'Sandese Aate Hain': Australian singer recalls Goa roots, performs in 'motherland' India
New Delhi (PTI): Australian singer Reuben de Melo, who was born in Goa and moved to Australia more than two decades ago as a boy, dropped out of engineering college to pursue music and has since carved a niche for himself in the creative field.
The Perth-based singer-songwriter, who won "The Voice Australia" -- a singing competition -- in 2024, is part of Australia's vibrant Indian-origin community.
On Friday night, de Melo and Australia-born musician Milan Ring, who has a mixed heritage including Indian roots from her mother's side, performed at 'Gig on the Green', hosted at the Australian High Commission here.
Australian envoy Philip Green, who attended the event, said efforts are being made to bring the best of Australian culture and art to India, just as "we welcome culture and art from India to Australia".
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"There's now more than a million people of Indian origin in Australia. That's the fastest growing community in our country, and they're doing great things in our society, and we want them to do great things for the bilateral relationship," he told PTI on the sidelines of the event.
This particular facet of people of Indian origin, who have really made it in the arts and culture field in Australia, is "very special," Green said, praising the two musicians.
After the show, de Melo and Ring separately interacted with PTI and shared their journeys into the creative sphere.
"I moved to Perth when I was about 11 years old. I live in Perth, Western Australia. Then, I won 'The Voice Australia' in 2024, and here I am back in India, back to the motherland," said de Melo, a father of three.
The Australian indie folk singer said that while "Perth is my home", he will always carry childhood memories of growing up in Goa, especially his grandmother's place, and his ancestral home.
"They will always be my heaven when I leave this place, you know what I mean," de Melo said.
Recalling that he and his sister, along with their parents, moved to Australia around 2003-2004, de Melo said music entered his life after the death of a close friend.
"Music for me happened when I unfortunately lost a friend. He was an Aussie guy... a singer, and liked to sing at birthday parties and stuff. I picked up a guitar, and I wanted to sing," de Melo said.
In a candid conversation, the singer said he completed three years of engineering before deciding to drop out and pursue music.
Though he works in the mining sector and sings part-time, he shared how he drew from moments of grief in his life and turned them into lyrical compositions.
"I wrote the song 'The Boys' for two colleagues in mining who we lost to acts of suicide," de Melo said.
Going down memory lane, de Melo recalled how during his early days in Goa, he had developed a fascination for the Hindi film "Border".
"I really liked the movie 'Border' and remember the song 'Sandese Aate Hain'. It was one of my favourite movies growing up. I wore a commando outfit every day with my toy guns," de Melo recalled.
While the Perth-based singer has visited India multiple times in the past, for Sydney native Ring, visiting India was "at the top of her bucket list".
India, she said, feels vibrant, colourful and full of energy and "something like a cinema scene," which prompted her to explore the country, its rich music and diverse cuisine.
"It's been on top of my bucket list the whole life to come to India, and here I am. I am kind of pinching myself, it feels surreal," Ring told PTI.
The musician said she has mixed heritage, including Indian heritage from her mother's side. Her maternal grandfather was born in north India, while her father is from Hong Kong, she said.
Ring, who has been based in Berlin for the past couple of years, said each country and its natural sounds in streets or elsewhere feel different. "I would like to go to music events in Delhi and hear the playing of a sitar or tabla," she said.
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Oppn, X users flag concerns over US envoy Sergio Gor’s visit to Army’s western command
New Delhi: A visit by the US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, to Chandigarh on Monday has triggered sharp criticism from opposition leaders and social media users, raising questions about national security and foreign policy.
On X, Ambassador Gor announced his visit, writing, “Just landed in Chandigarh. Looking forward to visiting the Western Command of the Indian Army.”
Just landed in Chandigarh. Looking forward to visiting the Western Command of the Indian Army
— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) February 16, 2026
Soon after, opposition voices questioned the broader implications of the visit. Congress Kerala, in a post, commented, “Why so much panic? We’ve already seen Pakistan's ISI getting access to Pathankot Airbase with this government's blessings. Didn't they say then ‘Modi ne kiya ho to kuch soch samajh kar kiya hoga?’ Compared to that, this is very small.”
Why so much panic? We’ve already seen Pakistan's ISI getting access to Pathankot Airbase with this government's blessings.
— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) February 16, 2026
Didn't they say then "Modi ne kiya ho to kuch soch samajh kar kiya hoga?"
Compared to that, this is very small. pic.twitter.com/gNNuAGQBPC
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also weighed in, writing, “Since India’s national strategic interests are now tied to what US wants India to do, this visit seems to sync with that.”
She further added, “India’s history will remember the de-escalation announcement between India and Pak was announced on social media by the US President before Indians got to know from their own government. US Ambassador is doing the job for his nation, who is doing for us? The answer is blowing in the wind.”
Since India’s national strategic interests are now tied to what US wants India to do, this visit seems to sync with that. India’s history will remember the de-escalation announcement between India and Pak was announced on social media by the US President before Indians got to… pic.twitter.com/rYMq5NhJHA
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) February 16, 2026
The visit comes against the backdrop of the growing US-India defence partnership.
Writer and political analyst @rajuparulekar commented on ‘X’, “East India Company is back!”
“Is it allowed for an ambassador to visit any army unit in india?” asked another user.
Several X users expressed concerns over the appropriateness of the visit.
One asked, “Is it allowed for an ambassador to visit any army unit in India?” Another wrote, “Why an ambassador visiting our army places? To talk to Chandigarh lobby for F-35?”
Why an ambassador visiting our army places ? To talk to chandigarh lobby for f-35 ??
— Rohan Sagar (@RohanSagar03) February 16, 2026
“We have completely sold Indian sovereignty. Rothschild the evil Bankers will now control NSE. Modi sold Bharat Mata to Trump . And now American imperialist is visiting our army command . Scary,” wrote another user.
“The Indian Army isn’t part of geopolitics, so why is he interested in visiting there?,” opined another.
The Indian Army isn’t part of geopolitics, so why is he interested in visiting there?
— Aditya Pratap Singh (@Adi_IIMCIAN) February 16, 2026
On Sunday, Gor welcomed Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), highlighting efforts to expand the growing US-India defence partnership.
In a post on X, Gor wrote, “Delighted to have @INDOPACOM Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo in India to expand the U.S.-India defense partnership. Now is the time to strengthen vital cooperation between our two nations.”
On Monday, Admiral Samuel J. Paparo Jr visited the headquarters of India’s Western Army Command along with the American envoy Sergio Gor. The delegation was briefed on the formation’s capabilities, its past operations, and future plans.
The American delegation also visited Bengaluru, where they met three start-ups, two in the space sector and one in defence, and participated in an Indo-US conference.
