MELBOURNE – An Indian-origin woman is all set to figure in the prestigious list of people who have received the Order of Australia Medal (OAM).
85-year old Krishna Arora, who has been running a community service was selected for this year’s awards for her contribution to the Indian community.
“When I came here, I found the only thing that needed attention was loneliness of new migrants. Someone said to me Australians pass their time by doing community work. I thought it was a great idea and then there was no looking back,” said Arora, former principal of a Delhi-based catering college.
Arora, also popularly known as ‘Auntieji’, runs a hotline tele service offering cooking tips.
“For a newly arrived person, it is very, very important they get in contact with the right type of people who will be able to tell them the little customs and traditions of Australia and get on with life” said Arora.
She has also been teaching Asian cooking to Australians for two years at one of the Community Centre in Western suburb of Victoria. “I feel extremely pleased and encouraged to work more for the community” she said.
The other Indian-origin women who had earlier received the honour include Joyce Westrip (2000), Mala Mehta (2006) and Vettath Rajkumar (2009).
In November last year, iconic Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was also conferred with the prestigious award.
