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- 22 March 2005
Indian Community Functions
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Page: 14694
The Hon. AMANDA FAZIO [5.02 p.m.]: Recently I had the pleasure of representing the Premier at two important functions for the Indian community. On Saturday 5 March 2005 I represented the Premier at the Bharatha Natya Arengetram of Suganiya and Neshevida Balsubramanian at the Greenhalgh Auditorium at the Ku-Ring-Gai Campus of the University of Technology. Also present were Ms Virginia Judge, the member for Strathfield, Ms Julie Owens, the Federal Member for Parramatta, and Mrs Jayalukshmi Kandiah OAM. I extended the Premier's congratulations to Suganiya and Neshevida on their achievements, which are significant milestones reached after years of training. They are the 29th and 30th graduates of the Natanalaya Dance Academy in Sydney. This is one of the many achievements of these two talented sisters, who have received several prizes for cultural activities, including the prestigious Minister's Award for Student Excellence.
Suganiya was born in Saudi Arabia in 1988 and began learning the classical art form of Bharatha Natyam at the age of 5. Neshevida was born in Sri Lanka in 1990 and commenced studying this art form at the age of 7. They have participated in many dance and charity productions staged by Natanalaya. They both attend Sydney Girls High School and are in years 11 and 10 respectively. The sisters have represented their school in an array of extracurricular activities, such as soccer, cross country and debating. Arengetram means "ascending the stage" and the performance of Bharatha Natyam marks the graduation of Suganiya and Neshevida from the Natanalaya Dance Academy of Indian Classical Dance and Music. Those in attendance were privileged to experience a first-rate cultural performance of one of the seven classical dance forms of India, featuring a repertoire of nine different dances.
Bharatha Natyam is one of the seven classical dance forms of India, with ancient roots that are more than 4,000 years old. Bharatha Natyam is based on principles set down by the Nataya Shastra written by the Hindu sage Bharata. This dance form is based on devotional love songs with the dancer being the devotee and the God being her beloved. The term is derived from Bhava, emotion, Ragar, melody, and Thalam, rhythm, which are the three basic components on which this dance form is based. The performance showcased Indian culture and demonstrated the important role that Mrs Jayalukshmi Kandiah OAM, founder of and teacher at the Natanalaya Dance Academy, plays in continuing the tradition and promoting a better understanding of Indian culture and multiculturalism. Suganiya and Neshevida's parents, Mr and Mrs Balasubramanian, are very proud of their daughters' achievements, and rightly so.
I was greatly impressed by the sisters' performance and enthusiasm. To give an understanding of the significance of the importance of this performance, the many costumes of Suganiya and Neshevida were purchased on a special trip to India. I congratulate Mrs Kandiah, the musicians who travelled from Singapore for the performance, and Suganiya and Neshevida on their achievement. I also wish Suganiya and Neshevida every success for the completion of their high school studies in Tamil this year and in their ongoing journey as performing artists.
On Saturday 19 March I represented the Premier at a charity performance of Durga Ban Gai Gauri, a spectacular Indian musical dance drama, which was staged by SEWA International at the Hurstville Entertainment Centre. I acknowledge the attendance of Ms Manju Channan from the Consulate General of India, the members of the executive committee of SEWA International and more than 800 audience members who travelled from across New South Wales to attend the performance of this play. The original producer of the play, Ms Sulabha Deshpande, a major star of stage and screen in India, was also present and was received with great enthusiasm by all. There were about 120 dancers from the Marathi, Hindi, Bengali and Gujarati communities, and the age of the performers ranged from 4 to 60 years. The drama tells the story of a spoilt young princess, Durga, who through her exposure to working people in a rural area becomes a caring and responsible young women, Gauri. The performance was very colourful and most enjoyable. It is a celebration of the many cultural backgrounds that form the Indian community.
The performance demonstrated the important role that members of SEWA International play in promoting Indian cultural heritage and in managing fundraising programs. SEWA International started in the United Kingdom with some young men and women joining hands to help the earthquake victims of Latur, Maharastra state, India in 1991. Since then, the movement has spread to 15 countries. Since 1997, SEWA International (Australia) Inc. has been supporting a number of projects in the areas of children's education and programs to support community needs and environmental activities. Activities undertaken by SEWA International in Australia include blood donation campaigns, tree planting campaigns, participating in Clean Up Australia day and holding regular meetings for Indian senior citizens. As well, SEWA International support the activities of SEWA in India, helping bring education to tribal communities and running programs for people with disabilities, running orphanages, schools for boys and student exchange programs.
SEWA also raised around one million rupiah for the tsunami victims. The funds raised during the performance will be donated to charities in both India and Sri Lanka. Also, I was presented with a cheque for $1,000, which was a donation to the appeal for the victims of the bushfires on Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. What is special about SEWA International is that people undertake all of these good works voluntarily, which is particularly commendable. Events such as Durga Ban Gai Gauri provide the whole community with an opportunity to experience first hand the vibrancy and passion of another culture and some of the traditions that are part of the culturally diverse society in New South Wales.
I congratulate SEWA International and all the performers on a wonderful performance and evening. I trust that their fundraising activities were successful, and I wish them every success for the future. The Indian community has made a powerful contribution to the development of our State and our community. The skills, education and dedication of Australians of Indian background will make us a more dynamic and outward looking country in years to come. I have enjoyed very much attending these events and many others involving the Indian and Sri Lankan communities.
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