AV 01st April 2023

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3 Y E A R S L A T E R , T H E B R I G H T S I D E

As the world marks three years of the Covid lockdown, we speak to community members to understand some positive consequences of the pandemic and lockdown.

Shefali Saxena

T h r e e y e a r s a g o , 2 7 m i l l i o n Britons watched the erstwhile Prime Minister Boris Johnson on television as he said, “Stay at home, protect our NHS and save lives.” That was the year w h e n t h e w o r l d w a s s h u t S c h o o l s , c o l l e g e s , o f f i c e s , restaurants, and shops, except the hospitals and emergency s e r v i c e s . C o u n t l e s s p e o p l e c o u l d n o t p a y t h e i r l a s t respects to their loved ones Millions remained in trauma a n d t e r r o r o f l o s i n g t h e i r f r i e n d s a n d f a m i l y E v e r y s i n g l e i n d i v i d u a l c a m e o u t selflessly to support and save lives irrespective of faith and beliefs

Dress the world with style, but let sustainability be the fabric that holds it together

India’s first female magician set to rule the roost at Soho

Humza Yousaf becomes the first Asian ever to lead Scotland as the leader of the S c o t t i s h N a t i o n a l p a r t y , i n a n a r r o w v i c t o r y t h a t w i l l f o r c e h i m t o c o n f r o n t deep divisions within his party Yousaf (37) also becomes the first ever Muslim to lead the party and country, he was raised in.

W i d e l y s e e n a s N i c o l a S t u r g e o n ’ s preferred successor, Yousaf defeated his closest rival, Kate Forbes, by a narrowerthan-expected 52% to 48% after secondp r e f e r e n c e v o t e s c a s t b y s u p p o r t e r s o f Ash Regan, the candidate who came last in the first round, were counted The turnout was 70%.

Continued on page 07

Rahul disqualified as M P, can’t contest polls for 8 years if conviction not stayed

Humza Yousaf becomes the first Asian to lead Scotland

with Keith Vaz

SH AY E B H AT T E S SA-SH A R M A

Shaye Bhattessa-S harma is 15 years old and is currently stud ying at the City of L ond on Scho ol He founded Football Billionaire th e bo ard g am e recently He is the youngest ev er to ap pear in Drag on ’ s Den and he receiv ed inv estment from the lo ngest-ru nning drag on Peter Jones He is a hug e football fan (CHELSE A) and a goalkeeper for his school team and has also qu alif ied for the youth World Cup in Gothia Sw eden

He loves playing board games, especially chess and was the school Chess Champion for 2 years running at his previous school and qualif ied for the London Chess f inals He loves public speaking and has started his own social media channels @footballbillionaire on Instagram and TikTok He really wants to be the best he can be and want to focus on ever ything positive, body and mind, to become a positive role model for today’s Gen Z

1 Which place, city or country do you feel most comfortable in?

This is such an easy question to answer

Although I love traveling with my family to many countries, there is only one city I love with a passion, and that is my hometown, London I have so many friends and family here and it has the best restaurants, museums, and culture in the world (It’s also home to the Chelsea football club!)

2 What are your proudest achievements?

My recent appearance in Dragon’s Den is at the top right now! The selection process is rigorous with various inter view stages After being shortlisted and selected, I travelled up to Manchester with my father to do the pitch and f ilming at the Granada Studios The night before we were put up in a hotel Once we were at the studios, we were welcomed and treated incredibly well, with our own d re s s i n g ro o m a n d m a ke u p a r t i s t b e fo re being led to the famous lift taking us face to face with the Dragons, all of whom I have the utmost respect for I had the privilege to pitch to them and was ver y proud and also relieved to then receive such high praise and an offer from both Touker and Peter A dream come true, side by side with my father!

3 What inspires you?

My family has really inspired me I have grown up being surrounded by role models, from my Grandparents, my parents, uncles and aunties, my brother, cousins, etc, they have all given me their unconditional love with a lot of support Each and ever yone works extremely hard and achieves so much yet remains humble and true to themselves and their roots This is the most inspirational

4 What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?

My career is only just beginning but I guess my age is Starting this business so young means I was not taken so seriously I cannot even legally be the Director of my own company and in most cases have to send my father to most meetings

I go along where I can, but people appreciate my passion, drive, and perseverance once they get to know me!

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

My Grandfather Vinu Bhattessa who is a Ho t e l ie r h a s b e e n a hu g e i n f lu e n c e a n d taught me “to be a thinker and doer” rather than just a thinker and having regrets in your

Security at London’s Indian High Commission to be reviewed after Khalistan protests

U K’s Foreign Minis ter James Cl everly s aid th e c o u n t r y w il l re vi ew s ec urity at th e I ndian

H igh C o m m i s s io n i n

Lo nd o n fo l l o w in g " u na c c e p t ab l e a c t s o f vio l enc e" t o wa rds t h e miss ion's staf f

life, my mother Reena for all the daily lessons and hard work she does for me and my brother And my father Raj As I’ve grown up, I saw him launch businesses from nothing and see them grow, and this is a huge influence on me and what I want to achieve

6 What is the best aspect about your current role? There is nothing better than having an idea and then bringing that idea to life With my board game FOOTBALL BILLIONAIRE, from thinking of the concept to seeing it on shelves and getting rave 5-star reviews on our website and Amazon and comments saying that the game is better than Monopoly is brilliant!

7 And the worst?

The worst I suppose is sometimes having to say no to your friends and working on projects while others are going out However, nothing in life comes without hard work focus and dedication, and if you love what you do as I do, then it doesn’t feel like work Then I’ll have plenty of time to enjoy and celebrate!

8 What are your long-term goals?

Firstly, we are launching a new non-football-related board game just called BILLIONAIRE where you collect sets but instead of just properties, you can buy supercars, private jets, yachts, and houses Hopefully, it will be good enough to rival monopoly! I think playing boardgames are such great family fun, something we have done at home since I can remember, and I think there’s a huge place for this kind of fun We have now produced only 1000 First Edition Collector’s items, available on a f irst come f irst ser ved b a s i s , a v a i l a b l e n o w a t Billionaireboardgames com

We then plan to launch our games in the US and get into the key retailers and then sell the company in up to 4 years I’m working on my GCSEs now, so I’ll go to University after f inishing my A Levels, and hopefully land a good job before following my father and g r a n d f a t h e r ’ s fo o t s t e p s a n d t a k i n g t h e entrepreneurial route

9 If you were prime minister, what one aspect would you change?

I love Rishi Sunak, I think he has a tough job at hand, but he is great and would hope to follow in his footsteps one day I would however like to reshuffle most of my Cabinet and bring in people who really care and are capable of making real change and have the desire to make a real difference above and beyond their personal ambitions They should have real accountability for their actions, both negative and positive, and a will to bring unity and make the world a better place

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

Gandhi Although I may not believe in all of his philosophies and the decisions that he made, I think he was a truly inspirational human being, with a pure heart and soul and one whose intentions were always as he believed to be for the good of his people and mankind

Earlier, India summoned the most senior Br i t i s h d i p l o m a t i n New Delhi to protest at the actions taken by "separatist a n d e x t r e m i s t e l e m e n t s " against the countr y's mission in London The BBC and Indian media reported t h a t p r o t e s t e r s w i t h " K h a l i s t a n" b a n n e r s d e t a c h e d t h e I n d i a n f l a g from the f irst-floor balcony

of the diplomatic mission's building earlier, to protest a g a i n s t t h e r e c e n t p o l i c e a c t i o n i n I n d i a's P u n j a b state Khalistan refers to an i n d e p e n d e n t Si k h s t a t e sought by some groups but which does not exist Crowds had gathered outside the high commission's building and win-

d o w s w e r e b r o ke n , a f t e r w h i c h I n d i a demanded an explanation for the "complete a b s e n c e o f B r i t i s h s e c u r i t y " a ro u n d t h e p r e m i s e s It w a s reported that at least a h u n d r e d p o l i c e o f f ic e r s w e r e s t a n d i n g guard on both sides of the road outside the H i g h C o m m i s s i o n i n London after three days C l e v e r l y s a i d t h a t a p o l i c e i n v e s t i g a t i o n w a s ongoing after the acts of v i o l e n c e a n d t h a t t h e countr y will make the necessar y changes to ensure the safety of the Indian mission's staff

Polio catch-up jabs after Easter

Lo nd o n p r im a r y s c h o o l p upils no t ful ly vac cinated a ga in s t p o l io a r e t o b e o ffered c atch-u p jabs after Eas ter The disease, common in the UK in the 1950s, was e l i m i n a t e d b y 2 0 0 3 B u t p o l i o v i r u s t r a c e s w e r e fo u n d i n n o r t h a n d e a s t L o n d o n s e w a g e i n e a r l y

2022 An emergency vaccination booster campaign in L o n d o n l a s t s u m m e r reached more than 370,000

c h i l d r e n A n d i n e a r l y November, the latest tests found less of the virus - but

o f f i c i a l s s a y t h e r e i s n o room for complacency

Polio causes paralysis in a ver y small number of cases where the virus attacks the ner ves in the spine and base of the brain - but most are asymptomatic Only 88% of London children have had three doses by the age of one, compared with 92% in England as a whole

" L o n d o n i s a v e r y bustling, urban metropolis with lots of mobile populations, lots of diverse commu n i t ie s , " D r S a l i b a s a i d "We need to engage with these communities [so] that we get the messages across to them and that we make v a c c i n e s a s a c c e s s i b l e a s possible This is why the N H S i s o f fe r i n g v a c c i n at i o n s t h r o u g h s c h o o l s t o children who have missed out "

Links between two victims attacked after leaving mosque

Br i t i s h p o l i ce s a i d t h at a man arrested on s uspic ion of attempted murder after a man was s et o n f ire on his way ho me from a mosque in c ent r al E ngl an d h ad no w also been arres ted for a simi lar i nci dent in London last month

In the f irst incident, an 8 2 -y e a r- o l d v i c t i m w a s engaged in conversation by a man as they both left the We s t L o n d o n I s l a m i c

C e n t r e b e fo r e h e w a s doused in a liquid, believed to be petrol, and set alight

Police said the injured man suffered burns to his face and arms The second victim, a 70-year-old man, was w a l k i n g h o m e f r o m a mosque in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham when he was approached by a man w h o s p r a y e d h i m w i t h a substance and then set his jacket alight He remains in

hospital with severe injuries

"At this stage we cannot speculate around the motive for the attacks, this is a live investigation and our main aim is to make sure communities are safe and that we bring justice for the victims," West Midlands Police said in a statement

We s t M i d l a n d s Po l i c e said counter-terrorism off icers were supporting their investigation

Mandatory mediation for separating couples

S e p ara ti ng c ou p l es i n England and Wales co uld face f ines if they d o not m a ke a " re as o nab le attem pt" to try mediation under new prop osals Spl i t t i n g p a re nt s w i l l be required to tr y to agree on their child custody and f i n a n c i a l a r r a n g e m e n t s through a qualif ied mediator as part of the plans, only taking court action as a last resort Justice secretar y Dominic Raab said the proposals aim to protect children and reduce backlogs Under the plans, a n e w p o w e r fo r j u d g e s c o u l d b e b r o u g h t i n t o order parents to make a r e a s o n a b l e a t t e m p t t o m e d i a t e , w i t h p o s s i b l e f inancial penalties if they act unreasonably and harm a child’s wellbeing by drag-

ging out court proceedings

The Ministr y of Ju s t i c e ( M O J) s a i d t h e c h a n g e c o u l d h e l p u p t o 19 , 0 0 0 s e p a r a t i n g f a m i l i e s resolve their issues away from the courtr o o m a n d t h a t a r o u n d 36,000 vulnerable families e a c h y e a r c o u l d b e n e f i t from faster hearings and q u i c ke r r e s o l u t i o n s T h e plans would also help to r e d u c e b a c k l o g s , e a s i n g p r e s s u r e s o n t h e f a m i l y c o u r t s a n d e n s u r i n g t h e justice system can focus on t h e f a m i l i e s w h o n e e d most protection, it added T h e p l a n s w o u l d o n l y apply to what are considered to be suitable lowl e v e l f a m i l y c o u r t c a s e s

Cases involving allegations

or a histor y of domestic v i o l e n c e w o u l d n o t b e included in the mandator y mediation plan The proposals, which would apply to England and Wales, will be subject to a government consultation for 12 weeks from Thursday, closing on June 15 Me a n w h i l e , t h e g o ve r n m e n t ’ s f a m i l y m e d i ation voucher scheme will b e e x t e n d e d u n t i l A p r i l

2025, backed by an additional £15 million in funding, the MOJ said

Can Humza Yousaf actually deliver an independent Scotland?

Humza Yousaf has made history in Britain He has become the first Asian (British Pakistani) and of Muslim faith to become the First Minister of Scotland (see p1) Now the UK miraculously has a Hindu Prime Minister and a Muslim First Minister- sending social media into some fabulous and hilarious meme frenzy

Even 10 years ago, this would have been thought to be impossible The skills, efficiency and talents seen in the second generation of British Asians has completely replaced race related prejudices (in certain jobs), making it a remarkable progress for this country Though not all is hunky dory in Britain especially as Baroness Casey of Blackstock has reportedly claimed that Sir Mark Rowley m a y h a v e m i s s e d h i s m o m e n t t o f u l l y r e f o r m t h e Metropolitan Police because of his refusal to use the term “institutional” when acknowledging racism, sexism and homophobia- eventually ignoring the main root of the issues in hand

Twitter has been buzzing since Monday whether an Indian and Pakistani will now be responsible for dividing Britain Some are even calling it Britain’s ‘Karma’ Mr Yousaf, grew up in a British Pakistani household with an accountant father Muzaffar who migrated to Scotland in 1960s and mother Shaaista, who grew up in Kenya Humza grew up in Glasgow and was educated there His current wife Nadia El-Nakla, whose family is from Gaza, is an SNP Councillor in Dundee, a position she won in 2022 They have a daughter together

Mr Yousaf’s first major job in hand will be to unite his party, after his victory He indicated that Ms Forbes and Ms Regan will be given jobs in his cabinet

The Economist in an article pointed out, though Mr

Yousaf had initially said that ‘Scottish independence does not exist’ during his campaign, later in his acceptance speech he reportedly said that those “who don’t yet share the passion I do for independence” would be won round by a competent government What unites is our shared goal of delivering independence My solemn commitment to you is that I will kickstart our grassroots, civic-led movement and ensure our drive for independence is in fifth gear ”

The article also pointed out that a YouGov poll found that all three candidates were considered weaker than Ms Sturgeon by both the Scottish public at large, and by voters who supported independence in the 2014 referendum And in that race, Mr Yousaf performed the worst of all

So will Mr Yousaf actually be successful in delivering an independent Scotland? Will he be able to divide the nation like no other?

Unity in his own party perhaps likely to come only at the cost of breaking the nation into two But he will also run into the same obstacles as Ms Sturgeon and whatever led to her downfall –“ a lack of options to achieve independence without the permission of the British government that is required by law”- wrote The Economist

It's a fact that even when Ms Sturgeon was at her political peak, her demands for a separate nation were easy enough for Westminster to ignore So saying no to Mr Yousaf, with his much softer stance and ‘unproved leadership’, will technically be easier But this nation has historically underestimated the minorities’ potential So only time can tell what Mr Yousaf has in store for Great Britain!

Disqualification of Rahul Gandhi

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi stands disqualified following conviction in a defamation case where a Gujarat court gave him two years jail – the conviction and sentence together disqualify him from Parliament Rahul can contest in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections only if his c o n v i c t i o n i s s u s p e n d e d / o v e r t u r n e d , o r i f a p p e l l a t e courts reduce the jail term Rahul had, in 2013, rightly opposed a UPA ordinance to dilute a judicial verdict – the Supreme Court had junked a leeway in law that protected MPs from disqualification while their case was in appeal H i s s t a n d w a s f o r w a r d - l o o k i n g C r i m i n a l i s a t i o n o f politics in India is a serious concern Almost 30% of 2019 Lok Sabha members stood accused of serious crimes such as corruption and murder Rahul could have avoided the conviction if he was willing to apologise But he refused to do so He remained defiant saying that his name is Gandhi and Gandhi does not offer apology to anyone Not the disqualification law, but the defamation law is where the rub is On decriminalising defamation, there is plenty to be done by Parliament or by the courts, to end a law bad in spirit and practice One sentence, ill advised as it was, is picked up from a 2019 election speech by Rahul in Kolar, Karnataka A complaint is made by a BJP leader in Surat who claims he is aggrieved by its disparaging reference to “thieves” who are “Modis” Within 24 hours of the verdict, the Lok Sabha Secretariat, in accordance with Section 8(3) of the Representation of People Act,

1951, disqualifies Rahul as Lok Sabha MP, even as the court gives him a period of 30 days to appeal – ironically, in this, Rahul’s own brash act of tearing up the UPA ordinance that would have allowed a convicted MLA/MP to continue in office till appeals were disposed of, has returned to haunt Only days earlier, Rahul was at the receiving end of the BJP’s formidable firepower for making a speech in Parliament alleging the Narendra Modi government’s complicities in the rise of the House of Adanis

The disqualification of Rahul has given shape to the political chessboard, setting up the opening pieces for the 2024 election battle The next general election may not depart substantially from the previous two in their broad framing as “BJP vs Congress” and “Modi vs Gandhi” elections After the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress has occupied increasing opposition space Disqualification of Rahul appeared to boost his political salience within the opposition space Even traditional Congress baiters such a s B R S , T M C a n d A A P c a m e o u t s t r o n g l y i n condemnation all repeating the narrative of “corrosion” of democratic institutions, which was the centrepiece of Gandhi’s BJY Congress, of course, pressed its charge that the “dictatorial” move validated Gandhi’s attacks and showed the government was increasingly “afraid” of Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification could be a blessing in disguise for the opposition

IPL brings a great revolution to the game of cricket

Though views differ on the impact of IPL on cricket, the Indian Premier League has turbo-charged the career of many cricketers This year will be the 15th anniversary of the IPL, launched amid much fanfare and a record breaking innings of 158 from Brendon McCullum in Bangalore on April 18, 2008 It triggered the greatest revolution the sport has seen Twenty20 cricket as a whole is often credited with transforming the cricketing landscape, but really it is the IPL that has generated most change The IPL’s rise to one of the most financially valuable sporting events on the planet was the star that others followed, and if nothing could match the IPL’s commercial muscle it was also evident that a well-planned T20 tournament was potentially a winning business model in a sport short of them The IPL has shifted power from national boards to players In the past, any cricketer wanting to earn good money had to pursue a career as an international player; now they have a second, broader route to riches through T20 leagues

It has created lots of fresh avenues into the game for those who exist outside the mainstream areas and the IPL has forced national boards to clear their schedules while it i s g o i n

,

Thought

for the week

You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it. - Margaret Thatcher

Political Sketchbook

Alpesh Patel

The Duty Not To Secede

Britain knows a l ot a bout se cess ion Northern Ire land and Sc ot land remain a part of the Union India knows about sec ess ion – 19 47 And t his past week, religious extrem ists r e pr e s e n ti n g a n e gl i gi b l e nu m b e r un de r t oo k v io l e n t c r im in a l da m a g e a nd a s s a u l t at t h e I n di an H ig h Co m m i s s i on S uc h e x t r e m is t s ne g a t e a n y c a s e f o r sec ces sion anymore than I proc laiming my self the new Em peror of the People’s Republ ic of Yorkshir e on a 100% refer endum turnout of m e, and then violently at tacking White Roses in an angry t antrum s o I c an cl aim as ylum (m y real goal )

Religious extremists, whether the seccessionists in India or the Taliban, the Iranian Mullahs or Abu Hamzah, lack ethical force Secession refers to the act of withdrawing from a political entity or organization, typically when a region or group seeks to establish its own sovereign state The question of whether there is a duty not to secede is f u n d a m e n t a l l y a n e t h i c a l o n e , w h i c h h i n g e s o n t h e principles of political legitimacy, social contract theory, and the rights and obligations of communities and individuals

To explore this question, we will examine the moral justifications for secession, the competing duties that might suggest an obligation not to secede, and the circumstances under which secession could be considered ethical or unethical

Justificat ions for Sec ess ion

Self-determination: A primary argument for secession is the principle of self-determination, which posits that a people have the right to choose their own political destiny This principle is enshrined in international law and has been invoked in numerous instances of secession, such as the breakup of the Soviet Union

Protection of minority rights: Secession can be seen as a l e g i t i m a t e r e s p o n s e t o t h e s y s t e m a t i c o p p r e s s i o n o r marginalization of a minority group within a state In such cases, secession could be justified on the grounds of protecting the rights and welfare of that group

Democratic consent: If a majority of citizens within a region express a desire to secede, proponents argue that the principle of democratic consent should take precedence over the unity of a state In this view, the will of the people in the region seeking independence should be respected

Arguments Agai nst Secessio n and the Duty Not to Secede

Political stability: Secession can undermine political stability and lead to conflict, as seen in the cases of the former Yugoslavia and South Sudan In this view, there is a duty not to secede in order to maintain peace and security for the people within the state

Social contract: The social contract theory suggests that i n d i v i d u a l s h a v e a m o r a l o b l i g a t i o n t o a b i d e b y t h e agreements they have made within a society This implies a duty not to secede, as doing so would violate the implicit contract between citizens and the state

T e r r i t o r i a l i n t e g r i t y : T h e p r i n c i p l e o f t e r r i t o r i a l integrity posits that the borders of a state should remain inviolable In this view, there is a duty not to secede in order to preserve the territorial integrity of a state

England, who used to regularly stage home matches in May Not any more It is hard now to imagine how the ECB ever thought it could prevent its leading players from taking part, a stance that caused a spectacular rift with Kevin Pietersen in 2012 Since 2015, England have encouraged their top players to engage with the IPL, not only because it significantly enriched them financially but also enhanced their white-ball skills to the point where England could be, as they are now, world champions in both 20-overs and 50overs formats The players’ clout has advanced in stages: first, they were given time off from international duty to play in the IPL - Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler were both allowed leave to miss home ODIs in May 2017 - and now they think little of declining requests to turn out for their country Though the biggest cricketing nations have ceded ground to the franchise leagues, and their bilateral series have suffered as a result, the IPL has created numerous fresh avenues into the game for those outside the mainstream territories T20 has helped to spread cricket to every corner of the globe But even purists must admit that the skills cultivated in the IPL have enhanced the longer game

E c o n o m i c i n t e r d e p e n d e n c e : I n a n i n c r e a s i n g l y globalized world, the economic interdependence of regions within a state can create a duty not to secede, as doing so m i g h t c a u s e s i g n i f i c a n t e c o n o m i c h a r m t o b o t h t h e seceding region and the remaining state

Balanc ing the E thic s of Seces sion

In order to determine whether there is a duty not to s e c e d e , o n e m u s t w e i g h t h e m o r a l j u s t i f i c a t i o n s f o r secession against the competing duties that suggest an obligation not to secede The ethical permissibility of secession is context-dependent and must be assessed on a case-by-case basis

I n s o m e c a s e s , t h e d u t y n o t t o s e c e d e m a y b e outweighed by the moral imperatives of self-determination, protection of minority rights, and democratic consent In others, the potential harms to political stability, social c o n t r a c t , t e r r i t o r i a l i n t e g r i t y , a n d e c o n o m i c interdependence may create a compelling duty not to secede In India the answer is as clear as it is with Northern Ireland and the Falklands and indeed my claim on the P e o p l e ’ s R e p u b l i c o f Y o r k s h i r e – p o l i t i c a l s t a b i l i t y , territorial integrity, economic interdependence all weigh for unity, as does democratic consent, and the pre-existing protection of minority rights Which is also why when Scotland tried to run their own independence referendum, the UK Supreme Court ruled it void

Junior doctors to strike again

J u n i o r d o ct o r s h a v e a nn oun ced a four-day -long wa lk out, claimin g t he g ove rn ment is “still r efusin g t o m a k e a c r e d i ble o ffe r ” in t heir d ispute over pay

Junior doctor members of the BMA (British Medical A s s o c i a t i o n ) u n i o n i n England will strike from 6:59 am on 11 April until 6:59 am on 15 April, as their talks with Health Secretary Steve Barclay on pay restoration have broken down

The union has been asking for a pay rise to restore salaries following inflationd r i v e n f a l l s i n r e a l t e r m s from levels seen in 2008

The government has said that the BMA placed a "precondition on these talks of a 35 per cent pay rise" which they described as "unreasonable" I n a s t a t e m e n t t h i s morning, Dr Vivek Trivedi

and Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chairs of the BMA junior doctor committee, said that t h e g o v e r n m e n t h a s “ d r a g g e d i t s f e e t a t e v e r y opportunity” and “has not presented any credible offer a n d i s r e f u s i n g t o a c c e p t that there is any case for pay restoration”

They described the situation as “entirely of the gove r n m e n t ’ s o w n m a k i n g ” w i t h t h e N H S “ b u c k l i n g

Plan to make street sexual harassment a crime, approved

MP s hav e app rov ed plans to make street sexual harassment a crime carrying a jail sentence of up to tw o years

under a workforce crisis”

“ W e a r e n o t g o i n g t o stop until we are paid what we are worth, and if ministers don’t accept that when we tell them in person, we will have to tell them from the picket line,” they added

The new action will follow on from a 72-hour long strike, which according to NHS England, led to 175,000 p a t i e n t a p p o i n t m e n t s a n d procedures being cancelled

Does Met Chief agree to the presence of institutional racism?

T wo L abour MPs claim th at M etr o p o li tan p o l ic e co mm issioner Sir M ark Ro wley h as backtracked on his p rev i o us acc eptan ce th at th e f orce h as a pro blem wi th institutio nal racism because o f g overnment "pressure"

Both Dawn Butler, the senior Labour MP for Brent Central, and Bell RibeiroA d d y , L a b o u r M P f o r Streatham, told that he had agreed there was an issue with institutional racism in the force in previous meetings Rowley has said in a statement that he does not use the term A much-anticipated report by Baroness L o u i s e C a s e y e a r l i e r t h i s week said that it had been found within the force

The report looked into the standards of behaviour and internal culture of the Met police – and was comm i s s i o n e d f o l l o w i n g t h e kidnap, rape, and murder of Sarah Everard in 2021 by a then-serving officer, Wayne Couzens Among incidents o f r a c i s m r a i s e d i n t h e report was an example of a Sikh officer having his beard trimmed as a joke, a Muslim police officer having bacon placed into his shoes, and a police officer calling a white woman a “n*gger lover”

T h e t e r m w a s m o s t recently at the centre of a storm in 2021, after the government's Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (CRED), led by Tony (now

Lord) Sewell, found "no evid e n c e " o f i n s t i t u t i o n a l racism That report provided a less broad definition than the one drawn up by L o r d M a c p h e r s o n i n h i s 1999 inquiry following the m u r d e r o f B l a c k t e e n a g e r S t e p h e n L a w r e n c e , w h i c h s a i d : " I t c a n b e s e e n o r detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which a m o u n t t o d i s c r i m i n a t i o n t h r o u g h u n w i t t i n g p r e j ud i c e , i g n o r a n c e , t h o u g h tlessness and racist stereotyping which disadvantage minority ethnic people” It was backed by the government in the face of criticism f r o m v o l u n t a r y s e c t o r groups and a UN working group among others

Study reveals millions keeping their pain to themselves

A stud y, o f 2, 0 0 0 peo ple, found 52 per cent have an a i lm e nt th at af fe ct s th ei r d ay-to -day existence, bu t of these, one in 10 haven’ t to ld a sing le soul

A n d 6 5 p e r c e n t h a v e only mentioned to a select few Incontinence, irritable b o w e l s y n d r o m e , p e r imenopause and severe period pain are some of the top things adults are choosing to keep to themselves While others mask things like back pain, fibromyalgia and skin w o u n d s o r c o n d i t i o n s

Staying indoors as much as possible (14 per cent), turning down social invitations (13 per cent) and avoiding going outdoors in the heat (11 per cent), are among the top ways sufferers choose to hide their pain

Nearly six in 10 (56 per cent) would rather not talk to anyone about what they are going through - with 45 per cent preferring to try and forget as much as possible And 41 per cent don’t want to be rendered inca-

p a b l e o f d o i n g e v e r y d a y t h i n g s A s p o k e s m a n f o r hygiene and health company Essity, which commissioned the study alongside a taboo-busting video series, said: “More than half the nation is currently suffering with a diagnosed condition, w h i c h a f f e c t s t h e m o n a daily basis

The study carried out v i a O n e P o l l , f o u n d t h o s e w i t h p h y s i c a l c o n d i t i o n s endure an average of three nights of broken sleep every week, and 44 per cent experience some sort of discom-

C a t c a l l i n g , f o l l o w i n g someone or blocking their path will become an offence in England and Wales under a bill backed by the government Sexual harassment is already illegal The bill aims to improve enforcement and t a r g e t s s t r e e t h a r a s s m e n t

C o n s e r v a t i v e G r e g C l a r k , who put it forward, said it was "astonishing" that this was not already a crime The move was unopposed, and now goes to the House of L o r d s f o r s c r u t i n y W h i l e t a r g e t e d a t c h a n g i n g behaviour towards women and girls, the proposals will apply equally to men and women T h e g o v e r n m e n tb a c k e d t h e p l a n s i n D e c e m b e r , m e a n i n g t h e changes are almost guaranteed to become law A surv e y b y p o l l s t e r s Y o u G o v , published last year, suggested two-thirds of women did not feel safe walking alone at night, at least some of the

t i m e W o m e n a n d g i r l s under 34 are most likely to b e t h e t a r g e t o f s e x u a l offences but the least likely to report them, according to t h e C r o w n P r o s e c u t i o n Service (CPS)

The CPS, which decides w h e t h e r t o t a k e c a s e s t o court, recently updated its advice to staff about street harassment The new guidelines also cover offences like exposure, stalking and sexual assault The murder of S a r a h E v e r a r d , w h o w a s abducted and killed by servi n g p o l i c e m a n W a y n e

C o u z e n s w h i l e w a l k i n g home in south London in

2 0 2 1 , a l s o i n c r e a s e d c o ncerns about women s safety and male attitudes towards women Six months later, p r i m a r y s c h o o l t e a c h e r Sabina Nessa, 28, was murdered in south London by a man she had never met C r i m e a n d p o l i c i n g minister Chris Philp told MPs the government was pleased to back the bill " T h i s i s o n l y p a r t o f a wider piece of work to protect women and girls in particular ”

Modern monarchy to be slimmed down over next 5 years

The King is car rying out a m a jo r sh a k e - up of t h e monarchy which ultimate ly mean s that more member s of t he royal family will have to fun d and fend for themselv es T h e e v i c t i o n o f P r i n c e H a r r y a n d M e g h a n f r o m F r o g m o r e C o t t a g e i n W i n d s o r w i l l b e “ j u s t t h e start” of his plans to slim it d o w n a n d m o d e r n i s e , a c c o r d i n g t o s o u r c e s Subsidised rents for royals even for some working royals will be eradicated over time, with the King expecti n g t h e m t o f i n a n c e t h e i r own homes and “cut their c l o t h ” o v e r t h e n e x t f i v e years, it is understood The news came as the King’s visit to France was delayed after extensive rioting Senior figures have said that after the period of tran-

sition following the coronation, the King, assisted by Queen Camilla, will move to tackle inefficiencies in what is being viewed as a largely o v e r s t a f f e d a n d o u t d a t e d system

V i c e - A d m i r a l S i r T o n y J o h n s t o n e - B u r t , M a s t e r o f t h e H o u s e h o l d , a n d t h e Keeper of the Privy Purse Sir Michael Stevens, responsible for finance, will execute the s h a k e - u p o f w h a t i s d e s c r i b e d a s a “ t o p - h e a v y r o y a l h o u s e h o l d ” C a m i l l a has been overseeing the fine detail of the King’s plan to ensure that after the coronation the royal household will be run the “Clarence House way ” Several members of the extended royal family have e n j o y e d s u b s i d i s e d p a l a c e accommodation, with some having apartments that are

being used by their children as “London pads”

The source said: “Over time, that is going to change Properties will be let at commercial rates going forward and to people outside the family Where it is in a palace e n v i r o n m e n t t h e y w i l l o f course be security vetted ” P r i v a t e l y , t h e K i n g ’ s s e n i o r s t a f f h a v e m a d e i t c l e a r t o m e m b e r s o f t h e extended family that if they cannot afford where they are living, they should “cut their cloth” “A lot of practices that have evolved during the last reign will be changing The King is not heartless or reckless, but if the family members are not part of the core family and not working for the crown, it is fair for them t o h o u s e t h e m s e l v e s a n d fund themselves,” a senior figure said

Social unrest in France forces the postponement of the King’s visit

fort daily Exercise is difficult for 35 per cent, long journeys are painful for 30 per cent, and 24 per cent struggle to even sit on the floor

And they feel weary (45 per cent), frustrated (42 per cent), irritable (30 per cent) and unhappy (28 per cent) every single day For 62 per cent, coping with constant pain has directly affected t h e i r m e n t a l h e a l t h a n d well-being - but 86 per cent often find themselves saying they are fine, even when they are not

Britai n ’ s K ing C h arles has po stponed a state v isit to F rance after so ci al u nres t o v er Pr esi d en t E m m an ue l Macron’s new pension law erup ted into som e o f th e worst street vio lence seen in years across th e country

Speaking at a news conference after a summit in B r u s s e l s , M a c r o n s a i d i t w o u l d n o t h a v e r e f l e c t e d “ common sense and friendship” to “ propose a visit in the middle of the demons t r a t i o n s ” H e a l s o c o ndemned the violence that e r u p t e d d u r i n g p r o t e s t s

a g a i n s t r a i s i n g t h e r e t i r e -

ment age from 62 to 64 and said he would not give in to it

“We will yield nothing to v i o l e n c e , I c o n d e m n v i ol e n c e w i t h t h e u t m o s t s t r e n g t h , ” M a c r o n s a i d Macron is under pressure to find a way out of a crisis that has seen some of France’s w o r s t s t r e e t v i o l e n c e i n years over unpopular pension reforms he has pushed through parliament without a vote The now-postponed visit by the UK monarch and his wife was meant to be

Charles III’s first major foray on the international stage as king and a prestigious celeb r a t i o n o f h i s t o r i c c r o s sChannel relations before he is officially crowned in May T h e 7 4 - y e a r - o l d m o n a r c h a n d Q u e e n Consort Camilla, who had been due in Paris on Sunday, “greatly look forward to the opportunity to visit France a s s o o n a s d a t e s c a n b e found”, Buckingham Palace said Macron said Charles’s v i s i t w o u l d l i k e l y b e rescheduled for the beginning of summer

3 YEARS LATER, THE BRIGHT SIDE

The world is still trying to come to terms with and is processing the consequences of the year 2020, as 11th March marked 3 years since W o r l d H e a l t h O r g a n i s a t i o n (WHO) declared Covid-19 to be a p a n d e m i c W h i l e t h e w o r l d i s determined to move on from the acute phase, it will forever be a life l e s s o n f o r h u m a n k i n d t o t e l l f u t u r e g e n e r a t i o n s , w h a t h a ppened in a year that changed the world It is of course unforgettable and unfortunate that each and everyone lost some near or dear one during the pandemic Many lost jobs, and livelihoods, and over 65mn people are reportedly suffering from Long Covid worldwide

The new normal may have disrupted our lives forever, but there is still some silver lining at the end of the tunnel As a community, whether it was the efforts of our local businesses, pharmacies, community centres, temples, mosques, gurudwaras, community leaders, volunteers and healthcare workers, the world remained united and emerged resilient in the last t h r e e y e a r s F o o d , c l o t h i n g , medicines, and emergency services were provided around the clock with the tireless efforts of South Asians in the UK Rishi Sunak, the then Chancellor and now Prime Minister gave a new lifeline to people with his furlough scheme d u r i n g t h e p a n d e m i c t o k e e p kitchens running despite layoffs and job losses for many homes

The furlough scheme was the cent r e p i e c e o f C h a n c e l l o r R i s h i

Sunak's "unprecedented" intervention in the economy, designed to stave off a wave of job losses as the country closed down in the face of the virus It protected the incomes of millions of people across the UK working in sectors that could no longer operate, such as live music, n i g h t c l u b s , t h e t r a v e l i n d u s t r y , business events, hospitality and retail businesses Now that scheme is ending, requiring firms to shoulder full responsibility for those employees again or let them go

During the lifetime of the scheme, about 11 6 million jobs were supported, with a steep take-up in the first few months especially

A s i a n V o i c e r e a c h e d o u t t o m e m b e r s o f t h e c o m m u n i t y t o understand their take away and learnings from the pandemic as we complete three years of living with the virus ‘ Tune in’ to the joy

S an ji v P ate l, m o t i v ati o n al speaker and Long C ovid su rv iv or who lost his father in the lockdown to Covid told us, “Lockdown gave us all a chance to stand back a n d r e f l e c t o n o u r l i v e s , b e i n g forced to stop and slow down, was a gift if we chose to embrace it For years I had been ‘running on life’s t r e a d m i l l ’ , b u t s l o w i n g d o w n allowed me to see more clearly I looked at every aspect of my life through a ‘child’s eyes ’ , asking if this was my last day, and what would I do differently For me, this j o u r n e y o f g r o w t h , a n d u n d e rs t a n d i n g m y s e l f a n d t h e w o r l d around me have allowed me to ‘tune in’ to the joy That clarity to live with the purpose, of making a difference for at least one person each day, led to Sanjiv Speaks; a platform to engage with people in an authentic way Sanjvspeaks is

about sharing and discussing ideas

o n H o l i s t i c W e l l n e s s W h e t h e r that’s at home or work, emotional and physical wellness; they’re all important and I help individuals and groups find their balance I’ve been humbled by the response as people put their faith in me I’ve been doing talks and workshops around the world through Sanjiv Speaks and working with some w o n d e r f u l p e o p l e a n d a m a z i n g forward-thinking businesses like M a x V e n t u r e s , M i c r o s o f t a n d

Criteo I am thrilled and excited about the journey that continues to unfold with my venture ” P andemic uprooted a few p ositiv e experiences

S o n ya B ar lo w - F ou n d er , A u th o r & I nf lu en c er t o l d t h e newsweekly, “The pandemic was out of a movie, a phase we could have never planned and yet, as a society, built a fort around quickly The pandemic uprooted a few positive experiences that maybe without we wouldn't have given ourselves a chance to experience It made us spend time with our loved ones, whether in person or via f a c e t i m e ; i t r e m i n d e d u s t h a t health is necessary for a wealthy life, encouraging many people to focus on small significant lifestyle changes, including walks, at-home exercises and meditation, and we enjoyed the moments of quality rather than quantity

“

I k n o w i t g a v e m e a l a s t chance to stay under the roof with my parents and siblings, experience the birth of my niece, and learn some recipes from my elders before we all grew to leave the nest, as they say At the same time, our values were challenged within a n d a r o u n d t h e w o r k p l a c e , enabling a handful of us to take risks and start businesses, myself included During this time, I went on a journey to explore my mind and soul, learning about my neurodiversity, unlearning some ideas and actions and relearning progressive behaviour I started a business, wrote a book and even took a leap of faith to share online content, which prior to the pandemic, I did not access or entertain I saw workplace cultures become more inclusive and sustainable, I saw people take a stand for what they believed in, and most importantly, I saw individuals realign their days to suit their version of success, not others ”

T hree years d own the ro ad: reflections fro m th e field

S p e a k i n g t o A s i a n V o i c e , P u sh p a na th K ri s h na m u rth y , Glo ba l c o nsu l tant C am p ai g ne r, Trainer, Mentor, and speaker said, “The most stunning revelation is that the way we have to be ready for an eventuality of viral mutations that can be instant killerse s p e c i a l l y t h e m o s t v u l n e r a b l e ones in any society It is a consequence of the way we have messed up our natural world -at times

m o r e s p a c e f o r e v e n t s a n d / o r workshops and 12 4% said there was more space to encourage wellbeing

The study recommends that organisations should assume that all jobs will be available for some f o r m o f f l e x i b l e w o r k i n g T h i s includes adding relevant informa-

t i o n t o j o b a d v e r t i s e m e n t s a n d introducing mechanisms to ensure t h a t t h e c o m m i t m e n t s o f t h e

tional standard The two-week m a x i m u m f o r a c o n s u l t a n t appointment is 13 per cent lower than the NHS’s operational standard, a slight improvement on the ten-year low of September last year Over a quarter of patients in emergency departments are waiting over four hours, and 8 per c e n t w a i t o v e r 1 2 h o u r s L a s t week’s strikes by junior doctors d e l a y e d 1 7 5 , 0 0 0 a p p o i n t m e n t s

beyond the limits The second and m o s t i m p o r t a n t l e s s o n i s t h a t

Covid is still here and it is hurting many poor households The disease and infection clearly demonstrated how it can be a killer of poor people suffering from histori c a l a n d s y s t e m i c p o v e r t y A n d t h e r e f o r e , t h e i n e q u i t y o f i t s impact “ T h e v a c c i n a t i o n w a s p r oduced in record times in the history of scientific research Where there is a will but climate justice is c r y i n g f o r s i m i l a r a c t i o n T h e poorest paid price and the richest accrued much profit The poorest who rely on manual labour are suffering a double whammy if not more- They cannot recover from the impact of covid- some even show adult malnutrition in Asia and Africa- as I observed in travel to India and in Africa

“Organisations like Covenant C e n t r e f o r d e v e l o p m e n t i n Madurai-India providing 8 weeks special and holistic care for recovering wage workers Covid also d e m o n s t r a t e d t h a t w e a r e n o t alone- we can come together for the greater good-if we willed so and therefore produce new force for good Many communities and families have demonstrated a new and refreshing approach to care, b o n d i n g a n d t o g e t h e r n e s s t h a t was unthinkable Science, discovery technology and breakthrough is not neutral at all

“As a development worker and Humanitarian activist-I know that great disasters can bring amazing new opportunities for fair changewe are yet to encash on it ” How th e pandemic changed w ork life

There has been a marked shift in working practices since the pandemic with many employers and e m p l o y e e s a d o p t i n g a f l e x i b l e working approach New research by the Equal Parenting Project (the Study) found that 59 5% of managers believe working from home i m p r o v e s t h e p r o d u c t i v i t y o f employees Other types of flexible working are also associated with an increase in productivity 44 1% of managers felt part-time work increased productivity and 43 7% felt that compressed hours had the same effect Despite this, 41 9% of managers still regard long hours as being crucial for career progression

T h e c h a n g e i n a t t i t u d e s towards working from home has a l t e r e d h o w o r g a n i s a t i o n s v i e w their office space A study found that 33 7% of managers reported t h a t t h e i r o r g a n i s a t i o n h a d reduced or was planning to reduce the amount of office space available These organisations will likely be hoping to reap the financial benefits of downsizing In addition, the remaining office space is often being repurposed 9 7% of managers said there were fewer shared offices, 21 8% said there was

organisation are met In addition, it recommends that policymakers should encourage larger companies (with over 250 employees) to report on the use of flexible worki n g a s p a r t o f g e n d e r p a y g a p reporting and make this information widely available to the public The impact of workplace p olicies on parenting choices

F l e x i b l e w o r k i n g p o l i c i e s impact the parenting choices of employees A study found that 78% of managers believe caring responsibilities should be shared between both parents; however, only 40% said that their organisation supports parents to do this This may partly be due to only 43% of managers receiving advice or training to help the organisation support e m p l o y e e s w h o a r e b a l a n c i n g work and their childcare responsibilities

In addition, it is particularly important to support fathers with caring responsibilities to ensure gender equality in the workplace Following Covid-19, fathers may be more likely to request flexible working in the future This could be due to the rise in working from home which allowed them to be more involved in the daily life of their children whilst still being able to work their required hours and/or meet potential targets

Overall, it seems as though there is a clear disconnect between m a n a g e r s ' v i e w s o n s h a r e d p a r e n t a l r e s p o n s i b i l i t y a n d t h e steps taken by organisations to support parents, and in particular fathers, who are navigating parenthood The Study recommends that organisations should actively encourage men of all ages to work flexibly and be vocal about it so that this working practice can be integrated into the working culture

A iling NHS

Three years later, the world is readily vaccinating everyone with first, second and booster doses to prevent the fatal consequences of the Coronavirus The India-UK partnership played a historic role in vaccinating the world in association with the Serum Institute of India However, according to The Times, three years later, the two-month maximum wait from a n u r g e n t G P r e f e r r a l t o f i r s t treatment for cancer is still dropping, with only 54 per cent of cases seen in under two months, 31 per cent lower than the opera-

Nurses walked out in December and February, followed by ambulance workers in March Young adults (aged 16 to 19) and middleaged (aged 40 to 55) report the highest anxiety levels and lowest happiness levels since the pandemic Women also fare worse in t h e s e O f f i c e f o r N a t i o n a l Statistics ratings

Grades are droppin g

A UCL study states that 38 per cent of students and pupils felt their career prospects had been w o r s e n e d b y t h e p a n d e m i c A c c o r d i n g t o a r e p o r t i n T h e Times, Professor Iyiola Solanke, chairwoman of EU law at Oxford University who studied the effect of the pandemic on black and Asian minorities, said: “There are groups in our society who don’t have adequate access to digital technologies, as is necessary now that we ’ re so reliant on technology We’ve heard stories of children having to use their father’s smartphone to do their schoolwork and when their father, who was a keyworker, went out to work, they were no longer able to do their schoolwork ”

Three years later, Britain has lost its beloved Queen, the royal f a m i l y i s c o m b a t t i n g i t s o w n internal disputes, Britain is in the able hands of its first Asian origin a n d H i n d u P r i m e M i n i s t e r i n Rishi Sunak, Scotland will now be under the governance of Humza Yousaf, the first minority ethnic leader of the Scottish National party Weddings and parties have become more intimate From a toddler to an old aged person, everyone understands the import a n c e o f s o c i a l d i s t a n c i n g Families are becoming more and more united and closer after losing their members Children are closer to their grandparents after being apart for months The value of knowing and nurturing our culture is at an all-time high The pandemic may have taken a lot from us, but it gave us back what was always paramount to survive in this world - love Love can only c o m e f r o m y o u r i m m e d i a t e friends and family

Pr o f e s s or S i d ha r t h Ban dyopadhyay said, “Covid has led to a lot of social and economic damage but by making us more a w a r e o f o u r m o r t a l i t y i t h a s reminded us of the value that friends and loved ones play in our life ”

Pushpanath Krishnamurthy Sanjiv Patel

Sonya Barlow Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay

IOC, UK demonstration in solidarity with Rahul Gandhi

IOC demonstrated on 26th

M ar 2 0 23 , a t P arl ia m en t S quare, L ond on in support o f t h e I n d i an C o n g re ss lead er Sh ri Rahul Gand hi Ji a nd to d ef en d I n d i a's d em o c ra cy ag a i ns t a n a ll eg e d ly d i c tat o ri al BJ P g overnment und er the leadersh ip of C hairm an IOC M r S am P itroda ji and Presid ent

I O C U K M r K am a l Dh aliwal

Humza Yousaf becomes the first Asian to

lead Scotland

w e r e s c a r e d o f R a h u l Gandhi when he questioned A d a n i ’ s i n v e s t m e n t s I t i s time to come together to f i g h t t h i s F a s c i s t Government

S e n i o r V i c e P r e s i d e n t I O C U K M r s G u r m i n d e r R a n d h a w a r e i t e r a t e d t h e message of 'Daro Mat' to the audience and recommended everyone to be the voice of I n d i a n p e o p l e w h o h a v e

Continued from page 1

Following his win, Mr Yousaf said: "Leadership elections, by their very nature, can be bruising However, in the SNP we are a family Over the last five weeks we may have been competitors or supporters of different candidates We are no longer team Humza, or team Ash, or team Kate, we are one team We will be the team, we will be the generation, t h a t d e l i v e r s i n d e p e n d e n c e f o r Scotland "

"The people of Scotland need independence now, more than ever before and we will be the generation that delivers independence," he was quoted as saying by Reuters in his victory speech He also talked about

h i s g r a n d p a r e n t s w h o a r r i v e d i n Scotland from Pakistan in the 1960s, barely speaking any English, and said they would not have believed "in t h e i r w i l d e s t d r e a m s " t h a t t h e i r grandson would one day become first minister of Scotland

"We should all take pride in the fact that today we have sent a clear message: that your colour of skin or, indeed, your faith, is not a barrier to leading the country that we all call home," Yousaf said

A f t e r w i n n i n g t h e e l e c t i o n , Yousaf said his own experience as an ethnic minority means he will fight to protect the rights of all minorities, including gay and transgender people

Yousaf is the son of first-genera-

tion immigrants His father was born in Pakistan and his mother was born into a family of Punjabi descent in Kenya He attended a private school in Glasgow and studied politics at Glasgow University

He worked in a call centre before becoming an aide to Alex Salmond, former first minister of Scotland He w a s e l e c t e d t o t h e S c o t t i s h Parliament as an additional member for the Glasgow region in 2011 After his win, Yousaf took his oath in English and Urdu

After Ms Sturgeon announced h e r i n t e n t i o n t o s t e p d o w n , M r Yousaf, Ms Forbes and Ms Regan, who have all been ministers in the o u t g o i n g f i r s t m i n i s t e r ' s c a b i n e t , entered the race for the top job

M o r e t h a n 2 0 0 members of gathered a r o u n d M a h a t m a Gandhi's statue, outside the UK's Houses of Parliament, in support of Rahul Gandhi a n d h i s d e f e n c e o f I n d i a ' s d e m o c r a c y a g a i n s t c o n s t a n t a t t a c k s b y t h e B J P and those who are undermining India's institutions

T h e I O C l e a d e r s r e m i n d e d R a h u l G a n d h i ' s s t a n d t o d e f e n d I n d i a ' s hard-fought democracy

I O C P r e s i d e n t K a m a l

Dhaliwal's speech in praise of Rahul Gandhi called for everyone to remember that Rahul Gandhi's fight to protect India's democracy was a f i g h t t o p r o t e c t t h e f r e edoms of all Indians A fight that was led by Jawaharlal N e h r u a n d M a h a t m a Gandhi and continues today w i t h C o n g r e s s l e a d i n g India's defence against a dictatorial BJP Government

T h e s p o k e s p e r s o n o f IOC UK Mr Sudhakar Goud q u e s t i o n e d A m b a n i ' s 2 0 , 0 0 0 C r i n v e s t m e n t a n d the attack on freedom of speech in India Also, mentioned Modi and his team

been living in fear of BJP intimidation since 2014

Y o u t h w i n g L e a d e r Imam said the BJP governm e n t i s u n d e r m i n i n g t h e I n d i a n i n s t i t u t i o n s a n d democratic system IOC Leader, Suju mentioned it is very sad that Rahul's disqualification as an MP is distressful not only for congress supporters but also for the people of India, w h o w a n t t o p r o t e s t t h e l a r g e s t d e m o c r a c y i n t h e world

Vice President IOC UK

M r B a l j i n d e r J a i n p u r i a expressed concerns on the way Rahul ji has been convinced and dismissed as an MP This is totally unacceptable

Ajith extended a Vote of T h a n k s t o t h e I O C U K members and friends who joined the demonstration

Junior doctor commits suicide

S en i o r l ea de rs f ro m

Birmingh am ’ s bigges t h osp ital trust failed to attend th e funeral of junio r do cto r V aishnavi Ku mar fo llowing h er tragic sui cide - and did no t meet the family until w ee k s la te r, a d am ni n g repo rt has revealed T h e B e w i c k - l e d r a p i d r e v i e w , p u b l i s h e d o n Tuesday, March 28, into the c u l t u r e a n d l e a d e r s h i p a t U n i v e r s i t y H o s p i t a l s Birmingham found multiple failures and ‘clear evidence’ of entrenched, serio u s f a i l i n g s t h a t ' r e q u i r e s e r i o u s a t t e n t i o n ' T h e s e failings were illustrated by the handling of the 35-yearold s sudden death There w a s “ c o n s i d e r a b l e u n r e s t and indeed anger" over the circumstances of the deathn o t t h e f i r s t b y s u i c i d e among Trust medics - and there was "disappointment and anger ” at the lack of

senior representation at Dr K u m a r ’ s f u n e r a l , t h e report's authors found The corporate response to her death was seen by some as “ h a r d - h e a r t e d , l a c k i n g empathy and representative of ‘callous’ senior leaders”, said the report, highlighting emails and other communications sent to doctors and all staff

The trust had highlighte d t h e r a n g e o f m e n t a l health and well-being support available and encoura g e d s t a f f t o d i s c u s s t h e tragedy but did not follow t h r o u g h ' w i t h e m p a t h y ' T h e t r u s t ' s i n t e r i m c h i e f e x e c u t i v e J o n a t h a n

Brotherton today spoke to Birmingham Live about the findings He expressed his sorrow at the handling of t h e t r a g e d y a n d s a i d t h e t r u s t h a d ' r e f l e c t e d h a r d '

since about the behaviour that resulted

SAFEENA – UK’s first national Muslim Cancer Support Group

The first nation wi de M uslim c ancer support organ isation in the Uni ted Kingdom launched on Friday 24 March – to coinc ide with Ramadan The Safeena Muslim Cancer Support Network will provide specialis t cultural, religious and practic al help to patients and their fami li es from Islamic communities

The Safeena Network has partnered with the British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA) and well-established cancer charities including Macmillan Cancer Support to deliver support from pre-diagnosis through to recovery and end-of-life care

Minority ethnic people are diagnosed with cancer as much as 6 weeks later than white people in the UK and often experience delays in accessing treatment, leading to poorer outcomes and premature deaths, according to research carried out by the University of Exeter

The charity is named after Safeena Bi, who died from stomach cancer in 2020 aged 59, she was the mother of one of the founding trustees, Sarfraz Nazir

The Safeena Network provides free, specific faithbased information for Muslims on the signs, symptoms and treatment for cancers as well as endof-life care, and emotional, practical, financial, and psychological support, alongside a dedicated Muslim befriending service

More than 220,000 leaflets communicating the new service have been distributed through boxes of dates being delivered to Muslims throughout the holy month of Ramadan

Safeena Co-founder Sarfraz Nazir said: “When my mum was going through cancer I realised that there was no single organisation in existence that provided what my mum and my family needed

“Muslims in common with many other religions and cultures have specific beliefs and needs around many of the aspects of cancer treatment and care Issues like hair loss, Do Not Resuscitate orders, intimacy, freezing of women ’ s eggs, organ donation, awareness raising, stigma, respect and privacy are all areas in which Muslims need support from fellow members of their faith

“Clearly information is not getting through to Muslim communities It’s unacceptable that we are being diagnosed 6 weeks

later than non-BAME people and accessing treatment as much as 4 weeks later We realise that much of the lack of awareness around symptoms and treatment options stems from the cultural taboos around cancer in our community Safeena exists to get Muslims talking about cancer so that understanding grows

“Cancer support is out there and is done very well by other organisations, but as Muslims, we know we will reach people and support people on all levels including cultural and religious Muslims with cancer need to see this support being delivered by people like themselves

“It’s important to add though that the Safeena Muslim Cancer Support Network does not exclude anyone on grounds of ethnicity, culture or religion We will support anyone from any faith or background, but we also need to exist to fully support Muslims ”

Dr Z ohra Ali, B IMA Cancer Awareness Team Senior Advis er and a Consultant Medical O ncologist said: “Muslim cancer patients have specific cultural and religious needs that are not being met by existing cancer support groups My personal and professional experience is that Muslim patients are in desperate need of practical, emotional and spiritual support from peers who, through their shared religious background, can truly comprehend what they are going through and understand how their families and communities are responding to them and their diagnosis

“Safeena Cancer Support Network will, for the first time in the UK, give Muslim cancer patients access to a dedicated support service, tailored to their needs I know this will be a huge help for Muslims and their families who can often experience fear and isolation during their cancer journey ”

Zahida Ramzan- Asghar, 48, was treated for breast cancer and is a Safeena Trustee, a lawyer and mum-of-three from Hertfordshire She said: “In the Muslim community we do not talk enough about cancer, we don’t even like to mention the cancer word, when I was diagnosed I used to refer to it as the C word in the family Our own research for Safeena showed that people didn’t know what the signs and symptoms were for the top main cancers

“Through Safeena we

hope to change the narrative on that and educate people about the signs and symptoms of cancer and the importance of seeking support and not feeling that they have to deal with this on their own We want to normalise cancer conversations and help eradicate the taboo of cancer that exists within our communities ”

Shuma Rouf, 31 from Cambridgeshire lost her mum, Gulnaher Begum to breast cancer eight years ago

“There were no Muslim cancer support groups for mum and us My mum belonged to a generation where cancer was something you kept hush hush about In Muslim communities it is respectful and expected that you visit a sick person This is all wellintended, but because there was a lack of awareness of how mum ’ s chemo treatment and the cancer itself made her feel, people would arrive at the house and some days mum just needed to be alone

“This can be difficult to explain to people without appearing to be rude In large parts of Asian communities, as with other communities, there isn’t a fundamental level of understanding about the impact of cancer and treatment because it is rarely talked about because cancer is seen as a stigma As a family we felt we couldn’t put boundaries in when we really needed to but in hindsight realise we should have

“If Safeena had existed then it would have helped us to have someone else to talk to through the befriending service It would have helped us realise that others are in our situation and may have helped us and empowered us to articulate things better I am also hopeful that through the creation of Safeena that the culture will shift as it will help increase awareness around all aspects cancer in Muslim communities ”

Af zal Khan MP

(Lab our, Manchester, Gorton): "We know that cases of cancer are on the rise and every 1 in 2 of us will be impacted by cancer Religious and cultural sensitivities mean the needs of those from a faith background and specifically Muslims are not met I am delighted to be supporting the Safeena Network and the work it’s looking to do via its befriending service, as well as raising education and awareness in our communities across the UK "

Food and love at the iftar hour: An interview with Anisa Karolia

Paramita Purkayastha

O n 9 M a rc h 2 0 23 , E bu r y

P re s s r ele as ed A ni s a

K ar o li a ’ s T h e Ra m ad a n

C o o k bo o k : 8 0 d e li c i ou s recipes perfect for Ram ad an,

E i d a nd c el eb rat i ng th r o u g h o u t th e y ea r, a d e lec ta bl e s p re ad o f 1 92 p a g es T h e au th o r, A ni s a Karolia, is one of the UK’s mo st p opular Mu slim food bl o g g ers to d ay, w ith ov er 2 4 0 , 0 0 0 fo ll ow er s o n h er social media

During the ongoing holy month of Ramadan, Asian Voice got in touch with the a u t h o r o f t h e c o o k b o o k focussing on a month when m o s t M u s l i m s f a s t f r o m sunrise to sunset not only remembering the less fortunate who go without proper m e a l s b u t a l s o b e c o m i n g very tired themselves by the end of the day when they break their fast

B e i n g s e c o n d - g e n e r ation British, the food that she cooks and shares with others tells old tales from old places Learning to cook from h e r m o t h e r a n d h e r g r a n d m o t h e r f r o m around the time she was 9 years old, her c o o k i n g i s a n a r t i n progress “I come from a family of foodies so we were all enthusiast i c a b o u t t r y i n g o u t new recipes and eating good food Majority of my recipes I learnt by watching my mother a n d g r a n d m o t h e r I remember my mother h a v i n g r e c i p e b o o k s , h e r o w n t h a t s h e would jot inside, and a shelf of other cooking b o o k s I a l s o h a d a book of recipes When I was i n t h e k i t c h e n w i t h m y mother or my grandmother, I would watch them cook, help with adding and stirring and write the recipe down I have picked up a few recipes along the way Also living in Leicester and trying out different cuisines like t h e v e r y p o p u l a r I n d oC h i n e s e i s a c o n t i n u o u s influence I like to try them myself at home My kids are always giving me ideas on what to make or what to try ”

Her elders’ willingness to trust her right from the t i m e s h e w a s a l i t t l e g i r l went a long way in not only making her the cook she is today, but also the woman she is- someone who shares her gifts with others while b e i n g c o n s i d e r a t e a b o u t

p o s s i b l e s h o r t c o m i n g s “ I t was nice that my mother a n d g r a n d m o t h e r l e t m e explore and try recipes out They didn't stop me from trying If I made a mistake, t h e y w o u l d n ' t d i s c o u r a g e me but would let me make mistakes because that's how

you learn ” And today, her family are her best judges and critics, which only helps her grow better

The blurb of her book says, 'From perfect predawn meals for Suhoor to hearty a n d s a t i s f y i n g m e a l s f o r Iftar, as well as dishes made for celebrating with friends and family during Eid alFitr, and all the accompanying salads, chutneys, bread, d r i n k s a n d d e s s e r t s y o u ' l l need, this book has all the m o s t p o p u l a r R a m a d a n d i s h e s c o v e r e d ' S o , w h a t

makes Ramadan food differe n t f r o m o t h e r m e a l s t h r o u g h o u t t h e y e a r , w e a s k e d h e r “ W h a t m a k e s Ramadan food special is not so much what you're eating b u t t h e e n v i r o n m e n t o f Ramadan which has a spec i a l f e e l i n g t h a t M u s l i m s wait for all year, with the family around, knowing the b l e s s i n g s o f t h e s p e c i a l month

Most of the food items in this book you can actually make throughout the year I guess what makes this book special is that I have a collection of selected recipes in one place If you have guest's over for weddings or parties- people tend to make s a m o s a s , p a k o r a s , a n d desserts- my book has every occasion covered “

Growing up in a multicultural hub like Leicester has also contributed to list e n i n g t o m o r e p e o p l e , learning more things, and putting all of that into her Ramadan dishes for people to bond over Since Muslims across the world fast during R a m a d a n , d i f f e r e n t p l a c e s h a v e d i f f e r e n t d i s h e s T o

e n s u r e t h a t h e r R a m a d a n dishes, legacies of her family’s Gujarati origins, were palatable for everyone, she s i m p l y l i s t e n e d t o p e o p l e different from her She told us, “When I started sharing recipes a few years ago, I became known for sharing o n l i n e R a m a d a n r e c i p e s , mainly the savouries, like samosas, spring rolls, past r i e s , p a k o r a s , a n d m a i n m e a l s a m o n g o t h e r s Receiving positive feedback f r o m m y f o l l o w e r s s a y i n g h o w t h e y e n j o y t h e s e recipes, sending me pictures of the food they make, and a l s o s u g g e s t i o n s f r o m m y audience on what kind of food to make and share not o n l y p r o v i d e s e n o r m o u s s u p p o r t b u t a l s o g l o b a l inspiration I wanted something for everyone Looking at statistics on my Instagram and YouTube recipes also gives me great feedback on which recipes are popular ” And considering all the mouth-watering dishe s s h e c o m e s a c r o s s a n d t h a t s h e h e r s e l f m a k e s , h o w d i d s h e choose the recipes that went into the book? “ I w a n t e d t h i s book to have all my favourite recipes that I g r e w u p e n j o y i n g I m a d e s u r e t h i s w a s d e m o n s t r a t e d i n a n e a s y - t o - f o l l o w w a y with easily accessible i n g r e d i e n t s e i t h e r i n y o u r c u p b o a r d o r f o u n d i n t h e l o c a l s u p e r m a r k e t s o t h a t nobody has an excuse to not make them, and e n j o y t h e d e l i c i o u s recipes that I do! I had to include my online fan favourites which followers had been asking for in a book, but I also wanted to add recipes exclusive just to this book Of course, there are so many more recipes I would have loved to have included So who knows, there may be book number 2!”

Out of the 80 recipes in t h e b o o k , w h i c h i s h e r favourite?

“I love Butter Chicken,” she shared “In fact, it's a family favourite It's such a comforting and hearty meal, yet so luxurious, the cream g i v e s t h i s d i s h a v e l v e t y , smooth consistency and the butter really enhances the flavour ”

Her pick says something about Karolia’s approach to cooking as this dish, while very common across South Asia, depends on finesse for its quality So what is next on Karolia’s plate? “It's been so busy since the launch of T h e R a m a d a n C o o k b o o k , I've not even had a chance to think that far ahead But who knows? Maybe a second book or even an appearance on a TV cookery show!”

Tilda celebrates the global flavours of Ramadan.

T i l d a h a s b ee n b ri ng i n g flav ourso me and wh olesome m eals to the dinner tables, for o ver 50 years in the UK

T o mark the onset of the h o l y m o nt h o f R am a d an , T i l d a h o s ted a s p ec i al evening of flav ours in partn er sh i p w i t h T V c h ef

P arveen A shraf (@ parveent h es p i ce qu e en) a nd f o o d w riter Zaleha Olpin (@zaleh a olp in) on 14 th M arch at T h e H ac kne y, L o nd o n

While Ashraf g av e a tribute to h er Pakistani heritage on a platter with her hero d ish

‘ C h i ck en B i rya ni ’ u si n g T i l d a Gra nd Ex tra L o n g B as m ati , Z al eh a d eli g h te d the audience about authentic taste o f Malaysia w ith her classic ‘Nasi Goreng’ using s i g n atu re T il d a P u re

Original Basmati

S p e a k i n g a t t h e e v e n t

Jean-Philippe Laborde, the M a n a g i n g D i r e c t o r , T i l d a said, “Ramadan is a special time for the communities and as a brand it is an equally important time for us as we want to make sure that our range of products enable

home cooks to observe and enjoy their culinary cultures

B e i t e x p e r t t r a d i t i o n a l cooks or explorers of world cuisine, Tilda is at the heart of Ramadan celebrations”

P a r v e e n ’ s I f t a r s p r e a d also included the must have C h a n a C h a a t C u p s a n d a cooling cucumber raita And Zaleha’s spread included Pai Tees (crispy top hats with vegetable filling) and Kerabu I k a n ( w a t e r c r e s s a n d f i s h salad)

B o t h t h e c h e f s m a d e sure there were plenty of options for the vegetarian and vegan guests as well Z a l e h a ’ s N a s i G o r e n g Kerabu was a vegetable fried rice dish served with chunky slices of Tofu And Parveen brought to the table a vegetarian version of her Biryani made with succulent pieces of jackfruit and sweet potato To find the recipes from the menu served on the day, keep an eye on Tilda’s website

Talking about her secret ingredient, Parveen Ashraf emphasised that “having the

Mayor switches on UK’s first-ever Ramadan lights in London

T he M ayor of London inaug urated the first Ram ad an L ig h ts a t W es t E nd la st w eek T h e i n s t a l l a t i o n o f 3 0 , 0 0 0 s u s t a i n a b l e l i g h t s , which on this scale are the first in Europe, will illumin a t e P i c c a d i l l y C i r c u s f o r the month of Ramadan The initiative was driven by the n o n - p r o f i t o r g a n i s a t i o n Ramadan Lights UK, who rallied to set up the display through public donations I t s f o u n d e r , A i s h a D e s a i , said: “As a child, a trip into central London to see the festive lights was an annual treat “My sister and I would lie in the back of the car looking at the lights through the sunroof It was magical

Ramadan is a month where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset to try and better themselves in two things; their r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h G o d Almighty and their kindness towards the creation of God

T h a t ' s w h y w e o f f e r extra voluntary prayers, pay more in charity and try and do any good deeds we can

Ramadhan has a great l e s s o n i n i t f o r u s a s Muslims, whereby it teaches self-control It teaches us that if within one month we can have the resolve to let go of permissible things s u c h a s f o o d a n d d r i n k , then on normal days we should also be able to avoid sins and those things which are impermissible in Islam

It's a lesson in patience

It also helps us under-

r i g h t i n g r e d i e n t s a l w a y s helps create wonderful family recipes, but one thing which makes any recipe special is the love you put in it while cooking I have been a fan of Tilda since I was a child as my mother always cooked with Tilda Basmati, a n d t o d a y i t g i v e s m e immense pride to serve my Pakistani heritage to everyone through this collaboration”

Z a l e h a ’ s M a l a y s i a n flavours were an absolute delight for people, especially when she spoke about the s p e c i a l i n g r e d i e n t s w h i c h had gone in to enhance the f l a v o u r s , l i k e t u r m e r i c leaves, torch ginger flower, lemongrass and many more Talking about her menu she

said “A big part of Ramadan is all about sharing and I was so proud to have been able t o s h a r e a b i t o f m y M a l a y s i a n c u l t u r e a t t h e Tilda Flavours of Ramadan event The vibrant venue set the mood for guests as they e n j o y e d a n a r r a y o f M a l a y s i a n R a m a d a n favourites such as Pai Tee, K e r a b u I k a n , K u i h L o p e s and my showstopper dish,

The evening culminated with a generous serving of c o c

“As a proud Muslim, I w a n t e d t o b r i n g s o m e o f that magic to my community And three years ago, t h a t j o u r n e y b e g a n w i t h Ramadan Lights “ A n d o u r g e n e r o u s donors have helped us go from strength to strength ” The lights read Happy R a m a d a n , w i t h g l i t t e r i n g moons and stars to match T h e c u r a t e d c o n c e p t depicts the phases of the m o o n t h r o u g h o u t Ramadan

stand the pain of those who can't afford food and drink and amenities of life so we develop more compassion for them

These are lessons everyone can learn from so if anyone wishes to try out fasting in Ramadhan, you are more than welcome!

- F arhad Ahm ad , Imam at th e A hmadiyya Muslim Co mmu nity

Anti-social behaviour ruins lives

In an effort to reduce anti-social behaviours that could ruin lives, Michael Gove, MP and Secretary of State for levelling u p , H o u s i n g a n d C o m m u n i t y M i n i s t e r f o r intergovernmental relations; has confirmed that he is going to ban Nitrous Oxide, popularly known as laughing gas, in distinctive silver coloured canisters that litters our parks and open spaces It also ruins lives of our children for whom use of laughing gas is a simplistic way to get high on drugs and drinks It creates psychological and neurological health problems later in life, NHS bearing the burden

It spoils public places with littered canisters, so often c r e a t e s p r o b l e m s f o r P a r k A t t e n d a n t a n d d i s c o u r a g e s families, especially with young children from making full use of these facilities, especially during summer months when the sun shines brightly on our green and fertile land

M i c h a e l G o v e s h o u l d b e c o n g r a t u l a t e d f o r t a k i n g urgently needed steps to ban laughing gas canisters that are hidden scourge on our society that has gone unnoticed so far, as it is mostly used in open spaces, away from friends, in such a manner that makes it practically invisible

I have always admired Michael Gove who is a hard working MP and ready to take action His campaign against graphic vandalism, painting slogans and obscene cartoons, as well as “Fly-Tipping” has come just in time to save public monuments and huge expense for Councils to clean and tidy these public places, my only concern is that when culprits are caught, perhaps with a small fine!

Bhupend ra M Gand hi

"Diamonds are forever" is a pathfinder

Congratulations to Gujarat Samachar & Asian Voice for a huge welcome to Govindbhai Dholakia at Dhamecha Lohana Center in South London When KokilabenPatel emailed us an invitation titled "Meet and Greet" to honour S u r a t d i a m o n d t y c o o n G o v i n d b h a i D h o l a k i a a n d t h e release of his book "Diamonds are Forever, so are Morals", I was skeptical whether the event would interest me It was raining in the evening, and I only came because of my wife's continuous insistence, but let me tell you sir for the first time in my life, I saw such a simple, straight forward personality whose speech had a fragrance of Saurashtra region Earning billions has not affected him at all After his speech in a simple rustic language, I went on the stage to meet him and got his book signed

P ravin K Patel

The diamond tycoon who is so down to earth

I am very thankful for the opportunity to meet and listen to the diamond industry tycoon Govindbhai on March 8th, at D h a m e c h a L o h a n a C e n t e r T h e s t o r y o f G o v i n d b h a i Dholakia, who came to Surat from a small village in Saurashtra and worked hard as a diamond polishing worker, is an inspiration to all

Many thanks for giving us a chance to meet a person who inspite of being the owner of such a huge company that exports diamonds to several countries, is a very simple, down-to-earth human We have also taken his book which will be very useful not only for me but also for my children

Kamlesh D Patel

Fantastic International Women's Day Celebration

In spite of the snow and bitter cold on Wednesday, young a n d r e t i r e d l a d i e s c a m e e n t h u s i a s t i c a l l y t o c e l e b r a t e Women's Day at the Sattavis Patidar Centre I took a bus from Kingsbury with my friends After authentic gathiyajalebi in breakfast, we enjoyed delicious pani puri, pav bhaji along with sizzling hot bhajiya's for Lunch at the event For dessert, we had a mix of ice-cream and gulab jamun

In this programme, it was fun to listen to Govindbhai, the owner of a well-known diamond exporting company in Surat, while discussing the issues of women Very few men publicly credit their success to their wives but Govindbhai credited his wife Champaben for his success

In his speech, Govindbhai said that, he and his wife Champaben never had a single fight throughout their married life, that s the level of understanding between them Both their daughters spoke very well about their parents!

Prafula Kotech a

Health of elephants

In a country like India where blessings of elephant is considered very auspicious, the news of death of many elephants is painful No doubt the upkeep of elephant is very difficult and expensive, it needs1000 times more food than ant but that is not a sign of inequality An elephant symbolises wisdom and royalty It is our pride! We need to protect them to show our future generations

T S Karthik

Let Churchgate be

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has passed a resolution to rename the iconic Churchgate railway station to Chintamanrao Deshmukh station Churchgate railway station is an integral part of the city’s history and culture for over 150 years Mumbaikars have fond memories of Churchgate Changing the name of the railway station without any public consultation is a disregard to our city’s heritage and history The CM should think twice before doing anything

Jubel D'Cruz

What is your vulnerability?

Rohit Vadhwana

We all are v ulnerable Tho ugh reason and d eg ree might d iffe r, th er e w o u ld b e h ard l y anyone breathing on this p lanet who has ov ercome v ulnerability Some p eople are vulnerable because of their past, and oth ers because of th eir em otio nal weaknesses Financial instability or lack of success in p rofessional fields also m akes p eople feel unsafe What m akes us vulnerable, is an important introspection that w e m ust und ergo

When one is jeopardised due to any reason, his/her confidence is shaken That particular limitation hinders the thought process, ambition and ability to take bold steps Indefatigable people give up when it comes to their pain points The vulnerability may be in any form, like repu t a t i o n a l , f a m i l y p r o t e c t i o n , o r e m o t i o n a l b o n d a g e Blackmailing works because the person's reputation in society has to be protected, it becomes a vulnerability Ransom is paid for because of such reasons

Unless one feels fully protected - emotionally, professionally and socially - some kind of fear of being harmed will exist This will lead to a situation where one doesn't feel fully confident to take steps which are free from fear and favour Our thought process gets influenced by such vulnerabilities To be able to think independently, without the influence of any bias, it is important to remain resilient to any kind of feebleness Being strong is not easy if there is hollowness within, further expanded by fears and vulnerability

Therefore, to make an undeterred stride in life towards your desired goal, it is important to identify what is your vulnerability Once you have done so, take the next step to insulate yourself, slowly in the direction of addressing t h e m B e i n g h u m a n m e a n s b e i n g i n c o m p l e t e W h i l e accepting the reality that human being is not perfect, not complete, it is important to reduce our incompleteness, weaknesses and vulnerabilities, to make our lives better, safe and peaceful

Dear Read ers,

We are aware that since last few weeks you have been experiencing delays in the deliveries of your newspapers ABPL apologises for any inconvenience this has caused to you and we would like to inform that we are closely working with The Royal Mail to resolve this issue So, please bear with us

Also, as you may be aware that the Easter Bank holiday weekend is also coming up So, you are due to face further delays in newspaper delivery However, hopefully, after the Easter break, you should begin receiving your deliveries as normal -ABPL

The Caste Lobby targets the International Hindu Community

Nitin Mehta

A few years ago the Caste Lobby in the UK undertook an intense campaign to bring about a law banning Caste discrimination in the UK

Backed by Christian groups and politicians they raised a crescendo about Caste discrimination in the UK It took some time for the Hindu community to realise the implications of a Caste Law In his a r t i c l e , ' W h a t l i e s b e h i n d t h e inclusion of Caste in UK equality act' (October 2016) Dr Prakash Shah of Queen Mary University London pointed out the following: “If implemented, the Caste provision would impact severely on the associational and economic freedoms of the Indian communities Their ability to hold weddings, organise events or hire out p r e m i s e s c o u l d e a s i l y b e c h a llenged, and the charity status of m a n y o r g a n i s a t i o n s w o u l d b e compromised Businesses would be obliged to record employees and customers by caste even if it is to avoid inadvertent offence The availability of legal challenge is no a n s w e r t o s u c h c o n c e r n s A s demonstrably shown in the putup case of Tirkey v Chandhok, p r e v a l e n t s t e r e o t y p e s r e g a r d i n g w h o d i s c r i m i n a t e s o n c a s t e g r o u n d s m e a n t h a t l i t i g a t i o n

would be asymmetrically stacked a g a i n s t d e f e n d a n t s D e f e n d a n t s would be compelled to settle cases u n l e s s t h e y h a v e t h e f i n a n c i a l m u s c l e a n d a b i l i t y t o s u r v i v e a d v e r s e p u b l i c i t y t o v i n d i c a t e themselves Researchers and legislators have not considered any of t h e s e p r o b l e m s , r a i s i n g f u r t h e r suspicions about the true reasons behind the clamour for a Caste Law ”

On 28 March 2018 a debate was held at SOAS on the subject of Caste discrimination I was asked to talk against the proposed law

The Caste lobby highlighted two incidents The first one was that a NHS nurse refused to serve a Dalit lady The second was that a customer in a shop refused to pay m o n e y t o a D a l i t g i r l w o r k i n g there I pointed out that in the f i r s t c a s e t h e N u r s e w o u l d b e sacked if she refused to serve any patient whether Dalit or not In the second case the girl just had to report to her employer The customer would have been told to leave the shop I also put forward t h e f o l l o w i n g points: The Caste lobby has created a false picture of discrimination based on hearsay and innuendo A second generation of Hindus have grown up in this country who intermarry and do not consider

themselves in caste terms Britain h a s e n o u g h a n t i - d i s c r i m i n a t o r y laws to deal with any situation If this law does come into existence the Indian government will see it a s p e r s e c u t i o n o f H i n d u s T h e Dalit Caste lobby needs to shed its victim mentality

T h e d e b a t e c o n c l u d e d w i t h the Chair Person saying that much more research needs to be done before a Caste law can be considered A united fightback by the H i n d u c o m m u n i t y m a n a g e d t o defeat the Caste Lobby in its purs u i t f o r a C a s t e d i s c r i m i n a t i o n law

The Caste campaign is now t a r g e t i n g t h e U S , C a n a d a a n d Australia In California a bill has been introduced to ban Caste discrimination The City of Seattle in the US has become the first one to ban Caste discrimination Some C o l l e g e s a n d U n i v e r s i t i e s h a v e also adopted similar policies The California State University one of t h e l a r g e s t f o u r y e a r p u b l i c University added Caste in its antidiscrimination policy In Canada the Toronto District School Board recently took a step towards banning Caste based discrimination The Board is going to ask the O n t a r i o H u m a n R i g h t s

Canada gives is that the so called upper Castes joke about them and cast slurs Another one is that a girl in a school refused to play with a Dalit girl Apart from these being malicious witch hunts how can any country legislate on such egregious flimsy grounds? In Australia a n o r g a n i s a t i o n c a l l e d , ' T h e H u m a n i s m P r o j e c t ' i s a c t i v e l y campaigning for a Caste Law

So who are the big organisations pushing for Caste discrimination laws and what is the real motive of the Dalit lobby in trying t o i n t e r n a t i o n a l i s e t h e C a s t e issue?

There is a powerful Christian support for the Caste Lobby The U K h a s a C h r i s t i a n N e t w o r k Against Caste Discrimination The World Council of Churches and t h e V a t i c a n a r e c o m m i t t e d t o bringing in Caste Legislation A two day international conference was held at St Georges Cathedral Southwark in 2017 on Caste disc r i m i n a t i o n T h e c o n f e r e n c e resolved to work actively for Dalits b o t h i n I n d i a a n d a b r o a d I r o n i c a l l y t h e c o n f e r e n c e a l s o resolved to eliminate discriminat i o n a g a i n s t t h e D a l i t s i n t h e C h r i s t i a n C h u r c h e s S i n c e t h e inclusion of the Caste discrimination in the Equalities act of the UK not a single Dalit has come for-

Nitin Mehta

ward with a Case of discriminat i o n f r o m H i n d u s P e r i s h t h e thought but it may well happen that a Dalit files a case of Caste d i s c r i m i n a t i o n a g a i n s t t h e Church!

Alongside side the Church the left wing secular lobby and antiIndia forces are increasingly trying to link so called Hindu nationalism with the Caste issue These are desperate people They are consumed by envy to see the global respect that PM Modi is getting as well as the respect Hinduism is getting on the world stage

T h e H i n d u c o m m u n i t i e s o f US, Canada and Australia will have to defeat the Caste Lobby just as a united Hindu community of the U K d i d A s f o r D a l i t s o f U S , Canada and Australia I would like to say that you have gone to these countries seeking better lives for yourselves Grab the opportunities t h e s e c o u n t r i e s a r e g i v i n g y o u rather than play the victim card

Newsagents enjoy annual dinner and dance

M

T H E B H A V A N ’ S

U S I C F E S T I V A L

Weekend Two

Dress

the world with style, but let sustainability be the fabric that holds it together

Shefali Saxena

P in ka l L a d i s a fa sh i o n desig ner currently w orking at Harrods Her passion for fa sh i o n d e si g n s te m m ed from being in Ind ia and seeing all the d ifferent vibrant co lours and materials th at were av ailable Lad is from Gujarat which is one of the lead ing textile exporters so sh e has always been aro und various fabrics S peaking to the new sw eekly, she said, “I hav e been p assionate about desig ning and pursued this in M u mbai w hi ch fu rther ce m en ted m y d es i re and passion for this career I developed these ideas and brou g h t th em to Eng land where I even h ad the opportunity to p resent my brand at the Paris fashion week

“I have also been selecte d t o p r e s e n t m y l i n e o f w o r k a t t h e p r e s t i g i o u s London Fashion Day, where I will be launching a new spring-summer collection I will use my experience from India to ensure the heritage and culture are appreciated t h r o u g h m y n e w l i n e o f work

My practice has always been working towards sust a i n a b l e f a s h i o n w h i c h i s something I would love to s p r e a d a w a r e n e s s o f a n d

For the p ast yea r, Th e Bh av an, Lond on ha s bee n cele br ating its Gold en Jubil ee with a a whole year of specially curated performances, workshops, and events

As one of the final events, we hosted a grand two-weekend celebration of the Indian classical music featuring the best of instrumentalists and vocalists, and the finale weekend featured Hindustani Vocal by Pt Sanjeev Abhyankar and Karnatic Vocal by P Unnikrishnan

On Saturday, 25th March, Pt Sanjeev Abhyankar gave a Hindustani vocal recital Accompanied by Pt Rajkumar Misra on Tabla and Abhishek G Shinkar on Harmonium

Abhyankar began with the raga Ahir Bhairav and continued with Charukeshi The latter part of the recital saw Marathi abhangs and devotional songs, rendered mellifluously All the compositions were ‘Raga pradhan’ (based on specific ragas), and the singer’s main emphasis was on ‘Guna Bhakti’ (emotional approach to the divine)

On Sunday 25th of March, P Unnikrishnan began his Karnatic vocal recital with ‘Malaya Marutham’ raga and went on to ‘Kalyana Vasantham’ and ‘Mohanam’ His rendition of

‘Ragam tanam pallavi’ and Puranadara Dasa krithi was much loved

He was accompanied by Sri Balu Raguraman on violin and Mridangam by Sri M Balachandar, and on Morsing by K Sithambaranathan

Both recitals saw a great response from the audience It proved to be the perfect way to start bringing down the curtain on the yearlong celebrations of our golden jubilee We have a few more events planned until May 2023, and we hope to see you all at The Bhavan

inspire future generations ”

Born and raised in India, P i n k a l L a d b e l o n g s t o a diverse culture, committed t o s u s t a i n a b i l i t y a n d p r otecting crafts from around the world “I am keen to d e v e l o p p r o c e s s e s a n d designs built on social justice, equality and ecological integrity; my multicultural knowledge and experience

e n a b l e m e t o b r i n g i d e a s inspired by different countries and cultures to the UK and abroad to fulfil these objectives

“ F r o m t h o u s a n d s o f applicants, I was selected to p r e s e n t m y d e s i g n s a n d ideas at the Paris Fashion Week and will also present at the London Fashion Day in April 2023 Both serve as global platforms for internat i o n a l f a s h i o n i n d u s t r i e s , where designers and profes-

s i o n a l s r e p r e s e n t t h e i r nation of origin and cultural i d e n t i t i e s , o f t e n w i t h a Western mix, thereby celeb r a t i n g c u l t u r a l d i v e r s i t y , expressed through the artistic and social movement of fashion

“My forte is to visualise a n d c o n n e c t c o n c e p t s t o give life to my designs and w i t h m y c o m m i t m e n t t o sustainability, I am continually striving to promote the ethical and ecological issues facing the fashion industry, thereby creating values and influence I want to encourage a decarbonised fashion industry, where innovative manufacturing and packagi n g i d e a s c a n c o m e t o fruition and where brands a l s o e m b e d r e s p o n s i b l e business conducts in their wages, ” she told Asian Voice

L To R: Subhasbhai Patel Sunilbhai Patel Bakulaben, Dakshaben, Kalpnaben Patel, Rajani Liloriya, Kokilaben Patel, CB Patel, Dr Pravinbhai Patel

CB Patel Manharbhai Patel and Jyotsnaben Gwen Patterson with CB Patel and Subhasbhai Patel

L to R: Dr Pravinbhai Patel, CB Patel, Hetal Patel President Kishor Chandarana Subhasbhai Patel Kokilaben Patel

Residents on Barton Street speak 70 languages

T h i s i s B ri t ai n 's m o s t d i ve rs e s tr ee t, w h er e r es i d en ts s p e ak 7 0 languages fro m do zens o f ethnic gro ups

B a r t o n S t r e e t , i n t h e q u i e t c a t h e d r a l c i t y o f

G l o u c e s t e r , i s h o m e t o residents from as far away as India, Nigeria and Iraq, w h o d e s c r i b e t h e multicultural community as ' a m a z i n g ' T h e a r e a w a s t r a d i t i o n a l l y t h e J e w i s h q u a r t e r b u t o v e r t h e centuries many Muslim and Eastern European families have made the street their

home Now the minaret of Jana Mosque points high above the quiet road filled with grocery shops, hairdressers, and restaurants serving the m a n y d i f f e r e n t communities Further down t h e s t r e e t , a M e t h o d i s t Church sits alongside Afro-

C a r i b b e a n M r B ' s H a i r P r o d u c t s a n d b u i l d i n g s w h i c h w e r e o n c e o l dfashioned English pubs are now vibrant international supermarkets

K u m a r S u b r a m a n i a n , 47, from Sri Lanka, manages

Female and minority more affected by ‘Dystopian’ surveillance

the Barton Best Foods shop with colleague Farisa Salih, 38, from Sudan The shop sells a bit of everything to suit everybody Piles of fresh herbs spill over baskets next to five-kilo bags of rice, with n e a t r o w s o f j a m s a n d American breakfast cereals s t a c k e d a b o v e t u b s o f labneh and kefir Kumar left Sri Lanka 10 years ago and travelled through Europe to reach the UK in 2018, before settling in Gloucester where he has been managing the shop, owned by his brother, since January 2021

Highly regarded police officer accused of sexual assault

A h i g h ly - reg a rd e d p o l ic e o fficer who ran an awardw inning cad et unit u sed it as a 'groom ing playground' for h is 'sexual grati ficatio n', a cou rt h eard

Adnan Ali allegedly took a d v a n t a g e o f ' i n a d e q u a t e oversight' by commanders t o t a r g e t y o u n g a n d vulnerable people' The 36y e a r - o l d G r e a t e r

Manchester Police constable is accused of 20 offences, i n c l u d i n g s e x u a l a s s a u l t s , sending indecent messages and misconduct in public office His trial began today at Liverpool Crown Court, w h e r e A n n e W h y t e , K C , prosecuting, said the alleged

offences took place as he dramatically expanded his g r o u p i n T r a f f o r d , Manchester, from 30 to 130 youngsters

She said: 'He exploited the freedom he was given and the over-recruitment of c a d e t s t o c o m m i t s e x u a l a s s a u l t s a n d i n d u l g e i n s e x u a l a n d s u g g e s t i v e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s w i t h y o u n g a n d v u l n e r a b l e people who looked up to him ' During Ali's time in c h a r g e o f t h e T r a f f o r d V o l u n t e e r P o l i c e C a d e t Scheme, it won numerous local and national awards, the court was told Jurors heard there was, however, a

darker side to Ali's activities

' D u e t o h i s o w n b e h a v i o u r a n d G r e a t e r Manchester Police's failure to monitor it, the Trafford C a d e t S c h e m e b e c a m e s o m e t h i n g o f a g r o o m i n g playground for Adnan Ali,' the prosecutor added

The cadet group – which recruited members aged 1317 - was only 'supposed to have about 30 members' –less than a quarter of its size at the time of Ali's arrest, the court heard But Ms Whyte s a i d : ' T h e i n c r e a s e d numbers of cadets no doubt increased his opportunities to flirt, to test the waters and to act inappropriately ’

Hospital delay led to disability in a baby

A h os p i t a l t r u st h a s a ck n ow l e d g e d i t m a d e m i s t a k e s a ft e r a b a by s u ff e r e d ca t a st r o ph i c in juries durin g birt h

Dilshad Sultana was 36 w e e k s p r e g n a n t w i t h h e r second child in 2019 when s h e e x p e r i e n c e d s t o m a c h pain and noticed her baby was moving less When she reported this to the staff at B i r m i n g h a m W o m e n a n d Children's Hospital, she was told to take a bath Due to his injuries, her son, Shanto K h a l i q u z a m a n , i s s e v e r e l y disabled and the trust later admitted liability

S h a n t o h a s b e e n d i a g n o s e d w i t h c e r e b r a l palsy and cannot walk, talk or sit unaided Mrs Sultana, from Sutton Coldfield, said she had been due to have a Caesarean section on 8 July but on 20 June she started to feel pain in her abdomen and lower back She said she was confused but that it did not feel like a contraction and called hospital staff at about 17:00 to say it felt like her baby was moving less After following advice to rest and take pain relief, she a t t e n d e d t h e h o s p i t a l a t about 22:30 and staff started

m o n i t o r i n g S h a n t o ' s h e a r t rate It was not until almost three hours later that Shanto was delivered by emergency C - S e c t i o n , h o w e v e r , M r s Sultana said he was "not in a g o o d c o n d i t i o n - i t w a s heartbreaking I was asking my husband, 'Why can't I hear the baby cry'?" S h a n t o ' s h e a r t h a d stopped and he had to be r e s u s c i t a t e d H e h a d s u f f e r e d s e v e r e b r a i n d a m a g e a n d w o u l d s p e n d the next 22 days in intensive care, suffering seizures and m u l t i p l e b r a i n haemorrhages

Home Office minister favours Shamima Begum

T he G ove rn me nt was t ol d t h a t de p r i v in g S h a mi ma B e gu m o f h e r B r i t is h c it i ze n s hi p is a fo r m of capital pun ishment t ha t has l eft he r 'the b reathing dead' H o m e O f f i c e m i n i s t e r Lord Murray of Blidworth was questioned about the 23year-old s case in Parliament b y L a b o u r p e e r L o r d G r i f f i t h s o f B u r r y P o r t R e s p o n d i n g , H o m e O f f i c e minister Lord Murray said: 'Surely the principal interest a n d t h e p r i n c i p a l d u t y o f Government is to keep the p e o p l e s a f e ' M e a n w h i l e , Tory former chancellor Lord Lamont of Lerwick warned o v e r c r e a t i n g a ' b r e e d i n g g r o u n d o f t e r r o r i s t s t o m o r r o w ' i n s t r i p p i n g a l l e g e d m i l i t a n t s o f t h e i r

c i t i z e n s h i p a n d n o t b r i n g i n g them back to the UK to face trial

He said: 'If we c o n t i n u e t o refuse citizenship and refuse to put o n t r i a l a l l e g e d U K t e r r o r i s t s h e r e i n t h i s c o u n t r y , a r e w e n o t j u s t p a s s i n g the buck to other c o u n t r i e s ? ’ M s B e g u m recently described losing her bid to return to the UK as ' w o r s e t h a n a p r i s o n sentence'

Recently, judges rejected the jihadi bride's attempt to o v e r t u r n t h e d e c i s i o n t o r e v o k e h e r B r i t i s h

“ D y st o p ia n ” wo r k e r surv eil la nce t echn iques a re m or e l i k e l y t o d is p r op or t i o n a t e l y a ff e ct y oung pe op le , women a nd et hn ic minorities, a report by t h e I n st i t ut e f or Pu b l i c P ol icy R e se a r c h t hi n k t a n k warn s W o r k e r s u r v e i l l a n c e practices have increasingly b e c o m e t h e n e w n o r m a l , with a rise in remote work leading to an escalation in w o r k p l a c e m o n i t o r i n g , according to the report But i t s a y s r e g u l a t i o n h a s n o t kept up with the reality According to the IPPR, in the private sector women are a t h i g h e r r i s k o f w o r k e r s u r v e i l l a n c e , w i t h n o nunionised women 52% more l i k e l y t o f a c e s u r v e i l l a n c e Black workers are also 52% m o r e l i k e l y t o f a c e surveillance

It says young people aged 16-29 in low-skilled jobs are 4 9 % m o r e l i k e l y t o b e

surveilled at work

I P P R r e c o m m e n d s t h e

U K g o v e r n m e n t s h o u l d consider outlawing practices s u c h a s k e y s t r o k e monitoring, and employers should share data collected with employees

O t h e r o r g a n i s a t i o n s , i n c l u d i n g t h e T U C , a r e calling for measures such as a n e m p l o y m e n t b i l l t h a t would include the right to disconnect alongside digital r i g h t s t o i m p r o v e transparency around use of surveillance tech

S o m e r e s e a r c h h a s estimated that the number of employers using employee m o n i t o r i n g t o o l s h a s doubled since the beginning o f t h e p a n d e m i c , a n d i s e x p e c t e d t o r i s e t o 7 0 % within the next three years

A s t e c h n o l o g y h a s a d v a n c e d , s o h a v e m o n i t o r i n g t e c h n i q u e s W h i l e i n t h e r e c e n t p a s t e m p l o y e r s r e l i e d o n

timesheets and bag checks, n o w - c o m m o n m o n i t o r i n g programs record keystrokes or track computer activity t h r o u g h t a k i n g r e g u l a r s c r e e n s h o t s O t h e r techniques involve recording calls or meetings and even a c c e s s i n g e m p l o y e e s ’ webcams T h i s m e a n s t h a t w o r k p l a c e m o n i t o r i n g c a n m o v e f r o m f a i r l y b a s i c s u r v e i l l a n c e t o m o r e complex techniques Many e m p l o y e e s a r e u n h a p p y a b o u t t h i s a n d a 2 0 2 2 Morning Consult survey of 7 5 0 t e c h w o r k e r s s h o w e d that half would rather quit t h a n h a v e t h e i r e m p l o y e r m o n i t o r t h e m a s t h e y worked

Man from Kashmir convicted for encouraging terrorism online

A ma n ha s bee n convict ed of two charge s of encour aging te rrorist acts a fte r he post ed an ima ge of a seve red he ad on Twitt er and urged others t o d e c a pi t a t e t ho se wh o insul t Isl am Ajmal Shahpal, 41, was f o u n d g u i l t y o f s e n d i n g t w e e t s w h i c h w o u l d e n c o u r a g e o t h e r s ' t o commit, prepare, or instigate a c t s o f t e r r o r i s m a t Birmingham Crown Court Shahpal, of Birkin Avenue, R a d f o r d , N o t t i n g h a m , denied the offences but was found guilty by the jury after five hours of deliberation of one count of intentionally e n c o u r a g i n g t e r r o r i s t a c t s , a n d o n e o f d o i n g s o recklessly He was cleared of a t h i r d c h a r g e o f

e n c o u r a g i n g a c t s o f terrorism

Judge Melbourne Inman KC rejected a bail application a n d r e m a n d e d S h a h p a l , originally from Kashmir, in c u s t o d y f o r s e n t e n c e o n April 13 The judge told him: 'You have been convicted of two offences Obviously, I will have to decide what the sentence is in due course, but a c u s t o d i a l s e n t e n c e i s

inevitable for this type of offence ' I n t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s , t h e r e f o r e , y o u w i l l b e r e m a n d e d i n c u s t o d y pending your sentence ' The t w o - w e e k t r i a l p r e v i o u s l y h e a r d t h a t S h a h p a l w a s a r r e s t e d a t h i s h o m e i n March 2021 after tweeting m e s s a g e s b a c k i n g a P a k i s t a n - b a s e d p o l i t i c a l party, which supported the ' o u t - o f - h a n d m u r d e r o f t h o s e w h o i t t h i n k s h a v e committed blasphemy' Prosecutor Dan PawsonPounds told the court at the opening of the trial: 'This is a case about terrorism, that is the encouragement by this d e f e n d a n t o f o t h e r s t o commit acts of terrorism ’

Referral system perceived as failing to protect modern slavery victims

S e c r e t a r y S a j i d J a v i d h a d a c t e d l a w f u l l y t o protect national s e c u r i t y A s k e d o n a B B C podcast for her r e a c t i o n t o t h e d e c i s i o n , s h e s a i d : I t f e e l s w o r s e t h a n a p r i s o n s e n t e n c e because at least w i t h a p r i s o n sentence they'll be an end T h i s f e e l s l i k e m e n t a l torture ' B e g u m s a i d s h e n e v e r e x p e c t s t o c o m e h o m e

'because ISIS was the worst thing of the 21st century and I was part of it', adding that s h e h a d t o ' f a c e t h e consequences of my actions'

When Mar igold was b rought to the U K a s a d om e s ti c w or k e r , he r e m pl oy e r m a de her sleep on their dining room f lo or T he f ood s he a te co n si s te d o f th e f a m i ly ’ s l ef tov e r s, a n d i f the r e w e r e none, she di dn’t eat H e r e m p l o y e r h a d confiscated her passport, so when she fled the abuse she h a d n o d o c u m e n t a t i o n

Identified in 2018 as a probable victim of modern slavery, she w a s r e f e r r e d t o t h e g o v e r n m e n t p r o g r a m m e designed to help those in her situation, the national referral mechanism (NRM)

She has been waiting ever since for a decision to be made on whether the government will confirm she is a victim of slavery, which would give her the right to work If they find it a g a i n s t h e r , s h e f a c e s deportation

Marigold is one of nearly 9,500 suspected victims who have been waiting more than

two years for a decision, data reveals

The NRM is designed to i d e n t i f y m o d e r n s l a v e r y victims and give them support w h i l e t h e i r c a s e s a r e i n v e s t i g a t e d B u t s u r v i v o r s now face a 22-month wait on a v e r a g e f o r a d e c i s i o n t h a t could affect their status in the UK, government figures show The waiting time for a decision

on whether a claim is genuine has soared – from 459 days on average in 2019 to 680 days in 2022

Caseworkers and victims told The Independent that the lack of support and minimal f i n a n c i a l h e l p a v a i l a b l e t o s u r v i v o r s w h e n t h e y a r e r e f e r r e d t o t h e s c h e m e i s p u s h i n g p e o p l e b a c k i n t o e x p l o i t a t i o n T h e w a r n i n g comes amid criticism of Rishi Sunak’s plans to deport smallboat migrants, as laid out in the Illegal Migration Bill If passed into law, it would see trafficking victims who arrive in the UK illegally deported to Rwanda while officials are still investigating their claims W o m e n w h o h a v e b e e n referred to the NRM and are being supported by campaign group The Voice of Domestic Workers told The Independent that being forced to wait for years for a decision has left many with no choice but to turn to underground work

Women hit hardest as costof-living crisis disrupts financial planning

A new su rv ey reveals ho w th e costo f-living crisis is dispropo rtio natel y i m pa cti ng w o m en ’ s f in ances : 61% of women say the co st-of-livi n g cr is i s h a s m a d e re ti rem ent seem impo ssible, com pared to 49% o f m en; 40% of m en are confident they will retire at their d esired age, this figure drops to 29% am ong w omen Only 26% of wom en say they have the savings and plans in p l ac e to s u s tai n th e i r c u rr ent lifestyle into my retirement, comp ared to 4 2% of men

The cost-of-living crisis is havi n g a f a r g r e a t e r i m p a c t o n women ’ s finances and retirement plans than men ’ s, new research by My Pension Expert has revealed

The UK’s leading at-retirem e n t a d v i s e r c o m m i s s i o n e d a n independent survey of 2,000 UK adults It found that 61% of women in work believe the cost-of-living crisis has made retirement impos-

India’s first female magician set to rule the roost at Soho

Shefali Saxena

sible, compared to 49% of men

While 40% of men remain confident they will be able to retire at their desired age, this figure drops to just 29% among women

Similarly, although 42% of men say they have the savings and plans in place to sustain their current lifestyle into my retirement, only 26% of women say the same thing

My Pension Expert’s research s h o w e d t h a t , w h i l e t h e r e i s a n a l a r m i n g l a c k o f f i n a n c i a l p r ep a r e d n e s s a c r o s s b o t h g e n d e r s , women are far less likely than men to know how much is saved in their pension pots – less than a third (32%) of women know the value of their pension, compared to 44% of men

Further, far fewer women (13%) have sought professional financial advice to help them manage their finances during the cost-of-living crisis than men (23%)

Happy Easter for Gatwick-India travellers

A sian V oice had reported earlier this year that UK -Ind ia tourism is p redicted to see a spike this year w ith sev eral factors working in its favour Th e new A ir India flight r o u tes f ro m L o nd o n G atw ic k, i nclu d ing fli g hts to Kerala, and u p co m i ng ev en ts l ike th e G- 20 S umm it, 2023 Cricket Wo rld Cup, and M en ’ s Hockey Wo rld C up in India, promise to increase tourists travelling to Ind ia

However, Holidaymakers are f a c i n g E a s t e r g e t a w a y c h a o s B r i t i s h A i r w a y s c a n c e l l e d 3 0 0 flights due to a 10-day strike by security staff at Heathrow as the a i r p o r t a n n o u n c e d ' c o n t i n g e n c y plans' to keep delays to a minimum Heathrow will deploy 1,000 additional staff and its entire mana g e m e n t t e a m t o t r y a n d s t o p strike delays causing travel chaos over Easter

It was reported in January that there will be twelve weekly flights t o f o u r d e s t i n a t i o n s A i r I n d i a would provide three weekly flights to Goa in addition to three weekly flights to Kochi, the entry point to Kerala, another well-liked vacation spot for British tourists There will also be three flights each week to Ahmedabad in Gujarat and three to Amritsar in Punjab All flights will be flown by Boeing 787-8s with 256 seat capacity

S t e w a r t W i n g a t e , G a t w i c k ' s chief executive told the press, “The arrival of Air India and its four routes to London Gatwick is fantastic news for the airport and pass e n g e r s a c r o s s L o n d o n a n d t h e south-east India not only offers wonderful cities and beach destinations to explore but provides a wealth of opportunities for businesses and w i d e r c o n n e c t i v i t y T h e s e c o n n e c t i o n s are also hugely important to our local and r e g i o n a l c o m m u n ities, with people looking to visit family and friends across India ”

A i r I n d i a o n M o n d a y l a u n c h e d a d i r e c t f l i g h t f r o m

Amritsar to Gatwick in the UK, with Civil ''Equipped with 18

business class seats featuring fullyflat beds and 238 economy class seats, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner will be operating three flights a week on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday from Amritsar,'' the airline said in a release

Air India will operate 9 other w e e k l y f l i g h t s s c h e d u l e d f r o m

A h m e d a b a d , G o a , a n d K o c h i -m a k i n g i t a t o t a l o f 1 2 w e e k l y flights to Gatwick

''In total, the airline now operates 49 flights in the UK per week- 43 flights to London (Heathrow and Gatwick) and six flights to Birmingham Air India also operates 31 weekly flights to Heathrow, London, from Delhi and Mumbai,'' the release said

A i r I n d i a C E O a n d M D

Campbell Wilson said that as part of its five-year transformation plan Vihaan AI, the airline plans to sign i f i c a n t l y e n h a n c e c o n n e c t i v i t y between India's major cities and prime global destinations

''These flights will also fulfil the growing demand for direct air connectivity from various important destinations in India to the UK and from the UK to these popular cities in India ''

Overall, Air India operates 80 flights per week to seven major cities in the UK and Europe He said the new international connectivity will work as a catalyst for the d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e r e g i o n a n d added that lakhs of people from Punjab live in the UK and the new service will connect families living in two different countries, according to an official release

Su h an i S h ah is I n dia ’ s fi rs t female mentalist, illusio nist and magician wh o is ruling th e roost withi n the male- domina te d ma gi c i nd u s tr y i n In di a With th e experti se o f exp erience of perfo rming over 5, 000 sho ws globally over the last 2 decades, sh e imbibes incredible skills in mind reading, situational co medy and au dience particip ation

Whilst most content creators belong to archetypal categories, Shah is one of the rare millennial influencers in the country to have painstakingly carved a brand-new category of magic within the digital landscape by breaking away from archetype connotations of how magic is perceived in India She is currently the most viewed mentalist and one of the top 5 subscribed magicians in the world, a r e m a r k a b l e f e a t f o r t h e S o u t h Asian female community At the age of 6, she was mesmerised by a magic presentation and she was eager to induct herself into the art Soon after, she opted out of formal education in order to pursue her passion for magic She performed her first show at the age of 7

Since then, there has been no looking back She has been the preferred choice for corporate bigw i g s l i k e A m a z o n , M i c r o s o f t , G o o g l e , I n f o s y s , B C G e t c , p e rformed to sold-out audiences, sold t h e h i g h e s t n u m b e r o f t i c k e t s amongst her peers and has made multiple television appearances She boasts of a whopping 6 million followers on social media making her the leader of the pack and has i m p r e s s e d t h e l i k e s o f M a r t i n G a r r i x , K a r e e n a K a p o o r K h a n , Badshah, The Quickstyle, Boman I r a n i , P V S i n d h u , Y u z v e n d r a C h a h a l , J a n h a v i K a p o o r , S o n u S o o d , S a i n a N e h w a l , R a j k u m a r R a o , A n u M a l i k , H i m e s h Reshammiya and the likes Her f i r s t s t a g e s h o w w a s h e l d a t T h a k o r b h a i D e s a i H a l l i n Ahmedabad on 22 October 1997

She entered the Guinness Book of W o r l d R e c o r d s a s t h e w o r l d ’ s youngest magician when she was seven She has won several awards and has been conferred the title of Jadoopari (transl magic fairy) by the All India Magic Association

However, during the pandemic, Shah dabbled in live streaming on YouTube which eventually led to the birth of the internet's mostwatched live-stream game show ever - ‘That's My Job’ Now in its f o u r t h s e a s o n , i t h a s f e a t u r e d celebrity guests such as Raftaar,

Zakir Khan, Anupam Mittal, Vijay

S h e k h a r S h a r m a , T a n m a y B h a t a m o n g s t o t h e r s S h e h a s a l s o established a unique brand lineage for herself in the gaming industry h a v i n g p a r t n e r e d w i t h N e t f l i x India for ‘Yeh Toh Kuch Bhi Nahi’ and also having raised sufficient contributions for people affected by COVID through multiple charity streams A TED speaker, she launched a clinic in Goa called ‘Suhani Mindcare’ in 2014 where she played the role of a relationship expert and a dietician specialist for over 9 years before she made Mumbai her home She has also written several books based o

’ , ‘Conquer Yourself’, ‘Karma’ and ‘Sharpen Your Memory

Please tell us a bit abo ut yo ur work and upco ming sho ws

I'm Suhani Shah, a mentalist with over 25 years of experience in the magic industry While I started performing as a child, the pandemic forced me to find new ways to connect with my audience So, I turned to online content creation and our Youtube channel to maintain that connection It's amazing to see how our community has grown and evolved, and I'm grateful to now have the most subscribed mentalist channel in the world

As a mentalist, I specialize in a sub-genre of magic that not all magicians practice Mentalism is focused on psychological illusions and mind-reading, whereas other magicians may be street performers, illusionists, or escape artists

R e g a r d i n g m y u p c o m i n g shows, I'll be returning to London to perform at the Soho Theatre from April 11th to 15th This time, w e ' v e e x p a n d e d o u r t o u r t o include other cities like Dublin, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Cologne, where I'll be performing for the

first time I'm thrilled to bring my show to new audiences and can't wait for these performances

Ho w does a mentalist keep

t h e ms e lv es s a ne w h en they have so mu ch acumen and po wer to read minds?

A s a m e n t a l i s t , I b e l i e v e i n using my skills responsibly, and I'm keenly aware of the adage that w i t h g r e a t p o w e r c o m e s g r e a t responsibility Mentalism, for me, is an art form that requires me to be completely immersed in the moment and deeply observant, so it's not something that I practice all the time

I t ' s i m p o r t a n t t o n o t e t h a t mentalism and magic are both art forms In all of my shows, I make it clear that I do not have any supernatural abilities and that what I do is merely an illusion of mind reading Unfortunately, some people tend to treat mentalists as if we p o s s e s s o t h e r w o r l d l y p o w e r s , which is a misconception We are simply artists who are passionate about our craft While mentalism and magic involve a lot of mystery, it's crucial for people to understand that they are art forms and should be treated as such

Wh at is i t li ke to be o ne of t h e ra re fe ma le m agici ans in th e S ou th As ian co mmunity?

As a female magician in the A s i a n c o m m u n i t y , I b e g a n m y journey over 25 years ago without any preconceived notions about entering a male-dominated field For me, magic was simply a passion that I wanted to pursue With the support of those around me, that passion turned into a profession that I still enjoy today It wasn't until I was 17 and asked about being a female magician by a journalist that I realised the significance of being one of the rare female magicians in the Asian community

However, I firmly believe that artists should not be defined by their gender but by their talents and abilities I prefer to be recognised simply as an artist Despite this, I receive many emails and requests from young girls seeking advice about my field of magic, particularly mentalism They want to know how I chose this path, how I convinced my parents, and how I succeeded in my career

When I see these young girls looking up at me with hope in their eyes, it is truly humbling It makes me grateful that the decisions I have made in my life can inspire someone else

Police powers extended for tackling drugs-fuelled crimes

Min ist er s wa nt t o giv e o ffice r s the free dom to test people ar re st ed for a wider var iety of crime s t han a t pre sent , as pa rt of the Gov ern men t's clampdown on a nt i-social beha viour

Under current rules, officers can test people for opiates like heroin, cocaine and crack if they have been for a specific list of crimes, with extra clearance required for a wider test But u n d e r t h e a c t i o n p l a n u n v e i l e d b y Rishi Sunak this morning, the powers would be widened in terms of crimes and substances, to include Class A subs t a n c e s l i k e e c s t a s y a n d m e t h a mphetamine, and Class B drugs like

cannabis and ketamine

Home Secretary Suella Braverman

t o l d t h e C o m m o n s t h i s a f t e r n o o n :

'Under our new plan, the police will be able to drug-test suspected criminals in police custody for a wider range of drugs including ecstasy and methamphetamine They will test offenders linked to crimes like violence against women and girls, serious violence and a n t i - s o c i a l b e h a v i o u r , a n d w e w i l l ensure that the consequences of those committing ASB are toughened up ' H o w e v e r , t h e c h a r i t y r e f u g e attacked the plan, with chief executive Ruth Davison, saying: 'Domestic abuse

does not happen because a person takes drugs, it is an active decision a perpetrator makes to abuse and is rooted in power and control 'Refuge is c o n c e r n e d t h a t t h i s n e w i n i t i a t i v e

announced today to drug test those arrested for offences linked to violence against women and girls (VAWG) and domestic abuse distracts from, and further deprioritises this issue ’ Mr Sunak, who stressed the importance of 'strong communities built on values', said anti-social behaviour is 'not the type of country that we are and that is why it is important we do something about it' Speaking to mem-

bers of the public, he said: 'We're going to ban nitrous oxide And we re also going to expand the power of the police to do drug testing on arrest for far more crimes and far more drugs and tackle the scourge of drugs ' Current legislation already prohibits the knowing or reckless supply of nitrous oxide for inhalation But the Government plans to make it a Class C d r u g , a c c o r d i n g t o i t s a n t i - s o c i a l behaviour action plan, which could see users facing up to two years in jail and unlimited fines Ministers hope to ban nitrous oxide before the end of the year

Suhani Shah

PM urged to act on unjust visa revocation of students

A p e ti ti o n h a s b ee n s u b m i tte d to p ri m e minister Rish i S unak by a group of internatio na l s tu d en ts , ma ny o f who m are from India, i n which they u rge h im to address th e ‘unju st’ c a nc e ll at i o n o f th e i r visas du e to an English test scandal

T h e s c a n d a l w a s first revealed in 2014 w h e n a n i n v e s t i g a t i o n uncovered cheating at two of the UK’s mandatory language test centres for visas

In response, the UK governm e n t l a u n c h e d a widespread crackdown on these centres, which led to the cancellation of tens of thousands of students’ visas connected to those centres The Migrant Voice organiz a t i o n h a s b e e n a s s i s t i n g i m p a c t e d s t u d e n t s a n d organized the recent petition, which was submitted o n M o n d a y ( 2 0 ) a t 1 0

Downing Street

“

T h i s i s o n e o f t h e biggest scandals in contemporary British history The initial government reaction w a s u n j u s t a n d h a s b e e n a l l o w e d t o d r a g o n f o r y e a r s , ” s a i d N a z e k R a m a d a n , d i r e c t o r o f M i g r a n t V o i c e “ I t c o u l d have been resolved by a simple solution, such as allowing the tests to be retaken The students came here to get a world-class education and best student experience in the world, but instead

Barrister wins over £100k against CPS for denying WFH

t h e i r l i v e s h a v e b e e n wrecked It is time for the government to step in and end this nightm a r e A l l i t t a k e s t o bring this to an end is leadership,” she said W i t h n o r i g h t t o stay, work or in a few cases to appeal, most of t h e a c c u s e d s t u d e n t s returned home Those w h o s t a y e d t o c l e a r their names have struggled w i t h h o m e l e s s n e s s , h u g e legal fees, stress-induced illn e s s e s a n d h a v e m i s s e d family weddings, births and deaths, the petition appeals Parliamentary and watchdog reports over the years have highlighted some flaws i n t h e H o m e O f f i c e e v idence used in the case in the p a s t A l t h o u g h s o m e s t udents won their legal challenges, scores of other stud e n t s – m a n y o f t h e m Indian – are still in limbo

Last Harry Potter coin unveiled by The Royal Mint

T h e Ro ya l Mi n t h as s h ar ed th e design of the final co in in a collection c e le b ra ti n g 2 5 y e ar s s in c e th e first pu blication of H arry Po tter And T h e Ph ilos op her’s S to ne T h e c o i n , which comes as a 5 0 p a n d o t h e r d e n o m i n a t i o n s , f e a t u r e s t h e i c o n i c H o g w a r t s S c h o o l o f W i t c h c r a f t a n d W i z a r d r y

The collection began back in 2022 and has featured d e s i g n s i n c l u d i n g H a r r y P o t t e r , t h e H o g w a r t s Express and Professor Albus Dumbledore on individual coins Harry Potter enthusia s t s a n d c o i n c o l l e c t o r s a c r o s s 8 6 c o u n t r i e s h a v e already bought at least one coin in the range C r a f t s p e o p l e a t t h e Royal Mint have reproduced

J i m K a y ’ s i l l u s t r a t i o n s i n colour on some of the coins with many also featuring a “ l a t e n t f e a t u r e ” w h i c h rotates in the light to reveal a l i g h t n i n g b o l t a n d t h e number “ 25 ” The collection is one of a small number to have had a change of portrait during the series

The first two coins feature the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and the final two portray King Charles The Royal Mint said it has seen a strong response to t h e c o i n s f r o m y o u n g e r

f a m i l i e s , w h o w i l l have grown up readi n g H a r r y P o t t e r books Rebecca Morgan, director of collector services at the Royal Mint, said: “We have t h o r o u g h l y e n j o y e d c e l e b r a t i n g 2 5 y e a r s since the novel Harry P o t t e r A n d T h e P h i l o s o p h e r ’ s S t o n e w a s f i r s t r e l e a s e d with a unique coin collection Today, we conclude this very special and popular coin collection, with a coin f e a t u r i n g t h e m a g i c a l H o g w a r t s S c h o o l o f Witchcraft and Wizardry ” P r i c e s f o r t h e n e w c o i n , which is available to buy from the Royal Mint’s website, range from £11 for a b r i l l i a n t u n c i r c u l a t e d v e rsion and £20 for a colour version to £5,215 for a £200 d e n o m i n a t i o n g o l d p r o o f coin

50% cut in diplomatic jobs to Indo-Pacific regions

N ew fi gures have revealed that around 50 per ce nt of B ri t i s h - b a s e d di p l om at i c j ob s i n c ountri es li ke I ndia, P ak is t an a n d Ch in a h av e b een c ut i n recen t years

The numbers working f o r e m b a s s i e s a n d c o nsulates in these key IndoPacific countries have all been diminishing over the last seven years The massive job cuts in these count r i e s a r e h a p p e n i n g a t a time when the government promotes these countries as key places to deepen ties in the coming decade In M a r c h 2 0 2 1 , m i n i s t e r s announced plans to pursue a n I n d o - P a c i f i c t i l t a n d

make Britain the country with the broadest and most integrated presence in the region as part of the ‘integrated review’

According to the report, t h e n u m b e r o f B r i t i s hbased Foreign Office staff i n t h e P a k i s t a n e m b a s s y and consulate is between 50-59 now, a sharp fall from between 110 and 119 in 2015 T h e d i p o v e r t h e s a m e seven-year period was from 7 0 - 7 9 t o 4 0 - 4 9 i n I n d i a

The number in the China e m b a s s y a n d c o n s u l a t e s dropped by around a third, from 110-119 to 70-79

A flatulent barrister has won £13 5,862 against th e C rown Prosecution S ervice (CP S) at an em p l o ym e nt tri b u nal after h is requ est to w ork from home was d enied

T a r i q u e M o h a m m e d told the tribunal that he was unable to control his flatulence as it was a side effect of the medication he was taking for his heart condition The flatulence allegation was part of a set of claims made by Mohammed against his employers, who he accused of discrimination based on his disability following his heart attack

I n 2 0 1 6 , M o h a m m e d started sharing a small office w i t h a n o t h e r p r o s e c u t o r ,

Paul McGorry, the tribunal

h e a r d A f t e r a f e w d a y s , McGorry noticed that the f o r m e r h a d f l a t u l e n c e There were repeated incidents of flatulence in the small room On one occas i o n , M c G o r r y a s k e d Mohammed, ‘Do you have to do that Tarique?’ When he clarified that it was due to his medication, McGorry asked if he could step outs i d e t o d o i t a n d Mohammed disagreed

The prosecutor argued t h a t a s k i n g h i m t o s t o p passing wind was not only embarrassing, it violated his dignity However, the trib u n a l d e t e r m i n e d t h a t i t was a sensible appeal made

by his coworker, given the limited space of their shared o f f i c e a n d t h e c o n t i n u a l o c c u r r e n c e o f t h e f l a t ulence

H e a c c u s e d h i s c o lleagues and superiors of discrimination, claiming that they intentionally disposed of his water bottles when he left them on a desk they shared and failing to pay for his barrister’s practising certificate while he was on sick leave

B e s i d e s , M o h a m m e d told the tribunal that he was asked to work one day a week 60 miles away These claims, along with the flatul e n c e c o m p l a i n t , w e r e thrown out by the tribunal

Census data reveals Hindus as the healthiest group

Hi nd us are th e h ealth ies t p e op le i n E n g la nd an d Wales and are m ore likely to h av e h i g h - l ev e l e d u ca ti o n th a n any o th er rel i g io u s g r o u p , a cc o rd in g to t h e mo st recent census Figures from the 2021 census released last week by t h e O f f i c e f o r N a t i o n a l Statistics (ONS) also reveal that Sikhs (77 7 per cent) are most likely to own their own h o m e s , w h i l e a m o n g Muslims, 45 6 per cent lived in households that owned t h e i r h o m e A q u a r t e r o f M u s l i m s l i v e i n s o c i a l l y rented housing – the highest for any religious group

In contrast, groups with the youngest average ages, Muslims (27 years) and those who reported “ no religion” (32 years), had the lowest percentages of people living

in households that owned their home outright (16 per c e n t a n d 1 8 6 p e r c e n t , respectively) Some 87 8 per c e n t o f H i n d u s s a i d t h e y e n j o y e d “ g o o d o r “ v e r y g o o d ” h e a l t h , c o m p a r e d with 82 per cent of the overa l l p o p u l a t i o n w h o c a m e with a similar response

H i n d u s ( 8 8 p e r c e n t ) , S i k h s ( 1 0 8 p e r c e n t ) a n d M u s l i m s ( 1 1 3 p e r c e n t ) reported the lowest prevalence of physical or mental h e a l t h c o n d i t i o n s , w e l l below the overall figure of 17 5 per cent for England and Wales The data showed that 31 8 per cent of people belonging to ‘other religion’ reported some kind of physical or mental health conditions or illnesses lasting or expected to last 12 months or more

Muslims are more likely t o l i v e i n o v e r c r o w d e d h o m e s – t h e i r b e d r o o m occupancy being the highest for any group They are followed by Hindus and Sikhs In contrast, those who identified themselves as having ‘ no religion’, Christians and Jews live in the least crowded homes

Education of level 4 or a b o v e i n c l u d e s H i g h e r National Certificate, Higher N a t i o n a l D i p l o m a , b a c h elor’s degree or postgraduate qualifications

Jews and Hindus have the highest proportion of ‘ m a n a g e r s , d i r e c t o r s o r senior officials’ and ‘professional occupations’, whereas B u d d h i s t s a n d M u s l i m s have the highest percentages of people working in elementary occupations

Stockport MP supports investigation against Khalistani vandalism

B r i ti s h I nd i a n N a v en d u Mis hra has urged the government to take action in light of the violent dis order a n d va n d al i s m t ha t t ook p la c e a g ai n s t th e I n d i an H i g h C om m i s s i on i n London Mishra also welcomed the investigation launched by the Metropolitan Police I n a l e t t e r t o t h e H i g h C o m m i s s i o n e r V i k r a m

media reporting and private channels are continuing to show normal life in P u n j a b H e a l s o a s s u r e d t h a t v i s i t o r s i n c l u d i n g those from the UK are safe in the state

David Rutley, in response t o w r i t t e n p a r l i a m e n t a r y q u e s t i o n s b y t h e L a b o u r f r o n t b e n c h e r C a t h e r i n e

West In 2018, the Foreign O f f i c e a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l d e v e l o p m e n t d e p a r t m e n t c o n d u c t e d 3 7 m i n i s t e r i a l trips to the region But by 2022, the number of minist e r i a l t r i p s h a d b e e n reduced to just 12 Also, the Foreign Office was unable t o v e r i f y 1 0 0 p e r c e n t exactly which heads of gove r n m e n t f r o m t h e A s i a / P a c i f i c r e g i o n w e r e both invited to and subsequently attended the state funeral of the Queen last year

Doraiswami, the Stockport MP expressed support for the diplomatic mission and condemned the behaviour “ T h e p r o t e s t t h a t t u r n e d into violence and vandalism was promoted on several social media platforms at least 24 hours beforehand and it is disappointing that the Home Office failed to ensure adequate protection A l l d i p l o m a t i c m i s s i o n s , diplomats, staff and families are protected under the V i e n n a C o n v e n t i o n T h e failure of the Home Office to fulfil this obligation must be addressed by the government urgently,” the letter w h i c h w a s s i g n e d b y s i x other lawmakers said

“The ability to particip a t e i n p e a c e f u l p r o t e s t ,

demonstrations and democratic debate is an important part of British tradition, but vandalism or violence against any person or institution is simply unacceptable ”

The lawmakers assured that they will continue to press the government to ensure protection for all diplomatic missions in Britain and respect international obligations

M P s M i k e A m e s b u r y ,

V i r e n d r a S h a r m a , T u l i p S i d d i q , G a r e t h T h o m a s ,

U n m e s h D e s a i A M a n d

Krupesh Hirani AM are cos i g n a t o r i e s i n t h e l e t t e r

Meanwhile, in a video message, Doraiswami said that there is no restriction on

“India has just hosted two different events in the holy city of Amritsar itself, one on education between March 15 and 17 and another on labour from March 19 to 20 Delegates from over 30 countries attended this,” t h e h i g h c o m m i s s i o n e r said This underlines the fact that the situation is for travel is normal, and that v i s i t o r s i n c l u d i n g t h o s e from the UK are safe Let me assure all our friends in the UK, especially brothers and sisters, with relatives in P u n j a b , t h a t t h e r e i s n o truth to sensationalist lies being circulated on social media ”

He also urged people to listen to detailed informat i o n i n c l u d i n g i n t e r v i e w s on television by the chief m i n i s t e r a n d t h e l o c a l police authorities and not believe the small handful of people putting out fiction and disinformation

Dheeraj Chadha: Cutting-Edge Hospitality

Sunetra Senior

Dheeraj is by no m eans an o rd inary businessm an He exp ertly merg es two prosperou s indu stries to u niquely stopper a co mmercial g ap T h u s, D C h ad h a Ho s p i tal i ty Consulting was bo rn ! Draw ing from his 24 years of leading experience in th e hospitality sector, the fo und er is no w at th e forefro nt of accomm odating luxury inno vation, supp lying topend cham bers, such as hotels, cruise ships, sp as and ev en possibly retirement hom es with th e latest in excellent leisurely tech The founder collaborates with a variety o f luxu ry lifestyle brand s to p ropel the concept of cutting -ed g e ho sp itality Th is inclu d es th e "g uest-centric" platform ing of creative, slick p rod ucts such as econom ical w ine coolers w hich only require fi v e ic e- c u be s by l abe l, H ie lo (ww w hieloglobal com ) and co mpact ye t s ty li s h y o g a- s tre tc h m a c h in e, Elasko ( www elasko co m), and the signa tu re c o nne ct i v i ty so l u ti o n, th e Media Hu b, from his prev ious employment(pictured)

***

"As soon as the digital boom happ e n e d , " D h e e r a j , w h o b e g a n h i s entrepreneurial journey in the late nineties, shared with us, "people wanted accessibility to their own devices

a p p ( w w w m y d i g i m e n u c o m ) , w h i c h cinematically accentuates the aesthetic appeal of respective dishes via a reel of tantalising captures, accompanying t h e w r i t t e n m e n u T h i s c a n b e accessed online "We are working with w h a t ' s a l r e a d y t h e r e t o u p s e l l a n d

UK Asian Film Festival set to celebrate its 25th anniversary

UK Asian Film Festival – the w o rld ’ s lo n g es t- ru n ni ng

South A sian film festiv al –has unv eiled its program me fo r its 25th-anniversary ed itio n R unni ng at v enu es ac ro s s L o n d o n, L e i ce st er and Glasgow from Thu rsday 4th – Sunday 14th May, UK

myriad dimensions of South Asian arts and culture

T h e 2 5 t h A n n i v e r s a r y C e l e b r a t i o n o f G o o d n e s s Gracious Me will take place on Monday 8th May, Beck Theatre, Hayes

Talking Life on Friday

please the customer " Dheeraj interestingly cites travel as the emotive impetus behind his diverse glowing empire, stating that "the glamourous hotels of Las Vegas have always been a fascinating source of inspiration: they r e a l l y d e m o n s t r a t e t h a t t h e p l a c e where one stays is often the vacation itself! I have myself been to Las Vegas in excess of 40 times " Indeed, what are the odds on that?

"I particularly love The V e n e t i a n - f a m o u s f o r i t s Gondola, complete with the m o c k - u p o f a E u r o p e a n canal! We actually deployed a broadband hub to the establ i s h m e n t b a c k i n t h e d a y which is still in use!" Boasting a cascade of huge hotels as his client-base, including The F o u r S e a s o n s , H i l t o n a n d

room service to paying your bill

What has been a highlight of the job?

Definitely the travel I had an office in Rio where I could see the famous Carnival from my window I have launched a couple of products to Brand Standard which means a hotel brand have to get these features e g , the wireless charger alarm clock What does a typical consultation look like?

Mostly, we are approached via exposure and word of mouth From this point, we are happy to dialogue in whatever way the customer sees fit Where in the world is the best market for hospitality?

Asian F ilm Festival is presented by Tongues on Fire and is sup ported by the BF I and A rts Co uncil England, both aw arding funds from the National Lottery, as w ell as s u p p o rt f ro m th e De p art m en t fo r Di g i ta l, Cu lture, M ed i a and Sp ort (DCM S) #HereforCultu re

T h e ‘ C e l e b r a t i n g O u r Stories’ theme of the festival’s silver jubilee year will present a curation of film s t o r i e s c e n t r i n g o n t h e British Asian experience –redefining and reimagining one ’ s roots and dreams in a foreign land – and will celebrate the individuality and uniqueness of trans generational, South Asian migrant stories

The Opening Gala will present the UK Premiere of S a n a a ( I n d i a , 2 0 2 2 ; D i r : Sudhanshu Saria; Language: Hindi with English subtitles) on Thursday 4th May, BFI Southbank

The London Premiere of Kamli (Pakistan, 2022; Dir: Sarmad Khoosat; Language: Urdu with English subtitles) takes place on Saturday 6th

M a r c h , R i c h M i x , Shoreditch

As part of the festival’s

L G B T Q s t r a n d , t h e U K

Premiere of Trans Kashmir

( I n d i a , 2 0 2 2 ; D i r s : S A

H a n a n , S u r b h i D e w a n ;

and content anywhere in the world The internet was obviously the main driving force In the advent of online streaming, we were one of the first to h e l p p r o v i d e s o l u t i o n s t o l i n k t h e guest to the big screen, working with the electronics company Philips: we sold hundreds and thousands of units so that vacationers across the globe could have the best possible experience from within their rooms " The novel networker's far-flung hospitality does not conclude there Dheeraj continues to source a plethora of everevolving superior inventions in his consultancy role at The Hospitality E d i t ( w w w h o s p i t a l i t y e d i t c o m ) t o enhance the experience of prestigious hospitality and, with it, recreative joy: from futuristic protein shakers to award-winning health supplements that tap into "the health and well-being sector "

He has also branched out i n t o r e v o l u t i o n i s i n g r e s t a urants, having launched in the U K , M y M e n u d i g i t a l

M a r r i o t t , D h e e r a j u n d e rscored his successful ethos: " h a v i n g t h e m o s t e x c i t i n g , useful features is what makes the customer happy – this is why they return " Not only then does Dheeraj procure quality comfort, but further proudly celebrates it: more than an impressive brand, he has developed a new, transcendent trade Finally, rather than c o l d l y d o m i n a t i n g , D C h a d h a Hospitality Consulting demonstrates how technology can awesomely serve Find out more at:

W: https://dchadha com

Tell us more on exactly how you have reinvented the hospitality sector?

It really is about regularly upgrading the experience of the interior e g I have a current vision of a wholly integrative app: imagine that you can control every aspect of your room through the use of just your phone: from closing the curtains to switching on and off the lights, ordering

Currently, Saudi Arabia! They are putting so much money into hotels e g ; we are working on getting into to t h e R e d S e a G l o b a l D e v e l o p m e n t there European hotel markets are still stagnant They will have to keep u p , e s p e c i a l l y f o l l o w i n g l o c k d o w n where hotel occupancy has dropped drastically They need a high level of facilities and product to wow guests in an immediate environment Do you plan to expand your unique brand of innovative hospitality further?

Yes I'd love to get into retail –getting quality comfort products for t h e h o m e i n t o b i g s h o p s s u c h a s Costco, Home Depot, B &Q Our p r o d u c t s a r e a l r e a d y a v a i l a b l e o n Amazon I love being ahead of the game and always presenting what's different

Did you have favourite gadgets or games when you were younger?

I loved Space Invaders back in the S e v e n t i e s I g r e w u p i n M a l a y s i a where the state of tech was a bit furt h e r b a c k t h a n i n t h e d e v e l o p i n g western world, but loved enjoyable inventions Nowadays, of course, you c a n n o t l i v e w i t h o u t t h i s I m a g i n e what you would do without your phone: it's got everything! "

L a n g u a g e : E n g l i s h a n d

Kashmiri Urdu with English s u b t i t l e s ) t a k e s p l a c e o n Sunday 7th May, Rich Mix, Shoreditch

The World Premiere of Whispers Of A Storm (India, 2 0 2 3 ; D i r : A m a r t y a

B h a t t a c h a r y y a ; L a n g u a g e :

Odia with English subtitles) takes place on Thursday 9th

M a y , S t r a t f o r d E a s t

Picturehouse

The World Premiere of Footprints On Water (India/

U K , 2 0 2 2 ; D i r : N a t h a l i a

S y a m ; L a n g u a g e : E n g l i s h ,

T a m i l , M a l a y a l a m , P o l i s h with English subtitles) takes place on Saturday 13th May, Kiln Theatre, London

T h e C l o s i n g F i l m o n

S a t u r d a y 1 3 t h M a y , K i l n

T h e a t r e , L o n d o n i s t h e

World Premiere of Bhagwan Bharose (India, 2023; Dir: Shiladitya Bora; Language: Hindi with English subtitles)

UK Asian Film Festival annually hosts an eclectic mix of films; a thought-provoking lecture series; audience workshops; live performances; visual arts exhibitions; masterclasses; and the a n n u a l S h o r t F i l m

Competition It celebrates the very best in films with a link to South Asia and the

1 2 t h M a y , T h e B r i t i s h Library will present Padma Bhushan recipient, screenw r i t e r , l y r i c i s t a n d p o e t , Javed Akhtar; and television p r o d u c e r a n d w r i t e r , N a s r e e n M u n n i K a b i r , bringing their conversational book to life in a freew h e e l i n g d i s c u s s i o n t h a t w i l l p r o v i d e i n s i g h t s i n t o the life and mind of a crea t i v e g e n i u s w h o s e w o r k continues to touch millions and the memories and anecdotes he has gathered along the way They will be joined b y A k h t a r ’ s w i f e , a w a r dw i n n i n g a c t o r S h a b a n a Azmi UK A sian Film F estiv al F ound er and Director, D r Pu sh pind er Ch owd hry MBE s a i d , “ W h e n w e s e t u p Tongues on Fire, we wanted t o c r e a t e a p l a t f o r m f o r t h o u g h t - p r o v o k i n g s t o r i e s that stimulate meaningful c o n v e r s a t i o n s , u n p a c k u n c o m f o r t a b l e t r u t h s a n d challenge patriarchy It fills us with great pride and joy to open our silver jubilee e d i t i o n a t N F T 1 B F I Southbank with a powerful screening of Sanaa This u n i q u e f i l m h a s a c o mpelling story that celebrates t h e j o u r n e y s o f a r f o r w o m e n ’ s i n d e p e n d e n c e S o u t h A s i a n w o m e n a r e f i n a l l y t a k i n g c o n t r o l t o make their own decisions, be it their careers, their bodies or their lives in a slowc h a n g i n g m a n ’ s w o r l d S a n a a c a r r i e s a b e a u t i f u l m e s s a g e o f s o l i d a r i t y a n d sisterhood to challenge generations of gender conditioning and the subtleties of modern misogyny ” UK A sian Film F estiv al C r ea ti v e D i re ct o r, S a m i r Bhamra said, “I’m ecstatic! W h a t a n h o n o u r t o h a v e been part of the Tongues on Fire UK Asian Film Festival journey! I started as a volunteer for the festival in 2002 a n d w a s m o v e d b y t h e astonishing drive and ambit i o n o f t h e f o u n d e r s , D r Pushpinder Chowdhry and H a r v i n d e r N a t h T h e y spearheaded an incredible film festival against all the o d d s t o s c r e e n p o w e r f u l South Asian stories to transform our communities Our b e l o v e d f e s t i v a l s t r i v e s t o highlight new perspectives and shines the spotlight on acclaimed filmmakers Our s i l v e r j u b i l e e c e l e b r a t i o n s are rolling out the red carpet to welcome you back with an incredible line up of rich experiences Join us for new d i s c o v e r i e s a n d f a n favourites at a cinema or theatre in London, Leicester or Scotland!”

DHEERAJ CHADHA

"The glamourous hotels of Las Vegas have always been a fascinating source of inspiration: they really demonstrate that the place where one stays is often the vacation itself! "

Statistics Authority says PM used inaccurate figures on backlog

The s tatistic s watc hdog has f ound that the prime minist e r us e d in c or r e c t f ig ur e s when c om pa ring the c urr ent a s yl um b a c k l og t o wh e n Labour was in power S i r R o b e r t C h o t e , t h e c h a i r o f t h e U K S t a t i s t i c s Authority, has written to the i m m i g r a t i o n m i n i s t e r , Robert Jenrick, to point out the inaccuracy “The statements by ministers that you asked about do not reflect the position shown by the H o m e O f f i c e ’ s s t a t i s t i c s I h a v e e n g a g e d w i t h t h e i r offices to bring this to their attention and share the UK Statistics Authority’s expectations for the use of official statistics and data in public debate,” the letter states

Chote wrote the letter in response to a complaint from Stephen Kinnock, the shado w i m m i g r a t i o n m i n i s t e r , about what he believed to be a factual inaccuracy by the prime minister referring to t h e a s y l u m b a c k l o g u n d e r Labour as much larger than t h e c u r r e n t g o v e r n m e n t b a c k l o g o f m o r e t h a n

160,000

Chote said the backlog stood at about 19,000 before Labour was voted out in the 2010 election

R i s h i S u n a k t o l d t h e House of Commons that the backlog was “half the size that it was when Labour was in office” during a debate on migration on 13 December

H e m a d e t h e r e m a r k s

when responding to Alison McGovern, a Labour MP who had argued the backlog was “ now 14 times bigger” than when her party left office

Sunak told her she neede d t o “ g e t h e r n u m b e r s right”

The same claim was used in the Commons by Jenrick and the safeguarding minister, Sarah Dines

T h e o r g a n i s a t i o n F u l l Fact has identified other fact u a l l y i n a c c u r a t e c l a i m s m a d e a b o u t i m m i g r a t i o n matters including the claim by the home secretary, Suella Braverman, that 100 million refugees could come to the UK and the claim that asylum seekers get £175 a week from the government

Indian Magistrate in Harrow appeals for more diversity on the bench

S onal Dav e, wh o lives in Harrow, has w orked as a m ag istrate for th e past 1 9 years, typically hearing cases at Willesd en M ag istrates’ C ourt

She said: “When I first joined the magistracy, I felt like there w e r e n ’ t m a n y p e o p l e who looked like me But now I go to court and I do –I see people of different ethn i c i t i e s , m a g i s t r a t e s w h o have disabilities It’s changing but it’s slow This is my personal opinion – I don’t think it’s changed enough

The Ministry of Justice says data from 2022 on the diversity of the current magistracy in London showed an increase in the number of people under 50 and people

f

r o m a n e t h n i c m i n o r i t y background volunteering to be magistrates compared to the previous year

Sonal believes there is still a lack of education and awareness about who can become a magistrate, and that the more that this happens, the more people will be encouraged to join the b e n c h N o w 5 4 , s h e s a i d when she was younger she

Global Recycling Foundation launches mission for Africa -

2030

T

reception, hosted by Lord Dholakia and attended by RT Hon Dame Eleanor Laing, Gagan Mohindra MP

n e v e r t h o u g h t s h e would be able to be a magistrate because she h a d a l w a y s a s s u m e d they had to be white, m a l e a n d e l d e r l y –“that’s what you saw on TV”

She felt she didn’t fit the mould for working i n t h e m a g i s t r a c y , a s s o m e o n e w h o h a d f l e d Uganda as a child after the expulsion of Asian people f r o m t h e c o u n t r y b y I d i Amin in 1972 But after she was persuaded to apply at an event for prospective school g o v e r n o r s , S o n a l w a s appointed in 2004

Sonal is now encouraging others, especially those from diverse backgrounds, to apply for the role

8-year-olds also being strip-searched by police

Ch il dren as you ng as eight are being strip-search ed by t he p olice, accor ding to a r ep o r t sh o wi ng "d ee p l y c o n c er n in g " an d "widespread" failu res I t a l s o f o u n d s o m e c h i l d r e n w e r e s t r i ps e a r c h e d i n t h e b a c k o f police vans, schools and f a s t - f o o d o u t l e t s T h e r e p o r t b y C h i l d r e n ' s C o m m i s s i o n e r D a m e

Rachel de Souza showed

2,847 children were stripsearched in England and Wales from 2018 to mid2022 The National Police Chiefs' Council will "caref ul l y co n s id e r" th e f i n dings

The Runnymede Trust, a r a c e e q u a l i t y c h a r i t y , s a i d : " O u r c h i l d r e n a r e being failed by the state institutions there to prot e c t t h e m " T h e r e p o r t found black children were up to six times more likely to be searched than the o v e r a l l c h i l d p o p u l a t i o n More than half (52%) of the searches took place without an appropriate adult

confirmed to be present - a legal requirement, except when there is serious risk to a child's life or welfare

A n d t h e d a t a s h o w s

51% of the searches led to no further action Dame Rachel requested data in the wake of the Child Q s c a n d a l , w h i c h c a m e t o light in March 2022 The case of the 15-year-oldstrip-searched at school by two female Metropolitan P o l i c e o f f i c e r s w h i l e o n her period and without an appropriate adult presentdrew national outrage It

The Green Economy has b e e n r e c o g n i s e d b y t h e African Union as crucial to e m p l o y m e n t , e c o n o m i c growth, peace and prosperity, supporting the goals of the African Union’s agenda 2063 GRF’s Africa programme for 2030 will focus on five key areas over this decade to

h e l p b u i l d a c o l l e c t i v e approach for Africa:

• G r o w t h o f r e c y c l i n g industries

• Education and sustain-

a b l e i n n o v a t i v e s o l utions

• Promoting the circular economy and the UN's

2 0 3 0 S u s t a i n a b l e

Development Goals

• Employment

• Health and well-being

R S B a x i , F o u n d i n g

President of GRF, said at the

launch, “Working together with our global partners we will strive to strengthen the G r e e n E c o n o m y o f A f r i c a helping to promote employment, economic growth, a C i r c u l a r E c o n o m y , h e a l t h and wellbeing by enhancing r e c y c l i n g a c r o s s s c h o o l s , c o m m u n i t i e s , t o w n s a n d cities across Africa Mr Baxi said “ The next 30 years are set to be years of rapid econ o m i c g r o w t h f o r A f r i c a Climate change, however, is a real and present issue with deforestation, drought, displaced population and rising sea levels set to impact rural and urban economies Now i s t h e t i m e f o r A f r i c a t o embrace solutions that tackl e t h e c l i m a t e e m e r g e n c y head-on, and Recycling is a critical part of the picture ” G l o b a l l e a d e r s f r o m I n t e r n a t i o n a l R e c y c l i n g a s s o c i a t i o n s – B I R f r o m Brussels, USA – ISRI, EURIC of Europe, BMRA from the UK & BMR from UAE were p r e s e n t t o s u p p o r t t h e launch

British honey sample fails test in EU

A d ul te rat io n o f h o ney with cheap su gar syrup h as b een e xp o s ed i n a ne w i nv es ti g at io n b y th e E u ro p e an C o m m i s s io n , wh ich found 46% of samp led pro d uc ts w ere su sp ected to be frau du lent Ten honey samp les from the U K all failed th e tests T h e y m ay h a v e b een b len d ed o r p a ck ag e d in B ri tai n , b u t t h e h o ney probably o riginated o verseas T h i s i s n o t t h e f i r s t time tests have suggested that UK shoppers may be b e i n g c h e a t e d o n t h e i r honey, though supermarkets say they regularly test h o n e y a n d a u d i t s u p p l y lines The government said t h i s w e e k e n d t h a t i t w a s investigating the results, but there was no risk to food safety Officials say no single t e s t c a n e s t a b l i s h h o n e y ’ s authenticity and research is continuing The EU’s antif r a u d o f f i c e ( O l a f ) s a i d :

“Such practices defraud consumers and put honest pro-

ducers in jeopardy as they f a c e u n f a i r c o m p e t i t i o n f r o m o p e r a t o r s w h o c a n slash prices thanks to illicit, cheap ingredients ”

The action was led by the European Commission’s d i r e c t o r a t e - g e n e r a l f o r health and food safety, collaborating with the 18 countries that are part of the EU food fraud network (which no longer includes the UK

since Brexit) It was also s u p p o r t e d b y t h e J o i n t Research Centre (JRC), the commission’s science and k n o w l e d g e s e r v i c e , a n d Olaf Investigators tested 320 samples and found 147 ( 4 6 % ) w e r e s u s p i c i o u s , where “at least one marker o f e x t r a n e o u s s u g a r sources was detected”

The report by the JRC said honey imported from the UK had a suspicion r a t e o f 1 0 0 % a n d “ t h i s c o u l d b e t h e r e s u l t o f honey produced in other countries and further processed in the UK before its re-export to the EU” In 2022, the UK imported more than 38,000 tonnes of honey f r o m i t s b i g g e s t s u p p l i e r , C h i n a , w h e r e t h e r e i s a known risk of adulteration with sugar syrup Country of o r i g i n l a b e l i n g i s n o t required for a blended produ c t f r o m m o r e t h a n o n e country, so many shoppers don’t know a cheap pot of honey probably originated in China

prompted Dame Rachel to r e q u e s t f i g u r e s f r o m Scotland Yard, which she found so concerning that she then asked all forces for comparable data

A s p o k e s p e r s o n s a i d : " W e t a k e t h e c o n c e r n s r a i s e d a b o u t c h i l d r e n ' s s a f e g u a r d i n g e x t r e m e l y s e r i o u s l y T h e I n d e p e n d e n t O f f i c e f o r Police Conduct is currentl y i n v e s t i g a t i n g s e v e r a l h i g h - p r o f i l e i n c i d e n t s o f s t r i p - s e a r c h o f c h i l d r e n

and it is vital that we await their findings "

One arrested in Leicester after religious ornament theft

A man has been arrested a fte r r el ig io u s o r na men ts we re s to le n f r o m a Le i c es t er bu si n e ss i n J a nu a ry , L ei c e s ter s h i re P olice i nfo rmed

Police said in a statement that it is looking to speak to anyone who has a n y i n f o r m a t i o n o n t h e whereabouts of the items s t o l e n f r o m a s h o p i n

L u n s f o r d R o a d ,

N o r t h f i e l d s , L e i c e s t e r

between 18 and 19 January

The 33-year-old man, who

was arrested on suspicion of burglary, in connection w i t h t h e i n c i d e n t i s s t i l l

being questioned by police

Recently, Leicestershire

Police released images of t h e s t o l e n i t e m s a s t h e force has not managed to t r a c k d o w n t h e i t e m s “ P o l i c e a r e a p p e a l i n g f o r the whereabouts of a numb e r o f o r n a m e n t s s t o l e n f r o m a b u s i n e s s i n L e i c e s t e r O v e r n i g h t

between 18 and 19 January,

a b u s i n e s s i n L u n s f o r d

Road was broken into, and f o u r r e l i g i o u s o r n a m e n t s were stolen,” Leicestershire

Police said in a statement

“As part of our investigation, a 33-year-old man has been arrested in suspic i o n o f b u r g l a r y a n d remains in police bail pendi n g f u r t h e r e n q u i r i e s I f anyone knows of the current whereabouts of these statues or have been offered similar items for sale, please contact police on 101 quoting 23000037027 ”

Left to Right: R S Baxi, Deputy High Comm of Uganda - Ambassador John L Mugerwa, Rt Hon The Lord Dholakia, Rt Hon Dame Eleanor Laing MP Viscount Waverley, Gagan Mohindra MP

Members of minority communities more susceptible to gambling harm, research reveals

Paramita Purakayastha

Ac cording to rec en t research b as ed on nationwide surveys

c ommi ssioned by

G amleAware in collaboration with Ipsos UK, and ClearView R es earc h, supported by the Un iversi ty of Manc hester, despite lower rates of participation i n gambli ng ( 31% in Minority groups

c ompared to 48% in W hite

B ri ti sh Majority groups), memb ers of Mi nority groups likely experience greater harm from gamblin g relative to members of White British majority groups (42 % versus 20%) of thos e who gamble The survey was conducted b etween 19 and 25 May 2022 via I psos ’ random online probability panel ( UK KnowledgePan el) with over 20,000 participants acros s the UK

GambleAware is the leading independent, grant-making charity commissioning prevention and treatment services across the UK in partnership with expert organisations and agencies, including the NHS Its services focus on three areas- commissioning the National Gambling Treatment Service, conducting public health campaigns for support and awareness on a national scale and providing practical support to local services, and commissioning research and evaluation to improve knowledge of what works in the prevention of gambling and gambling-related harms

The findings from the aforementioned research highlighted several structural factors demonstrated to be associated with higher levels of gambling harm These include income levels, social inequalities and experience of discrimination

Asian Voice spoke to Joe Wheeler, Research Manager at Ipsos, to get a better hold of the circumstances and implications of the research The reader should note here that the research did not include observations on gambling operators and law enforcement and how they view customers from Minority groups Joe, therefore, could not answer our questions on how the laws and regulations worked on people from Minority groups H ow aware are members of Minori ty c ommunities of the ri sks of gambling?

The data from this research suggests that Minority communities at risk of gambling harms are more likely to feel they would need more information, or further support in order to cut down on their gambling, but less likely to say they would know how to reduce their gambling if they needed to

Our wider programme of research has also shown there is little awareness of gambling-specific support within Minority communities Individuals from these communities are more likely to feel judged by society for gambling – which may in turn influence some people’s ability to discuss the risks of their gambling with others and get help W hy do members from Minority c ommunities take up gambling despite b ei ng aware of the ris ks?

Participants from Minority communities are more likely than the White British Majority to take up gambling as a coping mechanism There was a correlation seen in our research between having experience of systemic racism or discrimination and risks of gambling harm amongst Minority communities

We also saw a stronger correlation between low-income households and indicators of gambling harms amongst

The Hanuman Chalisa at Chinmaya Mission

‘ T h e H an u m an C h ali sa h as bro u g ht courag e and strength in some of m y h ardest mo ments of life,’ says optometrist Dr Priya Mo rjaria ‘ I r e m e m b e r g o i n g i n f o r m a j o r s u r g e r y a n d a s k i n g the consultant if he c o u l d k e e p t h e Hanuman Chalisa on i n t h e b a c k g r o u n d t h r o u g h o u t t h e surgery He told me afterwards it was one of the few times he had seen his team work so effortlessly and so in tune with one another ’

Minority communities, whereas this was not as much the case for the White British Majority This indicates there is a link between deprivation and gambling harms amongst Minority communities How exactly does gambling act as a c oping mechanism for those facing discrimin ation? Because it would seem counterintuitive, right?

Participants in our wider programme of research talk about how gambling can be a safe space, a distraction from everyday life and even how they feel a sense of community from certain gambling spaces where they can be free of judgement Are there influenc es at play at the community level, even if thos e communities are j udgemental? For instance, how likely are the gambling habi ts of n ear and dear ones to influence one ’ s decisi on to gam ble?

Our wider programme of research has shown that there is a clear link between gambling habits of family and friends and gambling-related harm to an individual Particularly this is seen with individuals who were brought up in an environment where gambling is commonplace Amongst certain communities, where gambling is not talked about openly, individuals were commonly suffering greater harm due to the barriers of seeking help or speaking to loved ones Wha t are the soc ial and fami li al im pa cts of gamb li ng?

Gambling is a far greater public health issue than is widely recognised Often when thinking of the harm people can experience from gambling, the focus is on the financial losses or relationship difficulties, but gambling harms can impact all areas of people’s lives, including mental and physical health, work and social life

Very often, people who are struggling with their gambling feel like they have little or no control This can lead to experiencing shame and lack of self-worth, but also guilt and remorse because of how their behaviour might be impacting others

Despite lower rates of participation in gambling (31% vs 48%), members of Minority groups are more likely to experience some form of harm from gambling relative to members of White British majority groups (42% vs 20%) of those who gamble

Could you tell us in some detail how exactly gambling support works?

For those experiencing more significant gambling-related harms, treatment is available This can be accessed through the National Gambling Treatment Services, which is commissioned by GambleAware It operates in partnership with expert organisations and agencies, including the NHS, and provides specialist treatment in Great Britain for gambling disorders, tailored to an individual’s needs and choices For more information, visit begambleaware org

The 40-verse prayer on the divine form of Lord Hanuman is believed to purify the body and mind of the person who chants it, as well as sparing them from everyday evils

I t i s t r a d i t i o n a l l y c h a n t e d 1 0 8 t i m e s o n

H a n u m a n J a y a n t i , t h e b i r t h d a y o f Hanumanji

‘I chant it in my head when things are hard at work to remind myself of what it means to truly lead and be brave when facing challenges,’ says Priya ‘Because Hanumanji himself was a great leader with humility and compassion ’

The Hanuman Chalisa verses date from t h e 1 6 t h c e n t u r y , b u t t h e i r p o w e r a n d p o p u l a r i t y a r e s t i l l g r o w i n g t o d a y O n e woman, who prefers to stay anonymous, says she derived great strength from it after years of feeling belittled by her in-laws ‘The words, ‘all the ghosts, demons and evil forces keep away, with the sheer mention of your great name Lord’, rang in my ears daily and I gradually came out of my mental hole,’ she says 'It inspired me to rebuild my life ’

While a business owner of customised

g i f t s , J i g n e s h G h a g h a d a s a y s h e b e g a n r e c i t i n g i t i n h i s t w e n t i e s w h e n g o i n g t h r o u g h a s t r e s s f u l t i m e , a t h i s m u m ’ s suggestion ‘I was pretty sceptical, but I was surprised to find that it started bringing me a l o t o f p e a c e , a l t h o u g h I d i d n t r e a l l y understand what I was saying ’

Over the years he memorised the words, e v e n t u a l l y s t u d y i n g t h e m e a n i n g ‘ T h e lessons hidden within are profound and have been instrumental in changing my mindset, the way I approach life, and in opening up my heart to devotion for the Lord ’

Like Priya, he will be celebrating this Hanuman Jayanti by chanting the Hanuman Chalisa at Chinmaya Kirti in Hendon, on Sunday 2nd April with many others, on a day filled with love, energy and devotion, ‘When we ’ re fortunate enough to sing it 108 times together, I find I am able to q u i e t e n t h e m i n d a n d m e d i t a t e o n t h e essence of the Hanuman Chalisa, and on the spirit and nature of Hanumanji And more often than not, I discover yet another hidden gem that fills my heart with joy ’

Hanuman Jayanti is held at Chinmaya Kirti, 2 Egerton Gardens, Hendon, NW4 4BA and is free to attend It takes place from 9am to 6pm and is followed by dinner prasad

A plethora of events to

C E L E B R A T E T H E G O L D E N J U

B I L E E

As a part of the ongoing Golden Jubilee celebration of Gujarat Samachar wide range of events are been organised You are cordially invited to be part of these celebratory events

Z O O M E V E N T O N W O M E N’S I D E O L O G Y

Top ic : Contribution, Achievement, Success and Issues of Gujarati women

Date : 16 April 2023, Sunday • Time: 4 pm (BST)

Co nv enors : Krishnaben Pujara, Kokilaben Patel, Jyotsnaben Shah, Pooja Raval, Hiral Shah, Mamata Tolia, Payal Patel, Rajni Liloriya

(To register for this Zoom event, email us at : g seditorial@abp lg roup com)

P A N E L D I S C U S S I O N

Prof Chandrakant Patel, will be travelling to London in the coming month Presently settled in America, he has served as a professor in Gujarat Vidyapith for 30 years He has authored more than 100 books and has travelled to numerous countries 20 years ago Prof Patel came to London at the invitation of Gujarat Samachar and published a book on British Gujarati During his visit, he is invited to speak at different locations across the UK

T opic : Contribution of Global Gujarati’s

E stimated Date : May, June and July

To p articipate in these discussions, contact CB Patel (Pu blisher & Edito r-in-Chief), at cb patel@ abplgroup com

G E E T-S A N G E E T S A B H A

Legendary Singer Mayaben Deepak is arriving in London and will be performing Geet Sangeet Sabha at various locations across London More information about these special musical programmes will be shared in the upcoming days

To participate in these modest effort to preserve our society tradition, language and values, contact CB. Patel (Publisher & Editor-in-Chief), at cb.patel@abplgroup.com.

Jigness Ghaghada Priya Morjaria

Dear Financia Voice Reader Alpesh Patel OBE

" ‘M y adv ice could not be m ore simp le: put 10% of the cash in short-term gov ernm ent bond s and 90 % in a very low-cost S&P 500 ind ex fund’ ( WA RREN BU FFETT) Is this g o od i nves tment ad v ic e? " [ Taken fro m an A ll S ou ls C ollege, Oxford University, Prize Fello wship Exam Pap er]

I personally prefer selecting out of 10,000 stocks the best most filtered 20-40 stocks for my pension and my son ’ s ISA

The investment advice offered by Warren Buffett to invest in a 90/10 split between low-cost S&P 500 index funds and short-term government bonds is a widely discussed investment strategy that has been the subject of much debate among investors and academics

On the one hand, proponents of this approach argue that investing in low-cost index funds is a highly efficient way to gain exposure to a diversified portfolio of highquality companies

Additionally, low-cost index funds tend to outperform many actively managed funds, which often have higher fees and transaction costs In addition, short-term government bonds provide a measure of stability and can help reduce overall portfolio risk

On the other hand, critics of this approach argue that investing solely in the S&P 500 index fund can lead to concentration risk, as the fund is weighted heavily towards the largest companies in the US stock market

Additionally, investing in bonds may not provide a sufficient level of return for some investors Furthermore, market conditions can vary significantly over time, and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results

Moreover, the choice of investment strategy is contingent on an individual's specific circumstances and investment objectives For instance, an individual with a longerterm investment horizon may be willing to take on greater risk in pursuit of higher returns

Alternatively, an individual with a shorter time horizon may prioritize capital preservation and focus on fixed income investments with a lower risk profile

Furthermore, the broader macroeconomic conditions can also influence the effectiveness of an investment strategy For example, the current interest-rate environment may make it challenging to generate meaningful returns from fixed income investments

From a more theoretical perspective, I would consider the fundamental principles that underpin effective investment strategies Diversification, asset allocation, and portfolio optimization are key factors in maximizing returns and minimizing risk

M o r e o v e r , a c o m p r e h e n s i v e i n v e s t m e n t s t r a t e g y should take into account an individual's specific circumstances, including their risk tolerance, investment goals, and time horizon

My students from my Campaign for a Million to teach a million people to be better investors use the Approved Filtered List to pick the strongest companies It’s a simple process worth adopting

Sunak paid over £1 mn in UK tax over last 3 years

Rishi Sunak paid more than £1 m in UK tax ov er the last three years, details of the pri me m i nister s financi al affairs sh ow

The UK tax was paid on earnings of more than £4 7 mn from income and a USb a s e d i n v e s t m e n t f u n d Sunak first said he would publish a tax return during his unsuccessful campaign to be Tory leader last year He faced calls to be transparent about his finances after it emerged his wife, Akshata Murty, had nondom status

The tax details came as

M P s q u e s t i o n e d f o r m e r P r i m e M i n i s t e r B o r i s Johnson over whether he m i s l e d P a r l i a m e n t o v e r Partygate Sunak is thought to be one of the richest MPs in Parliament and his personal wealth is something o p p o s i t i o n p a r t i e s h a v e o f t e n u s e d a s a p o l i t i c a l attack line

T h e P M w o r k e d i n finance before entering politics and he and his family are thought to own several p r o p e r t i e s , i n c l u d i n g a G r a d e I I - l i s t e d m a n o r h o u s e i n h i s N o r t h Yorkshire constituency In

Winding-up petition for steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta’s company

A ro w invo lv ing th e steel tyco on Sanjeev Gupta and o ne o f h i s b i g g es t U K cu s to m e rs h as d ee p en ed aft er a d m i ni s tr ato r s launch ed a bid to w ind up a co m p a ny h e bo u g h t j u s t weeks ago

I t i s l e a r n t t h a t insolvency practitioners at A l v a r e z & M a r s a l ( A & M ) h a v e f i l e d a w i n d i n g - u p p e t i t i o n a g a i n s t A a r t e e G r o u p H o l d i n g s L i m i t e d a n d a n a p p l i c a t i o n t o b e appointed as administrator t o A a r t e e S t e e l G r o u p L i m i t e d B o t h c o m p a n i e s were acquired last month by G u p t a ' s G F G A l l i a n c e conglomerate, which trades u n d e r n a m e s i n c l u d i n g Liberty Steel in the UK

The two entities owned b y G u p t a ' s g r o u p o w e Aartee Bright Bar - which itself is in an administration process being run by A&Ma total of nearly £14 mn, according to reports Staff at A a r t e e B r i g h t B a r w e r e

b r i e f e d o n t h e l a t e s t developments several days a g o , a c c o r d i n g t o o n e employee

Gupta's group supplies s t e e l p r o d u c t s t o A a r t e e g r o u p c o m p a n i e s , a n d claims to have formulated a r e s c u e p l a n t h a t w o u l d preserve hundreds of steel i n d u s t r y j o b s A & M h a s already told Aartee Bright B a r e m p l o y e e s t h a t t h e r e was a realistic prospect that its creditors would be repaid in full if the £13 7 mn debt o w e d b y t h e G F G - o w n e d companies is repaid

A a r t e e B r i g h t B a r employs about 250 people in the West Midlands, Rugby, Bolton, Southampton and Newport Gupta is reported to have close ties to Ravi T r e h a n , A a r t e e ' s f o u n d e r , while Greensill Capital, the controversial supply chain finance group which itself collapsed in 2021, is said to have financed a number of trades between the two

the last financial year alone, 2021-2022, the prime minister earned more than £1 9 mn in i n c o m e a n d c a p i t a l gains, according to the records

Sunak - who has previously worked as a n a n a l y s t f o r t h e i n v e s t m e n t b a n k , Goldman Sachs - has acknowledged that his investments are kept in a f i n a n c i a l a r r a n g e m e n t known as a blind trust In February, in an interview w i t h T a l k T V p r e s e n t e r Piers Morgan, he was asked

Rishi Sunak

w h e t h e r i t w a s r i g h t f o r p r i m e m i n i s t e r s t o h a v e blind trusts Sunak said: "I t h i n k t h a t ' s b e t t e r t h a n them having control over them "

UK banks made £7 bn in extra profit from rise in borrowing costs

Britai n ’ s biggest b anks are under pressure to pass on hi g he r i n te r es t r a te s t o savers after fi gures showing they have made an extra £7 bn by refusing to do so, and as t he y s ta n d t o b en e f i t from a tax c ut announced by Jeremy Hunt

The Unite trade union s a i d b a n k s h a d a l r e a d y made billions of pounds in e x t r a p r o f i t f r o m t h e dramatic rise in borrowing costs Banks make money by charging higher interest o n l o a n s t h a n d e p o s i t s , using the central bank base rate as the reference point However, the industry has c o m e u n d e r f i r e f r o m a c r o s s t h e p o l i t i c a l spectrum for passing on the rise to borrowers amid the c o s t o f l i v i n g c r i s i s a t a faster rate than for savers Stepping up the pressure on the banking industry, the p o w e r f u l T r e a s u r y committee of MPs said it w a s w r i t i n g t o t h e C i t y w a t c h d o g , t h e F i n a n c i a l C o n d u c t A u t h o r i t y , t o suggest it should look at the issue Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds B a n k i n g G r o u p a n d

N a t W e s t G r o u p w e r e forced last month to defend rates of less than 1 3% on t h e i r e a s y - a c c e s s s a v i n g s accounts, despite the Bank of England base rate rising to 4% According to analysis of bank profits made in the s e c o n d h a l f o f 2 0 2 2 b y Unite, the lenders recorded a n e x t r a £ 7 b n o f n e t i n t e r e s t i n c o m e w h e n c o m p a r e d t o t h e s a m e period in 2019, before the C o v i d p a n d e m i c s t r u c k , when the Bank’s base rate remained close to zero I t c o m e s a s t h e U K ’ s biggest lenders are expected to benefit from a tax change included in the chancellor’s b u d g e t l a s t w e e k F r o m April, the government will reduce a surcharge on bank p r o f i t s f r o m 8 % t o 3 % , h e l p i n g t o s o f t e n a n i n c r e a s e i n t h e h e a d l i n e rate of corporation tax from 19% to 25% Campaigners had urged the chancellor to retain the surcharge at the same level as rising interest rates help them to rake in “windfall profits”, in a move that could have brought in m o r e t h a n £ 1 b n f o r t h e exchequer

T h e b o s s o f Br it i sh Ga so wner C entrica w ill receiv e bonuses worth £ 3 7m after the firm posted record pro fits in 2022

Chris O'Shea, who has refused bonuses for the past three years, will also get a £790,000 salary It comes as m i l l i o n s s t r u g g l e t o p a y energy bills and after debt agents for the firm broke i n t o v u l n e r a b l e p e o p l e ' s h o m e s t o f i t p r e p a y m e n t m e t e r s T h e f i r m s a i d

O'Shea had delivered "shareholder value" and navigated " r e g u l a t o r y a n d p o l i t i c a l issues" Centrica's profits for 2022 hit £3 3bn after oil and

gas prices jumped following Russia's invasion of Ukraine

The figures, published in February, have sparked calls for energy firms to pay more tax as people are hit by surging bills At the time O'Shea said it was "too early to have a conversation" about any

potential bonus But in its annual report, Centrica said it needed to pay bonuses to attract and retain leaders

M o s t o f C e n t r i c a ' s bumper profits in 2022 came from its nuclear and oil and gas business, rather than its British Gas retails arm Due t o c o m p e t i t i o n r u l e s , Centrica cannot sell its own gas at a discount to British G a s c u s t o m e r s C e n t r i c a paid £1bn in tax on its profits and of that, £54m was a result of the windfall taxc a l l e d t h e E n e r g y P r o f i t s Levy - which was introduced by the government last year T h e t a x i s d e s i g n e d t o

t r a d i t i o n a l l y c o m e i n f r o m t h e f o l l o w i n g Monday, which this year i s A p r i l 1 0 C l a i m a n t s s h o u l d s e e t h e h i g h e r amounts in the first paym e n t t h a t a r r i v e s a f t

recoup some of the extraord i n a r y " e a r n i n g s m a d e b y f i r m s r e c e n t l y a n d h e l p lower energy bills for househ o l d s T h e g o v e r n m e n t ' s windfall tax only applies to profits made from extracting UK oil and gas The current rate is 35%, but energy firms pay an additional 30% i n c o r p o r a t i o n t a x a n d a s u p p l e m e n t a r y 1 0 % r a t e , t a k i n g t h e t o t a l t o 7 5 % H o w e v e r , c o m p a n i e s c a n reduce the amount of tax paid by factoring in losses or investments It has meant in recent years, the likes of BP and Shell have paid little or no UK tax

A l l a r e w e e k l y r a t e s unless otherwise stated Some benefits are paid by the Department for Work and Pensions and others by HMRC A full list of amounts has been published

Bank of England again raises interest rates

Th e B an k o f E n gl a n d recently followed the US Feder al R eser ve an d t he Sw i ss Na t i on a l B an k i n pl o ug hi ng on w i t h int er est rates hikes, saying the U K banking sector was st r on g en o ugh t o wit hst and the ins tab ilit y t ha t r i pp l ed t hr oug h markets this month The U K c en t r al b an k r a is e d r at es b y 25 b as is poin t s (1 00 b ps = 1 pe r c e n t ag e point ) t o 4 25%

Relentless rate hikes to rein in inflation are among f a c t o r s b l a m e d f o r t h e w o r s t b a n k i n g s e c t o r

s t r e s s s i n c e t h e 2 0 0 8 f i n a n c i a l c r i s i s a n d investors had questioned whether the central banks c o u l d p r e s s o n w i t h tightening policy

W h i l e r e c e n t m a r k e t j i t t e r s h a v e e a s e d , t h e y have prompted investors t o a d j u s t t o m o r e challenging economic and lending conditions ahead The index of top European b a n k s w a s d o w n 1 7 %

Earlier, the Swiss National Bank raised its benchmark interest rate by 50 bps and s a i d C r e d i t S u i s s e ’ s takeover by its Swiss rival U B S h a d a v e r t e d a financial disaster

Asian policymakers are a l s o s e e k i n g t o c a l m investor nerves about AT1 b o n d s b u t t h e o n g o i n g turbulence is likely to keep a lid on fresh debt sales N o r w a y ’ s c e n t r a l b a n k r a i s e d i t s b e n c h m a r k interest rate by 25 bps to

rein

inflation

As millions struggle to pay energy bills, Centrica boss walks away with huge bonuses

Chris O'Shea

Ambani pips Adani as richest Indian- Hurun

According to the 2023 M3M H urun World Rich List, M ukesh Ambani has s ur pa s s e d G au ta m A d a ni t o o n c e again take the title of riches t Indian

His net worth is $82 billi on Ambani is currently the only Indian in the top 10 globally

Previously, Ambani had been in charge for a decade straight A Hurun wealthy list had reported that Adani has surpassed Ambani to become the richest man in India for the first time in September 2022

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e H u r u n calculations, Adani’s wealth dropped

Nothing ventured nothing gained

by $28 billion to $53 billion, which led t o h i m l o s i n g t h e s e c o n d - r i c h e s t

A s i a n t i t l e t o C h i n a ’ s Z h o n g

S h a n s h a n T h e l o s s o f w e a l t h followed a crash in share prices of group companies after US shortseller Hindenburg’s report was published on January 24 Prior to the study, Adani temporarily had the secondrichest position in the world The wealth of every billionaire on the top

1 0 l i s t d e c r e a s e d J e f f B e z o s , t h e founder of Amazon, saw his net worth fall by $70 billion to $118 billion Bezos suffered more losses than Adani and

Ambani combined

According to the list, the world has lost five billionaires every week s i n c e l a s t y e a r T h e n u m b e r o f billionaires globally has declined by 269 to 3,112 This is only the second time in the last 10 years that the n u m b e r h a s d e c l i n e d f r o m t h e previous year

Adani group shares drop on reports of EPFO exposure

I t was a day of strong selli ng i n Adani Group stoc ks with all the 10 companies in its fold closi ng deep in the red The fall was mainly on the b a c k of r e po rt s t ha t t he s ubsc ri bers to governmentrun pensi on funds are also f a c i n g l os s e s d ue to t he fund managers ’ exposure to A d a ni E n te r pr i s e s a n d Adani Ports & SE Z E m p l o y e e s ’ P r o v i d e n t Fund Organisation (EPFO) is the third public entity to be pulled into controversy f o r i t s e x p o s u r e t o t h e A d a n i G r o u p L i f e i n s u r a n c e m a j o r L I C a n d banking giant SBI are the

other two

Since the publication of the report on January 24, A d a n i G r o u p ’ s s t o c k h a s been plummeting with its mcap now less than half of its pre-Hindenburg level of

£ 1 9 2 b i l l i o n , B S E d a t a s h o w e d I n M o n d a y ’ s market, Adani Power, Adani T r a n s m i s s i o n , A d a n i W i l m a r a n d A d a n i T o t a l Gas, all closed at their 5% l o w e r c i r c u i t l e v e l w h i l e

N D T V a n d A d a n i G r e e n Energy lost around 4 5% each Adani Ports lost 1 4% while group flagship Adani E n t e r p r i s e s a n d t h e t w o c e m e n t m a n u f a c t u r e r sACC and Ambuja Cementslost between 0 5% and 1%

The day’s slide left Adani s h a r e h o l d e r s p o o r e r b y £2 99 billion at £49 4 billion

A d a n i b u y s 4 9 % i n Q u i n t i l l i o n B u s i n e s s : G a u t a m A d a n i ’ s A M G M e d i a N e t w o r k s h a s b o u g h t a 4 9 % s t a k e i n Raghav Bahl-curated digital b u s i n e s s n e w s p l a t f o r m

Quintillion Business Media for about £4 8 million

CEA

T ata Grou p is considering inves ting an additional $2 billion i n its su per ap p project as th e salt-to -software giant lo oks to strength en its digital o perations, s ources said T ata Digital

P vt will receive th e additional funding over two years sh ou ld a deal proceed, the p eo ple said T he fresh cap ital co uld h elp online p latform T ata Neu, which went live last A p ri l, t o s tren gth en i ts di gi tal o f fer in gs , fi x tec h n ic al glitch es and meet any new sp ending needs, one o f the p eople said

The sources claimed that Tata Group had urged Tata Digital to seek ways to increase the valuation of the super app The conglomerate may yet alter the size and timing of a deal, according to the sources, who said discussions are still in progress Any further funding would come at a time when Tata Digital is reevaluating its strategy and battling established e-commerce competitors like Amazon com Inc a n d W a l m a r t I n c ' s F l i p k a r t M o d e l l e d a f t e r C h i n a ' s ubiquitous Alipay and WeChat, Tata Neu was India's first super app since at least mid-2020 but rapidly encountered technical issues and user concerns

No plan to buy stake in Indian airline: Emirates

T he largest fo reign airline in Ind ia, Emirates, h as decid ed against investing in a dom estic carrier as a means of g aining furth er market access because Ind ia h as so far refused to g rant Dubai's request for an ad ditional 50 ,00 0 weekly seats Em irates president Tim Clark, 73 said, “there is a jaundiced v iew to buying an airline in India in terms of being seen as a T rojan Horse w ay for access ”

The Indian economy is doing extremely well, and more Indians are travelling to Dubai for a variety of reasons, according to Clark, who was in Delhi to attend the CAPA Conference “The answer (to not getting more bilaterals) is not to buy or get involved in another carrier (in India) The answer is to try and explain to the (Indian) government there is a need to increase air access ”

Almost 65% of all flights of Indian carriers into the UAE go to Dubai, which is 344 flights per week “Dubai is one of the, if not the, biggest external market for Indian markets Indian carriers realise Dubai is a hugely profitable and potent market If you don’t expand the capacity, the losers will be the people who want to go there, the Indian citizens (Indian) carriers will lose $800-900 million worth of income every year by not taking that growth up to what we think it should be today,” he said

In fl at io n i s a n t i c i pa t ed t o de c l in e , a c c o r d in g t o c h i e f eco nomic advi ser V Ana nt ha Nageswar an, r eiterat ing what the Eco no mic Survey predict ed earlier t his year

“Given that food prices and international commodity prices are coming down, the RBI expects inflation rate to f a l l b e l o w 6 % a n d h e a d towards 4% by the end of the n e x t f i n a n c i a l y e a r ( F Y 2 4 ) Trade deficit has also shrunk in the last several months,” h e a d d e d T h e C E A w a s speaking during the launch of t h e 2 n d G 2 0 F r a m e w o r k Working Group (FWG) of the finance track to be held in Chennai

Nageswaran added that a number of private groups and analysts now predict that the current account deficit (CAD)

will be between 2% and 4% of GDP in FY23 before falling e v e n l o w e r t o 1 % i n t h e following year “With global crude oil prices also coming down, the external situation f o r t h e c o u n t r y i s q u i t e stable,” he said Some of the important topics that will be covered during the 2nd FWG i n C h e n n a i i n c l u d e t h e m a c r o e c o n o m i c e f f e c t s o f g l o b a l f o o d a n d e n e r g y insecurity, the cost of climate change, and the best means to make the switch to renewable e n e r g y “ W e w i l l f o c u s o n sharing country experiences on these issues and discuss how these discussions can be u s e f u l t o t h e G 2 0 f i n a n c e ministers and central bank governors who are set to meet in Washington DC in April,” Nageswaran said

Licences of 18 pharma companies cancelled for making specious drugs

Lice nce s of a s ma ny a s 18 pha r ma cor por ati ons hav e b ee n cancelled for production spurious drugs after an inspection with the ai d of using the Drugs Contr oller Gener al of India ( DCGI) The cir culate comes after the drug regulator performe d inspection on 76 corporations in 20 sta tes T he name of the companies are not yet known " Licences of 1 8 pha rma companies hav e b een cancelled for ma n uf ac tur i ng spur i ou s an d a du lte r a te d dr ugs a n d fo r viola ting GMP ( good manufacturi ng pr actice) Be si de s, 26 firms hav e bee n given show -cause notices," an official source sai d

The sources said that as part of the special drive, the r e g u l a t o r s h a v e i d e n t i f i e d 2 0 3 f i r m s A m a j o r i t y o f t h e

companies are from Himachal Pradesh (70), followed by Uttarakhand (45) and Madhya Pradesh (23) Recently, questions have been raised about the quality of medicines manufactured by Indian companies In February, Tamil Nadu-based Global Pharma Healthcare recalled all eye drops allegedly linked to vision loss in the United States Before that, Indian cough medicines were allegedly linked to the deaths of children in Gambia and Uzbekistan last year

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

A contact of mine purchased a place of w orsh ip classified under usag e F It was in North West London Not a p arti cularly attrac ti v e bui ldi ng, tw o s tories, w ith no outside space, bar a co uple of car parking spots, in a not so attractiv e location, a residential road with lim ited street p arking

The property failed to sell at auction, for the nth time It was a receivership sale, hence the receivers were likely getting more and more desperate

He purchased the property for £750K, not having a plan, or knowing exactly what he was going to do with the building; it was just that it seemed a lot of square foot (at nearly 4,500) for the amount he was paying, so he took a punt

On visiting the property he came across the previous owner, a Christian Pastor, who was understandably furious at having lost his place of worship, and likely livelihood He went so far as to occupy the building, and then proceed to file a claim with the land registry

I advised my contact to enter the building, when vacant, and take possession, by leaving a guardian in the property, thereby short circuiting a lengthy and expensive legal process This was executed and the building was secured However, the legal challenge which was lodged with the land registry remained Surprisingly, this was accepted as a potential valid claim Therefore, this had to go through due legal process to be resolved This issue had implications in regards to the funding element of the purchase, the lender could not get a clean title to lend upon, which had a severe impact on the buyer

In the interim, several religious groups approached him to purchase the site Various denominations, from Christians to Muslims, all were desperate to purchase a site, money was not an issue By playing one against the other, the price started rising higher and higher

Though these religious organisations were flush with funds, they were unable to gear up to purchase the property under an auction contract They presumably needed more time to line themselves up They probably operate by committee as well as having the compliance of being a charity These hurdles prevented them from purchasing the site via auction

By playing one against the other he managed to achieve a sales price of £1 7M As the legal issue was still on going the deal was structured so that the incoming purchaser would rent the property and when the issue had been resolved, the sale would be executed

I t t r a n s p i r e d t h e i n c o m i n g p u r c h a s e r s w e r e a n

I n d o n e s i a n M u s l i m o r g a n i s a t i o n C o i n c i d e n t a l l y , I happened to have close connections with members in this organisation

Overall, this was a very interesting experience for the buyer; a lot of learning and some major speed humps –but nothing ventured nothing gained

This has inspired him to purchase another place of worship, which we are in the midst of securing for him Hopefully this time without the unnecessary legal issue

Sebi recovers pending dues from Sahara group, its chief

Mar ket s r egulat or Sebi sta te d that it has re cove re d pend ing d ue s w or t h £ 6 5 7, 0 0 0 fr o m S a h a r a I n d i a R e a l E st a t e Corpor ation , its chie f Subr at a Roy , and ot her s in t he case relat ed t o d isr ega rd nor ms in issuance of optiona lly fully con ver tible d ebe nt ur es

"In view of the payment of the amount of £657,000 due u n d e r t h e c e r t i f i c a t e , t h e s a i d c e r t i f i c a t e i s h e r e b y

completed," the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said in its recovery order The amount included interest and other charges The regulator in December ordered the attachment of bank and demat accounts of Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (now known as Sahara Commodity Services Corporation), Subrata Roy, Ashok Roy Choudhary, Ravi Shanker Dubey and Vandana Bharrgava to recover £642,000 for violating regulatory norms in the issuance of OFCDs (Optionally Fully Convertible Debentures)

The amount included interest, all costs, charges and expenses The recovery proceedings were initiated against these entities after they failed to pay £600,000 fine imposed on them by Sebi in June 2022

The case relates to the issuance of OFCDs by Sahara India Real Estate Corporation and Sahara Housing Investment Corporation during 2008-09 The companies raised money through the public issue of securities by issuing OFCDs without following the various procedures intended to protect the interest of the investors, in respect of public issues, prescribed under the norms

Tatas mull injecting $2 bn into its super-app venture

Mukesh Ambani & Gautam Adani

Inflation to drop as commodity, food prices fall, says

Gandhi statue defaced with pro-Khalistan graffiti in Ontario

T O R O NT O : In t he lat est in a ser ies of such inciden ts, a stat ue of Ma hat ma Gan dhi in Ca na da h a s b e e n d e fa ce d a n d s pr a y pa in te d wit h pro-Khalist an a nd a nti-India g raffiti

The vandalism took place close to the City Hall in the O n t a r i o t o w n o f H a m i l t o n

Since 2012, there has been a statue of the Mahatma there

A video of the vandalism shows the six-foot-tall bronze monument, which the Indian government had donated, being soaked in paint and having graf-

fiti inscribed around its base, including insults to Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi

The statue's walking stick has a flag of Khalistan flying on it as well

The vandalism was discovered in early morning and city authorities worked quickly to clean the statue and the graffiti Hamilton Police confirmed to the media that they received a complaint in this regard and were investigating I t w a s t h e f o u r t h s u c h occurrence of that sort in a span

of eight months when a Hindu temple in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) was vandalised with a n t i - I n d i a a n d p r o - K h a l i s t a n graffiti spray painted on its back wall in February The Shri Ram Temple in Mississauga, in the Greater Toronto Area, was the focus of the vandalism

On January 30, the Gauri Shankar Mandir in Brampton was similarly desecrated Prior to that, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, located at the Vishnu Mandir in Richmond Hill, was defaced in July last year The 20-

in brief

INDIAN ORIGIN MAY BECOME DEPUTY CHIEF OF US FINANCE AGENCY

foot tall bronze statue was situated in the temple’s Peace Park

Weeks later, in September, an episode of such vandalisation occurred at the front entrance to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto

Bid to target India mission in Washington thwarted

W A S H I N G T O N : K h a li s t a n s u p po r t e r s a t t e m p t e d t o st i r v iole nce in front of the Ind ian e m ba s sy i n W a sh i n g t o n , bu t p rompt action by the US Secr et S erv ice an d loca l police st opped a r epe at of the mission 's dama ge in San Fra ncisco a nd Lond on S e p a r a t i s t S i k h s , w h o gathered outside the embassy, h u r l e d a b u s i v e l a n g u a g e a n d o p e n l y t h r e a t e n e d I n d i a n ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu Sandhu was not in the embassy at the time of the

protest A senior journalist, who was at the scene, was also physically a s s a u l t e d b y K h a l i s t a n s u p p o r t e r s , d r a w i n g a s t r o n g reaction from the Indian mission w h i c h s a i d s u c h a c t i v i t i e s underscore the violent and antis o c i a l t e n d e n c i e s o f t h e s e separatists P r o - K h a l i s t a n p r o t e s t e r s kept interrupting the reporter by standing in front of the camera a n d c o v e r i n g h i s f a c e T h e y continued to shove him, scream

China doubtful about supporting Ajay Banga to head World Bank

B E I J I N G : C h i na s o u nd e d d oubtful about backing IndianA merican bu siness leader A jay Bang a to lead the Wo rld Bank, saying it is “ open ” to su pporting “ o t h er p o t en ti al ca nd i d a tes ” based o n merit

According to reports from Washington, 63-year-old Banga, who has been nominated by US President Joe Biden to lead the Bank, is scheduled to travel to C h i n a t o m e e t w i t h P e o p l e ' s Bank of China officials and ask for Beijing's endorsement of his candidature

Asked whether China will b a c k B a n g a , C h i n e s e f o r e i g n m i n i s t r y s p o k e s m a n W a n g Wenbin told a media briefing in Beijing that “ we have noted the candidate nominated by the US s i d e a n d a r e o p e n t o o t h e r potential candidates”

He said the World Bank is the most influential multilateral

development institution in the w o r l d a n d i s o f s y s t e m i c i m p o r t a n c e t o g l o b a l p o v e r t y reduction and development “As a m a j o r s h a r e h o l d e r o f t h e World Bank, China stands ready to work with all parties for an o p e n , t r a n s p a r e n t a n d m e r i tb a s e d p r e s i d e n t i a l s e l e c t i o n process, ” he said B a n g a i s a n I n d i a nAmerican business leader who has been nominated by the US t o h e a d t h e W o r l d B a n k , according to Biden, who stated l a s t m o n t h t h a t " t h i s c r i t i c a l moment in history" makes him the ideal candidate to do so Banga would be the first IndianAmerican and Sikh-American to lead either of the two leading i n t e r n a t i o n a l f i n a n c i a l organizations, the IMF or the World Bank, if he were to be confirmed by the World Bank board of directors

a t h i m , a n d s c a r e h i m w i t h severe repercussions The Secret Service and police d e p l o y e d a d d i t i o n a l r e s o u r c e s a n d c a l l e d i n r e i n f o r c e m e n t s when they saw that things might get out of hand In front of the embassy, at least three police v a n s w e r e p o s i t i o n e d F i v e demonstrators were on the verge o f b r e a k i n g i n t o e m b a s s y p r e m i s e s a t o n e p o i n t b e f o r e they were asked to leave A large number of IndianAmerican community members

held a peace rally in support of India in front of its consulate in S a n F r a n c i s c o t h a t w a s v a n d a l i s e d b y s e p a r a t i s t S i k h s early this week A group of proK h a l i s t a n p r o t e s t e r s a t t a c k e d a n d d a m a g e d t h e I n d i a n C o n s u l a t e i n S a n F r a n c i s c o R a i s i n g p r o - K h a l i s t a n s l o g a n s , the protesters broke open the m a k e s h i f t s e c u r i t y b a r r i e r s r a i s e d b y t h e c i t y p o l i c e a n d installed two so-called Khalistani f l a g s i n s i d e t h e C o n s u l a t e premises

Nepal omits Kalapani villages from census report

P IT HOR A GA RH: The Kalapani area's data was includ ed in th e p rel i m i nar y c ens u s rep o r t, which was publish ed in Janu ary 20 22, however it is missing from the recently released final census rep ort of Nepal T he information relates to the Ind ian territory-based Kalap ani villages of Ku ti, Gu nji, and Nab i, w hi ch Nepal h as long claim ed as its ow n T h e th ree Ka lap ani v illages' statistics are absent from the final repo rt th at was pu blished

Sources from across the border said that the preliminary report was based on estimation taken from the Indian census figures of 2011, but the actual count could not be done since census officials could not physically go to these villages located in Indian territory

N a b i n S h r e s t h a , d e p u t y chief statistics officer of Nepal, was quoted in Nepalese media outlets as saying, “We could not

US man who gave gun to kill Sikh grocer jailed for 18 months

NEW Y OR K: A 22-ye ar-ol d Ame rican has b een senten ced to 18 months in prison foll owed by 36 mon ths of super vised rele ase for sel ling a stolen ha ndgun to a teena ger who used it to k il l an Indian-origin Sikh groce r in 2021

When Antonio Gianny Garcia, then 15, entered Super Grocery on February 28, 2021, and mortally shot 65-year-old Satnam Singh from Punjab The gun was provided by Taydon Tailor Law, 22, of Ogden which was a Ruger LC9, 9mm gun

According to the Standard Examiner, Law entered into a plea agreement with the US District Court last year and admitted to being a felon in custody of a firearm, an offence that carries a five-year prison sentence as the maximum penalty Law stole the Ruger and ammunition from a home where he was working, according to the US Attorney's Office "The US Attorney's Office for the District of Utah will continue to prosecute cases where individuals illegally possess and transfer firearms putting our citizens at risk," US Attorney Trina A Higgins, said in a statement Garcia, who took Law's gun, admitted guilt to two first-degree felonies in connection with the killing and is now incarcerated on two separate terms ranging from five years to life Punjab-born Singh immigrated to the US in 1987, and purchased the Super Grocery in 2000 The robbery and subsequent killing shook Singh's family who is survived by wife and three daughters

reach these regions due to nonc o o p e r a t i o n f r o m I n d i a n a u t h o r i t i e s B u t w e h a v e assessed that the total number of people in these regions is under 500 We didn’t include the population of this region in the final report as verification was difficult ”

Reacting to Nepal’s attempts to include the Kalapani villages’ d a t a i n i t s c e n s u s , K u n w a r Singh, a resident of Kuti, told media, “Kuti, Gunji and Nabi are and will remain Indian villages What has the Nepalese census got to do with us?”

In May 2020, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh opened the Lipulekh road to connect to t h e K a i l a s h M a n s a r o v a r y a t r a r o u t e t h a t t r a v e l s t h r o u g h Pithoragarh, which caused the problem to worsen Nepal had v e h e m e n t l y o b j e c t e d t o t h i s , c l a i m i n g t h a t L i p u l e k h , Limpyidhura and Kalapani were part of its territory

Pak gets $2 bn rollover deposits from China for IMF bailout: Report

I S L A M A B A D : Cash-strapped Pakistan has received a rollover of $2 billion in deposits for a period of one year from its all-weather ally China to help Islamabad get a much-required bailout from the IMF to stabilise i t

requirements of the IMF in order to meet its external financing needs in order to proceed with signing the s

essentially not a loan but rather a financial deposit to be held at Pakistan's central bank for a period of one year, according to media reports Finance minister Ishaq Dar confirmed the development “Yes,” Dar was quoted as saying in a brief response when asked about getting a rollover of $2 billion SAFE (State Administration of Foreign Exchange) deposits from China Since February, both of them have been attempting to reach an agreement on the release of a $1 billion loan, but so far the negotiations have stalled because of the donor's stringent requirements

US President Joe Biden plans to propose IndianAmerican Nisha Desai Biswal for a key leadership post in the US International Development Finance Commission In the Obama administration Nisha held the position of assistant secretary of state for south Asia Shr has more than 30 years of experience working on US foreign policy and international development initiatives She is currently senior vice-president for International Strategy and Global Initiatives at the US Chamber of Commerce, overseeing the US India Business Council She served as assistant secretary for south and central Asian affairs at the state department in 2013 to 2017 where she oversaw the US-India partnership during a period of unprecedented cooperation the White House said

MAN JAILED FOR 100 YEARS IN CAUSING DEATH OF INDIAN ORIGIN GIRL

A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to 100 years of hard labour for causing the death of a 5year-old Indian-origin girl in the US state of Louisiana in 2021, according to reports Joseph Lee Smith from Shreveport was sentenced following his conviction in January of the killing of Mya Patel Maya was playing in a hotel room when a bullet entered her room and struck her in the head She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she battled for three days and was later died During Smith’s trial, it was revealed that Smith got into an altercation with another man in the parking lot During the altercation, Smith struck the other man with a 9-mm handgun, which discharged The bullet missed the other man but went into the hotel room and struck Maya in the head before grazing her mother

13 KILLED AS QUAKE HITS AFGHANISTAN & PAKISTAN

A powerful earthquake that was felt thousands of km away in Afghanistan and Pakistan claimed the lives of at least 13 people but it appeared that the area avoided suffering a large number of casualties The United States Geological Survey said the magnitude 6 5 quake was centred near Jurm in northeastern Afghanistan, but the depth of 187 km mitigated extensive damage The quake whih lasted more than 30 seconds, was felt from central Asia to New Delhi in India “It was a powerful earthquake and we feared maximum damage due to the intensity,” Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for Pakistan’s emergency service in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said “But fortunately our fears proved wrong the damage was minimal

PAK MAN GETS DEATH FOR BLASPHEMY

After being charged with sharing blasphemous material in a WhatsApp group a Muslim man was found guilty and given the death penalty by an anti-terrorism court in northwest Pakistan In Pakistan which has a majority of Muslims blasphemy is a very sensitive topic; even unverified accusations can incite mobs and violence Syed Muhammad Zeeshan was convicted under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Anti-Terrorist Act by the court in Peshawar “Accused Syed Muhammad Zeeshan, son of Syed Zakaullah in custody has been convicted and sentenced after being found guilty , the court order said

SHO SUSPENDED FOR ASSAULTING HINDUS

A police officer in Pakistan s Sindh was suspended after he tortured, harassed, manhandled and arrested Hindu shopkeepers for allegedly violating the Ramadan Ordinance by eating, Pakistan media reported In a viral video , SHO Kabil Bhayo is seen roaming the Ghotki district with a stick in his hand, using it to hit shopkeepers, including Hindu men

Invest in Uganda and take advantage of our abundant resources : Museveni

850 Lohana dignitaries from 139 cities of more than 22 countries from 29 business/service sectors attended LIBF 2023

Museveni woos International Lohana business community and stated Uganda can easily become world’s first economy

K A M P A L A : Th e i n t e r n a t i on a l L oh a n a communit y has b een court ed by Uga ndan Preside nt Yoweri Museve ni to invest and ma ke use of the countr y's ab undant supply of ra w ma terial s The Presid ent spoke at the Lohan a Intern ational B usiness Forum held at Spek e Resort in Muny on yo, Uganda on 22 Ma rch The Loha na Inte rnat ional Business Forum came to a cl ose with a cal l fr om Preside nt Muse veni urging b usiness elite s and inve st ors from the influe ntial globa l Lohan a Indian community to invest in v alue addition

He stated, “Lohanas like the Ruparelias and the Madhvanis have invited you from other parts of the world They are genuinely appreciated because, if you add value to our abundant and diverse raw materials, this economy could grow to a trillion dollars They have arrived here, so use them as an example ”

T h e t h r e e - d a y i n v e s t m e n t s u m m i t dubbed “Africa Calling”, looked at not only m o b i l i s i n g q u a l i t y i n v e s t m e n t s b u t a l s o exploring a renewed commitment by the s t a k e h o l d e r s t o b u i l d b e t t e r c o m m u n i t y business, investment and trade connections

In his remarks, Museveni lauded notable members of Lohana in the country such as property mogul Sudhir Ruparelia, Madhvani family and the Mehta family for their efforts to interest the Lohana global community in considering Uganda as a viable investment destination

“Uganda’s economy can easily grow into a trillion USD economy if the value is added t o o u r r a w m a t e r i a l s W e h a v e a w i d e spectrum of raw material in Uganda and all that is needed is value addition and there will be no reason for poverty,” President M u s e v e n i t o l d t h e m o r e t h a n 8 5 0 participants from 139 cities of more than 22 countries from 29 Business/service sectors who attended the business forum

The President held the view that Uganda n o t o n l y l o s e s r e v e n u e a s a r e s u l t o f exporting raw materials but also forgoes jobs that should have been created domestically This problem, he said, is across the economic sector, urging the participants to plug that gap as the Chinese are already doing He e n c o u r a g e d c o m p e t i t i o n b e t w e e n t h e Lohana and the Indian investors, in general, to embark on the competition with the C h i n e s e i n e s t a b l i s h i n g v a l u e a d d i t i o n facilities in Uganda According to Uganda I n v e s t m e n t A u t h o r i t y f i g u r e s , t h e r e a r e

1,900 factories owned by Indians and 900 owned by Chinese Agro-processing, leather, minerals, ICT and pharmaceutical industries a r e s o m e o f t h e l o w - h a n g i n g f r u i t s t o embark on

“Uganda has many natural resources, a young and increasingly educated workforce, steadily rising middle income and more s t a b i l i t y i n g o v e r n a n c e i n c l u d i n g microeconomic policies which makes an i d e a o f t h i s n a t i o n f o r a l o n g - t e r m investment,” he said

During his address, Museveni rooted for manufacturing in the country and pointed t o s e v e r a l s e c t o r s t h a t c a n b e e x p l o i t e d i n c l u d i n g a g r o - p r o c e s s i n g , m i n e r a l s , a n d f r e s h w a t e r r e s o u r c e s t o f a c i l i t a t e f i s h

farming, forest products, knowledge sectors like the automobile industry, services sector and the pathogenic economy

Museveni said Uganda is welcoming to investors from across the world and noted that the Lohanas have played a big part in t h e c o u n t r y ’ s d e v e l o p m e n t f o r s e v e r a l decades

We require that at least 70 per cent of the people they employ should be Ugandans: Rwakakamba

I n a n i n t e r v i e w , t h e c h a i r p e r s o n o f

U g a n d a I n v e s t m e n t A u t h o r i t y ( U I A ) , M r

Morrison Rwakakamba, noted that the f o r u m b r i n g s t o g e t h e r a c o m m u n i t y (Lohana) known globally for its business acumen He revealed that so far about five companies made presentations with a view to invest about $4 billion in total in the areas

members of the Lohana community from over 22 countries of the world, assembled f o r t h e f i r s t - e v e r L o h a n a I n t e r n a t i o n a l Business Forum (LIBF 2023: Africa Calling)

An idea that started as thought by the Visionary team of Shri Satish Vithlani, Shri S u b h a s h T h a k r a r , S h r i V i j a y K a r i a , S h r i V i n a y D a w d a , S h r i S a n j a y T h a k k e r i s transforming the connection and the reach f o r f e l l o w c o m m u n i t y m e m b e r s , w e l ls u p p o r t e d o u r L o h a n a s t a l w a r t s l i k e Mahendra Mehta of the Mehta group of companies, Chetan Chug of Vinmart, Mayur Madhwani of the Madhwani group, Sanjay Thakrar of the Euro Exim Bank, Dr Sudhir

R u p a r e l i a o f t h e R u p a r e l i a g r o u p , L o r d D o l a r P o p a t , H E N i m i s h a M a d h v a n i Uganda High Commissioner to UK and o t h e r e s t e e m e d s p o n s o r s l i k e R a s h m i Chatwani of the Fairview Hotels group

T h e e v e n t w a s b l e s s e d b y t h e h o l y presence of Pujya Bramhavihari das Swamiji from BAPS Swaminarayan Temple, guiding the community towards establishing trust, brotherhood, faith and transparency and creating an environment for honest trade and in turn growth

Africa is a gem waiting to be explored, with its rich reserves, growth potential, consumption economy and ease of trade opened up by the EAC and now part of the rupee trading countries

A big bang opening night that set the t o n e f o r b u s i n e s s , t r a d e , a n d i n f i n i t e opportunities for the Lohanas worldwide

been a key part of their success story

Lord Dolar Popat and Shri Subhash

T h a k r a r t o o k t h e a u d i e n c e t h r o u g h a detailed presentation of how East Africa is t h e g r o w t h s t o r y i n m a k i n g P u j y a

o f m a n u f a c t u r i n g , a g r o - p r o c e s s i n g , I C T s e c t o r , p h a r m a c e u t i c a l s , r e a l e s t a t e a n d banking Already members of Lohana are involved in mining, agro-processing, the hospitality industry and ICT

Mr Rwakakamba said: “We require that at least 70 per cent of the people they employ should be Ugandans, and should be able to pay PAYE such that the country can h a v e r e v e n u e s t o d e p l o y i n b u i l d i n g infrastructure, health services and schools ”

As for the Lohana Indian community Investors, love is in the air already Their G l o b a l P r e s i d e n t , M r S a t i s h V i t h a l a n i , cannot wait to have further engagement on how their members can deploy their capital here He described Uganda as an amiable investment destination

When Loha nas meet , t hey walk the talk, an d mea n busine ss

The first full day of the LIBF Africa

C a l l i n g s u m m i t s a w s o m e g r e a t p a r t i c i p a t i o n f r o m t h e g o v e r n m e n t o f Uganda as well as prominent contributors from the Lohana community

B r a m h a V i h a r i S w a m i o f B A P S Swaminarayan Temple unveiled and blessed the Lohana Moral Code Pledge where the e n t i r e c o m m u n i t y p l e d g e d t o b e t h e Lohanas who translate vision into action

Mr Morrison Rwakakamba Chairman

B o a r d a t U g a n d a I n v e s t m e n t A u t h o r i t y highlighted and brought forth Uganda’s 10 i n v e s t m e n t p r i o r i t y s e c t o r s , I n v e s t m e n t Environment and Incentives

He invited participation in sectors of Oil a n d G a s , A g r i c u l t u r e , M i n i n g a n d manufacturing and assured ease of trade

Shri

President, d e l i v e r e d t h e k e y n o t e a d d r e s s o n

Connecting the Community – Vision and Mission of the Lohana Mahaparishad over the next decade

S h r i S u d h i r R u p a r e l i a , S h r i M a y u r

M a d h v a n i , S h r i M a h e n d r a M e h t a , L o r d

Dolar Popat, Shri Chetan Chug, and Shri Subhash Thakrar, stalwart Lohana families who have been integral part of Uganda’s h i s t o r y f o r o v e r t h r e e g e n e r a t i o n s ,

p r e s e n t e d t h e w o r l d o f o p p o r t u n i t i e s

offered by Uganda and how the country has

and investments for all new investors

P r o m i n e n t m e m b e r s o f t h e L o h a n a C o m m u n i t y w o r l d w i d e w e r e i n v i t e d t o s h a r e t h e i r s u g g e s t i o n s o n h o w t h e c o m m u n i t y c o n n e c t a n d o u t l o o k c o u l d change to make for better connections and growth for the community T h e E x h i b i t i o n w i t h I n d o - A f r i c a n participation started off with a great start during the afternoon session where local industry, and local art alongside exhibitors from India saw some keen audience and trade possibilities for Indian Exhibitors

Satish Vithlani, the LMP

Unveiling of the Lohana Moral Code Pledge: Pujya Brahmavihari Swami and Lohana Dignitaries from all over the World

President Museveni

Pujya Brahmavihari Swami

President Museveni, Minister of investment, Sudhir Ruparelia Lord Dolar Popat H E Nimisha Madhvani

Traditional musical and dance performance

The first day when Lohanas stood up for the Raghuvanshi anthem In the top table: Bimal Kantaria Mayur Madhvani, Lord Dolar Popat, Sudhir Ruparelia, Satishbhai Vithlani, Chetan Chug Subhash Thakrar, Pradip Dhamecha and Pravin Kotak

L- R: Biren Mirani, Rashmi Chatwani, Subhash Thakrar, Vijay Karia, Satish Vithlani, Sudhir Ruparelia, Ketan Morjaria Vinay Dawda and Sanjay Thakker at the exhibition area where over 110 businesses exhibited

Isro successfully places 36 OneWeb satellites into space

T h e 36 OneWeb s atellites t h at I s ro s u c ce ss f u lly launched into orbit let the U K co m pany to c om p lete the constellatio n of its firstg ene rat i o n ( Ge n- 1 ) L o w Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites O ne Web i s ba c ked by Bharti T h e G S L V - M k 3 ( a l s o known as LVM3) launched at nine in the morning and e x p e r t l y c o m p l e t e d t h e r o u g h l y t w e n t y - m i n u t e l a u n c h s e q u e n c e b e f o r e separation S Mohan Kumar, mission director, LVM3-M3, said: “All orbital parameters w e r e a c h i e v e d T h e 3 6 satellites were deployed in a s e q u e n t i a l m a n n e r : n i n e s t e p s a n d f o u r s a t e l l i t e s each ” While the first two b a t c h e s o f s a t e l l i t e s

s e p a r a t e d i n t h e 1 9 t h m i n u t e , t h e n e x t t w o happened 13 minutes later I s r o c h a i r m a n S S o m a n a t h s a i d : “ I congratulate Isro on making LVM3 reliable, rugged and d e m o n s t r a t i n g i t s c a p a b i l i t i e s o f l a u n c h i n g large, heavy payloads into

t h e r i g h t o r b i t w i t h o u t glitches '' Sunday's mission was the second dedicated commercial satellite mission undertaken by Space PSU NewSpace India (NSIL) for Network Access Associates Ltd (OneWeb), a UK-based firm

R a d h a k r i s h n a n D s a i d : “ H a v i n g a r e p e a t p e r f o r m a n c e o f a n y l a u n c h e r i s n o t e a s y a n d S u n d a y ' s m i s s i o n i s momentous for us (What’s s p e c i a l i s ) u s i n g t h e c r y o g e n i c s t a g e t o d o complex maneuvers to meet OneWeb’s requirement to deploy 36 satellites ”

This marked LVM3’sI s r o ’ s h e a v i e s t l a u n c h vehicle yet - sixth successful launch, a record that will h e l p I n d i a f u r t h e r commercialise the rocket in c o m i n g y e a r s O n e W e b ’ s 18th to date, has taken the total satellites of the firm in orbit to 618 and the firm will next launch a series of spare s a t e l l i t e s t o a u g m e n t t h e constellation

Padma awards presented to Birla, Jhunjhunwala

Pr esiden t Dr oupadi Murmu pr esen te d the Padma awa rds t o n umerous in dividua ls a t a c i v il in v e st i t u r e ce r e m on y he ld at R ashtr apa ti Bha van , i n c lu d i n g f or me r c hi e f m iniste r of Ka rna ta ka an d BJP politician S M Krishna , r e n o w n e d in d us t r i a li s t

Kuma r Ma nga la m Bir la an d p l a y ba ck v o ca li st S u ma n Ka ly anp ur

Apart from Krishna, the Padma Vibhushan was also c o n f e r r e d o n n o t e d architect Balkrishna Doshi, k n o w n f o r u s i n g m i n i m a l i s t i c , s i m p l e a n d e c o - f r i e n d l y a p p r o a c h t o architecture, posthumously D o s h i ’ s g r a n d d a u g h t e r

received the award on his behalf Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, who was also on the list of Padma Vibhushan awardees, however, was not present O f t h e 1 0 6 P a d m a Awards issued by President Murmu on Republic Day, more than 50 recipients of t h e P a d m a V i b h u s h a n ,

P a d m a B h u s h a n , a n d Padma Shri were honoured

T h e r e m a i n i n g awardees will be conferred t h e h o n o u r i n a n o t h e r ceremony to be held later The Padma Vibhushan is a w a r d e d f o r e x c e p t i o n a l and distinguished service; P a d m a B h u s h a n f o r d i s t i n g u i s h e d s e r v i c e o f

Lord Ram is not God of Hindus only, but of everyone, says Farooq

h i g h o r d e r ; a n d P a d m a S h r i f o r d i s t i n g u i s h e d s e r v i c e i n a n y f i e l d S i x distinguished persons this year were conferred with t h e P a d m a V i b h u s h a n while nine were conferred w i t h P a d m a B h u s h a n Another 91 persons were c o n f e r r e d w i t h P a d m a Shri P a d m a B h u s h a n awardees included Rakesh J h u n j h u n w a l a , a w a r d e d posthumously, and Kumar M a n g a l a m B i r l a , t h e c h a i r m a n o f t h e A d i t y a Birla Group, who is among the first Indian groups to v e n t u r e a b r o a d , t h e Rashtrapati Bhavan said

China skips G20 meet in Arunachal

C h i n a opt e d out o f attending the G20 summit i n I t a n ag a r, Ar un a c ha l P r ad e s h O v e r 5 0 p a rt i c i pa n ts , i n c lu di n g t hose f rom th e US, took part in the G 20 Research I n n ov a ti o n I ni t i a te d G athering, which witnessed a hi g h tu rn o ut ov e ra l l, a c c o rd i n g to o ff i c i a l s o ur c e s T he l oc a l l e gi s l a ti v e b od y w a s a ls o vis ited by the delegates

China doesn't recognise I n d i a ' s s o v e r e i g n t y o v e r Arunachal and claims that

it's a part of south Tibet It i s u n k n o w n a t t h i s t i m e whether China has formally protested the meeting to I n d i a B e i j i n g h a s s o f a r b a c k e d I n d i a ' s G 2 0 presidency, and earlier this m o n t h C h i n e s e F o r e i g n Minister Qin Gang paid a v i s i t t o I n d i a f o r t h e c o n f e r e n c e o f f o r e i g n ministers

Before it took over the G20 presidency last year, India has insisted that it will have meetings in all 28 s t a t e s a n d 8 U n i o n

T e r r i t o r i e s R e c e n t l y , R u c h i r a K a m b o j , I n d i a ' s a m b a s s a d o r t o t h e U N , r e i t e r a t e d t h i s p r o m i s e I n d i a w i l l h o s t a G 2 0 m e e t i n g o n c u l t u r e i n J a m m u a n d K a s h m i r i n May, according to official sources Pakistan has been l o b b y i n g C h i n a , T u r k i y e and Saudi Arabia, all G20 m e m b e r - s t a t e s t o s t o p I n d i a f r o m h o s t i n g t h e p r o p o s e d m e e t i n g i n Srinagar P a k i s t a n s e e s a n y proposal for a G20 meeting

in Jammu and Kashmir as d e s i g n e d t o s e e k " i n t e r n a t i o n a l l e g i t i m a c y " and said last year that the member states should be " f u l l y c o g n i s a n t o f t h e i m p e r a t i v e s o f l a w a n d j u s t i c e a n d r e j e c t i t o u t r i g h t C h i n a b a c k e d Pakistan as it asked relevant p a r t i e s " t o a v o i d complicating the situation i n J a m m u a n d K a s h m i r with any unilateral move ” and said G20 was a premier f o r u m m e a n t f o r g l o b a l economic cooperation

India invites Chinese president Xi for SCO, G20 summits

C hi n a ha s c o n f ir m e d t ha t I n di a ha s is s ue d Ch in e s e Pres ident Xi Jinping a f orm al i n vi t a t ion t o t he SC O c onfere nce Chine se charge d’ affaires Ma Jia, however, s a id t h at a d e c i s io n on whether Xi would come was s till awaited as the date f or t he s um m i t ha d n ot b e en f inalised yet T h e S C O m e e t i n g i s likely in the first week of July, two months before the G20 summit on September 8-9, where India hopes to forge a

c o n s e n s u s o n t h e U k r a i n e issue in the form of a joint communique, like last year ’ s Bali Declaration In a sign of t h e c o m p l i c a t i o n s I n d i a might have to circumvent, Xi a n d R u s s i a n P r e s i d e n t V l a d i m i r P u t i n i n t h e i r s u m m i t m e e t i n g s l a m m e d the West for “politicisation” of multilateral platforms and attempts to insert “irrelevant issues” in their agenda Ma e x p r e s s e d t h e s a m e sentiment here as she said consensus would be difficult

a s “ p r o m i n e n t s e c u r i t y issues” were being taken up on economic and financial p l a t f o r m s S h e a l s o confirmed Xi had received an o f f i c i a l i n v i t e f o r t h e G 2 0

summit in September

I n d i a h a d i n i t i a l l y suggested holding the SCO summit on June 25, but now, it seems, they want it moved to July 5 From June 21 and 25, P r i m e M i n i s t e r N a r e n d r a Modi is most likely to make a state visit to the US Modi a n d X i h a v e n o t h a d a

b i l a t e r a l m e e t i n g s i n c e tensions erupted at the LAC in April-May 2020

S p e a k i n g a b o u t t h e border situation, which she described as stable but also complicated, Ma said she was o p t i m i s t i c a b o u t t h e t a l k s u n d e r w a y t o r e s o l v e t h e s t a n d - o f f a n d t h a t n e i t h e r s i d e w a n t e d w a r o r confrontation She reiterated China’s position that the two s i d e s a r e m o v i n g t o w a r d s “ n o r m a l i s e d ” b o r d e r management

During an ad dress at an U d h am p u r ral ly , f o rm er J a m m u an d K as h m i r an d Natio nalis t C ong ress chief Farooq A bd ullah said L ord Ram is no t th e g o d o f H i nd u s only He is th e lord of everybo dy w ho keeps faith in him , irrespectiv e of religion, Abd ullah said

Farooq Abdullah

According to the news agency, Farooq hit out at the BJP and said the party only uses Ram's name to stay in power, but Ram is not Hindus' god alone "Bhagwan Ram is not the god of Hindus only Please remove this notion from your mind Bhagwan Ram is the god of everyone - be it a Muslim or Christian or American or Russian, who has faith in him," he told a rally organised by the Panthers party

Those who come to you saying we are only disciples of Ram - they are fools They want to sell in the name of Ram They do not have a love for Ram but for power," he said

"I think when elections are announced in J&K they will i n a u g u r a t e R a m t e m p l e t o d i v e r t t h e a t t e n t i o n o f t h e common man," he said Therefore, I appeal to you to go among the people and ask them to stop their propaganda of hatred, Farooq added

On unity among non-BJP parties, he said, "There will be no hurdle in our unity Whether it is Congress, NC, or Panthers We will fight and die for the people But we will all remain united "

CBI urges Interpol to restore Choksi's RCN

The CBI h as asked the C omm issio n fo r Control o f Interpol’s Files (C CF) for restoratio n of Red Notice ag ainst fug itiv e diamantaire Mehul C hoksi w anted in bank frau d cases to th e tune of ov er £6 1 3 9 billion The agency said in a statement th at th e C B I h ad in v est ig at ed th e " s ev er e d ef ic ie nci es , proced ural violations, over-reach of m andate, and mistakes perp etrated by C CF" in th e process of making this hasty and unjustified decision

The agency claimed that the Red Notice was neither a necessary nor a prerequisite for extradition proceedings, and it continued to use all available corrective and appeals p r o c e d u r e s w i t h i n I n t e r p o l t o c o r r e c t t h i s e r r o n e o u s judgement

“The Global Operations Centre of CBI continues to closely monitor movements of wanted criminals like Mehul Chinubhai Choksi in direct coordination with foreign law enforcement agencies and is not reliant only on Interpol channels,” a CBI spokesperson said

A c c o r d i n g t o s o u r c e s , t h e I n d i a n l a w e n f o r c e m e n t claimed that Choksi had falsely claimed that he had no open criminal proceedings against him while illegally obtaining the A n t i g u a n c i t i z e n s h i p i n N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7 I n i t s communication with the Antiguan authorities, the CBI is learnt to have detailed FIRs registered in Delhi, Bangalore and Rajasthan against Choksi, calling him a serial offender The cases pertain to Choksi selling fake diamonds, they added

A c c o r d i n g t o a d d i t i o n a l s o u r c e s , h e g o t A n t i g u a n citizenship without giving up his Indian citizenship and left India with Nirav Modi on January 4, 2018

India summons Canadian envoy over Khalistan stir

India has summ oned C anad ian h igh comm issio ner Cameron M acKay and co nv eyed its strong concerns about the actio ns by pro-Khalistani extremist elem ents against its d iplomatic m issions in Canada recently MacK ay was sum moned by th e f o re ig n m i ni s tr y an d s ou g h t an exp l an ati o n o n h o w “ separatist and extremist elements” w ere allowed to breach the security of its diplomatic m ission and consulates despite the presence of police, the m inistry of external affairs said in a statement

Last Sunday, India’s high commissioner to Canada Sanjay K u m a r V e r m a w a s f o r c e d t o s k i p a n e v e n t i n B r i t i s h Columbia province after a violent protest by Khalistan supporters Indian-origin journalist Sameer Kaushal, who was at the venue to cover the protest, was also assaulted by protesters Canada was reminded of its obligations under the Vienna Convention and asked to arrest and prosecute the individuals who have already been identified as being involved in such acts, the ministry said

Oppn parties move SC against ‘misuse’ of probe agencies

C on g re s s a n d 1 3 ot he r parties f iled a pet ition with the Suprem e Court acc us ing t h e ND A go ve r n m e n t of ab us ing the CBI and ED to c on du c t r a id s , ha r a s s p ol i t ic a l op po ne n t s , a n d arr est t hem in an eff ort to quell dis sent The petition a l s o a s k e d t he c o ur t t o e s t a b l i s h pr e - a n d po s ta r r e s t r u l e s f o r t he invest igation agenc ies A p p e a r i n g f o r t h e o p p o s i t i o n p a r t i e s , w h i c h h a v e g o v e r n m e n t s i n 1 1 s t a t e s a n d U T s , s e n i o r a d v o c a t e A M S i n g h v i p l e a d e d w i t h a b e n c h h e a d e d b y C J I D Y C h a n d r a c h u d f o r u r g e n t hearing to “ save democracy f r o m b e i n g i r r e p a r a b l y harmed” The CJI agreed to list the petition for hearing o n A p r i l 5 S i n g h v i s a i d d e m o c r a c y i s p a r t o f t h e

b a s i c s t r u c t u r e o f t h e C o n s t i t u t i o n a n d n o o n e , l e a s t o f a l l t h e p r o b e agencies, could be permitted to harm it T h e o t h e r p o l i t i c a l p a r t i e s w h o a r e j o i n t petitioners are - DMK, RJD, B R S , T M C , A A P , N C P , Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena f a c t i o n , J M M B J D , t h e ruling party in Odisha, and

EC resumes hearings on status downgrades for NCP, TMC and CPI

T h e E lecti on C om m i ss io n has resumed in-person h earing s on th is m atter mo re than three and a half years af ter nin e p ar tie s - th r ee national parties - the NC P, T ri n am o o l C o ng re s s, an d C PI, as well as six state parties - were given notices by th e e le ct io n b o d y a sk i ng them to explain why their s ta tu s s h o u ld no t b e do wngraded in lig ht of their p e rfo r m an ce i n t h e 2 0 1 9

Lo k Sabha elections

YSRCP, the party in power

i n A n d h r a P r a d e s h , w e r e absent from the petitioners' list The action comes a year before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and comes after a f l u r r y o f a c t i o n s b y i n v e s t i g a t i o n a g e n c i e s against leaders of opposition p a r t i e s o v e r t h e p r e v i o u s t h r e e y e a r s T h a t s h o u l d keep political tensions high

SC decides to re-look validity of hanging as mode of death penalty

F o u r d e ca d es a ft er ap p rov ing h ang ing by th e n ec k as a m eth o d o f e xe cu t io n fo r d ea th ro w inmates, th e Suprem e Co urt a g re ed to ree xam in e th e m eth o d 's le g al i ty o n tw o g rou nd s: the 1983 ruling did n o t a p p ly th e " te st o f p r o p o rti o n ali ty , " a nd s i g n if i ca nt s c i ent if i c a d v a nc em e nts o v er t h at p eriod of time h av e m ad e it necessary to look for a less p ainful executio n meth od

Taking up a six-year-old

P I L b y a d v o c a t e R i s h i Malhotra, a bench of CJI DY Chandrachud and Justice PS

N a r a s i m h a s a i d , “ W e w i l l l o o k a t t w o p e r s p e c t i v e s :

first, is there any alternative method, far more consistent w i t h h u m a n d i g n i t y , t o render ‘hanging by the neck’ u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l ; a n d second, even if there is no a l t e r n a t i v e m e t h o d , d o e s ‘ h a n g i n g b y t h e n e c k ’ method satisfy the test of p r o p o r t i o n a l i t y s o a s t o render it valid, an issue that was not addressed in the Deena judgment at all ” S e c t i o n 3 5 4 ( 5 ) o f t h e C r P C , w h i c h s t a t e d t h a t " w h e n a n y p e r s o n i s s e n t e n c e d t o d e a t h , t h e

sentence shall direct that he be hanged by the neck until he is dead," was upheld by a bench composed of then-CJI Y V Chandrachud, justices RS Pathak, and Sabyasachi Mukharji (who would later both become CJIs)

T h e S C ’ s d e c i s i o n t o t a k e a f r e s h l o o k a t t h e validity of the ‘hanging by neck’ method of execution c o u l d p o s s i b l y b e a s t e p towards virtual abolition of t h e d e a t h p e n a l t y f r o m C r P C , w h i c h c a m e i n t o existence in 1888, and was amended in 1898 and again in 1973

The proceedings under t h e E l e c t i o n S y m b o l s (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, that began in t h e s e c o n d h a l f o f 2 0 1 9 , were stalled after the Covid pandemic broke out

T h e E C q u e s t i o n e d NCP, TMC, and CPI about

why their status as national p a r t i e s " s h o u l d n o t b e revoked after failing to meet the requirements to maint a i n r e c o g n i t i o n T h e d a y before, the EC had heard six s t a t e p a r t i e s - n a m e l y B h a r a t R a s h t r a S a m i t h i , Rashtriya Lok Dal, People’s D e m o c r a t i c A l l i a n c e , M i z o r a m P e o p l e ’ s Conference, Pattali Makkal

K a t c h i a n d R e v o l u t i o n a r y Socialist Party - on why they should not be derecognised

for failing to meet the conditions laid down in the Symbols Order for ‘state party’ status “Basically, the process which was started in 2019 but was held up due to Covid has been resumed,” an EC official told the media

The EC is not required b y t h e S y m b o l s O r d e r t o h o l d i n - p e r s o n h e a r i n g s while examining a party's c a t e g o r i z a t i o n T o r e s p e c t the norms of natural justice, the poll panel chose to hear from the parties, according to an officer As per Section 6B of the Symbols Order, a party is r e c o g n i s e d a s a ‘ n a t i o n a l party’ if it fulfills three conditions

Govt ought not to stall names picked for judges: SC collegium

T h e S u p rem e C o ur t collegium has informed the C entre th at nam es sent by it ea rl ie r " o u g h t n o t to b e w i th h e ld o r o v er lo o ke d " w h i le re co m m end ati o ns l ate r a re ac te d u p o n, i nd ic at in g th at t h e go vernment sh ould not pick and choose names from the l is t am id t h e d i sp u t e betw een the jud iciary and the Centre on the co lleg ium system of app ointm ent o f j u d g e s a nd o n na m es re co m m en d ed f o r jud geship R e c o m m e n d i n g t h e n a m e s o f f o u r j u d i c i a l o f f i c e r s f o r j u d g e s h i p i n M a d r a s h i g h c o u r t , t h e collegium of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph reminded the Centre

that its earlier collegium’s r e c o m m e n d a t i o n f o r appointment of advocate R John Sathyan for the HC had not been cleared and s a i d t h e C e n t r e s h o u l d n o t i f y t h e n a m e s i n t h e o r d e r i t r e c e i v e s t h e m s o that seniority of judges is maintained

The collegium stated in its resolution that although S a t h y a n ' s n a m e h a d b e e n s u b m i t t e d a g a i n f o r t h e M a d r a s H i g h C o u r t o n January 17, he had not yet b e e n a p p o i n t e d T h e I n t e l l i g e n c e B u r e a u ( I B ) assessment stated that he h a s n o o v e r t p o l i t i c a l l e a n i n g s , a n d t h a t publishing the article won't h a v e a n i m p a c t o n h i s s u i t a b i l i t y , c h a r a c t e r , o r integrity

“The Collegium is of the c o n s i d e r e d v i e w t h a t n e c e s s a r y a c t i o n f o r t h e issuance of notification for the elevation of persons who h a v e b e e n r e c o m m e n d e d e a r l i e r i n p o i n t o f t i m e s h o u l d b e t a k e n a t t h e earliest including the name o f R J o h n S a t h y a n T h e n a m e s w h i c h h a v e b e e n r e c o m m e n d e d e a r l i e r i n point of time including the reiterated names ought not t o b e w i t h h e l d o r overlooked as this disturbs t h e i r s e n i o r i t y w h e r e a s t h o s e r e c o m m e n d e d l a t e r steal march on them Loss of s e n i o r i t y o f c a n d i d a t e s r e c o m m e n d e d e a r l i e r i n point of time has been noted by the Collegium and is a matter of grave concern," it said

T h e S u p r e me C o u r t o n Mond ay sai d i t w ould apply a t h r e e - p o i n t te s tMumbai tri al court judge ’ s n egati ve opin ion, hein ousn e s s o f t h e o f f e n ce a n d the ir re leas e whe n li fe conv icts in othe r cas es are lang ui shi ng for d ecad es - to d ete rmin e v ali di ty o f the Guja rat governmen t’s controve rsi al decis ion to gran t re mi ss ion to 11 li fers in the Bilk is Ba no case in volvin g g ang rape an d murders

The Gujarat government had on August 10 last year granted remission to t h e l i f e r s i n t h e p o s tG o d h r a c o m m u n a l r i o t s case, the trial of which was t r a n s f e r r e d t o M u m b a i from Gujarat on the orders of the court, as they had served more than 15 years i n p r i s o n a n d r e p o r t e d l y shown good conduct in jail However, it also stated that t h e t r i a l c o u r t j u d g e i n Mumbai as well as the CBI, had opined against grant of remission to the convicts as

t h e y c o m m i t t e d h e i n o u s offences

Brushing aside the convicts’ challenge to the locus standi of PIL petitioners, i n c l u d i n g S u b h a s h i n i A l i and Mahua Moitra, in crimi n a l c a s e s , a b e n c h o f

Justices K M Joseph and B V N a g a r a t h n a i s s u e d f r e s h notices to the state, Centre and the convicts on all petit i o n s , i n c l u d i n g t h e o n e

filed by Bilkis Bano The SC said Bano’s petition would be treated as the lead petit i o n a n d p o s t e d f u r t h e r hearing on April 18

The bench asked conv i c t ’ s c o u n s e l R i s h i M a l h o t r a : “ W h a t d o y o u say about total lack of jurisdiction (of Gujarat govern-

ment)? Can SC (through i t s M a y 1 3 , 2 0 2 2 j u d gm e n t ) d i r e c t a b o d y which had no jurisdiction to decide the remission? Even if it is palpably wrong, can the SC t a k e a c o n t r a r y v i e w w h e n t h e r e v i e w p l e a (against May 13 judgment) i s d i s m i s s e d ? ” M a l h o t r a said the Bombay HC as well as the SC had ruled that the G u j a r a t g o v e r n m e n t w a s t h e a p p r o p r i a t e g o v e r nment under Section 432 of t h e C r i m i n a l P r o c e d u r e Code to consider the convicts’ plea for remission On appeal, the SC had on May 13 last year upheld it and had asked Gujarat to consider the pleas as per the 1 9 9 2 r e m i s s i o n p o l i c y Malhotra said Bilkis Bano’s plea for review of the May 13 judgment has been dismissed by the SC

“The only remedy available to her is to file a curat i v e p e t i t i o n , n o t a w r i t petition,” he said

A fter th e Xi -P utin summ it, M o s c o w br u sh e s as i d e concerns th at Russia’ s ties with C hina could h urt its re la ti o ns w i th I nd ia as wishful thinking During his "p eace m issio n" to Moscow last week, Ch inese Presid ent X i Jinping praised Vladim ir Putin's " strong leadership , " w h i c h h elp e d Ru s s i a's international stand ing

“There was a profusion of analysis these days of the o u t c o m e s o f X i J i n p i n g ’ s Russia visit The impression as though various reputable I n d i a n e x p e r t s a l m o s t dream of Russia-China ties h a r m i n g R u s s i a - I n d i a s t r a t e g i c a l i g n m e n t A w i s h f u l t h i n k i n g c a s e i n p o i n t ! ” s a i d R u s s i a n ambassador to Indian Denis Alipov in a tweet Alipov was responding to the analyses in the media about the outcome of Xi’s v i s i t t o R u s s i a T h e t w o l e a d e r s , w i t h o u t

mentioning the G20, which is now being led by India, a l s o s t r o n g l y c o n d e m n e d t h e u s e o f w h a t t h e y referred to as unimportant matters to water down the a g e n d a o f g l o b a l f o r u m s Due to their belief that the G20 is not the appropriate platform to debate securityr e l a t e d p r o b l e m s , b o t h

R u s s i a a n d C h i n a o p p o s e b r i n g i n g u p t h e U k r a i n e issue there

A s a r e s u l t , t h e G 2 0

meeting of the finance and f o r e i g n m i n i s t e r s , w h i c h was hosted by India, ended w i t h o u t a u n i f i e d c o m m u n i q u e s i n c e t h e r e

was no agreement on the Ukraine problem However, Russia has applauded India's h a n d l i n g o f t h e G 2 0 , a s stated previously by Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister, w h o a d d e d t h a t R u s s i a welcomes "the responsible stand India is taking on key global agendas "

What special grounds to free Bilkis case convicts, asks SC Ties with China won’t hurt those with India: Russia

Xi Jinping & Vladimir Putin

Bilkis Bano

Cong announces 124 candidates for Karnataka polls

B E N G A L U R U : The C on gr e s s announc ed its first list of 12 4 c andidates for the K arnataka Asse mbly el ections , due in Ma y, with former c hief m inis ter Siddaram aia h f iel de d f rom the Varuna const ituency in M ysuru, re pla cing his s o n a n d s it t i ng M LA Y a th in d ra No ca ndidates have b een announced in the K o l a r c on s t it u en c y , wh ic h th e Opposition leader had announced as his pre fe rre d s e at, a nd Ya thindr a ’ s nam e doe s not figure for any ot her segm ent in the f irst list

The party has set a target of winning at least 150 seats in the 224-member Assembly The Election Commission is expected to announce the poll schedule in the next few days The first list mostly contains the party’s sitting seats and the constituencies for which only one name was recommended by the state unit

Predictably, state Congress chief D K S h i v a k u m a r w i l l c o n t e s t f r o m h i s K a n a k a p u r a a s s e m b l y c o n s t i t u e n c y , w h i l e t h e p a r t y h a s f i e l d e d f o r m e r deputy chief minister G Parameshwara from Koratagere (reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates) Hours after the party a n n o u n c e d t h e f i r s t c a n d i d a t e l i s t , Siddaramaiah said he wants to contest from two seats - Kolar and Varuna - if the party agrees

Among senior party leaders who have

Karnataka BJP MLA held in bribery case after HC rejects bail plea

M ond ay ev ening at Kyatsandra near Tum akuru in an alleg ed bribery case, hours after the state’s hig h co urt d ism issed his anticipatory bail p etition, h old ing th at h i s i nter rog a tio n i n cu sto d y is nec es sary bec au se sufficient material has been fou nd against him

ANDHRA CM SUSPENDS 4 MLAS FOR CROSS-VOTING

got the tickets include R V Deshpande, H K Patil, M B Batil, Priyank Kharge (Cong president Mallikarjun Kharge’s son), K R Rameshkumar, Eshwar Khandre, Satish Laxmanrao Jarkiholi, K J George and Dinesh Gundu Rao M K r i s h n a p p a a n d h i s s o n P r i y a K r i s h n a h a v e g o t t i c k e t s a g a i n f r o m Bengaluru constituencies Ninety-oney e a r - o l d l e a d e r S h a m a n u r Shivashankarappa has once again got the ticket from Davanagere South, and his son SS Mallikarjun has got the ticket from Davanagere North Veteran leader K H Muniyappa, the s e v e n - t i m e M P a n d f o r m e r U n i o n minister, has returned to state politics and has been fielded by the party from D e v a n a h a l l i , w h i l e h i s d a u g h t e r a n d sitting MLA from KGF, Roopakala M has once again got the ticket from the same s e g m e n t T h e r e a r e e i g h t M u s l i m candidates in the first list and six women have made it to the first list

The MLA and a few close associates were heading to Bengaluru from Channagiri when Lokayukta police intercepted his vehicle near Kyatsandra toll plaza and took him into custody after serving a notice and completing legal formalities

Virupakshappa has been arraigned as accused No 1 in bribery case, following his son Prashanth Kumar’s arrest when he was caught accepting a kickback of Rs 40,00,000 from a contractor on behalf of his father for a tender issued by the state-owned Karnataka Soaps a n d D e t e r g e n t s L t d ( K S & D L ) e a r l i e r t h i s m o n t h

Virupakshappa was chairman of KS&DL

Prashanth is accused No 2 in the case A total of £610,000 was seized during the trap at Virupakshappa’s office and raid on Prashanth’s house T h e K a r n a t a k a H C g r a n t e d V i r u p a k s h a p p a a d interim anticipatory bail on March 7 this year, which Lokayukta police objected to and challenged it before t h e S u p r e m e C o u r t D i s m i s s i n g V i r u p a k s h a p p a ’ s petition and cancelling the interim anticipatory bail granted to him, Justice K Natarajan pointed out that t h e c o m p l a i n a n t h a s s a i d h e h a d a p p r o a c h e d Virupakshappa for allotment of tender and payment, and therefore, without the MLA’s instruction, the q u e s t i o n o f h i s s o n c o n s u l t i n g t h e c o m p l a i n a n t , demanding and accepting the bribe does not arise

NIA files chargesheet against gangsters Bishnoi, Goldy Brar

N E W D E L H I : F ug i t iv e K ha l i st a n a ct i v is t A m r it p a l Singh, who wa s appa rent ly in hidin g in Utt ar Pra desh, now esca ped t o Nepal , a ccording t o m e di a r e po r t s i n t he n e i gh b o ur i n g c ou n t r y , wh ic h al so said on Monday that Ne w De lhi had req ue ste d authorities in Kathmandu to n ot all ow him to escape to a third country I n a l e t t e r t o t h e d e p a r t m e n t o f consular services, the Indian embassy in K a t h m a n d u r e q u e s t e d g o v e r n m e n t agencies to arrest the Waris Punjab De c h i e f i f h e t r i e s t o f l e e N e p a l , t h e

Kathmandu Post newspaper reported

There was no confirmation or denial of the report by the Indian authorities “ A m r i t p a l i s c u r r e n t l y h i d i n g i n Nepal,” the newspaper said, citing a copy of the letter obtained by it

The letter and Amritpal’s personal details have been circulated to all the a g e n c i e s c o n c e r n e d , f r o m h o t e l s t o airlines, the paper added, citing multiple sources A m r i t p a l , w h o i s s a i d t o p o s s e s s m u l t i p l e p a s s p o r t s w i t h d i f f e r e n t identities, has been on the run since March 18 when the police launched a

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSRCP leader Jagan Mohan Reddy has suspended four party MLAs for allegedly cross-voting for Telugu Desam Party during MLC elections, State government advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said He said that in an internal investigation, it was proved that Anam Ramnarayana Reddy, Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy and Undavalli Sridevi cross-voted for the TDP nominee in the MLC elections "The former Chief Minister of State and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu bribed them with millions of money " he alleged further

KARNATAKA GOVT ABOLISHES 4% MUSLIM QUOTA

Ahead of the crucial Karnataka Assembly elections Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai-led government has made some notable changes to the state's reservation quota, removing the 4 per cent allocation for Muslims In a cabinet meeting the Karnataka government increased the reservation quota from 50 per cent to 56 per cent The government has also decided to scrap 4 per cent OBC reservation for Muslims They will now be moved to 10 per cent

Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category

With the latest rejig, the Muslims will now have to compete with EWS quota, which has Brahmins, Vysyas, Mudaliyars, Jains and others Speaking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting, CM Bommai said that the religious minorities quota would be done away with and brought under the 10 per cent pool of the EWS group without any change of condition The EWS quota given by the central government is 10 per cent

crackdown against him

The e l u s i v e p r o - K h a l i s t a n S i k h l e a d e r h a d m a n a g e d t o escape after a confrontation with the police following the interception of his cavalcade in Punjab’s Jalandhar district

M e a n w h i l e , a n e w picture of Amritpal with his key aide Papalpreet Singh surfaced on social media as another close associate of the radical preacher was detained under the National Security Act Papalpreet Singh, who appears in the picture, is said to be Amritpal’s mentor

H e w a s a l l e g e d l y i n c o n t a c t w i t h Pakistan’s spy agency ISI In the photo, A m r i t p a l i s s e e n w e a r i n g a j a c k e t , a m a r o o n t u r b a n a n d s u n g l a s s e s H i s companion, sitting beside him, is in a sweatshirt

A m r i t p a l a n d P a p a l p r e e t w e r e allegedly harboured by a woman at her h o m e i n S h a h a b a d i n H a r y a n a ’ s

Kurukshetra district on March 19, police had earlier said On March 25, CCTV footage emerged purportedly showing Amritpal talking on a mobile phone The preacher escaped the police dragnet in Jalandhar district on March 18, switching vehicles and changing appearances

N EW D EL H I: T he National Investigatio n A gency ( NIA ) h as f illed a ch arg esh eet ag ai nst gan gs ters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar for having links with the banned p ro-Kh alistan outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and other similar terrorist g rou ps in o ne of three terro r-crim inal nexus cases The charg esheet has also named 12 other individ uals

The NIA has alleged that Bishnoi, along with C a n a d a - b a s e d g a n g s t e r G o l d y B r a r , h a s b e e n operating his terror-crime syndicate from jails He has been in jail from 2015 I n 2 0 2 2 , t h e i n v e s t i g a t i n g a g e n c y h a d t a k e n B i s h n o i i n i t s c u s t o d y f r o m t h e h i g h - s e c u r i t y Bhatinfa central jail in connection with a case related t o a c o n s p i r a c y b y t e r r o r o u t f i t s a n d c r i m i n a l s y n d i c a t e s t o e x e c u t e s e n s a t i o n a l c r i m e s i n t h e country The investigation found Bishnoi as the main mastermind of several conspiracies being hatched by different terrorist outfits in India and abroad The criminal syndicates are comprised with gangsters and drug smugglers

Bishnoi has also been found responsible for providing killers for the RPG attack case on Punjab state intelligence headquarters in Mohali “Bishnoi's t e r r o r - c r i m e - e x t o r t i o n s y n d i c a t e w a s a l s o responsible for providing killers for the RPG attack case on Punjab State Intelligence HQs at Mohali, which was carried out on directions of Harwinder Singh alias Rinda, a Pakistan-based BKI terrorist,” NIA said

Mamata and Naveen discuss ‘protecting India’s federalism’

BH UB ANE S WA R: Bengal ch ief minister Mamata Banerj ee and h er Odish a co unterpart Naveen P atnaik last week called for an u rge n t n ee d to p ro t ec t th e co untry’s federal stru cture after a meeting at Patnaik’s residence T he meeting, wh ich lasted fo r abou t 40 minutes, came a few days after Banerjee called u pon ano th er o pp osi ti on leader, S P c h ie f Ak h i l es h Y a da v, in K olkata

T h e i r m e e t i n g , a n d subsequent statements by their

parties to remain equidistant from both Congress and BJP, h a d t r i g g e r e d i n t e n s e speculation of a possible nonCongress front taking on BJP in

t h e 2 0 2 4 g e n e r a l e l e c t i o n s B a n e r j e e is also scheduled to m e e t f o r m e r

K a r n a t a k a c h i e f m i n i s t e r H D

K u m a r a s w a m y a t h e r r e s i d e n c e i n

Kalighat

A f t e r t h e

m e e t i n g , h o w e v e r , b o t h B a n e r j e e a n d P a t n a i k d e n i e d that they had a serious political discussion “There was no indepth discussion on any serious

MOOSEWALA’S FATHER GETS DEATH THREAT AGAIN

Slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala s father Balkaur Singh on Sunday alleged that he had received a death threat through an email The family has informed the Mansa police and a probe has been initiated I have received a threat via email from Rajasthan that I will be killed soon I have been asked to refrain from taking the name of Lawrence Bishnoi Earlier, he had alleged that he had received threats that he would be killed before April 25 He said What am I doing wrong, should I not fight my son s case? I was threatened on February 18, 24 and 27 that I would be killed before April 25 I want to ask the government to withdraw my security I will keep fighting ” According to the police, a case has been registered against unknown persons for threatening him On March 7, he protested outside the Vidhan Sabha and demanded a CBI probe into his son’s murder, alleging that no investigation was being carried out in the case

TMC SKIPS PAWAR’S MEET ON EVMS

political matter We just said the federal structure in India should remain strong and permanent,” Patnaik said Banerjee seconded his view “I fully support and appreciate Naveen ji’s stand that our country’s federal structure s h o u l d r e m a i n s t r o n g a n d u n h a r m e d T h e f e d e r a l s t r u c t u r e s h o u l d b e strengthened We discussed the nation’s safety and protection of d e m o c r a t i c r i g h t s , ” B a n e r j e e said after the meeting at Naveen Niwas

Opposition parties last week decided to approach the EC to voice concern over the of Electronic Voting Machines for conducting elections, particularly its plans to allow remote voting for migrant voters NCP supremo Sharad Pawar convened the meeting of leaders of opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha which was attended by Congress leader Digvijay Singh independent Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction) member Anil Desai and BRS member K Keshav Rao among others There was no repr sentative from Trinamool Congress at the meeting "We just raised certain questions and we expect a reply from the EC," Pawar told reporters after the meeting Briefing the media about the meeting, Digvijay Singh said opposition parties had unanimously rejected the Election Commission plans on deployment of remote EVMs to allow migrant voters exercise their franchise

Amritpal in Nepal, Delhi has asked not to let him flee to 3rd nation: Report

Mamata Banerjee & Naveen Patnaik

Amritpal Singh

Rahul disqualified as MP, can’t contest polls for 8 years if conviction not stayed

C o n gr e s s l ea d e r R a h ul G a n dh i wa s dis qualified as an MP from the Wayanad Lok Sabha s eat in c om pli ance with the Surat trial c o urt ord e r, w hi c h h ad ea rl i er c on v i c t e d hi m i n a c r i m i n a l d efa mati on c ase and s en tenc ed hi m to two years, in a developm ent which es calated BJ P’s conf r o n ta t i o n w i t h C on g r e s s a n d wi dened its arc with m any others i n the opposi ti on rallyin g for the

C on gres s leader

A Surat court sentenced Rahul to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against h i m o v e r h i s ' M o d i s u r n a m e ' remarks In the speech, he asked, “Why do all thieves have Modi as t h e i r s u r n a m e ? ” G a n d h i t h e n referred to three well-known and unrelated Modis in the speech: a fugitive Indian diamond tycoon, a cricket executive banned from the

Indian Premier League tournament and the prime minister Announcing his disqualification, the Lok Sabha Secretariat in a n o t i f i c a t i o n s a i d t h a t i t w a s effective from March 23, the date of his conviction The disqualific a t i o n w i l l b a r 5 2 - y e a r - o l d

G a n d h i , a f o u r - t i m e

M P , f r o m c o n t e s t i n g p o l l s f o r e i g h t y e a r s unless a higher court s t a y s h i s c o n v i c t i o n and sentence

G a n d h i , 5 2 , t o l d the court he had made the comment to highl i g h t c o r r u p t i o n a n d not against any community The court of c h i e f J u d i c i a l Magistrate HH Varma, w h i c h h e l d G a n d h i g u i l t y u n d e r I n d i a n Penal Code sections 499 and 500, also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher c o u r t , s t a t e d b y t h e C o n g r e s s leader's lawyer Babu Mangukiya As per Section 8 (3) of the Representation of the People Act,

1951, MP/MLA a convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years shall be disqualified from t h e d a t e o f c o n v i c t i o n , b u t Gandhi is out on bail for 30 days and plans to appeal

B u t G a n d h i ’ s l a w y e r B M

Mangukiya said his client had not meant to insult anyone He said

“ W h e n t h e m a g i s t r a t e a s k e d Gandhi what he had to say in his defence, the Congress leader said that he was fighting to expose c o r r u p t i o n i n t h e c o u n t r y , ” Mangukiya told reporters outside the court “His comments were not meant to hurt or insult any community ”

“The Modi government is a victim of political bankruptcy”, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Twitter “We will a p p e a l i n t h e h i g h e r c o u r t ”

3.5 fold rise in high Covid districts in India

Poin ting t o a ste ady spr ead o f C o v i d -1 9 in f e c t io n s in In dia, the la test gove rnme nt d ata shows that t he number of distr icts with a week ly test positiv it y r ate (TPR) of 10% or mor e has in crea se d to 32 a cross 14 st at es and U Ts, a 3 5-fold rise in t wo week s

TPR is the percentage of total samples testing positive for Covid Two weeks ago, nine districts across five states had recorded a TPR of a t l e a s t 1 0 % , w h i c h i s a marker of a high caseload T h e r e w e r e 6 3 d i s t r i c t s spread across 19 states/UTs where the TPR was 5-10% in the March 19-25 week, up from 15 (across eight states) t w o w e e k s a g o , t h e d a t a s h o w s F o u r d i s t r i c t s o f D e l h i w e r e i n t h e l i s t o f those recording the highest weekly TPR - South (13 8%), East (13 1%), North-East (12 3 % ) a n d C e n t r a l ( 1 0 4 % )

Others included Wayanad (14 8%) and Kottayam (10 5%) in Kerala, Ahmedabad ( 1 0 7 % ) i n G u j a r a t , a n d Sangli (14 6%) and Pune (11

1%) in Maharashtra D o c t o r s s a i d C o v i d patients were showing similar set of symptoms as during the third wave of the pandemic in India between January and March last year, and hospitalisations continued to be relatively low

Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, coc h a i r m a n o f t h e n a t i o n a l C o v i d t a s k f o r c e o f t h e Indian Medical Association, s a i d h o s p i t a l s a c r o s s t h e country were not getting a rush of Covid patients as yet “But we need to follow this more closely,” he said

Dr Suresh Kumar, medical director of Delhi’s Lok N a y a k h o s p i t a l s a i d t h e r e were two Covid-19 patients c u r r e n t l y a d m i t t e d i n t h e hospital “One patient is on oxygen support while the o t h e r r e q u i r e s v e n t i l a t o r support,” he said PM M odi chairs m eet on preparedness

P r i m e M i n i s t e r Narendra Modi, meanwhile directed officials to enhance whole genome sequencing

India removes additional barricades outside UK mission

In what appeared to be retaliation for British autho rities failing to stop Kh alistan supporters in London from vand alising the Indian hig h com mission, ad ditio nal barricades and security setup d ep loyed outside the British hig h comm issio n as w ell as Alex Ellis, the U K's high com missioner to India, were taken d own

India had slammed the UK after the incident, saying it found the “indifference” of London authorities to the security of Indian diplomatic premises and personnel there unacceptable It had strongly protested against what it described as complete absence of security outside the Indian high commission The Indian mission was vandalised despite India having repeatedly asked the UK authorities to beef up security at the high commission premises

Barricades remov al more like a symbolic m ove

However, the general security around the area was tightened, and intelligence officials also kept a hawk-eyed vigil on movement close to the premises at Chanakyapuri and Rajaji Marg It appeared that the Indian move to remove barricades from the UK high commission and the high commissioner's residence was more of a symbolic gesture, according to sources “Barricades placed on the pathway towards the commission that created hurdles for commuters have been removed,” a senior police officer said A group of people chanting pro-Khalistan slogans had vandalised the Indian high commission in London and taken down the Indian flag

of Covid-positive samples to support timely tracking of newer variants, if any, and timely response M o d i , w h o c h a i r e d a high-level meeting to assess the Covid-19 and influenza s i t u a t i o n i n t h e c o u n t r y , also emphasised the need to f o l l o w C o v i d a p p r o p r i a t e behaviour, including weari n g o f m a s k s i n h o s p i t a l premises by both patients a n d h e a l t h p r o f e s s i o n a l s

“He also stressed that weari n g o f m a s k s i s a d v i s a b l e w h e n s e n i o r c i t i z e n s a n d t h o s e w i t h c o - m o r b i d i t i e s visit crowded areas, ” a statement issued by the PMO said

T h e m e e t i n g w a s a l s o attended by principal secretary to PM P K Mishra, Niti Aayog member Dr V KPaul and cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba among others, Union h e a l t h s e c r e t a r y R a j e s h B h u s h a n m a d e a d e t a i l e d p r e s e n t a t i o n o n C o v i d - 1 9 cases He said the country was witnessing a slight rise in infections

A hmedabad record s 1 18 new

C ovid cases

The test positivity rate ( T P R ) i n A h m e d a b a d reached 10 5% on Saturday, a c c o r d i n g t o t h e d a t a b y ministry of health & family welfare of the Government of India – it indicated that one out of every ten tests carried out for Covid turned out to be positive Ahmedabad was one of the 29 districts of India to h a v e 1 0 % o r m o r e T P R T h r e e o t h e r d i s t r i c t s -

M o r b i , R a j k o t , a n d Vadodara - had more than 5% TPR at 5 9%, 5 9% and 5 4% respectively

The state recorded 303 new Covid cases on Sunday out of which 118 were from Ahmedabad city alone

Other cases included 30 from Rajkot city, 25 from Surat city, 17 from Morbi, 16 from Vadodara, and 14 each f r o m V a d o d a r a c i t y a n d Rajkot among others The state also recorded death of a positive patient in Valsad district

Dalai Lama names US-born Mongolian boy 3rd highest leader in Buddhism

An eight-year-old Mongolian boy, born in the U nited S tates, has been named the 10 th Khalkha Jetsun Dh am pa Rinpoche, the th ird high est rank in Tibetan Budd hism, by the Dalai Lam a During a ceremony, held on March 8 in Dharamsala where the Dalai Lama (87) liv es in exile, the elderly spiritual lead er w as pictured w ith the boy recognising h im as the 3rd highest leader in Buddh ism

"We have the reincarnation of Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche of Mongolia with us today," the Dalai Lama said during the ceremony which was attended by 5,000 monks and nuns, 600 Mongolians and other members

The eight-year-old US-born child is the son of a university professor and the grandson of a former Mongolian member of parliament Reports claimed that the Dalai Lama institution in Dharamshala is tight-lipped over the real identity of the new Mongolian Tibetan leader as they feel he would be targeted by the Chinese regime

Meanwhile, pointing to the small boy sitting to his left, the Dalai Lama told the gathering, "We have the reincarnation of Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche of Mongolia with us today His predecessors had a close association with the Krishnacharya lineage of Chakrasamvara One of them established a monastery in Mongolia dedicated to its practice So, his being here today is quite auspicious "

Opposition lawmakers rallied to his defense, calling his expulsion a new low for India’s constitutional democracy Rahul agrees to va cate offi ci al bunga low

Meanwhile, Rahul has agreed to vacate his official bungalow at 12 Tughlak Lane, after being disqualified as a member last week

In a letter addressed to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, he wrote, “As an elected member of the Lok Sabha for the last 4 terms, it is the mandate of the people to which I owe the happy memories of my t i m e s p e n t h e r e ” H e a d d e d , “Without prejudice to my rights, I w i l l , o f c o u r s e , a b i d e b y t h e details contained in your letter” He was given the notice by the house committee on March 27 and was asked to vacate it within 30 days

Russia delays delivery of S-400 air defence missile system to India

The d elivery of the S-400 air d e fe nc e m i s si l e s ys tem to India has been d elayed du e to th e Russia-U kraine conflict

In all, five such missile systems have been ordered under a $5-billion deal signed in October 2018 Of the five missile systems, three have already been delivered The delivery of the remaining two has been delayed

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has said the Indian Air Force (IAF) informed the committee “there is a major project where the deliveries have been stopped because of the war So, we had a major delivery this year, which is not going to take place They have given us in writing that they are not able to deliver it”

Sources said the “major project” mentioned in the committee’s report was the S-400 missile system and the two missiles were expected to be delivered by year-end Till now, the delivery of the S-400, in spite of the conflict in Ukraine, was on schedule

Each S-400 system has eight vehicle-mounted launchers Each launcher has four tubes allowing the commander on ground to launch four missiles from each launcher

An S-400 missile can take down a hostile aircraft, a missile or an UAV at a range between 40 km and 400 km Each system has its own radar and can track more than 100 targets at a distance of 600 km

Rahul Gandhi

World's shortest bodybuilder marries partner

Pratik Vitthal Mohite, the world's shortest bodybuilder at 3 feet 4 inches, got married to Jayaa who is 4 feet 2 inches tall. He bagged the Guinness World Records title for the “shortest competitive bodybuilder (male) in the world” in 2021 The 28-year-old bodybuilder who is from Maharashtra married Jayaa, 22, who also has a short stature like him Pratik met his partner four years ago and the two got engaged later, according to the media. In photos shared by Pratik on Instagram, he is seen dressed as a groom and dancing happily atop a vehicle as people gather around him to celebrate. In another photo, Pratik is seen standing next to his wife and other family members The bodybuilder also shared a few videos from his haldi ceremony (Agency)

a n d l u t e t i u m t h a t t r a n s f o r m s i n t o a s u p e r c o n d u c t o r a t j u s t 6 9 d e g r e e s Fahrenheit and 1 gigapascal of pressure "Let's say you were riding a horse in the 1940s when you saw a Ferrari driving past you-that's the level of difference between previous experiments and this one, says Dias In a paper published in scientific journal Nature, the researchers describe how they combined the three components t o c r e a t e t h e m a t e r i a l b y p r e s s i n g i t between two diamond anvils, a device that compresses materials to extremely high pressures (Agency)

of Bareilly district Chaudhary told the media: “I am not aware of the court order I w a s n o t c a l l e d f o r a n y h e a r i n g i n t h i s particular case ” He had investigated the case registered under Pocso and SC/ST Acts a g a i n s t C h a u h a n f o r r a p i n g t h e m i n o r daughter of a tenant in the house owned by his father The IO filed a case closure report stating that no evidence was found against t h e a c c u s e d T h e m e d i c a l e x a m i n a t i o n r e p o r t h a d c o n f i r m e d s e x u a l a s s a u l t (Agency)

from getting a good night's rest was granted by the temple officials “We have decided not to use the machine We tried it in the sanctum sanctorum During the product’s demonstration a few days ago, we heard a hum from the machine The operator said the sound scares away rodents, but the servitors red-flagged it,” said Jitendra Sahu, the temple’s administrator (Agency)

Gutsy girl takes her SSC exam lying in ambulance

An under-construction tower of 18,000 s q f t t r i p l e x a t W a l k e s h w a r i n s o u t h Mumbai has been sold for £25 2 million R e a l e s t a t e m a r k e t s o u r c e s s a y t h e t r a n s a c t i o n , b e t w e e n i n d u s t r i a l i s t N i r a j Bajaj and Macrotech Developers (Lodha Group), is the most expensive in India to date Last month, a 30,000 sq ft penthouse i n a W o r l i l u x u r y t o w e r w a s s o l d t o i n d u s t r i a l i s t B K G o e n k a , c h a i r m a n o f Welspun Group, for £24 million It was touted as the biggest apartment deal in India, but it has taken only a month for the Bajaj-Lodha transaction to surpass it While t h e F e b r u a r y d e a l w a s f o r a f i n i s h e d building, the current transaction is for a project in which construction work has just begun Bajaj, chairman of Bajaj Auto and p r o m o t e r - d i r e c t o r o f B a j a j G r o u p , h a s b o o k e d t h e t o p t h r e e f l o o r s i n t h e upcoming Lodha Malabar tower close to Raj Bhavan at Walkeshwar The cost works out to about Rs 140,000 per sq ft (Agency)

2 women marry the same man; reach 'agreement' to split days with him

In a bizarre incident, a man and two w o m e n , i n c l u d i n g h i s f i r s t w i f e , h a v e decided to live peacefully in two separate houses by dividing three days each of a w e e k b e t w e e n t h e m a n d a l s o w i t h t h e liberty to the man to spend the seventh day with the woman of his choice, said a lawyer The story of the two women and a man, who is an engineer, came to light when the man again entered into wedlock with a female colleague in Gurugram after he left h i s w i f e i n G w a l i o r d u r i n g t h e C o v i d p a n d e m i c , t h e l a w y e r s a i d H i s f i r s t marriage took place in 2018 to a Gwaliorbased woman and they lived together for two years During Covid, he sent his wife to h e r p a r e n t s ' h o m e a n d w e n t b a c k t o Gurugram, the lawyer said (Agency) Scientists find a new material that could change the entire world

The University of Rochester in New York's assistant professor Ranga Dias and h i s c o l l e a g u e s c l a i m t o h a v e c r e a t e d a substance consisting of hydrogen, nitrogen,

103-year-old California woman hits gym regularly

The 103-year-old woman is dedicated to fitness and goes to the gym three to four times a week She likes to use the treadmill while wearing a full face of cosmetics and lift weights Teresa Moore frequents her neighbourhood gym three to four times per week, and unlike other gym goers, she s h o w s u p d e c k e d o u t i n j e w e l l e r y a n d makeup Teresa enjoys lifting weights with her styled hair perfectly intact and walking on the treadmill Teresa, who was born in Italy, married her late military husband in 1946 and she lived across the globe before settling down in Southern California She says exercising gives her energy, but her d a u g h t e r b e l i e v e s t h a t h e r m o t h e r ' s adventurous nature also leads her to the gym "That's where she meets her friends," daughter Sheila Moore said to the media (Agency)

Only 18, but the Barodian track athlete has won 21 medals!

B a r e l y 1 8 , a V a d o d a r a a t h l e t e h a s already attached 21 medals to her name on the running track “I want to surpass the achievements of my idol PT Usha on the running track,” Lakshita said The young athlete who came into the spotlight last year when she won two silver medals at ISF World School Gymnasium that was held in France, said that she has learnt a lot just by watching her idol’s videos “It is my dream to represent India in the Olympics and win a medal,” she said Lakshita has won medals

i n 8 0 0 - a n d 1 5 0 0 - m e t r e r a c e s a t tournaments where athletes from over 65 countries participated (The Times of India)

After cop’s clean chit, man gets lifer for rape

A special Pocso court in Agra found Vipin Chauhan guilty of the 2013 rape of a six-year-old dalit girl and sentenced him to l i f e i n p r i s o n , 1 0 y e a r s a f t e r t h e investigating officer (IO) cleared him The c o u r t h a s a l s o a s k e d t h e D G P t o t a k e n e c e s s a r y a c t i o n a g a i n s t t h e t h

Vadodara to get international air connectivity soon

B a r o d i a n s s h o u l d a n t i c i p a t e f u t u r e international aviation connectivity as the airport in Vadodara is about to open its immigration and customs facilities Flights will at least begin to Dubai and Sharjah Vadodara MP Ranjan Bhatt said that Union home minister Amit Shah during his visit to t h e c i t y h a d h a n d e d o v e r t h e g a z e t t e notification issued by the Centre through w h i c h V a d o d a r a a i r p o r t w i l l g e t immigration and customs facilities The desire for airline connectivity to foreign l o c a t i o n s h a s i n c r e a s e d s i n c e t h e n e w terminal building's opening She thanked the prime minister, home minister and civil aviation minister for starting the facilities at the airport (The Times of India)

Kerala gets its first transgender lawyer

P a d m a L a k s h m i b e c a m e t h e f i r s t transgender attorney in Kerala when she registered as an advocate with the state's Bar Council The state's industries minister P Rajeev shared a photograph of the lawyer on his official Instagram, congratulating h e r A s p e r t h e m i n i s t e r ' s p o s t , P a d m a Lakshmi was one of the more than 1,500 law graduates who were handed over the Bar enrolment certificate and an event organised by the Bar Council of India Padma Lakshmi graduated from Ernakulam Government Law College In his Instagram post, Rajeev praised the efforts of the young l a w y e r f o r m a k i n g a p a t h f o r h e r s e l f considering she had to face a society that is not the kindest of the most encouraging (Agency)

Rat-repeller keeping Puri deities awake

A rat-repellent device donated by a devotee was removed from the Jagannath temple out of worry that it might disrupt t h e n o c t u r n a l s l u m b e r o f t h e s h r i n e ' s presiding deities, the brothers Jagannath, B a l a b h a d r a , a n d S u b h a d r a , w h o w e r e worshipped there in the 12th century The servants' request and complaint that the machine's incessant buzz prevents the gods

Mubashshira Sayyed was determined to take her SSC examinations while lying down in an ambulance for more than two hours, and two schools and state board authorities quickly took measures to make sure of this Three days before, she had met with a car a c c i d e n t t h a t l e f t h e r l e f t f o o t i n j u r e d

Student of Anjuman I-Islam’s Dr MIJ Girls High School in Bandra, Mubashshira (15) is appearing for the ongoing SSC exams After writing her science paper 2 (biology) at St Stanislaus High School, Bandra, her exam centre, she headed home around 1 20 pm, as she was crossing a road, the wheels of a car ran over her left foot The driver, along with Mubashshira’s batchmates, rushed her to the nearby hospital where she was operated the same day (Agency)

This woman ticket checker has collected more than £100,000 in fine

The railway ministry has praised the first woman ticket-checking staff to collect over £100,000 fine from passengers Rosaline Arokia Mary, a chief ticket inspector of S o u t h e r n R a i l w a y h a s c o l l e c t e d f i n e s o f £103,000 from non-ticketed travellers The railway ministry took to Twitter to praise the ticket checker The caption of the post reads, "Showing resolute commitment to her duties, Rosaline, the chief ticket inspector of GMS railway, becomes the first woman on the ticket-checking staff of Indian railways t o c o l l e c t f i n e s o f £ 1 0 3 , 0 0 0 f r o m irregular/non-ticketed travellers " The post soon went viral and received appreciation from every corner A user wrote, "We need m o r e s u c h c h a l l e n g i n g a n d d e d i c a t e d women to make our Bharath a superpower Congratulations Rosaline Keep the tempo rising " Another user commented, "Rosaline, I am proud to be your friend Knowing you I am not surprised with your achievement Shows your dedication, commitment and sincerity to your duties " The third user wrote, "Congratulations, Ma'am! A job well done!"(Agency)

Triplex in Mumbai tower sold for record £25 2 mn

Depression exacerbates aging process among older adults: Study

e s s i o n T h e y m e a s u r e d t h e l e v e l s o f p r o t e i n s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h

7 easy remedies to reduce bloating quickly

We’ve all experienced that u n co mfo rta ble fu lln ess o r h eaviness p os t meals th at s om e t i me s ma y ha p pe n without us ea ting too much S w e l l i n g o r a c he in t he s t om a ch a c co mp a n ie d b y b ur p in g o r a b d om in a l d iscomfort ar e al l sig ns of b loating Eat ing t oo fa st an d s wa l l ow i n g a i r i n t he p r o ce ss , f e a st i n g o n l a r ge m e a l s , c on s t ip a t i on , l iv e r d isea se, a nd pregn ancy are some common r easons for b l oa t i n g B l oa t i n g i s e ssent ia lly caused by ex cess g a s pr o d uc t io n or d i st u r b a n ce s i n m us cl e moveme nt of the dige stive system

In fact, some food items a r e m o r e l i k e l y t o c a u s e bloating in some people, like b e a n s , l e n t i l s , b r o c c o l i , c a b b a g e , a n d e x t r a s a l t y foods, among others If you feel bloated too frequently, you must address this issue and change how you eat or h a v e f o o d s t h a t s u i t y o u r digestive system better In her r ecent Instag ram post, n u t r it i on i st L ov n e e t Ba t r a t alks about food s t hat can ca use bloa ting She wr ot e: B e a n s m a y c a u s e bloating because they have a h i g h f i b r e c o n t e n t a n d c o n t a i n o l i g o s a c c h a r i d e s , which are sugars that the body can find difficult to break down

C a r b o n a t e d d r i n k s c o n t a i n h i g h a m o u n t s o f carbon dioxide, a gas When y o u d r i n k o n e o f t h e s e b e v e r a g e s , y o u e n d u p swallowing large amounts of t h i s g a s , w h i c h c a n g e t t r a p p e d a n d i n c r e a s e p r e s s u r e i n t h e s t o m a c h T h i s m a y l e a d t o uncomfortable bloating and belching

K a l e , b r o c c o l i , a n d c a b b a g e a r e c r u c i f e r o u s v e g e t a b l e s a n d c o n t a i n r a f f i n o s e , a s u g a r t h a t produces gas and makes you bloat

Onions are one of the m a i n d i e t a r y s o u r c e s o f fructans These are soluble f i b r e s t h a t c a n c a u s e bloating Like onions, garlic

c o n t a i n s f r u c t a n s , F O D M A P s t h a t c a n c a u s e bloating R a w v e g e t a b l e s / s a l a d c o n t a i n l o t s o f f i b r e , f e r m e n t e d b y b a c t e r i a i n the colon, producing gas in the process The more fibre you consume, the more gas and bloating may occur Remedies to tackle bloating

Add ginger to meals

Ginger is a traditional remedy for digestive issues, i n c l u d i n g i n d i g e s t i o n , n a u s e a a n d b l o a t i n g I t contains carminative, which helps reduce excessive gas in the gastrointestinal tract

Add freshly grated ginger to your tea, or to your dals, rajma or soya, etc , or make a concoction of ginger in hot water and sip it after meals

Warm water and fennel seeds

If you don’t prepare a h o t d r i n k , c h e w i n g o n

fennel seeds after meals can a i d t h e d i g e s t i o n p r o c e s s a n d r e d u c e g a s a n d

Add fruits to your diet

Include banana, papaya, b e r r i e s , c a r r o t s , o r a n g e s , pineapple, celery, spinach, oats and fermented foods in your meals They contain a g o o d a m o u n t o f f i b r e , antioxidants and vitamins t h a t h e l p d i g e s t i o n a n d improve gut health

a g i n g i n e a c h p e r s o n ’ s blood When a cell gets old, i t b e g i n s t o f u n c t i o n differently, less efficiently, than a “ young ” cell It often p r o d u c e s p r o t e i n s t h a t promote inflammation or other unhealthy conditions, and those proteins can be m e a s u r e d i n t h e b l o o d Diniz and their colleagues c o m p a r e d t h e l e v e l s o f t h e s e p r o t e i n s w i t h m e a s u r e s o f t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s ' p h y s i c a l health, medical problems,

b r a i n f u n c t i o n , a n d t h e severity of their depression

To their surprise, the s e v e r i t y o f a p e r s o n ' s d e p r e s s i o n s e e m e d unrelated to their level of accelerated aging However, t h e y d i d f i n d t h a t a c c e l e r a t e d a g i n g w a s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h w o r s e c a r d i o v a s c u l a r h e a l t h overall People with higher l e v e l s o f a g i n g - a s s o c i a t e d proteins were more likely to have high blood pressure, h i g h c h o l e s t e r o l , a n d

multiple medical problems

Accelerated aging was also a s s o c i a t e d w i t h w o r s e p e r f o r m a n c e o n t e s t s o f b r a i n h e a l t h s u c h a s working memory and other cognitive skills " T h o s e t w o f i n d i n g s open up opportunities for p r e v e n t i v e s t r a t e g i e s t o r e d u c e t h e d i s a b i l i t y a s s o c i a t e d w i t h m a j o r depression in older adults a n d t o p r e v e n t t h e i r a c c e l e r a t i o n o f b i o l o g i c a l aging," Diniz said

Achieve work-life balance with these six tips

F inding the ri ght balance between wo rk and personal life is i mpo rtant to m a i n ta i n i n g a h ea lt h y lifestyle, managing stress l ev el s, a nd pr o m o t i n g better sleep quality It is essenti al to recogni se the importance of w ork-li fe balance, not just fo r o ur physi cal health but also o ur mental w ell-being

A w o r k - l i f e b a l a n c e allows a person to prioritise work, pay attention to health, manage social engagements, and enjoy t h e m s e l v e s t h r o u g h o u t the day without feeling stressed

To find the right balance, you can practice the following steps: Prioritise you r he alth

Try to include physical activity in your schedule Go for a walk, exercise This releases endor-

p h i n s w h i c h p l a y a n important role in elevating mood and contributi n g t o g o o d m e n t a l health It is also just as i m p o r t a n t t o p r i o r i t i s e your mental health

Take s hort intervals

Take short intervals at work throughout the day, while working and otherwise Taking breaks helps to taper your stress levels and allows you to refocus w h e n y o u g e t b a c k o n task Learn to say no in order not to overburden y o u r s e l f w i t h c o m m i tments

Plan enou gh sleep

We all know the benefits of getting adequate sleep It helps you maintain a stable mood and mind Practice night ritua l s l i k e w a r m o r c o l d showers, stay away from the screen and go to bed

at a fixed time every day Eat w ell

Maintaining a healthy r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h f o o d helps you stay satisfied and avoid binge eating Do your b l o o d w o r k p e r i o d i c a l l y and do vitamin checks Socia li se B e i n g s o c i a l l y a c t i v e helps you to feel refreshed I t a l l o w s y o u t o g a i n i n s i g h t s a b o u t y o u r s e l f , create happy memories and add a lot of meaning and purpose in life Try to make healthy friends and spend time with them

C ultivate hobb ies

Learn new skills in the areas that interest you the most Take out time to go once a week and practice y o u r h o b b y I t c o u l d b e a n y t h i n g c r e a t i v e , l i k e learning a new dance form, journaling, painting, cooking, or gardening

Women with mental illness twice as likely to develop cervical cancer

Wom e n s uf f er i n g f r om m e n ta l il l n e s s , ne ur ops y c hia tr ic dis a b il it y, or s ub st ance addic tion are l e s s l i k el y t o un de r g o gynecologic al sc reening tes ts for cervical cancer a nd m ore t ha n t wi c e a s l i k el y t o de v e l op t h e d is e a s e Researc her s f rom Karolinska

In s t it u t e r ev e a l e d t he ir f in d in g s i n Th e L a nc e t

hurdles to this objective

bloating

Add a teaspoon of fennel seeds to one cup of b o i l i n g w a t e r A d d s o m e f r e s h g i n g e r , a p i n c h o f asafoetida and a pinch of rock salt Mix well, strain a n d s i p g r a d u a l l y a f t e r

meals

Drink more water

Sugars, aerated drinks or soda can also cause gas a n d b l o a t i n g D r i n k i n g w a t e r e l i m i n a t e s t h e s e i s s u e s a n d h e l p s t r e a t constipation

Pub l i c H e a l t h T he s tu dy emphasised t he neces sity of e ng a gi n g t he s e wom en proact ivel y as a prevent ative inte rvention agains t c ervical canc er

In May 2020, the WHO approved a global strategy f o r e l i m i n a t i n g c e r v i c a l cancer as a women's health problem Part of the strategy i s a r e q u i r e m e n t t h a t 7 0 p e r c e n t o f w o m e n a r e screened for the disease at least once before age 35 and t w i c e b e f o r e a g e 4 5

According to the researchers, care inequality is a major

Our study identified a high-risk group that needs extra attention if we're to s u c c e e d i n e l i m i n a t i n g cervical cancer," says one of the study's first authors Kejia H u , p o s t d o c r e s e a r c h e r a t t h e I n s t i t u t e o f Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institutet

The observational study included over four million women born between 1940 a n d 1 9 9 5 F r o m t h i s population, the researchers calculated the risk of cervical

c a n c e r a n d p r e c a n c e r o u s c e r v i c a l l e s i o n s a n d p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n s c r e e n i n g programs for cervical cancer, c o m p a r i n g w o m e n d i a g n o s e d b y a s p e c i a l i s t w i t h m e n t a l i l l n e s s , n e u r o p s y c h i a t r i c d i s a b i l i t y , o r s u b s t a n c e a b u s e w i t h w o m e n w i t h o u t s u c h

diagnoses

"Our results suggest that women with these diagnoses participate more seldom in screening programs at the same time as they have a higher incidence of lesions

in the cervix," says Dr Hu "We thus found that they h a v e t w i c e t h e r i s k o f developing cervical cancer ” A n e l e v a t e d r i s k w a s observed for all diagnoses, but the greatest association w a s n o t e d f o r s u b s t a n c e abuse Women with mental illness should be made more a w a r e o f t h e n e e d t o u n d e r g o r e g u l a r g y n e c o l o g i c a l s c r e e n i n g , according to the researchers:

"It would lower their risk of cancer," says one of the p a p e r ' s a u t h o r s K a r i n S u n d s t r o m , s e n i o r r e s e a r c h e r a t t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f L a b o r a t o r y M e d i c i n e , K a r o l i n s k a I n s t i t u t e t " S i m i l a r l y , i f healthcare professionals are more aware of the cancer risk in these patients, they c a n s t e p u p p r e v e n t a t i v e measures and consider how these could be delivered to p o t e n t i a l l y u n d e r - s e r v e d patients ”

Shreyas Talpade: Viral dialogue from ‘Pushpa’ in Hindi was improvised

Recent years have witnessed the success of Hindi-dubbed south films. In fact, in some cases, the dubbed versions have outdone the regional releases Actor

Shreyas Talpade voiced the main character

Pushpa Raj for the Hindi version of the Telugu film ‘Pushpa: The Rise ’ He said most Hindi dialogues that went viral online were improvised in the dubbing studio

Starring Allu Arjun, Fahadh Faasil and Rashmika Mandanna, ‘Pushpa’ was written and directed by Sukumar While Arjun s titular character Pushpa and his interpretation was already a hit, fans and celebrities have been sharing the film s catchphrases online since it was released Shreyasshared how the team working on the Hindi dub didn't stick to translating the Telugu dialogues literally but tried to capture the essence of what the characters were feeling

He revealed that a lot of catchphrases that became popular were ad-libbed in the dubbing booth He recalled, “There were a lot of improvisations we did during the dubbing sessions for Pushpa Originally, the literal translation of Allu Arjun's famous dialogue was 'Pushpa jayega nahi (Pushpa will not go) ' But to make it more impactful, we made it 'Pushpa jhukega nahi (Pushpa will not bend),' and the next thing you know, it has become a rage!”

He added, "Similarly, the iconic 'Flower nahi, fire hai main (Not a flower, I'm fire)' dialogue did not exist in the original film We got it improvised in the Hindi dubbed version and even after a year, people are seen referring to it That was indeed the whole purpose; that instead of literal translation, we improvise it into something that retains the essence of the character but is also memorable for the audience ”

On the work front, the actor was last seen as cricketer Pravin Tambe in the ‘Kaun Pravin Tambe?’ biopic He will next be seen as the former Indian prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in Kangana Ranaut's period drama ‘Emergency ’ Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhary, Milind Soman and the late Satish Kaushik are also part of the cast

Sara confesses she’d use divorce to guilt trip Saif

Actress Sara Ali Khan is busy promoting her new film ‘Gaslight ’ During one of the film’s promotional events, she confessed she and her younger brother Ibrahim Ali Khan have played up being children of divorced parents and tried to play victims against them She shared that they asked for things from their parents, Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, when they were younger, knowing they might feel guilty about the divorce. She also joked that she does it sometimes at her current age.

Saif and Amrita tied the knot in January 1991 and divorced in 2004 after 13 years of marriage Sara was born on August 12, 1995, and Ibrahim on March 5, 2001 Saif married actress Kareena Kapoor in 2012, and they have two children, six-year-old Taimur Ali Khan and two-year-old Jehangir Ali Khan

During an interview for her upcoming Disney+ Hotstar film, Sara was asked if she and her brother have ever gaslit their parents The young actor admitted that she had She said, Sometimes, we played the victim card Like the obvious way, in my family dynamic Like, ‘Abba is not here mummy, give this to us, ’ at the age of 11, or, ‘Abba, you don’t live with us, give this to us, ’ at the age of 15 ” Sara also joked that sometimes she has done even now She laughed and said, "Replace 11 and 15 with 26 ”

In Pawan Kripalani's ‘Gaslight,’ Sara plays a young woman who comes back home to find her father missing She suspects foul play, but no one seems to believe her Chitrangda Singh and Vikrant Massey also star in the thriller

Taapsee says 'unfair

different in every film'

Sidharth dedicates award to Kiara, she

Sidharth

Malhotra gushed about his wife and actor Kiara Advani on stage at the recently held Bollywood Hungama Style Icons Awards ceremony. The couple was seen at the event held in Mumbai over the weekend. Sid looked suave in a black Manish Malhotra blazer paired with a grey printed shirt He won Most Stylish Actor for ‘Shershaah’ and took to the stage to accept the award

In the clip shared on Twitter by the actor's fan page, Sidharth said, "Thank you Bollywood Hungama This is actually my second award post my marriage pehla wala acting ke liye tha aur dusra wala style ke liye hein, (the first one was for acting and now the second one is for style) so I think my wife will be happy she has a good actor who is extremely stylish This one goes to her and to all the stylists and designers everywhere who are making me look cool!" Soon after, Kiara took to her Instagram Stories to react to Sidharth's speech and wrote in the caption, “This man has my whole heart (red heart emoticon) ”

dedicated an award to his wife At an awards event held earlier this month, Sidharth and Kiara made an appearance together Sidharth, who had won the Best Actor award for ‘Shershaah,’ made sure to thank Kiara while accepting his award there too He said, "Saving the best for l a s t M y t a l e n t e d c o - a c t o r w a s s o convincing in her role that I ended up marrying her And she is right here I am so happy and proud to call her my wife today - Kiara ”

S i d h a r t h a n d K i a r a m a r r i e d o n February 7 at the Suryagarh Palace in Jaisalmer While Sidharth wore a sherwani with gold embroidery, Kiara Advani wore a heavy ivory and pink lehenga for the wedding The couple also hosted a grand B o l l y w o o d r e c e p t i o n i n M u m b a i o n F e b r u a r y 1 2 , a t t e n d e d b y n u m e r o u s

Bollywood stars

On the work front, Sidharth will be next seen in his debut web series, 'Indian Police Force ’ The Rohit Shetty project also stars Shilpa Shetty and Vivek Oberoi He also has a film, ‘Yodha’, in which he plays the titular role

Actress

Taapsee Pannu has shown her us acting range with her diverse characters, such as Prakash in ‘Saand ki Aankh’ and Rani in ‘Haseen Dillruba ’ She is often referred to as an “unconventional” heroine However, Pannu says the pressure to deliver something out of the box in every film can be overwhelming.

She says, “I appreciate that people have a certain perception of men, and that they expect me to do something unconventional and different from the norm But, looking at m y w o r k s o l e l y t h r o u g h t h a t l e n s a n d anticipating, something drastically different in every frame of every movie can be harsh, unfair and brutal While I can experiment with my character, the story and the world around it, there are certain limitations as it’s the same human being performing all of t h o s e r o l e s I d o f e e l t h e p r e s s u r e sometimes ”

The actor believes that if the audience watches her work without any preconceived notions or judgments, they will see variety and uniqueness in each film she does “I became an actor because I enjoy the craft and the process of it, not for the fame and glory that come with it,” she says

Pannu has an exciting lineup of movies, including ‘Phirse Aayi Haseen Dillruba,’ ‘Wo Ladki Hai Kahaan’ and a comedy-drama with actor Shah Rukh Khan, ‘Dunki ’

However, regarding the leaked pictures from the sets of Dunki, the actor shares, “ T h e p i c t u r e s w e r e t a k e n o n t h e Westminster Bridge in London during a Sunday morning shoot It’s impossible to stop people when they’ve come to see ‘The Shah Rukh Khan ’ I think that was the best Sunday morning for many of us, to see him there on that bridge While we try to keep people away so they can enjoy certain looks and moments on screen, it’s inevitable when you have such a big star in front of you ”

says 'this man has my whole heart'

to expect me to be drastically

Aishwarya's domestic staff held for stealing gold, silver jewellery from Chennai home

Suriya, Jyotika reportedly

relocate to Mumbai, invested in £7 mn lavish property

Suriya has been frequently spotted by paps in Mumbai recently, videos of which have surfaced on social media over the last few months. If the grapevine were to be believed, the actor and his family would have relocated to the city for their children’s education. It is also being said that Suriya and his wife Jyotika have invested in a property worth £7 million in the city

Suriya has two kids - a daughter Diya (15), and a son Dev (12) It is believed that it’s been a little over six months since the family shifted base to Mumbai A media report published that the couple purchased a 9000-square feet lavish bungalow in a gated community in Mumbai He has been spotted in the city multiple times over the last year and was once seen requesting paps not to click pictures of his children

Last seen on screen in the Tamil film ‘Etharkkum Thunindhavan,’ Suriya is filming his next yet-untitled Tamil project with director Siva He recently opted out of Bala’s Tamil film ‘Vanangaan ’ Suriya and Bala were set to work together for the third time in the project They had reunited after two decades, and the project had recently gone on the floors

However, Suriya later opted out of the project Filmmaker Bala said he had doubts about the story and whether it'll suit Suriya after making some minor changes “I wanted to direct a movie called Vanangaan with my brother Suriya But due to some changes in the story, I now have doubts whether this story will be suitable for Suriya He has full faith in me and in this story It is my duty as a brother to not cause any embarrassment to my younger brother who has so much love, respect and trust So, both of us have discussed and unanimously decided that Suriya will withdraw from the movie It was a decision he made in his best interest, although he was saddened by it,” Bala said Suriya was recently seen playing an important cameo in Kamal Haasan’s latest Vikram release He played a character called Rolex

Veteran Malayalam actor Innocent passes away at 75

Veteran Malayalam actor Vareed Thekkethala, mononymously known as Innocent, passed away at 75 at a private hospital in Kochi on Sunday. He was under extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support after his condition turned worse A cancer survivor, he was hospitalised for nearly three weeks due to cancer-related complications

Radha Nair recalls struggle wearing a bikini on ‘Tik Tik Tik’ sets

Aishwarya

Rajinikanth’s domestic help and driver have been arrested for stealing gold, silver and diamond jewellery from her Chennai home She had earlier filed a police complaint stating gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 3 60 lakh was missing from her locker at home

It is said the filmmaker’s maid E a s w a r i t o o k h e l p f r o m d r i v e r Venkatesan to steal the items A report said she stole around 100 sovereigns of gold jewellery, 30 grams of diamond jewellery and four kilograms of silver articles A police release said she sold the i t e m s t o b u y a h o u s e a n d purchased some other articles

Easwari had been working as a maid for 18 years and knew the ins a n d o u t s o f A i s h w a r y a ' s household She stole the items by

o p e n i n g t h e l o c k e r m u l t i p l e t i m e s o v e r s e v e r a l d a y s S h e a l s o h a d a c c e s s t o t h e locker's key The stolen items were seized from t h e m a i d ' s h o m e , a s w e r e t h e d o c u m e n t s related to her purchase of a house property

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e F I R , s h e f i l e d o n M o n d a y , A i s h w a r y a h a d s t a t e d that she last wore the jewellery for h e r y o u n g e r s i s t e r S o u n d a r y a ’ s wedding in 2019 Since then, it has b e e n k e p t i n a l o c k e r w h i c h r e p o r t e d l y h a s b e e n m o v e d a r o u n d f r o m h o u s e s , i n c l u d i n g h e r e x - h u s b a n d D h a n u s h ’ s apartment in 2021 and later to her f a t h e r R a j i n i k a n t h ’ s r e s i d e n c e

The keys to the locker remained in Aishwarya's flat She was busy with the shoot of her latest film,

‘ L a l S a l a a m ’ , w h e n t h e t h e f t occurred

In a career spanning five decades, Innocent has starred in over 750 movies, primarily in Malayalam and a few in Tamil and Hindi He served as president of the artistes’ guild, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes, during 200318 He was last seen in the Prithviraj Sukumaran, Vivek Oberoi-starrer ‘Kaduva ’

Born in Irinjalakuda in 1948, Innocent made his acting debut in the 1972 movie ‘Nrithasala,’ headlined by the yesteryear stars Prem Nazir and Jayabharathi He played a minor role in the movie and in a few more movies before his talent was recognised by filmmakers Innocent is known for its unique style and voice of comedy and is a favourite among mimicry artists He went on to play memorable roles in the epic box office hits ‘Ramji Rao Speaking,’ which spawned remakes in Tamil and

Hindi; ‘Manichitrathazhu,’ ‘Sandesam,’ ‘Vietnam Colony,’ ‘Kilukkam’ and ‘Devaasuram ’ In ‘Ramji Rao Speaking,’ his role as Mannar Mathai, the irritable theatre owner who gets bombarded with “ wrong calls” a legacy of the premobile phone era continues to inspire memes and holds its place in popular culture to this day

He has received many awards, including three Kerala State Film Awards and seven Asianet Film Awards He is married to Alice, and the couple has a son, Sonnet Innocent had an equally colourful career in politics He won elections to the Irinjalakuda Municipality in 1979 In 2009, he contested the 2014 elections to Lok Sabha, India's Parliament, from Chalakudy constituency in Thrissur district Five years later, he lost to a candidate backed by the United Democratic Front

The actor has authored five books: 'Njan Innocent' (I am Innocent), 'Cancer Wardile Chiri' (Laughter In The Cancer Ward, a biography), Irinjalakudakku Chuttum (In And Around Irinjalakuda)), Mazha Kannadi (Mirror Of Rain, a collection of short stories) and Chirrikku Pinnil (Behind The Laughter)

Actor Radha Nair recently recalled the time on set when she and her co-stars Swapna and Madhavi wore bikinis. She said that while it would have felt like part of the job, it took a lot of strength and struggle. Kamal Haasan-starrer ‘Tik Tik Tik’ was a crime thriller directed by Bharathiraja and released in 1981 It was one of the first Tamil films to feature a bikini scene In her post, Radha showered praises on her co-star Madhavi for donning a bikini effortlessly

Sharing a still f r o m t h e f i l m , R a d h a t w e e t e d , “This is one of my favourite memory from the days of s h o o t f o r m o v i e t i k t i k t i k B a c k then it might have looked part of job but now if I look back I admire the s t r u g g l e a n d strength we have put in to look so, a n d s p e c i a l admiration goes to Madhavi who has that effortless look on her face along with right posture ”

She also added, "Hats off to her to be able to work on attitude along with her body Some memories if remembered now has many unspoken thoughts which I am sharing here today And I am glad we were in right hands then for these beautiful outfits on us by our designer Vani Ganapathy ”

‘Tik Tik Tik’ was remade in Hindi as ‘ K a r i s h m a a ’ ( 1 9 8 4 )

The Hindi remake was directed by IV Sasi and starred Reena Roy, Tina Munim,

and

Netflix gets legal notice for 'offensive' Madhuri Dixit line

OTT giant Netflix has received legal notice from political analyst Mithun Vijay Kumar over one of the episodes of its popular show ‘The Big Bang Theory ’ He demanded the removal of the show from the platform and called it offensive and defamatory

In the first episode of the show’s second season, Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper, went on to compare Aishwarya Rai with Madhuri Dixit In a scene, he called Aishwarya ‘ a poor man ’ s Madhuri Dixit ' In response, Raj Koothrapalli, played by Kunal Nayyar, says, “Aishwarya Rai is a goddess; by comparison, Madhuri Dixit is a leprous prostitute ”

Referring to the scene, Kumar has stated to take further legal action against Netflix if they fail to respond or do not comply with the demands made in the notice

He said, “It is important to hold companies like Netflix accountable for their actions and to ensure that they are sensitive to the cultural values and sentiments of the communities they serve I strongly believe that streaming service providers have a responsibility to carefully curate the content that they offer on their platforms It is their duty to ensure that

the material they present does not include derogatory, o or defamatory content I was deeply troubled by the u derogatory term in one of the shows on Netflix - Bi Theory This term was used in reference to the accl actress Madhuri Dixit, and it was not only offensiv deeply hurtful but also showed a lack of regard for her ty ”

“I strongly believe that streaming service provider take such issues seriously and act quickly to addre instances of offensive or defamatory content Further streaming service providers should be proactive in pre ing such content from being streamed This can be achi through clear guidelines and rigorous screening proce for all the content published Ultimately, streaming s vices have a significant influence over the content that consumed by millions of individuals, and with this influ ence comes a responsibility to ensure that the content they offer is respectful, inclusive, and free from harmful stereotypes I hope that this incident will serve as a wake-up call to all streaming services providers to work towards creating a more equitable and respectful media landscape,” he concluded

Bombay Jayashri 'stable and recovering' after health setback in UK

Carnatic singer Bombay Jayashri was reportedly rushed to a hospital after she suffered an aneurysm while on tour in the United Kingdom The Sangita Kalanidhi designate is currently touring the country for her concerts Her family issued a statement saying she had a health setback and underwent a surgical procedure for an aneurysm.

They issued a post on Jayashri's social media account and added, “She received timely medical intervention thanks to the capable staff at the NHS and her accompanying artistes She is currently stable and recovering well, she requires rest for a couple of days ” They requested privacy and said her health status would be updated

Last week, Bombay Jayashri was scheduled to perform at the Tung Auditorium, Yoko Ono Lennon Centre, University of Liverpool She is an accomplished singer who sings in many languages and has delighted audiences with popular numbers rendered for Indian films

Zachary Levi looks forward to watch ‘RRR’

Italian pianist-vocalist Matteo Bocelli wants to collaborate with more Indian artistes

Italian pianist and vocalist Matteo Bocelli has collaborated with Indian artistes for a love anthem and hopes to continue building on the relationship with the sounds and rhythms from the world of Indian music. Son of the multiinstrumentalist, opera and crossover artistes Andrea Bocelli, he collaborated with twins Sukriti and Prakrit Dakar and composer Amal Malik to release a Hindi-English pop-ballad single ‘I Miss You Amore ’

Actor

Zachary Levi considers himself “blessed” to be able to live his dream of being an actor With the recent attention on South Asian cinema, he looks forward to watching ‘RRR ’ In a recent interview, he said, “I have been wanting to see RRR, I have heard great things about it. I gotta go and watch that!”

He adds, “I have quite a few South Asian friends - Indian and Pakistani I have had love for your culture always I have not got a chance yet to visit India, I really want to get out there I have heard such wonderful and beautiful things about it, and of course I already know how the people are!”

Levi also praised Indian films and shared his Indian masala film dream He said, “I would love to do an Indian film, a Bollywood film Like I said, I have a lot of love for the people You guys have so much passion and life that you bring to your films I would love to be able to collaborate with Indian artistes and filmmakers Maybe it will be dance, maybe action, I don’t know, but I think it will be a lot of fun ”

The actor’s recent film ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ was released in India

Bocelli said, “For me, the song was about creating a bond between Italy and India I have always believed in the power of union between countries And I fell in love with t h e m e l o d y t h a t M a l i k h a d w r i t t e n F r o m t h e f i r s t moment, I felt close to the Indian culture of music And I thought with the song came a way to combine my voice with a melody I am very happy that the song got a lot of positive comments from all over ”

He talked about his bond with India and shared, “To Italian ears, Indian music and melodies sound very original It is a way of composing music which is different I really enjoyed those melodies, especially during the time I’ve been in India ”

“I enjoyed listening to the melodies while travelling in the car and on the radio The best thing about the country is that people are always welcoming you in a very warm way That is very important Italians are quite open people, and are very family friendly So, I was happy to find that in India as well People welcome you with their arms open, and with a hug I hope to be back very soon, ” Bocelli added

in brief Indian women boxers win 4 gold medals

WORLD ATHLETICS BODY BANS TRANSGENDER WOMEN

The governing organisation of the sport, World Athletics, has prohibited transgender women from participating in elite female contests if they have experienced male puberty The council also decided to reduce the maximum quantity of plasma testosterone allowed for athletes with Differences in Sex Development (DSD) by half from five to 2 5 nanomoles per litre World Athletics president Sebastian Coe told a news conference that the decision to exclude transgender people was based "on the overarching need to protect the female category" The governing body had previously floated the option of transgender athletes being allowed to compete in the female category if they, too maintained testosterone levels below 2 5 nanomoles per litre for 24 months Yet it said that it became apparent there was little support within the sport for that proposal "We're not saying no forever , " Coe said, adding that WA would form a task force to study the issue of trans inclusion that would be chaired by a transgender athlete

To compete internationally in any elite event in the female division DSD athletes will need to lower their testosterone levels below the new standard for at least 24 months according to a statement from WA DSD athletes including Caster Semenya a twotime Olympic 800 metre champion Christine Mboma, a 2020 Olympic 200 metre silver medalist, and Francine Niyonsaba, who placed second to Semenya in the 800 at the 2016 Olympics, will be impacted by the stricter rules

NITISH RANA IS SURPRISE PICK AS KKR CAPTAIN

Kolkata Knight Riders named experienced middle-order batter Nitish Rana as the standin captain for the IPL in the absence of injured Shreyas Iyer Regular skipper Iyer is recovering from a back injury and the KKR management hopes he will be available to lead the side at some stage Rana who plays for Delhi led his state side in 12 T20 games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy winning eight He played in two T20Is against Sri Lanka for a second-string India side led by Shikhar Dhawan in 2021 He has been with KKR side since 2018 Rana - who was preferred over established players like Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan and Shar-dul Thakur in the Knights squad - looks to have completed a new-look think-tank with head coach Chandrakant Pandit and bowling coach Bharat Arun joining the franchise recently KKR had a disappointing outing last season finishing seventh Rana, however, was moderately successful, scoring 361 runs in his 14 matches at an average of 27 76 with a strike rate of 145 He has played in 74 matches for KKR so far

SHREYAS LIKELY TO MISS IPL, WTC FINAL

India batter Shreyas Iyer, who was ruled out of the ODI series between India and Australia due to a recurring lower back injury is likely to be out of action for the next four or five months as he will undergo back surgery Iyer could thus miss not just the upcoming edition of the IPL, where he leads the Kolkata Knight Riders, but also the World Test Championship final at the Oval in June He could be in a race to return to action in time for the ODI World Cup in India in October-November KKR has named Nitish Rana as the stand-in captain Iyer has been advised to go for surgery He is keen to get operated by a specialist in London but if there is a decent option in India then the surgery could take place here also, a source said

Th e I n d i an w om e n ’ s b o x i ng team has written a new c hapter i n t he hi s t or y o f t he I n te rn a t i on al B o x i ng

As s o c i a ti on ( I B A) W om e n ’ s World Boxing Championships at the I nd ir a Ga ndh i I ndoor

Spo rts C omp le x i n D e l hi b y winning four gold medals On Sun d a y, N i kh a t Z a r ee n an d Lov li n a B org oha i n w on g old m ed a ls i n t he i r r e s pe c t i ve wei ght categories to s well the Indian medal tally to four golds

On Saturday, N itu G hanghas

( 4 8k g) a n d Sa w ee t y B oo ra (81kg) clinched the yellow metal too I n S u n d a y ' s g o l d m e d a l match, India’s Nikhat Zareen t o o k a d e e p b r e a t h b e f o r e s t e p p i n g i n s i d e t h e r i n g t o c o m p e t e f o r t h e 5 0 k g b o u t against Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Tam The 26-year-old grabbed her chance with both hands to

score a 5-0 win That gave her back-to-back gold medals at the p r e s t i g i o u s W o r l d B o x i n g

C h a m p i o n s h i p s , b u t i n different weight categories In

2 0 2 2 W o r l d B o x i n g

C h a m p i o n s h i p s , N i k h a t w o n gold in 52kg

F o r N i k h a t , t h e r o u t e t o winning a second world title w a s f a r f r o m e a s y B u t s h e s t e a d i l y m a r c h e d f o r w a r d a t

e v e r y s t e p , ultimately proving her mettle when it m a t t e r e d t h e most Nikhat had the upper hand at

t h e s t a r t o f t h e gold medal match

a g a i n s t N g u y e n , b e f o r e t h e l a t t e r made an effort to c l o s e t h e g a p a s t h e m a t c h

p r o g r e s s e d T h e last three minutes proved to be t h e t o u g h e s t f o r t h e I n d i a n b o x e r a s N g u y e n w a s m o r e aggressive It was all about good p h y s i c a l f i t n e s s a n d m e n t a l toughness at that stage Nitu Ghanghas (48kg) and Saweety Boora (81kg) were the other two gold medallists for India at the New Delhi Worlds While Nikhat’s win was clean a n d s i m p l e , L o v l i n a ’ s w a s

u n c o n v i n c i n g a n d d e b a t a b l e

The boxer from Assam, who was competing for the first time in the Olympic weight division of 75kg after shifting from the n o n - O l y m p i c c l a s s o f 6 9 k g , trailed the Australian 1-4 in the second round after managing to ward off her opponent’s attacks in the first period to claim it 3-2 in her favour Going into the t h i r d a n d f i n a l r o u n d , t h e Indian was under pressure to fight aggressively But it was Parker who was the aggressor and whose punches were more precise Lovlina could only be seen defending and trying to f i g h t f r o m l o n g r a n g e T h e Australian was relentless in her counter-attacks and, after the end of the bout, it appeared t h a t P a r k e r m i g h t e d g e p a s t Lovlina on points But much to the surprise of everyone, the Indian was declared the winner

India suffer rare series defeat Mumbai Indians win inaugural Women's Premier League

Th e Indian batting unit once again choked u nd er relentless p re ss u re f ro m th e A u s tra li an spinners as the visito rs clinched th e three-m atch ODI series 2-1 w i th a c o m fo r tab le 2 1 - ru n victory C hasing a stiff targ et of 270 on a tricky pitch, India were all ou t for 248 in 4 9 1 ov ers as Australia cam e back in the series after losing the first ODI by five wickets

The match turned out to be an anti-climax in the final 15 o v e r s a s A u s t r a l i a n s p i n n e r s Adam Zampa (4/45) and Ashton Agar (2/41 in 10 overs) snared as many six Indian wickets, giving away only 86 runs in the 20 overs between them

T h e C h e p a u k t r a c k g o t slower and slower and post 35th over in the Indian innings, it became very difficult to hit the big strokes Once Zampa bowled a couple of googlies to force Hardik Pandya (40 off 40 balls) and Ravindra Jadeja (1 off 33 balls) hit against the turn, the writing was on the wall

It was Zampa's best figures against India and he certainly was the hero for the Aussies

Incidentally, Australia were the last international team to beat India in a bilateral ODI series b a c k i n 2 0 1 9 T h e s c o r e - l i n e back then was 3-2 Since that series defeat four years back, India have won seven back-tob a c k b i l a t e r a l O D I r u b b e r a t home

It was three games in a row t h a t t h e I n d i a n t o p - o r d e r flattered to deceive and that too in home conditions They could have been blanked 3-0 in the series had Australia scored at least 235 in the opening ODI

From 146 for 2, India had s l u m p e d t o 1 8 5 f o r 6 w h e n Pandya and Jadeja joined forces w i t h t h e A u s t r a l i a n c l o s e - i n f i e l d e r s m a k i n g i t i n f i n i t e l y difficult But Pandya, however, maintained a 100-plus strikerate despite tight bowling by the opposition

Earlier, a fine opening spell by Pandya and a probing effort by Kuldeep Yadav put a tight l e a s h a r o u n d t h e A u s t r a l i a n batters before its tail wagged considerably to take the visitors to a fighting 269 all out in 49 overs after opting to bat first

BCCI promotes Jadeja to A+, Rahul demoted

The Ind ian cricket bo ard (BCC I) p ro m o te d R av i nd ra J a d ej a to Grad e A+ categ ory in its annual player contracts w hile KL Rahul was d em oted to Grade B Jad eja h as b ec o m e o n ly th e fo u rt h pl ayer to g et an A + co ntract which is worth £700 ,00 0 after Virat Kohli, Rohit Sh arma and Jasprit Bumrah

T h e r e w e r e d i s c u s s i o n s a r o u n d J a d e j a g e t t i n g a n elevation for a couple of years s i n c e h e h a s b e e n s u c h a n integral part of the Indian team across formats BCCI’s faith in him and Bumrah can be seen g i v e n t h e f a c t t h a t b o t h

cricketers have missed most of t h e c r i c k e t l a s t y e a r d u e t o i n j u r y W i t h R a h u l s l i p p i n g down to Grade B, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel have been given a promotion to Grade A Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin and

worth £500,000

KL Rahul had started the last y e a r a s R o h i t S h a r m a ’ s designated vice-captain across formats He even led India in three Test matches but suffered a l o s s o f f o r m i n d i f f e r e n t

formats

TH E LIST

Grade A+ (£700,000): Rohit

S h a r m a , V i r a t K o h l i , J a s p r i t

Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja

Grade A ( £500,000): Hardik

Pandya, R Ashwin, Mohd Shami, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel G r a d e B ( £ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ) :

Cheteshwar Pujara, KL Rahul, S h r e y a s I y e r , M o h d S i r a j ,

S u r y a k u m a r Y a d a v , S h u b m a n

Gill Grade C (£100,000): Umesh Yadav, Shikhar Dhawan, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan, Deepak H o o d

Sundar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, KS Bharat

M u m ba i I nd i an s wo n i n au gu r al W o me n' s P re mi e r L ea gu e a ft er defeating Delhi Capitals by 7 w i ck e ts T h e m u c ha wa i te d fi n a l ma tc h wa s p la ye d at B r ab o u r ne S ta di u m i n Mu mb ai o n S unday Delhi captain Meg Lanning won the toss and opted to bat first, but her team could only manage a modest total of 131-9 Lanning was the top-scorer for Delhi, contributing 35 runs to the team s score At one point, the Capitals were reeling at 799, but Shikha Pandey and Radha Yadav showed some fight and remained unbeaten with their breezy knocks of 27 each, giving t h e i r b o w l e r s s o m e t h i n g t o defend C h a s i n g 1 3 2 , M u m b a i Indians slipped to 23 for 2 in the fourth over as they lost openers H a y l e y M a t t h e w s ( 1 3 ) a n d Y a s t i k a B h a t i a ( 4 ) H o w e v e r , skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (37) and Sciver-Brunt put on 72 in 75 balls for the third wicket to k e e p t h e i r h o p e s a l i v e M I n e e d e d 3 7 o f f 2 3 b a l l s w h e n Kaur was run out while going

for a risky single to mid-wicket

However, cheered on by a packed house of 20,000 fans t h a t i n c l u d e d b a t t i n g l e g e n d Sachin Tendulkar, Indian and t h e M I m e n ’ s t e a m c a p t a i n Rohit Sharma and a few other MI stars, Nat-Sciver and Amelia Kerr (14 not out off 8 balls), who hit a couple of timely fours, t o o k t h e i r t e a m h o m e w i t h their 39-run unbeaten stand for t h e f o u r t h w i c k e t i n j u s t 2 0 balls Earlier, an unbeaten 52run partnership off just 24 balls for the 10th wicket between tailenders Shikha Pandey (27 not out), who was batting for j u s t t h e s e c o n d t i m e i n t h e WPL, and Radha Yadav (27 not out) took DC to 131 for 9 in 20 overs, putting life back into a final which was threatening to t u r n i n t o a f a c i l e , o n e - s i d e d contest

India may play Asia cup matches at neutral venues

Pakis ta n will proba bly hos t the Asi a Cup i n 2 023, with m atches i n v ol vi n g I n d i a t a k i n g p la c e elsewhere in the world Even though the neutral site has n ot been deci ded, the UAE, Oman , Sri Lanka, and England are all pros pective c om peti tors

T h e B C C I a n d P C B a r e w o r k i n g t o b r o k e r a compromise that could result i n b o t h t e a m s p l a y i n g t h e i r matches against one another outside Pakistan “A meeting between the boards was held a f e w d a y s b a c k a n d t h e tournament will be allowed to be held in Pakistan India will play their matches at a neutral venue and will not travel to

a k i s t a n T h e v e n u e s w h e r e

India could play their matches are likely to be Oman, UAE, E n g l a n d , S r i L a n k a a n d Bangladesh,” a source said I f I n d i a a d v a n c e s t o t h e Asia Cup final, a neutral site will host the summit match India and Pakistan have been placed in the same group with a qualifier for the six-nation Asia Cup, which will be played in the 50-over format in the f i r s t h a l f o f S e p t e m b e r t h i s y e a r T h e r e s p e c t i v e b o a r d m e m b e r s g a t h e r e d f o r t w o additional rounds of informal meetings in Dubai after the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) m e e t i n g i n B a h r a i n i n m i dM a r c h e n d e d w i t h o u t a conclusion

Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain