It's now safer to get to and from Homai Station We closed 2 level crossings and replaced them with a new ramp The Homai Station level crossing removal project is complete The new access ramp to Homai Station was opened in January 2025 The ramp is now the only way to access the station We made it safer to access Homai Station by closing the level crossings in preparation for the opening of the City Rail Link (CRL) Auckland Transport is working with KiwiRail and NZ Transport Agency We want to improve our rail system for passengers improving safety and opening the City Rail Link (CRL) people are hurt and even killed at level crossings through accidents and unsafe behaviour There will be an unacceptable increase in the risk to safety at level crossings Closing Homai’s crossings addresses a safety risk and gives us an opportunity to make the station more accessible It will also allow us to install other improvements requested by the community Homai Station is now ready for more frequent train services when the City Rail Link opens in 2026 with safer access to the station as well as improvements for the local blind and low vision community The safer access replaces two pedestrian level crossings which are now closed as part of an ongoing programme replacing level crossings to support more frequent trains while improving safety and keeping roads moving Homai Station was blessed today by mana whenua Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua and will re-open to passengers with a new accessible ramp and pathways when train services resume on 28 January It is one of many projects Auckland Transport (AT) and KiwiRail are carrying out during the month-long closure of Auckland’s rail network it will be safer for people accessing the nearby BLENNZ (Blind Low Vision Education Network NZ) School and Blind Low Vision NZ South Auckland office and Guide Dog Training Centre “We engaged with the community early and their feedback helped us make sure the upgrades to Homai Station will benefit those who use it,” Mr Gibson says A new modular-structure ramp runs from Browns Road Bridge to the station wider footpaths and new pathways from the carpark and Mcvilly Road The ramp colour scheme and bright yellow handrail is specifically designed to be high contrast helping people with low vision to differentiate between the sloping and flat sections of the ramp BLENNZ School Homai Principal Saul Taylor says “BLENNZ (Blind Low Vision Education Network NZ) have been delighted with the excellent level of inclusion and connection with Auckland Transport’s project team “The benefits will be felt for many years to come,” Mr Taylor says © Auckland Council 2025 All rights reserved For more information on what data is contained in the cookies please click the 'Find out more on the Auckland Council website' button Sign up for our e-newsletter and be the first to know about exciting events and news that had pedestrian level crossings removed to improve safety is now ready for more frequent train services when the City Rail Link opens Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua and will re-open to passengers when train services resume on 28 January Work on the station focused mainly on improvements to help the local blind and low vision community Three accesses to the Homai Train Station - all frequently used by the Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ (BLENNZ) school close by - were removed to be replaced by a new ramp Auckland Transport programme director Kris Gibson said it was one of many projects AT and KiwiRail were carrying out during the month-long closure of Auckland's rail network "Replacing the level crossings with this new accessible ramp and stairs will make it safer to access Homai Station where there will be an increased number of trains running once the CRL opens in 2026," Gibson said it will be safer for people accessing the nearby BLENNZ School and Blind Low Vision NZ South Auckland office and Guide Dog Training Centre." A new modular-structure ramp now runs from Browns Road Bridge to the station The ramp colour scheme and bright yellow handrail was specifically designed to be high contrast "We engaged with the community early and their feedback helped us make sure the upgrades to Homai Station will benefit those who use it." BLENNZ School Homai principal Saul Taylor said they were delighted with the 'excellent level of inclusion' and connection with AT's project team "The benefits will be felt for many years to come," Taylor said "The engagement with BLENNZ has been invaluable and we have felt listened to throughout the project." He said by including their suggestions and working alongside them so closely the walkways and new ramp for the station would be more accessible and enjoyable for the whole school community The Southern Line train services resume from 28 January The Rail Bus Southeast (RBSE) will run between Homai - Manukau - Puhinui - Papatoetoe - Middlemore - Ōtāhuhu The Southern Line will run between Waitematā (Britomart) and Pukekohe LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air Auckland Transport is starting to remove several rail crossings in the city to reduce the risk of death on the train network Buses are replacing trains while KiwiRail upgrades to prepare for City Rail Link Trains will start operating at the Pukekohe Train Station as early as 5.10am on weekdays and 6.10am on weekends and holidays Local Democracy Reporting RSS Follow RNZ News Works on the removal of two in South Auckland at Wiri's Homai Train Station on the Southern Line was currently underway, along with five more in other parts of the city. Auckland Transport programme director Kris Gibson said the removal was for operational and safety reasons. "When CRL goes live, the number of trains that will be run on the network progressively increases," Gibson said. "More trains means the barrier arms are down longer, which means it has an operational impact to pedestrians and road users and also increases the safety risk with people. "Data tells us that poor decision-making can occur, people may be frustrated or make their own decisions at the crossings." AT has observed pedestrians pressing the emergency release button and crossing in front of oncoming trains, school children climbing over gates while closed or prams becoming stuck in the tracks as people cross. Gibson said the removal of pedestrian crossings and upgrades were required to demonstrate to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency that they have reduced the risk of an incident, such as a near miss or collision, before CRL opens. Gibson said currently, there were three accesses to the Homai Train Station - all frequently used by the Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ (BLENNZ) school close by. The pedestrian-only level crossing from McVilley Road and from the Park and Ride and bus stop, both not controlled by automatic safety gates, would be removed. The concrete stair access from the Browns Rd over bridge would also be removed, but be replaced by a ramp and would be the only access to Homai in the future. "Bearing in mind the community this train station serves, in particular the blind and low vision, the use of steps isn't acceptable. "So we will remove those concrete steps and replace with a ramp from Browns Rd bridge to the station. We've spent a lot of time with the BLENZZ to design this ramp that suits their particular needs." Gibson said the materials used for the ramp, including the colour palette specifically chosen for the design, would help people with low vision articulate depth perception. "A normal uniform ramp, for low vision users it's difficult for them to tell or sort of calculate the gradient in their mind. But we've designed a structure that the colour palette changes assists with that depth perception. "The feedback we've got from that community, including mana whenua, and local schools, regardless of level crossings, this is a really good outcome for the community." The other five pedestrian level crossings being removed in Auckland are at O'Neills Road in Swanson, Corban Estate in Henderson, Tironui Station Road East in Takanini, Newmarket's Kingdom Street and Lloyd Avenue in Mt Albert. Gibson said they would continue to communicate the status of works to the public. The removal of the two Homai crossings, and upgrade of a ramp was expected to be completed early next year. Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air The design concept of a new ramp for Homai, replacing the stair access at Browns Rd. (Source: Supplied) Seven pedestrian level crossings in Auckland are to be removed to improve safety ahead of the opening of the City Rail Link (CRL). Auckland Transport programme director Kris Gibson. (Source: Supplied) A render of a train platform at the future Karanga-a-Hape station. (Source: City Rail Link) Political spats driving up NZ infrastructure costs - CRL bossAfter managing the $5.5 billion CRL project over the past six years the Kiwi infrastructure supremo announced he would take up a new job in Ireland in June Politics Distinctive exterior panels unveiled at CRL's Karanga-a-Hape Station"Aucklanders already know that we're delivering a world-class railway and now they have a further reminder that it is one unique to their city as well." New Zealand Two of Auckland's new train stations to light up for MatarikiLights will be switched on at the new Te Waihorotiu Station and at Maungawhau on Auckland's Western Line Bystanders prevent attempted abduction of Auckland primary student Police said they were investigating the incident which occurred outside Rowandale School in the suburb of Manurewa at around 3pm on Monday Crime and Justice Homicide investigation after man dies in Auckland's Manurewa Emergency services were called to the property on Mahia Rd just before 10am to a report of a man "seriously injured" Qantas confirms new Auckland-Perth flights Flights between Auckland and Western Australia's capital would begin in December Business Blaze at McDonald's in east Auckland treated as suspected arson Counties Manukau CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Michele Gillespie said a scene guard has been in place at the restaurant overnight Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning 'Wake up call': Businesses warned over lithium battery fires Authorities urge the public to avoid putting lithium batteries in the rubbish or recycling but have also told merchants to "take responsibility for disposal" More than 25kg cocaine seizure leads to four arrests across NZ 32 mins ago Sole survivor of poisoned beef Wellington takes the stand 34 mins ago US woman who disappeared for more than six decades found safe 45 mins ago Victoria Uni law students to sit handwritten exams due to AI fears 57 mins ago Five Big Things That Happened Today: Tuesday, May 6 4:36pm Judge orders arrest of man over plot targeting Lady Gaga concert 28 mins ago 1US woman who disappeared for more than six decades found safe Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Owner prosecuted after dog starves to death New Zealand's Cardinal John Dew prepares to go into conclave Erica Stanford concedes use of personal email 'untidy' Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansSun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon Seven pedestrian level crossings in Auckland are to be removed to improve safety ahead of the opening of the City Rail Link (CRL) Works on the removal of two in South Auckland at Wiri's Homai Train Station on the Southern Line was currently underway along with five more in other parts of the city Auckland Transport programme director Kris Gibson said the removal was for operational and safety reasons the number of trains that will be run on the network progressively increases," Gibson said "More trains means the barrier arms are down longer which means it has an operational impact to pedestrians and road users and also increases the safety risk with people "Data tells us that poor decision-making can occur people may be frustrated or make their own decisions at the crossings." AT has observed pedestrians pressing the emergency release button and crossing in front of oncoming trains school children climbing over gates while closed or prams becoming stuck in the tracks as people cross Gibson said the removal of pedestrian crossings and upgrades were required to demonstrate to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency that they have reduced the risk of an incident there were three accesses to the Homai Train Station - all frequently used by the Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ (BLENNZ) school close by The pedestrian-only level crossing from McVilley Road and from the Park and Ride and bus stop both not controlled by automatic safety gates The concrete stair access from the Browns Rd over bridge would also be removed but be replaced by a ramp and would be the only access to Homai in the future "Bearing in mind the community this train station serves "So we will remove those concrete steps and replace with a ramp from Browns Rd bridge to the station We've spent a lot of time with the BLENZZ to design this ramp that suits their particular needs." Gibson said the materials used for the ramp including the colour palette specifically chosen for the design would help people with low vision articulate depth perception for low vision users it's difficult for them to tell or sort of calculate the gradient in their mind But we've designed a structure that the colour palette changes assists with that depth perception "The feedback we've got from that community this is a really good outcome for the community." The other five pedestrian level crossings being removed in Auckland are at O'Neills Road in Swanson Newmarket's Kingdom Street and Lloyd Avenue in Mt Albert Gibson said they would continue to communicate the status of works to the public and upgrade of a ramp was expected to be completed early next year Political bickering over infrastructure is one factor costing the country dearly in sky-high build costs the outgoing boss of New Zealand's biggest infrastructure project says City Rail Link (CRL) chief executive Sean Sweeney criticised the "expensive" impact of politicians opting to frequently alter infrastructure priorities in an interview with Q+A It follows the Government's decision to axe Auckland's light rail project amid fresh plans to build over a dozen new motorways and highways across the country The former Labour-led government also re-prioritised transport projects after taking office in 2018 "The Link Alliance had to build a workforce to do this sort of work from scratch and then it's decommissioned," Sweeney said the country is paying an enormous premium because we're doing them as a series of one-offs." He added: "I've sat in rooms where politicians have talked about the issue of an [infrastructure] pipeline "There's a view that they have a right to do that; they're elected on a mandate What I don't think politicians or the public understand is how expensive that is making building in New Zealand." He said an alternative approach would "require a commitment and a discipline to building in a certain way but political parties would then give up absolute freedom to pursue their agenda is what's the issue of greater good here?" Sweeney has previously called for a "reset" on infrastructure planning After managing the $5.5 billion CRL project over the past six years The project supremo returned to New Zealand from Australia to take on the mega-project but said he was "not surprised" to be leaving once again Sweeney said the "one-off" nature of infrastructure projects created uncertainty for construction companies I believe that infrastructure is a good thing for the country "I'd like New Zealand to have a really big conversation about 'what do we want to build in the next 30 years and what sort of country do we want to be?' because infrastructure is a way of taking it there." He continued: "If we have that debate in a big way and that would enable people like me and the construction industry to stay and move forward." Sweeney added: "We need to have that big conversation as a country as we've seen recently; that's incredibly hard for the industry to approach them efficiently "We've lost what I'd call the tier-one construction industry in New Zealand in the last 20 years "We don't have the capacity internally to do major projects and that's because the pipeline isn't there for firms to staff and plan and work towards." He added: "Nearly all my tunnelling guys have gone - they have to An underground tunnel and stations were first proposed for under Auckland's city centre in the 1920s but has taken close to a century to come to fruition The mega-project began construction in 2016 and test trains are expected to begin running later this year the tunnels won't be open to passengers until sometime in 2026 according to the most recent estimated completion dates has involved extensive tunnelling with three new stations two built underground in the Auckland city centre Sweeney confirmed the practical completion target for the project remained November 2025 at which the infrastructure would be given to KiwiRail and Auckland Transport Sweeney said it was "almost impossible to price" highly complex projects like CRL correctly but added that there would've been pressure to keep the price down in the early stages of the programme - well over a decade ago "These projects are just incredibly complex to price and they think projects of this size are actually almost impossible to price correctly and that's a challenge for the industry," he said "When a construction firm prices one of these - if you can just imagine - they have to deconstruct the job into tens of thousands of elements They have to make assumptions about productivity on every one of those elements "They're assuming that people will work at a certain rate "All those sorts of uncertainties impact the end time and cost we only have limited ability to foresee the future." The disruption caused to businesses in the city centre also needed to be addressed better in future projects "Future projects are going to have to accept — particularly if they're in the CBD — there's going to be disruption and there needs to be a realistic way of addressing that disruption," he said I think there should be an acceptance of the level of disruption." Q+A with Jack Tame is made with the support of New Zealand On Air A design comprising of more than 100 blue and white panels has been unveiled at the City Rail Link's Karanga-a-Hape Station in Auckland The CRL, a 3.45km underground rail link, is expected to be completed late next year, Auckland Transport's website said The development will include two new stations: Te Waihorotiu and Karanga-a-Hape Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland iwi led a dawn blessing at the Karanga-a-Hape site which is located at Mercury Lane near Karangahape Road Each of the panels contains "a selection of blue and white aluminium fins to complete what is known as the station's sky element" "Their diamond pattern design represents Te Ātea and the place of Aotearoa New Zealand in Te Ikaroa (the Milky Way)." And the panels serve a practical purpose too protecting the station's ventilation and air intake systems the City Rail Link Limited's chief executive said: "Aucklanders already know that we're delivering a world-class railway and now they have a further reminder that it is one unique to their city as well." The "sky element" was designed by iwi artist Reuben Kirkwood (Ngāi Tai) alongside architects "Reuben's work beautifully encapsulates the binding of the spiritual and mortal realms in an otherwise contemporary urban setting," Adrian Pettit from the CRL's Mana Whenua Forum said Maungawhau station in Mt Eden and Waitematā Station (Britomart) were also redeveloped as part of the CRL project "Designs at all three stations reflect the Māori creation myth of Ranginui (the sky father) and Papatūānuku (the earth mother) "Traditional designs at Karanga-a-Hape Station also acknowledge the story of Hape a significant ancestor who journeyed to Aotearoa on the back of a stingray Karanga-a-Hape will be New Zealand's deepest railway station with platforms 33 metres below ground." The project will cost around $5.493 billion Two of Auckland's brand-new City Rail Link stations will light up in celebration of the arrival of Matariki tonight Lights will be switched on at the new Te Waihorotiu Station and at Maungawhau at 5pm City Rail Link chief executive Sean Sweeney said Aucklanders will see the "world-class railway" is "unique to their city" "The Matariki lighting highlights the stunning influence the project’s Mana Whenua Forum and mana whenua artists have had on our designs." thousands of aluminium fins wrap three sides of the Wellesley St entrance building Seven ultra-thick glass skylights have also been installed to let light into the station representing the seven stars in the Matariki constellation Artist Graham Tipene said the normalisation of traditional knowledge by way of the CRL project has been "impressive" "This station and this project are a testament to the nationhood we must strive for and the excellence the Poutama facade design recognises brings to the fore a narrative that all of Tāmaki Makaurau and Aotearoa can be proud of." 80 fins and triangles are designed to show the tears of Ranginui as part of the station's overall telling of the Maori creation story Floodlighting is temporary at both stations but will become permanent later this year The City Rail Link consists of two 3.45km tunnels up to 42m below Auckland's city centre It involves the transformation of downtown Waitematā (Britomart) Station into a two-way through station the construction of two new stations in midtown and uptown — Te Waihoritiu and Karanga-a-Hape — and the rebuild of Mt Eden station A stranger allegedly tried to force an 8-year-old boy into a car outside an Auckland primary school yesterday before bystanders intervened and the man drove off Police confirmed they were investigating an incident from around 3pm on Monday outside Rowandale School in the suburb of Manurewa "Police are still working to understand exactly what was occurring at the time and our enquiries are ongoing," a spokesperson said "We have spoken with the boy and will continue to work through a careful process Rowandale School principal Karl Vasau said in a statement to social media that other parents had intervened "The student then made his way home and told his parents who then came into school to let us know and then they rung the police." Vasau told 1News the pupil was "doing fine" following the incident and was surrounded by a "supportive "Our student is safe now and his family are thankful that nothing further happened to their boy but are wanting us all to be aware and stay safe It's about working with that child to make them feel safe again but also looking forward to returning back to school with a little bit of normality." Police had reacted "pretty quickly" to the reports "They've been in this morning to touch base and connect the community police constables are going to come back to tomorrow to address the whole school in relation to what had happened and around keeping themselves safe before and after school." Increased police patrols would remain in the area after school from Wednesday Anyone with relevant information should contact police on 105 Qantas has announced that direct flights between Perth and Auckland will take off later this year Flights between Auckland and Western Australia's capital would begin in December The airline also added flights between Perth and Johannesburg and Sundays with an approximate flight time of 8 hours Perth to Auckland flights would operate as QF111 on Monday The approximate flight time was around six hours and 45 minutes Both flights would use Qantas A330 aircraft with 27 business class seats and 224 economy seats The new flights would allow a one-stop route to London via Perth It would also allow for connections via Perth from Auckland to airports across South Africa the new flight to Auckland would also allow a one-stop connection to New York on the airline's QF3 service “We’re so excited to be launching two new international routes unlocking more options and greater choice for all Australians to connect to the world through our growing network," Qantas International chief executive Cam Wallace said “By connecting Perth directly with Auckland and Johannesburg we’re supporting the local economy by opening valuable inbound tourism opportunities for Western Australia as well as generating new jobs for the state These routes also enable further growth throughout Australia with connections across our domestic network." Police say a fire at a McDonald's restaurant in Pakuranga is being investigated as a suspected arson Emergency services attended the fire on Pakuranga Rd just before 3pm yesterday Large plumes of smoke could be seen and explosions heard at the fast food restaurant which has "sustained significant fire damage as a result" "At this point in time we are treating this fire as a suspected arson "A scene examination is being conducted this morning and police will work alongside a fire investigator," she said Gillespie said part of these inquiries would be working to understand how the fire began She said police would like to hear from anyone who saw suspicious activity prior to the fire Anyone with information was urged to contact police online or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning The single vehicle crash was reported to police shortly before 5am the sole occupant of this vehicle died at the scene," a police spokesperson said "Earlier closures of northbound lanes have now lifted and police advise motorists to continue to expect delays as earlier backlogs clear "We appreciate motorists' understanding this morning while emergency services carried out their work." Police said the serious crash unit examined the scene this morning and an investigation was underway into this morning's crash on behalf of the Coroner This is in addition to an earlier crash on Auckland's northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge Emergency services responded to a two-truck collision on the northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge shortly after 5am New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said all lanes south on State Highway 1 were open again following this earlier crash with five lanes available on the Harbour Bridge "Allow extra time for delays on the Northern Motorway to slowly ease this morning three lanes going south were now open again between Onewa Rd and the Harbour Bridge," NZTA said A string of fires linked to highly combustible lithium-ion batteries has been deemed a "wake-up call" for waste businesses by Auckland officials with the public facing exposure to toxic smoke from repeat blazes Auckland Council is urging "industry vigilance" around the problem after a scrap metal company was fined $30,000 over a 2023 fire that released toxic smoke near Ōtāhuhu A fire at a recycling plant near Glenfield last month was also initially linked to lithium batteries although investigators were continuing to probe the blaze Auckland Council compliance field operations manager David Pawson emphasised "the importance of remaining vigilant despite the novelty of the issue" Authorities urged the public to avoid putting lithium batteries in the rubbish or recycling The batteries were inside most portable electronic devices Pawson said in a statement: "We recognise this is a new issue and we’re all finding our way with lithium-ion batteries and those handling them "But businesses still need to take responsibility for their disposal — this is their business Emergency alerts were issued to tens of thousands on Auckland's North Shore last month after the largest fire "for a few years" broke out at an Abilities Group recycling plant Residents were urged to close windows to avoid fumes and some beaches were closed due to chemicals released into waterways Takapuna fire station officer Steven Callagher said there were reports that flames broke out in the area of the facility where batteries were recycled and an official cause had not been determined Other recent battery-linked fires have broken out in rubbish trucks in Auckland caused by the ignition of a lithium-ion battery within a large scrap metal stockpile highlighted a "growing national and international issue surrounding battery disposal and fire risk," according to Auckland Council recognised the unique challenges posed by lithium-ion batteries He noted: "There has been considerable difficulty in finding a technical solution to the problems with batteries catching on fire "This is not only a national problem but an international one; these orders form a workaround solution until more technical solutions The judge described the situation as “a new and emerging issue" While acknowledging Sims Metal’s cooperation and the absence of intentional wrongdoing reduced from an initial starting point of $50,000 The enforcement orders issued require Sims Metal to implement several improvements at the James Fletcher Drive site in Favona "The orders are registered with the Environment Court and will remain in place unless superseded by conditions with a new resource consent," the council said Pawson said the council viewed the 2023 case as an "important precedent in balancing empathy for emerging challenges with the necessity of regulatory compliance "It also highlights the importance of proactive risk management and industry-wide collaboration to adapt to evolving environmental risks." A Sims Metal spokesperson said: "Following the May 2023 fire at our Favona facility we have implemented more stringent control measures to support the ongoing management of potentially concealed materials like lithium-ion batteries "We are grateful to the communities and businesses in and around Ōtāhuhu We want to reiterate our appreciation to FENZ and all those who acted diligently to extinguish the May 2023 fire safely and continue to refine and improve our processes." More than 25kg of cocaine has been seized and four men arrested following an joint investigation into the importation of the drug into Christchurch Police and Customs received information about a "significant importation" of cocaine that had come through Lyttelton Port on March 29 Search warrants were then executed across the country by specialist teams to support investigators with evidence gathering Tauranga and Auckland as a result of the six-week investigation including possession of cocaine for supply and burglary and will appear in various district courts across a range of dates Detective Senior Sergeant Phil Sparks said the seizure equated to more than 250,000 doses of cocaine and $9 million of harm "That is an enormous amount of damage and misery that had been heading into our communities that has now been halted through this investigation." Sparks said the success of the investigation was partly down to the "excellent partnership" between Customs and the police "We continue to have a focus on engaging with businesses and supporting their legitimate services by keeping them safe with prevention advice to deter drug trafficking organisations’ attempts to exploit their people and premises." Customs acting investigations manager Rachael Manning said the investigation resulted from quick action and close collaboration between the agencies as well as industry partners "We know that transnational and serious organised crime groups are actively targeting New Zealand to drive up both demand and supply of illegal drugs such as cocaine for maximum profit They’re using every method possible to exploit any vulnerabilities within international supply chains in secure areas or on vessels themselves." Audrey Backeberg disappeared from a small city in south-central Wisconsin after reportedly hitchhiking with her family’s babysitter and catching a bus to Indianapolis Nobody ever knew where she went or what happened to her All that changed last week when she was found alive and safe in another state thanks to the fresh eyes from a deputy who took over the case in February Detective Isaac Hanson discovered an out-of-state arrest record that matched Backeberg which triggered a series of investigative moves that led to finding her alive and safe in another state Turns out Backeberg chose to leave the town of Reedsburg on her own accord – likely due to an abusive husband safe and secure; And just kind of lived under the radar for that long,” he said Hanson was assigned the case in late February and he and other officials met with Backeberg’s family to see if they had a connection with that region They also started digging through Backeberg's sister's Ancestry.com account obituaries and marriage licenses from that region they found an address where a woman was living that Hanson said shared a lot of similarities with Backeberg including date of birth and social security number Hanson was able to get a deputy from that jurisdiction to go to the address "I was expecting the deputy to call me back and say ‘Oh nobody answered the door.’ And I thought it was the deputy calling me I could sense that she obviously had her reasons for leaving.” Most of the information he learned during that call he declined to share saying that it was still important to Backeberg that she not be found “I think it overwhelmed her of course with the emotions that she had having a deputy show up at her house and then kind of call her out and talk with her about what happened and kind of relive 62 years in 45 minutes,” he said Hanson described discovering her safe after more than six decades practically unheard of And while he doesn't know what will happen next in terms of her family reconnecting he said he was happy that she can reach out if she wants to so she has my contact number if she ever wants to reach out or needs anything any phone numbers of family members back here," he said "Ultimately she kind of holds the cards for that.” A law student at Victoria University of Wellington said students had been "left in the lurch" after an announcement on Monday that said next month's exams for two law subjects would have to be handwritten also said a timetable had still not been provided he said he had become "increasingly worried that the embedding of artificial intelligence (AI) in many students' laptops makes ensuring that students' work is their own very difficult" He had hoped the university would have a technical solution although he hoped one would be available at the end of the year "This means that we will not be able to allow students to use laptops for exams next month," McLay wrote "I want to make this announcement as soon as possible so students have time to prepare for handwritten examinations." McLay added that there would be an exception for students with a disability that required them to use a keyboard The situation affected the LAWS 312 Equity and LAWS 334 Ethics exams The student said the announcement was stressful during an already stressful time a representative of the Victoria University of Wellington Law Students' Society said the Council of Legal Education had to be certain that everyone who passed the exams in Equity and Ethics deserved a pass (and did not cheat) "Previously in person invigilation has been sufficient to manage these concerns due to the increasing ability and sophistication of AI the faculty were concerned about the reliability of the exams leading to their decision to make the Equity and Ethics exams handwritten." The representative said the law students' society had expressed that students' preference was for typed exams — "reflecting how our professional lives will look" once it became clear that the faculty felt they needed to proceed with handwritten exams we emphasised that students should be informed as early as possible accessibility options should be made clear and exam content and timing should reflect the fact that many students have not done handwritten exams since high school and are not used to writing for extended periods of time." The representative added it was separate from the delay to the exam timetable Victoria University Provost Professor Bryony James said students' handwriting their exams meant the university could be confident that the results truly reflected the students' own knowledge and effort — free of any suggestion of the influence of AI James said she would ensure that no student was disadvantaged and was committed to working with students — including those with disabilities — who might need further support to participate in exams and final assessments as a result "As part of this undertaking the Faculty of Law will review this Trimester's exam results to ensure this cohort's performance is in line with previous years and confirm that students are not significantly impacted by this decision." President of Victoria University's Students' Association Liban Ali told Morning Report he was aware that this could happen as early as last year "It has been on the card as of last year I feel like there was something that was going to happen." Ali said the announcement had come at the wrong time and that the Students' Association were very concerned for students He said the Students' Association had engaged the Law Society and the faculty to determine the best way to support students He added that he would make sure that any changes were communicated early in the future rnz.co.nz The Government halts all current pay equity claims Stanford concedes use of personal email 'untidy' and a Kiwi motorcyclist has been killed in a crash in England Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden said the proposed changes would "significantly reduce costs to the Crown" and would discontinue current claims There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and rest home workers The PSA union said the changes were a "dark day for New Zealand women" while the nurse's union described it as a "blatant and shameful attack" Read More Erica Stanford has spoken after 1News revealed she sent pre-Budget announcements to her personal email last year and had used her Gmail for ministerial business over the course of her time as a minister who holds the education and immigration portfolios said today she was "not a perfect human" she put the practice down to printing issues But Stanford said she had "taken lots of steps" to avoid the issue from arising further Read More Rowandale School principal Karl Vasau told 1News the pupil was "doing fine" following the incident and was surrounded by a "supportive Read More Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town The duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane but it has caused problems for 36 years and he's approached Gill Higgins for help Read More was fatally injured alongside Englishman Owen Jenner on the first corner of the race at Oulton Park who was a previous New Zealand rider of the year Cemetery Circuit in Whanganui posted to its social media in tribute to Richardson a fantastic and talented racer and a genuine human" Read More Homegrown will be held at Hamilton's Claudelands Oval confirmed it would be leaving Wellington's waterfront after being there for 18 years Organisers said Hamilton offers potential for the festival to expand and evolve as New Zealand's fastest-growing city Read More A Brazilian judge today ordered the arrest of a man suspected of being involved in an alleged plot to place explosives at a concert by singer Lady Gaga in Rio de Janeiro Judge Fabiana Pagel of the Rio Grande do Sul state court did not name the suspect in her ruling but said he is a man investigated by Rio de Janeiro police as the alleged mastermind of the plot said yesterday they had released a man under investigation for the alleged plot after he paid his bail Brazilian media reported that is the same man jailed today by Judge Pagel Rio police did not reveal names of either of its two suspects or show images of the explosives that the alleged plotters intended to use said authorities believed the suspects sought to target Brazil’s LGBTQ community The Rio event on Sunday was the biggest show of the pop star’s career attracting an estimated 2.5 million fans to Copacabana Beach with 5200 military and police officers deployed to the beach where fans were revelling While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate Cardinal John Dew is about to go into conclave to vote for a new pope is among the 133 cardinals gathered in the Vatican to elect a successor to Pope Francis Dew and his fellow Cardinals will be locked away from the world as they participate in daily votes in the Sistine Chapel until white smoke billows from the rooftop signalling a new pope is selected Read more about how the conclave works here He follows in the footsteps of Cardinal Reginald Delargey and Cardinal Thomas Williams - Kiwis who had previously entered conclave in 1978 and 2005 Dew said cardinals had been meeting daily to share their perspectives on the needs of the church and what qualities a new pope would need to possess to address said needs “Listening to what everyone is saying and the kind of person they're looking for to hear the passion that people have for spreading the work of the Gospel,” Dew said “I think one of the things that a new pope will need to do is to continue to try and give hope to the world “But as well as being the leader of the Church he needs to be a world leader who's prepared to speak out and in this world of disinformation and misinformation and sometimes lies Dew said other cardinals who had previously participated in conclavce described the centuries-old tradition as "divinely inspired" “A couple of the cardinals actually said you can go into the conclave and even have some ideas but it's only after a vote or two that things start to clarify,” he recalled but it became very clear that he was the one They described that as the work of Holy Spirit “And the fact that you're in a place where you have no contact with anybody else – no cell phones no iPads – the whole thing becomes a bit like a retreat and a real time of prayer.” Dew said finding a successor among a sea of so many contenders also had him feeling some "apprehension" the fact that this only happens once every few years and it has incredible consequences for the Church and for the world Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted Park and ride facilities exist at several bus stations Regional Fuel Tax (RFT) seeks to take a systematic approach to investment in the new facilities which will maximise access to public transport The Park and ride project is expected to add approximately 1900 new parking spaces overall The specific location and timing of the new and improved park and ride facilities will be the subject of future business cases and are part of the wider transport system that supports access to the rapid transit network Parking at park and ride stations within the Auckland region is entirely at the owner's risk and Auckland Transport takes no responsibility for damage or theft while using these services Should theft or damage occur to your vehicle You can access the station in a vehicle via Cornerstone Drive There is an extended section of the car park on the corner of McClymonts Road and Elliot Rose Avenue 58 of these will be bookable spaces via the AT app Demand for parking at Albany park and ride is extremely high Nearly all parking spaces are full by about 8am We have chosen to pilot pre-bookable parking spaces at Albany park and ride from early March 2025 Changes to how we manage park and rides were part of our Room to Move strategy you’ll be able to book certain parking spaces on the AT Park mobile app before you arrive There are 58 parking spaces available for pre-booking each day They are a short 2-minute walk to the bus station All other park and ride spaces will remain free for people to use To see the location of the pre-booked parking spaces, download the map (PDF, 3.6MB) Only 58 of the 1210 parking spaces will be available for pre-booking You must use the AT Park app to pre-book a space using the area code 21106 Spaces can be booked up to 5 working days in advance Weekday bookings (Monday to Friday) will cost $9 per session Payment will be taken at the time of booking unless you are stopped from using your booking due to a fault by AT Customers can only book one parking space per day Weekends and public holidays are free but a booking will still need to be made Get ready by making an account on the AT Park app. To find out how to make an account, visit the AT Park webpage Albany park and ride pre-booked parking terms and conditions Please note that as part of Stage 2 of the Rail Network Rebuild KiwiRail have advised that they will need to reduce parking at Glenn Innes station Park and Ride from Monday 27 March until mid-May Access via Forge Way and Mountwell Crescent This carpark is managed by Sylvia Park (Kiwi Property) Free park and sail facilities are available at most ferry departure points For free weekday parking at the Bayswater Terminal you just need to validate your parking ticket before leaving the car park: should theft or damage occur to your vehicle please report the matter to the police in the first instance Sunday and public holidays $5 Pay by plate for boat trailers Several public transport stations have parking options at private car parks nearby Find out more about private providers parking options: Contact Auckland Transport A new home for Māori immersion learning in Manurewa is spring up next to the school for the blind at Homai Te Whare Kura o Manurewa principal Mahia Nathan says Te Pūtahi Māori o Manurewa replaces the cluster of temporary pods behind Manurewa Marae and will also take in students from Te Kāhui Huringa o Whinireihana ki Manurewa and Te Kura Akonga o Manurewa When it opens in eight months the $47 million complex will fulfil the vision set by elders more than 20 years ago but it’s been worthwhile and we fought kaupapa we’ve struggled to get what we wanted But we hung in there because we believed in the kaupapa and we know that the kaupapa was tika for us for Manurewa finally our dreams are coming to fruition next year in 2024,” he says Enter your email address to receive regular updates from Waatea News Produced by iDigital Two hugely popular entertainment shows that earned a special place in the hearts of all New Zealanders HŌMAI TE PAKIPAKI and CODE make their return across two nights as Whakaata Māori counts down to the 20th anniversary of its first broadcast in 2004 get ready to ‘get your paki on’ when the show that launched a host of stars returns for a two-hour special on Wednesday 27 March at 7.00 PM on Whakaata Māori and MĀORI+ dust off your ‘mean Māori mean’ hoodie and gear up for the return of the ‘OG’s’ Tawera Nikau and Jenny-May Clarkson team up once again to present CODE: THE REUNION on Thursday 28 March at 7.00 PM on Whakaata Māori and MĀORI+ first went to live to air on Friday nights between 2007 – 2015  Hundreds of hopefuls queued up outside the Newmarket studio to audition or be part of the studio audience builders; hard case characters who all were able to sing the birds out of the trees There was even one who would go on to become one of the most recognisable faces in Parliament HŌMAI TE PAKIPAKI ALL STARS reunites winners grand finalists and stand out performers from nine years of competition A decade after the last episode of Code aired and the most famous mullet to ever come out of Rāhui Pōkeka (Huntly) Driven by irreverent humour and a uniquely Māori worldview Code left in indelible mark on the world of television sports shows in Aotearoa In an interview with the NZ Herald ahead of the show’s debut in 2005 the ‘King of Mullets’ reckoned that he “never thought I'd do this sort of stuff but most Maori are part-time actors when you're on the marae and stuff like that anyway.” CODE: THE REUNION will bring back the crack up contributors and behind-the-scenes heroes who made the magic happen there’s a posse of current players from various codes to talk sports of the day and what we can look forward to seeing this coming playing season CODE: THE REUNION pays tribute to an absolute television classic funniest and smartest sketch comedy on race relations in Aotearoa 8.30 PM: BLACK COMEDY – The satirical show by Blackfellas continues the unapologetic comedic exploration of what it means to be black in contemporary Australia Nowadays she's a rumaki teacher at Pukekohe North Primary School but is still belting out the songs, so much so that she made it to the semi-finals of the International Karaoke Contest in the United States. Her students welcomed their teacher back with kapa haka and a huge group hug for their whaea at Auckland International Airport, as she and her father Rob Hira returned home from Las Vegas. Though at first she felt nervous doing it, encouragement from her sister gave Pikiteora (Ngāti Maniapoto, Tainui, Ngāpuhi) confidence. In fact, she says, “I was fortunate enough to make it through the five rounds. Then got to the last round, it was out of the top five and I was selected as second overall so yay!” It is one thing to win a national competition on television in Aotearoa, but it’s another to take her vocal talents to Sin City. Father Rob says, “This is a world scene this one, so I’m very proud of her. “It was good for me to be there for her as well, otherwise she would have spent a lot of time by herself, so it was really cool.” It's only natural that she would do well in the competition. She's definitely not shy of the spotlight going from winning the 2008 edition of Homai, presenting the same show for a number of years and has gone on to present the award-winning rangatahi show Pūkana. “It took us two months to fundraise, mei kore ake toku whānau. I would never have made it, my family, my friends and my tamariki got me there. “I'm just so proud to represent Aotearoa and our hood of Pukekohe.” For now, she’s dropped the mic and is back to teaching her students. Hi-tech CCTV has been installed at Homai station’s park and ride after a spate of car crimes. Manurewa Local Board member Dave Pizzini says locals reported thefts from cars, vandalism and feeling uneasy about leaving vehicles unattended because of smashed glass left after earlier thefts and vandalism. “The board talked with Auckland Transport and they were quick to grasp how serious the problem was. We only raised the matter in September and the cameras were sourced, installed and fully operative in November.” The start-of-the-art system uses three static motion-sensitive cameras. When movement is detected a fourth camera swivels and zooms in, recording images that are also monitored live at a joint Auckland Council and police site. “Police resources can be dispatched if crime is detected, but as a board, we are hopeful the cameras will deter criminals so that people can use the area as intended, as a park and ride,” Mr Pizzini says. Board chair Joseph Allan says the area is safer than ever thanks to the cameras. “People can be confident the area is monitored, and should something happen, offenders will be identified.” And board Auckland Transport lead Ken Penney says people have a right to use public transport without fear of crime. “We have heard the community’s concerns, raised them with Auckland Transport, and they have been excellent in solving the problem.” For more information on what data is contained in the cookies, please click the 'Find out more on the Auckland Council website' button. To accept cookies from this site, please click the 'I Agree' button. Sign up for our e-newsletter and be the first to know about exciting events and news. Hosts Te Hamua Nikora (left) and Matai Smith love the energy of the show 'No one was meant to hear it,' Moller said while discussing his life Manufacturing Today India Home > People > GPS Renewables appoints Homai Ardeshir Daruwalla as independent director She held key roles at The Zoroastrian Co-operative Bank GPS Renewables has appointed Homai Ardeshir Daruwalla Daruwalla occupied an independent director position at Vizag Seaport Pvt Ltd Reliance Financial Ltd and Reliance Securities Ltd she was a non-executive director on the boards of Triveni Engineering She served as Chairperson & Managing Director of Central Bank of India from 2005 to 2008 she held key roles at The Zoroastrian Co-operative Bank GPS Renewables said that as GPS Renewables continues to create a larger impact in the bioenergy sector in India they will undoubtedly benefit from the expertise of Daruwalla May 5, 2025e-Paper we celebrate not just the art of photography but the trailblazers who used their cameras to capture history whose lens chronicled the birth of a nation and the evolution of its identity—Homai Vyarawala was a visionary who saw beyond the limitations of her time In an era when women were seldom seen behind the camera she dared to step into the world of photojournalism becoming a pioneer in a field dominated by men Her journey from a small town in Gujarat to becoming one of the most significant chroniclers of India’s history is a testament to her determination Vyarawala grew up in a Parsi family and pursued her education in Mumbai It was in Mumbai that she was introduced to photography by her husband which laid the foundation for her future work At a time when women were rarely seen in professions dominated by men Vyarawala carved out a space for herself with her talent and perseverance sari-clad and often traveling across the city on her bicycle Vyarawala’s work gained national fame as she documented some of the most significant events in Indian history Her photographs are a visual record of India’s transition from colonial rule to independence Among her most iconic images are the first flag hoisting at the Red Fort on August 15 Her lens also captured visits from international dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth and U.S Vyarawala believed in the importance of timing She often remarked that while many photographers might capture the same event it was the unique moment and angle that made a photograph stand out but of the emotions and atmosphere surrounding it often downplaying the significance of being India’s first woman photojournalist She believed that photography was a duty she performed with utmost sincerity and never sought recognition for herself she retired from professional photography and settled in Vadodara where she lived a quiet life until her passing in 2012 at the age of 98 In recognition of her contributions to Indian photojournalism This honor was a testament to her role in shaping the visual narrative of India’s history and an unwavering commitment to capturing the truth She exemplified a generation that believed in doing the right thing in the right way her life and work serving as a beacon for future generations of photographers and journalists Homai Vyarawala didn’t just document history; she lived it she ensured that the moments she captured would be remembered forever Her story is a reminder of the power of perseverance the importance of seizing the right moment and the timeless impact of a life dedicated to one’s craft Terms & conditions  |  Institutional Subscriber Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. 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Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments We have migrated to a new commenting platform If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in you may continue to engage with our articles If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle A mental health and wellbeing programme for primary and intermediate school children will be expanded to five new district health board (DHB) areas The government announced today that Mana Ake would be rolled out to schools in the Northland Mana Ake was established in 2018 in Canterbury and Kaikōura in response to the trauma some children were experiencing after the earthquakes in 2010/2011 and 2016 Since then more than 7000 children have received support Announcing the wider rollout of the programme at Homai School in Manurewa today Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the time was right for more schools to be included "Based on feedback that we have had from schools Mana Ake is a programme we should make available more widely." Mana Ake provides resources and support for teachers to help their students who are dealing with things like bullying Individual schools will collaborate with DHBs and other community groups on how the programme will work Health Minister Andrew Little said that allowed for tailored approaches to meet the different needs of different communities Homai School Principal Rosina Wakaira said it was essential the programme be a collaboration between staff "We don't want it to become something where someone comes and does it for us said her teachers were already good at helping her classmates when they had problems Briana was glad her teachers would be getting more support to help more children who needed it "It's going to be really good to see every single kid walking on the street with a big smile on their face" Counties Manukau DHB chair Mark Gosche said the rollout would take about six months in his area The government has not yet put a timeframe on when Mana Ake will be rolled out to the rest of the country Labour would make mental health support available to all primary and intermediate students and increase dental health grants to $1000 New Zealand RSS Gaylene Jacobs and Willie Matthews will perform on Friday night.PHOTO/STUART MUNRO 071015WCSMTE-PAKI2 Wanganui band LGW is appearing in the semifinals of Homai Te Paki Paki this week Inspired by other Wanganui bands who have done well in the popular Maori TV talent quest show - including We Three and Harmony Showdown - LGW band members Gaylene Jacobs Willie Matthews and Lynaire Simon decided to have a go Homai Te Paki Paki's producers came to Wanganui in May to make it easier for local people to audition "We saw the other groups from Wanganui do well last year so we decided we'd give it a go," Gaylene said The trio are all related and have been performing together for years They will be performing live on the show and admit to a few nerves Gaylene has been on television once before when she competed in New Zealand's Got Talent while Lynaire is a talented kapa haka performer Willie said LGW plays a wide range of music Homai Te Paki Paki screens on Maori TV at 8.30pm tomorrow Wanganui East Club will be showing the episode on the big screen Low temperatures are forecast to temporarily return to double digits this week Corporate NZ is embracing te reo Māori with many initiatives they're all doing it - embracing te ao Māori (the Māori world) and te reo Māori Businesses and other groups are running language classes learning the correct pronunciation of place names using formal Māori greetings and appointing executives to drive transformation programmes and the airline has developed a badge to identify fluent speakers Telecommunications company Spark has launched its Kupu app which allows users to take a picture and have the object identified in Māori Spark brand Skinny is selling the Skinny Tahi phone And staff from Z Energy are being taught to correctly pronounce the locations of their petrol stations But while many businesses embrace te reo Māori "Why?" asks AUT history professor Paul Moon there's no question of that," Moon says of businesses and other organisations trying to spread knowledge of the language and culture But he doubts those efforts will revive te reo Māori Canterbury University literacy and education researcher Melissa Derby is another who doubts the effectiveness of such well-meant efforts manager of Māori projects Henare Johnson says "we have more than 150 staff who are Māori ambassadors and 50 per cent of those are non-Māori." Half of that group were not born in this country "They just have a passion for the culture and language we've identified 20 fluent te reo speakers," Johnson says Air NZ worked with Ngā Kete Tuku Iho (the Māori Arts and Crafts Institute) and Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission) to develop badges that identify fluent speakers An executive training programme run by staff teaches colleagues mihi and correct pronunciation Cultural and te reo workshops are run for airport operation managers are held at Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa marae at Auckland airport "We regularly deliver team-building half-day and full-day workshops on marae with the culture and language used to build team culture," he says "The Department of Conservation delivers a three-day marae wananga Air NZ senior leadership are invited and a number have already participated "During Māori Language Week we delivered a social media multi-choice question competition for customers in both Māori and English This was a hit and people overseas participated," Johnson says "We are still at the beginning of our te reo and cultural journey as a company and as individual staff members "But saying 'kia ora' and 'mā te wā' - our preferred greeting and farewell - many staff have taken up the challenge to enrol themselves in te reo courses either run by iwi or tertiary institutions." lead corporate relations partner Michelle Baguley calls the Kupu app "hugely successful" and says the business has a Māori business strategy led by Māori business manager Lisa Paraku in charge of things such as increased te reo literacy Spark has created its own waiata that is performed by staff started using mihi and powhiri at all our staff events delivered a week-long selection of staff activities during Matariki and Māori Language Week," says Baguley "We have also translated our purpose and values into te reo and these are prominently displayed around the building and it's where our waiata and other information is stored to help us when we begin hui and bootcamps with a karakia and mihi Te Taura Whiri have provided us with guidelines for Māori language orthography which is being used by our branding teams." Spark published a Matariki video on social media featuring the Morrison whānau along with all its brand campaigns during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week "Māori words such as 'mahi' are being incorporated into our mainstream branding campaigns All our call centres used the greeting 'kia ora' during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori," says Baguley "We have a Māori group at Spark -Te Ahika - formed by a bunch of passionate employees who perform kapa haka and lead us on our Māori journey "We partnered with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa to offer an eight-week pilot te reo course to our people and 25 people have graduated We are now working on a te reo module for our online internal learning and development portal author and fluent speaker Scotty Morrison to work with its leadership squad next year "All our translations are provided by certified translators via Te Taura Whiri." Baguley also cites Skinny's Tahi phone as an example of embracing te reo "We think that a te reo Māori language option should be just as relevant in New Zealand technology as an English language option Skinny has made a te reo Māori dictionary standard on this phone they won't be prompted to correct it because the dictionary recognises it and autocorrects mis-spelt Māori words and adds macrons if needed "Māori language and culture is special and unique to New Zealand and we'd like to play a role in supporting the revitalisation of the language and help it to prosper via digital platforms We are also one of three corporate organisations chosen by Te Kotahi Research Institute to take part in a 12-month study on te reo Māori in business." Selwyn Hayes of EY Tahi - EY's Māori-focused operation - says it holds beginner te reo Māori classes in its Auckland and Wellington offices aiming to give our staff an insight and some understanding of Māori culture and language - which is the 'why' do it We have Māori staff and clients and we acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand." give it a nudge because it's enjoyable and very relevant in the New Zealand context But it helps with our sense of identity," says Whineray - a Pākehā who learnt from a Māori teacher in Palmerston North Ngarimu Blair is a Tāmaki Makaurau rangatira of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and says: "For my part I undertake training on our history for staff and our customary relationships and what they mean in a contemporary business situation." He is deputy chair of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust and a director of the financially powerful company Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Rawa He is also credited with being one of this country's most influential Māori leaders and te reo is a passion with history and creating a deeper understanding of tikanga Māori Last year she held a workshop with 200 Microsoft staff and taught Z employees to correctly pronounce the locations of their petrol stations A Z Energy spokesperson says the company is running te reo lessons in Wellington as a trial before it goes to staff elsewhere we recognise and embrace what being Kiwi means to us Te ao Māori and te reo Māori is important to Z because we believe we must reflect and behave in alignment with the aspirations of all people that call Aotearoa New Zealand home That is what it means to be a Kiwi company." But while historian Moon doesn't doubt the good intentions behind such efforts and he desperately wants the language to survive he says "none of these gestures will make a blind bit of difference "If the goal is to genuinely revitalise the language there's only one way to do that and it's from birth Te reo is not dead but it's getting close," he says noting that there are only 8000 fluent native speakers "and most of them are aged 50-plus" "Latin is a dead language but lots of people still speak it and that's the risk with te reo - that it becomes a ceremonial language What's the motivation for businesses to teach it If they really believe it will revive the language Moon says te reo is in "a near terminal state" and has written a book - Ka Ngaro Te Reo - Māori Language Under Siege - and Killing Te Reo Maori: An Indigenous Language Facing Extinction He emphasises he is not attacking the language but making an "impassioned plea for its future while acknowledging it is facing the real risk of death" Moon also questions people's "reverential and devotional" approach and says te reo is not heard much day-to-day - and even some te reo teachers speak English when classes end Canterbury University's Derby also doubts the effectiveness of business moves to boost the language who has studied Māori education and early literacy is sceptical about the results from well-meaning efforts it will not result in the revitalisation of te reo," she says "We may produce citizens who have a basic level of understanding of the language or who may use te reo words in place of English words But this usually results in the te reo word being used as a direct translation of the English word whether that is an appropriate reflection or not." She asks: will these efforts produce te reo speakers using that as their preferred communication over English Will it produce people so proficient that they are able to have a conversation about any topic in the language and pass this language on to their descendants coupled with significant opportunities to speak te reo all day are required for this to happen," Derby says But she does acknowledge business efforts have other benefits creating culturally-responsive and inclusive workplaces where tikanga and te reo have a natural presence "I believe this could contribute to staff engagement and buy-in among Māori staff in particular There is plenty of evidence of this having occurred in the education sector with the use of te reo and tikanga in schools contributing to better engagement and learning outcomes for Māori students," Derby says September's Māori Language Week was embraced by businesses with a variety of initiatives • ANZHosted free 90-minute te reo Māori classes on Mondays at its Albert St headquarters • BNZIntroduced te reo Māori for mobile and online customers allowing them to switch their banking to te reo and added a twist to the website by adding a learning mode where both English and te reo translations sit side by side says: "Māori heritage is part of what makes Aotearoa the unique and special place that we call home and te reo Māori is an important part of that heritage We're proud to support and celebrate Māori Language Week by launching the new service." • WestpacUsed 128 digital display boards in branches to welcome customers in te reo Māori and Māori sign language with shorter versions appearing on ATM screens Encouraged regional branch staff with videos showing the correct reo Māori pronunciation of their town Has translated 2409 English words at 600 ATMs into te reo Māori and released te reo Māori words and phrases on its application • NZMEThe New Zealand Herald and regional newspaper mastheads transformed to te reo Māori and featured special content daily The Hits and ZM used Māori versions of their logos and increased use of te reo on air The video team created short clips on Māori-isms and filmed local kura kaupapa students reading Māori myths and legends in te reo Digital screens in all offices featured basic words and phrases Academic Paul Moon says increased te reo use is positive yet studies show that such processes are more likely to be destructive to the indigenous languages than beneficial "This is because English – uniquely in the world of languages – is almost genetically programmed to appropriate words from other languages and claim them as its own: a sort of linguistic colonisation." He wrote this piece with three te reo words an old bandana and his lucky bangle on his wrist He looked out at the puriri trees on the edge of the bush 'I've got to clear some of that whenua,' he said to himself 'It's so thick that thugs could use it to hide their loot' But he had been saying this for such a long time that it had become like a mantra who was sleeping in the cot and then went to shampoo his hair." Moon says he suspects most New Zealanders would be able to identify the te reo words over 10 per cent of the text in the paragraph is in Hindi which illustrates both how English soaks up words from other languages and claims them as its own and how this process – which is happening to te reo – does nothing to revive languages Hindi is not advanced one bit if English speakers use those words in everyday speech So how is te reo being advanced by us sprinkling a few words in with English The commission signalled the charges in December who will be performing on Homai Te Paki Paki tonight Family and music are inextricably linked for the members of Harmony Showdown who will perform in a semifinal of Maori TV's Homai Te Paki Paki tonight The Wanganui-based singing trio won their heat in August and will sing live in front of a studio audience tonight The band members are sisters Priscilla Sutton and Melissa Mareikura and Mrs Mareikura's husband Harmony Showdown is the second local group to be performing in a semifinal in this season of Homai Te Paki Paki We Three won their semifinal earlier this month and will perform in the final on November 14 and Harmony Showdown said they would relish the opportunity to join We Three in the final "Obviously we'd be pleased to make it to the final," Mrs Mareikura said but we all share a passion for music and we would all support each other." Harmony Showdown has been playing the local band circuit together for years "We thought we'd try out for Homai Te Paki Paki to do something different," Mr Mareikura said Mrs Mareikura and Mrs Sutton were just three years old when they began their singing careers singing regularly at the Ohakune Country Music Club They will have plenty of support during tonight's performance with 15 family members travelling with them to Auckland and another 15 family members meeting them there Harmony Showdown said they would particularly like to thank John Prasad and Jared Huirama for help with recording their backing music Harmony Showdown will play live on Homai Te Paki Paki tonight at 8.30pm on Maori TV A pedestrian has died after being hit by a train near Takanini Emergency services were alerted just after 8.10am near Walters Road Auckland Transport said all Southern Line services would be starting and terminating at Homai but the rest of the network was unaffected Due to an emergency services incident near Takanini, all Southern Line services will be starting and terminating at Homai. The remainder of the network is unaffected. Please use bus services between Homai and Papakura. We will have more details shortly. pic.twitter.com/RPa6RuMnFD It will be eyes on TV screen and cellphone in hand tonight with two Wanganui acts in the grand final of Homai Te Paki Paki. Solo act Charlotte Melser and trio LGW will be performing live from Auckland on the Maori TV talent show while fans back home text in votes. The show came to Wanganui for auditions in May with both Charlotte and LGW making it on to the show. "The goal was to get to the grand final. Our major goal is to win," Willie Matthews of LGW said. Despite only getting back together the day before the auditions the trio had sung together in the past and had the pedigree. "In my family we're all musical," Willie said. "We're all from a musical background." LGW were inspired to enter after seeing Wanganui acts do well last year, Gaylene Jacobs said. "There's some great talent out there in Wanganui. We're very blessed that we've got so much great talent." "Not only talent but a community that supports it," she said. Charlotte originally missed out progressing earlier but was given a judges' wildcard into the semifinals and was then voted through to the final after a long wait for the results. "I was incredibly calm about it. I mean, I knew I had three weeks to wait," she said. Charlotte will also have her eyes on the prize, some of which she wants to donate to the Mayoral Relief Fund. "It's an amazing experience to be part of and whether I take it out or not I feel like I've already won. A trip to Auckland with these guys; Wanganui represent." LGW fans are gathering at the Wanganui East Club to watch the show while Charlotte is encouraging her friends to host screening parties. People can vote from 8.30pm by texting 'paki 3' to 5151 for Charlotte or 'paki 10' to 5151 for LGW. Text costs 50c. Low temperatures are forecast to temporarily return to double digits this week. Maori Television's Homai Te Pakipaki winner William "Wiz" Tokelau from Ranana on the Whanganui River. Homai Te Pakipaki victor William "Wiz" Tokelau's reggae version of Cupid went right to the hearts of the voting public to top Maori Television's premier talent show on October 4. Wiz, from Ranana, on the Whanganui River and now living on Auckland's North Shore, says he "fully dedicates his win to the whanau back home in Wanganui". He won $20,000 and a new Samsung S4 phone. "It's so flash I don't know how to use it," he says over the telephone. Auckland is a musician's playground and Wiz is now looking around for instruments to set up a music studio with his winnings. Yes, the competition has opened doors, and there is an exciting offer on the table yet to be confirmed, so he can't talk about that yet. The Homai Te Pakipaki competition took up to five months. Wiz was in the second heat of five and being in the competition he got to meet other musicians. "I did not expect to win," he says humbly. It was a popularity contest, he said, with everyone from home texting for him, and added that it was also about the music. Wiz's lively performance, flying dreadlocks that reach past his waist, and big, open smile, singing the Amy Winehouse's reggae/jazz version of Sam Cooke's Cupid with his own "twist on it", took him to the top. "My first two songs were from Uncle Bob Marley. I felt comfortable with them and did not want to be known as a cheater, so I picked the Amy Winehouse version for the challenge." He says his late mum, Tu Gardiner, inspired his love of music. And kapa haka at Cullinane College was another string to his musical bow. And the nickname Wiz? "My sister Stacey gave that to me when I was a kid. I always had ants in my pants. I have three sisters and they are all down there [Wanganui]." Last year Wiz moved to Auckland with his wife Shelley and 17-month old son Kingdom. "She plays worship music, piano and guitar, and is an awesome singer." Rotorua’s Nev Rolston, 19, competed in singing show Homai Te Pakipaki on Friday. Photo / Ben Fraser A local musician may have missed out on winning $20,000 on national TV, but the 19-year-old says the experience was priceless. Rotorua busker Nev Rolston appeared as a semifinalist on the singing competition show Homai Te Pakipaki before a live audience at the Maori Television studio in Auckland. In the semifinal he went up against Harata Tau-Kata, Tahi Paenga, Taupae Connelly, Arihana White and wildcard Charlotte Melser for a chance to go into the grand final and take away the $20,000 prize package. Tau-Kata and White were the winners, taking first-equal place and ensuring their place in the grand final which will be held at the end of the month. Tau-Kata sung an Etta James classic I'd Rather go Blind, White sung Stevie Wonder's Master Blaster , while Rolston chose to sing Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World. "I grew up with Louis Armstrong and Josh Groban and things like that, all the old-school era of music instead of the now time," Rolston said. "That's where my musical background comes from." Rolston said despite his loss in the competition, the whole experience had been amazing. "When I first heard I had won [my heat] I was stoked, over the moon," Rolston said. Rolston had friends and family in the audience. -Homai Te Pakipaki is on Fridays at 8.30pm on Maori Television. He piko he tuna is about resilience and love the despite challenges of life. Vyarawalla learned photography from her boyfriend Maneckshaw Vyarawalla Mumbai influenced her pictorial sense as did the modernist photographs she got to see in second hand issues of LIFE magazine Her early portraits of everyday urban life and modern young women in Mumbai show these influences but since Vyarawalla was unknown and a woman these were initially published in the Illustrated Weekly and Bombay Chronicle under Maneckshaw’s name In 1942 Vyarawalla moved to Delhi to join the British Information Services There she photographed a significant meeting when Congress members voted for the partition of India Vyarawalla also documented the rituals of Independence the building of dams and steel plants and the state visits of the most famous names in 20th-century history Marshall Tito and Russian leaders Brezhnev and Khruschev In 1956 Vyarawalla captured the first entry of a young Dalai Lama into India for TIME-LIFE High-society magazines like Onlooker and Current requested her for “pictures of good looking women.” Not surprisingly they published large spreads on the visits of Queen Elizabeth I and the fashionable U.S Kennedy to emerge for a photo shoot in 1962 a colleague of Vyarawalla whispered to the photographer: “She isn’t dressed properly as yet!” Though Vyarawalla was from the westernized Parsi community where women also wore dresses she mostly dressed in a saree on assignment Formal attire offered respectability in conservative times when she was the only woman among photographers At a time when candid photography was favored she got the best shots but was unobtrusive and respectful of the dignity of her subjects She captured her favorite subject Jawaharlal Nehru who was India’s first Prime Minister her most famous photographs of Gandhi were taken during his funeral in 1948 and she processed her own images and believed that the choice of monochrome preserved them for posterity Candid, The Lens and Life of Homai Vyarawalla is on display at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City through Jan Sabeena Gadihoke is associate professor of video production at Jamia University in Delhi and is the author of Camera Chronicles of Homai Vyarawalla Few are privileged to witness the creation of history many emerged who could lay claim as its makers – Edward Mountbatten But it took one person to immortalize them all – Homai Vyarawalla You couldn’t miss the sight of her at history’s many trysts with destiny. A petite Parsi lady in a Sari wielding a nine kg Rolleiflex camera trying to be unobtrusive – often succeeding – and capturing the intimate real moments of the biggest names of the time After her boyfriend, Manekshaw Vyarawalla (later husband), introduced her to photography, she took up a course at the J.J. School of Arts in Bombay. Her break came in 1942 when the British Information Service shifted office to Delhi during the war – and needed a photographer Homai cycled the streets of Delhi carrying her bulky equipment She soon became a familiar sight in influential circles As she wrote in an article for The Hindu: Though I was on the payroll of the British Information Service they allowed me to do private work outside office hours taking pictures of prominent personalities for some magazines in Mumbai as well as for foreign agencies What is she doing here?’ kind of reaction the response changed to ‘Where is she Subscribe Now Or Login The Madras Courier is the first newspaper to be established in the Madras Presidency the Madras Courier serves a global audience of curious intelligent readers interested in South Asian affairs We curate interesting stories that enhance our understanding of the world in meaningful ways When I told my loving Indian parents I wanted to pursue a career in photojournalism Their immigrant dreams of producing a lawyer or doctor were replaced with images of an idealistic artist filled with wanderlust I was young enough and stubborn enough to follow my convictions but it took nearly a decade for them to appreciate my unconventional path Little did I know that Homai Vyarawalla had already blazed this trail seen with other press photographers at a photo session with Indira Gandhi in Delhi affectionately referred to as India's first female photojournalist leaving behind four decades of imagery documenting India's independence and the transition that followed Born to humble Parsi parents in December 1913 Vyarawalla was the daughter of a theater-director father and a mother who ironically steered her away from a career in medicine "She had seen doctors on late-night shifts and didn't want me in a profession like that," Vyarawalla recounts in a retrospective book of her work titled Camera Chronicles of Homai Vyarawalla "Little did she realize that press photography would be far worse!" In a career that spanned more than four decades on the front lines of a tumultuous transition from colonial rule to independence Draped in a sari and lugging heavy photographic equipment she photographed in an era when the media had unprecedented access and an ongoing camaraderie "All of us helped each other," she said of her male counterparts he would request another photographer to take an extra picture for him We even traded negatives so that no one missed out on a good picture." Vyarawalla's black-and-white images poetically captured monumental moments in India's history the departure of British Viceroy Lord Mountbatten and the funeral of Mahatma Gandhi as well as notable dignitaries who passed through Delhi She had the rare distinction of knowing her high-profile subjects intimately and never exploited that relationship "They were comfortable with me because they knew that I would never ridicule them," she said when Indira Gandhi became India's prime minister Delhi photographers were able to gain intimate access without much effort "I have taken photographs of presidents and prime ministers as close as 5 feet We were never considered a security menace we had to stay at least 15 to 20 feet away while taking a picture," noted Vyarawalla It was then that she decided she had done enough feeling uninspired by the nation's cynicism and leadership That graciousness and that dignity were just not there my interest in photography was gone as well," she said moved away from Delhi and locked up her cameras Homai Vyarawalla poses with her Rolleiflex camera at her home in Vadodara Vyarawalla's story of triumph and commitment would have faded away had it not been for an inquisitive Delhi-based photographer who noticed a lone female name in a long list of men in the Press Information Bureau records For two decades she had lived alone with the memories of an illustrious life "It was after 50 years of having taken these pictures that I started to see the value of my work," she wrote in March 2005 "I was just earning a living at that time with no thought of preserving it for posterity In a country where a great man like Gandhiji has been forgotten to see what it was like to live in those days It was a different kind of world altogether." Become an NPR sponsor Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The country's first ever woman photojournalist, Homai was a trendsetter who lived by her own rules. The only woman in a field peopled by men, there has hardly been a newsworthy event that has not been captured by her lens. And scarcely any political heavyweight in India who has remained untouched by her camera-be it Mahatma Gandhi, S Radhakrishnan, Sardar Patel or Pandit Nehru, one of her most favourite subjects.] Born in Navsari in 1913 to parents who were part of a travelling Parsi-Urdu theatre company, Homai's first few years were spent travelling with the company until her mother decided to settle in Mumbai so that the children could get a decent schooling. Homai moved across Delhi on a bicycle. Wearing a saree, with two huge sling bags across her shoulders that held her cameras and equipment, she also carried two boxes, one holding new flashbulbs and the other to keep the fused ones. "I would get strange looks from people on the street," she chuckles. "A lot of them thought I was a foreigner in spite of the fact that I wore a saree!" Homai says she made it a point to always be formally dressed whenever she was on assignment. Tell us about your relationship with the photographer Homai Vyarawalla. Was it a typical biographer’s relation to the subject or something beyond it? And how did you become interested in Vyarawala’s work? Q. Can you talk a bit about Homai’s journey from the beginning? Is it true that she would have been an actress, had it not been for her photographer boyfriend, Maneckshaw Vyarawalla, who taught her photography and whom she later married? Q. Do you feel that her employment at British Information Services somehow changed or rather affected the chances of further enhancing her prolific career as a photographer? Q. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was her favourite subject. There are some marvellous pictures that she clicked of his. Some of which show him in a cheerful mood and others that captured him as vulnerable. Did Nehru like posing for her? A. Nehru was a camera-friendly person. As she described him in my film, he was “a photographer’s delight”. One example of this is the famous picture of him posing next to a board saying “Photography Prohibited” at the airport. Q. And Homai was a great admirer of Mahatma Gandhi, too. Is it true that she was supposed to attend his prayer meeting on that dreadful morning when he was shot? A. Yes, she was very inspired by Gandhi’s simplicity and frugal living. But Gandhi hated the flash and so she did not photograph him as much as she did Nehru. She did set out to shoot the prayer meeting on 30 January 1948, but her husband called her back saying they would go the next day together. And the rest is history. “Homai often said that being the only woman in a crowd of men worked to her advantage as the subject often looked directly at her (in curiosity) and she got good frames as a result of that.” Q. Do you feel she was at an advantage in a sense for being a woman photographer among so many male counterparts? A. Homai never represented herself as a victim. Of course she had to prove herself as the only woman among men but she had supportive family, colleagues and subjects, like Nehru and Dr Radhakrishan, who encouraged her. There were occasions like costume and fashion shows where being a woman was an advantage. She often said that being the only woman in a crowd of men worked to her advantage as the subject often looked directly at her (in curiosity) and she got good frames as a result of that. Q. What according to you are the key historical moments that her camera managed to capture? A. The events around Independence, the funeral of Gandhi, Lord Mountbatten taking the salute for the last time as he departed from India in March 1948, the Republic Day, the Dalai Lama crossing over into India in 1956 to attend a celebration of the Buddhist faith. Plus other arrivals and departures of politicians and famous personalities who visited India. Q. Do you think she also managed to capture the boldness of Indian women and the influence of fashion in this country through her  photography? A. Actually I wouldn’t describe her as a “fashion photographer”. The point I also made in one of my recent talks was that her photographs covering fashion and costume shows by elite Indian and expatriate women could be seen to give us insights into a different facet of Nehruvian India that has mostly been looked at through the lens of nationalist politics. Q. She was in Delhi during Partition. Do we have anything groundbreaking on Partition in her photographs? Q. Tell us about your experience of travelling alongside Homai during her first overseas trip to the United States and then to England? Q. Why did Homai quit photography all of a sudden in the year 1970? © SUNDAY GUARDIAN LIVE 2025 | DIRECT NEWS PRIVATE LIMITED | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Who Clicked That Pic? (2023) is a delightful picture book for children, written by Nandita da Cunha and illustrated by Priya Kuriyan. It pays homage to the legendary Homai Vyarawalla (1913-2012), India’s first woman photojournalist. The writing draws inspiration from real-life events. It is conversational, uncluttered, and has a touch of humour. Homai Vyarawalla at an exhibition of her iconic photographs on 18 August 1998. (Girish Srivastava/HT Archive) This is not a biography. It is a work of fiction, and it captures only a slice of the woman’s life. She is introduced to the reader as Pari, a young professional who is so engrossed with her camera that she tends to forget mundane tasks like brushing her teeth. She is at an early stage of her career, hoping that her photographs will be picked up by Mr Nakhrawalla’s newspaper. He pays one rupee per photograph, and Pari plans to use that to buy new photo-film rolls. Her mother wove sacred thread for Parsi girls; her father was an actor with a travelling theatre troupe. It was Maneckshaw who taught her photography. The book features a selection of black and white photographs from the Homai Vyarawalla archives that are part of the Alkazi Collection of Photography. They give the reader a glimpse of Homai’s talent. Chintan Girish Modi is a freelance writer, journalist and book reviewer. KNOWN as India’s first female photojournalist, Homai Vyarawalla was born on December 9, 1913, into a Parsi family based in Navsari, Gujarat. The family later moved to Mumbai, and when she was at university, she was introduced to photography by a professor (and her future husband) Manekshaw Vyarawalla. Her first photogtaphy job capturing her classmates at a picnic, which were published by a local newspaper, earned her one rupee per image. As a woman in a male-dominated industry, Vyarawalla was not taken seriously, so she published her photographs under her husband’s name. Before she started using her own name, she used the pseudonym ‘Dalda13’ which was derived from her scooter number plate, DLD13. In 1942, Vyarawalla moved to Delhi to work for the British Information Service, taking photographs at a crucial time in the Indian Independence movement. Both before and after India’s independence, she captured many crucial moments, such as when the last viceroy, Lord Mountbatten, left India, and the first flag-hoisting ceremony at the Red Fort in 1947. She photographed international politicians including US president John F Kennedy, China’s first prime minister Zhou Enlai and Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh. She snapped the Dalai Lama crossing into Indian territory in 1959, and the Queen when she visited India in 1961. Her favourite person to photograph was India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and the two forged a strong bond. In interviews, Vyarawalla spoke of how she used the fact that other photographers underestimated her to her advantage, often holding back from being at the very frontline, instead opting to hold back to later gain unfettered access. One of my favourite quotes from her is, “I hadn’t the slightest clue I would be a photographer. I wanted to be a doctor, but that was the only time in my life that my mother refused to let me do something. She had seen doctors on late-night shifts and didn’t want me in a profession like that. Little did she realise that press photography would be far worse!” For me, this is an important lesson – Vyarawalla didn’t plan to have the impressive career that she did, nor did she or her family have any idea of what a career as a photographer might entail. She pursued it anyway and thankfully was able to capture some of the most iconic moments and figures in history relating to India. Vyarawalla retired in 1970, citing her dismay at the increasing ‘papparazzi’ style of her peers as a factor behind that decision. In 2010, she was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour, two years before her death in 2012. Some of her photographs are displayed in London Kings Cross branch of popular restaurant chain, Dishoom. Shalina Patel is the head of teaching and learning in a large comprehensive school in north-west London. Patel runs the History Corridor on Instagram, which has more than 15,000 followers and showcases the diverse history that she teaches. She has delivered training to more than 200 school leaders since July 2020 on decolonising the curriculum. Patel won the Pearson Silver Teaching Award 2018 for Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School. The forthcoming Bollywood release Nikita Roy falls into the category of films that should never have been greenlit. The psychological thriller, headlined by flop actress Sonakshi Sinha, marks the directorial debut of her failed actor brother Kussh S Sinha. The terrible-looking turkey also stars Arjun Rampal – an actor who hasn’t been anywhere near a good film in years. It will likely play to empty cinemas when it releases on 30 May. Sonakshi Sinha and Arjun Rampal in the doomed thriller 'Nikita Roy.' Massively popular Indian comic Rajat Sood will deliver his first UK show at Camden Comedy Club in London on 8 June. Known for calling himself “India’s most failed lover,” the stand-up star will share his exploits in what promises to be a laughter-filled show. With more than 600,000 Instagram followers, Sood has built a global fanbase – and now UK audiences will get to experience his unique brand of comedy live. Comedian Rajat Sood, the self-proclaimed 'India’s most failed lover,' brings his humour to London Vish, the beloved Bollywood street performer, takes his final bow on UK streets Sargun Mehta and Ammy Virk return for more chaos in 'Saunkan Saunkne 2 There are many great Indo-Caribbean chutney music artists who put their own unique spin on commercial South Asian music but don’t receive the recognition they deserve. One recently released track worth discovering is a catchy cover version of the classic Bollywood song Chhod Do Aanchal from Paying Guest (1957). The delightful duet sees Nishard M and Pritivi Bheem give a contemporary twist to the much-loved classic. It is accompanied by an eye-catching music video. Nishard M and Pritivi Bheem’s fresh take on the classic 'Chhod Do Aanchal If you can get tickets (£35-£60 [₹3,700-₹6,300]), this show is highly recommended. Osman Mir & Third Culture Collective blend Gujarati folk with Western orchestration Before Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh was released, I had predicted it would be on extremely shaky ground – because Bollywood has a bad habit of commercialising stories based on real-life events, including highly sensitive ones like this. That’s exactly what happened. Instead of unveiling anything new about the cold-blooded massacre of peaceful protestors, the film came across as an ego trip for lead star Akshay Kumar. The poorly made movie shamefully took artistic liberties with a deeply sensitive subject and, unsurprisingly, failed at the box office. It adds to Kumar’s horrific run of failures, which now includes a staggering 15 flops from his last 17 films as a headline hero. Akshay Kumar in the controversial 'Kesari Chapter 2,' another box-office disaster INEDEPENDENT British artist Maya Lakhani adds to her fast-growing list of achievements with her new song Fall For Me, which is released today (2) on all streaming platforms. The talented singer-songwriter delivers an anthemic alt rock love song about two people falling for each other at the same time. Taken from her forthcoming EP, the track – like her previous releases – has also been impressively produced and recorded by Maya herself. Despite creating rock music, she remains closely connected to her Asian roots and hopes to inspire others. She said: “In the artwork and upcoming music video for this song, I have worn my Gujarati chaniya choli while playing my electric guitar. I am hoping this inspires any south Asian person with an unconventional dream – that they can achieve big things and do whatever they want in life. “I was lucky enough to play Glastonbury last year and am continuing to do exciting things in music. I hope others in our community connect to this and chase their dreams too.” Maya Lakhani rocks her Gujarati chaniya choli while shredding an electric guitar TO THE Soho Theatre in central London has been a remarkable platform for Indian stand-up comedians in recent years. In May, a new branch of the iconic venue will open in Walthamstow, East London, and they have already booked shows with great south Asian talents. You can catch British comic Ahir Shah’s award-winning show Ends on May 16. Indian stand-up stars Biswa Kalyan Rath (August 30– 31) and Rahul Dua (September 6) will deliver their respective Hindi-language shows. UK show Brown Girls Do It Too: Mama Told Me Not to Come will be staged from September 9–13. London’s Soho Theatre expands to Walthamstow, bringing more South Asian comedy to the stage A big UK success story has been the dynamic Desi Live concerts that have taken place across England in recent years. The high-energy music shows, powered by much-loved Punjabi icons, have been a brilliant mixture of nostalgia, hit songs, great live performances and an electric atmosphere. The next one, taking place at O2 Forum, Kentish Town in London on Sunday (4 May), is headlined by Jazzy B, Jassi Sidhu, AS Kang, Panjabi MC and Premi Johal. There will also be top DJs and an after-party. Tickets start at £30 (₹3,200). Look out for more similar events in the month ahead. Jassi Sidhu and other Punjabi legends set to light up London’s O2 Forum An Indian paramilitary serviceman keeps watch in Pahalgam last Wednesday (23) THE year is 2025, 78 years after the creation of Pakistan as a homeland for Muslims, as imagined by Muhammad Ali Jinnah for those who did not wish to remain behind in India. Given its rich resources and the fertile fields of the Punjab, Pakistan should today be one of Asia’s richest economies, possibly even ahead of India. Take the example of Sir Anwar Pervez, founder of the Bestway group, who is probably the most respected Pakistani-origin entrepreneur in the UK. There should be many people like him in Pakistan. The truth is Pakistan is not going to progress so long as the army is in charge. And the tentacles of the army reach deep into Pakistani society. And to justify its existence, the army has to hold up India as the arch enemy. Anyone can see the status of Kashmir is not going to change. Nevertheless, the Pakistan army chief, General Asim Munir, told a conclave of overseas Pakistanis in Islamabad earlier this month that the country would continue to stand by the Kashmiri people in the “struggle against the Indian occupation”. “It was our jugular vein, it is our jugular vein, we will not forget it,” he said. In the same address, the general called upon the people of the country to tell stories to children so that they don’t forget they are “different from Hindus”. In my experience, Indians and Pakistanis, Hindus and Muslims, get along pretty well in the UK. I know of several happy marriages. I like to think that, as human beings, we are not that different. The general wants children to grow up drinking hatred of India and Hindus with their mother’s milk. “You have to tell Pakistan’s story to your children so that they don’t forget that our forefathers thought we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life.” President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (centre) shakes hands with India’s prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1972 in Shimla, as his daughter Benazir Bhutto looks on Shortly afterwards, on April 22, four gunmen emerged from thick forests and indiscriminately killed 26 people – mostly tourists from outside Kashmir – at a beauty spot near the resort town of Pahalgam. Three dozen others were injured. If the aim was to disrupt the flourishing tourist economy, the assailants have certainly succeeded. There have been 80 per cent cancellations of hotel and houseboat bookings, so local people will suffer. Rang De Basanti actor Atul Kulkarni visited Pahalgam after the attacks and shared a picture of a virtually empty Mumbai-Srinagar flight. “Crew said these (previously) ran full,” he wrote in a post on X. “We need to fill them again.” It will be a while before families feel confident enough to return. Who were the gunmen and where did they come from? We don’t know, since they have melted away. We have seen in numerous attacks in the West that even a lone gunman can cause havoc. But we can judge from the Mumbai massacre of 2008, when 10 young men came from Pakistan and carried out a vicious slaughter in India’s commercial capital. They were probably trained by elements within the Pakistani intelligence services. The same thing may have happened again. But the connection between these groups and the authorities is nebulous. Pakistan is ill-served by a certain brand of bellicose politician. Following India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari declared “either our water will flow or their blood will flow”. He is a bit of a feral kid from a dysfunctional family which has seen more than its share of spilt blood. His grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, said, “Thank god, Pakistan is saved,” after the West Pakistan army carried out a genocide in East Pakistan in 1971. In 1979, he was hanged by the military dictator, General Zia-ul-Haq, who was himself blown up by his own people in a Hercules aircraft in 1988. Bilawal’s mother, Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated in 2007 in Rawalpindi. It is alleged that Benazir had her brother, Murtaza Bhutto, who was emerging as a political rival, gunned down in the streets of Karachi in 1996. At least, that is what Murtaza’s daughter, Fatima Bhutto, claimed in her book, Songs Of Blood And Sword: A Daughter’s Memoir. Bilawal, whose father Asif Ali Zardari was president of Pakistan, has added Bhutto to his surname in an attempt to benefit from the family’s political legacy. But he is a brash boy, who probably does not understand what war means. He was slapped down by a senior Muslim leader in India. Asaduddin Owaisi, who heads the All India Majlise-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), said: “Don’t say childish things. His mother was killed by their homegrown terrorists. Does he even know what he is saying?” The Indian author and Congress MP, Shashi Tharoor, added his voice: “The Pakistanis have to understand that they simply cannot kill Indians with impunity. We have no designs on Pakistan, but if they do something, they must be prepared for a response. If blood is going to flow, it will possibly flow more on their side than ours.” While I was in India recently, I don’t think Pakistan cropped up even once in conversations. Most people just want to get on with achieving a better standard of living. If things had gone right, the two countries would have settled down to a relationship between friendly neighbours. Bilateral trade would have added to prosperity on both sides of the border. Today, India refuses to travel to Pakistan to play cricket. Instead, nearly eight decades after Partition, there is talk one again of military conflict. India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, said his government will “identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the earth. Terrorism will not go unpunished. Every effort will be made to ensure that justice is done.” Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif responded: “The recent tragedy in Pahalgam is yet another example of this perpetual blame game, which must come to a grinding halt. Continuing with its role as a responsible country, Pakistan is open to participating in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation.” He also said: “Water is a vital national interest of Pakistan, our lifeline…. Let there be no doubt at all its availability will be safeguarded at all costs and under all circumstances. “Therefore, any attempt to stop, reduce or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty would be responded to with full force and might. Nobody should remain under any kind of false impression and confusion. He added: “As founder of the nation, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah rightly said, Kashmir is the jugular vein of Pakistan. Unfortunately, this globally recognised dispute remains unresolved despite multiple UN resolutions. “Let there be no doubt, Pakistan shall continue to support the right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people till they achieve their rights through their great struggle and sacrifices.” Maleeha Lodhi, a former Pakistani high commissioner in London, said: “The notion of limited war waged under the nuclear threshold is fraught with untold risks. Such a scenario should be avoided at all costs. Even though there is little appetite for this by the Indian side, a backchannel must be re-established without delay to avoid any miscalculation, manage the crisis and prevent it from spinning out of control. The alternative is too terrifying to contemplate.” In London a Pakistani diplomat was caught on camera making a threatening throat-slitting gesture towards the Indian protesters from the balcony of the high commission building in central London. He should be recalled immediately. And an Indian origin man, Ankit Love, 41, was arrested and charged with smashing the windows of the Pakistani diplomatic mission. These are just the kind of events that must be avoided. The underlying problem remains unchanged. How do the people of Pakistan escape the clutches of the army? Popular singer Armaan Malik comprehensively showed that he represents the future of commercial Indian music with a stunning set of UK shows in London and Leicester. Apart from delivering his biggest Hindi hits, the 29-year-old also received a great response for his English-language songs from an audience spanning all age groups. His spirited performances further proved that he is one of India’s finest live talents. Sid Sagar is currently part of some great British theatre shows. The actor plays a key role in the high-profile production Mrs Warren’s Profession at the Garrick Theatre in London, which is headlined by legendary actress Imelda Staunton. He has also written Biting Point, a site-specific show centred around a road accident, which will be performed in car parks during May and June. The multi-talented star on the rise has become one to watch. This year’s UK Asian Film Festival offers a diverse selection of movies, screening at venues across London, Leicester and Coventry from 1–11 May, with one truly standout title. The must-see film of the festival is The Glassworker, which will have its London premiere at BFI Southbank on 10 May, followed by a screening at Phoenix Cinema, Leicester on 11 May. Hailed as one of the finest animated films ever made in South Asia, it was Pakistan’s official entry to this year’s Oscars. The story follows a romance between two individuals from distinctly different backgrounds, under the shadow of war. Director Usman Riaz will be in attendance. A 2023 American film that most have probably missed is now available on Disney+ – and it is well worth a watch. The feel-good, family-friendly musical comedy World’s Best follows a 12-year-old maths genius named Prem, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery after learning about his late father’s talent as a rapper. A hidden gem on the streaming platform, it is far superior to most English-language films featuring South Asian protagonists. Sensational Sufi act Najmuddin/Saifuddin Qawwal Group return for another UK tour in May and June. The sons of the late music legend Ustad Bahauddin Khan Qawwal are direct descendants of musicians who helped found the genre in the 13th century. The fabulous five brothers have released a string of stunning songs and albums, but they are at their best in front of a live audience. Having witnessed their immense power, passion and grace during previous tours, I can highly recommend them. The Pakistani music maestros told me of their deep admiration for UK audiences and how much they are looking forward to recreating that same magic once again. Well- deserved tributes poured in for Kumudini Lakhia following her passing at the age of 95. The renowned Kathak dancer, choreographer, teacher and visionary left behind a remarkable legacy – from world-class performances to opening a dance school that produced many icons, and working on projects like the classic 1981 Bollywood film Umrao Jaan. She inspired generations with her unparalleled technical expertise and immense artistry, while introducing elements that revolutionised Kathak. The Ahmedabad-based legend received numerous accolades, including India’s prestigious civilian honours – Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan – for her immense contribution to the arts. One of her students, dance icon Aditi Mangaldas, paid a heartfelt tribute, saying her guru’s presence and guidance would remain eternal. She added: “Thank you for being our guiding light and for giving ‘meaning’ to the life of so many of us across the globe. Your legacy will continue to light up the path, to inspire generations of dancers and to help each one of us find our own dance within ourselves.” Action comedy Go Goa Gone introduced the zombie genre to commercial Indian cinema in 2013, but it failed to catch on. Now, films about the undead are being revived in India once again, starting with the upcoming Punjabi entertainer Jombieland, which is set to be released on 13 June. The story follows a couple trying to survive after a deadly virus unleashes zombies into their village. According to reports, several frontline Bollywood stars are planning to headline similar zombie-style films, including a remake of the 2007 Hollywood drama I Am Legend. Ram Gopal Varma has announced that he will team up with actor Manoj Bajpayee for a zombie film centred on a police unit trying to survive a horde of undead criminals. Award-winning Norwegian artist Delara has delivered a unique listening experience with her new single Kalash Reimagined. The Scandinavian with Persian roots has teamed up with Pakistani electropop pioneer Talal Qureshi, Indian singer-songwriter Charan and Jamaican-American rapper BEAM on a standout track that blends a melting pot of global commercial musical influences. Delara said: “I wanted to bring together voices that carry something real. With BEAM and two powerful South Asian artists, the Kalash remix became a meeting of cultures often boxed in, but with more in common than people think. To me, it’s not about representing everything, but staying open to what can grow in the spaces between.” AfterGadar became a surprise superhit in 2001, producers overpaid lead star Sunny Deol to headline a string of films that ultimately turned into colossal disasters. Following 22 years dominated by failure, Deol finally scored another major win when the awful 2023 sequel Gadar 2 became a blockbuster success. History repeated itself – Deol was overpaid for his next project, which turned out to be another huge flop. Just as I had predicted, the ageing actor’s recently released film Jaat gave him a reality check by becoming an expensive failure. It showed that it is time for the 67-year-old to take on age-appropriate roles instead of trying to pass himself off as a young action hero. If the producers of his forthcoming films are silly enough to invest big money again, they can also expect to feel the pain at the box office. CLASSICAL performances have been enjoying great popularity in recent years, largely due to productions crossing new creative horizons. One great-looking show to catch this month is ROOH: Within Her, which is being staged at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London from next Wednesday (23)to next Friday (25). The solo piece, from renowned choreographer and performer Urja Desai Thakore, explores narratives of quiet, everyday heroism across two millennia. SPOKEN word poet Priya Malik has made such a huge impact that she now has over 569,000 followers on Instagram. She will be sharing her wonderful words with UK audiences at The Camden Club in London on June 1. The solo poetry show will feature some of her best works and will likely leave audiences feeling inspired. It is also a rare chance to see a different kind of live performance from a top Indian talent. THEY may have been going strong since 1998 and delivered great songs during that time, but acclaimed Pakistani band Kaavish perhaps have not received the global recognition they deserve. UK audiences will get to experience their signature sound on stage this week, with shows at Aviva Studios in Manchester next Wednesday (23) and Barbican Theatre next Sunday (27). The contemporary semi-classical band, led by Jaffer Zaidi and Maaz Maudood, will deliver hit songs blending diverse influences, including Bachpan, Tere Pyaar Mein, Moray Sayyaan, Faasle and Nindiya Re. Their music has rightly been described as deeply moving and timeless. A BIG problem with Bollywood biopics is that they bend the truth. Instead of focusing on what happened, films usually cater to the ego of their lead star and do a disservice to actual events. That is why there are not high hopes for this week’s big Hindi cinema release Kesari: Chapter 2, which is based on the aftermath of the horrific Jallianwala Bagh massacre, where peaceful Indian protestors were locked into an enclosed space and gunned down. From the trailer, it is already apparent that with lead star Akshay Kumar’s overly glorified portrayal of a lawyer, producers have attempted to commercialise the massacre of hundreds and likely added elements that did not happen. This is one historical event that should be presented in a real manner and not tampered with. INDIAN Oscar entry Laapataa Ladies was accused of copying the old TV movie Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol last year. It has now also been suspected of plagiarising key parts of its plot from the 2019 French-Arabic short film Burqa City. With Laapataa Ladies producer Aamir Khan having a very long track record of starring in copied movies across more than three decades, it cannot be discounted that this was also a rip-off – although writer Biplab Goswami has strongly denied it. BRILLIANT brothers Rizwan and Muazzam Ali Khan have entertained UK audiences for more than 25 years with thrilling concerts. The nephews of late music icon Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan will return with their incredible qawwali group in May for what promises to be another great UK tour. You can catch them at Alhambra Theatre, Bradford (14), Royal Festival Hall, London (18), Birmingham Town Hall (23) and Bristol Beacon (25). Rizwan Muazzam told me: “We’re really looking forward to this tour and the opportunity to perform our new album At The Feet Of The Beloved to the UK. It’s also a special moment for us to pay tribute to our late uncle, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, by presenting some exclusive songs from his recently released album. His legacy continues to inspire us, and we’re proud to carry it forward.” Jaswinder Singh from tour organisers Asian Arts Agency added: “Sufi and qawwali music continue to resonate deeply and grow in popularity here, and we’re thrilled to be producing this national tour – bringing this powerful, spiritual musical tradition to major UK venues and festivals.” NEWLY crowned Indian Idol 15 winner Manasi Ghosh will deliver her first big international performance in the UK this May, with shows at Indigo at The O2, London (9), De Montfort Hall, Leicester (10) and Blue Room Sports Venue, Harrow (11). The talented singer will be joined on the line-up by fellow finalists Anirudh Suswaram and Sneha Shankar. Looking ahead, Ghosh has already recorded her Bollywood debut song with Lalit Pandit and Shaan. She also has a duet lined up with rapper Badshah and plans to produce solo independent songs. With big names lining up to work with her, music fans will be hearing a lot more of the young sensation. IN TERMS of quality, UK-based record label Sufiscore is consistently delivering some of the finest songs. The top tracks, connecting contemporary music to classic traditions, are also giving a great platform to stunningly talented singers. The latest of these wonderful vocalists is Kavya Limaye. She teamed up with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra and a great creative team for a stunning cover version of the classic Bollywood song Rahein Na Rahein Hum, taken from the album Boundless Melodies. This follows on from her other recent fabulous release with Sufiscore, Intezar-e-Saba, a mesmerising ghazal from the forthcoming album Nuqoosh, due for release in May. In February, she teamed up with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for an incredible cover version of the classic qawwali Tere Bin Nahi Lagda, which also featured the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. These songs have shown that Limaye is a music star on the rise, and Sufiscore is a record label that is becoming a world leader. CERTAIN corners of right-wing politics in India have been so desperate to destroy the recently released Malayalam film L2: Empuraan that they have inadvertently turned it into a record-breaking hit. Being forced by the government to make cuts in the movie, which most agree were unjustified, has given the Mohanlal-starrer huge global publicity, including for the unedited international release. The hit sequel got further attention when it was reported that its director and producer had seemingly unjustified investigations launched against them. This desperation by powerful forces to crush the movie and those involved with it has led it towards becoming the highest grosser in Malayalam cinema history. RAHAT FATEH ALI KHAN resurrected his reputation with his recent UK tour, and a large part of that was due to him teaming up with top British live concert producer Vijay Bhola. The qawwali maestro had been on the back foot after a deeply damaging video resulted in widespread negative media attention in 2024, but he turned that around with stunning sold-out concerts produced by Bhola. The new dream team showed that Rahat has quite comprehensively reconnected with making good music again. He also interacted with the media and fans in what turned out to be a great tour. An added extra-special touch was a refreshed Rahat introducing his talented son Shah Zaman Ali Khan to UK audiences. INDIA’S ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has adopted Lord Rama as its guiding light and its battle cry as, Jai Shree Ram (victory to Lord Rama). We are all familiar with the story of Lord Rama, as set out in the epic Ramayan. It’s his victory over Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, that we celebrate as Diwali, the festival of light, in Leicester and Wembley, and indeed in No 10 Downing Street and in the White House. But I read a note which set the contemporary use of Jai Shree Ram into political context: “The expression has been increasingly used by Hindu nationalist organisations, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), BJP and their allies, which adopted the slogan in the late 20th century as a tool for increasing the visibility of Hinduism in public spaces, before going on to use it as a battle cry. The slogan has since been employed in connection with the perpetration of communal violence against Muslims.” One state the BJP has not been able to conquer is West Bengal, which has a population approaching 100 million, 28 per cent-29 per cent of whom are estimated to be Muslim. This puts Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s BJP at loggerheads with Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal and leader of the Trinamul Congress party. So far communal tensions, which periodically erupt in other parts of India, have been kept in check in West Bengal. Indian comics featuring mythological and historical tales Indeed, on the Metro in Kolkata, I saw a seat being given to a Muslim woman wearing a burkha and minding two little children. Her husband, a frail man, even offered his seat to me (of course, I didn’t take it up). Outside the rush hour, it seems such courtesies are ingrained into local Bengali culture. But I was persuaded by my family not to use the Metro before 11 am. Modi, his home minister, Amit Shah, and other senior BJP leaders have campaigned vigorously in West Bengal, promising the development that has come to other parts of India, but so far Trinamul Congress has prevailed. A few days ago, near my home in the city, I spotted a procession of young people pass in vans and on motorbikes waving saffron flags and shouting pro-Rama slogans. They were celebrating Ram Navami, the festival which celebrates the birth of Lord Rama. I also noticed the police were out in force, which makes it obvious the festival is partly an attempt by the BJP to spread its influence. According to one newspaper report, “processions were organised across the length and breadth of West Bengal with heightened aggression on April (6). The BJP and other Hindutva groups organised hundreds of Ram Navami processions across different parts of the state. “Ram Navami processions, a cultural import to the state, have coincided with the rise of Hindutva politics in the state, which started in 2016. These processions have become a show of strength for the BJP.” Hinduism is monotheistic, but the many manifestations of its one god are worshipped in different ways across this vast land. Durga, the mother goddess is close to Bengalis, but Rama is not celebrated in quite the way that he is in other parts of India. Had our old friends, Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick, been Bengali nationalists, they might well have given interviews to GB News arguing: “Lord Rama belongs to an alien culture.” BJP leaders argue: “Lord Rama took the blessings of Durga before his battle with Ravana. Where’s the question of his being an outsider?” Mamata has sought to reduce tensions by encouraging Trinamul Congress to hold Ram Navami celebrations of its own. “I appeal to all to maintain and uphold the values of peace, prosperity and development of all,” the West Bengal chief minister, who recently visited the UK, said in a message posted on X. “I wish the celebration of the Ram Navami all success, in a peaceful manner.” Trinamul politician Kunal Ghosh commented: “Ram Navami processions do not mean BJP. Most of the Hindus are against BJP. Those who have joined Ram Navami processions are not in support of the BJP.” On report indicated there is a pragmatic Bengali solution to everything: “Amid the competitive Ram Navami rallies, there were signs of communal amity, where Muslims came forward and showered flower petals and offered food, drinks to those who participated in Ram Navami processions. “Malda Uttar BJP MP Khagen Murmu was seen exchanging greetings with Muslims who welcomed the processions. This was in sharp contrast to developments in earlier years, where often Ram Navami processions had precipitated violence.” Since Indian toddlers in the UK are exposed only to English stories (The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, The BFG, Where’s Spot? and the like), I have collected a few comics – Mahabharata, Ganesha, Krishna, Saraswati, Ravana Humbled, Sea Route to India, and even Jallianwala Bagh. These are nice picture stories to share with children, but I might end up reading them myself. Looking for a job? Search and apply for jobs and fellowships at FII's Job & Opportunities Board. Click here Dear reader, this article is free to read and it will remain free – but it isn’t free to produce. If you want to support the work that goes behind publishing high-quality feminist media content, please donate to FII and keep us paywall free who in her attempts to document Indian history unknowingly became an unforgettable part of it The first few decades of the 20th century were a period where India was undergoing rather phenomenal changes that would lead to the culmination of over 200 years of colonial Raj It was also a time when women were restricted to the private sphere seldom being offered the luxury to gain access to education and participate in public life The Indian freedom struggle saw a significant number of women become key crusaders of the movement for an independent India one woman dared to enter a field dominated by men and is now remembered as India’s first female photojournalist; the first lady behind the lens Homai Hathiram spent her initial years in Vyara near Surat Homai went on to complete her education with an Honors Degree from Bombay University education was a sought-after goal for Homai even though the social prejudices and barriers prevalent in those times stood in the way of women gaining access to the same There were only six or seven other girls in school with Homai and she was the only girl among 36 students to complete her matriculation My mother would give me all kinds of home preparations to reduce my periods and I would gulp those down but I had my own agenda and she didn’t know that I would adjust my periods according to my school schedule were not too educated themselves but were keen on her learning English and enrolled her in the Grant Road High School in Tardeo Homai’s attempts to educate herself were met with several barriers – both social and others Owing to the poor financial condition of her family Homai often shifted houses and would travel long distances to get to school had to experience extreme stigma during her menstrual periods living in seclusion for the duration of it It was at a railway station that Homai first met Maneckshaw Vyarawalla in 1926 – the man who introduced her to the art of photography and continued to be an influential presence in her works Though Homai primarily relied on Maneckshaw for picking up skills in photography she also received formal training and at the same time completed a Diploma from the J.J School of Arts The two initially shared Maneckshaw’s Rollieflex developing their own films in a dark bathroom Homai married Maneckshaw in 1941 – a decision that did not go down well with Maneckshaw’s mother orthodox people did not want college-educated girls for their sons Especially those who had studied with boys Homai began her career in photography as an assistant to Maneckshaw who had been working with The Illustrated Weekly of India and The Bombay Chronicle some of her earlier works were published under the name of Maneckshaw Vyarawalla owing to the lack of approval for women as professional photographers Homai’s initial works focused primarily on everyday life in Bombay capturing the day-to-day activities of urban women Fondly referred to by her pseudonym “Dalda 13” (she considered the number 13 as lucky having been born in 1913 and having met her husband at the age of 13) Homai captured the essence of the emotions of her subjects in a manner no one else did The outbreak of the Second World War and the events that followed gave Homai several opportunities to capture its political consequences in India The war had resulted in bringing women out of their homes and into the public domain Homai’s pictures from the time featured both British and Parsi women in their public avatars The war also resulted in Homai’s permanent ouster from Bombay Homai and Maneckshaw Vyarawalla moved to Delhi with him in 1942 a move that would go on to be her initiation into public life as a photojournalist The two began work with the British High Commission marking a significant step in Homai Vyarawalla’s career for her stint with the High Commission made her regular at all events marking the start of her golden period as a photo journalist Homai was to move out of Bombay forever and be catapulted into the most public and political arenas that of Delhi in the years leading unto 1947 but she was to become one of the most significant chroniclers of Independence through her images Author of Camera Chronicles of Homai Vyarawalla Homai Vyarawalla was at the peak of her career at a time when the events that would go on to define the contours of 20th century history were taking place The social and political context within which Homai Vyarawalla was making her presence felt is all the more significant in understanding her contribution to Indian History Owing the political scenario surrounding the initial phases of her career Homai was one of the key agents of documenting the change that was being experienced in the era of post-independence chronicling the emotions associated with the birth of an independent India and the ushering in of a new phase postcolonial rule Homai Vyarawalla’s humble and demure persona present at every significant event or soiree documenting historical events and capturing eminent personalities – the likes of which included Jaqueline Kennedy lay in capturing India’s first Prime Minister a man she thought was extremely photogenic She never shied away from acknowledging her favourite subject chronicling some of the greatest moments of his political career and personal life including the era of the non-alignment movement; and the Bandung Conference in 1955 as captured by Homai Vyarawalla in the 1950s I felt like a child losing its favorite toy For a woman who was so closely associated with every public event the nation witnessed Homai Vyarawalla did not let the backdrop of her professional environment weigh down on her personality Her personal life was rather aloof from her social life Her husband and her never went out much and Maneckshaw Vyarawalla kept himself absorbed in work using her photography as medium to get out on the streets never making her encounters with globally renowned persons be the defining elements of her life She chose to speak through her effortless yet awe-inspiring photographs capturing human emotion in a series of black and white Some of the most significant highlights of her career include photographing the Reception hosted by Lord Mountbatten at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 15th 1947 the meeting of the Congress resulting in the Third Plan; the decision for partition the photograph of the Dalai Lama entering India for the first time through Sikkim in 1956 Homai Vyarawalla’s professional achievements and successes did not come easy India was still struggling to find its footing The social order although evolving post-Independence hadn’t let go of the strong patriarchal values that would stand in the way of woman trying to do what was primarily seen as a man’s job Her work was often overshadowed by her male contemporaries and even when she did get published in the initial years she did not get due recognition for trying to make her mark in a male-dominated space Her first shot published in the Bombay Chronicle in 1930 was that of a picnic party of members of the Women’s Club in Bombay and was published under Maneckshaw Vyarawalla’s name It was through her close association with Maneckshaw whom she married in 1941 that Homai developed an interest in photography in the 1930s He had a great bearing on her choices both professional and personal They had a companionship that lasted over forty years and it was probably the same reason that after the death of her husband Maneckshaw in 1969 Homai lost her passion for photography and moved to Pilaniwith her son Farouq Homai spent the final two decades of her life in Vadodara choosing to lead a life of seclusion and anonymity Her life in Pilani and Vadhodhra was simplistic; giving her the time to indulge in activities she did not have the chance or time for earlier She also found joy in the company of women something she hadn’t experienced earlier owing to her lack of connection with them Jewellery and make-up that I could never relate to It was in Pilani that I understood women can be good friends too and I shouldn’t be afraid of them the woman that captured the soul of the nation She has been giving several recognitions and awards including the second highest civilian honour in India Her collection of photographs is now in possession of the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts and the National Gallery of Modern Art Graduate from Lady Sri Ram College & Faculty of Law Currently working as a Law Researcher at the High Court Of Delhi Feminism in India is an intersectional feminist media platform that has emerged as one of the biggest voices for young people from diverse sociopolitical backgrounds to write their lived experiences thought-provoking and informative feminist platform requires a lot of time A few hundred rupees or a few thousand would go a long way in helping us stay paywall free and keep serving you the fresh feminist content that you love https://www.facebook.com/ewomen.co/videos/363685790749731/ By Priya Verma By Anushka Bharadwaj By Dipavali Hazra By Devrupa Rakshit By Shirisha Amme By Lakshmi Yazhini By Reeba Khan By Juhi Sanduja By Sohalika Shrivastava Feminism In India is an award-winning digital intersectional feminist media organisation to learn educate and develop a feminist sensibility among the youth © FII Media Private Limited | All rights reserved Buy Now! days after being hospitalised due to a fall from her bed Vyarawalla's death is an end of an era in photography said some of those who were lucky enough to have interacted with the grand old lady who lived by herself in Gujarat's Vadodara city "(I am) sad to know of the demise of Homai Vyarawalla Received her blessings at Vadodara Sadbhavana fast recently," tweeted Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi "I have been inspired by the nature of her works which required courage in those days," 78-year-old Nemai Ghosh photographer and friend said of Vyarawalla "It took some time for the neighbours to find out that she had a fall They then took her to the hospital Thursday," said Sabeena Gadihoke an associate who called on Vyarawalla from time to time it was not the fracture that took her down but the severe breathing problems which she had developed She was also suffering from lung congestion who teaches video and television production at New Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia She was someone who archived India's national history not just political but also social and cultural from 1930 to 1970 - and it was a very rich archive," Gadihoke told IANS "It is because of personalities like Homai Vayarawalla that women have been inspired to take up professions like photo-journalism and journalism one could hardly imagine a woman reporting from and capturing situations in remote areas of the country," writer Vyarawalla who started by clicking photographs as a teenager took a number of memorable photographs during her career and was well known for taking shots of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru smoking a cigarette "I started clicking photographs at the age of 13 in Bombay with a box camera in 1926 and I shot my last photograph in 1970 But I am aware of the drifts in press photography down the decades," Vyarawalla had told IANS in an earlier interview The daughter of an actor in an Urdu-Parsi theatre company Vyarawalla was born in Navsari in Gujarat in 1913 She studied at the then Bombay University and obtained an arts diploma from the Sir J.J She started working soon after in the late 1930s before moving to Delhi in 1942 where she photographed the first flag hoisting of independent India in 1947 Her tryst with Independence as India's lone lens-woman in the male-dominated media was on the night of August 14-15 Along with being remembered as India's first professional woman photographer Vyarawalla will also be remembered as "The Grand Old Lady" who did all her chores by herself and took a flight of stairs at least twice a day electric fitting and even small repairs to her car Vyarawalla is survived only by her ailing daughter-in-law 2012 22:53 ISTA majority of today's bookstore browsers would not even know her name in the years and months leading up to India's historic transition to Independence Homai Vyarawalla was almost as famous as the great leaders and events she chronicled on film She was India's first female professional press photographer and a pioneer in many other ways Homai's love for photography was inspired by was a professional photographer himself and he taught her the basics of photography New technology had freed the camera from the restrictions of the studio and Indian photographers the two Indian periodicals which favoured photography The Bombay Chronicle and The Illustrated Weekly of India Homai's first published photo features and the accompanying text she wrote carried her husband's byline a telling comment on the prejudice faced by female photographers in the world of publishing Even her initial published work was publicity-related: the Second World War saw the birth of the British Information Services and Homai She was shooting social soirees and staged air raid drills for the British but also doing freelance work for photo agencies which gave her access to official functions where British and Indian leaders were meeting to chalk out India's tryst with destiny The Quit India Movement was gathering momentum Homai became one of the most significant chroniclers of the pre- and post-Independence years Her favourite subject was Jawaharlal Nehru and this book has some rare and intimate shots of India's first prime minister Mahatma Gandhi was less accommodating: he once scolded her for photographing him using a flash saying: "This girl will not rest till she makes me blind." She had an eye for the intimate moment: one of her most memorable photographs is of Nehru hugging Vijaylakshmi Pandit Rob Verger is liaison to Newsweek’s foreign editions and also reports In addition to Newsweek and its international editions In 2013 he was granted a fellowship to travel to Kazakhstan with the International Reporting Project he holds an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University where he also taught undergraduate composition for two years either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content The other photographers called her "Mummy." It was a nickname that Homai Vyarawalla "I asked her one day," says Sabeena Gadihoke 'Why did you encourage the photographers to call you Mummy?' She said and then nobody did any hanky-panky with me.' " who died this past January at the age of 98 is the subject of a retrospective at New York's Rubin Museum of Art (One wishes it had the space to include more.) While she's known for the photographs she took of Indian and foreign leaders and of seminal moments in India's history the exhibit also gives a small amount of space to her more artistic Vyarawalla came from a middle-class Parsi family a photographer who was her boyfriend and later her husband A very early experience with a camera was on a school picnic at a temple; she later sold the images to her friends for a rupee apiece She and Maneckshaw would take pictures together and her early photos were of street scenes in Mumbai they moved to Delhi after Maneckshaw had been hired as a photographer with British Information Services; they hired Homai not long afterward There's a lovely image from the late 1930s of three figures beside a streetlight at the Gateway of India in Mumbai But the majority of the exhibit focuses on the leaders whose images she caught on film In one image with a striking composition—it may in fact be a composite of two separate photographs—Mahatma Gandhi is seen seated and facing rows of white-clad Congress Committee delegates But the person she most enjoyed photographing was India's first prime minister she captured him at Palam Airport in front of a sign reading "Photography Strictly Prohibited." A section on American visitors to India includes an image of a smiling Jackie Kennedy in 1962 with a baby elephant named Urvashi and a 1955 photo of Helen Keller putting her hands into a namaste gesture to greet Nehru a 1958 photograph reveals Nehru touching the beard of a visiting Ho Chi Minh—it's an image she didn't want published at the time "It's a really good example of her respect for her subjects and the restraint that she exerted," says Beth Citron Vyarawalla also took pictures of social events including British social life at places like the Delhi Gymkhana Club this aspect of her photography is interesting and she photographed that really well," he says but yet she was drawn to things around the Empire." Key to understanding her "She came from a community that was actually very Westernized." "She was able to carve out this kind of space for herself and this kind of agency for herself that in those times—fairly conventional times fairly conservative times in India—she was able to do all these different kinds of things," Gadihoke adds picking up her camera and just going somewhere I think credit needs to be given to her husband too or perhaps the fact that she was a married woman gave her a certain amount of protection." Vyarawalla knew how to establish "a certain kind of persona for herself where she was safe," and yet that may have been a front on an otherwise playful Vyarawalla was active as a photojournalist until 1970 when the profession stopped appealing to her: with the coming of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and she didn't approve of how the newest generation of photojournalists acted "She sees people kind of misbehaving at functions people drinking at functions," says Gadihoke It wasn't until years later that her work began to be rediscovered first discovered Vyarawalla for herself upon seeing an exhibit of her photographs in Mumbai while on a Fulbright Scholarship there in 2010 who was born in Mumbai but grew up in California "To me it was amazing because I'm Parsi as well," she says because I had a similar sort of story in trying to convince my parents that this is what I wanted to do And it was amazing that there was a woman that had done it decades before me Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all It is said that no other leader charmed Homai's photographic eye like Pandit Nehru Nehru also trusted her and allowed her into his private space playing with children and having informal moments with daughter HOMAI SAHA represents a country that is home to more than one billion people several hundred languages and dialects and numerous religions: India Her homeland’s experience has massively influenced debate about cultural diversity around the world which promises to become a top performer in the region has been exciting both investors and economists Her homeland’s experience has massively influenced debate about cultural diversity around the world The Slovak Spectator spoke to Indian Ambassador to Slovakia Homai Saha about some of the challenges and prospects that Slovakia and India share The Slovak Spectator (TSS): Slovakia has been struggling to reform its education system while aiming for a balance between providing a decent general education and at the same time responding to the needs of the labour market What is India’s experience with education reform and also the interlinking of academia and business Homai Saha (HS): Achieving an education system that responds to the needs of society is a challenge for every government With a country the size of India and with a population of more than a billion people the problems become more complex and providing universal education remains a priority the challenge is always to create an education system that not only provides good general education but also responds to the specific needs of industry which has stretched the limits of its trained manpower growth rates of 7-9 percent have created a great demand for more trained young people especially in the area of information technology We are trying to meet these challenges so that young people emerging from higher educational institutions meet the needs of industry Industry is also aware that a lack of trained manpower will inevitably slow its growth and is thus organising in-house training we benefited from the vision of our first Prime Minister who realised that people are the country’s most important source of strength His unique legacy is an emphasis on education scientific research institutions and the Indian Institutes of Technology These 'new temples of learning’ gave India high-quality scientific and other trained personnel for future development has the fourth largest reservoir of scientific manpower and the second largest reservoir of English-speaking scientists Indeed the skilled manpower trained in India is able to work anywhere in the world because of its knowledge of English These institutions provided India with the skilled English-speaking labour to compete in the international IT arena I see potential for growth in Indo-Slovak economic relations and I have been pursuing this idea since I took over as Ambassador in August 2007: India has expertise in information technology both within the industry and also through training centres which should ideally be attached to universities Slovakia needs well-trained IT professionals a leading IT training institution from India is exploring with the help of dynamic Indians living in Slovakia TSS: The Indian Council for Cultural Relations offers 1000 scholarships a year to foreign students from over 70 countries What are the most significant academic areas in which Indian universities excel and which are the most popular with foreign students HS: The Council offers scholarships and fellowships to international students in a broad range of studies: humanities law and religious studies among others; but also for learning Indian classical music and dance Two scholarships in various disciplines are offered to Slovak students annually we have received seven Slovak scholars in India Most recently I have discovered that some Slovaks are interested in studying international relations at Indian universities TSS: Several Slovaks have also been granted scholarships to study in India What areas have Slovaks have been interested in HS: The Government of India provides scholarships both for short-term and long-term courses under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Scheme we offer 10 scholarships to Slovaks who have shown the greatest interest in attending computer and IT programmes and related training and courses in English Slovaks have also taken up courses in specialised subjects like remote sensing and banking 42 Slovak nationals have used these scholarships we would like the education exchange to be two-way The Slovak government is offering two scholarships annually but these have not been used because the support does not fully cover the costs of the student’s stay The other issue is that there are not many courses offered in English at Slovak universities We have two students in Slovakia right now doing research TSS: Slovakia is now a major car producer and the car-making industry has attracted some considerable investments along with a network of well-functioning sub-suppliers India has already grown into a major world manufacturer Is the Slovak automotive industry interesting for Indian investors or producers HS: India is a growing and promising market for the automobile industry The Indian automobile components industry is one of the fastest growing manufacturing sectors in India Global sourcing of components from India is expected to reach almost $6 billion this year and more than a third of auto components exported from India go to Europe A large number of cars in Europe and the United States carry Indian brands under their bonnets so the potential for Indian automotive components manufacturers in Slovakia is enormous A standard measure of growth for a country is FDI inflows and you will always see reports of foreign investments into India But what is probably less well known is that India spent $32.7 billion on overseas acquisitions and mergers The most publicised recent deals include Tata Steel’s acquisition of Corus and Tata Motor’s acquisition of Jaguar Slovakia would be a very attractive investment destination for Indian automotive component companies TSS: Slovakia is now a European Union member and in January will adopt the joint European currency For many Indian manufacturers and producers the country could in fact serve as a gateway to EU markets Is there interest on the part of Indian businesses HS: Slovakia’s location in the heart of Europe with access to the entire European market is definitely very attractive to Indian investors and with Slovakia joining the eurozone in January 2009 India had a lot of links with countries of the former Soviet Bloc Our trade links with Czechoslovakia were very strong but after Slovakia became an independent nation trade and other contacts dropped One of the reasons is perhaps that Slovakia was preoccupied with building its identity as a nation and was more focused on joining Euro-Atlantic structures Another reason is that the visa regime was discouraging for Indian investors and businessmen more and more Indians are coming and looking at opportunities here If you are walking around the city centre over the weekend you will find a lot of Indians here SS: What areas of Indian industry could be attractive to Slovak businesses HS: Indo-Slovak bilateral trade increased to $228.414 million in 2007 Major exports from India are drugs and pharmaceuticals IT also offers huge potential for cooperation since we have world class IT training centres I have been mentioning this even at a regional level: that we have people who are willing to come here and set up centres Pharmaceuticals are another area where India is a strong player since we produce high quality generics at lower costs Today we have a fully TRIPS compliant patent regime and India has about 100 medicament plants approved by the US Food and Drug Administration which is the highest number in any country outside the USA TSS: India’s economy has been exciting both investors and economists over the past couple of years promising to become a top performer across the whole region What has propelled India’s recent economic growth and what are the greatest challenges that your government is facing in terms of making this growth sustainable HS: Progressive liberalisation of government policies as well as rising domestic and international demand for Indian goods and services have contributed to this growth India has the advantage of high scientific productivity a large reservoir of scientifically qualified manpower The challenge for India in the early years of independence was choosing a development path that would best suit our own circumstances India had to quickly build up an industrial infrastructure develop a scientific and technological base and start social-economic programmes for the population While we drew from socialist models to ensure that investment in critical sectors was not neglected our economy remained essentially a market-driven one While a number of industries were owned by the government private initiative was allowed to flourish The major challenge India faces today is that a large number of people live on less than one dollar a day Our challenge is to ensure that development must be inclusive But there is no other country of a billion people that has tried to modernise its society and transform its economy while being a functioning democracy TSS: Immigration and brain drain has been a seriously debated issue within and outside India and it is indeed a challenge both for countries that produce immigrants and for those that receive them face HS: There has been a lot of debate in India about brain drain and the fact that you educate people and invest a lot of money in their education and then they leave the country So there was criticism that educated people who acquired their education at public cost were leaving India These people became well known in their fields of research created huge goodwill for the country everywhere in the world Today young and trained people are no longer leaving in such numbers because they have opportunities in India as well TSS: Indian culture has been massively influencing the cultures of continental Europe since the very first contacts between them How receptive are Slovaks to Indian culture HS: Slovaks have traditionally shown an interest in Indian philosophy For instance the literary scholar Tomaskov made compositions in Sanskrit in the 19th century and the Slovak Academy of Sciences has preserved manuscripts of Portuguese voyages to India Mahatma Gandhi is highly regarded in Slovakia Indian fairytales have been translated into the Slovak language and the Institute of Oriental Studies in Bratislava conducts research on Indian literature and philosophy All this gives a firm foundation for the appreciation of Indian culture here which provides the framework for cultural activities between the two countries The Indian Council for Cultural Relations sponsors performances of Indian classical dance troupes a well-known Mohinyattam-style classical dancer performed this March to very appreciative audiences at the National Opera House in Bratislava and at the Banská Bystrica Cultural Centre I am also planning an exhibition of paintings by contemporary Indian painters next year the Štúdio Tanca dance group from Banská Bystrica performed in India in December 2007 the artists exhibited the photos they had taken in India revealing the impact the visit and India had had on them I would like to see more Slovak culture reaching India TSS: Several Slovaks have been given scholarships to study the Hindi language in India Have you seen a lot of interest in studying Hindi Who are the Slovaks who have chosen to study it HS: Learning the Hindi language has been an area of interest for young Slovaks as a part of their academic programme We provide scholarships at the Central Institute for Hindi in Agra Students from all over the world spend nine months at this institute which also leads many of them to pursue studies in Indian culture and philosophy TSS: Cultural diversity is at the very heart of India Globalisation poses some challenges for nations such as how to preserve what is culturally most precious this ‘idea of India’ - an overarching unity embracing an immense diversity - that appeals most to people Globalisation and the media revolution tend to reduce cultural diversity but I believe these values will remain preserved Through our history we have had waves of military conquests which bring a new cultural infusion followed by assimilation of the foreigners We are a very resilient and tolerant society and have reconciled opposing elements we allow the civil service examination to be written in any of the languages guaranteed under the constitution While Hinduism is the religion of the largest number of people in India of which there are only 70,000-80,000 left in the world; we have preserved our culture and traditions TSS: Bollywood is a cultural and business phenomenon which crossed India’s borders long ago It is no longer only Indian expatriates in the United States or in other countries who are watching and seeking out Bollywood productions makes Bollywood such an interesting cultural phenomenon Could Bollywood movies also appeal to Slovak audiences HS: The Bollywood film industry makes over a thousand films a year: the largest number of films in the world with catchy song-and-dance sequences providing a sometimes three-hour long experience of comedy in collaboration with the Slovak Film Institute held a very successful film festival in Bratislava Bollywood films in essence appeal to all cultures as the themes have a universal charm There are now dance sequences no different from western music videos and in fact western videos also copy dance movements from Bollywood so I guess there is globalisation there too TSS: India is a major world tourist destination Has the tourism potential between the two countries been fully explored What aspects of Slovakia could be potentially interesting for Indians Is there any room for cooperation in this area tourism between India and Slovakia has not been adequately explored has tremendous diversity to offer to Slovak tourists: from historical sites and monuments to adventure tourism The last meeting of the Indo-Slovak Joint Economic Committee identified the potential for increasing tourism up to now there has not been much travel from India to Slovakia due to the strict tourist visa requirements for Indians but since Slovakia joined the Schengen zone I have found more Indian tourists visiting Bratislava I also hope that Indian tourists will soon start looking beyond Bratislava at the tourism potential in the rest of the country India has 28 states and 7 union territories Its diverse economy ranges from traditional village farming to modern industries and software services