June 25 - July 1, 2020 | Every Thursday Vol. 3 | Issue 11| FREE www.indiannews.co.nz indiannews.nz indiannews_nz indiannewz theindiannews Ph: +64 9 846 8080 FOR YOUR BUSINESS & LIABILITY INSURANCE Call or make an appointment for FREE QUOTE to review your current insurance JUST ONE PLACE Contact Ram - P: 09-846 9934 | E: [email protected] FOR ALL FINANCIAL SERVICES YOU NEED Mortgage Brokers Insurance Brokers Accountants Asset Finance Brokers For Quality Insurance and HEAD OFFICE BRANCH OFFICE 35 Morningside Drive, St. Lukes Level 1/203 Great South Road PROFESSIONAL Quick Claims Mt. Albert, Auckland Manurewa, Auckland Settlement Ph: 09 846 9934, Fax: 09-846 9936 FINANCIAL Ram Vashist Ravi Mehta Rohit Takyar Ameesha Sachdev SOLUTIONS GROUP M: 021 401 535 M: 021 181 0076 M: 021 172 8962 M: 027 540 5748 www.professionalfinancial.co.nz | Email: [email protected] Kiwi-Indian Labour candidate called a "curry candidate" in Hamilton (Page 3) • National picks India-China multicultural candidates (Pg 4) • Ekta's drop-in centre for stand-off students (Pg 6) • Covid updates (Pg 7,8,9) What really happened in Ladakh • Ayurveda self-care (Pg 19) (Page 12-13) • Yoga Day celebrations The Indian News is now a member of New Zealand Media Council (NZMC) (Pg 21) SERVICES OFFERED - PROJECT MANAGEMENT - DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT - CLIENT REPRESENTATION - BUILDING YOUR DREAM HOMES MONTHS INTEREST FREE 1*350% Deposit* Normal lending criteria apply UV protection in summer Can be custom made to your unique requirements Warm & Dry in winter Stylish & permanent Manufacturing shelters from top quality NZ Steel Premium UV safe roofing with 20 year warranty Custom making every single one to individual requirements For More Details Call Martin 027 478 7880 E: [email protected] WWW.ARCHGOLA.CO.NZ Don’t let Covid-19 impact your Home Ownership Dream Contact us today for a “Mortgage Planning Session” Disclosure statement available free of charge upon request Manoj Singhal Vins Grover 021 987 499 027 556 8484 0800 700 600 financematters.co.nz /financemattersnz /financemattersnz company/financemattersnz A Better New Zealand June 25 - July 1, 2020 I 3 Kiwi-Indian Labour candidate from Hamilton West called “a curry candidate” n the last issue, we published a while campaigning in 2017, and possibly • Gaurav Sharma Iconversation with Dr Gaurav Sharma, will face the same this election too,” he Labour Party candidate for Hamilton had said then. West, who noted how he had faced racism Now a week later as campaigning embraced me with open arms, during the election campaign of 2017. started in his constituency, Dr Sharma's “Over the last three days our and who I intend to represent, “Somebody told my campaign team fears have indeed come true. This is what volunteers have been hard at it is important that we then, ‘Couldn't you find somebody who happened on June 21 in his own words: work putting New Zealand acknowledge racism is still alive looked like us.’ So I have faced racism Labour Party signs up across in Hamilton and in Aotearoa. the town. This morning we I want to thank our amazing found out that one lovely supporter for hosting our sign Hamiltonian was harassed (which we have since decided to and verbally abused by two remove) and for standing up for sets of people for having signs me against the racial slurs. supporting ‘a curry candidate’. As I said in 2019 after the Racial discrimination is not Christchurch mosque attacks, new to me. Neither in politics how we deal with racism as a nor in other spheres of life. community and as a country Last election I found some will not be decided by how people refused to shake my many bouquets of flowers or hand, not because they did cards we leave at the mosques not believe in my political and how many social media ideology or that of my party's messages we write but by how policies but because my skin we stand up for others, when tone did not match theirs. As next time another adopted kiwi people in streets of Hamilton is being racially targeted. said to my good Pākehā friend Speak up not for any one and campaign volunteer ‘could religion or one community, but you not find a candidate who for our collective identity as a looks like a New Zealander’, it peaceful and diverse country. A shocked me. country that may not be perfect While these incidences do but is definitely our home, my not represent the majority of home. people in Kirikiriroa who have ” 4 I June 25 - July 1, 2020 NZ POLITICS National picks multicultural candidates - Bala Beeram standing from Kelston is of Indian descent, while Nuwanthie Samarakone in Manurewa is of Sri Lankan descent and Agnes Loheni in Māngere is of Samoan descent ast week, the opposition National Party announced three candidates, all standing Agnes Loheni in Māngere is of Samoan Lin various electorates in Auckland, who belong to multicultural communities of descent New Zealand. Ms Loheni is an accomplished business India, with a Masters woman in the manufacturing, export and in Chemistry retail sector as an owner of the Pacific and worked as a fashion brand called MENA. Established chemistry teacher fifteen years ago as a home business for a secondary in Samoa, the business expanded its school in India. operation to Auckland 10 years ago to Bala moved to expand its wholesale and export channels. New Zealand in In 2010, the business was awarded the MIT 1999. He is an active Pacific Business Trust ‘Pacific Exporter’ member of the Award. Telugu community Passionate about growing Pacific in New Zealand In between raising her family and success and enterprise, Ms Loheni and was President building a business, Ms Loheni completed provides her time freely to mentor small of the New Zealand her Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical & business owners and is regularly asked to Telugu Association Materials) degree from the University of share her business journey at community, for a term. He is Auckland. She won the SunPix – Pacific school or business networks events. still involved with Peoples Award for Enterprise in 2015 Ms Loheni has been a National Member the New Zealand and was the MIT Pacific Business Trust of Parliament since early 2019. During this Telugu Association Exporter of the Year in 2010. term she has been the Party’s association and Telangana Ms Loheni is of Samoan descent was spokesperson for Small Business and New Zealand born and educated in Auckland. She lives Pacific People and has been a member of Association, helping in Auckland with her husband and their the Social Services and Community Select to organise events five children. Committee. and meetings. Bala contributes significantly to his local community. He has organised a tree Bala Beeram in Kelston is of Indian plantation program, Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi descent blood donation events, fundraisers for cultural activities, and a major National List MP based Bala Beeram is currently working badminton tournament to name a few. in Manukau East as a Supervisor for a Food and Meanwhile, after his selection, Pharmaceutical testing company. He has Reddy on his Facebook page noted, been living in Avondale for the last 21 “I just wanted to hop on here and say 1/131 Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland years, he lives with his wife of 25 years Thank you to the National Party for 09 278 9302 and his 19-year-old daughter. selecting me again as the candidate [email protected] He comes from a background in for the #2020 General Elections for the Kelston electorate. I am so proud to be bakshiks agricultural farming and his parents bakshi.co.nz are still working as farmers today. He representing my electorate again and I graduated from Bhopal University, in hope you all support me.” For JP services please contact Nuwanthie Samarakone in offshore markets, notably Singapore, Rahul Chopra on 09 278 9302 Manurewa is of Sri Lankan descent Hong Kong and Australia. Some of the work ICE has been Nuwanthie Samarakone is the involved in includes building programs founding CEO of ICE (Inspire, Create, to support women to return to the Engage), an early-in-careers people workforce after a break in their consultancy firm specialising in careers, and attracting students to the designing, delivering and developing public sector schemes for organisations looking to Ms Samarakone is also a trustee of build talent pipelines for the future. the Well Foundation charity board, the Born in Sri Lanka, Ms Samarakone official charity supporting North Shore attended Glendowie College and Hospital, Waitakere Hospital and Local completed a Bachelor of Health Community Health Services. Sciences at Auckland University. Outside of her work, Ms Funded by the Parliamentary Ms Samarakone’s experience Samarakone’s interests include health, Service. Authorised by Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi MP, building and running her own business wellbeing and fitness, nature and the 1/131 Kolmar Road, has given her a unique perspective on environment, dance and music. Papatoetoe. the demands of small to medium sized (All biographies are courtesy businesses in New Zealand, as well as National.org.nz) NZ POLITICS June 25 - July 1, 2020 I 5 Getting our economy moving again e are now at Alert level 1 which Budget 2020 continues this work as have ended, too, including on planes, are covid free before re-entering society. Wmeans that New Zealand has we look to recover and rebuild better. trains and buses. I think we can all be very proud of what one of the most relaxed restrictions on We’re creating new jobs building roads Gatherings of any size can occur at we’ve achieved, and rightly enjoy our new our gatherings, our business exchanges and houses, redeveloping hospitals and Level 1.