indian weekender 12 february 2016

8/20/2019 Indian Weekender 12 February 2016

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12 February, 2016 • Vol. 7 Issue 45 • www.iwk.co.nz

NZ’s first Kiwi-Indian weekly newspaper

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12 February 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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2 CONTENTS

New ZealandAn evening ofnostalgia atMd Ra concert

FijiThe sacred rock

part-II

FeaturesLove makes theworld go hmmm

Beehive2016 job prospectsstrong for those intomaking things

IndiaHow a soldier

survived for 6 daysburied under snow

TechmateSelf-driving cars— where are they going?

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www.iwk.co.nz | 12 February 2016

l

3SPECIAL FEATURE

The rise of the Kiwi Indian SWATI SHARMA &

MAYA SHIVAM

Statistics New Zealand has

indicated a growing trend in the

number of people immigrating

to New Zealand. This gure has been boosted by the numbers of students

from India and China. Amongst the

long-term immigrants, though, after

the number of people returning

from Australia, the largest inux of

skilled migrants, is from India. This

phenomenon is also not new and

the numbers of skilled migrants

from India has been

consistently high and

rising. Although initially

it seemed like the

immigration policy

was designed to keep

Indians/Asians out, allit has really done is slightly

changed the kind of people

arriving on our shores.

The Indians now arriving

are skilled, equipped

and ready to form a

signicant part of the

workforce.

It is indeed a matter

of pride that the ve

per cent of the total Kiwi population contributes to over

eight per cent to the New Zealand economy and growing.

That is a real indicator of the growing face of the Kiwi

Indian. Coming from a country which does not have dole

or any such social-benet system, we come engrained with the capacity and attitude to work hard, persevere

and make our place. It is thus not surprising to see that

Indians today are truly contributing in all signicant

spheres in the community. We have always been known

for our business acumen, however, we are now making

our presence in the Public Sector, the Emergency

Services, the Medical Services, the Corporate and Finance

sectors and even New Zealand Politics. The Kiwi Indians

are now a growing force that can no longer be overlooked.

It is a voice that is being heard loud and clear and the

one medium that never pulls back from bringing

out such positive stories of the Indian

community is Indian Weekender. Indeed, we speak the

language of the community and are the kaleidoscope of the

Kiwi Indian community to the world.

This is our 200th issue and we want to celebrate along

with the entire community. After all, it is only becauseof our readers, advertisers, supports and friends that we

have been able to be the number one choice of the people.

A publication that was born in the thick of the recession,

one that the pundits predicted would die before the end of

its rst year, stands tall and proud and now 200 (issues)

strong. The journey has not been easy, denitely not a

bed of roses. We have been assailed by many storms and

persecutions, brickbats and stones but the one thing that

has kept us going is the support from our community.

Thank you for your support!

– Team Indian Weekender


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4 SPECIAL FEATURE

Even though we feature the success stories of migrants having settled in New Zealand, we decided that on the occasion ofour 200th issue we will bring out a little slice of the various fields that the Kiwi Indians are engaged in and contributing in.Needless to say, each one has behind them, their own unique story of hard work, perseverance, and persistence to makethis “God’s own country” their home. This 200th issue is dedicated to the rising face of the Kiwi Indian.

Ajay Kumar

Managing Director,Global Financial services Ltd

Immigration Status: Citizen

A jay arrived in New Zealand in 1998 with his wife and two children. Hesingle-handedly started his company

and is now one of the largest mortgage

advisers and a leading insurance advisor

in New Zealand. He is a proud father of a son who is a qualied

software engineer and MBA, and a daughter who has majored in

Property Finance and Commerce. Ajay gives the credit of his success to

his customers, his team, banks, insurance companies and well-wishers.

Mahesh Ranchhod

CEO, Ranchhod Property Group andRanchhod Foundation.


The Ranchhod Group is a group of NewZealand and Australian companiesdesigned to invest in and manage

commercial properties in Australia and

beyond.

Born and brought up in New Zealand, Mahesh moved 14 years

ago from Wellington to shift from car, rental and nance industries

to property business opportunities in Auckland. During the global

nancial crisis in 2008, the Ranchhod group ceased the opportunity

by purchasing commercial real estate in Auckland CBD and gradually

expanded their business to Australia. Now the group has oces in

Sydney and Brisbane and is soon opening one in Wellington.

Mahesh’s wife- Tejal Ranchhod, a Chartered Accountant, is also

involved in the Ranchhod Group as the senior accountant while his

father Raman Ranchhod- QSM also continues to serve the group even

after retirement.

Mahesh bears a passion for property and to serve humanity. The

Ranchhod Foundation is involved in many philanthropic projects to

help those in genuine need for the basics in life such as food, water and

shelter. Mahesh recently travelled and personally contributed to the

relief operations for the earthquake-hit Nepal with trucks of blankets

and food supplies. The foundation also helps the local community in

New Zealand with various projects such as Star Ship Hospital and

Shanti Niwas Emergency Housing Project for abused elderly. The

foundation has also established a hospital in India.

The foundation is also a part of various humanitarian projects around

the world such as World Vision, Fiji Humanitarian Aid, fee sponsorship

for students from India, free medical camps and eye check-up camps

in India. There are several other humanitarian projects in the pipeline.

Sekhar Bandyopadhyay

Director, New Zealand India ResearchInstitute;

Head, School of History, Philosophy,Political Science and InternationalRelations

Professor of Asian History

Immigration status: Citizen

Sekhar has been living in New Zealandfor almost 24 years now. She holdstwo administrative positions at Victoria University of Wellington and

also teaches courses on modern Indian history. He lived with his wife

Srilekha and daughter Sohini who is currently nishing a law degree at

Victoria Law School. He joined Victoria University in 1992 as a young

lecturer in History with the duty of teaching modern Indian history.

From there he gradually rose to the position of Professor in 2006 and

was appointed Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Humanities and Social

Sciences. In 2012, he was appointed the inaugural director of newly

established New Zealand India Research Institute. In January 2016,

he was given the additional duty of heading the School of History,

Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations.

In 2009 he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand—

the most prestigious academic honour in this country. In his academic

career he has written six books and edited or co-edited eight books. In

2014, for his book Decolonization in South Asia, the Government of

West Bengal, India honoured him with the ‹Rabindra Smriti Puraskar›,

its highest literary award.

Jeet Suchdev

Founder, Bhartiya Samaj CharitableTrust; Social worker


Jeet moved to New Zealand in 1987 andran successful businesses in hospitalityand tourism sectors. He founded BSCT

in 1995 to full his dream to serve the

community and assist the vulnerable to

build a stronger and cohesive community.

Under his leadership and guidance BSCThas evolved to become a successful community organisation and has

been recognised for its work. Jeet is a Justice of peace and recipient

of Queen Service Medal. He is currently a trustee of the Auckland

Regional Migrant Centre and an ex-member of Auckland Mayor›s

Ethnic People’s Advisory Panel. He is believer of ‘service to man is

service to God’ and wishes to continue oering his services for the

betterment of the community.

Chirag Sinh Solanki Academician and Thespian,

Owner, International College of NewZealand,

Secretary, Rangmanch


Chirag is living in New Zealandsince 2001 and has been through arollercoaster of ups and downs. Chirag is

a follower of Christ and says that when the

Bible says that ‘the promised-land is the land of honey and milk’, God

might have meant Aotearoa. He says that the challenges that this land

threw upon him have only helped him reach where he is today. He is

married to the reigning Mrs India New Zealand Rupal Solanki. His sonSiddhraj is a hard core cricket and soccer lover and has been awarded

the Player of the Year 2015. Theatre is at the core of the Solanki family

as they spend most of their weekends and couple of evening every

week, over nine months of the year in script writing, script reading,

and drama rehearsals.

Nilesh Dasharath Redekar

Transportation Planner


Nilesh’s journey in New Zealand beganin 2006 as a student in Canterbury

University and he was lucky enough tosecure a job in the council after his studies.The Kiwi-land has given him manyopportunities at personal, professionaland social level.


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Prabhu Singh

Accountant


Prabhu belongs to a business class familyfrom Mumbai and moved to New Zealandin 2004. He realised the potential in property

investment in New Zealand and has been

actively involved in property investment eversince. Having a nance background, he opted

to utilise his expertise in the area and worked

in the same eld to ensure a good lifestyle and spend quality time with the

family as well. He enjoys a great social circle and social recognition that

comes with his wife Kashika Singh’s profession as a radio jockey. Being a

“Mumbaikar” and having also lived in the fast lane in Dubai for a number of

years, New Zealand provided the perfect contrast giving him the perfect work

and family life balance. It is a decision which he says he will never regret.

Gurpreet Sidhu

Yoga instructor,


Gurpreet turned her passion and lovefor yoga into her profession andis now helping others transform their

lives though the ancient Indian healing

mechanism. After arriving in New Zealand

in 2001 and being a qualied Yoga teacher,

Gurpreet decided to dedicate her life to

the service of people by sharing her knowledge of the age-old wisdom

and wellbeing technique. She teaches group classes at her yoga studio

and also shares, with the community, her yogic wisdom of importance

of healthy body and mind in our life.

Continued on Page 6


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6 SPECIAL FEATURE

Rupal Chirag Sinh Solanki

Thespian and full-time voluntaryworker


R upal arrived in New Zealand inDecember 2004 to join her husband. A rm believer in Jesus Christ, Rupal is

involved in various voluntary activitiesto help and support communities in Auckland. She is a known face in thetheatre fraternity of Auckland, having

performed in more than 10 full-length plays and 15 small plays andskits. She is the reigning Mrs India New Zealand and believes that itis never too late to achieve your dreams. Mother of a six-year-old boy,she considers hes family as her greatest strength. Her husband ChiragSinh Solanki is a well-known name in academic industry and is also anactor. Rupal feels that her journey has become memorable and moreinteresting with her husband and son also joining her in her passiontowards performing arts. Rupal is currently playing dierent roles by working as a victim support worker with Glenn Innes Police Station, a

bible teacher, a jingles and short scripts writer and a character model.

Aditi Patel

Dentist


A diti arrived in New Zealand in 1996 with her family of ve, her husband,two adult daughters, her mother in law

and her dog Hugo. Aditi says their journey was hard initially for the rst 7 years , but

describes it as “totally worth it”. Since

both she and her husband are medical

professionals Aditi says that her husband and she had to requalify to

be able to practice in New Zealand. The hard work paid o and we

are settled now. Describing her work as a Dentist, Aditi says, “I create

dream smiles”.

Ameya Naik

Business Development Manager-

Global Sales, The Langham

Immigration status: Resident

A meya came to New Zealand as astudent in 2008 to study InternationalHospitality Management from AUT, while

his family stays in Mumbai, India.

During his studies, he worked part time

at the Sky City-The Grand hotel and joined

The Langham—one of the best ve star

luxury hotels in New Zealand, in 2009. He joined The Langham with

an entry level role and gradually got promoted as a BDM—Global Sales.

He current looks after groups, meetings and incentive business for the

hotel and weddings.

Thomas Shaji Kurian

Business Development Manager,Bidvest Foodservice Christchurch

Immigration adviser, RIYA migrationconsultants


Being in New Zealand for around 14 years now, Thomas feels that movinghere was one of the best decision he ever

made. Although he was uncertain about

his decision to move to New Zealand back in 2000, but the success

and contentment he has achieved now makes him think otherwise.

Thomas’s wife Elizabeth works for MBIE and son is studying Masters

of Child and Family Psychology.

Garry Gupta

Director, Media Solutions Kiwi Ltd.

Immigration Status: Resident

Garry moved to his family in NewZealand in 2010. His family hails fromNew Delhi with ancestors belonging to the

original trader class of the Chandni Chowk

area of old Delhi. His family, even today,

follows the tradition of a joint family with

his own family, parents and brother’s

family all living together in Auckland.

Garry had extensive lm-production experience after working with

Rajshri Films in India which helped him enter New Zealand with the

job of line-producer for the rst Indo-Kiwi movie—Curry Munchers.

He then moved to marketing and business development of popular

media brands in Auckland including Indian Weekender and Humm

FM. Alongside, he also managed marketing communications of the

India-New Zealand Business Council. Since 2015, he has been working

towards growing a boutique digital marketing agency, which serves

SMEs with new websites, social media marketing, email-marketing

and various other forms of digital marketing with an aim to provide the

best marketing leverage to the Kiwi-Indian community.

Pawan Arora

Accounts Manager and student


Pa wan arrived in New Zealand in 2000 with his parents and is currentlystudying B.Com./LLB. His parents are

currently in the hospitality industry,

running successful Indian restaurants in

Auckland and he plans to join the family

business. He believed that joining the

family business is one of the best decisions he has ever made as it has

allowed him to come across a number of challenges that a businessfaces which an ordinary internship from past experience does not cater

for. He began working at the family business over six years ago when

he was still at high school. Gaining experience by working within the

accounts department over the past couple of years has allowed him to

currently take up the role of Accounts Manager.

Kashika SinghRadio Jockey, Producer andPromotion Executive, Humm 106.2 FM

Immigration status: Resident

K ashika Singh is a popular name in theKiwi-Indian community and is oftenconsidered as the face of popular Indian

Radio channel Humm FM. She hosts the

mid-morning show catering te lifestyle. She

also manages the promotions and is part of

the marketing team. Although Kashika got

her residency back in 2004 but arrived in New Zealand in 2011 from

Dubai while husband was already settled here. Kashika feels that she got

her artistic instincts from her parents and thr environment around her

as her father was the Director at All India Radio back homa and mother was a classical singer. She feels that her husband and two daughters are

her support system. Music is the common interest of her family.

Kashika’s career started with an advertising agency and grep as

a successful hospitality manager. She has come a long way in her

professional journey by hosting TV shows for Doordarshan, Zee TV in

India and Channel 729 in Dubai with 100 episodes of cookery shows. She

has worked with various radios in Mumbai and Dubai as voice-over artist

and has also been master of ceremonies for various Bollywood shows.

With her strong background in show-bid she has been entertaining the

Kiwi-Indians since then.

Continued from Page 5

Continued on Page 26


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Auckland Museum announces LanternFestival ProgrammeRing in the ‘Year of the Monkey’ this Chinese New Year at Auckland War Memorial Museum’sLantern Festival programme.IWK BUREAU

The celebrations of Chinese

New Year are at the

doorstep with the Lantern

Festival approaching fast. The

Domain will witness two days of

the vibrant festival to celebrate

the arrival of the Year of the

Monkey. This year’s event will be

held on February 20 and 21 and

will include hands on activities for

kids and the families along with a

special concert by New Zealand’s

leading piano trio, NZTrio.

The programme kick o

with E-PAC’s Lion Dance and

will be followed by a range of

performances and other activities

throughout the day.

“Over the last ve years

our annual Lantern Festival

programme has gone from

strength to strength, and with

the festival being held right here

in the Domain this year will be

bigger than ever,” said Sally

Manuivera, Director of Public

Experience.

“We relish the opportunity to

connect Aucklanders with the

Museum’s collections through our

fun and diverse programme which

celebrates Chinese culture and the

Chinese community in Auckland,”

she said.

Two international performing

groups are bringing their puppetry

and music to the Museum on

February 20, afternoon.The Shanghai Puppet Theatre

Company have been bringing

Chinese legends to life since 1960,

and in New Zealand the visiting

Shanghai puppeteers will mark

the Year of the Monkey with an

excerpt from the well-known story

Journey to the West.

The Guangdong Music and

Folk Art Troupe is a world

renowned professional art troupe

specialising in composing and

performing Guangdong-style

music.

Some of the museum’s

collections have been brought

out of storage for the occasion,

including precious Chinese jadeobjects, small embroidered textile

treasures, and pounamu taonga

which will be on display in the

auditorium lobby.

Students from the Confucius

Institute will be on hand for

sessions in Chinese calligraphy,

Chinese words and special

Chinese New Year greetings over

both days.

Over the weekend Auckland

based artist Wei Lun Ha will be

showcasing traditional calligraphy

painting in live demonstrations.

And get hands on and make your

own lantern in our craft workshop.

NZTrio’s performance “Spirit

of Chimes’ is kept for the nale.‘Spirit of Chimes’ is a treasure

trove of exotic music from China

and New Zealand matched

with large scale visual images

of historical jade and pounamu

artefacts unearthed from the

Museum’s collections.

Critically acclaimed as ‘a

national treasure’, NZTrio has

been playing to audiences around

the world for over a decade. Every

NZTrio performance is an

intimate, dynamic and engaging

ride—sometimes calm and

tranquil, sometimes wild and

intense.

More information about

the Lantern festival and

tickets information of NZTrio

show can be found at:

aucklandmuseum.com

Mark your calendarsSaturday, February 20,2016 from 10:30 a.m.to 12:30 p.m.Sunday,

February 21, 2016 from

1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Are you ready to vote in the fnalflag referendum?

The second referendum

on the New Zealand ag

is just a few weeks away,

and the Electoral Commission wants to ensure all eligible NewZealanders are enrolled and readyto vote.

“Voting papers for the secondreferendum will be sent out bypost, so it’s very important tomake sure your enrolment detailsare up to date,” says RobertPeden, Chief Electoral Ocer.“If you’ve moved house, or if you

were expecting a voting paper forthe rst referendum and didn’t getone, or if you’re not sure you areenrolled at all—now is the time tocheck.”

The referendum runs fromThursday, March 3 until Thursday,March 24. Voters will be asked tochoose between the current NewZealand ag and the preferredalternative design selected in the

rst referendum in late 2015.The ag that receives the most

votes in the second referendum will be the ocial ag of NewZealand.

“People need to make surethat they are enrolled and thattheir details are up to date now,as only those enrolled before

voting begins will receive a votingpaper,” says Mr Peden. “Check

your details now—it’s easy. Youcan do it at www.elections.org.nz

or by calling 0800 36 76 56. And

if you’re not enrolled, you need to

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8 NEW ZEALANDNEW ZEALAND

Auckland in the world’s top20 most dynamic cities

Auckland in the world’s top 20 mostdynamic cities

A uckland has beenrecognised globally

as a city on the move,

being named for the rst time

in JLL’s top 20 City Momentum

Index (CMI).

Now in its third year, theCMI—compiled by global

commercial real estate rm JLL—tracks the speed of change of a

city’s economy and commercial

real estate market. The 2016report is entitled The Rise of the

Innovation-Oriented City.

One of the world’s mostsustainable and liveable cities

Covering 120 major establishedand emerging business hubs

across the globe, the CMI identies

those cities which have the mostdynamic urban economies and

are adapting most rapidly to the

imperatives of technological andinfrastructural transformation.

The CMI report refers to

Auckland as “one of the world’smost sustainable and liveable

cities” and “among the mostdynamic city economies globally

[which] have been able to achieve

global reach without signicanteconomies of scale.”

The report reads, “The

ongoing redevelopment of the Wynyard Quarter is reshaping

the city’s waterfront, while ahealthy innovation ecosystem is

driving signicant demand for

new commercial real estate, with Auckland likely to experience the

most vigorous oce rental growth

of any city in the CMI over 2016.” Auckland an international

competitor

The CMI highlights Aucklandalongside other similarly sized

cities such as Dublin and Austin—

all of which are smaller citiesachieving global reach and

“gaining rapid momentum and

competing in highly contestedglobal markets.”

The CMI also cites some largescale projects currently underway

in Auckland which will play an

important role in Auckland beinginternationally competitive,

including the City Rail Link and Wynyard Quarter development.

“Auckland’s inclusion in the

CMI top 20 for the rst timeis further global recognition of

how, since the united city began,

Auckland is on a roll,” says MayorLen Brown.

“Major transformationalprojects like the City Rail Link

and the continued development

of the Wynyard Quarter, whichare highlighted as being key to

Auckland’s momentum in the

CMI, are changing the face of Auckland for the better. It’s great

that this transformation is being

recognised globally.”

A focus on innovation

Building the foundations of

an innovation-oriented economy

through technology, creating

cutting-edge new businesses,

attracting talent and nurturing vibrant inclusive communities

are also highlighted in the CMI

as being important for a city’s

momentum, adds Auckland

Tourism, Events and Economic

Development (ATEED) Chief

Executive, Brett O’Riley.

“Cities that are focused on

innovation are a feature of the

CMI top 20, and Auckland can

certainly be included amongst this

group,” says O’Riley.

“GridAKL in the Wynyard

Quarter Innovation Precinct is

one of the many examples of

the innovation economy which

is developing quickly here, andhelping Auckland to grow its

reputation as an innovative hub in

the Asia Pacic region.”

An evening of nostalgia at Mohammad Ra concertRIZWAN MOHAMMAD

I wish this evening never ends”

exclaimed one among the

audience at the ‘Old is Gold’

concert on February 6, Saturday

at Dorothy Winston Centre in

Auckland.

Organised by Mohammad RaAcademy of Music, the one-time

concert was held in the memory

of the legendary Bollywood singer

Mohammad Ra. Ra Sb, as he

was popularly called by veterans

is renowned for his evergreen

collection of songs lled with both

melancholy and joy.

The crowd settled at 7 in

the auditorium as Amit Das

Sengupta, the man behind the

eventintroduced the choir, the

band and the show. The show

commenced with a song from

1979 hit Sargam followed by ‘Tum

Mujhe Bhula Na Paoge’ from‘1970’s Pagal Kahin Ka’ sung by

Amit Das himself.

The crowd instantly joined

the singers and hummed along.

The auditorium erupted in a

thunderous applause at the

conclusion on each performance.

Songs from the movies like

Hamrahi (1974), Bahu Begum

(1967), Asli Naqli (1962), An

Evening in Paris (1967) were some

of the many songs reverberated in

the auditorium.

The nine-member band, the

choir and a eet of versatilesingers took the spectators on

a nostalgic rjourney. People

hummed, tapped and sang

alongside the band making the

evening a truly memorable one.

Amongst the many performers

were Akhila and Siddhartha with

‘Abhi na jao Chhor kar’ from

1961’s blockbuster ‘Hum Dono’,

Suchita with ‘Tere Husn ki Kya

tareef karoon’ from ‘Leader’.

There were bursts of laughter

at times with the quirks of the

performers and then it was back to

musice and songs. Other singers

who made the evening brighter

were Rachit with ‘Jawaaniya yeh mast mast ’, ‘Ahsaan tera’ by

Guncha, Shweta and Shoumick

with ‘Jhil mil Sitaro ka angan

hoga’ and the little star of the

evening was the 11-year-old

Abhya, she wooed the audience

with her sweet voice with the song

‘Aasmaa se aaya farishta’ and

‘Pyar se dekho’.

The show was a tribute to

the Bollywood legendary singer

Mohammad Ra who has won 6

Filmfare and 1 National award in

his lifetime and rules the hearts

of many music lovers aroundthe world.. The academy has RD

Burman’s concert scheduled for

Saturday, March 12, 2016, at the

same venue.

Kids’ health the focusheading into newschool year

W e all know when

kids are healthy and

active they are better

equipped to succeed at school.

That’s why this Government

is committed giving their

children the best possible start

in life. Around 780,000 children

under-13 are benetting from free

GP visits and prescriptions thanks

to the $90 million invested over

three years in Budget 2014. Latest

gures show the rates of children

under-13 visiting their GP is 23

per cent higher when comparedto the same quarter last year. So

far 99 per cent of GPs around New

Zealand are oering free GP visits

for under-13s.

Results have been particularly

good for Māori and Pacic

children. There was a 25 per cent

increase in the number of Māori,

and a 21 per cent increase in the

number of Pacic children being

seen by their GP – a great result.

With more children starting

school for the rst time this

year, we’re already on track to

exceed last year’s B4 School

Checks numbers. In 2014/15 the

programme reached a record 92

per cent, that’s over 58,000 pre-

schoolers across the country – the

highest rate since the programme

began back in 2008. It’s been

particularly encouraging to see

an increase for Māori and Pacic

four-year-olds with 87 per cent of

Māori children and 88 per cent of

Pacic children getting their B4

School Check last year.

The B4 School Check includes

hearing, eyesight, height, weight,

and oral health assessments, as

well as comprehensive health

and development questionnaires.

Checks are provided free through

a range of community healthservices.

On 1 July a new childhood

obesity health target will come

into force. Under the target, 95 per

cent of children identied as obese

in the B4 School Check will be

referred to a health professional

for assessment and family based

nutrition, activity, and lifestyle

interventions. The health target

is one of 22 initiatives which form

part of the Childhood Obesity

Plan.

This National-led Government

is committed to giving children the

best start to life, and ensuring kids

develop healthy habits early on to

prevent poor health in adulthood.

As the school year begins it’s good

to know our children’s health

needs are being better met than

ever before.

Kanwaljit BakshiNational List MP


9/32


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10 NEW ZEALAND

2016 job prospects strong forthose into making things

Tertiary Education, Skills

and Employment Minister

Steven Joyce released the

2016 Occupation Outlook report

and mobile app on February

8 which shows job prospects

continue to be very good in highly

skilled, fast growing industries

such as high-tech manufacturing

and ICT.

“Software developers, ICT

systems and business analysts,

for example, are in high demand

reecting New Zealand’s growing

technology software and services

sector,” Mr Joyce says.

The fourth annual Occupation

Outlook report contains all the

information needed to help job

seekers and students make good

study and career decisions.

“The report and app bring

together the latest information

in an easy-to-use overview of job

demand, likely income levels,

and training requirements for

dierent career pathways. This

year we’ve also expanded the

number of occupations from 50to 60.

“The growth in Auckland, the

ongoing Canterbury rebuild and

other regional building activity

means that there is steady work in

the construction and infrastructure

trades, with carpenters, joiners,

project managers and architects

all beneting from increasing

demand for their skills.

“We are still short of engineers

in New Zealand. Job prospects

are extremely good for civil,

geotechnical and structural

engineers, particularly in

Auckland and Christchurch where

large roading and infrastructure

projects and building activity are

fuelling demand.

“The Occupation Outlook

provides current and relevantlabour market information that is

crucial in helping guide decisions

for students and job seekers. It

arms them with the information

they need to carefully consider

what career path they want to

choose and what training they

need to do to get there,” Mr Joyce

says.

The Occupation Outlook app

can be downloaded free from the

App Store for iPhones and iPads,

and the Google Play store for

Android devices. The app also

includes links to Just the Job

occupation videos which bring to

life what it is really like to work in

particular occupations.

Included in this year’s report

are four special features: careers

in the creative industries, on-the– job-training, management and

defence forces.

The Occupation Outlook report

is published by the Ministry

of Business, Innovation and

Employment (MBIE) and draws

on a wide range of information

including:

• Actual employment trends and

other key statistics compiled

by MBIE and Statistics New

Zealand

• Expertise from Careers NZ,

tertiary institutions, industry

associations, industry training

organisations, licence and

registration boards, and other

industry stakeholders

• Qualication completions and

graduate income information

from the Ministry of Education.

The 2016 mobile “Occupational

Outlook” app can be downloaded

at your app store.

Encouragingimmunisation forolder children

Health Minister Jonathan

Coleman says a new

awareness campaign

starts from February 9 to remind

parents and caregivers of older

children about the school based

immunisation programme.

“While infant immunisation

rates have dramatically improved

since 2008, immunisation rates

for older children have stayed

steady,” says Dr Coleman.

“Parents of older children

should have the same condence

in immunisation that parents of

younger children have. Reducing

the spread of whooping cough and

preventing HPV has a big eect on

the health of our young people.”

Children are oered free

immunisations at age 11 against

tetanus, diphtheria and whooping

cough, and for girls at age 12,

human papillomavirus (HPV).

School immunisation

programmes begin early in the

school year, and many Year 7 and

8 students will be bringing homeconsent forms with the most up to

date information on the safety and

eectiveness of the vaccines.

“Schools are a convenient

place for older children to get

immunised against a range of

preventable illnesses,” says Dr

Coleman.

“Protection against these

serious diseases is important.

Tetanus spores can be deadly

if they infect a cut or a scratch.

We have regular outbreaks of

whooping cough in New Zealand,

and around 50 women a year

die of cervical cancer, which is

primarily caused by HPV.“While the National Cervical

Screening Programme has been

very successful in adults, we’d

like to see greater uptake of the

HPV vaccination in young women

to prevent the development of

cervical lesions later in life—

currently 62 per cent are fully

immunised.

“Since the HPV immunisation

programme began eight yearsago, there has been a signicant

reduction in high grade cervical

lesions in young women.”

A two week national radio

campaign gets underway from

today. There will also be digital

advertising for parents who

search online for information on

immunisation. Information will

also be provided for schools to use

in their newsletters.

The Ministry of Health is

working on improving the

links between school based

immunisation programmes and

general practices so children who

don’t have their vaccinations atschool are oered them by their

general practice.

TPP presented for treatyexamination T

rade Minister Todd McClay

on Tuesday announcedthe commencement of

Parliamentary treaty examination

of the Trans-Pacic Partnership

Agreement (TPP), following

signature of the Agreement on 4

February 2016.

“The Government has

presented the nal text of TPP,

together with its National Interest

Analysis (NIA), to the House

of Representatives for treatyexamination by the Foreign

Aairs, Defence and Trade

Select Committee.

“During Parliamentary

treaty examination, the Foreign

Aairs, Defence and Trade

Committee can choose to call for

public submissions. After it has

completed its treaty examination,

it will then report back to the

House of Representatives and, if it

chooses, make recommendations

to the Government,” says Mr

McClay.

Alongside these documents,

the government also presented the

text of four intellectual property

treaties to which New Zealand will

need to accede under TPP, along

with the separate National Impact

Analyses required for each of

those treaties.

“Legislative changes required

in order to implement TPP will

be introduced to Parliament at a

later stage, and go through normal

Parliamentary procedures.

“The full set of legislative

changes that will need to be taken

up by this Bill is set out in the NIA.

“Only when these steps have

been completed, and other

countries have completed

their own domestic approval

procedures, will TPP be able to

enter into force.”

The Government will also be

running a number of road shows

and hui-a-iwi after signature for

interested members of the public,

and to assist businesses with

preparation for TPP’s entry into

force.

Big bill for CERA spin doctors

The Canterbury Earthquake

Recovery Authority has

had a major blowout in

its public relations budget, despite

the fact the organisation is meant

to be winding down, says Labour’s

Canterbury Spokesperson

Megan Woods.

“CERA is meant to be closing

up shop soon, but in the last

nancial year they had a 37%

increase in the amount spent on

public relation campaigns.

“CERA now employs a

whopping 19 communications

sta—that’s compared to just

11 by the Ministry of Education

and 7 by the Ministry of Health.

That’s a huge amount of taxpayer

money spent on spin doctors by an

organisation that is meant to be in

its dying days.

“On top of its big internal

spend, CERA also spent over

$1.6 million on external PR andmedia agencies.

“With major anchor

projects years behind schedule,

Cantabrians will be wondering

why the Government is spending

so much on spin and delivering so

few results,” says Megan Woods.


11/32


l

11NEW ZEALAND

City safer for youngrevellers

H

elp is at hand for party-goers

in the central city this summer,

especially on weekends andthroughout Orientation Week.

Auckland Safe Zone will set up at

Queen Elizabeth Square, Britomart, from

5 February to 19 March on weekend nights

when there’s a lot going on in the city. For

the rst time, it will also be available on the

Wednesday and Thursday nights of student

orientation week.

“We fully expect large numbers of young

people to be out enjoying themselves in our

fantastic city at night, but we would always

hope that they drink responsibly, drink

plenty of water, have a good meal before

heading out and make good decisions

when trying to get home,” says Council’s

Community Development and SafetyCommittee Chair, Councillor Cathy Casey.

“However, despite the best plans,

sometimes people enjoying the late night

scene in the city may need a little help to

sober up, get hydrated, stay safe or get

home, or even get medical attention,” she

says.

Auckland Safe Zone will also provide

just that—a safe zone—for more serious

concerns.

The Safe Zone will oer a water station,

rest area, mobile phone charging station,

travel information, medical help, safe

refuge and advice that might contribute to

the reduction of alcohol-related harm and

further injury.

Auckland Safe Zone will be located in

Queen Elizabeth Square, Britomart, from

10pm to 4am overnight on:

Friday 5 and Saturday 6 February



Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25

February (student orientation week)


Friday 4 and Saturday 5 March



Aucklanders are encouraged to look out

for the zone and usher anyone through to

this safe area if they need support.

Congratulating IndianWeekender on their

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12/32

Myanmar on a revolutionary path

Following the rst democratic

election in decades, Myanmar now

has a new government.

It was moving to recently see people

- who just a few short years ago would

have been seen as political activists or

criminals - walking into parliament as

parliamentarians to take up their positions.

What a remarkable turnaround.The process now begins for the election

of a president.

Three groups will vote: the lower house,

the upper house and the army. Each group

will put forward a candidate. The winner

will become the president and the two

runners up will become the vice presidents.

Sadly, Aung San Suu Kyi, who

overwhelmingly won at the general election

in November, cannot be president because

of a law passed by the military forbidding

anyone to be president whose children

possess a foreign passport – as Aung San

Suu Kyi’s children do.

Undeterred, she has said that she will

still be in charge, even if she is not president.

The world is now watching how Aung

San Suu Kyi will deal with the sub-groups

of hard-line Buddhist monks who have

been inciting violence towards the Muslim

Rohinga minority.

Before the election it would have been

political suicide for her criticise monks in

such a deeply Buddhist nation. The question

now is whether she will allow the Rohinga

– many of whom have lost their Burmese

citizenship among other humiliations - to

be treated as second-class citizens in the

new Myanmar.

Healing those divisions is absolutely

essential for the future of the country.

What a challenge for Aung San Suu Kyi,

transforming from an activist and rebel

leader into a national leader capable of

bringing all sides together.

In a sign that there are already changes

towards a more tolerant government, young

New Zealander Philip Blackwood was

released from prison in Myanmar last week.

You might remember he was jailed

for posting an image of Buddha wearing

headphones on social media. In New

Zealand society, where we have freedom

of religion, that wouldn’t have caused a

problem. But in Myanmar Philip felt the full

force of the law.It was wonderful to see him reunited

with his family – including his toddler

daughter - in Wellington last week.

Myanmar is a highly strategic country

that borders both India and China. It was

once the wealthiest country in Asia: rich in

minerals, the rice-bowl of the Asian region.

Its potential remains vast but it has been

plagued by dictatorships and corruption.

The Burmese people deserve better than

they’ve had since 1962.

New Zealand already has an embassy

there and has pledged support and help

to the Myanmar government. Irrespective

of which party is in power in New Zealand

that commitment will continue on for thelong term. Certainly I feel strongly that we

should support Myanmar in its journey

ahead.

The Burmese recognise New Zealand

as a country that stands with them, and

doesn’t talk down to them.

When I was in Myanmar observing the

elections in November, I saw the spark of

idealism and of enterprise – it’s there. It

simply needs the conditions to ignite and

transform Myanmar into something much

greater than it is now, and more in line with

what was expected of it 60 years ago.

I have high hopes that this will happen.


l

12

Parmjeet Parmar

National List MP

David Shearer

Labour MP

NEW ZEALAND

Presents

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Govt to move forwardon City Rail Link

T

he National-led government is

investing more than ever before in

Auckland’s transport network. We

are spending $1 billion a year on public

transport and a safe, reliable and ecient

motorway system.

Auckland is home to a third of our

population. It’s the country’s largest

commercial centre, and it’s growing at a

great rate of knots.

As a government, we’ve made strides in

bettering the region’s transport system.

That’s why we’re continuing to back

Auckland to accommodate the extra

700,000 residents it’s expected to gain by

2045.

The Prime Minister has announced

the government will work with Auckland

Council to bring forward the start date of

the City Rail Link.The government is also working to

formalise its funding commitment from

2020, which he Council has indicated

would allow construction of the main works

to start in 2018, at least two years sooner

than currently envisaged.

Stretching 3.4 kilometres and running

up to 70 metres below the CBD, the Central

Rail Link will forge a vital connection

between Britomart Station and the existing

Western Line stop at Mt Eden.

With stops planned at Karangahape

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When Auckland’s transport network

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More and more people are choosing

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Accelerating the $2.4 billion City Rail

Link is a vote of condence in the future.

It’s a signal to residents, investors and

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travelling in is a positive one.

For a city that’s hosted the America’s

Cup, the Rugby World Cup, the NRL Nines

and has so much more planned, the City

Rail Link will only add to Auckland’s growth

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As an Aucklander myself and a locally

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l

14 FIJI

Source: Fiji Sun

Filmmaker: The

beauty of Fiji canmake you cry

Filmmaker Gary Yost was

invited to spend eight

weeks on a remote Fijian

island of Vanua Levu documenting

its people and their culture.

Marin County, CA-based

lmmaker Gary Yost is best known

for his short lm The Invisible

Peak about a project to restore the

West Peak of Mount Tamalpais to

its natural state.

The lm was shown in

numerous lm festivals to acclaim

and awards. Most recently, Gary

was invited to the Fijian island of

Vanua Levu by Gavin de Becker,

founder of the Naqaqa Giving

Foundation to lm the indigenous

people of that island.

Gary says that for a seemingly

simple place, Fiji is remarkably

complex.

“In just 140 years, Fiji has

come from being the world’s most

recent cannibal/warrior culture,

to being renowned as the happiest

place on earth.”

Today, indigenous Fijians, who

make up about half of the island

nation’s 903,000 inhabitants, are

given arable land as a birthright—

crops grow so easily that only a few

hours of tending a day are required

to feed a family—and Fijians live

rent and mortgage free. The entire

country is obsessed by rugby, seen

as a way to channel their warrior

heritage.

The Image Flow caught up

with Gary in the midst of editing

some four terabytes of footage

shot during his eight weeks in Fiji.

Fiji suffers 226 rundefeat to Afghanistan

The Fiji U19 cricket

team was defeated by

226 runs during the

play-o match against the

Afghanistan U19 team for the

ninth place in the quarter-

nal of the International

Cricket Council U19 Cricket

World Cup.

The national team won the

toss and elected to eld rst.

Afghanistan made 341 runs

in 50 overs with a wicket to

spare.

Afghanistan’s Karim Janat

looked to be the forerunner

for the team, paving the way

for the win after the team lost

early wickets in the top order.

Janat secured 156 runs from

132 balls, hitting 6 sixes, 12 fours

and had a strike rate of 118.8.

Fiji played chase but could not

surpass the target. They were all

out for 114 runs in 31.2 overs.

Cricket Fiji High Performance

Manager Josefa Rika had earlier

told this newspaper that the team

could likely be ranked among

the top 16 among more than 120

countries that play the sport in the

underage division.

Fiji take on Scotland tomorrow

in their second quarter nal play-

o match at 3pm.

Fiji PM sends well wishes to NZon Waitangi Treaty annivesary

The Prime Minister Hon VoreqeBainimarama has sent well wishes

to the Government and people ofNew Zealand as they commemorate 176

years since the signing of the Treaty of

Waitangi.In a letter to his New Zealand

counterpart, the Rt Hon. John Key, Prime

Minister Bainimarama said Fiji values its

relations with New Zealand and expressedpleasure at the recent developmentsin bilateral and multilateral relations

between the two countries.

“Dear Prime Minister, as youcommemorate the 176th Anniversary

of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi

on 6 February, I convey to you the warm greetings and best wishes of the

Government and the people of Fiji. Fiji values its ties with New Zealand and is

pleased with the warming relationship

that has evolved in the last fteenmonths through various re-engagement

opportunities at bilateral, regional and

international levels.”In his letter, the Prime Minister

said that Fiji and New Zealand can

work together to address some of thecommon challenges facing the region – in

particular, the issue of Climate Change.“I am condent that the cordial

links that now exist between our two

countries will continue to strengthen inorder to provide the enabling space for

collaboration on the common challenges

of peace, security, climate change and theprotection of our oceans and seas”, the

Prime Minister said.“We wish you and all the people of New

Zealand a joyous celebration in the true

spirit of Waitangi Day.”

Zika virus declaredglobal health emergency T

he World Health

Organization has declared

that the Zika virus poses aglobal public health emergency.

The infection, which experts

fear is spreading very fast, hasbeen linked to thousands of babies

being born with underdevelopedbrains. This alert puts Zika in the

same category of international

concern as Ebola and will helpfast-track research and aid toward

ghting the infection.

Although the mosquito-borne

virus’s symptoms are relativelymild, it is believed to be linked to

a surge in cases of microcephaly, a

condition in which a baby is born

with an abnormally small headand brain.

WHO chief Margaret Chan saidthe link between the Zika virus

and microcephaly was “strongly

suspected but not yet scienticallyproven.”

On its website, WHO says it

is deeply concerned about thisrapidly evolving situation for four

main reasons:

the possible association

of infection with birth

malformations and

neurological syndromes

the potential for further

international spread given the

wide geographical distribution

of the mosquito vector

the lack of population immunity

in newly aected areas

and the absence of vaccines,

specic treatments, and rapid

diagnostic tests

Also, conditions associated

with this year’s El Niño weatherpattern are expected to increase

mosquito populations greatly inmany areas.

Extension of Fiji flag feedback period

The Fijian Government has

announced the extensionof the feedback period for

designs for the new national ag

to February 29, 2016.

The Government has received a

number of new submissions since

the 23 designs were published

earlier this year. From March 1

to 19, ve designs will be chosen,

through the PM’s Oce, for

members of the public to vote on.

Members of the public will have 3

months to vote on the 5 designs

through public consultations,

social media and text messaging.

It is expected that the design

with the most votes will be

announced on 1 July to be our new

national ag.

The new national ag will be

raised on Constitution Day which

is on September 7.

Submissions for new designs

can be sent to newjiag@

gmail.com, hand delivered to

the Department of Information

Ground Floor, New Wing

Government Buildings, 26

Gladstone Road, Suva or mailed

to the Department of Information,

PO Box 2225, Government

Buildings, Suva.

Gary Yost


15/32


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Fiji Times

The sacred rock- Part IIAVINESH GOPAL

IT is a rock that stands out like amountain.

For nearby villagers, it is a sacred

place as it was once occupied by theirforefathers.

They believe it is shaped like a man if

seen from the top. Some distance awayor directly opposite it is an island, whichvillagers say, is shaped like a woman.

But they say there is nothing known tolink their rock to the island. The rock isknown as Uluinavatu, which translatedliterally means head of the stone or stonehead. It is near Vitawa Village in Rakiraki,a district that is lled with stories related tothe iTaukei and their ancestors.

People travelling on the Kings Rd cannotmiss seeing the rock unless they are asleep,as it is metres away on the right side if goingfrom Rakiraki to Tavua.

A place on the rock is also said tohave healing powers and the spirit of thevillagers’ ancestors is believed to be stillup there. There is also evidence on the

rock that cannibalism was rife on the rockhundreds of years ago. Villagers say that if someone looks

properly, then they will be able to gureout what looks like giant human faces atdierent places on the rock.

Pottery dating back to about 1000BC hasalso been found on the rock, which probablymakes it one of the rst human settlementsin Fiji. From the rock comes the clan nameNavatu and also the name of a school thatcaters for children from the four villageswhich make up the clan. The Navatu clanconsists of Vitawa, Narewa, Vunitogoloaand Naivuvuni villages.

With the approval of the Tu Navatu,Ratu Akuila Kubou, a villager related thestory about the rock.

Inia Waqa, 57, said the rock was sacredto Vitawa villagers because it was a placewhere their ancestors once dwelled.

Mr Waqa said archeologists’ reportssuggest people lived on Uluinavatu longbefore the birth of Jesus Christ. He saidarcheologists had collected pottery datingback 1000BC from the base of the rock andsome human bones were also found there.

“Recently, villagers started cleaning theplace to make a path to the top of the rock,”he said.”While clearing the bushes, theyouths found human remains on the rockand further up at one place is a well.

“The well is known to have been therefor ages and it is believed to have been thesource of water supply for our ancestorswho lived there once.

“As far as the well is concerned, we don’tknow how it was made up in the rock.”Mr Waqa said human bones could be

found at dierent places on the rock. Hesaid some of the bones were quite big,which proves that their ancestors who livedon the rock were big people.

“There are also seashells on the top of

the rock and one can only wonder how they

reached there from the sea.“Some caves are also up on the rock and

these would have probably been used byour ancestors to take shelter.

“There is also a place on the rock where

our ancestors sharpened their tools, asmarks seen on a stone indicate this.”

Mr Waqa also revealed that the former

turaga ni koro (village headman) of Vitawa

Village, Josefa Kasami once took pictureson top of the rock.

He said when the photographs were

uploaded on a computer, some bure could

be seen in the background.“There is no bure on the rock. But the

Uluinavatu itself is a sacred place for

villagers and we believe that the spirits of

our ancestors still live there.

“Some human bones are still at dierent

places on the rock and pottery pieces arealso on the top of the Uluinavatu.

“If you dig around on the rock, then

there’s a possibility of you nding eithersome human remains or pottery pieces.”

Mr Waqa also said Uluinavatu, to them,

was known as the man and an the islandnamed Cubu was the woman. Cubu is

directly opposite Uluinavatu, facing eachother, so to speak.

“If you see the Uluinavatu from

somewhere on top, then you’ll see that it’sshaped like a man,” said Mr Waqa.

“And if you have an aerial view of Cubu,

then it is shaped like a woman facing the

sky. When asked if there was a connection

between the Uluinavatu and Cubu, Mr Waqa said there were no stories passed

down the generations to suggest there wasa link.

However, Mr Waqa said if someone

looked properly, then he/she would be able

to gure out some giant human faces on theUluinavatu.

“The faces can be seen at dierent placeson the rock, even if one views it from the

Kings Rd. “Apart from our belief that ourancestors spirits still live there, the rock

also has healing powers as experienced

by villagers,” Mr Waqa said. “Everything

is there. You talk to them and they will

respond to you. I believe in it.”

A special rock to the people of Navatu who inhabit four vil-lages in Rakiraki, Ra, Uluinavatu.


16/32

NEW ZEALANDINDIA

Editorial — C.S. Lewis

Thought of the week

Humility is not thinking less of yourself,but thinking of yourself less.

From the desk of theManaging Editor

Last week I had the opportunity to witness Quidam, by the spectacular Cirque

du Soleil. As I sat there as a part of the audience and watched in amazement

the intricate and complex moves by the artists practically in mid-air, with

no safety nets or harnesses, or others being hurled up in the air by their teammates

whilst the others stood in position to catch their landing, my mind was busy thinking.

I was reminded of a few lines by Andrew Carnegie

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability

to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel

that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”

This was it. These were a group of common young artists who had dedicated

themselves to a common goal while they shone in their individual segments to

produce something that makes them legends in their eld internationally. They

took leaps of faith in mid-air in the trust that their other team members would be accomplishing their own parts in the act and they would remain safe. This is

teamwork. I always describe it like the cogs in a well-oiled machine. Should even

one cog lose its momentum or get out of sync the entire machinery stands the risk

of breaking down. However, should each team member direct their energies to a

common vision they can achieve uncommon results.

Such is also the story of the team at Indian Weekender. It has been the dedication

and commitment of each individual team member towards making it what it is, it has

been this hard work that has achieved this spectacular feat, that today we are proudly

releasing the 200th issue of our publication. The story of our journey has been told

a few times, but I thought today was the appropriate time to acknowledge the hard

work that the team puts in, behind the scenes. Credit also goes to our advertisers, our

supporters and friends who have made this journey from one to 200 possible.

In this issue, we talk about the rising face of the Kiwi-Indian community to now

establish itself with 200,000 strong and most of them engaged in gainful endeavours

that are contributing immensely to the New Zealand economy. We have tried to bring

out a cross section of the various dierent elds that Kiwi Indians are engaged in.It is also the time of the year when love is in the air. It’s time for Valentine’s Day.

To celebrate this we bring you a story of interesting traditions and practices from

around the world that could give you more ideas on how you would like to celebrate

this day with your beloved.

Also, we did not want to take away from your other weekly delights, like your

astrology column, the other local stories, news and other features.

We begin a new chapter at Indian Weekender and we hope that our friends and

supporters will continue to walk hand in hand with us on our journey – from here to

eternity. With deep gratitude to all.

Until next time.

Giri Gupta

Pick of the week

‘From Above’Craig Goodwin, snapped this photo of a meteor streaking across the night sky at the Second Beach in La Push, Washington.He was looking to create images of “compositions revealed by the receding waters...” but as it turned out, his photoopportunity came from above. Photograph by Craig Goodwin, National Geographic Your Shot

Indian Weekender : Volume 7 Issue 45

Publisher: Kiwi Media Group LimitedManaging Editor: Giri Gupta | [email protected]

Editor: Annu Sharma | [email protected]

Chief Reporter: Swati Sharma | [email protected]

Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | [email protected]

Reporter: Esha Chanda | [email protected]

Reporter: Kumar Suresh | [email protected]

Chief Technical Ofcer: Rohan Desouza | [email protected]

Sr Graphics and Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar | [email protected]

Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | [email protected]

Accounts and Admin.: Farah Khan | [email protected]

Sales and Marketing: 022 3251630 / 021 1507950 | [email protected]

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

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

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

the views of the team at the Indian Weekender

Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, Auckland

Printed at Horton Media, Auckland

Copyright 2015. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

Tip from the trenches

Word: Pack a sad

Meaning: To throw a tantrum

Usage: Hey! Don’t do that or she’ll pack a sad.

Valentine’s Day tipGetting her a gift for Valentine’s

day?

Tell her you got her somethings

and have her guess what it is.She’ll list the things she’s

been wanting.


17/32


l

17

What are the credentials required to play in IPL?VETURI SRIVATSA

The defeat on Tuesday,

February 9, in theTwenty20 International

against Sri Lanka brought the

Indian players down to earth after

the auction euphoria of the Indian

Premier League (IPL) barely two

days before the game.

None of the new-found IPL

millionaires was playing at Pune,

though the highest-paid Indian,Pawan Negi, was in the squad.

Nor, for that matter, was half the

Sri Lankan team good enough

for the franchises of the highly

popular Twenty20 pro league.

Dominated by the IPL rejects

-- Secuge Prasanna, Dasun

Shanaka, Milinda Siriwardana,

Dishamantha Chameera and

Sanchitha Senanayake - the

islanders nearly bowled the

Indians out for less than a

hundred before coasting to a ve-

wicket victory.

The Sri Lankans can raise

the inevitable question, what

credentials are required to get intoan IPL team?

Is a good domestic season

enough to get the IPL ticket? Or,

is the auction windfall truly a

lottery? How does a promising

overseas player get in?

The answer is a bit of luck is

essential in getting into the mix

of a franchise think-tank. At the

end of it all, the teams will have to

get the right blend of Indian and

overseas players.

If the route to getting into

the India side is via the IPL, an

India cap can also make one a

millionaire as it has happened

with Pawan Negi. Negi is seen as

skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s

choice for the Asia Cup and the

World Twenty20. That’s the break

he badly needed and a couple ofdays later he became the highest

paid Indian at the auction though

Negi’s promise is unquestioned.

Yet, some IPL choices are

inconceivable as they defy

common sense and cricketing

logic. In an auction where players

pitch their base price at Rs 2 crore

and Rs 1 crore, do not get sold

whereas the ones pricing modestly

at less than 10 lakh, become

millionaires overnight!

To pick the best from a bunch

of 351 players going under the

hammer is clearly a jugglery

for the franchises to get the

best buy for the money at theirdisposal. Imagine only 94 could

be accommodated by the eight

franchises. Things should improve

for players once Chennai Super

Kings and Rajasthan Royals

return to the fold to possibly make

it a ten-team format after serving

their two-year suspension for

marring the spirit of the sport.

The unsold players can easily

eld not one but two teams

to challenge the IPL teams.

George Bailey, Martin Guptill,

Usman Khawaja, Hashim Amla,

Tilekeratne Dilshan, Mike Hussey,

Adam Voges, Brad Haddin, Darren

Sammy, Lahiru Thirimanne,

Cameron White, Marlon Samuels,

Tamim Iqbal, Mushqur Rahim,

Nuwan Kulasekera, Manvinder

Bisla, Grant Elliot, to name themore popular and acknowledged

Twenty20 gypsies, might have

expected to be in the league.

Bailey, Dilshan, Sammy, Hussey

and Bisla not nding a place is a

little puzzling considering that

they have been match-winners not

long ago. Sammy and Hussey are

actively involved with the global

Twenty20 circuit.

The only explanation could

be as overseas professionals, it

would be dicult to accommodate

them in the playing eleven. But

then someone like Hussey could

be of immense value as coach or

adviser like Ricky Ponting forMumbai Indians, Jacques Kallis

for Kolkata Knight Riders and

Stephen Fleming for CSK. Bailey,

who had taken the Kings XI

Punjab to the nal two years ago

was dumped after the team’s poor

showing last year.

A big shock was Aaron Finch,

an acknowledged T20 specialist,

scraping through as a last-minute

afterthought buy.

Domestic cricketers can look

forward to becoming millionaires

as uncapped players had a great

auction. Karnataka batsman

Karun Nair (Rs 4 crore), Rajasthan

fast bowler Nathu Singh (Rs

3.2 crore), Baroda all-rounder

Deepak Hooda (Rs 4.2 crore) and

Tamil Nadu leg-spinner Murugan

Ashwin (Rs 4.5 crore) barged in ona day when there were no takers

for Test left-arm spinner Pragyan

Ojha after doubts were expressed

over his bowling action, though he

has been cleared.

As the debate rages over the

veracity of some of the players

getting such huge amounts, the

argument in their favour is a fair

number of them got in on the

strength of their performances

on the domestic circuit. Franchise

coaches/advisers short-listed

them.

The most successful Indian

batsman at the ongoing Under-19

World Cup Rishab Pant, theteam’s captain Ishan Kishan and

all-rounder Mahipal Lomror

went through the auction taking

impressive pay packets to open

the doors for the other teenagers.

Most of the teams had a clear

idea about their playing eleven,

particularly which four overseas

players can get in. That’s a lot of

homework, even if you don’t agree

with their calculation.

For instance, Royal Challengers

will have little manoeuvrability

as their four overseas players are

Chris Gayle, Shane Watson, AB

De Villiers and Mitchell Starc.

Of course, Watson is there as an

all-rounder. Interestingly, they

were keen on regaining Yuvraj

Singh but Sunrisers Hyderabadsnatched him.

Gujarat Lions, too have a

problem as their overseas list

include Brendon McCullum,

Dwayne Smith, Kevin Pietersen,

Aaron Finch and Dwayne Bravo

and so have Kolkata Knight Riders

who have Morne Morkel, John

Hastings, Jason Holder and Andre

Russell and Shakib Al Hasan.

If the Lions have to choose

between opening batsmen Finch

and Smith, Kolkata will have to

pick either Hastings or Holder.

The other teams will also have

hiccups in selecting their eleven tostart with and it is to be seen who

grabs the opportunity.

At the end of it all, the

excitement is to see which teams

got their computation right. That

will be known when the players

get into the eld.

OPINION/EDITORIAL

Make agritech startups cool: creating anew generation of entrepreneursI

n India, many startups are actually

happening in the organic agriculture

space but little is known of or heard

about them.

They may not have found space inVigyan Bhavan during the inauguration

of #StartupIndia by Prime Minister

Narendra Modi in New Delhi on January

16. Overwhelmingly the glitz of technology-

led startups were there for everyone to

see. They are the now famous ones in

online marketing like Flipkart or those in

transportation aggregation like Ola.

This is a fantastic initiative. It has the

architecture of giving entrepreneurs the

space to do what they do best, creating

products and services from ideas and

making them work - the startup ecosystem.

After making them work, curating them to

be able to monetize it, before ramping it up

in terms of scale.

That an idea can fail and hence needs thatexit route is planned well. Self-certication

is a key ingredient. This will take away the

‘babu’ or small time bureaucrats who have

no clue as to what entrepreneurship is all

about impeding the process. They do not

even want to understand it. They just want

to get in the way. They add friction and

costs. All counterproductive.

If I am writing all this, believe me I have

had the opportunity to going down this road

myself. But better, I have had the opportunity

to listen to thousands of young people who

have had to contend with this ‘harassment’.

In one sweep our prime minister has gotten

rid of this. Thumbs up to that.

Making it easier to register and get loans

is the next big thing. Creating a tidy Rs.

10,000 crore ($1.5 billion) fund for startups

is also a great initiative. If the ministries all

ensure that there is minimum government,

then I am sure the #StartupIndia will

lift o.

Why should this be limited just to

technology-led startups? What we need

to do is to connect it to agriculture. Make

AgriTech startups cool. This is where the

real fun is going to be becaus

indian weekender 12 february 2016

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