Asian Voice

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Narayan Murthy talks on IT industry in London.....................pg 11 MP proposes new immigration protocol for religious organisations..........pg 13 Reliance Power to have world’s largest no. of shareholders...........pg 16 Amitabh Bachchan in a Malayalam movie.....pg20 Musharraf’s Kashmir formula rejected......pg 27 VOL 39. ISSUE 10

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE

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London – Ahmedabad direct flight from October One more feather in the cap of Asian Voice – Gujarat Samachar campaigns

Indian Minister of Civil Aviation Praful Patel (C) with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi (L) and another Indian Minister Dinsha Patel (R) at inauguration of the new terminal of Ahmedabad International Airport on Sunday Nilesh Parmar

Finally, Civil Aviation minister of India, Mr. Praful Patel heeded to the demand of British Gujaratis as well as the swarming number of Gujaratis visiting UK. On Sunday, 4th July as he inaugurated the swanky new terminal building at the A h m e d a b a d International Airport, he also announced that Air India will resume the Ahmedabad – London direct flight in October, when the airlines launch their new winter schedules.

It will be a double delight for those traveling to Ahmedabad, as the airport will already be well equipped with a host of modern facilities and a spacious new terminal, T 2 that was inaugurated by Praful Patel. Clearing the confusion on the use of the new terminal, Praful Patel and Airport Authority chief said the new terminal as well as the present domestic terminal (T 1) would both be catering for a mix use for domestic and international flights.

Continued on page 24

Pakistan actions concede JuD is a terrorist outfit Hafeez Saeed under scanner, 23 organisations banned After the deadly bombing at the shrine of Data Durbar in Lahore; Pakistan felt the need to launch a crack down on various terrorist outfits.

Yet, the authorities seem to be treating JuD chief and the alleged mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks Hafeez Saeed with a bit of soft hand as compared to others. This is seen as an attempt to bluff India and the world about the JuD and action against those responsible for the Mumbai attacks.

Most of the 23 outfits banned afresh are old organisations working under a new name after they were banned at various times. Pakistan has also announced the formation of a task force to gather all information about the activities and the whereabouts of these terrorist organisations and launch action against them.

The bank accounts of Saeed’s two close associates have also been frozen.

India has long been demanding action against JuD, and has provided

Hafeez Saeed

enormous evidence regarding its involvement in the ghastly 26/11

attacks.

Several terror groups such as the Sipah-eSahaba Pakistan (SSP), Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), Laskar-e-Taiba (LeT), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) were banned during General Pervez Musharraf's regime in 2002, but most of them continued to operate under new names.

Sipah-e-Sahaba was renamed as Millat-eIslamia Pakistan, Jaish-eMuhammad as Alfurqan

and Khuddamul Islam and Tehrik-e-Jafria as Islami Tehrik Pakistan and while the Lashkar-e-Taiba opted for a more 'humanitarian' veil called Jamaat-udDawa.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Home Department has also set up a task force to trace people and organisations providing strategic and financial support to banned groups in the province and take immediate action against them.

Continued on page 24

Lanka threatens UN to withdraw investigations Minister leads hundreds to lay siege at the Colombo office Hundreds of Sri Lankans, led by a minister and a couple of Buddhist monks on Tuesday virtually took the UN office hostage, demanding the world body to withdraw investigation of human rights abuses during last year’s war against the LTTE. Waving the Sri Lankan flag, a large group of men wanted to break into the UN office compound, but were prevented. They finally staged a sit-in outside the gate of the office complex of the world body in Colombo.

The number of UN employees held up in the Colombo office was not known.

Wimal Weerawansa, housing minister in the Lankan government led the

protests, in company of some Buddhist monks. The minister sounded the warning, as he said “UN should withdraw the investigation panel if they want to get their employees out safely”.

Sri Lanka is facing allegations of large-scale violation of human rights during the decisive assault on the LTTE last year. As the Rajapaksa government stone walled all demands of independent investigations, UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon appointed a three member panel last month to look into the issue and advise him.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

one to one Keith Vaz MP with Heta Shah Partner in The Residence Collection, a recently launched property search firm, Heta Shah brings a wealth of knowledge, contacts and expertise from many years of working within the luxury sector. Former brand consultant and property expert, Heta’s career to date reflects her passion for both property and luxury brands. Working with diverse clients such as Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo, YOO and property firm Finchatton has enabled Heta to gain valuable insight into both sectors.

In 2007, Heta supported the launch of Quintessentially Estates with a hugely successful global PR campaign and simultaneously acted as PR consultant to Casa Forma – a high end Interior Design Firm. Heta’s unique understanding of the London property market coupled with her firsthand experience in real estate has perfectly equipped her to launch The Residence Collection offering a real 360 degree service to make property search as seamless as possible.

1)What are your proudest achievements?

One would definitely be setting up the business believing in myself enough to take the initial risk of leaving a comfortable job during a recession; being bold, positive and making the business take off in a way I feel proud of.

Someone close to me once told me that “only the best people can afford to be kind” and I carry that motto with me through everything I do - I don’t do ruthless.

2) What are your long term goals?

My vision for the business is to be the premium property search agents of choice with a network of international offices within the next five years. In addition to this, I would

like to extend the business beyond residential property, to other areas of the luxury lifestyle market.

When I have some more time, I would also like to set up a global social enterprise which can help inspire young people to fulfil their potential. This is a real personal passion for me, and I have some exciting ideas up my sleeve.

3) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?

I had health problems in 2008, which meant that I was homebound and unable to work for six months. It was a difficult time, and I found it hard to stay positive at times, but eventually managed to get my confidence back. I prioritise health and wellness

now, for example, with regular meditation and breathing exercises - to keep me balanced physically and mentally. It’s hugely important.

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

My family and my partner have definitely been the biggest influences on my career to date - purely for their love, positivity and their energy. They inspire me to no end.

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

Meeting fantastic people from all over the world. Helping someone find their home is a very personal and hugely important task. I love taking the

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People ■ Yes it is offical Ramesh Kansagra is 60 this year which is also the 60th anniversery of the independence of India. London's Club Asia gathered in great numbers to celebrate.

Guests in the most beautiful garden in North London included Jasminder Singh OBE, Lord Dolar Popat, Manubhai Madhvani, Jitesh Ghadia, CB Patel, and Yogesh Patel.

■ Vipin Khanna is also back in town for the summer and hosted his usual summer dinner.

He was joined by Tory MP Jo Johnson (above), BJP Leader Arun Jaitley MP, Lord Janner QC, Lord Khalid Hameed and Veejay Sharma.

Baroness Prashar made it just in time despite being held up by train trouble on the Paddington line.

■ Kanatakans were celebrating their first Mayor when Councillor Dr Neeraj Patil was Guest of Honour at a tea party on Saturday.

BJP General Secretary Anath Kumar MP and Chairman of the Foireign Affairs Committee of India flew in especially for the occasion.

Annual Vivekananda Festival to take place on Sunday Vivekananda Human Centre will host its annual festival‘Vivekananda Festival 2010’ at 4pm on this Sunday (July 11) at Mahatma Gandhi Hall, YMCA, London.

Mr Shaibal Roy Chowdhury, first secretary, High Commission India is the guest of honour. The afternoon will begin with a universal prayer and devotional songs by Debashis Dutta, Sarita Saha and others. Shoumili Roy and Shalini Roy will present a

devotional dance.

The festival in its seventeenth year, will see a discussion on Vivekananda’s message.

The participants include Revered Swami Ve e t a m o h a n a n d a President, Centre Vendantique Ramakrishna France, Mr Barry Davislecturer of Jewish History and Literature, Rev. Sister Simon CatlinWestminster Interfaith, Revered Swami Dayatmananda-President,

Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre UK and others.

For more details please see www.vivekanadacentre.com .

Pensioner walks with cows to help raise community spirit

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pain out of it and making my clients enjoy buying a home and making them feel excited about the experience. It goes beyond a traditional company/client relationship and leads to lasting friendships with my clients. I love getting calls out of the blue when clients are going to be in town and want to meet up.

6) And the worst?

Sometimes being judged, for being a young woman - but what comes from that is the brilliant potential to surprise people when they realise how capable you are.

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

I would invest more into the manufacturing and

high-value engineering sectors, so that we weren't as heavily dependent on the services sector as a nation. This would also mean drastic changes to the education system, whereby students would become better equipped to perform the jobs available within a changing global economy.

8) What do you think is the biggest issue facing the property industry today?

Lack of developable land combined with a bureaucratic planning system has limited the supply of homes, which in turn, has driven up property prices to a level where most homes have become largely unaffordable. The planning process in the UK needs to be more responsivetomarketdemands. This would increase supply and make housing more affordable to everybody.

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

Mahatma Gandhi because I am also a strong believer in ahimsa – and I would love to hear more about what shaped his thoughts on life and to philosophise together.

Michael Jackson because I think he was a legend of our time. The media misconstrued him. I feel sad for that. He was such an incredibly interesting, dedicated and passionate person and we only really saw that through his performances.

SOLICITORS

Offices throughout the UK

Pensioner, Narmada Gandhi, will not let a recent knee operation stand in the way of her challenge to walk up to 10km and raise money for the Ahimsa Cow Campaign in July.

Her her knee operation was last September.

Her way of celebrating the

success of the operation is to do a sponsored walk and rejoice her health with the Kingsbury community.

Narmada’s determination to take part in a sponsored walk now is because of the charity that she is raising money for. In her country of birth, India,

cows are treated like sacred animals and she is campaigning that slaughter free milk is made available in this country.

The charity walk is on Sunday 18 July, 10am – 4pm at Fryent Country Park, Kingsbury. To register, visit www.thelotustrust.org.

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

COMMENT

Facing up to violent Islamism in the UK Robin Simcox, the co-author of the study for the Centre for Social Cohesion think tank, has remarked: “There are clear trends emerging with those involving themselves in terrorist activity in the UK. It is crucial that this is recognised and then acted upon by the relevant authorities.”

What precisely was he referring to? Simply this: that of the 124 profiles of individuals convicted of terrorism offences linked to Islamic jihad since 1999, 69 held British nationality. From which one may conclude that most terrorism in Britain is the handiwork of homegrown terrorists. But this is to be somewhat economical with the truth; it is to ignore the complexities of human identity for the straitjacket legalism of a passport. It helps to point out that these 'homegrown' jihadis are for the most part ethnically Pakistani or else belong directly to one of the many Muslim societies around the globe or are descendants of families from these areas. As they insist on maintaining their religious and cultural purity from what they perceive to be the contamination of unbelievers, such people despite using their British passports as flags of convenience are not really British and, to their credit, have never pretended to be.

Those who were involved in the London bombings of 7 July 2005 proclaimed their interest in seeing godless Britain destroyed, together with its democratic works and its mistaken and sinful addiction to the rule of law, and the right to think and speak freely within the law. Such people proclaimed their loyalty to the universal Islamic Caliphate of their dreams. It is vital that this telling distinction be made, for without such clarity no long-term success against the present terrorist scourge can make meaningful progress. Political correctness may have its uses at the hustings, but they lead to a false scent in the war against terror.

Equations, political and mathematical, are solved when the initial steps are identified and tackled clinically before the rest of the cognitive process can yield real results.

The comments emanating from Robin Simcox follow the warning from Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates, Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer, that the country faces “eye-watering cuts” in counter-terrorism funding that could give an advantage to al-Qaeda and its Trojan Horse of friends and allies. Many in

this fraternity speak softly but carry the proverbial big stick. Mr Yates told a closed session at the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) annual conference in Manchester that government cuts would force Scotland Yard to reduce its counterterrorism budget by £87 million. He warned that other units across the country would have to find £62 million of savings.

These words have sparked fears among senior officers that entire counter-terrorism units might have to be closed down, leading to fewer surveillance teams to monitor terror suspects. Mr Yates, head of Special Operations at the Met, also said that counter-terrorism efforts could be adversely affected by the review of the Coalition, including the use of control orders, 28-day detentions and surveillance powers. The civilised world may never have been engaged in a war without frontiers, and one where the enemy is often twice as difficult to identify.

This, conflict has also a global dimension. In the light of Prime Minister David Cameron's forthcoming visit to India, anti-terrorism co-operation between the UK and India must surely be high on the agenda. However, it was good to see the firm refusal of the Home Office to grant entry to Mumbai-based Dr Zakir Naik, ritually fawned upon by Indian television networks as one of the country's great and good, even as he advocates sharia law for India. He condemns terrorism, he says, but if Bin Laden “is fighting the enemies of Islam, I am for him.” Home Secretary Teresa May would have none of this double talk and shut the door on him. Indian opinion makers would do well to take heed and clamp down on such voices with similar intent.

The Home Secretary's attitude contrasts with the laxity of previous years. In 2006, a Bangladeshi MP, Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, on a speaking tour of Britain at the invitation of the government, likened the Hindu minority in his country to human excrement, as well as defending attacks on the Ahmadi community by orthodox Muslims (Report by Richard Ford, Nicola Woolcock and Sam O'Neill in The Times, 14 July 2006). The perils of permitting these merchants of hate to disseminate there poison here appear to have sunk in at last. Better late than never.

Direct London-Ahmedabad air service looms Amid the brouhaha of the new Terminal 3 at Delhi's Indira Gandhi Airport, spare a thought for the resumption of direct flights between London and Ahmedabad after its suspension in 2007 by Air India. The Gujaratis in the UK, the largest Indian community here, have for long been forced to travel to Gujarat through a circuitous route involving Mumbai and Delhi. Clearly this is a nonsense that needs to end sooner rather than later.

There is a strong possibility likelihood that this will occur from October. Union Minister for Civil Aviation Praful Patel has said that a decision would be made on the issue in October when the winter schedule of Air India flights is drawn up.

He was speaking at the inauguration of an international terminal at the Sardar Vallabbhai Patel Airport in Ahmedabad.

Member of Parliament Harin Pathak, who was present at the ceremonial opening, said; “A huge number of passengers from Gujarat travel to London on a regular basis. We hope the civil aviation minister will consider resuming direct flights between Ahmedabad and London.”

The Gujarati diaspora in Britain have made a similar demand through the National Congress of Gujarati Organisations, while the Direct Flight Task Force launched a powerful signature campaign in support of direct air links between the two cities. The suggestion is that there should be two such flights a week to start with. Profit margins could then be analysed.

Demand is growing, the ball is now in the court of the authorities. They must meet demand with the necessary supply.

Cameron visit to India generates buoyant hopes Nothing so concentrates the mind as a crisis. The global financial meltdown has had a devastating impact on the British economy, forcing the Coalition to rethink the parameters of the country's foreign policy with a view to stimulating growth in the UK. This will clearly not happen overnight but is destined for the long haul. India will be a starting point of the British endeavour to lubricate a relationship that has been showing signs of early rust.

Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague, both hugely intelligent politicians, well understand the unfolding imperatives of the 21st century and India's likely role in the process.

Reporting from New Delhi in The Daily Telegraph, the paper's residentcorrespondent Dean Nelson reflected that Mr Cameron would hope that “shared history” between Britain and India “can be leveraged to create more opportunities for British

businesses and greater Indian investment in Britain.

The logic for his mission could not be more clear.

While Britain's economy flatlines with the rest of Europe, with growth rates between 1 per cent and 2 per cent, India is expected to grow at 9 per cent for the next three years....The potential is already well recognised among Britain and India's business giants. India's Tata is Britain's largest manufacturer – it owns Jaguar, Land Rover and Corus Steel.”

There will undoubtedly much to discuss in Delhi. Commercial and educational barriers in India will hopefully be reduced and eventually removed in the interests of a win-win situation. Mr Cameron will be hoping at the end of the day to persuade his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh to turn their countries' “shared heritage” into a “favoured nation pact” for mutual benefit.. A seminal moment beckons.

(See Media Watch, page 12)

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Thought for the Week

The true meaning of life exists in a single, universal truth.

If we can conquer fear, we can accomplish anything.

- Jeff Hewitt

Steve Pound, MP Ealing North (Labour)

Opportunites in politics for today’s youth One of the many and varied delights of an MP’s job is the opportunity that it affords for young people in the constituency to “work shadow” me or to gain some work experience in the office.

This week I am fortunate to have an extraordinary 14 year old from Perivale, Priyesh Patel, in that role.

Priyesh came to a level of local fame when he put Boris Johnson on the spot during the State of London Debate on June 24th. when he asked the Mayor a very probing and pertinent question on the lessons that Boris had learned in South Africa that might be applicable to the 2012 London Olympics.

I thought that AV might be interested in hearing from the young prodigy himself so, at this state, I hand over to Priyesh Patel.

Hi there, my name is Priyesh Patel and I am doing work experience at the Houses of parliament with my local MP Stephen Pound for one week.

As I write this, I have already completed two days of work experience and it really has been enjoyable.

What I say is not for the sake of fulfilling formalities but the parliamentary experience is a truly unique one, within which a lot goes on.

One could translate the word politics into ‘poli’ meaning many and ‘tics’ being the blood sucking creatures. This ends up as ‘many bloodsucking creatures’. I assure everyone out there that this is incorrect and parliament so

far has already lived up to the high standards I expected.

Many different people work here and they are all very nice people, very polite and ideal to work with. Parliament is a place where not many people feel they belong, when it is really a place open for everyone for all the right reasons.

There are many things to do in parliament and the place is really big with all types of things going on from a quiet sitting in the house to rowdy prime ministers question time.

There are lots of offices and behind each office door are some of London’s top people.

When I was present in one the sittings in the houses, things were interesting, then all of the sudden there were loud cheers as Nick Clegg stepped up to speak with David Cameron sitting nearby.

I have met a lot of people so far with lots more to meet and parliament so far has been an experience that I will cherish for a long time and somewhere I look to come to in the future as a successful politician.

I want to go on to further university education, study politics as a subject along with History and English language and then step into a whole new planet – the planet of politics.

It’s me, Stephen Pound, again and I have to say that I’m having second thoughts about the young Mumbaiker Patel!

I have a feeling that he’ll be after my seat before too long and, on the basis of our brief acquaintance, I’d be tempted to vote for him.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

Victoria University woos Gujarat

Air India Direct Flight campaign a resounding success for all concerned After months of constant persuasion, signing of 15000 petitions, publishing various letters from different Councillors, MPs and dignitaries, NCGO (UK) and Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar have won the Air India direct flight campaign between London Heathrow and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, Gujarat and it is due to be restarted by October 2010. Our readers have sent the following letters congratulating the efforts of CB Patel, our Publisher and Editor, our ABPL team and NCGO. topic importance and appreciate the This is fantastic news! Please pass on hard work by those involved for this the congratulations of the Brahma campaign.

Kumaris to CB and all at Asian Voice If I can be helpful at any time then and Gujarat Samachar. please do let me know.

I just read the Times of India article - it says that Mr Patel may consider Mahendra Jadeja direct flight, but won’t make a decision Via Email until October. Do you know if he has said anything more definitive than it will This is the wonderful news that many definitely happen in October? people were eagerly awaiting. I had followed the debate amongst NRI’s, espeTrushar Barot Via Email cially Gujarati NRI’s, for quite some time and there were growing calls for the Congratulations, well done and all your direct service.

My heartiest congratulations to CB hard work has paid off, Jai Mataji, & all of ABPL team members’ hard work and commitment, which has Jaswant Maicha brought a successful outcome.

Adhya Shakti Mataji Temple Congratulation.

Please highlight the Muscat-Bhuj direct flight service as well. We have been trying from long time back.

Chandrakant V Chothani Via Email Congratulation Akhil Sutalria Via Email I have read all your cuttings in English, Gujarati and Hindi about the direct flight campaign.

All the members, friends and families of Surrey Gujarati Hindu Society deeply and sincerely appreciate the leadership taken by our beloved newspaper Gujarat Samachar. We always feel proud to get involved in your efforts which are based on truth and necessary for the society in general.

Bharat Koria Hon Secretary Surrey Gujarati Hindu Society Well done Gujarat Samachar and congratulation to C.B.Patel and all other staff of Gujarat Chamachar and Asian Voice. I must tell you that Gujarat Samachar is the best paper in the UK Ghanshyam Patel Wallington I hope that Air India and Civil Aviation department consider. Whenever a politician says that they may consider in month/s time means, we all have to fight very hard until it happens unless some one knows that is definite.

I must thank NCGO and other organisations for their hard work to reach up to this stage. I hope that CB Patel still gives more prominence to this subject in his media until confirmed Other Asian Media should also give this

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Kusum Vyas Via Email My heartiest congratulation to CB. He did an excellent work for Sanatan Mandir on Ealing Road and now the flights to Gujarat. Your efforts as a leading Gujarati Newspaper is remarkable, please continue such good work.

Jay Gujarat, Mulshanker Vyas Via Email I congratulate all at ABPL for their endless efforts and success. Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar as community papers have done so much for us. My ba, who lives in Gujarat, she could not visit us last year, as the flight was not operational.

Since it’s now, I am glad I will get to see her soon. My children are very excited, as they have not been able to travel due to the ongoing GCSE. Now they will have ba with them in the UK and they are very excited. Thank you so much for doing what you have done for us.

Aditya Shah Redbridge I was delighted to hear the news of resumption of direct flights. I am a frequent traveller between London and Ahmedabad and the earlier flights were very convenient. I do not understand how such a busy route could have been closed. As a businessman, I lost many valuable hours and it was frustrating. I have keenly followed the coverage and praise you for taking up this noteworthy cause. We Gujaratis are greatly indebted to Shri CB Patel and his newspapers, NCGO and others who fought tirelessly for the campaign.

Chaman J Chanderia Wembley

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In the wake of recent racial attacks on Indian students in Australia making headlines, Narendra Modi, CM of Gujarat discouraged the flow of Gujarati students flocking Australian universities, thus depriving them the finances that overseas students generate, keeping afloat these learning institutions that provide many jobs to Australian intellectuals. Gujarati students form by far the bulk of the undergraduates studying in Australia.

No wonder a high-powered delegation, led by Vice Chancellor Ms. Elizabeth Herman called upon Gujarat CM Modi to develop closer ties with Gujarat on education front.

Professors from Gujarat Universities can now upgrade, refresh their professional skills, having access to the latest Western technology that is at the disposal of well established Victoria University.

The delegation also pledged to sponsor brilliant and needy Gujarati students with $50,000 grant to further their and Gujarat’s ambitions and to carry out research in Gujarat’s unrivalled success story, how such a tiny State with limited resources out-performs most advanced industrial states, chalking up 10% to 20% growth every year.

Bhupendra M Gandhi Via Email

The truth usually hurts

War memorial names In the letters page, the letter about the memorial to the Indian soldiers who helped Britain win the Second World War says that the names of the soldiers are out of sight! Who took the decision to parade the names of the ‘sponsors/committee’ instead? Is that what happens to War memorials? Surely the names of the brave-dead-soldiers need to be clearly in view! What do other readers think?

Arati Banerjee London

Don’t try to kill God

Forced marriage has been a matter of concern in the UK. Recently, I read news recently about the death of a boy in the hands of his father for loving a girl from a different community. It was a small story, but it caught my attention.

I have also read that recently the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has brought out some protective measures for the men who are under family pressure for marriage.

I have seen so many people back in my natives who have married early under pressure of their parents. Boys have done that and later they have fallen out and some have run off too.

I do not understand if parents love their children, what is this pressure all about in the name of family pride?

Honour killing is a sacrilege. Swami Vivekananda said, God resides in every soul. So, in the name of God, killing man is equivalent to trying to kill the God.

I was very pleased when I read that young Hindu students have developed National Students Forum U.K.and therefore have been reading the articles written by their officials in Asian Voice. Mr. Jishnu Soni started his article ‘I am the ‘I’ in India’ very well, with balance of understanding the way of life, but his suggestion that that we Indians should not highlight the extreme poverty of India.,is not very appealing but disappointing.

Truth is always bitter. India’s 80% of population is below the poverty limit and most of them are living in shanties. There are no efforts of making any policies for planned developments.

If our young people are suggesting to keep quite on these issues then who will improve their lives? It was really a shame to see ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and I thought about those lives lost to achieve India’s independence.

I would like to meet the officials of NHSF todiscuss what we can do help the impoverished. But once again I must praise them for their initiative to develop this Forum.

I was outraged to read racial slur by Bristol City councillor Shirley Brown to fellow councillor Jay Jethwa. Calling Ms Jethwa a ‘coconut’ was highly uncalled for. While many may assume this to be a milder term compared to other expletives, it is indeed very painful. It makes one feel like a traitor to one’s roots. I fully understand Ms Jethwa’s grief.

Those from India or with Asian- origins have tolerated years of racial hatred and are finally rejoicing as this year 27 ethnic MPs were elected to the House of Commons. The court ruling took the right decision to grant the case in favour of Ms Jethwa, if he had dismissed the claim as unimportant, it would have been a blow to anti-racial campaigners. It has sent out a strong message that such remarks will not be tolerated in British society and especially amongst its lawmakers.

Dharam Sahdev Ilford

Vanmalidas Parekh East Croydon

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Amit Panday Via Email

Racial slur by Councillor

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‘Smile Pinky’ too gets the Oscar Boyle says Mumbai dwarfed the statuette

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(Off Coronet Street)

Cricket crazy Indians for the first time was seen so euphoric on Monday morning, as they expected a couple of Oscars. British Indians in the UK, Dharavi slums, the shanty township of Mumbai, a village in Uttar Pradesh and almost the entire Bollywood waited in expectation, glued to their TV sets. They burst into celebrations as one by one, their heroes, the actors of the British Indian film and the music maestro, A R Rahman bagged the top awards in the world of entertainment.

British actress Kate Winslett also won the Oscar after having missed it almost five times earlier.

‘Smile Pinki’, a short documentary on a cleft-lipped Indian girl in Uttar Pradesh directed

by American director Megan Mylan, won the Oscar for the Best Documentary (Short).

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Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

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Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

Kapil’s

The ‘Special Relationship’ On 31st March 2008, India joined the glorious bandwagon of the elite few with a trillion dollar economy. And as one of the speakers at last week’s trilogy of CII conferences noted in his address to the investors and trade partners; that it took India 60 years to make their first trillion dollars, its estimated to make its second set by 2015, which is 7 years after the first and the 3rd trillion 5 years from then, in 2020. The trend speaks for itself. The tail-end days of June saw a lot of such talks and trends as part of the two day conferences organised by CII on 28th and 29th of June, 2010.

The conference at the London School of Economics on “India’s Growth Outlook and the Business Opportunity” had invited Mr Anand Sharma, the Hon. Minister for Commerce and Industry, India. The conference also marked the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Isle of Man and India promoting strong economic and industrial growth between the two.

Mr B Muthuraman, Vice President CII said at the opening session of the conference that the Indian economy was largely dependent on a real economy and not paper economy. India’s strong fundamental of home growth and domestic demand coupled with very good monsoons this year are

KHICHADI

by Kapil Dudakia - email: kapil@abplgroup.com Come Fly with me - AI

Praful Patel

Hon’ble Minister of Commerce & Industry, Mr. Anand Sharma with Mr. William Hague, British Foreign Secretary

very promising factors.

The talks by various dignitaries and industry leaders saw and showed India to be in a very special and extremely booming place economically, with manufacturing and industrial growth at 17% and the projected GDP growth rate between 8%9%. The talks suggested Government’s recent impetus in rural areas and this pumping of money in the rural economy has increased their disposable income leading to higher demand. All this and

Mr. Anand Sharma, Hon’ble Minister of Commerce & Industry addressing the audience at the London School of Economics

more, making India a hotspot for investments with guaranteed returns.

The industries of interest varied from infrastructure, automobile, research to education and many others.

This was the state’s first visit to UK after the change of government and the Minister and Indian CEO’s delegation led by Hari S Bhartia, President CII, met with Rt Hon. Dr Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business; Rt Hon. William Hague, Foreign Secretary; Gregory Barker, Minister for Energy and Climate Change and David Willets, Minister of State for Universities and Science and Sir Andrew Cahn, CEO, UKTI. Mr Anand Sharma said about his meet with the UK government, later in a press conference at India House that, “The two countries are engaged in a strategic partnership, which encompasses diverse sectors, including all those which would justify the relationship to be termed as strategic.” The mood of the meet was definitely positive. They also discussed the cap on the immigration and said reassuringly that the cap would not affect the smooth movement of professionals.

Later, the CII also held an equally successful conference on UK India Trade and Investments, on 29th June, 2010. It looked at opportunities for financing Trade and Investments to fuel growth of manufacturing and innovations.

Summing up the meet’s tone, in the words of Mr Philip Bouverat, Director, JCB who has been doing business in India since long, “It’s a ‘risk’ not to engage with India, not the risk of being there.”

India is baking in scorching temperatures, the monsoon has just shown up in some of the states and the ‘garma garam’ news hitting the UK shores being that Air India will commence direct flights from the UK to Ahmedabad in October 2010. Or at least that seems to be everyone’s understanding based on the statement made by the Civil Aviation Minister Shri Prafulbhai Patel on 4th July 2010.

Normally one ends up with fireworks to celebrate the 4th of July to mark the day when America became independent of the UK in 1776. Let us hope that 4th July 2010 will also mark the day when the Indian Government proactively ensures that the people of Gujarat (and the PIO/NRI’s) will be afforded direct international fights not just from the UK, but also from other countries as well.

Prime Minister Shri Manmohan Singh said in his speech to inaugurate the new Terminal 3 at the Delhi International Airport that, “An airport is often the first introduction to the country. A good airport would signal a new India, committed to join the ranks of modern industrialised nations.”

The Prime Minister is of course correct, but the question remains – when will we see action to ensure that every leading state that serves as the engine to keep ‘India Pvt Ltd’ growing, also has a state-of-the-art airport and supporting facilities?

At Ahmedabad we want to see good efficient services, friendly staff, good clean and readily available facilities and an experience that says, make Ahmedabad your first stop in India.

We are ready, but is India ready for us?

‘Shaabash’ to AV, GS & NCGO I know that when one wishes to congratulate the hard work of people who were instrumental in getting Air India and the Government of India to accept direct flights from the UK to Ahmedabad – that there is every danger one is going to miss someone out.

However, what is clear is that under the auspices of the National Congress of Gujarati Organisations led by their Chairman Shri C B Patel, and the media campaign supported by Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar – this achievement would just not have been possible.

I know that there are specific people at AV and GS who put in hours of work for the past several months (and in some cases years), and all that in addition to their normal daily jobs, just so that the campaign would be a success.

This was a major effort but there is one name that we cannot omit and without whom this campaign would have not even got off the ground, that name is of course Shri C B Patel.

Readers will recall that he personally spoke to decisions makers in India and informed them bluntly of the great travesty in not having the direct flights.

Of course one must not forget all of you – our loyal readers. So many of you signed the petition in your droves and when this was hand delivered in India, you can just imagine the impact it must have had on the decision makers.

Shaabash to CB Patel and his team for making it happen.

Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) Given that India is intent (at least speeches to that effect are made by the politicians) in getting its act together, it seems that PIO’s (persons of Indian Origin) should consider if securing the OCI card would be suitable for them.

The benefits of getting the OCI card are significant (if they are honoured in practice of course) in that for most

of us at least – there will never be a need to get a visa to go to India.

Now for me, that in itself is a great boon.

OCI also gives a good deal of other rights which are enjoyed by Indians in India and NRI’s – I advise you check these out on the High Commission of India in London (HCIL) website.

I have heard the good, the bad and sometimes, the downright ugly features of how HCIL deals with such applications. So in the best traditions of investigative journalism I will apply for the OCI card myself and will report back to you all of my experience.

I of course start on a positive that given I am of Indian origin, there really should be no difficulty whatsoever in acquiring the OCI card.

Time, as they say will tell the full story!

Lest we forget 7/7/ still haunts Londoners as they get on with life hoping the events of that fatal day do not occur again.

Intelligence services have already warned us that it is only a matter of time before we are hit again - but not necessarily in the same way.

Terrorism of any type cannot be justified since it never progresses to bring about a resolution; rather it creates a climate of fear and mistrust within the wider community.

For me it was traumatic since at that time I was travelling with my family from Agra to the Red Fort. We heard of the incident en-route and it mentioned King’s Cross Station – the same station that my brother uses when going to work. We made frantic calls and due to the miracle of modern technology, I got confirmation that he was OK. However, what of those who never made it home? Lest we forget.

KK on Kili OK folks, a quick reminder that I do hope you take time to log on to: www.virginmoneygiving.com/kapildudakia and sponsor me on my attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. It is for a great cause and your support is greatly appreciated.

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

Defunct club reopening may cause next-door temple closure

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BSF funding cuts will lead to slum schools of the future

Temple discourse

By Priyal Sanghavi A council decision to reopen a defunct club has upset the next-door Hindu temple that may consider closing, and has irked residents as well.

The Hillingdon Council Committee has granted permission to Caesars on Cowley Road to reopen under new owner Mrs Umar Sagoo. The license has 21 conditions, one of which is reduces closing time to 11.30pm from 2.30am.

However no other details have been revealed and Jaswant Maicha of Adhya Shakti Mataji Temple, which is immediately nextdoor, is still waiting for the council to respond to his query. He says: “Our concern is that alcohol consumption and smoke from the shelter outside will

affect the temple premises and its devotees. We hold many events like dance festival Navratri which girls participate and we would not want any mischief from the bar frequenters.”

Caesars that has been defunct for about two years will re-open as an Indian restaurant, as announced Mrs Sagoo. Its previous owners have always caused trouble, according to chair of Cowley Community Association Lyn Padden.

She says: “There is no park-

ing near Caesars and the cars park on the local streets. This is primarily a residential area that has a problem of teenage drinking. Hence I am surprised the license was granted. We have no word on the conditions.”

Although the temple has no immediate plans of closing, Mr Maicha fears they may have to consider it in the future.

Mrs Sagoo when contacted, refused to comment on the matter.

Michael Gove

Sarah Teather

Cllr Ann M John, OBE

Conservative Education Minister, Michael Gove, supported by his junior minister, Sarah Teather, MP for Brent Central, has allegedly withdrawn £80 million worth of funding for Brent schools under the ‘Building Schools for the Future’ (BSF) programme. The alleged decision forms part of the Liberal Democrats ‘savage cuts’ agenda announced by Nick Clegg at last year’s Lib Dem conference and allegedly being implemented by the Con Dem coalition government.

Brent has a rising school population and a shortage of school places at both primary and secondary stages. Seven of the borough’s secondary schools are in very poor condition, not fit for purpose and require urgent replacement. The first phase of the BSF Funding was to cover the rebuilding and expan-

sion of Copland Community School, Cardinal Hinsley Catholic College, Queen’s Park Community School and Alperton Community School.

The government’s decision means that Brent will not be able to meet the demand for new school places. The Leader of Brent Council, Councillor Ann M John, OBE, has condemned the government’s action, which, she says, is driven by outdated right wing ideology. Cllr John said: “This decision means that the future prospects of Brent’s school students are being sacrificed on the altar of an outdated right wing ideology which dictates that debt must be repaid over the shortest possible period irrespective of the damage to public services and to the economy. Moreover, scrapping capital projects like this damages the econ-

omy and increases the prospect of a ‘double dip’ recession. Any recovery will be led by growth in the construction industry and this is bad news for them as well”.

The Lead Member for Children & Families, Cllr Mary Arnold, added: “This cut will lead to overcrowding, larger class sizes and a return to the days when Brent kids were taught in corridors rather than in class rooms. The government are creating slum schools of the future”.

Cllr Mary Arnold

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Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

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Police apologise over spy cameras The saga about spy cameras in parts of Birmingham simmers away. Last weekend a most senior female police officer admitted publicly that mistakes had been made and provided assurances that the “Big Brother” surveillance cameras would be switched off.

West Midlands Police’ Assistant Chief Constable Sharon Rowe, pictured, was booed by some sections of the crowd as she put her hands up. “I am truly sorry,” she said.

“The police are going to have to work hard to rebuild the trust. I will take total responsibility from now and I can give you some assurances.”

She added: “There will be no involvement of the counter-terrorism unit, there will be no covert cameras in your neighbourhoods and consultation will continue.

After the consultation, if we think that it is appropriate and proportionate to continue using them then we will. But we will

include members of the community in monitoring and scrutinising their use. The cameras are off and we will try to get them covered with bags as soon as possible.”

Jackie Russell, from the Safer Birmingham Partnership, also spoke.

She said: “We did get it wrong and I apologise for

that.”

Among the several high-profile guest speakers present was Shami Chakrabarti, director of human rights organisation Liberty.

She described the scheme “not just dangerous and divisive, it’s unlawful”.

She added: “It is intrusive, disproportionate and blatantly discriminatory.” Lord Nazir Ahmed said the scheme was a “wholesale demonisation of the Muslim community.”

Salma Yaqoob, Respect councillor for Sparkbrook, said: “This is not acceptable in a free society. We are saying no, no, no. Retrospective consultation is meaningless. We want them redistributed in Birmingham or dismantled. If they do not remove them, will you join me this summer to take every single one

down?” Also present were Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg, Labour MP Lynne Jones, Springfield’s Lib Dem councillors Jerry Evans and Tanveer Choudhary.

The public meeting was held last Sunday at the Bordesley Centre in Stratford Road, Birmingham. The cameras – installed in April – were put up by the Safer Birmingham Partnership after West Midlands Police received £3 million from an anti-terror fund controlled by the Association of Chief Police Officers. The scheme sparked widespread public outrage and claims that the cameras were being used to spy on residents, specifically Muslims, allegedly, in Washwood Heath, Sparkbrook, Sparkhill and Moseley.

Link between the ‘isms’

Turban searches at airport

Imagine you’re the keynote speaker and you forget your notes on the train. Oops! Dr Shaunaka Rishi Das, pictured, Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies at Oxford University, did just this ahead of his presentation. Still, he delivered. Top man. Off-the-cuff and eloquently too at last Saturday’s symposium in Birmingham on a comparative perspective between Zoroastrianism and Hinduism. “Each one of us is a small cob in a big machine,” Dr Rishi Das told the 80-plus audience. He added: “We are on an individual dharmic (doing the right thing and how to do it) journey, it’s our duty.”

The event, A Zoroastrian Day in Birmingham, held at the Council House was hosted by the Birmingham Council of Faiths and the local authority.

A Birmingham man has vented his anger over new airport security measures which allow staff to ask passengers to remove their turbans in public to be searched. “They think it’s a hat,” said Kully Singh, a 21-year-old Wolverhampton University student, ”they need to teach the security guards what it means to Sikhs.” Mr Singh, pictured, who described the searches as “disrespectful”, is due to fly out of Birmingham for a stag do in a couple of weeks. “If they ask me to take my turban off I will refuse,” he said. The security measures, according to a Birmingham International Airport spokesman, are dictated by UK and European Government and all airport security staff are “trained accordingly.”

Gandhian on England tour Global peace activist Rajagopal PV is visiting the UK next month.

Rajagopal, pictured, the founder of Ekta Parishad, a people’s movement dedicated to non-violent principles of action, will be speaking in Manchester on August 8. This event has been organised by Bolton Quakers. Formed in 1991, Ekta Parishad’s aim is to see India’s poorest people gain control over livelihood resources in an attempt to create a self-reliant society. To find out more contact 0161 834 5797 or visit www.quaker.org.uk

Recycling, make it a habit Bradford Council is persuading residents to recycle more. The council’s advocate on environment and sustainability, Ghazanfer Khaliq, said: “It really is time to bin the excuses and help us to reduce the impact the district has on the planet.”

Baby born, dad loses licence An expectant father from Wolverhampton who sped around blind corners and over a humpbacked bridge as he raced to be by his pregnant wife’s side, has been banned from driving. Naginder Athwal, 39, of Ettingshall, was also ordered to do 180 hours unpaid work.

News in Brief Mayor’s pants fall down Fellow columnist Keith Vaz MP continues his good deeds. Bless him. He’s just sent a belt to Colin Hall, the Lord Mayor of Leicester, pictured, whose trousers fell down during a visit to a local library last Wednesday. Red-faced Cllr Hall, 46, was quick to offer his “deepest apologies” to anyone who might have been offended, but this did not spare him from global publicity, courtesy of Twitter. “It was like something from Benny Hill,” said one witness, “no-one knew where to look.”

Cllr Hall, who blamed his Rosemary Conley diet regime, recently sparked off controversy after breaking tradition by banning prayers from town hall meetings.

Cheesy shoplifter Drug addict Sherry Fellows from Willenhall has been fined for stealing cheese worth £36.22 from Asda. At Wolverhampton Magistrates Court last Wednesday, Fellows, 26, was ordered to pay £33, with £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Charity helps nab criminals Almost 3,000 West Midlands crooks have been caught thanks to public tip-offs to Crimestoppers, an anti-crime hotline, since it was launched in 1988.

Most Wanted is among several initiatives launched in recent years by the crime-combating charity. It allows the public to view photos, watch CCTV footage and read descriptions of people who the police are currently looking for. To find out more visit www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Hidden asbestos in homes Almost half of West Midlands homeowners are unaware that potentially lethal asbestos has been used in buildings as recently as the 1990s according to a survey by the British Lung Foundation. The charity is now urging owners to check their homes before carrying out DIY projects.

Nabbed over benefits scam

Multifaith Fun Day

Harminder Kaur Bisla from Wolverhampton is accused of illegally claiming £46,985 in social security benefits, including council tax benefit, while living with her husband Jasbir Bisla. Bisla, 33, of Green Lane, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, faces four counts. The case was adjourned at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court last week and Bisla was given bail.

Stafford and District Friends of Faith are holding a multifaith fun-day featuring rock, rap and reggae.

This free event will also include music from Stafford College students, food, entertainment, bouncy castles and much more. Join in the festivities on Sunday 18 July from 11am-4pm at Victoria Park, Stafford.

Surge in tourists to Birmingham

Top diplomatic to visit Birmingham

Birmingham’s visitor economy continues to grow as new statistics reveal 32.6 million people visited the city in 2009, a rise of 400,000 from 2008. Expenditure on accommodation also received a boost; £168 million was spent in the sector in 2009, up £12 million on figures from 2008, according to the STEAM report, compiled by research group Global Tourism Solutions.

Britain’s top overseas trade representative and Olympic Games guru will visit Birmingham later this month. Sir Alan Collins, pictured, who is Consul-General, New York, and Director-General, Trade and Investment USA, also sits on the Board of UK Trade and Investment. Sir Alan will meet prominent West Midlands’ businessmen and women at a restaurant on July 21.

Family Business Awards The Midlands’ family-run businesses and their owners are being encouraged to enter the first-ever Midlands Family Business Awards. There are 10 award categories which include Fastest Growing Family Business, Overcoming Adversity and Personal Excellence. Family businesses contribute over 30 per cent to the UK GDP and employ 9.5 million people. Awards will be presented at a ceremony in November. To find out more visit www.familybusinessawards.co.uk

Airport to axe medics Round-the-clock paramedics are to be axed at Birmingham International Airport in a bid to save £200,000. The paramedics, who deal with anything from people taken ill on planes to holidaymakers collapsing in the terminal, will be replaced by firstaiders.

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

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10

ART & CULTURE

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

AMC celebrates best of Indian, Chinese and Japanese music

By Spriha Srivastava

Are we all a burden?

Last week I was invited to the premier of a documentary titled “India’s Forgotten Women,” directed by Michael Lawson and presented by Anjali Guptara at the Vue cinemas in Leicester Square. Having spent almost my entire life in India, I was very curious to know what the documentary had to show.

Somewhere in my mind, I knew that there will be a lot of poverty, some instances of domestic violence and some dowry deaths. However, the documentary was a little more than what I had expected – both in a positive and negative manner.

Let’s take up the positive instances first. The film was well shot, well edited and well described.

Almost throughout the film one could follow the script and the events that were taking place. The film focussed on women suffering from “triple patriarchy” – their caste since they belong to the lowest in the ladder, i.e. Dalit, their class and the gender difference. This subjects them to a great deal of humiliation not only from their husband and their family but also from the society at large.

A very interesting finding that the documentary made was with regards to the issue of “devadasis.” To put it in context, the practice of devadasis (young girls married off to the temple) was abolished in 1988 by legal sanction.

But this documentary shows that the practice still exists in a village in Belgaum. It is absolutely shocking to discover that such a grave situation actually exists and that too with or without the knowledge of the Indian government.

Another interesting area covered

Bonded labourers carrying bricks on their heads

well by the documentary was the issue of bonded labourers.

However I had certain reservations about this 45 minute documentary that left everyone shocked. To start with, a few things had been generalised so as to include the whole of India in it.

Let us not forget the fact that India is a very big country with twenty eight states and seven union territories. Every state has a culture, language and cuisine of its own. And thus there is extreme diversity across the country. Life in villages is far more complex and difficult as compared to the metropolitan cities. Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and others have progressed and the concept of the girl child as a “burden” doesn’t exist in these societies.

I was extremely unhappy with one of the interviewees in the documentary who was a doctor. She gave a very stereotypical idea of the status of women in India.

Gathering my memory from the film, she mentioned that the time a girl child is born in a family in India, parents start investing less money in her career because at the back of the mind they know that they will have

Women carrying mud; bonded labour is extremely common

to give a dowry. I mean how reasonable it is to generalise such a thought to the entire country? I know that such a thing happens in the villages or the more backward states but to look at it positively, things are far better in the cities. And when we talk about an issue such as dowry, it is always better to make a comparative analysis, especially when discussing about a vast country like India. I talk of this with my own personal experiences, interactions since I have lived in India for twenty three years before moving to London.

Another thing which caught my attention was the issue of domestic violence and sex-selective abortion. How right is it to say that every parent hopes for a baby boy and domestic violence is very common? Frankly, the doctor who was interviewed should have just confined herself to the issues of health and medical concerns. What she said was not very well supported with enough references and thus it fell weak on the script.

Apart from the fact that the documentary painted a rather bleak picture of the situation of women across the country, it was definitely an eye opener, especially because many of us in our busy and fancy lives forget that we are probably very lucky to have been brought up in a progressive atmosphere.

There are many like us who plainly by virtue of being born in a poor and lower caste family are suffering a great deal every day. And luckily because the situation is not the same across India, the movie brought out the realities of what goes in the villages and some backward cities.

But life in a metro is not the same.

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at spriha@abplgroup.com

This July, head to Southbank Centre, London to catch Sounds of Asia festival and summer schools celebrating the best of Indian, Chinese and Japanese music.

These concerts mark the conclusion of the 2010 Summer School, a yearly appointment that sees great teachers from India, China and Japan pass on the art of classical singing, Far Eastern strings and taiko drumming to local and international students.

Viram Jasani, director of the organisers, Asian Music Centre; commented: “By looking at the mainstream media one would think that despite we live in a Global Village, there is little appetite in this country for the great traditions of classical music from Asia. The reality is that many people in the UK would like to have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of cultural expressions, not just lighter forms of entertainment or fusion music.

Contemporary musical

Pandit Rajan and Sajan Mishra

creations cannot be fully understood without the traditional context. We bring in the real substance of Asian music with our summer school and Sounds of Asia concerts.”

The Summer School teachers and other visiting musicians will be performing at the Southbank Centre on following dates n Thursday 29 July 2010 Folk Music from Rajasthan & Taiko Drumming n Friday 30 July 2010

Satish Prakash Qamar and his Shehnai Ensemble & Chinese and Japanese Strings n Saturday 31 July 2010 Uday Bhawalkar (Dhrupad) & Sunanda Sharma n Sunday 1 August 2010 Pandits Rajan and Sajan Misra (Khyal) Please visit www.amc.org.uk or contact Jasel Nandha at Jasel@amc.org.uk / 020 8742 9911 for more details.

Gujarati Menswear Designer short-listed for Fashion Award Amara, designers of haute couture sherwanis and ethnic menswear are one of three fashion houses from across the UK to have been chosen as finalists for the accolade of Best Menswear Designer in the International Asian Fashion Awards that will take place at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in central London.

The world’s top Asian Designers will be showcasing their collections, at the first annual International Asian Fashion Awards on Friday 9th July 2010, in a bid to win a prestigious title in their respective category. The event will be a professionally staged evening, choreographed

by Utsav Dholakia a prominent Gujarati choreographer from India, who will be injecting high-octane glitz into the proceedings.

Amara is a label that designs stunning and inimitable sherwanis and wedding attire, by men just for men. Their stunning designs enable the discerning Asian male to exude a unique sense of style, confidence & sophistication when wearing their creations.

Their designs beautifully manifest the richness of Indian tradition balanced with contemporary overtones, designs that weave together style and class for an inimitable look Prem Gohil, lead designer at Amara is something of a style guru when it comes to bespoke

ethnic menswear. Over the years, numerous grooms have placed their trust in his excellent sense of style and been rewarded with distinctively unique, bespoke attire of the finest quality for their big day.

Prem comes from a lineage of couturiers of fine menswear, his father and grandfather were both in the menswear business in Kenya (East Africa) and India respectively, therefore you could say menswear is in his blood. Prem combines the knowledge passed down to him over generations with his own contemporary style and understanding of cuts and fabrics to advise grooms on their attire for their big day, incorporating their ideas and creativity to create bespoke

sherwanis of the highest quality.

A visit to Amara in Wembley (North London) is a testimonial to his passion and superior level of customer service.

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

Narayan Murthy talks on IT industry in London

L to R: Mr Narayana Murthy, Lord Bagri, Mr Maneck Dalal, OBE and Dr M.N Nandakumara

Last week one of the most renowned business leaders, popularly known as India’s Bill Gates, founding father of Infosys, gave an extremely enlightening and powerful lecture on ‘IT and A Better India’ at the Bhavans.

Infosys has a global footprint over 50 offices and development centers in countries such as India, China, Australia, the UK and Japan. He was present with his wife and family to give the much-awaited MP Birla lecture that has previously seen the likes of Pandit Ravi Shankar, Princess Irene of Greece, Sir David Goodall and many others.

Mr Maneck Dalal OBE, chairman of the Bhavan, began by welcoming all present including distinguished guests viz.

Lord and Lady Bagri, Lord and Lady Popat, Baroness Flather and M Subashini Press and Information Minister, Indian High Commission. Mr Dalal introduced Mr Murthy.

Mr Murthy then spoke

Male ‘forced marriage’ victims on the rise ing visas, covering disability and criminality, and protecting family reputation. Many cases are linked to sexuality where male victims are forced to marry by their families since they are gay or bisexual.

As of May 2010, 88 cases were recorded out of which 56% were men linked to Pakistan and 20% were men linked to India. A total of 221 cases were recorded last year. FMU warns that traditionally the number of cases increase during summer holidays.

There is added danger of many men not coming forward to complain. Mr Browne says: “Boys and men who are forced into marriage find it harder to ask for help than women,

Increasing number of UK males is being forced into marriage primarily in South Asian communities, a new report states.

The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), a joint effort between the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Home Office recorded 65% rise in phone calls and emails from men since 2008.

Jeremy Browne, Foreign & Commonwealth Office Minister for Consular Policy, said: “Of course women make up the majority of forced marriage victims. But people often don’t realise that men can be victims of forced marriage too.”

There are a variety of reasons why men may be forced into marriage such as family expectations, secur-

Mr Narayana Murthy addressing audience

about advantages of technology development. He in simple words explained how IT has eliminated distances and shrank the global boundaries. He cited some examples and explained that IT accounts for 5% of India’s GDP and it is estimated that there are some 2.25m people employed by the industry.

However, he also talked about the dark side of such a development. He narrated how there was still a lack of educational facilities and teachers in rural areas and how IT could not help with this situation. As

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a solution he proposed that broadband connections and computers should be available to all villages in India. He also expressed his fear about the falling literacy rate despite the IT boom. He simultaneously suggested that research and development should be given a higher priority in India.

Mr Murthy concluded his lecture by saying, “IT is not a magic bullet. But IT is very effective if used by enlightened leaders. In this way India could achieve the vision of its founding fathers.”

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One of the most successful plays in modern times, Ramu Ramanathan’s Mahadevbhai (18921942) comes to Bhavans on 17th July at 7:30pm. In an age of increasing communalism and casteism, when violence is becoming a norm rather than an aberration, the play is a reminder of a healthy tradition that is slowly being obliterated by the devices of deep hatred and prejudice.

Mahadevbhai Desai was Mahatma Gandhi’s secretary who religiously recorded all events in a diary. The plot of the play

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that contained conversations with the Mahatmaletters, discussions, conversations and banter. The play attempts to understand thoughts and principles Gandhiji stood for and are more relevant in today’s world.

This one-man show has Jaimini Pathak employing a lively storytelling method while playing multiple characters such as Gandhiji, Mahadevbhai, Jawaharlal Nehru and others.

For more details on the play and ticket price/availability please visit www.bhavan.net.

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but we are urging males affected by forced marriage to speak out and seek the help that is available to them.

The FMU receives around 1600 reports of forced marriages a year from both the sexes. Male and female victims of forced marriage, or others acting on their behalf, can apply for a Forced Marriage Protection Order.

An order can be used to prevent someone being forced into marriage or to protect a person where a marriage has already taken place. People can be arrested if they do not comply with the orders. Since coming into force in November 2008, over 150 orders have been taken out.

Acclaimed Indian play comes to London

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MEDIA WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

Scrutator’s Jo Johnson is the Conservative MP for Orpington, but between 2005-08 he was the Financial Times South Asia Bureau chief, so he is a hive of information on India. Now as contributing editor, he penned an excellent FT think piece (June 28) on what needed to be done to re-energise the dormant IndoBritish relationship. Foreign Secretary William Hague has made an important foreign policy statement, in which he set out the government's vision of engaging with the emerging powers India, China, Brazil and Russia in particular - as a means of maintaining Britain's global influence. Mr Johnson and Mr Hague were clearly singing from the same hymn-sheet.

Mr Johnson laid down a number of significant markers. The bulk of India's population are 25 and under and looked to the United States rather than Britain for inspiration. Britain's share of India's trade and investment had declined, and this needed to be urgently addressed. He might have also pointed out that India is presently the second-largest investor in the UK. Mr Johnson continued: “Moves to build on existing cooperation in existing counter-terrorism and defence, to relax insulting visa regimes or to stop talking about Kashmir would all help, but will not fire imaginations. Unless there develops strong personal chemistry between prime ministers, formalising an annual strategic dialogue....risks being meaningless.”

Mr Johnson is critical of the “fragmentation of the diplomatic and and commercial representation and a poorly integrated approach to international policy. The UK-India Business Council and UK Trade and Investment overlap, for example.

Rival parliamentary groups also divide the limited bandwidth of the Indian establishment.”

The way forward As a loyal Tory, our scribe feels “Mr Cameron can do things better. One obvious step is to emulate the US model of actively seeking to attract Indian entrepreneurs to the country, building on the UK's inbuilt advantage of a substantial South Asian diaspora. This would allow the UK to tap into Indian rates of growth the like of which it can only envy. Another signal of intent would be to appoint a high-profile veteran business figure as a special figure.”

He said aid is an obvious area where the Indo-British relationship can be intuitively

of Satyam, the IT company, after the shaming scam that had laid it low, is well worth a read (Asian Times, online June 29).

Mr Murthy, describing Satyam's collapse, told how the international media had called it “India's Enron.” Barely a year ago, the disgraced software firm was written off as a disaster. In Britain, The Guardian newspaper (January 15, 2009) declared: “Rebuilding Satyam's reputation may be a near impossible task.”

Raja Murthy again: “India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was so concerned about the Satyam fallout that he asked his office to give it top priority giving the instructions even as

Striking unions in Mumbai

brought up to date. Mr Johnson noted that, as a significant industrial and technological power with its own space programme and aid to others, would it not be appropriate for British aid to India to be drastically reduced if not abolished altogether, the money saved to be given to a poorer and more disadvantaged country. The point is well taken.

Fall and rise of Satyam Raja Murthy's report on the rise

he was being wheeled in for heart surgery. But by this month, Satyam has emerged as the only South Asian sponsor of the FIFA World Cup [in South Africa]....Satyam developed a first-of-its-kind entirely webbased core 'event management solutions' system.

“Satyam software helps manage more than a $1 billion in assets (such as cell phones, flat screen TVs, laptops and other expensive equipment used in the World Cup), and co-ordinate and transport more than

230,000 staff, volunteers and delegates from over 40 countries – including 10,000 daily trips in a fleet of 1,000 cars, buses, trucks and vans. It enables electronic ticket sales and accreditation for the event watched by 2.4 billion people across over 214

services from human resources to legal research.” This is the future, and it works.

Missiles tested The Hindu's Y. Mallikarjun reported the successful test of

that the ban be removed. He said: “Now that the Indo-US relationship has gained a new momentum with the Strategic Dialogue, it makes no sense to keep vital research organisations like ISRO and DRDO in the entities list” in view of their active partnership with US agencies.

Apropos of his conversations with members of the US administration, Mr Sharma said: “I must say that they have been very receptive and reassuring.”

Oil subsidy removed

The nine-metre-tall Prithvi-II

countries....Satyam keeps the essential communications in the World Cup running, it is also delivering India's biggest contribution to the event.”

Satyam's road to full recovery was made possible with its takeover by industrial giant Mahindra & Mahindra. It is now rebranded as Mahindra Satyam.

There is still some way to go before the previously stricken IT major is restored to rude heath, but the omens are propitious.

Passage to India The Economist carried an interesting report on British legal outsourcing to India (June 24). How is this for starters? “Ritu Solanki, a 28-year-old lawyer with a degree from Nottingham University, spends most of her time drafting contracts and legal memos for a telecoms firm in Britain. She, however, is in Gurgaon, a high-rise satellite firm on Delhi's edge, where she works for CPA Global, a legal outsourcing company. A lawyer with similar experience at a London law firm might charge up tom £400 an hour for the sort of work Ms Solanki does; her labour costs around £50 an hour. As law firms and corporate legal departments face mounting pressure to cut costs, an increasing number are choosing the Indian option.”

Last year, Rio Tinto, an international mining group, traversed a similar route to CPA Global, which has its headquarters in New Jersey, transferring a tranche of legal work to the firm's Indian lawyers.

Others are following.

Recently CMS Cameron McKenna, a British law firm, affixed its signature to the “legal industry's biggest outsourcing deal with Integration, an American company with operations in India. Over the next ten years, Integration's Indian staff will provide the company with

India's Prithvi-II ballistic missile (June 19). This is a nuclearcapable, medium range surfaceto-surface weapon equipped with a state-of-art navigation system which ensures a high degree of accuracy. While the single-stage, liquid propelled missile is capable of striking a target at at a maximum range of 350 kilometres, it was also tested for a lesser distance. The nine-metre-tall PrithviII has already been inducted into the Indian Air Force. It can carry multiple payloads from 500 kg to 1,000 kg and has features to deceive anti-ballistic missiles. Its guidance system enables it to carry multiple payloads for multiple ranges. It can also carry different conventional warheads, including sub-munitions, cluster munitions and pre-fragmented explosives.

An earlier Hindu report by the same correspondent (June 14) told how India's anti-tank missile Nag had been tested at the Army's Field Firing Range near Hyderabad. This time it hit a moving target. On June 6, it destroyed a stationery target. The time taken was 3 seconds for the latter target and 3.2 seconds for the moving target.

The Indian government's has decided to end state control over petrol prices and allow them to move freely with global markets, a crucial first step towards reducing New Delhi's huge petrol subsidy costs. Diesel, which fuels India's trucking fleet, will also be gradually deregulated, with prices raised by 5 per cent as a first step.

“Liberalising petrol prices is the biggest economic reform undertaken by India since Manmohan Singh was reinstalled as prime minister last year....[with rising inflation] it highlights New Delhi's determination to curb the fiscal deficit,” writes Amy Kazmin in the Financial Times (June 2627). India subsidised petrol products by $16 billion a year.

A nationwide general strike was called last Monday (July 5) by the Opposition BJP and the Communist parties and kindred groups. The effectiveness of the strike varied in different parts of the country. The least affected area was Delhi, according to reports.

Tendulkar honoured The Indian Air Force has honoured cricket megastar Sachin Tendulkar by making him an honorary Group Captain. An IAF announcement stated: “In recognition of Sachin's glorious achievements as a cricketer and sports icon par excellence, IAF has conferred on him the hon-

US blacklist removal The Indian Express (June 24) told of an Indian approach to the US for the removal of Washington's blacklist of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). This ban was a holdover from an earlier era when Indo-US ties were by characterised by mutual suspicion and mistrust.

India's visiting Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma told members of the Obama administration in Washington that the warm IndoUS relationship today required

Sachin Tendulkar

orary rank of Group Captain.

Besides the recognition, his association with the IAF will motivate the younger generation to join the IAF to serve the country.”

The “Little Master” replied: “It is indeed a great honour that I have been considered for honorary Group Captain in the IAF. As an Indian I am proud to be associated with the dynamic force and I shall do my very best to be brand ambassador for the force.”

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

India and organic farming Carefully targeted, overseas aid can make a huge difference to people’s everyday lives. A good example comes from one of Oxfam’s most important projects in India- the promoting of organic methods of farming cotton..

Cotton has long stood at the very heart of the Indian economy.

Concentrated in Maharashtra, Gujurat and Andhra Pradesh provinces, the cotton trade employs around seven million people and its output comprises nearly 40 percent of the country’s exports, one quarter of the world’s total.

But for decades the cultivation of the cotton plant in India has been blighted by over-reliance on pesticides and fertilisers. These are not only extremely expensive to use but also can have a lethal effect on the health of farmers, or anyone who came into close contact.

And because some insects- particularly the American bollworm- can quickly develop an immunity to these chemicals, farmers have to use them in ever-increasing quantities to fend them off.

The effects of this over-reliance on pesticides have been debilitating. Many farmers have been driven heavily into

debt to pay for them, prompting a spate of suicides in some regions, while local water supplies have sometimes also been contaminated. Wherever they are used, villagers suffer disproportionately, including from skin disorders, miscarriages and breathing disorders.

As one resident of the village of Thakalapadu, near Peddapur, put it, “when we grew conventional cotton we had to borrow from a private money lender and had to pay back 5 percent interest. All of our money went on paying back this money. We had absolutely nothing left for health care costs or even household expenses”.

The tragedy is that all this is so unnecessary.

Many local farmers are unaware that, if they use the right techniques, then cotton can be produced without using any pesticides, or at least dramatically reducing their usage.

For example, if crops are regularly rotated, so that cotton plants are moved around every few years from field to field, then they grow much stronger and can withstand many of the insects that feed on them. And if certain plants are grown in the right places alongside the cotton then they draw competing insects that

Jonaid Jilani

can fend off the ones that attack the cotton.

Since 2003 Oxfam has been working with cotton farmers to train them in the use of these organic agricultural methods. So far we have enabled 2000 farmers to certify their cotton as organic and we aim to train up another 15,000 in Warangal district.

The key to all this is education. In Warangal, for example, Oxfam is working with a number of partner organisations to make contact with local producers and explain how much they have to gain from switching to organic farming methods.

Farmers are then trained up in these techniques, allowing them to properly certify their goods, and after that local inspectors make regular visits to their farms to ensure that they are putting their training into practice and using the latest and most up-to-date techniques.

The effects of the organic farming pro-

13

MP proposes new immigration protocol for religious organisations During the Home secretary’s statement about immigration to the House of Commons yesterday, Barry Gardiner MP proposed a protocol to fast track ministers of religion coming to work in the UK. He pointed out that just as we certify universities and accredit their students, so we could establish a certification system for religious groups with a long and successful history of bringing ministers, monks sadhus and priests to perform religious duties in the UK. Barry Gardiner, MP for

Brent North said “I deal with so many cases where sadhus or priests have been asked to go through the normal entry clearance questions. But you have to

ask yourself how a monk who has taken a vow of poverty is going to be able to satisfy the Entry Clearance Officer that they have sufficient funds to pay for their trip. It is not only right that ministers of religion be exempted from the Conservative/Lib proposals for an immigration cap, we also need a fast track certification process that shows some understanding that these individuals are bound by vows of religious observance and that the normal visa scrutiny is just inappropriate.”

Virendra Sharma MP elected to the Parliamentary Select Committee for Health Virendra Sharma MP was, last Wednesday, elected by his fellow Labour MPs to serve on the Parliamentary Select Committee for Health. Commenting on his election Virendra Sharma MP said: “I am delighted gramme have sometimes been dramatic. Not only are farmers improving crop yields and commanding higher prices at market but the project has also opened up new opportunities for women, many of whom have found career openings as inspectors.

"I feel the difference and the change that has

and honoured to have been chosen by my peers to serve on this very important select committee. There is a huge amount of work to be come since converting to organic methods. Not just in my home but in the community, especially because of the gender training I've had since becoming an inspector", as one villager puts it, effectively summarising how important Oxfam's organic farming programme has now become.

done by the committee that is of great importance to both my constituents and the country as a whole.

Protecting the National Health Service in these difficult economic times is of vital importance.

I will be using my position to hold the Con Dem coalition to account and to seek to ensure that the advances made by the previous Labour Government in health services are not lost and that improvements are made.”

14

EDUCATION/UK #VR^#OZ

I_TZ DOHK Z[H]_IVOP FVIW DOH

Maintaining Momentum This week I’m going to turn my attention to the issue of supporting your child during breaks from education – and the big break we have coming up in the immediate future is the summer holidays.

Even when it is not term time, pupils, like athletes between sporting events, can Pankaj Vekria benefit from a regular maintenance programme so that they do not lose the edge that they have built up during the academic year. If you were to test your child at the end of the summer term and again at the beginning of the autumn term, it is likely that you would immediately notice a difference in the quality of their work and their test scores. It’s not for nothing that examinations are held during the summer term. Timing the exams so that pupils have had the optimum time to prepare for them and the best opportunity to succeed looks like good policy to me.

Your children of course may not be quite so enthusiastic about spending some of their well earned summer holidays keeping their academic skills in tip top condition but it really is in their interest to do so, and it need only take an hour or so every week to stay in touch with a difficult subject. As with any maintenance coaching, you need to focus on weakness rather than strength, so if your child struggles with Maths but not other subjects then Maths is what you should concentrate on when it comes to engaging a tutor during the summer break. I certainly do not recommend a heavy schedule of tutorials during the summer holidays.

The good news is that with an online tutoring service such as eTutors the weekly maintenance programme need only take a single hour. There is no need to transport your child to the lesson, simply log on and go straight into the tutorial. You can fit it in around all of the other activities that the summer offers. And if you are going away as a family for a week or two then I would suggest that you should not ask your son or daughter to do any tuition during this time.

At eTutors, we feel that we should not merely educate but also entertain, so we try our best to make learning an engaging, happy process which the child enjoys and participates willingly in rather than a dreaded weekly obligation to be endured in order to stay in Mum and Dad’s good books. My Chief Operating Officer was talking to one of our pupils only recently who was full of praise for our web tutoring service. You don’t get that sort of enthusiastic endorsement without doing a good job.

This pupil has been taking his A Levels over the past couple of weeks and we will all be thinking of him and keeping our fingers crossed for his results.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

Duncan Lewis raises fund for British Heart Foundation Duncan Lewis and co Solicitors sent out a team of 23 people to cycle 54 miles from London to Brighton on June 20th 2010. The race started at Clapham Common and included Duncan Lewis’ CEO, Shany Gupta and Practice director Adam Makepeace with trainee solicitor David Gregson crossing the finish line first.

Half of the team cycling were Asians; including 4 ladies who

completed the ride with very respectable times.

Duncan Lewis

cyclists have managed to raise £3,796.25; with more donations still coming in

are set to raise £4,000 for the British Heart Foundation.

Male graduates falling behind women in the job market In December last year 17.2 per cent of young men were unemployed following university compared with 11.2 per cent of young women, a report published yesterday found.

Currently men hold just 44 per cent of graduate jobs despite making up almost 50 per cent of the population, according to the Higher Education Policy Institute study (Hepi).

Bahram Bekhradnia,

director of Hepi, said the gap that was already evident between boys and girls at school and university is continuing into the jobs market.

He warned that the "general hopelessness of young men" was hampering their attempts to find work.

"Boys and young men are under-performing [compared with] girls and young women right through school and univer-

sity and in many respects it seems coming out of university as well," he said.

However, although men find it hard to get a job, once they do they still achieve higher pay than women.

The study revealed that male graduates starting work are paid on average 11 per cent, or £ 2,000, more than women. Three years on, the gap has widened to more than £4,000 - or 17 per cent.

Experts said that the more conscientious nature of women made them more suited to the current job market.

Dr Robert McHenry, an occupational psychologist who lectures at the University of Oxford, said: "At the top end men take more chances - pull off the odd flash of brilliance - and at the bottom end they are more lazy. Women tend to be more hard-working, more conscientious."

Pic ‘N’ Mice Trader Guilty A convenience store owner whose business was so infested with mice that faeces and urine could be clearly seen amongst the sweets in a pick and mix stand, has appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court.

Ghulam Mustafa Naz (50) of Mansel Road, Small Heath, pleaded guilty to 3 food hygiene offences; 2 relating to the insanitary condition of Save On Mini Market, 302-304 Green Lane, Small Heath, Birmingham, where mouse droppings were found throughout the premises and 1 offence of mouse droppings being found in boxes containing ready-toeat sweets.

He received a fine of £5,900 (£5000 plus costs).

Environmental Health

Officers from Birmingham City Council visited the Save On for a routine inspection on 18th August 2009.

Officers could clearly see evidence of rodent activity on the premises, including sticky boards being used to trap mice and rodenticide powder on the floor.

Paper bags had been used to line sweet shelves, and Officers could clearly see faeces and urine staining the bags. Officers also found gnawed sweet packets and faeces in boxes of pick and mix sweets.

When questioned, Mr Naz admitted that he was aware of an infestation after finding gnawed packets of crisps, and had called in a friend to treat the problem with rodenticide and sticky

BAPS children forum launches ‘Gujarati Whiz’ The BAPS Children’s Forum, proud winners of the 2009 Queen’s Award and based at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London has introduced an innovative learning game to teach Gujarati.

Entitled, Gujarati Whiz, the entire concept was designed and compiled by children who worked tirelessly for three years after the initial idea was conceived.

Gujarati Whiz not only helps one learn

Gujarati, but also helps to promote family unity which is fostered by sitting together as a family to play the game.

Nikhil, aged 11 said, “This is a fun game that I can play with my parents and learn Gujarati at the same time.”

Gujarati Whiz is available from the Mandir bookstall. For further information please contact: The BAPS Children’s Forum – bmadmin@mandir.org

The Save On on Green Lane

boards.

Councillor Neil Eustace, Chair of the Public Protection Committee at Birmingham City Council, says: “While we accept that Mr Naz acted more in ignorance than in malice, and had made some effort to address the infestation, the measures that he took were clearly inadequate. I think

most parents would be horrified to think that their children could be scooping mice faeces into their bags of pick and mix. They should however be reassured that we take swift action in cases such as these, where children could be exposed to serious health risks like salmonella and listeria”.

15

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

Alpesh Patel Consultant Editor Financial Voice Dear Financial Voice Reader, Finance. It’s obviously about money. So I shouldn’t have been surprised about a question I was asked recently: ‘why aren’t you in the rich list?’ It was pointed out I must be good at what I do since I have won competitions in the Financial Times and on Bloomberg TV and other than the occasional duff stock pick have been better than average. I must make some sense otherwise the Financial Times wouldn’t have carried 200 of my columns and published my books. So they asked again, ‘why aren’t you in the rich list?’

I almost felt like apologising. And so it was I went through what on earth I’ve been doing since University – which I left somewhat belatedly in 15 years ago.

Well...ummmm...I used to clean toilets as a vacation job and on £2.5 per hour (before the minimum wage) the rich list was a long way to go.

Having said that I was very good at cleaning toilets.

I was promoted from the men’s toilets to the women’s.

Now that’s a promotion because women don’t tend to urinate all over the floor in a nightclub. You only worry about the nasty things they write about each other with lipstick on the mirrors instead. (the trick is to use soap with water to wipe off the lipstick and don’t smudge it all over the mirror, keep using short circular motions).

Anyway, no matter how good at cleaning toilets, you still can’t get on the rich list. And my one year as a Barrister didn’t amount to much financially in 1996.

Although I was a pupil at two very good sets of Chambers my pay was £6,000 for the whole year.

All along I would invest of course in shares but that was with a few thousand pounds money from aunts and uncles and any profits would go into living expenses. Books came along...but as my publisher pointed out when offering my first book contract two years out of University ‘you don’t write financial books to make money’. TV shows were great – but I wasn’t on Jonathan Ross’s package. JK Rawling never asked me to ghost write for her either. I followed my passion rather than gold.

So I could pick stocks but how do I go from that to making money? It took until 2005 before I had enough to start my first proper business – an asset management company and launch a fund with outside investors. (I never borrowed from a bank, other than it’s credit card division!).

Only this year did that company cross the seven figure turnover mark. Or as I guess another friend put it, ‘you fool, you never did it for the money’. Don’t get me wrong, those who’ve been partners have made money from using my name. As my astrologer said to a potential partner, ‘I’ll guarantee you will make money in any venture with Alpesh’ and so it has been the story – some have taken what is not there’s from me and others not delivered what was promised mine. But weep not – such is life. As the old saying goes, ‘fool me once, shame on you, but fool me twice and shame on me’. So it was after all my own fault I explained to my wealth interrogator as I answered why I am not on that List. Indeed it had got to the stage where in lectures I would at the end mention my favourite charity stating ‘what I have told you tonight will make you money...but for god’s sake give it away...to say Sewa.

Because otherwise I’ve just spent an hour teaching rich people how to get richer...and that’s no good for your soul or mine.’

I’ve been fortunate enough (or foolish as some of my more greedy acquaintances who aspire to be in the rich list put it) to be an unpaid Governor of a University, part of the UK India Roundtable to assist bilateral trade, Trustee and donor of many charities and give freely (probably too freely since I am not in the Rich List) of my time to help others – who are good souls around me – not so acquaintances on the Rich List with their adulteries and abortions. So in a way, I

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Anand Unalkat Tax Investigations Senior Horwath Clark Whitehill, a top 20 accountancy firm, hosted a seminar in London on 29 June 2010.

The firm’s specialist Employment Taxes and Tax Investigation teams delivered a role play based on an HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) Employer Compliance Review, illustrating how this type of enquiry can easily escalate into a full corporation and personal tax enquiry. Over 100 people attended the event.

Each member of the team has previously worked for HMRC. The team members have vast

experience in defending clients who become the subject of HMRC investigations and enquiries.

Having experienced such enquiries on ‘both sides of the fence’, the team can predict with confidence the direction of a case.

They can also quickly act in response to the threats posed by the Tax Inspector in order to achieve the best possible financial outcome.

The potential traumas facing an individual under enquiry were clearly portrayed in the role play through the fictitious, Mr R. Banks, and the harrowing ordeal of his company’s employer compliance review. To say that one thing led to another would be an understatement in the extreme.

Asian Voice and Gujurat Samachar’s very own Rovin George attended the event and he was impressed with what he saw. “The turnout for the seminar was very impressive and the audience were heavily engaged in what was being presented on stage”. Rovin went on to

say “we know Sean Wakeman and Anand Unalkat very well as they are regular contributors of tax-related articles for the Asian Voice. We have been very pleased with the professionalism that they have shown and with the relevance of topics that appear in their articles.

This high standard was maintained at the seminar, they certainly did not disappoint”.

If you need help with an HMRC investigation please telephone Sean Wakeman, tax partner on 020 7842 7285 or Anand Unalkat, tax investigations senior on 020 7842

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Tax Investigations Partner 7143. If you are a lawyer or accountant and would like to receive information about future events, please telephone Judy Vincent on 020 7842 7319.

Solar lanterns of India win Ashden’s Gold award The awards for sustainable energy 2010 announced in London last week D.light Design, India won the Gold award at the Ashden Awards for sustained energy, 2010 for the durable and affordable solar lanterns, designed by them. The solar lanterns help reduce CO2 emissions for thousands of homes in India and across 32 countries in the world.

A glittering ceremony

held on Friday last week in London was addressed by Sir David Attenborough. More than £140,000 worth of prize money was awarded for pioneering work. Five other international winners were also announced.

For the solar lanterns, the judges said, “it’s the passion and dedication to

guess I am in the Rich List after all – because bigger than self are others and one’s country.

But I guess now’s the time to try to redress the balance and aim for that darn list. After all, nice guys do finish last. How hard can it be? If you want to know what the Lord thinks of money, just look at the kind of people he gives it to. So I’ll keep you posted. But then again, when I consider the Rich List acquaintances who create ‘Foundations’ which only do self-serving giving to their own relatives, or turn away those in need when people like me employ them...maybe I don’t want to be in that company after all.

And by the way the next time you are in a lavatory and see the toilet cleaner – say ‘hello’. We’re not invisible. We put the pride into our work and you never know we may even mention you in a newspaper column when we get on the Rich List.

the cause of ridding the developing world of the health and pollution problems associated with the use of kerosene lighting through the design, manufacture and promotion of durable and affordable solar lanterns in India and across the’ developing world. The judges were particularly impressed with their highly effective marketing strategy which has put solar lighting within reach of over a million people in 32 countries with significant potential for further expansion.”

Sarah Butler-Sloss, founder and chair of the Ashden Awards said: “Our 2010 winners are living proof of the significant contribution that local sustainable energy initiatives can make to tackling poverty, lack of access to resources and the threat of climate change.

The five international award winners include CRELUZ, Brazil for micro-hydro power; TECNOSOL, Nicaragua for the expansion of solar PV and other renewable energy options; Sky Link Innovators, Kenya for the use of biogas as a viable source of fuel to protect Kenya’s disappearing forests; Rural Energy Foundation, SubSaharan Africa, for their role in expanding and increasing the take up of solar energy in SubSaharan Africa and The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and SNV – Vietnam, for their highly successful partnership which has enabled the distribution of biogas technology across Vietnam on a massive scale in a way that is both sustainable and has the potential for further expansion.

Living, working and retiring to the USA has never been easier and buying a home there has never been cheaper.

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Better investments for a Better life

financial voice

16

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

Caught in a Compromising Position Maria Fernandes maria@abplgroup.com

The immigration cap: How will it work to the top of the queue?

Will this result in constant backlogs of applications. Is this a sensible way of proceeding? Who will scrutinise these arrangements?

There has been much said this week about the immigration cap to cut numbers. As many news items have already pointed out the cap, however limiting it is, will hardly have an impact on the overall migration levels.

Immigration has been growing as a result of a combination of EU free movement provisions and family migration. These cannot be reduced without falling foul of the our adherence to the European Convention or European law. This article looks in brief at the changes proposed.

Tier 2

The largest group of Certificates of Sponsorship (Work Permits) are currently granted to intra company transfers who will not be affected by the changes.

Interim limits will be set by limiting the number of Certificates of Sponsorship that licensed sponsors are authorised to use. This change is being made without any amendment to the Immigration Rules and therefore cannot be scrutinised.

The way it will work is that the number of CoS used in the last year will form the basis of the calculation. Anyone who has over 2 CoS used in the period 19th July 2009 to 1st April 2010 will be expected to use less.

Sponsors will receive a letter telling them how many they will be allocated. It is not clear how limiting the numbers will affect new sponsors applying after the changes come into effect.

The impact on small business has apparently been considered.

However in practice those most likely to suffer are the small businesses, the restaurants who desperately need skilled staff. It is not clear how the assessment was made.

The interim limits take effect on the 19th July. There is a consultation period for a permanent cap. The independent Migration Advisory Committee has been asked to consult with business and they are in the process of calling for evidence. The written responses must be received by the 9th September and the UKBA consultation will be completed by the 17th September with the intention that the limits will come into place by the 1st April 2011. All

Tier I

Those who are already in this category or were admitted as HSMP applicants, writers, artists and self employed lawyers will continue to be considered under the existing rules. Those who apply after 19th July will require an additional 5 points (80 points) and those earning £150,000 will qualify for earn the full points on this basis alone.

For the others there will be a "grant allocation" ie quota and a "grant allocation Period" and this information will be posted on the UK website. The limit is expected to operate on a monthly basis although it is not at all clear how this will work. Once the allocation is reached for that period the applications in the pipeline will not be refused outright but will be re-allocated to the next period to be considered.

For those who are in countries such as India Pakistan and Bangladesh that have a long waiting list applicants the limit could be reached before their applications are decided. This would in theory mean US applicants for example qualify in greater numbers than others. Could this be a way of reducing applications from certain countries? For example how long will applicants be expected to wait for a decision on the next allocation period. Do they go

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those with concerns should approach their associations to put together the evidence for this process. MAC look at the evidence therefore in approaching them this should be a primary objective.

In the meantime the Merits Committee ( A P a r l i a m e n t a r y Committee) has called for evidence on the practicalities of the implementation of the policy. Their role is limited to considering the practical reality of achieving these aims not to look at the policy objectives. The issue is very unclear and this will therefore be a useful exercise. .

The Court of Appeal only last week expressed concern about the fact that guidance was appearing which appeared to exceed the regulations themselves.

It appears that the UKBA are reducing primary legislation and relying more on secondary guidance.

This does not go through the normal scrutiny processes and this is what concerned the judges in that case. MAC were set up under the last government and were asked to report on various occupations. They have done so on the basis of evidence.

Introducing caps is a political rather than a practical or evidence led measure which could create an inflexible system and result in business closures at a critical phase.

Net migration has fallen already and the present Government can take the credit for this even if they do nothing. To impose quotas may seem like they are doing something but unless this is approached very carefully, and at present there are many unanswered questions, it will fail.

Maria Fernandes is a principal of Fernandes Vaz solicitors who specialise in immigration and nationality law. She has substantial experience of immigration and is an accredited member of the Immigration Law Panel.

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“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny…At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.” These were the first famous words of Jawaharlal Nehru’s independence speech ‘Tryst with Destiny’. Most political leaders are remembered by a significant quote or statement, Churchill was known for the ‘Blood, sweat and tears’ speech, Kennedy for asking Americans what they ‘could do for their country’. One wonders what David Cameron will be remembered by. ‘Strong and Stable, Coalition and Compromise’ are phrases he has constantly been repeating to convince us that everything is under control.

Of these words, ‘Compromise’ is the most intriguing, for one can never be totally sure if compromise is a good thing or a bad thing. In relationships, it is said that compromise is a vital ingredient for happiness. A strength. In battle, it is considered to

be an admission of the inability to win. A weakness.

As it became apparent that the Conservatives had won the most seats without achieving an overall majority, David Cameron was faced with a decision that could become the defining moment of his political life. Should he try to rule with a minority government with restricted power, or should he make a deal with the Lib Dems thereby sacrificing some ideals (and some support within his own party)?

Compromising is a basic negotiation that takes place in all businesses. Often leaders and managers can be weary of compromising as it can be seen as ‘giving in’, which in view of their ‘power’, they should not have to do. This can result in confrontation and eventually a breakdown in relations. On the other hand, compromising can be a means to reaching agreement and consensus which can engender trust and commitment. The ideal sce-

Reliance Power to have world’s largest no. of shareholders Merger of RNRL with R Power approved by boards of the two companies ADAG’s Reliance Power will become the world’s biggest company in terms of having the largest number of share holders after another group company, Reliance Natural Resources Ltd. (RNRL) will be merged with it. The all stock deal is likely to be worth Rs. 500 billion (US$11 bn).

After the fresh MOU

between RIL and R Power, merger of RNRL with R Power was the only logical option considered.

The companies considered the merger proposal and board of directors of both the companies met on Sunday, 4th July to endorse the merger.

RNRL shareholders will get 1 share of R Power for every 4 shares they

hold.

RIL and RNRL entered into a new GSMA last week, as mandated by the Supreme Court. The new GSMA is consistent with the government's gas utilisation policy.

Reliance Power will have over 6 million shareholders, the world’s largest shareholding family.

Regulator for raising FDI in DTH, FM radio in India Trai recommends 74% for DTH, teleport and national/state cable networks, 26% in FM radio

More Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) will soon be allowed in DTH and FM radio businesses in India. Trai (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), the regulator for the industry as week recommended changes.

As per the recommendations, the current limit of 49% should be revised

to go up to 74% in Directto-Home (DTH), teleport and national as well as state level cable network operators. Trai though has said the limit in local cable operators (LCO) should be brought down to 26%.

For IPTV and mobile TV sectors, where there is no policy at present, Trai is in favour of 74% FDI.

For content broadcasting services, the TV news and & current affairs channels will continue to have a 26 per cent cap for FDI. Trai also announced that all FDI less than 26 per cent would be through the automatic route.

Investments of 26 per cent and above will require prior government approval.

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By Amit Patel

nario is achieving a ‘win – win’ situation wherein each party gets something that they wanted.

However, the fear of appearing weak can often supplant the hope of being a respected leader. Compromising is not applicable to every conflict – giving up aims is one thing, giving up principles and beliefs is something else. Great leaders have always been able to recognise when to compromise and when to stand firm, even at the expense of their personal popularity.

Is the coalition a testimony to David Cameron’s strength in willing to sacrifice for the greater good, or a symptom of his weakness by giving away too much too soon? Will it be his tryst with destiny or will he be caught in a compromising position?

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FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

17

Property Focus Suresh Vagjiani Managing Director of Sow & Reap, a Property Investment & Financing company.

The case of the HMO Over the next few weeks we will be giving actual examples of what we have done for clients. This will be done to illustrate what we can do for you. All examples used will be actual case studies where we may have changed the name to protect the identity of our client.

We provide a full turn key investment for you; we find finance and rent the property for you. We aim to develop a relationship so as the property value rises we are able to guide you for further future acquisitions through refinancing.

A property we sourced for a client about 4½ years ago is recently being sold for £1.025m, originally the client purchased it for £700,000, it is a freehold property on Ivor Place of Gloucester Road, close to Marylebone and Baker Street stations. The property consisted of 10 bedsits which when fully let gave £63,000 per annum. This represents a yield of 9%. The funding available at the time was 85% at a rate of 5.39% which means that the mortgage payment is £32,340 per annum on a borrowing of £600, 00. This translates to an income of £30,000 on an investment of £100,000 so a 30% gross return on your money. Remember that this is the month to month return. This is not even how you make the bulk of the return in property. The bulk is made through the capital gain on the property value, in this case the property has risen £325,000. This is the return. It is important to note that most of the period between purchase and sale occurred through the credit crunch. This is testimony to the resilience of the central London market. Important point to note is not that the property has risen nearly 50% but that the benefit to the purchaser is a tripling of his investment, which is £100,000.

This means the purchaser had to put in 100k and the rest of the 600k came from a lender at 5.39%. The property being freehold does not imply service charges to worry about. The mortgage payment was £32,000. So after the mortgage has been paid, the income generated will be in around £30,000, which is an excellent rate of return, especially considering that the property is situated in such a prime location.

The strange thing was this deal was fully on the market with two agents.

Many people were attracted by the yield and went to view, but no one took the plunge and bought it. One of the reasons was that people were not sure what a HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) is, what the new laws were, and the cost involved in making sure the building is compliant. Secondly, funding for HMO

was not abundant as the lenders themselves avoided lending to HMOs. Nonetheless, despite of all these minor points, you cannot purchase a freehold building in this location at this price. In my opinion this was a steal, but nobody was seeing it.

The property was sold by a Turkish couple, the Mr is known as Mustafa.

Many of the properties in central London are owned by the Greek and Turkish communities. They arrived in this country and set up shops in this area in the 1960s and 1970s. Now many have past retirement and most will sell the hotels if offered a reasonable sum.

This couple owned a hotel in addition to this HMO nearby and were well past retirement. But were hanging on to their property and, as they did not know what else to do besides running a hotel, they would like to get rid of it. It becomes a psychological attachment were they simply carry on doing things as they have done for the last 30 years; they get caught in a rut.

I tried to negotiate down from the price of £700,000 but they did not entertain my Guajarati tendency for bargaining. They stuck to their price and in all fairness this was a good deal at the price they were ready to accept. But human psychology, and perhaps more so Indian psychology, is such that we need to feel

like we got a bargain when we do a deal. It never feels good to pay the price the seller is asking for.

Hence most properties come on the market slightly above the price the vendor is prepared to accept. At the end of the day it is important to recognize this only in the mind and one needs to just get over it and move on. It all boils down purely to numbers and this one worked well in number terms.

Interestingly enough, a month after the property had been purchased, we had an offer from someone else at £800,000, a full £100,000, it was a serious offer from someone who knew the property well but did not move on it in time. The offer was rejected.

When a property finds a buyer, the property becomes complete and then it tends to attracts purchasers whilst the transaction is going through. Everything in the universe is striving for completion and so are properties. While a property is incomplete i.e lacking a buyer no one wants the property. But once it has a buyer, everyone wants it, this is a proven law.

The property recently got planning permission to turn into a one residential property and therefore attracted a premium of about £75,000 above the normal price it would have achieved as a plain HMO, not bad for a few grand application fees.

Even at that price, it still represents a solid purchase for the buyer because a freehold property in this location is rare to get for £1m. The trick in property is to always look forward. If you look back, you would think all the juice has been squeezed from the property. Not the case.

Property is always destined to rise, with credit crunch or without it. The reason is simple, you can print money but you cannot print land.

I still remember in my class at City University this lecturer who personally invested in property who also said that there are three important points to note about property: location, location and location. This is the reason for this emphasis on the basic but fundamental point.

Easily forgotten, especially amongst Indians as the aim becomes to buy a property close to them so that they can keep an eye on the property, and someone they know, round any time it needs work, hence save on the pennies of management.

The idea here is to sow your seeds where you can water them. There is merit in this type of thing, but not taken literally! Meaning the property does not have to be in your back garden!

The benefit of the saying is you purchase in a country where you understand the laws and can dispose of the property if required in a short period of time. The other reason which crops up often is: it is an investment but someone in the family can move in later if required.

It is never a good idea to mix the two.

When looking at a residential property the goal will be different to purchase of an investment. A residential property will be suited to the buyer to live in. And investment is bought with one or two aims, either with an aim of long term rental or to purchase and sell on. The former means the property is to be viewed from a tenants perspective, the second means from an end users perspective. Again the profile of the end user for this particular area must be defined so the target is not lost whilst doing work on the property.

These type of thinking misses the point of property investment altogether.

The aim is to make the most money in the shortest period of time. The growth will be capital growth rather than incomebased.

The driving force of the property is the land underneath it, not the property. The property is secondary. If the location is supreme you can be assured of strong and aggressive capital growth. I have no doubt the purchaser of the property will also make good profits in years to come.

n Mortgages n Commercial Finance n Property Sourcing n Gujarat Properties - Sale & Resale T: 0207 706 0187 F: 0203 014 8484

E: info@sowandreap.co.uk W: www.sowandreap.co.uk

31 Southwick Street, Paddington, W2 1JQ Registered in England No. 05083823

18

financial voice

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

UK to drive in a ‘Victoria Beckham designed Range Rover Evoque’

Alpesh Patel’s Political Sketchbook:

1000 jobs to be added at Halewood plant as Land Rover sales pick up public debut at the Paris Motor Show in September this year, it added.

Beckham to design the new Range Rover Former spice girl and footballer David Beckham’s wife Victoria

Victoria Beckham, famous British designer and wife of English footballer David Beckham will design the new Range Rover Evoque from Land Rover, scheduled to be launched next year. This new SUV would also lead to adding 1,000 new jobs at the Halewood facility of the company.

Land Rover Managing Director Phil Popham, announced the plans for the new model said in a statement last week.

The British marque had earlier announced to add 275 new jobs at its production facility at Solihull in West Midlands to meet rising demand after sales improved for several months.

Land Rover currently employs 9,500 people and supports a further 40,000 jobs in the supply chain.

The company will introduce the new SUV in its list of offerings in 2011 as part of Range Rover's 40th anniversary celebrations, the statement said.

The Range Rover Evoque will make its global

Beckham, a big name in fashion designing has been roped in by the Tatas to design the interiors of the new SUV Evoque.

In a report in Daily Mail online, 35 year old Victoria said, “I am incredibly excited to be collaborating with Range Rover. I like to take on a challenge and I'm ready for it.”

The new, smaller and lighter vehicle, will be on sale from summer 2011 and the Evoque will be the "greenest" Range Rover so far produced. Victoria

Beckham was among a host of celebrities invited

by Land Rover and fashion magazine Vogue for the 40th anniversary of the car.

Tata Motors planning to assemble some Land Rover models in India Meanwhile, Tata Motors, the owners of the iconic British car brands are reportedly firming up plans to assemble some of the Land Rover models in India.

Freelander2 will be the first model to sport the ‘Made in India’ tag. This will make the car cheaper as compared to the completely imported cars currently being sold in India.

According to sources, Tata Motors plans to bring in the Freelander 2 through the completely knockeddown (CKD) route to assemble it. India assembled car will get a relief in customs duties to the extent of more than 50%.

That would help bring down the price of the car by a few hundred pounds. Tata Motors have officially not offered any comments to the reports.

UK’s StanChart to invest in Chinese bank’s IPO AgBank comes out with the largest IPO of the world China’s third largest, Ag bank is expected to sell a 14% stake for $23bn (£15.3bn). The IPO is expected to become the largest IPO globally. The transaction is subject to the successful completion of AgBank’s IPO, the statement added.

Standard Chartered Bank, the UK based global banking major has announced they are investing US$500 million in the IPO of Agricultural Bank of China (AgBank).

StanChart will be investing as a “Cornerstone investor” at the Hong Kong listing.

The consideration, to be financed from Standard Chartered's internal cash resources, would be for a number of shares with a total value at the offer price of the Hong Kong dollars equivalent of $500 million, StanChart said in a statement last week.

TCS climbs to no. 9 globally IBM, Microsoft and Accenture are the leading global players with revenues of US$ 96bn, 58bn and 22bn respectively.

TCS, started was set up way back in 1968 as a division of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Empire, basically to serve the data processing needs of the group.

Today it has reached the top spot in India. In a bid to be part of the top league, the company has been bagging clients

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the Indian software major and a part of the global Tata Empire has climbed to no. 9 globally in terms of revenues earned.

Ratan Tata, chairman of TCS gave this information to the shareholders of the company at the fifth annual general meeting last week.

TCS revenues were recorded at US$6.3bn for the just concluded year 2009-10.

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across geographies, building domain expertise, besides adding on a large number of employees.

Ratan Tata has plans to step down from the top position of the company in next couple of years.

Shareholders even suggested that he should considering continuation as a member of the board as long as possible.

He replied, saying that he want be on the board as ex-chairman.

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Special or Enhanced?

As Leader of the Opposition, David Cameron expressed the importance to the UK of a ‘Special Relationship’ with India. In the Queen’s Speech that was changed to ‘Enhanced Relationship’. That is a change that will not go unnoticed in Indian Government circles.

Indeed it sounds like a downgrade.

What does it take to have a special or enhanced relationship?

Well, here are some things you don’t do. You don’t give the impression of a downgrade in the Queen’s Speech. Did no one at No.10 in drafting the PM’s speech read Cameron’s previous comments? Indeed why did the PM allow himself to be persuaded by the Foreign Office of the change?

The second thing you don’t do is announce an immigration cap that leaves one of the biggest investor countries into the UK wondering how and whether to invest.

This is not conjecture and speculation on my part.

At a meeting of the CII at Chatham House in June I was left in no doubt by the heavy weight industrialists as to their views.

it need to do to show love and that it wants a gamechanger? It needs for a start to remove irritants and then point out the opportunity to the Indians.

So how do you get back on track which appears already off the rails? The good news is I believe the UK government is not simply paying lip-service to the importance of India. It is not merely seeking to flatter.

Indian CEOs are not Maharajas of old – they are resistant to flattery and seek action. New Governments take time to find their feet, staff are new and these minor errors should be seen as such.

One critical area is to have Indian international corporate help the UK Government to bring UK companies into India.

Let’s set targets and specifics to make it happen– both countries and their companies benefit as a result. But set the targets and goals in education, scientific collaboration, military exercises – make India as important as the EU and US if you dare. That is a gamechanger. Treat them like your anglo-saxon neighbours.

Now, faulty engine problem for Toyota globally 270,000 cars being recalled: 138,000 in the USA, 92,000 in Japan Quality problems for Japan’s leading carmaker Toyota seem to be adding and not ending, as last weekend, the company announced recall of 270,000 cars globally for faulty engines. The models involved are top end Lexus, Crown and others.

138,000 of the cars sold in the USA and 92,000 sold in Japan are included in the recall. Flaws in valve springs, a crucial engine component, could make the vehicle stall while it’s moving, Toyota spokesman Hideaki Homma as he announced the recall.

Lexus General Manager Mark Templin said contaminated materials had been used for valve springs during manufacturing.

Toyota has received about 200 complaints over faulty engines in Japan but no accidents were reported there or abroad, Homma said. Some drivers told Toyota that engines made a strange noise. The global recall was also scheduled to start Monday.

Toyota was slapped with a record USD 16.4 million fine in the United States for acting too slowly to recall vehicles with defects.

Toyota said it was replacing the valve spring in the recalled vehicles, produced between July 2005 and August 2008 Lexus and Crown models.

BMW, Mazda cars under investigation in USA Further reports from the USA also suggest

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‘Protectionism’ was how they saw the immigration cap.

Unfortunately to coincide with the CII visit, Jo Johnson MP wrote in the Financial Times a piece about how the UK needs to show ‘tough love’ to India and have a ‘game changer’ in relations. He is wrong. It’s the other way round.

India is showing tough love to the UK. It’s saying ‘if you want this relationship, given we’re in the ascendency, given we’re the ones with 8% GDP growth, given we’re the ones investing more in your country than vice versa, we’re the ones with the public spending growth, and being courted by the rest of the world, we have a defence budget larger than yours and are closer to Afghanistan and Iran, we’re the ones the world needs to export too to export its way to growth, we’re the ones the world looks to for competitive innovation and productivity, then it’s the UK that has to show it’s love and do the chasing and make the moves.’ That’s tough love – Indian style.

So the issue is – if Britain wants a special relationship – what does

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BMW and Mazda cars are under investigation by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) over complaints of alleged steering defects which can cause loss of control of the cars.

Auto safety regulator is reported to have said over the last weekend that 48,764 BMW Z4 (20032005 models) and 293,787 Mazda3 (2007-2009 models) cars are under investigations.

According to the NHTSA, there have been 33 complaints about Mazda3 models with most suggesting that the power steering does not assist the driver and forces motorists to put in immense pressure to keep the vehicle in control.

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FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

19

Foreign Exchange Rajesh Agrawal is the Chairman & CEO of RationalFX, Currency Specialists.

For any further information call 020 7220 8181 or e-mail info@rationalfx.com

Can sterling hold firm At the end of last week’s trading session Sterling remained strong against the Euro at 1.2105, slightly lower than its eighteen month high of 1.2356, yet still looking relatively strong against the U.S. Dollar at 1.5210, with the EUR/USD pairing at 1.2552.

Sterling can attribute some of its newfound strength to the way the recent U.K. emergency budget was received by the City, relieving fears of a UK credit downgrade. Sterling value has indeed been encouraged in the short term by positive noises coming from rating agencies and economists alike.

The necessary cuts that the Government have made may dent economic activity; although markets seem to believe that modest growth predictions made by the Coalition Government are sustainable and have confidence in the plan to reduce government borrowing from 10% to 1% of GDP, over the five year term of this administration.

The budget has been received as fairer than predicted and the general consensus is that the new Government is taking the right action to reduce deficit and preserve the United Kingdom’s ‘triple A’ credit rating, thus making Sterling a cred-

ible option for currency investors.

There is also a feeling, albeit a long shot at the moment, that the UK interest rates are set for a modest rise. This may be in the last quarter of 2010 or more likely in the first quarter of 2011, when the rises in VAT kick-in and interest rate rises could be used to curb inflation.

The Bank of England’s ninemember committee, that meets to set interest rates, actually

voted 8-1 in favour of no increase at their most recent meeting, with Andrew Sentance alone in wanting rates to rise by 0.25%. This vote still suggests to currency markets that UK interest rates may be due for an increase in the not-too-distant future.

By the middle of last week the Euro did claw back some of its recent losses, partly boosted by the successful EUR3.5 billion Spanish Bond auction, which

put fears of Spanish debt on hold only one day after Moodys credit rating agency put Spain on credit watch.

There was also some relief that the European Central Bank saw less than the expected EUR150 billion taken up by the European banks, suggesting better bank liquidity than had been previously thought.

Looking further east, The People’s Bank of China recently agreed to increase the flexibility of the Yuan, which had been tightly pegged to the US Dollar at about 6.83 since July 2008.

The Chinese Government Bank seems prepared to let the currency ‘crawl’ by letting it rise by 0.5% against the Dollar on any given day, but will not let it increase by that much day after day.

This change of direction by the PBOC is welcome, but will not perform miracles with world trade imbalances.

This exchange-rate policy is likely to be viewed in terms of how much ground the Yuan makes against the Dollar – not against a basket of all major currencies. If for instance the Euro weakens further, that would slow the Yuan’s rise against the dollar, giving a more accurate value of the Chinese currency.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 6th July 2010 @ 11am GBP - INR = 71.06 USD - INR = 46.08 EUR - INR = 58.09 GBP - USD = 1.5168 GBP - EUR = 1.20545 EUR - USD = 1.2584 GBP - AED = 5.5730 GBP - CAD = 1.6085 GBP - NZD = 2.1877 GBP - AUD = 1.7879 GBP - ZAR = 11.6823 GBP - HUF = 344.96

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

garammasala

20

Asian Voice Saturday 10th July 2010

No more marriage rumours please, says Rani Milenge Milenge

Much has been written about Rani Mukerji’s secret love affair with Aditya Chopra; not with her consent of course, since the actress has categorically wanted to keep the matter strictly under wraps.

Obviously, the actress has lashed out at the press often for writing on this matter.

And recently, some photographers got the short end of the stick from Rani; her anger was quite uncalled for.

Recently, at the launch of designer Sabyasachi’s new showroom, everything was running

smoothly. Members of the glitterati indulged in têteà-têtes with each other and Rani stood at various spots to be clicked by the photographers present.

According to a source present, Rani was herself posing in front of different backgrounds, while the photographers clicked away, until she realised she was standing in front of Sabyasachi’s prime bridal collection. All of a sudden, she ordered all the photographers to stop clicking.

When the photographers asked her for a reason, she said, “Bridal outfits ko peechhe rakhkar

photo nikaloge, toh again the media will do two plus two, jump to conclusions and write unnecessary things about me. Yeh likhenge, woh likhenge, jhanjhat nahin chahiye.”

When the photographers tried explaining to her that the bridal collection was indeed making for a beautiful picture, she refused to comply. In fact, she was angry with them for even arguing about this.

Come on, Rani!

Where’s the need for you to jump to conclusions?

There’s more to you than Adi. Your fans love you for who you are.

Shah Rukh to produce romantic movies for MTV A social romantic film by Boney Kapoor, Milenge Milenge brings back Kareena Kapoor and her exflame Shahid Kapoor after a long time.

Produced by Surinder Kapoor under the banner of S K Films Enterprises, Milenge Milenge is directed by Satish Kaushik.

Magic happens, if you let it; and sometimes even fate or destiny, or whatever you want to call it, steps in to lend a hand. But when it concerns love, and finding that special person you're going to spend the rest of your life with, should you risk tempting fate with a test of that love or what is seemingly meant to be, or should you just follow your apparent destiny and embrace it? This charming romantic comedy has all the right ingredients and serves up a dollap of sugary romance and slapstick fun. Amit and Priya meet at a Youth festival in Bangkok. The attraction is instant and they spend days together cavorting around Bangkok City together.

At the end of the festival when they are preparing to come back to Delhi, Amit loses Priya's trust and she decides to end the relationship. Amit tries to regain her trust by telling her that they are destined to be together and Priya decides that if it is fate that they should be together, they will find each other in Delhi again, Although both do not know each other's whereabouts in Delhi. Years go by and both of them are about to be married, but each still has this nagging feeling that the other was his/her one true love.

Of course fate conspires to bring them back together (after about a dozen very interesting near misses) as they each simultaneously undertake one last attempt to find one another just before they get married to someone else. Milenge Milenge overall appears to be a delightful fairytale of a romantic comedy that makes you fall in love all over again.

The lead cast of the film includes Kareena Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Satish Shah, Delnaz Paul, Aarti Chabria, Kiron Kher, Himani Shivpuri, Satish Kaushik, Sarfaraz Khan and Panini Rajkumar.

Shiraz Ahmed has written the story and the screenplay, while Sameer has written the lyrics for the film and Himesh Reshammiya has scored the music.

Himesh Reshammiya, Jayesh Gandhi, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Alka Yagnik, Shreya Ghoshal, Sonu Nigam and Vineet Singh have lent their voice to the songs.

New Hindi movies releasing this week 1. Milenge Milenge 2. Red Alert – The War Within

Top 5 Bollywood movies for the week No. Film 1 2 3 4 5

Raajneeti Raavan Krantiveer Badmaash Company Kites

No. Last Week 2 1 New 4 3

Total weeks 4 2 1 8 5

Winners of ‘My Name is Khan’ contest The winners for ‘My Name is Khan’ contest, announced in Asian Voice 3rd July are: Shobhana Khatri, Loughborough; Alpa Nagar, Bedfordshire; Munavvar Ganchi, Wembley; Radhika Jilka, Middlesex and Abbas Kassam, London.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's TV production company Red Chillies Idiot Box is set to produce romantic movies for the youth that will be aired on MTV. After non-stop music and adventure-based reality shows, MTV is venturing into romantic movies that will appeal to the Indian youth.

The channel has collaborated with two production houses – Red Chillies Idiot Box and Milestone Movies Pvt Ltd – to produce three roman-

tic movies as part of their new series Luv Reels.

"I feel that it is very important to encourage young talent in an industry where there is such fierce competition.

Keeping that emotion in mind, we are very happy to associate with MTV to launch careers of fresh talent," Shah Rukh said in a press release. With this series, MTV is giving a platform to young aspiring actors, singers and music composers. The makers, actors and content of these movies were short-

listed online and the cast for all three movies was selected after gruelling

existence in this profession. He has a unique body and face language.

You get the feeling that he is doing nothing, yet it results in the most amazing results - natural, without effort and effective.

Just such a joy to watch

him," he wrote.

The offer for the yetto-be-titled project came to Amitabh when he went to Kerala to attend the celebration of sound technician Resul Pookutty's Oscar victory last year.

"It was there that Mohanlal, a guest at the occasion, had come up to my room with his director Major Ravi to put up this idea and this proposal. A few weeks later, they all came to meet up with me in Mumbai to set up all the details for the shoot," he posted.

The 67-year-old is working for free in the movie.

online auditions. The movies have been shot in London and Mumbai and are ready for release.

"Young people are always looking for fresh forms of entertainment and who knows the pulse of this audience better than the audience itself.

Luv Reels is India's first user generated film series and it could potentially be the start of something very powerful," Aditya Swamy, senior vice president (Sales and Marketing), MTV India, said in a statement.

Amitabh Bachchan in a Malayalam movie

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan is off to Ooty to shoot for his Malayalam project and says he gave his nod for the film only because of his admiration for southern superstar Mohanlal.

"My admiration for Mohanlal could never have made me refuse this offer and so I do it for him," Amitabh posted on his blog www.bigb.bigadda.com.

"Mohanlal has been and still is one of the most incredible talents from Kerala and the Malayalam film industry. I have admired him and his work through many years of my

"(They) put up the inevitable question that most producers do of remuneration!

I had laughed at them. What?

Charge you for working for three days in a Mohanlal film? An actor I admire? You must be joking! No way, no fees, no nothing. Just tell me when I have to report and where. That is all." There won't be any language barrier for Amitabh as he is playing a north Indian character.

Mugdha sizzles in a white bikini Getting into a bikini was no problem for Mugdha Godse. The actress has done some bare-dare scenes for the horror thriller “Help” that has Bobby Deol as her co-star.

Incidentally, in her debut film “Fashion,” she featured in one scene walking the ramp in a two-piece, but there, her lower half was covered in a wrap-around.

"I wasn't conscious about wearing a bikini as it was a script requirement. But I had to work really hard to keep my body in shape."

Ashley Rebello has done the styling for the film. She settled for a plain white bikini instead of the fluorescent, colourful ones."

She adds, "What was tough for me to portray the two looks I have in the film - at certain times it was glamorous while other times it had to be ghastly." Directed by Rajeev Virani, “Help” is slated for an August 13 release.

Living alone is tough With the current focus on models and loneliness after Viveka Babajee's suicide case, Mugdha who has been living alone in the city says, "What really helps is to be sorted out in your head. This can go a long way in surviv-

ing alone in the city. A lot of time women fall for the wrong man that leads to emotional upheavals. At the spur of the moment, once in a blue moon, things can go wrong.

That's when you need to have a 4 am friend or a family member who you are close to who can knock sense into you.

Your close pals should be able to see the sadness in your happy face.

Living alone is tough as you have to do everything yourself.

All this is a learning process that ultimately makes you stronger. This equips you to withstand the pressures that are part and parcel of our profession."

21

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

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Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

Karnataka plans a ‘Space City’ near Bangalore How about a honeymoon in space? That too just 100 km from Bangalore!

The honeymooner space luxury would be available in various categories, three star to six star hotels. All this would be a reality once the ambitious ‘Space City’ materializes.

The journey for the Space City began on Saturday, with the state government’s high-level clearance committee on investments, headed by chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, giving its in-principle approval.

Set to come up on a sprawling 1,600 acres at a

whopping Rs 185 billion investment at Bagepalli in Chickballapur district, it will be the first of its kind in the country. The project promoter, Marib Infrastructure India Private Limited, is a joint venture between Abu Dhabi and Malaysian firms. Sheik Sultan Bin Mohd Bin Khalid Al Nahyan, a member of Abu Dhabi’s royal family and one of the main promoters of Marib Group, is expected to arrive in Bangalore

by July-end for project consultations with the state government.

The Space City

focuses on boosting real estate, hotels and hospitality, leisure and tourism sectors. It will have UFOs, galaxy-shaped shuttle station, a virtual museum and star hotels. It will be a stateof-the-art multi-functional educational, entertainment project focusing on science, technology, innovation, art, design, ecology and entertainment among others. The project combines unique, futuristic themed and varied project components. It will have science and technology park, exhibition centres, malls and medialinked events.

Maya renames Amethi as Sahuji Maharaj Nagar

AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s parliamentary constituency Amethi became 72nd district of the state. It will be known as Chatrapati Sahuji Maharaj Nagar.

Gauriganj will be the district headquarters.

Similarly, nearly threedecade-old Kanpur Dehat has been renamed as Ramabai Nagar. Ramabai was the first wife of Dr BR Ambedkar.

The numbers of districts in UP have risen from 61 to 72 during the last 15 years. The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister Mayawati today. The government took the decision following High Court’s directive in the matter. The district would be carved out of three Tehsils of SultanpurAmethi, Gauriganj and Musafirkhana and two of Rai Bareli- Salon Tiloi.

The Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court, while disposing of petition of an advocate Uma Shankar over the issue

Mayawati

had directed the state government in March 2010 to consider formation of the new Chatrapati Sahuji Maharaj Nagar within three months.

The creation of Amethi as a district in the name of Sahuji Maharaj was sevenyear-old dream of the Chief Minister, who had last year carved out 71st district Kanshi Ram Nagar from existing Etah district. Amid stiff opposition by the Congress over the name, Mayawati had announced creation of Sahuji Maharaj Nagar in December 2002 at a rally in Amethi. The notification was finally issued in May 2003.

However Mulayam

Singh Yadav government, which came to power in August 2003 with the help of the Congress, scrapped her decision in January 2004.

Reacting to decision the UPCC spokesman Akhilesh Pratap Singh and Congress Legislature Party chief Pramod Tiwari said the new district should have been named after late Rajiv Gandhi, who had long been associated with the Constituency. The Samajwad Party general secretary Ramgopal Yadav however said, renaming was a meaningless exercise and let us see how long these names will continue.

Other UP’s districts named after Dalit icons: Ambedkar Nagar (Akbarpur), Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida), Mahamaya Nagar (Hathras), Kanshi Ram Nagar (Etah), Jyotiba Phule Nagar (Amroha), Sidharth Nagar (Dumariyaganj), Sant Kabir Nagar (Basti) and Sant Ravidas Nagar (Bhadoi).

Kerala schools see a drop in students Smaller families lead to the situation Achieving total literacy was one big peak that Kerala scaled nearly two decades ago. Almost unnoticed, another marvel, it now appears, has occurred during those two decades: Kerala has seen a shrinkage of school kids, from 5.90 mn in 1990-91 to just 4.34 mn who slung bags on their shoulders to start a new school year this month.

That statistic has to be qualified by the fact that an increased access to CBSE and ICSE streams has taken many students out of the state syllabus stream.

But even providing for that, the fall in school enrolments reflects Kerala’s slowing population growth, which could well be a dividend of edu-

cation itself.

The drop is already leading to momentous decisions being taken by the education department.

One of those is to do away with the shift system in all schools. Through a recent order, the government has proposed to drop the shift system in all schools owing to a drop in student numbers. Clubbing students from different shifts would also help protect government teachers’ jobs.

Kerala’s director of public instruction, APM Mohammed Hanish, points to three reasons for such a significant drop in student numbers, namely, “a slowing population growth rate in the state, social changes that have led to migration of fami-

lies, and the options for parents to put their wards in education streams other than the state syllabus”.

What is most striking is that there is a drop of nearly 1.15 lakh students at the entry level in schools this year, which, in turn, is providing Kerala a great opportunity to focus on the quality of education.

Says Hanish: “What the situation has made possible, is to change the emphasis from quantity to quality. The smaller number of students will positively impact the teacherstudent ratio. It has already dropped from 1:45 to 1:40, and we are confident of reaching the 1:30 ratio that is proposed as per the Right to Education Act.”

In divine light

By Rajen Vakil

Viveka or feeling the Truth The seeker experiences truth in two stages – first, there is the feeling of truth and later, there is the seeing of truth. Sage Patanjali calls the seeing of the truth as ‘pragna’ and its unfolding in seven stages has been explained in the yogasutras. He calls the feeling of truth as ‘viveka’ and four sutras in the yogasutras explain the various aspects of viveka.

Let us go back to the story of Shantanu and Ganga and see how Ganga represents the feeling of truth, and Shantanu our logical mind. Even though they marry, Shantanu cannot understand why Ganga drowns his seven children.

The great king Prateep was doing penance on the banks of the Ganga to be graced with the birth of a son.

The river, in the form of the maiden Ganga, appeared in front of him and sat on his right thigh.

The king opened his eyes and seeing her said “O bearer of good fortune, what can I do to please you.” She answered “O king, I saw you and have desired you, please do accept me.” The king replied that only a daughter sits on the right thigh, the wife sits on the left and so he would only accept her as a daughter in-law, saying that she could marry his son who was yet to be born.

Ganga accepts this and goes back to the river waiting for the son to be born.

Shantanu was born to King Prateep and was crowned king when he came of age. Having fulfilled his duties, Prateep retired to the forests.

Before leaving, Prateep told to Shantanu of the promise he had given to Ganga. Shantanu then spent his time meditating upon the river Ganga.

One day, the beautiful and celestial Ganga appeared before him. He fell in love with her immediately and she agreed to marry him on the condi-

tion that he would neither question anything she did nor utter a negative word to her, to which Shantanu agreed.

Seven children are born to Shantanu but Ganga drowned each of them in the river immediately after their birth.

When the eighth child was born, Shantanu stopped Ganga from doing so. Having violated his promise, Ganga left Shantanu and took along with her their eighth son.

She came back to return Shantanu his son when he was sixteen years old.

She explained to him that these eight were the great Vasus who were cursed to be born on earth and she had promised to free them from mortal bondage as soon as they were born.

It is at this point that the real story of the Mahabharata starts, as if suddenly wisdom had vanished and calamity upon calamity fell upon the house of the Kurus.

This circle did not return back to peace and prosperity for over three generations and not till a great war had to be fought, wiping out nearly all the kings of the earth.

Ganga comes from the Sanskrit root ‘to go’ and also the root forming ‘gyan’ or knowledge. It is a river that flows from the higher realms to lower ones. In today’s language, we can call this the flow of intuition or intuitive intelligence. The seeker on the path experiences this flow of truth as intuitive intelligence (or the birth of viveka) and it gives one great joy and peace. To be able to use this flow of truth that has sprung up in the heart of the disciple, it must marry the logical mind. This is depicted by Shantanu.

Before the intuitive intelligence can connect with the logical mind, there is a long period of waiting where the student first holds and digests the truth that has been experienced. One cannot immediately talk about it.

This is shown where

Ganga first goes to meet King Prateep and sits on his right thigh. The flow of truth can only be expressed by the logical brain and initially there is a mismatch as it tries to find expression through a wrong instrument or the non-logical brain. Here the non-logic is shown as she having to wait for her instrument of expression to be born. The experience of truth is a flash, fast but one has to hold it because the speed of the logical brain is too slow to have clarity in expression and this requires the patience of waiting for one full generation.

Once the inner viveka starts flowing within the disciple, like the river Ganga, one must look after it like a soft flower.

Then, one can feel the truth while our logical brains can see only the fact, not the truth.

Shantanu as the logical brain thinks Ganga is killing her sons while Ganga, who feels the truth beyond the fact of sons, is providing freedom to certain souls. As long as we have only our logical minds to guide us, we will keep on mistaking the facts we see as truth.

If a disciple, at any time, with his logical brain starts doubting or questioning his viveka then it will desert him at that very moment, and it will take a long cycle of suffering and pain for it to come back.

He has to let it flow and just act the way it directs him.

The minute Shantanu questions Ganga, she leaves him.

We must remember that truth is like a very fragile and soft lover and once it manifests in our body- brain system, we must look after it with love and care.

(Edited by Chintu Gandhi) The author will be in the U.K. to provide practical yoga (through rhythmic breathing) sessions and talks from the 8th of July. These will be free to attend.

For details, please email 3srb@live.com

Sri Sri Ravishankar’s staff get threat SMS Close on the heels of the firing incident at the Art of Living (AoL) centre, the ashram staff is getting extortion SMSes from an unidentified person, who's threatening to defame the organisation if a ransom of Rs 420 mn is not paid.

Gireem Govind, AoL spokesperson and secretary to Sri Sri Ravishankar has said that the staff had been getting the SMSes for the past three days.

They initially ignored them, but when the frequency increased, they decided to inform the police.

Govind said that some of their senior teachers in the ashram had been getting these messages. "We informed the police on Tuesday and gave them the mobile numbers from where we are getting the SMS." When asked as to why

a complaint had been given so late, Govind said that they had to first look into the matter and act carefully upon it. When asked if they suspected anyone, he said that the ashram people had no enemies.

This incident comes a couple of weeks after a huge ruckus was caused over an alleged assassination attempt on the spiritual guru.

23

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

Atheist Karunanidhi gets a temple A fan of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi is building a temple for his revered leader. The DMK activist and a councilor, G R Krishnamoorthy has built it in land that belongs to himself in Vellore district.

“The temple is almost in the finishing stages in five cents of

land I own at Samireddipalli near Gudiyatham (Vellore district) at a cost of about Rs 2 lakh”, He said.

The temple, with a two-and-a-half foot idol of “Kalaignar” would be opened to the public soon after laying of tiles was completed.

Bharat bandh stops India, Mumbai worst-hit Nagaland Home Minister The Bharat bandh called by the Opposition parties to protest against rising prices has put the country on hold. Transport has been hit across states. States ruled by the NDA and the Left were the most affected. But Mumbai, ruled by the Congress, was also one of the worst hit with normal life disrupted. Security was tight in the city.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Left parties, which have called for the nationwide bandh, say they are taking the aam admi's protest to the streets. It is another matter that the aam aadmi is bearing the brunt of Monday's bandh.

The Opposition parties have cited inflation in double figures, cost of essentials and the sharp

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Nitin Gadkari (C), along with other party members and allies, takes a part in a demonstration at Chandni Chowk in New Delhi on Monday

rise in fuel prices since the government deregulated oil prices.

The Left wants the fuel price hike to be rolled back. The BJP has said if there was a World Cup to be won for price hikes, the Congress would be champion.

Central leaders of the NDA, Nitin Gadkari, Sharad Yadav and Rajnath Singh have courted arrest

in Delhi after addressing a rally. Other senior leaders have courted arrest across states.

Gadkari was released soon after his arrest.

Leaders of the Left, like Brinda Karat and AB Bardhan, and others like Chandrababu Naidu of the TDP too have courted arrest. In Lucknow, Chief Minister Mayawati, who is not supporting the bandh,

came down heavily on protesters, using water cannons on Samajwadi Party protesters led by Akhilesh Yadav and lathicharging BJP protesters.

Maharashtra In Mumbai, schools and colleges remained closed on Monday; the streets of the city were deserted. Domestic flights were hit hard: 42 arrivals and 47 departures were cancelled. One international flight -Air India's Mumbai-Delhi-Hong Kong- was cancelled.

Over 1000 people were held as preventive measure in Mumbai.

Gujarat Private buses and autos stayed off the roads.

5,000 policemen were deployed to maintain peace and 40,000 trucks kept off the roads.

Gujarat HC allows divorce in absentia US-based NRI couple gets divorce decree through relatives Patel from Ahmedabad got a customary divorce in 2005. After separating, they went to the US; and to remarry different persons abroad, they needed formal divorce papers. The couple approached a family court last year through their relatives, who were assigned power of attorney to represent them in court.

Parul’s brother Ashish and Gautam’s cousin

In an unprecedented judgment that will rid divorce petitions of red tape, the Gujarat High Court permitted a separated NRI couple to have their relatives file for a divorce decree.

In short, this couple will not have to come to India to be physically present before the court to ‘sign the papers’, which has been a procedural requirement so far.

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The court insisted that Parul and Gautam be present before the court for obtaining the decree.

This rejection from the family court led Parul to approach the Gujarat High Court through advo-

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on a private trip to Kathmandu with his wife and two children since June 27. “It was an unnecessary harassment.

Anyway, it is now over, and I have reached Delhi,” Imchen said. “I think the issue has been resolved.”

Imchen said he was carrying Rs 200,000 in cash with him when he was about to fly out from Kathmandu.

“I had 100,000 rupees in Rs 500 denomination and another 100,000 in Rs 1,000 denomination. The money is with them. They said there are a lot of formalities.”

For close to two-and-ahalf years a 41-year-old man was kept confined in a coffin-shaped box in Porbandar, Gujarat, till police rescued him recently. While the victim Rajan Killaker, 41, lodged the complaint after his release, police said they are yet to trace the culprits.

According to Porbandar Local Crime

Branch (LCB), Killaker, a bio-technology scientist and owner of a chalk manufacturing unit in Porbandar, was rescued from his confinement after LCB received a letter about his murder some days back. The letter alleged that Killaker was killed by Hitesh Karavadra, a property dealer who wanted to usurp his property.

Man forced to live in coffin-shaped box for two years, rescued

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It makes everyone's day when Georgette joins us for lunch.

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detained in Kathmandu

Nagaland Home Minister Imkong L Imchen, who was detained at the Kathmandu airport last week for carrying with him Indian currency worth Rs 200,000 in denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, has said he was “not aware” that Indian currencies of these denominations were not permitted in Nepal.

Speaking on his arrival in New Delhi after the authorities in Nepal let him go following intervention by the Union Home Ministry, Imchen said, “I was not aware such currency notes are not permitted in Nepal.” He was

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24

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

Rajmohan Gandhi to be honoured by Liverpool Home University Rajmohan Gandhi, the noted peace activist and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, is to be honoured with a Doctorate of Letters by the Liverpool Home University in the UK. University sources said that Gandhi is among four distinguished individuals to be honoured at the graduation ceremony on July 13.

He was last at the university in 2005, when he gave the second annual civic lecture at the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Centre for War and Peace Studies. Gandhi is currently a research professor at the Centre for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, US.

Is Pure Happiness (Neejanand) In Anand, Gujarat?

First the facts: “Neejanand” is the name of a resort on the AnandBorsad Road in Gujarat. It is easily accessible by a new two lane motorway, about 80 kms from Ahmedabad, and about 50 kms. from Baroda.

I first read about this resort in an advertisement in this paper some years ago. The resort offered all the facilities a retired couple like us would want - a peaceful free time for us, whilst all our daily necessities were catered for.

My wife wanted to free herself from the kitchen, and I, seeing that the expenditure of a stay at Neejanand was unavoidable, silently justified that cost by the freedom I would get from her cooking. So, when our presence was needed in Ahmedabad earlier this year for a month or so, we opted to take advantage of finding our bliss at the Neejanand resort.

Walks in the Gardens A short phone call from London reserved our place at “Neejanad.”

The resort turned out to be huge. It had 100 cottages spread in one side of a 12 acre plot of land, the rest of it was a garden. It was a lovely garden with palm trees and fan trees bordering vast manicured bowling-green lawns, with paved pathways meandering through them.

We were there when the sun did its job with great efficiency. In the afternoons it beat down

us, wanting to toast us to dark brown, temperatures in the shade going up to 45 Degrees. But that meant lovely warm evenings where you could enjoy leisurely walks through the gardens, made even more enchanting after the evening dinner, and with the moon glowing above in a star studded dark sky.

Gujarati Food The resort has a large dining hall appropriately named “Pari Trupti” where we had our meals, breakfasts, lunches and tea and dinners.

The food was delicious, just as cooked at home (I always loose!) and served at our table by an eager Maharaj and his team of two assistants.

The result of ample servings each time was that I would often sit at the table with a little, if any, hunger, and request for half a rotli and a rice serving no more that the size of a grape.

The Maharaj would land a

big spoonful into my dish saying that grapes in his land were that big.

Gymnasium, Swimming Pool, Play Room, Library In my first few days at the resort I would get up well before dawn, and use the gymnasium, and meditate in the pyramid shaped building there. But I returned to my habitual late risings in the mornings, by which time it was too hot to use these facilities. I also regret not having used the large open air swimming pool that was there for us. Fortunately we did use the games room, playing table tennis and carrum.

What I enjoyed most was the small selection of Gujarati and English books in their library, housed in a large hall – a feeling of ample space everywhere.

One of the books that impressed me was a Gujarati book about Shri Raman Maharshi. I had read, several decades ago,

about his teachings that a person himself creates the world he sees and experiences. I had then ignored those thoughts as being too theoretical to be of any use in the realities of everyday living. This time, though I began to accept that Shri Raman Maharshi’s view of reality was indeed the truth.

Oddly enough, I found at the library an English book by Pamala Oslie which gave the very same message, and explained how one could use that idea about reality to improve one’s situation in life. It was, therefore, most remarkable that when I first met Shri Jatinbhai he introduced himself, with a spread of his arms embracing the estate spreading before us, saying, “All this is my creation.”

We also met the person on whose thought we were staying at this resort. That was Shri Yogendrabhai, from the U.K. It was he who ran the advertisements for Neejanad in this paper that we had seen earlier.

Their manager at the complex was Shri Lalitbhai who always obliged with our wishes, and was a great help with a critical health incident we had there.

Lord of the Manor Our stay at “Neejanand” was an offpeak time for the resort.

Apart from us there were only three other residents there. These were couples from overseas, with tiny weeks old babies, having

been referred to the resort by a fertility clinic at Surat. They would remain in their rooms all the time.

Effectively, therefore, all of the Neejanad was just for our own private use. I felt like the lord of a vast manor with an army of servants - cleaners, cooks and gardeners, all at my service.

Soon enough our mission at Ahmedabad was over, and it was time to return to a cool England in spring time.

Did I find true happiness at Neejanand?

I did. But then at my advancing years, I am mature enough to find happiness where ever I happen to be.

- Shree Parikh, wwhow-can-i-make-it-abetter-world.blogspot.com

New T 2 terminal to be operational from 15th August The newly constructed terminal building, T 2 at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at Ahmedabad will be opened for the use of travellers from 15th August, the Independence Day of India. Built in an area of 39,331 square metres, T 2 is capable to handle about 1,600 passengers during the peak hours. It will have 32 check-in counters, 2 information booths, 5 conveyor belts for arrival, 4 escalators, 7 elevators, 2 aerobridges and parking facility for 500 cars.

Domestic passengers will have to pay a charge of Rs. 110, while International passengers will be charged Rs. 415 from 15th August.

Lanka threatens UN to withdraw investigations Continued from page 1 As per the UN estimates, atleast 7,000 civilians were killed in the final five months of the fighting between the Sri Lankan forces and the LTTE.

Sri Lanka has appointed its own “Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission” to investigate any alleged abuses, rejecting the U N initiative as a breach of the country’s sovereignty.

Pakistan actions concede JuD is a terrorist outfit Continued from page 1 Strangely, the home department’s list of banned terror groups has no mention of the Te h r e e k - e - Ta l i b a n Pakistan (TTP).

It may be noted that Interior Minister Rehman Malik had pointed that groups like the LeJ and SSP were operating in Punjab in collaboration with the TTP and AlQaeda.

London – Ahmedabad direct flight from October Continued from page 1 The new T 2 is scheduled to be operational from 15th August, coinciding with the Independence Day of India.

Once the two terminals become fully functional, the present international terminal will be used for just the Haj yatra and other purposes, as both domestic and international arrivals and departures will be handled from the present domestic - T 1 and the new T 2 terminals. This will be a big relief for international passengers in terms of space and infrastructure as well as facilities.

The announcement of resumption of London – Ahmedabad direct flight is, in a way a victory of the passengers and particularly British Gujaratis. It may be recalled that Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar had initiated an intensive campaign for the resumption of Air India’s

London – Ahmedabad – London direct flight early this year. Publisher and Editor of the two leading publications, C B Patel led the campaign and also got NCGO involved with the issue, as he was the president of the apex body of Gujaratis at that point of time. Other office-bearers of the NCGO and Gujarati leaders as well as readers of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar too extended their whole-hearted support to the campaign.

More than 16,000 readers signed a petition urging Air India and Praful Patel for resuming the direct flight. In the absence of that, passengers were facing a lot of hardships when traveling to Gujarat.

Senior citizens when traveling alone, families with kids, women and particularly pregnant women also experienced problems in changing planes, waiting for hours after a tiring journey and so on.

All these problems

now will be a part of history after the resumption of the direct flight.

To give a brief reminder of the campaign and the momentous announcement, apart from the British Gujaratis and

Gujarat Congress President Siddharth Patel, Leader of opposition in the Gujarat Assembly Shaktisinh Gohil, Arjun Modhvadia and almost all of the Congress MLAs and MPs from Gujarat, NCP

NCGO too played a key role in mobilising UK Gujaratis for the resumption of flight their leaders like Lord Bhikhu Parekh, Lord Navnit Dholakia, MPs – Keith Vaz, Stephen Pound and several others as well as the Congress, BJP and NCP leaders of Gujarat had lent their support to the demand of resumption of the direct flight.

MLA from Gujarat Jayant Patel (Boski), NCP national secretary Bholabhai Patel, central ministers from Gujarat Dinsha Patel, Bharat Sinh Solanki had written letters to Praful Patel, requesting him to resume the direct flight to London at the

earliest possible date.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, speaker of the assembly Ashok Bhatt, state tourism and NRG affairs minister Jay Narayan Vyas also had urged the union civil aviation minister for the same.

On Sunday, the day of the inauguration of the new terminal, Harin Pathak, the BJP MP from Ahmedabad was the first to address the function. He reminded Praful Patel of the direct flight demand.

Thereafter, each and every speaker – Dinsha Patel, Shaktisinh Gohil, Bharatsinh Solanki, Dr. Tushar Chaudhary (son of late Amarsinh Chaudhary, the former Chief Minister of Gujarat) emphasised the need for the resumption.

Finally, in his address, the civil aviation minister made the announcement.

Later, Dinsha Patel and Narendra Modi even urged Praful Patel to try for early resumption instead of October.

Almost all leaders remembered the architect of the campaign, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar Publisher and Editor C B Patel. In fact, Shaktisinh Gohil asked for the mobile no. of C B Patel from Bhupatrai Parekh and called him right from there to break the good news to him. It may be recalled that Bhupatrai Parekh, one of the senior most journalists in Gujarat and consulting editor for Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar played the role of the key man in the campaign in India.

C B Patel, glad that the efforts have finally bore fruits, thanked all the Gujarat leaders and invited them to come to London in the first flight on resumption.

He assured them that Asian Voice, Gujarat Samachar and the British Gujaratis would be too happy to welcome them all, play host to them and even honour them.

25

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

Haneef sues former Australian minister Melbourne: Mohamed Haneef, an Indian doctor who was falsely accused of aiding terrorists, has launched defamation proceedings against a former Australian minister. Haneef's lawyers said they lodged the suit against former immigration minister Kevin Andrews in the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Thursday last, Australian news agency AAP reported.

A claim has also been made for unlawful arrest and abuse of power against the government, the report said. 'The proceedings have been filed on behalf of Dr Haneef simply as a safeguard to protect his legal rights with regard to the time limits which apply to the various legal actions,' Rod Hodgson, Haneef's lawyer, said in a statement.

Tens of thousands march for democracy in Hong Kong Hong Kong: Tens of thousands of people massed along Hong Kong's streets last week for a prodemocracy rally on the 13th anniversary of the former British colony's return to China.

In a chaotic scene, protesters heckled lawmakers who voted in favour of controversial Beijingbacked political reforms as police kept them apart.

Organisers were expecting around 50,000 protesters to turn out for the annual July 1 march, down from 70,000 last year, underscoring fears that a deep split in the city's opposition camp would deter potential supporters.

The march has become a yearly opportunity for campaigners to show their opposition to Beijing and

People attend a pro-democracy rally in Hong Kong on July 1

the local authorities.

But last week's passage of the political reforms that promise an incremental boost to democracy - but not one person, one vote divided the opposition camp and turned many activists against the moderate Democratic Party.

Raymond Wong, of the

radical League of Social Democrats (LSD), told reporters this week that his members would not encourage supporters to clash with the Democratic Party, but added, "we can't guarantee anything".

Hundreds of LSD supporters surrounded a Democratic Party roadside

booth in the city's Wan Chai district, booing and shouting "shameless".

Other activists accused Democratic Party members at the march of "betraying Hong Kong people", giving its beleaguered lawmakers the thumbs down and blowing vuvuzela horns to punctuate their discontent.

Previously, the opposition were united in their goal to fight for universal suffrage for the city of seven million people in 2012 - and nothing less.

Thousands of bannerwaving activists made their way through the city's searing summer heat, including domestic helpers calling for better wages and minorities demanding an end to racial discrimination.

No fuel for Iranian planes at UK, German, UAE airports Unilateral US sanctions lead to action against Iranian airlines Tehran: Airports in Britain, Germany and the United Arab Emirates have refused to refuel Iranian passenger planes since Washington imposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran last week, ISNA news agency said on Monday.

Meanwhile, the British, German and UAE governments say that they have no role in refusing fuel to Iranian planes. If was the oil company which refused fuel to Iranian planes.

IRNA, the official state news agency, said in a separate report that Kuwaiti

Hindu Elders Foundation celebrates Matariki (Maori New Year) Auckland: Hindu Elders Foundation, a division of Hindu Council of New Zealand, celebrated Matariki 2010 at the Hindu Heritage Centre, Auckland on 27 June 2010.

Almost 100 Hindu Elders, guests and a number of Maori Elders (Kamatua) from various Marae participated in this celebration. Maori guests included Mr. Dennis Henson (Hoani Waititi Marae), Mr. Harold Atkinson and Ms Bubbles Munroe (Ngati Kahungunu). The ceremony started with the traditional Hindu way of lighting of the lamp by the invited guests and members of Hindu Elders, followed by a Hindu prayer to Lord Ganesha. Mr. Dennis Henson and Ms Bubbles Munroe did the karakia.

idays.

Aliyari said their refusal has so far impacted Iran Air, the national carrier, and a leading private airline, Mahan Air, as both operate several flights to Europe.

Pervez Sorouri, a lawmaker and member of Iranian parliament's committee on foreign policy and national security, warned of a retaliatory action by Tehran, especially towards the United Arab Emirates.

He said Iran was an important trade partner of the UAE which is emerging from a financial crisis

airports have also turned down fuel for Iranian passenger planes.

"Since last week, after the passing of the unilateral law by America and the sanctions against Iran, airports in England, Germany, the UAE have refused to give fuel to Iranian planes," ISNA quoted Mehdi Aliyari, secretary of Iranian Airlines Union, as saying.

The decision by the airports in these countries comes at a time when a large number of expatriate Iranians, especially those in Europe, travel to and from Iran for summer hol-

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Trinidad PM lauded for taking oath of office on Bhagavad-Gita Port-of-Spain: Kamla Persand-Bissessar, elected as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago recently was lauded by Hindus globally as she took her oath of office on Bhagavad-Gita, the ancient Hindu scripture.

Hindu statesman in USA, Rajan Zed, in a statement commended the first woman Prime Minister of the Caribbean nation for her act and urged other politicians also to do the same.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that as Bhagavad-Gita talked about endeavoring constantly to serve the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s welfare without any thought of personal gain, it should be the treatise for all the politicians and rulers of the world.

Rajan Zed pointed out that Bhagavad-Gita also told us about selfless action and selfless service, always keeping focus on welfare of others and be guided by compassion in our work.

Australia, Canada change immigration rules

Melbourne: Australia and Canada have announced major changes in immigration rules which could favourably affect the prospects of future immigrants from India, especially Punjab, immigration experts feel. Both countries have announced new occupation lists and Australia, which had stopped accepting new applications for the past four months, has thrown the doors open again. Canada, which gets thousands of applications for immigration from Punjab and has even set up a consulate in Chandigarh for the last few years to cope with the rush, has come up with a new occupation in demand list. Australia has come up with a new Skill Occupation List (SOL), which came into effect from July 1. In the past, nearly 30,000 families used to migrate to Canada from India under the skilled worker programme.

26

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

7-year jail term for Dr Jayant Patel Brisbane: Indian-origin doctor Jayant Patel, dubbed as 'Dr Death', was last week sentenced to seven years in jail after being convicted by an Australian court of manslaughter that led to the death of three patients. The 60-year-old, now a US citizen, was sentenced to seven years for each case of manslaughter and three years for grievous bodily harm, to be served concurrently. The

sentence was handed out by Justice John Byrne of the Queensland state's supreme court in Brisbane. Queensland law allows prisoners to apply for parole after they serve 50% of their sentence. Earlier, the prosecution had asked the jury to sentence Patel to at least 10 years in jail for the manslaughter of three patients at Bundaberg's Base Hospital from 2003 to 2005.

Opposition-led strike paralyses Bangladesh Dhaka: Life in Bangladesh has been paralyzed by an opposition-led strike - the first held in the past three and a half years. The strike marks a return to the popular political tactic of street protests used in the country prior to 2007.

Police used batons and arrested scores of activists to halt marches by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which called the strike.

Schools, businesses and transport shut down across major towns and cities in Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest countries. Thousands of police stood guard in the capital Dhaka. Several people were injured in

deliver on promises to provide basic services such as water, gas and electricity. BNP leader Khaleda Zia also accuses the government of trying to suppress the opposition, and Bangladeshi police detain an activist wants mid-term during strike in Dhaka last week elections. clashes between protesters But the Awami and those opposing the League, which heads the strike. government, says the The opposition has strike, called a "hartal" in called the strike to protest Bangaldesh, is unwarrantwhat it calls the governed. Sunday's strike is the ment's “misrule and failfirst in the country since ures." The Bangladesh 2007 when emergency rule Nationalist Party says the was imposed for nearly government has failed to two years after the councheck rising food prices or try was paralyzed by vio-

lent street protests led by both political parties.

Elections were held and democracy was restored last year. At that time there had been widespread hope that political parties would desist from holding strikes that often disrupted life across the country.

But political analysts say the strike marks a return to the old style of confrontational politics in Bangladesh. They say the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party - demoralized by its huge loss in the last general elections is resorting to the tactic of street protests once again to pressurise the government to hold mid-term elections.

AAHOA honours 10 Asian American Hotel owners 2010 annual convention and trade show a huge success

Atlanta: The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), one of the leading forces in the hospitality industry in the USA held their 2010 AAHOA Annual Convention & Trade Show at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. The event was a huge success with a large number of members attending. 10 member hoteliers were honoured for their achievements in 2009 on the occasion.

The winners are David Kong, President & CEO of Best Western International, for AAHOA Award for Excellence; Ravi Patel, Burlington, Iowa for Outstanding Future Hotelier of the Year Award; Sangita “Sunny” Bhakta, Lakeville, Minn for Outstanding Woman Hotelier of the Year Award; Babu K. Patel, Lincolnwood, Illinois, for Cecil B. Day Community Service Award; Deluxe Inn, Hasmukh “Hasu” Patel, owner of Vicksburg, Mississippi for IAHA Independent Hotel of the Year Award; Heena S. Patel, Gallatin, Tennessee for Director of the Year Award; Pratik “Prat” Patel, San Antonio, Texas for Director of the Year Award; Suryakant M. Patel, Hansford, California for Chairman’s Award; Vipin “Bavaji” Patel, Vidalia, for Chairman’s Award and Jaimin Patel, Tampa, Florida for Chairman’s Service Award.

The 2009 Director of the Year and Chairman’s awards were presented by Tarun S. Patel, CHA, 2009 AAHOA Chairman to each of these AAHOA leaders.

2010 "All of this year’s winners should be commended for their hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence,” #/, 79,:;0.06<: :0(5 */0,=,9: >(9+: 0: /6:;,+ ,=,9@ @,(9 )@ $ A: 3,(+05. 5,>: >,,230,: said ChandraKant “C.K.” Patel, CHO, :0(5 %60*, (5+ <1(9(; "(4(*/(9 ;6 /656<9 90;0:/ :0(5: 7(9 ,?*,33,5*, - ;/,9, 0: :64,65, 2010 AAHOA Chairman. “They repre@6< 256> >/6 /(: )962,5 )6<5+(90,: (5+ +,:,9=,: 9,*6.50;065 -69 ;/,09 <508<, *65;90)<;065 ;6 sent the very best that AAHOA has to offer and reflect the core values that ;/, *644<50;@ (5+ ;/, 5(;065 ;/,5 73,(:, 56405(;, ;/,4 -69 65, 6- ;/, (>(9+: 30:;,+ ),36> serve as the backbone of AAHOA." (2, :<9, ;/(; @6< -033 05 ;/0: (7730*(;065 -694 (5+ :,5+ 0; ),-69, ;/ <.<:; )@ 76:; -(? 69 ,4(03 ;6 “We are very proud to recognise these award recipients for their outstanding 9 ,69., #,3 (?

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Bukavu, DR Congo: The death toll in the fire that raged through a Congolese town when a fuel truck exploded rose to 235 on Sunday, officials said, after most of the victims were buried in mass graves. The governor of Sud-Kivu province, Marcellin Cishambo, said that three people badly burned by the fire had died overnight. The majority of the dead, including around 60 children and around 30 women, were lowered into three mass graves late on Saturday in the town of Sange, where flames engulfed dozens of earth-and straw homes after the tanker overturned and gushed fuel the day before. Nearly 200 people were injured in the fire.

27

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

Era of 'do more' is no more, Gilani warns US Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has warned the United States that his country can no longer continue the 'war on terror' alone and that the "era of do more" has gone. In his monthly address to the nation on national radio, Gilani said Pakistan has clarified to America that it needs active assistance from the international community to carry on the

fight against terrorism. "We have made it clear to Washington that the era of 'do more' has gone now and that we want trade not aid," The News quoted Gilani, as saying.

"Pakistan is urging the US to ensure that the commitments made from the forum of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FODP) are fulfilled," he added.

Musharraf’s Kashmir formula rejected

Islamabad: The Pakistan government has trashed former President Pervez Musharraf ’s four-point formula to resolve the Kashmir issue, saying it was “his thinking” that did not have the endorsement of Parliament or Cabinet and suggested a fresh approach to address the vexed problem.

Foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who will be meeting India’s external affairs minister S M Krishna here on July 15, said the two countries should build on progress made in any area.

Asked whether his government endorses the fourpoint formula floated by Musharraf in December 2006 to resolve the

Woman & daughter stripped, thrashed Islamabad: A mother along with her 14-year-old daughter was stripped naked in Pakistan's Mirwala town of Punjab by 14 people and both were thrashed in the presence of a large number of people.

The suspects got hold of 50-year-old Allah Wasai and her 14-year-old daughter Ashraf Mai when they came out of their home to go to their fields. The incident took place in Birwali village of Punjab's Mirwala town, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Police official Mahboob Tangwani said the main accused, Safdar, alleged that Allah Wasai's son Saddam Husain had an affair with his daughter. He and his 13 accomplices held the woman and her daughter at gunpoint, stripped them naked and thrashed them.

Kashmir issue, he said, “The four-point formula that Gen Musharraf made then was his thinking. It was being done through quiet back-channel diplomacy."

The formula envisaged softening of Line of Control (LoC), self-governance, phased withdrawal of troops from entire Jammu and Kashmir and joint supervision by India and Pakistan.

Musharraf ’s proposals were “neither discussed by Cabinet, nor endorsed by Parliament”, he pointed out. Asked to comment on India’s emphasis that there was a need to “reaffirm” progress made whether in composite dialogue or back channel diplomacy, he said:

“Any issue, whether it is Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, water, any issue where progress can be made, should be made.

Where it hasn’t been made, we should look at ways and means how to make

progress. Where progress has been made, let us build on it further,” Qureshi said.

“We are a democracy, Parliament has to own them, Parliament has to endorse them, Cabinet has to discuss them,” the foreign minister said, adding these proposals were “neither discussed by Cabinet, nor endorsed by Parliament. So, as democrats, there are certain Parliamentary procedures that we have to fulfill.”

We will not like to ignore anything. We will not like to ignore any development or any positive development that has taken place between India and Pakistan,” Qureshi said in an interview here.

Islamabad: Scores of Pakistani lawmakers may lose their seats for allegedly lying about their academic credentials, a growing scandal that adds to the woes of the US-backed leadership as it struggles with Islamist militancy and a weak economy.

What began as accusations against a handful of lawmakers has mushroomed into formal legal challenges against up to 160 elected officials - more than 10 per cent of the country's federal and provincial legislators.

Many are said to have claimed fake degrees to meet a previous requirement for holding office.

The Supreme Court has ordered the Elections Commission to vet the credentials of nearly all of 1,100 federal and provincial lawmakers. If enough lawmakers are found ineli-

gible, there are rumblings that a midterm election may be needed.

The scandal has drawn some frustrated reactions from lawmakers besieged by an aggressive media.

"A degree is a degree!

Whether fake or genuine, it's a degree! It makes no difference!" Baluchistan province chief minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, who claims a master's in political science, shouted at a reporter. The controversy has its roots in a 2002 law imposed by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf that required candidates for office hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent. Musharraf supposedly wanted to improve the caliber of lawmakers, but critics said the move was more about sidelining certain opponents.

It also was undemocratic, critics alleged, in a

country of 180 million where only 50 per cent of adults are literate.

Traditionally, feudal ties or business success count for more in politics than academic achievement.

Pakistan's Supreme Court struck down the requirement in April 2008, but not before Musharraf allowed elections in February of that year.

Analysts say many candidates apparently submitted fake degree papers to qualify for those races.

Many of the potentially fake degrees appear to have been claimed from Islamic seminaries, whose degrees are considered equivalent to a bachelor's in Pakistan. Other lawmakers, however, claim to have earned bachelors, Ph.D.s or master's degrees from institutions whose existence is difficult to verify.

"We've serious reservations about how the government is being run.

I'm not using the word 'warning' for the government, but time has come to take a decision," Sharif told media persons during a press conference here.

Sharif said his party had been tolerating taunts of being a 'friendly

opposition' only for the sake of democracy, but it would not hesitate to play its role if the government does not mend its ways.

The PML-N has long been accused of playing the role of friendly opposition and political analysts believe that it might shun its affable posture and mount pressure for a mid-term poll amidst a

perception that the PPP was working on a strategy to 'take over Punjab'.

Sources said that the PML-N might try to fuel an anti-PPP campaign within a few days.

Sharif also accused the people in power of conspiring against the judiciary, and added that he was determined to foil any conspiracy.

Pervez Musharraf

Many Pak lawmakers likely to lose seats over fake degrees

Sharif’s ‘veiled’ threat to PPP government Lahore: In a 'veiled' threat to the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) led coalition government, Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML -N) chief Nawaz Sharif has said that his party would not remain a silent spectator as the government has failed on all fronts be it financial, legal or administrative.

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In focus Mullah Baradar likely to be extradited to Afghanistan Islamabad: Pakistan has indicated it may extradite Mullah Baradar and other top Afghan militant commanders to Afghanistan as part of its efforts to help President Hamid Karzai reach a negotiated settlement with the Taliban, according to a media report last week. "We are working with Afghanistan's government to come up with a mutually acceptable arrangement for Mullah Baradar's extradition," a security official was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

Afghanistan recently made a renewed call for the extradition of Baradar and other Taliban commanders detained in Pakistan earlier this year.

Pak hands over list of prisoners to India Islamabad: Pakistan has handed over a list of Indian prisoners locked in various jails of the country to New Delhi. The list was handed over to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, a statement released by the Foreign Office (FO) said. The list was handed over in accordance with the Agreement on Consular Access signed between Pakistan and India on May 21, 2008, The Dawn quoted the statement, as saying.

According to the agreement both countries are required to exchange lists of prisoners in each other's custody on January 1 and July 1 every year.

Govt finalizing bill to regulate media

Islamabad: Pakistan Information and Broadcasting Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira has rejected reports that the government is planning to stifle the country's media through a bill which would be tabled in the National Assembly soon. But according to reports, the government is in the process of finalizing a regulation under which the television channels would be barred from showing images or programmes on suicide bombings, terrorist or the bodies of victims of terror attacks, and such other related material. Speaking during a function of the South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA), Kaira said that during previous regimes several tactics were used to twist the arms of the media, but the present Gilani government believes in freedom of expression.

41 killed in Lahore suicide bombings

Lahore: In the second major attack in a month, three suicide bombers struck a Sufi shrine in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore on Thursday last, killing at least 41 people and wounding more than 120, officials said.

Hundreds of devotees were visiting the marble shrine of the 11th century Persian Sufi saint, Syed Ali Hajwairi, commonly known as Data Gunj Bakhsh, in the heart of the city when the attacks occurred. One of the attackers blew himself up at the gate of the sprawling, marble shrine while two other attacks took place in the basement of the shrine where people were washing for prayers. Sajjad Bhutta, a top city administrator, said at least 41 people were killed and 122 wounded.

Mian Rauf, a witness, said devotees were settling down inside the mausoleum and the courtyard for final prayers when the attacks happened.

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UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

This week on CB Live, CB will speak to Councillor for Harrow and Greater London Authority member Navin Shah about current political situation.

Sneh Joshi - 020 8518 5500

If you do not have a tv, go to www.tvunetworks.com and watch CB Live on TVU Player Channel 75203

To ask questions please call on: 020 8963 1001

For more information e-mail: cblive_matv@yahoo.co.uk

Don't miss !!!

Only on CB Live - MATV Sky 793 - Thursday 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Coming Events l Life Management Weekend Retreat organised by the Chinmaya Mission UK for 17-18 July 2010. This experiential Retreat will inspire anyone that wants to master the techniques for self-management, inner transformation and joyous living. For further information please see: http://www.chinmayauk.org/Events/ l Chha Gam Nagrik Mandal are showcasing the World Cup Final live along with a picnic and other entertainment. Also, Chha Gam Nagrik Candidates to attend social meeting for matrimonial introduction. Register on arrival. Photo ID needed.Food and soft drinks will be available. Tickets are £10 per person and children under five years are free. On Sunday July 11 1pm-2.30pm (matrimonial meet) 2pm at Broadfield Country Club, Headstone Lane, North Harrow, HA2 6LY. Contact Dharmesh Desai 07775 620 023/ Nirupaben Patel 020 8907 1184 l Swami Ramdevji visits UK. On July 9 6pm-8pm, Hariben Bachubhai Nagrecha Hall, 198-202 Leyton Road London E15 1DT. On July 10 9am-11am and 5.30pm-7.30pm at Sattavis Patidar Centre, Forty Avenue, Wembley Park, Middlesex, HA9 9PE. On Sunday July 11 9am-11am at Sattavis Patidar Centre and 3.30pm-5.30pm at Shree Guru Ravidass Community Centre, 181 Dudley Road, Wolverhampton, WV2 3RD. l Meditation Retreat conducted by Anandmurti Gurumaa involving yoga, meditation, japa and other activities. Residential retreat- Boarding and Lodging included. July 16-21 at Oldwinsford Hospital School, Heath Lane, Stourbridge, DY8 1QX Contact AK Basra 07977 201 226 l A Gujarati and Rajasthani-themed evening organised by International Siddhashram Shakti Centre brings music and dance performances. Venue is transformed into traditional village settings. Dinner is served. On July 9 and 10 at Harrow Leisure Centre (Byron Hall), Christchurch Avenue, Harrow HA3 5BD. For tickets, contact S Champaneri 020 8426 0678 l Swami Anubhavananda will give a talk in English.

On July 9 8-9pm at The Bam, Hasketh Community Centre, Crestwood Road, Lings, Northampton NN3 8JJ. On July 10-11 3-4pm Prajapati Community Centre, 519 North Circular, Neasden, London NW2 7QG. On July 12-14 7-8pm Harrow Art Centre, Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, Middlesex, HA5 4EA. Contact Shyam Ranchod- 07879 486 062.

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The opening up of a more diverse social life is a point in favour of romantic attachments, if this is what you most desire. The need to push ahead with personal interests and to assert yourself with added force will take precedence over everything else for some time to come. The general pattern of things continues on a progressive and buoyant theme.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

Terrifying Terrorism History has known various kings of terrors Superpowers shouldn't produce reigns of terror Innocent people suffer from extreme fear causing havoc upto tears for the dear and near Has God given brains to humans for terrorism?

Religions never preach terror or fascism With the enlightenment of the 21st century Superbrains must get together with world jury Dictatorship should be a ship of the past Democracy with transparency should last Civil, cold, holy or any war can reach the last day Human beings must think of the huge price they pay With love and peace all can enjoy the only planet Conquer natural calamities and forget the rest Unity in diversity is the only real solution Man must avoid any type of pollution O MAN be humane and save all species With love and harmony, elevate the whole space Each human has a right thro' the FREE SPIRIT Which should inspire him to act with good spirit

By Dr Ratilal Patel Croydon

Swimming pool windows blackened for Muslim modesty A council has blackened windows on glass paneled indoor swimming pool to protect the modesty of Muslim women. West Midlands Council has covered all 250 windows of Darlaston Leisure Centre, Walsall following complaints from Muslim members. Residents are outraged as the pool is now plunged into darkness. The council considered using frosted glass but it was too expensive. Councillor Anthony Harris defended the council decision saying it showed that views and concerns of people were addressed.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 It's a time of slow and steady progress that can set the stage for a long time to come. Of course, there are still challenging issues on both a personal and practical level. To get here you may have overcome obstacles by making important decision and choices. You will achieve a lot more, especially when you're motivated by your own desires.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 It would be unwise to take any risks, particularly in regard to joint interests and investments. Expenses and outgoings are likely to become heavy. So be extra careful if you need to deal with complex legal matters and necessary red tape. Plan your spending and set sensible budgets to reach your financial goals.

Associate with people that you are comfortable with.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 Regardless of the limits, you have the capacity to turn the course of your life.

Saturn in Virgo, the sign of efficiency, will help you organize your priorities and systematically put them into practice.

It is about time you moved beyond your established boundaries of safety. You will find ways to be more financially independence.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 Your communications are at their peak and any initiatives you take now will be well received by people in authority. An exchange of opinions ought to prove very enlivening at this time. Although the very practical affairs of life continue to be highlighted, this does not mean that there will be all work and no play. In fact, you will be very much in demand socially.

It would be a mistake always to blame the other person if your experience and expectations of love turn out to be disappointing. It is said that if you do not learn from past experience you will be condemned to repeat it until you do learn. If lately you have had all sorts of demands being placed on you, don't despair; work out where you want to make changes in your busy life.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

Don't be afraid to act forcefully if your instinct tells you it's time for change. If you know your ground and are not afraid to stick your neck out, you can create your own opportunities. Besides spending more time tending to domestic affairs, the focus can be on cultivating and nourishing your inner foundations, so to speak.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

It’s all about communications, as they take centre stage this week. A good time to speak up about your wants and needs without fear. Regarding love there will be a struggle between devotion and freedom. You need to create a balance between your passion for your lover, and yet the need for personal space .

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

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The prevailing astrological trend indicates increasing vigour and stamina. At an ordinary everyday level you can expect this to be a pleasant time, indulging in the good things of life. At a deeper level, there does appear to be a new energy stirring within you. This will urge you towards creating greater independence in your lifestyle.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

Business partnerships are tested, some of them could challenge your authority. The more you live up to your own set of principles the more you will gain. Now is the time to cultivate an easier relationship with life, get out and about, explore fresh possibilities. Once you set your mind on a goal you must go for it.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

The prevailing pattern of planets gives you a marvellous opportunity. Take time out to strengthen close ties of affection, sort out emotional differences and proffer the olive branch to anyone who may have caused you pain in recent months. Venus throws an easy light on affairs of the heart - prime time for engagements and weddings.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

Try to take things in your stride rather than anticipating what might happen. Keep calm as conflict and disagreement could be sparked off by your short-sightedness. Think carefully about the implications of your actions. Intense focus is what is needed now so do not let yourself be distracted by non-essentials.

time

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010 3 Vieux Carre location 4 St. crosser 5 Minnesota’s state tree 6 Go downhill 7 Med. sch. subj.

8 Mix 9 Mount of the Seven Sisters 10 Draw back in horror 11 Jacob’s win 12 Confound it!

13 Real looker 22 Jason’s vessel 23 Down source 28 Conquistador’s gold 29 Make merry 30 All-Star third baseman Ron 31 Not limited to roads 32 Tableland 33 Usher’s offering 34 Wound crust 35 Ex-Yankee Martinez 39 Guy’s date 40 Summer Games org.

42 City near Sacramento 43 Popular candy for moviegoers 44 Greek portico 45 Blah 47 Knack 48 Go from 2 to 6, say 52 Quitter’s cry 53 Pirate’s pal 54 State fixedly 55 Calcutta’s continent 56 Greek letters 57 Porkpie feature 58 Last breath 63 DDE’s arena

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39 Writer Talese 40 “Casablanca” role 41 ___ B. Davis 42 Future D.A.’s exam 44 Fixed upon 46 Bibb alternative 50 CD follower 51 Sailor’s drink 54 Italian restaurant staple

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64 Promised Land 65 Tablet 66 Of service 67 Toward dawn 68 “Peter Pan” pirate 69 This puzzle’s theme Down 1 Vader or Maul 2 You win

Solution of Crossword-94

SPELLATHON - 95

A P R I H E I D A R D E A C F O A L L R M O D E P A I N S T E T

S M O O O L T G H A I S R N O T A M U S E R F U N T O B E O L L A E R U T I L T I L I T E S K

Today’s Ratings: 01-average |02-good | 03-outstanding

How many words of four or more letters can you make from the letters shown in today’s puzzle? In making a word, each letter may be used once only.

Each word must contain the central letter. There B should be at least one N O seven-letter word.

Plurals, foreign words M and proper names are G O not allowed. British English Dictionary is I used as reference.

Solution of Spellathon - 94 clay, lacy, SAUCILY, saucy, scaly, slay

Sudoku-95 2

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S B U T E S O N U O S E R D E S P T B U T I M P T A T S D E L O A A R O V E R Y M U A C T D A T H I M N S M O W T I E T H I N S H O

R A D I O

G U E S T

C I N C O

K A S H A

E R Y L E S

My bath has two taps and a plug hole. The cold tap on its own films the bath in 15 minutes, the hot one in 6 months. The plug hole can drain the bath in 30 minutes with the taps off.

How long will be bath take to fill if I leave both taps on with the plug left out?

Solution of 94: A Skull

9 Solution of sudoku-94 1

HOW TO PLAY Each row, column and square 3x3 box is a sub-grid of 9 cells. Fill in the grid so that each subgrid contains the digits 1 to 9. Every puzzle has one solution.

L I N G U I N E

MINDBENDER-95

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Across 1 Kuwaiti 69A 6 Launder 10 Comic Foxx 14 Advil rival 15 Aware of 16 Morales of ‘Rapa Nui’ 17 Used oars 18 Banister 19 Metal containers 20 General on Chinese menus 21 Flour, water and shortening 24 She’s possessive 25 Ferocity

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By Dr Anil Mehta

Alnwick Castle: Windsor of the north the Italian Renaissance (14th-16th centuries) style. In the present form it is mostly 19th century.

Alnwick is the second largest residential castle Entrance to the castle in Britain doors. The drawing room is after Windsor, and is the most sumptuous room described as the ‘Windsor in the Italian style. The of the north’. Like Windsor ceiling of the drawing room its interiors are ornate and is decorated with coats of lavishly decorated and litarms of the Percys. Marble tered with the historical busts of Francis Bacon, reprints of the colourful William Shakespeare, and Percy families who have Isaac Newton decorate the lived here. It’s full of art three fireplaces of the and treasures and has spalibrary which houses over cious gardens. There are 16,000 books. The china gallery has a marvellous collection of hand-painted porcelain articles from various countries.

The castle’s perimeter towers are home to fascinating exhibitions on specific themes. For Entrance to the state rooms example, the Postern Tower contains an important archaeological plenty of activities for all collection from prehistoric the family. Entrance to the to medieval periods by forcastle is through a twinmer dukes, and Abbot’s towered gatehouse (garTower has the regimental dens have a separate museum of Royal entrance).

Northumberland Fusiliers The stern medieval (infantry regiment). exterior of the castle belies Other attractions of the the sumptuous and extravcastle are the Chapel, agant interior. coach house, dungeon, gun Behind the terrace, and hands on chilstark and fordren’s activities with a bidding walls medieval theme. The lie lavish state extensive gardens include rooms packed rose- and ornamental garwith a stundens and a spectacular casning array of cade fountain.

The decorative medieval feel of the castle arts, fine and superb countryside china, English views attract film makers. and European Parts of Harry Potter, paintings Castle keep (central tower) Elizabeth, Becket, and (Reynolds, many other films and TV Van Dyck, series were shot here.

Turner, Raphael, Titian), WHATZIT? - 95 There are usual gift-shops, and furniture collected tea-rooms, and picnic over the years by the Find the familiar phrase, areas.

Percys. Each room is decosaying or name in this If you are in the north, rated with magnificent arrangement of letters. do visit the castle especialcarving and the walls ly if you are an art and adorned with elegant faminature lover. Castle and ly portraits. The influence the gardens are open from of Italian design is seen to Solution of - 94 : April to October. Entrance the fullest extent in the is by ticket.

Split pea soup ceilings, fireplaces, and

Thirty miles north of Newcastle, set in a stunning landscape dominating the market town of Alnwick (pronounced Annick) on the River Aln is a great medieval fortress – Alnwick Castle. It has been the residence and stronghold of politically powerful Percy family (later Dukes of Northumberland) since the early 14thcenturies.

For centuries it occupied an exposed position between the English and Scottish borders; its loyalty swung north and south depending on the prevailing circumstances.

Alnwick has survived many battles and 700 years of history is evident here.

Alnwick originally had a Norman (11th12thcenturies) layout still evident in the gatehouse and outer walls. There was considerable restoration in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the 18th century the restoration was in Gothic (12th-16th centuries) style. The stone figures (‘soldiers’), based on medieval originals, were placed on the battlements as decoys designed to fool enemy forces. The keep (central tower) had distinctive lancet windows (tall, narrow windows with pointed arch on the top).

In the 19th century the castle was revamped again in

KAKURO - 95

Solution of KAKURO - 94 20 12

The numbers in the pink squares refer

Example to the sums of the digits

that you must fill into the empty spaces directly below or to the right of the pink square containing the number. For instance, in the given example, the 2 boxes below 12 must contain 2 digits that add upto 12, whereas for 20, the 3 boxes places horizontally next to it must add upto 20. No zeroes are used here, only the digits one through nine.

Note: A digit cannot appear more than once in any particular digit combination.

For instance in the example, we cannot have the combination of 8+4+8 for 20.

30

www.abplgroup.com

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

Puli Inji Treating blood clot A blot clot, or thrombosis, slows the flow of blood after an injury.

When a blood clot develops inside of a blood vessel, it can block the supply of oxygen to surrounding tissues and could lead to a heart attack or stroke. While existing blood clots should be treated by a physician, you can help to prevent or reduce the occurrence of blood clots with herbal remedies, especially after surgery or an injury.

• 6 to 9 fresh yarrow leaves or 3 tbsp. of yarrow juice • All natural honey • 3 tsp. of horse chestnut • 3 tsp. of sweet clover • 3 tsp. of witch hazel • Garlic tablets or 3 cloves of fresh garlic • 1 tbsp. of horsetail Drink three cups daily of tea made from yarrow for four weeks or take 1 tbsp. of fresh

yarrow juice three times a day. To make one cup of yarrow tea, add two or three dried leaves to 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. Allow the tea to steep for five minutes and sweeten with all natural honey if desired.

Relieve blood stagnation before and after surgery by taking horse chestnut, sweet clover and witch hazel.

Simply add 1 tsp. of each herbal remedy to one cup of boiling water

and drink three times a day.

Thin the blood naturally, by taking garlic tablets or eating three raw cloves per day.

Garlic can help to transport unhealthy fats in the blood stream, reducing the risk of blood clots.

Strengthen and repair connective tissues in veins, by taking 1 tbsp. of horsetail and 1 tbsp. of stinging nettle juice every day.

Ingredients • 2" piece of ginger • 2 large balls of tamarind • 12 cloves of garlic • 3 red chillies • 3 green chillies • 1/2 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds, roasted finely • 1 tsp mustard seeds, for seasoning • 1 tsp cumin seeds • A small piece of jaggery • Salt to taste

Method • Roast the cumin seeds lightly and powder to a fine paste with the red chillies and half the fenugreek and garlic.

• Chop the ginger, green chillies and remaining garlic.

• Soak the tamarind in some hot water and extract the juice.

• Put in the chopped ingredients and continue boiling.

• In a pan, heat 3 tsp oil

•

•

• • •

and add the mustard seeds and the remaining fenugreek seeds.

When the mustard crackles, add the ground masala and fry till the masala turns color.

Put in the chopped ingredients, jaggery, salt to taste and tamarind juice.

Bring to a boil and boil till the juice is thick.

Bottle when cool.

Should keep for about a week.

Gobi Manchurian

What is Acupuncture Treatment?

Acupuncture treatment includes piercing of long, stainless steel and sterilized needles on the pressure points of the skin.

According to acupuncture, there are approximately 2000 pressure points located on the body which are connected to each and every internal organ. In order to treat the internal organs, pressure is applied on these pressure points with the help of needles.

It is thus believed that any kind of imbalance in the body can be straightened with the help of these needles.

When the needles are

mounted on the skin, it balances the flow of energy which results in proper functioning of the body.

When to receive acupuncture treatment?

Acupuncture treatment is usually undertaken when you do not wish to consume harmful prescription drugs or undergo surgery.

Acupuncture therapy has had various effects on people, so it is very important to get proper diagnosis and check whether the treatment will benefit you. Acupuncture treatment does not include drugs and is quite safe in nature. It is also very

important to receive the treatment from a qualified doctor in order to avoid any kind of further problems.

First of all, it is very important to keep in mind that the needles which are mounted on the skin can cause pain and eventually bleeding.

Acupuncture treatment is highly debatable and its effectiveness differs from person to person.

There are various side effects involved such as bleeding due to the needles, injury to internal organs and also harm to the immune system.

It is also possible that you might acquire some kind of an infection if the needles are not sterilized properly.

Since acupuncture is a very common form of alternative medical practice all over the world, you may make an appointment with an acupuncture doctor or center in your city.

Since acupuncture treatment has not been proven completely, it is highly recommended to continue this practice only if they show positive results.

Ingredients • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • •

1 small Cauliflower, cut into flowerets 2 tbsp garlic paste 2 tbsp ginger paste 2 tsp red chilli powder 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 2 tbsp green chilli paste 1/2 bunch coriander leaves, chopped finely A pinch of saffron (or red coloring), dissolved in milk 2-3 green onions (scallions), chopped finely (If you cannot find green onions, you can substitute with white, ordinary onions) 1 1/2 teaspoon of garlic, chopped 2 tsp soya sauce 1 1/2 tablespoon of cornflour , dissolved in water 1 tablespoon chapati atta(wheat flour) 1/2 cup rice flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 cup of cornflour Juice of 1/2 lemon Salt to taste Oil for deep frying the cauliflower 2 tablespoon oil for sauce

Method • In a large bowl,combine the chapati atta , rice flour, 1/2 cup cornflour,baking powder, salt, soy sauce, • 1 tablespoon garlic/ginger paste, 1 tsp chilli powder, turmeric powder and

1 tablespoon green chilli paste.

• Mix well with water, till you get the consistency of thin batter.

• Dip the cauliflower flowerets in this batter and deep fry in oil, drain and set aside.

• In a open pan, add some oil and when it smokes add the remaining garlic and ginger paste.

• The minute it starts turning brown, add the chopped onions and fry only till they start becoming translucent.

• Now add the chopped garlic and green chilli paste and fry for a minute.

• Add the soy souce and stir for a minute.

• Bring down the heat and then add the cornflour-water paste and the red coloring.

• The mixture will start to thicken......keep on stirring on low heat and when the mixture turns thick enough, add the chopped corainder leaves and stir for 20 seconds.

• The leaves should not lose thier color.

• Take this mixture from the heat and pour it onto the fried caulilower.

• If you desire, you can add the cauliflower when the mixture is in the pan itself in the last stage.

• But this will turn the cauliflower soggy..

• It all depends on how you like to eat the Cauliflower manchurian...soft or crispy...

Sport world

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

Shaun Tait runs through England Australia make a late mark, win the final 2 ODIs Australia came back energetically in the ODI series after having already lost it.

Yet, they ensured that England does not walk away with a complete white wash. Eventually, they won the last two games convincingly to make the score line read 2 – 3, a far better respectable reading.

On Sunday at the Lord’s, it was Shaun Tait who delt the crushing blow. He clocked a speed of more than 100 miles per hour for the first time in his career and made life miserable for England batsmen.

Australia had scored 277, a target that was not beyond England. But finally, the home team ended up 42 runs short. They even could not last the 50 overs, as England were bundled out in the 47th over.

After a nightmarish start, Paul Collingwood gave some hope to England. Yet, even after a spirited 95, he could not help the home team stand up against the Kangaroo

Australia mob Shaun Tait after he uprooted Andrew Strauss's off stump at Lord's on July 3, 2010

onslaught.

Before that, the bowlers did quite a good job for England, as in the first 40 overs, Australia could reach just 162 runs.

It was the 115 run blast by Michael Hussey and Shaun Marsh in the last 10 overs to make the score look a bit formidable at 7 for 277.

Even as Tait conceded a good 48 runs from the 8.3 overs he bowled, the first two wickets that he picked up made it difficult for England to steady the

boat that was badly rocked. At 73 for 5, England looked in trouble, but Paul Collingwood in company of Luke Wright and Tim Bresnan helped them recover and build hopes. Tait again struck, removing Collingwood to dash the hopes.

Tait's first over set the tone, when he sent down a 161.kph (100.1mph) delivery to Craig Kieswetter. It was the quickest on record by an Australian, beating Brett Lee's 160.8kph effort in

Napier in 2005, and marginally short of the alltime record holder Shoaib Akhtar, who hit 161.3kph during the 2003 World Cup. Ponting strikes back In the fourth ODI at the Oval, the OZ revival of fortunes was even more stunning, as they beat the home team by 78 runs. On that Wednesday, the Australian captain scored 92 while Michael Clarke remained unbeaten on 99 to take the visitors to 290 for 5. Ryan Harris did the England batting the most damage, claiming 5 wickets for the cost of just 32 runs. England could last only 42.4 overs to give the visitors some pride back after they lost the first three ODIs and the series without much of a fight. {Brief scores: 5th ODI - OZ 277 for 7 (Hussey 79, Marsh 59, Broad 4-64, Swann 3-32) beat Eng 235 (Collingwood 95, Tait 4-48) by 42 runs. 4th ODI - OZ 290 for 5 (Clarke 99*, Ponting 92) beat Eng 212 (Yardy 57, Harris 532) by 78 runs}.

Rafa is the Wimbledon champ again Serena Williams takes women’s singles title He dominated almost the through the Sunday final at the Wimbledon centre court, as 12th seeded Czech Tomas Berdych was almost no match for Rafael Nadal. The top seeded Spaniard beat his rival 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 in straight sets. As Rafa couldn’t play here last year, he said this victory is of special importance for him.

For Berdych, it was his first Grand Slam final. His march to the finals also had two upset victories over Roger Federer in the quarters and Novak Djokovic in the semi

with one million pounds ($1.5 million, 1.2 million euros), while Berdych coll e c t e d 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 pounds.

Serena Williams won the women’s single title, beating Vera Zvonereva of Serena Williams of USA and Rafael Nadal Russia 6-3, 6of Spain with their winners trophies 2 in the finals. It is finals. He did stretch the first time that she did Rafael Nadal for 2 hours not need to play elder sisand 13 minutes. ter Venus at Wimbledon. It Nadal walked away

was a record 13th grand slam title for the American.

The women's doubles was won by an AmericanKazakh combination of Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova. They overcame the Russian pair of Elena Vesnina and Zvonareva, 76, 6-2.

Austrian Jurgen Melzer in partnership with German Philipp Petzschner claimed the men’s doubles crown, defeating the 16th seeded pair of Robert Lindstedt (Sweden) and Horia Tecau (Romania) 6-1, 7-5, 7-5.

A T20 style wedding for Dhoni Mahendra Singh Dhoni, captain of the Indian cricket team tied the nuptial knot on Sunday with the speed of a T20 match, leaving a lot of friends and fellow cricketers in a daze of surprise at the secrecy that was maintained about his love of life and the marriage itself. Even just a few of his teammates were a part of the marriage ceremony. Bollywood star John Abraham was at Dehradun to attend the marriage, while Bipasha couldn’t make it due to her shooting engagement.

Harbhajan Singh, R P Singh, Rohit Sharma, Ashish Nehra and Suresh Raina attended their captain’s wedding, while others conveyed their best wishes.

BCCI President Shashank Manohar and Secretary Srinivasan are also reported to have been

invited and attended the wedding on Sunday.

News channels in India were suddenly abuzz with the news of Dhoni’s engagement with Sakshi Singh Rawat on Saturday evening. Even at that point of time, perhaps nobody had any hint of the marriage to be solemnised the very next day – Sunday. It was only on Sunday morning that

channels started flashing news of the marriage scheduled that evening itself.

The marriage and the engagement ceremonies were held at a resort near Dehradun, the capital of Uttaranchal, the native place of the bride. Later, the couple were in New Delhi on Tuesday, with Dhoni meeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at his

10 Janpath residence. A huge reception was planned at Mumbai on Wednesday.

Dhoni and Sakshi met at a hotel during one of the team India’s stay, suggests one report, while another one says the two were childhood pals.

Further, as Dhoni was reportedly involved in hot gossips with Bollywood starlet Asin and prior to that, a south Indian actress, his in-laws were eager to complete the engagement and wedding as soon as possible.

Another report suggests that it was the astrological predictions that led to a quick, T20 style wedding.

With all talks about Dhoni and Sakshi link-up and the plans, the two families and Dhoni particularly were successful in keeping things under wrap.

31

Akmal, Aamer shine in T20 win over OZ After a long time, Pakistan registered a win against Australia in any form of cricket. On Monday at Edgbaston, playing the first T20, Pakistan scored a challenging 167 runs in their innings, with a useful half century by Umar Akmal.

Later, Mohammad Aamer led the Pakistan attack to strangle Australian batsmen in their run chase.

The Australians lost their last wicket in the final over and fell short by a good 23 runs.

(Brief scores: Pak 167 for 8 (Umar Akmal 64) beat OZ 144 (Warner 41, Ajmal 3-26, Aamer 3-27) by 23 runs}.

Geoff Marsh, Dermot Reeve to coach IPL team of Sahara Pune Warriors The Sahara group owned IPL team of Sahara Pune Warriors have appointed Geoff March, the former Australian opening batsman as the coach for the team, while ex England all rounder Dermot Reeve will be his deputy.

Making the announcement, Subrata Roy, the chairman of the Geoff Marsh Sahara India Pariwar also said Uttar Pradesh cricketers will be the first priority in team selection. Geoff Marsh ended his international career in 1992, having played 50 test matches and 117 ODIs for Australia. Later, in his first assignment at international level, he trained the Australian team that won the 1999 World Cup. He also coached the Zimbabwe team for almost three years, upto 2004.

His deputy, the England all rounder had a rather short sting as a player, having appeared in just three test matches and 29 ODIs. He last played for England in 1996. As recently as in 2008, Reeve served the Kiwis T20 team as their bowling coach.

Capriati hospitalised after accidental drug overdose Jennifer Capriati, former top tennis player was hospitalised in Florida, USA following an accidental drug overdose, her family spokeswoman announced. A number of doctors are treating the leading ex tennis star, Lacey Wickline said, but gave no details. She also said Jennifer Capriati the 34 year is expected to recover fully. A possible suicide attempt was denied.

Paramedics responded to a call from a hotel in Riviera Beach early on Sunday morning in what is the latest in a long line of incidents concerning the troubled former child prodigy. The family did not say who called 911 or how Capriati was discovered.

Modi faces corruption, money laundering charges BCCI appoints three member committee to probe IPL bunglings Even as the BCCI formed a three member committee to probe the wrong doings of Lalit Modi, suspended BCCI vice president and IPL commissioner, Modi objected to the presence of Chirayu Amin, his successor at IPL in the probe committee.

Lalit Modi A special meeting of the BCCI rejected the rejoinders of the tainted official and accepted the charges against him last week. Chirayu Amin, Arun Jaitley and Jyotiraditya Scindia are the three men to probe the charges of corruption, indiscipline and money laundering against Modi.

According to Modi’s lawyers, “It was Modi who had disclosed publicly that Amin was an investor who formed a part of the Pune consortium that made an unsuccessful bid for the two franchises this year.”

Scindia was appointed last Saturday after BCCI president Shashank Manohar opted out when Modi also accused him of bias.

Modi, 46, has submitted written replies to the charges that include rigging bids, holding proxy stakes in teams and receiving kickbacks in return for broadcasting deals.

32

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th July 2010

Howard rejection sparks a row at ICC

Sharad Pawar, the new President of the ICC had a task on hand immediately on assuming the new office. Rejection of John Howard, former Australian Prime Minister as the vice president sparked a row, forcing Pawar to go into a damage control mode.

Matters seem to be getting complicated, as Cricket Australia, New Zealand Cricket and the two governments have openly expressed their anguish. John Howard has said he is in no mood to retreat. Latest reports on Tuesday said Cricket Australia decided not to persist with John Howard’s nomination.

Mark Taylor, the former Australian cricketer is likely to be nominated for the ICC post.

Officially, no reason for opposition is Howard’s candidature was given, but it is understood that his controversial political career – opposition of eco-

Murali declares retirement from Test cricket Muttiah Muralithatan, the Sri Lankan spin genius has announced his retirement from Test cricket after the first test match against India this month. In an international career of 18 years, one of the best off spinners that cricket has seen, Murali has 792 wickets to his credit in the 132 test matches that he has played till date.

The 38 year old veteran and a wily bowler had often been at the centre of controversies over his bowling action, with Australian umpires leading in casting doubts.

Murali has 515 ODI wickets to his name in 337 games played so far.

Sharad Pawar

nomic sanctions against apartheid-era South Africa; support of sanctions against Robert Mugabe’s Zimababwe; calling Muttiah Muralitharan a chucker etc. are the reasons behind his rejection, led by Zimbabwe and South Africa, with the West Indies and the Asian block supporting it.

BCCI says Howard seen as ‘non-progressive, racist and inexperienced’ The BCCI, on its part, clarified that the decision

not to support Howard was taken by its working meeting members because Howard was seen as “nonprogressive”, “racist” and “inexperienced”.

“The decision was unanimous. In the meeting, the members had decided to side with countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe and West Indies and it’s not an individual decision,” a top BCCI official said.

Incensed with the rejection, former ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed

targeted Pawar and questioned his credentials as a cricket administrator.

“The man who is the ICC president, Sharad Pawar, is the minister for agriculture in the Indian government — a serious full-time job, feeding 1.2 billion people. He is a good and fair man but he will be working part-time as ICC president and, take it from me, he knows little about cricket administration,” Speed said, adding that if Howard was not good enough, then Pawar was hardly the ideal candidate to lead the ICC. “Rest assured, he (Howard) was not rejected because of his lack of experience as a cricket administrator, his strong opposition to Robert Mugabe’s disastrous regime in Zimbabwe or his outspoken views about Muttiah Muralitharan’s controversial bowling action. There is more to it than that,” Speed said in an Aussie paper.

Paes – Black bag Wimbledon mixed doubles crown Leander overtakes estranged partner Mahesh Bhupathi with 12 titles

Leander Paes of India (L) and Cara Black of Zimbabwe celebrate winning their Mixed Doubles crown

Leander Paes and his Zimbabwean partner Cara Black won the Wimbledon mixed doubles crown on Sunday in a straight set victory over South African – American pair of Wesley Moodie and Lisa Raymond 6-4, 7-6. With this, Paes has overtaken his erstwhile Indian partner Mahesh Bhupathi. For Paes, it was his 12th Grand Slam titles in the doubles – six in men’s doubles and six in mixed doubles, while Bhupathi

has 11 doubles title under his belt.

The pair pocketed the prize money of £92,000.

The title holders put up an impressive performance coming into the final.

Paes and Black had each won the title before with different partners.

Paes has lifted the trophy twice previously - with Martina Navratilova in 2003 and Lisa Raymond in 1999, while Black won it with brother Wayne in 2004.

Capello survives, Dunga fired Nigerian team lucky as ban reversed by President

Debacle at the ongoing World Cup Football in South Africa has cast a pall of gloom for many.

England coach and Manager Fabio Capello survived an almost certain axe, but Brazilian coach Dunga was not lucky enough.

Fate of Diego Maradona, the Argentine coach is not certain, while the Nigerian football team initially was banned altogether, but the decision was reversed in a couple of days.

Fabio Capello Fabio Capello, who has been spared the chop as England manager, has said now that the axe will fall instead on some of his most famous players.

Speculation has been rife that older players such

as Frank Lampard (32), David Beckham (35), David James (39) and Emile Heskey (32) may be nearing the end of their England careers and Capello has confirmed that his squad will be rejuvenated. Players Capello sees coming through in time for Euro 2012 include Manchester City winger Adam Johnson, who only just missed out on selection for this tournament, Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs and goalkeeper Joe Hart, who the England boss expects to become Manchester City's number one next season. He underlined that England does not have a bottomless pool of talent.

“Clubs do produce young players. But some are Welsh, some are Irish,

some are the others. They are not English but they play in the Premier League.”

Dunga, three others fired The Brazilian football governing body has sacked coach Dunga and three others following their defeat against Holland in the World Cup football quarterfinals. Brazilian Confederation of Soccer (CBF) president Ricardo Teixeira announced that Dunga, his assistant coach Jorginho, supervisor Americo Faria and team doctor Jose Luiz Runco were relieved of their duties. The CBF said it will decide on Dunga's successor by the end of July, BuaNews reported Monday.

Maradona’s fate undecided Argentine coach Diego

Dunga

Maradona has been assured by the Football Association that the body has no plans to ask him to go, but the former player himself had declared that he was not sure what he would be doing. Maradona and the team even did not accept an invitation from the Argentina President for a meeting at the palace after they lost against

Germany in the quarter finals.

Nigerian President revokes the ban Nigeria's president has announced that the ban he announced in Nigerian football team’s future participation in international competition is being revoked. Earlier, he had slapped a two year ban on the team.

He overturned his decision ahead of a Monday deadline from the football world governing body to expel Nigeria.

Under Fifa rules, government interference with national teams is strictly forbidden.

The president lifted the ban after the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) promised to disband and rebuild the side.