south asian generation next issue 216

02 | SOUTH ASIAN GENERATION NEXT | 16-12-2010 www.sagennext.com


The 2nd annualDoaba night organ-ised by the Doaba

Niwasi Welfare associationon the night of Saturday,December 4 proved a bighit. The organisers estimat-

ed at more than 500 per-sons had thronged to jointhe celebrations held at abanquet hall in Etobicoke.Even very cold windsproved no hindrance beforethe enthusiasm displayedby the members of theAssociation .

According to pressrelease by Sarvpreet

Minhas, President andSahil Kapila, Secretary ofthe Association, they areindeed thankful to theDoabias who added to theirjoy by joining the Night insuch vast numbers and nexttime they will indeed go infor bigger arrangements.Indeed, those present at theNight were seen enjoyingthe tasty snacks-both vege-

tarian and non vegetarian-to their heart .The scenewas very similar to the onefound at a marriage cele-bration way back inPunjab. Greetings werebeing exchanged with oldfriends hailing fromDoaba, part of Punjab.

The celebrations startedwith the national anthem-O Canada- and soon themanaging committee of theAssociation, found itselfbeing introduced to theselect audience. Then camethe much awaited perform-

ance by about 60 artistes ofG.P.D.House of Bhangraand almost everyone sittingaway from Bhangra venuewas seen getting up fromthe seat and surging for-ward to have close look atthe performers. The threeBhangra items won everyheart and also appreciationfor the organisers. TheGiddha item by small girlswas also a very hit item .But the most praised itemin the celebrations hap-pened to be the musicalchair race joined by about

30 well-dressed ladies.Every time a Lady suc-ceeded in getting the chair,she was loudly cheered bythe friends and relatives.The scene of small childrenpresenting filmi songs wasworth watching.

The six hour celebrationsfrom 6 PM to 12 PMappeared to be wellenjoyed by those coming to

participate there givingmuch relief to the manag-ing committee ofAssociation. The mainattraction of the Night hap-pened to be honour beinggiven to the veteran

Punjabi athlete KesarSingh Punia who has wonnearly 500 medals in vari-ous national and interna-tional Athletic competi-tions. Those gracing theNight includedConservative leaders PanHundal, Baljit Gosal andAdvocate ManpreetMinhas.

DOABA NIGHT 2010, ABIG HIT, 500 TAKE PART


Contributors:

Kuldip NayarDr. Hasan AskariSuresh MadanNatascha TrivediAnurag GuptaYesha ShahDr. Hassan AbbasDr. Farooq HasnatSona DhawanWaris HussainAsma AmanatRahul MehtaRupinder KaurHarminder KaurSaniya ZahidAnuj SharmaQasim A. NihangBillal M. SarwarKartiga ThavrajMyuri KomagiriSarah ZahidMewren D. MartinsPaul BhasinSana HashmiRamya BajajPoonam PatelAli AbbasNamrita KhatriBilal RajanNida ShamsiSanchari Sur

Tani RaviZareen MuzzaffarFatima KazmiZarish AhmedDaanish MaanTania JauraRuby LatifKiran TakraniNabeel AhmedIqra AzharTehreem RehmanVijay MehtaAunt SassyJacaquline ChatterpaulRavinder Virk.

Special Thanks to ourElected Representatives:

MP Deepak ObhraiMP Micheal IgnatieffMP Rob OliphantMP Jack Layton

Minister Kathleen WynneMinister Deb MatthewsMinister Harinder TakharMinister Micheal ChanCouncillor Carolyn Parrish

PublisherAfaq Farooqi

South Asian Generation Next is a weekly magazine published by South Asian Generation Next Inc. Generation Next provides information on wide range of subjects andissues in good faith and broader interests of the community. The content of Generation Next may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the pub-lishers. The views and opinions expressed in Generation Next are not necessarily shared by the publisher. Generation Next does not endorse views or opinions of its writers,

but gives opportunity to its readers to express themselves through opinion pieces and emails and letters to the editors at [email protected].

Canadian PoliticsOntario: leading job creation in Canada -

Minister Chiarelli

Air India Tragedy

By Rupinder Kaur

Advice for to-be MPPs

By Asma Amanat

Visitors Require visa fairness

By NDP MP Olivia Chow

South Asian Politics

Time to Break the ice By Kuldip Nayar

Economic Viability of Pakistan Dr. Hasan Askari

Community

New Community Health Centre for 905Belt

Youth for human rights

Politics

Community Organization India Rainbow Empowers by Imparting Social

Structure info

Culture Doaba: A Big Hit

Shiamak's Winter Funk Magic

Interview Music is storytelling - Suba Sankaran

Satish Takhar: From Struggles to being a CCEO

Showbiz

Horoscope

Culture & Society

09

10

07

06

19

20

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04

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So it'sC h r i s t m a sseason. Santa

parades and thejovial mood is in theair in spite of chill-ing frosty winds.Christmas partiesare being held allover the place andpeople who arewatching weight areworried. Well asSouth Asians wehave even more toworry about when itcomes to pounds.We have been cele-brating sinceSeptember when

there was Eid-ul-Fitr, then there was Garba, then Diwali, then Eidul Adha, then the birthday of Guru Nanak ji and now it's theHoliday season. Cookies in mouth watering flavours and shapes -one can hardly resist the temptation! And the deals on some of the items we keep thinking about

throughout the year can be alluring too. Nonetheless, Canadians

are being careful inhow they spend theirmoney. According toIpsos survey 25 percent Canadians are

inclined to spend less than what they spent last year on Holidaypresents for family and friends. Higher taxes on goods and itemsin Canada have made Canadians to turn to American retail marketacross the border to the United States. To attract them manyretails stores offered packages to Canadians on Black Fridayweekend, nonetheless more people chose to spend money in theUnited States.But in this cheerful weather, expenses are not the only thing to

worry about. One needs to be especially careful in how you dressup and drive. Roads are slippery and even the most experienceddrivers have hard time navigating through slushy local roads andhighways. Your car breaks might not work as they normally do inclear warm weather. And your car can be impounded if you aredrunk and driving. SO be careful!

BE SAFE!

Contact Us:To write to editors, please email us at [email protected] advertising related inquiries, please write to us at [email protected]

Addr ess: 776 Dundas St. East, Suite 203, Mississauga, ON L4Y2B6 Ph: 905-279-5600 | Fax: 905-270-0046 Website: www.sagennext.com

A man walks past a completely buried vehicles during a winter storm that

dumped over 31 inches (80 centimeters) of snow in London, Ontario, Canada,

Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Dave Chidley)

www.sagennext.com06 | SOUTH ASIAN GENERATION NEXT | 16-12-2010

I t's the holiday sea-son. It's a time forfamilies to come

together and celebrate theend of the year and thebeginning of a new one.For many Canadians, it'san opportunity to invitefamily members from for-eign countries to spendtime with them in theirhomes across Canada.However, when theyapply for a visitor visa,they are routinely deniedor left waiting for theirapplications to beprocessed.

This is becoming a big-ger and bigger issue andthe government keepsslapping band-aids on allthe wrong problem areas.

As the New Democrats'Immigration critic, I amdemanding changes to thecurrent visitor visa sys-tem, which will addressthe arbitrary approvalprocess and lack ofrecourses for unsuccess-

ful applicants. Denying entry to people

who simply wish to cele-brate at weddings orremember loved ones atfunerals, with no reason-able explanations is cruelnot only to them, but alsoto their friends and fami-lies.

Fellow NDPMPand mycolleague, Denise Savoie(Victoria) recounted arecent case in whicheleven Burmese partici-pants, in an annualAnglican faith exchange,were refused visitors'visas, in spite of a com-mitment by the AnglicanDiocese of BritishColumbia and a 12-yearrecord of all participantsreturning home withoutincident. Savoie appealeddirectly to theImmigration Minister'soffice but was refused.

If the Minister ofCitizenship andImmigration is unwillingto take the word ofCanadian church officialsabout a group of priestswith unbreakable ties totheir home parishes, thenwhat hope does an ordi-

nary citizen have in spon-soring their family mem-ber to visit Canada?

The NDPis asking thegovernment to establish afree and fair appealsprocess, and a transparentprocess for refusals.Decisions appear to bemade on a whim, andrefusals seem to be morelikely for applicants whoare not from Europeancountries. Without a freeappeals process, like inthe UK and Australia,applicants are left highand dry.

Examples continue in awide array. From IndianArmy officials attendingthe G20 summit, toWinnie Mandela, GeorgeGalloway and the 60 dele-gates to the UnionFrancophone desAveugles - all have beengiven no real informationor reason about why theyare barred from coming toCanada.

Then there are 200,000visitors who cannot cometo celebrate special occa-sions like family wed-dings. There are no clearcriteria, guidelines or

standards for entry. Thatis arbitrary and unaccept-able.

When will we have fair-ness for visa applicants?

Olivia Chow is NDP

Member of Parliament forthe federal riding ofTrinity-Spadina.

MP OLIVIA CHOWNDP Immigration and

Citizenship Critic

VISITORSREQUIRE VISA

FAIRNESS

I n her annual meetingwith South Asianmedia, Dr. Ruby

Dhalla, MP fromBrampton-Spr ingda leurged the South Asiancommunity "to worktogether to support ouryoung people."

Speaking of the drugissue, she said "As a youngMP I go to schools to talkto students and the teachersabout the drug issue" toencourage youth "to devel-op solutions to issues" theyface.

Acknowledging the sac-rifices of seniors, Dr.Dhalla noted that "my obli-gation is to raise the issuesof pension and housing atthe Parliament."

When it comes to immi-gration, she noted thatthere are increasing num-ber of people that are abus-ing Canada's immigrationsystem by getting intofraudulent marriages. Such"backdoor" means to gainentry into Canada, shesaid, are "unjust and an

insult to Canadians." She also urged the South

Asian community to sup-

port initiatives to fightdomestic violence in SouthAsian families.

WE MUST SUPPORTOUR YOUNG PEOPLE

- MP RUBY DHALLA

Team Dhalla

MP Ruby Dhalla with Sukhdev Liddar, Presidentand , Amarjit Grewal, VP of Brampton SpringdaleRiding Association


I n recent municipalelections, we wit-nessed a large number

of South Asians as candi-dates in races for mayor,regional councillors, coun-cillors and school boardtrustees.

In many instances, whenthese candidates wereinterviewed or spoke ondebates, it appeared thatthey know very little abouthow the municipal govern-ment functions.

At other times, theymade false promises ofbuilding colleges and hos-pitals in their communities,a commitment they cannotfulfill as it is outside ofmunicipal jurisdiction.

Many of these SouthAsian candidates went tofile nomination papers withtheir friends. However, ontheir way out, we learnedthat they had filed theirown nomination papers aswell. Most of them werereal estate agents or mort-gage brokers with almostno record of public service.Many in the communitybelieve that it was "a cheapmarketing strategy to gettheir name out."

Instead of backing onestrong South Asian candi-date, many South Asiancandidates practically ranagainst one another encour-aging "their" community,or dare we say, their clientsto vote for them.

"In this municipal elec-tion, hundreds of peopleparticipated only to run,not to serve," saidBrampton City CouncillorVic Dhillon. "If you wantto serve in 2014, youshould start working now.You can't run in an electionby filing nominationpapers one month before[the election]," he added.

Does South Asian com-munity vote for a SouthAsian candidate?

"South Asian peopledon't want to give power tothe person who doesn'tunderstand the system,they want to give power tosomeone who knows thesystem and is deserving,"Councillor Dhillonresponds.

"I didn't distinguishbetween any community inmy election campaign andwhen I am in the office. Iput out the information asto what I am and what Ihave done. I think theSouth Asian communitieswelcomed my message ofbringing the cost of spend-ing and government undercontrol and to reduce tax

burden," says Toronto CityCouncillor John Parker.

There were only about 10South Asian candidates

who ran against CouncillorParker in Ward 26 ofToronto.

With changing demo-graphics of the GTA, thereis a realization that target-ing the ethnic communitiesis critical, however theproblem is "they don'tcome out [to vote] in thesame numbers as estab-lished Canadians do," saysMississauga CouncillorRon Starr.

Here's an advice for thosewho are aspiring to beelected officials from

Councillor Starr. "You can'tfocus on smaller problemsor the ethnic problems, youhave to focus on the bigissues faced by the entirecommunity."

Any new candidate"should understand whatthe needs of the communi-ty are whether it is at feder-al, provincial or municipallevel. I am a good person.And I have friends support-ing me" is not a goodenough reason to serve in apublic office explains Mr.Starr.

The first question a to-becandidate must ask himselfor herself is "Why do youeven want to run?" said Mr.Starr who beat veteran Ms.Carloyn Parrish in therecent municipal elections."Because I can do a goodjob. Well, that's not goodenough. You have to have aspecific reason to run," Mr.Starr says. "You have to beable to draw all peopletogether."

We have yet to see aSouth Asian who is able todraw all communitiestogether.

Many South Asian candi-dates in interviews gotangry when asked specificquestions about the jobthey were applying for, notknowing or comprehend-ing what a councillor orregional counillor is sup-posed to do if elected.

"Sometimes I wonderedat the candidate debates ifthey knew what being theCity Councillor means. Ifelt like asking them [SouthAsian candidates] do youthink this job comes withthe magic wand. I did won-der if there was a seriousunderstanding of what thelimits of the jobs of the citycouncillor are and howmuch you can accomplishgiven the constraints likebudget and taxes," saysCouncillor Parker.

"When we had ourdebates I found that a lot ofcandidates didn't reallyunderstand the issues. Forexample they were criticiz-ing the council for not hav-ing the open biddingprocess..without realizingthat the bidding process hasto be kept confidentialbecause different develop-ers are bidding to providethe best possible deal to theCity," says Mr. JohnSprovieri, RegionalCouncillor of Wards 9 & 10of Brampton.

"Some candidates werenot good candidates..theydidn't understand the dif-ference between the coun-cillor and the regionalcouncillor and the impor-tant issues of the communi-ty," Mr. Sprovieri adds.

At one point, Mayor ofBrampton Susan Fennellwas completely exasperat-ed by one South Asian can-didate's suggestion that theMayor and the CityCouncil should have spentfederal stimulus dollars ona hospital and a college inBrampton rather thanspending it on Zum,Brampton Rapid Transit.

In an interview withGeneration Next, Mayor

Continued on pg 20

SOUTH ASIAN TO-BE MPPs: DOYOUR HOMEWORK, PLEASE

"In this municipal election, hun-dreds of people participated onlyto run, not to serve,"

Brampton City Councillor VicDhillon

"Y ou can't focus on smallerprob-lems or the ethnic problems, youhave to focus on the big issuesfaced by the entire community,"

Mississauga City Councillor RonStarr

"I felt like asking them [SouthAsian candidates] do you thinkthis job comes with the magicwand,"

Toronto City Councillor JohnParker

"South Asian community is verygood at getting the word out,"

Mississauga City Councillor ChrisFonseca

"Some candidates were not goodcandidates..they didn't under-stand the difference between thecouncillor and the regional coun-cillor,"

Brampton Regional CouncillorJohn Sprovieri

BY ASMA AMANAT


" In appointingCommissioner Majorto scrutinize the

institutional failings thatled to the worst terroristattack in Canadian history,our Government has lis-tened and has acted in theinterests of victims whenno other governmentwould," said MinisterToews. "The Air IndiaInquiry Action Plan is aroadmap to help ensure thatsuch a terrible and sense-less act does not happenagain."

Mahesh Sharma and hisfamily is one of the victimsof the terrorist attack onboard Air India flight.

During the unveiling cer-emony of Air India memo-rial site, he said "today wegather here to do some-thing good for the membersof the families. We havelived in agony for about 25years, a whole 25 years,and after the end you aretired. The things were putback, and everybody wasdepressed, but I'm verythankful to HonourablePrime Minister Harper."

"In appointingCommissioner Major toscrutinize the institutionalfailings that led to theworst terrorist attack inCanadian history, ourGovernment has listenedand has acted in the inter-ests of victims when noother government would,"

said Minister of PublicSafety Vic Toews. "The AirIndia Inquiry Action Plan isa roadmap to help ensurethat such a terrible andsenseless act does not hap-pen again."

"Our government would

like to thank the families ofthe victims in the bombingof Flight 182, which wastruly an act of uncon-scionable cruelty, for theirongoing efforts and consul-tation with our governmenton this Action Plan." saidJason Kenney, Minister ofCitizenship, Immigrationand Multiculturalism."This Action Plan demon-

strates our government'songoing commitment tocombat the evil of terror-ism so that other familieswill never suffer the sameloss. As we move forward,our government commitsto an ongoing consultative

role for victims' familiesthroughout the Plan'simplementation."

However the oppositionparties decried "Harpergovernment's Air India"Inaction Plan.""

"More than six monthsago this government wasgiven a clear mandate withthe release of the Majorcommission report on the

bombing of Air India flight182. There were more thansixty recommendationswhich included the creationof a Director of TerrorismProsecutions, the modern-ization of the CSIS Act andthe dedication of resources,

including staff, for theenhanced role of ournational security advisor,"said Liberal Public Safety

Critic Mark Holland, in aspecial teleconference callfor multicultural media.

Liberal Foreign Af fairsCritic Bob Rae, whoauthored "Lessons to beLearned," the initial reportwhich recommended

Justice John Major's com-mission inquiry, expressedhis deep disappointmentthat virtually nothing was

said about a plan for com-pensation for the familiesof the victims.

"From the very begin-ning, this government hasdisplayed a paternalisticattitude toward the victim'sfamilies. When JusticeMajor stated the federalgovernment bore signifi-cant responsibility for whathappened to their lovedones, he was specificallyaddressing the question ofcompensation."

"To hear nothing aboutthis more than six monthslater represents an aston-ishing dereliction of duty."

Liberal MulticulturalismCritic Rob Oliphant addedthat the government'sresponsibility to takeMajor's recommendationsseriously should not beviewed as a gesture toappease one communityhere in Canada, however.

"The impact of Air Indiaaffects all Canadians. Thiswas the worst terroristattack in North America.Not only are the familiesunable to have closure overthis tragedy, but allCanadians who livedthrough it and grieved forthe loss of innocent lives."

"A true action plan wouldacknowledge thatCanadians expect this gov-ernment to act uponMajor's recommendationsand would back it up withthe substance to prove it."

AIR INDIA TRAGEDY: THE WORSTTERRORIST ATTACK IN THE

CANADIAN HISTORY


Child, Youth andP a r e n t i n gProgram (CYP) is

one of the programs ofIndia RainbowCommunity Services ofPeel whose sole mission isto provide cultural and lin-guistically specific sup-portive counseling, crisisintervention and parentingsupport to South Asianfamilies within Peelregion.

The Program is designedto empower immigrantchildren, youth, parentsand care givers by offeringconcrete informationregarding Canada's "socialstructure", social norms,emerging issues facingyouth and children, perti-nent laws, rights andr e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s .Supportive counseling foryouth and families isoffered on a one-to-onebasis on matters related todealing with duality of cul-tures, and when necessary,crisis intervention. Familymediation provides sup-port to both youth and theirfamilies, who are strug-gling with cultural identi-ty/social norm balance,peer pressure, family vio-lence, special needs, navi-gating the school system,mental health, and settle-ment, disability and crimi-nal/family justice systems.

With strong partnerships

and collaboration withboth Peel school boardscommunity youth/childorganizations and expertsin developmental disabili-ty, mental health and crisissupport sectors, we workcollaboratively to find cul-turally appropriate solu-tions to common day today issues such as:

n Dat ing /A r rangedmarriagenAlternative career

choicesnHanging out

with/type of friendsnBullying n M S N / F a c e

book/Telephone conver-sations nCutting Hair for Sikh

AdolescentsnWearing Hijabs nFriendship with

members of the opposite

sexnAcademic expecta-

tionsn"Under" employmentnCareer counselling

and assistance with uni-versity/college choicesnChange in family

structur e and disciplinechainnLanguage and cultur-

al barriers

As the following successstories will illustrate,India Rainbow's CYPprogram played a pivotalrole in helping changetwo families lives.

"I came to IndiaRainbow after I had runaway from home and wasstaying at a shelter becausemy parents were too afraidto let me have a life. Thecounselor at the shelter

suggested I call IndiaRainbow because theymight be able to help meget back together with myparents They spoke to myparents and arranged ameeting for all of us tomeet and talk. After that Ileft the shelter andreturned home and now Ihave my first part time job,friends my parents and Ilike, I even take the bus tothe mall, have my owncomputer and we are allmuch happier" Thank-YouIndia Rainbow!!

When this newcomerfamily found out her fami-ly was granted a visa tomove to Canada, she wasvery excited about theprospect of a new begin-ning. Her life in India hadbeen difficult. Her husbandstruggled with alcoholismand the marriage had been

rocky. She hoped the moveto Canada would be a freshstart for the couple andtheir two children. Twomonths after they arrivedin Canada, Her hopes forher marriage were crushedwhen her husband abruptlyleft the family and returnedto India. When the childrencame home from schoolthat day, Mom told themtheir father was gone.

As months went by,money became tight andtensions ran high in thehome. The children arguedall the time and Mom anddaughter were constantlyat odds. Both childrenwere depressed and actingout. Now a single parent,Mom had to work longhours to make ends meetand did not know how tohelp her children.

A school counselor con-

nected the family withIndia RainbowCommunity Services ofPeel, a United Way-fundedagency. India Rainbowprovided parenting sup-port for Mom and individ-ual counseling for her andthe children. It helpedbridge the gap of commu-nication between motherand daughter, and createda circle of understandingwithin the family.Counselors helped daugh-ter, now 17, and son 16deal with their father leav-ing. Mom was connectedwith a bridging programand is currently beingfunded to attend college toupdate her education. BothThe children are in fulltime college

Mom is very grateful andcan't imagine where sheand her children would bewithout the support."Having someone to talkto made all the differ-ence," she says. "It reallystabilized our family."

If you need a friendlyperson to speak with, orknow of anyone who mightbe in need of help, you cancontact India Rainbow'sMississauga office at 905275 2369 or their branchoffice in Brampton at 905 -454-2598. All services arefully confidential and pri-vate.

INDIA RAINBOWEMPOWERS BY

IMPARTING SOCIALSTRUCTURE INFO


Twenty-five yearsago, we wereshocked at the

brutal, senseless murderof 329 people on boardAir India flight 182. Alarge majority of the vic-tims were Canadians trav-eling to India.

Sadly, previous govern-ments failed to recognizethat fact and dragged itsfeet in calling for a publicinquiry, taking concretesteps to prevent a similartragedy and providingcompensation to the vic-tims' families. It's hard totell if it was because ofrace and that the victimswere not "visible"Canadians. Regardless ofwhat the excuse was, thesimple fact remains thatjustice and action shouldhave happened 25 yearsago.

I remember then-PrimeMinister Brian Mulroneycalling India's then-Prime

Minister Rajiv Gandhishortly after the bombingof that fateful flight, withcondolences. It was notedthat Mr. Gandhi correctedMr. Mulroney and said ifanything, he should becalling Canada and offer-ing his country's condo-lences instead, since thevictims were primarily

Canadian. That anecdotealways reminds me wherethe Canadian govern-ment's mindset was at, andwhere it should have beenall along.

This past week theConservatives came outwith an "Air India ActionPlan". I admit it containedsome positive steps,which we welcomed. Butit also lacked depth anddetails. All in all, it's a"plan", a strategy or map

for the government to fol-low - it's not legislation orlaw.

When reviewing theirplan, what struck me mostglaringly was the omis-sion of any mention offinancial compensationfor the victims' families.

Why is the governmentsending MPs across the

country to break groundand set up memorialswhen proper, adequateand fair compensationpayments have never beenoffered to the familieswho have already sufferedso much?

During the last election,the Conservatives rantheir campaign on promis-es of greater accountabili-ty, yet they rejectedJustice John Major's keyrecommendations from

the Air India inquiry. Whywon't Stephen Harpertable a report in the Houseof Commons explainingwhich recommendations

will be implemented andwhich will not?

Opposition parties havelong called for improve-ments to the federal wit-

ness protection programand have always support-ed appropriate informa-tion-sharing amongstsecurity agencies - twoproblems identified duringthe inquiry. However,stronger action to combatterrorist financing andlegislation to strengthenCanada's judicial systemare also urgently required.

The government's plandid contain elements thatwent beyond the Majorinquiry recommendations,which raise some con-cerns that the Air IndiaAction Plan may be usedas a kind of Trojan horseto push unrelated meas-ures, like giving police thepower to detain withoutcharges.

Justice Major was clearthat he wanted an officialreaction to his report fromthe government. For thesake of the victims of theAir India tragedy, I wishthe government hadoffered more than just alimited reaction and actu-ally did more.

Rupinder Kaur is presssecretary of NewDemocrats.

RUPINDER KAURis Press Secretary for

Canada's NewDemocrats

AIR INDIA ACTION PLAN FALLSSHORT OF REAL ACTION

Why is the government sendingMPs across the country to break

ground and set up memorials whenproper, adequate and fair

compensation payments have neverbeen offered to the families whohave already suffered so much?

A section from the wing of the crashed Air India

jumbo jet is unloaded from a Norwegian freighter

in Cork, Ireland, on June 25, 1985. (Reuters)

Not being broughtup in India, I vio-lently reject old

fashioned ideas of thestereotypical mother-in-law as projected by manyIndian television shows.Where the daughter-in-lawis always obedient, sub-servient and a total slave tothe domestic politics of analmost-always huge man-sion-like house. Where thesaas and bahu cannot hap-pily co-existb e c a u s ethere isalways at u g - o f -war overt h eson.

Where there is always anevil, conniving vamp(another bahu, or theunmarried sister, or thewidowed aunt; take yourpick) in cahoots with oneof the servants hell bent ondestroying the peace andquiet of their heavenly (andultra over the top) abode.Where the women arealways dressed in their bestsarees and jewellery, evenif they are only going tobed. To sleep.

I mean, come on! In aw o r l d

w h e r ee v e n

Bollywood is changing(no, I am not talking aboutthe increasing number ofmake out scenes) to imitatereal life, why is the audi-ence stuck on to watchingshows whose storylinehold no close resemblanceto reality?

Starting this year, Yashrajfilms did attempt to comeup with something haatke[dif ferent]. Somethingother than the daily dramasoaps. However, despitebeing a hit with theyounger genera-tion (ahem, likem e ) ,Rishta.Com,S e v e n ,P o w d e ra n d

Maahi Way did not godown well with the saas-bahu shows addicts. Afteronly a run of six months,due to low TRPs, these rev-olutionary shows died asudden death.

My grandmother in Indiadidn't even know what Iwas talking about when Imentioned the new showsto her. "What? Rishta dotwhat?" she screeched fromthe buzzing telephone line."I am happy watchingKyunki Saas Bhi KabhiBahu Thi". Because moth-er-in-law was once a

daughter-in-law. Shewent ontoregale mewith the

l a s tepisodew h e r et h eh u s-

band's first wife shows upbut she is pregnant with hischild. (Don't ask).

What makes me madthough is not how insidi-ously integrated these saas-bahu shows are in theIndian telly watching cul-ture, but how often we for-get that these are unrealis-tic "made-up" worlds man-ufactured to distract usfrom our utterly normal(and perhaps, boring, forsome) daily lives. Forexample, I cannot imaginemy granny calling meshameless if I didn't wearthe traditional sal-war kameezwhile beingin India. Infact, my lib-eral granny(who ironi-c a l l yenjoys

these aforementioned vileshows) didn't even bat aneyelid when I told her ofmy former boyfriendbelonging to a differentreligion. She nodded wise-ly and said, "As long as heis a good guy".

The point is, just as I can-not understand and standthe Twilight hype that hastaken over the minds ofevery single girl/womanfrom as young as eleven toas old as forty and over, Ifail to grasp the everincreasing and continuedpopularity of these showsthat barely come close toreality.

As my former highschool psychology teacherwould say, "Arey, it's pureentertainment!"

I guess, for now, I cansatisfy my curiosity withthat, except the mindless-ness of it all is immenselyfrustrating. I think I need togo watch my Sex and the

City collectionall overagain.

SANCHARI SURToronto

PERFECT RECIPE FORA PERFECT AFFAIR:SAAS - BAHU TELLY SOAPS


I t was a Canadianuncle from BritishColumbia who "fasci-

nated' him and his family"with a story of Canada" tomove to Canada back in1996. After leaving a suc-cessful career as aChartered Accountant inNew Delhi, Satish Thakkarfaced tough time finding ajob in his profession.

Recalling his difficultiesin finding work, Mr.Thakkar says "when youhave a cushy life, itbecomes very hard toadapt." "Between opportu-nities and obstacles is avery thin line," he contin-ues. Nonetheless his deter-mination won over theobstacles. He passed hisCGA exams in December1997 believing that "If wecan create opportunities inour home towns, why can'twe do it here."

"Our old Scriptures areinspiration of what we doin our real life," he saystaking solace in spirituality.After working with a groupand gaining "exposure inCanada," Mr. Thakkardecided "to start his ownventure."

"I picked up my firstclient from Tim Hortons.Working for someone andworking on my new ven-ture is very different. Yourown work is very self satis-fying," he reminisces fond-ly.

Mr. Thakkar is thePresident of ExcelsiorFinancial Group. ExcelsiorFinancial Group is a fullservice business and finan-cial consulting firm. Theyprovide services in fourcore areas: financing,accounting, business con-sulting and taxation. Inshort it is FACT.

With a client from TimHortons to owning a fullservice boutique Business& financial consultingfirm, Mr. Thakkar hasgrown tremendously. Sowhat is the secret to suc-cess?

"Our clients are ourspokesperson. Keeping theclient's interest is the toppriority," says the President& CEO of ExcelsiorFinancial group. Puttingclients first & exceedingtheir expectations isExcelsior's mantra.

"Our strong network ofprivate investors and insti-tutions help our clients getthe capital they need to get360 degree turn to their

business." Mr. Thakkar's clients

have grown from verysmall companies toimmense corporate houses."We've watered that seed,"he says proudly.

"I did a lot of financingdeals even at a recessiontime," he adds. As the eco-nomic downturn has cometo almost an end, "the costof borrowing has beencoming down and betterdeals are offered for newbusiness acquisitions &expansions," Mr. Thakkarsays.

For his excellent servicesand dealings, most of thebig banks have recognizedMr. Thakkar for

Outstanding Business. As an accountant, Mr.

Thakkar lets us in thesecret of the HarmonizedSales Tax (HST) "Some ofthe services that wereexempt before havebecome part of the HST. Itis a step which the provin-cial government hastaken..it will help the busi-nesses in improving theircosts on the long run, butimmediately it's a bit of ahit because it's a cash outflow problem, and some ofthe consumers do get hit asthey have to pay the HST13% on some of the goodsand services exempt fromPST before. The govern-ment is taking initiatives to

compensate in variousways in shouldring thatburden."

Does the South Asiancommunity protest when itdoesn't like any govern-ment initiative?

"We have to do a lot ofwork on that side. Yes weare becoming moreengaged and involved butwe should be getting ourvoices heard." There arechallenges for recent immi-grants though. ThePresident of one of thefinest business & financialconsulting firms of Torontoadmits that people gothrough "the real struggle"to make ends meet. "Howcan we mentor them [new

Canadians] from day one isa challenge."

"Canada is a multicultur-al country. We have aninsight of almost everynationality, language andculture. We should beworking towards becomingthe best trading partner inthe world," he says.

But are we?"The realization is grow-

ing," he says confidently,referring to Canada IndiaFree trade talks. Mr.Thakkar is also VicePresident & DirectorFinance & Administrationat Indo-Canada Chamberof Commerce (ICCC).

Conceding that there islack of awareness of how

businesses will benefitfrom the free trade agree-ment, Mr. Thakkar says"it's the collective responsi-bility of the government,organizations like ICCCand the community" to talkto people about it.

But there is another rea-son for many businesses'lack of knowledge aboutCanada-India free tradetalks and various opportu-nities lying in the rest ofthe world.

"Many businesses aredoing business withinCanada. Canadian econo-my thrives on small andmedium enterprises whoface lot of challenges andconstraints whileapproaching internationalmarkets."

As an executive memberof ICCC's board, Mr.Thakkar encourages entre-preneurs to take a trip toIndia to attend PravasiBharatiya Divas conven-tion in New Delhi inJanuary 2011.

With a 13 year old daugh-ter and a 9 year old son,Mr. Thakkar stronglybelieves that parents needto spend more time withtheir kids. In his opinionthe key issue that the SouthAsian community faces is"parents' not havingenough time to spend withtheir kids. At least one par-ent has to sacrifice if otherparent's professional lifedoes not permit the timeavailability. He proudlyacknowledges the sacrificeof his beloved wife RimpleThakkar, who is also a co-owner of ExcelsiorFinancial Group towardshis success. Yes we arehere to make money but atthe same time, our kids areour best investments."

"Kids are more independ-ent and how you nurturethem and how you instill inthem all the values is up tothe parents" is another real-ization many South Asianparents need to make.

As someone who hasmoved up in the social andeconomic ladder in theCanadian society, Mr.Thakkar's message is sim-ple "Canada has immenseopportunities. Everyhuman being has immensepotential and we should tryto help each other in hon-ing that potential so thatthey can learn how to getahead. Believe in your-self."

SATISH THAKKAR:FROM PICKING UP A CLIENT FROM TIM HORTONS

TO BEING A CEO OF EXCELSIOR FINANCIAL GROUP


ON G8 ANDG20 SUMMIT

Drawing an analogybetween Bill C 49 and theG-8 and G-20 Summit thissummer, MP JustinTrudeau, LiberalCitizenship andImmigration Critic said"This is all aboutpolitics withoutreally a concernfor rights and lib-erties. ThisC o n s e r v a t i v eParty has no con-cern for the factthat Bill C 49 is notcompliant with theCanadian Charter ofRights andFreedoms. Theyh a v e

ignored that. This makesparallels with the case ofOmar Khaddar, a youngman born in Scarborough.He was a child soldier. Hewas the only Western citi-

zens stuck inG u a n t a n a m o

Bay. The

Conservative governmentrefused to step up. DuringG8 and G20 summits, peo-ple's rights were put in dan-ger. There were some badpeople but danger of prop-erty damage is not a reasonto cattle the whole bunch ofinnocent protestors. InCanada we have a pre-sumption of innocenceuntil proven guilty. It is oneof the cores of Canadianfreedom. At no point werethe protestors any menaceto any of the heads of thestate at the G8 and G20Summit.

In 2007, we celebrated25th anniversary of theCanadian Charter of Rightsand Freedoms, but thisHarper government never

even issued a pressrelease or

maybe ifthey

did, it was late at night onFriday as they like to do."

ONMINISTER'SARBITRAR YPOWERS

Bill C 49 gives discre-tionary powers to theMinister of Citizenship andImmigration. In 2008,when the Bill was intro-duced at the House ofCommons to give discre-tionary powers to the

Minister, a number ofLiberal MPs were absentfrom the vote, letting thelegislation to pass.

Responding to this, MPTrudeau said "the Ministerasked for and received dis-cretionary powers - eventhough Liberals weren't thatcrazy about it - because shesaid they will be able toreduce the backlog in thatway. What they[Conservatives] ended updoing was changing theway that they were desig-nating and calculating the

backlog..[it]didn't reallyresult in much improve-ment. So the idea of givingthe Minister arbitrary pow-ers to divide genuine, legit-imate refugees - not therefugee claimants - therefugees who are deter-mined by the Canadianssystem..into two categoriesis not the power that any-one should have."

MP Justin Trudeau wasmeeting with the membersof the media at an editorialboard meeting held atDiversity Media Services.

NO MINISTER SHOULD HAVE ARBITRARYPOWERS TO DIVIDE REFUGEES

- MP JUSTIN TRUDEAU, LIBERAL CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION CRITIC

Police detain a man in this video shot by bystander John Bridge.

The Hon. BobChiarelli, Ministerof Infrastructure

said out of about 8,800projects in Ontario onlyabout 166 will not be com-pleted on time.

"Premier McGuinty and Ihad called for an extensionof deadline and urged thefederal government to doso. We are very pleasedthat PM Harper has extend-ed the deadline. There are8800 projects and 98.9 percent of these projects willbe completed on time. Thatsmall percentage that willnot be completed on timerepresent 166 projects and$150 million and over5,000 jobs. That's why wesupported extension," saysMinister Bob Chiarelli. MPChiarelli was touringClarkson CommunityCentre in Mississauga. Hewas joined by MPPCharlesSousa, Mississauga CityCouncillor Patricia Mullinand Mr. Bruce Carr,Director of StrategicCommunity Initiatives,City of Mississauga.

The infrastructure fund-ing has been increasedfrom $2.5 billion in 2002-03 to $15.9 billion in 2010-

11. "By their actions, Tim

Hudak's Conservativesopposed creating jobs inMississauga South whenwe needed them most,"said MPPCharles Sousa.

The Ontario government

believes that injectingstimulus funding into infra-structure resulted in jobcreation.

"Ontario is leadingCanada in job creation,"Minister Chiarelli said. Heindicated that jobs createdare "significant" with thehigher percentage of fulltime jobs replacing the parttime jobs. He noted that

with more and moreOntario students graduat-ing from colleges and uni-versities, they have access

to "smart jobs." In his preliminary assess-

ment, Auditor General JimMcCarter indicated thatthe Ontario governmentexecuted infrastructureprojects without much duediligence and without clear

goal of job creation. With Mr. Rob Ford's

election as a Mayor ofToronto, Transit City's

future is hanging in bal-ance. Mayor Ford preferssubways to street cars. Themoney has already beenallocated and the work hasstarted. Cancelling thoseprojects may result infines in millions of dollars.Regardless the Ontariogovernment respects theMayor and Toronto CityCouncil's decision, hopingthey will make a "wise"decision.

"There is democraticallyelected Council and it'stheir decision to determinewhere they want to go.They will be successful, orless successful or they willfail depending on howwise they are in theirchoices as a Council andrepresentative of the popu-lation of the city ofToronto [is up to theCouncil]. We will not dic-tate..It's a very very diffi -cult challenge," saidMinister Chiarelli.

Minister Chiarelli madeit clear that the provincewill not be bearing respon-sibility for any penaltiesincurred as a result ofabandoning the project.

In the US midterm elec-tions, Americans votedagainst President Obama'sstimulus injection into the

US economy. Commentingon that Minister Chiarellisaid "there's a huge differ-ent between the US fund-ing and what's happeningin Canada." He stated thatthe experts agree that tocreate jobs, "meeting theinfrastructure deficit" isnecessary. Mr. Chiarellinoted that in the US a lot ofmoney went into health-care services, but not tobuilding hospitals.Additionally the economicpay off has not resulted injob creation.

Although the govern-ment is investing in proj-ects like pool revitalizationat the ClarksonCommunity Centre, what'salso to be noted is that sofar there hasn't been a con-crete strategy to reach outto new Canadians who arefour times more likely tobe unable to swim accord-ing to Lifesaving Society.Most of more than 90swimming related deathsthis year were among newCanadians.

Responding to the con-cern, Minister Chiarellisaid "The Minister ofHealth Promotion has donesome significant work inpublic safety in thatregard."

"ONTARIO IS LEADING CANADA IN JOB CREATION,"BOB CHIARELLI, MINISTER OF INFRASTRUCTURE

(L to R) Bruce Karr, Dir. of Strategic Community Initiatives City ofMississauga, MPP Charles Sousa, Minister Chiarelli and Mississauga CityCouncillor Pat Mullin at Clarkson Community Centre

By Staff Writer


M ayor HazelM c C a l l i o n ' s90th birthday

will be "celebrated instyle" on Feb 12th atMississauga ConventionCentre. With BMOFinancial group as a pre-senting sponsor, the pro-ceeds from the birthdaycelebration will benefitSheridan College's newcampus in Mississauga.

"We hope that our com-munity will attend to helpus celebrate our belovedMayor's milestone birth-day, and in doing so alsosupport a cause that is verydear to her heart," said Mr.Jim Murray, Chair of theMayor's 90th BirthdayCelebration Committee.

"We are honoured thatshe has chosen SheridanCollege [as an institutionto which] the proceeds ofthe party will go..to fundthe state of the art facility,"said Mr. Jeff Zabudsky,Honorary Chair and thePresident and CEO ofSheridan College.

There have been reportssuggesting that because ofthe economic downturn, afewer people are donatingto charities. Mr. Zabudsky

says "We have come out ofa very difficult economicdownturn. A lot of thesekind of events have strug-gled. However, some ofthe recent gals that have

been held are great suc-cess. Our own SheridanGala is a case in point.This [Mayor's birthdayparty] is not a typical gala.This is special..and we are

thrilled that BMOFinancial has chosen tocome aboard..setting awonderful model for othercompanies."

When Mr. Ray Lessard,

Senior Vice PresidentManaging Director PCDat BMO Financial groupapproached his headoffice in Toronto "I wasshocked with the speed at

which I got a response..soit clearly speaks to theimportance BMO placeson this community as agrowing opportunity forthe bank and it speaks tothe recognition that theMayor has done a lot ofgreat work," said Mr.Lessard.

As an institution, BMOhas a lifelong learningmandate donation policy,supporting the academicinstitutions.

"At the end of the day..acollege is for the entirecommunity. We have toget communitiesinvolved," said JakeDheer, member of Mayor90th Birthday CelebrationCommittee.

On a question how moreSouth Asians can getengaged in supportingcauses like colleges andour institutions, Mr. Dheerresponded "while peoplewere selected to serve inthis committee, in mostorganizations, you can askfor it. But you don't wantto sit on the board only,you have to be a valuablecontributor..you have toaffect the positivechange."

SHERIDAN COLLEGE: A PART OFMAYOR'S 90TH MILESTONE BIRTHDAY

Members of Mayor's 90th Birthday Celebration Committee.

Being bornand broughtup in theWestern cul-ture hasn'th a m p e r e d

Suba Sankaran's performances in various

languages especially in Hindiand Punjabi where the soundsof alphabet vary quite a bit. Inan interview with SubaSankaran, a vocalist for aband called Autorickshaw,Suba tells us "My ears arevery much tuned to the pho-netic sounds, so it's a matterof very deep listening andimitation. I don't find it diffi -cult…it's a good kind of chal-lenge though and those mus-cles need to be exercised reg-ularly!"

Autorickshaw is a uniquename. Very few people inSouth Asian community callrickshaw an autorickshawthese days. Whose brain wasbehind the name?

"Ed Hanley and I, the co-artistic directors of the bandcame up with the name

Autorickshaw because it hasboth modern ("auto") and tra-ditional ("rickshaw") ele-ments to it. Therefore,Autorickshaw is our musicalvehicle (pardon the pun!) forour artistic expression,steeped in the traditions ofnorth and south Indian classi-cal music, fused with modernpop, funk, folk and jazz."

The tow other members ofthe band are Rich Brown andPatrick Graham.

Unlike many modern dayperformers, Suba has a back-ground in music. Born in thefamily of musicians, Suba hasa Bachelor of Fine Artsdegree with a specializedhonours in music and an MA.

Even fewer think of musicas a serious profession.

"The challenge is to writemusic that means somethingto you, or has a message, ortells a personal story, ormakes you want to dance, orclap or cry! I think of musicas being storytelling throughsong. If everyone thinks of itthis way, maybe there will be

more memorable music outthere," Suba says.

As a young woman, shefeels the issues of today'syoung generation are "bodyimage, violence, drugs andalcohol, bullying, coming toterms with ethnicity, activismand playing your part, etc."

As a performer looks areeven more crucial. "I thinklooks are important when youare in the public eye. It's noteverything, but it's a part ofthe package." Yoga and beingvegetarian have become herlifestyle choices.

The way Suba dressesreminds us of AabidaParveen, a sufi singer fromPakistan. The Sufi music,Suba feels has "an exoticismand a deep inner beauty."Nonetheless influences on hermusic are South Indian classi-cal, western European classi-cal (medieval, Renaissance,Baroque, Romantic), folk,jazz, pop, rock, vintage 60sand 70s Bollywood, worldinfluences like Peter Gabriel,lyrical and melodic influ-

e n c e s

like Joni Mitchell, vocalinspiration like BobbyMcFerrin." We wonder if shehas left anyone to be inspiredfrom, an indication that she isa strong believer in learningfrom everyone.

Being a performer does notmean that she is not engagedcivically. In this day and agewhen very few youth takeinterest in politics, Suba fol-lows politics to make aninformed choice as to who herelected official should be.

"I do follow Canadian poli-tics to the extent that I keepup-to date on current eventsand I vote. In terms of politi-cal leanings, I'm definitelyleft-wing and believe in anegalitarian society. I sub-scribe to ethical funds, bull-frog power and believe inmaking the smallest eco-foot-print (i.e., I don't own a carbut I subscribe to Autoshare, Iget Front Door Organicsdelivered to my door onceevery two weeks, and muchof the produce is Ontario-grown)."

Supporting local communi-ty in one of the many thingsshe does rountinely.

"I support farmer's marketsand try to buy locally andorganically."

Married to Dylan Bell anoutsider to South Asian cul-ture, "I'm a very proudCanadian but I also like toshow my roots and embracemy heritage in a way that istrue to who I am," Suba says.

Suba's responses to ourquestions indicate that she is astrong believer in higherpower and karma. In tenyears, she sees herself "I'm aperson who tends to live inthe here and now. Maybe I'llhave children by that time,maybe I'll continue to tour,travel, compose, arrangemusic, teach, etc. Whatever itis, I know I will follow thepath that the Universe has setout for me, and I will alwaysseek whatever satisfies mysoul. So much of our progressof human beings has to dowith being aware. This iswhat I hope to do all my life."


A leem Zaidi cameto Mississaugafrom Pakistan

two years ago with a post-graduate degree inAgricultural studies andextensive work experiencein the banking industry.But after unsuccessfulattempts at securing a jobthat matched his creden-tials, he applied to theUniversity of WesternOntario to upgrade his edu-cation and to increasechances of employability.

"My credentials wereassessed in Pakistan and Iwas accepted in the skilledimmigrant category when Iapplied for immigration toCanada," said Zaidi.

Immigrants acceptedunder the "skilled workers"category of immigrationare accepted based on theirwork-related skills, profes-sional credentials, andknowledge of one or bothofficial languages.

Currently pursuing grad-uate studies in

Environment andSustainability at Western,and gaining experiencethrough a co-op placement

program, Zaidi says hispotential is not being rec-ognized. "No matter howfrustrating it is intellectual-ly, changing professions toadapt becomes the onlychoice."

Many skilled workers,like Zaidi, despite havingtheir education and experi-ence assessed prior toimmigration are not morelikely to be employed or tobe able to find employmentin jobs that utilize theirskills.

Unlike Zaidi, not everyimmigrant chooses to joineducational institutes to

increase chances ofemployment. For immi-grants like MohammadShafiq, 51, the transition

requires quick thinking andfast action. When Shafiqcame to Canada fromUnited States armed with adoctorate in economics, helooked around for suitablejobs but not for too long.

"I realized the Canadianjob market didn't requirewhat I had to offer, so Iswitched gears and went toa community college andcompleted a certificate incomputer programming,"said Shafiq.

But due to stiff competi-tion and aftermath of reces-sion, opportunities areshrinking for newly arrived

immigrants. A 2008 studyrevealed that the proportionof degree-holding immi-grants ended up working asstore clerks and taxi driverseven after living in Canadafor more than a decade has

increased. About 12 percent male

immigrants with a univer-sity degree had jobs withlow educational require-ments in 1991. By 2006, itwas 21 percent.

Among female immi-

grants, the study said, thesenumbers increased from 24percent in 1991 to 29 per-cent in 2006.

"These increases forestablished immigrantssuggest that the difficulties,which have long plaguedimmigrants who havearrived recently, todayhave an impact on estab-lished immigrants," saidStatistics Canada in a state-ment.

"If we are accepted in thecategory of skilled immi-grants, then where are thejobs that can help us utilizethose skills?" said Zaidi.

It is an uphill task forsome immigrants to estab-

lish themselves profession-ally because their workexperience and foreign cre-dentials are not recognizedin Canada.

A recent report releasedby the Region of Peel inOntario shows immigrants

lagging behind in access-ing the job market. ThePeel Immigration LabourMarket Survey hasunveiled that immigrantsare not faring as well astheir Canadian born coun-terparts.

In the sample of 1,425immigrants and Canadian-born Peel residents sur-veyed, lack of Canadianwork experience wasreported as the barrier

faced most often. For thosewho had international workexperience, only one-thirdwere successful in obtain-ing their desired employ-ment.

Laureen Rennie, projectmanager at Department ofHuman Services in Regionof Peel says it takes aroundsix to ten years for theimmigrants to settle downin Canada. "The process isdifficult because whenqualified immigrants arrivehere, they enter a marketthat doesn't necessarilyrequire those qualifica-tions," said Rennie.

Human Services servesas a liaison between thefederal/ provincial govern-ment and municipalities ofPeel region that includeBrampton, Mississaugaand Caledon. Immigrantsmake up 49% of peel's pop-ulation.

According to the survey,one in four immigrantsaccessed some govern-ment-funded employmentservices, and just underone-third obtained moreeducation and credentialsin Canada. The PeelImmigration LabourMarket Survey is the firststudy conducted that pro-vides local data on thelabour market in Peel, andhow immigrants are faringin finding employment.Funded by the Ministry ofTraining, Colleges andUniversities, the study wasdone in collaboration withRyerson's DiversityInstitute in Managementand Technology.

Rennie said that Regionof Peel is working on creat-ing a dialogue betweenpublic and private compa-nies and the new immi-grants so they can be facil-itated in the work place.

ZAREEN MUZAFF ARToronto

NO JOBS FOR NEWIMMIGRANTS

"I r ealized the Canadian job market didn't r equire what I hadto offer, so I switched gears andwent to a community college and

completed a certificate in computerprogramming," said Shafiq, a

Doctor of Economics from the US.

"If we ar e accepted in the categoryof skilled immigrants, then where

are the jobs that can help us utilizethose skills?" said Zaidi, an MAin

Agricultural studies.



A t a special meet-ing held yester-day, Brampton

City Council voted toappoint City CouncillorSandra Hames (Wards 7 &8) to serve as Brampton'sadditional RegionalCouncillor on PeelRegional Council for the2010-2014 term of office.

"It's an honour to havebeen chosen by my col-leagues for this importantposition," says

Councillor Hames."Bramptonians needsstrong voices at theRegional level to ensure

that our community getsits fair share, and I intendto advocate clearly anddecisively for

the people of Bramptonin my new role as RegionalCouncillor."

In 2005, the Governmentof Ontario passed Bill 186,which granted the City of

Brampton one additionalrepresentative at PeelRegional Council as of the2006 municipal election.This decision was contraryto the recommendations ofthe provincially-appointedindependent facilitator,Judge George Adams,

whose report called forBrampton to receive anadditional five seats atRegional Council in orderto achieve a fair balancebetween Brampton's grow-ing population and itspolitical representation atthe regional level.

ONE MOREREGIONAL

COUNCILLORFOR BRAMPTON B rampton's his-

toric Ebenezers c h o o l h o u s e ,

found a new home lastweek - just feet awayfrom its original location.

The one-room school-house, built in 1892, wascarefully moved backseveral hundred feet asrecent road expansionput it dangerously close

to the street. Work on the property is

being done by SteelcoreConstruction Ltd, withDanco House Raisingand Moving undertaking

the repositioning of thebuilding. Located at thecorner of Ebenezer Roadand The Gore Road, theschoolhouse took anentire day to move. The

building was reposi-tioned through an inch-by-inch process.

While the EbenezerSchoolhouse will eventu-ally be refurbished to its

original look, the build-ing will also have manymodern improvements,including a geothermalheating system andwheelchair accessibility.

BRAMPTON'S ONE-ROOM SCHOOL

HOUSE EXPANDS

The Share YourLight Organizationwill host its inau-

gural holiday event onDecember 12th at 12pm, tohelp keep Toronto's home-less warm this sea-son. Share YourLight founder,Angelie Sood, saysthis event aims toincrease awarenessabout issues closeto home. "Winter inToronto is harsh.The reality is thatmany homelesspeople spend thenight out in thecold. We want to dowhatever little bitwe can to helpsomeone stay warmand keep their spir-its up. To us that isthe point of the hol-idays."

The Share Your LightOrganization encouragescommunity members toexpress their inner lightand share their talents, pas-sions, knowledge andresources in order to helpothers through fundraisers

and community outreachendeavours.

The organization expectsto see close to 50 commu-nity members on SundayDecember 12th as they

gather to assemble whatthey call "Share Packages."The packages containdonations of brand newwarm hats, mittens, gloves,scarves as well as toi-letries, a sandwich anddrink. The group will gath-

er on December 12th at12pm at KennedyMontessori Private Schoolwhere Sood is an elemen-tary teacher. The groupwill then head into the city

to pass the packagesout directly to peo-ple in need. "This isa great way toencourage childrento think of some-thing other thantheir wish list thisholiday, Sood says.My students are get-ting excited abouthelping others.Knowing that meansthis event is alreadya success."

The group aims tohelp 100 people thisholiday. "We willpass out as manypackages as we canand will drop the

rest to the Yonge StreetMission and the Children'sAid Foundation. We havereceived an incredibleamount of support and arehoping this will become anannual event, a new holi-day tradition."

SANTA'S LITTLEHELPERS: SHARE

YOUR LIGHTToronto- Over 400

students, teachersand parents from

the Thorncliffe area gath-ered this week to celebratethe 62nd anniversary ofthe Human Rights Day,held internationally onDecember 10th. The eventwas organized by theYouth for Human RightsIn ternat iona l -TorontoChapter Coordinator,

Nicole Crellin, along withcommunity leaders, youthand educators.

The opening of the fes-tivities started with amarch that is part of aninternational effort involv-ing the participation ofvarious cities around theworld. The countries thatare participating in thiswalk are Austria,

Barbados, Belgium,Cameroon, Canada,Columbia, Congo,Denmark, France,Germany Holland, India,Ireland, Italy, Japan,Kazakhstan, Kenya,Mali,Mexico, Morocco,Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama,Russia, Scotland,Slovakia, Somalia, SouthAfrica, Sri Lanka,Switzerland, Taiwan,

Thailand, UnitedKingdom, Ukraine, UnitesStates of America andZambia.

"The purpose behind thisactivity is to create aware-ness regarding the exis-tence of people's 30 basichuman rights as pro-claimed under the 1948United Nation's UniversalDeclaration of Human

Rights. It is important toeducate people of all agesthat they have rights, andthe importance of respect-ing the rights of others",stated Miss Crellin.

Youth performances ofsongs, dances and poetry,support messages fromcommunity leaders andprizes contributed to thesuccess of the event.

Nicole Crellin added,

"This year, in honor of theUnited NationsInternational Year ofYouth, we urge our gov-ernment to recognize thatchildren who do not knowtheir rights are vulnerableand they need to be madeaware of their 30 basichuman rights under theUniversal Declaration ofHuman Rights."

YOUTH FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Performers, community leaders and educators who contributed to the62nd anniversary of Human Rights Day celebrations.

Soon Peel regionwill have a newO n t a r i o

Community Health Centre.Mr. Nasir Chatta, theExecutive member of theHeartland CreditviewNeighbourhood Centre(HCNC)'s Board noted thatHCNC has served well thecommunity for the last twoyears and will be venturingon to having a communityhealth centre in the neigh-bourhood. "There was aclear vacuum between 403north and 403 south andwest of 407 and Hwy 10and 9th line. No organiza-tion was serving thisarea..it is heavily populatedby new comers," stated Mr.

Chatta in conversation withGeneration Next.

"We already had a struc-ture in place raising fundsfor Trillium hospital andCredit Valley Hospital rais-ing funds for them," headded. This structure wasput together by CanadaPakistan FriendshipAssociation. "So we wereasked to take this initia-tive."

In her opening remarks,Adrianna Tetley, ExecutiveDirector of the Associationof Ontario Health Centres,noted that 905 belt has"grown most significantly"in the past few years, mak-ing it necessary to provideservices to racialized com-munities. In these commu-nities 97 per cent people

need a community healthcentre.

Addressing this need,Conservative MP BobDechert (Mississauga-Erindale) says that the fed-eral government is work-ing with HCNC to deliverservices to the community.

"There is not one centrethat focuses on thePakistani community..theyneed and deserve our sup-port," he said. MPDecherthas been working with theteam of Canada PakistanFriendship Association andHCNC for last two and a

half years to respond to theneeds of the community.

Liberal MP BonnieCrombie (Mississauga-Streetsville) said "They[the federal government]must honour their agree-ment [of giving $207 mil-lion] to Ontario" to provide

necessary settlement serv-ices to newcomers toOntario. She said "it's verysurprising and very disap-pointing that the they arenot fulfilling their contrac-tual obligation." MPDechert reminds us thatthe federal government hastripled the funding to set-tlement organizationssince 2006.

"We need that money[$207 million from CanadaOntario Immigration Act]to help those who arrivehere [in Ontario] and needhelp and services to getintegrated into the commu-nity and the workforce,"said Ontario Minister ofLabour Peter Fonseca.

PC leader Tim Hudak hascriticized the Ontario gov-ernment for creating anadditional layer of bureau-cracy in the form of LocalHealth IntegrationNetworks (LHIN). Mr.Hudak's belief is that

LHINs do not serve thepurpose of providinghealthcare services to thecommunities.

"The opposition is lying.They are flat out lying. Wehave invested $48 billionin healthcare to have leanefficient structure..thatenables us to have localcontrol..over our health-care. Thank god forLHINs. Now we don't haveto run down to bureaucra-cy at QueensPark...[LHINs] reduceduplication ofservices..they have beenboon and blessing," saidMPP Bob Delaney(Mississauga Streetsville).

Mr. Gul Nawaz,

President of HCNCencourages support fromthe community stating "thereal benefit to your sup-port, however, regardlessof the amount your are giv-ing, is the commitment youare making to enhancingthe lives of people who aremaking Canada andMississauga their homeand who will make up theMississauga of our future."

"This is the only uniqueorganization that has thesupport of all the MPs,MPPs, Councillors and theMayor of Mississauga,"Mr. Chatta noted. Thenewly elected MississaugaCity Councillor Ron Starrsits on the ExecutiveBoard of HCNC.

NEW COMMUNITY HEALTHCENTRE FOR 905 BELT



PAKISTANI ForeignMinister Shah MehmoodQureshi was recentlyreminded of his promise tovisit New Delhi to resumetalks, following the meet-ing between him andIndian Foreign MinisterS.M. Krishna somemonths ago.

Very little progress wasmade then because

Pakistan insists on dis-cussing Kashmir, whileIndia is not willing to doso. I think the core issue isnot Kashmir, but distrustbetween the two countries.Even if Kashmir is solved,some other issue willassume the proportion ofKashmir since there is noconfidence in each other.

My information is thatIslamabad wants to dis-cuss Kashmir from scratchwhile India from the pointwhich was reached duringGen Pervez Musharraf`stime when 80 per cent ofthe problem was reported-ly solved.

Both the government andcivil society in India have

been distancing them-selves from Pakistan forsome time. Increasingly,there is an attitude ofindifference.

Kargil was bad enough.But the terrorist attack onMumbai two years agowas worse. Both incidentswere watched on televi-sion leaving a deep impacton the Indian psyche. Evenat the best of times, NewDelhi has had reservationsabout Islamabad. Kargiland 26/11 have deepenedthem.

Kargil, a mini war, isbehind India because itwon it. But 26/11 has notbeen forgotten. Had the

perpetrators been broughtto book, as PakistaniInterior Minister RehmanMalik had promisedIndian Home Minister P.Chidambaram, New Delhiwould have felt confidentbecause there is a feelingat this end that Pakistan isdeliberately delaying thepace of the prosecution.

New Delhi continues toconsider action againstHafiz Saeed, chief ofJamaatud Dawa, which isalleged to be a coverorganisation for Lashkar-i-Taiba, as a litmus test.Pakistan has a point whenit says that he has been letoff by the court `due tolack of evidence`. Had he

even kept quiet and notthreatened hostilitiesagainst India, New Delhi

would have appreciatedIslamabad`s difficulties.But this has not been thecase.

The government andcivil society in Pakistanplace Kashmir above allelse. Perhaps an agreement

is possible if a comprehen-sive or composite dialogueis begun. Whichever itemis on the agenda, it shouldbe implemented as soon asthere is an agreement. Forexample, a pact on SirCreek has already beeninitiated by both sides.That can be formalised tothe relief of fishermen inthe two countries.

These are the worst oftimes for relationsbetween India andPakistan. Some improve-ment may change thefocus in both countries,one battered by scams andembarrassing tape revela-tions and the other by ter-rorists and political wran-

gling.Since the media in both

the countries largely toes

the official line when itcomes to India-Pakistanrelations, there is no pres-sure on the governmentson either side to resumetalks. Activists workingfor good relations betweenthe two countries havealso fallen silent. Theyounger generation hasgrown up in an atmos-phere of hatred and hostil-ity. There is no people-to-people contact because thegovernments on both sideshave drastically reducedthe number of visas toeach other`s nationals.India, a bigger country,should have taken the ini-tiative and made travelfree for those above 70and below 15. Yet thingsin New Delhi remainfrozen.

The public response sus-tains hope. The biggestapplause that a teamreceived at the opening

ceremony of theCommonwealth Games inNew Delhi after India`swas that of Pakistan.

Indians returning fromPakistan talk not onlyabout the hospitality butalso of the affection theyreceive. When India andPakistan double up to winan international tennismatch, it tells the trend ispositive, not negative. Itmeans the problem is withthe governments, more sowith foreign offices andthe media.

New Delhi is justified incriticising terrorism ema-nating from Pakistan. Butit should be conscious ofterrorism within India. Thesaying that all terroristsare Muslims is no morerelevant because there issaffron terrorism. It is wel-come to see the govern-ment taking action againstthem, although belatedly.

According to the anti-terrorism squad`s charge-sheet, the list of targets, asgathered from questioningthe saffron crowd in cus-tody, included Delhi`sJama Masjid, the AjmerDargah, the MakkahMasjid in Hyderabad andthe Samjotha Express.

The charge-sheet espe-cially mentions the attackon the Samjotha Express."The evidence collected inthe aftermath of theSamjotha Express blast …is similar to the materials

and equipment used in theAjmer Dargah blast aswell as the modus operan-di. One can infer from this

that the Samjotha Expressblast could be the handi-work of the same terroristoutfit responsible for theAjmer Dargah blast." Iwonder if New Delhishared this informationwith Islamabad.

It is a pity that trust goesdown further with thenews that the Punjab chiefminister had tipped off theLaskhar-i-Taiba before theUS decided to freeze itsassets. However, it is reas-suring to find that hisbrother, Nawaz Sharif,who really counts inPunjab, believes that nor-malcy between the twocountries is essential fordevelopment.

India is settling down asa secular, democratic state.The structure is still weak.But elections in Biharshowed that we are begin-ning to overcome the poli-tics of identity.Unfortunately, we arebecome too chauvinisticand one can see whyactivist Arundhati Roywas booked for seditionfor criticising the idea ofIndia. That she evokes lit-tle attention within thecountry shows that herideas are not acceptable. Acountry`s integrity is notdependent on stringentlaws or their use but onhow tolerant and accom-modating it is.

Shah Rukh Khan wasthreatened by members ofthe Shiv Sena when heagreed to hold a fundraiserfor Pakistan`s flood vic-tims. His hasty retreat isunfortunate. However, thefact that the Sena has littlesupport in the country sus-tains hopes that such ele-ments are no hindrance tobetter relations.

The writer is a seniorjournalist based in Delhi.

TIME TO BREAK THE ICE

KULDIP NAYARis a senior journalist

based in Delhi.

The public response sustains hope. The biggestapplause that a team received at the opening

ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhiafter India`s was that of Pakistan. Indians returningfr om Pakistan talk not only about the hospitality but

also of the affection they receive. When India andPakistan double up to win an international tennismatch, it tells the trend is positive, not negative. It

means the problem is with the governments, more sowith for eign offices and the media.

Shah Rukh Khan was threatenedby members of the Shiv Sena whenhe agreed to hold a fundraiserforPakistan`s flood victims. His hasty

retreat is unfortunate. However, thefact that the Sena has little supportin the country sustains hopes thatsuch elements are no hindrance to

better relations.

Since the media in both the countries largely toes the official

line when it comes to India-Pakistan relations, there is no

pressure on the governments oneither side to resume talks.


Pakistan's federalgovernment is find-ing it difficult to get

the Revised General SalesTax (RGST) approvedfrom the NationalAssembly. It managed toget it approved from the

Senate but it faces moreproblems in the lowerhouse because, in additionto the PMLN, two of itsallies, the MQM and theJUIF, have announced theiropposition. The ANP hasnot fully made up its mind.

The federal governmentis making some changes inthe draft bill and attempt-ing to win over the allies onthe RGST. If it is unable towin the required support itwill delay the bill whichwill cause much embar-rassment to the federalgovernment not only insidethe country but also at theinternational level.

Pakistan's economy is

heavily dependent onexternal sources, i.e. eco-nomic assistance andremittances by overseasPakistanis. The donors areurging the government togenerate more resourcesfrom the domestic contextand increase the documen-tation of the economy. TheRGST bill aims at achiev-ing both objectives.

However, the politicalparties have found this as aconvenient opportunity tobuild pressure on the gov-ernment. The allied partieswant to extract politicaland material dividends andthe opposition wants toembarrass the government.The PMLN would like thebill to lose on the floor ofthe house which will pro-vide it with an additionalargument for demandingmid-term elections.

From the opposition'spoint-of-view the delay inavailability of foreignfunds serves their causebecause it will increase thegovernment's internalproblems. It is quite possi-

ble that the IMF woulddecline to release the last

installment of theRestructuring Program thatends on December 31,2010. The Government ofPakistan is expected toseek its extension for somemonths to get the RGSTapproved. Therefore, thepolitical parties are expect-ed to use this opportunityto their maximum advan-tage.

The key issue for theopposition as well as theMQM and the JUIF is nothow to salvage the troubledeconomy but to bring thePPP-led government to itsknees. Perhaps the MQMand the JUIF do not wantthe federal government tocollapse but, the PMLNwould like such an out-

come. The PPPneeds to work

closely with the coalitionpartners because its domes-tic problems haveincreased over time due tothe poor governanceincluding a weak responseto post-flood problems ofrehabilitation and recon-struction and steep pricehike that is hurting com-mon people. The generalperception is that the gov-ernment is unable orunwilling to crack down ondifferent powerful industri-al and business/tradergroups that have virtuallycreated their monopolies tomanipulate the supply ofessential commodities toincrease their prices.

The scandal caused bythe mismanagement of the

Hajj arrangements has cre-ated additional problemsfor the federal government.The Prime Minister's neg-lect of the complaint hasenabled the Supreme Courtto take up the complaint.

The federal governmentshould rectify its mistakesrather than wait for theSupreme Court to issuedirections or the oppositionto build pressure. It needsto adopt policies that pro-vide relief to the commonpeople and check the fastgrowing concentration of

wealth in the upper strataof the society.

The federal governmentshould strengthen the con-sultative process with theallies so that they stand byit in all difficult situations.If the government has noth-ing to hide it needs to bemore transparent on thecurrent economic problemsand take the allies on boardbefore adopting any finan-cial measure.

The opposition parties,especially the PMLN, needto recognize that mere crit-icism does not serve thepurpose. The oppositionleaders should come outwith practical and concreteproposals to cope with thecurrent economic problems

like heavy reliance onexternal financial support,how to address the eco-nomic fall out of the recentfloods, impact of religiousextremism and violence onthe economy, and how tomanage price hikes?

The PMLN and the otheropposition leaders aredemanding that the federalgovernment should checkcorruption and reduceadministrative expenditureinstead of seeking theapproval of the parliamentfor its tax proposal. TheMQM wants to tax onlyagriculture income ratherthan the imposition of theRGST. The MQM's standis understandable political-ly. The agriculture tax doesnot hit its political con-stituency but the RGSTaffects its vote bank inurban areas.

The PMLN ignores thefact that it is ruling theprovince of the Punjabwhere corruption is as ram-pant as in other parts ofPakistan. As a matter offact, the Punjab housesabout 58 per cent ofPakistan's population and,had the performance of thePunjab government beenbetter, there would havebeen less hue-and-cryabout corruption and pricehike.

Pakistan's economy is indeep trouble and the poli-tics of the RGST hasshown that the politicalparties do not recognize thethreat to Pakistan's eco-nomic viability. The civil-ian leaders cannot outgrowtheir narrow partisan out-look and lack the capacityto work in harmony forcoping with the challengesto the future of Pakistan asa viable state.

DR. HASAN ASKARILahore

ECONOMIC VIABILITYOF PAKISTANThe federal government should

strengthen the consultative processwith the allies so that they stand by

it in all dif ficult situations. If thegovernment has nothing to hide itneeds to be more transparent on

the current economic problems andtake the allies on board before

adopting any financial measure.The opposition parties, especiallythe PMLN, need to recognize thatmere criticism does not serve thepurpose. The opposition leaders

should come out with practical andconcrete proposals to cope with the

curr ent economic problems likeheavy reliance on external financial

support, how to address the economic fall out of the recent

floods, impact of religious extremism and violence on the

economy, and how to manage pricehikes?

Fennell said "peo-ple are learningwho does what.

Come provincial or feder-al election time, peoplecan ask their provincialand federal candidateswill you give Peel its fairshare? Will you deliver?Will you invest in a col-lege in Brampton?"

Here's the kicker towhich the federal and theprovincial Liberals andConservatives need to payspecial heed to.

"Generally speaking

they [South Asians] arevery conservative mindedpeople. They value fami-ly, they value traditions,they value law and orderand dealing with crimi-nals in a more effectiveway and yet they tend tovote liberal. These are notliberal characteristics,these are conservativecharacteristics. I know thementality the South Asiancommunity, especially thePunjabis, they are veryconservative," noted Mr.Sprovieri. No wonder fed-

eral conservatives havemade considerableinroads in at least oneBrampton riding.

Why is that?"They [South Asians]

don't understand the prin-ciples of the Conservativeand the Liberal party,"Mr. Sprovieri retorts.

"There is some confu-sion around" the job of aCouncillor, MPPand MP,observed the newly elect-ed Mississauga CityCouncillor Chris Fonseca.Nonetheless, "in terms of

connecting within theirown network of people,they [the South Asiancommunity] are verygood at getting the infor-mation out there," shesaid.

The humble adviceoffered by all the electedofficials we spoke with isbest summed up by Mr.Jake Dheer, Rogers sta-tion manager inMississauga "Do yourhomework. Understandthe issues. Know yourcommunity, and not just

the South Asian commu-nity, but the whole com-munity."

Public office "is notabout money or power..cit-izens are your boss. Youhave to be able to servethem," he adds.

Uniting and letting go ofegos to support one candi-date, so that he or she hasa real chance of winning isone thing that South Asiancandidates have failed indoing. The result is obvi-ous. The community thatwill be the largest visibleminority in the GTA by2031 had only one newelected official as a resultof 2010's municipal elec-tions. Harinder Malhi waselected as a Peel DistrictSchool Board Trustee.

With the provincial elec-

tion coming up in Octoberof 2011, the trend of moreSouth Asian candidatesrunning in a given riding islikely to grow. It is alsovery probable that a veryfew of them will reallyunderstand the meaning ofpublic service. It is notvery difficult to concludethat there will be hardlyany new South Asian facesin Ontario Legislature ifSouth Asians candidatescontinue to run againstSouth Asian candidateswith very little knowledgeand understanding of whatthe job description of anMPPis.

Or we can be wrong as atprovincial and federallevel, it's also about theparty and not just about anindividual.

Continued From pg 07

SOUTH ASIAN TO-BE MPPs:DO YOUR HOMEWORK, PLEASE


ONE oftenhears aboutinternationalc e l e b r i t i e sand there

enormous contributions tohumanity. Whether it isAngelina Jolie’s Pakistanexpedition, Jackie Chan’scharity endeavours or the jointventure by numerousHollywood celebrities to raisemoney for the people of Haiti,they all make it to theheadlines. However, we do notfrequently get to hear aboutthe efforts and contributionsof our local celebrities. Apartfrom the commendable work

of Abrar-ul-Haq’s Sahara forLife Trust, Shehzad Roy’sZindagi Trust, Basit Subhani’sPayaam Foundation andJawad Ahmed’s Taleem for alltrust, efforts from other localcelebrities often go unnoticed.Yet it would be wrong toassume a position ofignorance and consequentlytag all celebrities as “selfseeking” and “blind to thedistress in their country” asclearly some celebrities areplaying their due part.

A recent example ofphilanthropy was shown bysome of the leading stars ofour country. Nearly a week

back, Sanjan Nagar Trustwhich works on providing freeand quality education to theless privileged class of thesociety organised the “BlackTie Charity Art Auction -Indus Inspiration II”. On thisoccasion, 62 master pieces oftwenty seven famous artistswere arrayed in the auctioncum exhibition, includingsome historic paintings oflegendry M F Hussain. All thefunds collected from the eventare to be used to set up freeschools across the country.Popular celebrities like ImanAli, Ali Zafar, Kamiar Rokni,Maliha Naipaul and Ali Azmat

were present at this occasion.Not only did they grace theevent with their presence butthey also contributedgenerously to the noble cause.Sources from the SanjanNagar Trust reveal that AliZafar alone bought a paintingworth 8 lac. This money willbe used to pay the annualeducation expenses of 40under privileged girls.

If we glance at the past fewmonths of this year, we noticethat a number of celebritiesparticipated actively infundraising for the floodvictims. Some outstandingefforts were made by Hadiqa

Kiani, who collaborated withthe Pakistan Army to collectand distribute items for floodaffectees. Noori, ShirazUppal, Shoaib Akhtar, MariaB, Munib Nawaz, OmerNadeem, Noman Javaid,Omair Rana along with othersalso stepped forward and setup a Celebrity Camp whichcollected a total sum of Rs300,000. Superstars “for floodrelief” is one such venturewhich united numerous starswho donated their songs anddedicated 100 percent of theproceeds raised by each songto a relief organisation of theirchoice. This project had ahuge celebrity line-upincluding Abida Parveen,Strings, Shafqat Amanat Ali,Haroon, Fuzon, AriebAzhar,Tina Sani,HadiqaKiani, Junaid Jamshed, Zeb &Haniya, Shallum Xavier,Raeth, Aunty Disco Project,EP, JoSH, Overload, RagaBoys and rising superstarAhsan Ali amongst others.

International celebritieshave also stepped forward tohelp Pakistan at this time ofordeal. According to AmmaraHikmat, Ali Zafar’s publicist,”Ali requested internationalartists Bono and Sting to do afundraising concert.” Ali alsoauctioned his painting in anexhibition organised by

College of Art & Design. Theproceeds were used for therehabilitation of craftsmen ofthe flood-affected areas.“Josh has done two shows forflood relief in Ottawa and inNew York. They have justrecorded a charity song for thesame purpose as well,”revealed Josh’s band managerTaha Sadaqat (who himself isa Pakistani). Strings, AtifAslam and Najam Shirazalong with other popularcelebrities have also beenlinked with charity work.They have arranged concertsand openheartedly donated themoney generated from theirshows.

One also must not overlookthe outstanding work that wasundertaken by top-notchcelebrities during theearthquake in October 2005,which shook the nation fromtop to bottom. They havealways supported their nationand the people at the time oftribulation. Keeping thesemajor contributions for thewelfare of the society, one isconvinced that Pakistanicelebrities are stars in the truesense. These efforts must notbe overlooked, especiallywhen we raise our fingers tojudge them as irresponsiblecitizens.

The joys of sharing

To r o n t o ,Vancouver andCalgary will be

treated to a big danceextravaganza. The WinterFunkTM 2010 show putup by Shiamak DavarInternational will havespectacular performancesby students of ages 4 - 74years.

Over 1000 studentsfrom Shiamak's classeswill perform to latest andprevious blockbustersongs after a rigorousworkshop spanning over3 months. The showswill encapsulate thetheme - DANCELE-BRATE perfectly as theydisplay the celebration ofdance through the fusionof Indo Canadian songs.

"Winter Funk is anextension of my motto -Have Feet. Will Dance.With these shows I aim togive all my students, irre-spective of age, size orbackground, a profes-sional platform to display

their dancing talent ",says Shiamak.

The Winter FunkTMworkshop is a unique

program, training ama-teur dancers to perform

like confident profession-als. SDI trains, energizes

and reaches out to peoplefrom all walks of life.

SHIAMAK'S WINTER FUNKMAGIC TAKES OVER CANADA!

Students from Shiamak Davar International gear upto put up a spectacular Winter Funk 2010 show


Rank /Song-Name Film/Album 1 Sheila Ki Jawani Tees Maar Khan2 Tees Maar Khan Tees Maar Khan3 Ainvayi Ainvayi Band Baaja Baaraat4 Aadha Ishq Band Baaja Baaraat5 Adhoore Band Baaja Baaraat6 Ajab Leher Break Ke Baad7 Dooriyan Hai Zaroori Break Ke Baad8 Dhoop Ke Makaan Break Ke Baad9 Mast Punjabi No Problem10 Tarkeebein Band Baaja Baaraat

Hindi Songs

Rank /Film-Name Director

1 The Chronicles of Narnia: Michael Apted

2 Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey Ashutosh Gowariker

3 Rakht Charitra - 2 Ram Gopal Varma

4 Phas Gaye Re Obama Subhash Kapoor

5 Break Ke Baad Danish Aslam

6 Guzaarish Sanjay Leela Bhansali

7 Harr y Potter and the Deathly David Yates

8 Golmaal 3 Rohit Shetty

9 Allah Ke Banday Faruk Kabir

10 The Social Network David Fincher

Bollywood Movies

Rank /Film-Name

1 The Chronicles of Narnia: (2010)

2 The Tourist (2010)

3 Tangled (2010)

4 Harr y Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

5 Unstoppable (2010)

6 Black Swan (2010)

7 Burlesque (2010/I)

8 Love and OtherDrugs (2010)

9 Due Date (2010)

10 Megamind (2010)

Hollywood Movies

M ICHAEL Jacksonspent the last twoyears of his life

plotting his musical comeback.Besides a spectacular, record-breaking concert seriesplanned for London, he wasalso tapping the hottest produc-ers and biggest names for analbum he hoped would helprestore the luster to his spectac-ular yet troubled career.

“He wanted to give the worlda gift. He didn’t want the worldto depend on ‘Thriller,’ or‘Bad’ or ‘Off the Wall,’” saidTheron “Neff-U” Feemster,one of the last producers to

work with Jackson. “He want-ed to give them something newand fresh, and something theycould hold and remember for-ever.”

Jackson didn’t live to see hisdream come to fruition, butwith help from Feemster, thesinger’s estate and severalother collaborators, anotherJackson album has been craft-ed for his fans.

“Michael,” to be releasedTuesday, contains 10 songs,most of which Jackson wasworking on when he died inJune 2009 at age 50. The trackswere at different stages of com-

pletion, but producers likelongtime Jackson collaboratorTeddy Riley, Grammy-winnerTricky Stewart and rockerLenny Kravitz worked over thelast year to put the finishingtouches on an album theybelieve Jackson would havebeen proud to call his own. “Iknow he stood behind it, so I’mcool with what I did,” saidKravitz. “I was proud to put itout and knew that he’d be allover it, that he’d be really withit.” Yet some are questioningwhether “Michael” should beconsidered a true Jacksonalbum since the King of Pop —

a notoriously meticulous cre-ator who labored over his cre-ations until he thought theywere as perfect as they couldbe — never put his stamp ofapproval on it. Earlier this year,the Black Eyed Peas’will.i.am,who had done some work withJackson before he died, harshlyrebuked the planned posthu-mous release in an interviewwith The Associated Press,saying: “Now that he is not partof the process, what are theydoing? Why would you put arecord out like that? Becausehe was a friend of mine, I justthink that’s disrespectful.”

COLLABORATORS SAY NEW MJALBUM HONOURS LEGACY


NEW YORK: Cast members Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling at the premiere of ‘Blue Valentine’. REUTERS

M ALAYSIAN actressMichelle Yeoh visit-ed Myanmar at the

weekend to discuss her plansto play the lead role in a newfilm about recently releasedpro-democracy leader AungSan Suu Kyi.

Yeoh, who is best knownfor playing Chinese spy WaiLin alongside Pierce Brosnanin the 1997 James Bond film“Tomorrow Never Dies” spentSunday with the Nobel PeacePrize winner to discuss thepossibility of playing her in amovie.

The charismatic Suu Kyi,

daughter of late independencehero Aung San and adored bymany in Myanmar, spent 15 ofthe past 21 years in detentionbecause of her fight againstmilitary dictatorship. She wasreleased on November 13after her latest period of housearrest expired.

“(Suu Kyi) saw her off atthe airport this morning,” saidNyan Win, Suu Kyi’s lawyerand spokesman. “Yeoh spentthe whole day at Daw Suu’sresidence,” he added, refer-ring to Suu Kyi. “I understandshe is planning to play her in afilm in the near future.”

Actress Yeoh meetsMyanmar’s Suu Kyi

to discuss film

T HE makers of the lat-est blockbuster basedon CS Lewis’s “The

Chronicles of Narnia” booksadmit they departed signifi-cantly from the source materi-al, but believe the changesmade for a better film.

“The Chronicles ofNarnia: The Voyage of theDawn Treader” hits movietheatres this week in the keyUS and British markets, and

much is riding on the thirdinstallment of the franchise.

The action-packed,effects-laden 3-D film followsLucy and Edmund Pevensieand their surly cousin Eustaceto Narnia where they embarkon an epic sea adventure withCaspian and the feisty talkingmouse Reepicheep.

British director MichaelApted, best known for Bondfilm “The World is Not

Enough”, said the Lewisestate initially questioned theneed for changes to the story-line made in the script, buteventually agreed that theywere necessary.

The original Lewis novel,third in the seven-book chil-dren’s series, was too episodicfor the big screen and lacked anarrative thread to drive theplot forward, Apted said.

“You’ve got to have a rea-

son in a movie to go from A toB to C, especially in a com-mercial movie. So that was abig problem,” Apted said.

He and the screenwritersspent two years coming upwith an alternative, eventuallydeciding to borrow from thefourth Narnia novel “TheSilver Chair” and its theme ofcaptives being held under-ground as a way of movingthe story along.

PLOT NEEDED BIG CHANGES,NEW NARNIA FILMMAKERS SAY

NEW YORK: Actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend

the world premiere of ‘The Tourist’ at Ziegfeld Theatre.

The focus on the sign ofCapricorn and your careerzone is good news. It meansyou're ready to take it to thelimit. holidays, and there is apromise of passion midweek.Mercury turns retrograde onFriday, so get your presentsand cards posted soonerrather than later.

Aries /Mesha Rasi

In the run up to the holidayweek, and with Mercury turn-ing retrograde, there is a lot toget organized. Your sex life isalso in focus. You may findyourself becoming morephysically passionate moreoften. A meeting may be astart of a rather intense rela-tionship. Be ready!

Gemini /Mithuna Rasi

The focus on your creativezone means it's time toexplore the full range of yourtalent. Mars moves intoCapricorn, retrograde onFriday, which means this isn'tsuch a great time to begin.Wait until next year and doyour research now.

Virgo /Kanya Rasi

If there's a club or groupthat you're particularly keen tojoin, this would be the time todo it. get great results. But dowatch out for the possibility ofmixed signals. Mercury turnsretrograde on Friday, whichcould confuse matters. Makesure your intentions are crys-tal clear.

Pisces /Meena Rasi

The more you can achievenow, the easier life will beover the weeks ahead. With afocus on your travel zone, it'svery possible that you're think-ing of going away forChristmas. and aim for theexperience of a lifetime.Watch out for Mercury retro-grade on Friday.

YOUR WEEKLY HOROSCOPE

Taurus /Vrushaba Rasi

If there are any problemsthat have been swept underthe carpet, this is the time theywill tend to come out into theopen. it feels right, go for it. Ifnot, hold back. If you need abreak, it may be time to plan afabulous getaway and renewyour spirits.

Cancer /Karkataka Rasi

The focus is on home andfamily affairs. If you need tosort out any matters thatrequire negotiation, it shouldbe a lot easier now. spruceyour place up. With so manyfamily occasions coming up,get moving on any of theabove or finish those last-minute DIYprojects.

Libra /Tula Rasi

As Mercury is yourromance planet and turns ret-rograde on Friday, your owncompany, get a promotion, askfor a raise, and see what hap-pens. But do it earlier ratherthan later in the week. Afterthe weekend it would be betterto bide your time.

Capricorn /Makara Rasi

This is a time of synthesisand integrating the variousfactors in your life into aworkable whole. and perhapsa new boss. Where yourhealth is concerned, you maybecome very enthusiasticabout getting into shape.Overcome temptation!

Leo /Simha Rasi

Uranus, the planet of revo-lution, is in Pisces and stirringyou up in unexpected ways.You continue to meet peopleunexpectedly those you usu-ally hang out with. A majorfocus on Capricorn is greatfor new relationships and theconversations that can lead tonew friendships.

Scorpion /Vruschika Rasi

You may get a lucrativeoffer out of the blue, but youmight have to move out ofyour comfort zone to takeadvantage of it. get out andmeet new people. Mercuryturns retrograde on Friday, sobe prepared for double trou-ble. It's best if you can mailyour cards and gifts early.

Aquarius /Kumba Rasi

nThe way you treat your-self sets the standard forothers.

~Sonya FriedmannYou're never as good as

everyone tells you whenyou win, and you're neveras bad as they say whenyou lose.

~Lou HoltznThe best way to gain

self-confidence is to dowhat you are afraid to do.

~Author UnknownnPlant your own garden

and decorate your ownsoul, instead of waiting forsomeone to bring you flow-ers.

~Veronica A. ShoffstallnThe things we hate

about ourselves aren't more

real than things we likeabout ourselves.

~Ellen GoodmannNever dull your shine

for somebody else. ~Tyra BanksnAnyone who ever gave

you confidence, you owethem a lot.

~Truman CapotenOther people's opinion

of you does not have tobecome your reality.

~Les BrownnWithout a humble but

reasonable confidence inyour own powers you can-not be successful or happy.

~Norman Vincent PealenNothing splendid has

ever been achieved exceptby those who dared believe

that something inside ofthem was superior to cir-cumstance.

~Bruce BartonnYou have to expect

things of yourself beforeyou can do them.

~Michael JordannArgue for your limita-

tions and, sure enough,they're yours.

~Richard Bach,nConfidence comes not

from always being right butfrom not fearing to bewrong.

~Peter T. McIntyrenTo wish you were

someone else is to wastethe person you are.

~Unknown Author

QUOTATIONSABOUT

CONFIDENCE

nSanta bought a newmobile.

He called everyone fromhis Phone Book & said

"My Mobile No. haschanged.

Earlier it was Nokia 3310now it is 6610"nQ: A Man asked Santa,

"who is elder cow or goat?"A: Santa said, "First tell

me date of birth then I willtell you"nSanta: My dad was an

extremely brave man. Heonce entered a lion's cage.

Banta: He probably got alot of applause when he gotout.

Santa: I didn't say he gotout. nSanta: I am a Proud

that my son is in Medical

College.

Banta: Really, what is hestudying??

Santa: No he is notstudying, they are studyinghim.nThe cops came to girl's

house.Cop - Your dog had

chased someone on a bike.Girl - "Piss off; my dog

doesn't have a bike! nInterviewer: what s

your qualification?Santa: Sir I am Ph.D.Interviewer : What do

you mean by PhD?Santa: (smiling)

PASSED HIGHSCHOOLwith DIFFICULTY....

LAUGH ANDENJOY

March 21 - April 19 April 20 - May 20 May 21 - June 20

June 22 - July 22 July 23 - Aug 22 Aug 23 - Sept 22

Sept 23 - Oct 22 Oct 23 - Nov 21

Dec 22 - Jan 19 Jan 20 - Feb 18 Feb 19 - Mar 20

You may come up with anumber of interesting ways tospend your money, includingChristmas shopping, appro-priate. In order to take advan-tage of it, you will need to lis-ten to your intuition. Mercuryturns retrograde, so keep allreceipts in case you need totake anything back.

Sagittarius /Dhannus Rasi

Nov 22 - Dec 21

SUDOKU


south asian generation next issue 216

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