Australia and India signed an Economic Co-operation and Trade Agreement (Agreement) on 2 April 2022, in which Australia has agreed to stop the taxation of offshore income of Indian firms providing technical services to Australia.
This development is significant because Indian information technology service companies have received unfavourable decisions from litigation in Australia regarding the taxation of services provided to Australian clients by their employees based in India.
The Indian companies argued that such services should not be taxable in Australia as those services were not sourced in Australia and were not royalties under the domestic tax law of Australia.
In Satyam Computer Services Limited v Commissioner of Taxation [2018] FCAFC 172 (now Tech Mahindra Limited) the Full Federal Court of Australia held that payments received by an Indian company from its Australian resident clients were deemed to have had an Australian source by application of Article 23 (source) because they were considered royalty in accordance with Article 12(3)(g) (royalty) of the Australia – India Tax Treaty.
The Economic Co-operation and Trade Agreementdetails
In connection with the signing of this Agreement, the following understanding between the Federal Government and the Government of India was documented by way of a side letter:
The Government of Australia has agreed to amend Australian domestic taxation law to stop the taxation of offshore income of Indian firms providing technical services to Australia; and
Australia will implement the amendments to its domestic taxation legislation in a similar time period as the Agreement.
The proposed amendments will come into effect on the date the Agreement enters into force and shall constitute an integral part of the Agreement.
Observations
The recent decisions of the Australian courts in Satyam and Tech Mahindra have adversely impacted several Indian engineering, software and other Indian companies providing technical services from India to their Australian clients.
The Agreement should provide welcome relief from Australian tax for those Indian companies providing services to Australian clients from India.
The Agreement seems to propose a prospective change in the domestic law of Australia and which would help Indian companies providing services to Australian clients going forward.
There will be no change of the taxation in India for Australian companies providing similar services from Australia to clients in India.
Contributing Authors: Peter Madden, Director, KPMG Australia and Jai Patel, Head of India Business Practice, KPMG Australia
Disclaimer: This article was first published by KPMG Tax Now. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The Australia Today is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts, or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of The Australia Today and The Australia Today News does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
The Greens targeting Hindu Australians: Image Source: Supplied
Today, Hindus have become the new bashing toy. Across the political spectrum, Indian Australian Hindus face slander with the accusation that they harbour extremist links rooted in dual loyalty.
Anti-Hindu Greens Party supported Projects, who accuses India’s great leader Mahatma Gandhi of everything from incest to ” white supremacy ” to promoting Adolf Hitler , has accused the likes of Hindu Swamsevak Sangh of having links to Indian intelligence, political parties, or extremists.
Green Party’s supporters set up websites smearing Indian Australian politicians, academics, journalists and business leaders. While dirty tricks are not infrequent in politics, what sets these campaigns apart is that Indianethnicity and Hindu religion rather than political position are the common links.
They do not differentiate, for example, between Jai Bharadwaj, a Journalist and Hindu who worked in mainstream media, and Yadu Singh, a Cardiologist who is the most famous Hindu health practitioner. When the target is a staffer rather than an independent business holder, Greens supported gang sets up petitions demanding their firing. This was the case, for example, with Jai and Yadu Singh
Sydney-based Hindu activist Ravi Shankar Dhankar toldThe Australia Today that the Greens Senator attempted to downplay her hate against Jews and Hindus.
“Mehreen Faruqi is part of that elaborate Greens plan which attacks Hindus and Jews for resisting their historical persecution,”
he emphasised.
When John F. Kennedy ran for president of the United States of America, many of his competitors sought to challenge him on the merits of his ideas. A few, however, questioned whether a Catholic could ever truly be loyal to America.
Kennedy addressed the matter directly in a 1960 speech: “Are we going to admit to the world that a Jew can be elected mayor of Dublin, a Protestant can be chosen foreign minister of France, a Muslim can serve in the Israeli Parliament — but a Catholic cannot be president of the United States?”
Jews, too, sometimes face charges of dual loyalty. In the run-up to the Iraq War, conspiracies spread that a desire to protect Israel rather than the U.S. motivated Jews in the Bush administration to advocate war against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.
Even the late Secretary of State Colin Powell often used such tactics to win interagency battles. What Powell did not realise was that long-term erosion in civil society offset any short-term gains his team enjoyed. And such tactics were not entirely homegrown.
More than a decade before widespread awareness of Russian election interference, Saudi-funded consultancies and organisations catalyzed the conspiracy theories as they sought to fan opposition, for their own sectarian reasons, to any policy that might empower Shi’ites.
The charges of fascism and links to extremists are tenuous, based not on substance but instead on multiple degrees of separation and insinuation. Two figures present at a common event where hundreds of others were also present? To anti-Hindu bigots, that demonstrates definitive proof of intricate links and cooperation.
By the same logic, Federal Greens leader Richard Di Natale embraces spousal abuse if a single member of The Greens National Convention beat his wife.
In the heat of a campaign,
“Some local party officials, including those of South Asian backgrounds, turn a blind eye to the slander if it gives their preferred candidate a leg up. This is a mistake and only legitimises bigotry as a political weapon.”
It may also open the door for greater foreign interference. Greens Party supported groups are also seen as a nodal point for growing support for Sikh separatism in India, which appears to have its genesis in Pakistan. These groups including The Humanism Project have no clear and transparent source of income that explains the resources they bring to these campaigns against Indian Australian Hindus.
Despite the demonization with which some Liberal and Labor activists approach the other side, the cores of both parties, and even the most progressive and conservative activists, draw a line at religious bigotry.
Politicians should not throw Hindus under the bus to avoid manufactured controversy. It is time Liberal and Labor jointly condemn the slander.
And they should not be alone. Greeks, Italians, Vietnamese, Catholics and Jews, who have, at times, also experienced cheap bigotry in political discourse, should stand behind them to ensure that the cost of such tactics is felt not by their targets but by their perpetrators.
Author: Curated adaptation by Arvindan Ravi.
Curated from Michael Rubin‘s work titled “Democrats and Republicans must condemn growing anti-Indian smears” published in Washington Examiner.Mr Rubin is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The Australia Today is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts, or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of The Australia Today and The Australia Today News does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
Image source: Hams (left) and Rama (right) - Nine News.
Adelaide residents and well-known community members Hems and Rama Batoula travelled to India with their two children Bhavagna and Palvith to attend Rama’s father’s funeral who had passed away due to a medical condition.
Hems Batoula was a well-known leader in the Indian community and his wife worked in child protection. She also volunteered on weekends to teach children.
Last week, the couple along with their two children landed in Hyderabad on Tuesday at midnight and hired a taxi to their native village in Andhra. The taxi collided with a wall in the wee hours of Wednesday. The crash killed both the parents and left the two children severely injured who were shifted to a local hospital.
Now, Adelaide’s Indian community is working together to bring the two children, aged nine and six, back. As both parents have dreams and aspirations for their children’s future in Australia, the local Indian community has decided to fulfil their dreams by providing a helping hand.
The car which met road accident at Gunpula in Suryapet dustrict.
“This was our beautiful kind neighbours here in Flagstaff Hill who we will miss every day. Hems often walked up two doors for a chat and even brought us curry to thank my husband for helping his wife in the garden and just any time to share his food. I hope and pray their children will heal in time but it’s a sad loss to them. Our condolences to all the family and the Telugu community. May they Rest In Peace.”
The Indian community and friends of the family in Adelaide believe that the two children are not safe on their own. Batoula’s family friend Neni told Nine News:
“A lot of families over here are ready to do the foster caring for them. No words can really express what the community is feeling right now. Everybody is absolutely distressed.”
The Indian-Australian community has set up a fundraiser for the children via a GoFundMe campaign.
“This fund is raised to support the funeral expenses of the parents, medical expenses of the children and support them financially to get their house back from the mortgage.”
The local Indian community have successfully raised $200,000 to support the two children. The community has even sent one representative to India to help the children.
The United States and India recently concluded the fourth annual 2+2 dialogue discussing security and defence issues in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. This comes at the backdrop of the two nations celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations.
While the relationship between the two states has grown over the past two decades, all is not well with the Indian diaspora in the U.S.
Over the past decade, there has been a populist uprising/backlash to immigration and globalization. One of the largest American communities caught in the crossfire is the Indian American community. It is one of the fastest-growing immigrant communities besides the Latin American community in America and, understandably, is often the whipping boy for anti-immigrant activists.
Recently, Amy Wax, Robert Mundheim Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, speaking to Tucker Carlson, referred to Indians as “brown faces” and went on to deride entire minority groups of color and the Global South as feeling anger, envy and shame toward the Western world.
However, her comments and comments by Donald Trump’s chief strategist Steve Bannon that there are too many Asian CEOs in Silicon Valley indicate jealousy, envy, and even a form of angst on their part more so than on the other end. It is demonstrative of the fragility of certain people, their inability to digest the fact that echelons of power are no longer occupied solely by people who look like them.
Racism is real; Image Source: @CANVA
Moreover, it is unfortunate that bigoted views that were common in the early 1900s remain popular among professors and talk show hosts. While this type of commentary is not new for this particular professor, nor the host of the show, it is certainly interesting to note that their five-minute rant did not get the media attention as it has in the past. This is certainly a larger issue.
Racism toward the Asian community, in particular, the Indian community, has gone under the radar for far too long and has not been as widely discussed as racism toward other communities for several reasons.
First, Indian immigration to America is a relatively new phenomenon. Martin Luther King Jr.’s efforts paved the way for the Immigration Act of 1965, which allowed more people from Asia to migrate to the United States. Second, since a large share of the community is first-generation, they have been hesitant (more so, petrified) to publicly voice their views on the topic since a show such as Carlson’s has a viewership that could be anyone in their new life in America — their landlord, their boss or their coworker. It is difficult to ascertain who puts on a white hood and robe when they are in private and in the company of other like-minded individuals.
Third, Indian kids are taught by their parents to keep their heads down and avoid any protest. It is common in many Asian and Indian households for parents to raise their kids against rebellion and resisting authority. While this has certainly helped them gain the label “model minority,” it has also cost them solidarity with other minorities, their careers, their high school experiences, and affected their overall quality of life in America. Interestingly, all of the above are changing with the next generation and that is contributing to the increase in these prejudiced monologues.
Nevertheless, when second and third-generation immigrants speak out against racist structures in America, not necessarily ones that solely target them, but affect the lives of African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and other Asian Americans, they are, as feared, targeted by people in power such as Wax. Her frustration was around the “brown and Asian faces” speaking out on race in America.
Coronavirus-Racism; Image source: AHRC
Every time the Black Lives Matter movement brings up police brutality or systemic racism in America, the immediate response from its critiques is a case of whataboutism and deflection — “what about Black on Black crime?” and not reflection — “what is wrong with the system in America?” In Wax and Carlson’s interview, bringing up India’s caste system was another case of deflection and an attempt to silence the community from speaking against racism in the country. Deflection has been the modus operandi for those wanting to avoid the conversation. But can a country and society move forward by avoiding hard conversations? The need of the hour is reflection, not deflection.
Just as if America were to court India as a friend it would have to leave the Kissinger doctrine of the Cold War by the wayside, similarly, if American society is to have social cohesion it might have to drop its appreciation for shows such as Carlson’s.
The arc of justice is slowly moving, With Kamala Harris, Deb Haaland, Katherine Tai and Ketanji Brown Jackson in various halls of power, America is beginning to represent its demographic diversity. As this advances, it is likely to irritate and frustrate many people who aspired to or held the same office the four women and many other people of colour are holding now.
American society needs to nip racial angst in the bud. Only then can, not just the Indian American community, but all other minority groups live in peace.
Author: Akhil Ramesh is a fellow with the Pacific Forum. He has worked with governments, risk consulting firms, and think tanks in the United States and India. Follow him on Twitter: Akhil_oldsoul.
This article was first published as “The ‘jealous minority’ is the latest myth stoking American racism,” in ‘The Hill’. We have republished it with kind permission from the author.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The Australia Today is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts, or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of The Australia Today and The Australia Today News does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
Today is Maharashtra Day! So Jai Maharashtra, Jai Shivaji! A very happy Maharashtra Day wishes to the readers of The Australia Today.
62 years ago Maharashtra state was formed on this day within independent India. I agree with filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnijhotri who in his recent tweet highlighted the contribution of Maharashtra to India. We are able to celebrate the creation of an independent Maharashtra and an independent India because of the sweat and blood of several brave warriors – some known, some unknown. Today, as we celebrate Maharashtra Day, we have to celebrate their contributions and sacrifices.
Today is Maharashtra Day. Maharashtra has given great people like Shivaji, lokamanya Tilak, Savarkar, Ambedkar and many more. It’s a land of great art, literature & culture. It has been a leading state of Nationalists. I hope it keeps showing light to Bharat. #MaharashtraDay
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) May 1, 2022
Before I get to the story line, I want to mention 2 points: First, It is Paavankhind, not Pawankhind like it reads and I have heard some pronounce (Pavan is ‘wind’ and Paavan is ‘Holy’). This Godkhind or ‘mountain pass’ or literally a place on the mountains through which Ghodas or horses can pass, became Paavan or ‘holy’ because of this incident. This is near Vishalgad fort in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra. Second, I watched this movie over a month ago when I was in India. However, I wanted to share this video and review on this apt day. When I watched this film in the theatre it was probably in week 4 and running almost a houseful show even the. I heard whistles and applause in the theatre that was truly unbelievable.
For a Maharashtrian, or for anyone who has studied and grown up in Maharashtra, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a highly revered name. We have read and heard his stories at school, from our elders and was also part of our childhood games when we would enact those famous warplays! So for us, it is reverential to see any movie of Maharaj on the screen! Shivaji Maharaj was the first, in a Maharashtrian context or even across India, to set a vision of Swaraj, self rule or independence from the Mughals. This dream of Swaraj has stayed alive over the centuries and the subsequent Maratha rulers and eventually the Maharashtrian freedom fighters like Lokamanya Tilak, Swantantra Veer Savarkar. Thanks to this vision, these dreams, we are living in a free world!
But we have one responsibility and that is not to forget the sacrifices of such great leaders, not just the brave Kings but several brave warriors and generals – the unsung heroes who laid down their lives for their King and his vision of Swaraj! This is our #Lestweforget moment.
Pawankhind is about one such famous incident from Maratha history where Chatrapati Shivaji’s life was in danger as he was surrounded by the enemy army of Adil Shah II in the Panhala fort near Kolhapur, Maharashtra.
Several brave warriors laid down their lives to ensure Shivaji Maharaj’s safe exit from this fort. Prime amongst the generals were Baji Prabhu Deshpande, Netaji Palkar, Rayarirao Bandal, and Shiva Kashid.
The movie is gripping throughout although many cinematic liberties have been taken in this retelling. The first half builds up the premise while the second half is action oriented demonstrating the brave escape of Shivaji Maharaj and the sacrifice of all the generals. Nobody from the defending team survives. And they knew this when they made the decision to stay back at the Godkhind as Shivaji Maharaj and a team of 300 soldiers escape to Vishalgad. It is difficult to even imagine the state of mind of these bravehearts.
While the whole film is amazing, I do hope that the makers could have researched and recreated some detailed war tactics used during the fight at the Godkhind. When a handful of soldiers are stopping a massive army, I am sure they would have used several war tactics and strategies that were developed in Maharashtra.
Image source: Pawankhind poster.
Digpal Lanjekar, the director, is on a mission to bring Shivaji Maharaj’s life stories to celluloid. His first movie was Farzand based on the valour of Kondaji Farzand which helped recapture this same Panhala Fort. Then came Faatehshikast which shows the capture of Lal Mahal in Pune. And now Pawankhind. His next venture is titled Sher Shivraj which will be releasing soon. Kudos to Digpal on this mission! We are keen to see many more stories of such unsung heroes!
Tanaji Malsure is another such great general who laid down his life for the King, and his story was made into a movie two years ago by Ajay Devgn. I sincerely hope all the movies from Digpal also get a wider outreach especially amongst Indians living abroad. His team of actors mostly reprise their roles from the previous movies. Chinmay Mandlekar as Shivaji Maharaj; Mrinal Kulkarni as Jijamata, mother of Shivaji Maharaj; Ankit Mohan, Mrunmayee Deshpande and Sameer Dharmadhikari don various roles in these movies. All the actors, most well-known names from the Marathi film and TV industry, have done a brilliant job in their respective roles. I would particularly call out three actors:
Chinmay Mandlekar – Brilliant portrayal of Shivaji Maharaj. He is very charismatic and I am singling his performance for another reason though. His two movies released weeks apart. Pawankhind came first and The Kashmir Files came next. In the first movie, Pawankhind, you feel like giving your life for him as he instils a passion in you. However, in second film you feel like taking his life as he instils so hatred in you. This is definitely cunted as an accomplishment in an actor.
Ankit Mohan – Great portrayal of the valiant general, Shrimant Rayajirao Bandal. Ankit has a superb personality with well built physique that helps him carry such valiant performances very well. He seems made for such roles considering his past performances: Shivaji series where he has played the lead role of Kondaji Farzand and outside the series where he has played the mighty Ashwathama in the newer Mahabharat series on Star Plus.
Ajay Purkar – Powerful portrayal of the legendary Baji Prabhu. His personality just suits the brave warrior. You can see some raw moments, but it is consumed by his larger than life persona on screen in the second half. I particularly loved the tense scene where is a lone man standing at the Godkhind and the invading army feels they can vanquish him easil and he just rep[onds: “Chal…” When I was watching this in the cinema hall, the entire theatre erupted in laughter.
I would highly recommend to all of you to must watch this film with family. It is not just an educating film but also highly motivational. In my humble opinion, very few films are able to achieve this combination: excel in storytelling and provide a wholesome cinematic experience.
The film was shot in 28 days with 250 cast and crew on location in Malhargad and makers have released it as a tribute to the film editor, late Pramod Kahar who passed away during COVID-19’s second wave in India, just after completing this film. His words from an interview will always ring in my head: “Ka thamblat, Maharajancha Naav ghya, Chala evda kaam sampvuya!” (Why did you stop, think about the King, lets finish just this one task!)
WATCH VIDEO: Pawankhind dedicated to our valiant heroes who gave their lives in the pursuit of Swaraj!!
Contributing Author: Sanjiv Kulkarni is an ardent Indian cinema buff with an interest in the art of movie-making. He shares his take on movies and some rarer movies too. He lives in Melbourne and works as an IT Sales leader.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The Australia Today is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts, or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of The Australia Today and The Australia Today News does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
PM Scott Morrison promises storng anti-trolling laws: Image Source: Supplied
To protect children, women and families online a re-elected Morrison Government will bring in groundbreaking legislation.
Cyber security experts belive it will significantly enhance eSafety capability in schools, ensuring strong parental controls are available on devices and legislating tough anti-trolling laws.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Coalition had stood up to big tech and social media giants to make Australia a world-leader in online safety, but there was much more to be done.
“Our kids should be able to learn, be entertained, or connect with their friends and family without facing abuse, humiliation or online predators,”
the Prime Minister said.
“The online world cannot be a cowards’ cavern where the rules of the real world do not exist.
“Big tech and social media giants must be held to account. Our plan will force them to do more – they cannot create it, and wash their hands of all consequences of it.
“Our plan will also ensure parents can protect their kids online with strong parental controls, help to prevent harm by raising awareness in every school, and improve our support for those harmed online.
“We have achieved so much in the online world, but there is much more to be done, and only a Coalition Government will stand up to big tech and social media giants.”
The Coalition’s policy includes:
A $23 million eSafety Schools package to raise awareness of the eSafety Commissioner’s support across every school in Australia, provide training programs for teachers, new and improved online safety resources for schools and enhance the Trusted eSafety Provider Program that connects schools with external online safety providers that meet high standards.
Ensuring smartphones and tablet devices have strong parental controls installed that are easier to find and activate (particularly when first setting up a device) and harder for kids to bypass, through a binding industry code under the Online Safety Act. If industry doesn’t act within 12 months, we will regulate to force them.
$10 million for the eSafety Commissioner to further expand coordination with other regulatory and law enforcement agencies, ensuring victims ‘tell-us-once’ and are supported into the right service, so they spend more time recovering and less time in bureaucracy.
Legislating the Social Media (Anti-Trolling) laws to ensure social media companies are held accountable as publishers and Australians are given more power to deal with harmful defamatory comments from anonymous trolls.
Supporting online safety in multicultural Australia by earmarking $2 million under the Online Safety Grants for projects that support women and girls in CALD communities.
Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher said the Government’s principle is that the same rules and laws that apply in the real world should also apply in the digital world.
“The online world should not be an ungoverned space,”
Minister Fletcher said.
“The internet has brought incredible benefits for us all, but we will continue to remain vigilant to protect our children from some of the toxic harms they can confront when online.”
These announcements build on the Coalition’s strong track-record in online safety. In 2015 we established the world’s first eSafety Commissioner to protect children from bullying and harmful content. We have significantly expanded eSafety’s powers through the Online Safety Act, including introducing the world’s first scheme to remove harmful cyber-abuse of adults.
Other recent initiatives include:
The announcement of new laws combatting harmful misinformation;
Drafting of new laws to improve online privacy and ensure social media companies give primary consideration to the best interest of the child when handling their personal information;
Establishment of a House Select Committee inquiry into social media and online safety, with its recommendations now before the Government;
$16.6m towards Women’s Safety Online to establish a new telephone service to provide support for women and children experiencing technology-facilitated abuse;
$10m towards boosting support for online safety NGOs, with organisations such as the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and Alannah and Madeline Foundation already supported under the program;
$5m for eSafety to expand its national awareness campaign, bringing total funding for the current campaign to $10 million;
A new Online Safety Youth Advisory Council; and
Updates to Australia’s Classification System to protect children against content such as loot boxes in video games and to address content that sexualises children or depicts suicide and violence against women and children.
To find further resources and tools on online safety and support for removing online bullying, abuse or harassment, visit: www.esafety.gov.au.
Anthony Albanese promises Home buying help; Image source: The Australia Today
Labor Party has promised that it will cut the cost of buying a home by up to 40 per cent for 10,000 Australians per year.
Launching a new program called “Help to Buy“; If elected on May 21 Albanese Labor Government will help Australians buy a home with a smaller deposit, a smaller mortgage and smaller mortgage repayments.
Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Anthony Albanese said, “After nine long years in Government, housing affordability has only got worse under the Liberal-National Government.
“Help to Buy is part of Labor’s plan to tackle the housing crisis.”
Labor Party claims in some parts of Australia this will cut the cost of a mortgage by up to $380,000.
This election campaign pitch is for people who find it harder to buy a home today than ever before. “Help to Buy“ has been designed for big cities and the regions keeping in mind the distinctive needs of residents.
The biggest drop in home ownership is amongst Australians on low and modest incomes who struggle to enter the market and miss out on the great Australian dream.
Forty years ago, almost 60 per cent of young Australians on low and modest incomes owned their own home. Now, it is only 28 per cent.
An Albanese Labor Government promises to provide eligible homebuyers with an equity contribution of up to 40 per cent of the purchase price of a new home and up to 30 per cent of the purchase price for an existing home.
The homebuyer will need to have a deposit of 2 per cent and qualify for a standard home loan with a participating lender to finance the remainder of the purchase.
The following table shows how much people will save on their mortgage under Labor’s Help to Buy
in different cities and regions.
Note – Regional centres include Newcastle & Lake Macquarie, Illawarra, Central Coast, North Coast of NSW, Geelong, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.
According to Shadow Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, “There is a housing crisis in Australia – it’s harder to buy a home than ever before. It’s harder in the big cities and harder in the regions.
“It’s harder for first home buyers and harder for many older Australians. Many people on modest incomes have been forced to give up the Australian dream. Help to Buy will address this.”
Homebuyers will also avoid the need to pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI), representing an additional saving, depending on purchase location, of potentially more than $30,000.
This will help many Australians on low and modest incomes to buy a home with a much smaller mortgage that they can afford to pay rather than renting for the rest of their life.
During the loan period the homebuyer can buy an additional stake in the home when they are able to do so.
The homebuyer will not be required to pay rent on the stake of the home owned by the Federal Government.
This scheme is not just for first homebuyers, it’s for other Australians who need a helping hand as well.
Help to Buy will be available to Australians with a taxable income of up to $90,000 for individuals and up to $120,000 for couples. Homebuyers must be Australian citizens and not currently own or have an interest in a residential dwelling.
Help to Buy will make money for the Government as the Federal Government will recover its equity and its share of the capital gain when the house is sold.
Help to Buy will cost around $329 million over the forward estimates.
National Housing Supply and Affordability Council
An Albanese Labor Government will also establish a National Housing Supply and Affordability Council, to ensure the Commonwealth plays a leadership role in increasing housing supply and improving affordability.
The Council will be advised by experts including from the finance, economics, urban development, residential construction, urban planning and social housing sectors.
More land supply and better land use planning will improve housing affordability and provide a boost to national productivity and economic growth – but the only way to achieve this is by partnering with the States and Territories.
The Council will set targets for land supply, in consultation with States and Territories. It will also collect and make public nationally consistent data on housing supply, demand and affordability.
The Council will also have a key role in developing Labor’s National Housing and Homelessness Plan – something the Morrison Government has refused to do.
Doubling foreign investment fees and penalties
To pay for housing affordability polices, Labor will double foreign investment screening fees and financial penalties.
These changes will commence from July 2022 and raise around $445 million over the forward estimates.
Shadow Minister for Housing and HomelessnessJason Clare said, “It’s harder to buy, harder to rent and there are more homeless Australians than ever before.
“This will help a lot of Australians buy a home with a smaller mortgage that they can afford to repay, instead of renting for the rest of their lives.”
However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has accused Mr Albanese of trying to “take a cut” from potential homebuyers under the ‘Help to Buy’ scheme.
He claims that the plan would allow the government to purchase a slice of people’s property.
PM has suggested it was a money-making exercise.
“Our plan is for Australians to own their own home, not for the government and Anthony Albanese to own your home,”
Mr Morrison told reporters on Sunday.
The Prime Minister added Labor was “looking to make money” out of the proposed scheme.
“They will have equity in your home … I don’t have a plan to make money off of people buying their own home,” he said.
“Quite the opposite – I want them to own their own home.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison; Image Source: Supplied
Millions of Australians taking common medications for blood pressure, high cholesterol, pain relief, depression, diabetes and more will be able to save $10 on scripts with an Australian first reduction in the price of Government subsidised medications.
Morrison Government has announced that if re-elected they will cut the price of medications listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
This cut will happen from 1 January 2023 as part of an annual $150 million hip-pocket saving for Australians.
PM Scott Morrison; Picture Source: PMOffice
The Prime Minister said this was the first time the PBS General Co-payment had been reduced by any Government.
“Our economic plan is delivering cost of living relief to millions of Australians who will save hundreds of dollars every year on the cost of essential and life saving medications.”
The Prime Minister added:
“Because of our strong economic management, the Coalition is winding the clock back on the cost of medications, reducing the cost per script to 2008 prices. This will put more than $150 million back into the pockets of Australians every year.”
Image source: Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt.
Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt said only the Coalition had a strong record of delivering affordable, life saving medications for all Australians.
“Since 2013, the Coalition Government has approved more than 2,900 new or amended listings on the PBS at an overall investment of around $16.5 billion. By listing these medications on the PBS we are ensuring Australians can have access to affordable, life saving medications that would otherwise cost thousands, or hundreds of thousands of dollars, without subsidy.“
Minister Hunt added that in contrast, Labor stopped listing medicines on the PBS in 2011.
In the 2022-23 Budget, the Coalition invested a further $2.4 billion for new and amended PBS listings including treatments for breast cancer, cystic fibrosis, severe eczema, asthma, spinal muscular atrophy, HIV infection and heart failure.
Recent medicines funded through the PBS:
From 1 May 2022, Zolgensma® for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy. This would cost patients over $2.5 million per treatment without subsidy by the Government.
From 1 May 2022, Trodelvy® for the treatment of triple negative breast cancer. This would cost patients over $80,000 per course without subsidy by the Government.
From 1 April 2022, Trikafta® for cystic fibrosis. This would cost patients over $250,000 per year without subsidy by the Government.
In the recent budget the Coalition invested over $525 million to make medicines more affordable for 2.4 million Australians by lowering the PBS Safety Net threshold from 1 July 2022, benefiting concession card holders and general patients.
Under the changes, concessional patients will reach the PBS Safety Net with 12 fewer filled scripts. For general patients, it’s two fewer scripts – saving over $80 a year before they are eligible to receive free or further subsidised PBS medicines.
Based on fully subsidised prescription volumes in 2021-22, patients across Australia are set to save approximately $150 million per year going forward.
The Prime Minister added:
“Millions of Australians will soon save $10 per script for common medications, which means those taking one medication a month could save $120 a year, or those taking two medications a month could save $240 a year.”
This is the single most significant change to the cost of and access to medications since the PBS was introduced more than 70 years ago and could benefit more than 19 million Australians each year who are without a concession card.
What does a man do in PRS? That’s a term I just coined. Post Retirement Stage.
This is the crux of Sharmaji Namkeen (2022), a movie that offers crisp storytelling along with a peek into the life of a middle-class family in today’s Delhi. There are so many men like Brij Gopal Sharma (played by Rishi Kapoor and Paresh Rawal) who struggle to keep themselves occupied after retirement.
The movie mixes PRS with Delhi Kitty parties, builders swindling young first home buyers, dirty politics, and some budding senior citizen romance as tadka for a wonderfully created dish.
Image source: Still from Sharmaji Namkeen.
This movie will go down in history for a few reasons. First, it is an awesome tribute to the Late Rishi Kapoor or Chintu Ji as his fans called the late actor. He will forever be remembered for his amazing spontaneity and jovial persona which is on full display in this movie! You will find many moments, mine were his “Baby Doll” dance and his first cooking job entry. Priceless! Secondly, for the unique experiment and/or experience of having the same role performed by two veteran actors – Rishi Kapoor and Paresh Rawal. Two different schools of actors come together to add flavor to the same role/dish. Kudos to Paresh Rawal for taking this up. His style is different and he could have independently done this movie too. However, trying to mimic Rishi Kapoor’s style is a tough act and one can see gaps there. In fact, this transition is the highlight of the movie and the audience looks forward to it.
Image source: Still from Sharmaji Namkeen.
According to me, it is immaterial beyond a point as this is an ode to the inimitable Chintu Ji! Personally, I also learned two things. First, the way to a woman’s heart is also through her stomach. – so it is not just the men! Secondly, movie making is not a sequential/serial process. While it appears very simple on-screen, you are cooking in the kitchen and then you step out to the balcony. From a film-making process, these are two different shooting schedules: one indoor (can be on film sets) and the second is outdoor (actual location). These are planned and executed differently. And this is quite evident when you see Rishi Kapoor in indoor scenes and Paresh Rawal in outdoor scenes. I am glad they chose to execute it with both actors, instead of redoing the entire movie.
Image source: Late Rishi Kapoor’s last film project was Juhi Chawla-starrer Sharmaji Namkeen, directed by debutante Hitesh Bhatia – PR Handout.
Kudos to all the actors and writers for a wonderful performance. Supporting artists and actors have wonderful roles these days and each has packed in a solid performance.
While Rishi Kapoor and Paresh Rawal are truly namkeen in this film, Juhi Chawla brings in the charming sweetness in her role. The two sons played by Suhail Nayyar and Taaruk Raina make you feel at home (if you have grown-up kids). Gufi Paintal and Satish Kaushik are seen on screen after a long time.
Image source: Still from Sharmaji Namkeen.
The writers Supratik Sen and Hitesh Bhatia have done a very good job. They have highlighted the common man and their problems, which is the real hero. Hitesh Bhatia is also the director of the movie.
Sharmaji Namkeen definitely gives both the audience and filmmakers food for thought. More power to such writers and directors to create such nutritious and essential dishes with the right garnishing (storytelling) to create such zesty food that suites the palette of the common man or woman!
WATCH VIDEO REVIEW:
Contributing Author: Sanjiv Kulkarni is an ardent Indian cinema buff with an interest in the art of movie-making. He shares his take on movies and some rarer movies too. He lives in Melbourne and works as an IT Sales leader.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The Australia Today is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts, or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of The Australia Today and The Australia Today News does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
Image source: Mr Tony Abbott addressing the delegates - Facebook.
Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot is in Delhi to celebrate the recently signed India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA).
Addressing the delegates at a special dinner organised by the India-Australia Strategic Alliance and Indian Business Consortium, the former PM praised India for its manufacturing capabilities.
“India has a very sophisticated manufacturing base.”
More than 150 top Indian and Australian entrepreneurs and business leaders joined this evening. Special guests at this function included Mr. Naveen Jindal (Chairman of Jindal Group) and Mr. Manoj Tiwari (Member of Parliament).
Image source: Dharmendrakumar Patel, founder of Aussizz Group – Facebook.
Mr. Dharmendrakumar Patel, founder of Aussizz Group, who is part of the Australian delegation observed:
“Hon Tony Abbott raised very important points related to India’s relationship with Australia, especially the importance of Indian Diaspora in Australia which is playing an important role.”
During the dinner, Abbott praised the joint efforts by the countries’ leaders; especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, in strengthening diplomatic and strategic relations. He also made a special mention of commerce minister Piyush Goyal and Dan Tehan, the trade and tourism minister of Australia.
Image source: Mr Tony Abbott, Ms Meenakshi Lekhi and Dr Jagvinder Singh Virk with other delegates – Facebook.
This event comes as India and Australia are working to develop strong partnerships on all fronts, especially on trade. Australia is the 17th largest trading partner of India and India is Australia’s ninth-largest trading partner.
Abbott is considered one of the key architects of the newly signed comprehensive interim free-trade agreement that permits zero-duty trade on several items. Further, the ECTA is expected to double the bilateral trade from USD 27.5 bn (2021) to about USD 45 to USD 50 Billion in the next five years.
The trade agreement also unlocks huge opportunities for exports of automobiles, textiles, footwear and leather products, gems and jewelry, toys, and plastic products in India.
Image source: Mr Tony Abbott, Ms Meenakshi Lekhi and Dr Jagvinder Singh Virk with other delegates – Facebook.
This event was facilitated by Dr Jagvinder Singh Virk, Chairman of the India-Australia Strategic Alliance and organised by members of the Indian Business Consortium – Pramod Sharma (Trustee Director – Laxmi Narain Foundation, Founder Promoter -UV Group (UVARC and UV Special Situation Fund), Dr. Shanemeet Singh Sidhu (Economic Adviser, Founder: Brain Tree IAS), Ramesh Chandra Agarwal (Managing Director – Mohani Tea), CA Rajesh Sharma (Former ICAIICSI Central Council Member, Former BHEL Director), CA Ishant Juneja (Founder of Rrayze Business Solutions).
India Australia Strategic Alliance and Indian Business Consortium support India Australia business ventures especially entrepreneurs interested in exploring synergies across multiple countries across industries and sectors.
Stressed International Student; Image Source: @CANVA
Australia may have reopened its borders to international students back in December, but delays in student visa applications remain a problem for some who are still waiting to return to the country.
Twitter users, including those from India and Iran, have alleged that visa applications are taking months or years. Some are airing their grievances using the #still_waiting_for_visa hashtag.
It's been 2months since i applied for my australian student visa, still no update for me too
One Twitter user from India said Indian students have received PhD scholarships from Australian universities and risk losing their offers if they do not return soon. She added that their start date is close, but many are still waiting for their visa after nearly two years.
In a separate tweet, she claimed that she has been waiting for her student visa for 15 months, adding that if she cannot enrol by May 30, 2022, she would lose her scholarship and place in the university.
According to Pourazad, the University of Newcastle has been very supportive during his visa application process, adding that the university has deferred his scholarship “multiple times”. Source: Hamed Pourazad
Another student, Hamed Pourazad told Study International that he applied for his visa application before COVID-19 hit Australian borders.
“I applied in January 2020, and it was a good month or two before they closed the borders. The application was not difficult at the time, and I was hoping that I could get my visa and go to Australia before the borders were closed,” said the 34-year-old, who received a scholarship to pursue his PhD at the University of Newcastle.
When Australia’s borders closed in March 2020, the Iranian thought he would get his visa and “commence my studies online, as it was a common practice back in the day”.
That day never came.
You are not alone in this. Many #iranian_students are also waiting for their visas for so long. I have been waiting for more than 2 years myself. https://t.co/JbCoZ7MBMw
“Even though Australian borders have been open for some time now, I am still waiting for my visa,” he said, adding that he has more than 20 friends in Iran who are facing extremely long visa assessment times.
“Some are waiting for more than two years, some have lost their scholarships, and some are about to lose their scholarships. What is bad here is that none of us can know for sure when our visas will be granted, and there is no way to ensure that our scholarships will still be valid by the time we have our visas.”
Deepak Chahal, an Indian PhD student at Macquarie University, told Study International: “I have applied for the student subclass 500 visa on Jan. 14, 2021. And I have been waiting for my visa for 15 months. I haven’t received any updates on my visa for the last 13 months.”
After contacting the DHA, the 27-year-old claimed that he, along with several other PhD students, received a “generic” reply which included that their application is going through mandatory checks that take up time.
Australian student visa applications ‘may take longer to finalise
The DHA has been contacted for comments.
Its website notes, “Due to COVID-19, some visa processing times have been affected. Applications may take longer to finalise.
“A complete application will enable quicker processing. We encourage students to provide the Department of Home Affairs with complete Student visa applications.”
Since 21 February, Australia has been welcoming all fully vaccinated international arrivals without requiring a travel exemption or a booster/third dose. From 18 April, following important changes will come in forcepic.twitter.com/xW1UhS06g7
The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has issued an urgent scam warning after it found an increase in reports of fake ATO websites.
These websites impersonating as ATO are stealing “both money and personal information”.
These fake websites offer individuals tax file numbers and Australian business numbers for a fee. However, after registering they do not provide any such service.
“The advertisements offer to obtain a TFN or ABN for a fee. Instead of delivering this service, the scammer uses these fraudulent websites to steal both money and personal information.”
ATO is concerned about this recent increase in the number of victims reporting scams around TFN and ABN applications.
Image source: Assistant Commissioner Tim Loh – ATO.
Assistant Commissioner Tim Loh told media that he is concerned about the recent increase in the number of victims reporting TFN and ABN scams.
“Scammers are constantly developing new ways to target the community, and we expect to see more of these malicious attempts to steal identity details in the lead up to tax time. … We are also still seeing scammers impersonating the ATO, making threats, demanding the payment of fake tax debts, or claiming a TFN has been suspended due to fraud.”
In 2021, more than 50,000 people reported ATO impersonation scams with victims losing a total of more than $800,000.
Mr Loh adds:
“We are encouraging everyone to be on alert and take the time to remind family and friends to be on the lookout and stay safe online, so you don’t fall victim to a scam this tax time.”
ATO has alerted social media users who are also being targeted by this scam that is being widely advertised on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Australian residents should know that Tax File Numbers are free and available directly through the ATO, while local businesses must apply for an ABN directly through the Australian Business Register.
If you think a phone call, SMS, voicemail or email claiming to be from ATO is not genuine, do not reply to it. Instead, you should either: phone us on 1800 008 540 or go to Verify or report a scam – to see how to spot and report a scam.
With nearly 84% of the world’s population now owning a smartphone, and our dependence on them growing all the time, these devices have become an attractive avenue for scammers.
Last year, cyber security company Kaspersky detected nearly 3.5 million malicious attacks on mobile phone users. The spam messages we get on our phones via text message or email will often contain links to viruses, which are a type of malicious software (malware).
There’s a decent chance that at some point you’ve installed malware that infected your phone and worked (without you noticing) in the background. According to a global report commissioned by private company Zimperium, more than one-fifth of mobile devices have encountered malware. And four in ten mobiles worldwide are vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
But how do you know if your phone has been targeted? And what can you do?
How does a phone get infected?
Like personal computers, phones can be compromised by malware.
For example, the Hummingbad virus-infected ten million Android devices within a few months of its creation in 2016, and put as many as 85 million devices at risk.
Typically, a phone virus works the same way as a computer virus: a malicious code infects your device, replicates itself, and spreads to other devices by auto-messaging others in your contact list or auto-forwarding itself as an email.
A virus can limit your phone’s functionality, send your personal information to hackers, send your contacts spam messages linking to malware, and even allow the virus’s operator to “spy” on you by capturing your screen and keyboard inputs and tracking your geographical location.
In Australia, Scamwatch received 16,000 reports of the Flubot virus over just eight weeks in 2021. This virus sends text messages to Android and iPhone users with links to malware. Clicking on the links can lead to a malicious app being downloaded on your phone, giving scammers access to your personal information.
Flubot scammers regularly change their target countries. According to cyber security firm Bitdefender, FluBot operators targeted Australia, Germany, Poland, Spain, Austria, and other European countries between December 1 2021, and January 2 of this year.
Is either Apple or Android more secure?
While Apple devices are generally considered more secure than Android, and less prone to virus attacks, iPhone users who “jailbreak” or modify their phone open themselves up to security vulnerabilities.
Similarly, Android users who install apps from outside the Google Play store increase their risk of installing malware. It’s recommended all phone users stay on guard, as both Apple and Android are vulnerable to security risks.
That said, phones are generally better protected against viruses than personal computers. This is because software is usually installed through authorised app stores that vet each app (although some malicious apps can occasionally slip through the cracks).
Also, in comparison to computers, phones are more secure as the apps are usually “sandboxed” in their own isolated environment – unable to access or interfere with other apps. This reduces the risk of infection or cross-contamination from malware. However, no device is entirely immune.
Watch out for the signs
While it’s not always easy to tell whether your phone is infected, it will exhibit some abnormal behaviours if it is. Some signs to watch out for include:
poor performance, such as apps taking longer than usual to open, or crashing randomly
excessive battery drain (due to the malware constantly working in the background)
increased mobile data consumption
unexplained billing charges (which may include increased data usage charges as a result of the malware chewing up your data)
unusual pop-ups, and
the device overheating unexpectedly.
If you do suspect a virus has infected your device, there are some steps you can take. First, to prevent further damage you’ll need to remove the malware. Here are some simple troubleshooting steps:
Use a reliable antivirus app to scan your phone for infections. Some reputable vendors offering paid and free protection services include Avast, AVG, Bitdefender, McAfee or Norton.
Clear your phone’s storage and cache (in Android devices), or browsing history and website data (in Apple devices).
Restart your iPhone, or restart your Android phone to go into safe mode – which is a feature on Android that prevents third-party apps from operating for as long as it’s enabled.
Delete any suspicious or unfamiliar apps from your downloaded apps list and, if you’re an Android user, turn safe mode off once the apps are deleted.
As a last resort, you can back up all your data and perform a factory reset on your phone. Resetting a phone to its original settings will eliminate any malware.
Protecting your phone from infection
Now you’ve fixed your phone, it’s important to safeguard it against future viruses and other security risks. The mobile security apps mentioned above will help with this. But you can also:
avoid clicking unusual pop-ups, or links in unusual text messages, social media posts or emails
only install apps from authorised app stores, such as Google Play or Apple’s App Store
avoid jailbreaking or modifying your phone
check app permissions before installing, so you’re aware of what the app will access (rather than blindly trusting it)
back up your data regularly, and
keep your phone software updated to the latest version (which will have the latest security patches).
Continually monitor your phone for suspicious activity and trust your gut instincts. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. https://www.youtube.com/embed/nvIXGeB1WgE?wmode=transparent&start=38 Google’s tips on how to spot malware.
A total of 53,880 international visitor arrivals occurred for the month of January and the top five visitor markets were the United Kingdom (9,320 visitors), India (6,390visitors), the USA (4,760 visitors), Singapore (3,030 visitors), China (2,600 visitors) and New Zealand (2,180 visitors).
Further, according to Tourism Australia, the strengthening of the bilateral relationship between Australia and India has encouraged the local tourism sector “to be confident about India’s resurgence once the borders reopen.”
City of Melbourne, Australia; Picture Source: @CANVA
Tourism Australia’s Consumer Demand Project research shows that 1.8million (82%) of high-value travellers in India intend to visit Australia, and Australia has maintained its highest ranking across all key factors that travellers consider before deciding a holiday destination
With the announcement of Qantas’ direct flights to India, the non-stop services on the India/Australia route have more than doubled than pre-COVID levels
The Visa Application Charge (VAC) waiver scheme announced by the Department of Home Affairs offers a unique benefit to thousands of Indian travellers who were unable to travel due to COVID
In February, Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan said that Tourism Australia had been prepared to ramp up its international marketing efforts once the border re-opening was announced.
“The world has been waiting two years to get Down Under for a holiday and our latest ad campaign will remind them of what they’ve been missing.”
Direct Flights between Sydney and Delhi; Picture Source: @CANVA
With an aim to lure Indian travellers to Australia, Tourism Australia has launched a new traveller campaign for all-inclusive, return economy-class airfares to Australia starting from just Rs. 48,300.
“There has never been a better time to hop on Down Under for a holiday, see the family, & watch the upcoming #T20WorldCup. We look forward to welcoming our friends soon!”
Tourism Australia has partnered with Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Sri Lankan Airlines, Thai Airways and Scoot.
Further, the commencement of direct flights by Qantas and Air India has come as a boost to travellers from both countries.
As per Tourism Australia’s announcement on social media, the present offer of sale is valid until 12 May 2022 and offers travel validity up to 31 March 2023.
Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide; Picture Source: @CANVA
From 21 February 2022, visa holders who are fully vaccinated with two doses of a Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved COVID-19 vaccine can travel to Australia quarantine-free, without the need to apply for a travel exemption.
To be eligible to enter Australia, international travellers must:
hold a valid Australian visa.
be fully vaccinated with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and provide proof of vaccination status.
Present a negative rapid antigen test (RAT) within 24 hours of departure or a Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure (unless a medical exemption applies).
Complete an Australia Travel Declaration at least 72 hours before departure.
Fully vaccinated visa holders can enter all states and territories quarantine-free from 21 February 2022, except for Western Australia.
Travellers will need to comply with requirements in the state or territory of their arrival, and any other state or territories that they plan to travel to. Information on entry requirements is updated regularly so it is important to check the latest requirements before travelling. Travellers are also encouraged to check any requirements for stopover destinations that they are transitioning through.
For requirements for travel into specific states and territories in Australia, visit the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website | State and Territory Information.
Khalistan billboard in Melbourne; Image Source: Supplied
Melbourne’s Indian Australian community is shocked to see posters and billboards displaying pictures of terrorist ‘Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’ while commuting to work on Wednesday morning.
The Australia Today understands that a lot of community members have called Victoria police and local council authorities to inform them of these billboards glorifying terrorism and terrorist.
Anand Pal was driving to reach an important office conference near Melbourne Airport when he saw this billboard near Sunshine Hospital. Mr. Pal told The Australia Today, “I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Bhindranwale’s picture in full displays from the highway.”
“This terrorist was responsible for killing two of my uncles in the Indian state of Punjab in the name of Khalistan separatist movement,”
said Mr Pal.
“I was so distressed seeing that banner of “terrorist Bhindranwale’ that I had to go back home after calling sick at work and could not attend the conference.”
Another member of Melbourne’s Indian Australian community who does not want to be identified (Whom we will call Sunil) told The Australia Today that an email has been sent to the billboard company.
Mr. Sunil told The Australia Today, “Displaying such advertising is unbecoming and also gives a platform to extremist views.”
Sunil says, he has seen bumper stickers on many cars parked around the Indian stores and restaurants owned by Khalistan supporters in Melbourne displaying “I Love Bhindranwale and Khalistan Zindabad.”
“Unfortunately the bumper stickers and the omnipresent posters of slain terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale are signs of a proxy battle brought halfway around the world despite the end of terrorism in the north Indian state of Punjab,”
said Mr Sunil.
Law enforcement officials in Australia are caught off guard by a sudden, puzzling series of protests, car rallies, beatings and terror tactics arising out of the formerly secluded, law-abiding, and industrious Sikh communities on this continent.
Senior Australian officials are concerned that the troubles will increase. They viewed with concern the rekindling of hostilities in India last year, fearing that a clampdown by the Indian government there would mean more such activities in Australia.
“As things get harder in the Punjab for extremists,” said a diplomat in Canberra, “our problems grow.”
Authorities believe that overseas actors in Canada, the UK, and the USA have an especially strong effect on many young Sikhs in Australia. Virtually overnight, they shed their western dress and lifestyle for the traditional beards, turbans, daggers, and bracelets of their religion and joined militant political movements.
Sukhbir Singh (name changed on request) is a prominent leader in Melbourne’s Sikh community. He is a moderate Sikh who has spoken out against the radicals.
He told The Australia Today, “The old leadership of the Sikh community has been virtually unseated by extremists who have taken over most of the temples, and their ample treasuries, with violence and/or intimidation.”
The moderate committee members and worshipers at the Craigieburn Gurudwara had city police officers posted in front of the building to prevent a radical takeover.
Officials have told The Australia Today group is being closely watched by authorities.
The Sikh communities in Australia, largely concentrated in the Melbourne and Sydney areas, enjoy greater political influence than those in the other states, which are scattered across cities on both coasts.
Australia provides state funding for Sikh Gurudwaras and their activities, as for other ethnic communities.
RBA to raise cash rate within week; Image Source: @CANVA
The annual rate of inflation has soared to its highest level since 2001, fuelled by rising petrol prices and higher dwelling construction costs.
The consumer price index for the March quarter surged 2.1 per cent for an annual inflation rate of 5.1 per cent, up from 3.5 per cent previously.
Underlying inflation – which smooths out volatile price swings and is more crucial to the interest rate outlook – jumped 1.4 per cent to 3.7 per cent for the year.
It is the first time the underlying rate has been above the Reserve Bank of Australia’s two to three per cent target since early 2010.
The result could put pressure on the RBA to lift the cash rate from a record low 0.1 per cent when its board meets next Tuesday.
The RBA has previously said it wants to see a meaningful rise in wages before it takes action, and could be wary of moving during a federal election campaign.
Reserve Bank Of Australia; Picture Source: @CANVA
But global inflation is on the move, and so are other central banks, making the case for a move by the RBA sooner rather than later.
“The only real argument for delay now is the current federal election – as was last the case in 2007, this is another good opportunity for the RBA to again demonstrate its independence,”
BetaShares chief economist David Bassanese said.
A rise in the cash rate will force banks to raise borrowing costs for households and businesses.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was on the front foot on the cost of living issues before the data release. faced with a tight federal election campaign where his own seat hangs in the balance.
Mr Frydenberg says global factors such as high oil prices due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and supply-chain disruptions are putting pressure on household budgets in Australia.
“That is why in the budget we committed to a temporary, targeted and responsible cost of the living package,”
Mr Frydenberg told AAP.
The first $250 cost of living payments will this week hit the bank accounts of millions of eligible pensioners, income support recipients, veterans and concession cardholders.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg
Slashing fuel excise, along with a fall in global oil prices, had provided some relief at the bowser after petrol prices surged past $2 a litre during the March quarter.
However, in the past week, the Australian Institute of Petroleum said the national average for petrol prices had ticked up 2.6 cents to 168.9 cents per litre, ending four weeks of declines.
Consumer confidence eased slightly in the past week, coinciding with the modest increase in petrol prices.
The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence index – a guide to future household spending – eased 0.3 per cent to 96.5.
A level below 100 indicates pessimists outweigh optimists.
Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom George Brandis says British diplomats should stop feeling guilty about their imperial history.
Brandis, who is leaving London after four years as High Commissioner, criticised British diplomats who had bought into a narrative of negativity related to Britains colonial past.
He further told the British Foreign Policy Group in London that local diplomats should express more pride in the Queen and the Commonwealth: Britain had “a lot of moral authority in faraway places”.
“One thing that rather bothers me is that there are some in the commentariat, possibly some even in the Foreign Office, who are almost guilty about Britain’s imperial past and therefore think notions like the Commonwealth should be uttered sotto voce.”
Image source: Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom George Brandis – Wikipedia.
He added:
“I just wish that the self-lacerating classes in Britain would realise that the world respects their own country a lot more than a lot of them do.”
Brandis beleives that the British monarchy would survive in Australia during his lifetime.
He added that the Prince of Wales would make “a very fine head of state”.
“I wish the self-lacerating classes in Britain would realise that the world respects their own country a lot more than a lot of them do.”
Further, Mr Brandis said Prince Charles would be “a very fine monarch, a very fine head of state of Australia”.
“He loves Australia, and he’s been there 17 times. He has a true emotional connection with Australia. And I’ve found, in this role, his absolutely deeply felt sense of care for Australia was evident, for example from his reaction to the bushfires a couple of years ago.”
Mr Brandis’ term as High Commissioner has covered the negotiation of a free trade agreement with Australia and the announcement of the AUKUS pact on military co-operation.
According to a 2014 YouGov poll, the narrative that British Empire was benevolent and colonialism beneficial to the colonies has been accepted amongst 50 percent of people.
Last year, research published by economist Utsa Patnaik questioned this very narrative that Britain’s empire was based on moral authority and benevolence.
Prof. Patnaik, drawing on nearly two centuries of detailed data on tax and trade, calculated that Britain drained a total of $45 trillion from India during the period 1765 to 1938.
Now the question is: should British diplomats feel proud about their colonial past and plunder or set the story straight for the coming generations?
Image source: man drawing intellectual property, related icons and words on whiteboard - Engineers Australia.
By Vivek Dahiya
The recent events between two big economic powers of world India and Australia paved way for trans-pacific business collaboration.
This is no doubt a great era for businesses and collaboration. However, Australian industries must be careful about protecting their Intellectual Property (IP) as well as respecting others IP rights in India and vice-versa.
On this World IP Day (or “WIP-Day”), April 26, it is important to understand importance of IP in business growth and developing partnerships.
If you have filed patent to secure your technology, trademark to protect your brand or design to secure aesthetic looks of your creation then you can deter your competition from copying you innovations, create credibility among your customers, develop partnerships with ease in other countries. For example, you purchase Puma shoes for AUD 200+ but if Puma’s trademark is not on that shoe will you buy it at AUD 200+? The answer is simple: NO
As per IP Australia Report of 2022 there has been an increase of 11% in number of Patent applications filed, a total 32,397 were filed in 2021. However, only 9% of these applications were originated from Australia, a total of 2,996 applications were filed having Australia as origin.
The above shows that Australian are not protecting their innovations and need to be aware of the monetary benefits of protecting innovative technologies.
On the other hand, it is utmost important for all Australian companies to ensure they do appropriate IP due diligence before they launch their products/services in India to avoid any IP dispute or to explore partnership opportunities.
To encourage more IP filings in Australia, it is important to incentivise innovators. For example, Indian government provides substantial reimbursement at the tune of AUD10,000 for their nationals/SME if they receive Patent in other country.
For about two decades, a theme has been chosen in the year to celebrate WIP-Day. For 2022, the focus will be on “IP and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future” to enable young people to discover how intellectual property rights can help them achieve their goals.
It is my belief that to maintain and promote a good start-ups ecosystem in both Australia and India that can lead to exponential growth of economy industries needs to be IP aware and youth of the nation should be incentivised for their start-up efforts.
Contributing author: Vivek Dahiya is an engineer, patent agent, advocate, and strategist. He is the founder and director of StartUpIPTeam.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The Australia Today is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts, or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of The Australia Today and The Australia Today News does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same
Home owners in Queensland are urged to seek legal advice before making payments that fall outside the terms of a fixed price building contract under the guise of ‘contract variations’.
This is to protect the home owners from unwarranted payments.
QBCC Commissioner, Anissa Levy, says that there may not be any contractual basis for contractors to demand payment for increased labour and material costs as ‘contract variations’ under a fixed price contract.
“The QBCC urges home and property owners to seek their own legal advice before agreeing to or paying an increase in the contract price for a fixed price contract.”
Ms Levy says further adds that as a contractual issue, this matter would usually be considered a civil matter and the QBCC would not be able to become involved.
“However, it could be a breach of a contract, which could potentially allow the contract to be terminated and a claim lodged by the home owner through the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme.”
Parties trying to resolve contractual issues over material or labour shortages should consider mediation with the Accelerated Builder/Consumer Dispute (ABCD) Framework.
While ABC Weekend Breakfast presenter Fauziah Ibrahim is in trouble after it was revealed that she kept a long list of Labor “trolls” on Twitter under offensive names, another has been called out for allegedly twisting facts and spreading fake news in India.
Avani Dias, a Sri Lankan-Australian journalist, presently based in New Delhi as is ABC’s foreign correspondent is responsible for covering South Asian region.
After reports of Hollywood superstar Will Smith reaching India, Ms Dias tweeted that Sadhguru, founder of the Isha Foundation, “supports a law which doesn’t offer Muslim refugees citizenship in India.”
In her now deleted tweet, Ms Dias was referring to India’s Citizenship Amendment ACT (CAA) which amended the 64-year-old Indian Citizenship law.
Left cabal in India with the support of many foreign-funded journalists have tried to prove that this bill was anti-Muslim. While the Indian government has maintained that this bill was to secure the lives of members of six religious minority communities – Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian – who face persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan or Bangladesh. With the help of this bill, members of these persecuted minorities will be eligible for citizenship by naturalisation after due process.
Ms Dias didn’t highlight this fact and in her enthusiasm to take down both Sadhguru and Will Smith ended up being advised to do more reading before she tweets.
Image source: Sadhguru with Will Smith – Instagram.
Well-known scholar and professor at India’s prestigious institution Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Prof. Anand Ranganathan called out Ms Dias an “uninformed, bigoted, fake news peddler.”
Analyst Abhijit Iyer-Mitra informed Ms Dias that Muslim refugees have to go through normal process and ABC journalist should read the whole legislation.
Incorrect again. It’s a law that fast tracks refugee status for non Muslim refugees from neighbouring Muslim countries. Muslim refugees from those neighbouring countries, go through normal processes. To quote you “read the legislation”
Noted journalist and expert on India’s national security and strategic affairs, Aditya Raj Kaul pointed to Ms Dias’ “deliberate misinformation” regarding CAA.
Sadhguru hate aside. There is no law in India which is against citizenship to Muslims. That’s deliberate misinformation. The specific law in question CAA is particularly for subjugated minorities including Christians, Sikhs, Hindus, Parsis etc of Islamic Republics.
In his answer, Aditya patiently pointed out that “CAA is specifically for minorities in Islamic Countries in India’s neighbourhood like Pakistan where they are facing HR violations, atrocities and subjugation since years.”
Misinformation. Muslim Refugees are free to apply for asylum or seek Indian citizenship normally. CAA is specifically for minorities in Islamic Countries in India’s neighbourhood like Pakistan where they are facing HR violations, atrocities and subjugation since years. https://t.co/uFY1KRKByI
Many netizens have called out ABC for sending such ill-informed journalists as its foreign correspondent.
Australian researcher Sarah L. Gates called out Ms Dias for “gaslighting” an important issue.
The Act has nothing to do with Muslims. It's like saying there's no mention of Avani Dias in the Guinness world records and that's discriminatory. Australia has rules for different groups' refugee status. Are you going to block the roads for months? @abcnews she's gaslighting. pic.twitter.com/kinulr6LUT
Prior to taking up the position of South Asia foreign correspondent, Ms Dias was host of Triple j’s Hack.
In August 2021, ABC published guidelines for the personal use of social media by its staff as it paid almost $200,000 in personal legal costs for journalist Louise Milligan after she was sued by federal MP Andrew Laming over a series of tweets.
ABC’s policy makes clear that staff risk being losing their job if they compromise ABC’s independence or bring it into disrepute.
While sharing images of models flaunting the objectionable swimwear, Twitter users questioned how the West is constantly using Hindu Gods and Goddesses as ‘fashion design’ for their bikinis.
This is sahara Ray’s swim wear company..
So now in the name of asethetics they using Hindu gods as fashion design on their bikini tops and bottoms .What was thier motive behind it ? Why dont they try to put jesus as thier asethetics designpic.twitter.com/o2fFAQ1ziK
Other outrgaed social media users shared the following:
So, now in the name of Aesthetics, they are using Hindu Gods as prints on Bikini Bottoms & Tops. This is Sahara Ray's swim wear company, Justin's ex.
Is this just for the design or they've a motive behind? Or If they are too religious? They should start it with Jesus, isn't it? pic.twitter.com/6K0qCEqi4D
One user even pointed out that Hinduism is not a joke or “an aesthetic for you to profit off of”.
@SaharaRay imagine having your head this far up your ass in 2022? Sad. Going private on Instagram won’t do anything. Hinduism is not a joke or an aesthetic for you to profit off of. #hindu#Hinduismpic.twitter.com/U4tsbonhmc
Stop profiting off Hinduism and printing deities on your bikinis. And whenever someone calls you out or asks you to apologise stop blocking them it’s giving clown behaviour @SaharaRaypic.twitter.com/BqSjwnhHOi
Madhur Singh informed other netizens that the Instagram handle of ‘Sahara Ray Swim’ blocks anyone who questioons their anti-Hindu swimwear collection.
On Instagram, first they blocked people who commented under their post showing this is inappropriate, later they turned the comments off and posted yet another set of photos of same lingerie. Kinda their way of saying, “we are superior, we’ll do whatever we want” @AshwiniVaishnaw
The Hindu IT Cell informed has now taken cognisance of the matter and informed social media users that they will take appropriate legal action against such “derogatory and defamatory act against Hindu ideals.”
We have taken cognisance of this matter. It's absolutely derogatory and defamatory act against Hindu ideals.
We are not going to tolerate this and our team will legally proceed in this matter. https://t.co/zTYguKDrJX
This is not the first time a brand has resorted to profiting by an open display of anti-Hindu display.
In 2011, another swimsuit featuring a print of Hindu goddess Lakshmi had caused outrage among Australia’s Hindu community. This was designer Lisa Burke of Lisa Blue presenting her collection in the Australian Fashion Week. The brand released a statement on Facebook: “We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed.”
In 2013, an Australian brewery (Brookvale Union Brewery) had apologised for using images of Hindu deities Ganesh and Lakshmi on its alcoholic ginger beer bottles after an outrage from the Indian community.
In 2017, the Hindu Council of Australia called for a lamb advt. made by Meat and Livestock Australia to be banned. Australia’s Hindu community pointed out how this advt. was insensitive, crude and a deplorable attempt to use images of Ganesha to promote lamb consumption.
IKEA Australia too had to apologise in 20202 to Hindu community after it featured a seven-minute long video that taught yoga poses, while associating each pose with an IKEA product. IKEA apologised for the video and stated: “We are truly sorry and apologise if this commercial from Ikea Retail Australia has been perceived as offensive in any way. We assure you that it was not intentional…the video is unpromoted on social media and Ikea Retail Australia will not re-activate.”
It is widely acknowledged that Hindu deities are meant to be worshipped in devalayas (temples) or at home. They are not intended to be used in selling mercantile product that have nothing to do with Hinduism. Yet, with an increasing frequency, the Hindu community in various parts of the world are being targetted to such Hinduphobic displays and attempts to hurt their religious sentiments.
The Australia Today has contacted ‘Sahara Ray Swim’ regarding this controversy and will update the story with their response.
According to police, the 34-year-old man had cardiac arrest after overdosing on a white powder substance.
Police officers who reached the spot performed CPR but were unable to save the taxi driver and he was confirmed dead at the scene.
It is believed three taxi drivers met up at the park around 4am on Thursday where one of the drivers presented the white powder looking substance (cocaine) that was left behind by a passenger in a taxi. They decided to they decided to take the drugs.
Another taxi driver was rushed to St Vincent’s Hospital after overdosing on the drugs and the third driver was taken to Surry Hills Police Station for questioning.
The wife of one driver called the taxi company after her husband did not return from work as usual.
Keeping in mind the welfare of the drivers, the taxi company used GPS to track their vehicles and alos called the police.
Police are investigating what drugs might have been consumed and the death is being treated as a suspected misadventure.
A police spokesperson said in a statement that they are investigating how the men came to possess the substance and “inquiries are continuing.”
Under this scholarship program the university will offer a 100% tuition fee waiver to four high-achieving Indian students for the full duration of their studies at either undergraduate or postgraduate level.
Image source: Deakin University.
Hritish Kakati, a Vice-Chancellor’s Meritorious Scholar in 2021, said:
“I feel extremely privileged to have won the Deakin University Vice-Chancellor’s Meritorious 100% scholarship last year. Being a Vice-Chancellor’s scholar gave me the opportunity to be part of the Vice Chancellor’s Professional Excellence Program (VCPEP), wherein I can meet and interact with achievers from all over the world.”
Deakin, established in 1974, also offers other academic merit-based bursaries and scholarships for Indian students that include a 25% Merit Scholarship and a 20% Bursary for studies onshore in Australia.
Image source: Professor Iain Martin, Vice-Chancellor of Deakin University.
Professor Iain Martin, Vice-Chancellor of Deakin University said that the university was committed to supporting Indian students who had aspirations to pursue a high-quality international education.
“Over almost three decades, Deakin’s relationship with India has been a very successful one, achieving great outcomes for Indian students and their communities. This is a priority for us – helping students gain the skills that will make a real difference to their communities in India.”
The new scholarship announcement comes as part of Deakin University’s initiative ‘Changing Lives’.
This new initiative recognises deserving Indian students with consistently high academic performance.
Image source: Ravneet Pawha, Vice-President (Global Alliances) and CEO (South Asia), Deakin University.
Ravneet Pawha, Vice-President (Global Alliances) and CEO (South Asia) at Deakin beleives that this announcement has come at the right time.
“Both our countries’ prime ministers have recently emphasised the importance of education exchange in the light of the Free Trade Agreement.”
She further adds:
“With these scholarships, we aim to nurture future leaders who can make significant contributions in areas of science, technology, arts and more.”
Deakin has 28 years of engagement in India and the university started and launched this initiative in 2014 to support talented and dedicated Indian students.
This article draws from present-day Punjabi music to understand the overarching and recurring theme of Jat masculinity. The article begins with the non-film Punjabi music industry and the reasons for its meteoric rise in recent years. The glorification of misogyny, caste-based violence, use of arms and ammunition, which are a mainstay in popular Punjabi music today, is framed as a manifestation of a caste-based identity. The article charts the emergence of Chamar pop and the role of caste in Punjab, especially cultural assertion and its roots in the state’s Dalit politics, particularly the Ad-dharmi movement.
The Dalit resistance art and music movement which began years ago, and the sudden rise of Dalit singers like Ginni Mahi and Roop Lal Dhir have taken the modern Ambedkarite assertion of equal rights one step forward is considered the beginning of the reconfiguration of Punjab’s sociopolitical milieu. While the Jat singers and their music get hailed, the Dalit singers are physically attacked, hounded, and threatened to speak out against caste oppression, suggesting that caste realities in Punjab are reflected in artistic expressions.
Image source: Sidhu Moosewala – YouTube.
On 30 June 2020, Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, after being granted interim bail under the Arms Act, 1959, released a song named “Sanju.” The case was registered against him after his videos went viral in which he was seen firing an AK-47 rifle, assisted by six police officials, who were later suspended following the incident. In his song Sanju, which was trending at the second spot on YouTube soon after its release, Moosewala compared himself to actor Sanjay Dutt, who was convicted under the Arms Act in 2005, in connection to the 1993 Mumbai blasts. Dutt’s father, a political figure, played a pivotal role in facilitating relief work for victims of the Mumbai riots and their families. When Dutt was arrested, he said in his confession statement to Mumbai police, as his father was labelled as pro-Muslim, his family started receiving threats of killing and assaulting his sisters which prompted him to obtain arms. So while Dutt’s possession of AK-47/AK-56 rifles was justified in his confession, Moosewala seems to lack the mitigating circumstances to explain such possession attributed it to his shaunk (hobby). This song’s release resulted in a subsequent first information report (FIR) for promoting violence and gun culture, as the songs’ visuals were ridiculing, mocking, and undermining law and order in Punjab.
This is not the first time that Moosewala has eulogised a controversial figure in his songs. In the past, he has used El Chapo and Saddam Hussain’s names in his lyrics; the former ran the world’s largest crime syndicate, killing thousands of people over the last 20 years and the latter was one of the most brutal tyrants in recent times. Another singer Amrit Maan who collaborated with Moosewala for Bambiha Bole had also sung a song named “Guerrilla War,” in which he refers to himself as desi Pablo Escobar—the most notorious narco-terrorist in recorded history. In light of many sociopolitical and socio-economic issues in Punjab, the drug menace being one of the most glaring ones, such glorification of drugs and violence seems counterproductive.
Image source: Karan Aujla – Spotify.
Most contemporary Punjabi songs have a Jat protagonist who is a landowning, revenge-seeking, hyper-masculine, and proudly violent figure. This is continuously reflected in songs like “Jat Da Muqabala,” where the lyrics are “khule jigre te khuliyan zameena aale aan, tehde te crime’an aale scene’an aale aan” (Jats are people with big hearts and even bigger lands, and they are the ones who are often associated with crime scenes). Karan Aujla, who enjoys a similar fandom as Moosewala, also sings violence-laced songs such as Chitta Kurta. In this song, the protagonist’s partner complains, saying “chitta kurta labedeya tu khoon naal ve,” which means that you have spoiled your new white kurta with blood all over it. In Aujla’s other songs, such as Don’t Look where he can be seen promoting criminality in an orange prison jumpsuit, he sings “sadda ki aa pata kadon jail ho jave, weekend utte banda maar ho gaya” (that I could end up in jail anytime because I might end up killing a man over the weekend), and Alcohol 2 where the singer and his friend are getting an intravenous infusion of Jameson Irish Whiskey, are a testimony of the dangerous trend that Punjabi Jat-centric music is headed towards. While Moosewala and Aujla are not the only Punjabi singers to have glorified guns, violence, and alcohol in their songs, the kind of fandom they enjoy can be credited to the popularity of genres like Punjabi Hip Hop and Gangsta rap.
Punjabi Music – India’s Biggest Non-film Music Industry
Punjabi music is one of the most popular genres of music, the success of which can be partly attributed to the 130 million native Punjabi speakers around the world. This industry grew from classical folk Punjabi songs to Punjabi artists in other countries merging the folk sounds of tumbi and dhol with genres like hip hop/gangsta rap and disco. In addition to that, the industry comprises music labels that are open to investing in new artists, giving them an edge to spend more on making catchy videos for their upbeat songs. The industry’s non-dependency on the movie business has empowered artists to have absolute creative freedom (Arora 2020).
This significant rise of Punjabi music can be attributed to a myriad of factors, one of which is the long-standing tradition of music and live performances. It is through music that poets have narrated love ballads like Heer-Ranjha, Sohni-Mahiwal, Mirza-Sahiba, and Sassi-Punhoon. The state also has a rich history of musical instruments such as tumbi, algoze, dhadd, and chimta. There are folk songs for every occasion. People sang suhag to express the bittersweet feelings associated with a wedding, tappe to celebrate Lohri and Baisakhi, and boliyan to sing while doing gidda, a Punjabi dance form (Bhatt 2018).
Bollywood has also played a major role in populating the culture of Punjabi songs. Hindi films have been instrumental in popularising the Punjabi influence in their dance and song routine. This is largely because the two big production houses, Yash Raj Films, and Dharma Productions, were both run by Punjabi families—the Chopras and the Johars. It made the mainstream audience in the rest of India dance to Punjabi songs (Bhatt 2018).
Image source: Panjabi MC – YouTube.
Another reason for such a substantial growth of the Punjabi industry is the active participation of the Punjabi diaspora, both as producers and consumers of music. Many Punjabi artists have excelled in the indie genre and created an international fan base for this industry. Some of the most popular examples of such artists are Panjabi MC, a British rapper, producer, and DJ of Punjabi music who made his mark with the popular song Mundian Toh Bach Ke in 1997; Malkit Singh, a British bhangra singer, known for many popular songs such as Gur Nal Ishq Mitha, Tootak Tootak Tootiyan, and Jind Mahi, all of which have been recreated in recent times by newer Punjabi singers (Arora 2020).
Social Identity Theory and the Formation of Caste Identity and Masculinities
Tajfel and Turner (1979) have defined social identity as the knowledge that the individual belongs to a particular group (or to specific groups). Apart from personal identity, which is based on one’s self-knowledge of “me” as a unique individual, social identity is characterised by the membership-based knowledge of one’s membership group, which in this case is the Jat caste group. It is pertinent to discuss Jatt masculinity against the backdrop of the caste conundrum in Punjab and use the social identity framework to understand the role of the dominant Jatt caste and how it influences interpersonal dynamics within and outside this caste group. The Social Identity Theory (SIT) is also used to discuss the intergroup nature of masculinity performances. Along with the historical context of Punjab, it is the amalgamation of both caste and masculinity performances that can then be seen and heard in the audiovisual mediums of entertainment in Punjab.
The institution of caste has been perceived as absent from Punjab due to the state’s association with an alternative religion—Sikhism. This religion envisioned an egalitarian society and was founded by Guru Nanak Dev in the 15th century. Sikhism emerged as a critique of the Brahminical Hindu tradition of caste hierarchy, the concept of purity-pollution, superstition, ritualism, and other orthodoxies, emphasising worldly aspects and the household, contrary to the other-worldly orientation of Hinduism. Also, Sikhism introduced a tradition of Gurudom that lasted until the 10th Guru, Guru Govind Singh, in 1708. The egalitarian vision of Sikhism attracted those at the margins of the Hindu social order. This trend of conversions of people at the margins of the society was a phenomenon similar to those followed by the proselytising wings of almost all mainstream religious traditions, including the Arya Samaj, Singh Sabha, Christian missionaries, Islamic organisations, etc (Singh 2017).
Despite the caste history of the region unfolding over more than five centuries, the Jatt Sikhs remain the dominant caste and have monopolised both religious and temporal matters in the state. The dominant caste status of Jatt Sikhs results from their numerical strength (one-third of the state’s total population) and ownership of land (more than 80% of the available agricultural land is owned by them). The Dalits in the state, on the contrary, are not only marginalised in terms of their share in land ownership, but a large proportion of them work as landless agricultural labourers on the lands of the Jatt Sikhs. The unequal treatment of Dalits and their lack of representation can also be seen in most Sikh organisations, including gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship), Sikh deras, and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)—the central governing body of Sikhs (Singh 2017).
The contemporary discourse on caste should go beyond viewing caste as a ‘traditional remnant’ and position it as a permeating factor that continues to shape social interactions. While caste originates from ancient religious texts, its features in shaping social interactions have changed over time and require analysis. The invisibilisation of the lower castes by the upper castes and identifying it as a ‘cultural’ difference over a social one ignores their negative impact on everyday life (Gorringe et al 2017). The distinct feature of Punjab’s caste structure is that it is not as rigid as other states (Judge and Bal 2008). However, to understand the role of caste in Punjab, especially the cultural assertion, we must take a closer look at its roots in the state’s Dalit politics, particularly the Ad-dharmi movement started by Mangu Ram Mugowalia. The Chamars of Doaba, a subcategory among the Scheduled Castes (SC), gained significantly from the British cantonment’s arrival in Jalandhar. This led to an increased demand for leather goods, and the Chamars, who worked with raw animal skins, made good use of the opportunity, with some of them migrating to the West (Jodhka 2004).
Jodhka (2004) states that it is crucial to analyse Chamar Pop—a subgenre of Punjabi music— in the context of caste as subject to local historical specificities and material conditions. The Chamars of Doaba were highly urbanised, upwardly mobile, and already had a sense of a specific identity, even within the SC community. They were also able to lay claims on commercial resources in their villages and were supported by a large Chamar diaspora in the West. This kind of solidarity and support gave them the confidence to assert themselves. This is why Chamar Pop is not a subversion, but a statement of arrival, and somewhat exclusionary in that, as it has a specific appeal only for the Chamars and not others in the SC community.
Image source: Ginni Mahi – YouTube.
While the story of Dalit resistance art and music resistance began years ago, the rise of Dalit singers like Ginni Mahi and Roop Lal Dhir has taken the modern Ambedkarite assertion of equal rights one step forward. As opposed to Jat-centric songs, Dhir’s biggest hit Hummer shows a young man coming to college in a Hummer but is a serious student, and a follower of B R Ambedkar, with no interest in the affections of women, including the one smitten by him in the video. The lyrics of the song, “jadon da liya une Chandigarh dakhla, rakhda bana ke hun saade kolon faasla, Hummer gadi vich aunda ni putt Chamaran da, hun nahin ankh milaanda putt Chamaran da,” translates into a girl singing about a Chamar boy who comes to college in a Hummer (the car signifies that he is from an upwardly mobile class) but refuses to look into her eyes. This Chamar protagonist is devoted to his studies and is shown to be studying for the entire duration of the song, as he aspires to become a deputy commissioner. Such representations are embedded in Ambedkarite belief that empowerment for Dalits can only be achieved through education to pursue political action for social reform. Similar to Dhir, Ginni Mahi, a 23-years-old girl, sings about pride in her anti-caste heritage and the revolutionary social power of Ambedkarism. She sings about anti-caste icons of the country such as Sant Ravidas and Ambedkar and the teachings of the gurus of Sikhism. In her songs, she takes a hard stance, physically postures assertion, and her voice swells deeply. These are characteristic of Ginni’s songs as she represents dissent, assertion, and resistance that saturate her history (Kumar and André 2018).
Jats: The Martial Caste
The formation of the Jat identity, just like Chamar/Dalit identity, has also been influenced by various historical events such as the British rule in India, as Prem Chowdhry (2013) discussed in her paper militarised masculinities in colonial south-east Punjab. She states that the British Indian army facilitated their army recruitments under the caveat of martial caste status, land ownership, dominant caste syndrome, and good bodily physique or physical strength that ideologically came to represent dominant masculinity in colonial Punjab. They promoted the concept of ‘loyalists’ to new heights by equating it with izzat—honour, and prestige—a widely accepted and acclaimed distinguishing attribute in the rural society of northern India. The recruitment process was based on the idea that some people were inherently more suitable for military service than others, conforming to the historical theory of Aryan conquest, which led to the formation of the virile Hindu male identity based on valorised heroic deeds.
While the martial status represented the masculine and heroic man, the manly man’s opposite was associated with cowardice and femininity. This theory is credited to Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, the commander-in-chief of the British Forces, until 1900. According to him, it was not a question of efficiency but courage and physique—those from the south of India were dismissed as effeminate, along with the Bengali babus in contrast to the martial race and superior caste groups in the north. Thus, in Punjab’s agrarian milieu, upper-caste groups were commonly known and identified as zamindars—the land-owning classes in particular. The army men possessed guns, owned land, and were the dominant caste fighting to save honour. This created a community of men that displayed power and dominance over others in the village (Chowdhry 2013).
Construction of Caste Identity through Audiovisual Mediums
The construction of the Jats as a martial caste identity through the visual-sound medium can be seen across India. Similar to the portrayal of Jats of Punjabi music, a dominant non-Brahmin caste, Thevars carry the self-image of being the martial community in Tamil cinema. Their dominance in rural areas can be seen manifesting in the cultural sphere as well. The symbiotic relationship between caste politics and cinema and other audiovisual modes naturalises intermediate caste markers and narratives through various elements such as images, screenplay, costumes, dialects, and songs. This leads to constructing a specific normative form against which a deviant ‘other’ is created. Similar to Jats, the description of Thevars as martial classes in colonial and precolonial narratives and their engagement in agriculture has resulted in their self-characterisation as rulers of the land. The twin concepts of honour and valour, which refer to the standing and status of castes entwined with the enforcement of a culture of chastity, have become increasingly significant in both Punjabi and Tamil audiovisual mediums (Damodaran and Gorringe 2017).
The cinematic representations of valour and dominance come at the cost of belittling lower castes who are dependent on the former. The accounts of violence perpetrated against lower caste men by the upper-caste men are carried to a wider audience through the medium of cinema, justify their dominance over ‘lesser’ castes. The axis of caste antagonism between the Thevars and Pallars can also be compared with that between Jats and Chamars as there are glaring similarities. Like the Chamars of Punjab, the Pallars also migrated to other countries to escape their agrarian dependency on higher castes. Pallars and Chamars have become increasingly assertive and rejected markers of dependence or inferiority. The way Pallars have emulated the caste-based celebrations by laying claim to the past is similar to the celebration of Ambedkar in Chamar pop. Such representations in the cultural realm have become politically consequential for these communities (Damodaran and Gorringe 2017).
The formation of Jat-centric Hegemonic Masculinity
The term ‘hegemonic masculinity’ was first used in 1982 by Australian sociologist Raewyn Connell wherein she discussed the hierarchies of masculinity in a school setting. Connell’s (1985) concept is an analytical instrument to identify those attitudes and practices among men that perpetuate gender inequality, involving both men’s domination over women and the power of some men over other (often minority groups of) men. Adding to Connell’s earlier conceptualisation, Donaldson (1993) states that hegemonic masculinity is culturally idealised and is both a personal and a collective project that includes a set of values established by men in power that includes and excludes and organises society in gender unequal ways. It combines several features: a hierarchy of masculinities, differential access among men to power (over women and other men), and the interplay between men’s identity, men’s ideals, interactions, power, and patriarchy.
Representation of Jat Masculinity in Punjabi Music
The representations of Jat identity and masculinity go beyond borders and can be seen in Pakistani Punjabi films. Sevea (2014), in his paper, talks about the character of Maula Jat, a rebellious and violent figure in rural-based Punjabi vendetta films in Pakistan. This particular male cultural type’s masculinity is established by demonstrating his superiority over women and other men, especially those from subordinated social groups, including younger men, “unmanly” men, and those from subordinated ethnic and social groups. This trend resonates with the kind of music that is being written and produced in Punjab. In several Punjabi songs, the Jat protagonist is characterised by the ability to protect one’s izzat vested in women’s body and chastity, an overt display of arms and ammunition, exacting revenge, and his resistance to the state’s law and order machinery. Just like Sevea’s Maula, the Jat protagonist sees being apprehended as an opportunity to reassert his masculinity against the state’s law and order machinery. He does not take legal recourse but deals with his enemies himself, as shown in Diljit Dosanjh’s Kharku and Jat Fire Karda. The code of his masculinity is encapsulated by qualities such as the ability to bear and use weapons, outdo one’s enemy in loud oratorical exchanges and, most importantly, take revenge.
Image source: Diljit Dosanjh – Twitter.
While discussing the popular representation of masculinity in Punjabi cinema, Gill (2012) emphasises that the transition of the Jat protagonist from regional to transnational is another contributing factor to such masculinity. The protagonist in the Punjabi films, much like the music videos, often belongs to the landowning Jat caste, whose masculinity is performed by his ability to move between different rural, urban, and transnational spaces. Unlike a Bollywood hero, the Jat protagonist goes through the process of glocalisation — under which a highly localised representation is further accentuated and projected into transnational geographical and cultural spaces. This can also be seen in most of the popular Punjabi songs, wherein the Jat protagonist can be seen wearing a Tehmat/Tamba or a Kurta Pyjama (the traditional dress of Punjab) operating from a village setting accessorised with a tractor in the background in one shot, and then dressed in an oversized hip-hop jersey with multiple gold chains outside India (typically Canada or the United Kingdom) in the subsequent shot. As Jats constitute the largest group in the Punjabi diaspora, the celebration of Jat identity through rural imagery constructed through dance and music is a response to the deterritorialisation of urban and transnational migrations. This imagery reinforces the sense of being Jat through strategies of autophony, laying claims to land and landscapes, and social value attached to land ownership.
Conclusions
The article starts by analysing the gun and glory and the violence-laced songs in popular Punjabi culture that has catapulted many to instant stardom and their role in constructing the present-day Jat masculinity. The inquiry into the formation of Jat identity and, subsequently, Jat masculinity cannot be undertaken without understanding the caste conundrum in Punjab and the role of the emergence of Sikhism to form an egalitarian society. With the end of living gurudom, the promises that this new religion brought of an alternative social arrangement also came to an end, and the monopoly of Jats in the state continued. The position of Jats as the dominant caste was further magnified during the British domination that superimposed ideas of martial class, advent into the army, ownership of land, dominance, and power over other castes on the battlefield and otherwise in the community. Followed by this, the green revolution magnified this idea with a sudden inflow of cash and newfound material wealth. Therefore, the glorification of hegemonic Jat masculinity accessorised by land, arms, and machinery and the propagation of rampant violence that we see in today’s popular Punjabi music is culturally intertwined with the deeper social conditioning that finds its roots in the history of the state. This flamboyance was furthered with the intervention of the Punjabi diaspora in the late 1990s which brought exposure to international studios and soundscapes, thus modernising Punjabi music for the years to come.
The discussion on popular Punjabi music that is primarily Jat-centric is incomplete without discussing Chamar pop. The recent phenomenon of ‘mission singing’ has gained prominence with the rising popularity of a 23-year-old singer Ginni Mahi, hailing from the lower-caste Jatav community in Punjab. This has marked the beginning of the reconfiguration of the sociopolitical milieu of Punjab. The Chamar pop that has emerged as the counter-narrative to the Jat popular music has become an instrument of caste assertion, a movement for respect, songs speaking of Ambedkar’s equality in the Punjab music industry. The proud Chamar identity juxtaposed with the Jat hypermasculine identity highlights caste differences and marginalisation. While the Jat singers and their music get hailed, Dalit singers are physically attacked, hounded, and threatened to speak out against caste oppression. Thus, music as a medium for expressing one’s identity, feelings, and justice also suffers from caste hierarchy and violence.
Acknowledgement
The authors are grateful to Jashanpreet Singh and Seerat Boparai for sharing their insider knowledge about Punjabi music with us. They are also grateful to Shivani Chunekar for helping them with the review of literature on caste in Punjab.
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Contributors
Sumati Thusoo is an incoming PhD student at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers University. She is currently a Research Author at the Department of Sociology, Monk Prayogshala and Founder of NyayaSarathy Foundation.
Shivangi Deshwal is a PhD student/Graduate research assistant at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA.
This article was first published as “Exploring the Formation of Jat Masculinity in Contemporary Punjabi Music,” in Economic & Political Weekly, Vol. 57, Issue No. 16, 16 April 2022.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The Australia Today is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts, or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of The Australia Today and The Australia Today News does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison; Image Source: Supplied
The Morrison Government has today committed to a Lower Tax Guarantee during the next term of Parliament as well as providing an ironclad guarantee that the planned $100 billion of tax relief will be delivered to Australian workers over the next four years.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Labor Party could not give the same guarantee while they continue to refuse to put a speed limit on their tax plan for millions of Australians.
Morrison asserts that lower taxes are at “the heart of our [Liberal] economic plan” for a stronger economy and stronger future.
He further added:
“Today I give the Australian people my Government’s Lower Tax Guarantee. I also guarantee that we will deliver $100 billion in tax relief over the next four years, providing Australians with certainty and helping to deliver a stronger economy.”
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Anthony Albanese has argued for higher taxes his whole political career including the mining tax, carbon tax, housing tax, death duties and retirees’ tax just to name a few.
“Without a speed limit on taxes, our legislated tax cuts will not be safe under a Labor Government led by Mr Albanese who has called them “tax cuts for the top end of town” and “unfair tax cuts.”
The Prime Minister said:
“There is a clear choice at this election and Australians should know that a vote for Labor means higher taxes with real consequences on your mortgage repayments, grocery bill and household budget.”
He adds:
“Labor has left the door wide open to introducing new taxes or higher taxes to pay for their spending initiatives, while they refuse to guarantee a tax speed limit. Our Government has delivered income tax relief for more than 11 million Australians and reduced small business tax rates to the lowest level in 50 years – we are the party of lower taxes.”
A re-elected Morrison Government’s Lower Tax Guarantee includes;
· No new taxes on Australian workers.
· No new taxes on retirees.
· No new taxes on superannuation.
· No new taxes on small businesses.
· No new taxes on housing.
· No new taxes on electricity.
A re-elected Morrison Government will continue to put a speed limit on taxes by keeping taxes below 23.9 per cent of GDP.
The Treasurer notes:
“This position is echoed by the Greens, making it abundantly clear that under a Labor-Greens alliance Australian workers and small businesses can never be certain of benefiting from lower taxes. The reason why Labor want to tax more is because they can’t manage money and when they run out of money they come after yours. Whether it’s wasting $6 billion to pay people to get the jab, even though they’ve already had it, or running JobKeeper longer than necessary Labor have shown they can’t manage money. Only the Coalition can be trusted with our plan for a strong economy and a stronger future.”
Image source: Sen. Simon Birmingham – Liberal.
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said now was not the time to risk a higher spending Labor Government that would inevitably see Australians cop a higher tax bill.
“We all know that when Labor spends big it means they tax big and that will see Australians pay more.”
Minister Birmingham adds:
“Labor have made $302 billion worth of vague spending promises, yet they refuse to say how they would pay for them. At least Bill Shorten was up front about his $387 billion of tax hikes. Anthony Albanese dodges questions so that he can keep his high spending, high taxing plans secret. Australians know that the only way to pay for Labor’s higher spending would be through higher taxes and this huge cost would make our economy weaker, risking fewer jobs and higher interest rates.”
The Labor Party’s record is clear when it comes to putting a speed limit on taxes; the Treasurer said.
Morrison government’s commitment provides certainty to millions of workers, retirees and to every small business in Australia.
Surjit Gujral, Sydney’s most-loved and iconic Indian restaurant owners who catered for some of world cricket’s biggest stars passed away at the age of 67.
He ran Surjit’s Indian Restaurant on Parramatta Road in Annandale. The restaurant’s webpage notes:
“If you are Indian, an Indian in Australia, spare a thought for the man who opened one of the first Indian restaurants and pioneered authentic North Indian cuisine in Australia. Beloved in the community, dad quickly became known as a jovial man with a very big heart. He sought to entertain everyone who visited his restaurant with his stories, contagious laugh and cheerful spirit.”
Surjit Gujral catered to cricket’s biggest stars and counted Steve Waugh, Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting amongst his friends.
He migrated to Australia from Chandigarh, Punjab, in 1980 and opened his first restaurant in 1985.
In the 1990s, Australian and international cricketers became regulars to Surjit’s restaurant.
Image source: Rasan Gujral and Surjit Gujral with Steve Waugh at the Sydney Cricket Ground, 2015 – Facebook.
Steve Waugh told told the Herald:
“He was an extremely generous guy. I went to his original restaurant in Strathfield many years ago. He became a really good friend from that moment. He always refused to take any money when he hosted. Just a very generous person who loves cricket. He was really well-loved in the cricket community.”
Surjit Gujral also became a long-time supporter and sponsor of the Sydney University Cricket Club which also posted a tribute on its website.
“Surjit was a generous host, a benefactor and passionate about the game. He was a man who will be greatly missed by this club and the broader SUCC community.”
For the SUCC, Surjit Gujral catered for some of the most successful Annual Presentation Nights in the MacLaurin Hall and lunches in conjunction the Blue and Gold at the Football Grandstand facility.
Sad news …Surjit Gujral has died…(pictured here with his son Rus )…Surjit was a great cricket man … supported game at all levels … his restaurant Surjit’s at Annandale is legendary…cricket so much poorer for his passing…vale great man !!!!! pic.twitter.com/WCQNG6WNQT
Image source: Lisa Singh with Barry O’Farrell - AII.
Indian government’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson has responded to the alleged interference by the Indian High Commission in Australia India Institute’s (AII) academic freedom.
Mr Arindam Bagchi stated that AII was established by the Australian Government in partnership with the University of Melbourne. It is funded by the Australian government and other local institutions.
He said that the Government of India has “no right in taking the decision of this institution.” Further, the reports of the Indian High Commission in Australia being dragged into this matter and controversy are unfair.
“The institute was set up by the Australian govt in partnership with the University of Melbourne and funded by the Australian government and institutions. GoI has no say in the decision-making of this institute.”
On March 29, fellows mostly associated with Left ideology signed and sent a letter to Melbourne University vice-chancellor Duncan Maskell.
These thirteen academics from various Australian universities quit their affiliation as fellow of the Melbourne-based AII.
In this letter they alleged that the Indian High Commission and its representatives have repeatedly interfered with AII’s work and research.
Without providing any concrete proof, these fellows asserted that views that are anti-India are not given platform at the insitution.
Accusations that the Australian Govt is being infiltrated by Indian Govt by prejudiced and bigoted anti Hindu activists smashed by MEA. @SBSHindi why do you platform these morons here? At least do a fact check on what they say first. Spreading hate @SBShttps://t.co/osMYTb6nRp
“As far as academic freedom in Australia is concerned, this is for the Australian authorities to respond to. I do believe that the authorities of the Institute of Melbourne have made their position clear to it.”
The University of Melbourne in a statement said that it “is committed to academic freedom and freedom of speech.”
It further added that “the University has been working on strengthening our policies in this area for the past two years and take any allegations of this nature very seriously.”
Image source: Former Senator and AII CEO Ms Lisa Singh – AII.
However, The Australia Today has found out from a highly placed source who doesn’t wish to reveal their identity that under the garb of academic freedom this attack is directly on former Senator and present CEO of AII, Ms Lisa Singh.
The source told us that there is murky internal politics involved as some of these fellows were not happy on Ms Singh’s appointment. These academics had reportedly discussed the selection of the next CEO at length and wished a candidate of their choice and ideological leaning to be appointed as the next CEO of AII.
Ms Singh is granddaughter of an Indo-Fijian member of the Parliament of Fiji and was also Australia’s first female federal parliamentarian of Indian origin. As a Senator, she focused on the foreign affairs, trade and international development, multiculturalism and refugees, and human rights.
The Aii team visited one of the slums of Delhi where @AshaSociety is working to help transform people’s lives through better welfare outcomes. It was inspiring to meet young people whose lives have been transformed by Asha and women who are rewriting their own destiny. pic.twitter.com/izD1JXK7AV
— Australia India Institute (@AIinstitute) April 22, 2022
Ms Singh is known to be of upright independent thinking. She is well-known for taking a stance against Labor Party’s position on Australia’s offshore detention of asylum seekers.
As CEO of AII Ms Singh has in a short period involved herself in actively promoting support for and understanding of the bilateral relationship with India.
The source also questioned the timing of this resignation that coincided with the signing of the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement.
'When we look at India, our people are our biggest strength. This gives a huge opportunity to be part of our growth story'. Commerce Minister @PiyushGoyal celebrating the historic Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement today with @DanTehanWannon@AIinstitute@UniMelbpic.twitter.com/IdOTlRaohk
— Australia India Institute (@AIinstitute) April 6, 2022
WATCH VIDEO: GoI has no right in taking decision of Melbourne’s Australia India Institute: MEA
Sometimes you have got to see something to believe it! Such is the case with Indian Internet sensation Shah Huzaib’s trick shot videos that have racked up millions of views on social media.
Huzaib initially intended to play cricket but after a shot at football with his cousins he realised that it was football that he preferred over any other sport.
However, Huzaib just didn’t start playing football, he started doing trick shots in 2018 after rigorous practice for two years.
Hailing from Jammu and Kashmir’s Badgam district Huzaib cites his family as a constant source of encouragement for him.
In July 2016, Huzaib, who was then only 13 years old, started to play football in his yard by himself as he was confined to his home due to the curfew imposed after terrorist Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces.
Video source: Shah Huzaib.
Huzaib continued to play traditional football until he came across some football trick-shot videos on YouTube and then there was no turning back. He was blown away by what one of the guys did and was captivated by his gravity-defying tricks.
Huzaib told The Australia Today that he attempted to replicate some of the tricks himself.
“I was 16-years-old when I performed my first trick shot. I placed a basket, hit the ball on the wall and it fell in the basket. It was a simple trick shot. I play football that’s why it didn’t take me much time.”
That was just the beginning. Huzaib’s trick shot videos have been featured on various social media platforms including sites like ‘Oh My Goal’ and ‘People Are Awesome’ that have a huge following across the globe.
One of his videos on ‘People are Awesome’ went viral with around 5 million views. The video titled ‘Insane trick-shot had Huzaib kicking a tennis ball through two moving tape-rolls.
Huzaib has thousands of followers on various social media platforms and he performs scores of trick-shots using balls of all sizes.
“You can do a perfect trick shot if you know how to juggle the ball. You must have a hold on juggling. Shoot, accuracy, and other calculations are important but juggling is a must for a perfect trick shot.”
Huzaib was chosen for Season 9 of India’s Got Talent. He travelled to Delhi to participate in the contest. This was a learning experience for Huzaib as he realised that big cities offered a potential for recognition for his incredible talent.
His video was recently shared by German footballer Tony Kroos, who plays for Real Madrid, on Instagram.
For Huzaib Cristiano Ronaldo has always been a source of inspiration. He also saw videos of Dude Perfect, an American Entertainment Sports Group, on You Tube, performing football trick shots. This inspired him and he started performing and posting videos on social media.
However, as they say no pain no gain. Huzaib’s phones became a casualty of his passion as his phones would often get smashed by the ball while practising.
Huzaib has mastered around four hundred types of different trick shots. He says it is a time-consuming process that requires intense focus.
Video source: Shah Huzaib.
“It requires a lot of hard work. You have to practice a lot. You need to do calculations decide the distance, etc. It takes 2-3 hours and a lot of hard work. You need to apply science and physics then a trick is made.”
Huzaib is looking forward to greater exposure and wants to travel across the country showcasing his unique talent. He also hopes that he will receive some assistance from the government so that he can teach his skills to the youth of the valley.
Image source: Space bricks for Mars - ISRO and IISc.
Researchers based at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have developed a unique way to make bricks for Mars, the red planet.
This will be done using the Martian soil, bacteria, and urea as per a release by IISc.
These ‘space bricks’ can be used to construct building-like structures on Mars to facilitate the first human settlement.
This research was first published in the peer-reviewed open access scientific journal, PLOSOne by a team comprising Aloke Kumar, Rashmi Dikshit, Koushik Viswanathan, and Nitin Gupta from the IISc, and Arjun Dey from ISRO.
Aloke Kumar the lead of the program at IISc Banglore told The Australia Today, “Initially when I used to talk about this idea people used to laugh. But I knew it will work, the only thing needed was a team that believed in the proposed product.”
He says, “I met Rashmi Dikshit when she was looking for openings after a long break of being a mother of two.”
“She understood the product straightway and even suggested a few great points in that short interview process,” said Aloke.
Image source: Aloke Kumar.
Aloke says Koushik is just like me, I was back from my research in Canada and he returned from the USA to develop indigenous products.
“We started working by learning from mother nature and utilizing the knowledge for future human settlements on Mars, Moon, or any other place.”
The manuscript which details the scientific work- "Microbial induced calcite precipitation can consolidate martian and lunar regolith simulants"https://t.co/1G1UkhvQpc
I must mention an important part of this team Arjun Dey, said Aloke.
“Arjun was the only person who didn’t laugh at the idea of Space brick when I told him about it and agreed to work on it,”
added Aloke Kumar.
The Product:
ISRO and IISc team made the mixture using Martian soil with guar gum, a bacterium called Sporosarcina pasteurii, urea, and nickel chloride.
“This slurry can be poured into moulds of any desired shape, and over a few days the bacteria convert the urea into crystals of calcium carbonate. These crystals, along with biopolymers secreted by the microbes, act as cement holding the soil particles together.”
This method, developed with the help of Koushik Viswanathan, Assistant Professor at IISc, ensures that the bricks are less porous.
“Martian soil contains a lot of iron, which causes toxicity to organisms. In the beginning, our bacteria did not grow at all. Adding nickel chloride was the key step in making the soil hospitable to the bacteria.”
Aloke Kumar, Associate Professor at IISc and one of the authors of the research paper, observes:
“The bacteria seep deep into the pore spaces, using their own proteins to bind the particles together, decreasing porosity and leading to stronger bricks.”
Earlier, other research teams have also made cylindrical ‘space bricks’ out of lunar soil using a similar method.
Image source: Lunar bricks – ISRO.
Rashmi Dikshit, a DBT-BioCARe Fellow at IISc and the lead author of the study, has previously worked on the lunar bricks. She notes:
“The device is being developed keeping in mind our intention to perform experiments in micro-gravity conditions in the near future.”
ISRO and IISc’s current slurry-casting method can produce bricks of complex shapes and sizes.
Artwork of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. The mission consists of a 3-meter-long rover called Perseverance, and a smaller ‘rotorcraft’ (1.2 meters in diameter) called Ingenuity. The helicopter is expected to fly five missions during the first 30 days of the mission, scouting locations for the rover. It is the first attempt at flight on another planet. The rover, meanwhile, will search for past signs of life in the red Martian soil, limiting its search to the bed of an ancient lake (now a crater called Jezero), and will prepare samples left on the planet’s surface for later recovery and analysis on Earth.
The research team is now planning to investigate how the atmosphere on Mars combined with low gravity affects the ‘space bricks’ by recreating conditions found on the red planet.
To achieve this, the researchers have constructed a device–MARS (Martian AtmospheRe Simulator) along with a lab-on-a-chip device that aims to measure bacterial activity in microgravity conditions.
These devices, with ISRO’s help, will also soon be sent into space to study bacterial growth in low gravity.
Image source: Barry O'Farrell with Sinaya Khan - Twitter.
Recently, the Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell AO tweeted about “The Backyard.”
“The Backyard” is a 20,000 sq ft indoor and outdoor play area in Kolkata created by Monash University alumna Sinaya Azhar Khan and her husband Imran Ahmed Khan.
“We came up with this idea when the country went into lockdown. Our kids used to love the open space and we wanted to extend that to kids in the city as well. So much in our lives is currently digital that we thought of this as a digital unwind destination.”
Every corner and space has been personally designed by the entrepreneur duo along with inputs from interior designer and friend Kaushik Saha.
According to Sinaya, all toys for this area have been sourced locally from India-based manufacturers. This is to encourage the idea of buying and eating local as far as possible.
“We’ve sourced items ranging from wooden benches to even cutlery from various parts of the country so as to give a platform to Indian artisans.”
The outdoor area has a sandpit, swings and slides that takes one to Melbourne or a similar playground in any other Australian city.
The swastika is an Indian symbol of peace and auspiciousness that Hitler hijacked for his preposterous Nazi superiority concept. The swastika is far older, dating back to the Indus Valley Civilization (3rd Millennium BCE), i.e., even before the Vedic Aryan Age, in the Indian Subcontinent.
Unfortunately, whenever this issue comes up, the horrors of Hitler’s hijacking of Swastika to fit his Nazi supremacy generally take centre stage.
Figure 1: A Visual Comparison of the Indian Swastika and the Nazi Hakenkreuz.
Those who know Swastika only as Nazi Hakenkreuz (Hooked Cross) may be surprised to learn that Swastika is one of the oldest, most widely distributed religious symbols in the world.
Swastika-like forms appear on Palaeolithic carvings on mammoth ivory from Ukraine, dated circa 10,000 BCE. This symbol also figures in the oldest coinage in India. Persia, Asia Minor, and Greece represented the rotating axis Mundi with the symbol of a Swastika.
On a Boeotian amphora of the 7th century BCE, it was presented as a sacred sign of the Goddess Artemis. It also represented many other deities from Iceland to Japan and Scandinavia to North Africa. It was much used in Troy and Mycenae before the 13th century BCE (Walker, 1983, p. 964).
The symbol of Swastika is found engraved in the steatite seals of Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, and Lothal, this is the earliest occurrence of the symbol of Swastika in India. This along with other symbols is also found on the earliest currency of India viz., the punch-marked coins (Ramachandran, 1960, p. 81).
The word ‘Swasti’ is frequently used in Vedic hymns to represent blessings, benedictions, success, fortune, and other things. ‘Su’ means “good or well” in Sanskrit, and ‘asti’ means “to be,” therefore ‘Swasti’ indicates well-being. The suffix ‘ka’ (Swasti+ka) emphasises the word sense, thus ‘Swastika’ literally means ‘that which is associated with well-being.’
Figure 2: Indus Valley Tablet (shown with both the faces H-182 A and H-182 B) excavated from Harappa. One of the faces shows five Swastikas in a row. The image is taken from Joshi and Parpola (1987).
In the preface to the second reprint of the ‘Report on the Old Records of the India Office’ (London, 1891), Sir George Birdwood gives an explanation of the ritualistic significance of the Swastika as manifested in Hindu symbolism. He says that the “right-hand Swastika is, among modern Hindus, a symbol of Ganesha, and is commonly placed by them, instead of the image of Ganesha at the head of the invoices and other papers.”
It is also the symbol of the Sun in his diurnal course from east to west, and it is coloured red, the proper colour of the East. The left-hand Swastika is the symbol of Kali, the mother of Ganesha, and of the Sun in his nocturnal course from west to east, and is coloured blue. The right and left-hand forms are spoken of as “reversely revolving Swastikas” (Willey, 1910, p. 183).
The sign of the Swastika is reported in great number in the inscriptions on the rock walls of the Buddhist caves in India. They are the same size as the letters forming the inscription; that they all have four arms and the ends turn at right angles, or nearly, so, indifferently to the right or to the left (Wilson, 1896, p. 805).
The list of inscriptions, containing the Swastikas, has been listed by Wilson (1896) in the book: “Report of Dr. James Burgess on the Buddhist Cave Temples and their Inscriptions,” being a part of the result of the fourth, fifth, and sixth Seasons’ operations of the Archaeological Survey of Western India: 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879. Eugène Burnouf says approvingly of the Swastika: “Christian archaeologists believe this was the most ancient sign of the cross. It was used among the Brahmins from all antiquity. Swastika in India corresponds to benediction among Christians” (Wilson, 1896, p. 802).
In Japan, the reborn Amida, “Buddha of Immeasurable Light,” wore a left-handed Swastika carved on his chest. A similar left-handed Swastika was the sign of Thor’s hammer on Scandinavian coins. Sanskrit meaning Swastika literally meant “so be it” or “amen.” In Japan, the Swastika was an ideogram for “infinity” – the number 10,000, which was a synonym for infinity because it was the highest number Japanese sages could visualise (Walker, 1983, p. 964-965).
Figure 3: Illustration from a Jain Kalpasutra Manuscript, late 15th century. It shows Jain Swastika symbol (marked above) in the bottom layer, which is one of the eight auspicious symbols (Ashtamangalas) in Jainism (Brooklyn Museum, 2010).
Mr. Virchand R. Gandhi, a Hindu and Jain disciple from Bombay, a delegate to the World’s Parliament of Religions at Chicago in 1893, explains the Jain Swastika as follows:
“The horizontal and vertical lines crossing each other at right angles from the Greek cross. They represent spirit and matter. We add four other lines by bending to the right of each arm of the cross…
The idea thus symbolized is that there are four grades of the existence of souls in the material universe.
The first is the lowest state—Archaic or protoplasmic life. The soul evolves from that state to the next—the earth with its plant and animal life.
Then follows the third stage—the human; then the fourth stage—the celestial.
The word ‘celestial’ is here held to mean life in other worlds than our own.
All these graduations are combinations of matter and soul on different scales. The spiritual plane is that in which the soul is entirely freed from the bonds of matter.
In order to reach that plane, one must strive to possess the three jewels (represented by the three circles), right belief, right knowledge, right conduct”
(Wilson, 1896, p. 804).
Despite its current problematic connotations deriving from its abuse as a Nazi emblem, it is clear from the above analysis that the Swastika symbol holds the highest spiritual significance for Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains.
It is a ‘living’ symbol of auspiciousness in the Indian Subcontinent. The existence of Swastika may be traced back to the dawn of civilisation in this region, and its direct and modified variants are still frequently used to this day.
It may be found in practically every aspect of life, including religious rituals, art, architecture, coinage and seals, textiles, and wall decorations, of Indians as well as Indian Diaspora throughout the globe.
Authors: Yadu Singh is a Sydney-based Cardiologist who has a keen interest in Indian History. Vikrant Parmar is Electrical Engineer with a strong interest in Indian Medieval History.
Disclaimer: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The opinions and facts are presented solely by him, and neither The Australia Today News nor its partners assume any responsibility for them.
References:
Walker, B.G. (1983). The Woman’s encyclopaedia of Myths and Secrets. Harper & Row, San Francisco.
Ramachandran, K.S. (1960). Swastika as a decorative Motif of Indian Pottery: A Short Note. Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Vol. 23, Part-I, 81-83.
Willey, A. (1910). Swastika and Udakiya in Ceylon. Man Vol. 10, 183-185.
Wilson, T. (1896). The Swastika: The Earliest Known Symbol, and Its Migrations; With Observations on the Migration of Certain Industries in Prehistoric. From the Report of the U. S. National Museum for 1894, 757-1011.
Joshi, J.P., & Parpola, A. (1987). Corpus of Indus Seals and Inscriptions: Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of India Number 86. Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia.
Brooklyn Museum (2010). Illustration from a Jain Kalpasutra Manuscript, late 15th century; Opaque watercolor and gold on paper [Painting]. Brooklyn Museum, New York City, New York. https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/46263
Hawking Defence Services Pvt Ltd, a tech start-up operating in the unmanned systems from Chennai, India, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Australian UAV Technologies, an electronics company based out of New South Wales, to establish a joint venture (JV) company.
This joint venture will enable technology transfer, joint research and development and licensed manufacturing of unmanned systems between these two entities.
Hawking has acquired a 25-acre tract of land in Tiruvallur, Tamilnadu, to construct a development centre, production facility and testing zone for our Atmanirbhar products
The Indian startup that has a branch in Sydney further adds that this venture would help both the organisations to make advances in unmanned technologies.
Further, this venture will provide cost-effective solutions and services to Indian defence services both within India and abroad thereby boosting defence exports from India.
Vijayanarayanan Rapalli, the Managing Director of Hawking Defence Services, observed:
Vijay Narayanan Rapalli
“Timely investments into advanced Research and Development of cutting-edge defence products through investments into critical areas such as Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and chip development will enable India to become an epicentre for Advanced Research thereby increasing its global share of defence exports.”
The MOU was signed at the Austrade office in the Australian Consulate in Chennai by Rajeev Koundinya, CEO Hawking Defence and Ken Taylor, Managing Director of Australian UAV Technologies.
Hawking Defence Services claims that this is probably the first of its kind MoU between defence industry companies since the initial initiatives of the Australia-India Free Trade Agreement came into effect.
India Travel; Melbourne Airport; Picture Source: The Australia Today
Victoria will remove most restrictions from 11:59 pm, Friday 22 April.
As part of the Health Minister of Victoria’s changes to pandemic orders:
Patrons won’t be required to have two doses or show their vaccination status before entering any venue.
“The requirement for staff and patrons of venues to check-in using the Service Victoria app will end, with operators not required to keep any attendance records or maintain check-in marshals.”
Masks will no longer be required in primary schools, early childhood, hospitality and retail settings, or at events of any size.
code requirements; Image Sorce: @CANVA:
Close contacts will no longer have to quarantine – provided they wear a mask indoors and avoid sensitive settings. They will also need to undertake at least five negative rapid tests over the seven days that would previously have been the self-quarantine period.
All visitor restrictions in hospitals will be removed except for mask requirements, with health services able to tailor their own settings based on their own circumstances.
Events with more than 30,000 people will no longer require public health pre-approval.
“International travellers who are symptom-free will be recommended but not required to get a PCR or rapid test on arrival, and unvaccinated travellers will no longer complete 7 days’ quarantine.”
Pre-departure tests for unvaccinated aircrew will also be lifted.
code requirements; Image Sorce: @CANVA:
People are exempt from testing or quarantine for 12 weeks if they’ve had COVID-19 – up from 8 weeks.
Individuals will be required to notify their workplace contacts, in addition to informing their social contacts. Workplaces won’t have to individually identify and notify each potentially exposed worker.
Minister for Health Martin Foley said, “The vaccinated economy kept Victorians safe and businesses open during an unpredictable time when we saw our highest case numbers ever – but now is the right time to set it aside and focus on the highest risk settings.”
“Many things that are very effective in driving down transmission will remain strongly recommended. That will keep us protected during winter and help us respond to emerging risks,”
added Mr Foley.
A number of critical and common-sense settings will be retained, including the essential requirement to isolate for seven days following a COVID-19 diagnosis and existing two-dose and three-dose vaccination mandates for workers.
code requirements; Image Sorce: @CANVA:
Visitor restrictions in care facilities will be retained to protect the vulnerable. Residents can currently have up to five visitors per day if each shows a negative rapid antigen test result – or two visitors if no test results are provided.
Face coverings will still be required on public transport and at airports – excluding airport workers who aren’t public-facing – and in sensitive health, aged care and justice settings. All workplaces will still require a COVID Safe Plan.
Many rules which are no longer required will be recommended, including working from home if you’re a close contact exempt from quarantine. Masks are strongly recommended when you can’t physically distance.
Many international observers have written about the high level of self-loathing in India. I think this is not true of the general population.
Like people from other nations, most Indians are proud, self-confident, honest, and resilient and this explains their success in science, business, arts, and politics around the world.
Yet, there is a kernel of truth in these reports. India’s Anglosphere, members of which are the ones who interact with international authors are indeed a class that is obsequious and servile to the outsiders while being insufferably shallow and narcissistic amongst its own. So what’s the origin of this self-hate?
To answer this, we must go back to James Mill, author of the highly influential History of British India (1817), who wrote this about the entire populations of China and India:
Both nations are to nearly an equal degree tainted with the vices of insincerity; dissembling, treacherous, mendacious, to an excess which surpasses even the usual measure of uncultivated society.
Both are disposed to excessive exaggeration with regard to every thing relating to themselves. Both are cowardly and unfeeling. Both are in the highest degree conceited of themselves, and full of affected contempt for others. Both are, in the physical sense, disgustingly unclean in their persons and houses.
Elsewhere he condemned Indian culture as “barren, perverse and objectionable.” And he wrote of Indians: “under the glossing exterior of the Hindu, lies a general disposition to deceit and perfidy. [And] the same insincerity, mendacity, and perfidy; the same indifference to the feelings of others; the same prostitution and venality are conspicuous in both [Hindus and Muslims].”
One could call this sweeping judgement the ravings of a crazed asshat. James Mill (1773–1836), ordained as a minister by the Church, worked for the East India Company and became its chief apologist. He never visited India or knew any Indian language and his idea of India was a fantasy based on second and third-hand accounts. Historians like Grant Duff and H.H. Wilson, who had lived in India, condemned the book as being entirely wrong.
But Mill’s ideas were to shape British policy in India directly as a high official of the East India Company, and indirectly through Thomas Babington Macaulay who devised a system of English education for the Indian elite.
Okay, Mill was a racist twit, but why should we care? He has been dead a long, long time. We know that racism was the foundation of colonialism, but we have moved on. India has been politically independent for over seventy years.
Sadly, India’s political independence did not mean civilizational independence. Mill’s ideas matter for they remain powerful within the Indian Anglosphere. Its members have become, in the memorable phrase of Macaulay, “Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect.” Sadly, their accents sound fake and they are not equal in intellect to the best in Britain. They remain unaware of the psychological truth that one must love oneself before one can love and understand others.
As purveyors of shallow opinions like that of Mill, they hate those who are not trying to be like them, and they have a visceral aversion for the customs of the land. Ridiculing those who can’t speak English with the fluency they have, the people who get ahead in their circles are not necessarily the most competent.
Macaulay called Mill’s book “the greatest historical work which has appeared since that of Gibbon.” It was to become the textbook for the candidates for the Indian Civil Service and English educated Indians for several generations. Worst of all, its larger premise still underlies school and college curricula in India, and Indians continue to be exposed to the propaganda underlying this work.
An example of the self-loathing of Indians is the Bollywood actors in Hindi-language films. On Hindi TV programs, most of them insist on answering questions in English!
2. The Judiciary
Indian judiciary works under a system of language-apartheid. Article 348 of the Indian Constitution (about “Language to be used in the Supreme Court and in the High Courts and for Acts, Bills, etc.”) states that “(a) all proceedings in the Supreme Court and in every High Court… shall be in the English language.”
Imagine that over 70 years after Independence, lawyers in India’s Supreme Court cannot present their case in any Indian language. In 2008, the 216th report of the Law Commission declared that only English qualified for use in the Supreme Court:
It is important to remember that every citizen, every court has the right to understand the law laid down finally by the apex court and at present one should appreciate that such a language is only English.
Given this oversized focus on the supposedly right language, there is much less attention given to logic and critical thinking. Some of the stuff the justices churn out in their opinions is sophomoric, with allusions to Shakespeare and Marlowe or Foucault and Habermas in misplaced settings.
Reliance on English alone in the proceedings and in the judgments on disputes related to culture and civilization is deeply problematic because commonly used English terminology is often not equivalent to what are considered corresponding Indian notions. Thus using precedents from religious property disputes in the UK to issues concerning Hindu temples or other institutions is unwarranted because the term religion is not equivalent to dharma.
Many judges have no sense of India as a civilization and they look at India’s issues from the colonial lens. A wit has remarked that more of India’s mind-colonization occurred since 1947 than in all of the British Rule. Such Indian judges are not even aware of their biases.
3. Science and technology
Language apartheid exists in fields of science. For example, consider computer science which is nothing but an extension of mathematics. Indian schoolchildren are taught computer science only in English., which is ridiculous. This prevents brilliant children with innate ability in mathematics, but no facility in English, from never achieving their potential in a key technology sector.
Education at the highest level is imparted in English, and one is not allowed to submit dissertations for Ph.D. degree in any Indian language.
Continuing denigration of Indian culture and character has led to the loss of self-confidence amongst the Anglophones. It is not surprising then that when it comes to competing internationally in the field of technology, most business leaders in India are reluctant to go beyond providing back-office support to Western companies.
4.
In The History of British India, Mill set out to attack the history, character, religion, literature, arts, and laws of India. He justified the colonization of India and the rapine of its resources as a byproduct of bringing civilization to the country.
Mill’s ideas provided the rationale for the colonial rule that was described by Kipling as “The White Man’s Burden.” It has been estimated that British colonial rule, with its destruction of Indian industry and education, cost India $45 trillion in today’s dollars. But worse, India’s Anglosphere swallowed the colonial nostrums about Britain’s civilising role and embraced what the American historian Thomas Trautmann has called “British Indophobia” [another name for Hinduphobia].
China dealt with attitudes such as that of James Mill with the slogan to end “The century of humiliation” and in the past half-century has striven to match the glory of its imperial past. China was able to rediscover its spirit of excellence because, unlike India, its elites are not alienated from its own culture and history.
Seventy years ago, India’s education bureaucrats decided to keep out India’s own sciences and other scholarly traditions from school and college curricula on the false pretense that they are part of religion.
5.
Kapila Vatsyayan, modern India’s eminent scholar of art and a good friend, who passed away just a few months ago, once told me that colleges Britain founded in India served their own needs for clerks and soldiers to help in the extraction of Indian wealth and to protect the Raj, with some effort thrown in to understand India’s past so that they could control it better.
The fields that they left alone — art, music, dance, and yoga — are the only ones that have maintained vitality. Indeed, people from all over the world travel to India to learn about these fields.
Behind these fields lies Indian philosophy, which remains sidelined in Indian academia as something provincial, fit only for those who are stuck in the past.
6.
Nelson Mandela said: “Hatred is like drinking poison and then waiting for it to kill your enemy.” The self-loathing in India’s Anglosphere has percolated down to the media and entertainment. For some time now Bollywood writers have mimicked anti-Semitic, racist, sexist stereotypes of old pre-Second War Western cinema, crudely replacing the Jewish character with the baniya and the temple priest. Audiences have begun to say now: Enough is enough.
Disclaimer: The article was first published on Medium We have republished it with kind permission from the author. The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The opinions and facts are presented solely by him, and neither The Australia Today News nor its partners assume any responsibility for them.
In an interview, Sandhu told the RSN that his father, who was in the armed forces, loved a Saturday at the track.
“Mum used to joke that she never knew if he’d won or lost because either way, he always came home whistling up the stairs. He just loved it.”
Sandhu who was on his way to become a teenage billiards sensation decided to change the direction of his career.
“I got to a reasonably good level, won a few state championships. In order to make a living out of it over there you need really serious sponsorship.”
He trained under Aris B. David, a renowned horse trainer, and started looking for opportunities abroad, particularly in Dubai. Here, he worked for the famous American horse trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.
“From Dubai World Cups to Group 1s in U.S, I was a sponge for information whenever I was with him”.
After working for five years, Sandhu moved to Australia to work in the corporate world.
However, within a few years, Sandhu decided to return to his true passion – horse training and racing.
After 15 months of working for Mick Kent, Sandhu gained his license along with instrumental support and guidance.
"I expect him to run a good race on Saturday."
Up-and-coming trainer Julius Sandhu prepares last-start winner, Princeton Spirit, for the Keno Jackpots Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday. @MelbRacingClubpic.twitter.com/efvKtqXqa6
— Cranbourne Turf Club (@CranTurfClub) June 28, 2018
In 2020, Sandhu scored his first major win in the Melbourne Cup Carnival with Do You Reckon.
Julius Sandhu is thrilled to win the Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Final with Do You Reckon. pic.twitter.com/FgbyeY5bVA
Australian all-rounder Mitch Marsh’s Indian Premier League (IPL) team, the Delhi Capitals, tweeted that he has been admitted to hospital in India after testing positive for COVID-19.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT:
Delhi Capitals all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has tested positive for COVID-19, following which he has been admitted to a hospital. The Delhi Capitals medical team is closely monitoring Marsh’s condition. pic.twitter.com/lvatopJtcV
Marsh is one of the players in the Australian team’s “bio bubble” to test positive while others are asymptomatic.
He was found infected during a Rapid Antigen Test. Marsh has complained of a headache and slight fever, so the Delhi Capitals decided to have an RT-PCR Test of all its members, out of which Marsh’s result returned positive.
A few more members from the Delhi Capitals bio-bubble, including support staff members, have returned positive tests as well. Though they are all asymptomatic, their condition is being monitored closely by the franchise.
Marsh will need to isolate for at least a week. This means that he will miss at least the games against the Punjab Kings on Wednesday and Saturday’s clash with the Rajasthan Royals.
He last played a Test match in 2019 but remains a key part of Australia’s white-ball teams and starred in last year’s T20 World Cup triumph.
Marsh is playing alongside fellow Australia T20 player David Warner, under the tutelage of Ricky Ponting.
Image source: Giant swastika or Haken Kreuz - Nine News.
Melbourne north east has been shocked by a Nazi ‘Haken Kreuz’ (Hooked Cross) that has been drawn on a football field where junior soccer teams train and play.
This horrifying act of vandalism has drawn anger from descendants of Holocaust survivors.
While Hindu community members are in favour of banning the hateful Nazi symbol, they have also requested various state governments not to ban the deeply sacred and religious ‘swastika’. As such a ban will demonise hundreds of thousands of Hindus living peacefully all over Australia.
Image: Hindu swastika and Haken Kreuz, the Nazi symbol.
Nine News reports that chemicals were used to draw the giant Haken Kreuz into Morrison Reserve at Mt Evelyn.
This giant Nazi symbol was spotted by the grandson of a Holocaust survivor while taking a helicopter ride.
The man who noticed it told Nine News:
“My grandfather is the soul survivor of his family. To see it at that sort of scale is pretty horrifying. It’s concerning as how does something like that take place? How is there no action, how is there no immediate action? People should understand why something like this is so bad and how it does actually affect people.”
It is reported that local families who visit this field for a walk or exercise noticed the grass has been discoloured for more than month.
Image source: Yarra Ranges Council – https://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Contact.
Local soccer club members also raised the issue with Yarra Ranges Council in a meeting held at the beginning of March.
The council representaives told the concerned locals that these kinds of incidents were becoming more frequent in the shire and that seed would be used to cover the dead grass.
The council is incredibly disappointed and frustrated by such acts of vandalism that cause distress to locals and add cost to ratepayers.
India has allowed duty-free imports of cotton until September 30, 2022.
It is reported that the prices of cotton has increased due to a drop in the production.
Piyush Goyal, the Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, tweeted that this step will “bring down prices benefiting consumers.”
Good news for the Textiles sector on this festive day.
Modi Govt. removes customs duty on import of cotton till Sept.30, 2022.
This will not only help boost our manufacturing & exports but also bring down prices benefiting consumers. pic.twitter.com/lU5Y7H5QgM
Between 2017 and 2020 Australia exported an average of $1.65 billion of cotton each year.
In 2021, Australian cotton exports diversified, with exports increasing to India.
Earlier, India’s textile industry had welcomed the signing of the Indo-Australia trade agreement.
They believe that Indian mills and textile industry would gain high quality cotton produced by Australia and export of high value-added textiles and clothing products to Australia.
Image source: The kashmir Files poster - Wikipedia.
I recently read a review published in an Indian film magazine that called The Kashmir Files “dodgy”, “exploitative” and “dishonest.”
Saw the film along with a houseful audience and would assure the readers that it is none of the above.
The Kashmir Files, a 170-minute film, is a must-watch to learn about the plight of our fellow citizens, our Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s – something that the Left cabal has tried to erase from our collective memory.
The movie based on factual video interviews of the first generation victims of the Genocide of Kashmiri Pandits tells the story of a Kashmiri Pandit student who discovers that his parents were also killed by Jihadi terrorists.
Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s film will shake anyone with a conscience to the core to learn how the Kashmiri Pandits were not just mistreated but brutally raped, killed and shoved out of their own homes and beloved land by perpetrators who probably were one of them just 2-5 generations before (Kashmiri Pandits converted to Islam).
Image source: A scene from the Kashmir Files.
It is indeed a sad story, or rather reality, of how various governments of India chose to turn a blind eye towards this brutality and plight of the Kashmiri Pandits. And worse still, allowed for a relapse of the killing 12-13 years later, in a refugee camp. Shameful to say the least!
I agree there are certain aesthetic shortcomings of the film but these can be attributed to the small budget. The movie starts well and takes a storytelling approach. It eventually slips into a documentary mode and the last 20 mins may disappoint due to the weak screenplay.
I think VRA could have given a proper closure towards the end. I don’t mean a rosy ending, but a call for action – a small narrative or scrolling text stating the current state of Kashmiri Pandits or some live clips of their interviews would have been more powerful!
I got to watch this movie in Mumbai, India, on day 5 of its release. The buzz was electrifying and just refused to die till week 3 when I returned to Melbourne.
As I said earlier, I saw a ‘House Full’ board after ages. The film sidelined many others such as Jhund, Radhe Shyam, and Bacchan Pandey – all getting limited shows.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh has infarct called the Kashmir Files a “phenomenal success.”
Everyone is still talking about it and everyone wants to watch it – not because it is entertaining but because it is educating a whole generation about the truth.
I was amazed when I was at the temple where they were discussing how many tickets they wanted and the chief priest yelled from the main temple that he would join too. The power of word of mouth, the power of truth is on full display!
I hope that this film achieves two things.
Firstly, more such hidden and suppressed stories come out on the big screen as it is essential for people to know what has happened in the past and how it has been suppressed by some vested interests. In the end, we must be open to all narratives as long as they show the truth.
Secondly, there should be a proper call for action on the next steps so such things do not happen again. Otherwise, I am afraid that this film and its success will be forgotten in a few weeks. We need a continued movement to get the truth to the people.
Do watch this film if you get a chance and share this review in your network.
Contributing Author: Sanjiv Kulkarni is an ardent Indian cinema buff with an interest in the art of movie-making. He shares his take on movies and some rarer movies too. He lives in Melbourne and works as an IT Sales leader.
An international arrival is now defined as a person who arrives in South Australia from a location outside of Australia for 48 hours before their arrival in South Australia. This was previously 7 days.
Vaccinated international arrivals: · Previously, vaccinated international arrivals to South Australia were not permitted to enter high-risk settings for 7 days after arrival; this requirement has now been removed. · Vaccinated international travellers to South Australia need to undertake a COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) on arrival and quarantine until they have taken the test.
Additionally, if the person returns a positive RAT result, they need to then have a PCR test immediately by travelling directly to the test site and wearing a mask at all times (this does not apply to people quarantined in a medi-hotel or quarantine facility).
People who are quarantined in a medi-hotel or quarantine facility will be directed by an authorised officer in the facility to have a PCR test in the event they return a positive RAT result.
Adelaide airport; Image Source: @CANVA
Unvaccinated international arrivals: · Unvaccinated international arrivals will still be required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in South Australia and submit to PCR testing. International arrivals also need to comply with the isolation, testing, reporting and other requirements of the Emergency Management (Exposure Sites, Contacts and Diagnosis Requirements No 7) (COVID-19) Direction 2022.
The following changes made to the Arrivals Associated Direction for South Australia are effective from 12.01 am on 18 April 2022.
The information above only highlights the key changes made to the Directions and does not reflect all requirements. For all other existing requirements for international travellers to South Australia, visit: https://www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/travel/international-travel
If you require further information you can call the SA COVID-19 Information Line on 1800 253 787 between the hours of 8am to 8pm 7 days per week or go to the SA Health website at www.sahealth.sa.gov.au or www.sa.gov.au/covid-19
Indian Australian service station worker robbed at gun point; Image Source: Supplied
Police are appealing to the public for information, in relation to an armed robbery at Harristown early this morning Tuesday, April 12.
Initial investigations indicate at approximately 4.30 am a man has attended a James Street service station, where he threatened a 20-year-old male worker with what appeared to be a gun and demanded cash and cigarettes.
The man then left the scene on foot.
No one was physically injured.
The man is described as in his late-20s, approximately 165cm tall, Caucasian in appearance with a slim build and tattoos on his neck and hand.
It is believed he was wearing a distinctive black and navy ‘Ralph Lauren Polo’ branded hoodie with one blue sleeve, one red sleeve and a white hood (pictured). Along with grey track pants, black shoes and a black cap.
Anyone with information, or dashcam footage in the area at the time, is urged to contact police.
Vijay Balasubramaniyan, a residential real estate buyer based in Victoria, Australia, has been penalised $250,000.
He has thus become the first person fined by Australia’s Federal Court for breaching the nation’s foreign investor laws.
Mr Balasubramaniyan moved to Australia on a temporary visa in 2015 before marrying his Australian wife in 2017.
He was found to have purchased multiple properties in outer Melbourne without being authorised to do so by the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) which is administered by the Australian Treasury and the Australian Taxation Office.
Mr Balasubramaniyan admitted buying into the Hoppers Crossing, Werribee and Aintree properties from 2016 to 2018 without giving notice to FIRB.
The ATO filed proceedings in relation to six breaches of the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeover Act 1975 (FATA) by Mr Balasubramaniyan in July 2020.
Following an investigation the ATO found that Mr Balasubramaniyan had purchased four properties without permission while simultaneously owning two established properties.
ATO assistant commissioner Keir Cornish welcomed the penalty decision. He said that this decision would serve as “a clear deterrent to other foreign investors who believe they can operate outside of the law”.
Mr Cornish added:
“There are obligations under Australian law for foreigners that have invested in, or plan to invest in Australian residential real estate. The ATO promotes voluntary compliance of the rules by foreign persons, but where foreign investors resist compliance action, stronger enforcement action is taken.”
Australia’s foreign investment rules limit the type of residential property that non-residents can purchase.
These new compliance and enforcement powers came into effect in January 2021. Under these regulations defaulters and rule breakers can see an increased penalty.
From 2015 to 2021, 434 residential properties in Australia have been disposed of as a result of foreign investor compliance action.
Foreign individuals found to be in breach of the FATA can be penalised up to 25 per cent of the value of the property or have their capital gains recaptured, whichever is greater.
Justice Jonathan Beach said in his order that Mr Balasubramaniyan banked $710,300 in capital gains from his illegal purchases and general deterrence factored into the sizeable fine.
The court ordered Vijay Balasubramaniyan pay $250,000 to the federal government as well as the Tax Commissioner’s legal costs.
It is reported that the four Melbourne properties have been sold and are now with Australian residents.
According to a report a resolution was introduced in the U.S. Congress to recognise the Significance of Vaisakhi. Justification for resolution,
“Also known as Baisakhi, Vaisakhi is a spring season harvest festival for Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists. It also marks the Sikh New Year and commemorates the formation of Khalsa Panth under Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, Garamendi said.”
Based on the above a few questions arise –
1. Why is Baisakhi celebrated today?
It is a harvest festival and Khalsa Panth was founded on that day.
2. Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists celebrate it?
Sikhs and Hindus celebrated it for different reasons. Buddhists are not known to celebrate it.
3. Is it a Sikh New Year?
New Year is typically associated with a calendar like January 1 or April 13-14 in the Hindu calendar or the day after Diwali is celebrated by Gujaratis as New Year.
4. Was Khalsa Panth founded on March 30 or April 13 because today Baisakhi is celebrated on April 13?
Khalsa was founded on March 30, so wish someone could enlighten why it is celebrated on April 13.
5. What does Vaisakh mean because Baisakhi comes from Vaisakh?
Baisakhi; Image Source: @Canva
Khalsa was founded on 30 March 1699, being the 1st day of the month of Vaisakh. (Vaisakh is a month of the Hindu calendar).
Let us start by reading about the background to the formation of Khalsa. This write-up is based on The History and Culture of Indian People Volume 7, Pg 317 published by the respected Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan Mumbai. General Editor is R C Mazumdar.
Background
During a 2012 visit to Naina Devi Temple in Himachal Pradesh, about an hour’s drive from Anandpur Sahib, I wondered why so many Sikhs come to the temple for darshan. The answer lies in the events of 1699.
Baisakhi; Image Source: @Canva
In the Chandi Charitra, the tenth Guru says that in the past god had deputed Goddess Durga to destroy evildoers. That duty was now assigned to him hence he wanted her blessings. So he invited Pandit Kesho from Kashi to conduct the ceremony at the hill of Naina Devi.
The ceremony started on Durga Ashtami day, in the autumn of October 1698, and lasted for six months. At the end of this period, the sacred spring Navratras began on 21 March 1699.
Then, “When all the ghee and incense had been burnt and the goddess had yet not appeared, the Guru came forward with a naked sword and, flashing it before the assembly declared: ‘This is the goddess of power!” This took place on 28 March 1699, the Durga Ashtami day. The congregation was then asked to move to Anandpur, where on New Year’s Day of 1st Baisakh, 1756 Vikrama Samvat (30th March 1699), the Guru would create a new nation.” Pg 317
On 30th March 1699, at Anandpur, Guru Gobind Singhji gave a stirring speech to the assembly about the need to protect their spiritual and temporal rights. He then asked if anyone would offer his head in the services of God, Truth and Religion.
Baisakhi; Image Source: @Canva
The five who came forward were Dayaram a Khatri from Lahore, Dharamdas a Jat from Hastinapur near Delhi, and Sahib Chand a barber from Bidar in Karnataka, Himmat Chand Kahar, a water carrier from Puri in Odisha and Mohkam Chand Chihimba from Dwarka in Gujarat.
They were designated the Five “Beloved Ones” and termed “Khalsa” (ie Purified). “In India ‘five’ has been a sacred number from time immemorial. Panchon mein Parmeshwar hai is an old saying indicating the presence of Divinity in five, as are the five elements of nature.
So Khalsa was founded on March 30 1699 being the first day of the month of Vaisakh. In the Indian calendar, the date of the 1st day of Vaisakh would change every year. Dates remaining fixed are found in the Gregorian calendar only. For a brief write up on the Hindu Calendar see here
Wish someone can explain how April 13 became a fixed date for Baisakhi?
Baisakhi; Image Source: @Canva
I checked the date of the founding of Khalsa with two more sources.
March 30 as the founding date of Khalsa is stated in the book ‘Historical Dictionary of Sikhism’ by W.H. McLeod Pg 123.
March 30 as the founding date of Khalsa is also mentioned by Prof Harbans Singh prepared under auspices of Punjab University Patiala, in his Encyclopaedia of Sikhism https://www.thesikhencyclopedia.com/uncategorised/anandpur/ Excerpts from the link,
“On Baisakhi day, 30 March 1699, Guru Gobind Singh carried out the supreme task of his career converting the sangat into Khalsa.”
Indic Scholar Dr Satish K Kapoor says,
“Vaishakha is called Madhava Maas, dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Four incarnations of Vishnu are associated with this month. Treta yuga began on the third day of the bright half of Vaishakha. Sun enters Mesha Rashi during Uttarayana. Arya Samaj was founded on Baisakhi day. Having been associated with harvesting, it is dear to agriculturists, of all religions. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was coronated on Baisakhi.”
Dr Kapoor says, “The 22nd Tirthankara of Jainism was a cousin of Lord Krishna, according to Harivamsha of Jinasena – the Jaina version of Mahabharata. Since Krishna is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and Vaishakha is special to the lord, the sacred month is associated with Jainas too.”
He adds, “Compartmentalization into Hindu, Buddhist, Jaina and Sikhs in terms of celebration of cultural events is a recent phenomenon, only about 200 years old. Since the festival falls on the first day of the solar month of Vaishakha, it became important for all communities. Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and nirvana falls on the full moon day of Vaishakha.”
Baisakhi is a spring-time harvest festival. It is celebrated in some parts of North India. However, celebrations are big in Punjab because Khalsa Panth was founded on Baisakhi day. Since land in Punjab is pre-dominantly owned by Jaat Sikhs today, it has become a Sikh harvest festival.
To read the history and significance of this harvest festival click Here
Actually, Vaisakhi was celebrated in Punjab even before it became the day on which Khalsa Panth was formed. Perhaps Guru Govind Singh ji chose this day to form Khalsa because people gathered in large numbers to celebrate the festival.
Baisakhi is not celebrated by Buddhists because one, they are not landowners in Punjab and two, they are not part of Khalsa Panth. Not heard of or seen Buddhists in other parts of India celebrate Baisakhi. Jaina community inside or outside Punjab do not celebrate Baisakhi.
Baisakhi; Image Source: @Canva
Hindus celebrated Baisakhi for different reasons. Dr Kapoor says, “Hindus celebrate the whole month of Vaishakha as many important events of religious import are associated with it – Shitala Ashtami and Bruthani Ekadashi on the 8th and 11th day of the dark half and Akshya Tritiya, Mohini Ekadashi, Narasimha Jayanti and Purnima vrat on 3rd, 11th, 14th and the last day of the bright half. Patala Khanda of Padma Purana explains the importance of Vaishakha.”
Whilst effort is made to present a comprehensive picture and based on research, do write in if you find any errors. We are happy to stand corrected.
Disclaimer: The article was first published on esamskriti.com, We have republished it with kind permission from the author. The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The opinions and facts are presented solely by him, and neither The Australia Today News nor its partners assume any responsibility for them.
The opening ceremony will be held in Melbourne at the MCG while the games will be organised with a focus on boosting the regional economy.
“This will be a Commonwealth Games like no other. We promised we wouldn’t be doing a re-run of 2006, as successful as that was.”
Image source: Premier Daniel Andrews – Twitter.
Mr Andrews said that 2026 events would be largely held in the regional areas in contrast to the Melbourne 2006 Games.
The Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games will be the regional games for regional jobs.
Four regional hubs will be established in Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and Gippsland, each with an athletes' villages. Shepparton will also host events, and the MCG will host the opening ceremony.
The focus on regional areas will provide “affordable housing and modern sports infrastructure” to the people living here.
Affordable housing and modern sports infrastructure built for the games will leave a legacy and attract future major events.
And of course, it's going to create thousands of jobs. 600 before the first sports start, 3,900 during the games, and 3,000 beyond the Closing Ceremony.
This is a state-wide competitive Victorian Government investment program that provides a range of grant opportunities.
It is underpinned by the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions’ priorities to ensure the state’s economy benefits all Victorians by creating more jobs for more people, building thriving places and regions and nurturing inclusive communities.
Image source: Ros Spence, Minister for Community Sport – Vic Gov.
“The program provides grants towards cricket facilities including the upgrade or replacement of cricket nets and ageing clubrooms, wickets and more providing cricket clubs the opportunity to accommodate new players and teams and take the game to the next level.”
Key facility challenges identified for cricket in Victoria include: • ground availability and capacity • limited/lack of open space • condition of training facilities • female friendly and inclusive facility design • loss of access to school sites • playing field sizes • winter/summer ‘seasonal creep’ • quality and use of Premier Cricket facilities.
Image source: United Tarneit Sports Club.
For specific details on the program, including the objectives of the fund, the number of applications that can be submitted, the grant amounts available and eligibility of applications please refer to the guidelines.
LGAs/ARBs are required to discuss their project/s with their Sport and Recreation Victoria and Cricket Victoria representatives before submitting their application/s to receive advice about developing projects that meet the program objectives.
The applications for Community Cricket Program is going to close on 11 April 2022.
Successful applications of the 2022 Community Cricket Program – Community Cricket Facilities stream will be announced in June/July 2022.
Australia has faced a series of defining challenges over the past three years.
Fires, floods, a pandemic, a global recession, a mouse plague, a war in Europe, economic coercion from China.
They’ve all been hard on our families, on our businesses, on our jobs, on our farmers, on our children.
But set against those difficulties Australia, and Australians, have shown what we can overcome together.
Unemployment was predicted to reach 15 per cent, but it is now just four per cent – the equal lowest level in 48 years.
Our economic recovery measures saved around 700,000 jobs.
Australia is one of a small number of countries to maintain a AAA credit rating – a global standard for economic management.
We have achieved the biggest Budget turnaround in 70 years with our plan delivering an extra $100 billion to the country’s bottom line.
Our economic growth is one of the best in the developed world – faster and stronger than the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.
On almost any measure – fatality rates, vaccine rates, economic growth, jobs growth, or debt levels – Australia’s recovery is leading the world.
But I know our country continues to face very real challenges and many families are doing it tough.
There is still a lot of uncertainty ahead.
To build a stronger future our Government has laid out a clear plan.
Delivering more jobs and working towards unemployment below four per cent. Our plan will deliver more jobs and the lowest unemployment in nearly 50 years.
Delivering tax relief for workers and small businesses. We’re halving the tax you pay at the petrol pump for six months. And our tax plan will put more money in the pockets of 10 million Australians in the coming weeks and months, on top of our longer-term tax relief for everyone earning up to $200,000 a year.
Investing in roads, rail, water infrastructure and renewable energy technology. We have a more than $120 billion pipeline of infrastructure we’re building like Western Sydney Airport, to the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, the Inland Rail, upgrading the Bruce Highway and building Hells Gates Dam in Queensland, METRONET in Perth, the North-South Corridor in SA, the Bridgewater Bridge in Tasmania and the Middle Arm marine infrastructure in the NT.
Making record investments in health and other essential services. Our plan means we have record bulk billing rates, made Telehealth permanent, and includes listing more than 2,800 drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to make medicines more affordable for more Australians.
Investing in stronger defence, security and borders. Locking in to new partnerships like AUKUS to build the best submarines in world, develop long range hypersonic missiles and triple the size of our cyber offensive and defensive forces. Restarting the QUAD with the US, India and Japan to bring more security, stability and peace to our region.
This election provides a clear choice, with real consequences for Australia.
Our Government is not perfect. But we have been upfront. You know what we stand for, you can see our record of delivery, and you can see our plan for the future.
Our economy has a lot of moving parts and a lot of risks. But also, many opportunities.
Anthony Albanese and Labor have no economic plan. They would weaken our economy and put our recovery at risk.
Mr Albanese has never held a financial portfolio. He’s never held a national security portfolio. He’s never delivered a Budget.
Labor has a record of higher taxes. Albanese has argued for higher taxes on retirees, housing, families and inheritances.
Labor makes promises, but they can’t say how they’ll pay for them. This means two things – higher deficits and higher taxes.
Labor cannot manage money, that’s why they come after yours.
Now is not the time to risk it.
Only the Liberal and Nationals have a plan for a strong economy and a stronger future.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this Op-ed are the personal opinions of the author. The Australia Today is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in this op-ed. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the op-ed do not reflect the views of The Australia Today and The Australia Today News does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
Qantas and Jetstar will grow their international network out of Sydney, with new direct routes to India and Korea taking off this year, accelerating New South Wales’ post-COVID tourism recovery.
The planned codeshare agreement with India’s largest domestic airline, IndiGo, to provide direct connections to 50 cities; a new free trade agreement expected to strengthen demand.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the new routes would help the State’s tourism sector recover from COVID.
“Sydney is one of the world’s truly global cities and these new direct flights to India and Korea will make it easier for millions of people to come here.
Graphics for Sydney- Bangalore route; Image Source; Supplied
“The signing of the Australia-India free trade agreement is a driver of travel demand as trade and investment links expand between Australia and India’s population of more than one billion people.
“Our new direct flights to Bengaluru, combined with the planned codeshare with IndiGo, have the potential to reshape the way many people travel between Australia and India.”
Qantas_IndiGo Tails: Image Source; Supplied
Sydney to Bengaluru (Bangalore) direct
Qantas will operate four weekly return flights from Sydney to Bengaluru (formerly known as Bangalore) from 14 September, using its wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft.
These will be the first non-stop flights between Australia and southern India by any airline and will cut almost three hours off the current fastest travel time from Sydney to Bengaluru, growing technology and financial services hub.
With a population of 13 million people, the Bengaluru community has strong connections to Australia for both business travel and people visiting friends and relatives. These trade connections are expected to strengthen following the recent announcement of the Australia-India free trade agreement.
Jetstar_IndiGo Tails:Image Source; Supplied
Qantas will continue to operate up to five flights a week between Melbourne and Delhi, making it the only airline offering direct flights between Australia and both northern and southern India.
Planned codeshare agreement set to open up in India
Qantas intends to enter into a codeshare agreement with IndiGo, India’s largest domestic carrier, which will give customers improved one-stop access to more than 50 Indian cities.
The proposed agreement will mean Qantas passengers can transit seamlessly from Qantas flights in Bengaluru, Delhi, or Singapore onto IndiGo services to other major Indian cities as well as smaller ones such as Pune and Goa.
Under the planned agreement, Qantas Frequent Flyers will be able to earn and redeem points on connecting IndiGo flights (QF code only) and IndiGo will recognise Qantas Frequent Flyer benefits for tiered members (Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One) including priority check-in, additional baggage allowance, and priority baggage.
Qantas customers travelling on IndiGo will enjoy the same baggage allowance for the entire journey as well as complimentary food and drinks.
The partnership will extend to Jetstar customers who will be able to book connecting flights on IndiGo services through its Jetstar Connect platform on jetstar.com from late April.
Qantas Group international restart
Since Australia’s borders re-opened last November, led by New South Wales, the Qantas Group has carried almost 500,000 passengers on its international services across 27 international routes, with another six routes restarting next week.
Group international capacity is expected to reach more than 40 per cent of pre-COVID capacity in April.
Qantas has now added six new overseas routes in the past six months, including Perth-Rome and Melbourne-Delhi, Melbourne-Dallas Fort-Worth and Darwin-Dili as it taps into new markets.
All three new routes announced today are being supported by the NSW Aviation Attraction Fund, which is co-funded by the State Government and Sydney Airport. Kempegowda International Airport has also supported Qantas’ Sydney-Bengaluru flights.
Fare details and Points Planes for Frequent Flyers
To celebrate the Sydney-Seoul new route, Jetstar is offering customers sale fares from $398 return starting today until 4pm on 14 April.
Qantas is putting Sydney-Bengaluru flights on sale today starting from $1349 return.
To reward Frequent Flyer members, Qantas will offer the first three return services between Sydney and Bengaluru, and Sydney and Seoul, as Points Planes meaning frequent flyers can use Qantas Points to book any seat as a Classic Reward Seat until the end of April 2022. Seats on these flights can also be purchased with cash.
Classic Flight Reward seats between Sydney and Bengaluru start from 37,600 points one way and Sydney-Seoul starts from 31,500 points, (plus taxes, fees, and carrier charges).
Flights are subject to government and regulatory approval.
34-year-old Dr. Akhil Gupta, an endocrinologist, and an obstetric physician told SMH that his apartment block has refused to allow him to use a Powerpoint in the garage to charge it.
He had offered to pay a weekly fee to the Owners Corporation for the electricity – about $10 a week and has even offered to pay for the electricity usage in the apartment block in Darlinghurst.
“It meant I was having to drive around Sydney to find a charger somewhere else and then sit in it for up to an hour, as my EV was a few years old, to fully recharge the battery.”
Dr. Gupta was devastated as he had to sell his electric vehicle, a 2018 Hyundai IONIQ, for an old petrol car, a Mercedes-Benz.
Image source: Dr Gupta, an endocrinologist and obstetric physician – Sydney Endocrinology.
He adds:
“It added such a huge amount of time onto my commute to the hospitals I work in, and my 10-hour working day, and it seemed ridiculous when there was a perfectly good working power point in our garage where I could charge up the car overnight.
But when the strata sealed it up to stop anyone having access to it, I had no choice.”
Luke Bowen, managing director of Sky Living Strata, which looks after the 120-unit Parkridge Apartments, said:
“But we can’t allow one individual to use the power as the whole building would be paying for it. And an owners’ corporation can’t invoice one individual to pay.
He’s been told that a by-law would have to be drafted to allow access to common power and proposed at a general meeting.”
Dr. Gupta is sad about the choice that he had to make in buying a technology that is not suitable for the environment.
“My role is to help people, not harm them with carbon emissions. This short-sightedness has compromised my ability to do the best I can for the community.“
The latest figures show that the number of EVs and hybrid petrol-electric cars have more than doubled in Australia.
General Rawat India-Australia Young Defence Officers’ Exchange Programme has been officially launched.
Australia’s High Commissioner to India, the Hon. Barry O’Farrell tweeted: “In recognition of the contributions of India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, the Australian and Indian governments announced an Australia-India Young Defence Officers’ Exchange Programme named in his honour.”
#Outcomes#AusIndSummit: In recognition of the contributions of India's first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, the Australian and Indian governments announced an Australia-India Young Defence Officers’ Exchange Programme named in his honour. #defence#dostipic.twitter.com/dX9A62BIPC
During the India-Australia virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, the two leaders had agreed to establish a young defence officer exchange programme.
“Defence and Security is one of the major areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries that have now joined hands to set up General Bipin Rawat Young Defence Officers Exchange Programme.
This will enable younger officers in both countries to familiarise themselves with the other country and increase service to service contacts between the two nations.”
Image: Kritika and Tarini, daughters of General Bipin Rawat receive his Padma Vibhushan award from President Kovind.
The exchange programme is named after India’s first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, who was killed in a helicopter crash in December 2021.
Gen. Rawat was also credited with reducing insurgency on India’s northeastern frontier. He was conferred Padma Vibhhushan.
The exchange programme was announced on the same day when late Gen. Rawat was conferred with India’s second-highest civilian award.
It is expected that this exchange programme will enhance professional contacts on both sides and provide operational experience to young officers.
Australian government has introduced or expanded on two new conditions: 8204 and 8303.
As per condition 8204, an international student must not undertake or change their course of study, thesis or research topic without the approval of the Minister, for a:
graduate certificate
graduate diploma
master’s degree
doctorate, or
any bridging course required as a prerequisite to a course of study or research for a master’s degree or doctorate
Earlier, international students in Australia were able to easily change original course that they have been studying for six months or more with permission from the educational provider.
However, now this approval must come from the Minister.
“This approval can only be given after the Minister has obtained an assessment from the competent Australian authorities that you are not likely to be directly or indirectly a risk to Australian national security.”
Further, condition 8303 has been introduced so that international students do not actively engage or promote extremist views and interrupting the operation of the Australian community.
“You must not become involved in activities disruptive to, or violence threatening harm to, the Australian community or a group within the Australian community.”
If you are not sure which restrictions you currently have on your visa, please check your conditions on VEVO or have a look at the visa grant letter you received.
Australia-India Economic and Trade Agreement (IndAus ECTA) will provide special visa arrangements for Indian Chefs and yoga instructors.
The Federal Minister for Trade and Tourism Dan Tehan told The Australia Today, “We have agreed on special visa arrangements for Indian chefs and Indian yoga teachers.”
This will be done under the skill visa streams and further details will be worked out within four months.
“Mobility is one of the key outcomes of the IndAus trade agreement and We have taken up a few initiatives to ensure the mobility,”
Minister Tehan said,
Hon Dan Tehan MP, Member for Wannon, Victoria, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security, Minister for Defence Personnel, Liberal Party of Australia. Official portrait Parliament House 13 February 2017. Image David Foote – AUSPIC/DPS
1000/year Work and Holiday visa is another imortant step to encourage Indian youth to come and understand Australia.
This visa will enable Indian backpackers under 31 years of age to work in hospitality, farm and resort island sectors and stay in Australia.
Ministe Tahan said, “It is expected to contribute to both workforce requirements and boost tourism to support Australia’s post-COVID recovery.”
In a boost to Australian STEM and IT workforces,
The length of stay for an Indian Student with a bachelor’s degree with first-class honours will be extended from two to three years post-study in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and information and communications technology (ICT) sectors.
Calling the signing of IndAus ECTA, another milestone in the growing relationship between India and Australia, Minister Dan Tehan said that the agreement further develops on the promise of the relationship.
Australia-India will also facilitate the recognition of professional qualifications, licensing, and registration procedures between professional services bodies in both countries.
Image source: Lisa Singh with Barry O’Farrell - AII.
Lisa Singh, former Senator and dynamic CEO of the Australia India Institute (AII), delivered the Institute’s opening address at the Annual Oration 2022 in Delhi.
The Oration is one of five events the Institute is hosting while in India, including:
Launch of the Australia India Leadership Dialogue with in Bengaluru to promote the upcoming Australia India Leadership Dialogue to be hosted in New Delhi in September this year. The 2022 AILD will focus on industry-led initiatives in the technology space
A roundtable with think tank Centre for Policy Research (CPR) in Delhi
Moderating a roundtable for women in STEM in Bangaluru
Indian Ocean roundtable with CG Chennai
Image source: Lisa Singh with Barry O’Farrell – AII.
Here’s her full speech:
Main aap sab ka tahe dil se swagat karti hu. It is truly special that after several years, we are able to connect once again over great distances for such a prestigious event, and in such a beautiful, magnificent venue. And personally, I am so pleased to be back in India.
Today, it is a great honour to welcome His Excellency, the Honourable Barry O’Farrell, Australia’s High Commissioner to India, who will be delivering this year’s Oration, titled The Rise and Rise of Australia-India Relations, (someone who has been doing a tremendous job in building relations). Thank you, Your Excellency for being here with us today.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of the Australia India Institute, I am honoured to welcome you all to the Annual Oration for 2022.
The Institute’s Annual Oration was first delivered in 2016, here in New Delhi, with the aim of bringing our two countries closer together. And since then, the Oration has seen a range of eminent speakers deliver remarkable addresses on the strengthening of ties between our two nations. Their contributions have been heard by high profile dignitaries, government officials, business leaders and professionals, educationists, academics, journalists, civil society, and students.
As His Excellency will outline, this year’s topic for the Oration is the Rise and Rise of Australia-India Relations. And what a year it has been, characterised by driving momentum, deeper engagement, and an unwavering commitment to the bilateral relationship by both countries. The Australia-India relationship has risen, through the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, to see cooperation across a range of critical areas, including security and defence, trade and economic, climate, energy and science, critical minerals and emerging technologies, education and tourism, and our people-to-people ties.
Upon taking up my role as CEO of the Institute, 6 months ago my aim has been to build and advance the Institute’s expertise and thought leadership, through a refreshed and forward-thinking Strategy across three program areas – security and geopolitics bilateral economy and cultural diplomacy – in order to promote support for and understanding of the Australia-India relationship.
The Institute this year launched India Matters – a program which celebrates and commemorates India’s 75th anniversary of Independence, and includes events, policy briefs, expert analysis, podcasts, and interviews on why India matters to Australia and the world. At one of the Institute’s recent events, I convened a conversation with India’s Minister for External Affairs the Honourable Dr. Jaishankar, during which he said that he could see the relationship “dramatically changing right in front of his eyes.”
Similarly, at another recent event hosted by the Institute, Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Honourable Dan Tehan said, “there has never been a more important time for Australia and India to advance their relationship.” Given the shifting geostrategic and geo-economic trends, it is imperative our two countries come together like we have never come before. That is why the Australia India ECTA signed days ago by both countries is such a watershed moment in the relationship.
On a personal note, it is such a thrill to be back in India. During my visit this month, my team and I will be meeting with a range of stakeholders, including members of government, industry, academia, and civil society to reignite and advance our engagement and build capacity to meet the policy challenges of our shared future.
Later in the year, we will also be returning to India for the Institute’s flagship event, the Australia India Leadership Dialogue 2022, which will be hosted in New Delhi. We will be launching the Dialogue with our principal corporate partner next week, so watch this space. The theme for this year’s dialogue will be emerging technology, and will convene brilliant minds from the corporate, Government, academic and civil society sectors to address the challenges and opportunities of living in a disruptive world through innovation and entrepreneurship.
There is no doubt the Australia-India relationship holds great cause for optimism, built on what His Excellency Barry O’Farrell has referred to as the four Ds: Democracy, Defence, Diaspora & Dosti. The Institute is absolutely delighted to have him with us today. But we could not have turned out such a brilliant event without the support of our sponsor HSBC India.
AII is Australia’s leading centre dedicated to enhancing Australia-India relations.
The AII is in India with a 22 member delegation to further Australia’s engagement with India. This four-week trip seeks to promote the significance of the Australia-India relationship through one-on-one meetings and events with leading foreign policy think tanks, Indian industry leaders, central and state ministers, academics, and journalists.
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein, 57-year-old, has announced his resignation. He has cited family reasons and the pressure of governing through the COVID19 pandemic for this decision.
At a press conference in Launceston, Mr Gutwein told media:
“I’ve focused on everyone else’s family, I now want to spend some time focusing on my own.”
He further added:
“It is with some sadness that I leave, but I know the foundations that have been laid, the path has been laid out that a new leader will be able to make their own, and importantly, make their own decisions moving forward.”
Mr Gutwein thanked his wife Mandy, and children Finn and Millie, for their support:
“My wife and kids have just been outstanding in their support. But that period through Christmas completely drained me … I’ve got nothing left in the tank to give.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Mr Gutwein was leaving public life with great respect.
“Peter did not put a foot wrong. As Treasurer since 2014, Peter along with former Premier Will Hodgman was the architect of Tasmania’s economic revival. He leaves politics with a world-best response to COVID and a Tasmanian economy thriving with jobs at a record high.”
In a statement, Tasmanian Liberals president Rod Scurrah said:
“Peter and his wife, Mandy, and children, Millie and Finn, have given up so much over the past 20 years, and in particular over the past two years. It’s only fair that Peter now gets to spend more time with his loved ones.”
Mr Gutwein would remain Premier until the Liberal Party elected his replacement later this week.
He holds the office of Tasmania’s Premier and Treasurer as well as tourism and climate change portfolios.
Image source: Blue Mountains tragedy - Nine News screenshot.
Two people have died and two others are in critical condition after a landslide hit a walking track in the Blue Mountains near Sydney.
Emergency services responded after reports that the landslide had fallen onto the group of five walkers on the Wentworth Pass track at Wentworth Falls.
The World Champion Australian Women Cricket team; Image Source: Cricket Australia
Meg Lanning’s Australia finally has the title to match their performances, crowned world champions after a sensational 71-run World Cup final defeat of England.
For five years, the world No.1s were estranged from the ODI World Cup trophy, lost at the 2017 tournament in a semi-final slip to India.
In that time, Lanning’s side has evolved and put together 21 consecutive series wins, an unmatched streak across all of cricket.
But they haven’t been able to say they’re 50-over world champions, the title they’ve craved – until now.
Alyssa Healy, crowned player of the tournament after her stunning 170 in the final made her the leading runscorer, said she knew exactly the emotion she was feeling.
The World Champion Australian Women Cricket team; Image Source: Cricket Australia
“It’s not relief … it’s just pride,” Healy said.
“We came together as a squad and said ‘this is how we want to play our cricket from now on and we’re going to be the best team in the world’.
“I’m just really proud of this group to have done what we’ve done over the last five years.
“The trophy in our hands is just the final little piece of the puzzle.”
Healy said she was unaware of her monster score until a mid-pitch meeting with partner Beth Mooney who said “you could get 200 here”.
“I at no point thought it was anything … it was just watching the ball, hit it, get our team to a good total.”
The World Champion Australian Women Cricket team; Image Source: Cricket AustraliaThe World Champion Australian Women Cricket team; Image Source: Cricket AustraliaThe World Champion Australian Women Cricket team; Image Source: Cricket AustraliaThe World Champion Australian Women Cricket team; Image Source: Cricket AustraliaThe World Champion Australian Women Cricket team; Image Source: Cricket AustraliaThe World Champion Australian Women Cricket team; Image Source: Cricket AustraliaThe World Champion Australian Women Cricket team; Image Source: Cricket AustraliaThe World Champion Australian Women Cricket team; Image Source: Cricket AustraliaThe World Champion Australian Women Cricket team; Image Source: Cricket AustraliaThe World Champion Australian Women Cricket team; Image Source: Cricket AustraliaThe World Champion Australian Women Cricket team; Image Source: Cricket AustraliaThe World Champion Australian Women Cricket team; Image Source: Cricket Australia
Even more impressively, Australia saved possibly their best performance for last, smashing 5-356 past England, a total Healy joked was “20 short” of par.
Lanning opted against heading out at three, instead of sending Beth Mooney and Ash Gardner into the fray to up the run rate.
“It was pretty special to watch. I was loving every moment of it sitting up there in the stands,” Lanning said.
“It’s taking the game on. It’s being brave … that’s the style of play we want to go out and play.
“At the 2020 T20 World Cup we played our best game on the biggest stage and today we’ve done a very similar thing.”
Lanning faced an agonising call in the build-up to the match on the selection of Ellyse Perry, who suffered back spasms and was touch-and-go to play.
Perry made 17 off 10 in a late cameo and didn’t bowl as expected.
“It was a really tough selection to leave Annabel (Sutherland) out. She’s hadn’t done anything wrong at all,” she said.
The World Champion Australian Women Cricket team; Image Source: Cricket Australia
“But once Ellyse was declared fit then she was going to come into the team because of the player that she is and the record that she has.”
Australia’s next mission is a T20 tri-series against Pakistan and hosts Ireland in July and the Commonwealth Games, a T20 tournament, also beginning that month.
Beyond that, Australia has a T20 World Cup to defend in South Africa next March – and attention will turn to whether any of this class of world-beaters have had enough.
Vice-captain Rachael Haynes is at the top of her game but 35, Perry is 31, while Lanning and Healy both had birthdays while in New Zealand, turning 30 and 32 respectively.
Lanning flat-batted a question on whether anyone might retire, saying “not that I’ve heard of”.
Healy, sitting next to her at the winner’s press conference, was more effusive.
“We’ll be right. We’ll be here,” she said enthusiastically.
Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles and Australia's Dan Tehan MP, Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment; Image Source: @PIB
The Australian share market rallied for a third consecutive week and is on course to hit a record high this year after a particularly strong March.
The ASX 200 benchmark was up an amazing 6.4% for March as it recovered quickly from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and rallied strongly on the back of higher energy and mining companies.
BHP is a great example of ASX recovery. The mining giant closed at $52.39 on Friday and with iron prices continuing to rise is well on the way to reclaiming its record high levels from last year.
Iron prices continue to rise as China moves to stimulate its economy after the continuing effects of the pandemic and the Ukraine crisis.
In a sign of how much the local markets are benefiting from the commodity price boom, triggered by the crisis in Ukraine and the rolling impact of the pandemic, the energy and materials sector added close to 10% for the month.
Image source: Grain Producers Australia
An announcement by US President Bidden that the US would be investing to boost the production of rare earth materials. The announcement immediately lifted stocks like Lynas Rare Earth, which has an existing relationship with the US Department of Defence, AVZ Minerals, and Allkem, both of them hitting record highs. AVZ has now risen more than 1000% over the past 12 months.
Unfortunately, not all shares were able to follow the market’s lead. Stocks in Imugene Limited dropped 7.4% last week. This was despite there being no news out of the biopharmaceutical company. Imugene shares have been in a downtrend currently and have declined 42% since the start of the year.
James Hardie’s share prices also tumbled 7.1% last week despite no news from the building materials company. James Hardie’s share prices have been under significant pressure since missing its third-quarter earnings in February. The company’s shares hit a 52-week low last week.
Looking ahead, the biggest event to watch this week will be the Reserve Bank board meeting, which will help solidify the course of official interest rates for the rest of the year.
While the interest rates are not expected to move from the current 0.1% level, analysts are expecting some forward guidance to fight growing inflationary pressures.
The financial stocks are expected to benefit from the meeting as interest rate hikes positively impact the financial companies.
Australian Banks; Reprentative picture @CANVA
Currently, the market is tipping a lot more interest rate rises than the RBA itself. As such the meeting this week will be crucial to see if it can bring the two parties closer together.
Gold prices declined for the week as a strong US Dollar and higher Treasury yields dented the appeal of non-yielding bullion.
US jobless rate improving to 3.6% in March further aided the decline in gold as it raised expectations of an interest rate rise in the US.
A jobless rate of less than 4% is defined by the Federal Reserve as ‘full employment.’ The United States has technically had full employment since December when the unemployment rate fell to 3.9%.
Fed officials closely monitor monthly job growth to measure the health of the economy and to determine the necessary rate increases to limit inflation.
Now with inflation in the US at its highest level since 1982 and job openings hovering near record highs in February it is expected that the FOMC officials may consider a 50-basis point increase at the committee’s next two meetings in May and June to bring inflation back up to its target of 2%,
Technically speaking the gold rally looks to be nearing an end, with signs of trend consolidation and exhaustion coming in.
The 61.8% retracement of the yearly range at $1891 an ounce will be a key support level, a break of which can start a new downtrend for the yellow metal. The formation of an evening star on the weekly chart has further opened the door for a reversal potential.
Gold; Image Source: @CANVA
The bearish sentiment for gold is further validated by the fact that gold is trading near $2000/oz level. A level at which traders tend to get very nervous. Historically, the bullion has only had one weekly close ever above the $2,000 level.
A rebound from $1895 levels could see the precious metal rebound to a 2021 high at $1959.
Oil notched its biggest weekly fall since April 2020 on news of the US stockpile release,
US President Joe Biden on Thursday announced a release of 1 million barrels per day (BPD) of crude oil for six months starting from May to control inflating oil prices. At 180 million barrels, this is the largest release ever from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).
Members of the International Energy Agency soon agreed to join in the largest-ever US oil reserves release, resulting in oil recording its worst weekly decline since 2020.
The US release of oil however still pales in comparison to the expectations that 3 million BPD of Russian oil will be shut in sanctions bite and buyers spurn purchases.
Oil prices also declined after China brought the commercial hub in Shanghai to a grounding halt on Friday after the government locked down most of the city’s 26 million residents, aiming to stop the spread of COVID19.
JPMorgan Bank said in a note that it had kept its price forecasts unchanged at $114 a barrel for the second quarter. They noted that releasing strategic reserves is not a persistent source of supply and if stranded Russian barrels average more than 1 million BPD. As per the bank, this will leave 2023 in a deep deficit and will keep oil prices above $100 per barrel.
The Australian dollar has gone back and forth all week to form a neutral candle for the trading week to show a bit of hesitation. This makes 0.7500 level of strong importance as it has a point of both support and resistance several times over the past few months.
The Australian Dollar has been one of the most resilient currencies against the greenback throughout the last quarter thanks to a broad commodity price rally and strong relations with China.
Australian-Dollar; Picture Source: @CANVA
While the situation in Ukraine saw many global currencies deteriorate in favour of the safe-haven US Dollar, the Aussie flourished thus allowing RBA greater flexibility. The inflationary pressures in Australia remain comparatively muted to many of its US counterparts including the US, thus allowing RBA to keep the cash rate steady at 0.10% since late 2020.
While the RBA is expected to meet this week and RBA Governor Phillip Lowe voicing concerns around inflation, the fact is core inflation in Australia remains within the bank’s target band of 2-3% thus reducing the chances of an interest rate rise on Tuesday.
The rising commodity prices and Australia’s resistance to the current Ukrainian conflict should continue to buoy the local currency, especially if the war continues through Q2.
Having said that rising COVID19 cases in China have induced strict lockdowns from the Chinese government and could weigh on the AUD upside should the situation negatively impact Chinese growth, commodity prices and demand.
Technically speaking the AUD USD is currently forming a bullish flag on the weekly chart. A Bullish flag usually represents a bullish continuation and could bring into consideration levels beyond 0.7500 once broken. However, we would need to see a clear weekly candle close above flag resistance before considering going long.
On the daily chart, however, the situation is a bit different. The RSI index currently points down showing strong resistance at 0.7500. In the short-term, there seems to be a bearish divergence forming with prices turning lower from current levels before surging commodity prices and a strong economy eventually helping the Aussie to register a secondary rally higher.
The decline in oil prices helped stabilise the Indian Rupee against the American Dollar. However, the Indian currency ended the Indian financial year 3.5% lower.
It was truly a story of two halves for the Indian currency. During the first half of the financial year, the Indian currency strengthened on strong FDI inflows, cheap fuel prices, and high risk-on sentiment.
As the year progressed and the US Federal Reserve announced policy tightening the FIIs start withdrawing money from India. The Russia-Ukraine conflict then resulted in soaring fuel prices which then resulted in Rupee crashing to new all-time lows.
Reserve Bank Of Australia; Picture Source: @CANVA
The RBI has since started selling dollars to absorb liquidity and not allow the Rupee to weaken further. The Ukraine war has taken oil prices beyond $100 per barrel, however, the RBI has managed well to not let the Rupee fall below 77.00 levels against its US counterpart.
With India’s foreign exchange reserve dropping by over $20 billion in the last six months the upside in Rupee remains capped. There are few headwinds for the Indian currency going forward, particularly if the crude prices stay higher. India imports 80% of its oil requirements and high crude prices will result in India’s current account deficit widening.
Furthermore, while the US Fed Reserve, as well as RBA, are expected to raise interest rates multiple times this year, the rising account deficit means RBI will not be able to hike rates that easily. This could take Indian Rupee towards 78 to 78.50 against the US Dollar and towards 60 to 61 level against the Australian Dollar over the next six months.
Moving on to digital currencies. After a slow start to this year Bitcoin hit a 2022 high on Monday, Ethereum has posted big gains over the weekend and most of the Top 30 currencies have mooned over the last week.
BTC on Monday hit a 2022 high of $48,086, a price not seen since 31 December. At the time of writing the report the most traded digital currency had fallen slightly to trade near $46,500.
Ethereum though has not reached its 2022 high of $3,876 on January 4, however, it rose 12% over the last week to trade near the $3,500 level.
In the last seven days, most of the top 30 currencies have rocketed with Solana ballooning 39%, Terra Luna jumping up by 26%, Avalanche rallying 23%, NEAR Protocol adding 20%, and Tron going up by 16%.
Anticipation of Ethereum 2.0 is believed to be one of the key factors behind the rally in Ethereum prices. Google searches for “Ethereum merge” hit an all-time high last week.
Bitcoin; Picture Source: @CANVA
The Merge will be a moment later this year when Ethereum’s mainnet will merge with a proof-of-stake system called the beacon chain. It is expected that the merge will solve the network’s well-known scalability and energy consumption problems.
In agricultural products, there were a lot of reds on the price change table last week, meaning the Friday closes were below those from the previous Friday.
The grains started the month bullish with Wheat hitting 14-year highs and soy and corn both rallying. However, with wheat futures falling by 10.7% and corn and soy both declining too last week, the month went out like a bear.
Corn and wheat were however still up $0.50 and $0.80 for March while soybean ended the month at $0.31 lower.
All three grains, however, extended the decline on April 1.
Traditionally speaking with warmer months starting in the Northern Hemisphere and the sowing season starting, the month of April is when grain prices start to go down.
Author: Ateev Dang is a trader and trading coach by profession. He runs a business called Glow trades Pty Ltd where he teaches anyone interested in starting their trading journey how to trade. He can be contacted at adang@glowtrades.com.au.
Disclaimer:
The writers’ opinions in the above article are their own and do not constitute any financial advice whatsoever. Nothing published by The Australia Today constitutes an investment recommendation, nor should any data or content publication be relied upon for providing any investment activities.
We strongly recommend that you perform your own independent research and/or speak with a financial advisor or qualified investment professional before making any financial decisions.
In the wake of The Kashmir Files, speculation over facts and accusations of accountability have mobilised intergenerational fractures between Muslims and Hindus in India and Diaspora.
Political leaders have indulged in mudslinging, accusation, and counter-accusation cycles that have at their basis, despite attempts to sweeten the point, a general acceptance that Kashmir Pandits were indeed forced out due to fear of their lives and, for all but the most diehard conspiracy theorists, that this was due to terrorism.
Prima facie, Kashmir Pandits are in exile. Very few remain in the Valley and they are a people with a culture and community on the brink of extinction. Spread out around all parts of the globe, but mainly in Jammu, they are unable to claim their ancestral homes, their temples, their businesses or live freely among the majority Muslim population without fear for their lives.
That has been largely agreed, if my observations are correct, by consensus on all sides. We see this even in arguments with an asterisk *we acknowledge the pain of Pandits, but…followed by the typical refrain of whataboutery. Only the most grotesquely unethical persons claim this exile isn’t real.
The Kashmir Files; Image Source: Supplied
I will not make a list of the long line of arguments nor wade through the political and factional point-scoring. My prerogative is to establish a framework for thinking about the suffering of others and the right to justice claimed by Kashmir Pandits which is at its basis no less valid than claims made by Kashmir Muslims. We have heard the voice of Muslims in countless congressional briefings, reports, Kashmiri Scholar Activist articles, anti-Hindutva websites, and news stories.
The parameters of what each party conceives to comprise justice differ, the point of both seeking justice is a valid claim in the context that injustice has occurred to both communities. No rational person would deny that. Who is to blame for that is second to an acknowledgment of the primary issue – injustice.
Whilst some thinly veiled genocide denialist accounts argue that Kashmir Pandits are to blame for their own suffering and the suffering of others, it is impossible to uphold or maintain this view coupled with their inability to safely return. Should it have been a simple mistake, a moment of fear psychosis that drove their families out of the valley, it would be simple to amend.
The families could simply return, mend relationships with the Kashmiri Muslim majority and go about their daily business unscathed, in the assurance that the wider community, police, and security forces have their backs 100% against terrorist actors. This point of view would take a position of neutrality that accepts terrorism in the valley, which is indisputable, is the prime reason for the injustice, and leaves aside, for the time being, the numerous contested claims of injustice metered out by all other parties.
This is not however a possibility. If it is prima facie accepted, and which is also indisputable, that Kashmir Pandits are in exile, regardless of the causes, it is just as prima facie that they are unable to safely return. Therefore, they are self-evidently not doing so, even from neighbouring Jammu. The second part here can be understood by the ongoing calls of terrorists not to allow Kashmir Pandits, Hindus, or anyone who is perceived to align with either ‘Hindutva’ or the Indian Government to reside in the Valley.
Whereas the most consistent accusation of Kashmir Muslims is that it is the Indian Government to blame for the suffering endured by their community, the most consistent accusation of blame made by Kashmir Hindu Pandits is that their suffering was meted out by terrorists and radicalised Muslims of their own community who had turned against them.
The first response of detractors is that Muslim suffering is not depicted in the film, that what happened to Kashmir Pandits is dishonestly portrayed, and that the representation of Muslims as terrorists and violent is Islamophobia. This is contrasted by the accounts of Kashmir Pandits who state that there is, overall, to summarise, a mixture of terrorist attacks, attacks of a communal nature and that the overall climate of terror induced by terrorists in the community, from religious sites, on loudspeakers, issued in public notices, effectively radicalised sections of their community who acted by the commission and by omission to enable their ethnic cleansing.
What Kashmir Pandits argue, if my synopsis adequately reflects their experience, is that their people were killed by terrorists or radicalised members of the community acting on their behalf. By definition, those who committed acts of violence in the name of religious extremist ideology can be safely classed as terror actors.
The line between a mainstream and ordinary Muslim, or for that matter, a person of any faith who indulges in religious extremism, who induces mass fear or terror into the community at large, is no longer protected by UN religious rights and freedoms.
The argument then, that the film, which depicts terrorism, represents Muslims as terrorists, cannot be said to be misrepresenting or stereotyping Muslims, if it is based on factual events. Upon this line of reason enter the disputed facts.
The arguments have not managed to get past, to this date, how it was that certain Muslims of Kashmir turned upon their neighbours if they had not crossed the line from mainstream Muslim to radicalised extremist actors. Those who failed to act, acted by omission. Acts of omission can be strategic aspects of terrorist activities and they can be for other reasons. Those who failed to act, and in that case, acted by omission can be divided between deliberate, non-deliberate, coercively controlled, and non-controlled actors.
The Kashmir Files; Image Source: Supplied
Who is who in many cases remains subject to debate. What is not subject to debate is that these incidents occurred. The degree to which they occurred and the measure of support, sympathy, apathy, or empathy between Kashmiri Muslims and Kashmir Pandits will probably remain in the akashic record, awaiting moments of historic truth revelation as time and nature are want to do.
Just as some Germans hid Jews from the Nazis we should not forget those Muslims who assisted their community members, who died due to perceptions of disloyalty for doing so. In the past eight years of listening, reading, and maintaining friendships with Kashmir Pandits, I have not heard a single case of anyone suggesting that all Muslims are accountable, or that no Muslims helped. What I have heard consistently from hundreds of accounts, is that the community as a whole, did not sufficiently take a stand against it and in many cases actively or passively enabled the ethnic cleansing.
Now to the measure of pain. How does one measure pain?
1- Is it the impact of trauma on the nervous system? 2- Is it vicarious trauma and intergenerational trauma? 3- Is it measured by the responses of the persons who endured heinous violence, sexual victimisation, mutilation, and suicide? Is it measured by the stain on the hearts of loved ones, of lives, lost and destroyed? 4- Is it measured by loss of community, the fragmentation of community, the cost of businesses and livelihoods, the loss of ancestral homes and lands, temples, shrines, rivers, mountains, of orchards?
I have heard of the loss of beloved walnut trees, of animals, of the sheer absence of presence in place and space. I have heard of the loss of memories, stories, language, of customs. How does one measure the loss of loved ones, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and the homes and villages in which the communities were cohesively bonded to the land, livelihoods, and ways of life?
How does one measure the loss of the first snow at Herath, the smell, and the taste of the air? How does one measure the cost of not watching the waters change colour at Mata Kheer Bhavani?
The feeling that one may be shot on Amarnath Yatra?
Negation is a cost exponential to Kashmir Pandits. And all they have, to express this loss, are poems, songs, and paintings. Now they have a film.
Truth and reconciliation: An Indigenous perspective
Australia had its own Black Lives Matter movement. We have a governmental truth and reconciliation process. There is a genocide map with the number of massacres during the frontier period. There are numbers upon numbers of lives lost and suffering that can only be described as a long and slow attempted genocide.
The difference between numbers and reality is not only qualitative but quantitative. There are many gaps in the data. There are invisible, disappeared people and no starting point to work from. Nobody knew how many first nations were here before the brutal massacres began. There are cases of mis-attribution to causes and so forth and so we are always working on numbers that are to be checked and rechecked.
Let me give an example of numbers that change. One is how many thousands of years first nations have occupied this land. From the 1980s to the 2020s those years have risen from 10,000 years to an acceptable minimum of 65,000 and an upper limit of around 120,000 years.
None of those numbers can be reconciled with being here since the Dreamtime. There is an unbridgeable gap between ‘always was, always will be’ and data crunching. And it is possible to coexist with numbers and lived reality because we are not numbers, we are human beings. Some truths are known by being felt.
The Kashmir Files; Image Source: Supplied
There is one part of the Australian discourse that repeats in the case of India, and Kashmir, in responses to The Kashmir Files. The argument is that X no of Muslims and X no of Hindus died and since those figures are higher for Muslims than Hindus, the Hindus cannot claim genocide. This is like saying that in Australia more white people die in prison than black people. The trouble with this reasoning is blindness to proportionality.
There are approximately 3% of Australians of indigenous descent. For every one of those who die, in ordinary circumstances, there would be 32 who die of non-indigenous descent. For every one black death in custody due to incompetence, neglect, mistreatment, or violence inflicted upon their bodies, there should be another who is non-indigenous treated in the same dehumanising manner.
It is easy to see from the outset that if more white people are in prison, more of them will under ordinary circumstances die than indigenous peoples. To argue on face value numbers is so often not a measure of suffering but a game of deflection and it is a trope of number games played to whitewash, negate and explain away systemic racism and violence inflicted on black bodies in the justice system. The same logic can be applied in the case of the Kashmiri Pandits genocide and ethnic cleansing.
Systemic racism and violence in Australia are widely understood as fact. The qualities and quantities may be recalibrated, represented, reconceptualised, they may change in time. And we want them to change because we want to know the truth as fully as it can be known, and we want it to stop. There are hard facts to be drawn even from fluctuating figures because one act of racism is too many.
It is a matter of principle. If the principle is clear, that abuse of indigenous peoples is an act against humanity, it is an act against humanity both here and elsewhere. Let us use this model as a basis of thinking.
Kashmir Pandits are the equivalent of First Nations people who were not converted by missionaries to Christianity in Australia and who still live in accordance with their ancestral customs, their kinship systems, and their continuous cultural ways of life from at least five millennia of calendar records. There is a difference in the culture and the extent of technological development between different indigenous peoples around the world. Needless to say, no amount of ‘civilising’ negates one’s indigeneity. Nor does conversion to Abrahamic religion take away one’s indigeneity. Muslims of Kashmir and Hindus are, in many cases though not always, from the same stock as it was Kashmir Hindus or Buddhists who converted to Islam over 700 years.
The difference is that Kashmir Pandits did not convert. The indigenous Kashmiris may be all ‘traditional owners’ to use Australian terminology, however, Kashmir Pandits fit the criteria of traditional owners AND traditional knowledge holders AND cultural custodians of Kashmir. The Hindu ancestral traditional knowledge is not practiced by Kashmiri Muslims as it is against their religious beliefs.
The Kashmir Files; Image Source: Supplied
The classification of groups in Kashmir is easiest to comprehend by comparing pre-colonial with colonial systems. The first wave of colonisation, when Muslims started to rule was in the 14th Century. The two sets of people are no longer the same. It is because they are not the same that there is religious conflict among these dichotomised ‘traditional owners.’
They are not the only indigenous communities with whom meaningful comparisons can be made. There is not one group of Muslim Kashmiris either. There are also tribal and nomadic Muslims and there is a range of different sects. In addition to this, there are other Muslims who have migrated to the valley who are not indigenous at all to the area.
So, the demographic has become almost entirely Muslim. The point is that they are not all indigenous, or ‘traditional owners’, meaning they do not all share the same claim to ancestral land, or what we might call, ‘native title’. In Australia, native title requires proof of ancestral claim. It is not a simple case of self-identification as we have seen coming from those speaking to the media about Kashmir. Ancestral identification is necessary to claim ‘native title’ or claim over ancestral lands.
Let’s return to thinking about numbers. The numbers do not make any difference to this claim of ancestry, ancestral lands, and ancestral culture. The numbers of deaths do not alter the fact of a long, 700-year genetic destruction of a people. That there are millions of Kashmir Muslims today and around half a million Kashmir Pandits suffices if we accept that both are indigenous.
Those who are Muslim, had they not been converted from their ancestral Hindu culture, would all be Kashmir Pandits today. That is what it would look like had no genocide, ethnic cleansing, or cultural genocide ever taken place. This should not be difficult to comprehend and yet, for some, the destruction of a people, the Kashmir Pandits, matters less than the crunch of numbers, like bones in a sawmill, to justify to themselves that what we all see with our own eyes, that which is self-evident, is not the truth.
Author: Sarah Louise Gates, Independent Research, Author, Ecocritical Theorist, PhD student
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The Australia Today is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of The Australia Today and The Australia Today News does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
Australia today signed a historic trade agreement with India, the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (“IndAus ECTA”), that will further strengthen the relationship between both countries while making Australian exports to India cheaper and creating huge new opportunities for workers and businesses.
The “IndAus ECTA” was signed by Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Dan Tehan and Piyush Goyal, Indian Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles in a virtual ceremony, in the presence of Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This agreement will turbocharge our close, long-standing and highly complementary economic relationship in areas such as critical minerals, professional services, education and tourism.”
said Minister Tehan
Both countries will facilitate the recognition of professional qualifications, licensing, and registration procedures between professional services bodies in both countries.
Australian services suppliers in 31 sectors and sub-sectors will be guaranteed to receive the best treatment accorded by India to any future free trade agreement partner, including in higher education and adult education; business services (tax, medical and dental, architectural and urban planning; research and development; communication, construction and engineering; insurance and banking; hospital; audio-visual; and tourism and travel.
Australia will provide new access for young Indians to participate in working holidays in Australia.
Places in Australia’s Work and Holiday program will be set at 1,000 per year and Australia will have two years to implement the outcome.
This is expected to contribute to both workforce requirements and boost tourism to support Australia’s post-COVID recovery.
In a boost to our STEM and IT workforces,
The length of stay for an Indian Student with a bachelor’s degree with first-class honours will be extended from two to three years post-study in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and information and communications technology (ICT) sectors.
Speaking after the signing, Prime Minister Morrison noted the remarkable scale of cooperation between the two countries in recent years and thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his leadership.
Calling the signing of IndAus ECTA, another milestone in the growing relationship between India and Australia, Prime Minister Morrison said that the agreement further develops on the promise of the relationship.
“Apart from increased trade and economic cooperation, IndAus ECTA will further deepen the warm and close ties between the people of the two countries by expanding work, study and travel opportunities,” said Prime Minister Morrison,
“It will send a powerful signal to our businesses that ‘one of the biggest doors’ is now open as two dynamic regional economies and like-minded democracies are working together for mutual benefit,”
said PM Morrison.
It also delivers a clear message that democracies are working together and ensuring the security and resilience of supply chains, Mr Morrison added.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that this is his third interaction with his Australian counterpart in the last one month. He conveyed his appreciation for the leadership of Prime Minister Morrison and the efforts of his Trade Envoy and former Prime Minister of Australia Mr Tony Abbott. He also commended the Trade Ministers and their team for a successful and effective engagement.
PM Modi said that the signing of IndAus ECTA in such a short span of time reflects the depth of the mutual confidence between the two countries. Mr Modi underlined the huge potential that exists in the two economies to fulfil the needs of each other and this agreement will enable the two countries to fully leverage these opportunities. “This is a watershed moment for our bilateral relations”, he emphasised.
“On the basis of this agreement, together, we will be able to increase the resilience of supply chains, and also contribute to the stability of the Indo-Pacific region,”
said PM Modi.
Terming ‘people to people’ relations as the key pillar of the relationship between India and Australia, Prime Minister Modi said.
“This agreement will facilitate the exchange of students, professionals, and tourists between us, which will further strengthen these relations.”The Prime Minister also conveyed his wishes to the women’s cricket team of Australia for the upcoming World Cup final.”
Australian and Indian Ministers also expressed their views on the growing strength of the relationship between the two countries before signing the agreement.
Growing India-Australia economic and commercial relations contribute to the stability and strength of a rapidly diversifying and deepening relationship between the two countries.
The IndAus ECTA, encompassing trade in goods and services, is a balanced and equitable trade agreement, which will further cement the already deep, close and strategic relations between the two countries and will significantly enhance the bilateral trade in goods and services, create new employment opportunities, raise living standards and improve the general welfare of the peoples of the two countries.
What is India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement-“IndAus ECTA’
Tariffs: They will be eliminated on more than 85 per cent of Australian goods exports to India (valued at more than $12.6 billion a year), rising to almost 91 per cent (valued at $13.4 billion) over 10 years.
Australian households and businesses will also benefit, with 96 per cent of Indian goods imports entering Australia duty-free on entry into force.
India is the world’s largest democracy and the world’s fastest-growing major economy, with GDP projected to grow at nine per cent in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and 7.1 per cent in 2023-24.
In 2020, India was Australia’s seventh-largest trading partner, with two-way trade valued at $24.3 billion, and the sixth-largest goods and services export market, valued at $16.9 billion.
Australia’s goal is to lift India into its top three export markets by 2035 and to make India the third-largest destination in Asia for outward Australian investment.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the agreement would create enormous trade diversification opportunities for Australian producers and service providers bound for India, valued at up to $14.8 billion each year.
“This agreement opens a big door into the world’s fastest-growing major economy for Australian farmers, manufacturers, producers and so many more,”
Prime Minister Morrison said.
“By unlocking the huge market of around 1.4 billion consumers in India, we are strengthening the economy and growing jobs right here at home.
“This is great news for lobster fishers in Tasmania, wine producers in South Australia, macadamia” farmers in Queensland, critical minerals miners in Western Australia, lamb farmers from New South Wales, wool producers from Victoria and metallic ore producers from the Northern Territory.”
said Mr Morrison
This is how Indian Australian business leaders responded to the trade deal.
· Sheep meat tariffs of 30 per cent will be eliminated on entry into force, providing a boost for Australian exports that already command nearly 20 per cent of India’s market
· Wool will have the current 2.5 per cent tariffs eliminated on entry into force, supporting Australia’s second-largest market for wool products.
· Tariffs on wine with a minimum import price of US$5 per bottle will be reduced from 150 per cent to 100 per cent on entry into force and subsequently to 50 per cent over 10 years (based on the Indian wholesale price index for wine).
· Tariffs on wine bottles with a minimum import price of US$15 will be reduced from 150 per cent to 75 per cent on entry into force and subsequently to 25 per cent over 10 years (based on the Indian wholesale price index for wine).
· Tariffs up to 30 per cent on avocados, onions, broad, kidney and adzuki beans, cherries, shelled pistachios, macadamias, cashews in-shell, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants will be eliminated over seven years.
· Tariffs on almonds, lentils, oranges, mandarins, pears, apricots and strawberries will be reduced, improving opportunities for Australia’s horticulture industry to supply India’s growing food demand.
· The resources sector will benefit from the elimination of tariffs on entry into force for coal, alumina, metallic ores, including manganese, copper and nickel; and critical minerals including titanium and zirconium.
· LNG tariffs will be bound at 0 per cent at entry into force.
· Tariffs on pharmaceutical products and certain medical devices will be eliminated over five and seven years.
Australia and India have also agreed to undertake cooperation to promote agricultural trade as part of the agreement and will now work towards concluding an enhanced agricultural Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Mr Tehan today signed AI ECTA on behalf of Australia during a virtual ceremony with India’s Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Piyush Goyal, attended by Prime Ministers Scott Morrison and Narendra Modi.
Today’s announcement builds on the Morrison Government’s $280 million investment to further grow our economic relationship and support jobs and businesses in both countries, which includes:
· $35.7 million to support cooperation on research, production and commercialisation of clean technologies, critical minerals and energy;
· $25.2 million to deepen space cooperation with India and
· $28.1 million to launch a Centre for Australia-India Relations.
IndAus ECTA will support goods exporters by eliminating and reducing tariffs and removing red tape that slows trade down. Australia exported $19.3 billion worth of goods to India in 2021, representing 4.2 per cent of Australia’s total exports.
Statewise be benefits:
NSW
Under the agreement, 85 per cent of Australian goods by value will enter India duty free and an additional 5 per cent will be reduced or eliminated over periods not exceeding 10 years. Top New South Wales exports that will benefit include sheep meat, wine, malt, certain nuts, wool, coal, copper ores and concentrates and certain pharmaceutical products.
In 31 sectors and subsectors, including banking and insurance, higher and adult education, hospital, medical and dental services, agriculture-related services, and key business services including architecture, urban planning and engineering, New South Wales services firms are guaranteed the best access India offers in the future to any other country.
New South Wales skilled professionals will also benefit from a framework to support mutual recognition of professional qualifications, alongside enhanced opportunities to live and work temporarily in India
Australia will permit 1,000 Indians per year to participate in the Work and Holiday Maker program, commencing within two years.
Sheep meat tariffs will be eliminated at entry into force:
New South Wales exported 128,000 tonnes of sheep meat in 2021, 27% of the national total, worth $1.2 billion.
Improved market access will allow Australian sheep meat to be more competitive with the 30% elimination in duties.
Wine tariffs will be reduced over 10 years for bottles over a price of US$5 and US$15 dollars:
Australia exported $2.1 billion worth of wine in 2021.
New South Wales was Australia’s second largest exporter with $476 million, 22% of the total.
Over the period 2018 to 2020, India imported on average $87 million of wine, Australia being the first supplier with 25% of market share followed by Singapore and France with 19% each.
Wool tariffs will be eliminated on entry into force:
Australia represents 57% of wool imports in India.
New South Wales was Australia’s second largest exporter to the world with $646 million in 2021, 21% of the total.
Coal tariffs will be eliminated on entry into force:
Coal represents around 70% of total Australian exports to India, worth around $10 billion.
New South Wales was Australia’s second largest exporter to the world with $23 billion in 2021, 36% of the total.
Around a quarter of total Indian imports of coal comes from Australia.
India is Australia’s third market, representing around 16% of total exports of coal behind Japan (27%) and China (21%).
Petroleum oils tariffs will be eliminated over 5 years:
New South Wales was Australia’s largest exporter to the world with $1.8 billion, 59% of total.
Copper ores and concentrates tariffs will be eliminated on entry into force:
Australia represents around 10% of total Indian imports.
N New South Wales was Australia’s largest exporter to the world over 2018-20 with $2.7 billion, 42% of the total.
Pharmaceutical products tariffs will be eliminated over 5 years:
New South Wales was Australia’s second largest exporter to the world with $0.8 billion, 32% of total.
VICTORIA
Under the agreement, 85 per cent of Australian goods by value will enter India duty free and an additional 5 per cent will be reduced or eliminated over periods not exceeding 10 years. Top Victorian exports that will benefit include sheep meat, malt, wine, wool, petroleum oils, medicaments, lentils and almonds.
In 31 sectors and subsectors, including banking and insurance, higher and adult education, and key business services including architecture, urban planning and engineering, Victorian services firms are guaranteed the best access India offers in the future to any other country.
Victorian skilled professionals will also benefit from a framework to support mutual recognition of professional qualifications, alongside enhanced commitments to live and work temporarily in India.
Australia will permit 1,000 Indians per year to participate in the Work and Holiday Maker program, commencing within two years.
Sheep meat tariffs will be eliminated at entry into force:
Victoria exported 211,000 tonnes of sheep meat in 2021, 45% of the national total, worth $1.8 billion.
Improved market access will allow Australian sheep meat to be more competitive with the 30% elimination in duties.
Wine tariffs will be reduced over 10 years for bottles over a price of US$5 and US$15 dollars:
Australia exported $2.1 billion worth of wine in 2021.
Victoria was Australia’s third largest exporter with $249 million.
Over the period 2018 to 2020, India imported on average $87 million of wine, Australia being the first supplier with 25% of market share followed by Singapore and France with 19% each.
Hides and skin tariffs will be eliminated on entry into force with raw hides and skin tariffs bound at 0% on entry into force.
Australia exported $648 million worth of hides and skin in 2021.
Victoria was Australia’s largest exporter to the world with $336 million in 2021, 52% of the total.
Wool tariffs will be eliminated on entry into force:
Australia represents 57% of wool imports in India.
Victoria was the Australia’s largest exporter to the world with $1.6 billion in 2021, 53% of the total.
Petroleum oils tariffs will be eliminated over 5 years:
Victoria was Australia’s second largest exporter to the world with $760 million, 25% of total.
Pharmaceutical products tariffs will be eliminated over 5 years:
Victoria was Australia’s largest exporter to the world with $1.3 billion, 52% of total.
Lentils
50% tariff reduction for in-quota exports for lentils with a permanent quota of 150,000 tonnes per year.
Out of quota tariffs will remain at most favoured nation.
Victoria was Australia’s second largest exporter to the world with $278 million, 42% of total.
Almonds are the largest nut exports, worth $600 million in 2021. Outcome is:
50% tariff reduction for in-quota exports for almonds with a permanent quota of 34,000 tonnes per year.
Out of quota tariffs will remain at most favoured nation.
Victoria was Australia’s largest exporter to the world with $427 million, 71% of total.
Western Australia
Under the agreement, 85 per cent of Australian goods by value will enter India duty free and an additional 5 per cent will be reduced or eliminated over periods not exceeding 10 years. Top Western Australian exports that will benefit include wine, barley and rock lobster.
In 31 sectors and subsectors, including higher and adult education, scientific and technical consulting, construction, tourism and travel, Western Australian services firms are guaranteed the best access India offers in the future to any other country.
Western Australian skilled professionals will also benefit from a framework to support mutual recognition of professional qualifications, alongside enhanced commitments to live and work temporarily in India.
Australia will permit 1,000 Indians per year to participate in the Work and Holiday Maker program, commencing within two years
Sheep meat tariffs will be eliminated at entry into force:
Western Australia exported 64,000 tonnes of sheep meat in 2021, 14% of the national total, worth $575 million.
Improved market access will allow Australian sheep meat to be more competitive with the 30% elimination in duties.
Wine tariffs will be reduced over 10 years for bottles over a price of US$5 and US$15 dollars:
Australia exported $2.1 billion worth of wine in 2021.
Western Australia was Australia’s fourth largest exporter with $34 million.
Over the period 2018 to 2020, India imported on average $87 million of wine, Australia being the largest supplier with 25% of market share followed by Singapore and France with 19% each.
Wool tariffs will be eliminated on entry into force:
Australia represents 57% of wool imports in India.
Western Australia was Australia’s third largest exporter to the world with $634 million in 2021, 21% of the total.
Barley and oats tariffs will be bound to 0% on entry into force:
Australia exported $2.7 billion worth of barley and $156 million of oats in 2021.
Western Australia was Australia’s largest exporter of barley with $1.2 billion (44% of the total) and oats with $130 million (83% of total) in 2021.
Australia represents 82% of oats imports in India.
Rock lobster tariffs will be eliminated on entry into force:
Australia exported $344 million worth of rock lobsters in 2021.
Western Australia was Australia’s largest exporter to the world with $212 million in 2021, 63% of the total.
Titanium dioxide tariffs will be eliminated on entry into force.
Australia exported $784 million worth of titanium dioxide in 2021 and Western Australia was the largest exporter with 99.8%.
Metallic ores tariffs will be eliminated on entry into force for copper, alumina, titanium, zirconium and manganese.
South Australia
Under the agreement, 85 per cent of Australian goods by value will enter India duty free and an additional 5 per cent will be reduced or eliminated over periods not exceeding 10 years. Top South Australian exports that will benefit include sheep meat, wine, lentils and almonds.
In 31 sectors and subsectors, including higher and adult education, hospital, medical and dental services, tourism and travel, and key business services including architecture, urban planning and engineering, South Australian services firms are guaranteed the best access India offers in the future to any other country.
South Australian skilled professionals will also benefit from a framework to support mutual recognition of professional qualifications, alongside enhanced commitments to live and work temporarily in India.
Australia will permit 1,000 Indians per year to participate in the Work and Holiday Maker program, commencing within two years
Sheep meat tariffs will be eliminated at entry into force:
SA exported 56,000 tonnes of sheep meat in 2021, 12% of the national total, worth $574 million.
Improved market access will allow Australian sheep meat to be more competitive with the 30% elimination in duties.
Wine tariffs will be reduced over 10 years for bottles over a price of US$5 and US$15 dollars:
Australia exported $2.1 billion worth of wine in 2021.
SA was Australia’s largest exporter with $1.3 billion, 60% of the total.
Over the period 2018 to 2020, India imported on average $87 million of wine, Australia being the largest supplier with 25% of market share followed by Singapore and France with 19% each.
Lentils
50 percent tariff reduction for in-quota exports for lentils with a permanent quota of 150,000 tonnes per year.
Out of quota tariffs will remain at most favoured nation.
South Australia was Australia’s largest exporter to the world with $385 million, 58% of total.
Almonds are the largest nut exports, worth $600 million in 2021:
50 percent tariff reduction for in-quota exports for almonds with a permanent quota of 34,000 tonnes per year.
Out of quota tariffs will remain at most favoured nation.
South Australia was Australia’s second largest exporter to the world with $164 million, 27% of total.
Tasmania
Under the agreement, 85 per cent of Australian goods by value will enter India duty free and an additional 5 per cent will be reduced or eliminated over periods not exceeding 10 years. Top Tasmanian exports that will benefit include sheep meat, wine, cherries, and wool.
In 31 sectors and subsectors, including higher and adult education, hospital, medical and dental services, tourism and travel, and key business services including architecture, urban planning and engineering, Tasmanian services firms are guaranteed the best access India offers in the future to any other country.
Tasmanian skilled professionals will also benefit from a framework to support mutual recognition of professional qualifications, alongside enhanced commitments to live and work temporarily in India.
Australia will permit 1,000 Indians per year to participate in the Work and Holiday Maker program, commencing within two years
Sheep meat tariffs will be eliminated at entry into force:
Tasmania exported 2,800 tonnes of sheep meat in 2021, worth $23.5 million.
Improved market access will allow Australian sheep meat to be more competitive with the 30% elimination in duties.
Wine tariffs will be reduced over 10 years for bottles over a price of US$5 and US$15 dollars:
Australia exported $2.1 billion worth of wine in 2021.
Tasmania exported $6 million worth of wine in 2021.
Over the period 2018 to 2020, India imported on average $87 million of wine, Australia being the largest supplier with 25% of market share followed by Singapore and France with 19% each.
Fresh cherries (excluding sour cherries) tariffs will be eliminated over 7 years:
Australia exported $69 million worth of cherries in 2021.
Tasmania was Australia’s largest exporter to the world with $43 million in 2021, 61% of the total.
Wool tariffs will be eliminated on entry into force:
Australia represents 57% of wool imports in India and Tasmania exported $20.5 million globally in 2021.
Tin ores tariffs will be eliminated on entry into force:
Australia exported $329 million worth of tin ores in 2021, Tasmania representing almost all Australian exports to the world.
Queensland
Under the agreement, 85 per cent of Australian goods by value will enter India duty free and an additional 5 per cent will be reduced or eliminated over periods not exceeding 10 years. Top Queensland exports that will benefit include coal, certain nuts, hides and skin, bauxite and medicaments.
In 31 sectors and subsectors, including banking and insurance, higher and adult education, hospital, medical and dental services, tourism and travel, and key business services including architecture, urban planning and engineering, Queensland services firms are guaranteed the best access India offers in the future to any other country.
Queensland skilled professionals will also benefit from a framework to support mutual recognition of professional qualifications, alongside enhanced opportunities to live and work temporarily in India.
Australia will permit 1,000 Indians per year to participate in the Work and Holiday Maker program, commencing within two years.
Coal tariffs will be eliminated on entry into force and over 5 years for bituminous coal:
Coal represents around 70% of total Australian exports to India, worth around $10 billion.
Queensland was Australia’s largest exporter to the world with $34 billion in 2021, 55% of the total.
Around a quarter of total Indian imports of coal comes from Australia.
India is Australia’s third largest market, representing around 16% of total exports of coal behind Japan (27%) and China (21%).
Aluminium ores (bauxite) tariffs will be eliminated on entry into force:
Australia exported $1.3 billion worth of bauxite in 2021.
Queensland was Australia’s largest exporter to the world with $862 million in 2021, 69% of the total.
Macadamia nuts tariffs will be eliminated over 7 years:
Australia exported $317 million worth of macadamia nuts in 2021.
Queensland was Australia’s largest exporter to the world with $147 million in 2021, 47% of the total.
Hides and skin tariffs will be eliminated on entry into force with raw hides and skin tariffs bound at 0% on entry into force:
Australia exported $648 million worth of hides and skin in 2021.
Queensland was Australia’s third largest exporter to the world with $118 million in 2021, 18% of the total.
The Fair Work Ombudsman discovered that Lilyvale Hotel Pty Ltd, which operates the five-star hotel located at The Rocks, had underpaid employees during a proactive auditing campaign in 2018.
Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said that an EU was an appropriate outcome as Lilyvale Hotel had cooperated and demonstrated a strong commitment to rectifying underpayments.
“Under the Enforceable Undertaking, the company has committed to stringent measures to comply with the law and protect its workforce.
This includes engaging, at its own cost, an expert auditing firm to check its workplace compliance for each of the next two years.”
Shangri-La Sydney; Image Source: TravelSort
The Fair Work Ombudsman said in a media release:
“The primary cause of the underpayments was the company failing to ensure that annualised salaries paid to some hotel staff were sufficient to cover all of their minimum lawful overtime and penalty rate entitlements under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2010.”
It further adds:
“The error resulted in significant underpayments of overtime rates and penalty rates for weekend, night and public holiday work.
Meal break penalties and annual leave loading entitlements were also underpaid.”
Further, Shangri-La hotel also breached workplace laws relating to rostering, record-keeping and providing new employees with a Fair Work Information Statement.
Image source: Shangri La – Nine News Screenshot.
The underpaid staff included cooks, chefs, food and beverage attendants, porters, and those in purchasing, engineering, room service and front office roles.
The underpayments occurred between 2013 and 2019.
According to Fair Work Ombudsman, Lilyvale Hotel has already back-paid 199 current and former employees $3.09 million, which includes interest.
“Individual back-payments, excluding interest and superannuation, have ranged from $16 to $119,447.
The EU requires Lilyvale Hotel to calculate and back-pay amounts owing to every affected employee, plus interest and superannuation, within the next four months.”
The underpaid employees were on skilled workers, working holidays and student visas from countries including Thailand, India, Burma, South Korea, the Philippines and the UK.
Ms Parker said underpayments resulting from insufficient annual salaries for employees covered by awards had become a persistent issue among various industries.
“Businesses paying annual salaries cannot take a ‘set-and-forget’ approach to paying their workers. Employers must ensure wages paid are sufficient to cover all minimum lawful entitlements for the hours employees actually work – otherwise a substantial back-payment bill awaits.”
Under the EU, Lilyvale Hotel will also make a $90,000 contrition payment to the Commonwealth’s Consolidated Revenue Fund.
The company is also required to formally apologise to staff, commission workplace relations training for relevant staff, publish workplace and website notices detailing its contraventions, and offer all operational non-managerial employees the option to be remunerated on a weekly or hourly basis, rather than an annualised salary.
Employers and employees can visit www.fairwork.gov.au or contact Infoline on 13 13 94.
Will Smith Slaps Chris Cook at Oscar 2022; Image Source: Screenshot Oscar video
In my article, I describe how Will Smith’s assault on Chris Rock during the Academy Awards could be seen as a TRAUMA RESPONSE (related to past childhood trauma being triggered).
I use the event to launch into a broader explanation of what may constitute a traumatic experience, as well some of the obvious and not-so-obvious ways that unresolved trauma can manifest in our adult professional and personal lives.
While a history of trauma NEVER is an excuse for nor abdicates responsibility for a person who physically, verbally, or emotionally harms another person, understanding the impacts and manifestations of unresolved trauma can help us understand “the why” behind “the what” from a much deeper level.
We can use that understanding not only for this situation involving Will Smith and Chris Rock, but also as a way of gaining greater awareness and understanding of our own behaviours and possible traumas. With awareness and understanding, we can begin the path towards healing.
This is what the result of unresolved trauma looks like.
What we witnessed Will Smith do in assaulting Chris Rock during the Academy Award ceremony was a trauma response.
While I am in no way condoning violence, this is a very public and important opportunity for us to understand what a trauma response can look like.
A trauma response can take many forms and look like:
Slapping someone for saying “the wrong” thing.
Yelling at someone for not doing something “fast enough” or “up to your standards.”
Avoiding or not responding to a boss’s emails about scheduling an upcoming performance review.
“Having to” do everything “perfectly,” otherwise you feel anxious or unsettled.
Not setting boundaries around your time and energy because you’re worried about confrontation and upsetting the other person.
Working endless hours without taking time for yourself or the things and people you enjoy because your job is your primary source and measure of your own self-worth and value.
When a person has experienced trauma (“Big T” or “Little t”) from their childhood (or adulthood), the brain and body store that traumatic memory in ways such that aspects of that memory can be re-activated by present-day interactions and situations.
When this happens, the person experiencing this re-activation is split-second processing (on a subconscious or unconscious level) the current event through the filter of that past trauma. This means that that person is, for all meaningful purposes, experiencing things as if they are right back in that previous circumstance of trauma. As a result, they are reacting (taking action)—emotionally, physically, and/or verbally—from that place of trauma.
Those past traumas can be diverse and range from:
Witnessing a parent being physically or verbally abused during your childhood.
You, yourself, experiencing physical, sexual, or verbal abuse in your childhood or adulthood.
Experiencing emotional abuse or neglect as a child.
Being harshly reprimanded (including being spoken to with an angry tone and demeanor) or shamed by others for not doing a task “the right way” or not “well enough.”
Being told (and, perhaps, punished) as a child by an adult caregiver that it’s not polite nor acceptable to say “No” when an adult tells you to do something (including getting hugs from relatives, being made to attend events despite your objections).
Being called out by a teacher in front of the class for having the wrong answer and feeling embarrassment and shame.
While some of the above may be horrific, and other things may seem inconsequential, depending on the age of occurrence, the emotional, mental, and physical resources that person had at that age and any prior traumas could determine the extent to which that person experienced trauma. A 2-year-old wandering into a closet with a door that shuts behind them that they can’t easily open, plunging them alone in darkness for 15 minutes before someone finds them is a far different experience than that of an adult in the same predicament.
In the case of Will Smith, he detailed in his autobiography, Will, that he witnessed physical violence at home as a child. He writes:
“When I was nine years old, I watched my father punch my mother in the side of the head so hard that she collapsed,” he wrote. “I saw her spit blood. That moment in that bedroom, probably more than any other moment in my life, has defined who I am.”
“Within everything that I have done since then — the awards and accolades, the spotlights and attention, the characters and the laughs — there has been a subtle string of apologies to my mother for my inaction that day. For failing her at the moment. For failing to stand up to my father. For being a coward.”
So, the combination of Chris Rock targeting Will’s wife for his “joke,” along with the look on her face (signalling to Will her level of upset and distress), triggered a split-second accessing (and instantly being placed inside) of that earlier memory when he was 9yo and was unable to protect his mom (the woman he loved).
Will’s reaction at the awards ceremony was that of the nine-year-old traumatized little boy who simply reacted in the way that 9yo boy wanted to react back then.
Does having a history of trauma (big or little) give a “free pass” for the present-day trauma reactions that involve the harming (physically, verbally, or emotionally) of another? No, of course not.
However, it does highlight the importance of understanding trauma and its many manifestations, and addressing it with effective trauma-informed approaches that address the emotional, physical (because we hold emotions in our body), and mental aspects of trauma.
Hopefully, rather than simply vilify Will, and say he has “an anger problem,” people close to him can help him recognize that this is “a trauma problem,” and help him get trauma-informed help in the form of therapy in combination with modalities such as EFT (emotional freedom techniques, or “tapping”), EMDR, or other somatic modalities that can effectively and efficiently release the traumatized aspects held in his memory and body.
Once his trauma and emotions are no longer dictating his actions, he could have a much more measured and effective response to situations such as that that occurred at the awards ceremony.
My further hope is that if anyone reading this finds that they are stuck in patterns of extreme reactions (such as Will experienced), or even less severe reactions, but you recognize are getting in the way of you living life the way you really want, please consider getting trauma-informed support.
Even if you’ve not experienced “Big T” trauma, all of us have experienced various “Little t” traumas that have impacted each of us in various ways personally and/or professionally—some mild, some not so mild.
As physicians, we are masterful at suppressing so many of our emotions, and the thoughts and memories associated with them. However, trauma has a way of impacting us in great big obvious ways (as we saw with Will Smith), and not such obvious ways (perfectionism, workaholism, lack of boundaries).
I’m not suggesting any of us go unearthing swaths of past trauma. Simply be aware that it may be impacting you in ways you recognize and have yet to address, or in ways you never quite thought of as being associated with trauma. And, if needed, allow yourself to get the support you need by working with a trauma-informed therapist, trauma-informed coach, or other trauma-informed specialists.
NOTE: The traumatic experiences of Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett-Smith, the ceremony audience, and the millions of TV viewers are all also very important to acknowledge, and are absolutely worthy of discussion in order to help all of us better understand the MANY nuances and impacts of trauma, not only for them but for each one of us in our own lives. However, I was not able to explore them at this time in this article.
Author: Melissa Hankins is a psychiatrist and physician coach.
Disclaimer: The article was first published onKevinMD.com We have republished it with kind permission from the author.
Mohini Sashindranath who was born and brought up in India is presently the Acting Chief Financial Officer with the Country Fire Authority (CFA).
She left India when at the age of 18 and has since then lived in Africa and the UK.
Mohini moved to Australia in her early 20s and has personally encountered a range of different languages, ethnicities and religions in all the countries she has lived.
“When I was in the UK, I lived in a hostel where we had a wing of 11 rooms and every room had someone with a different nationality and it gave me an appreciation for how diversity brings such benefits, both to my life personally and to society.”
These interactions with people belonging to diverse groups has helped her grow and find her true self.
“I always try and apply that and stay authentic to myself as a result”.
After living between regional NSW, Melbourne and Sydney, Mohini joined CFA.
“I’ve been at CFA for nearly a year and got the opportunity to act in the CFO role, which for me has presented itself with opportunities to have influence in the things that the organisation is trying to drive and that are important to me, like cultural diversity and ensuring we have good representation of women in leadership roles. That for me has been really special.”
She believes that engaging with culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Australia is a key way to increase CFA member base and encouraging volunteerism amongst migrant communities.
“If we want to encourage volunteerism we need to be looking at our CALD communities, it’s important for us to do that right from the outset and engage with these communities, welcome them into our organisation and see the benefits they can bring.”
Image source: CFA – Selection of generic photos of volunteers to be used in CFA publications.
“We have 54,000 members working in over 1,200 brigades across Victoria, ranging from small rural towns to outer metropolitan suburbs. Callouts at brigades can vary between one and 1,000 each year.”
CFA volunteers undertake a range of tasks such as fighting fires, road rescues, emergency medical response, fundraising, marketing and community education and engagement.
“Where were you in 1990?” my son asked curiously when he saw us shell-shocked and teary-eyed on our return from The Kashmir Files.
“We were here in Delhi,” we mumbled. “In fact, I distinctly remember sitting on the bed with you in my lap and watching the monthly news video, News Track, where Benazir Bhutto bloodthirsty and hoarse gesticulated cutting up into pieces, the then Lt Governor.
“Jag-Jag-Mo-Mo-Han-Han and the chants of Hum Kya Chahete? Azaadi!” that had frozen my brain with fear at the time – till I heard it again during the CAA Protests when it brought back a flood of memories, this time, enraging me no end.
How they taunt us, were my first thoughts and that anthem Hum Dekhenge that pierced the veneer of the sham that we call Secularism in our country.
The Kashmir Files; Image Source: Supplied
“Yes, I remember clutching you tight as news filtered to us of family and friends leaving with whatever they could leave for Jammu and other parts of the country”.
“Yes, I remember every story, every murder and the insult of it when TV anchors in newfound celebrity shine justified it all in smooth, dulcet tones”
The empty eyes, blank faces, blistering heat, tents…
And India’s silence.
Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s brave, brilliant film The Kashmir Files smashes our complacence, fist-finds-the-jaw moment that shakes our well-oiled first instinct of hunker down and shut up.
The Kashmir Files; Image Source: Supplied
The Kashmir Files tells it, as it is. The filmmakers don’t distance themselves from the usual disclaimers. On the contrary, they proudly and defiantly claim ownership of their research and dedication to the subject.
For those who experienced it and survived. For those who were connected but not present and for those who are vaguely or not aware at all. The truth cannot be ignored after this – ‘No Moving On’, here.
Till we confront our history and break The Circle of Burden our children will inherit a legacy of being victims. A legacy that perpetuates crimes borne in the past and expected to be taken on the chin in the future.
Besides the technicalities and the sophistry of cinematography, the art in filmmaking lies in storytelling that draws the viewer in so completely that he belongs to it and the story becomes his.
The Kashmir Files; Image Source: Supplied
The characters are people you think you know, in this case, you probably do, and every emotion becomes yours.
Anupam Kher’s Pushkar Nath Pandit sears through the heart. He could be your grandfather, or that old uncle you heard of, who trekked in a Kafila leaving behind land, home, orchards in 1947 and so many times thereafter in our history of riots. ethnic cleansing and genocide. He encapsulates the history of India and in its recent avatar, a Kashmiri Pandit who pines till the end for his home.
In Darshan Kumar’s Krishna Pandit you recognise your own children, their peers. Young people, because of our own cowardice in confronting the truth know so little about who we are, who we were and can be. He is the child you hold close to your chest and hope your heartbeat tells him tales, that you dare not. But only once the vice-like grip on your own silence is prised open can he claim ownership and acknowledge his roots. The final monologue is a piece de resistance to which the actor does full justice.
Quiet but powerful Basha Sumbli’s Sharda represents the civilisation of Kashmir with its trauma and courage. A role played with pathos, subtlety and simplicity that has a sledgehammer effect.
In Pallavi Joshi’s brilliant portrayal of Radhika Menon, I recognise my own sweetly manipulative professors of ‘ANU’ as Censors now want the university referred to, in the film. Looking for cracks, feeding on the confused and gullible …The danger these people pose is no less than those who carry guns.
The Kashmir Files; Image Source: Supplied
Chinmay Mandlekar’s Bitta bites you as it did every time you saw his evil face on your TV screens, feted by politicians and celebrity intellectuals, all the while his lazy eye mocking their stupidity.
The dilemma of a section of the establishment that witnessed the unfolding of the genocide and later the exodus is ably represented by Mithun Chakraborty, Puneet Issar, Prakash Belawadi and Atul Srivastava. The mesh of past and present is untangled, thread by a thread through them, while they question their own motives.
The Kashmir Files is a film that India cannot afford to ignore.
May a thousand Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s bloom! May our stories, written in blood, resound in every corner of this planet.
By keeping silent we are complicit, twice over.
Author:Nandini Bahri Dhanda is an Interior Architect. She has lived across sixteen states in India & travelled all over the world. Her interest in art, culture, history politics & above all a passion for communicating & chatting with people across the board, finds her voice in her blog.
Shane Warne’s legacy will live on beyond his cricketing achievements, with his animal conservation work for the United Nations to be honoured with a new grant.
At a state memorial service in Melbourne on Wednesday, Andrea Egan from the UN Development Programme revealed Warne joined its wildlife fund, Lion’s Share, in 2021.
Ms Egan announced the Shane Warne conservation grant to memorialise the spin king’s work to protect wildlife and catalyse more action.
“His legacy extends beyond the hearts of the people here today,” she told the crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
“It lives on in the people of Sri Lanka promoting sea turtle conservation, in an all-female anti-poaching unit in South Africa, and the team at the Byron Bay hospital, who were supported in the wake of the bushfires.
“All this work and more, Shane helped make possible. We are forever grateful for his championship and will work to honour his memory in a manner that does justice to the person he was.”
Warne had a history of charity and community work, including through his disbanded foundation, but his links to wildlife conservation were previously unknown.
The cricket legend, who died in Thailand of a suspected heart attack on March 4, was remembered during Wednesday night’s farewell as a loveable larrikin and devoted dad.
His father Keith Warne led tributes and described his son’s death as the “darkest day in our family’s life”.
Warne’s children, Jackson, Summer, and Brooke unveiled the renamed Great Southern Stand as the Shane Warne Stand after each giving emotional speeches.
A friend and former St Kilda footballer Aaron Hamill gave an insight into Warne’s larrikin nature when the cricketer served as his best man and leaned in for a hug just before the nuptials.
“He said ‘mate, it’s not too late and, Shane being Shane, he pulled out two passports. He managed to get his hands on my passport as a bit of a gag,” Hamill said.
Elton John, Chris Martin, Robbie Williams, and Ed Sheeran were among those to lend their superstar talents with pre-recorded musical performances, while Australian actors Hugh Jackman and Eric Bana also gave virtual tributes.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese were in attendance.
Others at the MCG, the site of Warne’s hat-trick in 1994 and 700th Test wicket in 2006, included former Australian captain Allan Border, ex-English skipper Nasser Hussain, and West Indian great Brian Lara.
Warne’s everyman appeal was on full display outside the ground as his statue once again became adorned with beer cans and baked beans – two of his other great loves.
Million Dollar House; Image Source: Creative commons
418 suburbs have now joined the million-dollar club during Australia’s housing boom.
PropTrack director of economic research Cameron Kusher told realestate.com.au that many suburbs have eclipsed the $1 million median price mark in Australia:
“The past 12 months has seen property prices rise at their third highest rate on record, plus people have been comfortable borrowing more due to low mortgage rates and dedicating more income to housing because they essentially couldn’t spend in ways they usually would during the pandemic.”
According to PropTrack data, 1100 suburbs around Australia now have a median house price in excess of $1 million.
Million Dollar House; Image Source: Creative commons
Both Sydney and Canberra have city-wide median house prices in excess of $1 million.
Greater Sydney has almost 450 suburbs with a $1 million-plus median house price.
Melbourne now has more than 200 suburbs with a $1 million-plus median house price.
State/territory
Number of new $1m suburbs
New South Wales
181
Queensland
94
Victoria
60
South Australia
40
Australian Capital Territory
23
Western Australia
14
Tasmania
5
Northern Territory
1
Source: realestate.com.au
The new additions in the million-dollar club include:
Sydney: Bankstown ($1.17 million median house price), Lakemba ($1.087m), and Punchbowl ($1.06m) in the inner southwest area; Glenbrook ($1.265m) and Leura ($1.19m) in the Blue Mountains; Auburn ($1.055m) and Merrylands ($1.058m) in the Parramatta region; and Cabramatta ($1.075m) and Wetherill Park ($1.026m) in the southwest.
Melbourne: Chelsea ($1.02m) and Bonbeach ($1.152m) are newcomers, along with Greensborough ($1.02m), Diamond Creek ($1.047m) and Wattle Glen ($1.037m) in the north east and Gisborne ($1.08m), Macedon ($1.11m) in the Macedon Ranges, Nunawading ($1.26m), Forest Hill ($1.2m), Ringwood ($1.035m), Rowville ($1.038m), Mount Dandenong ($1.09m), Dingley Village ($1.045m), Mulgrave ($1m), Rye ($1.16m), Frankston South ($1.159m), Safety Beach ($1.18m), Mornington ($1.112m) and Dromana ($1.08m).
Adelaide: Trinity Gardens ($1.546m), Beaumont ($1.5m), Wayville ($1.5m), Unley ($1.37m), North Adelaide ($1.101m), North Brighton ($1m), Stirling ($1.089m), Aldgate ($1.05m) and Henley Beach ($1.25m).
Perth: East Perth ($1.087m), Marmion ($1.25m), North Beach ($1.05m), Shelley ($1.056m), Kensington ($1.03m) and Fremantle ($1m).
Hobart: Acton Park ($1.1m), Mount Stuart ($1.065m), Dynnyrne ($1.02m), West Hobart ($1.006m) and Tranmere ($1m).
Brisbane: Manly ($1.2m) in Brisbane’s east, Gordon Park ($1.251m) and Shorncliffe ($.125m) in the north, Robertson ($1.351m) and Carindale ($1.28m) in the south and Kenmore Hills ($1.31m) in the west.
Sunshine Coast: Noosa North Shore ($1.592m), Diddillibah ($1.462m), Peregian Beach ($1.275m), and Coolum Beach ($1.2m).
Million Dollar House; Image Source: Creative commons
Mr. Kusher adds:
“Paying $1 million for a house is much more normal nowadays anywhere than it was in the past and the $1 million price tag is no longer necessarily the indication of owning a premium property like it was in decades past.”
Mr. Kusher believes that Australian housing prices will continue to rise in 2022 at a slower pace.
Hindu-Sikh Couple of South Australia; Image Source: The Australia Today
The last seven days have been like hell for a Hindu-Sikh couple from Adelaide who runs an organisation called ‘Punjabi Aussie Association of South Australia.’
They have been threatened to be physically harmed, their business destroyed and boycotted from the community.
Harmeet Kaur and her husband Rajesh Thakur have been organising Vaisakhi Mela in South Australia’s capital Adelaide for the last several years.
The Mela draws crowds of thousands of people not only from Indian-Punjabi backgrounds but also from South Asian origin and importantly Australians curious and interested in multicultural festivities.
Music, dance, and food are the three basic and most loved staples of most Indian festivals but this time they are targets of alleged extremist groups.
Rajesh Thakur told The Australia Today:
“It all started with a threatening phone call on 22 February from Khalsa Aid’s South Australia Head Gurinder Jit Singh Jassar.”
Rajesh Thakur adds:
“He told me, Change the name of your Vaisakhi Mela because Vaisakhi belongs to us (read- Sikhs),”
said Mr Thakur
“When I refused to change the name of the Vaisakhi Mela, Gurinder Jit Singh Jassar became aggressive,” said Mr. Thakur.
“Tussi Mele wich giddha- bhagra pa ke lacharta- kanjarkhana fyalane ho.”
“Gurinder Jit Singh Jassar accused me that we are sexualising the young generation by letting them perform Gidha-Bhangra (Punjabi folk dance for Women and men),”
Mr Thakur said.
“I explained to Mr. Jassar, Giddha-Bhangra are the traditional folk dance of Punjab and there is no sexualisation or nudity in any of the programs performed on the stage of Vaisakhi Mela.”
“Gurinder Jit Singh Jassar wasn’t ready to listen to any explanation and threatened me if we would continue with organising Vaisakhi Mela there will be serious consequences,”
said Mr Thakur.
“I told Gurinder Jit Singh Jassar, We have been organising Vaisakhi Mela for several years you can simply go to our Facebook page and check how we conduct the whole program.”
“Gurinder Jit Singh Jassar told me we don’t care how you do things, the only thing I am concerned about is Vaisakhi is a Sikh festival and you can’t use this name,”
said Rajesh Thakur
“Jassar said to me Australians do the vulgar dance which is not acceptable in the name of Vaisakhi Mela.”
“Gurinder Jit Singh Jassar even proposed to pay us for dropping the name Vaisakhi Mela.”
“At the end of the call, I told him you talk to your group and explain we are not doing anything wrong and I will also talk to our organising committee.”
There was calm for ten days before the storm of hate-filled messages, phone calls, and social media video posts targeting and threatening Harmeet Kaur and Rajesh Thakur started to ruin their life.
Harmeet Kaur approached a local media group Raabta Radio to explain her side of the story. Here’s the link: https://fb.watch/c3H7R2qFhf/
Robbie Benipal is the Editor of Raabta Radio. He told The Australia Today, “I did my job as a journalist of giving voice to the community and raising issues but for this, I was publicly targeted.”
“In an Indian program couple of days back they surrounded me and rudely questioned me on why I gave a platform to Harmeet Kaur, organiser of Vaisakhi Mela.”
I told them it’s my job as a journalist and asked them to come and present their side of the story but they refused,”
After Harmeet Kaur’s interview by Raabta Radio, the Thakur-Kaur family’s life turned upside down.
Now, Threats were open and direct.
Harmeet Kaur said, “My girlfriend was called by an international student belonging to ‘Gurinder Jit Singh Jassar’ group and was told to convey a message to me: We will cut you into pieces if we find you in the Mela.”
“We will be 300-400 people, some are coming from Melbourne to beat the shit out of you (kuttapa karne). Our group is bringing mike and speaker, we will capture the stage and anyone who tries to stop us will know who we are,’
explained Harmeet.
This phone call and threatening text messages made the matter very serious for the Kaur-Thakur couple and they decided to make the police complain to South Australia Police.
Rajesh Thakur told The Australia today, “I received a call from Gurshiminder Singh Mintu Brar on 22 March, he also threatened us saying if the Vaisakhi Mela goes ahead there will be Hindu-Sikh riots.”
“Mintu Brar told me that he is in touch with all three gurudwaras in Adelaide and some Melbourne Sikh groups (Jathebandiya) who are ready to come in Vaisakhi Mela and run amok,” said Mr. Thakur.
However, Two Gurudwaras of Adelaide have categorically denied anything to do with Mintu Brar.
“I will be in the USA on Vaisakhi Mela day now you decide what you want for your program riots between community members or you are ready to change name, Mintu Brar asked me”
The Australia Today contacted Gurshiminder Singh Mintu Brar.
He told The Australia Today from Sydney Airport, “I deny all the allegations.”
“I was simply trying to mediate between two groups, I requested organisers of Vaisakhi Mela to come and talk to Gurinder Jit Singh Jassar for resolving the issue,” added Mintu Brar.
However, Mintu Brar agreed that Facebook posts by Gurinder Jit Singh Jassar were inappropriate and threatening in nature.
Vaisakhi or Baisakh has been celebrated as a harvest festival in North Indian state of Punjab where farmers offered thanks for a plentiful harvest.
It became popular amongst the Sikh community after Guru Gobind Singh chose the festival as the moment to establish the Khalsa in 1699.
Amrik Singh Thandi is a Sikh leader in Adelaide and a member of the Sikh Society of South Australia.
Mr. Thandi told The Australia Today, “Vaisakhi Mela is common for Hindu, Sikh, Christian, and Muslims of Punjab. Nobody can claim it and in my view, the name should not be changed, Vaisakhi Mela should go on as it is.”
Amrik Singh Thandi, Member of the Sikh Society of South Australia
“Before Guru Nanak ji the first Sikh guru was born Vaisakhi month was still there in the Hindu calendar. If it was always there as a festival then why they want to change the name I can’t understand,”
explained Mr Thandi.
Harmeet Kaur told The Australia Today, “We are so concerned about these threats that my kids are not able to attend school, we have not cooked and eaten food properly for a few days.”
“We are bringing communities together through this Vaisakhi Mela event, is that a crime?”
questions Ms Kaur.
“The whole community is scared of these radical extremists that’s why my own friends are telling me we know you are right but can’t come out openly in your support,” teary Harmeet said.
Mahanvir Singh Grewal is President of Allenby Garden Gurudwara (Guru Nanak Sikh Society of Australia).
Mr. Grewal told The Australia Today, “Everybody does dance in India at the Vaisakhi festival, what’s the problem here in Australia.”
Mahanvir Singh Grewal is President of Allenby Garden Gurudwara
“These people asking to change name of Vaisakhi Mela just want to become famous by creating trouble for others,”
said Mr Grewal
There is only one solution inform the Police and they will sort them out,” added Mr. Grewal.
South Australia Police has told The Australia today, “South Australia Police is aware of the upcoming Vaisakhi Mela festival. As with other community events, SAPOL works with organisers and conducts assessments to identify the level of police presence required.These assessments are conducted in the lead up to and during the event.”
South Australia Police.
“We encourage any person who at any time believes their own; or the safety of others may be at risk, to report that to the police as soon as possible.“
“My message to the community is, please attend Vaisakhi Mela in big numbers and enjoy food and cultural dances,” added Mr. Thandi.
Note: The Australia Today has tried to contact Gurinder Jit Singh Jassar, however, we have not received any response from him. In case he responds to us we will update the story.
“As we look toward what’s next, I have a great sense of satisfaction that a leader of the caliber of Raj Subramaniam will take FedEx into a very successful future. In my role as Executive Chairman, I look forward to focusing on Board governance as well as issues of global importance, including sustainability, innovation, and public policy.”
Subramaniam is originally from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram and has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from IIT Bombay.
He also has a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Syracuse University and an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin.
Prior to his role as President and Chief Operating Officer of FedEx Corp., Subramaniam was President and Chief Executive Officer of FedEx Express.
He also served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of FedEx Corp., where he was responsible for developing the corporate strategy.
In addition, Subramaniam served as the President of FedEx Express in Canada and in several other management and marketing roles throughout Asia and the U.S. since he joined FedEx in 1991.
Image Source: Raj Subramaniam – FedEx.
Subramaniam said:
“As we continue to transform as a company and reimagine what’s next, we will keep our people-service-profit philosophy at our core. I am immensely proud of our 600,000 team members around the world. Together we’ve set into motion ideas that have changed the world for the better, and together we will unlock new value for our people, customers, and shareholders.”
With this achievement, Subramaniam will join other notable Indian-origin CEOs who are presently heading most successful American businesses and companies. These include Sundar Pichai – Alphabet, Satya Nadella – Microsoft, Parag Agrawal – Twitter, Leena Nair – Chanel, Shantanu Narayen – Adobe Inc, Arvind Krishna – IBM, and Nikesh Arora – Palo Alto Networks.
Subramaniam was elected to the FedEx Board of Directors in 2020 and will maintain his seat on the Board.
Federal Government is addressing critical skill shortages, driving innovation, and attracting investment as part of the 2022-23 Budget.
The 2022-23 permanent Migration Program ceiling will be 160,000 places.
Migration – Skill stream
The Morrison Government’s Migration Program will focus on skilled migration, with a return to a pre-pandemic composition of roughly two-thirds/one-third across the Skill and Family streams.
The Skill stream will increase to 109,900, more than 30,000 places above 2021-22 planning levels.
Within the Skill stream, 1- The categories of Employer-Sponsored (30,000 places), 2- Skilled Independent (16,652 places), and 3- State & Territory Nominated (20,000 places) have all been increased from 2021-22 planning levels.
Regional visas will be more than double to 25,000 places to support growth in regional Australia.
1- Business Innovation and Investment (9,500 places), 2- Global Talent (8,448 places) and 3- Distinguished Talent (300 places) categories will ensure that Australia remains a favoured destination for the world’s best and brightest individuals and entrepreneurs.
However, Occupation lists will be reviewed and updated in early 2022-23 to reflect changes in Australia’s labor market, based on advice from the National Skills Commission.
State and Territory nominated visa categories – 2021-22* nomination allocations
Under the 2021-22 Migration Program settings, nomination allocations are made available to States and Territories in the following visa categories:
Skilled – Nominated (subclass 190)
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491)
Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP)
States and Territories each assess eligible applicants against criteria unique to their jurisdiction.
Further information on State and Territory nomination requirements can be found at:
As part of the Government’s migration program, the Family stream will provide an estimated 50,000 places to support family reunions.
The Partner and Child visa categories are estimated to deliver 40,500 and 3,000 visas respectively (delivery of Partner and Child visas will be subject to demand and visa processing requirements); while 6,000 places will be available for Parent visas; and 500 places for Other Family visas.
From 2022-23, Partner visa processing will move to a demand-driven model.
Granting Partner visas on a demand-driven basis will provide the flexibility to meet the demand for Partner visas in a given program year, and assist in mitigating future growth in the Partner visa pipeline while maintaining immigration integrity.
100 places will be allocated for the Special Eligibility category. This stream covers visas for those in special circumstances, including permanent residents returning to Australia after a period overseas.
Working Holiday Makers
The Government recognises the importance of the visitor economy to Australia’s national prosperity. Australia has Working Holiday Maker (WHM) arrangements with 45 countries, of which 26 partner countries operate under annual “cap” arrangements.
To support Australia’s economic future and the sustained growth of the tourism sector, the Morrison Government has announced a one-off cap increase to the number of places available to WHMs from countries with which Australia has a Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa arrangement.
As a result, around 11,000 additional WHM visas will be available for prospective backpackers. This measure is estimated to increase the underlying cash balance by $45 million over the next three years.
To further encourage the arrival of WHMs to Australia, between 19 January 2022 and 19 April 2022, Working Holiday Maker (WHM) (subclasses 417 and 462) visa holders who arrive in Australia can apply for a refund of the visa application charge (VAC). This complements visa refunds for Student (subclass 500) visa holders who arrive between 19 January 2022 and 19 March 2022.
Humanitarian program
The 2022-23 Humanitarian Program will be maintained at the current ceiling of 13,750 places and over the forward estimates, to ensure Australia remains one of the most generous humanitarian resettlement countries in the world and can respond flexibly to humanitarian crises overseas.
This will ensure Australia can continue to support, as per recent announcements, the transition of Ukrainians onto a temporary humanitarian (subclass 786) visa and to work with international partners to respond to global humanitarian needs including Myanmar.
In recognition of our sustained commitment following Australia’s two decades of operations in Afghanistan, an additional 16,500 places will be available for Afghan nationals under the Humanitarian program and will be equally allocated over the next four years. In conjunction with previous announcements, this brings the total number of places available to Afghans across Australia’s Humanitarian and Migration Programs to 31,500 over the next four program years.
To support migrant and refugee youths to enter a competitive job market and realise their full potential, the 2022-23 Budget allocates an additional $9.2 million for a Youth Transition Support (YTS) services program. This 12-month extension builds on existing work to assist young migrants to improve their education, employment and social cohesion outcomes.
Adevinta ASA (ADE) has announced that Ajay Bhatia has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of mobile.de, Germany’s largest vehicle marketplace.
He brings two decades of executive leadership experience in online classifieds in Australia and Asia.
He has extensive experience in the Motors vertical, as well as across Real Estate, Jobs and general classifieds.
Further, Ajay has held a range of leadership roles covering general management, product, technology, sales and digital marketing.
Image source: Rolv Erik Ryssdal, CEO Adevinta.
Rolv Erik Ryssdal, CEO Adevinta, said in a press release:
“Ajay is ideally positioned to lead mobile.de’s continued growth ambitions and will be a fantastic addition to the Adevinta Executive team. We conducted an extensive search for a new CEO for mobile.de, and we are confident that Ajay’s expertise in the classifieds industry, strong product and technology background, and track record of leading growth businesses will add value to mobile.de, its users and the Adevinta group.“
On being appointed the CEO of Germany’s largest vehicle marketplace, Ajay says:
“I am excited to join Adevinta as CEO of mobile.de. The mobile.de team has done a tremendous job in building Germany’s number one online automotive marketplace, and I look forward to working closely with them to drive customer and commercial innovations to the business.”
Ajay graduated from Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program and holds an Engineering degree and a Masters in Management from the University of Technology, Sydney.
He was also named Australian CIO of the year in 2015 by CEO Magazine.
Image source: Ajay Bhatia – Carsales / CEO Magazine.
Ajay has also served on several Boards across the public, private and non-profit sectors, and holds the honorary position of Adjunct Professor at UTS Business School.
His term as the new CEO of mobile.de will begin on 1 August 2022.
The 2021 Volunteering Awards recognise and celebrate the impact volunteers, volunteer leaders and volunteer programs have in building resilient communities, services and connections across Victoria.
The 2021 Awards were run by Volunteering Victoria with the support of the Victorian State Government through the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH).
“We commend Jaya for her truly inspiring work and congratulate her for the well-deserved accolade of Premier’s Volunteer of the Year, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Award.”
Jaya is the Founder and immediate past president of IndianCare, serving from 2013 to late 2021.
IndianCare is a Victorian not-for-profit community organisation dedicated to addressing the welfare needs of people of Indian origin.
This organisation provides direct support and pathway connection in the areas of family violence, substance abuse, health, international students, social isolation, migration, education and employment, and elder abuse.
Jaya is also co-convenor of the Victorian International Community Development Network, and is passionate about equitable outcomes for all and is keen to assist people of Indian origin in Victoria.
She has been an active member of the Telugu Association of Australia and was the co-founder of the Telugu Ladies Club which she helped to convene for 15 years.
She is also currently undertaking PhD research exploring the role of community development praxis in progressing the Sustainable Development Goals.
Her influence and leadership have been instrumental to the Indian community especially during the pandemic.
“Selected by Premier Andrews, this award acknowledges Jaya’s extensive volunteering efforts in establishing IndianCare Inc – dedicated to connecting people in Victoria’s diverse and growing Indian community with welfare services needed to lead a safe and healthy life.”
As the Premier’s Volunteer of the Year, Jaya will receive a $10,000 donation to a not-for-profit organisation of her choice.
While investors eyeballed Western nations announcing new pro-Ukraine measures in a unified front against Russia, the Australian share market overcame concerns about the war to rally for a second straight week on strong mining shares.
Helped by gains in iron ore and gold miners on strong underlying commodity prices, ASX overcame losses in heavyweight tech and financial stocks to end the week at a nine-week high.
With no material progress in the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, gold stocks climbed more than 6% as the yellow metal recorded its third weekly gain in four. Newcrest Mining, Australia’s largest gold miner, benefitted the most from rising bullion prices, hitting its highest level in more than two weeks.
Iron mining majors BHP, Rio and Fortescue also gained strongly on higher iron prices, with Fortescue hitting its highest levels since early March.
Uncertainty around the war in Ukraine persisted as Moscow’s attack on its neighbour entered its second month with Western leaders reinforcing their forces in Eastern Europe, expanding military aid to Kyiv and tightening sanctions on Russia.
Many economists believe the commodity prices will rise further if the Ukraine crisis worsens further. If that is the case we may see iron and gold prices skyrocket like nickel prices recently. As such the iron and gold miners should be a very good place to put money in the current situation.
Other than miners the energy stocks also rose by 4% for the week. Though sliding crude prices dented the appetite for local energy shares on Friday.
Some of the market optimism is reflected in bumper dividend payouts about to be made in Australia. Premier Retail chief last week led the way by announcing a bumper interim dividend of 46c a share, up from 34c a year ago despite thousand of days of lost trade and decline in profits by 13% for the six months to December.
BHP will also credit its shareholder accounts with one of the world’s largest dividends this week. All in all, an estimated $36.3 billion of dividends are expected to be paid out in Australia in March and April, with many expecting most of this money to be ploughed back into the share market.
One of the biggest events for the Australian market this week will be the arrival of the Federal Budget on Tuesday night. Due to the looming election this year we can expect some big spending and less scrimping and saving than we might usually see.
PM Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg, Treasurer; Picture Source: Twitter @JoshFrydenberg
Some of the big-spending have already come into focus, such as the $5.4 billion promised Hell’s gate dam in Northern Queensland to bolster LNP’s chances in Queensland. Historically though such projects have had a history of cost blowouts. The best example is the current inland rail project which was announced by LNP back in 2017 for $8.4 billion.
The project was then subjected to a $5 billion extension to Gladstone port as part of a deal to get National Party support for the net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. As per the last update, while the construction has started on the 1700 km project, the latest cost has ballooned to $14.3 billion and is expected to rise further as the final route through Brisbane is completed.
However, it is the debt side of the budget that will be in big focus as it limits the flexibility of the government to react to any future crisis and act as an anchor on economic growth over time.
As the gross government debt powers towards a net figure of $1 trillion and debt repayments alone set to reach $30 billion a year, whoever wins the Federal election will have a serious task of reducing that debt load. As interest rates rise, the debt will increasingly hamstring the Federal Government.
Other than the budget, consumer confidence numbers, building approvals, construction figures, job vacancies, household wealth, home prices and manufacturing numbers will also be keenly watched by investors this week.
Gold Market surge; Image Source: @CANVA
Supported by risks around Russia and Ukraine and talks about inflationary pressure gold recorded its best week in three.
Bullion is seen by many investors as a haven during times of political crisis and uncertainty. Some investors also perceive it as a hedge against high inflation.
The overall tone of the market continues to be supportive of the yellow metal as investors continue to add to the diversification of gold to their portfolios to shield against the war in Ukraine and higher oil prices that threaten global growth.
Having said that the expectations of monetary tightening by the US Federal Reserve may limit the upside in gold. Gold is highly sensitive to interest rate rises as it increases the opportunity cost of holding zero-yield bullion.
Traders looking to trade gold but wanting to play safe are advised to wait for the breakout of spot gold at $2000 on a weekly chart. A weekly close above those levels signals an opportunity to buy and hold for long.
The high-risk traders on the other hand can continue to maintain the buy on dips strategy with very tight stop losses as gold prices are expected to remain highly volatile and single Russia-Ukraine news could result in a big change in the yellow metal price in the short-term.
Oil recorded its first weekly increase in three weeks with Brent crude rising 11.5% for the week after traders began buying oil after a missile attack on an oil distribution facility in Saudi Arabia.
oil price going up; Picture Source: @Canva
Brent crude rose sharply at the end of trading on Friday to close at $120.65 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate also recorded an 8.8% rise for the week.
An official from the Saudi Ministry of Energy said that the oil distribution station in Jeddah was attacked on Friday evening with a missile shell and the “Al-Mukhtara” station was also attacked with a bullet. Both attacks resulted in no injuries or deaths.
Saudi Arabia also warned that it would not be held responsible for any disruption in oil supplies to global markets following the Houthi attacks.
As such we expect oil prices to continue to move higher in the short-term as the market which is already facing a supply crunch after shunning Russian oil now faces something else to worry about because of the Houthi attacks that could affect Saudi production.
With global stockpiles at their lowest since 2014, many analysts believe that the oil market remains highly vulnerable to any supply shock.
Boosted by rising commodity prices and a rebound in market sentiment the Australian Dollar has been on a tear against most of its major peers in recent weeks. Upbeat domestic economic data has also helped lift the Australian currency.
Last week, Australia’s PMI for manufacturing and services showed that the economy continues to improve strongly post Covid lockdowns.
Image source: Big Four OZ banks – Wikipedia.
This week will see February’s preliminary retail figures, building permits for February, job ad numbers and manufacturing PMI numbers. Most economists believe that the positive momentum will continue to advance after Australia removed the brunt of Covid restrictions over the last few months. The job ads numbers are likely to show acute labour market growth.
A better than expected set of data this week would likely fuel already rising rate hike bets for the Reserve Bank of Australia, benefitting the Aussie further. The 2022-23 Federal Budget is also set to be presented on March 29 and could have an impact on the RBA’s outlook. Alternatively, disappointing data could halt AUD’s recent rally.
From a technical point of view, AUD/USD is poised to extend its gains. The weekly chart shows that it continued to advance beyond its moving averages, while technical indicators offer a strong upward momentum within positive levels.
The daily chart offers a similar picture with the Momentum indicator heading firmly higher. The immediate resistance level is the October 2021 monthly high at 0.7554, followed by the 0.7600 level. A break of the latter could extend its rally towards the 0.7670 price zone. On the other hand, a corrective decline could kick in if the pair slides below 0.7490, a break of which could see the price approach 0.7400 levels, where we expect buyers to come back to maintain the bullish trend alive.
Unlike its Australian counterpart which has been benefitting from rising commodity prices, Indian Rupee continues to be pressured by inflationary concerns over elevated commodity prices.
Unlike the Aussie which has continued to show tremendous growth in recent weeks, the Indian rupee has continued to depreciate against most major currencies, closing the week close to 76.50 against the greenback.
Last week the Indian rupee went down by half a per cent against the US Dollar due to higher crude oil and weaker risk sentiments. While the RBI has been using its large foreign reserves, selling another $2.5 billion last week to prevent further slide of Indian currency, the risk sentiment and higher crude prices continue to skew the bias for Indian currency downwards.
Moving on to digital currencies, the crypto assets had another strong week with Bitcoin seeing its highest weekly close of 2022. The cryptocurrency market cap was up by more than $200 billion in the past seven days as the majority of cryptocurrencies charted considerable gains.
Bitcoin surged by 8.4% and is testing important technical resistance at $45,000. This is the third time the currency is testing the resistance and it will be extremely important to see how it performs this time.
The altcoins in general followed BTC’s path up. Ethereum has rallied 11% for the week, BNB is up 5.6%, Solana increased by 14% – same as Dogecoin. However, t was Cardano that exploded by a whopping 32% for the week. ADA reclaimed the $1 level and then tested resistance at $1.20. At the time of writing the report though, it failed to overcome it.
Bitcoin; Picture Source: @CANVA
All in all, it was a fruitful week for the digital coins with meaningful advances. That being said with most digital currencies now at key technical resistance it would be interesting to see if the momentum can transition to this week.
In agricultural products, the grain prices resumed their move upwards amidst supply chain concerns. Wheat futures added 2% for the week as traders watched for direction amid the Ukraine war. Soybeans prices were supported by lower production in South America because of drought, while corn gained on slow sowing conditions in the US.
Grain prices have continued to rise as some of the world’s biggest importers seek supplies from alternative shippers after Russia’s attack on Ukraine choked exports from the Black Sea.
With far fewer Ukrainian and Russian grain and fertilizers entering global markets, most experts fear that a bleak period of scarcer, pricier foods will arrive this year.
Author: Ateev Dang is a trader and trading coach by profession. He runs a business called Glow trades Pty Ltd where he teaches anyone interested in starting their trading journey on how to trade. He can be contacted at adang@glowtrades.com.au.
Disclaimer:
The writers’ opinions in the above article are their own and do not constitute any financial advice whatsoever. Nothing published by The Australia Today constitutes an investment recommendation, nor should any data or content publication be relied upon for providing any investment activities.
We strongly recommend that you perform your own independent research and/or speak with a financial advisor or qualified investment professional before making any financial decisions.
Much awaited RRR (Rise, Roar and Revolt) flick of SS Rajamouli hit the screen yesterday with a bang. This story presents an epic, mythological narrative with a patriotic saga combining Ramayan and the Mahabharat to raise the anti-colonial national awakening movement.
From a historical perspective, this depicts the history of those who were left behind or subaltern groups. Although many parts of the movie may be fictional, it expresses micro-level research of a story revolving around two superheroes with their agendas.
Critics may not appreciate micro-level studies, for example. In Pacific’s historical context, Kerry R. Howe (1979) posits Pacific history has been conducting more technical articles, monographs and symposia and moving towards a state of ‘monography myopia’ [finding out more and more about less and less that lack broader generalisation]. Thus, one needs to discern the importance of micro-history, which is enlightened in this op-ed.
RRR; Image Source: Supplied
The micro-level historical study gained prominence in Europe during the 1970s-80s, associated with the practice of Carlo Ginzburg, Italian scholar (book The Cheese and the Worms, 1976: study life of a one 16th century Italian miller named Menocchio) and Giovanni Levi is another protagonist. The term ‘microhistory’ was adopted in 1959, given by George R. Stewart, an American historian.
The term prefix is ‘micro’, related to the reduction of the scale that does not analyse broad historical themes but specifies a particular event/individual or community action that happened in a larger field of study. This should not be confused with ‘biography’ or ‘local history, which does not specify the connection with particular events to a broad social context.
Tenets of Microhistory
Micro Historians focus on reducing the size of observation and the level of generalisation. This explains the individual interaction within and towards the social world, emphasising the distinction from significant notions. It concentrates on exploring the small scale event, community, personal and settlement; and is mainly associated with social and cultural history rather than economic and political historical facts.
RRR; Image Source: Supplied
It has a qualitative approach that investigates the concepts of the small unit as of a person, event or a small community that differs from quantitatively assessed phenomena. The scholars explore the materials of a historical standard that is marginal but can contribute to historical understanding if evaluated in depth.
Micro Historians use the ‘deconstruction approach’ to study many factors concerning the subjects and make an in-depth analysis of small units with evaluating every source. They believe in ‘normal exceptions’ that concentrate on individual units and establish their relevance in historical discourse. This person stands out from the common masses’ conduct or thinking, assessed on the premises of those in authority. The individual’s conduct may be praised in one context while criticised by others; this person’s act/phenomena are termed as ‘normal exception’.
The micro historians attempt to evaluate the conditions and sources to reconstruct the interaction between the text and the individual involved. They use a limited amount of quantitative data as it is not concerned about an individual but focuses on mass conduct. Mirco historians adopt restrictive criteria of sources and stress verifiable figures, mainly collected from secondary sources.
The microhistorians attempt to make research more transparent and unconventional methods by giving precise references to avoid the consideration of being based on the author’s subjectivity of the historical events. It is believed that historians only provide a reasonable and fair description. Still, it is difficult for them to recreate the understanding of the individual’s mind that participated in an event. However, the microhistorians fall short of reference material when they create a history of everyday life, as marginalised events, individuals and phenomena have few noted historical documents about their experiences and lives.
RRR; Image Source: Supplied
Micro-Historians believe that every source is ambiguous and needs further study, as every source is brought to the audience by the historian or scholar. The micro historians study the ones who are left out of the main context or the marginalised figures and phenomena. They study their behaviour as a dissent discrete voice/group of voices against the social customs and traditions.
They focus on individuals and events that may be considered bizarre, strange and done by socially marginal individuals. Their focus is on everyday life and reconsiders the traditional historical approaches related to political events, while micro-historians focus on social activities and cultural interpretations.
As Giovanni Levi’s “On Microhistory” stated, the “microhistorians have concentrated on the contradictions of normative systems and, therefore, on the fragmentation, contradictions and plurality of viewpoints that make all systems fluid and open”. They use narratives as an assessment research method to present their findings to reach a conclusion and reflect the gaps in a general understanding of that subject. The critics of microhistory state that if the micro historian concentrates on individual interactions, it is difficult to imply their analysis on large-scale events/phenomena.
Microhistory is critical to the contemporary technology events of modernisation and contemporary science. Microhistory takes care of the experience of the local people, an event or phenomena that are exploited, oppressed and overlooked by macrohistory. It is believed that macro history’s grand narratives and quantitative Social Science research fall short to record the micro-level reality. Thus micro-historians attempt to create a history of everyday life. A micro-level study and observation constitutes documentary evidence’s thorough revision. It pays attention to every small detail and is careful to avoid mistakes in analysing.
This history believes that the small level stage is the most appropriate way to assess people’s real feelings, values, and symbols. Microhistory has its means to reach generalisation by intensive study of a case to lead to better conception, although these generalisations may not imply a broader scale. They give a detailed description more objectively.
RRR; Image Source: Supplied
Conclusion
RRR has all potential to be the blockbuster that gives a sense of acceptability of micro-level stories among the populace. Micro historians use microscopic analysis to generate conclusions applicable to a more significant portion of the general population.
The pedagogy is used on a limited scale, but it shall recreate new dimensions. Using the Internet to share the Microhistory of diverse individuals will enhance its acceptance and help form generalisation across the world. In-depth research of a particular event and individual human behaviour action will better understand the world.
Dr Sakul Kundra; Picture Source: Supplied
Disclaimer: Dr Sakul Kundra is an assistant professor in history and Acting Head of School, School of Arts and Humanities, College of Humanities and Education, at Fiji National University. The views expressed are his own and not of this newspaper or his employer. For comments or suggestions, email. dr.sakulkundra@gmail.com
After two weeks of unnecessary controversy created by few who wanted to suppress the pain and lived experience of Kashmiri Hindus the Bollywood film the Kashmir Files has been reclassified and audiences aged 18 or older will be able to see it in cinemas next week.
New Zealand’s Chief Censor David Shanks announced the change after spending the week speaking to a range of community representatives, viewing the film and consulting with overseas classification offices.
“I watched the film, and I am satisfied that it does not promote extremism or violence in a way that would require it to be classified as objectionable (banned) in New Zealand,”
said Mr Shanks.
However, He thinks an R18 restriction is warranted given the nature and intensity of the violence and terrorists cruelty depicted. This age restriction is consistent with what the film received in Australia and India.
The Kashmir Files; Image Source: Supplied
“Members of the Muslim community I spoke to are concerned the film would negatively affect them and Hindu representatives felt strongly that the film showed an important part of their history,”
added Mr David Shanks.
The Kashmir Files; Image Source: Supplied
The Kashmir Files is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language drama film about the genocide and exodus of Hindu people during the Kashmir Insurgency in 1990. It has been released in other countries with varying age restrictions.
The film was initially classified as R16 in New Zealand but a review was conducted after concerns were raised by members of the Muslim community in New Zealand.
Achla Datar is Operations Manager with Zee Studios for Australia, NZ and Fiji.
The Kashmir Files; Image Source: Supplied
Achala told The Australia Today, “I am so grateful to New Zealand Hindus who supported us in our pursuit of their lived experience to come out and be shown on screen.”
“No one can stop the truth from coming out,”
said Ms Datar
Parijaat Kaul a Kashmiri Pandit who’s family had to flee their home of several generations after it was attacked by Islamic terrorist in 1990 lives in Auckland.
The Kashmir Files; Image Source: Supplied
Mr Kaul told The Australia Today, “The Kashmir File is my story, it’s my family and friends story.”
“How can someone be so insensitive to stop us from telling the world what we went through?”
questioned Mr Kaul
“Today, I am experiencing same when some thugs tell us that we are the one spreading hate not the Islamic terrorists who told us to leave, convert or die,” said Mr Kaul.
Chief Censor David Shanks said “I know this decision will disappoint some members of the Hindu community that I spoke with, who believe that the film has historical value and should be released with no age restriction. Similarly, some members of the Muslim community were of the view that the risk of harm that it posed meant that it should not be screened at all. I hear and understand both perspectives.”
The Kashmir Files; Image Source: Supplied
“The community leaders that I spoke to about this made it clear to me that they do not condone or tolerate expressions of hatred or oppression in their communities, and they are prepared to play their part to ensure the film doesn’t prompt this. I believe them, and I think there is an opportunity here to build understanding and social cohesion, rather than erode it.
“My Office will provide information detailing the reasons for the decision and the process to seek a review by The Film and Literature Board of Review, as well as other information about support and help available,” David Shanks said.
Achla Datar said, “It is a simple civil right to be able to watch a movie, and I am glad it has been upheld by New Zealand’s Chief Censor.”
The federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced that the requirement for international travellers to provide a negative COVID-19 test before they fly to Australia will be removed.
The decision will come into force from April 17 2022.
Previously international travellers needed to show a negative Covid-19 test in order to board a flight to Australia, even if they were up to date on vaccinations.
“The country is ready to move on from the emergency declaration made two years and one month ago. I will not be renewing the biosecurity emergency determination,” Minister Hunt told reporters on the Gold Coast.
Health Minister Greg Hunt explained that the government would no longer make it a condition of entry that people had to show they had tested negative for the virus before they travelled here.
International Travel; Image Source: @CANVA
“Given that the vaccination requirements remain and the masking requirements, the medical advice is that (the COVID test) would no longer be required,”
Mr Hunt said.
Minister Hunt explained that the decision will also make travel easy for people who come from those jurisdictions which have issues having access to those tests or proving those tests.
Mr Hunt said he spoke to the chief executive officers of both Qantas and Virgin airlines.
“But we also took the medical advice of the Chief Medical Officer,” he said.
International Travel; Image Source: @CANVA
“That was the view, that we progressively take away those items which are no longer required,”
added Minister Hunt.
The pre-departure tests were introduced at the beginning of last year in an effort to stop as many COVID cases as possible from arriving in Australia.
The aim is to generate opportunities for local Australian businesses and researchers to grow and create more jobs.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the new commitments under our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with India during the Virtual Annual Leaders’ Meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PM Morrison and PM Modi at India-Australia virtual summit; Image Source: The Australia Today
The initiatives include more than $25 million for Australian businesses and researchers to tap into India’s burgeoning space industry.
Further $9.5 million for an Australia-India Innovation and Technology Challenge and $7.8 million to secure the ongoing Australia-India Strategic Research Fund.
Image source: Melissa Price MP
Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price said Australia had much to gain from working alongside India in innovative new areas of space and science & technology.
“Teaming up with our friends in India creates remarkable opportunities for our Aussie businesses and researchers, which will in-turn benefit all Australians. India is already a key economic partner for Australia and these investments will lock in relationships that are going to improve the everyday lives of residents in both our nations, while also creating economic opportunities for us here at home.
India is also an important regional partner and this funding will allow our nations to keep working together to promote rules and norms, including through initiatives like the Quad.”
The expansion of Australia’s International Space Investment (ISI) initiative builds on existing cooperation between the two nations in space.
It also includes Australia’s support of India’s inspirational Gaganyaan human space flight mission.
Australian organisations will work on projects with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the industries active in Indian space sector.
Image source: ISRO.
This will unlock opportunities for Australia’s local space sector on the international stage.
The Australia-India Innovation and Technology Challenge will be led by CSIRO and will see 20 innovations backed with funding to scale-up to market in the areas of waste reduction, water security and food system resilience.
The Australia-India Strategic Research Fund, Australia’s largest fund dedicated to bilateral science cooperation, will also receive additional ongoing investments of $3.8 million per annum from 2026.
It is Australia’s largest fund dedicated to bilateral science cooperation that helps build links between Australia and India’s top universities, research institutions and the end users of scientific innovation.
It will give the research sectors in Australia and India extra certainty to continue their crucial work and leading-edge research.
Minister Price further added that Australia stood to benefit greatly from working with India in space, and science & technology more broadly.
“Likewise, we want our researchers and innovators to be able to fast-track their work into real world outcomes – and working with India presents a fantastic opportunity to do just that.”
India’s space program is one of the fastest growing in the world and is expected to grow by US$43 billion to 2025.
NSW Police detectives have charged six people following an investigation into the alleged use of rental properties for the cultivation of cannabis and fraudulent acquisition of COVID-19 rental relief payments.
Those charged also include three real estate agents.
Fairfield City Police Area Command Crime Manager, Detective Inspector Luke Scott, said several of the syndicate’s members allegedly facilitated the frauds by abusing their employment in the real estate industry.
“We will be alleging these people used their position as trusted insiders in the real estate industry to defraud their own clientele and public money meant for those who need it most.”
As per NSW Police media release, between July and August 2021, police dismantled a number of sophisticated hydroponic cannabis set-ups located within homes in the Fairfield area.
They seized cannabis with a combined estimated potential street value of $2 million.
Further, Police officers attached to Fairfield City Police Area Command also established Strike Force Delbo.
This was to investigate the activities of a criminal syndicate involved in the enhanced indoor cultivation of cannabis across Sydney’s south-west.
Strike force detectives were assisted throughout the investigation by NSW Fair Trading.
Image source: NSW Police – Facebook.
As part of ongoing inquiries, NSW police identified several large-scale fraudulent applications submitted under the NSW Government COVID-19 Residential Tenancy Support Package scheme.
Following extensive inquiries, a 52-year-old man was arrested during a vehicle stop at Cecil Hills about 7am yesterday (Wednesday 23 March 2022). At the Fairfield Police Station, the 52-year-old man, a real estate agent, was charged with 10 offences. These include knowingly direct activities of a criminal group, participate criminal group contribute criminal activity, two counts of cultivating prohibited plant (commercial quantity), two counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, two counts of knowingly deal with proceeds of crime, make a false document to obtain financial advantage and use the false document to obtain financial advantage.
A short time later, a 44-year-old man was arrested at a home at Bonnyrigg, before officers executed a search warrant at a home at Cecil Hills. Several items were seized for further examination. This man was charged with cultivating prohibited plants (commercial quantity) and participating in criminal activity. Later that day, two men – both aged 35 – and a 37-year-old woman were arrested at Fairfield Police Station.
A 35-year-old Middleton Grange man, a real estate agent, was charged with nine offences. These include participate criminal group contribute criminal activity, two counts of cultivate prohibited plant (commercial quantity), dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception, attempt dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception, two counts of knowingly deal with proceeds of crime and make false document to obtain financial advantage.
A 35-year-old Smithfield man was charged with participate criminal group contribute criminal activity and two counts of cultivate prohibited plant (commercial quantity).
A 37-year-old woman, a real estate agent, was charged with eight offences including; participate criminal group contribute criminal activity, two counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception, two counts of knowingly deal with proceeds of crime, make false document to obtain financial advantage and use false document to obtain financial advantage.
About 10am, a 23-year-old man was arrested at Marrickville and charged with participate criminal group contribute criminal activity and four counts of cultivate prohibited plant (commercial quantity). This man appeared at Newtown Local Court the same day and was granted strict conditional bail to reappear at Fairfield Local Court on Tuesday 25 May 2022.
Fairfield City Police Area Command Crime Manager, Detective Inspector Luke Scott said:
“The properties that were allegedly utilised by this syndicate to grow cannabis were subleased to members of the public who had no idea their name was on the lease agreement, as was the case when it came to the fraudulently obtained rental relief and bond payments.
The nature of this fraud is particularly scandalous and predatory; the community won’t tolerate it, and those involved now have our court system to answer to.”
All others charged have been refused bail and are due to appear at Fairfield Local Court on Thursday 24 March 2022.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.
Senior Airman Darshan Shah, an aerospace medical technician assigned to the 90th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, poses while wearing a Tilak Chandlo, a Hindu marking, on F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, March 15, 2022. Shah received a waiver to wear the Tilak Chandlo while in uniform on Feb. 22, 2022. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Charles Munoz)
Senior Airman Darshan Shah’s religious accommodation waiver has been approved and he has been authorised to wear a Tilak Chandlo while in uniform.
He is an aerospace medical technician assigned to the 90th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron in the USA.
He applied for religious waiver and soon people showered support from around the world.
Senior Airman Darshan Shah, an aerospace medical technician assigned to the 90th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, prepares to apply a Tilak Chandlo, a Hindu marking, on F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, March 15, 2022. Shah received a waiver to wear the Tilak Chandlo in uniform on Feb. 22, 2022. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Charles Munoz)
Darshan Shah says:
“It’s something new. It’s something they’ve never heard of before or even thought was possible, but it happened.”
Darshan Shah follows Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).
Guruhari Mahant Swami Maharaj from India called Darshan Shah to discuss the waiver and give his blessings.
“He was very happy. He said that what I did was never seen before, and he gave me blessings.”
Even a cousin who lives in Australia got in touch with Darshan Shah to express her excitement.
Darshan Shah is also receiving support from his colleagues at the Mighty Ninety.
“Wearing the Tilak Chandlo every day to work is amazing, to say it in one word. People around my workplace are giving me handshakes, high-fives and congratulating me, because they know how hard I’ve tried to get this religious accommodation approved.”
Darshan Shah is happy, relieved and proud since his fight for the waiver stems back to basic military training.
“Not only was I wearing the uniform, which is one of my main identities, being a member of the Air Force, but I was also wearing my Tilak Chandlo. It’s who I am. Wearing it is special. It’s my way of getting through hardships and difficulties in life. It provides me guidance. It’s given me a load of great friends and an overall understanding of who I am in this world.”
Senior Airman Darshan Shah, left, simulates taking the blood pressure of Staff Sgt. Aleya Facey, both aerospace medical technicians assigned to the 90th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, at the 90th Medical Group on F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, Oct. 25, 2021. Shah tends to patients on a regular basis as part of his duties as an aerospace medical technician. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Charles Munoz)
Darshan Shah is originally from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, where he grew up with both of his biological parents and two older sisters.
“While in Minnesota, I went into the temple every Sunday to volunteer. I learned in classes and taught kids as well.”
At the age of three, he moved to live with his grandparents in Gujarat. His grandparents continued to raise him into Hinduism until he moved back to America at the age of five.
“My grandparents had a big influence on my religion. They taught me a lot about religion, festivals and customs. I would definitely say they had a positive impact on me. Not only with my religion, but with my mother tongue, my language, which is called Gujarati.”
Third grade is when Darshan Shah first started wearing the Tilak Chandlo. He is grateful that he lives in a country where he has the freedom to openly express his religious freedom, both in and out of uniform.
“We live in a country where we’re allowed to practice and have faith in what we want. That’s what makes this such a great country. We’re not persecuted for what we follow or believe. If it wasn’t for the first amendment, I wouldn’t be able to do this at all. I wouldn’t be able to be who I am while being a military member or even a citizen.”
He plans to serve in the Air Force for at least 20 years. He would like to become a commissioned officer and serve as a doctor after earning his degree.
23-year-old Sakshi Agrawal with Victoria Police - Image source: Nine News Screenshot.
A 23-year-old Indian-origin woman, Sakshi Agarwal, has faced court after she was arrested following an accident in Melbourne.
Police allege Sakshi, a P-plater, was driving a white Tesla when it ran into an aged care worker who was boarding a tram on Wattletree Road at Armadale at 6.30 am.
It is reported that the impact of the collision flung 26-year-old Nicole Lagos more than 15 metres.
A number of witnesses rushed to help Nicole and called 000.
Nicole was rushed to The Alfred Hospital with life-threatening injuries where she is fighting for life.
“That they didn’t stop to assist is an issue. We appreciate that people will panic in a situation where they’re involved in one of those collisions, but it’s always best to stop.”
Police soon closed Wattletree Rd in both directions between Kooyong Rd and Glenferrie Rds and also began looking for the alleged driver.
Sakshi later returned three hours later to the scene with her partner and housemate to turn herself in to the police.
In the Nine News report, Sakshi can be seen walking through the scene of the crash before being arrested and put in the back of a police car in tears.
She appeared in Melbourne Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday and was charged with driving causing injury, failing to stop at the scene of an accident and failing to render assistance.
Sakshi was granted bail at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court. The prosecution objected to bail as she was a flight risk because she is not an Australian citizen or resident.
Anyone with information or dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
This Centre will build on the work of the Australia India Council (AIC) in fostering education and cultural exchange.
It will also help foster new ties and support Australia’s expanding exchange and cooperation with India.
Further, it will help the government engage with Australia’s rich Indian Diaspora community.
In 2020, the Indian-born population became Australia’s second-largest overseas-born migrant group behind the UK-born at 721,050-strong.
Hon Dan Tehan MP, Member for Wannon, Victoria, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security, Minister for Defence Personnel, Liberal Party of Australia. Official portrait Parliament House 13 February 2017. Image David Foote – AUSPIC/DPS
Dan Tehan, the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, said:
“Australia’s Indian community is young and highly educated and well represented across services and STEM sectors with strong export potential. Indian Diaspora networks can make important contributions to our trade and investment relationship with India, and also to Australia’s international competitiveness generally.”
Australia recognises India as an important partner in the Indo-Pacific region.
Marise Payne, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, said:
“Mutual understanding, trust and common interests between our countries underpin the Australia-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Our relationship continues to strengthen, as seen in the Australia-India Annual Leaders’ Summit today – the second since our partnership was elevated to a CSP.”
With funding of $28.1 million dollars over four years, the new Centre will focus on four key areas of work:
PM Scott Morrison at Siva Vishnu Temple, Melbourne; Picture Source: Facebook @SCOMO
promoting policy dialogue
building Australian business literacy and links
engaging Australia’s Indian Diaspora communities to support the Australia-India bilateral relationship, and
deepening cultural connections and understanding.
The Centre will also administer the $20.8 million Maitri (friendship) scholars, fellowship programs and cultural partnership.
The new Centre, with substantially increased funding and resources, will have an expanded remit in supporting greater business and Diaspora engagement.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) will consult broadly with government, industry and community organisations throughout the Centre’s establishment.
Details regarding the location and administration of the Centre are awaited.
Indian International Students; Picture Source: @amitabhk87
Certain temporary skilled visa holders may be eligible to become permanent residents in Australia under this announcement.
In response to the strong labour demand and the declining number of temporary visa holders in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on 25 November 2021, the Australian Government announced that measures will be introduced to improve access to permanent residence for certain holders of Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) visas (subclass 482 visa) and Subclass 457 (Temporary Work (Skilled)) visas (subclass 457 visa).
The instrument forms part of these measures to be implemented on 1 July 2022.
This announcement opens up Permanent residency option to Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) occupation which was earlier only open to “Medium- and Long-Term Strategic Skill List (MLTSSL).”
This will happen:
If their employer makes an application to the Minister under regulation 5.19 of the Regulations for the visa holder to be nominated for a position in Australia and, once that application is approved, the visa holder subsequently applies for a Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) visa (subclass 186 visa) or Subclass 187 (Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme) visa (subclass 187 visa).
Under the subclass 186 visa and subclass 187 visa, applicants can be nominated and apply for a number of streams for permanent residency, including a subclass 186 visa in the Temporary Residence Transition Stream (TRT visa).
Seema Chauhan Gold coast based registered migration agent told The Australia Today, Essentially if you were in Australia for 12 months between 1/2/2020 and 14/12/2021 and then move onto or were granted a 482 in short term stream you can progress to PR under the 3/4 year rule – same as MLTSSL 482 visa holders.”
The Minister may specify, by legislative instrument, requirements in the Regulations. These matters include:
· Specifying persons who hold a subclass 482 visa in the short-term stream at the time of application are eligible to be nominated for a position in Australia.
· Different periods of time that apply to paragraphs 5.19(5)(e), (f) and (g) of the Regulations for specified persons.
· Specifying persons exempted from the operation of paragraph 5.19(5)(c) of the Regulations.
The purpose of the new announcement is to specify a new cohort of specified persons who, after 30 June 2022, will be eligible to meet requirements under regulation 5.19 of the Regulations for applications seeking approval for a nomination of a TRT visa.
It also exempts the new specified persons and an additional cohort of subclass 457 visa holders after 30 June 2022 from the operation of paragraph 5.19(5)(c) of the Regulations.
7 Additionally, the instrument continues specifying the matters specified in Migration (IMMI 18/052: Specified Persons and Period of Time for Regulation 5.19) Instrument 2018 (IMMI 18/052). IMMI 18/052 operated to:
· specify a cohort of persons who may hold a subclass 482 visa in the Short-term stream that may be eligible for permanent residency for subparagraph 5.19(5)(a)(iii);
· specify different time periods for paragraphs 5.19(5)(e), (f) and (g) which apply to specified persons, and for persons who experience a COVID-19 reduced work period or a COVID-19 unpaid leave period as defined in the instrument; and
· exempt certain persons from the operation of paragraph 5.19(5)(c) of the Regulations.
PM Scott Morrison and Indian PM Narendra Modi; Image Source: The Australia Today
India and Australia are planning to establish a taskforce to develop qualifications recognition arrangements to enhance two-way mobility for skilled migrants and students.
Education is the biggest connector in the bilateral relationship between Australia and India.
In recent years, India has overtaken China as the largest source country of international students. The statement notes:
“This important work showcases that Indian students continue to be a valuable part of our community.”
In fact, in Australia, fees collected from international students provide about 27% of total university revenue.
PM Narendra Modi and PM Scott Morrison; Picture Source: @SCOMO
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that this task force during their annual virtual meeting.
This task force will address the recognition of online and blended learning, joint degrees and offshore campuses.
It will help deliver a mechanism for expanding education qualification recognition between Australia and India by the end of 2022 and it will be implemented in 2023.
“The recognition strengthens the education relationship between the two countries and is testament to India and Australia’s ongoing commitment to collaboration.”
The present initiative to recognise Indian qualifications and degrees will support the implementation of the Australian Strategy for International Education 2021-2030.
Excellent discussion with my friend PM @narendramodi on our partnership, the Indo-Pacific, Myanmar & Ukraine. New initiatives include skills & innovation, maritime security, green steel, critical minerals & a Centre for Australia-India Relations to strengthen ties even further. pic.twitter.com/7Fn8KYOXsE
Stuart Robert, the Acting Minister for Education and Youth, said that this task force would consult with stakeholders.
These discussions will identify opportunities for the recognition of Indian higher education qualifications and to make recommendations to improve arrangements.
“Australia has a longstanding and strong relationship with India across education, skills and research.”
he added:
“This collaboration will serve both countries by expanding cooperation in education, and optimising mobility outcomes for Australian and Indian students and graduates, and our education institutions. Improved qualifications recognition arrangements will also underpin trade in professional services between Australia and India.”
This move will further strengthen bilateral education cooperation on the recognition of Australian qualifications to support sustainable growth of Australia’s high quality education services offshore.
This recognition would be beneficial for skilled Indian migrants whose degrees are not recognised and they end up doing jobs below their qualification level to survive in Australia.
PM Morrison and PM Modi at India-Australia virtual summit; Image Source: The Australia Today
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Indian counterpart PM Narendra Modi on Monday held a constructive virtual summit where they reviewed the bilateral ties and shared their respective visions to advance this partnership.
Both the leaders expressed satisfaction at the progress made under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established during the 1st Virtual Summit in June 2020.
However, PM Morrison set the tone of the this virtual summit by greeting Indian PM Modi in his native language gujarati.
“Kem Cho from Brisbane, Prime Minister Modi. Thank you for joining us today for our Virtual Annual Leaders’ Meeting. I very much wish we could be together with you in person, but that day I hope will soon come.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also warmed the meeting with thanking Mr Morrison for Holi wishes.
“I am grateful to you for your wishes for the Holi festival and the election victory.”
“On behalf of all Indians, I convey my condolences for the loss of life and property caused by floods in Queensland and New South Wales,” he added.
Mr Modi also expressed his satisfaction at the enhanced scope of the relationship which now covers diverse areas such as trade and investments, defence and security, education and innovation, science and technology, critical minerals, water management, new and renewable energy technology, Covid-19 related research, etc.
Prime Minister Modi thanked PM Morrison for the special gesture in returning 29 ancient artefacts to India. These artefacts comprise sculptures, paintings and photographs, across centuries, some dating back to the 9th-10th century, from different parts of India.
PM inspects the antiquities repatriated from Australia, in New Delhi on March 21, 2022.PM inspects the antiquities repatriated from Australia, in New Delhi on March 21, 2022.PM inspects the antiquities repatriated from Australia, in New Delhi on March 21, 2022.PM inspects the antiquities repatriated from Australia, in New Delhi on March 21, 2022.PM inspects the antiquities repatriated from Australia, in New Delhi on March 21, 2022.Indian PM Narendra Modi inspecting artefacts returned from Australia.
The artefacts include 12th century Chola bronzes, 11th-12th century Jain sculptures from Rajasthan, 12th-13th century sandstone Goddess Mahisasuramardini from Gujarat, 18th-19th century paintings and early gelatin silver photographs.
Mr Modi said, “Our relations have made remarkable progress in the last few years. Trade and investment, defence and security, education and innovation, science and technology – we have very close cooperation in all these areas. Our collaboration has grown rapidly in many other areas, such as critical minerals, water management, renewable energy, and Covid-19 research.”
“I heartily welcome the announcement of the establishment of the Centre of Excellence for Critical and Emerging Technology Policy in Bengaluru. It is imperative that we have better cooperation between us in cyber and critical and emerging technologies.
It is the responsibility of countries with similar values like us to adopt appropriate global standards in these emerging technologies,”
added Mr Modi.
Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Morrison for taking care of the Indian community, including the Indian students, in Australia during Covid-19 pandemic.
PM Morrison at India-Australia virtual summit; Image Source: Supplied
Both the leaders also appreciated the increasing strategic convergence between the two countries as fellow democracies with shared values and common interests, which include a free, open, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
The Ukraine-Russia War is tragic but our focus should be Indo-Pacific
PM Morrison acknoledged that the meeting of course is set against the very distressing backdrop of the war in Europe, which must never happen in our own region, and he very much thanked Mr Modi for the partnership that they have.
“While we are obviously distressed at the terrible situation in Europe, our focus, of course, is always very much on what is occurring in the Indo-Pacific and ensuring that those events could never occur here in the Indo-Pacific,”
stressed Mr Morrison
The Indo-Pacific region is facing increasing change and much pressure, and Mr Morrison thinks that Quad Leaders’ call recently, gave them the opportunity to discuss Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine, but it also gave them the opportunity to discuss the implications and consequences of that terrible event for the Indo-Pacific and the coercion and the issues that the region face.
“The tragic loss of life underlies the importance, of course, of holding Russia to account,” said Mr Morrison
“But cooperation between like-minded liberal democracies is key to an open and inclusive and resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific, and I welcome your leadership within the Quad to keeping us focused on those important issues,”
Mr Morrison added
PM Morrison at India-Australia virtual summit; Image Source: Supplied
PM Morrison said, CECA reflects the ambition that we share and we hold for our relationship, and the pace and scale of that cooperation, since we lifted ties back in 2020, has been remarkable.
“I am ambitious, as I know you are, to make it even closer, particularly when it comes to our economic cooperation, which I hope we’re able to advance further today.”
“We’ve made great progress in defence, maritime cooperation, science, technology, clean energy as well, which is something I know that Australia can work together closely with India.”
“Science, technology, energy and especially critical minerals and rare earths, and we’ll redouble our efforts, as I said, on our interim Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement to unlock new opportunities and benefits for both our economies. It will bring us closer to a full agreement as soon as I hope we can achieve that,” explained Mr Morrison.
PM Modi said, “I also want to say that remarkable progress has been made in a very short time. I am confident that the remaining issues will also be agreed upon soon.”
PM Modi at India-Australia virtual summit: Image Source: Supplied
“The early completion of “CECA” will be crucial for our economic relations, economic revival and economic security,”
added Mr Modi.
The two Prime Ministers also agreed that they would be increasing cooperation between India’s National Investment and Infrastructure fund, the NIIF and Australia’s Pension and Sovereign Fund, which is called the Future Fund.
To attract Australian investments in infrastructure development, India will offer the same tax benefits for Australia’s sovereign and pension funds in India as is given in Australia.
In other words, India is willing to match the tax benefits that Australia gives to its sovereign and pension funds. Once these funds invest in India they will get similar benefits.
Prime Minister Modi also proposed the early integration of digital payments platforms of both countries. This would greatly help almost one-million Indian Diaspora members in Australia.
He also stressed that there is also good cooperation between both nations in Quad. This cooperation reflects commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific because Quad’s success is very important for regional and global stability.
MoU on Cooperation in the critical mining sector
This is an MoU between India’s Khanij Bidesh India Limited and Australia’s Critical Minerals Facilitation Office, and would establish a framework for building partnerships in critical minerals investment.
This agreement would give India the opportunities to both invest in Australia’s critical mineral sector and get Australian expertise in this area.
Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement
There was also a letter of intent signed between India and Australia to work towards including a Migration and Mobility Partnership agreement on facilitating migration, mobility between the two countries.
This is something the two Prime Ministers referred to and said would be an area of great interest because it involves both education and technology and the involvement of younger people between two countries.
International Students: Picture Source: @CANVA
MoU between Prasar Bharati and the Special Broadcasting Service of Australia
It would basically allow for exchange programs, expertise in the media sector, and would facilitate daily slots on television channels in Australia for Doordarshan India – Doordarshan News and DD Sahyadri.
Defence and Security: General Bipin Rawat Young Defence Officers Exchange Program
Both sides announced the setting up of the General Bipin Rawat Young Defence Officers Exchange Program. This will enable younger officers from both sides to familiarise themselves in each other’s countries, and will greatly increase the service to service contacts between our countries.
There were several other initiatives with Australia in the sectors of space, science and technology, critical minerals, energy etc, which will be detailed in the joint statement.
During a special briefing following the conclusion of the India-Australia virtual summit between PM Modi and Morrison, the Indian Foreign Secretary said the Summit was very fruitful with a constructive, and warm exchange of views.
“The virtual summit reflects the close ties that exist between India and Australia, as also the shared vision of both Prime Ministers to advance this bilateral partnership,”
Mr Shringla said.
“PM Modi and PM Scott Morrison stressed on the high priority they attach to our bilateral relationship and the keen focus to enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership further between our two countries,” he added.
Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla; Image Source: The Australia Today
Shringla said that the summit today gave an opportunity to review the progress made since the last meeting which took place in 2020.
“In reiteration to commitment to a progressive Indo pacific region, both leaders discussed calibrating and cooperating with each other on support to pacific island countries for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief,” Foreign Secretary said.
“A significant outcome of the virtual summit was a decision to hold annual summits at the level of the Heads of Government, under the comprehensive strategic partnership. Australia would be the third country with which India will have an institutionalized annual summit,” he added.
Further, Shringla informed that the leaders exchanged their perspectives about regional and multilateral matters and global issues of mutual interest, including shared concerns such as terrorism.
People live in the present and make plans about the future without grasping their past like a ‘tree without roots. Similarly, many are sceptical about the relevance of things that happened in the past and question the practical implications of history but consider oneself without knowing your history, which is termed by scholars as like a vegetable without a past.
Therefore, if you are hungry to know about the past and have a desire to learn lessons for a better present and future, history is the cuisine to satisfy your appetite. Life without history means lacking objective, meaning, goal and vision, and it would be difficult to derive a sense of one’s life and the world that surrounds oneself will be in vain.
In order to understand the events around us, be it depicting reality in the movie ‘Kashmir Files’ or the historicity of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, it is necessary to analyse and understand the history behind any event or phenomenon.
History as a subject is opted by numerous youth that opens professional career as a history teacher in school, lecturer at tertiary level, archivist, archaeologist, museum curator, play writer, novelist, TV and media anchor, journalist, content managers, lawyers, social workers, administrators, social scientist and policy analytics, diplomats and political analyst, international relation experts, economist government jobs, writers and much more.
This op-ed explores the meaning of history, its value and its branches.
Meaning of History
E.H.Carr’s What is History? (1961) defined history as “a continuous process of interaction between the historian and his facts, an unending dialogue between the present and the past”. He compares historians’ work with that of a cook. A historian collects historical facts of significance similar to a cook who collects indigents to prepare his cuisine, takes them at home and cooks and serves them in whatever style appeals to him.
History and how to understand it; Picture Source: @CANAVA
Everything in the past is not history, only the things of historical significance, which are highlighted by historians by using historical sources selectively and bringing the story/action/event to floor for the audience. Thus, historians bring the past to life by analysing the facts. Therefore, in order to understand the present, one has to have knowledge of the past as the analysis and interpretation of history gives a vital context for evaluating contemporary institutions, politics, society and cultures.
Everything in the past is not history; only things of historical relevance are emphasised by historians by selecting utilising historical sources and bringing the story/action/event to the floor for the audience. Historians, through analysing evidence, bring the past to life. To comprehend the present, one must first understand the past, since historical study and interpretation provide a critical backdrop for analysing modern institutions, politics, society, and cultures.
History is the only field that explains historical causality, providing answers to five Ws (what occurred, who was involved, when it happened, where it happened, and why it happened) and one H (how did it happen) to create an event’s cause and effect link. It helps to understand the complex connection between continuity and change, further enhancing institutions and ideas’ origins, evolution, and perish. History acts as a laboratory in which evidence from the past is reviewed to determine why humans behaved in a specific manner in the past society.
Varieties of Discipline
History as an academic discipline saw classification during the 16th to 19th centuries, which became a specialised field of professional opportunity for many. There emerged a study of ancient and historical sites and artefacts (i.e. architecture, ecofact and cultural landscapes) known as Archaeology, which examines human activities through recovery and analysing the material culture.
Image source: WW1 Indian soldiers – UKPHA Twitter.
This field study is about prehistoric societies that lack written historical records and tries to comprehend the cultural history and interpret the changes in human culture across time. This involves surveying, excavation and data analysis to develop an understanding about the past.
The study of inscriptions or epigraphy, as writing; it is a science of identifying graphemes, defining their meanings, categorising their usage according to times and cultural settings, and deriving inferences about the writing and the authors is known as epigraphy.
An epigrapher or epigraphist is a person who uses epigraphic techniques, who are in charge of reconstructing, interpreting, and dating the trilingual inscriptions. An epigraph may be any kind of writing like grapheme (engraving in stones or metals), any form of writing on rocks, cast metals, precious stones, painting, and documents, on coins, inscriptional writing and others.
Another branch is the study of coins known as numismatics, which includes various currency forms like coins, paper money, currencies, medals, tokens, securities, and similar objects. The numismatists’ study of money’s physical embodiment includes economic and historical studies of money’s usage and history.
This is a broader study of money and forms of money that were used to resolve debts, exchange goods and other payment methods. Its objective is to study their physical properties, artistic values on coinage, technology and materials used for printing and minting, and historical usage. History also gives a platform to understand interdisciplinary fields like museology, archaeology, anthropology, ethnography, conservation studies and forms of fine arts.
Conclusion
History offers several sub-branches to study that can be categorised into significant branches, including political, social, economic, art, diplomatic, food, women, sciences, medicine, environmental, intellectual, cultural and others. Studying history will make one an informed citizen, critical thinker and awaken. Moreover, a variety of Professional opportunities are offered by studying history, but an aware historical person stands a better chance to understand the world’s past in the present to make the future better.
Author: Dr Sakul Kundra is an Acting Head of School and Assistant Professor in history at FNU. Views expressed are his own and not of this newspaper or his employer. Email. dr.sakulkundra@gmail.com.
Peter Malinauskas sworn in as South Australia’s 47th Premier; Image Shot: Video Still
South Australia’s 47th Premier Peter Malinauskas has been sworn-in after Labor’s decisive state election victory.
Mr Malinauskas took the oath of office at Government House on Monday.
Susan Close was sworn in as deputy premier and Stephen Mullighan as treasurer.
Mr Malinauskas is yet to reveal other members of his cabinet, though most who served on his front bench during opposition are expected to retain their roles.
With counting continuing, Labor looks set to hold at least 26 seats in the 47-seat House of Assembly, and is leading in two others.
One still in doubt is that of outgoing Premier Steven Marshall who is trailing his Labor opponent Cressida O’Hanlon in Dunstan.
Mr Marshall has indicated he intends to continue to serve as the local member if returned but has stepped down as Liberal leader.
Shortly before Monday’s ceremony, he also arrived at Government House to officially tender his resignation.
Mr Marshall said he had spoken with Mr Malinauskas on Sunday to again congratulate him on Labor’s victory.
“I hope that we can continue to work together in the best interests of South Australia,” he said.
Peter Malinauskas sworn in as South Australia’s 47th Premier; Image Shot: Video Still
“It’s in a very good position at the moment but there’s still much work to be done.”
The Liberals should retain 14 or 15 seats but are likely to lose a number of ministers from the previous administration, including Deputy Premier Dan van Holst Pellekaan, Transport Minister Corey Wingard, Child Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson and possibly Primary Industries Minister David Basham.
Peter Malinauskas sworn in as South Australia’s 47th Premier; Image Shot: SA Government
The new parliament is likely to include five independents with Dan Cregan in the Adelaide Hills, Geoff Brock, who shifted to the seat of Stuart in the mid-north, Troy Bell in Mt Gambier and Fraser Ellis in Narungga, which takes in Yorke Peninsula, are all set to be returned.
In Finniss, independent Lou Nicholson leads Mr Basham after the sitting MP was on the wrong end of a 19 per cent swing.
Despite no end to the war in Ukraine and a string of rate rises forecasted for the US, Australian shares recorded their best week since February last year.
Driven by gains in mining and energy the ASX 200 index gained more than 3% on the week in which the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time since 2018 and projected six more increases to come this year.
Helped by geopolitical tensions energy stocks led to the gains in Australia as crude prices rose on renewed fears of supply crunch due to growing sanctions on Russia. Paladin, Ampol, Woodside Petroleum Ltd, Beach Energy Ltd were the major beneficiaries of rising fuel prices.
Iron miners also rallied after China’s promise of a new fiscal stimulus to prop its economy boosted investor sentiment. BHP, RIO and FMG all gained on rising sentiment.
Increasing expectations of higher rates helped financial stocks improve by six per cent last week. Banks usually benefit more from higher interest rates as they can charge more.
It was gold stocks however that recorded their first loss in six weeks as investors moved towards riskier assets after chances of Russia’s default diminished.
Looking ahead ASX looks set to open higher and continue its move up on Monday after a strong session in the US on Friday. This week is a fairly quiet week for economic announcements, however, one date that will keep traders on the edge is the fast-approaching Federal Budget date on 29 March.
With economists expecting some sort of assistance arriving to help with the rising cost of living, it would be unusual if some indications and/or leaks does not start to appear this week.
The consumer confidence figures will also come out this week. It would be a surprise though if consumer confidence has not taken a hit given zooming petrol prices, floods, the Ukraine war, speculation of interest rate and the ongoing COVID19 pandemic.
Hit by interest rate hikes in the US and hopes of progress in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine the safe-haven gold recorded its biggest weekly drop since November.
Gold is fairly sensitive to rising interest rates as higher interest rates tend to raise the opportunity cost of holding non-interest paying bullion.
Media headlines of progress in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and new financial package stimulus announcement from China also lifted risk sentiments in wider financial markets last week, denting demand for safe-haven assets.
Having said that while the current geopolitical risks and inflationary concerns remain in place the longer-term interest in gold remains intact.
Oil declined for a second week straight, its first back-to-back decline since December, as intense volatility and geopolitical risks continued to upend markets.
oil price going up; Picture Source: @Canva
Both Brent and WTI crude ended the week more than 5% down after trading in a $16 range. Prices hit 14-year highs about two weeks ago, encouraging bouts of profit-taking since then. Having said that oil seems to have found its floor above $100 a barrel with no easy replacement for Russian barrels insight in a market already marked by tight supply.
The supply crunch from traders trying to avoid Russian barrels, stuttering nuclear talks with ran, dwindling oil stockpiles and worries of rising coronavirus cases in China hitting oil demand have all combined to create a roller-coaster ride for oil prices.
The volatility in oil recently has scared many players out of the oil market, which in turn have exacerbated price swings. The output from OPEC+ producer group in February undershot targets more than in the previous month as IEA has that oil markets could lose three million barrels per day of Russian oil from April.
The agency also noted in a statement on Friday that advanced economies could curb their oil demand by reducing speed limits and encouraging the use of public transport to ease potential strains on the market.
One of the most volatile corners of the oil market has been diesel, as Russia is a major exporter of diesel to the rest of Europe. Buyers continue to treat Russian crude with extreme caution as they are worried about damage to their reputation or falling foul of sanctions.
Petrol bowser filling car; Image Source: @CANVA
As such open interest in Europe’s main diesel contract have fallen by more than half from its high last year.
The Australian Dollar was all over the place during the course of last week as we continued to see a lot of noise in both directions.
The AUD/USD pair is highly volatile to risk sentiment and also levered to commodities, this combination makes it a bit of a headache to trade the pair at the moment.
Rising interest rates in US and investor cautiousness due to geopolitical risks have provided quite a bit of US dollar strength lately, whereas a rise in commodity prices have been providing a boost to Australian currency.
The AUD/USD pair started the week lower and continued its move down reaching a low of 0.7165 on Tuesday. From there, the pair appreciated more than 3% to end the week above 0.7400.
The AUD has continued to rally against a basket of other currencies this week as the positive employment data released last week spurred fresh hopes of monetary tightening by the Reserve Bank of Australia.
The number of employed workers increased by 77K in February, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, way above the 37K expected by the market. Last week also saw the unemployment rate drop to 4%. These figures have boosted hopes that the Australian Central Bank might consider accelerating its monetary normalisation plans, boosting demand for the Aussie.
Technically speaking the AUD/USD pair is now approaching resistance at the March 7 high of 0.7440. Once above 0.7450, the traders will be aiming for October 2021 highs of 0.7550.
On the downside, a bearish reaction from current levels might seek support at 200 SMA levels, now around 0.7300.
Last week in our report we mentioned that ex-pats from India living in Australia will be keeping a close eye to see if the local currency will go above 56.00 against the Indian currency in order to remit more money back home. That level was finally breached with the Australian Dollar closing at 56.39 against the Indian counterpart.
The Indian currency has been under huge pressure recently as high oil prices continue to hamper the nation’s growth. Last week RBI sold large quantities of foreign reserves to prevent the Rupee’s value from falling further.
The move saw India’s foreign exchange reserve fall by 9.64 billion, the most in two years. The week also saw India’s Special Drawing Rights with the IMF declined by $53 million and India’s reserve position in the IMF drop by $7 million.
Indian Rupee; Image Source: @CANVA
The Indian rupee had plunged to a record low of 77.02 against the US Dollar, before RBI’s selling of foreign reserves helped the Rupee advance to 75.89 against the US Dollar.
Moving on to digital currencies, the crypto assets had a strong week with Bitcoin gaining 7% last week as the interest rate hike by US Federal Reserve has had a minimal effect on the market.
Ethereum too surged 14% for the week and is now inching towards $3000. While Avalanche added 22% in the last seven days. In fact, not a single top 30 currency was down over the week.
The breakout story of the week however belonged to ApeCoin. The newly launched APE token immediately took off and is already amongst the top 40 cryptocurrencies by market cap.
In a positive week for the digital assets, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed that NFTs will be coming to Instagram. Rumours of a potential NFT pivot have swirled since January.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also officially signed a law called ‘On Virtual Assets’ last week, that legalises cryptocurrency in his country, as it continues to resist Russia’s invasion.
In agricultural products, grain prices underwent major corrections after media houses reported progress in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. After high price spikes during the previous week, the grains market took a breather as traders monitored diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
More than three weeks since launching its invasion which Moscow calls a ‘special military operation’, the Russian invasion has stalled and failed to capture a single big city. A World Food Programme official however said that food supply chains in Ukraine were collapsing with infrastructure destroyed.
Grain prices have been extremely volatile since the invasion as importers are heavily reliant on supplies shipped from Russia and Ukraine through the Black Sea. It seems it will be quite a while before grain moves out of Russia and Ukraine.
As such, any fall in prices should give traders an opportunity to buy grain futures as the market is likely to consolidate at high prices until it becomes clearer how long the Ukraine crisis may last.
Author: Ateev Dang is a trader and trading coach by profession. He runs a business called Glow trades Pty Ltd where he teaches anyone interested in starting their trading journey on how to trade. He can be contacted at adang@glowtrades.com.au.
Disclaimer:
The writers’ opinions in the above article are their own and do not constitute any financial advice whatsoever. Nothing published by The Australia Today constitutes an investment recommendation, nor should any data or content publication be relied upon for providing any investment activities.
We strongly recommend that you perform your own independent research and/or speak with a financial advisor or qualified investment professional before making any financial decisions.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold the second India-Australia Virtual Summit on 21 March 2022.
Both leaders will focus on the progress made on various initiatives under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
PM Morrison said in a statement, “I am pleased to announce that I will host the Honourable Mr Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India, for a Virtual Annual Leaders’ Meeting.”
Australia and India’s strong bilateral relationship is based on mutual understanding and trust, a commitment to democracy, and a shared vision of an open, inclusive, resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
“Prime Minister Modi and I will discuss deepening our trade and investment relationship and harnessing new economic opportunities to support our mutual economic recovery and growth,”
He added.
A range of regional and multilateral issues, including the situation in Ukraine and its implications for the Indo-Pacific, and Myanmar will also be on table for discussions.
The Summit follows the historic first Virtual Summit of 4 June 2020 when the relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
It is expected that the both leaders will commit to closer cooperation in trade, critical minerals, migration and mobility, and education, among others.
“I look forward to reaffirming our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and advancing our shared bilateral and regional agenda,”
said PM Morrison
Views on regional and international issues of mutual interest will also be discussed. The Summit highlights the importance attached by both countries to their bilateral relations as also their close cooperation on regional and global issues.
PM Scott Morrison and Indian PM Narendra Modi meet in Washington ahead of QUAD; Picture Source: @Twitter @MEA
This virtual summit will lay the way forward on new initiatives and enhanced cooperation in a diverse range of sectors between India and Australia.
The India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has maintained the momentum of an upward trajectory with both countries continuing to collaborate closely, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, in wide-ranging areas including science and technology, defence, cyber, critical and strategic materials, water resource management, as well as public administration and governance.
Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Morrison met in Washington DC for the first in-person meeting after the Covid-19 pandemic in September 2021 on the margins of the Quad Leaders’ Summit and jointly launched the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) in Glasgow on the margins of the COP26 in November 2021.
With the help of this model, researchers can “predict the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, potentially speeding-up the development of new vaccines.”
The Queensland Brain Institute’s Dr Pranesh Padmanabhan, working with researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IIS) has produced this model.
This research was a result of an international collaboration between the Queensland Brain Institute and the Indian Institute of Science and was published in Nature Computational Science.
Dr Padmanabhan said the research established a framework for predicting the efficacy of new vaccines against future strains of the SARS CoV-2 virus.
“The ability to predict vaccine efficacies could expedite vaccine development by helping shortlist promising candidates and minimise reliance on expensive and time-consuming clinical trials.”
Since 2020, researchers and scientists have been working hard to develop vaccines and keep ahead of its mutations.
COVID-19: Image Source: The University of Queensland
According to UQ, Dr Padmanabhan and his colleague analysed 80 individual antibodies from 20 studies to construct a mathematical model of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
Dr Padmanabhan said:
“The model we developed reliably predicted the diversity of the antibody response within and across vaccinated individuals.”
The team then analysed clinical trial data for eight major vaccines. They found a relationship between vaccine protection against SARS CoV-2 and the potential antibody response.
Dr Padmanabhan adds:
“The main predictions are the influence of vaccination on the severity of disease and the population-level protection conferred by the eight approved COVID-19 vaccines. Using this model, we aim to predict the efficacies of new vaccines against different variants without relying heavily on clinical trials.”
Prof. Narendra Dixit from the IIS said the major challenge was to understand and describe the vast variability in the antibody responses elicited by the vaccine.
“Overcoming this challenge would allow predicting the fraction of the vaccinated individuals who would generate strong enough responses to be protected from serious infection.”
Prof. Dixit further adds:
“By deducing links between the activity of antibodies, its variability, antibody generation by vaccination, and the resulting protection conferred upon populations, our study offers exciting insights into the workings of COVID-19 vaccines.”
With the help of this model, new vaccines may be able to be produced much faster by allowing scientists to “make decisions before clinical trials are over”.
On September 24, 2021, Quad partners Australia, India, Japan, and the United States announced the Quad Fellowship: a first-of-its-kind scholarship program designed to build ties among the next generation of scientists and technologists. Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative, will operate and administer the fellowship program in consultation with a non-governmental taskforce, comprised of academic, foreign policy, and private sector leaders from each Quad country.
This program will sponsor 100 exceptional American, Japanese, Australian, and Indian master’s and doctoral students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to study in the United States.
The fellowship will develop a network of science and technology experts committed to advancing innovation and collaboration in the private, public, and academic sectors, in their own nations and among Quad countries. The program will build a foundational understanding among Quad Scholars of one another’s societies and cultures through cohort-wide trips and robust programming with each country’s top scientists, technologists, and politicians.
The Quad Fellowship offers a unique combination of financial benefits, cross-cultural exchange, networking, and content programming.
Each Quad Fellow will receive a one-time award of $50,000 which can be used for tuition, research, fees, books, room and board, and related academic expenses (e.g., registration fees, research-related travel). All Quad Fellows are eligible to apply for separate demonstrated needs-based funding of up to $25,000 to cover costs related to completing graduate-level studies.
The Fellowship program has three core elements:
Pre-program: Upon selection to the Quad Fellowship, Fellows Elect will have access to a variety of virtual resources and programming designed to build connections within the cohort as they navigate the graduate admissions process
Core program: Beginning in August and extending through until the end of the academic year, Fellows will take part in a residential experience followed by virtual programming opportunities designed to deepen their understanding of topics at the intersection of STEM and society
Alumni program: Upon graduation from the Quad Fellowship program, Senior Fellows will have access to resources that support a lifelong network across cohorts and the Quad countries
Applicants must:
Be at least 18 years of age at the time of application
Be citizens or legal permanent residents of Australia, India, Japan, or the United States
Have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in a STEM field by August 2023
Have a demonstrated record of superior academic achievement at the undergraduate level
If applicants are currently enrolled in a Master’s or PhD program, they may apply if they will be enrolled in a qualified academic program during their time as a Fellow (i.e., August 2023 – May 2024)
The Quad Fellowship is also supported by a group of industry-leading corporate sponsors with track records of driving innovation and technological advancement.
Final decisions will be announced in October or November 2022.
For more details on the application process and required application materials, please see our Required Application Materials.
Indian-Australian truck driver Navonkar Singh will receive a Commendation for Brave Conduct from from the Governor-General of Australia for the courage he showed two years ago.
The Sydney-based truck driver has shown exemplary bravery at the McDougalls Hill Caltex service station on 6 December 2019.
Navonkar Singh had quickly shifted his truck away from the gas station when the cabin of his truck caught fire while fuelling. He told media:
“I jumped out of the truck to fill it up and then straight away I saw the truck had caught on fire. I started up the truck and tried my best to get it into the parking bay but in the meantime the fire just kept on spreading so there wasn’t a lot of time.”
Navonkar Singh re-entered the vehicle, and with smoke filling the cabin, he drove approximately 20 metres away from the fuel tanks until he was forced to exit.
He soon obtained some water and attempted to douse the flames, however the fire destroyed the vehicle before emergency services arrived.
Navonkar Singh safely managed to escape the blaze which was later taken care of by Singleton 444 Fire and Rescue team members.
Singleton 444 Fire and Rescue team member Chris Taylor told the Singleton Argus:
“The driver did the right thing. He got out while getting fuel and noticed that the cabin was on fire so he attempted to move the truck forward for the safety of the station.”
The Commendation for Brave Conduct is conferred for an act of bravery that is worthy of recognition and is the fourth highest Australian Bravery Decoration.
Releasing the March 2022, the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) observed:
“In a moment of peril, today’s recipients were selfless and brave. On behalf of all Australians, I offer congratulations and thanks. “No one sets out to be brave. No one really knows how, when presented with a dangerous situation, they will act.
The men and women that we are celebrating today acted bravely. Each of their stories is inspirational and speaks to who we all aspire to be. To recipients, wear the recognition you are receiving today with pride. We are proud of you.”
Australian Bravery Decorations recognise acts of bravery where people selflessly put themselves in jeopardy to protect the lives or property of others.
Two Australian Bravery lists are announced every year.
The independent Australian Bravery Decorations Council makes recommendations to the Governor-General regarding who should be recognised and at what level of award.
India’s Geeta Samota has climbed atop Mount Kosciuszko ( 2,228 mts), Australian continent’s highest peak on International Women’s Day.
Any girl is stronger than the mountain she chooses to climb. More power to all the Super Women who are putting in everything to fulfil their duties.#ProudCISFGirl standing atop Mount Kosciuszko, Australian continent’s highest peak on #InternationalWomensDay. Jai Hind!!pic.twitter.com/qb6SyZpopZ
Mount Kosciuszko is located in Kosciuszko National Park on the Main Range of the Snowy Mountains. It is part of the Australian Alps National Parks and Reserves in New South Wales.
Image source: Kosciuszko National Park – Wikipedia.
Congratulating Geeta, India’s High Commissioner to Australia Mr Manpreet Vohra tweeted:
My congratulations to @geeta_samota of #India on achieving this feat in . She has scaled the highest peaks of many other continents! I met her last week in #Canberra. Confident that she will Summit Mt. Everest soon! Her parent org #CISF must be so proud. @CISFHQrs@MEAIndiahttps://t.co/ZtDnZ6KJUw
The Kashmir Files opens with an innocuous scene of kids playing cricket in an icy landscape.
But what follows quickly leaves the viewer chilled.
Innocent, ordinary people going about their lives shot at point blank range simply for being the “wrong” religion; a kid brutally beaten for barracking for the “wrong” cricket team; ordinary housewives threatened with rape, forced marriage and conversion.
The film follows the journey of a Kashmiri Pandit family, witnessing through their eyes the brutality, the slow dismantling of the state structure, the indifference of the Indian government, the fear, the murders, the rapes, that led to the peaceful Hindu minority community having to flee their homeland.
Most of the scenes in the film are based on real-life incidents, but they are so gruesome that your mind boggles that any human would be capable of it – that too on the basis of religion.
In an inspired move, the film juxtaposes the current international narrative on Kashmir’s “freedom fight” with the events of 1990, the genocide, the ethnic cleansing of Hindus from Kashmir bringing a demographic change in the state.
The Kashmir Files; Image Source: Supplied
Using a fictitious university, modelled no doubt on the infamous Jawaharlal Nehru University of New Delhi (India’s capital), the film’s writer presents the arguments of those who support separatism in Kashmir. Doing so raises the film above the propaganda and forces the viewer into an intellectual discussion where facts dismantle the current narrative of victimising the separatists- prevalent in the west and among a set of people in India.
Retold after a gap of about 30 years, the story of what happened to a minority Hindu community in India’s Jammu and Kashmir is all the more shocking in hindsight.
Questions come to mind: How could such barbarity exist? Why didn’t the then government of India do anything? What will happen to Kashmir and Kashmiri Pandits? Will they ever be able to return home? And could what happen in Kashmir happen elsewhere in India or the world – and what can we do to stop it?
I will leave you with these questions because you need to find or seek answers to them.
Here is what the new generation of Kashmiri Hindus in Australia are saying about the film:
Riya Raizada, 24-year-old Australian-Indian Juris Doctor candidate at Monash University:
Riya Raizada
The cultural genocide of Kashmir is something I never learnt about despite having a direct connection to a side of my family who experienced it firsthand, and that is my own fault.
As the daughter of a Kashmiri woman who lived through the events depicted in Kashmir Files, I had a deep sense that I was being let in on a secret – a hidden part of my mother’s life. The Kashmir Files is difficult to watch, but the most necessary teachings of the world’s history often are. It is a harrowing film, and in a sold-out screening in Melbourne, it is hard to forget that it is a reality that many of the audience members would have been eyewitnesses to.
When you hear the word ‘genocide’, you think of the Holocaust in the 1940s, but you don’t think of Kashmir in the 1990s. This is due to the systemic suppression of information, the corruption of key political players at the time, and the creation of false narratives designed to conflict with history itself. Agnihotri highlighted this in his film and did not hesitate in this attempt to show the world the brutal truth of what occurred in Kashmir, what happened to Kashmir, and what happened to my relatives.
As a Kashmiri who previously had not been exposed to the reality of my own history, I am grateful that Agnihotri provided a masterclass in exposition via media – a point raised in the film itself – eventuating in The Kashmir Files. As a daughter, I am heartbroken but proud. As a law student, I am motivated and refreshed in my passion for justice. As a human being, I am disappointed in the past but hopeful for the future.
During the film, I heard the phrase ‘bilkul aisa tha’ multiple times, and this is a testament to the triumph of The Kashmir Files.
Aditi Razdan, 25-year-old Australian-born Kashmiri Pandit lawyer in Melbourne:
Aditi Razdan
The Kashmir Files is difficult for Kashmiris and non-Kashmiris alike to watch. At its core, the Kashmir Files bears witness to the atrocities that Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus) experienced in 1990 when they were displaced and dispossessed from their homes in Kashmir.
For non-Kashmiris, it may be difficult to grasp the multiple intersecting stories at once unfolding on screen. The plotlines transcend generational divides, time frames and ideological dispositions. The film struggles to move smoothly between the present-day discourses on the ‘Kashmir problem’ and the historical events in 1990. It attempts to present a commentary on disinformation and misinformation, particularly in our current political climate. At times it is a coming-of-age film for its young Kashmiri Pandit protagonist, Krishna Pandit. And the film is also a brutally authentic, fictionalised account of one Pandit family’s trauma and destruction. The force of each scene required a depth of prior knowledge, which most non-Kashmiris do not have.
The film poses different difficulties for Kashmiri Pandits. We are familiar with every scene and story in the film. The characters and narratives that we watched on screen echoed the lullabies, vernacular and cries we hear in our homes. We have grown up with stories of exodus, of fleeing. We understand the helplessness and betrayal Anupam Kher masterfully conveys in his role as the elderly Pushkar Nath. Non-Kashmiri audience members were palpably shocked at the brutality on screen – massacres of entire Pandit families in villages, survivors being forced to watch their families be murdered, Pandit women being terrorised and sawed in half, a Pandit woman being forced to eat rice soaked in her dead husband’s blood. But for Pandits, these scenes were not dramatisations. They are part of our community’s memory archives – archives that outsiders have seldom engaged with.
The Kashmir Files is, at times, lacking in cohesion and storytelling. Entire historical moments, or contemporary political discourses, are ‘told’ rather than ‘showed.’ Pushkar Nath’s four non-Kashmiri Indian friends represent the multiple Indian institutions that failed, and continue to fail, Kashmiri Pandits. Pallavi Joshi, as Professor Menon, evokes the frustrating Indian intellectualism that on one hand advocates for human rights, while simultaneously silencing and erasing Kashmiri Pandits from their homeland and stories. Kashmiri Muslims are depicted mostly one-dimensionally as antagonists, a role that is shared by the negligent governments of the day. The film attempts to thread together a multitude of people and institutions who were complicit or actively involved in the trauma of Kashmiri Pandits. Evidently, the nuance behind certain characters and events cannot be adequately woven through without many more hours of footage.
But for Kashmiri Pandits, this is the first time such a powerful and graphic account of our history has been widely consumed. Of course, the ‘Kashmir problem’ is hypervisible in politics and media both within and outside India. But hypervisibility has also desensitised and distanced people from the set of unique horrors that Kashmiri Pandits saw and felt in 1990. This film goes some way in reformulating this dynamic.
Notably, the film briefly explores the rejection by judicial and institutional actors to hold an inquiry into the murders of Kashmiri Pandits and the collusion of state and violent actors in the breakdown of Kashmiri society in 1989-1990. These are two issues that should be considered by future filmmakers. More importantly, the Jammu and Kashmir and Indian governments must understand that an inquiry is a necessary first step towards healing for Kashmiris. Without this healing, the ‘Kashmir problem’ and how it affects all Kashmiris – not just Pandits – will be hypervisible and unsolved.
For my parents, who were directly affected by the exodus, their tears speak to the emotional potence of the movie more than any commentary levelled at its plot development and historicity will. I can only hope that the hours of footage and oral history interviews that
informed this film will be made available so that the personal memory archive of Kashmiri Pandits can serve as an impetus for political and institutional accountability.
Note: We would like to publish your own take on the Film. Please send it to us on email: admin@theaustraliatoday.com.au with a photo of yours.
The Reserve Bank of Australia has warned there are uncertainties about how persistent the pick-up in inflation will be given recent developments in global energy markets and ongoing supply chain problems.
In the minutes of its March 1 board meeting, the RBA said underlying inflation was expected to increase further over coming quarters before moderating as supply chain problems are resolved.
“However, the war in Ukraine and the associated increase in energy prices had created additional uncertainty about the inflation outlook,” the minutes released on Tuesday said.
The board stuck to the script of being patient before lifting the cash rate as it monitors how the various factors affecting inflation in Australia evolve.
Still, RBA governor Philip Lowe warned at a business conference last week the annual rate of inflation could reach at least four per cent and a rate rise this year was plausible.
Reserve Bank Of Australia; Picture Source: @CANVA
Some economists expect annual inflation could reach as high as five per cent compared with 3.5 per cent now.
Consumers are already feeling the pinch from petrol prices rising to more than $2 a litre, pushing inflation expectations having jumped to a near 10-year high.
The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer survey found inflation expectations rising by 0.4 percentage points to 5.6 per cent, its highest level since November 2012.
Inflation expectations can in themselves create price pressures as workers chase higher wages as compensation.
The impact on household budgets from record petrol prices has also seen consumer confidence tumble 4.3 per cent in the past week to 95.8, its lowest level since October 2020.
“Households are certainly noticing the effect of higher prices on their finances,” ANZ head of Australian economics David Plank said.
The recent spike in global crude oil prices to around $US130 per barrel as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could see further rises in petrol prices in the short term.
However, oil prices were heading back down towards $US100 a barrel on Monday.
“If the recent fall in oil prices is sustained, we would expect inflation expectations to ease,” Mr Plank said.
Meanwhile, Australia’s manufacturing industry has perked up as a result of COVID-19 restrictions easing, although the sector is still suffering labour and material shortages.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Westpac survey of industrial trends survey found business conditions in manufacturing improved moderately in the early stages of 2022.
Image source: Big Four OZ banks – Wikipedia.
Its composite index rose into expansionary territory to 56.7 points in the March quarter after the flat 50.8 result in the December quarter.
“Consumers have embraced fewer restrictions, spending more freely, providing a boost to manufacturers,” Westpac senior economist Andrew Hanlan said.
However, the sector’s current growth pace is well below the brisk expansion experienced during 2017 and 2018 when the home-building sector was in a strong upswing.
ACCI chief executive Andrew McKellar said while manufacturing remained resilient in spite of the Omicron surge, expectations have been dampened by the continued volatility in the global economy.
“International supply chain bottlenecks are producing material constraints on a scale not seen in almost 50 years,” Mr McKellar said.
“With the costs of inputs increasing at a much faster rate than prices, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and soaring commodity prices will undoubtedly lead to further pressure on manufacturers who are already being squeezed.”
NSW Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man wanted on arrest warrants, as part of South West Metropolitan Region’s Operation Persistence.
Lovedeep Brar, aged 33, is wanted by virtue of outstanding arrest warrants in relation to aggravated sexual assault.
He is described as being of Indian Sub-Continental appearance, about 175cm to 180cm tall, of medium build, with black hair and brown eyes.
Lovedeep is known to frequent the Granville area.
As police continue to conduct inquiries into his whereabouts, they are urging anyone who may have information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Operation Persistence is a region-wide operation across South West Sydney aimed at arresting individuals wanted by virtue of outstanding arrest warrants.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.
According to the latest media release, a new investment partnership with India is set to unlock mutual benefits for both countries.
This partnership will be in Australia’s world-leading critical minerals sector.
Australia’s Minister for Resources and Water Keith Pitt said the Morrison Government has allocated $5.8 million to the three-year Australia-India Critical Minerals Investment Partnership.
Image source: Minister for Resources and Water Keith Pitt
Minister Pitt said:
“Australia and India are natural partners sharing mutual strategic and economic priorities and this partnership will support further Indian investment in Australian critical minerals projects.”
He added that it is the first of its kind and represents a step-change in how the two countries can work together to support key industries and pursue growth opportunities in this sector.
“Our combined capabilities will take on the challenge of resourcing the emerging technologies used in sectors such as defence, aerospace, automotive, renewable energy, telecommunications and agritech.”
Minister Pitt said Australia will work closely with India to identify potential critical minerals investment opportunities.
These include technical and due diligence exercises that can assist the development of a business case for prospective Indian investment in Australia.
“With our vast quantities of development-ready critical minerals projects and reputation as a reliable trading partner, Australia is a logical choice as India looks to secure its supply chains.
The partnership will encourage strong, strategic supply chain partnerships, including through technical studies that will support investment in Australian critical minerals projects.”
Population and growth experts believe that India is forecast to become the world’s most populous country within two years.
As a fast-growing economy, this growth in India will create more trade and investment opportunities for Australia.
On 18th February 2022, I had a sparkling evening at the Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to deliver a lecture by reviewing the theme of Domestic Tourism in academic literature used as a recovery and resilience strategy during a pandemic.
The theme was “Economy recovery and returning to tourism” at the event of the 2022’s first Business Forum and Celebrating Chinese New Year. The augusted audience was receptive to the ideas and took something home after the lecture.
This Oped throws light on some crucial issues of sustainability of domestic tourism during COVID-19 and its future viability. Although Fiji is a small island state, it also boosted its tourism sector by implying the “Love our Locals Campaign”, which proved successful.
COVID-19: International Tourism’s Catastrophe
Tourism is a volatile industry, as it faces many challenges. Coronavirus is a worldwide health epidemic that has produced an unprecedented catastrophe in the travel and tourism sector, internationally during the 21st century. It led to a downfall in the tourism industry, with millions of jobs lost following the suspension of international travel. That led to a loss of trillions of revenue due to the closure of national borders and lockdowns.
During a pandemic, destinations that are heavily dependent on international tourism tried to find a solution in promoting domestic tourism. Business and Political voices were pushing for the reopening of the economies. Domestic tourism promotion has been used as a recovery strategy in many countries.
Ramifications of a pandemic in the field of economic, social and health challenges were a cause of huge anxiety for nations who are dependent on tourism. They noticed the shutdown of borders, travel restrictions, national lockdowns, travel bans, cancellation of bookings, closure of businesses, bankruptcy, fall in occupancy rates and revenue, rise in unemployment and many made redundant. Tourism experts based on antecedent epidemics claimed the recovery shall take six to eight months, while others predicted it would be extended to 2021-2024. During the pandemic, international tourism was hit the hardest, and many nations moved towards domestic tourism as a recovery and survival strategy.
Domestic Tourism: Ray of Hope
The strategies of promoting domestic tourism included allowing cheap domestic flights as part of a subsidy-based recovery strategy and attracting the attention of people to opt for domestic vacations. Visitors may be enticed by low-cost stays, special deals, reduced VAT rates on tourist products, and digital advertisements. To encourage low-income travellers, give out gift cards/vouchers for use on their next business trip, and this implies “Enjoy Now and Pay Later”. Stakeholders tried to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment for both visitors and employees by using innovative methods. Tourists’ perceptions of the host country and its officials will be improved if they get vaccinations. Many nations commenced sanitation projects of the highest quality
Demand and Supply Side: Tourism Stakeholders
Tourism literature highlights risk perceptions of travellers, like the host destination’s health, hygiene, and privacy (Jiang and Wen, 2020), quality of healthcare implied [safety measures and physical distancing]. They also have a fear of contamination as a psychological factor. Here the media plays a pivotal role in developing the public opinion of a destination to travel. Travellers are also looking for the cleanliness of airports, public areas, hotels, restaurants, and other tourist sites is a top priority for travellers.
In and after the pandemic, there is a change in the Tourist psyche (Rogerson et al, 2021) that describes the rise of tourism ethnocentricism” [Individuals felt moral obligation to support the domestic tourist economy]/ “a patriotic duty”; travellers also consider ‘Home-is-safe-than-aboard Bias’ in comparison to travelling abroad.
Visitors shall be avoided in large groups and prefer less populated areas, or would prefer to visit a secure and familiar destination. Rogerson and others (2021) also described people prefer less inter-human contact, such as natural environment (Green Spaces)/ecotourism/ mountain/ green tourism and adventure tourism. There shall be a rise in preference for free spaces, air purity and water freshness.
After pandemic the mode of travel preference may also change, as there is a high perceived risk in travelling via cruise ships, air travels, public transport, so a preferred shift in mobility like private cars, motorbikes, rented cars, motor homes, self-drive tourism etc. (Rogerson et al, 2021). Future self-guided and self-driven trips may change over the group and organised tours.
Deterrents of demand-side included the affordability of tourism services by domestic tourists as they have low and less disposable income. They cannot afford to travel for leisure and pay premium prices. The pricing of tourism products needs to be reduced and subsidised to lure the local travellers. There is a need to make tailor-made domestic tour packages. If the price regulatory framework is implied, that shall motivate the local tourist to extend their stay over 1-2 days.
Supply Side on Domestic Tourism: Short Term Measures
In the perspective of supply-side/tourist managers, it has made them develop strategies that give a sense of security, satisfy the need for information and stimulate confidence. Measures like protocols are established and guidelines for the accommodation are provided in advance or through technology. Tourist managers have to determine different risks and enter requirements and establish flexible fully refundable cancellation policies to increase travellers’ confidence. There has been a use of apps for smart devices to support the digital transition.
Nations have established COVID-19 helplines for tourists, and tourists shall prefer room services in comparison to having buffets in future. Tourist stakeholders may establish clean/green and safe seals for tourist activities (Orindaru et al., 2021). The managers/stakeholders believe domestic tourism might not be sustainable as locals may not pay the premium prices.
Tourism managers see the low number of domestic tourists as a massive issue of concern. Offering discounts to tourists can motivate them to travel, but many experts believe domestic market resilience strategy is a short term measure/respite that can help the hotel to sustain for some time but cannot become a profitable business in the long run.
Other experts may have a contrary opinion. The experts in favour of domestic tourism as a sustainable mode of strategy believe the aggressive marketing among domestic tourism need to be supported by government and insurance schemes to provide access to health care away from home.
Conclusion
The research scholars believe that destination recovery should be with domestic markets and followed by regional and international tourism markets (Higgins-Desboilles, 2020). Confidence in travelling and risk perception will determine the speed of recovery.
They also believe that tourist stakeholders shall need government support (interest-free loans; provide funds for promoting domestic destinations). Domestic tourism initiatives help in mitigating perceived risk and kickstart the global tourism industry (Volgger at al. 2021). Domestic tourism strategy may be termed as short term strategy, but under pandemic, it has become the only ray of hope for existence.
Dr Sakul Kundra; Picture Source: Supplied
Disclaimer: Dr Sakul Kundra is an assistant professor in history and Acting Head of School, School of Arts and Humanities, College of Humanities and Education, at Fiji National University. The views expressed are his own and not of this newspaper or his employer. For comments or suggestions, email. dr.sakulkundra@gmail.com
A man from Pratten, Queensland, Australia, has faced court after he was officially charged with murder over the death of 61-year-old woman Krishna Chopra.
Police detectives carried out a two-month joint investigation with the Toowoomba Criminal Investigation Branch.
After this, the police arrested Krishna Chopra’s 33-year-old son-in-law Simon Jones in Warwick.
Detective Senior Sergeant Paul McCusker, from the Toowoomba Criminal Investigation Branch, told media that Mr Jones handed himself into Warwick police station.
“It has been quite a long time from the time this was reported to us. A lot of work has gone into this by a lot of police.”
Further, Detective Senior Sergeant McCusker said he believed the murder had been planned.
“I believe a domestic violence matter was part of the murder charge because of the relationship that we’re alleging between the person charged and the deceased.”
Krishna Chopra’s body was found in her Park Road home north of Toowoomba on January 31.
Police confirmed that Krishna Chopra died as a result of severe head trauma.
Police believed Krishna Chopra, who lived alone, died up to 10 days prior to the discovery.
Senior Sergeant McCusker added:
“Crows Nest is a great community with great community spirit, so to have an [alleged] murder in their community creates a lot of angst and concern.”
Mr Jones did not appear when the matter was mentioned in court. Also, his lawyers did not apply for bail when the case was heard in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court.
This case will return to Toowoomba Magistrates Court on May 20, 2022.
Australian shares closed the week lower as investors remained on edge all week in the face of potential stagflation as price growth in the United States hit a 40 year high.
Inflation in the US hit a 40-year high with many analysts expecting worse to come as the spike at commodity prices due to wide-ranging sanctions against Russia will reflect more strongly in the next figures.
With the inflation rate moving extremely quickly against stagnant economic growth it has now brought stagflation into the realm of possibility.
Australian investors were also on the defensive after Reserve Bank Governor Dr Phillip Lowe warned investors to prepare for rate hikes in response to inflationary risks.
According to Brad Smoling, Managing Director of Smoling Stockbroking, investors can now expect the interest rates in Australia to move mid-year rather than the end of the year at this stage.
Financial markets have already begun wagering heavily on a first interest rate rise by June, partly due to the US Federal Reserve expected to raise lift rates this week and several other major central banks have already tightened.
Reserve Bank Of Australia; Picture Source: @CANVA
The expectations helped the financials in Australia to notch 2.2% for the week to notch their best week in a month.
Technology shares that rely on easy money and benefit from low-interest-rate environments were hit particularly hard with local stocks down more than 3% on Friday alone. Technology stocks in Australia have now shed more than 20% so far this year, with shares in Zip Co now falling below their Share Purchase Plan price.
ZIP had earlier announced an SPP for a $1.90 issue price, however, with the stock now trading below $1.58, shareholders will be better off buying on market than through the SPP.
The telco sector also shed 1.6% for the week and has now been down for nine of the last ten weeks.
Shares in utilities, materials and energy stocks continued to show resilience in the face of determined selling as they stand to benefit the most from rising prices.
Moving forward the Russian invasion of Ukraine and retaliatory sanctions on Russia will continue to boost share market volatility this week.
Add to that an interest rate announcement by US Federal Reserve on Wednesday on the back of flying inflation and you have a very topsy turvy week in prospect.
Job Vacancy; Representative Picture: @CANVA
Traders will also keep a lookout for Australian job figures data, due on Thursday. It is widely expected that around 40,000 jobs were added in February.
Gold prices recorded a second straight weekly gain as no breakthrough was made in the first high-level talks between foreign ministers from Russia and Ukraine.
Bullion gained 1.2% for the week, although the yellow metal saw a dip on Friday as elevated US Treasury yields on the back of strong inflation data mitigated its safe-haven appeal. Gold is highly sensitive to rising US interest rates, as it increases the holding cost of non-yielding bullion.
Looking ahead we think gold is now consolidating as the likelihood of interest rate rise by US Federal Reserve on 16 March adding some pressures and Ukraine worries lending support.
Oil had an extremely volatile week, as Russia’s war in Ukraine continued and talks on an Iranian Nuclear deal stalled.
Oil moved lower initially as President Putin noted positive movement in talks with Ukraine. The black gold however soon rallied and ended up higher after Iranian nuclear negotiations were halted in Vienna.
Petrol bowser filling car; Image Source: @CANVA
A ban on Russian crude imports by the US and what looked to be signs of disunity amongst OPEC+ nations saw further volatility in the price of black gold during the week.
There have been indications though that Russian oil is being shunned more broadly after no buyer appeared in a recent tender for crude from the country’s the Far East.
Increasing penalties on Kremlin have prompted fear that an already tight oil market may be stretched further. Rystad Energy AS has predicted that Brent could soar to an eye-watering $240 per barrel by this Australian winter if countries continue to sanction Russian oil imports.
Brent saw a high of $139 a barrel and a low of $105 last week making it the widest trading range for oil in a week since turning negative in 2020.
Just like oil the Australian Dollar too had a wild ride this week as the implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine continued to cause confusion through commodity markets.
The AUD/USD pair bolted higher to a high of 0.7441 during the start of the week on the back of strong commodity prices. Energy, wheat, precious metals, industrial metals all recorded new peaks across the board last week.
The rest of the week saw an unwind of this move as Aussie got caught in a risk-off sentiment that it had been avoiding of late.
Until now booming commodity prices had sheltered the Aussie from the impacts of negative risk sentiment, making it the best performing currency since February. Many analysts, however, believe that the risk rotation seen during the second half of last week could be a rotation back to a scenario that sees the AUD vulnerable to market sentiment.
The uncertainty in local currency going forward will remain dependent on the key question of whether or not elevated commodity prices can overcome risk aversion.
Technically speaking as long as the price of AUD/USD sits above the key resistance of 0.7365 the AUD/USD bulls will be targeting a move towards 0.75 level.
On the downside, a break below the lows of the previous week could see the Aussie move down to 0.70 levels.
Indian Rupee; Image Source: @CANVA
Contrary to the Australian Dollar which has continued to move higher on rising commodity prices the Indian Rupee has continued to edge lower due to rising oil prices.
Many analysts believe that surging oil prices will push inflation higher in the coming months. Oil prices have jumped 12% in March alone and have doubled since December 2021. This in turn will push fuel prices higher and ripple out across the economy. Many analysts believe this will in particular impact the Indian currency harder as the Asian nation imports more than 75% of its oil needs.
So far the Reserve Bank of India has focused on growth over inflation/ However, with prices continuing to surge they may be forced to hike interest rates sooner.
With high commodity prices as well as the outflow of foreign funds from equity markets expected to subdue the Indian Rupee further this week, expats in Australia will keep a close eye to see if the local currency will go above 56.00 against the Indian currency in order to remit more money back home.
Moving on to digital currencies, last week was riddled with volatility for cryptocurrencies as Bitcoin’s price went on a wild ride.
Bitcoin’s price was trading around $39,000 on Sunday the week before and quickly headed south to $37,300 on Monday.
On Wednesday, however, the BTC rallied to $42K after there was a leak of the Executive order that US President Joe Biden was to sign, and it was perceived very well by the market.
However, the next day Bitcoin crashed back to where it was after US CPI numbers came out at highest since 1982 and raised expectations of an interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve this week. The price of Bitcoin was sitting near $38,300 at the time of writing the report.
Altcoins tried to follow Bitcoin’s price value for the most part of the week, but ultimately most of them ended up losing value in the past seven days. Ethereum was down about 8% for the week, BNB gave up 7.5%, Solana 14.6% and so forth.
All in all, it was an extremely volatile week for digital currencies that saw many leveraged positions being liquidated.
In agricultural products, wheat prices which jumped more than 40% the week before, reached an all-time high of $13.64 a bushel on Tuesday. The wheat prices have continued to rally in recent weeks due to supply disruptions from the Black Sea region following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The prices however then turned south quickly as a sharp increase in recent prices kept International buyers away, resulting in wheat markets recording their biggest weekly loss in eight years.
The US Department of Agriculture said on Thursday that weekly export sales of wheat totalled 370,200 tonnes. Analysts had previously forecasted for the weekly total to be up to 700,000 tonnes
Corn was little changed last week, while soybeans were up almost 2% for the week.
Author: Ateev Dang is a trader and trading coach by profession. He runs his own business called Glow trades Pty Ltd where he teaches anyone interested in starting their trading journey on how to trade. He can be contacted at adang@glowtrades.com.au.
Disclaimer:
The writers’ opinions in the above article are their own and do not constitute any financial advice whatsoever. Nothing published by The Australia Today constitutes an investment recommendation, nor should any data or content publication be relied upon for providing any investment activities.
We strongly recommend that you perform your own independent research and/or speak with a financial advisor or qualified investment professional before making any financial decisions.
Image source: Prof. Naba Dutta with coleagues at RMIT University
The Morrison Government in a joint Australia-India science and technology initiative has announced $5.2M in grants for Australia-India research projects.
These Collaborative Research Projects include conducting research to reduce preventable blindness and cut the cost of water quality management.
Image source: Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price
Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price said the project underlined the growing strength of the Australia-India relationship.
“The Australia-India Strategic Research Fund is strengthening the links between Australia and India and creating new innovation networks of global significance. These cutting-edge projects will benefit both countries and show what is possible when our leading research institutions and industries work closely together.“
The projects address six out of eight priority areas agreed to by our two governments, including quantum technologies, critical minerals, and infection prevention and control.
Minister Price added:
“I look forward to the development of these projects and further scientific and research cooperation between our nations in the future.”
The projects, successful Australian applicants and grant amounts are:
Development of low cost, portable and solar-powered optical sensing technology for online monitoring of contaminants in groundwater, University of Sydney ($979,931).
Prevention of blindness using digital technologies at primary care centres, The University Of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle ($912,000).
Research into the structural dynamics of SARS-Cov-2, University of Melbourne ($894,513).
Advanced recovery of the battery materials and rare earth elements from ores and wastes, University of South Australia ($905,881).
Development of a versatile protein mimicry platform to deliver the next generation of bioadhesives for mending soft tissues, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology ($525,380).
Quantum-enhanced atomic gravimetry for improved sensing capabilities, Australian National University ($1,000,000).
Image source: Prof. Naba Dutta, RMIT University
Prof. Naba Dutta of RMIT University’s School of Engineering posted on LinkedIn:
“OMG!!! This is an amazing success we were looking forward to for long time!!! It is thrilling to learn that our #AISRF (Australia India Strategic Research Fund) application ‘ #australia#scienceandtechnology ”#development of a versatile #protein#mimicry platform to deliver the next generation of #bioadhesives for mending #soft#tissues’’ have been successful and received significant support!”
He further added:
“The project’s success is personally euphoric since it will provide unparalleled opportunity to work shoulder-to-shoulder with scientists and scholars at alma mater -INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, INDIA; to push the frontier of SCIENCE forward in a cutting edge area of research on which we are working for more than decades.”
Prof. Dutta has been engaged in fundamental and applied research in the areas of Polymers, Biomaterials Engineering, Energy Materials for energy conversion devices including Fuel Cells, Thin Films & Coatings and Advanced Manufacturing for more than 25 years.
The AISRF is Australia’s largest fund dedicated to bilateral science cooperation and will help build links between Australia and India’s top universities, research institutions and the end users of scientific innovation.
Direct Flights between Sydney and Delhi; Picture Source: @CANVA
India will open regular international scheduled commercial flights operation from March 27.
This is after two years of suspension as part of measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation of the Indian government announced in a statement on Tuesday.
“After having recognized the increased vaccination coverage across the globe and in consultation with the stakeholders, the government of India has decided to resume scheduled commercial international passenger services to/from India from March 27, 2022, i.e. start of Summer Schedule 2022.”
The operations of scheduled international commercial passenger services to and from India was stopped on March 23, 2020.
This was a day before the government had announced the first nationwide lockdown to curb the rising number of Covid-19 infections.
Indian Australians at Airport, PictureSource: Twitter @RameshDutta
International flights are presently operating under the ‘air bubble’ arrangement signed with 37 countries.
This arrangement has limited airlines’ operations and hurt the profitability of airlines.
The resumption of commercial flights on regular international routes could also result in lowering of airfares.
Aloke Bajpai, co-founder and group CEO of online travel platform ixigo, told the Indian Express:
“The demand for international travel is picking up in India, and there has been a significant uptick in travel search queries for popular international destinations like Australia, Sri Lanka, the US and UK.
Travel search queries from India for Australian cities like Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney have jumped 15-20 per cent this month.”
The international flight operations from March 27 shall be subject to strict adherence to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health for international travel.
In 2018, India’s top destinations for wine imports were Australia (41 percent) and the European Union (38 percent)
In 2019, wine consumption changed increasing multifold from a mere one million litres per annum in 2001 to over 30 million litres.
Image source: India’s wine import by region – https://www.india-briefing.com/news/emerging-opportunities-in-indias-wine-market-investment-industry-potential-22334.html/#:~:text=Only%20recently%20has%20the%20culture,liters%20per%20annum%20in%202019.
Experts believe this increase is due to both local and foreign tourists in India.
Presently given the ongoing trade dispute with China, Australian winemakers are looking at new developing markets.
“We see huge potential for the Australian wine category in India. While it is only small currently, wine consumption is certainly on the upswing there, with growth of 3.7% CAGR between 2016 and 2020, according to IWSR.”
As the governments of both countries are planning to sign a free trade agreement, experts believe that this would provide access to the Indian market for Australian wines.
Stuart McCloskey, owner of The Vinorium, a major UK importer and retailer of Australian wines, told the drinksbusiness:
“We have had many discussions with our Aussie winemakers, and what stands out is how different their domestic market is to their export market. Fresh, light, natural, skin-contact and European varietals seem to be the key buzz words on the Australian wine scene. However, our export and sales figures paint a very different story, which concerns me greatly.”
Australian wine producers and stakeholders are also concerned that global consumers are aloof to the diversity of local wines.
The international consumers are mostly concerned with Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.
India’s upper and middle-class populace, a key market base, are yet to taste cool-climate Pinot Noir, Clare Valley Riesling and traditional-method sparkling wines.
67-year-old Hemalathasolhyr Satchithanantham, or her 34-year-old son, Bramooth
Bodies of two people found in a stormwater canal in western Sydney are believed to be Hemalathasolhyr Satchithanantham, 67, and her son Bramooth, 34.
Earlier, on Monday afternoon, their car, a white Mazda-3 was was found in the stormwater canal.
The car was discovered in Cooper Creek, in WentworthVille with only personal items believed to belong to the pair left behind.
Ms Satchithanantham was described as being of Indian/subcontinental appearance with a medium complexion, 165cm tall with a heavy build, dark shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes.
Bramooth was described as being of Indian/subcontinental appearance with a medium complexion, 180cm tall, heavy build with medium-length brown hair and eyes.
As the police officers were unable to find Ms Satchithanantham or her son, they soon launched an investigation and called for public assistance in finding the missing pair.
It is reported that at about 8.20 am on Tuesday, emergency services were called to the same canal.
This was done after someone reported that a woman’s body had been sighted in the water, near Hopkins Street in Constitution Hill.
NSW Police Rescue, police divers and NSW SES officers who were deployed to the scene, pulled the woman’s body from the water and sometime later also found the body of a man in the water.
The bodies are yet to be formally identified, but NSW police believe that they are Ms Satchithanantham and Bramooth.
Ms Satchithanantham was very devoted to her son, who had multiple medical conditions and was non-verbal.
Cumberland Police Area Commander Paul Devaney told the media that the deaths were a tragedy for all involved.
Up to 50mm of rain fell in the past 24 hours with widespread flooding forcing residents in many suburbs to evacuate.
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