Rajni Anand
Luthra (With thanks to Indian Link which continues to write its own
history of success in Australian journalism!
October 23, 2025
Neena Badhwar: Community catalyst and connector
A tribute to Neena Badhwar - journalist, founder, and
community builder - whose warmth and determination nurtured connections that
continue to strengthen Sydney’s Indian diaspora today.
“Neena Badhwar is the Sachin Tendulkar of Indian journalism
in Australia.”
Veteran journo Cyprian Fernandes spoke for all present when
he paid a powerful tribute to Neena Badhwar, the founder of The Indian
Down Under newspaper. She passed away on 17 October, aged 73.
He was addressing some 300 people who gathered on 22 October
to bid Neena farewell. Many were close friends, but everyone remembered her as
the founder of the first enduring publication that connected Sydney’s Indian
community.
Launched in 1987, her venture marked baby steps in a newly
settling diaspora yearning for connection and belonging.
Years later, her pioneering efforts would inspire many
others, this very publication included.
Fernandes, who held several editorial roles at The
Sydney Morning Herald during the 1980s and ‘90s, recalled the founding
of The Indian Down Under, highlighting Neena’s unwavering
determination despite limited resources. “Cyprian, it will happen,” Neena had
told him then. When those same four words were echoed only days later by her
husband Vijay Badhwar, Fernandes knew the venture was destined to succeed.
Neena, with Vijay’s backing, set about building a team of
writers, sourcing advertisements from community businesses, and seeking support
from government agencies. Media offerings for the diaspora were slender in the
late 1980s, and Neena’s efforts would go on to have a significant impact on
the community.
Her forays into radio, particularly with local platform
Monica Geet Mala, were also substantial.
Neena devoted herself to building community – championing
the arts and giving artists an avenue for expression. Whether it was music or
poetry or theatre, her home became a welcoming hub for creative gatherings and
shared inspiration.
“The Badhwars opened their hearts and home to the
community,” Mala Mehta, a lifelong friend, recalled. “It was never too much for
them to lay out a meal for fifty or hundred people. Later of course, they built
a huge entertaining area in their home – we had no commercial halls or caterers
back then to help mark our milestones. At the drop of a hat, the Badhwars would
have a bunch of people over, or we would run back and forth between our homes
to cook up mega meals.” (Neena’s sumptuous meals and skills in cooking were
brought up by speaker after speaker at her farewell).
Through all the community gatherings, Neena shone through as
a woman of varied interests. Neena Badhwar
Mala had by then launched her own Hindi school, and Neena
eagerly joined as a volunteer — eventually teaching Hindi at the HSC level. Her
passion for the language also took her to the University of Sydney, where she
taught Hindi in the Continuing Education program. Her poetry and stage scripts
stood as twin testaments to her creativity and love for expression.
“Neena was very intelligent and well read – she loved
reading, and had a passion for language, Hindi in particular,” Mala recalled.
“She came from a very highly educated family,
her parents being writers and teachers also. She was
very compassionate, and gentle, and driven by a genuine love for
community.” Neena Badhwar
Gardening was another favoured pastime – it saw Neena build
a vast garden, with the herbs corner a particular favourite as she became drawn
to natural health. Fueled by her passion for holistic living, she went on to
earn a degree in naturopathy from Nature Care College.
In her later years, as Neena’s health declined, she
gradually withdrew from social life, preferring quiet and privacy. Friends
respected her wishes, holding her and her family in their thoughts and prayers.
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