.
Over the next years, the
community came together,
and raised funds to buy a new
building where the Gurudwara
was moved to in 2018.
The new premise is a
beautiful building with
spacious prayer hall, sufficient
parking, a large langar hall and
many rooms to hold other
activities and events.
According to the
spokesperson of NZSS
Jitendera Sahi, the Punjabi
community in Canterbury has
seen massive growth in the
last couple of years.
On Sundays, when the
Gurudwara hosts the weekly
Kirtan programme, there are
250 to 300 people visiting
the Gurudwara. On special
occasions like Baisakhi, or
Guru Purab, the number of
attendees could go as high
as 1500 visitors from all
ethnicities. The visitors come
from Greater Christchurch
area and neighbouring regions
like Timaru and Ashburton.
There are devotees who
started visiting the Gurudwara
when they were new
immigrant and since then got
married, had kids and still visit
the Gurudwara regularly with
whole family.
Helmed by the same
team which initially started
the Society in 2008, the
Gurudwara offers classes for
Punjabi language and music.
Sahi also told us about
various social initiatives and
Food is the gateway to
Krishna consciousness.
Prospective followers
are drawn to
the movement
via their palate.
“People at first
may not have the
inclination to join
our movement,” Das
explains. “But they are
drawn in after eating our food.
The effect is instantaneous. It’s an
awakening.”
The Sunday love feast, integral
to the Hare Krishna movement, is
a way of attracting more followers.
Prior to moving to the dining
area, first timers in the Wellington
congregation are asked to introduce
themselves to the gathering.
The singing and dancing that
precedes the love feast are steeped
in hoary legend. Members of the Hare
Krishna movement believe that Lord
Krishna incarnated in the 16th Century
as Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who
“People
at first may not
have the inclination
to join our movement,”
Das explains. “But they
are drawn in after eating
our food. The effect is
instantaneous. It’s an
awakening.”
activities that the Society
undertakes on a regular basis.
“We are more than just a
group of religious devotees.
We believe, we are a big
extended family and it is
our duty to educate our
members and address various
social concerns faced by
the community in general.
During Covid lockdown, the
Gurudwara provided financial/
non-financial help to the needy
and even offered shelter to
people adversely affected
by Covid lockdown. After
the Christchurch earthquake,
we raised funds to help
the victims and recently,
a major Covid vaccination
drive was undertaken by the
society that benefited 4,500
constantly chanted the Lord’s name
as set out in Vedic literature. Followers
believe they are ordained by Prabhu
Chaitanya to spread the Krishna chant
to every nook and corner of the globe.
Das likens the cleansing impact of
the Krishna chant to the act of wiping
a dusty mirror.
“The heart is like a dusty mirror. You
have to first clear the dust before you
can see yourself,” he points out.
Das says his first encounter with the
Bhagavad Gita marked the start of his
spiritual journey.
He and his wife set up a Hare Krishna
centre in Wellington before facing many
ups and downs and finally settling in
Newlands.
Currently, Das spearheads a
funding drive to kickstart the temple
construction project.
The Hare Krishna restaurant, a
popular eatery on Willis St in downtown
Wellington, provides income to support
the Newlands centre’s activities,
including the construction of the new
temple.
Das, a former statistician with the NZ
government, reposes his faith in Lord
Krishna to bring the project to fruition.
“When a child cries, the parents hear
and attend to it,” Das says.
Likewise, chanting Lord Krishna’s
name will not go in vain, Das believes.
members of not just the
Sikh community but also the
broader communities. Next
on agenda is to conduct a
proactive Measles vaccination
drive in association with
the medical fraternity of
Canterbury.”
Other initiatives include
workshops and seminars on
Immigration and awareness
drives on other social issues.
Sahi thanked the volunteers
from the community who
dedicate
their time, energy and
contribute to keep the this
place of worship as a
preferred space for
individuals and families
seeking solace and peace in
this land they now call home.

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, May 27, 2022
NEW ZEALAND 5
Does this Budget address
concerns with health sector?
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH
In the recent Budget by
Finance Minister Grant
Robertson, the Health
sector was the centrepiece.
It managed to capture a
whopping $11.1 billion in
funding as the government
presses ahead to replace
DHBs with a centralised
health service.
The government said that
was the most significant
investment ever in the
health system.
“Budget 2022 provides the
largest investment ever in our
health system, with $11.1
billion in new funding, over four
years, to put that system on a
sustainable financial footing.
This will ensure that Health
New Zealand and the Māori
Health Authority can make
the changes needed to deliver
better health services to New
Zealanders, wherever they live.
Minister of Health Andrew
Little also announced a
$102m boost for community
healthcare and $86m for GPs
in high need areas as part of
Budget 2022.
Dr Samantha Murton
However, professional bodies
for medical experts feel that
the Budget missed its mark.
Sharing her take on the
Budget, Dr Samantha Murton,
The bottom line
is that we need
more of us if we
want the situation
to improve. We must
put the needs of our
patients and our
communities at the
heart of our health
system.
President, The Royal New
Zealand College of General
Practitioners (RNZCGP), says,
“The $102 million boost
for community healthcare
is welcomed, but sadly the
funding does not address the
issue of getting more medical
professionals trained and
working as specialist general
practitioners in the community.
"While GPs are not the
only answer, we are trained
to provide complex medical
treatment that can catch
issues early and keep people
out of hospitals.
"With the borders being
closed for over two years, we
are short on numbers of GPs
now, and there seems to be
nothing specific in the Budget
to address that.”
Unfortunately, according to
Murton, the situation is such
that there is a shortage of
people to give training to new
doctors or medical staff.
“We do not have enough
people to train new medical
students as healthcare
staff across the board are
overburdened.
"It is not just general
practitioners who are fatigued
– so are the nursing staff and
our practice teams.
"The bottom line is that we
need more of us if we want the
situation to improve.
"We must put the needs
of our patients and our
communities at the heart
of our health system,” says
Murton.
The medical associations
feel that the Budget should
have focussed on the ground
issues that affect healthcare
professionals as just reshaping
the financial base of the health
system is not enough.
Executive Director of
the Association of Salaried
Medical Specialists (a
union for salaried doctors and
dentists) Sarah Dalton feels
that the actual need is to
address workforce shortage
and the ever-increasing
increase in wait time for
patients during their visit to a
doctor, among others.
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6
NEW ZEALAND
Friday, May 27, 2022
Read online www.iwk.co.nz
Budget doesn’t pass screening test
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH
The recent Budget that the
government has announced has
been a mixed bag.
One area that has come in for
criticism is that the Budget presented
by the Labour government has failed to
help those affected by breast cancer
as it doesn’t have anything to address
the massive backlog of women awaiting
breast screening.
Justine Smyth, Chair of the Breast
Cancer Foundation, feels that this
Budget has let down the women of
NZ by overlooking the enormous
breast screening backlog that is
preventing 50,000 women from
getting their mammograms.
“It makes no sense that a Budget
that was supposed to ‘accelerate the
recovery and rebuild from the impacts
of Covid-19’ fails to address an issue
that is so crucial to the wellbeing of
Kiwi women. Breast Cancer Foundation
NZ has been asking the government
to invest $15m in targeted funding
for BreastScreen Aotearoa to clear
the mammogram backlog of 50,000
women within a year,” rues Smyth.
Smyth expressed her fear that with
no plan on how the government will
clear the backlog urgently, hundreds
of women could end up with more
challenging to treat, or worse,
untreatable breast cancers.
“We’ve been raising this issue for
over eight months now, and to keep
ignoring it represents a complete
failure by the Government to tackle the
leading cause of death for Kiwi women
under 65,” says Smyth.
According to the Cancer Society
of NZ, breast screening rates have
declined from 71.6 percent in 2019 to
63.5 percent in 2022.
Rachel Nicholls, National Advisor
Health Promotion & Policy of Cancer
Society of New Zealand, feels that
a significant contributor to this
reduced capacity was the strain on
the health workforce.
As she puts it, “Breast screening
was considered a critical service and
continued throughout all traffic light
phases (regardless of vaccination
status). However, capacity was
impacted, resulting in fewer women
being screened. We believe that a big
contributor to this reduced capacity
was the strain on the health workforce.
The Cancer Society has long called
for more investment in the health
workforce and would have liked to
have seen this reflected in the Budget.
We appreciate all the considerable
effort the NSU/DHBs are making to
reduce the backlog caused by the
Covid-19 pandemic.”
Political parties show their
disappointment
Even political parties have expressed
their disappointment that the Budget
does not include specific funding for
increasing the number of mammograms.
ACT Party’s Health spokesperson
Brooke van Velden said, “Breast cancer
has touched the lives of too many New
Zealanders.
"We all know someone who has been
affected, and Covid-19 lockdowns have
pushed breast screening waitlists back
by ten years.
"The government had an
opportunity to address this problem,
instead, they’ve ignored it in
favour of ideological reform and
race-based spending.
Labour is calling its Budget “A
Secure Future”, but there is nothing
secure about the future for many
women who will be unable to access
crucial screening that could save their
lives as a result of it.”
National Party’s Health spokesperson
Dr Shane Reti also expressed his
concern about the massive backlog.
“I am very concerned with the 50,000
backlogs for women waiting for cancer
breast screening. The Breast Cancer
Foundation says $15M will clear the
backlog, but last month, Andrew
Little let $25M of vaccines expire and
incinerated. The new Budget has $30M
for back-office health reforms but
nothing for New Zealanders who need
their cancer screening,” he said.
Government health officials
acknowledge that the Budget provides
significant cost pressure funding to
enable the new health commissioning
entity Health New Zealand to meet
core volume, wage, and price pressures
across the health system over the next
two years.
Deborah Woodley, Ministry of
Health Deputy Director-General
Population Health and Prevention, says,
“Budget 21 included funding to support
and manage the impacts of Covid-19
for breast screening. In terms of the
national breast screening programme,
performing additional mammograms
is not just a matter of funding.
For example, increasing the
breast screening workforce is a
complex task due to the shortage of
skilled workforce required to provide a
high-quality screening service, such as
radiologists.”
Woodley assured that the work is
underway to address the fall in coverage
for thebreast screening programme.
“Breast screening services have
extended appointment times
into the evening and weekends
wherever possible, and a lot of
work has been put into making sure
breast screening appointments are
safe, and appointments are available,”
Woodley said.
Indian traditional dances showcased at community event
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH
This Saturday (May 21)
afternoon community
event was high on
energy, with dances that
showcased the rich heritage
of India.
Held at Alan Brewster
Recreation Centre in
Papatoetoe, the event - Active
India - was organised by NZ
Chandigarh Club Inc (NZCC)
with the support of the Otara-
Papatoetoe Local Board.
“It was a pleasure to host
this event which showcased
the diversity of Indian
Folk dance performances,
activities, and information.
"A nation’s culture resides
in the hearts and the soul of
its people. I want to thank
everyone for their love and
support. It was overwhelming
to see everyone appreciating
our efforts to stay connected
Justine Smyth
Pictures from the Active India event
with community and culture,”
says Reeta Arora, NZCC
President. The occasion
saw some splendid dance
performances, including
Bharatnatyam by Ambika
Krishnamoorthy and Kathak
by Kathak Kendra group.
Furthermore, showcasing the
diversity of Indian culture
were Dandia and Garba by
Bollywood Beats, a Bihu dance
performance and an energetic
Punjabi dance by Punjabi
Cultural Association.
Famous Hindi writer Preeta
Vyas talked about the need
to keep ourselves connected
with our roots and our
motherland India.
The event also had stalls
put by Jayanti and Usha
to exhibit recycling and
upcycling. Nimi Bedi, the
community coordinator,
was seen inspiring the
attendees to pledge toward
climate change Actions.
The list of dignitaries seen
enjoying the event included
Honorary Consul of Georgia
in NZ, Jagjit Singh, OPLB
Chairperson Apulu Reece,
Deputy Chairperson, Southern
Hub at NZ Labour Party Ann
Singh, President the Supreme
Sikh Society Daljit Singh,
and Chairperson Dairies and
Business Owners Group NZ
Sunny Kaushal among others.
Sharing his experience,
community leader Parminder
Singh Papatoetoe said, “It
was a great experience. Even
though NZ Chandigarh Club
organised it, it was admirable
to see performances from
different parts of India, right
from Telangana to Assam.
It beautifully captured the
essence of India’s rich diversity
and cultural heritage in NZ. It
was a great effort and would
help youngsters appreciate
and respect the great culture
of our homeland India.”

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, May 27, 2022
NEW ZEALAND 7
Meet Tiffany Singh:
Re-contextualising
identities through Arts
MAHESH KUMAR
Tiffany Singh is an artist
of Indian and Pacific
descent. She grew up
in Northcote, Auckland has
graduated from Elam School of
Fine Arts in 2008. Singh then
spent three years in India,
absorbing the culture and art
of the country.
Since then, Singh has
exhibited extensively all
over New Zealand, Australia,
USA, East Asia and India.
She has had residencies in
USA, India, Samoa, Taiwan,
Thailand and Nepal.
Singh has also won many
awards and is now a part of
the first contemporary Indian
art exhibition in NZ called ‘A
Place to Stand: Contemporary
Indian Art in Aotearoa’ by
Kshetra Collectives.
Curated by some of the
most distinguished Kiwi-India
artists, this collaborative show
explores the question What
is contemporary New Zealand
Indian art? The exhibition runs
15 May – 24 July at Tāmaki
Paenga Hira Auckland War
Memorial Museum.
We sat down with Tiffany
Singh and asked her about
her art, her style and her
influences:
Tell us something about your
roots, education and upbringing
I was born in Aotearoa of
Indian and Pacific descent, and
my work explores a blending
of these cultural identities;
as descended from my great
grandfather, who immigrated
to Fiji during the girmit in the
late 1800s and my Pacific
ethnicity as descended
from Seumanutafa Puaaefu,
Paramount Chief of Apia
Samoa in the late 1800s, my
great great grandfather.
My arts practice explores
the intersection between arts,
education, and wellbeing. I
graduated Elam School of Fine
Art with a BFA (hons) in 2008,
and have worked on sustainable
community outreach,
exploring engagement in the
arts through social practice
methodology ever since.
What have been some of the
significant influences that have
shaped your style?
Social practice or socially
engaged practice is an
art medium that focuses
on engagement
through human
interaction
and social
discourse.
This art
form has
been a major
influence on
not only what
I make, but also
how I make and the
collaborative processes that
go with this.
This has positioned a
practice as a vehicle to
engender policy and advocacy
of social justice. As many of my
projects mobilise the strength
of small artisan communities
for stronger socio-economic
development at local and
international levels.
This
art form
has been a major
influence on not
only what I make, but
also how I make and
the collaborative
processes that go
with this.
What do you hope to convey or
express through your art?
The most important thing for
me is to collect commentaries
from a cross section of
landscapes to emphasise the
power of collaboration. With
the focus of repositioning the
arts and their importance to
wellbeing & education.
Do you dabble in different forms
and mediums, and what is your
preferred medium?
I don’t dabble in anything. I
am a professional installation
artist.Three-dimensional space
is where my skill set is honed.
In what way have your roots and
origin impacted your art?
Acknowledging my forefathers
& foremothers is a start point
to develop a sense of place
and belonging. This is applied
to a cultural, physical and
spiritual enquiry which evolves
from ongoing research into
the ancestors & their ancient
belief systems.
Any Indian style of art or
painting that you admire?
I have multiple Indian women
artists who are a source of
inspiration to me—Shilpa
Gupta, Hema Upadhyay and
Reena Saini Kallat to name a
few. But closer to home and
women that I have worked
with, Anitha N Ready and
Indu Anthony and Mandrika
Rupa are pushing things in
new directions and bringing
light to previously unseen and
heard narratives.
Have you ever exhibited your
work in India? Tell us about the
experience.
I had a residency in India
granted through the Asian
NZ foundation in 2012. I
exhibited at #No1 Shanti Road,
Bangalore. I love India. It feels
like home to me. Every time
I am there, it opens my mind
and heart to new creative
possibilities.
What will be your message for
the budding ethnic artists?
Well, we are all ethnic of some
description, so I am unsure if
that is the right terminology,
but what I would say to
migrant artists and artists of
mixed-race is don’t give up or
feel disheartened.
If you feel misunderstood, use
that as a driver to go deeper
into your enquiry and see the
process as a space of healing
and wellbeing to explore the
experiences in depth. Use your
practice as a space to educate
others about your experience
or create a space that others
can identify with and learn
from.
Tell us about your latest
exhibition
The artists of the Kshetra
Collective embody a
range of the Indian
diaspora and its diversity.
The collective aims to be
inclusive of artists and
creatives rather than focusing
on a specific group, religion or
language. This is the first group
show of its kind in Aotearoa
and is of great significance,
especially for communities and
audiences that have had little
representation in respected
New Zealand institutions.
My collaboration with
Mandrika Rupa aims to
illuminate
alternative
histories, re-contextualising
national identities, especially
immigrants of Indian descent,
in new lands.
Here both artists consider
their cultural artistic practice
to be their own subjective
truth to further the narrative
around migration.
The manipulation of materials
and content draws from these
artisan lineages.
Resulting in Remnant, an
installation developed out of
both artists’ personal need to
explore the social implications
of immigrant communities and
the effects ethnicity has on
this process.
• Continued on Page 5
“While it’s good to see some
increased investment in health, with
wage growth predicted to remain
high, it’s time for the new agency
Health NZ to step up and address
lagging salaries for our public
health workforce.
After so many years of desperate
underinvestment in health, if we want
to get ahead of our burgeoning health
need, we need several budgets with
substantial real funding increases to
address the unmet patient need and
workforce shortages.”
Advocacy group General Practice
New Zealand (GPNZ), which provides
a strong national voice on behalf of
organised primary care, advocating
for the wellbeing of New Zealanders
by supporting high-quality general
practice and community-based
services, also pointed out that while
the health reforms are pretty rightly
based on the premise of strengthening
primary care but there is a
long way to go.
GPNZ Chair and Karori GP, Dr Jeff
Lowe ‘The Budget feel like a reset,
with much-needed spending going
Our GPs are
overwhelmed before
we even get into
winter, and we have
a critical workforce
shortage, so we need
to see that money
flowing now to ensure
the sustainability of
services.
into medicines, mental health and
dealing with DHB debt, and obvious
steps towards addressing Aotearoa’s
unacceptable and persistent health
inequities.
"We hope to see the funding
going into the essential care that
communities need daily from general
practice and other primary care
providers.’ Dr Lowe said
“Our GPs are overwhelmed before
we even get into winter, and we have
a critical workforce shortage, so we
need to see that money flowing now to
ensure the sustainability of services,”
signs off Lowe.

8
NEW ZEALAND
Friday, May 27, 2022
Read online www.iwk.co.nz
How does the Budget fit into
new immigration changes?
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH
The recent few weeks have seen a lot
of government announcements,
be it the changes in immigration
policies or the Budget.
However, many people are
questioning whether the budget policy
ties in with the immigration policy.
Since we know that there is
a workforce shortage in every
sector in New Zealand, will the
government’s generous funding make
any real difference?
There is little doubt that no amount of
economic stimulation will work if we do
not have enough people to do the jobs,
as unfortunately is the current case.
If one looks at the new immigration
rebalance changes, it doesn’t look like
NZ will be able to fill critically needed
roles any time soon. And undoubtedly,
the staff shortages will tend to bring
businesses to breaking point.
Indian Weekender spoke to business
experts to find their take on the same.
‘Government needs to review migration
settings.’
Greg Harford, RetailNZ - Chief Executive
“Overall, there wasn’t a massive
amount in the Budget for retailers.
The government has announced that
there will be some funding to help
combat retail crime, but we need to
see more detail.
“One of the biggest issues facing
retail is the massive shortage
of skilled workers. It’s almost
impossible to recruit a team for many
retailers at the moment. Retail NZ is
encouraging the government to review
migration settings and speed up the full
Alan McDonald, Greg Harford, Rachel Simpson and Viv Beck
We would love to
see immigration
policy settings
that recognise the
diversity and value
that migrants bring
both to the economy at
large and the retail and
hospitality sectors in
particular.”
opening of the border. We would love
to see immigration policy settings that
recognise the diversity and value that
migrants bring both to the economy
at large and the retail and hospitality
sectors in particular.”
'Our immigration settings must send a
positive message.'
Rachel Simpson, BusinessNZ - Education,
Skills and Immigration Manager
“NZ is at a critical point in our
economic recovery. As the rest of the
world begins to open up around us,
our immigration settings must send a
positive message that we are ‘open for
business’ to welcome back migrants
at all skill levels. We need a simple,
easy to understand and permissive
immigration policy that supports
economic growth. It’s time to welcome
back international skills and talent and
recognise their significant contributions
to our economy and communities.
“The investment in health and climate
action in this year’s budget will be
appreciated, but businesses are looking
for ways to shore up skill shortages,
reduce business tax and costs, and
more scrutiny of employment changes.”
‘There is an immediate need to address
ongoing staff shortages.’
Alan McDonald, Employers & Manufacturers
Association (EMA) - head of advocacy and
strategy
“The good news in the Budget is
that $100m has been allocated for a
Business Growth Fund to give SMEs
better access to finance. Moreover,
the $60 million to boost broadband will
also benefit remote businesses, and the
extension of the Apprenticeship Boost
Initiative and Mana in Mahi is also great.
However, as they say, the devil is in the
detail, so more information on where
the funding is going to go is needed.
“There is an immediate need to
address ongoing staff shortages in
specific sectors such as engineering,
digital, and health sciences. While
the recently announced immigration
reset targets some of those sectors,
we still need to train up more of our
people to meet long-term needs. Also,
we need to make sure that NZ remains
attractive to migrants; otherwise, we
will lose skilled workforce to countries
such as Australia or Canada.”
‘There needs to be more urgency and
flexibility in policies’
Viv Beck, Heart of the City - Chief Executive
“Staffing shortages are a major issue
facing businesses right now and many
of those that have been hit again and
again over the last two years due to
trading restrictions, are now not able
to operate at full capacity due to a
shortage of staff.
There needs to be more urgency and
flexibility in policies to bring people
in to reduce the pressure on staffing
and also to support the return of
international students who can help
alleviate some of these challenges.
We have raised these issues with
government agencies as they are
extremely concerning and hindering
the ability for businesses to recover. A
meeting with the Minister of Immigration
is being sought.”
Sir Richard Hadlee Sports Centre will benefit next gen cricketers
MAHESH KUMAR
Christchurch’s muchawaited
multimilliondollar
indoor sport
facility at Hagley Oval was
officially inaugurated by
cricketing legend Sir Richard
Hadlee on 24 May 2022.
The Sir Richard Hadlee Sports
Centre is a result of $4.65
million of fundraising including
donations from the New
Zealand cricket community,
major donors include The
Sir Richard Hadlee Sports
Trust, Sir Stephen Tindall,
Glenn and Lynne Ritchie and
Mark Stewart.
The centre has been
termed as the last piece that
completes the Hagley Oval
Cricket Precinct which has
fundraised approximately $20
million in total since 2014.
The 70-year-old Hadlee
who has battled cancer since
2018 said he was proud and
honoured to have his name on
the world-class sport centre.
“It’s a true honour and a
Sir Richard Hadlee
wonderful legacy that will
benefit thousands. This centre
will accommodate the next
generation of cricketers.
“Future Black Caps and
White Ferns will walk through
these doors as they start
out on their cricketing
journey. This is where lifelong
connections will be formed, and
dreams will begin.”
Hadlee, who retired from
cricket in 1990 and since then
Future Black Caps and White
Ferns will walk through these
doors as they start out on their
cricketing journey. This is where
lifelong connections will be
formed, and dreams will begin.”
had hip and knee replacements,
bowled the centre’s first ball
to a young cricketer.
Hadlee was accompanied
by Canterbury Cricket Trust
chairperson Lee Robinson,
Christchurch mayor Lianne
Dalziel and Stephen and
Heather Boock, whose
purchase of the former
Horticultural Centre originally
launched this project.
Lee Robinson, CCT Chair,
says the Sir Richard Hadlee
Sports Centre is about securing
Canterbury’s cricketing future.
“It will give cricketers of all
ages and skill levels worldclass
facilities to train in. But
it’s more than that.
"The Centre is versatile, and
we can’t wait to see other
sporting codes and community
groups utilise this space.”
Christchurch Mayor Lianne
Dalziel says the Centre will
be a wonderful asset for the
Christchurch community.
“Until now, our lack of an
indoor facility has made it
difficult for families having
to travel to Lincoln for their
young players to train and
our teams to train to the best
of their ability which puts
pressure on the facilities in
Lincoln and Rangiora.”
“The Sir Richard Hadlee
Sports Centre is the first facility
of its kind in Christchurch built
since the earthquakes and we
are delighted to now have more
facilities under construction in
the city that will complement
the centre.”
The facility features
3.6-metre cricket lanes with
20-metre run-ups, a 300
square metre mezzanine floor
with gender-neutral changing
rooms and a balcony facing
the Hagley Oval.
The centre will also have a
multi-use space which can be
used for community groups
for events or other sports;
meaning the wider community
will also gain from the centrally
located facility.

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, May 27, 2022
NEW ZEALAND 9
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH
If there is one thing that binds
all immigrants who have come
to New Zealand from India, it
has to be the solid cultural ethos
of our motherland, India. All around
the year, various festivals and
cultural activities are celebrated with
enthusiasm across India.
But when one comes to NZ, they
miss all that and feel a void. And
that is where various cultural Indian
associations play an essential role in
preserving our Indian culture abroad.
In this ninth part of our series on
cultural Indian associations in New
Zealand, we feature the Telangana
Association of New Zealand (TANZ),
the largest registered member charity
organisation established in NZ for
Telangana Telugu speaking people,
which has a current membership of
around 5000.
It is not surprising that Telugu
speaking people are the thirdlargest
population of all the Indian
communities in New Zealand, with
about 50,000 people spread all
around NZ.
As far as its history is concerned,
TANZ came into being in 2015.
TANZ President Narender Reddy
Patlola says, “In 2014, after the
declaration of Telangana as the 29th
state of India, people belonging to
Telangana in NZ decided to establish
a separate community organisation,
and that’s how TANZ started on
2nd October 2015.
The main idea was to spread
Telangana culture and to help people
of the community who are facing any
kind of difficulties across NZ.”
Though TANZ does not operate any
separate wings outside Auckland, it
has registered community members
spread around the country who share a
strong bond with TANZ by participating
in events and celebrations. It strives to
celebrate, preserve and showcase the
rich culture and heritage of Telangana.
“The organisation is committed
to bringing local communities closer
to Telangana while at the same
time endeavouring to contribute
to the progress of Telangana
state and its citizens.
"While bridging the NRI community
and Telangana, TANZ will also
be a platform to initiate change,
empowerment, and transformation in
the region.
As a Non-Profit cultural organisation
with a thriving and rapidly expanding
member base, TANZ will seek to
inspire, serve and strengthen local
communities in both NZ and Telangana,”
explains Patlola.
TANZ regularly organises community
events such as festivals, sports events,
community blood donation camps,
planting trees and social activities for
the benefit of students, women, new
immigrants, and people who are facing
financial issues in their businesses. But
Patlola acknowledges that, like any
other organisation, they need more
funds to carry out social activities for
the welfare of people.
Narender Reddy Patlola
A slice of Telangana in Aotearoa
Patlola maintains that it is vital to
have cultural organisations in the
Kiwi-Indian community in NZ. “Cultural
Indian organisations like ours play
an indispensable role in our Indian
Kiwi society as we need to pass our
culture and our way of life to future
generations,” says Patlola, adding,
“The best of our culture is showcased
to other societies, and that helps them
to understand the diversity of our
culture and also to imbibe the positive
features of our culture.”
The association is planning various
events in the coming months, including
Telangana formation day in June,
holding workshops to support new
migrants and students, and sports and
fitness activities.
Lastly, about TANZ’s plans, Patlola
reveals, “We want to continue doing
work relentlessly for the benefit of the
people and to conduct more awareness
among people of other communities
about Telangana way of life, support
local communities and spread the
importance of unity in diversity. We
want to spread our heritage, encourage
budding talent, and pass on our values
to the next generations.”

10
NEW ZEALAND
Friday, May 27, 2022
Read online www.iwk.co.nz
Immigration rebalance: Are the days
of ethnic restaurants in NZ over?
SANDEEP SINGH
Following
the
government’s major
announcement on
immigration rebalance on May
11 and the new requirement of
“formal qualification” for any
future incoming migrant chefs
from overseas, some concerns
are being raised if the days of
ethnic food outlets are truly
over in New Zealand.
Notably, in recent years
NZ has witnessed a massive
increase in ethnic food outlets,
which has not only added a
lot of colours to the country’s
gastronomic circuit but also
had added diversity of options
for the Kiwi food lovers.
This growth in the sector
has primarily been driven by
the growing demand for ethnic
food with the gradual increase
in the share of the ethnic
migrant population in the
country who consume more
ethnic (Asian and South Asian)
foods and has largely been
underpinned by the migrant
chefs hired from overseas,
who brought-in their years
of honed skills to NZ’s everexpanding
ethnic food circuit.
That growth in the ethnic
food sector is all set to face
a stumbling block as the
government brings an unusual
requirement of having a formal
educational qualification in
a school or university to be
eligible for a NZ work visa.
Many ethnic restaurateurs
'Many concerns about the immigration rebalance'
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH
The Covid-19 pandemic and
the ensuing lockdowns and
restrictions have certainly proved
to be a nightmare for New Zealand’s
hospitality sector. Now that NZ is
looking to open up and connect with
the world, the hospitality sector has a
ray of hope.
However, the industry is crippled
with acute staff shortages like many
other industries.
Indian Weekender spoke to
Marisa Bidois, CEO of the Restaurant
Association of NZ, to know the problems
that the hospitality industry is facing
and what steps the government needs
to take to ensure that the sector is up
and running as soon as possible.
“Our industry has lacked the people
we need to support our growth for
some time. Whilst we recognise and
support the need to recruit and train
a local workforce, we also need an
immigration policy that helps us access
the overseas labour market,” says
Bidois. The government has recently
announced many changes in the
immigration setting, including giving
Shivani Arora with son Abhinav Arora
are sceptical in a private
conversation that this new
immigration requirement is not
grounded in reality and would
affect their business models
adversely as most hospitality
operators are already reeling
under an acute shortage of
skilled labour.
“Most of the migrant chefs
that line up to work in NZ do
not have any option available
to them in their respective
countries of origin for a formal
education,” says Shivani
Arora, Managing Director of
the Shivani Vegetarian Indian
restaurant chain in Auckland.
“We employ sweet-makers
or sweet chefs that bring
years of honed skills of making
legendary Indian sweets which
is not taught in any educational
school or university, and there
is no formal degree,” Shivani
Arora argues.
Her son Abhinav Arora
who looks after day-to-day
Marisa Bidois
temporary exemption to tourism and
hospitality businesses from paying the
median wage to recruit migrants on an
Accredited Employer Work Visa into
most roles.
Instead, a lower wage threshold of
$25 per hour will be required until April
2023. This follows the recent $27
per hour border exception that was
granted around certain snow season
roles to help the sector prepare for
winter tourists. But according to
Bidois, they are not enough, and there
is much more that is needed.
“Whilst the transition arrangement
on the immigration rebalance settings
operations, including hiring
staff and dealing with the
immigration for the business,
also concurs, arguing that the
migrant chefs they traditionally
hire have largely been without
much formal education, yet
they bring years of work
experience and honed skills
desperately needed for any
successful Indian restaurant
business in NZ.
The hospitality industry
is already reeling under
short supply of skilled
labour
This additional requirement
for future incoming migrant
chefs is expected to further
exacerbate the acute short
supply of skilled workers within
the hospitality industry.
While the government had
patted its own back at the
time of the announcement of
immigration rebalance, saying
that the border is reopening
from July 31 and the special
concession granted to the
hospitality and tourism sector
to continue to bring skilled
migrant workers till April next
year under the pre-accredited
Employer Work Visa system
(that allows hiring overseas
migrant workers below
media wages), several ethnic
restaurant operators remain
sceptical if that will open
floodgates for skilled workers
for their businesses.
“Working holiday visa holders
that the government and the
hospitality sector is counting
upon largely does not provide
a skilled workforce for Indian
restaurants, so the labour
shortage is not coming to an
end for us in the near term,”
said the owner of another
South Auckland based popular
Indian eatery who chose to
remain anonymous.
“Now, with this new
requirement of formal
education for future incoming
chefs, there will be a further
shortage of skilled workforce
that is not easily replaceable
onshore, despite best
intentions of the government,”
he said.
“Many people would recall
that till recently there were
some 2500-3000 Indian chefs
who have been languishing in
the country for more than a
decade, despite being skilled
workers as they did not meet
English language requirement
for hospitality are welcomed, we still
have several ongoing concerns around
the rebalance and what this will mean
for our industry. We look forward to
meeting with Ministers in the coming
weeks for further discussions about the
future of hospitality in Aotearoa. The
Restaurant Association will continue to
advocate for and lobby the government
on matters affecting hospitality, such
as the immediate skills shortages and
programmes that help support the
hospitality industry’s recovery,” says
Bidois.
Moving on to the recent budget
announcement, which includes an
extension of the Apprenticeship
Boost initiative, Mana in Mahi and
the Māori Trades and Training
Fund to support businesses to take
on apprentices, as well as $54.2
million toward a Tourism Innovation
programme which will be designed with
input from the sector as well as $100m
for a Business Growth Fund for SMEs
Giving her view on the budget and
what it means to the hospitality
sector, Bidois says, “We welcome the
extension of the Apprenticeship Boost
for permanent residency and
were forced to live on extended
work visas. That tells about
the general literacy levels of
the ethnic migrant chefs and
the opportunities available for
them in foreign countries,” he
concluded.
Does this mean the days
of ethnic food restaurants
are limited?
Abhinav Arora from Shivani
Restaurants remains cautious
with the suggestion and
concludes, “Not all ethnic
food restaurants but several
mom-and-pop shops, small
takeaways shops of ethnic
food which added a lot of
colour to NZ’s food circuit will
eventually close as they will
struggle to find and hire chefs
with formal education from
overseas.”
Shivani Arora adds by asking
why the government could not
revert to an earlier system
where the overseas hired
migrant chefs could complete
a formal education while being
onshore along with work,
that way ensuring that NZ’s
immigration system remains
uncompromised and small
businesses could also continue
to operate and contribute to
the economy.
initiative and the support to address
the rising cost of living. We also look
forward to providing input into the new
Tourism Innovation programme, which
the government have indicated will be
designed with input from the Tourism
(including hospitality) sector and
finding out more about the Business
Growth Fund to be developed.”
But Bidois does have her
disappointment with the budget, which
needed to be more focused on business
support according to her. She says,
“We are disappointed there was not
more of a focus on targeted business
support that addresses some of the
challenges for sectors like ours, which
has been hardest hit over the past
two-plus years by Covid-19. We would
have liked to see a targeted support
package for hospitality specifically that
is made up of more direct support and
consumer-led support.”

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, May 27, 2022
NEW ZEALAND 11
Meet Dr Shalini
Divya, innovator
and visionary for
a greener world
VENU MENON
Dr Shalini Divya is the
CEO of the Tasmanion,
an NZ based battery
manufacturing company cofounded
by her. She won the
prestigious Breakthrough
Innovator Award at the
annual KiwiNet Awards 2021
for her pioneering research
into aluminium ion batteries
as a PhD student at Victoria
University, Wellington. In an
exclusive interview, she spoke
to Venu Menon about her
vision for her company and
the high points of her research
while at Victoria University.
Excerpts:
Q. How did you get interested in
researching batteries?
A. I came to Victoria University
to get my PhD in 2017. I
had been applying for PhD
scholarships all over the world.
I found Prof. Thomas Mann
(Research Supervisor, Victoria
University) who had this
amazing project on batteries.
I had done my Masters, too, in
energy storage devices.
The Victoria doctoral
scholarship was the first
scholarship I was offered, and
New Zealand being a beautiful
place, I accepted the offer. My
research area was aluminium
ion batteries.
Q. Tell me about the eureka
moment in your research.
A. My work was around the
cathode of the battery, while
my colleague was working
on the electrolyte. Then,
in my second year, I found
this magic cathode material.
I was working in the lab. I
had tested about 60 to 70
cathode materials. One day, I
find this amazing performance
from this particular
cathode material.
The results were very good.
We had out performed most of
the cathode materials in the
Aluminium battery research.
I immediately texted Thomas.
He came running down with his
coffee cup.
No food or beverage is
allowed in the chemistry lab.
But he did not care. He just
rushed in. He saw the results
and said “wow , this is great”.
This was the eureka moment
for Thomas and me.
Q. What happened next?
A. The first thing that came
to our minds was to publish
the results. That is what PhD
students aim for.
But Thomas had the idea
of patenting it. That’s when
the University’s TTO (Tech
Transfer Office) Wellington
Uni Ventures approached us.
They helped us with the due
diligence process and the
market evaluation, and came
back with a positive report that
there is a market for aluminium
batteries and we should file a
patent.
Q. So who has the patent? The
University or yourself?
A. The University has the
patent. But we got it licensed
to the company (Tasmanion).
If you are a PhD student and
you are filing a patent, that
patent automatically belongs
to the University.
Thomas and I are the
inventors, but the benefits go
to the University.
Q. Is that when you started your
company, Tasmanion?
A. I wanted to start a company.
I wanted to be the face of that
company, and I wanted to be
the CEO. So the University
licensed us the IP (intellectual
property rights).
Q. Does the University have a
stake in your company?
Initially it did. Then
they transferred it to
another company.
Q. How is Tasmanion doing as
a company? Have you started
making and marketing your
product?
A. Once the investors’ money
came in, we started ordering
the equipment. The University
has given us this office
space, with rental costs, of
course. We are in the process
of building the prototype.
Only after that can we
enter the market.
Q. Is this a niche market or are
there other competitors?
A. There is an aluminium battery
company in Australia. But NZ
does not have any battery
manufacturing companies.
There is one, but it focuses
on making lead acid batteries.
NZ is focused on reducing the
carbon footprint. So, making
batteries, or at least retaining
the IP here, allows NZ to be
recognised around the world.
The big battery companies
like Tesla, Samsung and
Toshiba have their research
and development departments
somewhere in Europe.
Our plan for Tasmanion is to
retain the R & D sector here in
NZ no matter what industry we
go to (be it stationary storage
or E – bikes or the drones
sector). We’re not talking
about mass manufacturing
the batteries here , but we
want to build the prototype
here and retain the technical
know-how and skillset.
Q. What is the main difference
between your product (aluminium
battery) and the standard
lithium battery?
A. Firstly, aluminium ion
batteries are very safe. They
don’t explode. That is because
of their chemistry. We are not
using flammable materials in
the battery.
The other major reason is that
the raw materials involved in
making lithium batteries, such
as lithium, nickel and cobalt,
will become scarce and in
short supply.
These days, lithium batteries
are used for everything.
Cars, cell phones , laptops,
e-scooters , cameras or any
portable electronic device you
can think of, use lithium-ion
batteries.
But, 20 years from now, there
will not be enough raw materials
to cater to that demand for
lithium ion batteries.
So it is important that
you focus lithium batteries
to just electric vehicles.
Why? Because the switch to
electric vehicles will ensure
a greener world.
So, let’s leave lithium-ion
batteries to electric vehicles
(since electrification of the
transportation sector is the
need of the future), so that
we will not be short of lithium
batteries for that sector, and
let us leave the other industries
to other battery technologies
(such as aluminium, sodium,
etc) .
Q. Apart from lithium being an
exhaustible resource, is there
any other reason against the use
of lithium batteries?
A. Cobalt, which is an important
raw material in making lithium
ion batteries, is unethically
mined.
Chile is the main country
that cobalt is sourced to. And
the mining industry in Chile
uses child labour.
Big companies that
manufacture lithium ion
batteries, such as Apple and
Samsung, get their cobalt
from Chile.
So it is important for big
companies to use materials
that are ethically mined. Also,
lithium itself is a rare material.
That is why it is important to
focus on materials such as
aluminium, which is abundantly
available.
Q. Is India a market you are
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M. 021 236 7070
nimish@saffronfinance.co.nz
looking at?
A. Not right now. But it is
in the back of my head. My
vision is to use Tasmanion
batteries for stationary
storage, particularly in behindthe-meter
applications.
In developing countries such
as Africa, India and Southeast
Asia, where you have solar
panels, instead of storing that
energy from solar power into
harmful batteries such as lead
acid or expensive batteries
such as lithium ion, that is
where aluminium ion batteries
can enter. But all that must
wait till we build the prototype
battery.
Q. When will the prototype be
ready?
A. Two years, at least.
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Editorial
Govt must take
ownership of law and
order not just shift
responsibility on
police for tackling
rise in ram-raids
If there was one thing that was clear from Police Minister Poto Williams’
announcement this morning on tackling the rising spate in retail crime,
it was that the government was not willing to take any ownership of the
problem and remains completely clueless on this complex issue affecting
retailers and the wider communities.
For now, the government, it seems, has once again come out and thrown
money at the problem and is hoping that it will bring the incidences of crime
down.
Neither did it has shown any commitment to enhance the rate of
prosecution and hold to account those responsible, particularly the repeat
offenders.
Nor it has come out with a definite action plan to address the social side
of this complex problem in identifying the factors responsible for putting
young children and adults on the path of criminal activities.
Sadly, the police minister has merely come across as shifting the
responsibility of the rising spate of retail crime in recent months on the Police
entirely and not taking any responsibility as the government whatsoever.
This is after the Police has been desperately calling out for help and more
sharing of responsibility from the wider communities, and by logic, from the
government, to address the complex situation of having to handle extremely
young offenders from 12 years to seven years old.
In recent months kids as young as seven years old were caught behind
the wheel as part of a large cohort of ram-raiders, sending shock waves
across the Police and other social agencies and compelling Police to come
out and appeal to the wider society to chip in this complex problem of rising
incidences of ram-raids.
In this regard, today’s announcement by Police Minister demonstrates an
abject failure to take ownership and show any leadership to control the
seemingly growing sense of lawlessness.
Just two nights ago, there were seven incidences of gang-related
shootings at different places across Auckland supercity within a span of an
hour, reinforcing what is now largely accepted that the sense of lawlessness
is growing unabated.
The Minister’s preference to take questions on ram-raids separately from
the issue of rising gang-related gun violence in the ensuing media conference
also exhibited a seemingly skewed view that the two issues were somehow
unrelated – a view that many experts and retailers do not concur with.
The dairy owners and retailers bearing the full brunt of ram raids and
retail crime are often of the view that the newfound boldness within young
offenders, who are known to commit such crimes driven by adrenalin rush,
are often instigated and initiated in crime by more seasoned criminals and
gangs.
The victims of retail crime needed to see the government taking complete
responsibility for the rising spate of crime and not just throw money for 500
odd shops to get bollards installed.
Managing the $6 million new Crime Prevention program should be
an additional and supportive responsibility of the Police – a peripheral
responsibility, while their core focus should remain on policing, catching
offenders and ensuring they get prosecuted and held responsible for the
crime committed on poor retailers.
The government’s latest announcement fails to instil any confidence within
the retail sector, particularly dairy store owners and their staff and workers,
that their workplace can remain violence-free.
Thought of the week
“If you think education is expensive,
try estimating the cost of ignorance.”
— Howard Gardner
27 May – 02 June 2022
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu
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from morning
cloud
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Indian Weekender : Volume 14 Issue10
Fine, then
showers
This week in New Zealand’s history
29 May 1905
26°
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Showers
World’s first state-run maternity hospital opens
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25°
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As well as providing care for expectant mothers, the new St Helens hospital
in Wellington trained midwifery students.
29 May 1947
Mabel Howard becomes first female Cabinet minister
When mabel Howard was appointed minister of health and minister in
charge of child welfare, she became the first woman to serve as a Cabinet
minister in New Zealand.
29 May 1953
Hillary and Tenzing reach summit of Everest
beekeeper from New Zealand, Edmund Hillary, and the Nepalese Sherpa
A Tenzing Norgay became the first people to stand on the summit of the
world’s highest peak
30 May 1901
New Zealand turns down federation with Australia
10-man Royal Commission reported unanimously that New Zealand should
A not become a state of the new Commonwealth of Australia.
30 May 1959
Auckland harbour bridge opens
New Zealand’s best-known bridge opened after four years of construction.
The need for better transport links between Auckland city and the North
Shore had long been the subject of inquiry and agitation.
1 June 1960
New Zealand’s first official TV broadcast
Broadcast from Shortland St in central Auckland, New Zealand’s first official
television transmission began at 7.30 p.m

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, May 27, 2022
NEW ZEALAND 13
School kids sing Maori songs in Tamil
VENU MENON
A
Tamil language school in
Wellington is teaching its pupils
to sing Maori songs translated
into Tamil to foster awareness of Maori
culture among Tamil Kiwis.
Tamil is the medium of instruction
at the Kamban Tamil Padasalai
in Lower Hutt.
“We teach our mother tongue to
our community children because the
mother tongue is the identity of a
person,” says Balaji Venkatachalam,
the Principal.
“If we lose our language, we lose our
identity”.
Balaji, a tech professional who hails
from Tiripur in Tamil Nadu and moved
to New Zealand in 2008, started the
school in 2017 to propagate Tamil
language and culture.
The school functions every Saturday
morning with the express purpose
of helping the children of the Tamil
migrant community of Wellington to
discover their cultural roots.
The school, a non-profit institution
Balaji Venkatachalam
established in September 2017, relies
on fee-paying parents to sustain itself.
Balaji is grateful for the support of his
three volunteer staff members – Meena
Muthu, Thangavel Paramasivam and
Chirthakala MuthuVeerappan – to help
run the school.
Reserve Bank’s OCR rise wipes
out govt $350 cost-of-living
bonus, economist says
RNZ
The government’s $350 costof-living
bonus announced last
week in Budget 22 was taken
away today with the Central Bank’s
cash rate rise, according to Kiwibank’s
chief economist.
“It’s been evaporated in one move
today,” Jarrod Kerr told Checkpoint.
The Reserve Bank raised the official
cash rate half a percent to a six-year
high of 2 percent in a bid to reel in outof-control
inflation, which is at a 30-
year high. The Reserve Bank has also
signalled it will maintain its approach
of “ briskly” lifting the OCR. Kerr said
the announcement would throw a lot
more heat on the fire of the cost-ofliving
crisis, not just with the decision
today, but with the stated intentions
of raising the official cash rate to 4
percent by the end of the year.
However, Kerr said the steep
increase was unnecessary as people
were already grappling with the cost of
living. He said he feared for those with
mortgages going forward.
Today’s announcement would have
an effect on house prices, making
prices drop further than expected.
“I’d previously forecast house prices
to fall 10 percent this year,” Kerr said.
“There’s a good chance they’ll fall
closer to 15 percent on the back of this
now. The Reserve Bank really does have
their foot on the back of the housing
market and wants to push it down to
what it believes are more sustainable
levels.” Interest rates were presently at
around 5 or 6 percent, and he expected
it to be at between 6 and 7 percent
by the time those cash rate increases
rises kick in. Anyone who hadn’t fixed
their mortgages would suffer, he said.
“There’s about 15 percent of people
on floating rates, so they get hit
straight away and then over the next
year 60 percent of New Zealand’s
mortgage book rolls over on to new
rates and all those rates will be higher
than what they were initially put on for.
“If you have a $700,000 loan and
you’ve just seen your mortgage
rate go up by 2 percent or more,
that’s an extra $15,000 per year. So
we’re talking significant increases in
that mortgage.”
The economist wasn’t too concerned
about the consequences of the bank’s
move in the immediate term, but next
year even the bank’s processes of
stressing testing potential mortgage
customers would be put to the
test, he said.
“It’s going to squeeze the household
budget a little bit more. We do have
test rates. So we you come into bank
and say ‘I want a mortgage’ we say
‘well, we’re going to test you at sixand-a-half
to seven percent, so if you
can handle that level than we’ll give
you money to that amount.
“And so people who are currently
getting mortgages at 5 percent, are
still below that, but that test rate will
be tested itself in the next year. So
that’s when I’m more concerned that
in a year’s time we’re going to wake up
with people hitting the test rates.”
The school started with 10 students
and has grown over five years to its
current strength of 20.
The children are drawn mainly from
We teach our
mother tongue to
our community
children because the
mother tongue is the
identity of a person. If
we lose our language,
we lose our identity.
Tamil speaking families of software
and medical professionals originating
from India, Singapore / Malaysia
and Sri Lanka.
In addition to spreading Tamil culture,
the school aims to make its students
model citizens of Aotearoa.
While there are other Tamil-medium
schools in NZ, this is the only one
affiliated to the California Tamil
Academy, which has more than 15,000
students worldwide enrolled in it.
The US-based university provides the
syllabus and study materials with the
focus being on acquiring proficiency in
speaking, reading and writing the Tamil
language. The syllabus also focuses
on raising awareness of Tamilian
culture and festivals.
But the school’s unique initiative
is in incorporating E tu Whanau
values in its curriculum.
Saranya Karunanithi, the school’s
cultural head, has compiled a song
in Tamil that mentions “how we can
incorporate E tu Whanau values in our
everyday life”.
The children sang the song at a
contest conducted by the Ministry of
Social Development and at other events
in Wellington. Last year, the children
were scheduled to sing a Maori song in
the Tamil language in Parliament, but
the programme was cancelled due to
Covid. But that did not stop them from
singing the song on the school annual
day that year.
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14
INDIA
India must establish rules on
cryptocurrencies to resolve
regulatory uncertainty, protect
investors and boost its crypto sector,
CoinSwitch CEO Ashish Singhal said.
Although India’s central bank has
backed a ban on cryptocurrencies over
risks to financial stability, a federal
government move to tax income from
them has been interpreted by the
industry as a sign of acceptance by
New Delhi.
“Users don’t know what will happen
with their holdings – is government
going to ban, not ban, how is it going
to be regulated?,” Singhal, a former
Amazon engineer who co-founded
CoinSwitch, told Reuters at the World
Friday, May 27, 2022
Biden praises India’s
handling of Covid-19
US President Joe Biden praised
tally was below 1,000 since March 9,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and down from a daily peak of almost
for successfully handling
30,000 on April 13.
Covid-19 in a democratic manner and
However, millions of people in
contrasted this with China’s “failure”
Shanghai were confined to their homes
to tackle the pandemic during a closed
for weeks and many restrictions
session of the Quad Summit in Tokyo.
remain in place under China’s
Biden’s remarks appeared to be
“Covid Zero” approach.
“unscripted”, as he made a special
Foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra
intervention regarding India’s handling
of the pandemic before making his
prepared remarks, according to an
unnamed senior official cited by news
agency ANI.
While lauding India’s handling of
the Covid-19 crisis in a democratic
told a media briefing on Tuesday that
there was a “general appreciation”
in the Quad’s deliberations and in
a couple of bilateral meetings of
the “manner in which India has been
able to shape a very comprehensive
response to the Covid-19 pandemic”.
manner, Biden “contrasted India’s
This included the vaccination drive and
success with China’s failure to handle While lauding India’s health security for primary health care
[the] pandemic, though both countries
workers, he said. Every country, Kwatra
handling of the
are of comparable size”, the official
noted, had responded to Covid-19
Covid-19 crisis in a
was quoted as saying.
within its national context and the
Biden further said that Modi’s success democratic manner,
vaccine partnership of the Quadrilateral
has shown the world that democracies Biden “contrasted India’s Security Dialogue or Quad has evolved
can deliver and busted the myth that success with China’s
to include not just Covid-19 vaccines
“autocracies like China and Russia failure to handle [the]
but also the building of health
can handle the rapidly changing world
infrastructure and an increase in vaccine
pandemic, though
better because their leadership can
manufacturing capacity.
both countries are of
take and implement decisions without
Quad members have also distributed
going through lengthy democratic comparable size”, the
made-in-India vaccines to Cambodia
processes”, according to the official. official was quoted as and Thailand recently and there is an
According to an Indian government
update on May 21, the country’s active
caseload currently stands at 14,996
and the recovery rate at 98.75%.
saying.
China reported a little more than 800
infections on Sunday, the first time the
understanding that members of the
grouping need to come together to
stay prepared as they move forward,
he said.
Modi discusses trade, technology with Japanese, Oz counterparts
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held
separate bilateral meetings in
Tokyo with Fumio Kishida and
Anthony Albanese — his counterparts
from Japan and Australia respectively
— to review relations and move
forward cooperation in key areas
such as defence manufacturing,
trade, and technology
The trade and technology
partnership, cooperation in forging
resilient supply chains for the region
and the skill development partnership
figured in the talks between Modi and
Kishida. The two leaders agreed to
enhance bilateral security and defence
cooperation, including in defence
manufacturing. While taking stock of
progress in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad
high speed rail project, they welcomed
the signing of exchange of notes for
the third tranche of the loan for the
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Quad Leaders Summit, in Tokyo on Tuesday.
venture. The project is partly funded
by the Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA). The leaders also
highlighted the importance of
information and communication
technologies, and agreed to encourage
greater collaboration between the
private sectors of the two sides
in developing next generation
communication technologies.
Modi and Kishida also discussed
possibilities for collaboration in critical
and emerging technologies such as 5G,
beyond-5G and semiconductors. They
further agreed to deepen cooperation
in clean energy, including green
hydrogen, through more business-tobusiness
collaboration.
The two leaders agreed that India
and Japan should work towards
implementing their decision to have
five trillion yen in public and private
investments and financing from Japan
to India over the next five years.
Economic Forum in Davos.
CoinSwitch, which is valued at $1.9
billion, says it is the largest crypto
company in India with more than 18
million users. The firm, based in India’s
main tech hub of Bengaluru, is backed
by Andreessen Horowitz, Tiger Global
and Coinbase Ventures.
“Regulations will bring peace … more
certainty,” he added.
Blockchain and cryptocurrency
companies have a large presence
at this year’s Davos meeting, which
coincides with a period of crypto prices
Read online www.iwk.co.nz
New initiatives
launched at Quad
summit aimed
at countering
China’s role in
Indo-Pacific
The Quad unveiled several
initiatives to counter China’s
influence in the Indo-Pacific,
including a partnership to monitor
regional waters and plans to
provide $50 billion in infrastructure
assistance, as Prime Minister Narendra
Modi said the grouping’s constructive
agenda will strengthen its image as a
force for good.
Modi joined his Australian and
Japanese counterparts, Anthony
Albanese and Fumio Kishida, and US
President Joe Biden for the second
in-person summit of the Quadrilateral
Security Dialogue or Quad in Tokyo,
at which the leaders renewed their
“steadfast commitment to a free and
open Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and
resilient”.
None of the Quad leaders spoke
about China’s aggressive actions
in their televised opening remarks,
though it was clear most of the
new initiatives launched at the
summit – including the Indo-Pacific
Partnership for Maritime Domain
Awareness (IPMDA), the move to
bridge infrastructure gaps and a
collective approach to enhanced
cyber-security – were aimed at
positioning the grouping as an
effective counterweight to Beijing’s
efforts to increase its influence.
“The Quad is moving forward with
a constructive agenda for the Indo-
Pacific region. This will continue to
strengthen the image of the Quad
as a force for good,” Modi said in his
opening remarks, speaking in Hindi.
The Quad has carved an important
place for itself on the global stage in
a very short time, and the grouping’s
scope has increased and it is more
influential, he said. “Our mutual trust
[and] our determination are giving
democratic forces a new energy and
enthusiasm,” Modi added.
A free, open and inclusive Indo-
Pacific remains a “shared objective”
and Quad partners have increased
coordination in areas such as vaccine
delivery, climate action, supply chain
resilience, disaster response and
economic cooperation despite the
difficulties posed by the Covid-19
pandemic, he noted.
India’s top crypto app CoinSwitch calls for regulatory ‘peace, certainty’
plummeting around the world.
India’s central bank has voiced
“serious concerns” around private
cryptocurrencies, but Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in December said such
emerging technologies should be
used to empower democracy, not
undermine it.
Exchanges often struggle in India to
partner with banks to allow transfer of
funds and in April, CoinSwitch and some
others disabled rupee deposits through
a widely-used state-backed network,
alarming investors.

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, May 27, 2022
WORLD 15
Xi Jinping defends China’s record in
meeting with UN human rights chief
Chinese President Xi
Jinping defended China’s
record in a meeting
with UN’s top human rights
official on Wednesday, saying
there is no “flawless utopia”
and criticised countries that
lecture others on human rights
and politicise the issue.
“When it comes to human
rights issues, there is no
such thing as a flawless
utopia; countries do not need
patronising lecturers, still less
should human rights issues be
politicised and used as a tool
to apply double standards, or
as a pretext to interfere in
the internal affairs of other
countries,” Xi told UN human
rights chief, Michelle Bachelet
who is on a six-day China tour,
in a meeting via videolink.
According to a readout
issued by the Chinese
government, Bachelet told
Xi that she admires China for
When it comes to human rights issues,
there is no such thing as a flawless utopia;
countries do not need patronising lecturers,
still less should human rights issues be
politicised and used as a tool to apply double
standards, or as a pretext to interfere in the
internal affairs of other countries.
“protecting human rights”
among other achievements
including eliminating poverty
and upholding multilateralism.
Xi and Bachelet’s meeting
comes in the backdrop of
fresh allegations of systemic
Ukraine war: World faces 'dark
hour', Biden tells Quad summit
The world is "navigating a dark
hour in our shared history" with
Russia's invasion of Ukraine,
US President Joe Biden told key
Asian allies. The war has now become
a "global issue" underscoring the
importance of defending international
order, he said. Japanese PM Fumio
Kishida echoed his comments, saying
that a similar invasion should not
happen in Asia.
Mr Biden was meeting the leaders of
Japan, Australia and India in Tokyo in
his first visit to Asia as president.
The four countries known collectively
as the Quad discussed security and
economic concerns including China's
growing influence in the region - and
differences over the Russian invasion.
Mr Biden's comments came a day
after he warned China that it was
"flirting with danger" over Taiwan, and
vowed to protect Taiwan militarily if
China attacked, appearing to contradict
a long-standing US policy on the issue.
It was later reported that Russian
abuse carried out by the
Chinese government against
the minority Muslim UIghurs in
Xinjiang.
Bachelet’s tour will take
her to Urumqi and Kashgar
in Xinjiang this week, a visit,
rights activists fear will be a
carefully orchestrated one that
will be used as a propaganda
tool by the government.
Beijing is accused of
detaining more than a million
UIghurs and other Muslim
minorities in Xinjiang as part
of a years-long crackdown,
labelled as a “genocide” by
the US. Beijing has denied the
allegations.
Xi did not mention by
name either Xinjiang or Tibet,
where also the government
is accused of attempting to
subsume the distinct local
culture and language in the
broader Chinese identity, but
said China is following its own
national conditions.
“Through long-term and
persistent hard work, China
has successfully embarked
on a path of human rights
development that conforms to
the trend of the times and suits
its own national conditions,”
he told Bachelet, a two-time
former President of Chile.
Many aren’t convinced
whether individual countries
can follow their own version
of human rights ignoring
international standards.
“The world is watching
the high commissioner’s trip
to China, which is a critical
opportunity to address the
ongoing severe atrocity crimes
in Xinjiang.
The survivors and victims
of atrocities are awaiting the
outcome of the trip,” Alkan
Akad of Amnesty International
told the media.
The latest allegations of
abuse in Xinjiang, collated by
several western media houses
under the title “Xinjiang Police
Files” include photographs of
thousands of Uighurs detained
between January and July
2018 in prisons or in “reeducation
camps”:
The youngest was just 15
years old at the time of her
detention, the eldest was 73.
'We have to act,' : US President
Joe Biden on gun restriction
President Joe Biden struck a
somber and serious tone, calling
for new gun restrictions, in an
address to the nation after 18 children
were killed in a shooting at a Texas
elementary school. “When in God’s
name are we going to stand up to the
gun lobby? When in God’s name do
we do what we all know needs to be
done?” Biden asked.
Biden, whose lost both a son and a
daughter, was joined by first lady Dr. Jill
Biden at the White House on Tuesday
night. “Why are are willing to live with
this carnage? Why do we keep letting
this happen? Where in God’s name is
our backbone?” Biden said, adding
later, “It’s time to act.”
At least 18 children and three adults
were killed at Robb Elementary School
in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday morning.
Uvalde is about 85 miles west of San
Antonio. The 18-year-old gunman is
dead. It's unclear if the number includes
the shooter.
Biden called on the nation to pray for
the parents and siblings of those dead.
“To lose a child is like having a piece of
your soul ripped away,” he said.
Tedros Ghebreyesus, re-elected as WHO chief: Official
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
the first African to head the
World Health Organization, was
re-elected with overwhelming support
after running unopposed for a second
term. The director-general had received
more than two-thirds of secret-ballot
votes cast, as needed to be appointed,
but the UN health agency did not
provide a precise breakdown.
Sources in the room said he had
received 155 of the 160 votes cast.
"I am really, really overwhelmed by
the support," Tedros told the assembly
after his re-election was announced to
and Chinese warplanes had approached
Japanese airspace as part of a joint
military patrol, prompting Tokyo
to announce it had scrambled jets
in response. Russian officials said
the flight over the Sea of Japan and
East China Sea was part of an annual
military exercise. Mr Kishida told a news
conference that planning the exercise
to coincide with today's summit was
"provocative".
In his opening remarks at Tuesday's
summit, Mr Biden said their meeting
was about "democracies versus
autocracies, and we have to make sure
that we deliver".
The Ukraine war, he said, "is going
to affect all parts of the world" as
Russia's blockade of Ukraine grain
exports aggravates a global food crisis.
Mr Biden promised the US would work
with allies to lead the global response,
reiterating their commitment to defend
international order and sovereignty
"regardless of where they were
violated in the world" and remaining
thundering applause.
"This recognition is not only for
me. I really believe this is recognition
for the whole WHO family. I am really
proud to be WHO."
a "strong and enduring partner" in
the Indo-Pacific region. After their
meeting, Mr Kishida told reporters
that all four countries "including India"
agreed on the importance of the rule
of law, sovereignty and territorial
integrity; and that "unilateral attempts
to change the status quo by force will
never be tolerated".
India is the only Quad member
that has refused to directly criticise
Russia for the invasion, and, in what
appeared to be a concession to Delhi,
there was no mention of Russia in
the joint statement issued at the
end of the talks.
Tedros has become a familiar face as
he spearheads the global response to
the coronavirus pandemic -- an issue
that remains front and centre at the
WHO's annual assembly taking place in
Geneva this week.
The Ethiopian former minister of
health and of foreign affairs has also
increasingly been sounding the alarm
over the heavy toll that conflicts
like the war in Ukraine are taking
on global health.
"More even than pandemics, war
shakes and shatters the foundations
on which previously stable societies
stood," the 57-year-old malaria expert
said on the first day of the World Health
Assembly on Sunday.
"And it leaves psychological scars
that can take years or decades to
heal," he said, stressing his first-hand
experiences.
"I am a child of war," he said, the
emotion palpable in his voice.
'Pain and loss'
In 1998, when war returned to
Ethiopia, "I felt the same fear as a
parent myself... and my children had
to hide in a bunker to shelter from the
bombardment."

16
SPORTS
Friday, May 27, 2022
Gujarat enter finals
Read online www.iwk.co.nz
on their IPL debut!
To play Rajasthan or Bangalore
RAHUL PATIL
With only a couple of days to go until the big
final the Gujarat Titans wait to see who their
opponent will be. Will it be the Rajasthan
Royals or will it be the Royal Challengers Bangalore?
Cricket analyst Rahul Patil analyses all the action from
Week 9.
Game 67
Royal Challengers Bangalore 170 for 2 (Kohli 73,
Maxwell 40*, Sai Kishore 0/20) beat Gujarat Titans
168 for 5 (Hardik Pandya 62*, Miller 34, Hasaranga
1/25) If you needed a good example to explain
“Cometh the hour, cometh the man” Virat Kohli’s
innings in a must win game against GT would be a
great example. RCB had to win this game to keep their
hopes alive of making it to the playoffs. After winning
the toss GT who had already qualified for the playoffs
tried to test themselves by setting a target. They did
a decent job of it too thanks to an attractive 62 not
out from their captain Hardik Pandya. Chasing 169 for
a win Kohli chose the most appropriate time to strike
form. The Virat of old was back and the full repertoire
his shots was on display. He drove, he pulled, he cut
and he punched at will to seal the deal for RCB in the
company of captain Faf du Plessis and the aggressive
Glenn Maxwell. RCB now need the Mumbai Indians to
do them a favor and beat the Delhi Capitals in their
last league match so that RCB can qualify for the
playoffs. Until then they just wait, watch and pray.
Game 68
Rajasthan Royals 151 for 5 (Jaiswal 59, Ashwin 40*,
Moeen Ali 1/21, Santner 1/15) beat Chennai Super
Kings 150 for 6 (Moeen Ali 93, McCoy 2/20, Chahal
2/26)
Although this game was inconsequential for CSK
their opponent’s RR desperately wanted to win it so
that they could displace LSG and grab the second
place on the league table which would guarantee
them a second chance of qualifying for the final if
they lost the first game in the playoffs. Batting first in
a weird CSK innings Moeen Ali top scored with 93 but
CSK only reached 150 as none of the other batters
could come to terms with the surface. In the run
chase just when it looked like RR were losing their way
Ravichandran Ashwin played a blinder with an innings
of 40 not out in just 23 balls to win them the game
and secure their second spot on the points table.
Game 69
Mumbai Indians 160 for 5 (Ishan Kishan 48, Tim
David 34, Thakur 2/32) beat Delhi Capitals 159 for 7
(Powell 43, Pant 39, Bumrah 3/25)
The equation was simple for Delhi. Win this game
and qualify for the playoffs but they made a royal
(pun unintended) hash of it. Asked to bat first on
a good pitch they only managed 159 in their 20
overs as all their batters for some bizarre reason
batted with a defensive mindset rather than going
all out and attacking in a must win game. In the run
chase they had Mumbai at 95 for 3 requiring 65 of
33 balls to win. Tim David facing his first ball got a
faint edge that was pouched by captain and keeper
Pant. DC appealed but the umpire gave it not out. DC
had two reviews left and their playoff qualifications
were hanging by a thread and yet once again for
some bizarre reason they chose not to review the
umpire’s decision. Replays confirmed that Tim David
had indeed edged the ball and DC were left clutching
straws. Rubbing salt on their wounds David then went
on to smash 34 of 11 balls to win the game for MI.
DC captain had a really poor game with the bat, with
the gloves and with his captaincy. DC were knocked
out of the tournament and celebrations started in the
RCB camp as their prayers for a DC loss had been
answered by MI.
Game 70
Punjab Kings 160 for 5 (Livingstone 49*, Dhawan
39, Farooqi 2/32) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 157
for 8 (Abhishek Sharma 43, Romario Shepherd 26*,
Harpreet Brar 3/26)
In the most inconsequential game of the tournament
the Punjab Kings improved their standing on the
league points table with a comfortable win over SRH.
With a new captain in Bhuvneshwar Kumar as regular
captain Kane Williamson returned home for the birth
of his second child SRH looked listless with both bat
and ball. Batting first they only managed 157 which
was way below par against a strong Punjab batting
line up. As expected Punjab reached the target with
almost five overs to spare with Liam Livingstone
signing off an extremely impressive IPL season with
a swashbuckling 49 not out of just 22 balls which
included five massive sixes.
Playoffs Qualifier 1
Gujarat Titans 191 for 3 (Miller 68*, Hardik Pandya
40*, Chahal 0/32) beat Rajasthan Royals 188 for 6
(Buttler 89*, Samson 47, Rashid Khan 0/15)
David Miller’s batting philosophy is pretty simple.
“If it (the ball) is in the V, hit it to the top of a tree
and if it is the arc then hit it out of the park”. Having
a philosophy like this one is great. Executing it in an
IPL playoff game against a strong RR bowling attack
comprising of five international bowlers and in front
of a capacity crowd of 70000 at the historic Eden
Gardens stadium in Kolkata is epic.
The GT love chasing targets which is why captain
Hardik Pandya had no hesitation in fielding first after
winning the toss. Thanks to a counter attacking 26
ball 47 by RR captain Sanju Samson & an extremely
late surge by the tournaments highest scorer Jos
Buttler the Royals managed an impressive 188 in their
20 overs. Buttler who at one stage was struggling
with 39 of 38 deliveries flicked a switch and finished
with 89 of 66 balls i.e. a whopping 50 runs of his last
18 deliveries.
Although all the Gujarat Titans bowlers were
expensive one man walked off the field with his head
held high – Rashid Khan. In a match where batters
from both teams scored at 9.5 runs per over Rashid
bowled his quota of 4 overs for only 15 runs i.e.
an economy rate of 3.75 runs per over. There is
a reason why Rashid Khan is considered to be the
GOAT (Greatest of all time) as far as T20 cricket is
concerned and he just added to his legacy with yet
another phenomenal performance.
In the run chase a useful 71 run partnership of just
43 balls between Shubhman Gill and Matthew Wade
set the platform for their power hitters to come in
and finish the job. When they both were dismissed
in quick succession the score was 85 for 3 and the
match was in the balance. But the next two batters
i.e. captain Hardik Pandya and David “The Killer” Miller
launched a vicious attack on all the Royals bowlers
and dispatched them to all parts of the ground and
at time beyond the boundary too. With 23 required
of the final two overs the expectation was that the
Titans would go big in over number 19 and try to
finish the game, but West Indian Obed McCoy bowled
superbly under pressure conceding only seven runs
which meant 16 were still needed of the final over.
David Miller is a well-respected finisher in international
cricket for South Africa. He has also made a name
for himself in t20 franchise tournaments around the
world. But until this season his credentials in the IPL
were not proven. Yes, he played the odd good innings
here and there but had never been as consistent as
he has been this year. On strike requiring 16 to win
cool as a cucumber he calmly unleashed three of the
cleanest hits of the match to send the ball into the
stands and booked Gujarat’s place in the final. It is a
remarkable achievement for a brand new franchise to
reach the final in their debut season.
Rajasthan on the other hand have both the highest
run scorer of the tournament in Jos Buttler and the
highest wicket taker of the tournament in Yuzuvendra
Chahal but the truth of the matter is that they
crumbled under the pressure. Although Jos Buttler
scored 89 not out of 56 balls it hides the fact that his
dot ball percentage is the highest in the tournament.
Thankfully having finished second on the table in
the league stage Rajasthan have another chance of
qualifying for the finals when they play the winner of
the Lucknow vs Bangalore game.
Playoffs Eliminator 2
Royal Challengers Bangalore 207 for 4 (Patidar 112*,
Karthik 37*, Mohsin 1/25) beat Lucknow Super
Giants 193 for 6 (K L Rahul 79, Hooda 45, Harshal
Patel 1/25)
Luck and peaking at the right time in a long
tournament are key factors in winning. RCB were
lucky to qualify for the playoffs when Mumbai beat
Delhi in their last league game and today in defeating
LSG they played like a true champion team that is
peaking at the right time. With rain around LSH had
no hesitation in winning the toss and fielding first.
RCB lost their captain Faf Du Plessis for a blob and
Virat Kohli at the other end was struggling to score
any faster than run a ball. To win knockout matches
teams need a Hero and RCB found theirs today in the
form of Rajat Patidar. Patidar this year went unsold
in the auction in February. RCB brought him in as a
replacement for the injured Luvnith Sisodia in early
April after the tournament had already started.
Patidar though made the most of his opportunity at
no 3 with an outstanding 112 not out of only 54 balls.
The innings was decorated with 12 boundaries and 7
sixes. The innings will be remembered for a long time
due as it came in a winning cause, in an IPL playoff
game, against a good bowling attack and in front of
70000 screaming fans. Dinesh Karthik continued his
terrific form in the tournament by putting the icing
on the cake for RCB with an unbeaten 37 of 24 balls.
The duo shared an unbeaten partnership of 92 in only
41 deliveries and helped RCB to 207 for 4 in their 20
overs.
The ever-impressive Mohsin Khan was the only LSG
bowler to survive the Patidar and Karthik onslaught
and finished with supremely impressive figures of 1
for 25 of his 4 overs.
To chase down such a mammoth total the chasing
team requires at least two individuals to make
substantial contributions with the bat. For a while it
looked like captain K L Rahul and Deepak Hooda might
be those two individuals to do it for LSG but Rahul got
stuck in rut trying to anchor the innings and Hooda
was dismissed trying to keep the asking rate in check.

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, May 27, 2022
FEATURES 17
SHORBA – warm and comforting winter food
SHORBA word is derived from the Arabic word SHURBAH,
originated in the Middle East. It is the most comforting
food in the chilly winter evenings; its warm, nutritious and
fulfilling. Shorba can be a whole meal by itself and with a
MUSHROOM SHORBA
INGREDIENTS:
• 500gm - button mushrooms
• 1tbsp - cumin seeds
• 1tbsp - coriander seeds
• 1 - red onion, large
• 4 - garlic cloves
• 2 - green chillies
• 2tbsp - butter
• 1tsp - mustard seeds
• 50gm - rice, basmati
• 1cup - vegetable stock or
water
• 1tsp - salt or according to
taste
• 2tbsp - cream
• 1/2tsp - crushed black
pepper
METHOD:
• In a heavy base fry pan,
dry roast cumin seeds
and coriander seeds over
medium flame till fragrant.
• Transfer seeds onto a plate
to cool then grind them into
a powder and set aside for
later use.
• Peel, wash and chop onion;
wash and chop garlic cloves
and green chillies. Set aside.
• Heat butter in a heavy base
sauce pan over medium
flame.
• Add mustard seeds when
they start to sizzle add
onions, cook stirring through
for 5 to 6 minutes until soft.
• Add garlic cloves, green
chillies and cook for another
2-3 minutes.
• When the onion mixture are
softened and are smelling
fragrant, add the ground
cumin and coriander powder
and stir through for another
minute.
• Rinse rice till the water runs
clear then add them to the
onion mixture.
• Add washed and sliced
mushrooms; stir everything
together for 1-2 minutes till
well blended.
• Add vegetable stock, stir,
bringing it to one boil then
turning down the flame and
let simmer for 10 more
minutes.
• When the shorba is ready,
remove from the heat and
leave it to cool slightly and
then blend it into a purée.
• Season with salt and give a
good mix.
• Mix in cream over low flame.
• Garnish with a sprinkle of
crushed black pepper on
top.
• Serve hot with chilli naan
bread or preferably bread
sticks.
• Serves - 6
• TIP: Before serving you can
always blend the shorba and
leave it in the pan to warm
it up again.
combinations of naan bread or garlic sticks it can be all the
more filling. It is a traditionally prepared meal, by simmering
meat or vegetable in boiling water along with salt and
flavoured with aromatic curry spices and herbs.
TOMATO SHORBA
INGREDIENTS:
• 12 - tomatoes, large
• 1 - onion, medium
• 2 - garlic cloves
• 1 - green chilli
• 2tbsp - butter or oil
• 1tsp - cumin seeds
• 1tsp - fennel seeds
• 1 - bay leaf
• 4tbsp - tomato paste
• 1tsp - salt or according to taste
• 1/2tsp - crushed black pepper
• 2tbsp - cream
• 20gm - coriander leaves, fresh
• Bread croutons
METHOD:
• Wash and roughly chop the tomatoes; set
aside. Peel, wash and slice onion, garlic and
green chilli. Set aside.
• Heat butter in medium size pan over low
flame. Add cumin seeds, fennel seeds and
bay leave, when they start to sizzle add the
onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes till they are
soft. Add garlic, green chillies to the onions
and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
• Now add the tomato paste and stir over
DAL SHORBA
INGREDIENTS:
• 1tbsp - split yellow lentil ( dhuli moong dal )
• 1tbsp - split red lentil ( dhuli masoor dal )
• 4cups - water
• 1tbsp - clarified butter ( ghee )
• 1 - onion, medium
• 1 - tomato, large
• 2 - green chillies
• 1inch - ginger
• 4 - cloves
• 1/2tsp - black pepper powder
• 1/4tsp - turmeric powder
• 1tsp - salt or according to taste
• FOR TEMPERING:
• 1tbsp - oil
• 1/2tsp - cumin seeds
• 1/4tsp - kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 - lemon
• Fresh coriander leaves
METHOD:
• Wash dal till the water runs clear.
• Boil water in a heavy base sauce pan over
medium flame; add clarified butter.
• Add dal, give a good mix and cook over
medium flame.
• Peel, wash and chop onion; wash and chop
tomato, green chilli, ginger and garlic.
• Blend everything into a paste and add them
to the dal.
• Add black pepper powder, turmeric powder
medium flame until caramelised.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, mix well and
allow to simmer for 10 -12 minutes ( at this
point you can add half a cup of water to have
a moderate consistency ).
• Take the pan off the flame; discard bay leaf
and blitz tomatoes with the hand blender
until very smooth.
• Return to the flame for 5 minutes (tomatoes
on medium flame), stirring in between.
• Add salt, black pepper and mix well. Add
cream and mix well again.
• Cover and let simmer over low flame for 4-5
minutes, stirring in between.
• Place shorba in a serving bowl and drop some
croutons on top.
• Garnish with fresh chopped coriander.
• Serve hot with garlic bread. Serves - 4
and salt, mix well.
• Cover and let simmer for 8-10 minutes till the
dal is soft and mushy ( to pressure cook the
dal; add 3 cups of water and cook everything
together up to 5 whistles).
• Remove the sauce pan from the flame and
with the help of the hand mixer blend it into
a smooth paste (at this point you can also
sieve the dal as per your choice).
FOR TEMPERING:
• Heat oil in a heavy base frypan over medium
flame.
• Add cumin seeds; when they start to splatter
add kashmiri red chilli powder, stir.
• Add the tempering to the dal and give a good
mix.
• Place dal shorba in the serving bowls; squeeze
few drops of lemon on each.
• Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves
on top.
• Serve hot with garlic bread or bread sticks.
• Serves - 4

18
ENTERTAINMENT
Friday, May 27, 2022
Read online www.iwk.co.nz
Movie Review: ‘Top Gun: Maverick’
U. PRASHANTH NAYAK
and mental stress that fighter first training session with his
pilots have to go through group falls short on intensity,
3 Stars / 5 (Good)
Director: Joseph Kosinski
during vertiginous velocities with a cut too many and not
Cast: Tom Cruise, Jennifer
and crushing G Force climbs, enough feel of the swooping
Connelly, Miles Teller; English,
especially in our era now where planes. Later, The Guru’s solo
NZ Release: 24 May
combat seems popular. Agony trailblazer where he daringly
Putin Cruises into, I mean,
to panic to black-outs – it’s all shows how the mission can
Tom Cruises into glory
there to witness when you’re be accomplished, has better,
again
flying faster than the speed more immersive P.O.V shots
The most unique thing about
of sound. Cruise, a licensed looking back at the pilot
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ happens
pilot, refused to use computer and the rushing wide-view
before the movie.
graphics for the flight scenery around him. The finale
Thomas Cruise Mapother
sequences and put himself is thrillingly executed with
IV appears before us on the
and the actors in actual fighter shifting layers of dramatic
cinema screen, thanking
planes with high-resolution action and interspersed
us for being there after all
film cameras mounted on the humour.
that has transpired in the
planes.
Where’s the emotion, you
last few years.
This real-life footage, ask ? Oh, you’ll find a bit of
He is referring, of course, to
unsurprisingly, looks natural that too. That’s where Jennifer
the cinema theatre audience
and convincing although Connelly comes in, and this
that has resurfaced after the
the ones actually flying the would be one of the easier
initial years of the pandemic,
superstar $ 70 million F 18 million-dollar paychecks she’s
along with Cruise’s own
now destroyed, and Taliban is to bomb a uranium enrichment jets captured in action, are picked up and it’s certainly
efforts to not let this putative
picking up the remains of Top facility before scramming professional Navy pilots after not her fault that there’s not
blockbuster go to streaming
Gun). Captain Pete ‘Maverick’ back into Uncle Sam’s navy the Navy refused permission enough to work on here. Miles
first in the lockdown area.
Mitchell has resisted going up ship lap. The young turks do (quite understandably) to Teller convincingly glowers as
It may seem a strange
the Navy’s ranks in the last not initially cozy up to him, Cruise et al to fly them. Deft one of the young top pilots
prelude to a picture, but then
three decades, because he until his cockpit roosterism editing, though, mixes the with pent-up rancour.
of course, most of us didn’t
loves flying jets so much as a bowls them over, and then exterior and POV shots to Cruise’s charisma is
really find anything unusual
test pilot.
the teacher-led group keep achieve the effect we see. evergreen, never mind that
about Cruise’s heartfelt
He is summoned, despite his pushing the rehearsal ante What’s in short supply, his truly daring ‘Eyes Wide
remarks, not after what
cheeky chutzpah putting off until the palpitating mission from the visual aspect, are Shut’ and ‘Minority Report’
we’ve gained and lost through
his immediate superiors, to day dawns.
shots which look forward days are decades gone.
all this, except that we’re
train a crème de la crème group Moral of The Story : You can from the cockpit seat – which Franchise gratification is
looking at him through a cool
of young pilots on an incredibly enrich your own uranium and actually would vicariously here, bits of humour are here
Hollywood capture and not a
difficult mission.
bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki, give us the pilot’s zooming and the capacity audience in
grainy Zoom call.
Their F/A 18 Hornets must but you should blockbuster view. The movie’s start, Auckland’s first night firstshow
screening chuckled at all
‘Top Gun : Maverick’ plays it
fly low in narrow valleys and bomb others’ uranium when with its exterior long-range
dizzyingly safe with a plot that
between bridge pillars in they start to enrich it.
captures of the F18 against the jokes.
displays the hero’s greatness
enemy country to avoid radar The movie’s biggest static cloud, are impressive in More movie reviews by U
and America’s supremacy (no
detection, and then swoop up strength lies in the way it conveying its dazzling speed. Prashanth Nayak please click:
matter that half of Ukraine is
http://www.upnworld.com//
and down a snowy mountain shows the harrowing physical The sequence of Maverick’s upn/movie_lists
Sonali Bendre says she was left with 24 inch
scar post cancer surgery in 2018: 'It was hard'
Actor Sonali Bendre was
diagnosed with cancer
in 2018 and underwent
treatment for the same in
the US. After beating the
disease later that year,
she returned to India but
did not resume working.
In a new interview,
Sonali has revealed
that she was left with
a 24-inch scar from the
surgery.
Sonali made her
acting debut with
the 1994 film Aag.
She had her first big
hit with the actionromance
Diljale
(1996).
She later
appeared in films l i k e
Major Saab (1998), Zakhm (1998),
Sarfarosh (1999), Hum Saath-Saath
Hain (1999), and Hamara Dil Aapke
Paas Hai (2000), among others. She
has judged many reality shows, such as India's
Best Dramebaaz, Hindustan Ke Hunarbaaz,
India's Got Talent, and Indian Idol. Earlier this
month, she announced her OTT debut with
ZEE5’s upcoming series The Broken News.
Sometimes, when you
least expect it, life
throws you a curveball.
I have recently been
diagnosed with a highgrade
cancer that has
metastasised, which
we frankly did not see
coming.
In a new interview with Mashable India,
Sonali talked about her cancer journey. She
said, “What Goldie Behl (her husband)
and I say is BC and AC, which is before
cancer and after cancer. You go
through something and you learn
some lessons. And, if you have not
learnt them, then it’s really sad. I think there
were a couple of lessons from it (the cancer
diagnosis). The point is reminding each other
that it’s not the goal, but the process and the
journey that’s important.”
She added, “The first thing that my doctors
were telling me is that we want you out of
the hospital as fast as possible. Post-surgery,
my surgeon was like, I want you walking in 24
hours. In 24 hours, I was holding my IV and
walking in the corridor. It was hard because I
had a cut which is 23-24 inches.”
Sonali announced the news of her cancer in
a tweet in 2018. In a statement, she wrote,
"Sometimes, when you least expect it, life
throws you a curveball. I have recently been
diagnosed with a high-grade cancer that has
metastasised, which we frankly did not see
coming.
A niggling pain led to some tests, which led
to this unexpected diagnosis.
My family and close friends have rallied
around me, providing the best support system
that anyone can ask for. I am very blessed and
thankful for each of them.”
“There is no better way to tackle this than
to take swift and immediate action. And so,
as advised by my doctors, I am currently
undergoing a course of treatment in New York.
We remain optimistic and I am determined to
fight every step of the way. What has helped
has been the immense outpouring of love and
support I’ve received over the past few days,
for which I am very grateful. I’m taking this
battle head-on, knowing I have the strength of
my family and friends behind me,” she added.

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, May 27, 2022
FEATURES 19
Experience
fast charging
and much more
with the all-new
OnePlus Nord CE 2!
Technology
The biggest sale just dropped!
All-new OnePlus Nord CE 2 is on
sale and we couldn’t be more
excited about it! Featuring the flagship
fast charging, a more powerful chipset
than before, smarter AI cameras, and
a sleek, slim design, Nord CE 2 has
managed to take things up a notch.
And this new gadget integrated with
all the kickass features can be yours
within a budget!
Along with popular attributes of the
original OnePlus Nord CE like the slim
design and headphone jack, OnePlus
Nord CE 2 also boasts signature
OnePlus features such as a 90 Hz
AMOLED display, OxygenOS 11, and 5G
support.
Fast Charging
Charge your phone at a lightning speed
with the flagship 65W SUPERVOOC fast
charging that provides the phone’s
4,500 mAh dual-cell battery with up
to a day’s power in just 15 minutes!
And this means your phone can now go
from 1% to 100% in just 32 minutes!
Like literally fast!
Powerful Chipset That Supports
5G and Wi-Fi 6
For a smooth user experience, the
OnePlus Nord CE 2 is powered with
the MediaTek Dimensity 900 octa-core
chipset along with a 6 nm architecture
and support for 5G network speeds
and Wi-Fi 6. Moreover, the MediaTek
Dimensity 900 processor now allows
improved thermal control, system
stability, and prolonged gaming
sessions without any hurdles!
Best Visual Experience
Give your eyes a treat while watching
your favourite series or playing games
with a rich visual experience. The
OnePlus Nord CE 2 has a 6.43-inch
FHD+ Fluid AMOLED display with a 90
Hz refresh rate that makes everything
from scrolling through social media
feeds to gaming feel smoother, faster,
and more responsive!
And the display is HDR10+ certified,
which means you get richer, deeper
colors across all the OTT platforms like
Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime
Video.
Capture Memories with Smarter
Cameras
Boasting a rear 64 MP triple camera
comprised of a 64 MP primary sensor,
an 8 MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2
MP macro lens, the OnePlus Nord CE 2
has rolled out its best camera features
so that you capture images with high
levels of detail and punchy color, even
in low-light environments!
The nightscape software and an
improved Portrait Mode lets you
capture sharp, sharable shots with the
tap of a button. Even the video capture
mode enables you to film with improved
quality in low light, particularly in
unevenly lit environments.
Slim Design & Signature
Software
With just 7.8 mm of thickness, the
OnePlus Nord CE 2 is the slimmest
smartphone since the OnePlus
6T! And the mirror-like finish
with flashy overtones imparts a
luxurious polished feel.
Talking about the software
integration, the OnePlus Nord CE 2
comes pre-installed with the most
optimized version of OxygenOS 11,
complete with an improved dark mode,
new one-handed usage features, and
more. The smartphone will also receive
2 years of Android version updates and
3 years of Android security patches.
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NEW ZEALAND
Over a ton of colour to be used at
Krishna Holi 2021 event in Kumeu
The Indian Weekender Friday, February 12, 2021 11
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
T
he biggest Holi event in the country
on Sunday, February 14 at ISKCON
Temple in Kumeu will put over one
ton of colours for 10,000 visitors to play with
celebrating the annual Hindu festival.
Holi is one of the most popular and widely
celebrated festivals for the Indian community
after Diwali that is celebrated by the diaspora
and the adjoining communities across the globe.
The annual festival of colour falls on March
28-29 this year, and the religious element of the
festival signifies the triumph of good over evil.
It is observed a the end of winter and advent of
spring month (in the Indian subcontinent), and
spiritual part of the festival starts with Holika
Dahan (burning demon Holika) also known as
Chhoti Holi and the following day as Holi.
In its 9th year, Krishna Holi event at the
iconic Hare Krishna Temple in Kumeu, West
Auckland attracts thousands of people from all
walks of life, different ethnicities and faiths to
be a part of a colourful and joyous event.
Speaking with the Indian Weekender,
Krishna Chandra from the temple said they are
excited to see the festive season of Holi back
after a gloomy year of Covid-19 in the country.
“Holi at the Krishna Temple is one of the
most vibrant events in our calendar- we see
families dressed white clothing visi the temple
and then dance and drench in dry and wet
colours from noon till early evening,” Krishna
Chandra, secretary and spokesperson of Hare
Krishna Temple said.
The temple spread over 100 acres start the
free event at 11 a.m. and will have stalls that
distribute at least ten to 12 colours, and there
will also be watercolours for the visitors.
A giant LED screen is also installed on the
stage with a DJ and live music for the attendees
to dance and have fun.
“It’s a family-friendly- tobacco and alcoholfree
event. People of all ages can have fun as
there will be colour stalls, water stations, food
stalls, changing rooms, showering stations for
people drenched in colour,” Mr Chandra said.
He added tha the temple stocks colours to be sanitisers are in place for people, arrangements
used at the festival at least 2-3 years at a time. for children activities, so that everyone gets to
The temple will be used over a ton of colour at enjoy the even to its fullest.
the event both in its dry form and with water. “We have volunteers, security to usher
“We have given 200 kgs of colour to fire vehicles to park in the appropriate places,
brigade who will mix it in their water tank manage the oncoming and returning traffic,
and then splash it on the visitors at different and make sure visitors feel comfortable at the
intervals.
event,” Mr Chandra added.
“Since this year’s event coincides with The event organisers have appealed the
Valentine’s Day, we have kept valentine theme visitors to come in white dress as colours tend event like previous years will be high octane,
gifts and gift station too at the venue for the to exhibit its vibrancy on white clothing, get full of energy and good vibes,” Mr Chandra
public to celebrate the occasion there,” Mr spare clothing to change after playing with added.
Chandra added.
colour and food and water arrangements have ISKCON Temple is located on 1229
Mr Chandra says all arrangements in been made a the venue.
Coatesville-Riverhead Highway, Kumeu, West
terms of Covid QR Code scanning and hand “Hol is always a fun event and Krishna Holi Auckland, and the event starts at noon to 5 p.m.
Hare Krishna temple to host ‘Saatvik food festival’
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
T
he Hare Krishna Temple in Kumeu, West Auckland
is hosting its annual food festival event on Saturday,
February 13, for the community.
More than 3000 people are expected to attend the event
where they will be served saatvik vegetarian food, tour the
temple premises and have a relaxing family-fun day.
“Our Hare Krishna Food Festival is very popular amongs the
wider Kiwi community in Auckland, people from all faiths and
ethnicities come to the temple, take a tour of the place knowing
about the deities, the ISKCON establishment, its works for the
community and have snacks and food during the day,” Krishna
Chandra, secretary and spokesperson for Hare Krishna temple
told the Indian Weekender.
The event is said to be quiet, and exhibit a relaxing
environment where people get to meet new people, make
friends, experience the calmness being with nature, have
Saatvik (pure) vegetarian food and have good family day.
“This event is happening just one day before our most
popular Krishna Holi event which is will be loud, full of energy,
playfulness, music and dance,” Mr Chandra added.
The events will start at 2 p.m. and end at seven in the evening.
Besides the food festival, Krishna Temple organises lunch
event every Sunday at its premises where 300-400 people
come, chant mantras, meditate, spend some time with nature
and dine with the community members.
“It is a soothing atmosphere at the temple, chanting mantras
with the community, knowing more about the religion, what
can they do a the temple and how can they make a difference in
the community by serving others and the less privileged.
“There are also children’s activities
organised so that they engage themselves
and also have a good time at the temple,” Mr
Chandra said.

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