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June 12, 2014 by Yadu Singh

Australian Skilled Occupations List (SOL) for 2014-15 announced!

Skilled Occupations List for 2014-15 Announced

By Mark Webster
Tuesday, 10 June 2014

The Department of Immigration has announced the new Skilled Occupations List (SOL) which will apply from 1 July 2014.

Occupations Removed from the SOL

There have been no occupations removed from the Skilled Occupations List.

This will be a great relief to Accountants who were slated for removal from the Skilled Occupations List in February 2014.

Occupations Added to the SOL

The following occupations have been added to the Skilled Occupations List:

“Tilers” have also been added to the list – it is not entirely clear which occupations are affected, but the new occupations could be as follows:

Rationale for Changes

The Assistant Minister for Immigration, Michaelia Cash, has indicated in her joint press release that Chefs have been added due to the occupation being in short supply. Strong growth is also projected in the cafe and restaurant sector.

The Assistant Minister also indicated that there is a “known deficit” of skilled workers in the hospitality and construction industries in Regional Areas.

Effect of Changes

The SOL is used in the following contexts:

Graduate Temporary Subclass 485 Visas – Graduate Work Stream
Skilled Independent Subclass 189 Visas

As a result, Chefs, Bricklayers and Tilers will now be able to apply for the above visa types.

Change of Advisor on Skilled Occupations List in Future?

The Skilled Occupations list has traditionally been set every year based on advice from AWPA (Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency).

Given that AWPA has now been axed, advice on the SOL will presumably be given by a different body in future, and it will be interesting to watch developments in the next year.

References

Assistant Minister Press Announcement – In-demand trades added to the Skilled Occupation List The Australian – AWPA Axing Short Sighted,

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This article has been taken from https://www.acacia-au.com/skilled-occupations-list-2014-2015-Announced.php, with permission from Mr Mark Webster. Please note that I have no financial interest or interest or relation of any type with Acacia Immigration Australia or any conflict of interest in this matter. I picked this article because it is comprehensive and covers the relevant matter well. People should check with Dept of Immigration & Border Control or Australian Embassy/High Commission or professional & reputed migration advisor/agent in their area before making any decision in regards to their immigration/studies matters.

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Dr Yadu Singh/Sydney/12th June, 2014

http://www.twitter.com/dryadsingh

May 13, 2014 by Yadu Singh

Great to have attended celebration of 66th Independence Day of Israel in Sydney!

Israel’s Independence Day Celebrations in Sydney have always been one of the key events of this city.

This year’s celebration on Monday, 12th May 2014 evening at Four Seasons Hotel was no exception, and in fact, was even bigger and better.

NSW Premier Mike Baird delivered the keynote address as 500 people – diplomats, politicians and community, faith and business leaders – gathered to mark the 66^th anniversary of Israel’s Independence Day. The event was hosted jointly by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, Zionist Council of NSW, Executive Council of Australian Jewry and Zionist Federation of Australia. The event was also addressed by Israeli Ambassador, His Excellency Shmuel Ben-Shmuel and Board of Deputies president Yair Miller.

A toast was raised to mark the 66th Independence Day of Israel.

Israel’s Independence Day is the celebration of the anniversary of the day on which Israel independence was proclaimed by Mr David Ben-Gurion, who read the Israeli Declaration of Independence on 14 May 1948.

In a very Israeli welcoming style, key leaders of the hosting bodies welcomed each and every guest entering the venue. Guests enjoyed the celebration with drinks and traditional Israeli food.

Key political leaders included Mike Baird (Premier of NSW), Victor Dominello (Minister for Communities & Citizenship), John Robertson (Leader of Opposition), David Clarke (Parliamentary Secretary), David Elliott (Parliamentary Secretary), Matt Kean (Parliamentary Secretary) and Paul Fletcher (Federal Parliamentary Secretary).

Other notable people attending the celebration included Vic Alhdeff (Chairman, Community Relations Commission), Stepan Kerkyasharian (President of the Anti-Discrimination Board), Dr Tim Soutphommasane (Race Discrimination Commissioner,) and Tim Wilson (Human Rights Commissioner).

Key community leaders included myself (Dr Yadu Singh, President of Indian Australian Association of NSW), Ahmet Keskin (Affinity Intercultural Foundation) and David Ossip (Hornsby Councillor), in addition to many other key people representing various faiths and ethnic backgrounds.

More than 30 Diplomatic representatives were present too, along with media and business leaders.

Israel is a successful and thriving democracy in Middle East. Despite its difficult, and at times violent, neighbourhood, it has achieved success in many fronts. It wishes and strives for peace in the region under the principle of “Two States Solution” and Co-existence.

People in Israel celebrated their nation’s 66th year by heading out to the national parks, watching IAF flyover, visiting army bases and watching the International Bible Contest on Tuesday, 6th May, 2014.

Happy 66th Independence Day to Citizens of Israel, people of Jewish ancestry in Australia and all over the world, and friends of Israel!

Dr Yadu Singh/Sydney/12th May, 2014

TELL US WHY YOU LOVE YOUR AREA

April 23, 2014 by Yadu Singh

Proud and privileged to be in the list of “Goldmine” leaders from the Western Sydney!

The Daily Telegraph Newspaper published a list of key people from Western Sydney, calling them “Goldmine” leaders!

I feel proud and privileged to be included in this list!

I must admit that it was a humbling experience to see my name in this list of great people.

Here is the article from The Daily Telegraph newspaper! http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/competitions/fair-go-for-the-west-meet-the-goldmine-leaders/story-fngy6zqs-1226881501042

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Fair Go for the West: Meet the goldmine leaders!

by: John Lehmann Editor at Large
From: The Daily Telegraph
April 11, 2014 1:17PM

Sydney’s West is a goldmine of single-minded leaders who would rather make a difference than make excuses.

Whether it be building some of Australia’s most successful businesses, mentoring new arrivals to the West, leading sports teams worth cheering for or simply breeding the best darn chickens you’ll taste, they are making Sydney a better place.

Paul Lederer

Paul Lederer runs Primo Smallgoods at Chullora. Source: News Limited

The Primo Group chief executive has transformed a Hungarian family tradition of smoking meats into a $1.4 billion international enterprise run from Chullora with 4000 employees.

Estimated to hold a personal fortune of $630 million, he will indulge his passion for soccer when he takes control of the Western Wanderers from July 1, leading a new ownership team including Pirtek founder Peter Duncan and Filipino-Chinese businessman Jefferson Cheng.

Katie Page and Gerry Harvey,

Harvey Norman chief executive and chairman

This dynamic duo have been working and playing hard in Western Sydney since Harvey Norman opened its Auburn store in 1982.

The Harvey Norman business, of which Harvey is chairman and Page CEO, now has eight stores in the West, employing more than 1400 locals.

Harvey, who went to high school in Katoomba, is also Australia’s biggest horse breeder, while Page’s passions include the West’s exotic food and restaurant scene. They live in the northwest.

Harvey Norman chairman Gerry Harvey with managing director and wife Katie Page. Source: News Limited

Jihad Dib

For eight years, the Punchbowl Boys High School principal has been inspiring his students to lift their sights.

The results are easy to see. The school where drug gangs once ruled and barbed wire topped the fences now wins educational awards.

While only a handful of year 12 boys once thought about going to university each year, now about a third of the class go on and many more do vocational training.

Dib was able to joke recently that the school may be getting too soft when a fight broke out over hand cream.

Jihad Dib with students out the front of Punchbowl Boys High School Source: News Limited

Raelene Castle

Since becoming the first female to lead an NRL club eight months ago, Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs CEO has won respect as a no-nonsense operator focused on instilling an honest, hardworking culture.

As she builds the Bulldogs’ appeal to the families and businesses of the West, she has shown a strict attitude to player behaviour and doesn’t tolerate fools — as Cronulla’s Andrew Fifita recently discovered when Canterbury terminated his $3.5 million deal after some ill-chosen comments.

New Canterbury Bulldogs CEO Raelene Castle pictured at Bemore Oval. Source: News Limited

Nick Moraitis has built a huge fresh produce business in the west. Source: News Limited

Cate Sydes, Marist Youth Care CEO. Source: News Limited

Nick Moraitis

The Moraitis Group founder has worked in the West for 60 years, building a multifaceted food empire with revenues pushing $1 billion.

Through his partnership with fellow western tycoon Paul Lederer, he recently joined forces with Hungry Jacks’ founder Jack Cowin to produce salads and fresh soups for major retailers.

“The West is full of talented people but we need more businesses based here and more jobs,’’ said Moraitis, 79, who owned champion thoroughbred Might and Power.

Cate Sydes

The Marist Youth Care CEO is Western Sydney’s Good Samaritan, having worked with those on Struggle St since helping Aboriginal children in Mount Druitt 30 years ago.

Based at Blacktown, she leads one of Australia’s largest service providers for youth at risk.

“I’ve always been drawn to kids and young people in need,” says Sydes, who lost both of her parents while still in her teens. “My dream is that one day I’ll be out of work.’’

SEND US YOUR IMAGES AND WIN

Tony Shepherd

From advising the PM on how to get our national finances under control to building Western Sydney freeways and a new sports franchise, the diminutive Greater Western Sydney Giants chairman is a serious power player.

As the outgoing Business Council of Australia president and former chairman of construction giant Transfield Services, he has a contact book than sprawls from west to east, as evidenced by his recent appointment as chair of the SCG Trust.

Jim Marsden

Described by “Mr Olympics” Rod McGeoch as the “smartest man in the west”, the Marsdens Law Group senior partner has been at the centre of Campbelltown life since growing up in the local pub.

Whether it be handling the legal affairs of the region’s business elite or personally lobbying NRL chief Dave Smith to settle a team (ie his beloved Wests Tigers) in Campbelltown, Marsden is a passionate advocate of the southwest, where he has raised his four children.

He still gets a chuckle out of his late brother John Marsden’s famous quip: “There are two great cities in the world — Rome and Campbelltown.’’

Louise Cordina

The Cordina family have been feeding Australia “cage-free” chicken since pioneering the concept in the 1950s.

The 34-year-old is the first fourth-generation member of the Cordinas to help lead the family’s famous business with her father John. It is now one of the top 100 family-owned firms in the nation.

She grew up next door to the family’s Girraween factory and adopts a typically unpretentious Western Sydney style, saying: “We have never had aspirations to be out there being the biggest.’’

John and Louise Cordina. Source: News Limited

Lyall Gorman

The Wanderers chairman tapped into Western Sydney’s passion and energy to create the A-League soccer franchise.

Gorman, highly rated by soccer supremo Frank Lowy, leads a board which includes distinguished Australian-Chinese businessman Benjamin Chow and influential Aboriginal leader Warren Mundine.

“One of our major goals is to be a catalyst for true social change across western Sydney — part of that is inspiring young people to be the absolute best they can be,’’ he says.

Executive Chairman Lyall Gorman. Source: AAP

Christopher Brown

When the history is written of how an airport finally came to be built at Badgerys Creek, at least once chapter should be devoted to Brown.

As a member of the federal government’s panel that recommended Badgerys, the Parramatta-bred tourism advocate kept talking when others didn’t want to listen. He was also one of the first to talk up his home town as a genuine CBD.

Today, he chairs the Eels Round Table Forum and sits on the board of the University of Western Sydney and the Moorebank Intermodal Company.

Grant O’Brien

The electrical apprentice who rose to become CEO of supermarket giant Woolworths, headquartered in north-western Sydney’s Bella Vista, still keeps a focus on the workers of tomorrow.

O’Brien leads 190,000 employees, but is spearheading a major youth employment initiative called Generation Success to find ways to give more young people improved career prospects.

Jeremy Donovan Source: Supplied

Jeremy Donovan

Donovan, an internationally renowned didgeridoo player, was tapped last year to become the national ambassador in mining magnate Andrew Forrest’s GenerationOne indigenous initiative when Warren Mundine stepped down as CEO.

The 34-year-old, who is raising four children at Mulgoa, near Penrith, is part of the new breed of indigenous leaders who believes lives are only transformed through education and work, not welfare dependency.

Lionel Lee

The grandson of Chinese immigrant Bing Lee runs what has become the largest privately held electrical retail business in NSW with more than 40 stores visited by 120,000 people a week.

Old Guilford continues to serve as Lee’s corporate headquarters, harking back to the company’s early days in Fairfield selling black and white TVs to new immigrants who did not have a credit rating.

Rawand Al-Hinti

The Jordanian-born 21-year-old has been identified as one of the West’s articulate young voices.

“I believe if you work hard and aim for success you’ll flourish regardless of what suburb you are from or what school you went to,’’ she says.

The Macarthur Girls High School vice-captain, who mentors other university students while studying law and international relations, was recently appointed to the NSW government’s Youth Advisory Council.

Stuart Ayres

The enthusiastic Liberal MP for Penrith is winning praise since being promoted to become Premier Barry O’Farrell’s Minister for Western Sydney late last year.

The 33-year-old, who is the partner of federal Liberal Senator Marise Payne, has helped drive the government’s decision to relocate more than 3000 bureaucrats to western Sydney and understands the urgent need to create jobs and build new houses.

David Borger

The former Labor State Minister and Parramatta Mayor remains a strong campaigner for change as Sydney Business Chamber’s Western Sydney director.

“It sometimes feels like those in the east aren’t interested in the west and that’s a problem,’’ he said in his typically frank style last October.

James and Gretel Packer have sought his advice in relation to their $30 million arts gift to the West.

Barney Glover

The newly appointed University of Western Sydney Vice-Chancellor has wasted little time settling in, winning in-principle approval from his board this week to build a major campus in Parramatta’s CBD.

The former VC at Charles Darwin University will work closely in his new role with the UWS’ well-connected Chancellor Peter Shergold.

Yadu Singh

The Indian Australian Association of NSW president set up shop as a cardiologist in Baulkham Hills soon after arriving from India in 1991.

He has been writing and speaking passionately ever since as a leader of Australia’s — and Western Sydney’s — fastest-growing immigrant group.

His 12,400 Twitter followers are rarely left in doubt about his views, whether it be his advocacy on behalf of Indian students, his defence of Australia against claims it is racist or his support of a Western Sydney airport.

Tony Perich

The son of Croatian immigrants, the Greenfields Development Co managing director is turning dairy country into up-market housing developments in the buzzing southwest.

Estimated by BRW to be worth more than $850 million, the Perich family was once the biggest dairy farmer in the southern hemisphere through its Leppington Pastoral Company.

The family’s assets include the iconic former Oran Park raceway where at least 5500 houses and units are being developed, along with the biggest Woolworths in Australia.

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The End

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Dr Yadu Singh/Sydney/23rd April, 2014

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundelkhand

January 2, 2013 by Yadu Singh

India Diary: On the roads in Bundelkhand!

I am currently in India, visiting my extended family in Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh [UP].

Bundelkhand is the region between UP and Madhya Pradesh [MP] in the southern part of UP. Prominent places in this area include Jhansi, Khajuraho, Banda, Mahoba, Kalinjar, Chitrakoot, Panna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Satna and of course, Maihar.

It is such a fun and pleasure to be with my mother, brothers, nephews, nieces and relatives.

Many things have changed here, and they have changed in the right direction.

Internet is fast and cheap. At 800 Rupees [$15] a month, you can get unlimited broadband internet access at home!

Mobile phone rates are dirt cheap. Connectivity and coverage are great. Almost everyone I know has a mobile phone!

Flash and flashier cars on the road these days!

Roads are better, but still, a lot of work is required.

The biggest bummer is the electricity supply. There is no electricity between 10AM to 4PM, forcing people to use inverters and generators!

Poverty is all too pervasive, with lack of industry everywhere except a few. It is basically a feudal society with farming as the backbone.

I travelled to Maihar, Madhya Pradesh to visit the famous temple of Goddess Sharda right on the top of the mountain. My nephews and nieces have been insisting on this visit for years.

We could have taken the train to Maihar but we chose the car for the convenience and control.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maihar

Mahindra and Mahindra’s Scorpio Four Wheel Drive on 30th Dec, 2012 was comfortable and right for the journey. 220 Km distance each way was no problem. We enjoyed songs from latest Bollywood movies. Children knew which song was from which movie. Amazing!

Banda to Maihar distance should have been about 160 Km but our driver took us via an alternate route due to bad road condition on the regular pathway.

Arriving at Maihar at about 1PM, we had two choices for going to the temple. Either we go via the Gondola or negotiate about 1000 steps. We chose the former, for both efforts and time. There was a big crowd for Gondola too, but I have the feeling that my brothers were able to impress the Police and security that we deserved some sort of special treatment, hence a special entry to Gondola platform. I wonder whether my background as a Sydney medico worked here or was it money to grease the palms of people who were managing the Gondola!

On the top of the mountain, and at the temple, there was another crowd but this time we stayed in the crowd, taking about 1 hour before entering the temple itself.

We prayed, offered flowers and other things including Coco nuts before exiting the temple. We certainly prayed for health, peace and wellbeing of our family and friends.

It was cold but pleasant. We were full of devotion, enjoying devotional songs.

After being there for about 1 hour, we set out on our drive back to our home.

The roads in Bundelkhand from Maihar [MP] to Satna [MP] to Panna [MP] to Ajay Garh [MP] to Kartal [UP] to Naraini [UP] to Banda was fine except about 3 km stretch where work on the road was in progress.

I was pleased that I was able to visit this famous and historical temple which counts Alha, the brave Bundelkhand warrior, as its devotee.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alha

Dr Yadu Singh/Bundelkhand, India/2nd Jan, 2013

August 24, 2012 by Yadu Singh

INDAUS Inc celebrates Indian Independence Day in Sydney on 15th Aug, 2012 with class and style!

Indian Australian Association of NSW [INDAUS Inc] celebrated Indian Independence Day in Sydney on 15th Aug, 2012 with superb class and style.

Here is the Press release about the event:

INDAUS -PressRelease-Independence-Day-21August2012

Here is the Video of the celebration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLRBS-xkS6s&feature=youtu.be

Here are the pics:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.507958422550987.128714.496959000317596&type=1

Special features:

1. Invitation only event
2. No ticket sale
3. Shiamak Davar Bollywood Dance group performances
4. Attendance of politicians from both sides, despite this day being the sitting day for the Parliament.
5. Attendance of Tim Cruickshank, NSW Cricketer
6. Support from prominent businesses

It was the maiden event by this newly formed community organisation.

Everyone appreciated the organisers for organising it right on 15th August, which is a first for Indian community in Australia. Everyone enjoyed the celebrations, especially the performance by Shaiamak Davar group. With the support and encouragement we have received, this event will be organised in a bigger and better way next year!

More details:

http://www.indaus.org.au

www.facebook.com/indaus.nsw

Dr Yadu Singh/Sydney/24th Aug, 2012

August 5, 2012 by Yadu Singh

Indian Independence Day celebration in Sydney, right on Independence Day, 15th Aug, 2012!

Indian Australian Association of NSW [IndAus Inc]

www.indaus.org.au

is organising an exclusive Indian Independence Day celebration, right on Independence day

Wednesday, 15th August, 2012

7pm-11.30 PM

At Parravilla, Parramatta, NSW.

INVITATION only event with NO Ticket sale!

Top Dance group, Shiamak Davar group, performing!

Catering by the TOP Indian Restaurant in Sydney, Maya Da Dhaba, Surry Hills, NSW!

Supported by many prominent businesses and people!

Some seats [invitations] will be given away for those who visit www.indaus.org.au and express their interest to attend or visit INDAUS Inc facebook site and “like” it.

Dr Yadu Singh

www.indaus.org.au

http://buzzdata.com/content/blog/best-city-contest-winner-press-release/

July 5, 2012 by Yadu Singh

Sydney, the 5th best city of the world and Hong Kong, the best city in 2012 survey!

Economist Intelligence Unit/BuzzData competition has declared the 2012 ranking of world cities recently [3rd July 2012].

The survey used a new, “spatial characteristics” category, which is comprised of seven new indicators: green space, sprawl, natural assets, cultural assets, connectivity, isolation, and pollution. This was given 25% of the Vote.

Using this new criterion and compiling the composite score, Hong Kong is now the number “one” city and Sydney, the 5th best city. Sydney is the only Australian city in the list. Hong Kong’s compact nature, network of green spaces and cultural assets helped it get the top spot.

Looking and comparing the list this year with previous years, Sydney has slipped from 2nd to 5th spot.

Toronto in Canada [8th rank] is the only North American city in the top ten in a new best city ranking. Washington DC is 14th.

No surprise there that 5 out of 10 best cities are European cities.

Sydney was noted to have low pollution and high greenery, but urban sprawl dragged its score down. In the years to come, Sydney’s rank could go down further as it is growing in the outskirts which is going to have a negative impact on its ranking.

Vancouver has gone down massively in the score.

Here is the list of top 20 best cities.

1. Hong Kong

2. Amsterdam

3. Osaka

4. Paris

5. Sydney

6. Stockholm

7. Berlin

8. Toronto

9. Munich

10. Tokyo

11. Rome

12. London

13. Madrid

14. Washington DC

15. Chicago

16. New York

17. LA

18. San Francisco

19. Boston

20. Seoul

Singapore was 22nd, Beijing 30th, Shanghai 33rd, KL 37th, New Delhi 46th, Bangkok 49th and Mumbai was 52nd out of 70 cities. Karachi was 65th and Dhaka, Lagos and Harare were at the bottom of the list.

I and Sydneysiders wouldn’t have any doubt anyway that we live in one of the best cities of the world. No city can match Sydney’s Opera House, Darling Harbour and its pristine beaches. Sydney is indeed a happening city and we love it!

Yadu Singh/Sydney/5th July, 2012

Hong Kong’s best (economist.com)
Hong Kong the best city in the world (news.com.au)
Sydney fifth most liveable city: index (news.com.au)

June 23, 2012 by Yadu Singh

Census 2011:My comments in Australian Financial Review story!

Yadu Singh

Australian Financial Review

21st June, 2012

India tops migrant mix

By PIP FREEBAIRN

First they were British and Irish, then Greeks, Italian and Vietnamese, but now the fastest growing wave of migrants to Australia are Indians.

The 2011 census showed yesterday that the number of Indian migrants in Australia has doubled since five years earlier with around 150,000 new migrants arriving here.

The proportion of Australian residents born in India rose from0.7 per cent in 2006 to 1.4 per cent in 2011 as their number increased from 147,106 to 295,362.

Their growing contingent joins longer-standing migrants such as Yadu Singh, the president of Indian Australian Association of NSW. He came to Australia in 1991 to train as a cardiologist and enjoys the quality of life. He denies that Australia is perceived as racist and dangerous.

“Despite all the nonsense, Australia is a welcoming country and Indians know that. It was the Indian media that overreacted to the events a few years ago.

“Indian migrants know while there are a few [racists], the rules and regulation of this country are not in anyway racist.”

Dr Singh is referring to a series of incidents in Melbourne in which robberies and assaults on trains and in public places were perceived as being racially motivated.

Most Indians live in NSW, followed by Victoria, and most are located in capital cities. Melbourne had the highest proportion of Indian-born residents, at 2.7 per cent. But a regional bonus in the points test for permanent migration status means some Indian migrants are now branching out to Newcastle, Wollongong, and Bathurst.

Indian-born Australians are most likely to speak English at home, followed by Hindi and Punjabi, a language spoken in Northern India and regions of Pakistan.

The census reveals that the number of Punjabi speakers grew the fastest of any language in Australia – by 207 per cent between 2006 and 2011.

The growth of Hinduism has also matched the growth of Indian migration. While only 1.3 per cent of residents identify as Hindus, its numbers of adherents have almost doubled from 148,000 in 2006 to 275,534 in 2011.

Census director Andrew Henderson said the growth of Indian migration meant the Indian-born had overtaken Italian-born as those migrants moved into their second generation. “It is fundamentally shifting the cultural mix in Australia,” he said.

Australia and India share a number of cultural touchstones, not least widespread English usage in both nations and a legacy of common colonial histories. Cricket also binds the two nations, with Test matches that involve India in Sydney and Melbourne attracting large vocal crowds in support of the visiting team.

Indian permanent migration to Australia hit a monthly peak of almost 1800 in early 2008, before dipping to 680 in 2010 but has recovered to 1350 arrivals a month in early 2012.

Many Indians come to Australia not just for economic opportunity but to take advantage of the education system. Dr Singh said Indians who came to Australia tended to be young and highly educated and were often seeking further training in accounting, medical degrees, or nursing.

Indian-born Australians tend to be younger than the median age of the total population, 36 compared to 47.

Hass Dellal, the head of Australian Multicultural Foundation,which advises government, said the new wave of migration indicated that Australia was engaging more in the region.

“But we are not taking advantage of the opportunities it brings, economically or culturally. We need things such as languages in schools so that we can make the most of the advantages of our multicultural society.”

Snapshot of a nation: what the census reveals about us (theage.com.au)
Snapshot of a nation: what the census reveals about us (smh.com.au)
Land of many cultures, ancestries and faiths (theage.com.au)

June 21, 2012 by Yadu Singh

Australian Census 2011:what it says about India & Indians in Australia!

I was waiting for the latest Census 2011 data. This is out today. It has some very interesting information.

There are a total of 21,507,717 people in Australia.
26% people were born overseas and 20% had one parent born overseas.
Top 10 counties by birth of migrants include India at 4th spot [295400 people]. UK, NZ, China are higher.
People of Asian background by birth have moved up in proportion of people born overseas [33% in 2011 Vs 24% in 2001].
Before 2007, UK was the top source of migrants but India is the top source of migrants in 2007-11. India now contributes 13.1% of migrants [2007-11] compared to 12% from UK. Most of the top 10 countries from where migrants are arriving from are Asian countries.
47% of all Indians in Australia are Indians who have arrived in recent years [2007-11]. Corresponding numbers for Chinese is 35.
200,000 Indians have arrived in Australia between 2001-11. Corresponding numbers are 176,200 and 127,700 for Chinese and New Zealanders respectively.
98 males for 100 females in Australia but numbers skewed adversely for Nepalese [144 Males for 100 females], Afghanistani people [143 males for 100 females] and Pakistani people [143 males for 100 females].
390900 [2%] people have identified their ancestry as Indian ancestry, compared to 866000 [4%] for Chinese ancestry. This number may be an underestimate as some second and third generation people of Indian ancestry may have identified themselves as from “Australian ancestry”.
Among those who identified as of Indian ancestry, 61% were born in India, 20% in Australia and 19% in other countries.
Among those who identified their ancestry as Indian, only 12.9% had one more ancestry, compared to much higher proportions from other groups. This means that marriages outside Indian segment is much less common. One explanation is that Indian community is a newer community in Australia. It is likely to change in years/decades.
Indian ancestry numbers may be an underestimate as a section of Indian community ran a campaign before Census to identify themselves as “Punjabi” ancestry, not Indian ancestry.
61% people follow Christianity in 2011 compared to 68% in 2001 and 96% in 1911.
Non-Christian faiths have grown from 4.9% [900,000 people] to 7.2% [1.5 millions] between 2001 to 2011.
Buddhism is the commonest non-Christian religion [2.5%], followed by Islam [2.2%] and Hinduism [1.3%].
Hinduism had the fastest growth. It grew 189% between 2001 to 2011. 275000 people identify themselves as Hindu now. 275000 Hindus from a total of 391000 people with Indian heritage means Hindus constitute 70% of total number of Australians of Indian ancestry.
Growth of Islam and Buddhism have been 69% [476,300 people] and 48% [529000 people] in the last decade.
“No religion” category grew too from 15% to 22% between 2001 to 2011.
Over half [56%] people born overseas are Christian.
Hindi is one of the Top 10 language, other than English, spoken by people at home. 104900 people [0.5%] speak Hindi at Homes. Mandarin, Arabic, Cantonese and Vietnamese are spoken by more Australians. Hindi is the only Indian language among the top 10 languages in Australia. Punjabi language is spoken by Punjabi sub-segment of Indian community significantly but I am not completely clear about the comparison between Hindi and Punjabi languages. There is some confusion about it. It is however safe to say that Hindi is the only Indian language in the Top 10 languages in Australia. I will study this data more carefully and will seek clarifications.
Among those who speak Hindi, 80.2% speak English very well.

My take is that increasing numbers of young and highly trained Indians are choosing to migrate to Australia. This is despite a negative campaign against Australia, which was run by a segment of Indian media in recent years. It proves that Australia is a fantastic place to live, work and settle. Indians have rejected Indian media’s campaign to create a false characterisation of Australia as a racist nation.

One could argue that India is losing so many well-trained young people but I doubt it is a relevant factor anymore. There is unemployment and under-employment in India, which is made much worse by perpetual, if not permanent, reservation system which reserves 50% jobs/training positions and even promotion opportunities to people who have been historically discriminated. India’s so-called loss is Australia’s gain. Australia should continue to attract and accept skilled migrants from all over the world.

Indian Australian community has grown significantly in recent years and will continue to grow in coming years. There is an urgent need to network this community [particularly newer migrants] for mentoring/guidance in regards to settlement issues and integration in the Australian community, and also pastoral care, when needed.

Indian community associations and leaders need to analyse how they can provide guidance to newer migrants, when such guidance and mentoring become necessary.

One does not need to be an Einstein to predict that Indian Australian community will achieve increasing importance in Australian politics. They will constitute significant proportions in many constituencies. I predict, and in fact hope, that some “good” people from amongst us will enter Australian Parliaments and Local Councils within next 5 years.

Dr Yadu Singh/Sydney/21st June, 2012

March 4, 2012 by Yadu Singh

Participating in “Clean Up Australia Day” today was fun and a pleasure!

I enjoyed participating in “Clean Up Australia Day” today. It was a fun too.

In the morning, I joined up with my friends from Basava Samithi of Australia [an Indian group] in Collimore Park, Liverpool, NSW, where we, as a team, collected a lot of things. It was a pleasure to see the Council Truck coming and picking up things which we had collected. Dayanand Mogale [President of Basava Samithi], Panchaksaraiah Palya [Secretary of Basava Samithi] and Chidanand Puttarevanna were the key people in this group.

In the afternoon, I met up with friends from Australia Tamil Association [another Indian group] to participate in the activity at Best Road Reserve, Seven Hills, NSW.

We collected rubbish, broken TV, cups, bags, shopping trolleys, clothes, damaged fans and many more things. I was pleasantly surprised to know that Clean Up Australia organisation and local Councils provided gloves, and collection bags for the volunteers. Qantas also supported these events by donating Tea shirts and even small grants.

The prediction about weather was that it would rain but it turned out to be a bright and sunny morning, which, unfortunately, left an unwanted side effect. I had sun burn on my face, for which I was teased by my children. This also disproved my theory [without any basis] that brown-skinned people do not suffer sun burn. From now on, I will be better prepared!

Based on what we found there, I was sad to see the abuse of our environment by people. Obviously, we need to look after our environment and this Planet. This is a job for everyone and every day, not just for Clean Up Australia Day.

Basava Samithi and Australia Tamil Association [ATA] volunteers turned the events into “fun” events. At ATA event, Thiru Arumugam [President of ATA] and Susai Benjamin were also present. I was requested to give away certificates to the volunteers, which was a real honour and a matter of great pleasure.

I am more convinced now than before that there is a need for all of us to look after the nature and this planet.

Dr Yadu Singh/Sydney/4th March, 2012

Clean Up Australia Day, 4 March 2012 (worldmarkspnews.com)

October 25, 2011 by Yadu Singh

IIFA in Sydney: How, when and by whom?

Image via Wikipedia

IIFA Awards [The International Indian Film Academy Awards] are the most prestigious awards from Bollywood, the premier movie industry in India, and are presented every year by the International Indian Film Academy to recognise professionals and artists from Bollywood.

The first IIFA event was held in 2000. So far, they have been held in different countries around the world, details of which are as follows.

2000: Millennium Dome London, United Kingdom,

2001: Super Bowl Arena, Sun City, South Africa,

2002: Arena of Stars Genting, Highlands, Malaysia,

2003: Coca-Cola Dome, Johannesburg, South Africa,

2004: Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore,

2005: Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,

2006: Dubai International Convention Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates,

2007: Hallam FM Arena, Sheffield, United Kingdom,

2008: Siam Paragon, Bangkok, Thailand,

2009: The Venetian Macao, Macau, Macau,

2010: Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka,

2011: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Canada.

Social and economic benefits of hosting IIFA Awards are many. No wonders, there is a fierce competition among cities to host the event. IIFA reaches out to millions of viewers and fans across the world providing them with an opportunity to see legends of Bollywood together on one stage. Toronto IIFA event was reportedly watched by >600million viewers. The Academy’s main objective has been to develop and promote relationships between film industries and organizations across the world. The focus is on foreign exchange and interaction, creating a common forum and meeting ground for enhancing business opportunities, apart from showcasing Bollywood cinema.

To prove that the hosting city benefits greatly, here is the latest evidence. Government of Ontario invested US$ 12 million to host 2011 edition of IIFA at Toronto and believed to have gained direct economic impact of over US$ 100 million in tourism. The organisers felt the returns of holding IIFA far exceeded the expectations estimated by the Government of Ontario.

IIFA have never been held in Australia, but Melbourne is trying to host them. They have already started the process.

Sydney is truly a world city with plenty of attractions for the Bollywood artists and fans. After all, who can beat Opera House, pristine beaches like Bondi Beach, and Blue Mountain, along with Hunter Valley which is only a short distance away? NSW can rope in our cricketers too, knowing that some of them have a huge fan following in India. Sydney will beat any city, if it decided to bid for IIFA. NSW should definitely bid for it, as it is indeed going to bring heaps of tourists around the time of the event, and thereafter too, which should generate more than $200 million for the NSW economy. With the flow-on effect on the inward tourism from India, and with the improved image of Australia as a travel destination for Indians, this benefit may well cross 500 millions easily over the short to medium term. I know, I am not a NSW treasury official and can’t predict what the monetary outcome of this event would be for NSW, but one thing is certain that it would be beneficial to the economy.

If IIFA is held in Sydney, they will be the best ever (to match the best ever Olympics) and will help strengthen ties between India and Australia. Basically, there are many positives, and no negative.

Organisations of Indian Australians, and Indian Australians in NSW generally, can play a vital role by helping the NSW Govt in the bidding process. There are >150000 people of Indian heritage in Sydney [more if you add the fans of Bollywood from Asian and Middle Eastern backgrounds], who would be a potent force on behalf of NSW in attracting the event for Sydney.

My discussions with many prominent people have given me a clear impression that they would love to have IIFA in Sydney in the near future. To succeed in this however, the work has to start soon. It might be a bit late to bid for 2012, but we can start the process now for 2013 event or thereafter.

NSW Premier, Barry O’Farrell is visiting India with a trade delegation next month. I think, it would be a perfect opportunity to initiate the process before the visit and follow it up during the visit.

I, for one, can’t wait to see IIFA event in our beautiful city, Sydney!

PS: I am not in favor of frauds and fake people, with no integrity and value system, getting anywhere near events like IIFA, because they will destroy the whole concept and the brand image. We all know that there are people who can con people to make money, and are very keen to promote themselves as event organizers. They operate with no principle and have no ethics.

Yadu Singh/Sydney/25^th October, 2011

dryadusingh@gmail.com

www.Twitter.com/dryadusingh

IIFA Toronto (fashionhogger.wordpress.com)
SRK rocks the IIFA floor despite of his knee injury (celebrityshahrukhkhan.wordpress.com)

January 31, 2010 by Yadu Singh

Australia India Day [celebrating Australia Day and Indian Republic Day] function:Report

Report

Australia India Day Function

[Celebrating Australia Day and Indian Republic Day]

Held on the 24^th Jan, 2010 [6-11PM]

Venue – Ryde Civic Centre, Ryde NSW 2112

Australia India Day Function Council celebrated its first Australia / India Republic Day at the Ryde Civic Centre, Ryde on the 24^th January 2012. The program was an astounding success with more than 500 prominent Indians, representatives from over 20 Indian Associations, and star-studded politicians from both the Labor and Liberal parties from State and Federal level attending this event.

The celebration started with the singing of Indian and Australian anthems, followed by entre which was followed by the first part of the entertainment programme. The guests were welcomed by Harish Velji and the MC was Dr Yadu Singh. Vote of thanks was given by Ms Shubha Kumar.

At no time in the past 20 years, any function organized by any Indian Association/s had such massive response for such events. The only limiting factor in getting more numbers to attend the event has been the capacity of the Ryde Civic Centre function hall.

One of the major aspects contributing to the success of this program was the enormous representation from both the Labor and Liberal parties. ALP took 2 tables and Liberals took 1 table in our function. More than 40 political leaders and party workers from both sides attended the event. Prominent people from the political leadership included:

Hon Ms Maxine Mckew [Parliamentary secretary, Fed Gov & representing Prime Minister of Australia], Hon Mr Joe Hockey [Shadow Treasurer, Fed Parliament & representing Hon Tony Abbott, Leader of Opposition in Fed Parliament],Hon Mr David Borger [NSW Minister], Hon Mr Peter Primrose [NSW minister], Hon Ms Barbara Perry [NSW minister & representing NSW Premier], Ms Angela D’amore [Parliamentary secretary, NSW], Hon Mr Laurie Ferguson [Parliamentary secretary, Fed Gov], Mr David Clarke MLC [Shadow Parliamentary secretary & representing Mr Barry O’Farrell, Leader of Opposition, NSW], Mr Phillip Ruddock [Shadow Cabinet secretary, Fed Parliament], Mr Greg Smith [Shadow Attorney General, NSW], Hon Ms Amanda Fazio [President, Upper House of NSW], Hon Ms Tanya Gadiel [Deputy speaker of NSW parliament], Mr Chris Hayes MP, Mr Michael Richardson MP and Mr Shaoquett Moselmane MLC.

Clr Mark Adler – Canterbury Council, Clr Tony Hay – Hills Shire, Clr Barbara Burton – Hills Shire, Clr Vaseekaran Rajdurai – Holroyd Council, Clr Bill Whelan, Hawkesbury Council, and Crl Trent Zimmerman, North Sydney Council also attended this function.

Hon Mr Amit Dasgupta, Consul General of India, Sydney and Mr Gautam Roy, Consul from the Indian Consulate, Sydney also graced this function with their presence.

In a highly emotional and charged up speech, Mr David Clarke [representing Mr Barry O’Farrell] from the Australian Liberal Party, said that if his child goes to India he is sure the parents in India would treat him as their son and look after him. On a similar manner, he urged that the Australian Moms and Dads to treat the Indian students as their own sons and look after them. He went on and paid tributes to India and its traditions by saying that ‘India practices what it preaches.

Ms Barbara Perry [representing the Premier of NSW] spoke eloquently about the contribution of Indian Australians and declared that violence against Indian/international students will not be tolerated. She said that students are very welcome in NSW. She was dressed in Indian attire which people appreciated with enthusiastic applause. She spoke about the interest of NSW premier and Gov in working actively with the Indian Australians.

Hon Joe Hockey, speaking at the function, said the Liberal party is fully committed to its policy of supplying Uranium to India. Dr Yadu Singh, while responding to Hon Joe Hockey’s speech encouraged the Labor party to consider similar policy and implement it as early as possible. He explained that the issue of NPT is not relevant in case of India after India has been given an India-specific exemption from NPT by the NSG [Nuclear Suppliers’ Group] in Vienna last year.

Ms Maxine Mckew also spoke very highly of India, Indian Australians and multi-culturalism in Australia. She also explained that India and Australia have a great relations and it will get even better despite some hiccups. She was very impressed with the enthusiastic participation of women Indian Australians in this function. Her speech generated a thunderous applause from the audience.

All the speakers from both the major parties spoke highly of India, Indian traditions, Indian sports – in particular Cricket, and the Indian political landscape, which stood the test of times for more than 62 years since securing independence from the British rule in 1947. All speakers were enthusiastically applauded by the audience.

The event was also graced by Mr Amit Dasgupta, the Consul General of India. Speaking on the occasion the Consul General touched on two fundamental issues. On the issues related to the Indian students the Consul General paid glowing tributes to the NSW Police force and the political landscape of NSW for containing the student issues in NSW. As a clear indication to vindicate this matter the Consul General said that out of the 1340 attacks on Indian students in 2009, only 13 such attacks occurred in the state of NSW and South Australia – the States which fall under the jurisdiction of Mr Amit Dasgupta. He further stated that these statistics do not however condone the vast majority of attacks on Indian students that occurred and still occurring in other States. He urged that the law enforcement agencies and the political parties should work closely in this direction and ensure safety of the Indian overseas students

On a second major issue, the Consul General spoke about exploitation of the Indian students by Indian business – in particular the food/restaurant industry whereby the restaurant owners pay less than the wages stipulated under the labor law. He insisted that all business owners must do ethical business. He further went on to say that ‘I will not attend any function where he is not assured of suppliers to that function follow ethical standards in conducting their businesses’. The entire hall including all the politicians from both major parties echoed with a big applause.

The overwhelming response to this event is an indication of the ‘changing times’ and ‘changing outlook’ to the leadership and responsiveness to the current issues and challenges being faced by various sections of the Indian migrant and student community living in the State of New South Wales.

Surely the representation of more than 40 students from the International Student community is an indication that they want to hear from the leadership and also from the large number of politicians on their views and actions proposed to be taken to address their issues. The Chief of VETAB [Ms Margaret Willis] and her assistant, Mr Shona Tannock and Mr Robert Redfern, Commander, Parramatta Police command [representing NSW Police Commissioner] were present as our guests. Ms Willis’ and Mr Redfern’s presence was meant to send out the message that quality of training and safety of students are 2 key issues in relations with Indian students.

It is noteworthy that students had paid at a very subsidized rate and all others including the organizers, except a very small numbers of VIP guests, had bought the tickets for their participation in the function.

The representation from more than 20 Indian Associations is a clear indication which shows they are bewildered with the current policies and practices, and financial management of our current top associations and leaders. The one fundamental reason for this large support stems from the fact that they found a new leadership in the AIDFC which can respond to the current issues and make representations at both Australian and Indian Government levels with a solid and united voice. Some of the major Indian organizations who supported the event included the India Club, The Sydney Sangat, Australian Punjabi Business Association, Australian Indian Business Congress, Punjab For Ever, The Australian Tamil Association Inc (ATA), Hindi Samaj and the Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association (AMU) in addition to others.

ACR International Tours and Travels added spice to the event by offering one return air ticket through Singapore Airlines for auction. The auction added nice A$1,000 to the much badly needed money for the ‘benevolent fund project’. Mr Navneet Chaugar was the winner of this ticket. For the raffle draw which helped us collect about $750, the Good Guys offered a Plasma 26 inch TV which was won by Councilor Bill Whelan of the Hawkesbury City Council. Congratulations to the winners!

Media-both Indian and Australian, were represented with Indian Link, The Indian, Punjab Times, Hamare Rang [Pakistani] and most importantly, Channel 9 team present in the function. This was the very first time that Channel 9 crew was present in an Indian function.

Many other ethnic community leaders also graced the occasion with their presence.

The Future – the AIDFC Benevolent Fund

AIDFC has made a number of public announcements at the function to the community as a part of its commitment for the future. Prominent among them is the creation and implementation of the AIDFC’s Benevolent Fund. We are committed to get this fund going and make a significant contribution to the well being the Indian migrant and student community, our fellow Australian community and finally to our mother country – India.

Finally we promise you that we will provide you a solid leadership and will representation at various levels. We will have clean governance in all matters of the AIDFC management – in particular finance management. We will adopt an ‘open book’ approach in all these areas. Consideration will be given to broaden the current AIDFC to include more Associations, individual members and businesses. The community will be getting more frequent updates in the coming weeks and months!

Ghungurus Group of Shalini Patel was the provider of the entertainment programme which was of 50 minutes duration and had the mix of Bhangra and Bollywood songs/dances. Every one enjoyed it tremendously.

Catering was done by Billu Group with great food, dessert and wines.

This function was so well attended and so well done that it has become a matter for the discussion among Indian Australians and the political eaders in NSW and Canberra.

This function has now become the talk of the town.

JAI HO!

Dr Yadu Singh

President

Australia India Day Function Council (AIDFC)

www.yadusingh.wordpress.com

Email: singhyadu@gmail.com

31st Jan, 2010

January 29, 2010 by Yadu Singh

Indian students in Australia and India-Australia relations:My article and views.

http://www.foreignpolicy.in/journals_4.html

Inviting your views and comments.

Yadu Singh/Sydney/29th Jan, 2010

October 3, 2009 by Yadu Singh

Looking for the real leaders from Indian Australian community:where are they hiding?

Dear Indian Australians in Sydney

With the exposure of rorts/scams through the Australian media recently, a significant damage has happened to the image of our community. We can not be happy about it as it is about us. A beginning has to be made to mend/repair the harm to the image and standing of our community.

Recently, a fellow from our community committed suicide in Harris Park, NSW. There were some issues in regards to arranging transportation of the body to India.

Also, recently, a young man died unexpectedly in Sydney. I understand that it was due to a heart illness. The person in question was a heavy drinker and smoker. He was the only son of his parents.

Mental health and cardio-vascular health issues are significant problems in our community.

“Racism” is a much used term which gets used, rightly or wrongly, as an explanation for all sorts of problems. I know one who tried to employ this word when caught travelling on the city rail without a valid ticket!

Basically, we have issues involving health, settlement and leadership in our community which are very relevant for the new arrivals.

For obvious reasons, we will have to do something about these issues. We have to think about the best mechanism/tools to address these issues. We have to help our community where our help is needed. Our community leaders have a special responsibility in this regard.

I do not claim to be “Mr know it all” but I do not mind in speaking my mind. I recognise that others would have good ideas too.

I propose that;

1. we do not encourage the participation of those members of our community who are known to be involved in the exploitation of students or are parts of the scams/rorts, in the social functions/gatherings.

2. we do not support the business owners who fall under the category 1.

3. we have a meeting of community minded people and those who have impeccable integrity with good reputation soon. I propose the United Indian Associations [UIA] president to preside this meeting.

4. we identify those people quickly who are operating as the leaders but have a clear conflict of interest in those matters and ask them to take a back seat.

5. we help set up the system which is there to help our students and Indian Australians when they are in desperate needs for the help. This should include the establishment of a Benevolent Fund.

6. we support UIA to grow and become an effective organisation by discussing, debating, reforming by bringing out the required changes. UIA Constitutional review is long overdue.

7. we urge UIA to become a more open and inclusive organisation by co-opting well-meaning and capable people from outside UIA in its committees.

8. we think about forming a new organisation with the required goals if UIA leaders are not able/wiling to reform UIA to make it a relevant and an effective body.

9. we take a stand against the rorts/scams and ask Australian Gov authorities to stamp out these activities quickly.

10. we start identifying people with leadership qualities and help them reach the places of influences including political offices ie MLAs/MLCs/MPs.

11. we re-energize the leadership by taking a back seat voluntarily if we have been leaders for a long period and have not been contributing meaningfully and encourage others with abilities to take the leadership roles in our associations.

12. we work actively to promote the pan-Indian identity of Indians and discourage the regional identities in Australia.

13. we do everything to promote a better understanding/integration among Indian Australians with themselves and with Australian community in general. The distrust has to go.

14. we work effectively and collaboratively to encourage SBS TV to have the programmes on India/Indian people, based on our numbers, as is the case with other communities.

15. we and Indian Govt Missions work collaboratively to have a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in a prominent place in Sydney and Melbourne.

16. we network, interact, co-ordinate and execute the health education programmes which are relevant to our communities.

Until recently, our Indian Australian community has had a great reputation. We want this reputation restored to our community.

We must promote only those who have a genuine ability to lead, understand the needs of our community and also understand the meaning of “conflict of interest”.

Let the seniors guide us in our goals! Let us learn from their experience and wisdom!

The community has to grow and we have to grow with it!

Let the debate begin!

Kind regards

Dr Yadu Singh

Sydney/03-10-09

Dr Yadu Singh, Sydney, Australia

Welcome to my site!

Let me introduce myself. I live in Sydney, Australia. I am also a Physician or Internal Medicine specialist with MD. I obtained my basic medical degrees and training [MBBS and MD] from the prestigious medical institutions in India. My specialist training as a cardiologist was in Australia which led to FRACP [Fellow of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians]. I work as cardiologist in Sydney, NSW.

In addition to being a doctor, I have a keen interest in any matter which has anything to do with Australia, India and Indian-Australians. I consider myself well-informed about what is happening in Australia, India and the World. I love my community, which includes not just Indian Australians, but also all Australians, irrespective of their ethnicity, religion and gender. I am in the community work and leadership because I enjoy doing it and wish the best for the community. It is definitely not for any personal benefit.

This Blog is not about medicine. This is all about my political and social views on a variety of relevant issues. I urge you to not drag my profession while debating with me on political/social views. I am not a member of any political party. I am a keen observer of politics, however. I am often a social and political commentator, and my comments are often sought by the media.

Australia is my home since 1991. I live in Australia physically, mentally and socially. Australia is my “Karm Bhumi or Place of work”, but India will always remain my “Matra Bhumi or Birth place”, with a significant emotional bonding, and a place deep inside my heart. I love Australia and India both. I support Australian cricket team in every match except when they play with the Indian team. When that happens, I become neutral and rejoice with either winning team! [Just kidding!].

I identify myself as an Australian when choosing between Australian and any other identity as I share my value system with Australian value system and Australia is my home. When dealing with regions, religions or languages from India, I am an “Indian” first and anything else much later. I love India dearly as it is the place of my birth, but I love Australia no less because it is a great country and it has given me so much. I have no doubt that Australia is a great place to live and work, and Australians are fantastic people. Australia has my total loyalty!

Unlike some, I do not believe that Australia is a racist nation, although I recognize that there are some people who hold racist views, just like some people in any other country of the world. Such people are however a tiny minority. Vast majority of Australian people, like any other country, are fair-minded people. Systems, rules, Laws, regulations and Governance in Australia are not based on racism or racist agenda.

I wish to see Indian-Australians to be well-integrated among themselves and within Australian general community socially and politically. I want to see Indian Australians in the state and federal parliaments. I will not support an Indian Australian politician however if he/she is not a good person, lacks ability and if there is a better alternative candidate in the contest, irrespective of race, religion or gender of that candidate.

I am a strong advocate of good Australia-India relations. I want to see these relations go to newer heights.

I am comfortable with people who have integrity and decency, irrespective of their race, religion, gender or political views, but I detest those who exploit vulnerable people like students and new immigrants. I am not a fan of those who do not have any idea or understanding of “conflict of interest”.

I am a strong believer and a supporter of the multiculturalism and Multicultural Australia. To put it simply, multiculturalism to me is about freedom to practise and enjoy my own culture, enjoy other cultures, let others enjoy their own cultures and to integrate with the general Australian culture, ethos and values, which must always remain supreme. I believe in integration, not segregation. I like good and decent people from all sections of the Australian society, irrespective of their race, religion, beliefs, culture or political persuasion.

I have been active in the community over the years. Details of my community work can be found here. http://tinyurl.com/7opu4tv

ABC Radio National Video about me is here. https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fradionational%2Fvideos%2F10154646233077378%2F&show_text=0&width=560

ABC Radio National Audio “How one immigrant fell in love with Australia” is here: http://ab.co/2f9zQfe

ABC article is here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-25/indian-doctors-immigration-experience-he-learnt-about-a-fair-go/7960734

I encourage you to go through my Blog posts and make comments, if necessary. I want to network with you and encourage you to join me via Twitter, Facebook or this Blog.

I recognize that you may not agree with every thing I say, have said, do, or have done. Irrespective of that, I encourage you to join me in debating on these matters, provided you have something positive to contribute. I am reasonably open-minded and have learnt to see merits in a well-argued point of view. I value your views, as long as you identify yourself while making your comments. I respect even those views which are not aligned with mine, provided they are advancing a debate on a topic. I believe that diversity of views and opinions is a positive thing for the community. I believe in the concept of “agree to disagree” when we are unable to have the same view on a subject.

I am keen to network with people from wide spectrum of fields, using face to face interactions and social media.

I can be reached via Email dryadusingh@gmail.com, Twitter www.twitter.com/dryadusingh, Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/DoctorYaduSingh, Facebook personal profile www.facebook.com/dryadusingh and Linkedin http://au.linkedin.com/pub/yadu-singh/52/581/864.

Thank you for visiting my site.

With best regards

Dr Yadu Singh/Sydney/Australia

http://www.facebook.com/DoctorYaduSingh