AV 29th May 2021

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE Source: Instagram

Priyanka & Nick 'crush' Billboard'21

R

SEE PAGE - 30

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

29 MAY - 4 JUNE 2021 - VOL 50 ISSUE 4

URGENTLY LOOKING FOR

FREEHOLD / LEASEHOLD VACANT COMMERCIAL UNITS IN LONDON FOR A BLUE-CHIP PIZZA TAKEAWAY

RISE LIKE A PHOENIX As countries share oxygen, ventilators, telemedicine and vaccines, how does one share grief?

CALL ON 0204 516 5119

Fewer Asians feature in The Sunday Times Richlist 2021 SEE PAGE - 16-17

Shefali Saxena The day we walk out of this pandemic (hopefully soon), our lives will never be the same.

Living in constant fear and uncertainty of the virus, many members of the diaspora have suffered inconsolable losses and countless haven’t seen their loved ones in more than two years. Mankind has run out of words to express grief and condolences. ‘Move on’, or ‘Stay Strong’ are no more enough for the tragic loss of life.

Continued on page 6

Biden to host Floyd family on his first death anniversary SEE PAGE - 23

Cyclone Yaas: Bengal, Odisha evacuate over 11,00,000 people SEE PAGE - 26

2 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

29 May - 4 June 2021

with Keith Vaz

Max and Keira’s Law: One year on, Black and Asian communities support helping save lives

Manish Tiwari Managing Director, Here&Now 365 Manish Tiwari was born in Raipur in Central India where his father taught Anthropology in the local university. He pursued his degree in Engineering and subsequently found more interest in creative fields so went to India's first advertising school MICA (School of Ideas), in Ahmedabad.

The next few years he spent in Mumbai where Manish got involved with theatre and subsequently took a leap of faith to Britain inspired by Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square. The life of a writer was a stint short lived, and he started 'HereandNow365' as an advertising agency aimed at Britain's multicultural communities. Manish visualised it eventually as an institution 'defining Multicultural Marketing' but as in all ventures it had serendipity and entrepreneurial drive embedded to make it one of its kind agency and in a span of 15 years. They have worked with more than 100 British brands, quite a few of them iconic and proud British institutions.

Which place, or city or country do you choose this career and given me an outmost feel at home in? look which embraces diversity.

London obviously because it has What is the best aspect about your everything that humanity has every discurrent role? covered. Yes, you can find it all here The best aspect undoubtedly is that from spiritualists to hedonists, they all you meet people from all walks of life co-exist. The city needs to be constantly including Prime Ministers, World leaddiscovered. As Samuel Johnson oft quoters and talent. I also spend time ed line goes 'When a man is tired of researching subjects which otherwise London, he is tired of life' would be of less interest and undeniably What are your proudest this makes your life truly richer. achievements?

And the worst?

When you achieve something for the world, it is actually conforming other's The phone calls and messages which ambitions. For me, the day I added twenare relentless and the endless conversaty people on my company payroll was an tions with everyone, so very often it feels affirmation that I had made a mark. like I am being a therapist talking to peoAlso, the day I did speak at House of ple rather than solving business probLords without any preparation to a lems. Maybe it is not such a bad thing, standing ovation, that made me feel that surely brings Good Karma.

I had a real voice.

What are your long-term goals?

What inspires you?

I want to make my business go public My Mother continues to inspire me or at least have an association with a as despite of all her problems, my simglobal institution and take it global for plest achievement makes her happy to there is real latent need in the communino end. I feel happy when I am able to cation world which is run by a handful of feed birds and contribute to animal charpower full people. ities which can take away some of the If you were Prime Minister, what one unnecessary cruelty we exercise in this aspect would you change? world. When I come across our work on I would make this country far more London or British skyline - buses or outliberal and focus the power of law on door landmarks I really feel proud stopping real violence and crime and not What has been biggest obstacle in fritter it away on controlling lifestyle as a your career? lot of precious resources are wasted in The biggest obstacle has been to controlling minor drugs or petty crimes overcome the red tape and it seems which takes away the focus of law British Public sector and even Big enforcement on real issues and lifeBusinesses both have worked very hard threatening crimes. to preserve this in their DNA. It is diffiIf you were marooned on a desert cult to cut through this and reach deciisland, which historical figure would sion makers or people of influence. I you like to spend your time with and why? have only done well because some key This is a tough one as I would like to people have believed in me and champiknow too many people but if I have to oned me at the right time in my life. choose, I would like to be with Sri Who has been the biggest influence Aurobindo who was a remarkable spirion your career to date? tualist and given a second choice it My father has been the biggest influwould be the British Writer Aldous ence in my life and not a day goes by Huxley. I like such people who have when I don’t remember him. He indiexplored the world outside but also have rectly instilled in me a love for books and a spiritual dimension. exploring the world which has made me

1

6

2

7

3

8 9

4

10

5

To mark the first anniversary of Max and Keira’s Law (Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Act 2020) law, a webinar was been organised by the NKF and the NBTA. The free event which took place on Thursday, May 20, 2021, where the progress made in organ donation since the inception of the change in law was discussed and how this has impacted patients from Black and Asian backgrounds.

The law saw the country shift to an ‘opt-out’ system for organ donation and means people in England are considered as willing to donate, unless they have opted out, are in one of the excluded groups or have told their family they don’t want to donate.

The webinar was chaired by Lord Jitesh Gadhia and Millie Banerjee CBE, Chair of NHSBT Board and will feature talks by Dr Dale Gardiner, National Clinical Lead for Organ Donation, NHSBT as well as a specialist nurse in organ donation, Sibonokuhle 'Bonnie' Ngwenya.

The panel discussion was chaired by Kirit Modi, honorary president of the NKF and NBTA, to consider how we can increase the impact of the change in the law.

Kirit Modi said: “The first year of implementing opt-out arrangements in England has been challenging but it is amazing that organ donation has continued throughout the pandemic. It is difficult to draw any conclusions from the data on opt-out from the first year. The webinar will highlight the chal-

lenges we face in increasing organ donation after the pandemic, particularly among BAME communities. The vast majority of the public support organ donation and effective partnership working between health professionals, charities and BAME community groups is crucial in achieving the ambitions agreed by Parliament.”

Lord Jitesh Gadhia said: “We owe a massive debt of gratitude to all NHS staff and particularly those who have helped organ donors and dialysis patients during the pandemic.”

Millie Banerjee, Chair of NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “The past year has brought many challenges to us all, but it has been incredibly heartwarming to see the public response to the change in the law around organ donation.

Support has continued to stay strong, despite the country navigating its way through a pandemic and it’s brilliant to see that more people from Black,

Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are discussing their donation decision with their loved ones and ultimately enabling more donations to go ahead.”

Simran 19-year-old Sahajpal is one recipient who has benefitted from organ donation since the law change came into effect. Simran was waiting for five years, by the time her life-saving call finally came in September 2020.

Simran said: “After being diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease and then endstage kidney failure at the age of 14, I began to think that my transplant call would never come. Being from an Indian background, I was told early on that I could end up waiting longer for my transplant. From March 2018 I was reliant on daily dialysis, which lasted for 10 hours every night.

“When I finally got my call last September, I honestly couldn’t believe it. While recovery took some time, it was just wonderful to finally be free of daily dialysis and I have even been well enough to start university. I am just so grateful to the donor and their family who said yes and made all this possible.”

- Between May 1, 2020 – April 30, 2021, 296 people in England donated their organs These donors make up 29% of all 1,021 donations during that period.

- 29 people (36%) of BAME members were considered as willing to donate as they had not expressed an organ donation decision in their lifetime.

- 31 people (39%) of Black, Asian, Mixed race and Minority ethnic donors had positively expressed their decision to donate, either by registering their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register or through conversation with their family.

Former Labour MP lays bare party’s anti-Semitism A former senior Labour MP has described her struggles with anti-Semitism in the party.

Dame Louise Ellman was taking part in a video interview with Rabbi Jonathan Hughes of the US in The City on Wednesday, 19 May which was viewed online by over 500 people. Dame Louise was MP for Liverpool Riverside from 1997 to October 2019 when she resigned over the issue of Labour’s anti-Semitism.

She said: “Left-wing antiSemitism had been growing in

the party for some time and became public under Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters.” At that point, she felt the Labour Party was no longer a place for her. Currently, Labour would need time to re-organise under Sir Keir Starmer. In passing, Sir Keir had asked her to rejoin the party, but she was not ready to do so. Rabbi Hughes said: “It was an enormous pleasure to interview Louise Ellman who gave a frank and detailed insight into her life as an MP, focusing particularly on the

challenges of anti-Semitism in our politics and society. The US in The City continues to go from strength to strength which was evidenced by over 500 people tuning in to watch online.” The event was organised by Jonathan Metliss, Chairman of The Jewish Weekly, of Action Against Discrimination and of Axiom Stone Solicitors. He is also a Patron of the US in The City and is involved with many other Jewish groups and charities.

Hospitality customers most concerned about hygiene standards at pubs and bars FINANCIAL A SERVICES MORTGAGES Residential Buy to Let Remortgages

PROTECTION Life Insurance Critical Illness Income Protection

Please conta act:

Dinesh Shonchhatra S Mortgage Ad dviser

Call: 020 8424 C 4 8686 / 07956 810647 77 High Street, Wealdston ne, Harrow, HA3 5DQ mortgage@majorestate.co om ~ majorestate.com

New research by JLA has revealed that pubs and bars have the worst perceived hygiene and infection control standards within the hospitality sector.

About 22.2% of the public view pubs and bars as having “poor” hygiene and infection control standards and 77% of the public hold greater concerns around hygiene standards compared to the year previously. With the hospitality sector reopening its doors to customers as Covid-19 restrictions ease, pubs and bars are most in danger of missing out on key trade due to poorly perceived hygiene and infection control standards.

Conversely, according to the national representative survey of 2,000 members

of the public, restaurants hold the best public reputation for hygiene in the hospitality sector, with 52.8% of consumer respondents happy with standards in these businesses, and only 12.2% having a poor opinion.

Hotels rank in the middle of the hospitality industry, with 45.8% of those surveyed believing that standards are currently either “good” or “excellent” and just over an eighth (12.2%) of customers hold a negative opinion. It is clear that having a strong reputation for hygiene and infection control is now critical to public trust, with the report also highlighting that 77% of the public hold greater concerns in this

area compared to the year previously – attributing this change directly to Covid-19. The same research also showed that if a hospitality business had a poor reputation in regard to hygiene, 65.1% of the public would never use the business again due to the heightened infection risk.

Ben Gujral, CEO at JLA, commented: “Unfortunately, hospitality is among the sectors hardest hit by the financial fallout of Covid-19. One in 10 consumers has not visited a pub, restaurant or hotel since lockdowns began, highlighting the importance of providing reassurance to loyal customers that may currently be reluctant to return.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

COMMENTS 3

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

29 May - 4 June 2021

Is fact-based journalism in trouble?

Britain is undergoing tremendous turmoil. A variant that is uncontrollable, a May weather that is strangely washed out, a third pillar of democracy which has compromised its own trust and even one year on from George Floyd’s death, UK’s ruling party and its Opposition remain ‘racist’. The silver lining could have been a gala wedding of Prime Minister Boris Johnson to fiancé Carrie Symonds. But now even that is stalled till July 2022!

The Martin Bashir controversy has absolutely shaken the country and its faith in the social or moral protector. The plea in a son’s eyes and a brother’s voice, when people are already regularly nursing broken hearts, has raised the right emotion.

A nation that wants to question its elected Prime Minister about money spent on wall papers, absolutely cannot look the other way- when someone’s lie may have fuelled a fear of attack and eventually led to death. Of course, these are allegations unless proven, but what cannot be ignored here is how sometimes media and journalists forget the purpose they are meant to serve.

Mr Mosley, the son of 1930s British fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley, took privacy action against the Sunday tabloid the News of the World in 2008 over a front-page story published by the paper. The newspaper reportedly had secretly filmed him with five prostitutes and later published it.

A judge ruled there was no substance to the allegation and found that his privacy had been breached. The High Court also said the article was not in the public interest. He also supported the Hacked Off pressure group, which helped persuade the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, to set up the Leveson inquiry

“into the culture, practices and ethics of the press” in 2011, and he underwrote the court costs of claimants who believed they had had their phones hacked by the News of the World. In July 2011 Rupert Murdoch closed the News of the World.

The BBC reported that although Mr Mosley was awarded damages, everyone had learned the details of his sexual preferences, so he argued money alone could not restore his reputation. He went on to seek reform of celebrity privacy laws, making a bid in 2011 for newspapers to warn people before exposing their private lives.

There is a fine line- even in the phone hacking scandal- and that line was crossed with people in power. In Poynter, author Tom Rosenstiel wrote, good journalists believe they work on public’s behalf. They are the true protectors, the chroniclers of the events and the guardians of the public’s right to know. It’s not surprising that they think that public shares the values that guide their work. But the bigger question is: to what extent do journalists, who believe they work in the public’s benefit, know what exactly the public wants from them?

That question has lingered on for years. Critics accuse the press of bias. Journalists shake their heads and say they are just doing their jobs. So, Tom is right in saying that fact-based journalism is in trouble right now. As he reiterates, to survive, and help make local communities healthier, we must reflect on the lives of the people it is supposed to serve and answer their questions. And for that to happen, journalists must avoid the blunder of confusing their good intentions about serving the public with actually doing so.

The rich man’s obligation to our British society The Sunday Times Richlist published last weekend, has around two dozen Asian names- much less than before, though a considerably high number in the top 250 (see page 16 for report). The list which has been compiled by Robert Watts said though the global pandemic created lucrative opportunities for online businesses, the fact that wealthy people grew wealthier, at a time when thousands buried loved ones and millions worried for livelihood, makes it a very unsettling boom. What is more alarming is, the giving away list has no Asian name, a shocker, given thousands have been raised to help the community, as coronavirus ripped apart lives and families.

In its 32-year history The Sunday Times Richlist has told the stories of many self-made men and women, who started from humble backgrounds. But the stories of those who came to this country penniless after fleeing wars, tortures and despotic regimes are surely the most inspiring of all.

The Bangladesh-born seafood tycoon Iqbal Ahmed came to London after witnessing a massacre of nearly 100 Hindus during his nation’s war of independence. He was 14 at the time.

Vipul Thakrar was one of some 50,000 Ugandan Asians who fleed during Idi Amin’s expulsion in the early 1970s. The Thakrars brought basmati rice to the UK, building up the Tilda Rice operation, which they later sold for about £220 million. They also run one of UK’s most loved chain of Indian restaurants called Dishoom.

The UK government on 29 September 2020 published figures, using the 2011 Census. The data measured how income is spread across UK households, by ethnicity. Households were divided into 5 equally sized groups.

The figures showed 44% of Indians were in top two income groups- almost same as White British. 29% of Asians were on top two tiers, with 11% of Pakistanis and 15% of Bangladeshis.

But at the same time, 54% of Asians belonged to the lowest income groups, including 38% of Indians, 67% Bangladeshis and 73% Pakistanis.

While Asians have built the wealth of this country brick by brick, from working class to businessmen, their incomes remain starkly contrasting since 2016.

The Daily Mail in a report had said that from the rich leading the way, they now lag behind. Extraordinarily, the richest third of donors in Britain give less to charity, as a proportion of their earnings, than the poorest third.

The contrast with the situation across the Atlantic, meanwhile, is painful to contemplate. In the US, ‘culture of giving’ per head worked out at £37 a month in 2010; while in Britain it was just £6. And once again, the gap is most notable at the top.

Americans who earn more than £150,000 a year still give a staggering eight times as much to charity as do their British counterparts.

The usual explanation is that we in Britain pay a far higher percentage of our income to the state to help social service. And there is plenty of truth in that. The average American pays just under 30 per cent of his income in tax, whereas the typical British taxpayer pays 40 per cent.

While the pandemic has made people realise worth or fragility of human life and relations, people in the community, perhaps still not gained the sight back of the history of philanthropy, and of the duty that the most fortunate owe to the rest of society.

India-Singapore: A ‘learning’ relationship Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal recently created a diplomatic row with his comment on "Singapore variant" of the Covid-19 virus. After Singapore conveyed its “strong objection” over Kejriwal’s warning of a Covid strain from that country, external affairs minister S Jaishankar assured the island nation that it was India’s “solid partner” in the fight against the virus. Jaishankar also targeted Kejriwal for “irresponsible comments and said the Delhi CM does not speak for India. The Ministry of External Affairs also said that the Delhi Chief Minister had “no competence to pronounce on Covid variants or civil aviation policy” in reference to Kejriwal’s call for a halt to air services from Singapore. Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said politicians should stick to facts and that there is no “Singapore variant.” Thanking Jaishankar, Balakrishnan said, let’s focus on resolving the situation in our respective countries and helping one another. Nobody is safe until everyone is safe. In diplomatic circles, it is extremely unusual for the ministry of external affairs to announce the summoning of its own top diplomat, and for the external affairs minister to publicly criticise an elected chief minister from his own country in this manner. Singapore High Commissioner Simon Wong said that they want to forget about the unfortunate chapter and added that prominent political office holders should not spread misinformation. An important lesson to learn from this episode is that one should think twice before making any comment.

India knows how important it is to take precautionary measures to face natural calamities. During the recent Cyclone Tauktae, the weather bureau has given advance warning about the impending storm. The state governments were well prepared to face the calamity. Advance warning can help the authorities to shift the vulnerable people to safe places so that the human loss can be reduced to the minimum level. During cyclone Tauktae, Maharashtra and Gujarat have been well prepared to face the storm. Now that cyclonic storm Yaas is expected to hit Orissa coast, the state government has called a meeting of all departments and the officials of the IMD to assess the preparedness.

Since the work began for the new parliament building in Delhi, the talk of North-South divide has widened. According to details, the new Lok Sabha chamber will have a seating capacity for 888 members, while Rajya Sabha will have 384 seats. At present, Lok Sabha has a sanctioned strength of 543 members and Rajya Sabha of 245. The more relevant reason for the Lok Sabha to have more seats is simply that there are likely to be more Lok Sabha members. The state-wise allocation of seats was supposed to be adjusted every 10 years based on population changes, in such a way that each Member of Parliament would represent roughly an equal number of people. That represented a problem particularly in the 1970s, when population control was an official objective of the Indian government. If seats were re-allocated as per the set formula, states where the population grew faster would be rewarded with more Lok Sabha MPs, while states that were successfully implementing the state policy of population control would effectively be penalised and lose seats. To address this, the number of seats was frozen in 1976, with the aim of revisiting the matter after the 2001 census. In 2002, the delimitation exercise – the term used for re-evaluating constituencies – was again pushed off to 2026, now fast approaching, though it might have to wait until after the 2031 census. From a democratic point of view, this is problematic, since it means that every Member of Parliament from Tamil Nadu represents on average 1.8 million citizens, whereas an MP from Uttar Pradesh represents 3 million. Based on 2011 census numbers, “four north Indian states (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh) would collectively gain 22 seats, while four southern states (Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu) would lose 17 seats.” Now that the southern states feel that they are being penalised for the population control and advances in other fields. As we saw in the debate over how the 15th Finance Commission ought to distribute taxes, South Indian states will vigorously fight efforts to undercut their political or economic power simply because their fertility rates came down over the last 50 years.

There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.

- George Sand

Alpesh Patel

Why isn’t everyone on Palestine’s Side?

There are children dying in Palestine – so why isn’t everyone on their side? It’s an important question in the age of social media when apparently popular causes on social media do not have Governmental support.

Take the farmer’s protests. Lots of social media posts, but no support at the Governmental level (other than Turkey and Pakistan – which is to be expected as they would support anything against the Indian Government).

The best answer lies in the wise words of a former American President. And I share them here, without it, it is impossible to understand why the status quo is as it is. “America's strong bonds with Israel are well known. This bond is unbreakable. It is based upon cultural and historical ties and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied.

Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust. Six million Jews were killed -- more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless, it is ignorant, and it is hateful. Threatening Israel with destruction -- or repeating vile stereotypes about Jews -- is deeply wrong, and only serves to evoke in the minds of Israelis this most painful of memories while preventing the peace that the people of this region deserve.

On the other hand, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people -- Muslims and Christians -- have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than 60 years they've endured the pain of dislocation. Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and neighbouring lands for a life of peace and security that they have never been able to lead. They endure the daily humiliations -- large and small -- that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: The situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. And America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own.

Palestinians must abandon violence. Resistance through violence and killing is wrong and it does not succeed. For centuries, black people in America suffered the lash of the whip as slaves and the humiliation of segregation. But it was not violence that won full and equal rights. It was a peaceful and determined insistence upon the ideals at the centre of America's founding. This same story can be told by people from South Africa to South Asia; from Eastern Europe to Indonesia. It's a story with a simple truth: that violence is a dead end. It is a sign neither of courage nor power to shoot rockets at sleeping children or to blow up old women on a bus. That's not how moral authority is claimed; that's how it is surrendered.

Now is the time for Palestinians to focus on what they can build. The Palestinian Authority must develop its capacity to govern, with institutions that serve the needs of its people. Hamas does have support among some Palestinians, but they also have to recognize they have responsibilities. To play a role in fulfilling Palestinian aspirations, to unify the Palestinian people, Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, recognize Israel's right to exist.

All of us have a responsibility to work for the day when the mothers of Israelis and Palestinians can see their children grow up without fear; when the Holy Land of the three great faiths is the place of peace that God intended it to be; when Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together as in the story of Isra, when Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed, peace be upon them, joined in prayer.”

Asian Voice is published by

Asian Business Publications Ltd Unit- 7, Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, (Off Coronet Street) London N1 6HW. Tel: 020 7749 4080 • Fax: 020 7749 4081 Email: aveditorial@abplgroup.com Website: www.abplgroup.com

4 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

29 May - 4 June 2021

‘If you solve for India, you will solve for the world’

L to R: Udaya Nagaraju, Ruchi Ghanashyam, Virendra Sharma, Sana Kharegani, Kevin Mccole, Debjani Ghosh

nership between the UK and India is a step in the right direction to bring the relationship into the 21st century. However, more government-to-government cooperation is needed to synchronize areas of shared strategic concern in the development, deployment and regulation of AI.” Furthering this discussion and speaking about the Covid-19 Amitabh Kant pandemic, explained, “This is not a crisis that is national in nature. It is a global pandemic.” Discussing how the UK-India partnership can further leverage the benefits of Artificial Intelligence, he said, “The UK enjoys a robust research ecosystem and we love to host the UK researchers in India.”

Sana Kharegani quite beautifully outlined how the AI Lab’s techniques can help the agricultural sector in both UK and India, establishing food production ethics, helping in diversity and inclusion agenda, “shifting the dial on diversity problems.”

Sana insisted that the two coun-

tries must outline an AI Roadmap and devise a National AI strategy.

“Making data accessible is hugely important,” Sana added and also encouraged making innovative solutions and data sets open to the public, which can help in identifying flood risk for farmers, agricultural use of land, fertilisers and satellite imagery, an inspection of farmland and automation to observe farm risks.

Debjani Ghosh accepted that “We (India) have fascinating problems” and that “India is the ultimate playground”. According to her, India must come up with a National Digital Training Agenda in order to fill the huge gap in awareness of tech usage and address the sharp decline, bridging the gap by data utilisation strategy and structured implementation plans. Ghosh also emphasised making tech “intuitive” to the user. Tech needs to adapt to culture and improve the quality of insights.

“India and the UK are complementary to each other despite

having a different set of problems. If you solve for India, you will solve for the world,” Ghosh added.

Kevin Mccole said that the bilateral relationship needs a 10year roadmap on healthcare, defence and security, climate change, trade, digital businesses, and advanced technology. Kevin asserted that deriving data is not the only way to go, interpreting it is also a separate task.

“Bilateral relations can drive collaboration”, he added.

Congratulating the AI Policy labs for the event, Virendra Sharma, MP said, “I’m proud to support similar work of AI Policy Labs on the UK Global AI partnership programme which looks at forging partnerships with Africa, the Caribbean and the middle east. I commend their work in India for agriculture, rural development and AI for the judiciary. I’m confident that many more discussion with key stakeholders will solidify this partnership. Let’s work together by investing not for profit, but for the future for all.”

Britain needs a baby boom post-pandemic In the 21 countries that have published their data for the WHO, the number of births fell 11 per cent on average in January compared with the same month last year. In Italy, 37 per cent of people who had planned to have a child in 2020 said they had now abandoned the idea, while Spain and the US are reporting their lowest birth rates since records began.

Birth rates in England and Wales have dropped further than most countries to 1.6 per woman last year and are predicted to fall to 1.45 by 2023.

Sweden, which had relaxed rules on social distancing, saw its birth rate shrink dramatically, while Switzerland, which had the strictest curbs, was one of the few places where the birth rate actually went up.

Women giving birth in

even have an adequate social care system to look after our elderly yet we need a vibrant younger community to run the country and help pay for our retirement.

It’s a start that Boris is reported to have been horrified by the cost of childcare for his

Britain really struggled during lockdowns, forced to wear masks throughout labour, most expectant mothers couldn’t take their partner to check-ups and scans or, until recently, be with them at the birth.

The population has Princess Beatrice is expecting a already shrunk by 1.3 mil- baby in autumn, Buckingham lion in the past 14 months Palace has announced. after many non-residents went home. But Britain will suffer if it becomes a nation of old age people. A grey-haired country lacks vitality, creativity and drive. In Britain, we don’t

youngest son Wilfred. The Netherlands has been most successful in raising their birth rate, as they have promoted childfriendly schemes in the workplace and more flexible working hours for both sexes; even faster broadband has helped mothers in Germany.

Beatrice expecting Queen’s twelfth great-grandchild Edinburgh.

The Queen is said to have been devastated at the weekend after

INSURANCE • Life & Critical • Private Medical • Income Protection • Professional Indemnity • Public Liability

No fees charged from customers Can speak Gujarati/Hindi/English Sanjiv Nanavati, CeMAP, M.B.A Mortgage & Insurance Adviser

07970 265 748 sanjiv@srfsmortgages.co.uk

Harrow Business Centre, 429-433 Pinner Road, Harrow HA1 4HN SRFS Mortgages Ltd is authorised & regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No. 839035) Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up your payments on any mortgage secured on it.

The Queen’s granddaughter and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are “very pleased” to be welcoming their first child and the Queen’s twelfth great-grandchild, the palace said. The monarch is “delighted”, it added.

The baby will be the latest in a spate of great-grandchildren for the Queen and will be welcome news for the royal family after the death last month of the Duke of

Domestic vaccination passports will be introduced for events attended by more than 1,000 people when restrictions are lifted in England on June 21, according to a report. The proof was likely to be required in the form of the NHS app, which will show who has had two doses of the vaccine. The report said the use of passports for pubs and restaurants had been ruled out.

VACCINE FRAUDSTER JAILED A fraudster has been jailed for tricking people into providing bank details in order to receive a coronavirus vaccine. Teige Gallagher, 21, of Haringey, north London, was sentenced at the Old Bailey for four years and three months for sending bulk texts to members of the public that purported to be from banks and the NHS, claiming the data was needed for verification.

AROUND 17,000 CASES MISSED IN THE FIRST WAVE Up to 17,000 cases of coronavirus a day were missed in official figures at the height of the first wave, newly released GP records suggest. The data from NHS Digital on patients who had Covid-19 clinically diagnosed or suspected records a high of 20,475 on April 17 last year, when government figures show only 3,452. Many people with the virus struggled to access testing during the early stages of the pandemic when testing services were in their infancy.

RECORD NUMBERS OF ETHNIC MINORITY STUDENTS ACCEPTED AT CAMBRIDGE Record numbers of ethnic minority students were accepted at Cambridge University this academic year, its annual admissions statistics show. Nearly three in ten (29.3 per cent) British students admitted in 2020 were from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds — up from 27.8 per cent the previous year. In the general UK population, about 13.8 per cent of people are from a minority ethnic background. Cambridge also accepted a record proportion of state school pupils last year—70.6percent(up from 68.7 per cent) — after increasing its intake as a result of the A-level exams fiasco.

DRINK DRIVING OFFENCES REACH 750 PER WEEK

SRFS Mortgages Ltd

MORTGAGES • Residential • Buy to Let • Remortgages • Ltd Co Mortgages

in brief in brief PLANS TO INITIATE COVID PASSPORTS

Shefali Saxena AI Policy Labs in partnership with the Indo-British All-Party Parliamentary Group, UK held a virtual conference via Zoom about ‘The Digital Revolution: Future of Bilateral Trade and AI Partnerships - UK & India’ including a panel discussion on May 19 2021.

The key speakers included: Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, Virendra Sharma, MP for London & Chair, Indo-British All-Party Parliamentary Group, Ambassador Ruchi Ghanshyam, Former High Commissioner of India to the UK, Sana Kharegani, Head of UK Government Office for Artificial Intelligence, Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM, Uday Nagaraju, Founder & Director, AI Policy Labs and Kevin Mccole, Managing Director, UK India Business Council.

In a recent write-up in The Diplomat, Ruchi Ghanashyam and Uday Nagaraju stated, “Both governments stand to gain tremendously through increased collaboration on new technologies such as AI. India needs to generate more jobs for its young workforce; arguably, these should be in future-proof sectors like AI, while the UK would benefit from increased cooperation as it looks beyond Europe post Brexit. Increased investment from the UK in start-ups, development and research ventures and local government projects in India is essential. The AI part-

www.asian-voice.com

the death of her dorgi puppy Fergus, one of a pair given to her by the Duke of York after Prince Philip fell ill in February. Beatrice, 32, and Mapelli Mozzi, 38, married in July after being forced by the pandemic to postpone the ceremony.

The next royal great-grandchild due to arrive is the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s daughter, their second child, in the summer.

Last week it was reported that so far in 2021, more than 750 drivers a week have been banned from the roads for drink driving and this was even before pubs and restaurants began to open their doors.

Alex Kindred, car insurance expert at Confused.com, comments: “Drivers could be at risk of invalidating their insurance policies, as many insurers now have a clause which allows them to reserve the right to refuse to payout in the event of an accident that occurs whilst the driver is under the influence of drink or drugs. We’ve created a guide to provide useful information on the legal limits and the consequences of drink driving on insurance and individuals caught.”

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

1 - 7 May 2021

5

6 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

29 May - 4 June 2021

RISE LIKE A PHOENIX Continued from page 1 How is the community coping with grief? We find out.

“These are extraordinarily dark times. Loved ones have been lost, and personal tragedies have been compounded by the inability to travel home. The anxiety, stress, depression and grief we are facing is all-consuming and exhausting.

We must heal everyone we can, in any way we can. And we can choose to draw hope. We can draw hope from the kindness of those around us. We can channel our grief into action, our suffering into a collective effort. Let us together get to the other side of this virus, and build back a better world, better humanity,” Sanam Arora, NISAU UK Chairperson told Asian Voice.

Sanam Arora

Sanam, who has personally led efforts on social media, believes, “Giving is the most powerful weapon there is. Let us give more and be more. I can tell from the experiences of NISAU volunteers who have helped out many around them, despite themselves undergoing similar suffering, that there is no bigger strength than devoting oneself to helping others.”

Sanam’s team has so far, operated a 'man to man marking' system for specific cases of students where they felt certain individuals were particularly at risk of wellbeing issues, including for instance some extreme cases of students threatening suicide, where NISAU volunteers would regularly stay in touch with students and guide and escalate their cases as necessary.

“In a miraculous sort of way, it eases the pain,” she added.

Despite such grim conditions, Sanam further added, “In our collective grief lies incredible hope for humanity. While our suffering, loss, and the trauma many of us have undergone cannot be compensated; the hope of a better world rises like a phoenix from the ashes of this pandemic. It is up to us now to determine how we will build this better world, a world

where the kindness of strangers that we have seen during the pandemic becomes our equilibrium.”

Losing a loved one from miles away often seems unreal Author and journalist Ruhi

the hospital. I was in the UKmyself recovering from a severe Covid attack including 2 weeks in ventilation and 55 days in the hospital. After my dad admitted my mother to the hospital, we only ‘heard’ about her- that she has Covid, that she is in ventilation, that she is no more, that her mortal remains are waiting to be cremated, and finally that she got cremated. No one in the family saw her. She almost vanished in thin air!”

Jayati Das who has been braving the pandemic all by herself in

Ruhi Khan

Khan thinks it has been almost impossible to get out of the whirlpool of fear and dread.

“Losing a loved one from miles away often seems unreal,” she rightly articulated and further added, “It takes a long time to process what really has happened and I think it is very difficult to find closure in such times. I often remind myself and others that it’s important to focus on our mental health and find some happy memories and create some relaxing moments that help us break out of the vortex of grief and fear. It’s not always easy but we cannot give up.”

“We felt this here in the UK this time last year and earlier this year; and just when London is slowly opening and the cases are subsiding, the second wave of Covid in India is out of control with so many friends and family battling the pandemic. Grief is perhaps a constant feature now,” she said.

Late Gopa Mukherjee

Anirban Mukhopadhyay lost his mother Gopa in the first wave of Coronavirus in Kolkata, India.

He described this as “quite unreal” and said, “India was in a truly exceptional situation - my dad saw her last when he admitted her to

children to fend for themselves, it traumatises them for the rest of their lives.

Dr JS Bamrah CBE, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, told the newsweekly, “The alarming death toll from the second wave of the

Charul Gupta

widely in rural India and most of the villages are not well equipped with less awareness, I launched a fundraiser to help a few villages in the state of Uttar Pradesh. We will be completing our first round of supplies distribution this week.

Really hope that the situation alleviates very soon.”

Speaking to the newsweekly, Cllr Pranav Bhanot said, "Once upon a time, I thought the traumatic impact of Covid-19 was something that I would simply

Jayati Das

Hertfordshire told the newsweekly that she knows of many people who were not allowed to attend funeral service or permitted to say goodbye.

“Fortunately, my immediate family are fine. But in the greater family and friends, I know of some deaths. Even when the dead bodies were not released to perform the last rites. On a positive note, some have made a miraculous recovery.

Some are suffering from ‘long Covid’. It is a mixed bag.

“I could not go and visit family like I do each November. It was hard not getting shopping slots from supermarkets. If my neighbours were not so generous and caring I don’t know, how would I have survived! My charity work and daily newspaper saved my sanity. The Zoom meetings and video calls were also God sent,” Das told Asian Voice.

Coping by volunteering A London-based working mother, Charul Gupta, seconds the sentiment that it is indeed “very difficult when you are thousands of miles away from your family and are constantly hearing not so good news.”

“It was really heartbreaking as we lost a few of our dear ones. I tried to play my part as much from here, be it by amplifying the supply requests, facilitating live online Q&A sessions with doctors in India or now by doing a fundraiser.

Considering Covid has spread

Cllr Pranav Bhanot with volunteers

read about in the news, and it wouldn't affect my family. I was wrong. In less than half a year we have lost on an average one close friend or family member every month. I have streamed more funerals than Netflix shows. As a family, the pandemic has given us a renewed appreciation of human life. We have therefore spent many hours volunteering either by giving food and clothes to the homeless, free half-term meals to the vulnerable and supporting NHS workers through the delivery of lunches to say thank you for their efforts.

These are small gestures but a simple way we can make a slight positive difference in rather bleak times."

Suppression of emotions will lead to longer-term psychiatric problems Deaths on such large scales are unprecedented even in peaceful times. And when in some families, adults are wiped out leaving young

Dr JS Bamrah CBE

pandemic is likely to cause a range of mental health problems in many people affected by the death of a loved one, and in the case of doctors, death of patients whom they have struggled to keep alive.

Covid related deaths are like no other in modern times, and the mental impact on people will leave long-lasting scars from depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, suicide. So, there needs to be preparedness for the country to deal with this pandemic of grief that will follow.

“There will need to be better awareness through media outlets, more availability of community support groups, religious leaders will need to keep open doors for those seeking religious solace, and for those with major mental health problems there needs to be good access to professional counsellors and psychiatrists.

“Suppression of emotions will lead to long-term psychiatric problems and difficulty in relationships or holding down jobs.

Expression of thought, trying to assume normality despite the burden of loss, ensuring that everyone is looking out for everyone – all these strategies will help build resilience back in individuals and communities. Time will heal.”

Mental Health Foundation, UK in a statement said, “We all experience bereavement differently. But feelings of loss can be made more acute by current restrictions which make both end of life rites and mutual support more difficult. It is particularly important that we look after ourselves and each other, talk about how we feel and be there to listen to others when needed.”

Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines offer effective protection against B1617.2 variant The B1617.2 variant of the coronavirus has been spreading in the UK, with more than 3,400 cases identified so far. British health officials expressed optimism May 23 that the coronavirus restrictions remaining in England can be lifted in June after an official study found that the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines offer effective protection against the variant first identified in India.

There have been 780 deaths linked to Covid in the town, with 982 positive tests in the week up to May 16. Public Health England said

on Thursday 3,424 cases have now been found, a rise of 2,111 since last week.

Cases of the B1617.2 variant have now been identified and surge testing has been deployed in Bedford, Burnley, Hounslow, Kirklees, Leicester and North Tyneside to root out cases of the strain.

Meanwhile, families in Bolton who refused to quarantine after trips to India have been blamed for the rise in variant cases.

“Bolton emerged as a hotspot for the Indian variant in the last few

weeks, with surge testing deployed and locals asked to be vigilant. Its infection rate is 384.6 per 100,000 residents - a huge leap compared to the England average of 20.6,” The Sun reported.

Responding to the disclosure that 110 flights from India have arrived in the UK since 23, a spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: We have adapted and bolstered our world-leading test and quarantine systems for incoming passengers since the start of the pandemic.

"And will continue to closely

monitor direct flights from a small number of Red List countries to see if a blanket ban would be necessary and proportionate."

Addressing reporters at a vaccination centre in London on Tuesday, the prime minister said he had seen "no conclusive evidence" to signal that the planned easing on 21 June could not go ahead.

However, both UK-approved Covid vaccines are effective against the highly transmissible variant that was first detected in India, fresh data shows. The Pfizer jab was found to be 88% effective against

the B1617.2 strain after two doses, while AstraZeneca’s was 60%.

However, they were only 33% effective three weeks after the first dose.

More than 50 million vaccine doses have been administered in England, while people aged 32 and 33 were invited to book in for their jab. Britons have been ordered not to travel in and out of eight Indian variant hotspots after stealth new restrictions were introduced.

Ministers are warning people not to enter or leave areas where the strain is spreading fastest "unless it is essential".

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Js . ʉ ǻȃ

Meeting up again?

Yo u ’ r e s a f e s t o u t d o o r s .

Around 1 in 3 people who have Coviid-19 have no symp ptoms and can spread it without knowing so it ’s saffest to meet outsid de because the

Let ’s take this nex t step safely.

29 May - 4 June 2021

7

8 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

29 May - 4 June 2021

Atcha opens London’s first Paratha Pop Up at Selfridges Atcha, the Indian-inspired, grab and go kitchen, is bringing its signature bold flavours packed into fresh and light everyday meals to Selfridges Foodhall. This is the first paratha pop up in Selfridges Food Hall and in London. Atcha’s menu will feature a choice of Parathas, its popular toasted curry-insourdough sarnies and more.

Aadit Shankar, Founder and Co-Owner of Atcha, said, “We’re bringing the food we love to eat every day, and the punchy flavours our regular customers enjoy, to Indian food lovers in the heart of London’s favourite retail destination. After over a year of delivering to doorsteps, it’s brilliant to have a home where we can spin Punjabi Parathas, Delhi drinks and Bombay’s best in a first for London.”

Rolled expertly by a chef hailing from Amritsar in

Aadit Shankar

Punjab, famed for its street food of soft dough parathas bursting with spiced fillings, the menu has a choice of three – Masala Omelette, Aloo [Potato] or Minced Lamb Keema. Freshly made on the day, the parathas will be warmed and quartered to order and then topped with Atcha’s homemade seasoning, fresh yoghurt, and your choice of mango, lime pickle or a masala chilli sauce.

The pop up also features

Atcha’s home delivery favourites – the nation’s most popular curries packed into toasted white & spelt sourdough bread for explosive sandwiches like no other. The Cauli sarnie is Gobhi Sabzi with pickled ginger, masala cashew mayo. The Paneer Sarnie combines fresh Indian cheese with punchy mint & pomegranate chutney, red onion, tomato, mozzarella, and tangy house chaat masala. The Atcha Club brings a whole new spin to the club sandwich with succulent chicken tikka joining forces with streaky bacon, baby gem, tomato, red onion and tamarind mayo.

For a true taste of Bombay, there is Pau Bhaji, a tangy, mashed vegetable hotpot, served with a fresh, buttered bun for dunking.

The menu can be washed down with a choice of hot and cold drinks – Masala Chai steeped in green car-

damom and plenty of fresh ginger, Delhi Iced Coffee inspired by the cafés of bustling Georgian-style Connaught Place and a rotating Weekly Lassi showcasing seasonal fruits like the Alphonso or Kesar mangoes and mixed summer berries.

Atcha has been delivering the true taste of India in inventive fresh red rice bowls, salads, soups and wholesome sourdough sandwiches with big flavours to London doorsteps since 2019. It expanded operations during the pandemic, raising funds via Zoom calls and growing its team and kitchen premises through last year. The takeover of The Pop-Up Kitchen at Selfridges, the store’s dedicated site for exciting foodie collaborations and launchpad of new brands, is Atcha’s first retail space since launch.

Driving in Europe 101: Motorists will need a Green Card when holidays resume As travel restrictions from the UK are eased, there’s likely to be a rise in the number of people who will choose to drive to Europe instead of flying this summer, says Admiral Car Insurance.

From 17 May, Brits will be able to go on foreign holidays to countries on the government’s green list and while the current list is restricted, more European countries are likely to be added as we move into summer.

The Admiral is urging motorists to plan ahead before taking their car

abroad. Drivers risk being denied entry at borders, fines or having their vehicle seized without Green Card.

GB stickers will now be needed for UK vehicles before driving abroad in most countries.

The Admiral recommends allowing at least 7 days for Green Card applications.

About 37% of motoring accidents overseas took place in France. Insurer offers tips on what to do if you have a car accident abroad.

Here are Admiral’s top ten tips for motorists who are driving abroad: 1. Take your documentation.

2. Take a copy of the Agreed Statement of Facts on Motor Vehicle Accident with you 3. Before you head off, check the driving requirements for countries you’ll be driving through.

4. Make sure you have sufficient travel insurance 6. Take pictures of the accident at a safe distance.

7. Take all witness details, names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses.

8. Don’t sign anything unless you understand what it is you are signing.

9. Ask the local authority to recover the car if you can.

10. Make sure you have your insurance company’s contact number stored in your phone.

This is how hospitals Britain emerges from can save 5% of patient shutdown lives Psychosocial support interventions that promote the health behaviours of patients in medical settings save about 1 in 20 lives, according to a study published May 18 in the openaccess journal PLOS Medicine by Timothy B. Smith of Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States and colleagues. On average, psychosocial interventions prolonged medical patient life to the same extent as cardiac rehabilitation or treatments for alcoholism or smoking.

The authors searched the literature for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that were published from 1980 to 2020 and focused their analysis on 106 RCTs including a total of 40,280 patients in inpatient and outpatient health care

settings.

Among 87 RCTs reporting data for discrete-time periods, there was a 20% increased likelihood of survival among patients receiving psychosocial support compared to control groups receiving standard medical care. Among those studies, psychosocial interventions explicitly promoting health behaviours improved the likelihood of survival, whereas interventions without that primary focus did not. Across 22 RCTs reporting survival time, psychosocial interventions were associated with a 29% increased probability of survival over time. Studies with patients having relatively greater disease severity tended to yield smaller gains in survival time relative to control groups.

On May 17, pubs, restaurant and other indoor entertainment and services were allowed to open their doors, certainly further improving furlough statistics. The ONS statistics show these industries had the largest proportion of staff still paid not to work.

It means that the furlough figures are already likely to be out of date and actually far lower, which is good news for the public finances.

In the report, ONS revealed: 'The proportion of businesses’ workforce on furlough leave has fallen from 20 per cent in January 2021 to 10 per cent in late April to early May 2021, as a result of restrictions continuing to be relaxed.

'This is the lowest proportion of businesses’ workforce on furlough leave this year. The data showed that prior to May 17, people

working in hospitality, including hotels, pubs and restaurants, and the arts and entertainment sector, had the highest proportion of workers still on furlough, at 30 and 34 per cent respectively.

This was in contract to construction and IT, where just over two per cent of staff was still furloughed.

The National Audit Office (NAO) said the estimated cost of the Government's response to the pandemic has risen to an 'eye-watering' £372 billion.

It includes £26 billion worth of guaranteed loans which are expected to be written off. Support for businesses such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme had the highest estimated cost, at £151 billion, followed by help for the health and social care sector at £97 billion.

'I don't get time to do it' Rohit Vadhwana People complain about having no time for - exercise, reading, travel, meditation, learning, and many other things. 'I don't get time to do it,' is a very common sentence we keep hearing from everyone. When you ask someone what their hobby is, the common reply would be they don't have time to develop a hobby. If you ask someone how many books do they read a month? Same answer.

If you suggest a friend to watch a class on a learning platform, the reflexive answer would be of having no time. A very common complaint in today's world is that people have no time. Life has become so fast and everything seems to have lost our attention. We do not pay attention to ourselves, to our health, our family, and even our personal growth. While modern equipment and gadgets are available to make things faster, why is it that our time is more occupied than ever? One simple reason is that now we are certainly doing more things than ever.

We are engaged at many fronts and expected to perform well in all those areas. But the question about not having time for anything demands a revisit to our time schedule.

I will tell you a story of an old lady who was living alone in a house. She would wake up in the morning, finish her daily routine and do prayer for two hours. Then she would prepare food for three hours and spend an hour eating the food. Afternoon siesta and cleaning of the house will take three more hours. By then she would be ready to prepare dinner and evening prayer and post-dinner cleaning. She had no time, despite having no other job than eating and keeping herself managed. This may sound crazy to many of us, but it is human tendency to fill all available time with whatever work we have. I can claim if we want to fit in anything extra in our schedule, there is always a possibility to do so. Have you ever tried to fit in anything new in your schedule? If you find it so difficult to find out where your time goes and why are you so busy, start maintaining a diary - it may be a note on your mobile or a proper paper diary. When you wake up, write time. Note how much time did you take to finish your daily routine. Time for breakfast and other activities may also be registered. When did you start work and what task is taking how much time. Keep scribbling time for everything and at the end of the day, before going to sleep, just have a look at the whole day timeline. If it doesn't give you any message, keep doing the same for three more days. You will grasp, there is a lot of activities where time could be saved. You will discern it is not impossible to accommodate the new activity that you desire to pursue. You will have to be realistic about the allocation of time to any activity. You will identify there are many time robbers which take more than necessary time. Many activities that you are involuntarily engaged in during the day are not at all important for you and they can be easily discarded out of your schedule.

Therefore, the busiest people always find time to do everything while those who have less work find it difficult to add any activity in their day. It is because busy people, senior and responsible people, have learned to make space for every important activity in their day. So, the conclusion is that in case we want to seriously pursue something but have no time, start maintaining a diary and take a review of time spent during the day.

(Expressed opinions are personal)

BAOMS urges colleagues to support the Team Robin Hood Rural India Covid Appeal British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS) President Austen Smith and Nottingham University Hospital Maxillofacial Surgeon Dilip Srinivasan are asking colleagues to support the No tti ngh am sh ire-bas ed Team Robin Hood Rural India Appeal to fight covid spread across rural Indian communities.

The appeal organisation is supported by the Small Steps Charity UK, which is helping fight the spread of Covid in Central India. The Indian variant is now sweeping quickly through

rural communities, and there an urgent need to put preventative measures in place to minimise spread. So far, the appeal has raised £2,810 of the target £20,000.

Donations will go towards such things as face masks, lateral flow tests, sanitiser and body bags. Dilip Srinivasan said: “I want to ask colleagues across the UK to support the appeal if they can. It is small-scale, and won’t change the world, but you have to start somewhere. Can you look, support and consider donating to this important endeavour to help people.”

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

UK

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

9

29 May - 4 June 2021

PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH UK GOVERNMENT

WELCOMING BACK OUR COMMUNITIES SAFELY With the UK following a roadmap out of lockdown and the high street beginning to open up, people and businesses will be pleased to see life returning to normal. But while we return to normal all of us must do our bit to ensure that this can happen safely.

As shoppers or members of the public, we must try and practice safe and considerate behaviour, so that we can enjoy our long-awaited shopping experiences. When entering a store, it is best to sanitise your hands, wear a mask, maintain social distance, and be prepared to follow the prescribed rules and regulations.

For businesses it is important to have best-practice guidelines in place, and to inform shoppers how they are welcoming them back safely, so that they are confident to return to stores. This will protect both staff and customers.

Rupanjana Dutta

Measures to keep shops safe for employees & customers Shayona, provides a large range of Indian and Asian food, groceries and cooking ingredients with over 30 years of experience in manufacturing sweets, snacks and catering for events. They have four stores in London- at Pinner, North Harrow, Wembley, and Neasden where it is located within the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple premises.

Speaking to Asian Voice, Chandresh Patel, Director of Shayona said, “We have a factory in Perivale, and we manufacture many products in-house. We use fresh ingredients (no artificial flavours or substitutes) to produce our sweets and people from all faiths and communities come to shop at Shayona.

Our profits go to BAPS Swaminarayan Temple and we have a few volunteers from the temple working for us. I look after the retail side of the business and make sure our shops and customers have what they need.”

Elaborating on the measures in place at their stores following the UK Government’s hands, face, space and fresh air guidelines, Mr Patel told

this newsweekly, “Since March 2020, we have taken

in a limited number of customers at a time. At

How can customers help?

A woman shopping at Shayona, maintaining social distancing every possible measure to keep our shops safe for our employees and customers.

“Every four weeks we replace stickers on the doors, windows and floors that tell our visitors and customers where to stand, which way to enter or exit, how to maintain safe distance etc. All our shop counters have protective glass screens now. We do not allow everyone to come in at the same time.

Depending on our shop sizes, we have someone managing the queue at the entrance, letting

• Always follow Hands, Face, Space, Fresh Air • Follow the one-way system and adhere to any limitations of store entry • Maintain 2m distance and wear a face covering when moving around • Wash or sanitise hands regularly • Have your phone ready prior to entry to check in using the app (or provide details if they do not have the App) • Be prepared to pay via contactless the entrance there are provisions for tissues, wipes and hand gel for customers to use. Our shopping baskets are thoroughly cleaned and sanitised in between uses. Wearing a mask is mandatory in our shops. If customers don’t have one, we provide them with disposable masks.

“Before the pandemic we used to sell loose i.e. unpacked products, but now we pack everything in our factories, so that no one can touch them. Prices are adjusted according to the weight and the packs

Toy Galaxy has readied its stores keeping UK Government safety measures in mind have all the information on labels.

“We have also rescheduled the opening and closing times in our shops, so that we have more time to sanitise surfaces every day including our shelves. We ensure the circulation of fresh air in our shops and also have separate entrance and exit for customers.

“While most of our volunteers and employees are now vaccinated, we have ordered Covid-19 rapid test kits for testing at home regularly.”

The preparations are not very different at Toy Galaxy, which also has 4 stores - in Ealing, Barnet, Witney (Oxfordshire) and The Galleria, Hatfield.

Area Manager Damian Patel told us, “We stringently follow all the UK Government rules.

We have markings on the floor and hand sanitisers in stores for customers and employees to use. We have signs on the walls, windows and doors urging everyone to wear masks. All our staff wear masks, and we have a protective screen around the till area. Since we have just opened our stores, we may look into regular rapid testing for our employees in the future.”

Elaborating further, Mr Patel said, “We also clean surfaces in all our stores at regular intervals and there is a one-way system in place for entrance and exit. We keep doors open wherever Businesses can ensure safe shopping by: • Limiting customer numbers • Put up signs to encourage customers to maintain 2m distance and wear a face covering • Let fresh air in Maintain rigorous cleaning and disinfection procedure • Brief your staff on what to do, including getting tested regularly

Door signs at Shayona

possible for fresh air.

“We also make sure that our stores are not overtly crowded and have

Damian Patel someone at the front door to greet and direct our customers safely. There are spare masks available for customers if required, though most of them stick to rules following the hands, face and space guidelines, keep 2 metres distance, sanitise hands and pay via contactless methods.”

For all business support for re-opening and coronavirus help please visit gov.uk/workingsafely

10 READERS' VOICE

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

29 May - 4 June 2021

Being there for each other

India’s wonderful and varied wildlife

Your thoughtful editorial last week “At war footing with racism and anti-Semitism”, made several important points.

The escalation of the conflict in the Middle East has been depressing and the death of all innocent civilians, particularly children, a tragedy. The root cause is the hatred and terrorism of Hamas. As a democratic nationstate, Israel must defend its citizens. Some of the armchair critics of Israel in the British media have no appreciation of the country’s predicament. If thousands of rockers were reining in on London, we would expect our government to take action and attack the terrorists.

Some of the scenes of protests in the UK have been shameful. Bigots have used anti-Semitic messages and furthermore, threatening, and abusive speech has been targeted at Jewish communities. As someone who spend a lot of time on inter-communal relations, I know how much progress has been made over the years. This must not be spoilt by an idiotic minority. The Jewish community appreciates the friendship of other communities currently. Just as Jews cannot be left to combat anti-Semitism alone, we appreciate that the Indian community cannot combat prejudice by itself. Being there for each other in difficult times is a true hallmark of friendship and I know that the Jewish community has many friends in the Indian community, not least at the Asian Voice.

India is the only country in the world where all large, fearsome wild feline cats like lions, tigers, leopards, and cheetahs are found roaming free in the wild. But increasing pressure from ever-growing human population, expanding, and encroaching on the forest and savannas, open grassland is endangering the existence of these beautiful wildlife as never before.

Now humans are spreading diseases alien to wildlife, like deadly Coronavirus, the lions in Hyderabad and Gunagadh zoos have recently tested positive to Covid-19 epidemic. It is only a question of time before it will spread to wild lions roaming freely in the forest of Gir, the only place in the world where Asiatic lions could be observed roaming in their natural habitat, an unforgettable sight for nature lovers.

At one time, the population of these lions was down to couple of dozens, hunted to bare numbers by the privileged white guests of maharajas. After independence and especially after BJP took over Gujarat, they were declared endangered spices and since then their numbers have multiplied geometrically into several hundreds, thus spreading to surrounding areas, as the Gir forest is too small to accommodate ever increasing lion population.

These straying lions are never harmed by the local people, instead rangers will trap them and move to a safer area well away from these villages. This is indeed Indian culture where most people are Hindus.

It is time to move some of these prides to other States like Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Assam where there are several national parks and nature reserves to accommodate and save this unique population of lions found nowhere else in the world.

It seems petty State rivalry and small-mindedness prevents the dispersal putting this unique wildlife at risk. It is time the Central government step in and act to save this unique heritage before it is too late?

Zaki Cooper Co-Chair, British Indian Jewish Association (Writing in a personal capacity)

Anti-BBC probity As we know the interview by the BBC reporter Martin Bashir with Princess Diana was aired in late 1995. Within a month after that event, it was alleged that Bashir had misled the princess to gain her trust. The then Director of News Tony Hall investigated the allegation and found that Bashir was "honest" and an "honourable man".

However, the accusations resurfaced last autumn, and BBC had to establish an inquiry led by the former Supreme Court judge Lord Dyson. That inquiry report was published last week, and it has shattered anti-BBC’s righteousness. Not only the report judges Bashir to be "unreliable", "devious" and "dishonest” but also finds Hall's inquiry as "flawed" and "woefully ineffective".

Most of us from Indian diaspora know that “BBC News” reporting in connection with India lacks probity. Kapil in his column “Khichdi” has also pointed out their reporting flows and dishonesty.

Let us recollect their reporting in 1995 when Charar-eSharif shrine incident happened in India. The shrine was damaged by terrorist but the BBC in their reporting of the incident aired footage of Russian tanks in Chechnya which created the impression that it was the Indian Army’s use of tanks that had damaged the shrine. After the Indian government registered their objection to BBC’s propaganda, the BBC aired a correction in its Asian segment, not to the rest of the world. It attributed the deceit to technical goof-ups.

Will this culture of wilful manufacturing of documents and substitution of false images, bias reporting, etc. at the BBC ever change? Are we all paying licensing fee for such a wilful deceit?

Bhupendra M. Gandhi London

Anti-India reports

With reference to the letter written by Nitin Mehta from Croydon (AV dated 22-28 May 2021) regarding bias reporting

by The Guardian, I would like to add that the approach of that newspaper is totally anti-India. Being a reputed newspaper, the onus lies on them to publish reports which are analytical and giving true picture to the public to support them in making informed decisions.

Most of the mainstream print and electronic media including the BBC have not left a single opportunity to belittle India as a country without thoroughly understanding its diverse nature and culture. Covid19 death figures were published in confusing manner so a common reader without much analytical ability will fill that India is in the worst position. They used to publish death figure in absolute numbers like 4000 deaths in a day and vaccination figures in % which will look negligible keeping in mind the population of more than 1.36 billion.

Media should portray a real and true picture of India instead of a distorted version or magnified images. There may shortage of facilities in India due to the sudden rise of cases of Covid19, but that can happen in any country when the demand goes up suddenly. Very rarely it was highlighted that there are plenty of charitable organisations and volunteers who worked round the clock to mitigate the situation.

India is one of the fastest-growing economies of the Narsibhai Patel world and the UK has also shown significant interesting in New Malden having a trade deal with India, visits of high profile politicians to India shows that in spite of negative publicity, India School curriculum is growing steadily and will bounce back in a short period as Avina Shah’s (one to one, AV, 8 May) remedy to to make a compared to other European nations. change about the school curriculum could lead to multitude Hitesh Hingu of possibilities. Her suggestions are very interesting but London unfortunately cannot work with the way our education system is run. But who knows, with the mass cultural, technoHow far has BBC sunk? logical change the education system currently going The scandal of princess Diana shows the depth to which the through, it might catch our attention?

BBC has sunk.

As a past school parent and community governor for The greater tragedy is that over the years it has gotten over 32 years, (nursery, primary, middle, secondary schools), worse. It is as if it has a Carte Blanche to report whatever it reviewing was always on agenda in a traditional sense of displeases. Stories with scant checks on facts are published cussion. This helped in understanding how things are. about individuals, institutions, and countries. The BBC has Majority of young people at crossroads of their career, do become a monolithic dinosaur with faceless individuals runnot find it easy or are not allowed to take a creative or ning the show. There is no way they can be challenged or unconventional path for their future. I do sympathise with held accountable. Nothing short of a complete overhaul of Avina. Some of the subjects may have become irrelevant in the institution will change the situation. It must rid people later life but they are compulsory for a reason- to help stuwith ideological biases and personal axis to grind. dents prepare for a better future.

Nitin Mehta School Education curriculum is multifaceted and has a bigger purpose. Many of us are not happy with some subjects Croydon and would like to turn our back on them to focus on other skills. It is good to have that passion, pride, confidence to We are grateful to all letter writers for work towards something which you believe in. But the more and more versatile letters well within school curriculum is the foundation needed to build any word limit. Please keep contributing as career or learn as life skills. For example, I always recall my disliking for botany as a subject. But now that I have taken always. If you are new, then write to up a new retirement interest in gardening, that very subject Rupanjana at has become relevant and helpful.

Jatish Shah rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Northampton

KHICHADI Kapil’s

Follow me on Twitter: @kk_OEG

Hindus Under Attack Kapil Dudakia Over the past decade there has been an acceleration of attacks on Hindus around the world. In particular, the UK, USA, and Canada. It follows a very similar pattern to the attacks the Jewish community have faced for many more decades.

Only this week we have witnessed how tens of thousands rampaged through the streets of British towns and cities under the guise of ‘free Palestine’. What we all saw were gangs of anti-Semites attacking Jewish people and businesses for no other reason than for being Jewish.

We saw politicians from the Labour Party line up on any platform going to undermine Israel and promote Palestine. Fortunately for the Jewish community they have in place a body called the ‘Community Security Trust CST’ whose mandate is to protect the Jewish community. Even with these great community organisations, with ample funding and people of influence, they still face atrocities daily.

The Hindu community have also faced attacks on their person, their faith and their culture. There appears to be a systematic modus operandi in place designed to undermine the community at every corner. The antiHindu rhetoric is given huge traction by many in the Labour Party. Whereas for the Jewish community they use Palestine as an excuse, for Hindus they use Kashmir and Khalistan.

There is something common in what we see and experience. It seems the extremists from the Muslim community have been given much bandwidth by those on the political left, not just here with Labour, but with the Democrats in the USA also. These well organised and well-resourced international groups have toolkits designed to attack and undermine nations, as well as communities. One has to wonder how they are funded!

I believe the time has come to set up our own security trust that learns from the lessons of the CST. I have personally already started the groundwork to make this happen. The only thing lacking is funding, and I am hoping that there will be well meaning Hindus who will come forward and offer their assistance. I want the entity to be independent and not succumb to donors or any other vested interests. Will I be able to put this in place in the coming year? That remains a challenge and I guess at some point I will write back and let you all know. For comparison purposes, the CST has a budget of some £20 million per year. Now I don’t expect that level of funding initially, but without serious funding we as a community cannot make any serious impression on those who wish us harm.

The main aim for such an entity will be to protect Britain's diverse and vibrant Hindu community from the external threats of bigotry, anti-Hindu racism and violent extremism. It should also aim to provide training and advice for the protection of British Hindus, assist victims of anti-Hindu attacks, monitor anti-Hindu activities and incidents, and liaise with the Police, Government and media on issues affecting the Hindu community.

So there you have it, I have thrown down the gauntlet. I pray that we will find several high-net-worth benefactors who will come forward and lend support. This initiative is not one where we will beg. It will test the resolve of many in the community, and it will be history making.

Once COVID restrictions are relaxed, I hope to host a ‘Hindu Security Conference’ at the Houses of Parliament. Let’s convert our collective hopes into something that is more tangible. Arise, Awake oh sons and daughters of Bharat Varsh.

Queen Victoria Day Canada is only country in the world that celebrates birth of Queen Victoria, born on 24 May 1819. Queen Victoria Day is regarded as a national holiday. And on this day unofficially summer starts in Canada. The rule of thumb is to do gardening - planting flowers, vegetables etc.

Most of the outdoor activities start - going to park, beach, camping, picnic, canoeing, going to cottage, travelling but last year and this year due to Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown it has been limited.

The feeling of unofficial summer starting, and warm weather makes people happy and cheerful. Happy Queen Victoria Day to all.

Suresh and Bhavna Patel Markham, Canada

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

29 May - 4 June 2021

UK 11

“If you act F.A.S.T, then there is more chance of a good recovery” The Hindu Council UK, South Asian Health Action, South Asian Health Foundation and British Sikh Nurses are supporting the Act F.A.S.T campaign to raise awareness of stroke within South Asian communities. This Public Health England campaign is also supported by the Stroke Association.

The Hindu Council UK, South Asian Health Action, South Asian Health Foundation and British Sikh Nurses are supporting the Act F.A.S.T campaign to raise awareness of stroke within South Asian communities. This Public Health England campaign is also supported by the Stroke Association.

There are more than 100,000 incidents of stroke each year in the UK and it is a leading cause of death and disability in the UK. A stroke is a medical emergency and anyone experiencing symptoms should seek urgent help. Early treatment not only saves lives but results in a greater chance of a better recovery, as well as a likely reduction in permanent disability from stroke.

R a jn i s h Kash yap , General Hindu Council UK, Secretary/Director from H said: “We are pleased to be working with Public Health England to increase greater awareness of Stroke with Hindu communities. Through our member organisations we will reach over 350 Hindu Temples across UK”.

K ir it Mis try, Chair and Founder of South Asian Health Action, a patient, carer and community led charity said: “We are pleased to be working with Public Health England to engage, educate and empower South Asian communities of the key signs of Stroke to help raise more awareness”.

Rohit Sagoo, Founder of British Sikh Nurses said: “Hypertension and diabetes

mellitus are the two main risk factors for strokes in the Punjabi community, so we're pleased to be working with Public Health England to raise awareness of Stroke and spreading the emergency message one needs to be aware of if a stroke occurs”.

Dr Rubina Ahmed, Executive Director at the Stroke Association, said: “We know that if you’re of South Asian descent, you’re more likely to have a stroke, and you’re more likely to have one younger. That’s why it’s so important to know the FAST test which will prepare you and your family to act quickly and potentially save a life if you ever notice any single one of the signs.”

Two stroke survivors share their experiences and encourage others to recognise the signs to save lives.

Pratima Gohil was up late preparing for

• Face – has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile?

• Arms – can they raise both their arms and keep them there?

• Sp eec h – is their speech slurred?

• Time – time to call 999

Tarun Dabhi

called her brother, who is a pharmacist, who urged her to call 999.

That phone call meant Tarun was able to get treatment quickly and he has since made a good recovery. He now pays even more attention to his health.

“I wish I was more aware of the symptoms,” Tarun said. “If you act fast and get help straight away then there is more chance of good recovery.”

Some other signs of stroke or mini stroke can include:

Pratima Gohil

Think and act F.A.S.T. The signs of stroke are:

for anyone and it wasn’t until her husband found her in the morning that 999 was called and she was taken to hospital.

The former bank clerk who was fortunate to make a full recovery knows how important is to seek medical help fast.

“It is better to get help straight away so that you have the best chances of a good recovery,” Pratima said.

Because her father had had a stroke and she had read about it, Pratima knew the signs, however there are still so many people who don’t know what to look out for.

When Taru n Dab hi , a former Post Office worker had a stroke he didn’t know what was happening. His face had dropped on one side and he began to slur his words, two key signs of stroke.

“I did not realise I was having a stroke as I did not know much about the symptoms of stroke,” Tarun, who has received support from the Hindu Council UK, said.

His wife initially believed he was having a reaction to medication he was taking but soon realised something wasn’t right. She

her granddaughter’s birthday when she had a stroke.

“I took some things out of the fridge and put them on the worktop and that was the moment I felt a sudden pain at the back of my neck. I tried to grab the work top, but my hands kept slipping,” the 54-year-old, who has been supported by South Asian Health Action, said.

Pratima experienced paralysis down her left side, blurred vision, slurred speech and wasn’t able to use her hands properly. As she was downstairs alone, she was unable to call

• Sudden loss of vision or blurred vision in one or both eyes • Sudden weakness or numbness on one side of your body (including in your leg) • Sudden memory loss or confusion • Sudden dizziness, unsteadiness or a sudden fall, especially with any of the other signs For information on stroke go to https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stroke

12 MEDIA WATCH

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

29 May - 4 June 2021

SCRUTATOR’S Indian Navy’s destroyer INS Rajput being decommissioned INS Rajput, the lead ship of the Kashin-class destroyers built by the erstwhile USSR, will be getting decommissioned from the service on May 21, 2021. With this a glorious era will be coming to an end when India’s first ever destroyer will get decommissioned after being in service for 41 years at a ceremony in the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam. The destroyer was commissioned on May 4, 1980. It was constructed in the 61 Communards Shipyard in Nikolaev (present-day Ukraine). Its original Russian name was ‘Nadezhny’ meaning ‘Hope’. According to the Indian Navy, the keel of the ship was laid on Sept 11, 1976. It was launched on Sept 17, 1977 and commissioned as INS Rajput on May 4, 1980 at Poti, Georgia by IK Gujral, who was India’s ambassador to USSR. Capt Gulab Mohanlal Hiranandani was her first Commanding Officer. In four decades of glorious service, it has served in both Eastern and Western Fleets. INS Rajput have remained ever vigilant and always ‘on call’ to protect the maritime interest and sovereignty of the nation. It has also participated in several operations including Operation Aman off Sri Lanka which was carried out to assist IPKF, then Operation Pawan which was for patrolling duties off the coast of Sri Lanka. It was also sent for Operation Cactus to help in resolving the hostage situation off the Maldives, and Operation Crowsnest off Lakshadweep. The ship has also taken part in many bilateral and multinational exercises. It was also the first Indian Naval ship which was affiliated with the Rajput Regiment of the Indian army. There have been 31 Commanding Officers at her helm in 41 years of her glorious history. As a sign of decommissioning of the ship from service, the Naval Ensign and the Commissioning Pennant will be hauled down which is on board INS Rajput. (Agency) Gujarat scientists grow one of costliest mushrooms

Scientists at Kutch-based Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology (GUIDE) have successfully cultivated ‘cordyceps militaris’ - a mushroom species that traditionally found its use in Chinese and Tibetan herbal medicines. The scientists grew the mushrooms in a controlled environment in a laboratory within 90 days giving 350 grams yield. The mushroom is valued at Rs150,000 a kg. The institute which has found it useful in treating even breast cancer has decided to provide training to entrepreneurs at a very nominal fee as a livelihood option to cultivate mushrooms at laboratory scale. It has a multitude of health benefits and can potentially prevent a wide range of lifestyle illness. It is now possible to cultivate it in labs under controlled conditions,” said GUIDE’s director V Vijay Kumar. The institute has studied the anti-tumor element of this mushroom variety in detail. “We explored the in-vivo anti-cancer activity of the extracts against breast cancer in animal models.

The preliminary investigation reveals extracts of this mushroom can provide significant results in terms of reduction in breast cancer tumour,” said K Karthikeyan, senior scientist and head of environment laboratory division at GUIDE. The institute has sought regulatory permission to carry out clinical trials on humans. “We are also studying its effect on prostate cancer but it has been delayed due to Covid-19 induced pandemic,” he said. (The Times of India) Travails of a woman to cremate her husband A heart-breaking incident came to light in Bihar’s Munger

district where a woman had to fled from a quarantine centre to perform last rites to her husband who passed away almost a week back. Vikas Mandal, 28, a native of Ramnagar Patan village tested corona positive. His wife, Kanchan Devi, admitted him in Begusarai Sadar hospital where he died during treatment. As she was alone in the hospital, she requested help from her in-laws and even approached her won family for help, but they all refused. Kanchan’s mother, however, reached the hospital to help her daughter. Both Kanchan and her mother again sought help, but none came forward.

Then, they decided to go to Samastipur’s Patalia village, the native village of Kanchan Devi.

The male members of the family, instead of helping them, complained to district administration. The officials instead of addressing the issue, put both the women into quarantine centre. Eventually, Kanchan fled from the quarantine centre six days after her husband’s death and reached Begusarai. Following a request, the hospital handed over the body to Kanchan for cremation.

“We have arranged an ambulance and sent the body to cremation ground where Kanchan performed the last rights,” said Sanjeev Kumar Chaudhary, SDO of Begusarai Sadar. (Agency) Govt to build tunnel at Shinkhun La pass

The defence ministry has given the go ahead to NHIDCL to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) for a 12.7 km tunnel beneath the Shinkun La pass, on the border between Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, sources said.

The tunnel at Shinkun La pass will provide all-weather road

connectivity between Himachal Pradesh and Leh, which is being developed as an alternate road for strategic reasons. The tunnel at Shinkhun La will link the NH-3 from the Himachal Pradesh side with Darcha-Padam-Nimu road to Leh. This axis passes away from the border of China and Pakistan. Sources said defence minister Rajnath Singh took a detailed presentation of the status of the DPR under preparation for this strategically important tunnel. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) had suggested the government to take up the tunnel and Nimu-PadamDarcha road projects on priority considering the current scenario along the line of actual control (LAC). The alternative connectivity from Manali to Leh through Nimu-Padam-Darcha axis will also reduce the travel time as compared to the time taken on the existing routes passing through Zojila pass from Srinagar. While the BRO had favoured building a 4.1 km tunnel at Shinkun La Pass, the NHIDCL, which was assigned the task to prepare the DPR by the defence ministry, has engaged a consultant to prepare the report for the 12.7 km tunnel. (Agency) Covid claims lives of RS MP, his two sons In a span of just 12 days, tragedy struck the Mohapatra family here, known for stone sculpting, thrice – while noted sculptor and Rajya Sabha MP Raghunath Mohapatra died of Covid infection on May 9, the virus killed his eldest son on May 20, within 24 hours of snuffing the life out of his second son who passed away on May 19. While his second son, Prashant (48), was a former Ranji player, BCCI referee and coach, Raghunath’s eldest son, Josabanta (52), was carrying forward the family tradition of stone carving. Raghunath, who underwent treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, had five children, including three sons and two daughters. His youngest son, Sushant, had died of heart attack six years ago. Mohapatra’s wife, Rajani Mohapatra (70), who has recovered from the infection, was

inconsolable following three successive deaths in the family.

Raghunath Mohapatra’s last rites were performed at his native village in Puri district with full state honours. Mohapatra was awarded Padmshree in 1975 and Padma Bhusan in 2001 for his contribution to the field of art and culture. (The Times of India) BJP leaders and their unscientific claims At a time when the coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc and India recording a large number of Covid-19 cases amid the second wave, several BJP politicians have been coming up with unscientific solutions to prevent the infection. The latest being a BJP leader from Meerut taking to streets, blowing shankh and carrying ‘holy smoke’ on a rickshaw cart. In a video, Gopal Sharma and a few followers were seen blowing the shankh and chanting ‘Jai Sriram’ and ‘Har Har Mahadev’. Sharma claimed that the holy smoke will stop the virus spread in the air as it will kill them in the atmosphere. He also claimed that the shankh and holy smoke will add to the oxygen concentration in the air and in turn will help people recover fast from the disease.

This comes after BJP MP Pragya Thakur sparked a controversy after she suggested that drinking cow urine will protect from the virus infection. In a party gathering, Thakur was heard saying that drinking cow urine cures lung infection from Covid.

A few days ago, Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister Usha Thakur suggested conducting a ‘yagna chikitsa’ to prevent the third wave of Covid-19. She advised people to perform yaga to purify their environment in order to stop the spread of the virus infection.

In another instance, a BJP MLA in Uttar Pradesh, Surendra Singh, had claimed that drinking cow urine protected him from the coronavirus. He advised people to consume a mix of 50 ml cow urine with 100 ml water. He also claimed it works even against heart disease. BJP leader and former Uttarakhand chief

minister Trivendra Singh Rawat was recently criticised for his comment that coronavirus is a living organism that has a right to live. Madhya Pradesh pro-tem speaker Rameshwar Sharma had claimed that building the Ram temple in Ayodhya would bring an end to coronavirus. (Agency) 8 more species of snakes found in Delhi

Eight more species have been added to the national capital's list of snakes after an extensive five-year study conducted by researchers from the Delhi University. This has taken the number of snake species recorded in the capital to 23, updating the 1997 list mentioned in the book ''Fauna of Delhi'' that is widely used to track Delhi's native species, according to Gaurav Barhadiya, a researcher from the Department of Environmental Studies, Delhi University, who conducted the study. The study recorded a total of 329 snakes in 23 species and nine families. The new additions are - common bronzeback tree snake, common trinket snake, common cat snake, barred wolf snake, common kukri, streaked kukri, common sandboa and sawscaled viper. The research covered all eleven districts of Delhi, between January 2016 and October 2020, through 376 field surveys in various urban forests, parks, private gardens, farms, vacant plots, lakes, and water bodies. Professor Dr Chirashree Ghosh from the Department of Environmental Studies, who supervised the research, said documentation of urban biodiversity is an urgent requirement as latest statistics and generated data on urban floral and faunal biodiversity has not been compiled and documented properly. (Agency)

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

UK

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

13

29 May - 4 June 2021

I once heard an interesting story during one goal is to help amplify the overall response, of the official visits abroad as part of a highand make it relevant and focused to address level delegation. the needs in India. CBI is also working with the British Asian Trust in this effort.

The story was narrated by a retired Indians have been sailing across the seas political leader of Indian origin. Several over centuries. Evidence has been found of years ago, in one of the closed-door multithe trade from the Indus Valley and lateral meetings (with representatives of a Harappan civilization in distant lands. Lord number of countries), the representative of Gautam Buddha’s message was spread as India’s western neighbour made some very far away as Japan. but derogatory Hinduism spread false reference to to Southeast Asia India. Then-Prime about 2000 years Minister of India, ago through Atal Behari Indian traders Vajpayee, who was who traded across in the meeting did the seas. The not raise his flag Pallava and Chola for a right of reply, empires of southbut leaders from ern India played three other counan important role tries raised their in spreading respective flags Indian culture to and gave a satisfacRuchi Ghanashyam Southeast Asia. tory and compreThe navy of the hensive response.

After the meeting, Mrs. Ruchi Ghanashyam is the former High Chola dynasty was the three leaders Commissioner of India to the UK. With a career a strong maritime approached Atalji in Indian Foreign Service for over 38 years, she has and diplomatic and enquired why been posted in many countries including South force across Asia he had not Africa, Ghana, before arriving in the UK. She was and at its peak, responded to the only the second woman High Commissioner to was Asia's largest anti-India remarks. the UK since India’s independence and during her navy, with blueAtalji gave a classic tenure, she witnessed a number of significant water capabilities, and is said to have response and said, developments in the UK-India relations. had a personnel ‘Mother India has strength of a million men. In more recent many sons (and daughters) to defend her times, Indians were taken across the oceans honour’. as indentured labour to faraway lands, from Over the last few months, I have often Fiji in the east to Guyana and Suriname in written about the contribution of the the west. In modern times, Indians have Indian diaspora to the efforts being made in migrated in search of greener pastures.

India to fight the onslaught of Covid-19.

Throughout history, Indians seem to have Mother India’s children, living outside their moved across the globe for business, work motherland, have not been idle during this or simply for a better life. Today, the Indian fight. I was in London at the beginning of diaspora has a strong presence all over the the pandemic. Soon after the lockdown in world. the UK, I received a call from my doctor. An In the UK, the Indian diaspora constiexcellent physician, with roots in Gujarat, tutes the “living bridge” that links the two he wanted my help to link up researchers countries through a constant flow of posifrom Imperial College of UK with the contive energy. A report by Grant Thornton UK cerned experts in the Indian Council of brought out in 2020, in collaboration with Medical Research to enable collaboration the High Commission of India and the and sharing of information between the UK Federation of Indian Chambers of and India. I have already written about the Commerce & Industry (FICCI), found that role of BAPIO and Indian community the 650 companies with turnover of over organisations. £100,000 that were researched, were generGiven the quick upsurge of Covid cases ating a cumulative annual turnover of in the second wave in India and the conse£36.84 billion and together, provided jobs quent distress, the Indian diaspora has for more than 174,000 people in the UK. come forward to assist the efforts being It is this global diaspora that was made in India against the pandemic. The described by Atalji as the ‘children of Confederation of British Industries, under Mother India’. Whichever part of the world the leadership of its Chairman, Lord Karan they may call home, they look towards Bilimoria, has also joined forces with these India for cultural and spiritual roots. And efforts. The CBI has been rallying UK busino matter how many generations separate nesses and trade associations to support them from their mother country, a majority Indian companies, in pursuit of ‘ensuring a of them still feel the suffering of their resilient global recovery’. It in touch with a brethren in India. It is this sentiment that number of companies and trade associais driving these supportive efforts. tions who are showing an interest in joining India is stronger for its diaspora, strong the overall effort, just as they did in the UK and rooted to their cultural heritage. throughout the crisis. He said that the CBI’s

Many Children of Mother India

Priti Patel’s Glasgow comment creates an outcry Home Secretary Priti Patel latest comment on the Glasgow immigration raid which said this is what “British people voted for” is perhaps going to cause a major outcry in Scotland because she has said that she would approve it again.

Earlier, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s Labour leader Anas Sarwar and 25 other politicians wrote to Patel to say they opposed unannounced raids, adding that “Scotland has a very different attitude to immigration.”

The letter read: "We do not support these raids at any time... They are expensive, harmful, lacking in compassion, and more often than not aimed at people who are no threat to public safety."

“Hundreds of people took to the streets in protest when two Indian men were detained in a dawn raid in the Pollokshields

area of Glasgow on May 14. The Home Office is set to pursue the men’s deportation as they are believed to have outstayed the terms of their visas,” an online publication reported.

The joint letter from the Scottish politicians, which was backed by MPs, MSPs and the leader of Glasgow City Council, said that Patel’s wider immigration plan has no support in Scotland.

Muslim Organisation demands EHRC inquiry on Islamophobia Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND), the UK’s largest grass-roots Muslim advocacy organisation, has called upon the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to formally take action in investigating Islamophobia in the Conservative Party following the publication of the Singh Investigation Report.

In a press statement, MEND said, that it initially supported the Singh Investigation and submitted evidence of over 120 instances of Islamophobia. The whitewashed report is a grave disappointment to all those hoping for a serious and robust inquiry into Islamophobia.

“The report fails to adequately tackle clear examples of Islamophobic and inflammatory comments at senior levels of the party, such as Boris Johnson’s comments on Muslim women in burqas, instead claiming that these cases merely “give the impression to many that the Party and its leadership are insensitive to Muslim communities.”

Such language trivialises legitimate concerns and obscures the responsibility of party leadership,” said the press release.

Responding, to the recommendations set out by Professor Swaran Singh,

Amanda Milling MP, CoChairman of the Conservative Party said: “The Conservative Party has accepted all the recommendations set out by the independent investigation into racism and discrimination. Any incident of discrimination is wrong, and we must work harder to stamp out discrimination of all kinds. We held this investigation because we are determined to right these wrongs. On behalf of the Conservative Party, I would like to apologise to anyone who has been hurt by the discriminatory behaviour of others or failed by our system. We held this investigation to address these allegations to make sure that any instances of discrimination are isolated and to look at how we can improve and strengthen our complaints

process. The Conservative Party will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination of any kind and take immediate action to improve our handling of complaints."

Meanwhile, Professor Swaran Singh, former equality and human rights commissioner, analysed 1,418 complaints relating to 727 separate incidents as recorded in the Tories' complaints database between 2015 and 2020. In a 44,000-word report on his findings, he said: "Judging by the extent of complaints and findings of misconduct by the party itself that relates to anti-Muslim words and conduct, antiMuslim sentiment remains a problem within the party.

This is damaging to the party, and alienates a significant section of society."

3 year-old toddler declared Mensa genius in Birmingham toddler Three-year-old Dayaal Kaur, has been declared as a Mensa genius. Kaur was 13 months old when she started counting till 15 and could recite alphabets at 14 months. This toddler from Birmingham has now become a Mensa genius after scoring 142 in the admission test - not far below Albert Einstein’s estimated score.

Her father Sarbjit works at Ruskin Mill Trust college in Stourbridge and her mother is a Solicitor.

14 WOMEN’S VOICE

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

29 May - 4 June 2021

Women CAN survive AND excel in the finance industry Shefali Saxena Neha Mehta is the Founder and CEO, FemTech Partners. She is a UNDP SDG Finance Expert and a team lead for the £1.2 billion Prosperity Fund (PF) for the SEA region. The fund is administered by the Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK government.

Neha is listed in the inaugural Singapore 100 Women in Tech. Neha is featured in FinTech 50, 2019 and 2020, Asia's 50 Most Influential Women in Renewable Energy, 2020, and "Global Future Fintech Leader" Award at the Fintech Festival Abu Dhabi 2020. Neha is a legal and finance professional with 12 years of experience in Asia and Europe.

A proud recipient of the British Chamber of Commerce 21st Annual Business Award for the UK Impact in Singapore 2020, FemTech Partners has been highly involved in bringing the UK and Singapore FinTech ecosystems. Neha Mehta spoke exclusively to Asian Voice about women in leadership roles in finance and technology.

What is it like being a woman in

Neha Mehta

FinTech in a leadership role?

As the CEO of a FinTech startup, I feel that there is a need for me to prove to the world that women can survive and excel in the finance industry. There have been times when I was the only woman in a meeting or a conference but I didn’t let that deter me.

Do you think more women must join this landscape? What keeps them from doing that?

Yes, I think more women should join this landscape, since it's agile and ever dynamic there are plenty of opportunities for everyone. Not having enough knowledge about the FinTech industry, male to female ratio working in the industry and a

lack of mentors who can guide them are some of the factors stopping more women from joining FinTech.

What does it take for any young woman to become someone like you? What would be the right way to go about it?

Self-belief and overcoming limiting beliefs- we can all be and do whatever we set our eyes on. Find your holy grail, be clear on what you want and work on yourself before you launch your idea/mission/job search. All the answers lie within us. Success is a numbers game, don't let failures dishearten you.

Where do you see the position of women in Fintech in the postCovid world where there’s going to be a massive cutthroat competition for employment?

I see a favourable position of women in FinTech. It is becoming normal to work from home, thus many industry-specific positions have become more accessible. The pandemic has provided a chance to upskill oneself, which will help women to beat the competition.

What is it that you as a woman bring to the table that your male counterparts maybe can't?

As a woman, I bring a sense

of compassion and understanding to the table accompanied by fresh ideas and social responsibility. I want to use FinTech as a force of good for the betterment of communities around the world.

How can South Asian women become more aware and exposed to learning about FinTech?

In South Asia, we have seen an increase in connectivity.

More and more females now have access to the internet. They can now access the free materials online easily, we also need to spread awareness about why it is important to have knowledge of finance, to remove the stigma that it is only required for jobs, anyone can learn it and apply the principles in their life to better their quality of living.

Investigation finds "number of serious clinical incidents" weren’t published in 2016 A BBC investigation has revealed that the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists identified serious patient safety concerns within maternity services at the trust, but it had not been published. This dates back to 2016 and was discovered in a review of services by RCOG. Following a "number of serious clinical incidents". the trust had noticed that: There was a lack of appropriate leadership; there were patient safety concerns around the lack of availability of consultants and

undermining of staff was evident, mainly but not exclusively within midwifery.

In a statement, the health regulator in England, the Care Quality Commission said: "We liaised with the trust regarding the steps they were taking to respond to the review and address the recommendations of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists, and where we had concerns that the recommended actions were not being progressed fast enough, we called for improvements."

A spokesperson for the trust

said the summary, recommendations and actions had been available "upon request" and shared with commissioners and regulators. An NHS England spokesperson said: "Throughout the pandemic, the NHS has safely delivered thousands of babies while keeping staff and patients safe, and the NHS announcement of an additional £95 million to boost maternity services will improve women's experience further.

"All independent reviews should be made available to rele-

deaths and a number of complications.

“Those maternal inequalities are at the heart of what we are doing in our Women’s Health Strategy.”

The other panellists – fertility expert Dr Geeta Nargund, actress Amanda Abbington, and author of ‘Period Power’ Maisie Hill – spoke passionately about the need for women to be listened to in the healthcare space and the fact health concerns are too often dismissed as hysteria

or “just a women’s problem”.

They also spoke about the prevalence of heart disease in women, following a study published in the Lancet earlier this week which revealed the cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, yet remains understudied, under-recognised, underdiagnosed, undertreated in women and is often perceived as a male issue.

Nadine Dorries went on to say: “All women go through menopause, women suffer from infertility and gynaecological problems – but they don’t just suffer from those women-specific issues.

“Women suffer from the same problems as men.

Problems like heart attacks, strokes and diabetes. And yet

BABY DIES SIX HOURS AFTER BIRTH AFTER MOTHER STRANGLED IT A 24-year-old mother killed her newborn daughter right after she was born by dumping her body in a park bush. She has been convicted of infanticide. “Babita Rai, a care home worker, fatally crushed her newborn girl’s skull with repeated and ‘deliberate’ blows to the head in Aldershot Park, Hampshire, in May 2017,” Metro reported. Rai, who was 20 at the time, had given birth under a nearby tree at night after hiding her pregnancy for months. Rai was six months pregnant when she moved to the UK from Nepal, but concealed it from border officials, her GP and colleagues at a restaurant she worked at previously. The baby who was thrown behind a fence died two hours later.

WOMB: WOMEN OF MY BILLION Women of My Billion is a heart wrenching and heartwarming narrative of the plight, dreams, rights and fight against all forms of violence, that unify the women of today's India. Where we share a common reality of living and navigating an indefatigable patriarchal society. Through the lens of a UN Women Champion of Change and Commonwealth Points of Light award winner and activist, Srishti Bakshi, we gain the privilege of discovering and understanding the WOMB, which deserves to be respected, empowered and protected. A perspective that stays at the fore of her on foot journey of 3800km over 240 days, from Kanyakumari (South India) to Kashmir (North India) in 2018. The film stands as a crucial testament to the crisis which has only aggravated in these unprecedented times of Covid. It’ll be featured in the spotlight on the NYIFF Centerpiece Films.

THE RISE OF ASIAN BRIDAL DESIGNER IN BLACKBURN

vant health commissioners and regulators...and [we] expect trusts to take prompt action to address appropriate recommendations."

Women are silent participants in healthcare decisions Minister for Women’s Health Nadine Dorries joined a panel at the AllBright Club in Mayfair today to raise awareness of the government’s call for evidence to inform the first-ever government-led Women’s Health Strategy with the aim of improving health and wellbeing outcomes for women across England.

The panel was chaired by Mika Simmons, co-founder of the Ginsburg Women’s Health Board.

At the event, Minister for Women’s Health Nadine Dorries said: “I’ve worked on a number of inquiries relating to women’s health and all of them have concluded the same thing: that women's voices are not listened to.

“This is clear from the data and women’s stories. Black, Asian and minority ethnic women are 4-5 times more likely to suffer harms during childbirth, neonatal deaths, maternal

in brief

their voices are often missing from the healthcare space.

“What we want to do is turn that around to have women's voices at the heart of policymaking. To do that we need to hear women's voices, we need to know what women's experiences are and the only way we can do that is by talking to women.”

The call for evidence, which has now had over 70,000 responses, encourages women to share their experiences as well as their priorities for a Women’s Health Strategy.

The Minister spoke of the importance of more women coming forward to respond to the Call for Evidence which closes on 13 June.

She also said, “I believe that by directly approaching women we will begin to uncover what the problem is in the healthcare sector that means women are silent participants in healthcare decisions. That is the point of the strategy.”

Blackburn based Asian bridal designer has reportedly opened a studio that has a range of modest clothes. Raeesah Jassat, the 31year-old who started her business 10 years ago, is also a Representational image mother to three children and hails from Blackburn. She has started her clothing brand, Valentina Rose last year in September, with bespoke dresses including bridal wear, simple gowns and ready to wear dresses, a local news website reported. She wanted to create something “wanted to create a modest brand for especially Muslim girls but caters to every client regardless of faith”. Speaking to Lancashire Telegraph, she said: “I have always been interested in fashion and business. My husband and I run two restaurants, but I keep coming back to this and wanted to have my own brand. It is nice to represent and support all different kinds of women and have something for my daughters to look up to as well. And so many women look for modest wear that's still glamorous and affordable, I wanted to provide that because it's important for all women to feel comfortable."

Jassat keeps a stock of “hugely popular modest clothing range, giving an option for every type of dresser” and she also recreates dresses that clients want suited best to their budgets. The business was originally set to launch in February 2020 but after the pandemic halted her plans, Mrs Jassat finally started again in September.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

UK 15

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

29 May - 4 June 2021

Has the world of travel shut down?

Shefali Saxena With the government announcing the UK’s green list for travel, whereby UK citizens can fly to only 12 destinations, including Australia, New Zealand and Portugal, Back Heathrow’s Parmjit Dhanda demands the government must continue to reopen international travel to safe destinations, or areas around our airports will see a sharp increase in unemployment.

It says those from ethnic minority communities stand to be hardest hit by the struggles facing airlines and airports due to Covid 19, and face being left behind as the government focuses on levelling up in the north.

As of early this week, countries such as Brazil, South Africa and India are on the red list, with high infection rates and variants forcing arrivals from these countries to go into hotel quarantine. But other countries with high infection rates are still on the amber list, with some having higher infection rates than red-list countries.

Covid-19 impact on business Exploring the developments in the travel industry after the lockdown is eased in the UK and countries on the Green List, Asian Voice tried to get a sense of bookings and how the business will be impacted due to the Indian strain of the Coronavirus in the UK. Hitesh Mehta, Managing Director - Citibond told Asian Voice, that it has been a tough year for all and in particular the Travel Sector. “We spent the first lockdown cancelling and rebooking holidays and bringing guests back safely from there. It was a mammoth task but our team worked tirelessly to bring our guests back and rebook or refund any that had to be cancelled,” he said.

Mehta further added, “Since then we have continued to assist our clients with booking and rebooking on many occasions as destinations came in and out of travel corridors and restrictions. It has been a year like no other, but we look back on it as having learnt a tremendous amount and one that will hold us in good shape

Bhupendra M Gandhi

moving forward.”

However, Mehta also stated, “The world of travel has literally shut down. We have had to evolve from making peoples dreams come true to managing their expectations and becoming their advisors.

We have been fortunate to keep our whole team in place and maintain the various skillsets and experience to ensure all sections of the business remain focused and our clients continue to receive a seamless service. The Citibond Team has coped so well professionally and personally and I am very proud to call them my team. The current Indian Virus has caused more concerns, but the news that the vac-

Hitesh Mehta

cine is also having a positive impact on these this and other strains gives us more confidence.

For the short and medium-term it will be a case of managing clients travels plans around many government guidelines, but as more of the world gets vaccinated, we will see more confidence in people wishing to travel.”

Mehta mentioned that he has many plans in place to navigate through as the new world of travel opens. He said, “The last 12 months have allowed us to take stock. We have continued to work closely with our airline and ground partners around the world. We have many Holidays and Tours in place

and as destinations start opening up we will be able to offer our guests even better experiences. We have reinvested in our systems and people too. The way holidays will be booked and enjoyed will be very different and we are confident that we set right for that. We are ready for the World of Travel to open.

Are we ready to travel?

Asian Voice’s ardent letter writer and reader, Bhupendra M. Gandhi told the newsweekly that he had his last holiday some six months before lockdown due to the Covid-19 epidemic. Mr Gandhi hasn’t given up on his zeal to travel. He said, “Being retired, we loved last-minute unbelievable bargains widely available on the internet, as well as from our travel agent who has looked after us well, being long-standing clients. So we keep our bags ready and paperwork handy to get away at short notice, three to four times a year!” He also mentioned, that due to age and health, the insurance premium would cost more than the holiday, as only a few companies are willing to insure over 75.

Home Secretary’s new immigration plan is digital by default On Monday, Home Secretary Priti Patel wrote about her plans for a digital border launch with new style electronic checks in the Express.

She mentioned that British people deserve a borders system that they have confidence. Patel wrote, “As part of my vision for immigration, tomorrow I will be

publishing a strategy on a digital revolution of our borders. This will mean the system is both easier to operate and, crucially, more secure. Our ‘Digital by default’ system will be giving the UK government for the first time ever the ability to count people in and out of the UK and see who has permission to be here. As part of the

future system, everyone will need a permit to travel to the UK. Those who do not need a visa for short stays or do not have an immigration status prior to travelling will need to apply for an American style Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before heading to the UK. This will provide an enhanced ability to screen arrivals

and stop serious criminals from coming to the UK. People coming in who require visas to work, study or visit will continue to pass security checks before being issued a visa.”

Patel despite being criticised for her perspective on the refugee crisis, went on to write, “I’m unapologetic about wanting to

make the country as secure as possible.”

“My New Plan for Immigration is a wholesale reform of the system. The new digital border will work hand in glove with my plan to fix the broken asylum system and tackle illegal immigration,” she further added.

16 UK

AsianVoiceNews

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

29 May - 4 June 2021

The Sunday Times Rich List 2021 Number of billionaires reach new record during Covid crisis, but fewer Asians featured T

he Sunday Times Rich List 2021 was released last weekend. This year, in the light of the pandemic, the list is confined to only 250 names. Otherwise every year, the list features a minimum of 1000 names across the UK. There are approximately 18 South Asians on the list (more than 10 people of Indian origin).

Asian people based in Britain have been better represented on the Rich List in the past. In one recent edition, nearly 9 per cent of the entries were accounted for by Chinese, Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan individuals and families. This year, due to the pandemic, the representation of ethnic minorities has taken a hit.

The Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship at Aston Business School has estimated that about 250,000 of the UK’s 5.9 million businesses are owned by ethnic minorities, approximately 40,000 of which are owned by black businessmen and women.

These numbers suggest that only 0.67 per cent of UK businesses are owned by black people, even though they account for 3.3 per cent of the British population.

Professor Monder Ram, director of research at the Aston centre, believes banks need to be encouraged to lend to entrepreneurs from ethnic minorities. “Minorities feel they are less favourably treated. So they get discouraged and exclude themselves by not applying,” he said.

The number one rank on the list is that of Russian-origin UK-US dual national, Sir Leonard Blavatnik with an estimated fortune of £23 billion. The annual listing identifies 171 billionaires in all, 24 more than in 2020. Their combined fortunes have risen to £597.269 billion, up 22 per cent in 12 months despite the wider economic impact of the coronavirus.

Zayn Malik is the only Asian name in ‘The Young Rich’ with no chance in his net worth at £36m. Among women, Kiran MazumdarShaw (£2.942bn) and Varsha Engineer (£1.7bn) are the only two Asian names. There are no Asian names on the Unicorn list as well as Giving Away Rich List 2021.

Reuben brothers - making profits in a pandemic Mumbai-born brothers David and Simon Reuben led with their rank as the secondrichest in the UK with an estimated net worth of £21.465 billion. Reubens snapped up undervalued hotels and other

properties during the pandemic. The listing added, “The Reubens have been buying US buildings to upmarket brands that are unlikely to be damaged by the pandemic, such as Tiffany, Armani and Alexander McQueen. There have also been significant investments in Mallorca and Spain, where the brothers plan to build hundreds of luxury retreats.”

Hindujas: third place despite cracks in the empire Last year, the Hindujas shared the second spot with the Reubens last year. In 2021, the Hinduja brothers have slipped to third place with an estimated net worth of £17 billion. The report doesn’t fail to mention that, “Cracks have appeared in the Hindujas' business empire, which has interests ranging from van manufacturing and luxury hotels to banking and healthcare.”

The Rich List 2021 stated: “London-based Sri Hinduja, 85, has become embroiled in a legal skirmish with his three brothers, Gopi (GP), 81, Geneva-based Prakash (PP), 75, and Ashok (AP), 70, who is based in Mumbai… Sri is claiming personal ownership of the Switzerland-based Hinduja Bank, which is overseen by his eldest daughter, Shanu, and her son Karam.”

“In June last year, GP, PP and AP Hinduja had issued a joint statement to say that it is "very unfortunate" that the proceedings are taking place,” The Sunday Times reported and further added that the Hindujas had gone on record to say that, “We intend to defend the claim to uphold these dearly held family values.”

Lakshmi Mittal jumps up from rank 19 to 5 Steel tycoon Lakshmi N Mittal is in the fifth position this year. Mittal has jumped from 19th to 5th rank by adding £7.899 billion. The Rich list also states that Mittal is spending nearly £290 million on a pilot project to slash its [ArcelorMittal Group] carbon footprint, which is not a small endeavour for a company that mined 58 million tonnes of iron ore and made 71.5 million tonnes of crude steel during 2020.

Other Indian - origin billionaires in the top 100 Within the top 100 in the UK, other names of Indian origin are as follows: metals tycoon Anil Agarwal at No. 15 with £9 billion; Sri Prakash Lohia at 36th with £4.783 billion; Lord Swraj Paul and family at 82nd with £2 billion; and Navin and Varsha Engineer at 96th with £1.7 billion.

David and Simon Reuben

Sri and Gopi Hinduja and family

Anil Agarwal

German Khan

Sri Prakash Lohia

Farhad Moshiri

Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani

Mohamed Al Fayed

Christina Ong

Lord Choudrey

Mahmud Kamani and family

Raj, Tony and Harpal Matharu and family

Surinder Arora

Yan Huo

Mohsin and Zuber Issa

Vladimir Kim

Navin and Varsha Engineer

Mike Jatania

Sir Anwar Pervez and family

Jasminder Singh

Lakshmi Mittal

Nadhmi Auchi

Sunil Vaswani

John Shaw and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and family

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

UK

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

17

29 May - 4 June 2021

The first black billionaire to break into The Sunday Times Rich List Few black entrepreneurs have broken into The Sunday Times Rich List over its 33-year history.

Low numbers of black entrepreneurs have raised concerns that banks, private equity groups and other investors are less likely to provide finance to black people.

Strive Masiyiwa

Those who have made it into this newspaper’s wealth rankings in recent years include Mo Ibrahim, 75, who also made his fortune in the telecoms world, and Sir Damon Buffini, 58, who co-founded the private equity house Permira. Two years ago, Zimbabwe-born Valerie Moran, 45, became the first black woman to appear in the Rich List following the success of Prepaid Financial Services, the fintech business she built up with her husband.

The London-based Zimbabwean businessman, Strive Masiyiwa has jumped up on the Rich List 2021, but he has put his work aside to secure Covid-19 vaccines for Africa’s 1.3 billionstrong population and may not have realised his elevation into the ranks of Britain’s super-rich.

At the age of 12, his mother provided the money to pay for his fees and flights that came from her business. He studied electrical engineering at Cardiff University.

60-year-old Masiyiwa is also on the boards of Netflix and Unilever. He’s a father to six children. A committed Christian, he and his wife Tsitsi, 56, set up their Higherlife Foundation in 1996.

The organisation has funded education for more than 250,000 children and provided $70m to combat cholera in Zimbabwe.

The Times reported that “Masiyiwa fled civil unrest in his homeland at the age of seven and later waged a five-year battle against Robert Mugabe’s regime to launch his business. Now he has become the first black billionaire to break into The Sunday Times Rich List with his wealth estimated to be £1.087 billion.”

He is also the African Union’s special envoy on the pandemic and recently signed a deal with Johnson & Johnson for 400 million vaccine doses.

J

ust three months ago, the sad deaths in India were less than 100 per day in a country of 1.4 billion people. Two months later, the situation had deteriorated significantly. It has been awful to watch this tragedy unfold.

The UK and India share a close bond based on our enduring ties and ongoing close cooperation. I was proud to chair the B7, hosted by the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) earlier in May, where we unanimously agreed to tackle the global challenge of the pandemic on a united front. If we are not able collectively to control the spread of the virus it will remain a huge risk for lives and economies around the world. No one’s safe unless we’re all safe.

Since April 26, I have been working with my team at the CBI on an urgent basis, reaching out to our members, including our members who are leading trade associations, to stand in solidarity with India. The CBI is working very closely with the Indian High Commissioner in London and the British High Commissioner in Delhi, as well as the UK Department for International Trade. The CBI office in Delhi has been involved throughout.

It is inspiring how the business community in the UK and CBI members have stepped up to support this cause; the generosity and willingness to help has been immediate and substantial. The CBI’s goal is to help others do the same and ensure the overall response is amplified, relevant and focused in a way which helps India. Actions which businesses can take now include supporting a charity active in the India Covid response, offering goods and services needed on the ground in India, or supporting employees in India and beyond.

CBI members, businesses and their employees across the UK have been donating to charities supporting communities across India. We want to work together to set an ambitious target to create even greater impact. The CBI is working with the British Asian Trust (BAT), which has launched the India Recovery Fund (IRF) to provide support where it is most needed. The IRF is the next phase of BAT’s hugely successful Oxygen Appeal, which many CBI members supported.

“Moto Hospitality colleagues were so moved by the horrific scenes, they wanted to help. By holding raffles, bucket collections, hair-shaving, bicycle rides and setting up a Just Giving page, they have raised an incredible £25,000 which will save more than 15,000 lives,” said Ken McMeikan, Moto Chief Executive.

The India Recovery Fund’s target is to raise £3m over the next three weeks to go towards funding the three most important challenges facing the people of India right now: accelerating vaccinations and urgent medical care, rebuilding livelihoods, and protecting mental health of children.

CBI member Accenture, which helped set up the India Recovery Fund, has made the first donation. Should you wish to donate or learn more please contact The British Asian Trust or the CBI. At this crucial moment we are urging UK

Crisis in India: What can business do to help?

Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE DL Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE DL is President of the CBI. He is the founder of Cobra Beer, Chairman of the Cobra Beer Partnership Limited, a Joint Venture with Molson Coors, and Chairman of Molson Coors Cobra India. He is the Founding Chairman of the UK India Business Council, a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London, and a former Chancellor of Thames Valley University (now the University of West London) - the youngest University Chancellor in the UK when appointed.

firms to donate critical resources and supplies needed in India. Items needed include: Oxygen generators, ventilators and breathing apparatus, lateral flow tests, empty refillable oxygen cylinders, cryogenic tanks of 30/40/50 metric tonnes, ISO containers, in situ oxygen manufacturing plants for hospitals, oxygen generator plants, bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP) machines, PPE, warehousing, transport & logistics. There is also an urgent need for medicines such as Remidisvir, Regeneron, Tocilizumab and Favipiravir to treat those with the virus.

The CBI is additionally working with

Rotary International to support effective distribution.

“Rotary International’s extensive footprint across India enables us to support implementation and get equipment to the right place at the right time” said Nayan Patel, UK Special Advisor, Rotary India Covid Taskforce.

Over the past few weeks, CBI members have come forward to support with critical resources. My thanks for to all of them. Just a few examples include: “Working closely with the CBI, Peak Scientific has been able to provide oxygen to India,” said Jonathan Golby, CEO. “PG Paper Company Ltd, pivoted its business, to procure and deliver over 1,000 oxygen concentrators to India,” said Puneet and Poonam Gupta OBE, Joint Chief Executives.

“Pfizer has mobilised the largest humanitarian relief effort in our company’s history, pledging $70m in medicine donations, rushing shipments of Pfizer medicines from our distribution centers in the US, Europe and Asia,” said Ben Osborn, Managing Director and Country Manager UK. “As part of a global response by Linde plc, BOC, has donated 5,000 medical oxygen cylinders,” said Steve Thompson, Executive Director Sales & Marketing.

“Following the call to UK business to support India from the CBI, Rentokil Initial plc has begun to ship 288 pallets of PPE (inc. coveralls, masks, gloves) and Hand Soaps & Sanitisers - worth around £2.5m. These will be used in 500+ hospitals across India,” said Andy Ransom, CEO. “Amazon is using its global logistics network to purchase, airlift and deliver critical medical equipment,” said a spokesperson for Amazon Europe.

For businesses, the support and wellbeing of their employees is paramount. Many UK companies have colleagues living and working in India who will have been impacted directly by the pandemic. The Chief Human Resource Office India Action Group has been formed by a number of global businesses to share ideas and practical information among chief HR officers trying to help their people in India. For employees, such as those of Indian origin in the UK, organisations like GiveUsAShout offer free, confidential, and anonymous text support services to those who need mental health support. Text SHOUT to 85258.

If you can help in any way, make your voice heard.

Please contact: Peter.Werner@cbi.org.uk

ASIANS IN THE SUNDAY TIMES RICH LIST 2021 (Top 250)

Rank

Name

Worth

(▲) Rise/Fall (▼)

Source of wealth

2 (2=)

David and Simon Reuben

£21.465bn

▲ £5.465bn

Property and internet

2021 (2020)

3 (2=)

5 (19)

15 (15)

Sri and Gopi Hinduja and family

Lakshmi Mittal and family

Anil Agarwal

£17bn

£14.68bn

£9bn

▲ £1bn

▲ £7.899bn

▲ £500m

Industry and finance

Steel: ArcelorMittal

Mining: Vedanta Resources

36 (42)

Sri Prakash Lohia

£4.783bn

▲ £1.178bn

Textiles and plastics

56 (81)

John Shaw and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and family

£2.942bn

▲ £1.134bn

Pharmaceuticals: Biocon

82= (77=)

Lord Paul and family

37 (43)

64 (65)

96= (82=) 118 (142) 125 (50)

128 (111=) 145 (115)

147 (144)

149 (116=)

238 (217=) 244 (93)

Mohsin and Zuber Issa

Simon, Bobby and Robin Arora Navin and Varsha Engineer

Mahmud Kamani and family

Sir Anwar Pervez and family

Raj, Tony and Harpal Matharu and family Surinder Arora and family

Jasminder Singh and family Sunil Vaswani and family The Jatania brothers

Lord Choudrey and family

£4.68bn

2.524bn £2bn

£1.7bn

£1.422bn

£1.364bn £1.3bn

▲ £1.12bn ▲ £413m

▲ £100m

▼ £100m

▲ £391m

▼ £1.738bn

No change

£1.185bn

▼ £80m

£1.159bn

▼ £91m

£1.18bn £648m

£633m

▲ £165m ▲ £5m

▼ £898m

Fuel distribution and supermarkets Discount stores: B&M Industry

Pharmaceuticals: Chemidex Internet retailing: Boohoo Cash and carry: Bestway

Property and hotels: Grange Hotels

Hotels: Edwardian

Transport and food: Stallion Group Toiletries, property and fashion

Cash and carry and pharmacies

*This is not an exhaustive list.

18 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

29 May - 4 June 2021

UK specialist doctor calls Ramdev’s statement on diabetes unscientific and dangerous Yoga Guru, Baba Ramdev on Sunday withdrew his statements on allopathic and modern medicines after receiving a strong-worded letter from Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan who called his remarks “inappropriate”.

Before issuing an apology, Ramdev had alleged that if modern medical science has found the treatment of chickenpox, polio, TB, then Indian medical systems like Yoga, Ayurveda and Naturopathy have developed the

Partha Kar OBE

treatment and permanent solution of complex and hereditary

diseases like hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, thyroid, fatty liver and asthma.

Refuting these claims, UK based Professor Partha Kar OBE FRCP (Consultant Endocrinologist, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and National Specialty Advisor, Diabetes, NHS England) told Asian Voice, “As part of the national diabetes team, we are fully aware of the comments and claims made by Mr Ramkrishna Yadav (also known as Baba

Ramdev) about him "curing Type 1 Diabetes via yoga-and taking them off insulin. We would categorically ask anyone with Type 1 Diabetes and parents of those with children having Type 1 Diabetes NOT to follow this advice- and liaise with their local healthcare professional about any queries they may have before trying this alleged intervention.

This is not scientific and is dangerous- and we would urge MrYadav to withdraw such claims.”

Princess Diana was ‘scared half to death’ by Martin Bashir Martin Bashir won the BAFTA award for best talk show after the Panorama interview with Diana. However, Diana’s biographer, Andrew Morton said that “Princess Diana was scared half to death by Martin Bashir into doing an interview”.

The BBC has reported that in a recent inquiry into how Bashir got Diana to speak to him, it was found this week he gave Diana’s brother Earl Spencer, “fake bank statements showing payments from News International and a trust fund to his former employee” “Lord Dyson, who carried out the independent investigation, also found leading BBC executives covered up Bashir's lies in an inquiry they carried out in 1996,” BBC reported.

Andrew Morton went on to add that there was a "mile-long queue outside Kensington Palace" to interview her and

there was "no question at all that Diana was going to speak her mind". Mr Morton told Sky News, “..but when you think your life is in danger it was very potent. She was put in a state of fear and trepidation and that encouraged her to speak out.”

“She thought she was a target, she thought from what Bashir said she was under the gun, in the sights of the establishment,” he added.

Interestingly, the author and journalist said he disagrees with Prince William and Prince Harry that what she said in the

interview was influenced by Bashir.

"Diana wanted to speak her truth and she'd been stifled for a long time," Morton said.

As per the news reports, Home Secretary Priti Patel has refused to rule out criminal prosecutions following the publication of the Dyson report. Speaking to the Sunday Times, Bashir said he "never wanted to harm" Princess Diana with the interview, adding: "I don't believe we did."

He said he is "deeply sorry" to Prince William and Prince Harry.

Meanwhile, news galore is abuzz that “BBC licence fee could be cut or suspended for five years as punishment for Diana cover-up”. But a senior Government source told The

Times the BBC's status as a world-class broadcaster had now been "tarnished", and the £159-a-year licence fee payment could be frozen over the next five years or even cut.

The Queen was also reportedly “deeply upset” by revelations and repeated criticism made by Prince Harry in his new documentary series with Oprah Winfrey on mental health, it has been reported.

Royal sources were quoted saying, “Harry’s grandmother has taken this very personally and is deeply upset by what Harry has said, in particular, his comments about Charles’ parenting and suggesting his father knows no better because of how he was brought up.”

A news publication was cited saying that the relationship between the duke and the rest of the royal family was “hanging by a thread”.

Anvee Bhutani wins Oxford Student Union’s President By-election Indian-origin Anvee Bhutani (Human Sciences student from Magdalen College) has won the presidential by-election at Oxford Student Union, after the resignation of Indian student Rashmi Samant, who was forced to step down soon after her election to the post amid a row over her past social media posts.

Anvee Bhutani is the CoChair Campaign for Racial Awareness and Equality (CRAE)

at Oxford SU and President of the Oxford India Society. She was declared the winner on Thursday night after a record turnout.

"Use suggestions from student campaigns to work with initiatives like the Oxford and Colonialism hub to push for a more diverse curriculum. Lobby for more funding towards existing mental health support programs including for graduate

Indian student snared by paedophile hunters An Indian student who thought he was meeting a 14-year-old girl for sex broke down and pleaded to be freed after being snared by paedophile hunters.

Minesh Patel of Harrow, London, was confronted by undercover group Guardians of the North before he offered to work for them in a bizarre bid to persuade them to let him go. The 27-year-old had been engaging in sexual chat on WhatsApp with whom he believed to be a child.

Unknown to him, the youngster did not exist and he was actually in commu-

nication with paedophile hunters, who had disguised themselves as the underage girl.

Patel was arrested shortly afterwards and appeared at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday. He pleaded guilty to attempt-

ing to cause or incite a child into sexual activity and one count of attempted grooming. Patel was sentenced to 28 months imprisonment, made subject to sexual harm prevention order for ten years and must sign the sex offender's list.

Sikh salesman sees £6.6m payout for racist abuse A Sikh salesman is seeking a £6.6m payout over a campaign of racist abuse by colleagues who mocked as an 'Arab shoe bomber. Kieran Sidhu, 36, was subjected to bullying and insults in his 46k-a-year job. The psychological harm he suffered was so bad he may be unable to work again and he is seeking £6,638,938 for lost earnings, injury to feelings & aggravated damages.

students; work towards more access and lower wait times for university counselling services,” her winning manifesto read.

According to the student newspaper, the voting had the highest-ever turnout for a byelection and has also beaten the overall turnout for several past annual leadership elections as 2,506 people turned out to vote, a 146 per cent increase from the last byelection in 2019.

Social distancing announcement delayed The Prime Minister has delayed the announcement for social distancing relaxations after a study found that dogs can sniff out Covid.

“The government is now not expected to give the all-clear to the fourth and final step in England’s relaxation of lockdown rules until June 14 – a week ahead of the earliest date for the removal of restrictions on 21 June,” The Indpedented reported. This comes after a study found that specially trained dogs can sniff up Coronavirus with up to 94 per cent accuracy. The findings, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, are based on six dogs who tested more than 3,500 odour samples donated by the public and NHS staff.

in brief in brief AMBER LIST MIGHT BE GREENLIT IN A FORTNIGHT Grant Shapps has said that the Amber list of restriction-free holidays to places like France, Spain, Italy and Greece could expand as early as June - with thousands of Brits already gambling on a European getaway. Meanwhile, Grant Shapps has urged people to be 'patient' about booking holidays abroad amid complaints about the rule. The Transport Secretary hinted that the 'green list' for travel is set to be expanded in a couple of weeks. EasyJet went on record to say that infection levels suggest that France, Spain, Italy and Green could already be added to roll call.

COVID JABS FOR UNDER-30S 'BY THE END OF THE WEEK' Matt Hancock has said that the chances of giving the vaccine to younger people are 'looking good' for Freedom Day on June 21.

As per this plan, Britons in their twenties could be offered Coronavirus vaccines in the next few days because NHS lowered the eligibility age three times last week and it is currently at ages 32-33. Public Health England has also stated that Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs work on the Indian variant.

THE FIRST EXTENSION TO LONDON UNDERGROUND THIS CENTURY TO OPEN IN SEPTEMBER TFL bosses have confirmed that the first extension to the London Underground this century is set to open in September.

Evening Standard reported, “The £1.2bn Northern line extension to Battersea is nearing completion, with test trains having started running last December and both new stations – Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station – approaching their final fitout.” Mr Khan said: “It will be the first major Tube extension this century, and it couldn’t come at a better time to support our city’s recovery from the pandemic and kick-start our economy.” However, without Government help, there may not be another Tube extension for decades. The extension, which was given the go-ahead in 2015 by then-mayor Boris Johnson, was originally meant to open in December 2020 but was delayed after the specifications for the Battersea Power Station station changed.

CUMMINGS CLAIMS, “HERD IMMUNITY WAS INITIAL UK POLICY” PM’s former aide, Dominic Cummings has reiterated that “herd immunity was initial UK policy”. However, Priti Patel has denied this claim. In a lengthy Twitter thread, Cummings had dismissed this as “bullshit”.

Priti Patel told BBC, “Not at all, no.

Absolutely not. Colleagues who were in toplevel meetings on Covid at the start of the pandemic “will absolutely recognise that from the discussions that we had. In a new series of tweets, Cummings went on to write, “Media generally abysmal on Covid but even I’ve been surprised by 1 thing: how many hacks have parroted Hancock’s line that ‘herd immunity wasn’t the plan’ when ‘herd immunity by Sep’ was *literally the official plan in all docs/graphs/meetings* until it was ditched.” Asked about the tweets, Patel said: “I can’t speak for Mr Cummings and one individual.”

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

UK 19

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

29 May - 4 June 2021

Brent had one of the highest rates of child poverty

Bina Shah: Abstract Artist (Part One) Sunetra Senior An artist to watch is Bina Shah. Her multidisciplinary abstract work has been critically acclaimed and recognised through prestigious accolades including Winner of the 2019 Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair Prize, awarded at the National Original Print Exhibition at the Bankside Galleries, and shortlisted for the Boodle Hatfield Printmaking Prize 2020. Bina’s rich life experience and diverse cultural background has been a formative influence: “I spent much of my childhood in Nairobi, Kenya, where my father ran a horticulture business. Much of my younger years were spent outdoors surrounded by nature. This has stayed with me.”

Moving to the UK with its drastically

contrasting cityscape further developed her awareness and appreciation of the multiplicity of textures, sensations and hues of her environment: “Emigrating as a child, we arrived from the heat of Africa to an urban metropolis in the middle of Winter.”

Bina reflects that this dramatic change opened her to new experiences and the possibilities of adaptation: “Like many others of my generation, I had to adapt quickly to this new and alien environment. This sense of adaptation has been a constant throughout my career. I spend a lot of time experimenting before committing to a body of work.”

She began her formal artistic training within the more precise, representative field of illustration. On completing a fouryear course with foundation studies at Harrow School of Art, she was one of the first Indian women in the UK to graduate as an illustrator. And in her final year she was the first person in the history of the Art School to be selected for both national and international exhibitions in the same year. She went on to receive a series of high-profile commissions including illustrating for Vogue, Illustrated London News (1842-2003), Time Out, Cosmopolitan and other well-known magazines. Notably, she was commissioned by Anita Roddick to illustrate the first ‘The Body Shop’ book after designing a range for the iconic Roger La Borde’s greeting cards company. She subsequently went on to illustrate Karen Blixen’s ‘Out of Africa’ book alongside David Shepherd. The book was published in conjunction with the release of the Sydney Pollack’s multiple Academy Award

winning film.

She shared the insights into her organic journey: “The opportunity to take inspiration from and celebrate the indigenous designs and colours of African tribal art, in the context of a western film, and working alongside a classical western artist and renowned book publishers Schuckburgh Reynolds, was a wonderful experience.

Every time I look back to this book it evokes memories of my childhood.” Following a break from full-time illustration to raise her two young children, Bina continued to apply her creative talents in a more commercial context, designing packaging and marketing materials for produce for major supermarkets and wholesalers. This gave her both creative and commercial experience and enhanced her spatial awareness skills which she feels has been helpful in her work as an illustrator and abstract artist. She resists a demarcation between business acumen and the imagination, with her own experiences representing the equal value of both: “Creativity and imagination should be considered a superior skill, in the same way as good accounting. Technology is disrupting the world of work and we are seeing an increasing automation of certain manual processes. Certain things cannot be automated however and as a result, we are seeing increasing value being placed on people who can think independently and creatively. The most successful logos are based on creative branding e.g., Coca Cola, Apple, Rolls Royce, McDonald’s etc.” In fact, at the age of 10 Bina designed a logo for her father’s company; KHE and the trademark flying flamingo logo for air flown produce from Kenya that is internationally considered to be one of the leading brand names in the industry. Thus, the realms of a corporate business and creativity are one and the same.

Additionally, she also made sure her two young children were exposed to all aspects of creativity, encouraging them to keep a little sketch book to journal their travels by drawing and writing. She strongly believes that children have a natural intuitiveness and ability to respond to their surroundings and are uninhibited to

“

“Creativity and imagination should be considered a superior skill, in the same way as good accounting.

Technology is disrupting the world of work and we are seeing an increasing automation of certain manual processes. Certain things cannot be automated however and as a result, we are seeing increasing value being placed on people who can think independently and creatively."

”

express their emotions, something that should always be encouraged; but it is often sadly lost through lack of encouragement

and formal education that mainly focuses on the three R’s. Hence, she taught after school art classes to at a preparatory school to encourage these skills and as finds children’s drawings inspiring as they have a certain primal purity and spontaneity about them. Bina’s contemporary work radiates a raw energy that makes it markedly unique. It is as much a statement of individual authority as it is a sentimental ode to growth.

Here, a timely return to the sensory is also evident in Bina’s recent work as she chooses to add earth and natural pigments in her work: “I’ve always enjoyed the hands-on aspect to my work. I remember as a child growing up in Africa and playing

with that rich, red, indigenous sienna coloured mud and making objects. Hence, I view my practise as about ‘making objects’ rather than a surface and the multi-layered two - dimensional work blurs the boundaries between painting, drawing, printmaking and ceramics to form something entirely new”. She would not necessarily characterise herself as “green” artist, her practise implies a profound respect for the environment. “I consciously try and avoid the use of plastics and chemically-produced pigments where possible, replacing them with natural alternatives. Often using homemade soya milk to bind the natural pigments as well as using gum Arabic, tempera, glair and other natural binders. Harnessing natural materials from nature draws us closer to our primal roots; it can be beneficial to our art and our environment whilst making us more conscious to act responsibly.”

(Part Two to follow Next Week).

Bina’s painting 'Winter Storm on Bracken Fields XII' (see image) has been selected for The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours 209th Exhibition and is on view at: Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1. 20 – 29 May, 11am - 4pm To enquire and view more of Bina’s work please visit: https://www.binashah.co.uk/ https://littlebucklandgallery.co.uk/ https://www.saatchiart.com/binashah

Two-fifths of all children in Brent were living below the poverty line in the lead up to the pandemic.

These new statistics, published by End Child Poverty, also reveal that Krupesh Hirani this was one of the highest rates in the country during the period between April 2019 and March 2020. Local London Assembly Member, Krupesh Hirani AM, said that these “alarming figures” are “yet another wake-up call” for the Government to “fix our broken welfare system”.

End Child Poverty’s research has attributed the high cost of housing as a key driver behind these numbers, which place the capital above every other region of the UK in terms of child poverty levels. The average rate across the country during 2019/2020 was 31%.

In March 2020, the Government raised Local Housing Allowance rates to cover the bottom 30% of rents. However, Mr Hirani believes that Ministers must boost this further to encompass up to 50% of local rent levels, to prevent more families from falling into arrears to private landlords.

He is also urging the Government to make wider reforms to the welfare system, such as an increase to child benefits, the scrapping of the two child-limit and formal five-week waiting period on Universal Credit payments, and a permanent extension to the weekly £20 uplift.

Local London Assembly Member, Krupesh Hirani AM, said: “These alarming figures provide yet another wake-up call to Ministers that prove that after a decade of austerity, the state is failing to fulfil its duty of care for vulnerable people in our society. We are in real danger of child poverty becoming a new normal in our community. We need the Government to take immediate action and throw our children a lifeline by fixing the broken welfare system”.

Twenty-nine men charged for raping a girl over seven years A group of 29 men had been raping a girl for over seven years in West Yorkshire. All 29 have been charged in connection with sexual exploitation and rape. According to BBC, “The offences are said to have taken place in and around Calderdale and Bradford between 2003 and 2010 when the victim was aged between 13 and 20. The men are due to appear at Bradford Magistrates' Court on 7 and 9 July. Eight other suspects arrested during the West Yorkshire Police investigation have been released without charge.”

Neasden Temple donates 24 tonnes of flour to The Felix Project BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London has donated 24 tonnes of flour to The Felix Project. The Felix Project collects fresh, nutritious food and delivers this to charities and schools so that they can provide healthy meals and help the most vulnerable in society, including the homeless. The Felix Project has found many grateful charities to receive this donation from Neasden Temple. The donation from Neasden Temple furthers the collaboration with The Felix Project which included the delivery of 40,000 meals across London in November 2020 during the Hindu festival of Diwali. Earlier last year, Neasden Temple also supplied food to The Felix Project as part of its holistic outreach programme in response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

20 UK - FINANCE

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

29 May - 4 June 2021

Gupta puts three steel plants up for sale in a bid to save GFG empire Metals magnate Sanjeev Gupta has put three of his UK steel plants up for sale as part of a wider restructuring and has held talks with Credit Suisse on a potential standstill deal over $1.2bn in debt.

Gupta’s GFG Alliance said it was seeking to sell a speciality steel plant at Stocksbridge in Yorkshire and smaller plants at Brinsworth and West Bromwich, as it tries to stave off a collapse of the wider group.

The group has been hit by the failure of its main lender, Greensill Capital, and by suspicions of fraud, denied by the company, that are being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office. The SFO and National Crime Agency have also been scrutinising Wyelands, the retail bank owned by Gupta, said Andrew Bailey, the Bank of England governor.

Stocksbridge, which makes high-

grade speciality steel and alloys for customers in the aerospace and defence and automotive sectors, was not core to the company’s vision of producing “green steel”, the company said. It is also selling Sanjeev Gupta two engineering businesses with sites in Essex and Kidderminster. Between them, the plants for sale employ about 1,500 people. GFG’s steel operation, branded Liberty Steel, is Britain’s third-largest steelmaker. The company said it would focus instead on its larger operations at Rotherham, which use electric arc furnaces to produce recycled steel.

Community, GMB and Unite, the steelworkers’ unions, said they were

encouraged by the apparent progress in talks but added “we urgently need a solution to inject cash into the UK arm of Liberty. The trade unions will hold Sanjeev Gupta to his promise that none of our steel plants will close on his watch, the unions added. Kwasi Kwarteng, business secretary, said workers faced “significant uncertainty”. The government was, however, “ready to support Liberty Steel’s dedicated employees and their families affected by any developments”.

Ed Miliband, the shadow business secretary, said it was vital the government and Liberty “secure legal assurances that the Stocksbridge plant . . . will remain open and the workforce will be protected”. Gupta held talks with Credit Suisse in Dubai at the weekend.

Sunak under pressure to back Biden’s global corporation tax plan Rishi Sunak is facing growing pressure to support US proposals for a global minimum rate of corporation tax in the run-up to the UK hosting a pivotal meeting between G7 leaders in Cornwall next month. Labour is expected to trigger a Commons vote designed to force the UK government to back the plan put forward by the US president, Joe Biden, which is being negotiated between more than 130 nations with the hope of securing an agreement this autumn.

Under the proposals, multinational corporations would be prevented from shifting profits across borders to exploit the most attractive low-tax locations, thereby allowing some big tech companies and other firms to avoid British tax and undercut British businesses. It would also set a minimum global corporation tax rate. The Biden administration initially proposed a rate of 21% but last week it appeared to revise this, saying it should be “at least” 15%, although adding that this would be a “floor” and that discussions should continue to push that rate higher.

The plan for an international agreement on a minimum rate has

been gathering support, including from Germany, France, Canada, Italy and Japan, but it has not been endorsed by Britain. Labour said it had tabled an amend- Rishi Sunak ment to the finance bill due in the Commons aimed at forcing the government to back the proposal. It will mark the first major intervention by Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, since her elevation as part of Keir Starmer’s reshuffle after the party suffered heavy losses in the local elections earlier this month.

Reeves said the UK had a “once-ina-generation opportunity” to overhaul global tax rules, and it would help to bring in extra income for the UK exchequer and stop online companies from undercutting British firms. She said: “By making sure they pay their fair share in Britain, we can level the playing field for our brilliant businesses and build an economic recovery with thriving industries, strong public services and good, secure jobs for all.”

The organisation Tax Justice UK has estimated that a 21% global mini-

mum rate would bring in about £13.5bn a year in extra tax benefiting Britain. In the March budget, Sunak announced that the UK headline rate of corporation tax would rise to 25% – but not until 2023.

The UK has played a leading role in reforming its tax system to tackle the rise of online companies, with the introduction of a digital services tax last year. However, the chancellor has faced growing calls to back the Biden plan to curb tax avoidance by big companies and US tech giants.

A senior Conservative party source said the government was engaging with the US and other countries on a global minimum corporation tax rate.

“But any agreement must come as part of a package, including a solution on fair taxation of large multinational digital companies. The Labour party have been calling for a global minimum rate of tax, while at the same time voted against the rise in domestic corporation tax. It’s time the Labour party made up their mind about where they stand.”

CBI calls for reform in its £700bn plan to uplift UK economy The chief of the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) has urged the government to work with businesses to help the economy recover after the pandemic as the employers’ group seeks to reset relations with ministers after Brexit. The group has set out a £700bn economic plan it wants the government and British businesses to follow to help the country recover from the “twin shocks” of Brexit and Covid-19.

As part of this programme, the business group called on ministers to reform UK regulation to incentivise investment and innovation, such as by requiring all regulators to prioritise these areas as part of their core remits. In a report entitled “Seize the Moment”, the CBI also wants ministers to help develop economic clusters around the country, building regional and national comparative advantages such as in renewables in the North East and in advanced manufacturing in the West of England.

The five-year plan marks an attempt

by Tony Danker, who joined the CBI recently as director-general, to relaunch the employers’ organisation, which had a fractious relationship with ministers for several years owing to its opposition to Brexit. Danker said that the government’s economic ambitions needed to be

that there is need for a “normalisation” of relations with the EU as a trading partner, adding that there had been a “high degree of politics” so far in negotiations with the bloc.

turned into business policies. He pledged to work closely with Boris Johnson’s government on the plans, promising that the CBI would “roll its sleeves up” to help with a range of activities across the UK. “This is the moment where we have a genuine chance to make big bets on how the UK economy will grow and compete,” he said. “To use that appetite to invest, to collaborate globally after a decade of protectionism.” If the UK manages to achieve improvements across a range of areas - from growing overseas trade, developing skills and decarbonisation strategies - then the result would be an economic boost of about £700bn.

He said that the CBI would create ‘action groups’ of business leaders to push the plan on the ground and to conduct a progress review at its annual conference every year for the next five years.

The CBI also wants to encourage businesses to step up exports. Danker said

Dear Financial Voice Reader, Alpesh Patel When the US Markets Hits All-Time Highs, Why Does Your Portfolio Not Follow Higher?

The resurgent US stock market has hit all-time highs this year. However, not everyone’s portfolio has followed suit.

Here we’ll look at which sectors are performing well and which stocks have good potential.

Tech Stocks So far, May has been a tough month for some of the pandemics biggest winners. The NASDAQ 100 Technology Sector Index’s steady climb has taken a hit due to concerns over rising inflation rates. Apple, Alphabet and Intel have all dropped this month following comments by US Treasury secretary Janet Yellen.

Yellen has suggested that bubbling inflation means that interest rates might need to rise to prevent ‘overheating’ in the economy.

In addition, Lina Khan’s appointment to the Federal Trade Commission could be problematic for some of the bigger tech giants. Khan, a tech critic, has an antitrust plan that could see the regulator target Amazon, Google, and Facebook.

Rising Inflation Rates Indeed, rising inflation rates pose a problem for investors. Annual consumer price inflation was up 4.2% last week. While there are several factors at play here, expansionist monetary and fiscal policy is chief amongst them.

For many, the Fed’s readiness to keep interest rates low has been a significant factor in the US markets' vast gains over the recent year. Higher interest rates reduced the appetite for risk, which could result in an overall market decline.

However, if growth stocks are taking a hit, it may be because other sectors are looking good to investors. The big question is that if tech stocks have reached the top, which other sectors are worth considering?

Sector Rotation Sector rotation is the process of moving investment from one industry to another. The theory is that the economy works in cycles, and specific sectors perform better depending on which cycle we are in.

Recently we have been in a bull market. However, throughout May, many sectors are feeling the pressure. Tech stocks have dropped, and the Energy and Housing sectors have declined.

What Should Investors Do? Considering the above, investors have a few options. #1. Tech stock profit-taking With stay at home orders being lifted, consumers will be out and about spending money. It could be time to cash in on tech stock gains from the last year. #2. Value stocks and Rebounding Industries.

Now might be the right time to invest in value stocks.

Additionally, resurgent industries like retail, construction, finance and transport could be ready to bounce back. #3. Energy is Looking Interesting Despite concerns about problems in the Middle East, the energy sector could offer some growth as the global economy begins to power up.

We don’t want to trade our investments or be a speculator. We want solid companies we review annually. Learn more about investing (free) on my Campaign – www.campaignforamillion.com to teach a million people how to invest.

Alpesh Patel OBE www.campaignforamillion.com alpesh.patel@tradermind.com

Johnson confronts hard choices of his free trade agenda Boris Johnson sold the idea of exiting the EU to voters in part with a pledge that it would free the UK to make “buccaneering” trade deals around the world. Now that vision is running up against the realities of the hard compromises it involves. A planned agreement with Australia has split the cabinet – between ardent free-traders and those who fear the impact on agriculture, and on the UK itself, if Scottish and Welsh farmers are hit hardest. It makes political and economic sense for the government to aim for zero tariffs and quotas in a deal, at least as an end destination. But it must not do so blindly, without regard for the political fallout.

A deal with Australia would be an important symbolic prize: the first large post- Brexit trade pact that does not largely “roll over” arrangements the UK enjoyed as part of the EU. Since Australia is a founder member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, it would be an important step towards joining what is now the CPTPP, securing beneficial

access to Pacific Rim trade. Reaching an Australia agreement would also pave the way to bigger deals with the US. Conversely, failure would make other agreements less likely. The vision of bold, freetrading Global Britain would wither. But Canberra has demanded complete removal of tariffs on exports - including of farm goods such as beef, lamb and pork. Britain’s farming industry says it could not compete with the country’s vast industrialised farms.

The prime minister has prevailed in cabinet, insisting the UK should offer a tariff- and quotafree package to Australia, though reportedly with tariffs only removed over a period of up to 15 years to allow time to adjust. Farmers’ concerns may for now be overblown. But an Australia deal would also set a precedent for talks with the US and Brazil, the two biggest beef producers. The increased competition over time could reshape Britain’s agricultural landscape - both economically and physically.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

FINANCE & REAL ESTATE 21

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

29 May - 4 June 2021

India challenges $1.2 bn Cairn arbitration award India has challenged an international arbitration tribunal asking it to return $1.2 billion to UK's Cairn Energy Plc on grounds that it had never agreed to arbitrate over a "national tax dispute", the finance ministry said.

While the government appointed a judge on the three-member arbitration panel and fully participated in the proceedings against India seeking $1.2 billion in back taxes from Cairn, the ministry said the tribunal "improperly exercised jurisdiction over a national tax dispute that the Republic of India never offered and/or agreed to arbitrate."

India had seized and sold shares of Cairn in its erstwhile India unit, confiscated dividend due and withheld tax refunds to recover the tax demand it had levied two years after passing a law in 2012 that gave it powers to levy tax retrospectively.

In December last year, Cairn won an award that held the levy of taxes using the 2012 law unfair on the company and the tribunal asked the Indian government to return $1.2 billion plus cost

and interest.

In a statement, the finance ministry called the 2006 reorganisation of Cairn's India business for listing on the local bourses as "abusive tax avoidance scheme that were a gross violation of Indian tax laws, thereby depriving Cairn's alleged investments of any protection under the IndiaUK bilateral investment treaty."

"The award improperly ratifies Cairn's scheme to achieve double non-taxation, which was designed to avoid paying taxes anywhere in the world, a significant public policy concern for governments worldwide," it said, adding the government on March 22 challenged the

arbitration award in a court in The Hague - the seat of the arbitration. It is not clear if a court in The Hague can go into merits of levy of taxation by the Indian government over a corporate amalgamation scheme.

The tribunal that went into Cairn's challenge consisted of three judges - one judge each being named by the company and the Indian government and a third neutral presiding officer.

The three-member panel unanimously overturned the tax and asked India to return the value of shares sold, dividend seized and tax refund withheld. This together with interest and cost comes to $1.72 billion.

With India refusing to

pay, Cairn registered the award in nine jurisdictions including the US, the UK, Canada and Singapore and has started a process to recover the money from government-owned entities.

Earlier this month, it filed a plea in a court in New York for declaring Air India as India's alter ego so it can be forced to pay the award.

"The Government of India is vigorously defending its case in this legal dispute. It is a fact that the Government has filed an application on March 22, 2021 to set aside the highly flawed December 2020 international arbitral award in The Hague Court of Appeal," the Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance said in the statement.

India's appeal before The Hague Court also says that the claims underlying the award are based on an abusive tax avoidance scheme that was a gross violation of Indian tax laws, thereby depriving Cairn's alleged investments of any protection under the IndiaUK bilateral investment treaty.

RBI pays £9.9 bn dividend to govt for just 9 months The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved a £9.91 billion dividend payout to the government for an accounting period of nine months ended March 31, 2021 (July 2020-March 2021).

The amount is more than 73% higher than the entire previous year’s £5.71 billion dividend, despite the period being only nine months due to a change in accounting year to April-March. This is also the highest dividend after the £12.3 billion paid out for FY19 (along with a separate £5.26 billion surplus reserve transferred to the government in that fiscal).

The dividend is also higher than what the government had expected for FY21 in its Budget, which

was announced in February this year. The central government had pencilled in £5.35 billion as dividend from the RBI and other public sector banks for FY21 as against a dividend income of £6.18 billion in FY20. The windfall will help the government with the revenue shortfall arising out of lower tax collections due to the lockdown induced by the resurgence of the pandemic in April-May 2021. The RBI said that its central board approved the payout in its 589th meeting held last week through videoconference. It added that the dividend was paid out after ensuring that its contingency risk buffers were at 5.5% of its balance sheet.

“The higher transfer is clearly due to two factors: Higher interest income on holding of securities due to various OMOs (holding of government bills increased by £30 billion approximately) as well as sharp increase in forex reserves of around $95 billion, which would have earned 2-2.25% interest. This would have also absorbed the cost of reverse repo operations, which were high at above £40 billion through the year,” said CARE Ratings chief economist Madan Sabnavis.

Unlike commercial banks, the RBI generates a higher surplus during adverse financial conditions as it has to repeatedly inter-

vene in the money and foreign exchange market. For instance, when the RBI intervenes to defend the rupee, it makes huge profits as it sells at a premium the dollars that it purchased earlier. Similarly, in the money market, the RBI generates a surplus by lending to banks under term repos. The flip side of a higher dividend payout by the RBI is that it leads to creation of money and could limit the headroom for the central bank to infuse further liquidity should inflation rise in future.

Adani with $67bn is Asia’s 2nd richest man Gautam Adani, the chief of the infrastructure-torenewable energy conglomerate and the second-richest Indian, is now the secondrichest Asian too, behind Reliance Group’s Mukesh Ambani. Last week, Adani went past Zhong Shanshan, the head of a China-based beverages-to-pharma conglomerate. Globally, Ambani is the 13th richest, while Adani is at the 14th place.

As of Thursday last, Adani’s total net worth was $66.5 billion compared to Zhong Shanshan’s $63.6 billion and Ambani’s $76.5 billion, according to

Gautam Adani

Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Adani’s wealth has surged by $32.7 billion this year, while Ambani has lost $175.5 million, a report by Bloomberg said.

Adani’s meteoric rise in fortunes happened in the

last one year since May 2020, as the stock price of each of the group’s six listed companies have galloped northward, BSE data showed. From about $20 billion at the start of May last year, the Adani Group’s aggregate market capitalisation is now nearly $115 billion - a rise of nearly six times. In comparison, the Reliance Group’s aggregate market cap has moved up from nearly $125 billion to a little over $178 billion now.

In the last one year, the stock of Adani Total Gas has rallied 1,145%, the most among all the six group companies. In addition, Adani Enterprises has jumped 827%, Adani Transmission 617%, Adani Green Energy 433% and Adani Power189%. The least of the gains was recorded in Adani Power stock that has rallied 142%. Over this one year, the group, which has also been mired in a huge controversy because of a large buyout of a coal mine in Queensland in Australia, has signed a large number of deals in India.

Filtering out the competition

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

There was a deal done only last Friday, post auction, where the investor bagged a great bargain. It was a detached freehold property, which had planning to convert into two flats. It was supposed to be sold at the auction, but ended up unsold at the end of the auction.

This investor focuses on unsold lots; a good place to source deals, as the competition has now been filtered out. The strategy is to focus on sellers who actually are desperate to sell and do not have a choice in the matter, and who have just missed the boat.

This is how we bought a property which was advertised initially by the agent at £2.3M. We purchased it post auction for £1.2M. Admittedly, the winds were in our sail for this deal. It was just after lockdown was announced, and there were no visits allowed to the property and therefore no valuations either. It didn’t appear the sellers were desperate to sell but for some reason they wanted it off their books, probably as an accounting exercise, which fuels the bonus for the current CEO. This investor is a little bit of a detective and reminds me a little of the character Columbo. He managed to research the current owner and discovered he had bought a larger site which this house was attached too, and part of, just a few months ago. It appeared there was a bridging loan taken very recently to a Luxemburg Company, and therefore, the seller placed the property in auction in order to release some equity, to take off the pressure created by the bridging loan.

It seems the concentration and the energy of the seller was focused on the larger site attached to the original deal he had done. It seems this is where they will be getting planning and making the big returns.

This house was collateral to the deal, and was excess weight; therefore, perhaps the focus was not kept on the smaller residential element of the deal, to the advantage of our investor.

The property, only next door to this one, sold for £575K just a few months ago. That property was about half the size of this one.

This property was closed for £475K, and also has the added benefit of permission to convert it to two flats.

Judging from the pictures there exists the possibility to further convert the pitched roof to add another floor.

Properties in this area of Surrey go for about £600 per sq. ft., this deal was done at £190; about 32% of the value. Therefore, a blinding deal, even allowing for any works required.

SBI Q4 PROFIT UP 80% SBI has reported its highest ever net profit of £645.1 million for the quarter ended March 2021 - an increase of 80% over £358.1 million in the corresponding period last year. The bank also reported its highest ever full year net profit of £2.04 billion, which is 40% over the previous year. The bank has proposed a dividend of Rs 4 per share, which works out into a payout of £356.9 million. The government, which has a 57.6% stake in the bank, will receive over half of the sum. The bank ended the fiscal year with deposits of £368 billion - a 13.5% increase over £324 billion as of March 2020. Advances during the same period rose 5% to £245 billion from £233 billion earlier. The net profit also got a boost with a 17% drop in provisions for bad loans, which dipped to £991.4 million during the quarter from £1.18 billion in the previous year.

SEBI FINES CAIRN, EX-DIRECTORS OF £600,000 Market regulator Sebi has imposed a fine of £570,000 on Cairn India (now merged with Vedanta) and some of its erstwhile directors for irregularities in its buyback programme during the first half of 2014. Sebi imposed a fine of over £520,000 on Cairn India and Rs 150,00,000 each on former directors P Elango, Aman Mehta and Neeraj Sharma.

According to Sebi’s order, between January and July 2014, Cairn India had launched a buyback programme to mop up over 170 million shares at a maximum price of Rs 335 each.

Sebi launched an investigation into the process and found that on several days the company refrained from bidding on NSE and BSE even though the share price was favourable to the offer price.

22 WORLD

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

29 May - 4 June 2021

Imran’s new challenge: Opposition within party ISLAMABAD: Internal rifts have appeared in Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaaf (PTI) after 40 dissident lawmakers led by an estranged party leader, Jahangir Khan Tareen, formed a forward bloc to confront the ruling party over mismanagement in government.

The matter appears to be so grave that the PM and his aides are avoiding public comment because they fear causing further damage to the party. Ever since Imran became PM he has dealt with political opponents with an iron fist to deny them

space to challenge his authority.

Sources familiar with the matter believe that the latest move by Tareen would not be possible without the support the country’s most powerful quarters. By creating a faction within PTI, Tareen has pulled the rug from under Imran, who has a thin majority in the National and Punjab Assemblies and that too with the backing of military-sponsored coalition

partners. In the 342-member National Assembly, PTI has 156 seats (including 10 members of the Tareen group). Pakistan’s PM can be elected with a simple majority of 172 votes in the lower House. In 2018, Imran had secured 176 votes, four more than the required number, to become PM for the first time, with the support of allied parties allegedly backed by the military.

The opposition enjoys the support of 161 legislators, with major opposition party PML-N having 84 members and PPP has 56.

Egyptian mediators hold talks to firm up Israel-Hamas truce GAZA CITY: Egyptian mediators held talks to firm up an Israel-Hamas ceasefire as Palestinians in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip began to assess the damage from 11 days of intense Israeli bombardment. Saturday last marked the first full day of a truce that ended the fourth Israel-Hamas war in just over a decade. In the fighting, Israel unleashed hundreds of airstrikes against militant targets in Gaza, while Hamas and other militants fired more than 4,000 rockets toward Israel. More than 250 people were killed, the vast majority of them Palestinians.

Both Israel and Hamas have claimed victory. There was a widespread expectation that the ceasefire would stick for now, but that another round of fighting at some point seems

inevitable. Underlying issues remain unresolved, including an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade, now in its 14th year, that is choking Gaza’s more than 2 million residents and a refusal by the Islamic militant Hamas to disarm.

The war has further sidelined Hamas’ main political rival, the internationally backed Palestinian Authority. Earlier, thousands of Palestinians in the Al-Aqsa compound chanted against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his selfrule government. “Dogs of the Palestinian Authority, out,” they shouted, and “The people want the president to leave”.

It was an unprecedented display of anger against Abbas.

Despite his weakened status, he’ll be the point of contact for

renewed US diplomacy, since Israel and the West, including the US, consider Hamas a terrorist outfit. US secretary of state Antony Blinken is to meet with Abbas and Israeli leaders in the coming week.

Abbas met with Egyptian mediators, discussing the

rebuilding of Gaza and internal Palestinian ties, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa. An Egyptian diplomat said that two teams of mediators are in Israel and the Palestinian territories to continue talks on firming up a ceasefire deal and security longterm calm.

Dr K N Malik - An Autobiography Captain Dave Jaswal K N Malik’s autobiography has been a very readable and gripping story of a man whose eventful life as a Journalist is full of adventure, exemplary dedication to duty and sociability of high order. His early life was a rare mix of happy times and some very tragic ones which left a deep impression on his mind.

However, these experiences appear to have strengthened his resolve to face life in the raw with great determination. Further development of his character was influenced by his joining The Scouts, RSS and indeed, his unflinching love for sports.

His early devastating experience of his family being displaced from their lovely home In Sheikhupura (now Pakistan) left him totally deprived of the love and luxury of a home. He learnt to fend for himself in difficult situations day after day without the family. He then had an innate desire to help others in need facing similar adversity. This desire then drove him to join a charitable organisation called Quaker.

Most significant and admirable traits of his personality are his extreme generosity, capacity to make friends easily wherever he went. His wit, alertness, highly intelligent mind, interesting talking manner and

easy charm have always attracted those around him. His early training with Scouts and RSS helped him develop certain virtues such as his utter confidence in the face of hardships, daring attitude and always sticking to the principle of calling a spade a spade.

His working career as a journalist has been rather illustrious – meeting and dealing with, and of course befriending, big wigs of all professional description, ranging from political figures like countries’ Presidents & Prime Ministers and beyond to say the least. His popularity grew immensely during his career with “The Times of India”. He was popularly addressed as “KN” by all those who knew him.

KN’s journalism activities took him around the world on several occasions. Throughout his term with The Times of India, he had great affinity for the university where he post- graduated

from. Equally his love for Coffee Houses made it easy for him to meet many dignitaries, and which venues were ideal to discuss professional matters, apart from creating new friendships.

He was often invited by the universities (India & abroad) to give lectures on journalism to graduation students. His work on this account was recognised with the title of Honorary Doctorate bestowed upon him. Likewise, he earned numerous laurels in his professional pursuits. However, life was not always smooth sailing for him – ups & downs pattern of every life as expected! A worrisome situation arose during the national emergency imposed by the then Indira Gandhi government. KN continued his reporting on the events of the day in his usual unbiased, open and frank style. His fearless, factual and independent reporting appeared to have put some in the government at risk of being exposed. As a consequence KN was told to transfer to London where he continued with his professional work involving varied activities. Nevertheless, his work with The Times of India had left an indelible mark on his conscience for good which he loved dearly and missed, even to this day.

Whilst in London, KN continued to visit India with his wife

Lily on a regular basis for 2 to 3 months each year. He always chose to stay in India International Centre (IIC) where he was always a privileged guest.

This venue provided him the facility to meet up socially with all his family & friends left behind in India.

After retirement, KN decided to return to India. But this had to be called off upon Lily’s wise counsel in favour of staying back for sake of avoiding interruption to the education of the two young sons in the UK. This decision to stay back brought big relief to all his local friends who by now had close bonds with the Malik family.

KN has always been very closely attached to his near and dear ones, whether family or friends. In return they have given him lots of affection and support throughout. He recognises that this support has been one of the main causes of his exemplary success in life. KN will have left behind a legacy of brave and impartial journalism. To sum up his life, with all the varied activities he has done, and still continues to do, something great and worthwhile will have been achieved. KN is indeed a blessed being. All those who have known him would like to extend their affections and best wishes for his health and long life.

in brief ALABAMA LIFTS BAN ON YOGA IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS For the first time in nearly three decades, Alabama will allow yoga to be taught in its public schools, but the ancient practice will be missing some of its hallmarks: Teachers will be barred from saying “namaste” and using Sanskrit names for poses. Chanting is forbidden. And the sound of “om” which combines breathing exercises and stretches, is a no-no. The changes follow the signing of a bill by Governor Kay Ivey, a Republican, overriding a 1993 ban on yoga instruction in public schools by the state’s board of education. Some conservative groups had called for the prohibition to be preserved, contending that the practice of yoga is inseparable from Hinduism and Buddhism and amounted to a religious activity. The measure, which takes effect from August 1, gives school boards the final say over whether to offer yoga to students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Participation will be optional under the legislation.

SEVEN KILLED IN BLAST AT PRO-PALESTINE RALLY IN PAK A bomb blast at a pro-Palestinian rally left at least seven people dead and 14 injured in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province last week, reports said. The rally was organised by the Jamiat Ulema- i-Islam-Nazaryati, Balochistan government spokesman Liaquat Shahwani said while strongly condemning the attack saying terrorists wanted to “destroy Balochistan’s peace”. According to police, the explosive material was packed into a motorbike parked near the vehicle of a religious leader who was participating in the rally. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

PAKISTAN GIVES US OVERFLIGHT PERMIT FOR ITS AF PRESENCE Pakistan has allowed the US military to have overflight and access to be able to support its presence in Afghanistan, a top Pentagon official has told lawmakers. Assistant secretary of defence for Indo-Pacific Affairs David F Helvey also told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee that the US will continue its conversation with Pakistan due to the important role it has played to support the peace process in the war-torn country. Helvey said Pakistan has allowed the US to have overflight and access to be able to support its military presence in Afghanistan. “Pakistan has played an important role in Afghanistan they have supported the peace process,” he said. “We’ll continue conversations with Pakistan because their support and their contribution to the future of peace in Afghanistan is going to be critical,” the official said.

MYANMAR POLL BODY TO DISSOLVE SUU KYI’S PARTY Myanmar’s junta-appointed election commission will dissolve Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party for vote fraud in a November poll, local media reported. News websites said the announcement was made at a meeting with political parties that was boycotted by many, including Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy. The army seized power accusing the NLD of obtaining victory through a manipulated vote, though the electoral commission at that time had rejected its complaints. The NLD had committed fraud “so we will have to dissolve the party’s registration”, the chairman of Union Election Commission Thein Soe was cited as saying. The National Unity Government, an alliance of democracy groups, said it was a ploy to cling to power.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

WORLD 23

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

29 May - 4 June 2021

in brief TUNISIA PLEADS WITH PARLIAMENT TO APPROVE $4 BN IMF LOAN The governor of the Tunisian Central Bank Marouane Abassi said that there was no other solution for Tunisia than to turn to the International Monetary Fund to balance its budget, warning that appealing to its establishment would lead to a spiral of inflation. "If we do not negotiate with the IMF, no one will agree" to provide Tunisia with the external financing it needs, warned Abassi during a hearing in Parliament, while calls are multiplying not to take out a fourth loan in 10 years with the IMF. Tunisia, which is struggling to pay off its debts and balance its budget, is in discussions with the IMF for a new multi-year loan in return for socially difficult reforms designed to clean up its finances. The Central Bank is not ready to open the floodgates to finance the budget, because within four months we would find ourselves with triple-digit inflation," warned Abassi, giving "the example of Venezuela" where hyperinflation has accentuated the social crisis.

SPAIN INTENSIFIES DEPORTATIONS OF MOROCCO MIGRANTS Earlier this week, security forces in Spain's Ceuta border control were seen struggling to contain the crowd of migrants coming from Morocco. Later, Spain said it had already managed to deport some 6,000 people back to Morocco. Most of those who entered into the spanish enclave of Ceuta were young men and teenagers, who said they were willing to do anything to escape unemployment, poverty, and hunger in Morocco. Since the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, living conditions have severely affected in the North African country.

Tensions are still running high between Spain and Morocco. Spain accused Morocco of "blackmail" for allowing migrants to cross into its territory.

NIGERIAN ARMY CHIEF KILLED IN AIR CRASH Nigeria's army chief Lt-Gen Ibrahim Attahiru has been killed in a plane crash in the northwestern state of Kaduna, officials say. The incident happened as the plane was trying to land in bad weather, the military said.

Ten other officers, including the plane's crew also died. President Muhammadu Buhari said he was "deeply saddened" by the crash. Gen Attahiru, 54, only took up his post in January in an overhaul of the military's top brass. It was part of the government's plan to boost the military's efficiency in fighting a more than decadelong jihadist insurgency. The Nigerian Air Force said the incident happened as the plane was landing at Kaduna International Airport. On Twitter, the president said the crash was a "mortal blow... at a time our armed forces are poised to end the security challenges facing the country".

BULLET TRAIN DRIVER PULLED UP ONE MINUTE LATE The driver of a speeding Japanese bullet train handed over the controls to an unqualified conductor so he could answer an urgent call... of nature, a rail operator has revealed. The driver’s toilet trip might have gone unnoticed, except for the fact that his train with 160 passengers was subsequently one minute late, which prompted a probe in a country famous for punctuality. The driver confessed that he had left his post after experiencing abdominal pain and was away for three minutes as the train ran at 150kmph. Bullet trains are tightly controlled by computerised central command systems, but drivers are required to deal with any unexpected situation.

Doshi Center for Integrative Medicine opened in Los Angeles LOS ANGELES: In the midst of a global health crisis, the Maharishi International University opened the Doshi Center for Integrative Medicine.

A $5 million donation in the form of a two-story building, in a prime locale on Sepulveda Boulevard in Los Angeles, by Indian American philanthropists Navin and Pratima Doshi had made this possible, announced Dr John Hagelin, president of MIU, at an online event and a small inperson audience.

Well known for their support of research and study of India and its traditions, for the Doshis, this marks one more in a series of donations to academic institutions. While the couple’s endowments support chairs on Indic systems and history at public and private schools like UCLA and Loyola Marymount, the new Doshi Center is envisaged to run as a clinic for treatment, training, and research on Ayurveda.

Hagelin said patients will be able to get medical evaluations from both a Western medical doctor and an ayurvedic vaidya working alongside each other.

He said the Center would also serve as a residential site during clinical training for the hundreds of online students enrolled in their undergraduate and graduate programs.

The Center is currently open for two days a week and by Fall is expected to expand to all days of the week under the aegis

of medical supervisor Dr. John Zamarra, a Los Angeles cardiologist, and vaidya Dr. Manohar Palakurthi. The latter, in his talk, compared the Doshis to a leader from mythology, King Rantideva, who is credited to have said, “I do not have desire for kingdom or birthlessness but just mitigating the sorrows of the living.”

Earlier, Navin Doshi, in remarks that were sweeping and personal, seemed to confirm the sentiment saying, “Money, like

blood, is the life energy of all social systems. Circulation must continue to keep the living organism alive and vital.” The philanthropist said that “earthly pleasures” were short lived, but charitable acts were feel-good acts that lasted forever, engendered by spiritual, material and mental interconnectedness.

Doshi was candid, openly acknowledging the benefits of giving and the ensuing tax breaks. But he also was moving when he said, “When I die, materially everything including my possessions stays here with my dead body, but my good deeds will stay in minds of most people.” Explaining what drove the couple to give to MIU, he pointed to the holistic education that is provided on the campus as well as the simple living that was embraced by the people there, most of whom had eschewed lucrative careers that their talent and ivy league education could have garnered.

Biden to host Floyd family on his first death anniversary US President Joe Biden marks the anniversary of the police murder of George Floyd by hosting the African American man's family - but without being able to celebrate hoped-for national police reform Washington: US President Joe Biden marks the anniversary of the police murder of George Floyd by hosting the African American man's family - but without being able to celebrate hoped-for national police reform.

Floyd's daughter Gianna, his mother, sister and brothers will be among those attending private talks with Biden at the White House, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

"The courage and grace of his family, and especially his daughter Gianna, has really stuck with the president," she told reporters. "He's eager to listen to their perspectives." The choking to death of Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 last year and subsequent conviction of the officer, Derek Chauvin, who'd knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, were seen as seminal moments in the long US struggle for racial equality.

After the killing during Floyd's arrest outside a store, protests and riots erupted across a country already crackling with tension from the election battle between Biden and then president Donald Trump.

In the wake of the verdict this April against Chauvin, who faces sentencing next month, Biden sought to build on political momentum by urging Congress to pass a far-reaching police reform bill in time for the first anniversary. Americans must confront the "systemic racism" revealed by Floyd's killing "head on," he declared.

However, the ambitious deadline comes with only the House having passed the bill, known as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, while the Senate continues to wrangle over key details. The bill seeks to

reform what critics say have become ever more violent and unaccountable police forces around the country.

Opponents argue that police are being unfairly blamed when they are simply trying to operate in a dangerous and often heavily armed society. However, Biden and reform proponents say that

a culture of impunity and underlying racism have made incidents like Floyd's death increasingly common.

Among other measures, the bill would ban potentially fatal restraint techniques used on suspects, like chokeholds. It would also end so-called "noknock warrants," when police are authorized to burst into a suspect's house unannounced - a volatile situation that led to the accidental killing of a Black woman, Breonna Taylor, in Louisville, Kentucky, in March 2020.

We must ensure that change happens – Labour leaders On the 1st anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, the Labour Party reasserts its commitment to tackling racial injustice and ending structural racism in the UK. In a joint statement, Labour leader Keir Starmer, Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy and Shadow Women & Equalities Secretary Marsha De Cordova pay tribute to the global movement sparked by the death of George Floyd.

The leaders highlight a series of campaigns which Labour will continue while in opposition, and changes the Party would bring forward in government. David Lammy said: “George Floyd looked like me, he could have been me. That’s why his death reverberated around the world. People said: none of us can breathe when we still face the issues of structural racism in our lives every day.”

Keir Starmer said: “These injustices have long scarred our society, but they have been brutally exposed by Covid. On the 25th of May 2020, not only did people see the violence on a street in Minneapolis but they could see the violence and destruction that structural racism was having on Black communities in their own societies as a result of the pandemic. We must ensure that change happens. And that is what the Labour Party is committed to.”

Extreme cold weather in China kills 21 marathon runners BEIJING: Twenty-one people, including two of China’s top marathon athletes, died after freezing rain and high winds struck a 99-km mountain race in northwestern China, local officials said. Liang Jing, 31, an ultramarathon champion, and Huang Guanjun, the winner of the men’s marathon for hearingimpaired runners at China’s 2019 National Paralympic Games, were among those found dead, according to state media.

The deaths prompted outrage in China, with online commentators questioning the preparedness of the local government that organised the

race, held at Yellow River Stone Forest Park in Gansu Province. Hours into the event on Saturday, the weather suddenly deteriorated as the runners were climbing 6,500

feet above sea level to the 19-km mark, according to Zhang Xuchen, the mayor of Baiyin city.

Runners dressed in shorts and T-shirts were suddenly facing freezing conditions, and rain turned to hail.

Some passed out from the cold.

“In a short period of time, hailstones and freezing rain fell in the area, and there were strong winds,” he said. “The temperature dropped.” By evening, officials had started a

rescue effort involving 1,200 people, along with thermal imaging drones, state media reported. The race has been organised by the local government for the past four years. It was seen as a way to promote tourism in the area, which is one of China’s poorest provinces. This year, 172 people participated. “This is totally a manmade calamity. Even if the weather is unexpected, where were the contingency plans?” one commentator wrote. The Gansu Province government has set up a team to investigate the deaths, according to state news media.

24 INDIA

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

29 May - 4 June 2021

SOUTH INDIA

Recoveries outnumber new Covid cases in Karnataka BENGALURU: The coronavirus toll in Karnataka breached the 25,000-mark as the state reported 626 new fatalities, while 25,979 infections were added afresh. The number of recoveries continued to outnumber new cases, with 35,573 patients getting discharged, as the total number of infections in the state stood at 24,24,000, the state health department said.

Out of the 25,979 new cases, 7,494 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 12,407 discharges and 362 deaths. As of May 23 evening, cumulatively 24,24,904 Covid-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 25,282 deaths and 19,26,615 discharges.

Total number of active cases in the state stood at 4,72,986.

While the positivity rate for the day stood at 20.76 per cent, case fatality rate (CFR) was at 2.40 per cent.

Among 626 deaths, 362 are from Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural 30, Mysuru 22,

Ballari 18, Uttara Kannada 17, Kalaburagi 15, followed by others. Among the districts where the new cases were reported, Bengaluru Urban accounted for 7,494, Mysuru 2,222, Hassan 1,618, Tumakuru 1,269, Ballari 1,190, Belagavi 1,066, followed by others.

Tamil Nadu extends lockdown The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday extended the full lockdown in the state by another week amid a crippling second Covid wave sweeping the country. The previous lockdown was to end on May 24. The state reported 467 new deaths, a 17.6 per cent increase over 397 reported a day

ago, as it registered 36,184 new cases, the health department's data showed.

The number of new infections was 1 per cent higher than the earlier days tally of 35,579, which was its highest ever.

There are currently 2,74,629 active coronavirus cases in the state with a positivity rate of 21.8 per cent. According to the new guidelines, shops will remain for two days to help public stock up on things. Mobile outlets, through the network of local bodies, will help supply vegetables and fruits in Chennai and across the state, said the government. All malls have been ordered to stay shut.

Spike in Kerala Covid deaths The spike in daily Covid deaths in Kerala continued as the state reported 188 deaths over the past 24 hours. The number of new infections dipped, with 17,821 new cases

reported on Monday. The state government, meanwhile, extended the lockdown restrictions till May 30. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the media that the lockdown" in "triple Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Thrissur will be withdrawn as the positivity rate and active caseload have come down in these districts.

Normal lockdown restrictions will be in place in these districts. The triple lockdown in Malappuram, however, will continue.

In a deviation from the trend seen during the first wave of Covid, when Kerala was able to keep the death count low despite a surge in infection, the second wave has pushed up the daily death count in the state.

The state's daily death count crossed 100 for the first time on Wednesday when it reported 112 deaths over 24 hours. The number climbed to 128 on Thursday and 196 on Monday.

The total Covid death count in the state is now over 7,000.

PUNJAB

Punjab extends Covid-19 curbs till May 31 CHANDIGARH: With the state continuing to report high Covid positivity and CFR, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday ordered extension of all existing restrictions up to May 31, with directions for strict enforcement of all the curbs.

The CM said that DCs will continue to determine the opening of shops in a staggered manner and enforce other restrictions to check the spread of Covid, especially in rural areas. They can also make suitable amendments based on local condition as long as these do not dilute the state’s overall restrictions, the CM said.

Reviewing the Covid situation at a high-level meeting, the CM said while the restrictions so far had shown results, with some decline in day to day positivity and cases coming down from around 9,000 to 6,000, there was need to extend the same in view of the high positivity of 13.1% as of May

9-15 period, with CFR standing at 2.4. The CM also directed the district administrations to investigate complaints of fleecing of patients by some private hospitals, warning that they would be shut down if they continue to indulge in such practices. Such cases have to be strictly dealt with, he said, directing the police department to crack down on those found indulging in hoarding or black marketing of any Covid related essentials or medicines.

The CM also expressed concern over the spread of the new fungal disorder associated with Covid. He stressed the need to increase surveillance for this

disease as, if it is not treated early, it can cause severe complications. He also directed the health department to ensure that medicines to treat this disease are available with the state. These should be procured before there is panic for these medicines as well, he said, and asked the department to also reexamine the SOP to see if there is anything that can be done to prevent this disease from occurring.

He asked the DCs to ensure that food kits are delivered to those in quarantine, reiterating that nobody should sleep hungry. He complimented the DGP on the successful launch of the ‘Bhojan Helpline’. The situation continues to be grim, leaving no scope for laxity, said the CM, directing DGP Dinkar Gupta to ensure strict compliance of the restrictions, with no deviation to be allowed.

While appreciating the efforts of various departments in

combating the pandemic, he said the battle continues amid apprehensions of more possible waves ahead.

Stressing the need to avoid the kind of situation that was prevailing in the villages of Uttar Pradesh, Amarinder announced a unique Covid Fateh programme as part of a ‘Corona Mukt Pindu Abhiyaan’ to tackle the worrying spread of Covid in the rural areas. Terming it a war that needed the involvement of all sections of the community, the Chief Minister directed the Health and Rural Development Departments to spearhead the campaign with large-scale mobilisation of the community in the villages. Terming the casual attitude of the people towards symptoms like cold and cough, which they do not report timely, as the biggest issue, Amarinder called for early identification of the infected people to ensure their early treatment.

WEST BENGAL

CMs made to sit ‘like puppets’at PM Modi's meet: Didi KOLKATA: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said she felt “insulted and humiliated” at the Covid meeting chaired by PM Narendra Modi - with chief ministers and district magistrates - because the CMs were made to sit “like puppets”, without being given a chance to speak. She termed the virtual meeting “casual and a super flop” and alleged Modi tried to “play down” the Covid threat.

The PM was feeling “insecure” and trying to hide it by sheer arrogance, she said.

“Are we puppets or bonded labour? We were invited to the meeting while the PM interacted with some of the DMs and then gave a speech. He

Mamta Banerjee

didn’t have the courtesy to listen to us,” Mamata said after the meeting got over. “The CMs of Bengal, Maharashtra and Kerala were present in the meeting. We had many things to ask about the supply of vaccines, oxygen and medicines, but we couldn’t. There are black fungus

cases in the state. Nobody asked us about it. It is a blatant violation of the federal spirit. All the CMs should come together against such an insult.”

Mamata said Modi tried to play down the Covid threat.

“The PM said the Covid wave was on the slide. This is what they did after the first wave. You all know how elections were held in eight phases despite our plea to club the phases and how the virus has now spread to the villages,” she said.

Mamata tried to derail meeting, says BJP Meanwhile, recalling occasions when West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee did not participate in meetings

called by Modi on Covid in the past, BJP said Mamata tried to derail the PM’s interaction with district magistrates on management of the disease. At a press conference, senior BJP functionary and law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the district magistrate of 24 Parganas was scheduled to speak during the online meeting with the PM but was not allowed to do so by the chief minister. Prasad said Mamata's behaviour was shameful and condemnable but it was only expected from her as the leader has shown her disdain for meetings called by the PM to discuss measures to control the pandemic.

in brief ALL WOMEN CREW BRINGS OXYGEN TO BENGALURU An Oxygen Express train piloted by an "All Female Crew" arrived in Bengaluru with 120 metric tonnes of medical oxygen from Jamshedpur, the Railways said. “The 7th Oxygen Express to Karnataka has arrived in Bengaluru from Tatanagar (Jamshedpur) on Friday," Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said.

"This Oxygen Express train piloted by an all female crew will ensure continued supply of oxygen for Covid-19 patients in the State," Goyal tweeted. According to Railway officials, the 8th Oxygen Express also reached Bengaluru from Jamnagar in Gujarat, carrying 109.2 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen in the morning. The Karnataka government has sought 1,200 metric tonnes of oxygen daily in view of rising Covid-19 cases in the state.

KERALA CM HEADS ALL-NEW CABINET Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the decision to form an all-new Cabinet was longpending but could not be implemented “due to various factors. The driving spirit behind this norm is to equip the party and the administration to face future challenges,” Vijayan said. Stressing that it was not a recent decision, Vijayan said: “In fact, it was there for long. But we could not implement it totally due to various factors. This time, the party decided that this norm will be implemented without any exception considering various factors, including the conducive political situation. In the new cabinet, the CPI(M) have 12 ministers, CPI four and one each from Kerala Congress (M), Indian National League (INL), Democratic Kerala Congress (DKC), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Janata Dal (S) (JDS). MB Rajesh of the CPM is the Speaker and Chittayam Gopakumar of the CPI the Deputy Speaker of the new Assembly. N Jayaraj of KC(M) has been appointed as the chief whip with cabinet rank. 17 out of the 20 ministers in the cabinet are first-timers.

MODERNA REFUSES DIRECT VACCINE SUPPLY TO PUNJAB Punjab’s efforts to float global tenders for direct procurement of vaccines for early inoculation in the state has hit a roadblock as the vaccine suppliers only deal with Government of India and not with the state government or any private party. Sharing the information, senior bureaucrat Vikas Garg, who has been appointed the State Nodal Officer for Vaccination, said one of a Covid vaccine manufacturers ‘Moderna’ has refused to send vaccines directly to the Punjab Government as according to the company policy, it only dealt with the Government of India and not with any state government or private parties. He said all vaccine manufacturers were approached for direct purchase of various Covid vaccines, including Sputnik V, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, as per the directions of the Chief Minister to explore the possibilities of floating a global tender for the procurement of vaccines from all possible sources to ensure early inoculation in the state.

CBI CHALLENGES TOP TMC LEADERS' HOUSE ARREST The CBI went to the Supreme Court to challenge the Calcutta High Court order allowing the house arrest of four political leaders from Bengal - three from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool - in the Narada bribery case. The fourth is a former party leader. The central agency wants high court hearing to be cancelled. The high court, meanwhile, has dismissed the CBI's request to adjourn its hearing. Those arrested are ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee, MLA Madan Mitra, and Sovan Chatterjee, who quit the Trinamool to join the BJP before leaving that party too in March. Hakim is a key minister in the fight against Covid-19 in Kolkata, was also allowed to work from home. Earlier, the high court denied interim bail for all four. This was after a difference of opinion split the twomember bench - acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal ordered house arrest but Justice Arijit Banerjee ordered interim bail.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

INDIA 25

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

29 May - 4 June 2021

Mid-air wedding lands Tamil Nadu family in trouble A midair wedding - with close to 130 wedding guests on board, most of whom were not following Covid protocol - has invited regulatory wrath. The SpiceJet charter flight had taken off from Madurai on Sunday morning. The couple, Meenakshi Rajesh and Dhikshana, got married while the aircraft was airborne for about two hours.

They completed the rituals as the plane hovered over Meenakshi Amman temple, before returning to Madurai.

However, the violation of Covid protocol has landed the airline and the guests in trouble. A senior official of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said: “The pilots and cabin crew who operated this flight have been off-rostered (taken off duty). The airline has been directed to lodge

complaints against those not following Covid-appropriate behaviour with relevant authorities. We have sought all details from the airline and will conduct a detailed inquiry. Action will be taken based on the outcome of the probe.”

SpiceJet says its Boeing 737 was booked by a travel agent for a “post-wedding joy ride” and that all guests were briefed on the norms to be followed in these times both at the airport and

onboard, and no permission was given for any activity on board. It said the group was advised to follow the protocols laid down by DGCA, including restrictions on photography and videography.

“Despite repeated and requests reminders, the passengers did not follow Covid guidelines and the airline is taking appropriate action as per rules,” said a SpiceJet spokesman.

Sources say the airline/ airport staff should have been able to sense the onboard wedding as people boarded the plane with garlands (varmala), with the bride and groom dressed in their trousseau. “On seeing all this, the wedding party should have been warned beforehand to follow all Covid protocol onboard.

The violations could have been avoided,” said sources.

Madurai district administration has also served a notice to the airline and the family which hired the plane, seeking an explanation. District collector Aneesh Sekhar said he has sent notices to SpiceJet and organisers of the marriage under the disaster management act. Further action will be decided after getting a response, he added.

Airport director S Senthil Valavan said the flight was permitted solely based on the request from the flight operator. “I do not want to comment further on the issue since there is already an inquiry going on,” he said. This is not the first time that onboard revelry has landed SpiceJet in the soup. Some years ago, it invited DGCA action for an onboard Holi celebration.

Two young children, cycling 10 miles a day to collect funds for Covid patients

To help Covid-19 infected patients in India, the sons of Ashok Odedra, Vir, 10, and Arya, 5, who lives in Corby, Northamptonshire, originally from Bhavpara town in Porbandar, Gujarat initially donated their own pocket money towards the noble cause.

At present, they both are cycling 10 miles every day and collecting the funds. The target set for donation is £2,000 (approx) out of which they have already collected £1,610 (approx). The UK-based Indians are also applauding the efforts of both brothers as they are helping their native country to fight against the pandemic. The children are great grand-sons of Harbhambhai Modhvadiya, presently staying in Rajkot, Gujarat, and Ashokbhai Odedra is the brother-in-law of Lakhabhai Sundavadra, teacher at Bhorasar Simshala of Ranavaav in Gujarat.

Indian American assaulted by US India is better prepared for the police receives $1.75 mn settlement possible third wave Indian American grandfather Sureshbhai Patel, who was severely assaulted by Alabama police on Feb 6, 2015 received a $1.75 million settlement in his civil lawsuit against the city and the two police officers involved in the incident.

The lawsuit does not name the officers involved in the incident: they are identified as John Doe and Jim Smith. But extensive coverage of the case revealed that the officer trainee, Eric Parker, performed a front leg sweep on Patel, knocking him to the ground before arresting him. The two officers arrived at the scene after a neighbor called police, saying “a skinny black man” was walking around the neighborhood peering into people’s garages.

According to earlier reports, Patel attempted to tell Parker that he spoke no English.

During a trial, Parker said he felt threatened by Patel, who is small and weighs an estimated 130 lbs. Patel, 57 at that time, was Sureshbhai Patel paralyzed from uments, Patel and the City being thrown to the ground, of Madison appear to have and spent several days in the settled the case out of court hospital due to spinal sometime in February. “Not injuries. His son Chirag holding Parker accountable Patel said that his father for his excessive use of force would likely never walk and allowing him to continagain without the use of a ue as a police officer is a funwalker. Since he had just damental failure of accountarrived in the US, the elderly ability, by both the City of man had not yet obtained Madison and our criminal health insurance and was justice system,” said wrote stuck with thousands of dolPatel’s attorney Hank lars in medical bills.

Sherrod in a statement According to court docannouncing the settlement.

Kunjal Zala The Lancet medical journal’s article criticising India’s response to its national Covid-19 outbreak has faced sharp criticism from Indian frontline workers. The journal’s words were in line with many other critiques published in Indian newspapers and magazines earlier, but the article elicited a more bristling response than others.

Leading this criticism of The Lancet’s approach is 90year-old Dr Devendra D Patel, who has 6 national awards, including a Padma Shri. Speaking to Asian Voice exclusively, he said, “The Lancet should understand that India is a country with a population of 1.39 billion people. The population of Europe is 746.4 million; and that of the USA is 328.2 million. The combined population is 1,0746 billion.

Police raid Twitter offices in Delhi after tweet clash Police searched the Delhi office of the social media company Twitter after its moderators labelled a tweet by the spokesperson of the governing party as potentially misleading.

Television images showed a team of anti-terrorism police carrying out the search after receiving a complaint about the tweet. “Delhi Police is inquiring into a complaint in which a clarification is sought from Twitter,” said the police in a statement.

On May 18, Sambit Patra, national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata party, tweeted screenshots of a “toolkit”, or briefing notes, allegedly used by the Congress party to discredit Narendra Modi, the prime minister, and his government over their handling of the coron-

avirus pandemic. The Congress party claimed that the toolkit was fake and Twitter subsequently labelled the tweet as “manipulated media”.

The government then asked Twitter to remove the tag. Police invited Twitter’s India managing director, Manish Maheshwari, to present himself as part of a “preliminary inquiry pertaining to the toolkit” and to bring “all the relevant documents”. The same day, India’s IT ministry issued an advisory directing social media companies to curb false news by removing “all the content that names, refers to, or implies ‘Indian variant’ of coronavirus from your platform immediately”. So far, Twitter does not appear to have removed such content. Twitter in India declined to comment on the

search.

The manipulated media tag investigation follows a flare-up between India’s government and Twitter this year over controversial tweets about widespread farmers’ protests. Twitter had refused to block accounts critical of New Delhi’s agricultural reforms, which had led to protests across the country.

In February, India announced new social media rules designed to give the authorities greater power to take down posts they deemed offensive. Officials said the legislation was designed to make companies “more responsible, more accountable” to the law in India, but privacy experts warned that the government was working to give itself more power and crack down on dissent.

Dr Devendra D Patel

Considering the population against the number of people vaccinated, India is doing far better than other countries with less population. “USA started the vaccination on 14 December 2020 and vaccinated 256 million to date. UK started on 8 December and gave the first dose to over 60 million people till now. Australia started on 22 Feb and vaccinated 2 million till today. While India started on 16 Jan 2021, it has vaccinated 180 million

citizens (at least one dose) as of today. That is nearly 9% of its entire population!

There are more reasons to appreciate the Indian Government than not. It lifted the ban on export of HCQ and Paracetamol during the height of epidemic.

Despite shortage of vaccine in India, our government had the magnanimity to export 66 million dosage abroad on humanitarian grounds. “Lancet Journal made a ludicrous statement that ‘Government seemed more intent on removing criticism on Twitter than trying to control the pandemic’. It is well known that the States and Centre have been tirelessly working against this tsunami that has inundated our already constrained infrastructure.

India is better prepared for the possible third wave.”

NRI from Bhadran killed in New York An NRI from Bhadran town of Anand district was killed by unidentified persons at his vape store in New York last week.

The victim Kinshuk Patel, 33, was about to leave his Dapper Smoke Shop located in Lindenhurst locality when some unidentified persons came there and said they wanted to buy something.

Kinshuk is believed to have told them that the shop was closed, which led to an argument.

“He was about to pull down the shutter and leave when three or four persons came. They pushed him inside the shop and hit him with a blunt object on his head,” said Ankur Patel, a close friend of Kinshuk living in Bhadran. Ankur said that the assailants then took an unconscious Kinshuk inside the shop and locked him inside. “They left the shop and took some valuables with them,” he

said.

According to Ankur, when Kinshuk did not return home till late, his family tried calling him.

When he did not respond, a relative went to the shop to check on Kinshuk Patel him. The shop was open and the relative found him lying there bleeding badly.

An ambulance was called but Ankur said that Kinshuk may have died on his way to the hospital. He added that an autopsy was being performed on the body and CCTV footage from the shop was being examined.

Kinshuk was close to Ankur and they spoke almost every day. “He used to call me on the way to the shop daily and speak for a long time. This had become a routine. He was a simple person and is survived by his father, wife and two children. His mother died in 2018,” said Ankur. Kinshuk visited Bhadran for the last time in 2020 before the lockdown.

26 INDIA

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

29 May - 4 June 2021

Cyclone Yaas: Bengal, Odisha evacuate over 11,00,000 people Over 11,00,000 people have been evacuated from vulnerable areas in Orissa and West Bengal as cyclonic storm Yaas approaches the coast and is expected to make landfall near Dhamra Port in Bhadrak district early on Wednesday morning. While West Bengal has evacuated over 900,000 people to safe shelters, the Odisha government, on the other hand, said it has moved over 200,000 people from vulnerable areas in coastal districts to safety. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has also asked Collectors of three north coastal districts –Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulamto– to be on a high alert.

In its latest release, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the storm has intensified into a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ category. The IMD has also issued a red-coded warning alert to the Odisha and West Bengal coasts. As per the latest update by the MeT department, the storm is about 160 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 250 km south-southeast of Balasore (Odisha), 240 km southsoutheast of Digha (West Bengal) and 230 km south of Sagar Islands

(West Bengal). Heavy rain is likely in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam and Meghalaya.

NDRF deputes highest-ever number of teams The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has earmarked its highest-ever number of teams for deployment in Odisha and West Bengal to undertake relief and rescue operations during cyclone Yaas, its chief S N Pradhan said. The federal contingency force has committed a total of 113 teams for deployment in five states and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands which are expected to be affected by the cyclone brewing in the Bay of Bengal.

Odisha CM stresses on saving lives As 'severe cyclonic' storm Yaas approaches coast, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik asked officials to take all possible steps to protect human lives. "Every life is precious, thus all possible steps should be taken to protect life," the Odisha chief minister was quoted as saying. Patnaik made the remarks during a meeting to take stock of the cyclone situation in the state which has already started impacting lives across the coastal districts as heavy rain pounced with blowing of wind at a speed of about 60 kmph.

2 electrocuted to death, 80 houses damaged in Bengal districts At least two people were

electrocuted to death and around 80 houses were partly damage after a storm, which the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described as a "tornado", hit Hooghly and North 2 Parganas districts on Tuesday. The event struck hours before cyclone Yaas has to make landfall.

Manwhile, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba chaired a meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) to review the preparedness of Central and state/UT governments and agencies for the cyclone. Gauba stressed that all the measures should be taken in a timely manner so that the loss of lives and destruction of properties is minimised. He was informed that necessary arrangements are being made to ensure uninterrupted functioning of hospitals and Covid Care Centres, along with ensuring generation and supply of oxygen to Covid facilities across the country.

The Director General of IMD and chief secretaries of the concerned states apprised the committee of the measures being taken. Evacuation of people from the low lying areas is being carried out, the committee was told.

Adequate stocks of foodgrains, drinking water and other essential

supplies have been arranged and preparations have been made to maintain essential services, including power and telecommunications, during the cyclone. The committee was further told that the NDRF has deployed 65 teams while 20 more teams are on standby. Rescue and relief teams of the Army, Navy and Coast Guard along with ships and aircraft have also been deployed.

The Indian Navy is also closely monitoring the movement of the storm and have carried out preparatory activities to combat its effects. As part of the preparedness, eight flood relief teams and four diving teams are prepositioned at Odisha and West Bengal to augment the existing resources.

Four naval ships are on standby with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) bricks, diving, and medical teams to render assistance in the most affected areas along the Odisha and West Bengal coast. Naval aircraft are kept ready at Naval Air stations, INS Dega at Visakhapatnam and INS Rajali near Chennai to undertake aerial survey of the most affected areas, casualty evacuation, and airdrop of relief material as required.

India reports 8,848 black fungus cases India’s Covid toll crosses 300,000, India has so far reported approximately cases of 8,848 mucormycosis or black fungus, one of the rapidly spreading infections observed in those recovering from Covid-19 while 219 patients have died of the disease. Taking note of the increasing numbers, the Central government has emphasised upon expediting the allocation of vials of Amphotericin-B, a key drug to treat raging mucormycosis.

In this direction, the Union minister of chemicals and fertilisers DV Sadananda Gowda has announced an allocation of 23,680 additional vials of Amphotericin-B. The minister also said that the allocation has been made based on total number of patients, which is approximately 8,848 across the country.

Gujarat (5,800) and Maharashtra (5,090) have been allocated the maximum number of the additional Amphotericin-B vials followed by Andhra Pradesh (2,310), Madhya Pradesh (1,830), Rajasthan (1,780), Karnataka (1,270).

Gujarat has reported maximum of 2,281 mucormycosis cases followed by Maharashtra (2,000), Andhra Pradesh (910), Madhya Pradesh (720) Rajasthan (700), Karnataka (5,00), Haryana (250), Delhi (197), Punjab (95), Chhattisgarh (87), Bihar (56), Tamil Nadu (40), Kerala (36), Jharkhand (27), Odisha (15), Goa (12) and Chandigarh (8).

Mucormycosis is a serious but rare fungal infection caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes that has been developing in Covid-19 patients. The fungal disease is commonly being observed in patients who were given steroids for a long time, who have been hospitalised for a long

time, were on oxygen support or ventilator, faced poor hospital hygiene or those who have been taking medication for other illnesses such as diabetes.

If not treated on time, the black fungus infection can turn fatal. The Covid medications can leave the body weak and low on immunity. They can also escalate the blood sugar levels in both diabetics and nondiabetic Covid-19 patients.

“As on Sunday evening, Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad has 545 patients of Covid-19 and 412 patients of mucormycosis. It’s an inverse relationship – while the Covid cases are constantly decreasing, several of the patients of mucormycosis who have got surgery done at other hospitals are getting admitted in hope of getting medicines,” said an official.

Uncontrolled diabetes is major cause Uncontrolled diabetes is emerging as a major factor in acquiring black fungus infection. An online event, hosted by Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences with 52 experts discussing the issue said: "Uncontrolled diabetes is the most common risk factor for acquiring this infection. These fungal spores are present in the air, soil and on decomposed debris and gain entry into sinuses and lungs by breathing contaminated air. Covid-19 patients with uncontrolled diabetes, undergoing treatment with steroids, are at heightened risk of the infection." The infection can be successfully managed and treated with a multi-disciplinary approach and the role of microbiologist, ENT specialist, ophthalmologist and diabetologist is crucial to achieve successful results, they said.

Satya Prakash Minhasji has passed away Satya Prakash Minhasji Co-Chairperson of the Hindu Council UK breathed his last on May 22, 2021. The Hindu Council UK announced this sad news of the passing away of Minhasji on their social media handles and the Hindu Council UK website. The tribute read: “We commemorate his legacy as an authentic leader who humbled us with his presence during his longstanding tenure as a Co-Chairperson and a member of numerous boards of local and national faith organizations.

His wealth of experience in Hindu Dharma and communityrelated matters also saw his appointment as the Chairperson of the Metropolitan Police Hindu Association in New Scotland Yard. Satyaji was committed to the Hindu Dharma and the aims of HCUK. He was a compassionate and trustworthy colleague and his endeavours to share his time and experience with those he connected with was exemplary.”

50,000 deaths in 12 days More than 30,000 people have now succumbed to Covid-19 in India's official records. The death toll from the pandemic crossed 300,000, just 12 days after going past the 250,000 mark. The country has recorded 100,000 deaths from the virus in the past 26 days, becoming the only country in the world where the Covid toll, in terms of milestones of 50,000, has risen by 1,00,000 in under 30 days. At the height of its third wave in December-January, the death toll in the US had increased from 350,000 to 450,000 in 31 days, as per worldometers.info.

India has the third highest cumulative Covid deaths in the world after the US (over 600,000 deaths) and Brazil (450,000).

Deaths during the second wave in the country now account for nearly half of all fatalities at 148,000 in under three months since February 15. In May alone, more than 92,000 deaths have been recorded in 23 days so far. That's almost twice the toll in April, when 48,768 deaths were reported, which was a record for any month till then.

Several experts have said many deaths during the second wave had not been counted in the official statistics, pointing to major discrepancies in the number of Covidprotocol cremations across cities and the Covid fatalities reported there in the past couple of months. While the number of fresh cases has declined steadily after infections in the country peaked around May 8, the daily toll has not decreased by much. The seven-day rolling average of daily cases was down 32% since the peak on May 8, when the average stood at over 391,00. On May 22, the index was at 264,000.

By contrast, the seven-day average of daily deaths has dipped by just 5% since hitting a peak of 4,040 on May 16. It stood at 3,838 on May 22. For this calculation, “backdated” fatalities declared over the past few days in Maharashtra were not counted in the daily numbers. Maharashtra has recorded by far the highest number of Covid-related deaths in the country, with 88,620 fatalities so far. Of these, 37,068 have taken place in the second wave, that is, after February 15.

The new fatalities include 984 from Maharashtra, 548 from Karnataka, 397 from Tamil Nadu, 236 from Uttar Pradesh, 233 from Delhi, 191 from Punjab, 162 from West Bengal, 159 from Uttarakhand, 129 from Haryana, 128 from Kerala, 127 from Rajasthan, 114 from Andhra Pradesh and 113 from Chhattisgarh. The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. "Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

Remembering Kishor Ruparelia Kishor Ruparelia, his parents, along with his six siblings came to the UK from Uganda during the Asian exodus in 1972. He left his job as a trainee accountant in 1975. Ruparelia started his work life as a car trader at the age of 21 with brother Arun and father Bachubai. Ruparelia will always be fondly remembered as one of the pioneering private investors of Asian-Ugandan origin in the UK. Spending his life in buying and selling auction for over 40 years, Kishor Ruparelia, unfortunately, passed away in March after succumbing to Covid-19. Kishor Ruparelia is survived by his wife, Bhavna, and daughters, Bindya, Priti and Pratiksha.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

HEALTH

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

27

29 May - 4 June 2021

How guided yoga prevents fainting Guided yoga is more effective than conventional treatment for preventing fainting in repeat sufferers, according to novel research.

It is also more beneficial in terms of quality of life than the standard treatment.

"Repeated fainting gives rise to mental stress, anxiety, depression, and a constant dread of the next episode," said study author Professor Jayaprakash Shenthar of the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Bengaluru, India.

"Quality of life is negatively affected due to the unpredictability. Besides, some countries do not allow patients to drive."

Fainting or "vasovagal syncope" is a brief loss of consciousness caused by reduced blood flow to the brain. It can be triggered by prolonged standing, fear, pain, seeing blood, and hot, humid environments. It is estimated that approximately half of the general population will have one syncopal event during their lifetime.

Recommendations to prevent vasovagal syncope include keeping hydrated, avoiding hot crowded environments, tensing the muscles, and lying down.

"Unfortunately, most strategies have only modest

benefits, which proves frustrating for patients," said Prof Shenthar. This was the first randomised study to examine guided yoga as a treatment for patients with vasovagal syncope. The study enrolled 100 patients with at least 3 episodes of vasovagal syncope in the previous year. None of the patients was receiving treatment for syncope, and none were practising yoga at the time of enrolment.

Participants were randomly allocated to the yoga or conventional treatment group. The conventional treatment group was advised to consume 6 to 9 grams of salt and more than 3 litres of water every day and perform physical counterpressure manoeuvres such as crossing legs and tensing thigh and buttock muscles when warning signs of syncope

occurred.

The yoga group was not given any specific advice regarding salt, fluid, or physical counterpressure manoeuvres. Instead, they attended 5 to 7 sessions in which a certified yoga instructor showed them how to perform a 60-minute yoga module. The yoga module consisted of pranayama (breathing), asanas (postures), and dhyana (meditation). Participants were then advised to perform yoga for 60 minutes at least 5 days per week for the subsequent 12 months.

Participants were asked to record the number of fainting episodes during follow-up. Quality of life was assessed at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months using the syncope functional status questionnaire - it asks how syncope affects daily activi-

ties such as driving, shopping, exercise, and relationships with family and friends and asks respondents to rate their fear/worry on a scale of 1 to 8. The mean age of participants was 33 years, and more than half were women.

Prior to the study, the average duration of syncopal episodes was 17 months, during which patients had an average of 6.4 blackouts.

Compared to the conventional treatment arm, the yoga group had fewer blackouts and better quality of life scores at 3, 6, and 12 months. The standard treatment group reported 3.8 fainting episodes during 12 months of follow-up, while the yoga group reported 1.1 episodes.

Professor Shenthar said: "The benefits of guided yoga were apparent as early as three months after treatment initiation and were sustained at six and twelve months. Preliminary evidence suggests that the breathing and meditation aspects of yoga have a positive effect on the autonomic system3 while 'asanas' improve vascular tone both of which could prevent gravitational pooling of blood in the lower parts of the body."

2 fruit and 3 vegetable servings: The key to a longer life?

For many decades, nutritionists have recommended a balanced diet to provide the body with the proper nutrients to stay healthy. The core components of this diet include vegetables, fruits, grains, proteins, and dairy. A recent study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, provides further evidence for current dietary guidelines and expands on them, finding that consuming at least 2 fruit and 3 vegetable servings on a daily basis may lower the risk of both disease-related death and death from all causes.

Current dietary guidelines “While groups like the American Heart Association recommend 4– 5 servings each of fruits and vegetables daily, consumers likely get inconsistent messages about the recommended amount and which foods to include and avoid,” says Dr Dong D Wang, the lead author of the study. According to this set of guidelines, half of the plate for every meal should contain fruits and vegetables. However, the guide-

lines also note that more than 80% of people in the United States do not meet this recommendation and should aim to increase their consumption of nutrient-dense foods.

Nutritional values of fruits and vegetables lower risk of death The study outcomes showed that an increased intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of death, including death due to cancer, heart disease, or respiratory disease. Additionally, the researchers saw the lowest risk of death at a threshold of a combined 5 servings, beyond which there was no apparent benefit on risk.

These results point to the nutritional value of these foods. For example, higher consumption of fruits and vegetables increases the intake of potassium and antioxidant activity, which link to lower blood pressure and improved lung function, respectively. The researchers observed trends with a lowered risk of death for leafy greens and foods rich in vitamin C and beta carotene. Fruits and vegeta-

bles that fall into these categories include spinach, kale, carrots, and citrus fruits. Conversely, they did not identify any trends for fruit juices or starchy vegetables, such as potatoes

and peas. One possible reason for the latter is the prominence of canned foods. The canning process may deprive starchy vegetables of their antioxidant properties.

Alcohol may have immediate effect on atrial fibrillation risk Alcohol appears to have an immediate- or nearimmediate effect on heart rhythm, significantly increasing the chance that an episode of atrial fibrillation (AFib) will occur, according to new data presented by the researchers at American College of Cardiology. The data revealed that just one glass of wine, beer or other alcoholic beverage was associated with two fold greater odds of an episode of AFib occurring within the next four hours. Among people having two or more drinks in one sitting, there was a more than three fold higher chance of experiencing AFib. "Alcohol is the most commonly consumed drug in the world, and there is still a lot we don't understand about what it does to our bodies and, in particular, our hearts," said Gregory M. Marcus, MD, cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of California, and the study's lead author. "Based on our data, we found that alcohol can acutely influence the likelihood that an episode of AFib will occur within a few hours, and the more alcohol consumed, the higher the risk of having an event," Marcus added. AFib is the most common heart rhythm disorder. It is often characterized by a rapid, chaotic and fluttery heartbeat. Marcus said that people can experience a range of symptoms. Some may not feel anything, while others are overcome with severe shortness of breath, fatigue, fainting or near-fainting spells and a disconcerting sensation that the heart is beating out of control.

Marcus said there may be other factors such as race/ethnicity, sex, genetics or other environmental exposures that influence alcohol's effect on the heart in various ways and need to be studied. In addition, people often pair alcohol with foods that are high in sodium, while some pour a drink because they feel stressed, so there may be other things that play a role. The findings also run counter to previous reports about the potentially protective role of alcohol on heart health when used in moderation. "There is conventional wisdom that alcohol is 'good' or 'healthy' for the heart, based on observational studies, but that relates to coronary heart disease and heart attack. These new data present an interesting conundrum regarding the overall risks versus benefits of alcohol in moderation," Marcus said. But the data is very clear that more is not better when it comes to alcohol; those who drink more have a higher risk of heart attack and death, as per the research. Marcus added that this situation is a perfect example where precision medicine may play a clinically relevant role to help identify which patients are at high risk for alcohol-related AFib. Those who are not at high risk of the harmful effects of alcohol might yet benefit from moderate alcohol consumption as another way to potentially protect them from coronary blockages and disease.

Fasting diets could harm future generations A new study from the University of East Anglia (UEA) has found that fasting diets could impact the health of future generations. Fasting diets have risen in popularity in recent years, however little is known about the longterm impact of these diets, particularly for future generations. This research revealed that reduced food intake in roundworms (Caenorhabditis elegans) has a detrimental effect on three generations of offspring - particularly when those descendants have access to unlimited food.

Lead researcher Dr Edward Ivimey-Cook said, "We know that reduced food intake increases the lifespan in many animals and can potentially improve health in humans.

However, little is known about the long-term effects of reduced food intake, including time-limited fasting, on distant descendants. We wanted to find out more about the potential long-term impact of fasting diets," Dr Ivimey-Cook added. The team investigated the effect of time-limited fasting on lifespan and reproduction in roundworms and across three generations of their descendants.

They studied more than 2,500 worms split across four generations.

The first generation of worms was

placed in one of four environments, including being able to eat as much as they liked, and being on a fasting diet.

Four generations of offspring from these parents were then placed onto either full-feeding or fasting diets.

The team then assessed the effects of different scenarios on the reproduction and longevity of future generations. These included what happens when great grandparents fast, but future generations are able to eat as much as they like, and cumulative fasting for four generations.

Dr Ivimey-Cook said, "We looked at what happens in roundworms. Unlike us, they're transparent, about 1mm long and live in the soil." "They don't have bones, a heart, or a circulatory system.

But they're a classic model organism for studying the ageing process in biology because they do share many genes and molecular pathways that control development with humans," Dr Ivimey-Cook further stated.

"They are also really useful because they have a short life cycle of only two weeks, so we can study their development and that of generations of their offspring in a short amount of time.

Doing a similar study across humans could take a century or more," Dr Ivimey-Cook noted. Dr Ivimey-Cook

added, "We found that fasting did indeed increase their lifespan and it also improved offspring performance in terms of reproduction, when offspring themselves were fasting.

However, we were surprised to find that fasting reduced offspring performance when the offspring had access to unlimited food. And this detrimental effect was evident in grand-offspring and great-grand-offspring."

Dr Ivimey-Cook further said, "This shows that fasting can be costly for descendants and this effect may last for generations. There has been a lot of interest in the potential benefits of fasting in promoting healthy ageing in humans. A lot of the molecular pathways involved in the fasting response are evolutionarily conserved, which means the same pathways exist across a multitude of species including humans." "So our study strongly prompts us to consider multigenerational effects of fasting in different organisms, including humans. This is really important because it means we need to carefully consider the longterm effects of fasting when trying to pursue healthy lifestyles - because the detrimental impact may only manifest itself in distant generations," Dr Ivimey-Cook concluded.

28

ART & CULTURE

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

29 May - 4 June 2021

in brief

‘You wouldn’t label white writers’

STRUGGLING ARTISTS SLAM SADIQ KHAN

On completing 25 years in the arts community, playwright Tanika Gupta speaks exclusively to Asian Voice about her journey.

Shefali Saxena Tanika Gupta’s father, a patron of Shantiniketan, came to Britain in the early 60s. “When I was young, my father used to tell me, when you grow up, you’re going to be a writer,” she said. She joined a community council job and her father still expressed his astonishment as to why she wasn’t a writer.

Tanika acknowledged that “I do know that people in the arts still ask ‘when are you going to get a proper job?’”

“The thing I’m always very wary of is that I’m labelled as a woman playwright, Indian playwright. I’m not Indian, that’s not my nationality. I’ve worked very hard to get where I am,” Tanika Gupta said, as she completes 25 glorious years in the art community as a playwright.

Just call me a playwright Speaking about how she started, Gupta said, “A lot of women supported me. The first director who supported me now runs a theatre. She brought my play to the National Theatre studio and workshops. That’s where I started getting recognised.”

She thinks that networking is paramount. “It’s very hard to send your script to a theatre and then wait for them to get back to you. It has been a slow burn of a journey,” Tanika said.

Tanika has had her share of obstacles of being a brown woman in the UK. She said, “In terms of being a woman and an Asian, you can imagine all the pitfalls and obstacles like ‘Oh we’ve got an Asian already, or we’ve already done this subject, or I don’t think our audience is going to like this.”

Tanika Gupta

Labels Tanika further added, “Sometimes the labels are trying to put us in our place and actually it deskills us slightly. That’s not to say I’m not proud of my roots, but it’s a dangerous thing. That’s been the biggest part of my journey for over 25 years. They always called me a Bengali Indian

Tanika Gupta’s tips to become a successful playwright 1. You have to have a passion to write. You have to understand that you are not going to make loads of money. I think in a way you have to start with a passion.

2. You have to hone your own voice. Again it’s about being focused on what you’re trying to say. Don’t be afraid to be political. All writing is political.

3. The problem is everyone has done every idea before but nobody is going to do it like you.

Do it without being arrogant.

4. Read. Read about the subject. See how other playwrights have done it. Research. If you can go see films, plays, see how people have told different stories in different ways.

5. Write every day. Don’t sit around dreaming about it. I always made sure that I wrote for at least fifteen minutes every day.

6. Meet other writers. Go to workshops. Read your play out loud. If you are a playwright, it is meant for people, there’s no point in being shy, because why are you trying to write for the stage? Be bold. Be open to constructive criticism. Join collectives of writers, read out your work to each other even if it’s terrifying.

We just don’t know what’s gonna happen.”

Playwright. Just call me a playwright! You wouldn’t label white writers that way.”

Talking about equal opportunities, she said, “The problem is about the opportunity whereas you know writers of the Hundreds of creative industry professionals came same calibre and experience are together in a two-day virtual event in the North of always asked first to write an England.

The Creative Leaders Festival 2021, was organised by GC Business Growth Hub on behalf of The Growth Company, and international Rotarian friends who from May 25 to 26.

The virtual expo Mehjabeen Patrick found my un-eatable food delicious on provided advice about Rotary project site visits; chefs of Karco Restaurant (one of the oldest running support available to the sector and its sub-sectors to restaurants in Kolkata, India) with good help businesses plan and grow, with the two-day event traditional recipes; a ten-year-old boy featuring a series of high-profile speakers, roundtable cooking Chinese mom for his sick discussions and workshop sessions. More than 70 mother; my own mother as his ‘granny’ industry experts from creative, digital and tech complimenting the boy’s dish with industries spoke at the event.

Guests included Creative England’s Mehjabeen coriander chutney.” Ray thanks his family and friends who Patrick; Manchester International Festival’s Paul Clay; have been duly credited Northern Ballet’s Chief Executive Mark Skipper, and for their contribution to co-chair of Greater Manchester Local Enterprise photography in this Partnership and CEO of Magnetic North Lou Cordwell OBE. This is the second festival following last year’s book.

The book is an inaugural event, which covered the North West and interesting compilation attracted more than 450 delegates to register.

The event is was supported by Greater Manchester of Vegetarian, Vegan, Non-Vegetarian recipes, Combined Authority and the Department for Digital, trying to focus on Culture, Media and Sport.

Minister of State for Digital and Culture, Caroline building immunity, comforting dishes for Dinenage, said: "The creative industries will play a vital mother and child while role in helping to drive the economy as we build back breaking the ice with better from the pandemic.

"It is fantastic to see thriving creative industries spice. The book comes across as an ode to the across the north where the sector is continuing to relationship that South make important strides as part of our levelling up Asians share with the female members agenda. This festival is a great opportunity to celebrate of the family, who are almost always a this success and be inspired for the future.”

Head of Digital, Creative, and Tech at the Hub, treasure chest of recipes and intelligent techniques to cook food. Ray wraps the Sarah Novotny, said: “We know that the creative sector book with the world-famous Bengali has been hit hard by the pandemic, but some Rossogollas along with a warm gesture businesses have also been presented with more of putting up a bedtime noodles recipe favourable trading conditions and opportunities to grow. “Diversity and inclusivity will play a key role. for “tired mother”.

Pro Tip - You may want to keep With diversity, will come innovation and innovation some food by your side while reading will help build resilience and stronger businesses in the this book because it’ll leave you more future. We are looking forward to hundreds joining us over the two days.” hungry than you’ve ever been.

Book Recommendation Cooking with Love, Care and Fun ‘Cooking with Love, Care and Fun’ by Rotarian Saumen Ray was first published in Great Britain and India. This one of its kind books is tastefully designed and edited by Gill de Warren.

Ray is a senior Rotarian with international connections. He was previously a partner of PwC UK and India, and after retirement, he has acquired one of the oldest restaurants in Kolkata. He has been staying with his daughter Suchira in lockdown for the past year in London.

Ray is also a Keyworker in the UK. “This book is the product of my lock-down period in London; in addition, my bonding with my grandson is a lifetime achievement and he is part of the book,” he told Asian Voice.

The book will be launched by KidsOut UK Charity on 28th May and later in the USA and India. Please find attached some screenshots. The book has been printed in Italy, on cost ground. Every recipe has a storyline involving families, Rotarians, friends, or ceremonies.

Orders for more than 100 copies have already been received, although the official launch and supply of copies to Amazon are yet to take place.

In his acknowledgement, Ray writes: “I gratefully acknowledge my domestic

adaption. I would be the last person that way.”

Tanika thinks that people in Britain have been completely starved of theatre in the pandemic. “People are flooding back. I think the hunger is there. The problem with digitising is that you lose the joy of the live theatre. I think that really is under threat.

Huge virtual festival for the North’s creative sector returns

Artist Laura Nevill has said that David Hockney’s much-talked-about Piccadilly Circus creation was a “missed opportunity” to showcase emerging local talent. An online campaign has urged Sadiq Khan to showcase the work of “struggling” local artists on the London Underground after an iPad creation

by David Hockney caught the attention of the internet. Nevill replaced Hockney’s art, which features a bright yellow circle with Piccadilly Circus written across the centre, with a mock-up of her own work as a tube station poster. The illustration shows a moon and sun and bears the words “I did nothing today and that’s OK”. “I think we should get Sadiq Khan to use the #LetsDoLondon campaign to highlight actual London artists who have incredible talents and important messages to showcase,” she said on Twitter.

The illustration shows a moon and sun and bears the words “I did nothing today and that’s OK”. “I think we should get Sadiq Khan to use the #LetsDoLondon campaign to highlight actual London artists who have incredible talents and important messages to showcase,” she said on Twitter.

WEST END STARS UNITE FOR INDIA COVID RELIEF West End stars from Bend it Like Beckham, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, & Juliet, Aladdin and Prince of Egypt have come together to raise awareness for India Covid Relief. Performers including Liam Tamne, Sejal Keshwala, Arun Blair-Mangat, Nadim Naaman, Hiba Elchikhe, Tony Jayawardena and Tim Mahendran have recorded the song “IT MEANS BEAUTIFUL” featured in the West End hit musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. The project, entitled ‘SAME VOICES UNITE’, has been created by actor Irvine Iqbal. The video, launched through various social media channels, is intended to create awareness around the devastation in India following the second wave of Covid-19 and will direct audiences to an urgent appeal launched earlier this month by the Amir Khan Foundation, One Family Global and Dasra.

Leicester’s Little Theatre to spend £900,000 in revamp Members in leadership positions at Leicester’s Little Theatre have said that they have about £900,000 for plans to revamp Granby Street will put audience members off from coming to performances. A section of the busy street, which connects the rail station to the city centre, is to be pedestrianised to try to make it a "more welcoming gateway".

“The move includes stopping up general traffic access from Granby Street into Dover Street where the theatre is located, as is the car park used by most of its customers.

Access to Dover Street would be from the inner ring road via Calais Hill - which would be open to traffic in both directions. No stopping at any time restrictions will be put in place,” Leicester Mercury reported.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

BOLLYWOOD 29 29 May - 4 June 2021

Sushmita celebrates 27 years of her Miss Universe victory Bollywood actress and model Sushmita Sen created history 27 years ago. Way back on May 21, 1994, she made India proud on the international platform, after she won the Miss Universe title. Celebrating her victory years ago, Sushmita made a heartfelt post. She shared a treasured picture of her from her Miss Universe days on Instagram. The actress penned a long caption in the post and expressed her gratitude.

She said May 21, 1994, not only changed an 18-year old’s life forever but made history. Sushmita shared the picture of her young self from her Miss Universe days where she is dressed in a beautiful tulle dress. She looks fabulous posing for the camera. Sushmita exudes beauty and grace. Sharing the picture, Sushmita wrote, “Have you ever stared at the impossible; thanked God for giving you the opportunity to make it possible? I have!!!” She added, “To my Motherland INDIA ...Happpyyyyy 27th Anniversary of India’s first-ever victory at #MissUniverse in Manila #philippines That early morning on 21st May 1994, not only changed an 18 yr olds

life forever...it made History!!”

Sushmita continued, “#mahalkita Philippines for the romance we have shared for 27 years and; counting Thank you #misscolombia1994 Carolina @carogomezfilms for teaching me undying grace!!” The actress thanked all the kind and loving people from around the world. She also thanked them for touching her life, from a very young age and said it inspired the woman she is today. Sushmita said, “Eternally grateful I remain!!”

Sushmita also quoted herself in the post. She asked her followers to choose wisely. The actress thanked everyone for all the “precious messages and generous blessings” and said, “I celebrate with you...ALWAYS!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!” She added the hashtag ‘duggadugga’ and ‘yours truly’. Meanwhile, after her Miss Universe win, Sushmita has appeared in several Bollywood movies and made a successful acting career.

Salman’s 'Radhe' to be live on Apple TV in over 65 countries

D

irected by Prabhudeva, 'Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai' became first Bollywood film to be live on Apple TV in more than 65 countries. It premiered on Zee5 on May 13 and is available on ZeePlex in pay-per-view format. While Radhe is Salman Khan's worst-rated film on IMDb, the actor's fans broke all records by watching it on the OTT platform in huge numbers.

After Radhe leaked online recently, an FIR was registered against three users of WhatsApp and Facebook. They have been

accused of providing a pirated version of the film on the social media platforms. The unidentified accused include users of two different mobile numbers on WhatsApp and one Facebook user, who were offering to sell the film (by download) for a payment, the police official said.

The complaint was filed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, the film's producer, after the pirated version of the film started doing the rounds on various online platforms. On (May 16), Salman Khan took to social media to urge fans not to watch Radhe on pirated sites. “We offered you to watch our film Radhe at a reasonable price of Rs 249 Per View. Inspite of that pirated sites are streaming Radhe illegally which is a serious crime. The Cyber Cell is taking action against all these illegal pirated sites. Please don’t participate in piracy or the Cyber Cell will take action against you as well," he said in a statement.

“Please understand you will get into a lot of trouble with the Cyber cell (sic),” Salman Khan’s statement read. Hours after Radhe’s release, the film got leaked on Tamilrockers and Telegram. Directed by Prabhudeva, the film also stars Disha Patani, Jackie Shroff and Randeep Hooda.

Neena Gupta announces the release date of her autobiography Neena Gupta is a woman of many talents.

She never fails to impress everybody by being unabashedly real and living life to the fullest! From being a single parent, to having a flourishing career at this stage in her life, she has many tales of wisdom to share which keep seeing on her social media.

Last week, she announced that she is set to release her autobiography next month. The publisher, Penguin Random House India, announced that the book will hit the stands on June 14th. Speaking about the book, the publishers said that this book is going to be an ‘unapologetically

honest’ account of Neena Gupta’s ‘biggest milestones, her unconventional pregnancy, single parenthood and her second innings in Bollywood’. Given she is not one to mince her words and says it as it is, it will be interesting to read her account of her life as an actress too - addressing the casting couch, industry politics and what it takes for a young actor to make a place for himself/herself in films without a mentor or a godfather among other things.

On the professional front, Neenaji was recently seen in the Netflix film 'Sardar Ka Grandson', which released on 18th May.

Kartik Aaryan to play an air force pilot in Hansal Mehta’s next In the last few weeks, Kartik Aaryan might have been in news for all the wrong reasons. But since then, there have been two more films almost announced with Kartik. After completing 10 years in the business, he's signed Hansal Mehta's next and a film with Sajid Nadiadwala's banner.

According to a source, “it's a commercial film that will have a Hansal touch. The film has been put together by Harman Baweja and has a nationalistic angle to it. In fact, the movie is based on a real life story. Kartik will play the role of an IAF officer. He will be the main pilot in the rescue operation."

This comes after a year of Janhvi Kapoor playing Gunjan Saxena in her previous film. Kangana Ranaut too is playing an air force pilot in 'Tejas', which is backed by RSVP, the same production house that has bankrolled Kartik's film as well.

30 BOLLYWOOD

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

29 May - 4 June 2021

Sets of Ajay Devgn starrer 'Maidaan' wrecked in cyclone The sets of Ajay Devgan starrer 'Maidan' has been ruined in the cyclone Tauktae. A source said they tried to save the set but it proved futile. Due to this, the film's shoot came to a standstill yet again. There have been no casualties but the set which is situated in the outskirts of Mumbai has been completely destroyed in the cyclone. According to the source, “There were about 40 people inside the set, mostly the guards and cura-

tors, when the cyclone hit the football ground, where the set has been set up.

They tried their best to save as much as they could but their efforts proved almost totally futile.”

Earlier, the set was ruined in May 2020 owing to Coronavirus lockdown as well as monsoon. However, as per the report, several outdoor and indoor scenes have already been shot in Kolkata and Lucknow. The source further added, “The 'Maidaan' makers Boney Kapoor (producer) and Amit Sharma (director) had hoped that the ongoing lockdown would be eased soon and they would wind up the matches part in the next 15-17 days. But all those plans, for now, stand washed out.”

Apart from 'Maidaan', the sets of Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif starrer 'Tiger 3' was also ravaged because of the BN Tiwari, president, cyclone..

Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), said, “Film City, which is largely a green belt, has suffered the most. Thankfully, shoots were suspended in the city, so there has only been damage to property, and no loss of lives.

That said, there has been mass-scale destruction of sets.”

Priyanka, Nick Jonas ‘crush’ Billboard Music Awards 2021 The power couple Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas looked like a dream together at the Billboard Music Awards 2021.

Clad in a contrasting green and beige combination, the couple understandably attracted a lot of attention at the event.

On Priyanka’s waist was a distinctive aureate padlocked belt.

Priyanka also wrote that Nick ‘crushed it’ at the BBMAs despite a broken rib. “Husband appreciation post. Not even a cracked rib can stop this force of nature. So proud of you baby. With everything you do! Your work ethic, your pursuit

of excellence! You inspire me everyday! Crushed it today! I love you so much!” the actor posted for her husband along with a photo of the two cuddling up before the ceremony.

There were also a video of Priyanka introducing Duran Duran to the Billboard Music Awards stage.

Nick was the official host of the event. The event was held at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater. In a later tweet, Nick shared, “I started this last week by taking a brutal tumble on a bike fracturing my rib and ended it hosting the @bbmas with my incredible wife by my side who helped me every step cum-actor who gave them their break in of the way to recover and feel my best. I love you @priyankathe film industry with ‘Pandu Havaldar’ chopra.” in 1975.

Even after the death of Kadam soon Earlier, Priyanka had expressed excitement at presenting after the pair bagged its first Hindi film the awards. She shared on Instagram, “So excited to be pre‘Agent Vinod’, Patil continued providing senting at the Billboard Music Awards tomorrow.” She melodies to more than 75 Hindi, Marathi quipped, “Also heard this year’s host is pretty good.” Unlike and Bhojpuri films as ‘Ram-Laxman’. many other music awards, Billboard Music Awards awards Rajshri Productions’ songs in ‘Maine Pyar are based on how the artistes and songs performed on Kiya’ (Filmfare award), ‘Hum Aapke Hai Billlboard charts. There are two categories - top social artist Kaun’ (many awards) and ‘Hum Saath and top collaboration - that are voted by fans.

Saath Hain’ proved to be super-duper Nick also performed at the event with his brothers (forhits. merly the Jonas Brothers) and the DJ Marshmello. As the ‘Lavleena aa gaya main’ from ‘Agent name suggests, the Billboard Music Awards are bestowed by Vinod’ in 1977 and ‘Deva ho deva, Billboard, a publication that covers the music industry.

Ganapati Deva’ from ‘Humse Bhadkar Kaun’ in 1981 stand out in his oeuvre.

Patil composed many chartbusters during the 1980s and 1990s before the advent of Nadeem Shravan and Annu Malik.

Composer Laxman of Raam-Laxman fame passes away Music director Vijay Patil, popularly known as the Laxman of RaamLaxman duo, passed away at his city residence in Nagpur on Saturday.

Patil earned fame for providing music to comic Dada Kondke’s Marathi films and Hindi movies like ‘Hum Aapke Hai Kaun’ and ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’.

Patil, born and brought up in Nagpur, started as a singer and instrumentalist in city’s popular orchestra groups. Later, he shifted to Mumbai with an ambition to become a music director. With his friend Surender ‘Raam’ Kadam, Patil formed a team which was given the sobriquet ‘RaamLaxman’ by Kondke. It was the well-known Marathi filmmaker-

Dharmendra on the future of 'Apne 2'

Kirron's health is improving, says Anupam Kher Actor Anupam Kher has provided a health update about his wife, Kirron Kher, whose cancer diagnosis he'd revealed recently. The actor said that the fight is 'tough', but that Kirron's health is improving.

He also revealed that actor Robert De Niro has been checking up on her from time to time. Anupam worked with the Hollywood legend in 'Silver Linings Playbook.'

He told a leading daily, "Kirron’s health is improving. It’s a tough treatment. She often says that the lockdown and Covid situation have made things difficult. Patients going through this treatment need something to distract themselves. She can’t go out or meet people, but the good part is that Kirron is on her way to better health. She is holding up fine.

There are days when she is positive and then there are days when the chemotherapy impacts her state in many ways. We are all trying our best and she is doing it, too. The doctors do their job, but you have to keep your mental state strong to get past such a difficult treatment. She’s making every effort towards that, and so are we."

He said that he reached out to De Niro after he saw a commercial in which the Oscar winner appeared with tennis legend Roger Federer. But all De Niro wanted to know was if Kirron was doing well. "Robert had messaged me when he learned about Kirron’s health.

He had also sent me a video to wish me on my birthday, and he keeps checking on Kirron’s health every few days. I had texted him after seeing his ad with Roger Federer, and in response, all he wanted to know was my family’s well-being and how Kirron was doing," he said.

Kirron made her first public appearance after her cancer diagnosis when she stepped out with Anupam to get vaccinated against the coronavirus earlier this month.

Anupam wrote in a note shared on Instagram and Twitter, "There is a rumour going around about Kirron's health. It's all false. She is doing absolutely fine. In fact she got her second vaccination done for Covid this afternoon. I will request people not to spread such negative news. Thanks!

Stay safe."

The iconic Dharmendra who was all set to start his family film, a sequel to the 2007 hit 'Apne' featuring the legendary patriarch with his two sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, would just have to wait. Right now, the way things are in our country and all over the world, we all must exercise utmost caution. Do only what we must. Shooting 'Apne 2' is not a must-do project at all. It can wait. After all, that is the advantage of working with family.

Jabb chaho shuroo karam jab dil mein aaye khatam karo (start when you want and end when you wish,” says Dharamji with his trademark chuckle.

The actor speaks very highly of director Anil Sharma.

“He’s like my own son. Sunny Deol has done several films with him. His most successful 'Gadar' was with Anil only.

Some of my most successful films are with Anil - 'Hukumat,' 'Elan-e-Jung', 'Tehalka', 'Frishtay', all major action films.

“Apne' is an emotional subject and we are all looking forward to the sequel. Right now is not the right time for it. Waqt ka takaaza hai. Let’s hope and pray that this pandemic will be over soon.” 'Apne 2' was announced a few months back and it was slated to release in Diwali 2021. However, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and a massive spike in the cases, the director of the film, Anil Sharma decided the shoot of the same will be pushed ahead and they are also considering the 85-years-old actor’s health.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

KOLLYWOOD

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

31

29 May - 4 June 2021

Popular young heroine opens up about body shaming Karthika Muralidharan is an actress who works in Malayalam film industry. She made her acting debut in 2017 with 'Comrade in America' co-starring Dulquer Salmaan. Her second movie was 'Uncle' co-starring Mammootty. For the unversed, she is the daughter of veteran cinematographer C. K. Muraleedharan. She had taken to her social media and opened about the body shaming that she had to face during her childhood and because of which she hated her body very much and what she did next to shed the extra kilos.

In a long emotional post, she wrote, “I have been chubby since I was a little girl, it was brought to my notice in 2nd std. Fat-shaming was persistent since then till my adulthood. The thing is it's not just an appearance issue, as a child I had to develop weird defence mechanisms to keep me going because it's not just school but your friends outside of school and family. I would shame myself, hate myself, then started gaining more weight.

Then I joined an industry known for unhealthy beauty standards! The fat shaming and sexualisation started on a much much larger level than I could handle. My body and I have been in a constant state of war with each other for a very long time and I was getting tired, I couldn't convince the world to accept me as I am, I couldn't accept myself either so I started out with fad diets - Low Carb, excessive exercising, Keto, Juice-ing - you name it.

Serendipity struck and I came across @adika.yoga. I joined Neelam with the intention of weight loss only but in-turn it changed the way I consumed food, my respect for myself, my body and instilled a sense of fearlessness and power, which wasn't in the nutrition course but when your body and mind are fed well the energy it produces is unstoppable. I started seeing my body less as a machine and more as an amazing being which absorbs all that you give it and returns the favour 10 folds! This is not a paid promotional post. I recognise the change I am going through and I have been getting DM's saying I have been doing XYZ still not losing weight and how to lose weight. These are the answers I came across and I am sharing them with you,” she wrote!

Amazon edits 'The Family Man 2' trailer Manoj Bajpayee, Priyamani and Samantha Akkineni's starrer the web drama 'The Family Man 2' will premiere on Amazon prime video on 4th June. The web series also has Sharib Hashmi reprising the role of JK Talpade, and it will be the last onscreen appearance of late actor Asif Basra who died earlier this year.

The upcoming web drama marks Samantha Akkineni’ digital debut, which is created by Raj and DK. Few days ago the makers of the 'The Family Man 2' launched the trailer that went viral and grabbed several eyeballs. Samantha who is playing a terrorist, was brutally trolled for her act.

After the release of the trailer of the film, the Twitter was filled with comments from Tamilians that the web series is projecting them as terrorists. Few people also abused Samantha for playing a terrorist and they also trended the hashtag #FamilyMan2_against_Tamils on Twitter. Few people also demanded a ban on the Web series.

Now after editing, the digital streaming platform- Amazon Prime Video released a slightly different trailer. In the edited trailer of the the film, the objectionable word -Tamil rebels was replaced by the word ‘the rebels’. The digital platform also released a statement that they do not intend to hurt the sentiments of the people.

Tamil heroine stuns fans with her new boxing skills One of the talented actresses in Kollywood who has impressed us with her brilliant acting skills and won our hearts with her simple looks in the film is Aishwarya Rajesh. The actress was last seen in Vijay Sethupathi’s starrer 'Ka Pae Ranasingam.'

Post which, the actress has a number of projects lined up in her kitty for release and has been bagging interesting projects like Vishnu Vishal’s upcoming film, 'Mohandas', 'The Great Indian Kitchen’s' Tamil remake to name a few.

Now, the actress has taken to her Insta story and shared a video which has indeed surprised her fans as the actress seems to have taken up a new skill. She can be seen practising boxing and fans are in awe looking at her video.

Telugu film producer BA Raju passes away BA Raju started his career as journalist and grew to the level of PRO, later he launched his Film news magazine. He was one of the most respected and inspiring personalities of Telugu Film Industry.

He has bankrolled several successful movies like ‘Chantigadu’, ‘Premikulu’, ‘Gundamma Gaari Manavadu’, ‘Lovely’, ‘Savaal’, and ‘Vaishakam’.

He has crossed several milestones

21.30 RAMAYAN 22.30 NAMAK ISSK KA 23.00 BAWARA DIL

TV Listing * Schedule is subject to change

MON 31 MAY FRI 4 JUN 2021 14.30 KASAM 16.00 THE GREAT INDIAN GLOBAL KITCHEN 18.30 BEST OF COOKERY SHOW THE GREAT INDIAN GLOBAL KITCHEN 19.00 UDAARIYAAN 19.30 CHOTI SARDAARNI 20.00 SHAKTI 20.30 MOLKKI 21.00 PINJARA KHUBSOORTI KA

SATURDAY 29 MAY 16.00 THE GREAT INDIAN GLOBAL KITCHEN 18.30 BEST OF COOKERY SHOW DESI BEAT RESET 19.00 UDAARIYAAN 19.30 CHOTI SARDAARNI 20.00 SHAKTI 20.30 RAMAYAN 21.30 DANCE DEEWANE 3 SUNDAY 30 MAY 16.00 THE GREAT INDIAN GLOBAL KITCHEN 18.00 CHOTI SARDARNI 20.30 RAMAYAN 21.30 DANCE DEEWANE 3

in his career and has been the PRO for a number of big Telugu actors like Prabhas, Nagarjuna, NTR, and other, in his long career spanning four decades.

Shiva Kumar B, the son of BA Raju, confirmed the news of his father’ demise. He revealed, BA Raju suffered a sudden fluctuation of diabetes and due to cardiac arrest he passed away. Raju’s sudden death comes as a huge shock to the entire Telugu film

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 31 MAY FRI 4 JUN 2021 8.30 BHARADWAJ BAHUEIN 15.00 RAMAYAN 16.00 SILSILA BADALTE RISHTON KA 16.30 THE RASOI SHOW 17.30 CHHUTA CHHEDA 18.00 TUM KAUN PIYA 18.30 DIL KA RISHTA 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 20.00 DIL SE DIL TAK 20.30 BARRISTER BABU 21.00 BALIKA VADHU-LAMHE PYAAR KE 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2

industry. Condolences from the Telugu film industry poured in mourning the loss of Raju.

22.00 ISHQ MEIN MARJAWAN 3 SATURDAY 29 MAY 15.00 RAMAYAN 16.00 SILSILA BADALTE RISHTON KA 16.30 THE RASOI SHOW 17.30 CHHUTA CHHEDA 18.00 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 20.00 DIL SE DIL TAK 20.30 BARRISTER BABU 21.00 EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2 SUNDAY 30 MAY 15.00 RAMAYAN 16.00 SILSILA BADALTE RISHTON KA 16.30 THE RASOI SHOW 17.30 DESI BEAT SEASON 3 18.00 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 20.00 DIL SE DIL TAK 20.30 DESI BEAT RESET 21.00 EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN 21.30 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA

32

www.asian-voice.com

29 May - 4 June 2021

AsianVoiceNews AsianVoiceNewsweekly

IPL phase-2 set to take place in UAE Phase 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) – which will cover the remaining 31 matches of the 2021 edition, including the four knockout games – is set to be played in the United Arab Emirates between September and October. The BCCI is likely to make the announcement on May 29 when members assemble for a special general meeting.

India’s five-Test series against England, scheduled to begin on August 4, is set to conclude on September 14 as of now. The BCCI has not initiated any official talk with the England & Wales Cricket Board to see if the 41-day window – reserved for the five Test matches – can be tweaked in any way.

While there is a three to four-day gap between all Test matches, there is a nine-day gap between the second Test (in London) and the third (at Leeds). “The ECB sells its season tickets way in advance. Therefore, it will be impossible for them to make any changes. But yes, if that nine-day gap can be reduced to four, then it will certainly allow the BCCI extra five-odd days to make use of.

Whether BCCI will ask the ECB to consider it is too early to tell,” sources said.

If BCCI refrains from making any requests to the ECB and continues to plan Phase-2 of the IPL post the India-England series as scheduled, it will have a 30-day window available – from September 15 to October 15 – to put a blueprint in place.

“If we can have those extra days eked out from the India-England schedule, then it adds to the window. If not, then within these 30 days, a full day will have to be set aside for the Indian team and English cricketers to travel from the UK to UAE, five days will have to be set aside for the knockouts later.

That will leave the BCCI with 24 days to

conclude 27 matches. This window has four weekends available, which means a total of eight Saturdays and Sundays for doubleheaders, that can accommodate 16 matches.

That will leave the BCCI with 11 matches to be held in 19 days. That’s a week extra,” sources said.

This extra week can be adjusted at both

BCCI ‘informally’ requests ECB to advance Test series The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has put in an informal request with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to consider tweaking the schedule for the upcoming five-Test series in England so that BCCI could get a bigger window to complete this year’s IPL which was suspended due to the pandemic. According to sources, BCCI was checking with ECB if it’s possible to finish the Test series earlier. The fifth Test is scheduled to be played in Manchester from September 10. The ECB has stated that the there has been no official request on this issue. “We talk to the BCCI on a regular basis about a wide range of issues, especially as we address the challenges of Covid-19, but have had no official request to change dates and are continuing to plan for the five Test series as is scheduled,” an ECB official said. It’s learned that BCCI is not going to push ECB on the issue as it is aware that the English board is launching ‘The Hundred’ in July-Aug. “There are a lot of factors involved. The ECB incurred massive losses due to the pandemic last year. They have the inaugural The Hundred in July-August this year. BCCI has informally checked with ECB if any adjustments could be made, especially as four counties have offered to host the IPL,” a source said. BCCI is looking for at least a three-week window to complete the remaining 31 matches of the IPL which was suspended abruptly in May due to the pandemic. At the moment, UAE looks to be the safer option for BCCI to host the IPL.

BCCI negotiating soft quarantine for cricketers in England The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has offered the men and women cricketers charter flights from three cities to assemble in Mumbai before departing for the tour of England in the first week of June. Both the men’s and women’s teams will have to undergo hard quarantine for two weeks in Mumbai. Players and support staff who live in and around Mumbai will enter the bubble a week later.

BCCI is still in talks with England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and UK government authorities to formulate the quarantine upon reaching England. The tentative date of departure of both teams is June 2. The Indian men’s team will head to Southampton for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand starting on from June 18 - while the women’s team will go to Bristol to play a one-off Test against England from June 16.

Meanwhile, BCCI is pressing for a soft quarantine in England for the teams where the players could be allowed to train. The other sticking point is the quarantine regulations for the families travelling with the contingent. “There may be a hard quarantine for a few days and then the players could be allowed to train. In Australia last November, the players were in hard quarantine for three days and then they were allowed to train. But the players could not

move out of their hotel rooms after practice.

Something similar is being mooted this time too,” a BCCI official said. The BCCI is looking at around 10 days of practice before the teams play their first match.

Meanwhile, the board is struggling to figure out how to get all the travelling members to Mumbai. Sources said the charter flights will pick players from Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi. “The players who want to avail the charter flights will have to reach their nearest airports. Players from small towns have requested the board that they will be happy to travel to Mumbai in commercial flights if they are given business class tickets,” the official said. The players have to get negative RT-PCR results before they enter the bubble in Mumbai. The board has arranged for the tests through a central agency. Players in small towns have been advised to get the tests done on their own.

Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar arrested Wrestler Sushil Kumar, India's two-time Olympic medallist, was arrested over his alleged involvement in the murder of a fellow wrestler in Delhi. He had been evading arrest for nearly 20 days, Delhi police said. He was arrested along with a coaccused from northwest Delhi's Mundka, police officials said. Police were on the lookout for Sushil Kumar for his alleged involvement in the death of a 23-year-old

ends – at the start and the conclusion – to have a cushion around the window. Further, should the BCCI agree to ‘request’ the ECB for the extra five days, and should the ECB agree, it’ll only add to the cushion ahead of the T20 World Cup starting around October 18.

BCCI is also of the view that since all teams will not be participating during the IPL knockouts, cricketers who’re out of the knockouts can disperse and join their respective teams for the World Cup. “The IPL will, in fact, be the perfect platform to warm up for the ICC event,” sources said.

“The International Cricket Council (ICC) is watching this space with keen interest and will not interfere with the logistics as long as it does not conflict with the World Cup window.”

wrestler at a stadium in Delhi. According to police, Sushil Kumar and his associates assaulted fellow wrestler Sagar Rana, 23, and his two friends on May 4 at the national capital's Chhatrasal Stadium. All three had to be hospitalised. Rana later died of his injuries. The Delhi police had announced a reward of Rs 100,000 for information leading to the arrest of Sushil Kumar, who had since been on the run.

in brief DRAVID TO COACH TEAM INDIA ON SRI LANKA TOUR Former India skipper and current National Cricket Academy (NCA) head Rahul Dravid will coach the Indian limited-overs team that will play a six-game series against Sri Lanka in July. This will be his second stint with the Indian team after working with the boys as batting consultant during the England tour in 2014. A BCCI official confirmed that the NCA head would be leading the team as the trio of Ravi Shastri, Bharat Arun and Vikram Rathour will be in England with the Test team.

"The Team India coaching staff will be in the UK and it is best that the young team is guided by Dravid as he has already worked with almost all of the India 'A' boys. The comfort the youngsters share with him will be an added advantage," the official said.

Before taking over as the head of NCA in 2019, Dravid had worked closely with the current crop of youngsters in the Indian team at the U-19 level as well as in the India 'A' team. In fact, he is seen to have played an integral role in building a solid bench strength for the national team over the last couple of years -- having taken charge of the U-19 and 'A' team in 2015.

The Indian team for the Sri Lanka series is expected to be selected at the end of the month and the boys will have to undergo quarantine in the Island Nation before playing the three ODI and three T20I games.

The three ODIs will be played on July 13, 16, 19 and the T20Is are expected to be played from July 22-27.