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Smriti Malhotra Irani represents CM Modi at CFI launch in London see Page 2 VOL 40. ISSUE 51

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Six Indian origin scientists honoured with Fellows of Royal Society

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

First & Foremost Asian Weekly in Europe

Modi opens India’s first canal-top solar power project in Gujarat

28th April to 4th May 2012

London Assembly Candidate for Brent and Harrow The count down begins for the London Assembly election. There are just a few days to go until Londoners head for the polling stations to elect the a Mayor to run Greater London Authority and the members of the London Assembly who scrutinise the London Mayor’s policies and decisions.

Our well known community activist Navin Shah is up for re-election for the London Assembly seat of Brent and Harrow on 3 May. Navin Shah brings him a wealth of experience with nearly 20 years service on Harrow Council and 4 years on London Assembly tackling our community issues.

Read More about Navin Shah on page 7

Protest against Dow Chemical hots up Bhopal protesters unveil banner outside Olympics stadium

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated Asia’s biggest and India’s first 1 MW canal-top solar power project in Chandrasan village of Kadi taluka in Mehsana district of Gujarat.

“One megawatt solar power needs 6 acres of land but as the solar power is produced on canal-top, the use of expensive land

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A Bangalore-based mathematician and a biologist are among the six Indianorigin scientists chosen for the esteemed Fellowship of the Royal Society for 2012.

The Royal Society was founded in 1960 to recognise, support and promote excellence in science. It has awarded Fellowship to almost 1,500 individuals over these years, including Einstein, Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking and Tim Berners-Lee. Forty four experts were elected for this year 2012.

Among them are six Indian-origin scientists.

Tejinder Singh Virdee is a Physics Professor at Imperial College, London. He is wellknown for the construction, exploitation and design of huge Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider.

Virdee with other four colleagues in 1990 originated the concept of CMS and also invented a new technology for the large CMS electromagnetic calorimeter and was employed for the Hadron Calorimeter.

Continued on page 26

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will be highly reduced,” Modi said while inaugurating the plant. As electricity is produced by solar power on Narmada canal top, this step of Gujarat will prove beneficial with electricity getting much cheaper. It would be Rs 88.50 per unit.

The project covers 750 metres of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited

(SSNL) branch canal passing through remote village of Chandrasan, with a network of solar panels, said a top official of the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation (GSECL).

It would eliminate need of 11,000 acres of land required for a solar project and would save 2 billion litres of water annually.

Continued on page 26

Activists calling for Dow Chemical to be dropped as a sponsor of the London 2012 Games due to the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster unfurled a giant protest banner in front of the Olympic Stadium. The banner unfurled showed emotive pictures of victims of Bhopal, alongside victims of napalm and white phosphorous.

“People who died that night were lucky because they did not live to struggle,” said Sanjay Verma, who lost his parents and five sib-

lings in the disaster.

Verma, who is a victim of the Bhopal gas tragedy and is campaigning against Dow Chemicals is in the UK this week.

Sanjay will be meeting politicians and campaigners while in the UK. Continued on page 26

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UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

ONE TO ONE Keith Vaz MP with

Councillor Piara Singh Clair MBE Assistant City Mayor of Leicester Councillor Piara Singh Clair was born in Punjab, India.

He achieved a Bachelors degree from the Agricultural University in Ludhiana where he was also an athlete and a member of the National Athletic Team. He has lived in Leicester since the late 1970s and is married with three grown up children. He has been a local councillor since May 1991 and is an active member of the Leicester East Labour Party. He has been chairman of a number of committees of Leicester City Council such as Planning, Licensing and Leisure.

In 2004-05 Cllr Clair was Lord Mayor and High Bailiff of the city of Leicester. During which he raised over £140,000 for a local charity. He was subsequently awarded an MBE by HM Queen in 2005 for services to the community.

Under the new system of an elected mayor in Leicester, he is Assistant Mayor with responsibility for Culture, Leisure and Sports.

1) What inspired you to run for Councillor?

Being socialist I always wanted to help and support people in my local community. My then cocouncillor, the late Merlyn Vaz motivated me to get involved in local Since May politics.

1991, I have enjoyed every bit of this role as a local councillor. I feel relieved by taking up

role. My close working relations with the Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, and Chief Officers enable one to serve local people and to fulfil their needs.

3) What are your proudest achievements?

I always feel proud when I deliver what local people expect from me. My close working relationship with

Smriti Malhotra Irani represents CM Modi at CFI launch in London Smriti Malhotra Irani, pictured, a veteran Indian television actor, Politician, National Secretary of the BJP party and all India President of the Women’s Wing of the party is visiting London for the launch of the Conservatives Friends of India on 24th April, in presence of Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron, MP. Speaking to Asian Voice on behalf of Gujarat CM Narendra Modi and the BJP party as a whole, Smriti said, “Our good wishes will always be there and we appreciate the traditional ties and hard work of the British Indians. We ought to pay tribute to the contribution of the British Indians to this country’s economy and philanthropy. Keeping politics aside, we Indians are proud of the British

Indian legacies. Their hard work, struggle, commitment and significant contribution to Britain are inspirations for generations to come in Britain as well as back in India.”

When asked about the recent criticism of UKIndia relations by the media and other IndoBritish organisations, she said, “I am not here to criticise any government.

I, as an Indian appreciate Britain’s contribution and BJP today signifies development and trade. Under BJP governance Gujarat as a state has progressed

4) What are the best things about Leicester, the city you represent?

Leicester is a diverse city; we have good race relations amongst all sections of the community.

We live in harmony. We share our cultural and religious values. It is all down to good local governance and a good understanding of community needs.

5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?

My local MP Keith Vaz has been a great inspiration in my political career, along with the support I have received from my family. I have learnt so much from him.

My own dedication and commitment has helped me to achieve my level of advancement in local politics.

local issues on behalf of my constituents. It is great honour to listen and to help people in your neighbourhood.

2) Please tell us about your current position?

I am assistant City Mayor for Culture, Heritage and Sports as part of the City Mayor cabinet in Leicester. It is a very exciting and challenging

the local MP Keith Vaz has enabled me to deliver new health centres, new school buildings and now sports club for local people in Leicester East.

so much. In Vibrant Gujarat we have had 7000 MoUs signed of worth $405,000mn.

The investors show confidence in us. BJP as a party is beyond doubt a very effective and progressive party.”

Smriti, a very eloquent speaker, is of PanjabiBengali origin. An icon of women emancipation in India, she is very encouraging and appreciative of young entrepreneurs of Indian origin wishing to strengthen the UK-India relation further through investment, trade and profession. Her hall of fame has been a character called ‘Tulsi’ in a serial ‘Kyunki sans bhi kabuki bah thi’, where she was the protagonist and represented the modern Indian woman- a blend of courage, conscience and duty as a wife, mother and daughter, that

took Indian television soaps to a completely different level.

“BJP has remodelled states into being investment friendly. We believe in going forward, rewarding community for progress. We have had Micro finance reflective on how we have utilised investment,” she told Asian Voice.

The Conservative Friends of India is a new member led organisation aiming to promote understanding and engagement between British Indian community and the Conservative party. The launch will be attended by Cabinet members including President, Attorney General, Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC, MP, Chairman Lord Popat and Conservative Party members of Lords, Commons and other organisations.

6) What is the best thing about your current role?

It is very challenging. It is a great opportunity to be in the centre of the decision making process.

It has enabled me to make representations on behalf of local people in a

better controlled manner.

7) And the worst?

You are always under the microscope. Answerable to your actions. It is a very demanding role and you can be under lots of pressure from time to time. You need to be prepared for being blamed as well as praised.

8) What are your long term goals?

I wish to serve my constituents with my best possible ability, as long as I remain fit and healthy, in a very transparent and open minded way.

9) If you were Prime Minister, what one thing would you change?

Introduce a living wage and make society a safer place to live.

10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figures would you like to spend your time with and why?

I would like to spend my time with Tony Blair because he is the best Labour Prime Minister in the history of this country. I would like to talk to him about how he helped boost the economy, introduced the minimum wage and created job opportunities for many.

Devoted father to face possible jail sentence?

A devoted father who spent £20,000 hiring Nicole Kidman and Tulisa from N-Dubz to appear at his daughter’s Super Sweet 16 is facing a possible jail sentence after the collapse of his business empire.

Harbinder Panesar, pictured, faces losing the family’s £500,000 house in the Vale of Glamorgan and a spell behind bars after allegedly breaching a court order banning him from selling car insurance.

The family is facing an uncertain financial future after a judge ruled Mr Panesar and his business partner Anthony Thomas breached a freezing order placed on their collapsed car insur-

ance company, by going into the same business under a different name.

Speaking outside court, Mr Panesar told a daily media: ‘It’s one of those things. I’m going to appeal.’

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

COMMENT

Boris changes his stance on immigrants London Mayor Boris Johnson has told ministers to get a grip on immigration levels, and sort this problem out. The Mayor said he wanted to see a much tighter grip on immigration, pointing to oversubscribed primary schools in the capital as signs of the strain.

At this point of time the campaign for the Mayoral election is gathering momentum, when Boris commented on the immigration control. Whether he is right or not is a different issue. But the question is that why has he raised these subjects at this juncture? After all the avenues to articulate his views to PM and Home Secretary is available without involving media. It was not only what he said, it was also how he said it. It’s unbecoming of a tolerant and fair minded nation like Britain.

If Boris expects that there is intolerant electorate in Greater London who will rush to him and back him- perhaps he is misguided. Equally and unfortunately it plays in the hands of Ken Livingstone and large ethnic minorities of London - especially the Muslims (66%).

Ken’s comments about Islam are very opportunistic.

Boris also has another issue to explain. UK as a whole and South England especially needs to solicit foreign investment. India has been a major source of money, management and technology. Tatas are the largest manufacturing industry in the UK. Ken Livingstone to his credit opened the doors of the then GLC to ethnic communities of this metropolis. He opened trade offices in Delhi and Mumbai.

Boris closed them all. Richard Barnes, Deputy Mayor, said the people running the offices were inefficient and not good. If that was the case, surely more efficient people could have been selected- partners or operators. Somehow it was not done at all.

In a week London will go to vote. Whatever one’s personal preference, exercise your franchise without fail. Any

candidate will fish for vote during elections. Common sense says voters are paramount, Londoners of all creed and colour choose their Mayor and Assembly members.

Old cliche. But true, people get the government they deserve.

The incumbent Conservative Mayor adopted his new stance on immigration towards the close of a first mayoral term in which he has previously opposed Tory orthodoxy by calling for an amnesty on illegal immigrants in the capital.

As he faces re-election in May, Johnson appears to have fallen into line with Conservative party thinking, but rebukes the government for failing to do more to tackle the problem of foreigners illegally setting up home in London.

But Johnson, who has in the past few months been lobbying education secretary Michael Gove for an extra £300m to help relieve pressure on primary school places in London, appears frustrated by the pace of progress.

“I want a much tighter grip on immigration,” he said.

“It is really important for the country. It cannot be beyond the wit of man. We have a relatively small number of ports and airports. It should be possible to control it.”

Johnson first voiced his support for the idea of an earned amnesty during the mayoral election in 2008, despite opposition from both the then Labour government and the Tory party.

He had repeatedly argued that an earned amnesty in the capital would allow people currently in the city illegally to integrate and contribute more fully to society.

Perhaps it is more important for future of the UK is the election in Scotland. SNP overwhelming victory will create some serious risks for a Labour party majority in Westminster in the future. One cannot imagine a Great Britain without Scotland as an integral part of the UK.

Agni V test boosts India’s standing Last week’s successful launch of Agni V intermediate range ballistic missile propelled India into an elite club of nations possessing such technology. Agni V is a marker of slow but steady progress in India’s building of a nuclear triad. New Delhi has correctly sought to downplay the event; even though in some quarters there have been noises about going on to build true intercontinental ballistic missiles. The launch is a step in the right direction; especially in the backdrop of Army chief Gen V K Singh statement that army is under prepared and lacks armament. If our scientists and other experts take India to a better footing you can’t cut the ground. Sheer idealism and wishful thinking is not sufficient. India should not forget 1962 when Chinese troops marched up to Tezpur. Chinese and Pakistanis keep attacking areas and have so much Indian land under them. India should learn from how Margaret Thatcher and the British government had defended Falklands. India should also resolve issues

with such an attitude.

That Indian intentions are understood is indicated by the muted international response to the missile test.

While the US chose to emphasis India’s commendable non-proliferation track record, the official reaction from China- whose territory has been brought into the range by Agni V – described the two emerging countries as cooperative partners. Engagement, and not the threat of force, have and will remain the cornerstone of India’s foreign policy. But New Delhi shouldn’t allow others to use the prospect of violence to stifle its diplomatic elbow room. For that reason, it must operationalise the Agni V after conducting further tests, and move to build a credible nuclear triad in accordance with minimum deterrence. That, in turn, would give it the confidence to deal with China on a new basis, as both nations discuss how to resolve the long-simmering boundary dispute and endeavour to put the past behind them.

Changing tax laws retrospectively is a foolish step The joint appeal to Indian Prime Minister by seven major industry groups – mainly representing business in the US, UK, Canada and Japan- cautioning the government about the negative implications of the proposed retrospective amendment in the tax laws is to be taken seriously. The concerns expressed in the appeal- emanating from nations that are among the biggest investors in India- are widespread and not restricted to foreign investors alone.

The government’s decision to extend amendments in tax laws retrospectively, going back by as much as 50 years is a foolish step. If the government is concerned about losing revenue due to the recent Supreme Court verdict in favour of Vodafone, it has every right to amend taxation laws to be able to tax similar merger transactions taking place in future. But it should stay away from retrospective change, which mars business transparency.

India’s strong legal system is an important factor that makes it an attractive foreign investment destination. In

fact business welcomed the Supreme Court verdict in favour Vodafone as a validation of the independence of Indian judiciary. Amendments and clarifications that apply retrospectively would undermine the credibility of the legal framework and discourage investors. Though the immediate need for mopping up additional tax resources may the real reason for such extraordinary steps, it is certainly a case of being penny wise and pound foolish. Discouraging foreign investments would reduce tax collection over the long term, worsening the fiscal situation. Indian interest is supreme; supremacy of law is right but practically it differs. India is a democracy and not a banana republic. If any nation thinks it can pressurize India to act in a way of interest, it is wrong. But the government has to think of the future implications of its actions. While amendments in tax laws can be made applicable for the future, all retrospective clauses must be dropped.

Stop genital mutilation of women It is a shame that even in a modern and developed country like Britain, female genital mutilation (FGM) is taking place without much hindrance. According to reports, 100,000 women have undergone this procedure all over the country. Research suggests that more than 22,000 girls in UK and 6,000 in London are at risk of the potentially fatal procedure. The procedure which involves surgical removal of external genitalia and in some cases the stitching of vaginal opening is illegal in Britain and carries up to 14-year prison sentence. But the widespread practice speaks volumes about the lack of seriousness in enforcing the law.

The procedure is widespread across parts of North Africa and other parts of Africa. The victims are rarely given anaesthetic and frequently suffer long-term damage and pain. The police said since 2008 it had received 166 complaints against FGM. But not one person has been convicted shows the attitude of the police towards the victims and the perpetrators of the procedure. It is high

time the police take up the issue seriously and bring the practitioners to task. It will act as deterrence for future practitioners. So far only two doctors have been convicted and their licenses cancelled since 1980.

Waris Dirie, herself a victim of FGM, says if a white girl is abused, the police will act immediately, but if the victim is a black girl, nobody bothers. This shows racial discrimination prevailing in the country and even among the law enforcers. The media has focused only Muslim women of African migrant population undergoing this procedure. Hardly any mention is made of Pakistani women. Though these types of incidents are few and far among Indian and Pakistani Muslims, tragically they do exist. In the present day such inhuman practices on women has to be eradicated. Law alone won’t be sufficient. Awareness of the brutality and education of community is essential, especially among men, as their opinion prevail in the household. The sooner this practice is stopped, it is better for the future generation.

www.abplgroup.com

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Thought for the Week

Indulge yourself by being generous help someone out, perform an act of kindness, offer a compliment. The person who will feel most uplifted by you having done so is you Paul Wilson (1996)

Political Sketchbook Alpesh Patel’s

Why you’re not safe and taking the law into your own hands Almost exactly to the day since an abusive racist idiot spat and hurled abuse at my father in Knightsbridge, it’s happened again, this time, a different yob, and in Mayfair, but again in broad daylight, but again white van man, and as I rushed out of my office, and told the staff to call the police, the racist idiot kept on swearing and calling us ‘inbred’ and saying ‘I’m not afraid of you’.

Why? Because he reversed into the parked stationary car my father was in which he could not see and blamed my father for being parked behind him. My father is perfectly sane and not the type of person, as an OAP, about to say anything to a 30 something yoof. He probably felt brave picking on my dad, then my father called me on his cellphone – I could hear the fear in his voice. I rushed out of my office.

After I came out, I took footage of the yob still hurling abuse at both my father and I. I showed the police footage on my iPhone of the abuse– part of it now posted on YouTube (http://youtu.be/4EgNTFM H6VQ). I heard it when my father called me in panic.

I tell you now, it is a criminal offence to hit someone who calls your father a ‘b&&*stard’ a ‘c^%t’ a ‘f*&*ing black…’ it is also a criminal offence to incite other persons to commit an assault against such persons.

So to the brave police officers, all three of them, who explained to me that they would have to arrest my father as well (who said nothing in reply to the yob), because, ‘there are always two sides to the story’ and it’s only ‘one person’s word against another’ as I explained I am a witness, the video on my phone is a witness – yet they want to arrest the 65 year old pensioner shivering in the cold; to you brave officer I say this, come and arrest me, because in this article my advice, and my practice for the next time this happens will be, to give the yobs a bloody good kicking, a hiding, a smacking, a

beating, a thumping – to cause them harm and I encourage anyone who has the choice between calling the police, or taking the law into their own hands, to do the same. We the citizens know right from wrong, even if the police do not.

Because, then, when I tell the police, ‘there’s two sides to the story,’ they’ll walk away like cowards afraid to do the paperwork. When I told the police, if they arrest my father, then I’ll give them cause to arrest me by thumping the yob, they backed down.

Police strategy is this, ‘tell the victim you’ll arrest them, and they back down, so you don’t have to do the paperwork. Let dangerous yobs go off. It’s practical, saves costs’.

Shame on the police force. You’ve given up the streets of Britain to the yobs.

Then again, since I am a journalist, maybe I should just have bribed the policeman instead to do something. Oh, and in case you’re wondering Mr Plod, I’ve not committed an offence in writing this article; it’s my human right, freedom of speech I’ve just exercised for the purposes of a political column – an illustration – there’s two sides to every story. But, I am going to stand for elected political office. Because then you’ll take some notice. And to every reader of this article – participate, participate in every level of politics, get elected, get involved, know that should you not, then like me, do not be surprised when you are unjustly treated.

The reason, the yob felt safe saying ‘I ain’t afraid of you’ is this. He knew he had police protection. He knew the police will do nothing.

So congratulations Metropolitan Police Force, you just got one more pissed off immigrant. But thank you, you just changed the course of my life; I’ve just submitted my application to stand as a Police and Crime Commissioner.

Alpesh Patel Alpesh.patel@tradermind.com

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Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

Leicester Voice Email: majithia.meera@gmail.com

In brief

By Meera Majithia

Temple celebrates Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

The Executive Committee and Trustees with Chief Guest Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire Jennifer Lady Gratton, Chairman of County Council Jackie Dickinson, Lord Mayor of Leicester Robert Wann, High Sherif of Leicestershire and civic dignitaries from city and county at the Queens Diamond Jubilee Celebrations at Shree Sanatan Manadir on Thursday 19 April 2012.

Over 200 people gathered at a Hindu temple in Leicester to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The event kick started at 5.45pm on Thursday, April 19 at the Sanatan Mandir, Weymouth Street, Leicester and went on till 8.30pm. A number of special guests were also invited to enjoy the specially selected entertainment on show, which included, prayers, poems, and a selection of classical and group dances performed by local children. This was fol-

lowed with a complimentary buffet.

The dignitaries invited included the High Sherriff of Leicestershire, the Chairman of the County Council, the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire, the Lord Mayor, local councillors and representatives from local Hindu communities.

Ramanbhai Barber, MBE and President of Shree Sanatan Mandir, said: “This was a chance for us to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

along with the Hindu community and civic dignitaries from the county. We have been citizens of this country for many years and her majesty has reigned for the last 60 years and it is our loyal duty as British citizens to celebrate this auspicious occasion. We celebrate our festivals with people of all faiths and this temple is home to people from all communities. It is often used for educational visits and other activities.”

Last year, the temple hosted a Royal visit by

Prince Edward and with the Queen visiting the city herself a few months ago, a celebration seemed very fitting.

Mr Barber added: “Shri Sanatan Mandir and the Hindu community of Leicester would like to send their warmest greetings to her majesty the Queen Elizabeth II. In the year of her Diamond Jubilee we would like to pay tribute to her service and pray to god for her good health for many years to come.”

A former Leicestershire dance student scooped up a prestigious award for the best new dance production for his show in the city.

World-renowned choreographer Akram Khan, pictured, won an award for his production DESH at the Olivier ceremonies at the Royal Opera House in London on Sunday, April 15.

The dancer took inspiration from his homeland and Bangladeshi culture to choreograph and perform the full-length solo show, which premiered at the

Curve theatre in Leicester in September 2011.

Commenting on receiving the award, Akram said: “It’s wonderful to receive the Olivier Award for DESH but it would not be complete if I didn’t mention the birthplace of DESH. In any creation, there is always an immense amount of fragility, darkness, and a sense of homelessness.

And thanks to the Curve, we, the DESH team, has felt extremely supported, secure and rooted in a place I could call home.

Curve for provided the

strong soil in which DESH could grow.”

The former De Montfort University dance student has also been selected to choreograph part of the opening ceremony at the 2012 Olympic games and will solo perform a solo as part of the show in London in July.

Rob Brannen, head of DMU’s School of Arts, said: “I am thrilled that Akram’s work has been recognised in this way with yet another award.

He really is at the forefront of contemporary performance at the moment.”

Akram has worked with the likes of Sylvie Guillem, Juliette Binoche and Kylie Minogue.

Police patrol streets as jewellery burglaries increase An increase in Asian gold jewellery burglaries has resulted in dedicated police patrols being introduced in the Keyham Lane area of Leicester.

Inspector Steve Riley, the commander of Keyham Lane police station, said: “We have recently identified an increase in house burglaries where Asian gold jewellery has been targeted.”

There were 11 burglaries between the middle of March and April compared with seven the previous month.

Inspector Riley added: “This is often a traumatic and distressing experience for victims, because the jewellery has a sentimental as well as a high cash value. The aim of the patrols is to identify offenders, and to deter them from committing crime.”

Police are appealing

for anyone within the area to ring the station if they see anything suspicious.

They are asking the public to be particularly aware of males who travel in vans or high performance cars. They may be smartly dressed, and may travel in groups of two or three people.

The initiative was launched on April 16 and consists of targeted mobile and foot patrols in vulnerable areas.

Police will stop and check any motor vehicles that appear suspicious, or anyone where there is police intelligence suggesting their involvement in crime.

PC Alan Cook is the Crime Reduction Officer for the city area. He said: “Asian gold is generally of a higher purity than other gold, and is attractive to thieves at any time, but more so recently as it has soared in value.”

A council worker is set to take the plunge to get her hair locks chopped in a bid to raise money for a charity, which is close to her heart.

Charnwood Borough Council’s contact centre advisor, Reena Panchal will have her 1.6 feetlong hair chopped off to raise money for the D e r b y s h i r e , Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance.

Not only that, but she will donate her shorn locks to The Little Princess charity which helps children who suffer hair loss as a result of cancer treatment.

Reena wants to raise money for the air ambulance after paramedics rushed to the aid of her dad following a hit and run in the London area last year.

Reena, 34, of Loughborough, said: ”I’m excited and scared to lose my hair because it is my pride and joy and

I have really looked after it over the years. But the Air Ambulance can mean the difference between life and death and I wanted to do something to thank them for helping my dad.

“Giving my hair away seems like a good place to start and to give the money raised through sponsorship to the Leicestershire Derbyshire and Rutland Air Ambulance Service.

Little Princess is a lovely charity and I wanted to whatever I could to help in any way.”

Reena’s father passed away following the incident, but the quick thinking and expertise of paramedics meant they got him to the right hospital and identified underlying health issues which helped inform doctors.

You can also donate money to the cause via www.justgiving.com/Ree naPanchal

Getting a chop for charity

Dance production scoops up top award

Budding entrepreneurs sought for Leicester Market Leicester Market is looking for people ready to take on the challenge of running their own stall as part of a four-week competition for the title of ‘Pitch Up Entrepreneur 2012’.

The ‘Pitch Up’ competition will give eight potential entrepreneurs the chance to try out their business ideas by running a stall at Leicester Market.

Anyone wanting to be considered for the Pitch Up competition must apply by Friday, May 18, 2012.

The eight successful entrants will be offered a free trading slot at Leicester Market for one day a week throughout June. They will also be given a £250 grant to help with initial set-up costs as well as free access to business workshops and mentoring support to help them sharpen their business plans and trading

skills.

A further prize of six months’ free trading and an additional £500 business development grant will be up for grabs by the entrant whose stall makes the most profit over the course of the competition.

City Mayor Peter

Soulsby said: “Leicester Market has a lot to offer new and innovative traders.

It is an exciting and diverse retail space and has helped launch many successful local entrepreneurs. This competition shows that the tradition of supporting and encouraging entrepreneur-

ial spirit is still at the heart of Leicester Market.”

Joe Harkin, Leicester City Council markets development manager, added: “We’ve been keen to do a competition a bit like ‘The Apprentice’ for a while. We very excited about the search for our first ‘Pitch Up Entrepreneur’ winner.

But this competition is as much about offering people the advice, support and opportunity to turn their ideas into a real business and give them the hands-on experience of running a market stall.”

Applicants must be over 18 years of age and available to trade one day each week during June. The competition is not open to anyone currently trading at Leicester Market. Full application details are available online at www.leicestermarket.co.uk

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

5

Must have your say on 3rd May The London Mayoral election has about a week left, as we go to press on Tuesday. We know there will be many changes, many twists and turns to the polls and the result could be dramatic or entirely unexpected, but it is reasonably interesting to follow the progress.

While Boris has had his own moments, Livingstone has turned his back on the Hindus and Jews now, while he is in full swing to appease the Muslims. London has1.2 Muslim million voters, whereas the Hindus are around 564,000 and Sikhs are about 243,000. Most of the Hindus and Sikhs don’t turn out to vote. So if Ken even secures 50% of the Muslim votes with 250,000 Labour party and Union supporters, he will be very close to the magic number.

So if you want your voice to be heard, and your choice of candidate to win, you must vote.

As we went to the press, the recent YouGov poll showed Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone are neck and neck once more in the race for the London mayoralty, showing the Conservative candidate’s lead has narrowed to just two percentage points.

The poll depicts Johnson on 51% and Livingstone on 49% after votes for the other five candidates are stripped out.

This figure comes just a week after another YouGov poll saw Johnson on a six percentage point lead over his Labour rival (53%47%).

The latest survey of 1,138 voters conducted over the weekend, shows Johnson is still significantly outpolling his party while Livingstone continues to trail behind his, though he has narrowed the gap in a contest which looks set to deliver a knife-edge result.

Livingstone used a speech at the Labour party headquarters in Westminster to warn that a victory for the

Mayoral Candidates Lawrence Webb, UKIP

Conservatives “will be used as a green light for deepening the Tory onslaught”.

As candidates head for the last full week of campaigning before the London and local elections on 3 May, Livingstone seized on the government’s difficulties over the cut in the 50p tax rate and the “granny tax” in last month’s budget unveiled by the chancellor, George Osborne.

“Every single person in Britain therefore has a stake in ensuring the Tories do not get that endorsement.”

Support for the Conservative party in the capital is continuing to wane after a difficult few weeks for the coalition government. The poll shows their support has dropped by 2 percentage points to 31%, while backing for Labour remains at 50%.

More people think Johnson (36%) has run a good or excellent election campaign than Livingstone (27%).

The poll shows Johnson securing 43% of votes in the first round of an election conducted under the supplementary vote system, with Livingstone on 41%.

The Liberal Democrat candidate, Brian Paddick, has notched up another 1% of support, bringing him to 8%, while the independent candidate Siobhan Benita has received 3%, putting her in joint fourth place with Ukip’s Lawrence Webb.

The Green party candidate, Jenny Jones, is on 2%, but she will no doubt be cheered that the Greens have doubled the level of support for the Londonwide list from 3% to 6%, while 33% intend to vote for the Conservatives, down from 35% last week, and 44% intend to vote Labour, down from 46%. Those intending to vote Lib Dem remains at 9%.

The percentage of people intending to vote Labour in the London assembly election has increased to 46% for the 14 constituency seats in an election conducted in a quasi-PR system, while those intending to vote Conservative has gone down one percentage point, to 34%.

For Livingstone, the poll suggests that despite narrowing the gap with Johnson, he is still suffering a trust deficit with voters – just 12% view him as honest, down from 17% just a week ago, in a poll conducted after Sky News broadcast a mayoral debate in which his controversial tax arrangements were raised again.

Johnson has a dramatic lead over Livingstone on charisma (49% – 14%), but the latter is seen as the one most likely to “stick to what he believes in” (31% – 28%), and who is more in touch with the concerns of ordinary people (33% – 11%).

The London Assembly candidates There are 14 constituency (each made up up of two to four boroughs) London Assembly members and 11 nation wide Assembly members.

Asian candidates as London Assembly Member

Barnet and Camden: None Bexley and Bromley: None Brent and Harrow: Dr Shahrar Ali, Green Party ; Navin Shah, Labour Party ; Sachin Rajput, Conservative Party City and East: Kamran Malik, Communities United Party Croydon and Sutton: None Ealing and Hillingdon: Onkar Singh Sahota, Labour Party Enfield and Haringey: None

Greenwich and Lewisham: None Havering and Redbridge: Farrukh Jamal Islam, Lib Dem Party ; Haroon Saad, Green Party Lambeth and Southwark: None Merton and Wandsworth: Thamilini Kulendran, Independent ; Mazhar Manzoor, UKIP North East: Dr Ijaz Hayat, Independent ; Farooq Qureishi, Lib Dem South West: None West Central: None

London Wide Assembly Members

BNP: None Christian

People’s

Alliance: Vivek Trivedi Conservative Party: Amandeep Singh Bhogal ; Nadia Jabine Sharif English Democrats: None Green Party: Shahrar Ali ; Farid Bakht Labour Party: Murad Qureshi ; Unmesh Desai ; Liaquat Ali Lib Dem: Shas Sheehan ; Ajmal Masroor ; Marisha Ray National Front: None House Party: None Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition: None UK Independent Party: Mazhar Manzoor Individual: Rathy Alagaratnam Independent: Ijaz Hayat

What will he do if elected as a Mayor? * Create more jobs *Cut rates for local business * Fight EU red tape * Zero tolerance * 20 mins free parking *Allow taxis tob use Olympic VIP lanes * Cut council house waiting list * Stop spending public money * Give landlords power * 5% VAT on beer and cider Siobhan Benita, Independent

What will she do if elected as a Mayor? * Make education a priority * Create jobs and boost economic growth * Improve transport in London * Build better, safer neighbourhoods * Housing and better use of space Brian Paddick, Lib Dem

What he will do if he is elected as a Mayor? * Decent Homes for all * Fares that work for you * Community payback scheme Boris Johnson, Tory

What will he do if he is elected as a Mayor? * Cutting waste at City Hall * Putting ￡445 back in your pocket by freezing the Mayoral share of council tax * Creating 200,000 new jobs over the next 4 years * Making streets and home safer * Restoring 300 acres of green space and planting 20,000 street trees * Investing ￡221mn to transform local high streets, supporting small businesses * 11,000 new homes and 10,000 new jobs * Reducing tube delays 30% by 2015 * Securing a better deal for London from No 10 Jenny Jones, Green Party

What will she do if she is elected as a Mayor? * Cut fares and reduce traffic * Improve green spaces

and environment * Make housing affordable * Reduce the gap between rich and poor * Rebuild trust in policing Ken Livingstone, Labour

What will he do if he is elected as a Mayor? * Cut fares by 7% * Crack down on crime * Help reduce rent * Tackle heating bills * Introduce a London EMA * Support childcare Carlos Cortiglia, BNP

What will he do if he is elected as a Mayor? * British people must be household first * No amnesty for illegal immigrants * Build a better NHS * Zero tolerance on crime and anti social behaviour * British jobs for British workers * Abolish the congestion charge * Reduce council tax * Free weekend tube and train travel

What BNP says, and what we can do BNP on their website have put up a story “The biggest Holocaust in World History” (http://www.bnp.org.uk/ne ws/national/biggest-holocaust-world-historywhitewashed-history) suggesting that the genocide suffered by the Hindus of India at the hands of Arab, Turkish, Mughal and Afghan occupying forces for a period of 800 years is as yet formally unrecognised by the World.

It further says, “the only similar genocide in the recent past was that of the Jewish people at the hands of then Nazis; of the Africans during the slave trade and also the almost total extermination of native populations like the Aboriginal people in Australia and the native Indians, Aztecs, Incas, etc. in North and South America. The holocaust of the Hindus in India was of even greater proportions, the only difference was that it

continued for 800 years, till the brutal regimes were effectively overpowered in a life and death struggle by the Sikhs in the Panjab and the Hindu Maratha armies in other parts of India in the late 1700’s.”

The website adds that, “We have elaborate literary evidence of the World’s biggest holocaust from existing historical contemporary eyewitness accounts. The historians and biographers of the invading armies and subsequent rulers of India have left quite detailed records of the atrocities they committed in their day-today encounters with India’s Hindus. These contemporary records boasted about and glorified the crimes that were committed - and the genocide of tens of millions of Hindus, mass rapes of Hindu women and the destruction of thousands of ancient Hindu / Buddhist

temples and libraries have been well documented and provide solid proof of the World’s biggest holocaust. “ Invasion and destruction are a part of history- perhaps unacceptable, but unchangeable! British National Party has always tried to divide and rule. They might be trying to do the same to the Asian community by attempting to turn Hindus and Sikhs against Muslims in the run up to this Mayoral election in May. That is perhaps the easiest way to eliminate the little possibility of either of them flourishing.

The only answer to such a ‘dirty tactic’ is turning up to vote- vote for your choice, vote for your future, vote for the right candidate. So ensure that you do not let the community be divided on the basis of race, caste and religion- and vote for yourself and your family’s secured present and future.

6

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

Leading Lights

by Rani Singh

Special Assignments Editor

By Spriha Srivastava

Shankar–Purbayan rock Southbank As part of the Alchemy Festival at the Southbank Centre, bollywood singer Shankar Mahadevan and sitar-player Purbayan Chatterjee gave an electrifying performance. The duo along with the band changed the solemn mood at the Royal Festival Hall.

With an international career spanning 25 years, Purbayan Chatterjee is one of India’s best-loved sitar players and composers. Noted for fusing traditional Indian classical music with contemporary world music genres, he has performed across the globe.

Singer Shankar Mahadevan earned his first National Film Award for his song in ‘Kandukondain Kandukondain’, collaborating with A.R. Rahman as a playback singer.

When his debut album Breathless was released in 1998 he became a household name. Not to be limited to any style, category or genre, he has also worked with some of world’s most extraordinary artists. In the past few years, Shankar-

Shankar Mahadevan and sitar-player Purbayan Chatterjee

Ehsaan-Loy have become one of Bollywood’s most well-known musicians.

While Shankar sang a couple of his bollywood hits including his famous song “’Breathless,’ he focused mainly on Indian classical music with the western instruments. The duo also performed a few songs from their latest album Stringstruck.

Alchemy is Southbank Centre’s annual festival of music, performance, literature, debate, fashion and design. The aim of the festival is to explore the rich cultural connections between Bangladesh,

India, Pakistan Sri Lanka and the UK. Supported strongly by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and the Nehru Centre, the event brings together artists the Asian sub-continent. This year the list of performers included included Asian Dub Foundation, Pete Lockett Rajasthan Collaboration, Susheela Raman with the Mein Mir Qawals, Sachal Jazz Ensemble, Raghu Dixit Project with members of Bellowhead, Shankar Mahadevan & Purbayan Chatterjee and plus many more.

“Aananda” displayed at The Nehru Centre Indian artist Sandhya Singh recently showcased the best of contemporary Indian art depicting the best of Indian culture at The Nehru Centre in London. The solo exhibition of paintings, titled “Aananda” – meaning Eternal Bliss featured 30 outstanding works of Sandhya Singh, a wellknown Indian artist. The exhibition was supported by the Indian High Commission and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). The show was by Ms Sangeeta Bahadur, Director, The Nehru Centre, Sandhya Singh, and a select few eminent personalities in the field of art and culture, by lighting the traditional lamp in the presence of a large number of guests and visitors.

The exhibition was inaugurated on April 10th 2012 and was on display till April 20th. The show marked the 20th anniversary celebrations of The Nehru Centre, the cultural wing of the High Commission of India in the UK. It introduced the audience to Indian culture through the visual medium of art, spreading the message of universal brotherhood and happiness, unhindered by any

tion and her corresponding style, Sandhya Singh has been rediscovering landscapes, mindscapes and thoughts on her canvas in her characteristic style.

To Sandhya Singh, understanding this rhythm of life is the key to eternal bliss - “Aananda” in Hindi. And that is the genesis of “Aananda” – the Eternal Bliss. One can visualise Sandhya’s brushes dancing with colours along varied contours to bring us a panoramic view of bliss through the 30 works that were on display.

Rendered in her distinctive style, Sandhya made Artist Sandhya Singh with “Aananda” a truly enjoySangeeta Bahadur, Director, able experience. The The Nehru Centre exhibition received rave reviews from critics, art has been greatly moved by lovers and general visitors music and its positive alike, and all said that the impact on human emotitle was very apt, as tions. She has clearly Sandhya has managed to evolved a unique style of covey both peaceful exisher own for capturing the tence and passionate essence of music on canvibrancy in her works, but vas. Sandhya finds the never once strays from rhythms in music, dance depicting Eternal Bliss. and poetry, too and finds a The theme of the way to translate these into show, depicting the a two dimensional visual strength of the human medium which beautifully character within and hardepicts her realisation mony with other beings that rhythms exist in all without, was also signififacets of human life, emocant in this special year of tions and even in nature. the Olympics in London.

With this rhythmic realisalimitations of languages.

Speaking on the occasion, Sandhya Singh traced her journey in art of over forty years and revealed that the inspiration for her works comes from music, and the cycle of rhythms inherent in both music and life. She

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at spriha@abplgroup.com

Najma Akhtar Najma Akhtar is a British - born vocalist, songwriter and actor who achieved a place in world music history by helping to create a new musical genre, introducing jazz to the traditional genre of the ghazal (Urdu ballad). Her music has inspired other Asian artistes of Indian origin to follow in her footsteps. Najma’s passion for music developed during the final years of her degree in Chemical Engineering at Aston University.

Q How do you keep your instrument in tune?

A My main instrument is my voice. I should practise every day for a minimum of two hours. I try but it’s not always possible. The practise is very meditative and I love that aspect of it. I try to take care of my voice as best I can by resting it after riaz (practise) and after performances.

Q Who were your musical inspirations?

A I have many influences that range from East to West. I enjoy Gershwin. I took note of ghazal, classical and folk singers, and the Bollywood greats; Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. Not forgetting of course the great western classical composers and some current pop artists. I like Madonna and Lady Gaga!

Q How did you study your art form?

A I am largely a self-taught musician.

Q What are you working on right now?

A At the moment I am exploring different strains of blues and folk and using my influences trying to create something subtle and timeless.

Q Tell me about your recent musical influences.

A I am constantly being inspired by new sounds and musical genres that resonate with Indian classical, folk, sufi, jazz, blues and semi-classical music.

Q Would you say you have changed direction at all?

A Yes, in 2010 I pushed the sound barriers once again by introducing a psychedelic sound to my list of eclectic influences on my

eighth album ‘Rishte’, a collaboration with Grammy- nominated guitarist Gary Lucas. We received absolutely amazing reviews but somehow I was continually singled out for my vocal arrangement in English and performance of the 1920s legendary singer, Skip James’s classic blues song, ‘Special Rider Blues’. So this has encouraged me to further explore this style and genre.

I am constantly being inspired by new sounds and musical genres that resonate with Indian classical, folk, sufi, jazz, blues and semi-classical music.

Q. What languages are you singing in and what instruments are accompanying you?

A I am singing mostly in Urdu with some selected verses in English.

Accompanied by guitar, bass, tabla, violin and harmonica these new songs will once again take you on a musical journey that goes from Memphis to Mumbai.

Q How do you give the music your own flavour?

A By my voice, my language and my arrangement.

Q What musical genres are you interested in?

A I like all musical genres, especially any music that comes from the Indian subcontinent.

Q What do you think has happened to the world music scene that you were

Najma Akthar

part of?

A I was part of a wonderful new era of ‘world music’.

What I and also a few others did at that time was revolutionary. In my case people became aware of the ghazal, the melody and contemporary arrangements within it. It inspired people and I became a role model for many aspiring artistes.

However, today Indian fusion has moved on by leaps and bounds and is here on all levels.

Bollywood is the main source and governing body, then rock, pop, folk and fusion. But generally speaking, I am finding that more and more Indian fusion music of today is based on western commercialized sounds with sampled rhythmic and instrumental loops and is more dance orientated. It’s not a bad thing, as music, like any art form, is continually evolving and growing. I feel that most of it tends to look outwards with an Indian angle. But why not explore it inwards with a western angle?

This is the basis of what I am trying to do. So you must watch this space to see what I mean.

Can Tories not win election without Asians?

The Prime Minister launched a major campaign to target ‘aspirational’ ethnic minority voters in the suburbs after warnings that he can’t win at the next election without them.

Tory Chairman Baroness Warsi, pictured, has revealed the party aims

to woo female and older Asian voters who share the party’s views but who have traditionally voted Labour.

She has told Conservative Cabinet ministers and MPs that they need to do more to win over non-white voters in key marginal constituen-

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They will be ordered to discuss core Tory values – hard work, good schools, the perils of welfare dependency – rather than ‘pandering’ to received Left-wing wisdom that Asian voters are only concerned with state handouts and foreign policy issues such as Afghanistan.

The PR drive comes after Tory pollsters warned that the party could fail to win a majority in 2015 unless they do better with ethnic minority voters.

7

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Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

Midland Voice Contact: Dhiren on 07970 911 386 or dhiren.katwa@abplgroup.com

Plea for support to help launch new local TV channel City TV, a proposed new local TV station in Birmingham, is seeking support for its bid from all citizens. One criterion to win the bid is to engage with diverse communities, which the team behind City TV is desperately now doing. But is it doing so to genuinely connect with multicultural Birmingham, or is it just to tick the box?

This was a common question posed to the panel by some of the 30plus attendees at a briefing about City TV held at a Muslim Centre in S p a r k b r o o k , Birmingham, last Monday. The panel comprised of City TV chief executive Debra Davis, local authority Equalities tsar Councillor Alan Rudge and his assistant, Mashuq Ally.

Funnily enough, only weeks earlier, Asian Voice had asked the same question to Ms Davis following the announcement of City TV’s interim board which does not, yet, at all reflect the diversity of Birmingham. In fact, it includes Diane Benussi, managing partner of Benussi Law and Alex Bishop, partner with Shoosmiths, ex-chairs of Birmingham Forward and Future, respectively, sister organisations which are continuing to

thrive through self-convenient ‘committed to diversity’ activities. Also on the board is City TV’s founder and vice-chairman Alan Grindley, Ms Davis’ partner, and former BT executive Derek Inman.

Addressing the panel, Monica Coke, a grassroots ethnic business guru, said whilst she could see the “added value” of City TV, it was the first time she was hearing about it. She voiced her concern over the lack of consultation to date with community groups, especially given the deadline for applications is July. A decision on the winner is likely to be announced in September. Community engagement “that’s the least of my worries,” Ms Davis told attendees.

“Because that’s easy to do.” Well, of course it would be as all she seems to be doing is consulting with those on the diversity database of her

Mosque plans set for EU courts Muslims battling to build a new mosque and community centre in Dudley have vowed to fight on despite a High Court rejection. Dr Khurshid Ahmed, pictured, chairman of Dudley Muslim Association said he is prepared to take the case to the European courts. “We feel seriously let down and we have to carry on the fight,” said Mr Ahmed.

Rising film-maker gets top author approval A film-maker from Birmingham has signed a contract with Stephen King, the worldrenowned author, to write a screenplay and then direct his own version of the 1977 short story The Man Who Loved Flowers. Ranjeet Singh Marwa, 23, from Handsworth, who is studying film and animation at Birmingham City University, plans to raise around £1,000 to fund the project himself after being given the go-ahead by Mr King’s publicist. Ranjeet, pictured, a former Lordswood Boys’ School pupil, is also planning a fulllength adaption later this year of one of his own short films, Samurai Diablo – a homage to Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, filmed in Edgbaston in August.

former employer, the city council, which, some say, needs updating. Ms Davis offered to meet with faith and community leaders.

“I’m willing to do that – though I don’t drive,” she said.

The business plan for City TV is in place, according to Ms Davis. “We have a six-year project based around sponsorship, advertising revenue etc. It will cost £3 million minimum in the first year.”

She said: “All I want is Birmingham, that is what I am focused on. Most of the other competitors want other cities as well.”

She said City TV would aim to employ between 25 and 30 people initially. “I think we could increase that to 60 in a three-year period.” It has already been approached, apparently, by Star Plus, the Asian TV channel, offering its support.

Birmingham has two official bids. The other, a rival to City TV, is YourTV, backed by Midland-based broadcasting stalwarts Gary Newbon and Mike Owen. The city is among 20 sites earmarked for local TV with the concept heavily endorsed by the government and Culture

Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

The first batch of new stations are planned to be up and running by 2013.

Nationwide, plans for local TV will see the BBC provide capital investment on transmission infrastructure, plus a commitment of £5 million a year for three years to buy programmes.

The potential of City TV “extraordinary”. is Absolutely agree. But to succeed, the Board and growing team at City TV should and must recruit selfless, articulate and honest ambassadors, also those who genuinely understand their respective communities and also reflect all strands of diversity. It should also give newcomers and suitably skilled younger citizens, rather than the same old faces, a chance. Ethnic communities have been fooled time and time again with such proposals, which has eroded, naturally, their trust and confidence. As a proud native Brummie, I’d like to see City TV win this bid – provided it can demonstrate genuine community engagement now, and sustain this post-triumph (fingers crossed!).

Weightlifting star selected A sports enthusiast from the Midlands has been invited to take charge of the field of play for weightlifting events at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Birmingham-born 49year-old Sam Hayer, pictured, who runs a gym at Oldbury Academy, represented Great Britain in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games in 1986 and 1990 and has gone on to coach national youth teams.

CBeebies Live!

Parents from all races and backgrounds joined in with their juniors to applaud, cheer, wave and sing along with the children’s TV stars who appeared on stage at the LG Arena in Birmingham last Friday as part of CBeebies Live! The ‘Reach to the Stars’ show featured popular nursery rhymes and encouraged audience participation. Among the icons were Mister Tumble, pictured, Mister Maker and Robbie Rotten.

Plot to stay in UK An Afghan immigrant in his 20s was found posing as a schoolboy in Birmingham as part of a plot to stay in Britain. He enrolled at a Birmingham school in 2010 and even went to live with foster parents in Solihull as a child refugee. The man was rumbled when teachers became suspicious at the alleged teenager’s amazing progress in learning English. He is now under investigation by officials and may face deportation.

News in Brief Dole queue shortens Unemployment in the West Midlands fell by 3,000 in the three months to February. The region’s dole queue now stands at 9%, with a total of 239,000 people out of work.

Are you a big-spender?

Remarkable Television wants to speak to people who spend too much on food, fashion or their homes. The Channel Four show helps people taking part find ways to make their money go further. Interested?

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Veil pulled off Muslim woman Detectives are hunting a man who grabbed a 26-yearold Muslim woman by the head and pulled off her face veil. The incident happened at Solihull’s Touchwood Shopping Centre on Saturday, March 3 at 2pm. Chief Inspector Kevin Doyle said: “We are treating this incident as a hate crime and we believe the woman was deliberately targeted because of her faith, symbolised by her attire.”

Missing Frieda found A teenager who went missing during a job hunt in Birmingham has been found safe and well in London.

Frieda Begum, 19, from Stechford, had vanished last Thursday. Police were unable to give more details.

New council house’ approval Ambitious plans to build 3,500 new council homes in Birmingham over the next decade have been unveiled. The £206 million project was approved by the council’s cabinet last week. Of the 3,500 properties, 1,759 will be for rent and 1,715 put up for sale.

Currently, there are 26,000 households on the council’s waiting list.

UK newspapers’ worst circulation British newspapers are among the worst circulation performers in Europe according to industry analyst Jim Chisholm. They have plunged by 20% in five years, compared with a European average of 12%. UK nationals declined by 16% against a European norm of 13%, while regionals declined by 29% against 12% generally.

Brum riots, trial begins Eight men who used three cars, each as an “instrument of death” in a “concerted plan” to kill three men during the Birmingham riots last August have appeared at Birmingham Crown Court. Timothy Spencer QC, prosecuting, said 21year-old Haroon Jahan died with brothers Shahzad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, pictured left to right, respectively, after being hit by a Mazda which was driven at up to 45mph. “It was deliberate, co-ordinated behaviour,” Mr Spencer told the jury, who were shown CCTV footage of the fatal impact. All the men deny three charges of murder. (Proceeding)

Fake gold seminar A seminar to discuss the importance of hallmarking, particularly on 22-karat Asian gold, will take place at the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham on Monday (Apr 30). The event has been organised after two probes by Birmingham Trading Standards found families living in Asian areas of the city were particularly vulnerable to dodgy shops selling unhallmarked jewellery. To reserve your place contact Holly Burnett on 0121 237 1144.

Nanjibhai celebrates Centenary Three cheers to Nanjibhai Vasanji Pabari of Birmingham who has turned 100. Mr Pabari was joined by family, friends, neighbours, past and present, at an extraordinary celebration held at St John’s Hotel in Solihull last Sunday.

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

Joel and Divia Cadbury welcome baby boy Divia Cadbury has made her husband Joel Cadbury’s wish for a boy come true by giving birth to his first son.

With two daughters, Joel Cadbury had been hoping for a son for long.

Divia, whose father is the telecommunications tycoon Gulu Lalvani, has presented him with a baby boy, whom the couple have named Cameron.

On Saturday 21st April, Devdaya Charitable Trust celebrated the 40th year of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar.

Attended by creme dela creme of the community, MPs, Lords, Indian mission representatives and organisational heads,

the event was organised to raise funds for prevention of childhood blindness in Gujarat.

At the end of the night, they had raised twice the amount they targeted to raise proving the victory of compassion and humanity over eco-

nomic distress.

Full story will be carried next week’s issue with photos.

To see this fantabulous fundraiser, watch Out and About on Zee Tv, Saturday 28 April 5pm and repeat on Monday 30 April 11am.

Case opens about firemen tragedy Four firefighters lost their lives inside a blazing warehouse after being sent into “an obviously dangerous situation” for no good reason, a jury has been told.

Stafford Crown Court heard that the four-man team, all wearing breathing apparatus, died in 2007 after being ordered into the smokefilled vegetable packing plant, which had already been evacuated.

The plant belonged to Dhanani family and was situated in Atherstone Industrial

Fauja Singh retires from full marathons The oldest marathon runner in the world, Britain-based Fauja Singh, has ended on a high at the age of 101 years - but that is not the end of the road for him. Not yet.

As the Indian-origin athlete completed the 26mile London Marathon on Sunday in a record time of seven hours and 49 minutes, he announced this would be his last race. But he says the London Marathon was only his last

Devdaya raises fund for prevention of childhood blindness

Estate, 20 miles from South Birmingham, at Stratford upon Avon.

Opening the Crown’s case against three fire managers service accused of four counts of manslaughter, prosecutor Richard Matthews QC alleged that no-one was in danger when crews were sent into the warehouse in At h e r s t o n e - o n - S t o u r, Warwickshire, on the evening of November 2 2007.

After explaining to the jury that command of the incident passed

between station manager Timothy Woodward and watch managers Paul Simmons and Adrian Ashley, Mr Matthews told the jury: “It’s the prosecution’s case that each of these defendants so badly failed to fulfil their duties to the firefighters under their command that their actions amount to what lawyers call gross negligence.

“It’s the prosecution’s case that the failings of each of the three defendants were a cause of the deaths of those four firefighters.”

9

full marathon - he will continue to run smaller races,

from five kilometre ones to half marathons.

ly left charge of his pharmacy in Stockbridge and Sturminster, Dorset, under untrained staff, when one grew uncomfortable to do what he was asked to.

Mr Leal is also accused

of blackmailing staff into providing evidence to support his case. Nimi Bruce, for the GPC, told hearing that one former employee accused Leal of forging his contract.

The hearing continues.

Pharmacist allegedly left untrained staff to issue drugs A pharmacist allegedly allowed unqualified and unsupervised staff to hand out drugs to customers while he lectured at a university, a disciplinary hearing was told.

Porsotam Leal alleged-

Fraudster offers secret divorces A fraudster claiming to be a solicitor has been in court for offering secret divorces in Bradford.

Khuram Shezad Ali tricked despairing men into believing that they

could divorce their wives without their partner having any knowledge, the Telegraph and Argus reported. Mr Ali has pleaded guilty in the Crown Court for is fraudulent act

and has yet to be sentenced. A victim of his scheme, however, has been charged with perverting the course of justice and has been given a suspended jail term.

Five jailed for sex attacks on trapped girls Five men who lured two girls to a house before subjecting them to a weekend of sex attacks were jailed last week.

The men, celebrating a Muslim religious festival, invited friends to join the party as they repeatedly abused the girls, aged 15 and 16, who sobbed and begged to be left alone.

Passing sentence at Birmingham Crown Court, Judge Melbourne Inman QC

said they had taken advantage of girls who were extremely vulnerable.

The convictions, for rape, sexual assault and child abduction, follow a series of trials in which groups of men of mainly Pakistani heritage have been accused of targeting young white girls, typically aged from12-16, before using them for sex.

Shamrez Rashid, 20, was jailed for 11 years for

abduction, two rapes, attempted rape and attempted sexual assault. Amar Hussain, 21, got10 years for abduction and three rapes; Jahbar Rafiq, 28, eight years for rape and sexual assault; Adil Saleem, 20, eight years for rape. Amer Islam Choudhrey, 20, guilty of child abduction and sexual assault, will serve 15 months in a young offenders’ institution.

YOUR VOICE

10

Dilemma of voting for Ken Indian Labour supporters and some minority religious communities face the dilemma whether to support Ken Livingstone or not.

It is imperative as a labour party member one has to support the labour candidate.

On the other hand Ken Livingstone has worked against the interest of the party and supported the Islamists for his own benefit against the wishes of the labour party in the Tower Hamlets Mayor election.The labour party candidate lost the election to a Islamist candidate who believes in Sharia law.

In order to get Muslim support who constitutes 40 per cent of the electorate, Ken Livingstone wants to make London as ‘beacon of Islam’ and he is anti Jewish, anti-Indian and anti Hindu.

Ken supports Palestinians and condemns Jewish state and he has stated that Jews will not support him because they are rich.

He invited fundamental Muslim cleric from Syria to London in spite of opposition from other religious groups. He talks about soaking the rich and at the the same time he avoided paying tax for several years by promoting his own private company.

Ken is for withdrawal troops from Afghanistan which goes against the labour policy. Some of the economic policies proposed by him will work against the interests of Indians and the hard working Hindus/Indians have to pay more tax to subsidise those who do not want to work on religious grounds.

Ken supports George Galloway who adopted policy of dividing votes on the basis of religion and he is adopting the same policy to woo Muslim voters.

Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and Jains should face the reality. By supporting Ken London will end with a Muslim backed Mayor who will destroy the harmonious relationship that exists between various religious and ethnic groups.

Arun Vaidyanathan By email

Cancer Sticks

It costs the country millions of pounds to treat people who succumb to lung cancer and other fatal diseases through smoking cigarettes. The Government is deploying various measures to prevent people from smoking. Now the latest measures are to put cigarettes out of sight in shops and also to make them less attractive by packing them in plain packets.Besides the health hazards, there are fire hazards too.

Also, people in the same environment as the smoker, although not smokers themselves, could be the victims of passive smoking!

The fags come in the shape of sticks.

I wonder whether if they are labelled as “Cancer Sticks” on the packets would stop people from smoking. Labelling the fags as cancer sticks would bring home the stark reality to embed in smokers’ minds that smoking is the main cause of lung cancer.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

Could playing faith card be self-defeating?

After the spectacular, breathtaking victory of George Galloway in a safe Labour seat, in Bradford by-election, attributed to courting favour with one section of the ethnic minority, this vote bank politics seems to be creeping into mayoral election. Now national newspapers have woken up and are drawing readers and voters’ attention to this unsavoury development which may turn nasty and may lead to white against brown and black tendency, voting pattern that may be detrimental to our multi cultural, multi faith democracy, warns political pundits in national newspapers.

Asian Voice with its clever, far-sighted editorial comments has drawn readers’ attention long before the national papers took it up and ethnic votes are already lining up to cultural divide rather than the party line that was the norm, the strength of our democracy. In a strange way, we are behaving, giving credentials to BNP whose supporters are enraged and enraptured in equal measures.

Our out of touch toff politicians and clueless party leaders have maintained earnest silence, thus encouraging the trend that may become the norm and come to haunt them in future elections. It is time the party leader show the courage, in line with Lord Sugar and nips this unsavoury practice in the bud!

It is also time for voters who are by far well informed and well versed to assert their authority, stop being ventriloquist dummies, voting on the issues close to their heart, whether it is unemployment, economy transport and send a right message that vote bank politics, vote harvesting would not pay dividend in the long run. Boris Johnson stands shoulder high among the minnows and perhaps deserves our support. If voters, readers need guidance, they should read excellent analysis in Kapil’s Khichadi and Alpesh’s Political Sketchbook.

Bhupendra M Gandhi Via Email

Ken Livingstone and his divisive politics Ken Livingstone’s divisive politics are astounding. His bias for one group at the cost of marginalising other groups is incongruent with sentiments of voters.

While we cannot be against Islam or Muslims, polarisation is unjust.

Exploiting race-vote card should be prosecutable, illegal and unethical by election commission, now and in future.

Racial polarisation of voters is undesirable in cosmopolitan metropolisLondon. Offering national silverLondon- to one ethnic group, whose national and international track record does not match pan-British patriotism is unthinkable and contrary to multi ethnic ethos of London.

It is self defeating proposal, should be opposed by all Londoners. For British, London is their castle and for ethnic groups it is a shelter. Both can feel insecure by such polarisation with implicit squeal.

Appeasement of Muslims in India

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In a rare gesture, China’s top leadership hosted his delegation at Great Hall of People and had a free and frank discussion and exchange of ideas on a range of subjects including trade, industry, socioeconomic development, investment, and prevailing global economic scenario. Modi emphasized about the shared heritage of India and China, and common vision for improved quality of lives of their people.

In his meeting with the Mr Wang Gang, Vice Chairman of the China People’s Political

Consultative Conference, (and a member of the politburo of Communist Party of China), Modi showcased Gujarat as a destination with a conducive environment to invest and work. He also explained Gujarat becoming a major tourist destination. He brought out the richness of Buddhist culture in Gujarat which solicited very keen interest among Chinese leadership. He also dwelled upon the ancient Indian and Chinese ethos, relationship, friendship, cultural and business ties.

While showcasing

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PM’s Vaisakhi

Neither Ken nor Boris will be getting my vote. During his last tenure Ken arrogantly ordered the extermination of pigeons from Trafalgar Square and in doing do he destroyed the joy that millions of people from all over the world experienced when visiting this famous landmark.

A few months ago I asked Boris at a public meeting as to why all 10 to 16 year olds were not made to visit a prison and meet those who were doing time for a crime that they committed in a moment of madness. This would give the youngsters a clear message that crime will destroy their lives. Boris replied that it was a good idea and went on to another question.

Somehow it seemed that he did not have the slightest interest in the people he had come to meet. The Independent candidate Benita Siobhan, Jenny Jones of the Green party and Brian Paddick of the Liberal Party come across as more honest and modest candidates free of contempt and arrogance.

I read your news about the PM throwing a gala party at the 10 Downing Street. I must say the Tory party has come a long way with accepting immigrants. Though I am not impressed with Boris’s recent comment on immigration- I must congratulate the PM for taking better initiatives to know our community.

The only thing that interests me, there are hundreds of Punjabi businesses across the country. How does the PM choose who to invite, who not to?

If your correspondents or readers get any information on that, do let me know.

Nitin Mehta Via Email

Dhamaka at the O2

I visited the Dhamaka show in O2 on Sunday. We were excited about seeing our first show in the big arena at the previously called Millenium Dome. Seeing the changing face of docklands, it’s sheer joy, how much we have progressed over the years.

However on reaching it was disappointing to note that Sonu Nigaam the main singer was not performing due to unforeseen circumstances. It might be very easy for a celebrity to not just turn up, but I am sure it has been a lot more stress for the organisers. To say the least it was indeed heartbreaking for audience like us.

However, it was a fantastic opportunity to see Flex FX who performed at almost all top Bollywood numbers. The dancers were flexible, quick, and extremely graceful.

Atif Aslam was of course a good singer. A very powerful voice indeed. But my family and I felt he was not much of a crowd puller. Mainly meant for Pakistani audience, he performed popular numbers from his band with a few of his Bollywood songs that was widely applauded by the audience. His style of a rockstar won the heart of many young girls.

Dipika Mistry London since 1940s ended in thankless, tragic, gut wrenching partition of India and exodus/genocide of Hindus.

Making London a beacon of Islam can turn out to be tip of iceberg as the appeased community can extract further unpalatable and unsavoury concessions as is happening in India. Ken Livingstone, the stormy petrel, is dimming prospects of his success by pitting one group against the other. He must be stopped by angry voters.

UK EUROPE WORLD £25 £55 £70 £45 £100 £125

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Asian companies shine in Britain

I read your page 1 (Av 21st April) story about the Asian companies shining in Britain. Asian companies have been doing really well for pretty long now.

However, it is off late that acknowledgement has been bestowed over Asian companies! Why? It is probably time to realise that this country, may how much they criticise the immigrants, actually need them.

Recently Boris Johnson criticised the immigrants. Why? We are the tax paying members who contribute to UK’s economy and offer the jobless jobs! Yet this country can never accept our contribution to the fullest!

Look at the Romanian and Polish immigrants flocking London and increasing crime in areas like Stratford, Newham etc. We don’t tackle those issues first, but by default point fingers at South Asian immigrants who have actually contributed to the wealth of this country. It’s such a shame!

Alisha Venkataraman London

Election fraud is a serious offence There are only a few days to go until elections take place in London. We want to remind readers that their vote is important and to make sure they are fully prepared for Thursday 3 May. It is particularly important for those voting by post to fill in their ballot papers privately and return them as soon as possible.

In the run-up to these polls we have been working closely with the Metropolitan Police and local authorities to prevent and detect any cases of electoral fraud.

Often people who are suspicious it is taking place are unsure of where to report it.

Electoral fraud is rare, but it is a serious offence. We are urging anyone who has evidence it may be taking place to report it to Metropolitan Police for investigation.

Ramesh Jhalla Via Email

Please detach the form and send it with your payment or credit card instructions to address below

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Jai Singh Leeds

Andrew Scallan, Director of Electoral Administration The Electoral Commission

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The cash-strapped airline claimed that it had to drop flights as the company was trying to reconfigure its aircraft.

There was chaos at several airports after passengers complained that they were not intimated about the Kingfisher cancellations.

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Brand ‘Gujarat’ – which is equated with Guangdong of China, he invited Chinese business community and public enterprises to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit- 2013.

He highlights Gujarat’s special investment regions as areas where Chinese companies could invest. He called on China to invest in infrastructure and power projects in the state, wooing potential investors with a sales pitch that showcased Gujarat as a state with levels of “governance, transparency and stability” that they could not find elsewhere in India. He declared that “the two great countries will make Asia the centrestage of the global economy.”

Ken and Boris

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A new theory says that any physical activity for 15 minutes every day is a good insurance against a plethora of health problems, be it related to the heart, the brain or even cancer.

A study published in The Lancet, a British medical journal, said that just a quarter-hour of physical exertion a day could reduce a person's risk of death by 14% and increase life expectancy by three years compared to inactive people.

Incidentally, another theory published in a different British journal said daily TV-viewing for six hours could take

away five years from your life.

Adding and subtracting years from your life has never before been quantified in such medical terms, say doctors.

The 15-minute short-cut to good health, in fact, changes the most fundamental rule that was approved by the World Health Organizationthat 150 minutes of activity a week is needed to stay healthy.

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EDUCATION / COUNCIL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

No child in India should be deprived of an education because of hunger home when the schools are closed on the weekends and hence tend to eat a lot more when they return back to school on Mondays.

Ten-year-old Kalpana is a farmer’s daughter. Her mother, Hansaben says, “Our family cannot afford to raise three children. I have left the oldest one with her grandmother.” Showing a packet of green chilies and chilli powder she says, “This is all the nutrition I can afford for my two children. We make spicy rotlis because it kills hunger and we eat less.” She then adds, “Kalpana and her sister get good nutritious food from Akshaya Patra at the school, which is a great relief for us as parents. She is able to concentrate on her studies because she gets good food.”As long as the mid-day meal programme continues to reach out to children like Kalpana, the tiny feet will grow strong enough to reach their big dreams.

The AkshayaPatra meal consists of 3 vegetarian items adapted to local palate preference. In Gujarat, for example, the children are served menu which consists of such as ‘daal’, ‘dhokli’, ‘sukdi’ , whilst in Andhra Pradesh ‘pappu’ is served and in Karnataka ‘curds’ are provided. In North India, mostly roti, subzi and vegetable rice is prepared. These meals are prepared in what could be called ‘intelligently engi-

neered kitchens’ which are mechanized and scalable.

Machines have been designed to produce fluffy 40,000 chapattis in just one hour. 120 kilos of rice to feed almost 10,000 children can be made in just 20 minutes.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is today the world’s largest school-run mid-day meal programme feeding 1.3 million children every single day. The publicprivate partnerships with the Central and respective state governments have helped the Foundation to scale up the programme.

Every £1 received by AkshayaPatra is almost equally matched by the government. Hence when a donor gives £1, the state matches it with another £1 and due to the economies of scale there is a benefit of an additional £1, which means the beneficiary receives almost £3. This is what we call the ‘multiplier effect’.

It costs just £10 to feed one schoolchild for an entire year with a mid day meal.

100% of the donations made in UK are sent to India to provide these mid day meals to children. The operational costs of the UK office are currently completely sponsored.

The charity has well known names on their advisory board such as Lord Popat in UK, Deepak Chopra, Fareed Zakaria

,Nitin Nohria and Mr N R Narayanmurthy in USA and Justice Rajendra Babu and Mohandas Pai associated with the India operations The Harvard Business School did a case study on the organisation and it vouches for the transparency in its operations, and the dedication of the people behind it. Barack Obama has also applauded the programme which has potential to serve as a model for other countries.

Recently , In USA our Annual Report has been Ranked #73 in the Top 100 Annual Reports (All Industries) worldwide recognized by LACP Morari Bapu has highly endorsed this programme last year when addressing the people who attended his talk at Excel last year in July. He said ‘feeding children is not charity but our dharma’.

The organisation’s mission is to feed 5 million children every day by 2020. Their vision is that ‘’no child in India should be deprived of an education because of hunger’’.

We all can make a difference in the lives of these children who are the most deserving and the future of our nation.

For Donations, please visit or call 0300 365 9935.

You can email your request to donate or to volunteer to: dipika@akshayapatra.co.uk

Developer of illegal flats fined £20,000 A local businessman accused of ignoring a council notice to undo an illegal conversion of a house has been found guilty and fined £20,000 plus costs.

Mr Manjit Singh Sira of Church Avenue, Southall, was found guilty of breaching a council enforcement notice at Ealing Magistrates Court on Tuesday 20 March 2012 and sentenced on Friday 13 April 2012.

Mr Sira owned the house in Church Avenue, Southall, which he had converted into two separate flats without any planning permission. In November 2008, Ealing Council issued him with an enforcement notice giving him six months to return the flats back into a single home and to clear any debris from the land, but he did not comply.

By the time the case came to court, Mr Sira had already sold both of the flats. He stated that despite contacting the buyers several times and offering to buy the flats back, he could not purchase them. He also claimed that he was not related to the purchasers. He provided no evidence to support this

claim or to show what he had done with the profits from the sale of the flats.

However, evidence was presented in court that showed that the buyer of one of the flats is in fact Mr Sira’s nephew who said that he had never discussed selling the flat back to his uncle. The purchaser of the other flat stated in court that he would have been willing to sell the flat back to Mr Sira if he had been offered a good price.

Mr Sira also claimed that he had made a loss from the sale of the properties, but could not provide sufficient evidence to support this in court.

The court ordered him to pay a £20,000 fine, £2582.73 council costs and £15 victim surcharge. He was given 28 days to pay. The mortgage companies who loaned the money for the purchase of the two flats are now applying for retrospective planning permission.

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Did you know that India has over 3 million children living on the streets? It has over 150 million children working as bonded labourers. One out of every six girl child does not live to see her 15th birthday because of death due to hunger.

Despite having a national policy for compulsory primary education, only 50% of children have access to education. The teachers of the government schools which are now being provided by meals everyday by AkshayaPatra agree in unison that it is the food that primarily attracted the parents to send their children to school. One teacher says, “This resulted in regular attendance which in turn has led many older children to understand the importance of education and thus they proactively come to school.”

Mr Chamaria, Trustee of AkshayaPatra UK talks about his personal experience when visiting one of the AkshayaPatra kitchens, which made him understand the value the meal has in the lives of the school children.

When looking at the charts posted in one of the AkshayaPatra kitchen, he was intrigued to find that every Monday there was an additional 50% more food being cooked and sent to the schools. Upon enquiring, he was informed that most children do not get any food at

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12

MEDIA WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

Scrutator’s The Reserve Bank of India announced its much awaited interest cut much to the relief of government and industry, both eager to see the flagging Indian economy re-energized.

However welcome the news, it was the successful test of Agni V, the country’s long range intercontinental ballistic missile that hogged the media headlines. Nicholas Burns, the former US Assistant Secretary of State and now Professor of Government at Harvard University, told the BBC Television’s World News that this confirmed India’s emergence as a global military power, supplementing its economic position as an international player. The US, he opined, would have to calibrate appropriate policies towards India and China to maintain and enhance regional peace and stability and reinforce the structures of world order. Looking at his crystal ball, Mr Burns perceived the possibility of a trilateral US-India-China dialogue could be institutionalized.

The Agni-V missile, with a range of 3,100 miles

underplayed the range of Agni V so as not to cause undue international alarm.

Two faces of China

Dr V.K. Saraswat

Be that as it may, the moment of India’s scientific and technological achievement was celebrated throughout the land.

The print media, radio and television went into overdrive, reporting the feat, analyzing its implications for the country’s scientific and economic development. Pride of place belongs to The Hindu (April 20). Its front-page report on the Agni V launch told of the sterling contribution of the team of Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO)led by its indefatigable director Dr V.K.Saraswat, whio is also Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Defence.

Dr Saraswat told the Hindu: “Today we have made history.

We are a major missile power….The versatile capability of this missile will enable India to leapfrog into areas of Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicles (MIRV), anti-satellite weapons and the capability to launch satellites (including mini-satellites and nano satellites) on demand. This will usher in a new era of missile development in India. The Hindu editorial described the event as a “game-changer”, while Economic Times (April 21) spelt out the spill over into civilian science and technology and thence to industry.

Tessy Thomas A notable member of Agni team was Dr Tessy Thomas, the first woman to hold such a senior

ed to migrate to the US and work for NASA, she replied that her sole interest was India.

Her teenage son Tejas was named after the country’s first indigeneously designed and manufactured fighter aircraft.

Agni’s true range

Dr Tessy Thomas

position in DRDO. She comes from the southern state of Kerala and was interviewed extensively on Indian television. Asked if she wasn’t tempt-

Agni V has the range to take in China and most of Europe.

China’s top scientists, according to a Times of India report (April 21), said the Agni V’s true range was some 8,000 kilometres, significantly higher than the 5,000 kilometres put out by DRDO. “The Indian missile has a range of 8000 kilometres and not 5,000 as claimed by India,” said Du Wenlong, an expert at the PLA Academy of MJilitary6 Sciences. His view was echoed

by Zhang Zhaozhang, professor at the PLA National Defence University.

They believed India had deliberately

The response of the Chinese Foreign Ministry was emollient.

China and India were partners not rivals, said its spokesman in Beijing. The snarling, resentful face appeared in Global Times, the Communist Party organ notable for its minatory pronouncements on India. True to form, it advised not to be arrogant since muscle flexing would not deter China from claiming what was rightly hers. This was clearly a reference to Arunachal Pradesh, to which Beijing has laid claim, and also to the South China Sea, where Vietnam is a littoral state with close ties with India.

As China is already in occupation of Tibet, which it swallowed in 1950 just as Hitler did with Czechoslovakia in 1938, India can take no chances with an unpredictable neighbor given to likeminded states such as Pakistan and North Korea with nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. India seeks a minimum credible nuclear deterrent. Premier Wen Jiabao’s recent visit to Iceland would appear to suggest that Beijing has ambitions in the Arctic.

India has no intention to acquire such an exalted reach.

Free access to the seas The right of navigation in international waters has long been an article of faith among maritime nations. Arbitrary claims and threats constitute a chal-

Professor C Raja Mohan

lenge to international trade and commerce. China has told India to back off from the South China Sea, where its ships are exploring for oil and gas in waters that belong to Vietnam.

Beijing has done much the same with Moscow, as Russian ships explore Vietnam’s littoral for energy resources as requested by its government in Hanoi.

C. Raja Mohan, the well known Indian writer on strategic issues, commented in his Indian Express column (April 17) that Russia was unlikely to buckle under Chinese pressure as Moscow sought to rebuild its Cold War relationship with Hanoi.

switched to Indo-Israeli collaboration in science and technology and strengthened bilateral ties over the coming years.

“We are convinced that improving and expanding our ties will not be possible without focusing our attention on Bangalore,” the ambassador said. According to him, the volume of IndoIsraeli trade, which stood at $5 billion, could grow threefold over the next few years if the two sides turned the thrust of their cooperation and collaboration to high-tech fields.

It may be recalled that India and Israel are finalizing a free trade agreement, which when completed, should take their bilateral trade and investment to new heights. Tourism between the two countries had increased exponentially, he said. He was happy at the speed at which the Indian government and security agencies had identified the Iranian suspect believed to be behind the bombing of the Israeli car in Delhi that seriously injured the wife of an Israeli diplomat.

Tariq Ali Attack

London-based Pakistani “Marxist” revolutionary Tariq Ali has some claim to be a jehadi in disguise. On a recent visit to India he disguised the country as on its “knees to the US and Israel” (Interview in the New Israeli consulate Indian Express April 16). To lend credence to such a loquacious pretender would dignify him in his self-proclaimed role as a public figure. Mr Ali’s advocacy of China and his reluctance to condemn jehadi terrorism in the US or India speaks for itself. His silence on the 26/11 2008 Mumbai bombings perpetrated by a Pakistan death squad speaks for itself. As does his description of Gandhi, a few years ago in the London Review of Books, as a “recruiting sergeant for British imperialism.”

Pakistan manifold social and political ills and its self-destructive inner Israeli Ambassador to India Alon Ushpaz demons are attributed to America. America and Israel The Deccan Herald (April 11) may be surprised by the image reported the imminent estabof an India bent double at its lishment of an Israeli consulate knees, but China is unlikely to in Bangalore. About time too be if the picture were to be since diplomatic relations applied to Pakistan. between India and Israel were Mr Ali would do well to established way back in read and digest the contents of January 1992. Bangalore is a Lahore-based Ahmed Rashid’s major hub of Indian science, revealing book “Pakistan on technology and its hi-tech the brink”. He might just industry. It is where Israel’s acquire the wisdom he sorely footprint as a global science lacks. As a creature of the and technology power should British entertainment industry, be most telling as relations Tariq Ali is a law unto himself between the two countries and a continuing comfort to move from strength to strength. those of the lazy liberal left The new consulate, which will who like the complexities and serve Karnataka, Tamil Nadu truths of the Indian subcontiand Kerala will become operanent and regions beyond packtional in July.

Israel’s aged to suit their preconceived Ambassador to India Alon beliefs and prejudices. The rest Ushpiz would play a pivotal have the real world to face. role as the focus of attention

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

13

Diaspora makes India the top money recipient of remittance Shweta Desai The 30 million Indian diaspora staying in the United Kingdom and the United States of America has made India the top money recipient of remittances in the world. Now to make the money transfer from Britain to India and other countries across the world more accessible, MoneyGram International has launched online money transfer following this month wherein transactions can be made 24 hours a day.

The new online strategy was unveiled in London on Wednesday April 11 by MoneyGram senior regional director of the UK, Ireland and Nordics Mark Perryman, Director of Marketing Richard Levy and senior regional direc-

tor for South Asia Harsh Lambah. Users for the website will require first to register with MoneyGram and after filling in the bank details of both itself and the recipient can make the transfer anywhere in the world. The MoneyGram facility is available in 189 countries.

The company has already launched its online facility in America in 2005 and UK is the second country to avail the facility. ``Transfers take place within 10 minutes after which the recipients can withdraw the money from their debit/credit cards or go to their nearest post office,’’ said Perryman.

There will be a charge of 4.50 per transaction with the maximum amount of transfer being 650.

Lambah said the serv-

ice will largely benefit the overseas Indian in both the UK and the US who regularly make money transfers. ``In 2010, India was the top money recipient with remits worth $ 57 billion. This amount is only expected to rise with the online facility as customers can transfer money at their convenience any time they want.’’ He added that since 2006 business in Indian has increased six times. ``There are around 1.8 million Indians living in the UK who send money and contribute to 4.8 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).’’

Like in the UK, MoneyGram has tie up with the government postal service in India with around 1215 locations in 16 states. MoneyGram is also available in 100 State

Param Pujya Bhaishree’s UK Dharma Yatra – 2012 Param Pujya Bhaishree of Raj Saubhag Satsang Mandal Sayla consented to grace London with his presence within less than a year from his last visit to participate Pratishtha Mahotsav at Mahavir Foundation’s refurbished Jinalay on Kenton Road.

The twelve day yatra was meticulously organized to ensure that Bhaishree’s message would reach the widest possible audience.

Yatra started with a special ‘satsang’ for ladies only.

Minalben and Lalitaben set the tone for the next fortnight by emphatically stressing the need to balance our worldly duties with our spiritual pursuits. A grand welcome was organised for Bhaishree and the Bhramanishts at the Niland Centre. His followers let go of all inhibitions bursting in to song and dance in welcoming their beloved Guru.

A 4 day ‘Shibir’ started from Sunday 1st April.

Nearly 260 souls attended the first day and over 200 for next three days. The topic for the shibir was ‘Thought Power’ a rich treatise by Swami Sivananda Saraswati on

the dynamics of the mind.

Through his lectures Bhaishree conveyed the great secrets of gaining control over our intractable minds.

Topic for the evening discourses was a conversation between Guru Gautam Swami and Keshi Swami, chief disciples of Bhagwan Mahavir and Bhagwan Parshvanath respectively. On their chance meeting, these spiritual stalwarts were amazed at the differences in their practices despite following the same religion. Their ensuing conversation contains several deep insights, Bhaishree explained the essence of true religion through their dialogue.

Mahavir Foundation, under Dr Vinodbhai Kapashi had organised various religious events prior to the Pratishtha ceremony so as to soak all the devotees in a divine atmosphere leading up to the pratistha. On Sunday 8th April, Bhaishree along with Pujya Jinchandraji Maharaj Saheb and Shri Kumarpalbhai Desai installed the idols in the beautifully decorated derasar amidst fanfare and joyous chanting.

desperate and therefore vulnerable’, Carlisle Crown Court was told.

One of the girls, who was just 14 at the time and addicted to heroin, was paid 100 for sex with him, it is claimed.

The girl, now 21, told detectives she had sex with Miah ‘hundreds of times’.

When another girl refused his advances he called her ‘white trash’.

Bank of India locations across India. Thomas Cook and the State Bank of India are also its other partners wherein recipients can withdraw cash from.

There are a total of 39,000

locations of MoneyGram in India.

Continuing its association with consumers, MoneyGram will once again sponsor the ICC World 20-20 Cricket tour-

nament to be held in Srilanka this year. Lambah said that Cricket connects the diaspora as no other religion and hence the decision was taken to be a part of the ICC.

Help us improve our Asian Voice T

hank you for the 40 years of support and for such a successful and enjoyable journey. It is our duty to know your requirement as our valuable reader or response to the content in various sections.

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To crown the yatra, Bhaishree’s hosts for the past twelve days and at whose instigation the entire yatra had materialised, Ilaben and Jaysukhbhai Mehta hosted an intimate lunch for mumuxus, family members and friends. Together, they celebrated the grace and love Bhaishree brings with him and the pratishtha mahotsav.

Finally the spiritually charged yatra ended and though Bhaishree and Branishts are now thousands of miles away from here, the memories of these magical days, the soul-stirring effect of their gentle compassionate eyes, the charm of their magnetic words and the rich legacy they left behind shall reverberate and linger on for a longtime.

Takeaway boss alleged of running a brothel A takeaway owner who allegedly ran a brothel above his restaurant hounded girls as young as 12 to become prostitutes and told one of his child victims that ‘age is just a number’.

Azad Miah, 44, branded the vulnerable girls ‘fresh meat’ and harassed them over weeks and months before offering to give them drugs, alcohol or money in return for sex, a court heard.

Miah targeted the girls in ‘a cold, clinical, calculated exploitation of the

Kulvinder Ghir -host, Mark Perryman -Senior Regional Director, UK, Ireland and the Nordics, Alka Shah -Business Manager, Asian Voice/Gujarat Samachar, Harsh Lambah Senior Regional Director South Asia, Richard Levy - marketing Director, UK, Ireland and the Nordics, Sapna Khunkhun - Marketing Executive, UK, Ireland and the Nordics

Miah, pictured, is accused of paying for the sexual services of a child, inciting child prostitution and of keeping a brothel above The Spice of India, in Carlisle city centre, between 2005 and 2011.

Miah denies eight counts of paying for the sexual services of a child between 2005 and 2009, eight counts of inciting child prostitution between 2007 and 2011 and one count of keeping a brothel between 2005 and 2011.

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14

ART & CULTURE

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

Asians in Boroughs during forthcoming Olympics London 2012 Olympics is now less then14 weeks away, its a very historic achievement.

Everybody in this country is looking towards it with tremendous excitement and involvement.

Asian Voice and Gujarat business partners from these Samachar is coming up with a Questions areas? special issue to focus our minds 1.Are you aware of Olympic 9.Do entrepreneurs have any to this, once in a lifetime celeDates? information on business opporbration. tunities in their local areas in 2.Do you know how many ! What is happening! tourists are expected in London these boroughs?

10.Are you aware of any events ! How it affects us, those who during Olympics? and businesses connected with live in the vicinity of the vari3.Have you got any clue, how many games are going to take the London Olympics? ous events! place?

11.Do managers/ owners in ! What are our perceptions 4.Do you know which 6 borbusinesses have any informa! Have we been involved in the oughs are hosting Olympics this tion on how to participate? process so far time?

12.What can be perceived beneThese are some of the ques5.Do you know what is the perfits, opportunities in short tions which our special issue centage of Asian/ South-Asians term, mid term, long term, any will look at. in these boroughs? ideas?

We would invite all our readers to respond to the following 6.Do many owners/ managers 13.Are you aware that popula20 questions at the earliest in Green Street and Brick lane tion at large will affect from opportunity, latest by 30th April know about Olympics? forthcoming Olympics?

2012.

7.Do they know how can it 14.Did local people knew about the job opportunities in the Your views are very imporaffect their businesses? highlighted areas? Like contant, please avail this opportu8.Do suppliers discuss the effects of Olympics with their struction, transport, hospitality, nity and have your say!

Fairy tale wedding turns a year A commoner got married to a prince and they lived happily ever after- a story that inspired so many. It was a fairy tale wedding last year that dazzled the whole world. Over 2 billion people watched over it. And this year on 29th April 2012, Kate Middleton and Prince William (Duchess and Duke of Cambridge) will celebrate their first anniversary.

But the duchess and duke who are paparazzi’s favourite, have decided to spend their first anniversary privately. The Duke and Duchess may exchange gifts or have plans for a romantic mealall privately. The couple will no doubt be enjoying a quiet break after an eventful week.

The Duke and Duchess will attend the UK premiere of the documentary film African Cats at the BFI Southbank on Wednesday, which is in aid of the animal welfare charity Tusk Trust, which has William as its patron. The

cause is close to William’s heart.

The Duke proposed to his wife while on safari in Kenya and they often spend time in Africa.

The following day they will attend a reception at Goldsmiths’ Hall to celebrate two Army teams who recreated the famous race to the South Pole by adventurers Scott and

Amundsen.

Later that evening William and Kate will help launch the Imperial War Museum Foundation’s campaign to create new First World War galleries at the London attraction in time for the centenary of the conflict in 2014.

Meanwhile, Kate has been busy working on her charitable ventures.

She has recently been approached to become patron of a charity that was one of the favourites of Diana, Princess of Wales.

On 3rd of April, Madame Tussauds in London unveiled its figures of Kate and William as the new star attraction in its royal section.

And visitors were captivated by their accuracy – made even more remarkable by the fact that artists worked purely from photographs and videos of the couple, who were too busy to attend a personal sitting.

The figures cost 150,000 each to make and took a dedicate team of artists four months to create.

The unveiling of the statues in the UK coincided with a launch of two further Kate and William waxworks, at Madame Tussauds in Amsterdam and New York.

In the US, Tussaud, Kate wears the pale lavender floor-length Alexander McQueen gown she wore at the Bafta Brits To Watch event in London, while William is dressed in a tuxedo.

In Amsterdam, Kate is immortalised wearing the black lace Temperley London gown she wore for her recent red carpet appearance at the War Horse premiere.

A fourth attraction, Madame Tussauds Blackpool, will include the figures later this month and will show Catherine in a replica of the Jenny Packham dress from her appearance at the ARK Charity Dinner, again created in collaboration with the designer.

accommodation, media and information technology?

15.Have your needs in business been considered sensitively by the existing organisations responsible for London Olympics?

16.Have you received information from relevant agencies and institutions regarding the

London Olympics? How great traffic snarls may be during that time? Any information on security from pick pocketer's?

17.Do you think that the social and economic dynamics of the local communities, specially Asians have been considered by local authorities? Are you aware what informations you need and how soon from the authorities?

18.Will these 24 hour supermarket opening affect your businesses?

19.Do you have any advice to give to organisers of the London Olympics to ensure it would benefit local business community during Olympics?

20.Do you know the prices of property in East London has increased by 15% or at-least by £35,000 since London's winning bid was announced?

Kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi....

On Sunday 25th March 2012, 250 ladies/girls as well as 650 men/boys of all ages from all across the country, put on their sports gear and gathered in Leicester and Derby respectively to compete in three very different games: Kabaddi, Kho-Kho and Ring. These traditional Indian games challenged all participants to demonstrate their skills, strength, teamwork and tactics, all of which needed to be present to lift the trophy at the end. For both Hindu Sevika Samiti UK (the ladies) and Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh UK (the men) the level of competition had never been higher especially with the Olympics just a few months away.

Samiti participants were fortunate to be in the presence of the England Women’s Kabaddi team (formed from serving members of the Armed Forces), their coach Mr Ashok Das (President of European Kabaddi Federation) and Mrs Kawal Das (General Secretary of England Kabaddi Association).

Everyone present was inspired to see the England team playing the Indian sport so passionately at an International level. A few were very fortunate to have an opportu-

nity of playing Kabaddi with the England team, leaving the spectators stunned. Throughout the day the demonstration of all the sports was at its highest.

Mr Ashok Das spoke regarding the history of Kabaddi where he stated it is 6000 years old and in the Ancient times Lord Buddha played this game too. He spoke of how the

get out.

After all the games were played, the winners were finally announced for Samiti with Ashton being Champions of Kabaddi, Woolwich winning KhoKho and Birmingham becoming Lords (or Ladies) of the Ring! For Sangh we had Birmingham winning Kabaddi and Finchley winning both Kho-Kho

techniques we use in this game relate back to the times of the Mahabharata where he gave an example of the raider who is going to the opposite team to raid and the team try to prevent the raider from returning back by circling around, very similar to the Chakhravyuha (Disc formation) technique used in the Mahabharata where Abhimanyu during the war of Kurukshetra had entered but was unable to

and Ring. With such a brilliant atmosphere and community spirit, everyone there was enthused to keep up the practice and come again next year with an even higher standard of play.

To find out more about the rules of Kabaddi, KhoKho and Ring contact your nearest branch of HSS UK or please visit www.samiti.org.uk or www.hssuk.org. All are welcome to attend.

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

f ashionista

by Debasree Ghosh

Be a Fashionista, Be You! If you have any questions or a story or a new style to share with us, please write to Shree at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

15

London School of Accountancy and Development celebrates its diversity and success

Like Mother…

There’s this thing about every woman eventually turning out like her mother. Men like to say that the best way to judge the wife’s appearance in long term is to take a look at the mum-in-law.

It may even be quite true.

As age begins it’s slow but sure assault on me, I can see a bit of my dear old mum in my reflection every day. I don’t really know how to feel about

this. My judgement about her looks is clouded by three decades of loveloath and a balancing trick between being close enough but not too close.

There’s no benefit of perspective in looking at one’s own mother.

This would have been all well, if it were not for a confusing new trend.

Generations of women have actively tried to not become their mothers; the spirit of rebel forming the very core of a motherdaughter relationship.

Recently though a trend has been emerging amongst mothers and their daughters to try to look alike, or dress alike anyway.

And this is no ‘mutton dresses as lamb’ incident. We are talking beautiful well-dressed mums with their beautiful well-dressed progeny.

Take Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson for example. Not only the 32 year old actress looks a spitting image of her very fit mum, the two have often been spotted dressing alike. They are not the only ones. Madonna and Lourdes, Demi Moore and daughter Tallulah, Beyonce and her mum Tina are famous for looking like sisters. And most recently, Kate Middleton has been seen wearing her mum’s blue dress and looking lovely.

And why not? It’s a wonderful way to expand one’s wardrobe.

Costs zilch and has added bonus of a mummy pleased with her fashion choices.

So I asked around a bit. Friends and colleagues were only too happy to discuss clothes and mums. While most agreed that it is a good idea in theory, very few admitted to ever wearing their mothers’ clothes.

Reasons are varied. First, there is the difference is sizes. Not all mummies like to visit the gym.

Dr Dak Patel, Principal, London SAM

Mine positively lives on laddoos. But even then, you could cinch an oversized shirt with a belt and call it edgy. But what about that fact that

mums wear well, mumsy clothes? Things most of us would not be caught dead in. As for me, I borrow her saris on occasions and I am eternally thankful for the odd pieces of heirloom she bestows upon me, but I stay far away from her beige M&S trousers and flowery kurtis. So unless your mum is an ex-supermodel whose wardrobe is bursting at the seams with vintage Halston and Studio 54 bling, I say, give this one a miss.

Predators jailed for raping woman Two ‘despicable’ sex predators who raped a woman after she fell asleep on a night bus have been jailed for a total of 18-and-a-half years. Pakistani students Rizwan Ahmad, 24, and Hassan Siddique, 19, targeted the 20-year-old as she made her way home from a night out in central London.

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard how Siddique got off the number 55 bus while Ahmad began chatting to the woman when she realised she had missed her stop.

Ahmad persuaded her to get off at the next stop and said he would call her a taxi. He then phoned Siddique, a student at the London College of Business Management and Information Technology, to summon him to the scene.

Rizwan Ahmad, 24, (left) and Hassan Siddique, 19

The two men lured their victim down a secluded alleyway off Leabridge Road in Leyton, east London, and took turns to rape her in the early hours of June 4 last year.

During their trial Ahmad and Siddique insisted their victim had encouraged them, but the

jury found both defendants guilty of rape and attempted rape.

Jailing Ahmad for 10 years, and Siddique for eight-and-a-half years, Judge Owen added: ‘If it is necessary I will recommend most strongly that you are deported at the conclusion of your sentence.’

The London School of Accountancy and Management proudly celebrated the achievements of over 130 students who had successfully completed their courses during the last year, on Friday April 20 2012 at The Barbican centre in London.

The mix of guests was truly international, with students represented from the UK and EU as well as Bangladesh, Chile, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Mauritius, Malawi, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Trinidad.

Students were graduating from both undergraduate and postgraduate courses and there were distinguished guests in

attendance including Mrs Cecilia Muchembi who was representing the Kenyan High Commission, and speakers from partner universities, including: Paul Richards who is the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Staffordshire University and Prof.

Nigel Palastanga, who is the Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Wales. C B Patel and Alka Shah from the Asian Voice were also welcome guests at the event.

Dr. Dak Patel, Principal said “ The award event was an amazing success and a great opportunity for our students to gain recognition for their achievements and cele-

brate in impressive surroundings with their family and friends” The college is based in central London and offers a range of vocational courses which also include professional, short courses and free access courses. They pride themselves on their personal, friendly and accessible approach to education and welcome those interested to contact them anytime for an informal chat. To find out about their range of courses, including the new HND in Business which is due to launch in September, visit: www.londonsam.org.uk, call Sabine on 0207 796 2727 or email her on sabine@londonsam.org.uk

16

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

Dhanush tenders apology to Rakhi Sawant!

Item girl Rakhi Sawant, who recently claimed that Dhanush refused to dance alongside her at an event fearing her presence could overshadow him, has forgiven him. She has said that the Tamil actor tendered an apology to her following the incident. Rakhi Sawant, who was fuming after Dhanush opted out at the eleventh hour, has said that the “3” actor called her to say sorry.

As he did not have time, the 28-year-old could not dance with her. But he assured the controversial queen of shaking a leg alongside her next time. Recently, the item girl confessed that Dhanush was scheduled to perform 'Kolaveri di...' on stage with her in the event, but he cancelled his appearance at the last moment. Rakhi felt humiliated by the Tamil actor.

Jayalalithaa re-entering cinema!

Tamil Nadu chief minister and former actress J Jayalalithaa is all set to enter films again! Surprised?

Well, she is reportedly coming back to cinema through distribution business. If reports are to be believed, Jayalalithaa has shown interest towards entering distribution business. The politician, who runs Jaya Network, is set to start this new venture by distributing two forthcoming Tamil films, which feature superstars of the Kollywood. The buzz is that Jayalalithaa has reportedly set her eyes on Kamal Hassan's “Vishwaroobham” and Rajinikanth's “Kochadaiyaan.”

Karthika on a signing spree Kollywood actress Karthika is ready to make her comeback to Tamil film with a bang!

The actress, who was last seen in KV Anand's action-thriller “Ko,” is on a signing spree, as the actress has given nods to three films. The buzz is that Karthika has been signed by director C Sundar for his forthcoming Tamil film starring Vishal Krishna. Though the filmmaker wanted to cast a fresh face, he somehow zeroed in on the Ko girl. It is said that she will be playing one of the female leads in the actionorient flick. Karthika is also busy with other projects like Bharathiraja's” Annakodiyum Kodiveeranum” with Lakshman. She has also been roped in to play the female lead in the remake of “Sattam Oru Iruttarai,” which also features Vikram Prabhu.

Hot Garam masala Katrina gets home cravings!

Actress Katrina Kaif spent over a month shooting in London for the Yash Chopra film. Though Katrina was regularly in touch with her family there, she actually did not stay with them. But now that she’s back in Mumbai, she’s missing home so much that she’s asked her family to fly down to be with her.

Apparently, Katrina has even sent tickets to her family members. “Yes, ever since she returned from London, she’s been feeling a little home-sick. She has been talking to her family there almost every day, but she’s missing them so much that she’s asked them all to come down to Mumbai soon,” add a source. Though the actress will be busy shooting, she is looking forward to returning home to them after her gruelling shoots.

Priyanka Chopra turns party planner Managing to steal some time from her back-to-back schedule, Priyanka Chopra came to Rajasthan to attend her friend's shaadi. There was even talk that she had gone off to the US for a fortnight to learn music, meet Katy Perry and all. But those things were scheduled for later. She came here to make sure the shaadi of her friend, organised by her, went off well. A source said, "She took a keen interest in each and everything related to her friend's wedding. She wanted it to be a royal affair that everyone would remember. Priyanka even organised a hen party for her best friend a day before the sangeet.

Sanjay Dutt to sing extra song for 'Department' The trailers of "Department" are already in theatres and the promotional clippings are ready to be aired on the small screen. But the film's producers have decided to shoot an additional song, to be sung by actor Sanjay Dutt. Sanjay will also feature in the song, to be choreographed by his friend and protege, Ahmed Khan. "The peppy edgy number has been composed by Sandeep Chowta and Sanjay would be recording the song in his own voice. There's no doubt that Sanjay is a major attraction after 'Agneepath'.

We want to make sure he is projected as the film's USP," said the source.

Producers now eyeing Saif’s daughter Sara Khan

The beautiful daughter of Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, Sara Ali Khan, made quite an impact with a dazzling debut on the cover of a magazine this January. And, now if sources are to be believed Sara has become one hot property in B-town.

News has it that top filmmakers of Bollywood are pursuing Sara to act in their films. As per reports, at least five plum offers have been made by producers - who are known to have lined up at Amrita’s door to let her daughter enter the showbiz world. On contacting, Amrita confirmed “After seeing the magazine cover page, Sara has got many offers. Five eminent filmmakers have approached us and said that they wanted Sara to play the leading lady in their films.” The 16year-old Sara aspires to become a doctor and then wants to go to the Yale University for her further studies.

What will Sara choose - the film world or education?

Aamir Khan ignores Shah Rukh Khan Salman Khan doesn't leave an opportunity to take on Shah Rukh but Aamir Khan loves to ignore him. The actor who is set to make his television debut avoided talking about Shah Rukh at a recent press conference.

Aamir's first ever television reality shows Satyamev Jayate goes on air from May 6. The actor is certainly kicked about the show on which he has been working since the last two years.

Aamir at a press conference praised all his colleagues who made it big on the small screen.

He said, "I loved Amitabhji's Kaun Banega Crorepati, Hrithik's dance show. I

haven't seen Bigg Boss but Salman's Dus Ka Dum. I enjoyed watching these shows." Aamir smartly avoided any opinion on Shah Rukh Khan's TV histrionics, be it the third season of KBC or even Zor Ka Jhatka, or Kya Aap Panchvi Paas Se Tez Hain?

When quizzed about Shah Rukh Khan's shows, Aamir avoided the question by talking about how he would love to participate in game shows but would not host one. But that still didn't say anything about how Aamir felt about SRK's TV stints.

Age no bar for Anil Kapoor He might be 52, but age hasn't deterred actor Anil Kapoor from performing his own stunts in the forthcoming movie "Tezz".

Anil has a lot of high octane action stunts, especially towards the climax, but managed to pull off the stunts confidently.

The actor's co-stars Ajay Devgn and Zayed Khan are already adept at a lot of action and are much younger than Anil.

However, unit sources claim Anil beat Zayed during some chase sequences.

"Anil Kapoor refused to use a duplicate and there was this chase scene where he had to run after Zayed Khan. But the unit was stunned to see Anil, who was fitter and faster than Zayed Khan," said the source.

Anil says the movie and its stunts are to watch out for. "The scenes were tough but

not dangerous and I didn't want to use a duplicate. In fact none of us wanted to use duplicates.

Zayed is younger but wait and watch and you will realise who ran faster," he said.

To audition for daughter’s film This piece of news is a must read for all those cynics out there who feel that nepotism rules in Bollywood. Sources claim that actor Anil Kapoor is quite eager to land a role in daughter Rhea Kapoor's upcoming film “Herogiri” and has also made it clear that he does not mind auditioning for the same. Kapoor was quoted to have said. "I will try for a role. I will also audition for it.

Maybe I will be there in the film if she (Rhea) thinks I fit the part. Or else, she will take anyone else who suits the role better."

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I am dating somebody and it`s a big secret

PREITY ZINTA

Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, who is known to wear her heart on her sleeve, got candid with media recently when she spoke about her relationship status and her love life. She revealed that she is dating someone and it`s a big secret!

Everyone knows that after her split with business tycoon Ness Wadia, Preity moved on in life but she maintains that she is still in touch with her ex-flame courtesy IPL commitments.

Probed further about that special someone in her life, Preity said, “These days I get scared telling people that I am single because when I say that, I get linked to everybody I meet. So I have a new strategy today - when people ask me if I am single I say ‘I am dating somebody and it`s a big secret’ as that`s safer than saying I`m single.”

About Ness, Preity said that she regrets her mixing professional and personal life and admitted that she has learned a lot all these years.

Preity, 37, is happy being single, but she said she does intend to "get married and have amazing kids."

And when she does that, she "will tell everyone because I have always been honest about what I do," said Preity with that ‘million dollar dimpled smile’.

Sony TV Asia to broadcast world premiere of ‘Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu’ After the world television premiere of the award winning blockbuster ‘The Dirty Picture’, Sony TV Asia has announced the premiere of Karan Johar’s “Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu.” The film starring the Bollywood diva Kareena Kapoor and heartthrob Imran Khan, will be broadcasted on Sunday 13th May at 8 pm.

The film also features Ram Kapoor, who plays himself in Sony TV Asia’s successful drama ‘Bade Acche Laggte Hai’ and Boman Irani who adds his unique touch of humour. The plot is based around an upright architect Rahul Kapoor who lives in Las Vegas. After loosing his job and thinking that his career

is over, he meets a bubbly and full of life hair stylist – Riana Braganza. One drunken night, they both end up getting married accidently!

Watch how the story unravels, how will two strangers who don’t know each other be able to fulfil this huge commitment? Will they end up falling in love? Avanitka Mallik, Imran Khan’s wife does a cameo yet again in the song ‘Aunty Ji’! Avantika who has proven to be Imran’s lucky mascot plays a small part in the song. Watch out for B-Town’s cutest couple dancing away! To find out what happens between Rahul and Riana watch “Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu” next month!

Veena Malik wants someone like Big B Pakistani starlet Veena Malik appeared on "Movers & Shakers" on SAB TV. In a candid chat with Shekhar Suman she revealed her bindaas personal side, shared thoughts on her ideal life partner and cleared controversies surrounding her.

Talking about her ideal life partner she said, "I am a young and attractive girl and all my life I have made my own choices. Outside factors don't affect me and I am responsible for all my happiness and pain." She further added, "If a guy has characteristics like Amitabh Bachchan I might end up marrying him."

Sonakshi all set for her first item number Girl next door Sonakshi Sinha is all set to transform into the hottest pin up girl with her first item number titled 'Chikni Kamar Pe Teri' for her forthcoming film 'Rowdy Rathore'.

Sonakshi will be seen gyrating on the number with her co-star Akshay Kumar. Sonakshi has been rehearsing her sexy moves, for the larger than life item number. The song will be choreographed by Vishnu with valuable inputs from her director and ace choreographer Prabhudeva.

'Chikni Kamar Pe Teri' is a fast-paced song composed by duo Sajid-Wajid.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

Good news for Non Doms Investing in the UK Dear Financial Voice Reader, I looked at my SIPP yesterday. Phew, I still owned some Apple stock in there. It was just a nightmare where I thought I didn’t own any Apple stock.

Is Apple a ‘buy’? Let me tell you why I think this stock at $567 is worth double that. The difference between investment and speculation is that the former is where you buy something undervalued and in the latter anticipate a bonus from market fads or momentum regardless of valuation.

As Burr in 1938 put it, ‘the longer a buyer holds a stock or bond, the more important are the dividends or coupons while he owns it and the less important is the price when he sells it. For this reason we shall define an investor as a buyer interested in dividends…and a speculator as a buyer interested in resale price.’

I find it helps if we imagine we are going to buy the whole company. To determine whether your investment will generate an economic profit from buying a stock, you need to estimate the future cash flows (the money you will receive) and what that is worth today to you.

Indeed, it is the reason for owning any asset – how much money you will get from it.

But what is it we are doing when we buy a share?

This may seem ridiculously basic, but the reasons people are poor at forecasting is they don’t understand what it is they are doing. A share is an asset you are buying. What is this asset? If you bought the whole company, and you will see it helps to think of it that way, it would mean owning the sum of all the assets on the balance sheet after paying all liabilities. It is therefore what a shareholder owns in the books of the company, as if financial debt is paid back. This is called net assets or net asset value or what amount of net capital shareholders have committed to the company or book value or equity or shareholders’ funds. That is what you are buying if you buy the company. It is what they can dispose of, the source of earnings, the stock of capital invested to produce products of the company.

So what does it mean when we are trying to determine if a stock trading at 100 is a ‘buy’? You are saying that the net present value of future cash-flows discounted to the present is more than 100. (Why discounted to the present? Because £10 in 12 months is not worth the same as £10 today. By how much should you discount – by a rate of interest allowing for risk).

You may be implicitly saying the market has underestimated the discount rate in valuing a stock. To work out the ‘net present value’ you need to discount using a discount rate. The discount rate can be thought of as the return someone wants for the risk of investing in a stock. In the case of Apple, the present market where you get next to no returns elsewhere, I think 10% discount rate is fine. Also given that Apple growth in the free cash flow it generates each year is over 100%, I think a growth rate of 25% for the near future is a safe bet. Putting these figures into my calculator would mean Apple should be more than its current share price.

Air India bounces back with healthy growth revenue Riding on high yields and an increased passenger load factor, state-owned Air India posted a healthy 46% revenue growth last month over the same period last year, airline sources said.

"The yields on domestic sector had significant improvement of 38.5% in March vis-a-vis last year.

The seat factor during this period also increased nearly 7.9%. Consequently, the airline posted a healthy growth in revenue of 46.1%," sources said.

On international routes too, the airline put up a good performance, clocking a nearly 33% growth in passenger revenue. The higher growth came on the back of an eight per cent jump in load factor and higher yields at 28%.

"For the quarter ending March this year, the passenger revenue showed an

improvement of 36.1%, besides a 15.7 and 23% rise in seat factor and yields respectively over the same period last year," the sources said.

On a cumulative basis, the revenue for fiscal 2012 posted a growth of 13% with load factor of 5.7%, they said, adding that the yields were up nearly 10%.

The results came a week after the government approved the much-awaited turnaround plan and a financial restructuring plan involving a Rs 300 billion equity infusion over the next eight years and a debt recast (CDR) of Rs212 billion.

The financial restructuring plan would provide relief to Air India from its debt servicing obligations on working capital loans in the form of a substantial reduction in interest outlays.

Following the chancellor’s autumn statement, the draft Finance Bill 2012 was published on 06 December 2011. For most non domiciled individuals the draft clauses do suggest that there is some good news in a number of respects, predominantly in relation to the simplification of the taxation for non-domiciles as was proposed in June 2011.

For all those who have established their status as non-domiciled individuals in the United Kingdom it is important to understand that the changes proposed in the Finance Bill 2012 will affect you in one way or another.

I outline below a few of the important factors:REMITANCE BASIS CHARGE By default, for a few years now, non-domiciled individuals have had to declare all income, and capital gains that have been realised world-wide unless the Remittance Based Charge has been paid to have the overseas income and gains be assessed on a remittance basis.

For the year 2012/13, a higher Remittance Basis Charge of £50,000 will be introduced by the Finance Bill applicable to non-domiciled individuals who have been resident in the United Kingdom for at

least 12 of the previous 14 years tax. Non-domiciled individuals under the age of 18 and for those whose incomes and gains are less than £2,000 remain exempt from the need to pay the Remittance Based Charge to have their income assessed on a remittance basis.

The Remittance Based Charge remains at £30,000 for those who have been U.K. residents for at least 7 of the previous 10 tax years.

INVESTMENT IN U.K. BUSINESS Up to 5th April 2012, the remittance of overseas income and capital gains to the U.K. were taxable in the United Kingdom regardless of the purpose for which they are used.

However, with effect from 6th April 2012 the draft legislation introduces an exemption that results in the remittance of overseas income and capital gains to the United Kingdom not being taxable provided the funds are used to invest in U.K. trading businesses and subject to certain conditions being met.

In order to qualify for the exemption the investment (either through the issue of new share capital or by the provision of loans) there must be a private limited company that carries on trading activi-

ties on a commercial basis or undertakes the development or letting of commercial property. Income or gains must be invested within 45 days of being remitted in the United Kingdom and any not invested fulfilling the conditions must be removed from the United Kingdom within 45 days of encashment. The draft legislation does impose strict limits on what “benefits” the investor can obtain from the investment without triggering a chargeable event, although the investor can with careful planning take a salary for work done in the organisation, this is an area that does require a considerable amount of planning and thought to awards triggering a tax charge.

In order to succeed, an individual is required to make a claim for the relief by 31st January following the year in which the funds have been remitted to the United Kingdom for investment in a qualifying business. Therefore, in practice, for the year of assessment 2012/13 (being the first tax year which the relief is available), the claim for the relief must be made no later than 31st January 2014.

The above is just one of the areas in which the legislation has provided some positive news for

Kiran D. Patel BA (Hons.) FCA

non-domiciled individuals residing in the United Kingdom.

There are many other factors that are being considered that may be of use to individuals who have been claiming non-domiciled status for many years now, and if you do have a gain or income generated offshore, it is certainly worth considering remitting those gains or income to the United Kingdom for investment in a trading business under the proposed legislation. As with all Finance Bills, there may be certain changes to the details of the initial proposals, however, this will only be ascertained once the original bill has been enacted.

Please do note however, that it is important to consult a qualified professional advisor before making any decision or taking any action which may affect your tax or financial position.

Tesco unveils £1bn revamp after drop in profits

Unveiling the first fall in domestic profits for at least 25 years, Philip Clarke said the group would drastically scale back the amount of new selling space it was opening in this country. Tesco plans to build fewer hypermarkets, focusing instead on convenience stores to take advantage of the company's growing 'Click & Collect' service, which allows customers to order online and pick up in store. "It is a fundamental change," Mr Clarke said.

"We think we are moving into an era now where consumers will buy more online."

The company still intends to open more than 160 new shops this year, taking its total to over

3,000, but most of these will be in its Express format. It is also cutting back on how much space it opens overseas.

The change in strategy was unveiled as the company reported a 5.3 pc increase in pre-tax profits to a record £3.84bn in the year to the end of February, on turnover up 6.8 pc to £64.5bn. However, these figures were significantly lower than analysts had expected six months ago.

The supermarket suffered from a drastic loss of

customers in the UK over Christmas, as they defected to rival chains, prompting a major profit warning in January. The retailer, however, still has a 30.2 pc share of the market. UK trading profits fell 1 pc to £2.48bn. Records going back to 1986 indicate Tesco has never recorded an annual fall in profits from its UK supermarkets.

Records before that are unreliable. Mr Clarke said the defection of customers was mostly due to a smaller number of staff in

supermarkets, which analysts said had caused poor customer service and gaps on shelves. He said: "We just took a little bit more out of the stores than we put back in. So, we are putting more love back into the stores. That's our plan to make Tesco better in the UK." The plans, which will cost £400m of capital expenditure and £600m of revenue, are designed to make the stores "warmer", with more staff, higher quality products, new advertising, and £150m invested in a revamped website. A quarter of Tesco's selling space will be "refreshed" this year. Mr Clarke also said some of the money would be used to cut prices.

China and fellow Asian emerging economies face slower economic growth in 2012-13 on weak external demand, but strong Chinese domestic demand and policy easing by other Asian countries should help ensure a soft-landing, the International Monetary Fund said.

The IMF's World Economic Outlook projected that China would grow 8.2 per cent this year and 8.8 per cent in 2013, unchanged from a January report, which

had trimmed forecasts issued in September.

India is forecast to expand 6.9 per cent in 2012 and 7.3per cent next year, growing slightly below the revised forecasts of January as a result of weak demand and higher interest rates, the IMF said.

The region's emerging economies suffered spillover effects in 2011 from the euro zone crisis, which hit exports to Europe and also pinched trade credit and project

finance as European banks were forced to retrench, the report said.

An escalation of the euro zone crisis could lower emerging Asia's output by 1.25 per cent, said the IMF, which also warned of the risks of an oil price spike from tensions in the Middle East.

As a whole, Asia's emerging economies are forecast to grow7.3 per cent this year and 7.9 per cent in 2013, the fund said.

"The fragility of the

external outlook highlights the need for the region to rebalance growth by strengthening domestic sources of demand over the coming years," it said.

"Many Asian economies could also advance their plans to boost social safety nets and increase investment ininfrastructure if another round of fiscal stimulus is warranted," the IMF added, while urging Japan and India to continue efforts at fiscal consolidation.

IMF sees India growth at 6.9 per cent in 2012

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

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Capital growth, or a monthly rental income?

This week we have two great deals on the table. When deciding which one to go for it is important NOT to look at the properties but at yourself first and see what really suits your circumstance.

When we ask a potential investor what they want from their investment property, capital growth or income, the answer 9 times out of 10 is both. This is because they some how think if they say one they will not get any of the other. so they play safe and say both.

When it has been explained that they may end up giving a portion of their high income away they then tend to think again.

Suresh Vagjiani Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

My schoo l teacher Mr Ali u sed to say t here are on ly f our thing s in maths: adding su btracting , multiplyin g and d ivid ing, no matte r ho w cl ever it get s, it is only it a co mbination o f t h e se f o u r ac t i o n s wh i c h ma k e u p ma t he m at i c s.

Similarly the re are on ly two ways to make mo ney from propert y: capital g rowth and inco me. There is no third way. So it is importan t to iden tify which one you wish to go for and how mu ch o f it yo u requ ire.

The reason we ask this question is to help the investor identify what types of property would suit their circumstances. It does not make sense for everyone to buy a property where the bulk of the profits comes from rentals. The main reason being half of it could be eaten up by the tax man, it doesn’t take much for the government to start taking a large chunk of your income. The pain starts at the modest threshold of £34,371 at which point 40% starts being paid and at over £150,000 the rate hits 50%. Someone in this category may be better of going for capital growth rather than a property where the bulk of the income is produced by the rental income.

Someone earning over £34,741 may not like the idea of purchasing a property where the income generated is handed over to the taxman, unless of course they’re about to retire soon, so limiting the the time period where tax is paid.

It is important to note these properties are not exclusively earning money this way, simply that most of the returns are produced in this way.

Ignoring tax, when looking at investing a lump of money a combination of the two may yield the best results. If someone had £500,000 to invest for example a good strategy would be to split their funds.

They might invest £250,000 so they can have a passive income of £25,000 from high yielding properties and then the rest of their funds might be employed more aggressively in development projects focused on capital growth. The £25,000 will pay the interest payments for the projects which tend to be more lumpier in returns. This way if a property takes longer to sell than necessary it does not cause undue pressure on the investor, as the £25,000 income will be making the interest payments of the development loans.

The two properties we are offering this week are at different ends of the scale. The first is a beautiful large one bedroom flat with bay windows in a very strong location. The prospects for capital appreciation

is solid and the entry price cheap. This property in our opinion is about £50,000 below what it should go for. The income from this property will only be £3,000 after all expenses. This property will suit a high income earner who wants his/her growth to be in the price of the property rather than rental income. The rental used here is £350pw, this is easily achievable in this location.

The second is a cash co w, mean ing it gives income every mon th, aft er expen se s. This property should give you an inc ome o f £13,000 p.a after all expen ses.

This property will of course rise in value due to the location and the on going £2bn regeneration happening in Kings Cross. This is an excouncil property and therefore the growth generally is not as high as a privately owned property.

The above figures for both properties are based on a 75% borrowing at a 5% interest rate. It is important to note we are not tax advisors and when looking at investing in property it is important get sound holistic advice.

If either of these properties appeal to you call our office now.

The Real Deal One bedroom flat in Bayswater, London W2 Purchase Price: £300,000 A good sized one bedroom property on the second floor of a portered block.

Westbourne Court is conveniently located within close proximity to Paddington (Heathrow Express) and a short stroll from Queensway, with its array of shops and amenities. The flat offers the chance for the new owner to put their own stamp on it.

Service Charge: £1,326 per annum approx Lease: 116 years (approx)

Hawkshead, Stanhope Street, NW1 Purchase Price: £370,000 In brief the property is a cash producing flat with strong capital growth prospects! ! Superbly located four bedroom flat in Camden at £370,000. ! The most desirable student location – short walk from the University College of London and University of Westminster.

That means high demand for accommodation from foreign students. ! Currently rented at £585 per week. (£30,420 per annum) ! Open green spaces of Regents Park are another benefit that students love. ! Ongoing King’s Cross regeneration project, worth £2bn, will have a strong impact on capital growth in the area.

Service Charge: £1,150 per annum approx Lease: 114 years(approx)

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

Specialists in Central London Property Sourcing

0207 313 4595 Westbourne House, 14-16 Westbourne Grove, London, W2 5RH

Tips of the Week ! Pay attention to things like schools, shops and transportation when buying a property, this will ensure a strong rental demand and onward sale ! Remember even in this climate banks are willing to lend you the majority of the money to purchase your BTL property, this is because they know medium to long term it's a sound investment.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

The Reserve Bank of India’s decision to cut base rate uplifts market sentiments Dharmesh Doshi Managing Director Real estate sector has been confronted with challenges like weakening demand, market volatility, lukewarm budget, high land cost, high input cost, among others. But finally with the reduction of 50 basis points, the real estate market has something to cheer about.

Majority of the developers foresee demand to pick up, post this decision. for home buyers, the better-than-expected rate cut is a very welcome event as this will improve the affordability.”

The industry is waiting for significant reduction in interest rates by banks after RBI’s decision to cut the repo rates by 50 basis points.

India – Real Estate: For an industry that is

rapidly evolving and energetically meeting the challenges of the future, 13 years is a short time indeed.

During this period, however, India’s real estate sector has metamorphosed beyond recognition. Even a decade ago there was little or no property market to speak of; choices for home buyers were limited, builders were generally considered – sometimes with very good reason – as being untrustworthy; and the boom in housing and home finance had yet to happen.

The evolution of the Indian real estate sector has been phenomenal since 2000, propelled by a growing economy, liberalised foreign direct investment policy and the higher yields the sector’s offering.

The Information Technology boom also had a huge impact on the real estate sector.

While other forms of investments like gold, mutual funds and shares have shown severe fluctuations, the real estate has managed to remain

steady especially in a city like Mumbai where the NRI/PIO/local buyers have helped keep the market steady. Most developers agree that real estate has been a safe bet especially over the past decade with returns from investments in the sector yielding higher rates.

Asset India feels when it comes to buying property, any time is the right time. If you are prudent and take the right decisions, investment in real estate is the wisest thing to do. So if someone is looking at real estate as an investment, they have to do it today, Delay in taking a decision could result in prices going up and making it all the more tougher to buy property.

Mumbai - Thane Last week I was in Mumbai and was passing through Thane’s Ghodbunder Road which is a state highway (State Highway 42) road that runs through the Thane district. This 20 km long road, which connects the Eastern

Express Highway and the Western Express Highway, is witnessing rapid pace of development.

More than 5 million sq ft is under construction, most of which is residential; besides the road is dotted by retail, commercial, institutional projects, in the pipeline. Schools, colleges, hospitals, banks are coming while some restaurants and entertainment hubs are about to start in malls.

Hiranandani Group of Companies, among others are some of the reputed developers having presence in this location. These projects are integrated townships with gated communities that offer amenities such swimming pool, as sports complex, children‘s play area, clubhouses and gymnasiums.

Proximity to Sanjay Gandhi National Park is touted as a positive with adverts reading ‘enjoy an unrestricted view of the Wild Life Sanctuary from your apartment.’ According to market sources, The values have gone up by

20% in the last one year Looking at the commercial side, Hyper City mall and R Mall are operational on Ghodbunder road.

Infrastructure development is also taking place at a rapid pace. This road being a state highway (which connects eastern and western corridor) has over 5000 trucks plying everyday during early morning and late evening hours.

To ease the traffic considerably, flyovers which are coming up at Manpada, Majiwada, Kapurbawdi, and Waghbil. In fact, the Waghbil flyover has just been commissioned.

There are buses plying every ten minutes to Borivali, Kalyan, Navi Mumbai.

Asset India Asset India is a global company specializing in the real estate invest-

ment sector in India with customers, who are Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), in UK, India, Kenya, Tanzania, Spain, USA, Canada, Australia, Gibraltar and Kuwait and shortly spreading its reach in Dubai, Singapore & Hongkong. We have a team of specialized real estate portfolio managers and finance professionals – all of whom are real estate experts who together have decades of experience in the real estate industry in India and the UK. We are purely an investordriven company who provide a one stop shop for all your India property investment requirements including facilitating Re-sales, Rentals, Property management, Finance and Foreign exchange facilities.

For more information call 020 7100 2201

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

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Foreign Exchange Paresh Davdra is the Dealing Director of RationalFX, Currency Specialists.

Is it the end for Nicholas Sarkozy!

Eurozone is to produce preliminary reports on manufacturing and services purchasing managers’ indexes in France, Germany and throughout the single currency bloc. All fundamentals from the Eurozone are expected to be positive, however, Germany’s PMI for manufacturing figures were weaker than expected giving an indication that the Euro could potentially struggle for the rest of the week.

The euro rose to a 12-day high against the U.S. dollar on Friday, as new signs of progress in tackling the sovereign debt crisis in the Eurozone boosted market sentiment and sent the single currency broadly higher.

The euro found support on Friday after the group of 20 leading economies agreed to boost the International Monetary Fund’s lending capacity by $430 billion, to help shield the global economy from the debt crisis in the Eurozone.

France is heating up with the elections being headed up by Mr. Francois Hollande who leads the way for the first time into the second round with around 28.6%.

Nicholas Sarkozy is feeling the strain at 27.1% of the votes whilst Marine Le Pen stands at 18%.

The two candidates will face

each other in the second round of voting on 6th May. France will be hoping for the best especially during these concerning times for the Eurozone.

Moving to U.K., the retail sales report also came buoyant as the reading with auto fuel beat forecasts of 0.5%, coming in at 1.8% in March, the fastest pace for more than a year, from a prior of -0.8%. The reading excluding auto fuel rose 1.5% compared with a revised of 0.7% and median estimates of 0.4%. The reading was driven up by the warm weather which enhanced sales of clothing and gardening equipment. The improvement is giving sign there

is a rebound in activities in the first quarter of the current year as it reflects the improvement in consumer spending.

Retail sales showed progress despite the rebound in inflation ass CPI for the year ended March unexpectedly soared for the first time in six months to 3.5% from the lowest in 15 months of 3.4% in February, where prices halted its downside fall after retreating from a high of 5.2% in September last year.

This month, BoE opted to leave both borrowing cost and APF steady at 0.50% and 325 billion pounds, where eight MPC members voted for keeping the APF at 325 billion

pounds after Adam Posen had left his previous position and joined the majority, while David Miles insisted on calling for additional 25 billion pounds to 350 billion pounds.

Companies are growing more upbeat about the U.S. economy this year and plan to take on more workers as demand improves. Some 78 percent of businesses, the most in a year, project the world’s largest economy will expand more than 2 percent in 2012.

About four in 10 firms, the most since July 2011, said they expect employment to pick up in the next six months, showing businesses are looking beyond higher oil prices and Europe’s debt crisis. At the same time, 66 percent said they expect no change in prices in the next three months, indicating Federal Reserve policy makers will have room to keep interest rates low to nurture the almost threeyear-old expansion.

April showed that 60 percent of the businesses, the most in a year, said their sales were rising. In January, 41 percent said demand was climbing. Some 83 percent of manufacturers surveyed said sales were increasing, indicating the industry is still powering the economy.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 24th April 2012 @ 3pm GBP - INR = 84.96 USD - INR = 52.63 EUR - INR = 69.54 GBP - USD = 1.61 GBP - EUR = 1.22 EUR - USD = 1.32 GBP - AED = 5.93 GBP - CAD = 1.60 GBP - NZD = 1.98 GBP - AUD = 1.56 GBP - ZAR = 12.57 GBP - HUF = 361.95

www.rationalfx.com Information provided by RationalFX. None of the information on this page constitutes, nor should be construed as financial advice. The exchange rates used are the commercial foreign exchange rates provided by RationalFX. For a live quote or to find out more about how RationalFX can help you, call us on 0207 220 8181.

22

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

Amit Patel has over 15 years experience in the field of Leadership and Human Resource Management

Maria Fernandes

maria@abplgroup.com

What More Changes The Abu Qatada saga: The case of Abu Qatada has gripped the nation and many migrants cannot understand why their cases are not successful whilst that of a person accused of terrorism is. And so the battle rages like a game , on and on. With arguments, counter arguments and opportunism all parties, the media and politicians wade in with differing views about whether or not Abu Qatada appealed to the European Court in time.

I find myself wondering whether the outcome would have been any different had the Home Secretary delayed the announcement of the deal between Jordan and the UK until after the 3 month period thereby denying the right to appeal to the European Court. I was particularly impressed by Theresa May who has behaved impeccably throughout this affair and despite pressure to ignore the European Court she has abided by the Rule of law.

Had she ignored the

European Court decision there have been no sanctions as such other than political fallout.

Face to face interviews back on track: The practice of conducting face to face interviews had been abandoned in favour of paper based reviews after the Points based system came into being. However after concerns that applicants were not able to communicate in English in Pakistan a pilot study was carried out and the result is that face to face interviews will now be conducted for Pakistani students. But that is not the end of it. There are currently pilots taking place elsewhere in particular Bangladesh, India, China, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Egypt and there is little doubt that interviews will be judged to be the best way of preventing “abuse.” Many of us suspect that the true reason for this is that control of immigration will be given back to the officers abroad. If the only reason for the introduction was concerns about English

the colleges which conduct these tests, with strict controls could have managed this issue. What it will inevitably mean for students is delay. Come September the problem will become acutely apparent.

Canada’s doors are open: In the meantime Canada has been active in promoting the entry of young immigrants. The Immigration Minister has outlined a transformed immigration system that will cut through backlogs for federal skilled workers make the system flexible and introduce incentives to encourage students, who are permitted to work, and graduates from their Universities are free to remain in Canada to gain work experience and to stay on thereafter.

Maria Fernandes has been in practice exclusively in immigration for the past 25 years.

Fernandes Vaz is based at 87 Wembley Hill Road Wembley in Wembley and can be contacted by telephone on 02087330123, by email on info@fernandesvaz.com.

Reforms have not stalled, says Mukherjee India’s finance minister Pranab Mukherjee challenged the perception that economic reforms have stalled, maintaining that liberalization is an “ongoing process” and reeling off a slew of pending legislation aimed at opening up the economy. “Reforms are a continuing process; it not that you can stop and go,” Mukherjee said, with his chief economic advisor Kaushik Basu beside him.

“One set of reforms demand another set of reforms.” He then cited several landmarks passed and even more upcoming bills in parliament to counter the view that reforms would be on hold till after the 2014 elections. Such a view was attributed to economic guru Basu based on remarks he made at a Washington DC thinktank midweek, but he subsequently said he was reported out of context.

On Sunday, both

Pranab Mukherjee

appeared to be on the same page as they flew out of Washington DC after four days of engagements during which, at least in the domestic context, India was on the back-foot for dawdling on reforms, including spooking foreign corporations by proposing a retroactive tax legislation that some feared would open up their books looking for dodgy transactions going back half a century.

But Mukherjee clarified again that the so-called retroactive tax proposals that has raised hackles among foreign corporations had been over-inter-

preted and the apprehension that a large number of tax cases will be reopened is “'totally unfounded.”

The legislation under consideration is a “'clarificatory amendment” rather than a substantive amendment, he maintained, suggesting that current income-tax law under which cases beyond six years cannot be reopened will continue to prevail.

Moreover, assessment process which has been completed as of April 1, 2012 will not be reopened, he added. There has been much heartburn in Washington over the retro tax proposal and it was not immediately clear if the US business community’s fears had been assuaged.

Mukherjee also contested the suggestion from some quarters that the ruling party was reluctant to push forward briskly with reforms because there was no appetite for it among the electorate.

Ambition & Greed

What is the difference between ambition and greed? I shall cite the example of two leaders who changed and possibly even, defined history.

Both were committed to leading their people, both had a vision of a prouder nation. Both faced opposition, both were jailed during their struggle. They fought for their beliefs, sacrificed a great deal and both went on to rule their countries.

Both are remembered to this day and most likely will be for centuries to come, but in very different ways. Why? Some time ago I heard a debate between Ken Livingstone, Alpesh Patel and a third person whose name I cannot recall.

They were discussing if ‘Greed was good’. Alpesh argued that greed could be good if it meant that people would strive to earn more money so they could just as quickly give it away. He cited the examples of Bill Gates and George Soros and highlighted the billions they had given to charitable causes. A worthy and valid point. If you have more,

you can give away more.

So if greed is good then why does every religion teach us it is bad?

Greed has been labelled as a vice, a base instinct, a fault – hardly saintly or virtuous. Surely there is a difference between ambition and greed? It’s a bit like asking if there is any difference between confidence and arrogance? Neither question has a straightforward answer – ultimately context and more importantly, intent – play a significant part in defining the difference. Greed by its very definition means, and I quote from Wikipedia, ‘Greed is the inordinate desire to possess wealth, goods, or objects of abstract value with the intention to keep it for one's self, far beyond the dictates of basic survival and comfort. It is applied to a markedly high desire for and pursuit of wealth, status, and power. As a secular psychological concept, greed is, similarly, an inordinate desire to acquire or possess more than one needs or deserves.’

The key words are ‘the intention to keep it for

Pak retail chain Sefam chalking out big expansion plans in India

The largest fashion retail chain in Pakistan, Sefam, is chalking out aggressive expansion plans in India, soon after India announced an in-principle nod to boosting foreign direct investment (FDI) flows from the neighbouring country. The company had set up its first store in New Delhi 12 years ago through the franchisee route, and it remains the only one in India from its stable so far.

Zain Aziz, international business head, Sefam, who was in India said that the company would roll out its expansion from the cities up in the fashion quotient - mainly Delhi and Mumbai. But since the luxury market in India is spreading beyond the big cities, Sefam is planning to enter tier-I and tier-II cities such as Chandigarh and Ludhiana too. Through franchisee model and also brandowned stores across high

streets and malls, the chain is looking at opening around 200 outlets by 2015, Sefam claimed.

But setting up 100 per cent owned outlets may still be a distant dream for the company, even when FDI is permitted from Pakistan.

This is because of the sourcing conditions attached to single brand retail FDI norms in India. At present, Sefam is not sourcing anything from India, admitted Aziz. The single brand retail rules, while hiking the FDI limit to 100 per cent from 51 per cent, have made it mandatory for foreign chains to source at least 30 per cent of the material used from India.

“We use a mix of inhouse production, majorly,” said Aziz. However, he pointed out, “We are planning to set up an Indian fashion house, which would create products based on Indian fabrics and designs and sell it in Pakistan.”

By Amit Patel

one’s self’. This is the divide between being ambitious and being greedy. And this is the question each of us must ask ourselves – what is our intention? For those who want to assume a position of leadership, you must ask yourself if you want it to ‘gain’ or to ‘give’. It is hard to resist the indulgences power and money bring with them. And yet it is this which determines the type of leaders we become. And should anyone think that the difference is of no great concern or consequence, the two leaders I mentioned at the beginning - one was Adolf Hitler, the other was Nelson Mandela.

Amit Patel has over 15 years experience in the field of Personal Development and Human Resource Management.

He has delivered speeches on People Management and Development throughout Europe, North America, and Asia. To contact Amit, email amitpatelmail@gmail.com

C&W’s owner rejects Voda’s $1.7bn offer Cable & Wireless Worldwide (C&W)’s largest shareholder refused to support Vodafone Group’s £1.04-billion ($1.7-billion) offer, saying the bid doesn’t reflect the value of the UK fixed-line network operator.

“The proposed deal is clearly attractive for Vodafone shareholders,” Orbis Holdings, which owns a 19% stake, said in a statement to Bloomberg.

“However, we are concerned that the offer price does not appear to reflect the value inherent in C&W.” Vodafone, the largest wireless operator, agreed to pay 38 pence a share in cash in an offer recommended by Cable & Wireless’s board. Investors holding 18.6% of Cable & Wireless shares have agreed to back the deal.

Vodafone, which needs support from shareholders representing 75%, predicts that the deal will be completed in the third quarter.

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WORLD 23

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

In Focus 36 killed in Iraqi bomb blasts Baghdad: More than 20 bombs hit cities and towns across Iraq last week, killing at least 36 and wounding almost 150, police and hospital sources said, raising fears of sectarian strife in a country whose authorities are keen to show they can now maintain security. In Baghdad, three car bombs, two roadside bombs and one suicide car bomb hit mainly Shi'ite areas, killing 15 people and wounding 61, the sources said. Two car bombs and three roadside bombs aimed at police and army patrols in the northern oil city of Kirkuk killed eight people and wounded 26, police and hospital sources said.

Fed up with Army, Egyptians back in Tahrir Square Cairo: Thousands of protesters have gathered in Cairo's downtown Tahrir Square, demanding that Egypt's ruling military council hand over power to civilians. Rival political parties of Islamists and liberal youth groups joined ranks despite months of bitter disputes and accusations. Protesters chanted, "down with military rule." Islamists captured nearly 70 per cent of parliament seats in last year's elections. They have stayed away from most street protests, hoping for accommodation with the ruling generals, who took power after Hosni Mubarak's regime was ousted in a popular uprising last year. In recent weeks the Islamists have demanded that the military dismiss the Cabinet it appointed and allow the parliament to form a new one, but the military has refused.

Laden's youngest wife 'demanded sex 24 hours a day' London: Osama Bin Laden's youngest wife 'demanded sex 24 hours a day,' the slain alQaida leader's eldest wife has claimed. The youngest of Osama's five widows, Amal, 29, had to be pulled apart from his eldest bride Khairiah, 61, after the pair began brawling in a Pakistan prison last month.

According to a report, Khairiah was said to be jealous about Amal getting to sleep with Osama all the time. Khairiah had accused Amal of sticking to Osama like a prostitute who wanted 'sex throughout the day.'

Meanwhile, Amal, Khairia and Osama's another wife Siham, 48, along with two older kids were being deported to Saudi Arabia from Pakistan. According to the report, Amal, who wed Osama at the age of 17, has said that she wants asylum in Britain and wants to meet the Royal Family.

EU suspends Myanmar sanctions Luxembourg: The European Union suspended its sanctions against Myanmar on Monday for a year following a wave of widely praised political reforms in the country, but will retain an embargo on arms sales, officials said.

The EU wants to support the progress made in the south-eastern Asian nation “so it becomes irreversible,” said foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. She will travel to Myanmar this week.

The measure was adopted by the bloc’s foreign ministers at a meeting in Luxembourg, said spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic.

Sanctions currently target more than 800 companies and nearly 500 people, and include the withholding of some development aid.

European and US officials have pointed to significant reforms in Myanmar over the past year. These include more freedom for the media and political opposition parties, and the election to Parliament of former political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi, whose arrest originally drove the imposition of the penalties.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague highlighted the fact that sanctions were

Indian student shot dead in Boston Bhubaneswar: An Odisha student pursuing management degree in Boston University was shot dead shortly after midnight in Boston, his family said. K Seshadri Rao, a resident of Jeypore town in Koraput district, was shot by an unidentified assailant outside the 100 block of Allston Street, his father K Sudhakar Rao quoted Indian embassy in New York as telling him.

The 24-year-old was pursuing an MBA degree in mathematical finance (treasury management) at Boston University School of Management. He was scheduled to complete the four-semester 18-month course in May and had been offered a three-month paid internship in a company there.

Suu Kyi and other members of her party refused to take their seats, denting an image of transformation on a day when the European Union has suspended sanctions that isolated Myanmar for two decades.

Indian woman sets hubby on fire in US Houston: Austin police have charged 25-year-old Shriya Patel with dousing her husband in gasoline and setting him on fire. Police responded to a family disturbance at the Camden Huntingdon Apartments in the 12000 block of Metric Boulevard.

When they arrived they found a naked man lying on the floor screaming in pain. He had severe burns over 70 per cent of his body. His skin was falling off in several places.

He also suffered burns to his air passages, which officials say usually leads to death in these cases.

He was taken to the hospital and later transported to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. He is in critical condition but stable. He has been placed in a medically induced coma. Before he was put in the coma, the 29-

Shriya Patel

year-old man told authorities that his wife Shirya Patel had set him on fire.

According to the victim, he stripped and got into the bathtub expecting for his wife to give him a massage with oil. There were candles that were placed around the bathroom. Once inside the tub,

Woman faces death penalty for witchcraft

Man strips naked at US airport to protest screening Portland, Oregon: Port of Portland police say a 49-year-old man stripped naked at Portland International Airport as a protest against airport security screeners. The report said John E Brennan's actions caused some passengers to cover their eyes and their children's eyes while others looked, laughed and took photos. Two screening lanes were temporarily closed.

Police say the Portland man was arrested for indecent exposure and disorderly conduct. The reports said Brennan "disrobed completely naked" while going through a security screening area. He later told authorities he flies often and "disrobed as a form of protest against TSA (Transportation Security Administration) screeners he felt were harassing him."

being suspended rather than lifted completely.

“We remain very concerned about conflict and human rights abuses in some ethnic areas of Burma,” Mr Hague added.

Suu Kyi demand to change oath rejected Naypyitaw (Myanmar): Myanmar's ruling party has rejected demands by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to change parliament's oath of office, the first clear sign of friction since the democracy leader's party swept historic by-elections.

The dispute marred Monday's opening of parliament, as

Jeddah: A Sri Lankan woman has been arrested on suspicion of casting a spell on a 13-year-old girl on a shopping trip in Saudi Arabia. She may face the death penalty as the Middle Eastern country is known to behead convicted sorcerers.

Police spokesman Mesfir al-Juayed confirmed that details of the woman's arrest published in local media were correct. The daily Okaz reported that a Saudi man had complained his daughter had “suddenly started acting in an abnormal way and that happened after she came close to the Sri Lankan woman” in a large shopping mall in the port city of Jeddah.

“He reported her to the security forces, asking for her arrest and the specialised units dealt with the situation swiftly and succeeded in arresting her,” Okaz said.

Saudi Arabia has no written criminal code and where court rulings are based on judges' interpretation of Islamic Sharia law. “The punishment is always beheading for anyone found guilty of witchcraft,” a Saudi lawyer and human rights activist, Waleed Abu al-Khair said.

she poured, what he thought was oil on him, but instead it turned out to be gasoline. He told investigators the next thing he knew, he was on fire.

Investigators believe that she locked the bathroom door because it appeared as if the victim had to kick it open to escape.

They also said the smoke detectors were deactivated and that the sprinkler heads inside the apartment were wrapped in tape and plastic.

Police say they have found surveillance footage of her at Wal-Mart buying candles and tape. "He (the victim) did make some comments to the fire and EMS crews about to ‘why did she burn me? All I was trying to do was love her.’

Fire crews with the assistance with EMS put him on sterile burn sheets, transport-

ed him to North Austin Medical Center, Starflighted to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. We're in contact with their personnel. He is listed right now in stable condition," said Austin Fire Captain Andy Reardon.

Firefighters found a ten gallon white container filled with what they believe to be gasoline inside the apartment.Investigators say the couple was married for one year, but Patel had only been in the country for seven days.

Police do not know a motive.

They say Patel will not comment. Police have no prior record of domestic violence between the two. Patel is being held on a $500,000 bond in the Travis County Jail. She has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and first degree felony arson.

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24

PAKISTAN-BANGLADESH-SRI LANKA

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

Pak ready to resolve all issues with India: Gilani In Focus Islamabad: The era of wars has ended and Pakistan is prepared to resolve all outstanding issues with India, including the Kashmir dispute and terrorism, through talks, prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Tuesday.

"The era of wars has ended. We are ready to sit and resolve all core issues?

Whether it is Kashmir, Sir Creek, Siachen, water or terrorism? at the negotiating table," Gilani said while addressing a conference on the role of NGOs in the development of Pakistan.

Instead of trying to resolve issues through force, the government has adopted a policy of progress and negotiations, he said.

Yousuf Raza Gilani

A hand of friendship had been extended to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he added.

Noting that people had been talking of the need to withdraw troops from Siachen following an ava-

Britain refuses to extradite Musharraf Islamabad: The British government has made it clear to the Pakistani authorities that it would not hand over former President Pervez Musharraf to them.

As per British government, it does not extradite individuals to countries where the death penalty is enforced; rather, it processes such requests as per its judicial system before giving out any decision.

The refusal comes after a formal letter was sent through the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to the Interpol with respect to a Red Notice stating that Musharraf was required within Pakistan in connection with the Benazir Bhutto murder probe.

According to The News International, Britain has hugely dampened such extradition calls in the past. An Interpol Red Notice is considered an international arrest warrant, as by itself Interpol does not have the

Pak plane with 127 on board crashes

Islamabad: A passenger plane carrying 127 people crashed in stormy weather and burst into flames while approaching Pakistan's Islamabad airport. There were no reports of survivors.

The commercial airliner, Bhoja Air 737, on its maiden flight, was descending for landing when it crashed a few miles from Islamabad airport, near Chaklala airbase, Rawalpindi. There were 118 passengers and nine crew members on-board. Pakistan interior minister Rehman Malik said a judicial inquiry has been ordered and the owner of Bhoja Air, Farooq Bhoja, had been barred from leaving the country to ensure his cooperation with the investigation.

Pervez Musharraf

authority to issue arrest warrants, as this authority usually lies in the hands of sovereign member states.

Britain has stated that a number of individuals, including Musharraf, belonging to different countries, have been living within the United Kingdom (all wanted by their respective governments), and would be handed over to their respective countries until they defy the law of the UK.

lanche that hit a Pakistan army camp and buried 138 people, Gilani said Islamabad is ready for talks with New Delhi on all core issues.

The premier contended that the basic causes of terrorism and extremism were illiteracy and poverty.

India and Pakistan resumed their peace process last year after a gap of over two years in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which were blamed on the Pakistan-based Lashkar-eTaiba. Since then, the two sides have taken several steps to normalise relations, especially in the field of trade.

President Asif Ali Zardari went to India on a day-long private visit a day after the ava-

lanche slammed into a highaltitude Pakistan army camp in the Siachen sector on April 7.

He met Indian Prime Minister Singh, who called for practical and pragmatic solutions to the problems between the two countries.

Following a visit to the Siachen sector on April 18, army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani called for all issues between India and Pakistan to be resolved to ensure "peaceful co-existence" which would allow the two countries to focus on development.

He further said Pakistan hoped the Siachen issue is "resolved so that both the countries don't have to pay the cost".

Taliban to strike if Pak reopens Nato routes Islamabad: Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Hakeemullah Mehsud convened a meeting in North Waziristan tribal region to plan targeted attacks to prevent the reopening of Nato supply routes to Afghanistan, a media report said.

Mehsud convened a meeting with several senior commanders of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban and al-Qaida in North Waziristan Agency in the second week of February; The Express Tribune quoted an intelligence agency's report as saying.

The report said if the Nato supply routes were reopened, the militants would "show their anger" through terrorist activities across Pakistan, including targeting high-profile personalities.

Information about planned attacks and other possible threats were forwarded to police and other law enforcement agencies by the National Crisis Management Cell of the interior ministry.

Officials were directed to beef

Ashfaq Pervez Kayani

for an early resolution of the Siachen issue. Kayani visited Gayari along with President Asif Ali Zardari earlier and highlighted the need to solve the issue so that the two countries can spend money on the welfare of their people.

Observers link Kayani's flexibility to the Gayari tragedy. "Kayani made such a statement as the impact of the incident was so big. He would not have made it if the tragedy had not happened," said defence analyst Hasan Askiri Rizvi.

Kayani said that both India and Pakistan should sit

Beijing: Pakistan's navy commissioned its first fast attack craft armed with missiles at a Chinese shipyard on Monday, with its chief admiral Muhammad Asif Sandila saying that the force was fully prepared to counter any elements challenging the country's sovereignty. Sandila was the chief guest at the commissioning of PNS Azmat, Pakistan's first "fast attack craft (missile )" at Xingang shipyard in Tianjin. He said the vessel's induction will supplement the Pakistani navy's combat potential.

Hafiz Saeed sees danger to his life, seeks more security Lahore: LeT founder Hafiz Saeed has moved the high court, asking it to stop Pakistani authorities from taking any "adverse action" against him under pressure from the US and provide security to him as his life was "not safe" and any "mishap" could happen. Acting on the petition of Saeed for whom the US has offered a $10 million bounty, Lahore high court Chief Justice Azmat Saeed Sheikh issued notices to the federal government, the interior ministry and the Punjab home ministry to file their replies.

Indian MPs urge Lankan govt, TNA to resume talks

Hakeemullah Mehsud

up security at possible targets, the report said.

The report said possible targets included US diplomats and their bases in Pakistan, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, interior minister Rehman Malik, Pakistan Tehrike- Insaf chief Imran Khan and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

A separate report said the Jundullah group too held a meeting to plan attacks, particularly in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore. It said Jundullah had established a force of 21 militants for this purpose. The force will report to Hakeemullah Mehsud, who will assign targets.

Pak rules out unilateral Siachen withdrawal

Islamabad: Pakistan last week ruled out any unilateral withdrawal of troops from Siachen a day after army chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani suggested demilitarization of the world's highest battlefield.

"We are not thinking of any unilateral redeployment of troops. Pakistani has made several proposals to resolve the military standoff on Siachen, including a proposal for mutual re-deployment of troops,'' Pakistan's foreign office spokesman Muazzam Khan told reporters. He said Pakistan is ready for talks with India on the issue but there is no change in its stance.

Khan's comments come days after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif called for a unilateral withdrawal from Siachen amid outpouring of grief as over 100 soldiers remain buried under an avalanche at Gayari near Siachen after an avalanche slammed into Pakistan army's highest headquarters on April 7.

The tragedy has led to calls

Pakistan navy gets its first fast-attack ship from China

together to resolve all the issues including Siachen.

Maintaining that peaceful coexistence between the two neighbours was very important, Kayani said the Army understood well the need to bring down the defence budget. “We in the Army understand very well that there should be a very good balance between defence and development because ultimately security does not only mean secure borders but the welfare of the people. We would like to spend less on defence; any country should do the same way.”

About the harm caused to the environment by the military occupation of the Siachen glacier, Kayani conceded the point. “This is the glacier that feeds our rivers, particularly the Indus. We understand that physical deployment of troops will affect our rivers and water management is needed.” In fact, according to him, the effect of militarisation of Siachen on the environment was not just a local issue but a global problem.

Colombo: An Indian parliamentary delegation that visited Sri Lanka has urged the Sri Lanka govt and “other stakeholders, including the Tamil National Alliance,” to resume dialogue and move towards an early political settlement. “We would earnestly suggest urgent consultations to create conditions for launching of the Parliamentary Select Committee,” the delegation said.

The MPs delegation hoped that the Government will “seize this opportunity and follow an enlightened approach to reach a genuine political reconciliation, based on a meaningful devolution of powers, which takes into account the legitimate needs of the Tamil people for equality, dignity, justice and self-respect, Sushma Swaraj, leader of the delegation, said.

10,000 kg of explosives seized in Kabul Kabul: A major terror attack has been foiled in Kabul a week after the coordinated strikes in Afghanistan. Three Pakistanis and two Afghans have reportedly been detained with 10,000 kg of explosives in Kabul. The explosive was being carried in a truck, which was seized by the authorities.

According to reports, the explosives belong to the Haqqani network and the terrorists planned to assassinate Afghanistan Vice President Mohammad Khalil. Last week, as many as 51 people had died in a wave of coordinated attacks by insurgents in Kabul and three other provinces.

Six-legged Pakistani baby successfully operated Karachi: Doctors in a Karachi hospital have successfully removed the extra limbs of a baby boy who was born with six legs. The operation lasted for about two hours, and the baby is now in stable condition, doctors at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) in Karachi said. Birth defects like the Mermaid syndrome, a deformity where the legs are fused together, Craniopagus, a phenomenon where twins are joined at the head, and Dicephalic parapagus, a condition of having two heads, occur rarely but prove challenging to the medical world.

Pakistan plans to build two nuclear power plants in Sindh Islamabad: Pakistan plans to build two coastal nuclear power plants with a capacity of 1,000 MW each in the southern port city of Karachi to meet the future energy needs of the financial hub, according to a media report on Monday. "The presidency and general headquarters are showing great interest in the projects which will have substantial allocations in the next budget," an unnamed Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission official was quoted as saying

by The News.

INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

India gearing up for second milk revolution

In divine light

AV Correspondent

In what is being coined as the second milk revolution for India, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar announced the launch of the National Dairy Plan (NDP) at Anand, the place which is synonymous to the country first white revolution.

Touting the NDP as the solution to cater to the milk shortage being faced by the country, Pawar said, “as per the outlay of the phase-I an amount of Rs 22.42 billion has been approved by the Government of India and in the six year plan it is to be implemented in 14 milk producing states including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.’’

Pawar said that the scheme would be largely financed through International Development Association of the World Bank and implemented by NDDB. He said through NDP the productivity of

Next Army chief gets SC all-clear The Supreme Court of India on Monday gave a double delight to the Union government by ruling that Lt Gen Bikram Singh’s appointment as the next Army chief suffered no discrepancy and clarifying that present incumbent Gen V K Singh’s date of birth issue was a closed chapter.

A bench of Justices R M Lodha and H L Gokhale perused the file relating to Lt Gen Singh’s appointment as Army chief-designate after the PIL petitioners through advocate Kamini Jaiswal made a strong pitch about non-consideration of allegations against him by the Cabinet Committee on Appointments (ACC) headed by the Prime Minister.

After going through the file, the bench said the selection committee not only considered the allegations pointed out by the PIL petitioners but also examined in details some other allegations before clearing his appointment as next Army chief.

By Rajen Vakil

Story of Bhima and Hanuman

Narendra Modi greets Sharad Pawar

milch animals and thereby milk production to meet the rapidly growing demand for milk in the country could be achieved through a scientifically planned multistate initiative.

Pawar asserted that through this plan it would provide India’s 70 million small-holder rural milk producers with greater access to the organised milk sector. “The demand for milk is projected to be around 200 million tonnes in 2021-22 as against the production of 122.8 million tonnes in 2010-11,’’ said Pawar. He said that it was therefore necessary to maintain an annual

growth of over four per cent in the next 15 years and the Mission Milk would enable this target to be achieved.

The minister said that this could be achieved if milk producers were trained and they were provided with high quality, disease free semen for this initiative. While admitting that the cooperative sector was weakening and private players were emerging stronger, Pawar said, “NPA will target at strengthening village based milk procurement systems which will ensure long term benefits for the milk producers at the rural level.”

Govt refuses to take stand on Rama Sethu The government of India last week shied away from taking a stand in the Supreme Court on whether it intended to confer national monument status on Rama Sethu, a geographical feature in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka resembling the mythological bridge built by Lord Rama’s army in epic Ramayana.

On March 27, the court had asked the Centre to spell out its stand on Rama Sethu while hearing a five-year-old petition by Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy seeking national monument status for Rama Sethu and scrapping of the Sethu Samudram shipping channel project on the ground that it involved dredging of revered mythological feature.

Additional solicitor general Harin Raval informed a bench of Justices H L Dattu and A R Dave that he had received

no instruction from the government on filing an affidavit to respond to Swamy’s petition.

“I asked them (the officials concerned) in writing but they have not responded. Even today I asked them what you want me to say that the government does not wish to file any affidavit. But there was no answer,” the ASG said.

The bench understood the law officer’s predicament and decided to proceed with the hearing of Swamy’s petition in the third week of August if there were no affidavit from either the government or Tamil Nadu.

The bench told Raval: “This court cannot direct you to file a counter affidavit. It is for you to say this is our stand…for the present we will say that none of the contesting respondents intend to file any affidavit.” The ASG said he couldn’t state anything further to the SC.

House panel may turn down voting rights for NRIs The government's proposal to give voting rights to non-resident Indians (NRIs) has run into a roadblock with the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs raising objections to the move.

The committee has sought clarifications from the external affairs secretary on several issues before it takes a decision on the proposal in its next meeting. At the committee's meeting on April 12, members raised several objections, pointing out that NRIs would eventually seek to contest polls without being able to connect

25

with local issues or voters.

They also cited the need to create necessary infrastructure in foreign countries to facilitate NRIs to vote.

The committee is headed by BJP leader and Bangalore South MP H N Ananth Kumar and comprises 26 MPs. "Except for one member, all other 15 MPs who attended the meeting opposed the government decision. We have raised 46 queries with the external affairs ministry.

We will take a final decision on the issue in our next meeting.

Most of the members, including those belonging

to the parties in the ruling UPA alliance such as Trinamool Congress, NCP and DMK, were against the move," said a member who attended the meeting.

Addressing the annual diaspora meet during the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas at Jaipur, prime minister Manmohan Singh said, “Pursuant to the law that was enacted to enable non-resident Indians to vote in our national elections, the government has issued notifications for registration of overseas electors under the Representation of People Act, 1950.”

The Pandavas were to spend six days at Badrikashram. It was near the top of the G a n d h a m a d a n a Mountain, where they were to meet Arjuna.

Early next morning, a cool North Easterly (Ishaan) breeze started blowing through the ashram. The wind brought a lotus flower which shone with light like that of the Sun. It had a thousand petals.

Draupadi saw the flower lying on the ground and immediately its divine fragrance intoxicated her.

She felt very happy and told Bhimasen, “O son of Pritha, if you really care for me, please bring many more flowers like these.”

Bhima immediately faced the wind and started moving quickly in its direction with the desire to get more of these flowers. Going through forests full of varied animals, flowers, and streams, Bhima reached the top of the mountain. Here he started looking for these lotus flowers. The place was so beautiful and the fragrance from different flowers so captivating that his whole being was filled with joy. The cool breeze was so soothing that it relaxed the effort he had made in climbing the mountain. As he neared a stream, he could hear the sounds of divine damsels

Gandhi blood soil headed for Mumbai

An Indian foundation that successfully bid for Gandhi memorablia, including blades of grass and soil pigmented with his blood, at a London auction will display the artefacts in a Mumbai museum.

Retrieved from the place of his 1948 assassination, the grass pigmented with Gandhi’s blood, placed in a wooden casket, was sold for 10,000 pounds by Mullock’s, a Shropshirebased auctioneer.

Other key memorabilia sold include one of his early pairs of iconic spectacles (34,000 pounds), a wooden charkha he used (26,000 pounds), a prayer book signed by him (10,500 pounds) and several letters and other documents pertaining to Gandhi’s life.

These are now being brought back to India by the Kamal Morarka Foundation for the Arts (KMFA), which bought them and will display them in the upcoming private museum, Osianama.

dancing.

Deer were prancing at the beat of the music. He came upon a forest of banana palms and in the middle there was a beautiful lake.

Bhima dived in the lake, swimming and dancing around. He then again started walking along the plateau looking for the flowers.

Bhima then saw a path that led up into the heavens. He took out his conch shell and blew it, creating a deafening roar which shook the whole mountain. It so happened that Hanuman, the great monkey and the elder brother of Bhimasen, was resting in the banana palms. He heard the sound of the shell and knew that Bhima was going to take this path to the heavens. So he sat down in a way that

blocked Bhima’s path totally. In this posture he stated banging his tail on the ground. This made a huge sound even greater than the one that had come from Bhima’s shell.

Hearing this very loud sound, Bhima was electrified and like a mad elephant, he started moving in the jungle of palms to find out where the sound was coming from.

There in the jungle, sitting on a huge rock, he saw this king of the monkeys. Bhima found it very difficult to look at him as the lustre of his body was flashing like bright lightning. His body seemed very powerful and his two hands were like huge chakras. With one of these huge hands he was cupping his face and stared at Bhimasen. He had a huge tail which ran across Bhima’s path and then curled and went up in the air much above the height of the monkey.

Seeing him sitting there in the middle of the palms, Bhima thought he looked like a huge burning fire.

But Bhima had no fear in him and went ahead and stood in front of this great monkey, ready to face him and make his way through.

All past articles on the Mahabharata can be accessed from http://epaper.asianvoice.com or from http://www.3stepbreath.com/mahabharata.html

Aloo Chaat Dilli Style

Crisp fried potatoes tossed with spicy masala turns out to be a good starter, biting and a side-dish.

Cooking Time: 10-15 mnt Servings: 4 Ingredients: Potatoes, cubed 1/2 inch 3 large, Lemon juice 3 teaspoons, Salt to taste, Ginger cut into thin strips 1 inch piece, Oil to deep fry, Onion chopped 1 large, Chaat masala 1/2 teaspoon, Red chilli powder1/2 teaspoon, Cumin powder 1/4 teaspoon, Green chillies,chopped 2, Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 3 table spoons Directions: Add one teaspoon lemon juice and a pinch of salt to the ginger strips and keep in the refrigerator till use. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai till medium hot. Add potato pieces and deep fry till crisp and golden.

Drain and place on an absorbent paper. Transfer the potatoes into a big bowl. Add onions, salt, chaat masala, red chilli powder, cumin powder, green chilies, coriander leaves and the remaining lemon juice and mix well.

To serve transfer the mixture into a serving bowl, garnish with ginger strips and serve immediately.

Health Benefits: Potatoes are mounds of carbohydrates and contain little proteins too.

This makes it an ideal diet for those lean and thins who desperately want to put on weight.

The vitamins like vitamin-C and B-complex also help.

26

INDIA

Norway custody row ends, children back in India The two Non-Resident Indian (NRI) children in Norway who were taken into the custody by that country's Child Welfare Services on grounds of alleged negligence by their parents, returned to India on Tuesday.

Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur was at the airport here to welcome three-year-old Abhigyan and one-year-old Aishwarya along with their grand-parents. The children were accompanied by their Norwegian care-givers.

Abhigyan and Aishwarya, children of Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya, had been taken under protective care in May last year.

The siblings were given to their uncle, Arunabhash Bhattacharya, by a Norwegian court on Monday, following which the Indian government facilitated their return to India. The Norwegian court's decision came as a major breather for the Bhattacharya family, which had been trying to get back the custody of the children from their foster parents.

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

Agni-V launches India into elite ICBM club

India heralded a new era in its “credible” strategic deterrence capability by testing its most ambitious nuclear missile – the over 5,000-km range Agni-V – that brings all of China and much more within its strike envelope. With the launch of the 50-tonne missile from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast last and its 20minute flight to an “impact point towards western Australia,’’ India also yanked open the door to the superexclusive ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) club that counts only the US, Russia, China, France and the UK as its members. India can, however, sit at this high table only when the 17.5-metre tall Agni-V, which just about meets the 5,500-km ICBM benchmark, becomes fully operational after “four to five repeatable tests’’ and user-trials. It will be around 2015 that the three-stage, solid-fuelled missile will be ready for deployment by the tri-Service Strategic Forces Command.

That didn’t dampen the celebrations though.

“It’s a game changer…a super hit. India is a major missile power now. I don’t think it will take more than two years for Agni-V to be ready for induction,’’ an elated DRDO chief, V K Saraswat, said soon after the test. The maiden test of Agni-V, designed to carry a 1.5-tonne nuclear warhead, expectedly generated waves around the globe. The missile, after all can deliver multiple warheads and cover the whole of Asia, 70% of Europe, eastern Africa and other regions, leaving only continental America beyond its deadly reach. Chinese daily warns India, Beijing muted in reac-

tion. Beijing described India as a “cooperative partner’’ and suggested that its test launch of Agni-V missile would not impact regional stability hours after a Communist Party-owned newspaper slammed the test flight, saying “India would stand no chance in an overall arms race with China.” A Global Times commentary advised India “not to be arrogant about its missile capabilities.’’

It warned New Delhi against relying on its relationship with the US and suggested an Indian role in the West’s attempt to curb China’s growth. But Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin’s comments were muted. “We are not rivals but cooperative partners. We should cherish the hardearned momentum of cooperation,’’ said Liu. The spokesman did not accept a suggestion that the missile launch might affect regional stability. “We hope Asian countries can contribute to regional stability and peace.’’

Modi opens India’s first canal-top solar power project in Gujarat Continued from page 1 The world's first 1 MW canaltop solar power plant in Gujarat's Mehsana district has generated 2 lakh units of clean energy since it was commissioned two months back, a top official said.

The project, which virtually eliminates the need to acquire huge tracts of land as is typically needed in setting up such plants, was commissioned in late February this year.

The Chandrasan plant was set up at the cost of around Rs 175 million by the US-based Sun Edison and is projected to generate 1.6 million units annually and simultaneously prevent evaporation of 9 mil-

lion litres of water.

"This is the first-of-itskind canal-top solar power plant to be set up by Sun Edison in the world using panels made by our parent firm MEMC Electronics Materials Ltd," said Head of Communications at Sun Edison Jaideep Singh Chowdhary.

The plant which is connected to the state grid through Uttar Gujarat Vidyut Corporation Limited, had gone on stream in late February.

"The trial run of the plant indicates that solar panels here could produce 15 per cent more power as compared to conventional instal-

lations as the water flowing under the panels keeps them relatively cool," said GSECL MD Gurdeep Singh.

The entire length of SSNL canal network in Gujarat is around 19,000 km and if even 10 per cent of it is used for this type of projects it could generate 2,400 MW of clean energy annually, Singh said.

A 800 KW of peak energy production has been recorded from this plant during a day so far, which is connected to the state grid, a GSECL official said.

Sun Edison has a total installed capacity of 45 MW of solar power in Gujarat and has also bagged a contract for

a 2.5 MW rooftop solar project in Gandhinagar.

With this pilot project through solar panel 16,00,000 unit of electricity would be produced yearly.

The 9000,000 litre of canal flowing water will be saved from evaporation. The canal-top solar panel will increase electricity by 16 per cent. Today Gujarat has provided electricity of 600 megawatt through solar energy because of which 750,000 tonnes of coal has been saved, that comes to a saving of Rs 1.25 billion. Secondly transport of coal costing Rs 1.35 billion will be saved. On the whole India will save Rs 2.60 billion per year and Rs 65 billion in 25 years.

appear on the fabric wrap it is sponsoring which will go around the main stadium Verma’s family lived in Jaiprakash Nagar of Bhopal.

On the night of the explosion his mother, his father, two of his brothers and three of his sisters died in their home.

Sanjay was snatched from his cot by another sister, Mamta, who ran from the house with another brother, 13-year-old Sunil. In the chaos, Sunil got lost. Mamta managed to clamber on to a bus that took her and Sanjay to the town of Hoshangabad, 50 miles away, where they were admitted to hospital. In the meantime, Sunil was found on the street and was taken for dead. He was thrown on a cart loaded with corpses and taken to the river to be dumped.

As his body was tipped from the cart, someone noticed he was still breathing. Sanjay was brought up in an orphanage, and then moved into a house allocated by the government in the ‘gas

relief colony’ with Sunil and Mamta. In 1997 Mamta married, and Sanjay and Sunil moved into an apartment together. In 2002 Sanjay suffered a stroke; he was rushed to hospital, and he was paralysed for 24 hours. He believed it had something to do with the gas tragedy that affected his system.

Sunil was experiencing problems of a different kind.

He had long been beset with emotional difficulties, but began to develop symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia.

He made two failed suicide attempts, once by setting himself alight, the second time by eating rat poison.

In 2006 Sanjay moved to Delhi for a few months to continue his studies. While he was gone, Sunil hanged himself in the apartment. He was found wearing a t-shirt saying ‘No More Bhopals’. In 2008 Sanjay had taken part in the march to Delhi, and in the hunger strike. He had gone without food for 21 days.

Protest against Dow Chemical hots up

Continued from page 1 He’s an articulate campaigner and the visit is obviously in the run up to the London Olympics. He has agreed to meet Indian Journalist Association members for an exclusive press conference on April 27. He will be accompanied by Barry Gardiner MP, who is also campaigning against Dow Chemicals and its involvement with London Olympics 2012 and Meredith Alexander, head of policy at Action Aid and a former member of the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012. Meredith recently resigned from the Commission over its links with Dow Chemical - the company which now owns the Bhopal chemical works.

Verma, who was born in Bhopal five months before the deadly 1984 gas leak, hopes to meet Olympic officials in London to discuss the Dow deal. “The Olympics is all about ethics and this is

Sanjay Verma

something unethical, that Dow Chemical is sponsoring the London Olympics, because they are responsible for thousands of deaths in Bhopal,” he said.

The International Olympic Committee had earlier stated there was no prospect of Dow being axed from the London Games, despite calls for a boycott.

But London's Olympic chiefs said last month they would meet with activists to discuss the issue, and they have also said Dow's name would not

In Focus Retd Army officer gets life term for killing Chennai boy Retired lieutenant colonel Kandasamy Ramaraj, a former Army officer, has been sentenced to life imprisonment and a total fine of Rs 60,000 after he was convicted of shooting dead 13-year-old K Dilson on July 3, 2011. The boy had gone to the Fort Glacis Army Officers' Enclave near Secretariat to gather almonds along with his friends when the incident occurred. R Radha, judge, 19th additional district and sessions court, convicted Ramraj on Friday morning.

India develops synthetic drug for malaria India has developed a powerful new malaria drug - an alternative to the global drug of choice Artemisinin - that promises to be a major boost to India’s pharmaceutical research. The new drug’s raw materiel is synthetic (derived chemically in the lab) while Artemisinin is derived from a plant.

India’s health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ranbaxy will unveil India’s first new chemical entity against the P falciparum malaria to commemorate World Malaria Day. Dr Neena Valecha of National Institute of Malaria Research said the new once-aday therapy for 3 days contains Arterolane and Piperaquine.

Shahid Kapoor files police complaint against female fan Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor is used to female attention, but a woman in her mid30s - believed to be the daughter of yesteryear’s actor Raj Kumar - went too far in her devotion, forcing him to file a police complaint against her. Kapoor, in his complaint stated that one Vastavikta Pandit had been creating problems by entering his building compound for a few days. She would follow him in her car and also stand before his vehicle, forcing him to stop. Once she had overtaken Shahid’s car and blocked his way, forcing his bodyguards to intervene.

Six Indian origin scientists honoured with Fellows of Royal Society Continued from page 1 Banglaore-based Krishnaswamy Vijay Raghavan, who is the director of the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, is termed as an “inspirational leader successfully promoting excellence in Indian biology.”

Professor Chandrashekhar Bhalchandra Khare based at the University of California, Los Angeles, is called as “an extremely original mathematician” studying the relationship between Galois representations and modular forms.

Professor Mathukumalli Vidyasagar of the University of Texas at Dallas has been elected to the Fellowship for making “outstanding contributions” to control and systems theory and statistical learning. His explanation for robust controllers has given a profound effect on linear control theory. He has combined probability theory, combinatorics, and artificial intelligence to produce a beautiful unified theory of statistical learning, and used it to solve NP-hard design problems.

Professor Shankar Balasubramanian, who is based at Cambridge University, is a universally renowned leader in nucleic acids field. He is famous for pioneering contributions to chemistry and its application to the biological and medical sciences. He is a principal inventor of the leading next generation sequencing methodology, Solexa sequencing that has made routine, accurate, low-cost sequencing of human genomes a reality and has revolutionised biology.

Professor Varinder Kumar Aggarwal of the University of Bristol is famous for his “outstanding contributions” to the field of asymmetric synthesis, particularly applications of ylide chemistry where he is the world leader.

The Fellowship is made up of the most prominent engineers, scientists and technologists from the Commonwealth and the UK.

INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

In Focus Akhilesh’s Janata Darshan a big draw When Mayawati took over the reins of UP five years ago, the road to the chief minister’s bungalow was closed to public. The barriers were lifted after the SP government was sworn in. CM Akhilesh Yadav took one more step: he threw open the doors of his official residence to the public, for what is being described as ‘Janata Darshan’.

Although the Janata Darshan was slated to start at 9 am, Akhilesh arrived late. He did, however, make up by staying on till nearly 3:30 pm.

He met more than 10,000 people and received some 5,000 grievance applications. Akhilesh promised to continue with the ‘darshan’ for at least two hours every Wednesday. With large number of people pouring in, the entire district machinery was at the CM’s bungalow to ensure the session remained peaceful. Cloak rooms were set up and people were given biscuits and water outside the Kalidas Marg bungalow.

Mamata named among world's most influential people West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been named among the 100 most influential people in the world by the prestigious Time magazine in its 2012 list which also includes US President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and billionaire investor Warren Buffet.

Apart from Banerjee, advocate Anjali Gopalan, who works for the rights of gays and the transgendered in India, is the only other Indian in the list released by the magazine. The 2012 list is topped by American basketball sensation Jeremy

Groom thrashed for being late, bride marries someone else Being late for his own wedding proved costly for a bridegroom as he and his relatives were beaten up by irked family members of the bride who was married off to another person. Groom Jameel was to marry Nagma on Wednesday at 10:30 am in Muradnagar area of Ghaziabad district, police said. However, the groom and his relatives reached the venue at 6 pm following which the angry family members of the bride beat them up, they said. Police reached the spot and brought the situation under control after which Nagma was married to another man, they said.

Mother can finally claim Scarlett’s body British teenager Scarlett Keeling, whose death created a sensation after her scantily-clad body was found on Anjuna beach in Goa on February 18, 2008, can now finally rest in peace.

Her mother Fiona MacKeown can claim the body from the British coroner after arrangements are made for her funeral in Brandiworthy Devon, sources said. The British foreign office has given its clearance to the British coroner’s office to release Scarlett’s body. After the controversy over the cause of her death, the first postmortem was followed by a second one at Goa medical college hospital in Bambolim. Months later in 2008, her body was flown to Britain but was kept in a mortuary. In Britain, coroner Dr Elizabeth Earland of Greater Devon requested another test and a third pathology examination was carried out in 2009. Her family could not lay her to rest as they were awaiting communication from the Goa authorities.

Lin. In recent days, Banerjee's government has been criticised for choice of newspapers for state and state-aided libraries and a professor's arrest over circulation of a cartoon featuring the chief minister.

Time said Banerjee, 57, spent years struggling on the margins but ultimately she proved to be the "consummate politician." "Though much of Indian society remains hidebound in patriarchy and tradition, strong women still prevail in the nation's political life.

Mamata Banerjee rose to the fore last year when she and a

movement she built from the grassroots wrested control of her home state of West Bengal, ending three and a half decades of sclerotic communist rule," Time said.

Referred to by her supporters as 'Didi', Banerjee was labelled by critics as a "mercurial oddball and a shrieking

street fighter".

Modi out of Time 100 poll In the voting figures put up on the website earlier, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had finished third with 250,000 ‘Yes’ votes and 260,000 ‘No’ votes. Not surprisingly, Modi’s backers seemed to have rushed to the poll, helping him soar ahead of well-known US personalities like President Obama and Lady Gaga. But so too did his detractors. In addition to quite a few “Yes” votes, Modi amassed the most “No” votes of anyone featured on the poll more than 260,000.

Presents

12th Asian Achievers Awards

ED summons Kanimozhi in 2G case The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned DMK MP Kanimozhi later this week in connection with its probe into alleged financial irregularities in the 2G spectrum allocation case. The 43-year-old daughter of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi has been asked by the agency to either come herself or send an authorised representative for submission of financial documents and recording of statement on April 26, ED sources said. Kanimozhi was last year released on bail in the 2G case and the agency is set to begin prosecution action. Kanimozhi and others have been charged by the CBI in connection with the channeling of Rs 2 billion to DMK family-run Kalaignar TV through a circuitous route.

27

14th September 2012

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Please tick the appropriate category Sports Personality of the Year............................................

Woman of the Year ................................................................

Awarded for excellence in sports.

The award will recognise and honour a woman who has made a significant mark in any chosen field.

Business Person of the Year ..............................................

Awarded to a business person who is a success in every sense of the word and can demonstrate a genuine passion for social issues.

Young Entrepreneur of the Year ......................................

Professional of the Year ......................................................

Uniformed and Civil Services ............................................

Awarded to an young entrepreneur (less than 35 years) with a proven track record of operating a successful business enterprise.

Professionals in the field of medicine, law, education, banking, finance and others, who have scaled the heights of their chosen profession.

For outstanding achievements in uniformed and civil services or contribution to the community through any of the above services.

Achievement in Community Service................................

Awarded to those who have acclaimed popularity internationally for his/her contribution in any particular sector and is recognised for their timeless philanthropic activities.

In recognition for an individuals service to community.

Achievement in Media, Arts and Culture ....................

Someone who has made a mark in media including print and broadcast media; cinema, art and culture.

Award for Entertainment ....................................................

For outstanding performance by Asians in the field of Dance and Music.

International Personality of the Year ............................

Lifetime Achievement Award ............................................

To honour those individuals, who during their lifetime, have made immense contributions in any given field. This remarkable individual can be marked as an example for the younger generation.

Application Form

!

Name of the Nominee: ___________________________________________________________________________________

!

Contact Details of the Nominee (Tel & email): _______________________________________________________________

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Present Occupation of the Nominee: _______________________________________________________________________

Please attach your CV which includes the following information (1) Personal background !

(2) (3) (4) (5)

(Please do not exceed a limit of 1000 words)

Most important career achievements till date Your contribution to the community and nation Any notable obstacles in you career that has helped you to reach where you are today Future plans, ambitions and visions

!

Summary- (Please include a summary in not more the 150 words

!

Nominators name and contact details: _____________________________________________________________________

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Nominators current Occupation/Company: __________________________________________________________________

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Tel/Mobile: _________________________________

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why the nominee is worthy of winning the particular award in a separate sheet)

Email: __________________________________________________

NOMINATION AND SELECTION PROCESS " This is a unique event where readers nominate and an independent panel of judges comprising of eminent personalities selects the winner. "# Judges’ decision is final. ABPL Group will not entertain any dialogue with members of the public regarding the judging process. "#In order to ensure a high degree of transparency and fairness, the management and members of the staff of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar will play no role in the nomination or judging process. " You may use an additional sheet if the space provided is insufficient. "#The winners will be announced at the AAA Awards ceremony in 14th September, 2012. "#Asian Voice, Gujarat Samachar will publish the names of the short listed candidates and winners after the event. The winners names will also appear in our e-edition www.abplgroup.com "#You can nominate yourself if you wish to. "##Nominations and entries must follow the prescribed format. "#All nomination forms must reach our offices on or before 12th July, 2012

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28

TRAVEL & WOMEN

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

PURVI’S TRAVEL BAG

WOMEN ACHIEVERS

By Purvi Apurva Shah

Apara Mehta

the city of diamond and silk

a name to reckon with in the tellyworld

By AV Correspondent para Mehta, a known A face in Indian television, was born on 13

August 1960 in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Now at the age of 52 she is a common face in Indian television, playing the role of a mother to some and a doting wife to the other.

She has not only restricted herself to the small screen but has tried her luck with movies as well. She might not be a big name in the Bollywood but is a known face in the big screen as well.

She began her career with Gujarati theatre and as she has said her first love continues to be the stage and whenever she gets time she acts on stage also. Apara, daughter of Mandikini and Ushakant Mehta, has been trained in Classical music and Kathak dance. She shot to fame with the soap “Kyunki Kabhi Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi,” where she played the role of Savita Mansukh Virani, the mother of the protago-

nist Mihir. Her first television show was for Mumbai Doordarshan where she hosted a children’s show called “Santakukdi” when she was only 15.

She has acted in m o r e than 150 plays. In 1980, s h e

married television and film personality Darshan Jariwala and has a daughter. The two are separated now and their personal life

was shown in the reality show “Maa Exchange,” which was aired on Sony Television.

Some of the shows where Mehta could experiment with her talent include “Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka” (1997), “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi” (2000), “Saat Phere” (2006) “Karam Apnaa Apnaa” (2006), “Parrivaar” (2007), “Dhak Dhak In Dubai” (2007), “Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat” (2009), “Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo” (2009) and “Hamari Saas Leela” (2011). Now she is acting in the serial “Kya Huaa Tera Vaada,” where she plays the positive mother-in -law supporting the daughter-in-law against the son.

Apara started her work on stage since 1981. Her first Television role was in “Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka” in which she played as Paro. She also played supporting roles in some Bollywood films.

Aspiring Bollywood actress beheaded urat is known for its S spice, silk and diamond trade. It is the lead-

ing diamond polishing and cutting centre in India. Ninety-two per cent of world’s diamonds are cut her which gives India a lot of revenue. The city is the third cleanest city in India. It is also known as the "Embroidery capital of India" with the highest number of embroidery machines than any other city.

Surat is a gourmet’s delight: Surat has a unique food culture which is reflected in the proverbs like – ‘Surat nu Jaman Te Kashi nu Maran’ means fortunate is the man who can dine in Surat and die in Kashi!

Popular Gujarati recipes with strange names like locho, ghotalo etc are part of a Surati's day to day life. Surati Petish, Fafda, Surati Khaman, Ratalu na bhajia, Sarasia khaja, Lasan nu kachu,.

UndhiyuYes, Surti dishes have some very unique names too from tapela to locho to methipak to ghari to shalampak; Surat is definitely a hub to make your mouth water. Surti Ghari is a very popular sweet and is a 200-300year-old recipe.

It’s a common saying in Surat that if you don't have any occupation start

a food cart and you will definitely get customers.

Not only people love to prepare recipes at home, but they do love to eat outside on road side and restaurants.

Locho is a speciality of Surat city. Every diamond merchant in Surat invests a pittance from his huge bank balance on this modest dish every morning. All the premium cars, including the Audi’s and BMW’s, can be found parked before these roadside-locha-joints. It has to be locha if it’s breakfast.

And not just in the morning but any time during the day.

People troupe out in groups – to eat, to socialize and to roam around generally to Kamrej Chowk (where the highway starts) till Magdalla.

Here exists a unique practice which is called ‘Footpath eateries’. This is a Surat speciality which is rarely found in other parts of India. On both sides of the Surat-Dumas road, in Piplod area, are lined with people sitting on footpaths and eating.

Tourist Attractions in Surat: The main tourist attractions in Surat are the castle, tombs, mosques and temples.

The Surat fort is one of the most beautiful places and worth seeing.

Located near the Tapti

River, this fort was constructed during the British regime in India.

This fort was meant to be used for defense purposes by the ruler of this state.

Dutch garden – this garden is located on that part of the city that was used for the transportation of the goods through ships. This garden is also situated near the river and was used a seaport.

Graveyard of the Dutch can also be found here.

Dandi: Dandi is situated about 13 km from Navsari. Dandi is the main place for the Gandhi's Salt March in 1930. The strikingly empty beach has several monuments of Gandhi, including a small museum.

Castle: The castle which was built in 1546, provides good view of the city and surrounding countryside from its bastions.

Colonial Tombs: The colonial tombs here date back from the 15th to the 18th centuries.

British Factory: The British Factory House built has a combination of both English and Hindu styles and had stained glass windows with carved wooden supports.

Surat is 263 km from Bombay and 255 km from Ahmedabad and is connected by regular train services.

Meenakshi Thapa

n aspiring Bollywood A actress was kidnapped and beheaded last month

by two fellow actors she 'befriended on the set of her latest film'.

Meenakshi Thapa, 26, was kidnapped and beheaded last month by Amit Jaiswal and his lover Preeti Surin in an attempt to receive a ransom payment.

She had met the pair on the set of Madhur Bhandarkar's yet-to-bereleased film “Heroine,” where she had a bit-part role.

Thapa's mother is believed to have paid Rs 60,000 (£730) for her release, but never saw her daughter again. Police said they believe she was strangled in a hotel and her body was hacked into pieces and thrown into a water tank. Then in a final act of callous depravity her head was thrown from a moving bus on its way to Mumbai.

Amit Jaiswal, 36, and his lover Preeti Surin, both covereing their faces, admitted the murder when they were arrested

Mumbai crime branch policemen recovered the body from Surin's house in Allahabad recently. Jaiswal and Surin confessed the crime to the Mumbai Police after their arrest and said they were taken in by Thapa's pretentious stories about her 'affluent family'.

“The accused believed that Thapa was from a wealthy family because her lifestyle, despite not landing a big film role, hid the fact that she actually came from a middle-class background. They plotted to kidnap her for a ransom of Rs 1,500,000 (£18,000) and kill her after the payment was made,” a police officer said.

Thapa was a struggling actress who earlier played a minor role in last year's horror film 404 and she appeared in some TV commercials.

Her Nepalese-origin family has settled in Dehradun some years ago.

Like her, Jaiswal and Surin were struggling for a toehold in the film industry.

The duo lured Thapa to travel with them to Gorakhpur. There they held her hostage and called up her family demanding the ransom.

The police said they told Thapa's mother that they would drug her daughter and make a pornographic film if she didn't deposit the money in the victim's account. They also took her debit card.

The mother deposited Rs 60,000 in Thapa's account, but that didn't save her daughter.

A police officer said: “They returned to Mumbai from Allahabad by bus. On their way they threw out the bag.”

In the meantime, Thapa's brother registered a complaint with the police in Dehradun on March 17 about his missing sister.

The Mumbai Police were promptly alerted.

HEALTH WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

29

Eat cherries for a good night’s sleep If you are struggling with sleep problems, Central Otago cherries could be just the bedtime remedy, say researchers.

They say Cherries grown in sun-rich Central Otago are a natural source of melatonin at levels 30 times higher than their northern hemisphere counterparts.

Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally present in the human body and aids sleep.

The findings come from research commissioned by Fruision Ltd, a joint venture between Hamiltonbased Quantec Ltd, a company specialising in developing health remedies from natural products, and Alexandra-based fruit grower Summerfrui, Stuff.co.nz reported.

Previous studies published in the United States have shown northern hemisphere cherries to have levels of melatonin at two to 15 nanograms per gram.

The latest study, undertaken by an independent laboratory in Australia, has shown Central Otago cherries have 500 nanograms per gram.

Any quest ions

write to mam ta@thin

By Mamta Saha kspalondon.com Psychologist

How to mend a broken heart

When the cherries had been dried, the melatonin levels increased to 3100 nanograms per gram.

Fruision senior scientist Dr Judy Bragger said Kiwi plants are exposed to more ultraviolet radiation than those growing at a similar latitude in Europe of North America, and this caused them to produce more secondary metabolites - organic compounds that are not directly involved in the normal plant growth.

"It is these secondary metabolites that the cherries produce that have such great human health promoting properties when eaten," Dr Bragger stated.

Jackfruit: Jack of all fruits

phytonutrients like saponins, isoflavones and lignans present in jackfruit is said to slow down degeneration of cells in the body due to formation of free radicals that can cause cancer.

To maintain healthy skin and vision, vitamin A present and anti-oxidants present in jackfruit are beneficial.

Natural sugars like sucrose, fructose present in jackfruit, make it a good source for energy and makes it easily digestible as well.

Jackfruit also contains other minerals like manganese, iron, vitamin B6, niacin, folic acid, etc. whose presence in small quantities is required for the optimum functioning of the body.

The seeds of the jackfruit are quite nutritious and a good source of protein.

Jackfruit is considered as an exotic fruit in terms of its prickly looks, size and weight but also its taste and texture. It is known to be a good source of vitamin C and anti-oxidants that help strengthening of the immune system and enhancing the functioning of the white blood cells in the body.

It is also a good source of potassium and good for regulating blood pressure and thus, reducing one's risk of getting strokes and heart diseases. Potassium helps to maintain the electrolyte balance in the body.

Due to the high fibre content present in jackfruit, it is beneficial in reducing constipation and aiding digestion. The fibre content of jackfruit is said to do away with the carcinogenic chemicals in the colon.

Besides vitamin C,

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Moanui Laboratories in Hamilton were already backing the science and are the first New Zealand company to distribute a sleep aid derived from cherries in a capsule form.

Listening to music improves health Listening to music everyday could be a simple and effective way to enhance well-being and health as it may evoke positive emotions and reduce the listener's stress levels, a new study has revealed.

The new doctoral thesis in psychology from the University of Gothenburg is based partly on a survey study involving 207 individuals, partly on an intervention study where an experiment group consisting of 21 persons listened to self-chosen music for 30 minutes per day for two weeks while an equally sized control group got to relax without music.

The results of the studies show that positive emotions were experienced both more often and more intensively in connection with music listening.

The experiment group did also perceive less stress and had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. The more the participants in the survey study liked the music, the less stress they experienced.

"But it should be pointed out that when studying emotional responses to music it is important to remember that all people do not respond in the exact same way to a piece of music and that one individual can respond differently to the same piece of music at different times, depending on both individual and situational factors," said the author of the thesis Marie Helsing. "To get the positive effects of music, you have to listen to music that you like," Helsing added.

This weeks article is centred on how you can be heal a broken heart and move forward in life and love. Sometimes when we care so deeply for someone and our heart gets broken it can be very difficult to move forward. We can become paralysed by our feelings and thoughts and often live in the past, meditating on how things once were and what could have been. Read the quick tips below to help you heal and work towards creating a brighter, happier future.

Detach and revel in your independence again- Attempting to fill the void yourself — without rushing to a new relationship or trying desperately to win your love back — this is essentially what detaching is all about. The Buddha taught that attachment leads to suffering. So the most direct path to happiness and

Aloe vera juice - The magic potion You must already be aware of the many benefits of using aloe vera on the skin - be it for rashes, cuts, bruises, sunburn etc.

But do you know the health benefits of drinking aloe vera juice?

Completely safe and versatile, aloe vera juice stems from the fact that it naturally contains many different nutrients: vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other trace elements.

Helps digestion: Drinking aloe vera juice naturally allows the body to cleanse the digestive system. It encourages the bowels to move and helps with elimination if a person is suffering from constipation. And if you have diarrhea, it will help slow it down.

Increases energy levels: Our diets include many substances which can cause fatigue and exhaustion. Taken regularly, aloe vera juice ensures a greater feeling of wellbeing, allowing energy levels to increase and also helps maintain a healthy body weight.

Builds immunity: It is especially great for those who have chronic immune disorders like polysaccha-

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provides a fantastically rich cocktail of vitamins, minerals and trace elements to help our bodies deal with these stresses and strains every day.

Reduces inflammation: It improves joint flexibility and helps in the regeneration of body cells. It strengthens joint muscles, which therefore reduces pain and inflammation in weakened or aged joints.

rides or fibromyalgia since the polysaccharides in aloe vera juice stimulate macrophages, the white blood cells that fight viruses.

Detoxifies: Aloe vera juice is a great natural aid to detox. With our stressful lives, the pollution around us and the junk foods we eat, we all need to cleanse our systems from time to time.

Drinking aloe vera juice

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and/or norepinehrine and stimulates brain chemicals that foster growth of nerve cells — but also on an emotional level, because you are taking charge and becoming the master of your mind and body.

Find hope- “There is one emotion that is stronger than fear, and that is forgiveness.” But forgiveness requires hope. Hope is believing that the sadness can evaporate, that if you try like hell to move on with your life, your smile won’t always be forced.

Therefore in order to forgive and to move past fear, you need to find hope.

Thank you for reading this week’s article. It was written with the support of Priya Sharad who is an energetic intern at Think Spa London. For questions, thoughts and reflections, contact me on: mamta@thinkspalondon.c om. Good luck god bless.

peace is detachment.

List your strengths– and read them 5 times a day.

Help someone elseWhen you turn your attention to another person — especially someone who is struggling with the same kind of pain — you forget about yourself for a split moment.

Laugh and CryLaughter heals on many levels, and so does crying.

You think it’s just a coincidence that you always feel better after a good cry?

Nope, there are many physiological reasons that contribute to the healing power of tears.

Work it out- Working out your grief quite literally — by running, swimming, exercising, walking, or kick-boxing — is going to give you immediate relief.

On a physiological level — because exercise increases the activity of serotonin

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30

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

CB Live is only a Gujarati programme in UK on MATV SKY 793 This week in CB Live CB Patel, Publisher/Editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar will talk about the 40 years of the publications and Karma Yoga Foundation.

If you do not have a SKY, go to www.tvunetworks.com and watch CB Live on TVU Player Channel 75203

Sneh Joshi - 020 8518 5500 By nature you are a highly enterprising, gogetting type of person and these are qualities that will stand you in good stead in the coming weeks. Go easy on yourself though, especially if it's a question of financial loans. Don't be afraid to act forcefully if your instinct tells you it's time for change.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

7pm to 8pm Every Thursday

CB LIVE Every Thursday on MATV (SKY 793) 7pm to 8pm For more information email: cblive_matv@yahoo.co.uk or call Alka Shah on 07944 151 893

Coming Events ! Ramanuja Jayanti by Maharashtra Mandala.

Saturday, 28 April, 5.30 pm – 8 pm Venue: Maharashtra Mandal, 306 Dollis Hill Lane, London NW2 6HH. ! Sunday 29th April 2012 - 3.00pm -5.30pm Bhajans finishing with arti, Maha Prasad. Adhya Shakti Mataji Temple, UB8 2DX, Contact: 07882 253 540 ! Usurp Art Zine Fair, Sat 28 April 11am to 7pm, Usurp Art Gallery & Studios,140 Vaughan Road, London HA1 4EB. Contact: 0208 426 6264

New timing for submission of PIO/OCI In order to manage the number of service-seekers at the Consular Hall of the High Commission, it has been decided to segregate the timings for submission of various services. From 1st May, 2012, there will be new timings for handling the OCI and PIO applications as per timings given below: From 1st May 2012 PIO Issue of Tokens: 0830 – 1030 hours Opening of Counters & submission of PIO applications: 0930 – 1130 hours Collection of PIO Cards: 1630 – 1730 hours (Tuesdays and Thursdays) OCI Issue of Tokens 1230 – 1430 hours Opening of Counters & Submission of OCI Applications: 1300 – 1600 hours Collection of OCI Cards/Visa: 1630 – 1700 hours.

No change in the timings for Passport and other services.

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Doctor allegedly causes death negligently A doctor allegedly caused the deaths of two elderly patients negligently when he prescribed them inappropriate doses of a potent pain relief drug while he was surfing the internet, a court heard.

GP Rajendra Kokkarne, 37, (pictured), arranged for frail patients Beryl Barber, 78, and Eric Watson, 86, to receive morphine sulphate after being told about their pain over the phone from a nurse at the care home where they lived.

Mrs Barber was suffering from painful ulcers on her foot and elsewhere, while Mr Watson was suffering with a urinary infection and mouth ulcers.

Robert Smith, QC, prosecuting, claimed at Leeds Crown Court that the drug was inappropriate for their individual circumstances and the

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Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Freelance Correspondent: Rudy Otter Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Chief Financial Officer: Surendra Patel Tel: 020 7749 4093 Mobile: 07875 229 220 Email: surendra.patel@abplgroup.com Accounts Executive: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email:accounts@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 151 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Business Development Managers: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Nihir Shah - Email: nihir.shah@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4089 - Mobile: 07875 229 111 Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Design and Layout: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 The prevailing pattern of planets gives you a marvellous opportunity. Take time out to strengthen close ties of affection, sort out emotional differences and proffer the olive branch to anyone who may have caused you pain in recent months. Venus throws an easy light on affairs of the heart - prime time for engagements and weddings.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 Social commitments are liable to increase considerably. At times this could lead to a conflict of loyalties and perhaps a degree of resentment that others are taking advantage of you. Make a very conscious attempt to stick to main priorities. Organise your time so that it is not taken up entirely by the demands of other people. dosage was far in excess of what should have been given to an elderly patient and 10 times greater than the normal starting dose.

Both patients, who lived at the Charlton Centre for Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care in Batley, West Yorkshire died from morphine poisoning.

However it has been acknowledged, he is not to be blamed alone on this situation.

The trial continues.

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TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 Decision making will prove to be a bit of a bind because of your wavering mind - seek professional advice and then steam ahead.

Be careful with your expenditure as you have a tendency to be extravagant. Relationships need to be scrutinised carefully. Try to stand back and get a more objective view of the pattern of your life.

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LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 Having most planets above the horizon chart shows that the general pattern of events will focus your attention on the need to make an impact on the world. Although the very practical affairs of life continue to be highlighted, this does not mean that there will be all work and no play. In fact, you will be very much in demand socially.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 The pace of your life may be a bit hectic now, and if you're not used to it, this could also be a time of mental restlessness. You are more inclined to seek a broad understanding of people and of your immediate environment. Concentrating on listening, connecting, communicating, and learning is your best bet now.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 This week you will make your best progress by focusing your mental and physical energies on what you want to achieve. Intense focus is what is needed now so do not let yourself be distracted by non-essentials. The underlying trend seems to be pulling you into a much wider social circle now.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

The pace of everyday life will gather momentum and there may be times when you find it hard to keep your act together. Any obstacles that have stood in the way should melt into the background soon. Your self-confidence will be extremely high and this will be helped by various encouraging events.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 Career-wise you cannot go wrong provided you do not act in a way that threatens other people's egos. An ambition that you have been striving for over the past year is likely to come to fruition which could mean promotion and a boost in status and reputation soon. Play your cards right and you can pull strings in you favour.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 It is a great week for seeing real results. You can accomplish more than usual with a little elbow grease - the keyword here is discipline. Your social graces will serve you well careerwise. Mixing business with pleasure will bring you benefits. You will achieve great success by being responsible and diplomatic.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

It is essential that you adopt a very open attitude now for this is a time of lucky opportunity and a chance to greatly enrich your working life and at home. New windows on the world are about to open and this is bound to have a maturing effect on you from now into the future.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20 Either you or your partner have been going through a phase of inner doubts and uncertainties, and perhaps the main source of tension has simply been the need for breathing space in your relationship and a need to look at things more objectively. Wait before going full steam ahead with grand actions and gestures.

31

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

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Customers may not be able to use Electronic Top-Up at all locations where the top-up logo appears 1p per minute to selected international landlines and mobiles in April 2012. £10 credit offer: When you top up with a £20 voucher online during March and April 2012, you will be credited with an additional £10 call credit. Offer valid only on the first 2 online £20 top ups during March and April 2012.. Unlimited calls from Lycamobile to Lycamobile: From the March 1st to April 30th 2012, customers with a minimum balance of 20p can enjoy free and unlimited calls from Lycamobile UK to Lycamobile UK Any changes to rates will be notified on the rates section of our website at www.lycamobile.co.uk or call our customer services team on 020 7132 0322 to check rates or for more information. Prices and offers are correct at the time of going to print on 10.04.2012.

32

Asian Voice - Saturday 28th April 2012

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Sehwag keeps Delhi Daredevils at No 1 and Robin Uthappa.

Warriors bowlers had few answers for Virender Sehwag and struggled to keep him quiet as they were unable to find the right lines, despite a stern team talk by Allan Donald at the innings break. Their only success came with the run-out of Mahela Jayawardene and wicket of Kevin Pietersen, who topedged to mid-on. Warriors' batsmen were made to rue a slow start and an inabili-

Delhi Daredevils strengthened their reputation as the team to beat in IPL 2012 and marched to a convincing victory over Pune Warriors at the Subrata Roy Stadium, with four overs to spare. Warriors had won both previous matches at their new home stadium but were unable to collect a third success after posting too few runs with the bat despite a thirdwicket stand of 145 between Manish Pandey

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ty to get going despite plundering 47 runs off the last four overs.

Irfan Pathan and Morne Morkel did early damage to Warriors and removed Jesse Ryder and Sourav Ganguly in the first two overs. Ryder was guilty of a lazy push in front and was bowled by Irfan's second ball, which kept low and snuck through him and Ganguly sliced Morkel to third man.

Warriors were 2 for 2 and needed a quick recovery.

Pandey and Uthappa put up a solid resistance and balanced caution with the need to attack fairly well early on. Pandey opened the boundary count with a confident pull over mid-on off Irfan and a superb drive on the up off Umesh Yadav.

Just as the pair started to break the shackles, Daredevils left-arm spin duo of Pawan Negi and Shahbaz Nadeem made sure they were restrained again.

Nadeem also had a chance to claim Pandey's wicket, when the batsmen

Virender Sehwag flicks during his unbeaten 87 against Pune Warriors.

hit a delivery straight back to him in his final over.

The ball was hit hard and Nadeem got his hands up in time but could not hold on. Despite putting down both chances Pandey offered them, Daredevils

were still able to keep a lid on Warriors.

Pandey looked to go bigger in the last six overs and started by smacking Irfan for a four down the ground to reach his halfcentury off 40 balls.

Indian Premier League 2012 Points Table (24 / 04 / 2012) Teams Match Won Lost Tied Delhi Daredevils 7 5 2 0 Kolkata Knight Riders 8 4 3 0 Rajasthan Royals 8 4 4 0 Pune Warriors 8 4 4 0 Chennai Super Kings 7 4 3 0 Royal Challengers Bangalore 7 4 3 0 Mumbai Indians 6 3 3 0 Kings XI Punjab 7 3 4 0 Deccan Chargers 6 0 5 0

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Daredevils' captain started with a mix of fortune and fury as he was involved in the mix-up which saw Jayawardene run out and inside edged Ashish Nehra for four. In between those, he pulled Nehra in front of square to show some measure of control and seized the rest of it against Luke Wight.

He helped a ball to fine leg for four and smashed a slower one over long-on for six. He also won the battle of the captains when he hits two boundaries off Ganguly's only over.

The second match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Deccan Chargers was washed away and both teams were given one point each.

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