Brisbane

A Div ision of Qld Mult icultural Times

Volume 9, Number 6Saturday, March 10, 2012

Telephone: (07) 3356 0102 Fax:(07) 3352 7693E-mail admin@indiantimes.com.auAs God is One, we respect all Religions

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Queensland heads to thepolls 24 March 2012

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2 - THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012

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Letters to the Editor

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Brisbane Indian Times welcomes letters to theeditor. Please ensure that letters do not exceed300 words. All letters, must have a full name,residential address and a phone number. Hard copy letters must have legible signature.

Only your name and suburb are published.Initials and pen names are not accepted. Allcorrespondence to the editor is assumed to befor publication unless marked otherwise. The editor reserves the right to abridge, alter

(edit) or withhold any correspondence withoutexplanation. Opinions expressed must be gen-uinely held by the letter writer. Please sendyour thoughts and opinions to:The Editor, Brisbane Indian Times, Suite 5,

Grange Place, 15 Grange Road, GrangeQld 4051 or email:prod@indiantimes.com.au

Inside Letters to the Editor.......................2

Migration Matters...........................4

Local News.................................3-17

Business News................................18

Who, What, Where, When..........22

Health & Well Being................24-27

Real Estate................................29-33

Astrology........................................34

Classifieds/Business Directory......35

Whats On................................36-37

Bollywood & Entertainment...38-41

Sport..........................................42-43

Indian TimesBrisbane

A Div isi on ofQld Mult icultura l Time s

Published Monthly

OWNERS / PUBLISHERS:

Umesh & Usha Chandra

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EDITOR: Trudi Tarres

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JOURNALIST/ CORRESPONDENTS:

Ram Jattan (UK)

Thakur Ranjit Singh (NZ)

Thilliar Varnakulasingham (NZ)

Shalendra Prasad (Fiji)

Dhaval Vyas (India)

Rama Gaind, Canberra

Kiran Goel (Immigration Matters)

Matt Young (Sport)

Professor Matt Sanders (Positive Parenting)

Vinaya Natarajan (Inspire - Prem Rawat)

Atul Dighe (Spiritual Science Research Foundation)

Jatinder Kaur - Peter Lane Rai

Parth Raval - Gurjeet Singh

Sudesh Aggarwal - Pushpa Vaghela

Haji Abdul Rahman Deen

Imam Muhammad Aslam

Mehraban Farahmand (Bahai International)

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THIS month, I write withsadness in my heart, for Ihave lost a very dear andlong standing friend MrSurendra Pratap, president ofHindu Mandir Associationwhich operates ShreeLaxminarayan Mandir in Burbank. Surendrahad been involved with this project from dayone. One would remember the days whenthere were no permanent structures on theproperty and Hindu festivals would be cele-brated by erecting makeshift shelters. Fromthose humble beginnings to the opening ofthe new gate recently, he was involved withheart and soul. Heaven needed him morethan us so farewell, my friend. On a different note, our awards night date

and venue has been finalised. With the CityHall still under restoration, we have opted togo to a very popular function centre,Michaels Function Centre in Eight MilesPlain. Their specialty is serving to thediverse community with special emphasis onHalal food. The in-house award winningcatering makes it a desirable venue. Manyother prestigious venues were looked at andall of them had one problem, that is, cateringbeing limited to what they could offer. Fromall your feedback on food we decided to gofor a venue where we know the food will begood especially for our diversely multicul-tural community. The venue will be transformed with themedlighting and decorations. The plan is alreadylooking very impressive! The entry price weare trying to keep as low as possible, withview of maximum attendance.This month has been a very busy one for mepersonally, having spent five weekends infive different cities in a row. So many func-tions and events to report upon, lots of pho-

tos. One historical functionwas our meeting asAmbassadors of People ofAustralia at ParliamentHouse in Canberra on 27February which coincidedwith the Labor leadershipchallenge.

Congratulations to GOPIO Sydney for theirthird successive GYAAN (GOPIO YouthAchievers Awards Night) It was again mypleasure to attend and address the esteemedaudience. The young achievers of IndianOrigin getting ninety nine percent plus, wasjust amazing to see. Congratulations toFICQ for their first get together for this year,a wonderful night demonstrating unity in thecommunity. Congratulations to QueenslandMulticultural Council for another very suc-cessful event, International Womens Day,all credit goes to Janeth Deen, full reports ofall these event s will be featured in our pub-lication.In forthcoming events GYAAN Brisbane by

GOPIO Queensland on 21 April and a spe-cial appreciation dinner for incomingHonourary Counsel for India in Queensland,Mrs Archana Singh and out going HonoraryCounsel for India in Queensland, Prof SarvaDaman Singh, both events are very specialand not to be missed. Please see the upcom-ing events section of our newspaper for fulldetails. Various Harmony Day events arebeing planned as well, once again pleaserefer to our upcoming events section anddont forget to visit our website for updatesof upcoming events. Many events get listedon our website in between publications so itis a good source of upcoming events.

As a community based paper we try tocover as many community events as possi-ble. Being a free paper our resources do notallow us to send out paid photographers orjournalist to all events, which is what ideal-ly would like to do, however when news andphotos of community events are sent to usthey are inserted in the paper, the size of theinsertion will depend upon the space avail-able. The editorial space is dependent upon the

number of advertisements booked. Everymonth we have exceeded our editorial con-tents as there are many good editorialswhich could not be left out.Unlike many other similar publications in

Australia, we carry the most number of com-munity events. Some publications are main-ly advertisements with a few editorialsthrown here and there. We welcome submission from all communi-ty organisations to send in newsworthy arti-cles for publication. We cannot publish areport of an event that we do not knowabout. From time to time we get constructivefeedback from our valued readers, someideas are very good and with resources per-mitting will be implemented.Until next month, happy reading.Umesh Chandra

Umesh Chandra

From the Publisher

Brisbane Indian Times is a monthly newspaperpublished in English. No material, including adver-tisements designed by Brisbane Indian Times, maybe reproduced in part or who without the writtenconsent of the manager. Opinions carried inBrisbane Indian Times are those of the writers andnot necessarily endorsed by Brisbane Indian Times.Brisbane Indian Times will not be held liable forany advertising content - Advertiserssupply/approve content therefore should any con-tent be deemed inappropriate it is the advertisersresponsibility. While every effort has been made tocapture the true likeness to colour printing is an artand therefore we cannot guarantee an exact match-ing of product to image. Refund / Credit is notgiven as a result of the previous mentioned. All correspondence should be addressed to:Brisbane Indian Times, Suite 5, Grange Place,15 Grange Road, Grange Qld 4051. PH: (07)3356 0102 Fax: 3352 7693 admin@indiantimes.com.au

www.indiantimes.com.au THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 3Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

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4 THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 www.indiantimes.com.au Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Reduction in Assessment Levels forCertain Student Visas FROM 24 March 2012 certain assess-ment levels for students visas will berelaxed.These changes will lower the mini-

mum evidentiary requirements neededfor the grant of a Student visa for cer-tain countries and education sectors.These changes will effect new studentvisa applications lodged on or after 24March 2012.In summary some of the changes to

key countries are as follows:

SkillSelect Expression of Interest(EOI) SystemFurther detail is provided in relation tothe new SkillSelect System on 1 July2012. It will no longer be possible toapply directly for certain types of

visas. Instead applicants will need tofirst lodge an Expression of Interest(EOI) and only the best candidates willreceive invitation to lodge their appli-cations. The following types of application canonly be lodged through SkillSelectafter 1 July 2012, Skilled Points testedvisas such as independent, sponsoredand regional Sponsored; and BusinessSkills Migration. Skillselect is optionalfor the following visas: EmployerNomination Scheme ENS, RegionalSkilled Migration Scheme RSMS

and 457 - Business Long Stay.For Skilled Points Tested

visas, Expression of Interestswill be lodged online. To lodgean EOI, you must have com-pleted your skills assessmentand your English language test(usually IELTS). Every fewmonths, DIAC will review theEOIs which have been lodged,and issue the best candidateswith an invitation to make anapplication for skilled pointstested migration. Applicantswho have been nominated by astate or territory governmentand meet the current pass mark,will most likely be issued withan invitation as a priority.

Quotas may exist for eachoccupation. The people withthe best points score will beissued with an invitation. Sopeople with more work experi-ence, better English scores andhigher qualifications will havea better chance of getting aninvitation.

Once you receive an invita-tion, you will need to make your visaapplication within 60 days. If you areunable to apply within this time, yourinvitation lapses. If you are invitedonce, there is no guarantee that youwill be re-invited later, and in any case

you can only be issued with a maxi-mum of 2 invitations before yourapplication is removed from the EOIsystem. SO will will need to ensurethat you have all the requirementsready to take up the invitation when thas been issued.There will be exceptions to SkillSelectand the "transitional applicants" willbe able to apply under the old pointssystem until the end of 2012. The"transitional applicants" are interna-tional students who had applied for orbeen granted a subclass 485 SkilledGraduate visa prior to 8 Feb 2010. Noother transitional arrangements are inplace for international students and itis unlikely any more will transitionalarrangements will be in place.

There will be some advantages toapplying after 1 July 2012. The mainadvantage of applying after 1 July2012 is that your application will beprocessed much faster than under thecurrent system. Under the current sys-tem it can take 18 months or more forpoints tested visas to be processed. Thenew system is designed to allow DeptImmigration to more carefully managethe application pipeline and ensure thata large backlog of applications doesnot develop. As a result, people luckyenough to get an invitation will be ableto "jump the queue"If you have a passing score in the cur-

rent points test, you should considerapplying prior to 1 July 2012. Manyareas of the new system have not yetbeen finalised, and there is no guaran-tee that you will be issued an invitationafter 1 July even if you have a highscore. If you have an occupation thatis nominated by many applicants(which is likely to meet quota quickly- eg accounting, nursing) then youshould also consider applying before 1July 2012.

Continued page 8

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www.indiantimes.com.au THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 5Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

6 THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 www.indiantimes.com.au Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

PREFACE: This article was submitted by Late MrSurendra Pratap, it was done on 27th February. This prob-ably was the last article he would have done before sadlypassing away. Brisbane Indian Times will dearly miss him.He had been such a nice and humble man to deal with,always sent his articles on time and always spoke withrespect. It is indeed a loss for Queenslands IndianCommunity, especially Shree Laxmi Narayan Mandir,where he served for a lifetime. May God bless his soul andmay he rest in peace. May God provide strength and wis-

dom to his family in this timeof distress. - by UmeshChandra

Dear Devotees and Members Approval and OfficialOpening Mandirs Main

EntryFebruary 2012 has indeed been a significant month in the

history of Shree Laxminarayan Mandir - it saw an accom-plishment of a very long awaited dream of getting a formalapproval from the Transport and Main Roads Departmentof using the Temples recently completed main entry fromDaymar Street. The new formal address is: 46 DaymarStreet, Burbank 4156 Qld. This was conveyed to theManagement Committee on 6 February. The entry was offi-cially opened on 19 February and the fortunate and privi-

leged devotees witnessed the official opening. Ritual wasperformed by the resident priest, Pt Tripathi Ji and assistedby Pt Suresh Chand and Pt Sanat Pandey. Maha Shiva Raatri As usual, more than 1000 devotees participated in the mostauspicious ritual marking Maha Shiva Raatri on the 20th ofFebruary. Not only was the Mandir open for the whole day,but as per past practice, the Mandir supplied Bell Patraand milk for abhishek for the convenience of the devotees.Pooja was performed by the resident priest, Pt Tripathi Jiand assisted by Pt Suresh Chand and other devotees.For further information contact resident Pt Tripathi Ji

32168848 or any committee member as per Web pagecontact details.

Authorised by President (late) Surendra Pratap 27 Feb2012

Shree Laxminarayan Mandir News1173 Mt Cotton Road Burbank - www.laxminarayan.com.au

Devotees marking Maha Shiva Raatri on 20 Feb 2012.

Main Gate Opening Ritual - 19 Feb 2012.

Queensland heads to the polls 24 March 2012From front page

IN the race to the March 24 poll, Ms Blightook the opportunity to freshen up in thepool at Mount Gravatt where she joined achildren's swimming class before pledgingto give 10 free swimming lessons to everyQueensland child under four if re-elected.As the dust continued to settle in the wake

of party tensions within federal Labor, MsBligh said she was steeling herself for theremainder of the campaign.`I'm very pleased to see that in the last five

or six days we have been able to talk aboutQueensland issues, things that matter topeople, what will happen in their schools,what we need to do to keep the tourismindustry growing, working to look afterfamilies with programs like this,'' she said."I look forward to the next three weeks of

the campaign.''When questioned about the LNP campaign

launch, Ms Bligh said Queenslandersshould be asking questions about CampbellNewman's key campaign slogan of "it'stime for change''."Queenslanders really need to start asking

``what sort of change does Mr Newmanwant?'', she said."It seems to me that Mr Newman wants to

change Queensland back to the way that itused to be decades ago when anything went

for developers,when there wasnot the rightrestrictions onpoliticians andtheir financialarrangements."It looks to me

like he wants totake us back tothe last century.''

Ms Bligh alsorefuted claimsunions had beenallowed to makemore than theallowable cap inpolitical dona-tions to the ALP."Everyone knows

the AustralianLabor Party was started by the trade unionmovement and they're affiliated to the partybut they cannot donate any more than anycompany can and that is a $5000 limit.''Ms Bligh said she would be prepared lookat options for cutting the amount of timetaken to make political donation public ifLabor retains government.The Premier also declined to comment at

length on her sometime-nemesis and con-troversial Queensland mining magnateClive Palmer's inclusion on the National

Trust's list ofNational LivingTreasures.

"These nomina-tions are made byan independentorganisation, noth-ing to do with gov-ernment but I dothink the nomina-tion is going toraise some eye-brows, not onlyaround Queenslandbut The LiberalNational Party(LNP) is running alow-key campaignfor election inQueensland, and itslaunch was no dif-

ferent.About 1000 followers filed into a cav-

ernous hall of Brisbane exhibition centre onSunday to hear from Campbell Newman,the man the polls say is on an easy track tobe Queensland's next premier.They got no bells and whistles.

Just a pared-back stage with a podium read-ing "It's time for a change" and the "CanDo" theme song, a revamped version of MrNewman's city hall campaign jingle.

Federal Nationals Leader Warren Truss

warmed up the crowd, telling them it wastime for a "new man" - "Campbell New-man".Federal opposition leader Tony Abbott con-

tinued the "Labor lies" theme that YoungLNP members were brandishing on plac-ards outside the event.Prime Minister Julia Gillard had just last

week lied about Bob Carr's entry to federalparliament as foreign minister, Mr Abbottsaid.But Premier Anna Bligh was "Labor's first

liar", having kept quiet plans for asset salesduring the 2009 campaign, Mr Abbott said.Mr Newman's 40-minute speech repeated

his pledge to cut cost of living, and put a $1billion figure behind plans to fix the BruceHighway.But considering where the LNP stands in

the polls, and the high energy reputation ofMr Newman, there was no great buzz in theroom.The greatest display of emotion was his

wife Lisa's teary embrace when the lightscame up.Mr Newman has a message forQueenslanders - the LNP is ready to gov-ern.He has promised to take the "circus" out of

Queensland politics, and this no-frills startsuggests the LNP will at least deliver onthat.

Courier Mail and ninemsn

AAP image/John Pryke.

www.indiantimes.com.au THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 7Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

www.indiantimes.com.au8 THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Live Broadcast from Guru NanakSikh Temple, Inala

eral major resource projects.Other regional areas experiencing skills

and labour shortages will be eligible forRMAs in the coming months, with guide-lines on the application process to be pub-lished by the end of March.Capping and Queuing of Family VisasCarer visa applicantsApplications for Carer visas with a queuedate up to 30 June 2011 and who meet alloutstanding requirements can expect theirvisa to be granted within approximately 3-18 months (measured from 1 July 2011).

Applications with queue dates after 30June 2011 may be released from the queuefor further consideration later in the finan-cial year to fill any remaining programplaces for this visa.

Carer visa applications lodged before 1July 2011 but which have not yet beenassessed and queued can expect to wait upto 2 years for a visa (from 1 July 2011).Remaining Relative and AgedDependent Relative visa applicantsApplications for Remaining Relative andAged Dependent Relative visas with aqueue date up to 26 April 2010 and who

meet all outstanding requirements canexpect their visa to be granted withinapproximately 3-18 months (measured from1 July 2011). No further release of applica-tions is likely this financial year. The nextrelease of applications for further process-ing will occur next financial year. Thequeue date of applications to be releasedwill be determined once program numbersare announced.

Estimated waiting times of applicationsthat have been assessed and given queuedates later than 26 April 2010, may varydepending on future planning levels as wellas withdrawals and refusals. Future releasesof queued applications will therefore beannounced at the start of each financialyear.Remaining Relative and Aged Dependent

Relative visa applications lodged before 1July 2011 but which have not yet beenassessed and queued can expect to wait upto 10 years for a visa (from 1 July 2011).Parent VisasParent category visa applications have alower processing priority than other familystream visa applicants such as partners,children and the contributory parent catego-ry.In the 201112 Migration Program year:* 2000 places will be allocated to the (non-contributory) Parent category, includingapproximately 1400 places for Parent (sub-class 103) visas and approximately 600places for Aged Parent (subclass 804) visas. * 6500 places have been allocated to theContributory Parent category (subclasses173/143 and subclasses 884/864).

The final proportion of places allocatedbetween applicants applying in and outsideAustralia in both Parent visa categories isdependent on a number of factors, includingclient response times. All parent categoryvisa applications are assessed in order oflodgement, assigned a queue date and thenplaced in the queue for the relevant visasubclass. Applicants are advised of theirqueue date when they reach this stage.Contributory ParentIn 200708, demand for the contributory

parent visa category meant that a queueformed for the first time. In the 201112Migration Program year, 6500 contributoryparent category visa places are available forapplicants applying from in and outsideAustralia. Based on current planning levelsnew contributory parent category visaapplicants can expect to wait up to 12months before visa grant consideration.This article is intended to provide general information on

migration issues and does not constitute migration advice,and no responsibility is accepted by Kiran Goel or AIEESfor the accuracy of material appearing in the BrisbaneIndian Times. (Ms Kiran Goel MARN: 0639149).

Continued from page 4

New Regional Migration Agreementto meet Darwins Growth Challenges forSkilled Workers.The Minister for Immigration andCitizenship, Chris Bowen MP, and NorthernTerritory Deputy Chief Minister, DeliaLawrie MLA, have announced a newmigration program for the Darwin region toassist employers fill skills and labour short-ages associated with major projects.The Federal Government has commencednegotiating Australias first RegionalMigration Agreement (RMA) for NorthernTerritory (specifically Darwin), which isdesigned to help regions hire overseasworkers where there is a genuine need to doso, Mr Bowen said. Darwin is set to experience huge growth,

with demand for workers expected to out-strip local and national supply.This RMA will act as a pressure valve for

the local economy, helping businesses

experiencing a shortage of staff to findworkers when none can be sourced locally.The RMA program, which is expected to

be in place in the first half of this year, aimsto assist small businesses which may find itdifficult to use standard migration programswhile ensuring Australians remain the firstchoice for employers.The NT Government is focused on seeing

Territorians benefit from major projectssuch as Ichthys. While we are investingheavily in local training, it is still notenough to meet demand in a competitiveAustralian labour market, Ms Lawrie said. Major projects will draw local workers

away from smaller employers, and thisRMA will assist those businesses to backfillthese gaps in their workforce.The RMA program was announced in the

2011-12 Budget to offer a coordinated,localised response to labour needs. Darwinhas been chosen as the first RMA locationdue to current labour shortages which areexpected to be further exacerbated by sev-

Recent news about Australian Migration Regulations

Submitted on behalf of TheManagement Committee by

Bhai Opinder Singh KrimpuriGuru Nanak Sikh Temple,

Inala (Gurudwara)07 3714 9509, 0435 956 200

RESPECTED Indian Communityof Brisbane, we are pleased toadvise that on every Sunday from11.30am to 12.30pm, you can lis-ten to the live broadcast ofGurubani from Guru Nanak SikhTemple, on Radio Brisvaani at1701am and via Internet onwww.Brisvaani.com

Every member of the Indiancommunity is welcome at GuruNanak Sikh Temple, Inala whichis open seven days a week. The Management greatly appre-

ciates all the support receivedduring the year 2011. TheChairman of Indoz SikhCommunity Centre, S. Paramjit

Singh Sarai, the President of GuruNanak Sikh Temple, Inala, S.Sucha Singh Randhawa memberswish you a happy and prosperousnew year and look forward toreceiving your support in the year2012. We extend our special thanks to

Indoz Sikh Community Centre,all Management members ofGuru Nanak Sikh Temple, Inalaand Brisvaani Radio announcer,Sh. Jatish Pureen, whose assis-tance and hard work has madelive broadcast possible.

In addition to daily Nit-Nem(routine recitation of the set scrip-tures), on every Sunday morningAssa di Vaar kirtan is performedfrom 8.30am. Also from 10.30amto 11.30am any member of con-gregation can participate in theselfless volunteer sewa of Kirtan(singing of holy hymns). BhaiHardial Singhs hajoori raagijatha (devotional singers) performthe Gurbani Kirtan from 11.30amto 12.30pm. Every Wednesday from 11.30am

to 1.30pm Sukhmani Sahib isrecited by lady members of thecommunity followed by GurbaaniKirtan. Every Wednesday,Gurbaani Kirtan is performedafter Rehras in the evening.Punjabi language learning classes

are held every Sunday and allcommunity members are alsowelcome to learn recitation andcorrect phonation of Gurbani,Kirtan and Tabla can be taught tothe desirous members free of costat any time suitable time. In addition, there is a well main-

tained Library at Gurdwara Sahibfrom where religious, historicbooks and wide variety of litera-ture in Punjabi, Hindi and Englishis available for everyone. Thelibrary is offering life member-ship for a minimal fee of $25. Further you can enjoy or partici-

pate in outdoor sports activitiesincluding volleyball and lawn ten-nis at the Gurdwara Sahib in theevening. Playground for Socceris also being prepared. Weencourage the readers to share theinformation in this article withtheir friends and other communitymembers

For further information pleasecontact on 07 3714 9509, 0435956 200 or send your emailaddress toopinder.singh78@gmail.com.

Please avail this opportunity andencourage children to connectwith the Gurbani thereby creatingan eagerness for the faith and lovefor Gurudwara.

DIAA Mohamed (Pictured withMAA Chairperson, MadeniaAbdurahman) famous for hisrole in starting up MyPeace.com.au, the best Islamic PRcampaign to hit Sydney shores is now bringing his vision toMuslim Aid Australia as thenewly appointed GeneralManager. Diaas start has seenan improved focus on MAAsstrategic development, incorpo-rating a fresh vision that will

lead MAA onwards to greaterservices for both donors and aidrecipients.Diaas addition to Muslim Aid

Australia is a strong step for-ward in the future growth of theorganization. Combining Diaasvisionary leadership with thepassionate and dedicated teamat Muslim Aid Australia, youllbe sure to see us at the forefrontof progress in the field of inter-national development.

Muslim Aid Australia welcomes Diaa Mohamed

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 9www.indiantimes.com.auCall Trudi on 07 3356 0102

www.indiantimes.com.au10 THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Article by The Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency,

Greg Combet.

THE Federal Governments plan to intro-duce a carbon price has had a lot of atten-tion unfortunately a lot of what has beensaid about the carbon price has beenwrong.That is why I want to take this opportuni-

ty to present the facts about theGovernments policy and what it means forAustralian households.For the simple truth is that the vast major-

ity of households will receive assistanceunder our plan.We are introducing a carbon price from

July 2012 because respected scientistshave advised the Government that climatechange poses a real threat to our environ-ment and our way of life.They have told us that the worst impacts

of climate change can be avoided if theworld reduces the amount of carbon pollu-tion it puts into the atmosphere.The carbon price will help achieve this. It

is not a tax on households. In fact, the carbon price mechanism will

actually only apply to around 500 big com-panies those companies which put verylarge amounts of carbon pollution into theatmosphere, like coal-fired power stations.The carbon price will give these compa-

nies a financial incentive to cut pollution.These big polluters may pass on some of

the carbon price to their customers, but theimpact on the cost of living will be modest.Treasury has worked out that there will be

an increase of just 0.7 per cent in theConsumer Price Index. Food and groceryprices will rise by less, just 0.4 per cent.Electricity prices will rise by more: 10 percent. The Government will help households by

bringing in income tax cuts, increases inFamily Tax Benefits, and increases in theage pension and other government bene-fits.Nine in ten Australian households will get

some tax cuts or increases in payments.Almost six million households will get

assistance covering their entire average

cost of living impact of the carbon price.Four million will get assistance more thancovering the cost of living impact.Take a typical couple with two school-age

children where the main bread-winner ison $60,000 a year and the other parentworks part-time earning $25,000. Theywill get about an extra $948 a year throughtax cuts and higher family payments con-siderably more than the carbon priceimpact on their cost of living.Here are some more examples of how the

Government will assist households.Parents receiving Family Tax Benefit Part

A will receive up to $110 a year extra foreach eligible child. Those receiving FamilyTax Benefit Part B will receive up to $69extra a year.For people in the workforce, there will be

tax cuts on top of these increased familypayments. Most taxpayers with income upto $80,000 will get a tax cut worth at least$300 a year. People on pensions or benefits will also

receive assistance.Those receiving the Age Pension and

other pensions will receive around an extra$338 a year for singles and around $510 ayear for couples combined.There are a range of other increases in

Government benefits and allowances andyou can get more information at this web-site: www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au or bycalling 1800 057 590..In conclusion, I would like to return to the

reason for introducing a carbon price.It is about securing our environment and

economy for our children and grandchil-dren.Australia relies far more heavily on burn-

ing coal to generate electricity than mostother developed countries. A carbon price will transform our electric-ity sector towards natural gas, wind, solarand geothermal power.This is not a transformation to be feared;

it is an opportunity to be embraced.It will ensure Australia remains competi-

tive in the global low-carbon economy ofthe future and the Government will helphouseholds along the way with fair andgenerous assistance.

What the carbon pricemeans for you

THE celebration was held at Progress Hallon Sunday 12 February for Rishi BodhDiwas, the day that Swami DayanandSaraswatis enlightment began in the 1830s."when he was a teenager, he wanted to findtrue God, which led him to begin a personalquest, lasting nearly three decades, forknowledge revealing the true nature of god. The programme included Havan, Bhajans

and discussions on this specific topic.Swami Dayanand Saraswati was one of the

most radical socio-religious reformers inthe history of India. Swami Ji was thefounder of Arya Samaj and propagatedopen approach of the Vedas at a time whenwidespread casteism was prevalent in thesociety.Swami Dayanand stood up against the flow

of that powerful stream of ignorance,stopped the flow and spoke out strongly toawaken the people and warned them againstthe dangers of their ignorance and internalfights. He said GOD created one humanity,one religion and one path for peace andprosperity. That is the path shown by theVEDAS and demonstrated by the Rishisand the great sons who followed andpreached for the benefit of mankind. Theaim of a religious person is to create unityand peace in the world. If men and womenwant to have peace they should follow theteachings of the VEDAS.For Swami Dayanand Dharma is an all

embracing code of life and the Dharma themost rational, based as it is on Truth. He

wanted the people to be happy here on thisearth as well as later. Swami Ji resolved todevote his life to the service of his people,to raise them from degradation and igno-rance. Fortunately for him nature hadendowed him with intellect and understand-ing, health and strength, courage and will.He was marvellously equipped. The train-ing and education he had received alsostood him in good stead. His deep study ofthe ancient scriptures, his great knowledgeof Sanskrit proved of great value. Thus hecould prove not only by force of argumentand reasoning but by the authority of ourhighest scriptures, the VEDAS that idola-try, caste by birth, animal sacrifices andrestrictions of women from reading Vedasand other evil practices had no sanctionfrom the VEDAS.According to the Vedas there is only one

caste and that is humanity. We are allhumans by birth.

Jitendra DeoPresident

THE number of people seeking assis-tance from the Muslim CharitableFoundation is rapidly increasing due tothe Global Economic Crisis and thehigh cost of living in Brisbane.

More and more people are beingretrenched by large companies andmany small businesses are closingdown. MCF can only operate with the funds

that are donated to the accounts espe-cially set up for charitable purposes.We need to replenish the funds as theyare used up. Syria is in crisis and innocent people

are suffering due to the instability andruthlessness of the government. It ismostly the women and children who arethe ultimate casulties.

Please give generously, as lives aregreatly at risk. MCF will use the fundsfor medical assistance to send to Syria.The assistance will be distributed byHuman Appeal International.

The Emergency A/C is held in thename of the Muslim CharitableFoundation in the Bank of QueenslandBSB 124 155, Account Number20897395For more information contact Janeth

Deen - janethdeen@gmail.com

Janeth Deen

Muslim CharitableFoundation needsyour assistance

Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Qldcelebration of Dayanand Bodh Diwas

Information session for Punjabi-Sikh women onLooking after your child by looking after yourself

Sunday 18 March 2012at 2pm-3.30pmBrisbane Sikh Temple (Gurdwara Class room)269 Logan Rd, Eight

Mile Plains. Afternoon tea will be pro-vided from 3.30pm-4pm.

THISproject is in partnership with theBrisbane Sikh Temple (Gurdwara); QldCentre for Perinatal & Infant MentalHealth; Bicultural Mental Health ClinicalNurse and Qld Transcultural MentalHealth Centre. The information session will be facilitated

by: Liz de Plater, Service DevelopmentLeader - Satinder Kaur, Bicultural mental

Health Clinical Nurse -Jatinder Kaur, CulturalDiversity Consultant.Come and learn about: The importance of emo-tional wellbeing duringpregnancy Supporting the wellbeing

of yourself and your baby Ways to get through

tough timesFor more information, please contact

Jatinder Kaur on 0422 887 579

King of CakesTaringa to holdWorld's GreatestShave event

TARINGA, QLD, 29 February 2012 The King of Cakes is sponsoring theWorld's Greatest Shave event at theirstore in Taringa on the 17th of March,2012. Specially made for the event is theBald Doughnut which will go on salefor $2 a piece with proceeds from theevent going to the LeukaemiaFoundation.The Leukaemia Foundation started the

World's Greatest Shave event in 1998 tohelp raise funds to provide free practicaland emotional support to people withblood cancer and their families, as wellas investing millions in research. Theyhave raised in excess of $120 million sofar.The World's Greatest Shave event spon-

sored by King of Cakes will be held at144 Indooroopilly Rd. Taringa, QLD4068.

For more information on the WorldsGreatest Shave or to sign up please visithttp://www.worldsgreatestshave.com/

www.indiantimes.com.au THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 11Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Girmit Night 2012 early this yearBy Sarat Maharaj

INTERNATIONAL Congress for Fiji willagain be commemorating the annualGirmit Night 2012, except that it will beheld a few weeks earlier this year, onSaturday 28 April 2012 at McGregor StateSchool. Highlight of the evening function will be a

Sumptuous Dinner and a Grand Live IndianMusical Show by musical maestro, JosephAbhay Nand and other well-known localmusicians. It is anticipated that patrons willsecure their tickets early to avoid disap-pointment. Looking at the history, it will be 133 years,

on 14 May 2012, when Indians were firstbrought out to Fiji by the BritishGovernment in 1879. We can alwaysreflect on how Indians, under the inden-tured labour scheme in Fiji, struggled toprovide the best for their children. Theirmain aim was to provide a better educationfor their children, under very trying condi-tions. It was their vision and hard workwhich has seen hundreds of world classdoctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers,etc, graduate and make a mark worldwide. Today, some of the descendants have the

misfortune of living Girmit conditions allover again. Farmers have lost land,employment is scarce, but parents are still

striving to educate their children. This iswhere we come in. We, now living over-seas, can step forward and help. To do this International Congress for Fiji

raises much needed funds to provide schoolfees for poor students in forms 5, 6, 7, andFNU (Diploma Level only). Last year, wewere able to fund 1400 students in theamount of $141,000.00. Since 2002, wehave provided for more than 7500 studentsin the amount of $840,000.00. Please comeand support this event or just send yourdonation. For more information, you canphone 07 3263 2093, or visit our websitewww.icfi.org.au. With the current devastating floods in Fiji,

many schools building have been damaged;educational material & equipment inundat-ed with flood waters, and students have lostall school work. We are urging people tocome forward and donate generously, sothat we can help these students, just as wedid after February 2009 floods. This year again the public is eagerly wait-

ing to witness another grand musical nightby prominent musicians, such as, YousufAli Khan, Usha Chivukula, Joseph AbhayNand, Vir Chand (Sydney), Mohit Lal,Rajendra Prasad, Hari Mani, Nand Kumar,and many more.

So, dont miss out. Get your tickets early.

www.indiantimes.com.au12 THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Courtesy VHP

BSK Flemington Sanskrit School inaugura-tion ceremony was celebrated in a befittingmanner at Homebush Boys High Schoolpremises on 5 February 2012. The program started with taking the seats

by distinguished dignitaries Mr RajuVaranasi Director, NSW Curriculum &Learning Innovation Centre; Mr WilliamHilliard Deputy Principal, Homebush BoysHigh School; Mr Alex Di Prinzio EducationOfficer, NSW Federation of CommunityLanguage Schools; Mrs Nina ConomosLeader, NSW Curriculum & LearningInnovation Centre; Mr Narayan Dhimol,Community Leader, Nepal / BhutanCommunity, Parramatta Migrant ResourceCentre. The guests were greeted by applying holy

vermilion to their forehead. Mrs SumanaHebbar Coordinator & Teacher, BSKFlemington welcomed the dignitaries, par-ents and children, highlighting the impor-tance of the ceremony. This was followedby lighting of the lamp by honourable guestMr Raju Varanasi and chanting of theSanskrit poems / verses / slokas by BSKFlemington little nightingales. Mrs AkilaRamarathinam Secretary, VHP Australiaexplained in detail VHP activities through-out Australia emphasizing on the aims andgoals of VHP Australia in maintainingsocial cohesion, harmony, inclusiveness.She went on to say how Bala SamskaraKendra, Sydney Veda Patasala, HinduScripture classes are gaining momentumdrawing people from different backgroundsand culture.

Mr Raju Varanasi in his address to the

gathering mentioned he is honoured andhumbled to be a part of the ceremony,spoke about his attachment with the Vedicculture, urged people especially children tofollow the rich culture, making use of allthe facilities that the country is giving, andkeep the roots intact. He also said it washeart warming experience to light the aus-pious lamp. He further added that he isextremely happy and appreciate the effortsmade by VHP Australia for starting BSK /SVP, first Sanskrit school in the country(first school outside India) which teachesvedic chanting and vedic mathematics tothe children. There were two power point presentations

by BSK students: Sanskrit HiddenTreasure, BSK aims and objects & Sanskritin Britain. While the former glorifiedSanskrit, the later explained love and appre-ciation for Sanskrit by people of differentculture. Mr William Hilliard mentionedthe audience that Homebush Boys Schoolwas a multi-cultural centre occupied by dif-ferent communities organising one or theother activities. He also said the powerpoint presentations were informative and hecould gain some insight about Sanskrit. It isby his grace a venue to teach Sanskrit regu-larly is available. Mr Alex Di Prinzio inhis address to the audience said VHPAustralia unlike the other organisations iswell organised, working hard through itsactivities not only to keep the roots intactbut also for the peace and harmony of thecountry. He also said it is really a pleasureto work for such communities. Mrs NinaConomos in her speech said she is new andis looking forward to working with VHPAustralia and the Sanskrit teachers. She

also said that it is good to see the oldest lan-guage Sanskrit still in use when all its coun-terparts have vanished completely. MrNarayan Dhimol in his address mentionedclose cultural association of Nepal, Bhutanand Hindu communities; said it was his pri-ority to attend the inauguration ceremonyamidst of other activities because of hisroots with the Hindu culture. The program ended with the vote of thanks

by youth leader & coordinator Mr Arjun.He thanked all the distinguished dignitaries,teachers, parents and children for their valu-able presence in making the event a grandsuccess. He also thanked Mrs SaraswathiSashi of VHP for overall coordination andpromotion of BSKs. He also stated thatVHP of Australia President Mr Brij PalSingh has inaugurated another Sanskritschool on 5 February 2012 at WaitaraPublic School, Hornsby. Light referesh-ments were served after the event. BSK iscurrently operating in more than 6 suburbsin Sydney - Hornsby, Baulkham hills,Moorebank, Carlingford, Homebush, andToongabbie. Interstate in Melbourne and in

Brisbane as well, in one suburb each, start-ing last year.

For further information to enrol, kindlycontact Mrs Akila Ramarathinam, NationalSecretary on 8814 7016. Please visit website WWW.VHP.ORG.AU.

Vishva Hindu Parishad of Australia Inc. (World Hindu Council of Australia Inc)

Samskruta Jnana Mandira,Flemington inauguration ceremony

GOPIO Sydney hosted its 3rd successive"GOPIO Youth Achievers Awards Night- GYAAN 2012" to felicitate HSC stu-dents of NSW of Indian Origin on theirachievements in HSC 2011 exams.

The event was held on Sunday, 4thMarch 2012 at Pioneer Hall, CastleGrand, Castle Hill, NSW

Awards recognised at the ceremonyincluded (1) Academic - Students whoachieved ATAR 99 and above in 2011HSC exams; (2) Highest marks obtainedin HSC 2011 in Indian languages, dance,drama, music, photography, aviation &visual arts, and (3) State or Nationallevel achievement in sports by youthunder 21 years of age.

The evening began with instrumentalmusic while guests were arriving. Mrs.Lucky Singh, President GOPIO Sydney,formally welcomed everyone to theevent which was followed by theCeremonial Lamp lighting Ceremony. The Chief Guest for the function was

Hon. Harjeet Singh Sethi, Vice Consul,Indian Consulate in Sydney.Umesh Chandra, GOPIO International Co-

ordinator Oceanic/Pacific region spoke onGOPIO Internationals roles and objectives.

Matt Kean MP for Hornsby, representingPremier Hon. Barry OFarrell, NSW andTania Mihailuk MP for Bankstown, repre-senting Hon. John Robertson, leader of the

opposition, NSW, also spoke at the func-tion.

Mr. Sukhwinder Rajput, Joint SecretaryGOPIO Sydney thanked everyone for their

attendance.

The night featured many colourful culturalperformances and awards presentation.

Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland dinner functionFEDERATION of Indian Communities in Queensland(FICQ) held their first social evening for 2012 at RanglaPunjab Restaurant in New Farm on 2 March. The evening was to get to know the new committee

members and to acknowledge the achievements andawards of Mr Surendra Prasad, FICQ outgoing president,Mr Naidu Bodapati, FICQ incoming president, and MrShyam Das, the incoming president of GOPIOQueensland. The three have been awarded Glory of India Award by

India International Society in Delhi. Mr Surendra Prasadhas also been awarded the Lord Mayors Senior Citizenof the Year during Australia Day Celebration. Dr Maha Sinnnathamby emphasised the need for unity

and for someone from within the Indian Community topersue the Federal Politics.

Jim Varghese co-patron of FICQ read Naidu Bodapatisbio data. Peter Sarai spoke on the India House project andreflected on the proceedings of the last election. ShyamDas spoke on the Glory of India Award and on GOPIO.

Umesh Chandra complemented Naidu Bodapati ondemonstrating unity in the community, and said that helooked forward to working together for the commoninterest of the community. Anil Bakrania, as the MC, highlighted the aims and

objectives of FICQ. Treasurer Mul Chand looked afterthe sound for the night. The floor was left open to any-one who wanted to say anything on the night. CouncillorAngela Owen-Taylor, Garry Page and Janeth Deen tookup the offer and said few words on the evening.Sumptuous dinner was served on the table and cash barsevices were available.

GOPIO Sydney holds youth achievers awardsnight GYAAN 2012

Jim Varghese, Peter Sarai (pictured back), Honorary Consulof India Qld Mrs Archana Singh, Dr Maha Sinnathamby andAnil Bakrania.

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 13www.indiantimes.com.auCall Trudi on 07 3356 0102

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14 THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 www.indiantimes.com.au Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Council welcomes Ipswich youth councillors

SEVEN new faces will be helping to shapeIpswich as members of the 2012 IpswichYouth Advisory Council.

Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale and Youthand Seniors Committee ChairpersonCouncillor Sheila Ireland officially induct-ed the young people into their new roles ina ceremony last Monday (February 27) wit-nessed by family and friends.

Membership of the Ipswich YouthAdvisory Council's is open to young peopleaged from 12 to 17-years-old. The new members bring the groups total

membership to 21.Cr Pisasale said it was wonderful to wel-

come Nicola Anderson from Raceview;Alfred Durutamata from Redbank Plains;Annie Forsyth from Redbank Plains;Thomas Haslam from Brassall; JohnManupuna from Booval; Brittany Rodgersfrom North Ipswich and Marijke Vaughanfrom Brassall to their new roles.We look forward to working with them

over the coming year to further develop ourcity and ensure that the needs and dreams

of our young people are taking into consid-eration, he said.The Ipswich Youth Advisory Council is

all about giving a voice to Ipswichs youngpeople.The youth of today are brimming with

ideas about what they want this city tobecome in the future and the youth councilis the ideal place for them to have an activesay in how they can achieve these goals.Our youth council members are represen-

tatives of the next generation of our cityand I thoroughly enjoy spending time withthem listening to what they think and feel.Cr Ireland said she was looking forward

to working with the council membersthroughout 2012.The Ipswich Youth Advisory Council willbe involved in many exciting events andactivities this year including Ipswich'sNational Youth Week celebrations in April."Ipswich Youth Advisory Council members

also will be given training and developmentopportunities to further strengthen their pro-ject management, communication and pub-

lic speaking skills, she said.Cr Ireland said the Ipswich Youth Advisory

Council had been founded in 2007 to giveIpswich youth a special forum in whichthey could express a wide variety of viewsand ideas about issues affecting them. "The member's input is vital in assisting

the community and council to understandand support the current needs of young peo-ple."

Cr Ireland said the need for a youth advi-sory council in Ipswich was identifiedthrough a range of youth projects and ini-tiatives. "Ipswich's young people were keen to be

given the chance to have an input into theirlocal community. "Council members to date have been full of

interesting ideas and suggestions forIpswich."

State Member for Ipswich West Wayne Wendt, Youth and Seniors Committee ChairpersonCouncillor Sheila Ireland, new youth council member Alfred Durutamata and Ipswich Mayor PaulPisasale.

New youth council members (from left) Thomas Haslam, Brittany Rodgers and Marijke Vaughan.

www.indiantimes.com.au THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 15Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

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www.indiantimes.com.au16 THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Ioriginally wrote this article inMay last year about the IndoFijian conventions in Fiji duringEaster carnivals. Fast approachingis Easter 2012 in April. Sportingreligious and ethnic teams inAustralia, New Zealand, Canadaand USA would be well gearingup for their respective outings inFiji in April with fundraisingefforts.Since there is no feedback on the

article I wrote last year, I wish torevisit it, hoping for someresponse this year, at least fromthose ladies who I feel are dispos-sessed by their communities ininternationally-defying discrimi-natory manner.Indo Fijian Conventions duringEasterTraditionally Easter had been atime for the Christian communi-ties in Fiji to immerse in prayersof the Lord and indulge in solemnreligious activities. On the otherhand, in a deeply religious Fijiwith harmonious interfaith activi-ties, Indo Fijians of Hindu, Sikhand Islamic faiths use this as asporting and social occasionwhere Indo Fijian Diaspora fromaround the world descend in Fijiin show of family, religious andethnic unity.

The Gujaratis, the AndhraSangam, the Sikhs, Then IndiaSanmarga Ikya Sangam (TISI),Sanatan and Muslims gather indifferent towns and cities of Fijiduring Easter. During this period,the whole country would beswarming with NRIF NonResident Indo Fijian.Consequently, no rental carswould be available, most localhotels would be booked out and

tourism from the former residentswith stronger foreign dollarswould be good boost for Fijistourism and economy.

Unlike the religious nature ofHindu, Sikh and Muslim gather-ings, the TISI is more about eth-nicity and South Indian ancestry.While most are Sanatanis orHindus, some are also Christiansor of other faiths, but all are freeto participate as long as they haveSouth Indian heritage on the maleside only. Even children of SouthIndian males married in otherraces like Europeans and i-Taukei,can participate. This diversity isso commendable.Challenges for overseas affili-ates The problem and criticism thatSangam has been facing is itsmale-oriented, some may call itmale chauvinistic, conventionswhere one is considered a SouthIndian only through paternal links.I have a niece who is married to aSouth Indian and her husbandattended a Sangam forum inBrisbane that addressed the chal-lenges the overseas Sangam affili-ates were facing, which any eth-nicity-based organisation wouldface in the globalised village. Hesaw the problems that an organisa-tion like Sangam faced wheremembership was restricted to peo-ple who have a paternal SouthIndian link. He felt that it wouldbe a bonus if their girls married a

South Indian, but this is not so.Hence, they could not continue tohave TISI type of groupings ofsocials/cultural groups becausethe future generations may notcare and these organisationswould die a natural death if theyfail to adopt.HistoryHistorically, the South Indiansfaced great hardship and difficul-ties pre and post girmit era.Through all this developed theSangam, now TISI, to protect theirheritage. They have done a greatdeal more, together with other gir-mit communities. Even todaythey stand tall in ownership ofschools, temples, nursing school,the ability to organise the conven-tion in international style,womens groups, youth groupsand all facets of an ethnic organi-sation.The advancement of Indo Fijians

in general and South Indians inparticular has now made the orig-inal purpose of the birth ofSangam somewhat obsolete. Nowthings have to change to attractthe younger generations. Theyshould not be put off by compli-cated and unexplained rituals, andrestrictions placed by a past gener-ation for reasons that may beobsolete now. Sangam is not areligious grouping, as most SouthIndians are Sanatanis or Hindus.Sangam is an ethnic group. That iswhy we have so many SouthIndians playing in Sanatan Soccerteams, but vice versa may not bethe case because of restrictiverules of the past which have nowbecome out of date, unsuitableand even arguable.Sangam discrimination defies

international laws My friend Sada Sivan Naicker,who now heads TISI, is married tohis high school sweet- heart,Sarita, who happens to be a NorthIndian. Sadas son Nitesh can playin Sangam tournament and is eli-gible for Sangam membership. Heis classed a Madrasi or SouthIndian because his father is aSouth Indian. However Sadasdaughter Aarti is married to aNorth Indian Pundit family andher children therefore cannot bemembers of Sangam or participatein its sporting activities.Such gender discrimination goes

against the spirit of human rightslaws of most progressive democ-racies where our Diaspora has set-tled. This obviously could be soonchallenged in court in this glob-alised world if Sangam does notcome to terms with the globalisa-tion of Indo Fijians in general, andmixed South Indians in particu-lar. This rule may need revisiting.The advent of modern education,

westernisation and more liberalthinking has led to many intermar-riages and this will cause prob-lems for Sangam worldwide.Hence Sangam should reconsiderand be pro-active before they areclassed as hypocrites who adoptthe good western ways, opportuni-ties and wealth of the First Worldwhile embracing Third World gen-der and ethnic discrimination.Perhaps it is time TISI heeded the

message that the retiredInternational Judge and Fijisstatesman Hon Justice Jai RamReddy gave during SangamConvention in 2003:Lest we forget, let us remind our-

selves once again that Sangam

was conceived in benevolence.The name itself stands for comingtogether of people and the partic-ipatory process that it entails. Itwas born out of adversity that intimes that were equally dark. ... Iurge you to work for the good ofall the people of this country.Take it from strength to strength sothat we can all be proud to belongto the Sangam family.

Therefore the message forSangam and all other participantsduring Easter convention was ofcoming together in this participa-tory process to unite throughhuman values of love, and com-passion.

Commodore Bainimaramasvision for Fiji is a country, its peo-ple and its politics devoid ofracism, with a country where weall are now Fijians. This gen-erosity was bestowed to IndoFijians by an i-Taukei who wantsto see a united Fiji. I am now aproud Fijian, as well as a NewZealander, thanks to dual citizen-ship amendment.Yet, it is ironical indeed that Indo

Fijians continue to discriminateagainst their own people a dis-crimination based on gender andethnicity! Go ahead Sangam, make my day

and reconsider such divisive anddiscriminatory rules!

(E-mail: thakurji@xtra.co.nz)(Thakur Ranjit Singh is a media com-mentator, a community worker, aTrustee of Sanatan NZ and Boardmember of Waitakere Ethnic Boardand Waitakere Indian Association. Heis CEO of Media Relations Limited -public relations, media promotionsand Communications Company basedin Auckland.)

Revisiting Indo Fijian Easter conventions in Fiji

Thakur Ranjit SinghNew Zealand

Net closes on tax cheatsCourtesy Sudesh Aggarwal

THE Australian Taxation Office(ATO) is making it harder forpeople in business who deliber-ately use cash transactions tohide income and evade tax oblig-ations - making it fairer foreveryone. This includes businesses: * paying cash in hand wages * skimming some or all of thecash takings * running a part of their normalbusiness activities off the books * not reporting barter transac-tions* operating underground; avoid-ing their obligations by not regis-tering or lodging returns.The ATO strategies to tackle thecash economy and detect thesebusinesses doing the wrong thinginclude:* the publication of benchmarkswhich provide a guide as to theexpected profitability on over100 business industries* educating the broader commu-nity about the risks of not gettinga receipt for cash jobs, * reviewing the records of busi-nesses to ensure they are report-ing all business income andexpenses, and * acting on information receivedfrom the community on suspect-ed tax evasion.

The focus of this work is onindustries which have readyaccess to cash in their businessdealings. Examples include busi-nesses in the hospitality industrysuch as coffee shops as well asthe building and constructionindustry. Another key and expanding way

of detecting businesses whichcheat the community is throughdata matching. Data matching isa key program used by the ATOto identify those who are either

not lodging returns or who arenot reporting all income withmore than 500 million transac-tions matched in the past year. This expanding net now includescoffee suppliers and hardwarestore trade account information,with their customers purchaseinformation being available tothe ATO. From this information,the ATO will be able to tell if abusiness is skimming cash.

As detailed in theCommonwealth Gazette on 22February 2012, informationreceived about coffee shops buy-ing more than 15 kilograms ofcoffee a week from suppliers willbe checked by the ATO to ensurethey are reporting all their busi-ness income.Individuals and businesses hold-

ing a hardware store tradeaccount with annual purchases of$10,000 or more will also attractclose scrutiny from the ATO,with data on purchases andreported income being crosschecked. The ATO will also be given data

on complaints and licensinginformation from New SouthWales Fair Trading, QueenslandBuilding Services Authority andGovernment of South AustraliaConsumer and Business Servicesto identify those in the buildingindustry who use cash transac-tions to avoid tax or fail to reportcorrectly.

Second Commissioner ofTaxation Bruce Quigley said themessage to tax cheats is clear with increasing sources of infor-mation coming to the ATO, if youdont play by the rules, you aremore likely to be caught andpenalised.

For more information about ATOdata matching programs visitwww.ato.gov.au/datamatching

Submitted by Sundar Gopal Das

ON March 8 was Holi, markingthe end of the spring season inIndia and the holi festivities.After the harsh winter months,comes spring bringing joy to thepeople with the blossoming offlowers and crops. Holi is a festival of colours, joy

and gaiety. People celebrate Holiby colouring others with thecolours and it is an occasion toforget all differences of race,caste or creed and share feelingsof goodwill and mutual love andrespect towards all.Holi also signifies the day when

demoness Holika was burnt onpyre. Once in Satya Yuga, demon Hiranyakasipuwas ruling the material world, causing terror towhole world and was the arch enemy of LordVisnu. Prahlad, his five year old son, however wasa strong devotee of Lord Visnu. Seeing that Prahlad would not deviate from his

devotion to Lord Visnu and accept Hiranyakasipuas the Lord of the world, Hiranyakasipu tried vari-ous means to kill Prahlad. This included throwingPrahlad beneath the feet of big elephants, throwinghim amongst poisonous snakes, throwing him fromtop of a mountain, giving him poison and throwingheavy stones to crush him. Prahlad calmly tolerat-ed all these without giving up faith in the Lord ordeveloping enmity towards his father.Seeing Hiranyakasipus exasperation because of

not being able to kill Prahlad, demoness Holikaapproached her brother Hiranyakasipu with a sug-gestion. She was given a boon by Lord Brahma thatshe could not be burnt by fire. She offered to takePrahlad and enter into a pyre. However when thepyre was lit, she was burnt instead of Prahlad andPrahlad came out unscathed.Sri Krishna states in Bhagavad Gita O Arjuna,

You should declare it boldly that My one-pointeddevotee never perishes. The boon of Lord Brahmawas nullified as it was used it to harm a devotee of

the Lord.In the pastimes of Prahlad,

two important qualities areshown. One is the qualityof tolerance and equanimi-ty. Even in the midst ofgreat difficulties and evendeath, Prahlad never retali-ated against his father. Heaccepted everything as thewill of the Lord. LordBrahma once prayed to SriKrishna One who acceptsas Your mercy the results ofhis own actions as well asthe happiness and distressof his karma, who enduresthem with an undisturbedmind, and who maintainshis life by offering himself

unto You by body, mind and words, is eligible toattain Your lotus feet, which are the shelter of lib-eration. Prahlad is the personification of thisprayer.Later when the Lord appeared as Lord Nrsimha

and killed Hiranyakasipu, Prahlad prayed to theLord to forgive his father for the crimes he hadcommitted.The second quality Prahlad was his unwavering

faith in the Lord and selfless devotion to the Lordin the midst of all obstacles and difficulties. Afterkilling Hiranyakapisu, Lord Nrsimha asked Prahladto ask for a benediction. Prahlad replied by sayinghe was not a merchant and he was not worshippingthe Lord to get something in return. After persistentrequests from the Lord to ask for a benediction,Prahlad replied by praying to the Lord to not haveany material desires and the Lord to help all theliving entities who are entangled in this worldbecause of their desire for sense gratification. The festival of Holi gives us the pious message

that we too should face the obstacles coming ourway with tolerance and honour for all. Whateverthe odds against us may be, keeping Prahlad as ourideal, let us not allow our faith in God to waver.Any comments or questions, please contact us on

bhaktibrisbane2010@gmail.com.

Holi

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 17Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

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Narayanasamy has opened Business again at 127 Leybourne Street, Chelmer, returning after the floods in January 2011 with more items from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and South East Asian spices all under one roof!

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www.indiantimes.com.au18 THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Superannuation - whatemployees need to know

Courtesy Sudesh Aggarwal

SUPERANNUATION is money saved overyour lifetime to provide for your retire-ment. If you're eligible, your employer hasto pay super contributions for you in addi-tion to your pay. This amount is generallyequal to 9% of your wage. If you think that your employer is not pay-

ing you the super they are meant to, we canhelp you.Am I eligible to receive super contribu-tions?Generally your employer must pay superfor you if:* you are 18 to 69 years old and earn morethan $450 a calendar month before tax; or* you are under 18 years of age earningmore than $450 a calendar month and workmore than 30 hours per week.

This applies whether you work casual,part-time or full-time hours and if you are atemporary resident. You may also be eligi-ble if you are a contractor who is paid pri-marily for labour even if you have anAustralian business number (ABN). This means that generally, if more than

half your contract value is for your ownpersonal labour and you cannot delegateyour work to others, you are considered tobe an employee for superannuation guaran-tee purposes. What do I do if I think my employer isnot paying my super?Step 1Talk to your employer. Ask how often theyare paying your super, into which fund theyare paying it and how much they are pay-ing. Step 2Check your last Member statement fromyour super fund or contact the fund to con-firm whether your employer has paid yoursuper.Step 3If you have followed steps 1 and 2 and stillbelieve your employer is not paying thesuper you are entitled to, you can make anenquiry by calling the Australian TaxationOffice (ATO) on 13 10 20.If you do not speak English well and want

to make an enquiry, phone the Translatingand Interpreting Service on 13 14 50. What information do I need to provide ifI lodge an enquiry?When you lodge an enquiry with the ATOwe will ask for:* your contact details and if you give per-mission for us to use your name when con-

tacting your employer (you can ask us notto give your name)* your employer's contact details (includingbusiness address) * your employer's ABN (from your lastpayment summary or from the employer'sletterhead)* your current employment arrangement(casual, part-time, full-time or contractor)* when you started employment with youremployer* details of the problem (period of non pay-ment/under payment including the monthand year).You will also need to provide informationon whether you:* were paid at least $450 before tax in acalendar month.* checked with your employer and superfund if any super has been paid. We mayalso need your super funds name and yourmembership number * were offered a choice of super fund. Youremployer should have offered you a choiceof fund Standard choice form (NAT13080) to complete. If so, we will need thedate the form was given to you.Protecting your privacy when you phoneusIf you phone us, we need to know that weare talking to the correct person before dis-cussing your personal tax affairs. It will behelpful if you know your tax file number(TFN). To prove who you are, you willneed to provide three of the followingitems:* your residential, business, postal or emailaddress* your telephone number * your date of birth * details from an ATO letter * your account details, such as the amountof your last tax refund or payment* your bank account details* your TFNWhat process do we follow to investigateunpaid super enquiries?Once you lodge a query, we will keep youupdated about the progress of your case bysending you a letter. The letters will be sentto the postal address for your TFN, so it isimportant to tell us if you change address.ContactTo find out more, you can call the ATO on13 10 20.If you do not speak English well and want

to talk to a tax officer, phone theTranslating and Interpreting Service on 1314 50

Article by The Ministerfor Climate Change

and Energy EfficiencyGreg Combet

SMALL business ownersare amongst the hardestworking and most dynamicpeople in Australia. Andtheir hard work deliversbenefits for us all.They build businesses from

the ground up, providingopportunities for their fami-lies and communities, creat-ing jobs and contributing tothe wider economysstrength.

That is why the GillardGovernment has recognisedthe special role of smallbusiness in designing itscarbon price policy.

We have ensured thenations small businesseswill not be covered by thecarbon price.We have also ensured there

will be no extra red tape orgovernment regulationunder this policy.And we are giving practicalhelp, including tax relief, tosmall businesses so theycan make cost savings.Because there has been a

lot of misinformation aboutthe carbon price, I want toexplain how this policy willwork and what it will meanto people running smallbusinesses.We are introducing a car-

bon price because respectedscientists have advised theGovernment that climatechange poses a threat to ourenvironment and our way oflife.They have told us the worstimpacts of climate changecan be avoided if the worldreduces the amount of car-bon pollution being put intothe atmosphere.The carbon price will help

achieve this. It is not a taxon households or on smallbusinesses. In fact, the carbon pricing

mechanism will only applyto large-scale businesses around 500 companieswhich put very largeamounts of carbon pollutioninto the atmosphere.

From 1 July 2012 these500 big polluters will paythe Government a price foreach tonne of carbon pollu-tion they put into the atmos-phere. This will providethem with incentives tolower their pollution whichwill be good for our envi-ronment.Small businesses will not

be covered by the carbonpricing mechanism. Smallbusiness owners will nothave to count or monitortheir carbon pollution orelectricity use. They willnot have to fill in a singleextra form.Some of the big polluters

may pass on price rises totheir customers. The mainarea where this is likely willbe electricity prices.

But the impact on mostsmall businesses is expectedto be small.

The Council of SmallBusiness of Australia hasprovided the Governmentwith a breakdown of thecosts of a typical smallretail business in a suburbanshopping centre.The electricity price impact

this typical small shopsrunning costs is just 0.66per cent. This means thebusiness owner can recoverthe cost increase through asmall increase in prices. Insome other businesses wehave spoken to the electric-ity cost increase is less -sometimes just 0.1 or 0.2per cent.

While the impact will bemodest, the Governmentrecognises that every dollarcounts for small businesses.That is why we are intro-

ducing three new measuresto help small businesses on top of existing govern-ment small business assis-tance.

First, there will be taxrelief.The small business instant

asset write-off thresholdwill be increased to $6,500from the 2012-13 tax year.For example, the owner of

a small cafe might spend$6,000 on a new storagefreezer which is more ener-gy efficient. The businessowner can immediatelywrite-off the value of thenew freezer and this willmean tax savings andincreased cash flow.

Second, the Governmentwill establish a $40 millionprogram of energy efficien-cy information grants.These will go to industryassociations and organisa-tions which have estab-lished relationships withsmall businesses.These groups will deliver

information to small busi-nesses about the implica-tions of the Governmentscarbon price and how totake practical steps toreduce energy costs.

Thirdly, the Governmentwill provide $5 million inextra funding for cleantechnology advice and sup-port for small and mediumsized businesses.

Small businesses make avital contribution to eco-nomic and communityactivity. That is why theGovernment has designedits carbon price policy tosupport these businesses.

The Carbon Price and Small Business

Courtesy Sudesh Aggarwal

ACTING Tax Commissioner DavidButler warned communities in north-west Melbourne of a scam targetingunemployed locals and encouraged vic-tims to make contact with the ATO.

Victims report that they have beenoffered assistance to claim a $3000 cashbonus from the government for beingunemployed, if they made a $1000 pay-ment and provided their personal detailsto the scammers.

Our investigations reveal that scam-mers are using victims personal detailsin order to illegally claim the EducationTax Refund (ETR) from the ATO,Acting Tax Commissioner David Butlersaid. This is illegal and any money issued

will have to be paid back. Victims onlybecome aware that anything illegal hasoccurred once they are audited by theATO and asked to provide supportingdocumentation.While the ATO intends to use the full

force of the law against promoters of thisscam we still urge people to be on alert. Remember, the ATO will never ask you

to pay money to receive a special govern-ment payment. If you have beenapproached or involved in some way youshould contact the ATO immediately byphoning 13 28 61 so that we can assistyou.Alternatively, people who have difficul-

ty with English can contact the ATOsTranslating and Interpreting Service on13 14 50.

ATO warns: dont beled astray by scammers

BUYING an established business ratherthan starting a new business can be agood option for many potential businessowners.

Established businesses come with anexisting customer base and you canstart trading straight away. However,you may also inherit any problems thatthe business has. You need to knowexactly what you're signing up for, andbe clear about your ability to run abusiness.

Buying a business is a complex andtime-consuming process. You will needto investigate - in detail - the businessyou plan to buy, making sure it is feasi-ble and has a well-developed market forits products or services. You will have to check business records,

plans and operations, and familiariseyourself with your competitors and theindustry. You will also need to checkthat the business has the appropriatelicences, permits and registrations andfind out which ones can be transferredto you. Buying a business is a serious invest-

ment. You should always seek profes-sional legal and financial advice beforesigning any documents. business.gov.au is a website provided

by the government and is a useful toolfor those considering going into busi-ness. Please visit www.business.gov.aufor more information.

Source:www.business.qld.gov.au/business-startup-options/buying-a-business/index.html

Tips for buyinga business

Beware of flood repair scammersResidents and businesses should be on guardfor dodgy traders tricks following the floods

The majority of traders working on floodclean-up and repairs are honest and fair, butit is likely that some unscrupulous traderswill be drawn to flood areas to prey on thedesperation of householders and businesses.

Unscrupulous traders offer everythingfrom roof repairs and electrical work toresurfacing damaged driveways, but theyrenot always the godsend they appear to be. They may be unlicensed and unqualified,

providing sub-standard work or failing todo what they say they will. Itinerant traders often offer guarantees of

which could be extremely difficult toenforce after they leave the region. Rules that give consumers a 10 business

day cooling-off period for work costingmore than $100 doesnt apply when emer-gency repairs are needed after natural disas-ters. Consumers must be even more vigilant at

a time when they are probably feeling over-whelmed and vulnerable. Contact your insurer for information and

advice before engaging anyone to performemergency repairs. If you are approached by a company you

dont know, go online to check their web-site. Call their head office to confirm theirexistance, or check with someone else intown if theyve used the traders services.

Ask the trader for identification. If the jobrequires building work, ask for a BuildingServices Authority licence to demonstratethey are licensed to perform that work. Ask for a contract and ensure all paper-

work including quotes, invoices, andreceipts has the traders name, AustralianBusiness Number (ABN) and address on it. Dont feel pressured to take up an offer

on the spot. Do some research, seek quotesand most importantly, give yourself time tothink it through. Check quotes carefully to avoid being

overcharged. Some unscrupulous tradersadd extra square metres or deliberately mis-calculate the job.

Fore more information: To report any suspicious business activityto the Office of Fair Trading, visit www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au or call 13 QGOV (13 74 68) Consumers can contact the StateEmergency Service (SES) for help follow-ing a storm or flood on 132 500 To check if a tradesman is licensed to per-form the type of work you need, visitwww.bsa.qld.gov.au For information on how the SES can helpin the evnet of a disaster visitwww.emergency.qld.gov.au/ses.

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 19www.indiantimes.com.auCall Trudi on 07 3356 0102

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www.indiantimes.com.au20 THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, March, 2012 Call Trudi on 07 3356 0102

Mohit Tolani - Young Achiever ofthe Year NomineeAGED 23, Mohit is currentlyliving on the Gold Coast andis in his second year of studyfor his Dentistry degree. Priorto commencing his dentalstudies at Griffith Universityhe completed a degree inMedical Sciences with hon-ours in pathology at theUniversity of Sydney and alsohas a diploma of management.He has been an active volun-

teer and believes that he has garnered sig-nificant experiences and accomplishmentswithin the academic, community ser-vices/volunteering and the leadership sec-tor.Over the past year he has embarked on

several new projects in Queensland and hascontinued some form previous years whichare based in NSW. Below are some of theprojects that Mohit has undertaken;* Establishment of a successful sponsor-ship/corporate-relations division for theGriffith University Dental StudentsAssociation (GUDSA): Currently, as itssponsorship director, GUDSA has pro-gressed significantly with several compa-nies being its sponsors. This has resulted insuccessful delivery of several academicseminars, social events and upcomingfutures/careers information nights.* Development and planning of events withthe Griffith Innovation Challenge (GIC)program: * Science Mentoring and LeadershipProgram (SMLP) at the University ofSydney: * Establishment of the Rotaract Club ofSouthport: After his work with Rotaract inNSW previously, in 2011, a group of inter-ested young individuals and Mohit formedthe Rotaract Club of Southport, based on

the Gold Coast. he was appointedTreasurer for 2011-2012. Theclub has since its charteringraised funds for various charitableinitiatives such as Lifestrawsfoundation, supplying waterpurification lifestraws to the HaitiEarthquake victims, end poliomovement and many other localorganisations. The club organisesvarious fundraising events suchas the professional development

day for youth, Gold Coast winter sleepoutand charity trivia night.* Gold Coast branch of the AustralianIndigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME): * Rural community work withHope4Health: Mohit has been recognised for his contri-

butions / achievements and has receivedover 20 awards thus far including 2011NSW highly commended Youth volunteerof the Year Award for excellence in thefield of Community Services.

When asked what advice/motivation hewould give to his peers, he answered;Home to incredible diversity, it is the youththat are the future building blocks whowould strengthen the multicultural frame-work of this nation. In order to do this, it isimperative to understand what the commu-nity needs for its successful progression.Therefore, constructive contribution to thecommunity via volunteerism/communityservice is significant in making a positivedifference at the grass root level. Eachopportunity is gold and hence, i urge themto take it and not let it go to waste, as younever know which door of success it mayknock on. Above all, success is a combina-tion of 99% perspiration and 1% aspira-tion. With hard work, opportunity and ded-ication, success is inevitable.

A message from the Editor...THE Commonwealth Bank &Brisbane Indian Times 2012Multicultural Business &Community Awards will beheld on 20 April at Michael'sFunction Centre, Eight MilePlains.In the lead up to the award presentations,

Brisbane Indian Times will be featuringsome of the nominated businesses that arein the running for an award. The featurednominees are in no particular order andthose featured are not necessarily finalists.The nominee feature is designed to high-light achievements of the nominees and toinform you of the company / individual his-tory, achievements and vision for the future.The information published on each nomineehas been extracted from the selection crite-ria supplied by each nominee. Please notethat each article is only a brief descriptionof the nominee, a more detailed profile ofall nominated will be on our website soon.

The next stage for the nominees is thejudging stage. Selection criteria was sent toall nominees and valid entries werereturned by 29 February. The panel of

judges will go over all infor-mation sent and using a pointsystem will determine the win-ner of each category. Judgeswill look at aspects such asleadership, community partici-

pation, hardship endured, growth, innova-tion and customer service. The finalists ineach category will be contacted by BrisbaneIndian Times to organise a suitable time fora video interview that will be used at theaward presentation should they be success-ful and win their nominated category.I do have to report that not all nominees

will go through the judging process, this isdue to lack of participation by way of nonereturn of the selection criteria by the nomi-nee. It is disappointing not only for us butalso for the person who took the time tonominate the business / individual for anaward. We congratulate all nominated businesses /

individuals on your achievements thus farand wish you well for the judging process.

Readers are invited to attend the awardpresentation, tickets