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Let noble thoughts come to us from every side First & Foremost Asian Weekly in Europe 10th November to 16th November 2012

Americans give Barack Obama another term

Obama celebrating victory with family.

tion, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back," Obama told his supporters. "We know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come."

Mr Obama's re-election extended his place in history, carrying the

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Barack Hussein Obama was re-elected president of the United States on Tuesday, overcoming powerful economic headwinds, a lockstep resistance to his agenda

by Republicans in Congress and an unprecedented torrent of advertising as a divided nation voted to give him more time.

In defeating Mitt Romney, Obama carried Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, New Hampshire, Virginia and Wisconsin, a near sweep of the battleground states, and was holding a narrow advantage in Florida. The path to victory for Mr Romney narrowed as the night wore along, with Mr Obama winning at least 303 electoral votes.

A cheer of jubilation sounded at the Obama campaign headquarters in Chicago when the television networks began projecting him as the winner, even as the ballots were still being counted in many states where voters had waited in line well into the night. The victory was far narrower than his historic election four years ago, but it was no less dramatic.

"Tonight in this elec-

tenure of the nation's first black president into a second term. His path followed a pattern that has been an arc to his political career: faltering when he seemed to be at his strongest - the period before his first debate with Mr Romney - before he redoubled his efforts to lift himself and his supporters to victory.

The evening was not without the drama that

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has come to mark so many recent elections: For more than 90 minutes after the networks projected Mr Obama as the winner, Mr Romney held off calling him to concede. And as the president waited to declare victory in Chicago, Mr. Romney's aides were prepared to head to the airport, suitcases packed, potentially to contest several close results.

Continued on page 26

BJP backs Gadkari, but cracks remain The BJP came out in support of beleaguered party president Nitin Gadkari, who faces allegations of financial impropriety in his business dealings, saying a probe had shown that he had done “no legal or moral wrong.”

Addressing the media after a two-hour meeting of its core group, Bharatiya Janata Party chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad also said that the party “endorses Gadkari's stand that he is ready and willing to face a probe” into his business dealings. Gadkari has been under attack for alleged dubious funding of his Purti Group. He has denied the charges.

According to Prasad, senior BJP leaders had called chartered accountant S Gurumurthy to the meeting to apprise them of his findings after going through the documents provided by Gadkari.

Senior leader L K Advani did not attend the meeting as he had already been apprised by Gurumurthy of his findings, while Gadkari kept away so that the talks could be held in an "impartial and free manner".

Prasad read out a joint statement by senior party

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Nitin Gadkari

leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley which said: “The meeting accepted the presentation of Gurumurthy that there was no legal or moral wrongdoing by Gadkari.

The party endorses the stand of Gadkari that he is ready and willing to face an inquiry. He has no direct or indirect interest in the 18 investment companies that have invested in Purti Group. The party has full faith in the leadership of Gadkari. The party appeals to all its leaders and workers not to air such views in public which hurt the image of the party."

However, divisions persisted within BJP over the continuance of Gadkari as its president.

The party's second public backing for Gadkari in a Continued on page 26

2

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

one to one Keith Vaz MP with

Lubna Khan, Head Teacher, Berrymede Junior School Lubna Khan is the Head Teacher of Berrymede Junior School in Acton and a former pupil. She was educated at Walpole Grammar School, ending in a Masters at Birkbeck College, University of London and completing the National Qualification for Head Teachers at the Institute of Education. She is also a Local Leader of Education, supporting schools in difficulty, providing support for new and/or aspiring Head Teachers. Lubna serves on a range of educational committees all aimed at improving the lives of young people and is actively involved in education, health and wellbeing charities.

She is married with two sons.

1) Please tell us about your current position?

I am the Head Teacher of Berrymede Junior School in West London.

I was a former pupil and was delighted when offered the post of Deputy. I was appointed as Head Teacher three years. We are a school in

the process of expansion to a large Junior School.

Our school is described by staff and pupils as a ‘happy family.’

Berrymede has been deemed an ‘outstanding’ school by Ofsted.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

The acknowledgement of the hard work and dedication of our staff,

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

Life is full of obstacles; it is ones resilience and an optimistic demeanour in

the face of challenge that enables success. The biggest challenge has been the introduction of Century Gothic size 11 font!

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

A succession of teachers and lecturers who recognised potential and set the path to aim high. I have to say that my family have played a vital part during the course of my career. I am truly blessed as I have been and still am, completely supported.

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

As the Head of a school there is a tremendous potential to make a differ-

ence to the lives of young people. Our school is situated in a deprived area and yet our children thrive. As soon as people share a vision there is a resultant synergy which can have an amazing effect on all involved. I have wonderful staff who share the school vision and work tremendously hard for our students who are at the heart of everything we do. To lead such an institute is tremendous.

6) And the worst?

We live in a time of evidencing all we do and endless paperwork, this can at times prevent the actual raison d’etre – educating our children through creativity and passion for what we do best.

7) What are your long term goals?

To endeavour to provide the best possible all round education for our students; to continue to provide a ‘safe haven’ for our most vulnerable students; to enable them to

be resilient and strive for independence; to accept that to achieve, one must work hard; to understand that in a diverse society one must always display mutual respect.

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

Have a fair pricing system for the travel and tourism industry, firstly it is the main contributor to increased absence rates in our schools, and secondly all who work in education pay extortionate amounts outside of ‘the term-time.’

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

Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, Cleopatra, Mahatma Ghandhi, Jalal ad-Din Rumi and Laurel and Hardy. A mixture of ancient history, influential women, poetry, peace and slap stick comedy. A character for all moods on a desert island.

VA pledges £300mn investment as it re-launches Mumbai route Virgin Atlantic stated that its product investment programme for India would reach more than £300m as it re-started its flights from London Heathrow to Mumbai.

The launch of two new A330 aircraft with its latest Upper Class product to both Delhi and Mumbai from London represents a record product investment in the region for the airline. The move will also create 140 new jobs across India and the UK. The restarting of the Mumbai route following a four year absence will double capacity to India for Sir Richard Branson’s airline with daily services to both key markets. One million people fly between Mumbai and the UK each

Virgin launch press conference with Stephen King (Country Manager - Virgin Atlantic India), Sir Richard Branson and Steve Ridgway (Chief executive)

year, with the market increasing by 10% in the last two years alone. With India’s economy remaining one of the fastest growing in the world Virgin Atlantic expects passenger numbers to continue to rise.

The President of Virgin Atlantic, Sir Richard Branson, said: “We are delighted to be back in this amazing city after four years. The importance of

strengthening the connections between the economies of New York, London and Mumbai cannot be emphasised enough – our daily connecting service from Mumbai all the way to New York will be a winner for businesses across all three continents.

“Given the importance of both of our Indian markets we are introducing our newest aircraft on flights to both Mumbai

and Delhi which represents hundreds of millions of pounds of investment and will create many new jobs.”

The investment from Virgin Atlantic reflects the importance of India’s growing economy. After a double digit rise in India’s GDP in 2010, projections are for a further 7% increase for each of the next five years. UK exports of goods and serv-

ices to India have risen more than threefold*in the past decade with over £1 billion in clothing and accessories imported in 2011 alone. The UK Government wants to double trade links with India by 2015.

Another key market for the airline will be passengers visiting friends and family. This market and business travellers combine to represent 80 per cent of the 300,000 plus passengers the airline will initially carry each year to and from India.

With its Mumbai route launch, Virgin Atlantic is seeking to build on record demand for travel between Delhi, London and New York. Last year there was a 13% increase in the airline’s passenger numbers between London and

Delhi. With bookings for this route made in the US more than doubling in that time, the airline attributes much of the increase to more passengers connecting via London.

The airline expects to develop this trend further with the introduction this weekend of a sixth daily service to New York, a night time departure from Heathrow which returns early the next day from JFK airport. The latest additions to Virgin’s schedule mean passengers can connect seamlessly between New York and both Delhi and Mumbai.

Mumbai will also have daily two way connections to Boston and Washington along with four weekly connections to Miami and summer connectivity to Chicago.

Virgin Atlantic Mumbai Launch

Virgin Atlantic UKTI event Delhi

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

COMMENT

What now when Obama has overcome the obstacles?

The entire world watched eagerly the outcome of the 57th Presidential election in the USA. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney were the only two in the list that mattered and one of them was elected as the President and on his shoulder will now be the wellbeing of not only the 32 million US citizens but also the 7 billion strong world population. USA has been the international policeman for last 80 odd years, especially after the end of cold war.

Today USA is the only super power and has much more responsibility than earlier. It has to play its role more judiciously and with authority. With all its limitations USA has discharged its obligations better than other nations of it's size and strength. It has in the past used force, at times inappropriately, say in Iraq and elsewhere. So they have to be very careful and play a more responsible role while intervening in the affairs of other countries. But USA is very generous in dispatching aids at times of natural calamities and its Marshal Aid is exemplary.

Barack Obama has made a history. A black man has reentered the Whitehouse. He has overcome huge obstacles in the path of re-election. Americans have voted for Obama because they trust him. He has not done everything exceptionally well in the first four years, but equally has never proclaimed that he would do so, at his famous speech in Chicago, when the results were announced 4 years back. His tacit admission at the time has helped him that he would need a second term 'to get the job done'.

Indeed Barack Obama has achieved a substantial success in his first term. At the age of 47 he became President, the first one from urban America since

Freddie Trueman. Some of his critics were skeptical about his inexperience but Obama began well with confidence and also a clean state in foreign affairs.

Inspite of the strong opposition from the Republican party, he managed to reinvigorate the US economy.

He took bold steps in improving Wall Street and banking and secure the long term future of the automobile industry with huge allocation of funds.

During Obama's reign Osama Bin Laden was removed and Iraq war was wound up. In Afghanistan, inspite of several challenges, the US army's withdrawal is more or less agreed. He was able to secure a freeze in the nuclear armament race with Russia.

Second term sometimes become an easy option for a lame duck presidency. If Barack Obama wishes to secure his future in the annals of American history, then he has a bright opportunity on several fronts.

8% unemployment in the US ought to be lowered at the earliest. The deficit of the national exchequer and in the foreign trade creates a dangerous situation.

Corrective steps are very essential but not too easy in the short term. But a proper beginning could take place. The only Super Power has to restrain its impulse to be a trigger happy nation. Of course Iran's nuclear ambition and extremist violence in Pakistan are some of the burning issues for the President.

US-India relations are manageable and perhaps acceptable. The ongoing concern about outsourcing may be an overrated subject. The relationship with China is a delicate issue and requires more matured leadership. Overall the odds are in favour of the USA and the President. For the good of the world let's wish him the very best.

Overseas aid and defence budgets A recent report in the British media suggests that India is going to slash the aid of £280mn a year to India by half, amidst a major objection that this overseas assistance is not justified, especially during a time of severe recession in Britain. Justine Greening, Britain's International Development Secretary who is visiting India will unveil the plans of the cuts, especially after Pranab Mukherjee, now President and the former Finance Minister of India suggested that the British aids were 'a peanut of our total development expenditure' last February.

The rapidly industrialising country, whose economy is ranked tenth in the world recently allocated £52 million to send a probe to Mars.

Though the department for International Development has defended the aid, saying India is still home to a third of the world's poor who survive on less than 80 pence a day, the UK aid to India should indeed be evaluated.

If India has been allocated £280mn, and India's development budget is of £9000mn, it is a very small amount indeed. What is more important is to ensure that the money is channelised to those states in India, who are lagging behind; states that are not developing as quickly as Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Kerala.

India has a population of 1.2bn people and what

UK must calculate is the per person assistance.

It is not unknown to people that aids do have a purpose over and above humanitarian causes. The Sunday Mail recently revealed that UK has spent tens of millions of pounds on an army of consultants to tell India how to spend the cash. Foreign aids often reap dividends. It not only has a day to day influence, but in fact a very long term effect on the donor country and the recipient- especially in defence expenditure.

Britain is not in the League of Super power in terms of wealth creation, aid or overseas defence spent. PM David Cameron himself flew to the Gulf country to sell the British fighter planes to the Sheikhs. Britain is perhaps 3rd or 4th in the league of arms exporters. Arms industry does create employment. But the bigger question here is- how much?

How useful?

It is not improbable to be much richer and influential without too much of emphasis on defense and arms industry. We all must accept that nations also should have honest discussions over their priorities.

Expenditures of any kind, especially of a huge amount of £30-40bn must be assessed; whether it is a foreign aid or defence. The aim should be a realistic balance of self defense and vanity, development and upliftment, enhancement and enlightenment and not just mere “power” in the committee of nations.

Can the Congress Party rise to the occasion?

Corruption has become one of the major issues plaguing India today. People in high positions are misusing their power and influence for personal gains or for the benefit of others to amass wealth by bending rules and regulations. Keeping an eye on the assembly elections in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and the 2014 general election, political parties are accusing their rivals of indulging in corruption.

These revelations give an insight into the working of politicians and the corrupt ways they indulge in. The latest ones to face corruption charges are Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi.

Janata Party leader Subramaniam Swamy has accused Sonia and Rahul of committing a fraud of Rs 1,600 crore worth property associated with two newspapers, The National Herald and Quami Awaz.

Swamy alleged that the two newspapers, which were owned by a company called Associated Journals Limited, were now defunct but continued to occupy expensive real estate in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The Gandhis, he said has floated a company called Young Indian and subsequently acquired the Associated Journals and its real estate assets.

Swamy also accused Sonia and Rahul of converting a public trust into a privately owned company and for misusing their positions. Swamy alleged that both Sonia and Rahul together owned 76 per cent of Young Indian and added that this company owns Herald House in Delhi, which is worth Rs 1,600 crore.

The alleged corruption by Robert Vadra, Salman

Kurshid, Commonwealth Games, 2G scam, coal scam, Adarsh Housing Society scam etc are all connected with the Manmohan Singh government or to the Congress party. The allegations by Congress mainly focuses around BJP Chief Nitin Gadkari.

Compared to the corruption charges against Congress leaders, the charge against Gadkari are perhaps miniscule.

Though seriousness of corruption does not depend on the amount involved, corruption is still corruption- irrespective of the size or volume.

An inquiry has now been ordered against Gadkari. But the Haryana government has given a clean chit to Vadra who is allegedly involved in corrupt land dealing worth more that Rs 500 crore. So far no official inquiry has been ordered against his dealings.

It is natural for the public to expect an inquiry against Vadra. The same rule should be in fact applied to Sonia and Rahul as well.

Congressmen must follow the example of Mahesh Jethmalani and his father Ram and other top BJP leaders. They publicly demanded resignation of Nitin Gadkari as the leader of the party. Mr Gurumurthy, a well respected Chartered Accountant made a presentation on Tuesday evening to the BJP leadership and convinced them that the allegations against Gadkari are exaggerated and untenable. At least BJP as the Opposition has listened to the voice of dissent. Congress is still committed to its one family loyalty syndrome.

www.abplgroup.com

3

Thought for the Week

If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain - Maya Angelou

“Our London” Navin Shah

GLA Member for Brent and Harrow

EDL - Racist and Extremist Group Along with my other Assembly Members I have written to the head of the Metropolitan Police urging him to revise the Metropolitan Police’s view about the English Defence League (EDL) not being viewed as an extremist group. Two weeks ago the Government banned the EDL from marching in Waltham Forest, Islington, Newham and Tower Hamlets for 30 days.

The Met Police applied to the Secretary of State Theresa May amid fears of public disorder as the EDL prepared to march in Walthamstow for the second time in one month. Members of the EDL have targeted London boroughs where there are a number of different faith groups and non-white communities.

Harrow suffered from the EDL when they threatened peace on the streets of Harrow in 2009, but were defeated by the united community of Harrow.

We have called on Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe to brand the EDL as an extremist group. Members of the EDL are disrupting our communities and promoting violence and racist ideology. They are obviously a far-right group, bent on causing as much trouble in our diverse communities as possible.

We must stand together and recognise the EDL for what they are, an extremist far-right group.

Contents of the letter to the Police Commissioner: “We welcomed the Government’s decision last week to ban the planned EDL march through Waltham Forest and other nearby boroughs. Waltham Forest has become a target for these marches as it is home to a rich tapestry of communities and faiths which these events are designed to attack.

In the past, these marches have been organised and attended by EDL members who have no connection with the local community and they have

led to disorder and tension on the streets within a community which otherwise live and work together without trouble or contempt for each other.

In light of past experiences of EDL marches and this recent ban, we urge you to revise the Met’s view about the status of the EDL. We ask this because, back in September 2009, the then Met Police commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson told the MPA that the EDL “are not viewed as an extreme right wing group in the accepted sense”. Last year, it was reported that Adrian Tudway, head of the national domestic extremism unit at Scotland Yard, stated in an email to a Muslim organisation that “in terms of the position with EDL, the original stance stands, they are not extreme right wing as a group” adding “I really think you need to open a direct line of dialogue with them, that might be the best way to engage them and re-direct their activity”. These sentiments are not only patronising to London’s Muslim community, they are wholly inconsistent with the EDL’s recent actions and the reaction by the local community to their presence.

The recent arrests by the Met Police and the request to ban the march last week were both based upon intelligence led investigation; it is clear, therefore, that the perception of the EDL as a non right wing organisation is misconceived. This misconception should be put right, and we hope that recent actions by the Met police and the Home Secretary should pave a way forward to restating the Met’s views on the EDL. We believe this is the time to draw a line in the sand from past statements made by or on behalf of the Met on this subject and we seek your reassurance that such statements will not be made under your watch in the future.”

4

LEICESTER/MIDLAND VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Golden Mile Diwali lights switch-on attracts over 35,000

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Caribbean Carnival, Navratri and Dashera festivals facing cuts in City Council grants City Mayor - Sir Peter Sousby, Jessica Chauhan , Jashvant Chauhan OBE, Kala Chauhan, Diptee Ramgi and Amit Ramgi

The biggest Diwali celebration outside India drew tens of thousands of people Sunday as the festival of lights got under way.

More than 35,000 people packed the Golden Mile, in Belgrave, to catch a glimpse of the traditional light switch-on.

Confetti rained down as the 6,500 bulbs, spanning more than 1km, flickered into life. The excited crowd, not phased by the drizzly conditions, cheered and applauded as the religious festival officially got under way. The vibrant display of light will illuminate the city for two weeks during the festival before they are replaced by Christmas lights.

President of the Hindu Festival Council Maganbhai Patel said: “We have been organising this event for 21 years and

before that Leicester City Council ran it for eight or nine years, and I’ve seen it grow and grow. We try to involve everyone, from every religion and background, which is why it is so popular. I’m very proud of what we have achieved.�

Leicester East MP Keith Vaz said: “Diwali in Leicester is like no other celebration anywhere in the world. It’s about bringing together communities and because of it Belgrave Road is one of the most famous roads in the world.�

The visiting masses also watched a host of entertainment from classical Indian dance groups and Bollywood performers.

Chetna Raniga-Jogia, 28, originally from Texas, moved to the city to set up

Gurudwara lit up

the Darpan dance school, in Belgrave. She and a group of seven dancers performed in front of the giant audience with a mix of classical Indian and western dance.

Chetna said: “I came last year for the first time but didn’t perform. I said to myself we have to get on stage and here we are.

It’s a bit nerve-wracking seeing all those faces, but it’s brilliant to be here.�

Kuntal Indulkar, founder of the Kuntal Dance Academy, said: “I’ve just had four girls and a boy up on the main stage performing and it was fantastic to see them doing so well in front of all those people. Every year the celebrations just get bigger, brighter and louder – I love it.�

After the switch-on, the crowds moved to near-

by Cossington Street Recreation Ground for a giant firework and laser show.

City Major Sir Peter Soulsby also addressed the crowd before watching the multi-coloured fireworks explode over the Golden Mile. He said: “It’s a brilliant occasion, the Belgrave light switchon is Leicester at its very best. It’s all the communities of the city, and indeed the world, sharing such a magical event and I just love it when I see so many people coming together to celebrate it.�

Councillor Piara Singh Clair, Assistant City Mayor and chair of the Diwali working party, said: “Leicester’s Diwali Lights switch-on is a huge celebration and something we are incredibly proud of.�

Keith Vaz meets star Goan footballer Brandon Fernandes ... again!

British Parliamentarian Keith Vaz, recently met with Goan-born Brandon Fernandes, a rising star of Indian football. The 18 year old is widely recognised as one of the first Indian footballers good enough to play in the top flight of English football. Brandon is currently undergoing trials at Leicester City Football Club in Mr Vaz’s constituency city of Leicester.

This is not the first time Mr Vaz has met Brandon. In 2008 as part of the Leicester-India Football Initiative a team of under-14s from Leicester visited Goa to play a local team. The initiative, designed to

develop the already excellent links between India and Britain, saw the team play the Goa XI in two match-

es.

Brandon Fernandes played in both of those matches and was recognised as ‘man of the match’ in the first.

Brandon is the first of a number of young Indian players who will travel to the UK to undergo trials as football develops as a sport in India. The young star, who currently represents the India U19 team, has also undergone trials at Reading FC.

Krishna Avanti school up and running The finishing touches are being made to the city's first free school after a ÂŁ3 million refurbishment.

Krishna Avanti, a Hindu primary set up at the former Leicester Grammar Junior school site with a building which dates back to 1835, has been transformed since it opened in September 2011.

Principal Christopher Spall said: "We're incredibly proud of the school, what we're doing here and how it looks. There's a fantastic atmosphere and we're sure anyone who looks around and sees what we have done will be impressed."

Two new blocks have been added to the building housing classrooms and a

worship hall which doubles up as a dining area.

A large outdoor plaza has been created and further landscaping includes a vegetable patch for children to grow their own food and play areas for each year group.

The Department for Education has spent more than ÂŁ4.5million buying and developing the school.

A contribution of ÂŁ200,000 was made by the Krishna Avanti Trust.

Three free schools in London are also run by the trust. About 90 pupils attend the Leicester primary, 45 of them new starters in September. The school is not exclusively for Hindu children and children from other faiths can join.

Award-winning restaurant fined ÂŁ2,000 after cockroach infestation The owner of a Birmingham restaurant beloved by celebrities has been fined over a major cockroach infestation.

The Maharaja in Hurst Street has served customers including former Prime Minister John

Major, Sir Cliff Richard, Jasper Carrott and cricketer Wasim Akram over its 41 years in business.

In 1996 it was named the UK's Best Indian Restaurant in the Egon Ronay Awards. But a court heard it was tem-

porarily shut down when health inspectors found surfaces “littered� with cockroaches and decided diners’ health was at risk.

Now boss Nachhattar Batt has been fined more than ÂŁ2,000 after admitting two counts of break-

ing hygiene regulations.

Tharan Biring, prosecuting, said inspectors were still finding cockroaches in the restaurant more than a week after it was first closed on health grounds in September last year.

A number of festivals and events are set to have their council funding cut or removed completely.

Leicester's Caribbean Carnival, the Navratri and Dashera celebrations and Humberstone Park Bonfire could be affected as the city council looks to cut the amount it spends on celebrations from ÂŁ366,500 to ÂŁ308,500 next year. The amount will be reduced to ÂŁ288,500 in 2014.

The city council last Thursday revealed the results of its festivals and events funding review following a 12-week consultation.

Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby will now have the final decision on whether to approve the cuts.

Councillors were due to discuss the changes last night.

The Navratri celebration organised by Leicester Hindu Festivals Council at De Montfort Hall, will see its council

grant cut by half, from ÂŁ20,000 to ÂŁ10,000.

About 2,000 people had signed a petition against the potential cut, arguing it would make it impossible to run the event.

Festival council president Maganbhai Patel said he had been anticipating the 50 per cent cut.

He said: "I do not know if we will be able to continue. Hindus will be very upset about this because it looks like the city council does not support a very large section of the Leicester community."

The Caribbean Carnival currently gets ÂŁ100,000 from the council towards its ÂŁ200,000 costs. The grant will fall to ÂŁ80,000 next year and ÂŁ60,000 the year after.

The Dashera event at Cossington recreation ground, in Belgrave, will lose its entire ÂŁ6,000.

Humberstone Bonfire will also lose all of its ÂŁ16,000 funding.

Burglar caught after he left shoes in bungalow A burglar who stole a homeowner's boots was caught because he left his own shoes at the scene, a court heard.

Mark Williams' DNA was found on the footwear and this led to his arrest.

Williams was jailed for two years and four-and-a-half months, after admitting burgling the bungalow in Braunstone Lane, Leicester.

The 46-year-old was jailed for two years and four-and-a-half months,

after admitting burgling the bungalow in Braunstone Lane, Leicester, on the night of March 3.

John Hallissey, prosecuting, told the city's crown court the owner had recently bought the bungalow and was renovating it. He had moved some possessions into the property, which had two insecure windows. Mr Hallissey said: "When he returned on March 4, he saw his clothes strewn over the floor."

David Cameron hosts Birmingham family for Eid

David Cameron hosts the Rehman family at 10 Downing Street

Prime minister David Cameron has hosted a Balsall Heath family to celebrate Eid. A family who hosted David Cameron as a guest in their Birmingham home have made a visit to his residence at No.10 – to celebrate Eid with the Prime

Minister.

Mr Cameron stayed at the home of Abdullah and Shahida Rehman in Raglan Road, Balsall Heath, in 2007, when he was leader of the opposition. He stayed overnight in their spare room and learned how to work the till in a local shop.

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

5

6

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Leading Lights

by Rani Singh

Delhi and Mumbai at the bottom of the city brand rankings

Special Assignments Editor

Sanju Pal, 29 Sanju Pal is a Management Consultant at global technology consulting firm Accenture. She is also the Founder of RISE (Rural India School Enterprise) a charity she set up to address educational disadvantage in rural West Bengal and promote global citizenship in the UK, after completing the Teach First graduate programme and teaching Maths at Mulberry School for Girls in East London. Sanju has a First Class honours bachelor degree in Mathematics and a Masters in Operational Research and Finance. She is a Virgin Media Pioneer, part of an enterprising community supported by Virgin Media to ‘get inspired, get connected and get ahead’.

Q: Where were you born and what is your family background?

A: I was born and brought up in as was my elder sister who is a Paediatric Consultant at the in . My father, a retired Chartered Electrical Engineer and my mother, a retired Cytogeneticist at Guy’s and ‘ Hospital came to the after they married in 1967.

Q: How did you come to be involved with ?

A: I grew up taking trips with my family to West Bengal every year, spending summers in a village called Shondanga in the District of Nadia where my father migrated to from the then East Pakistan after the partition of India. I developed an understanding of the challenges of village life and as a teenager in 2000 after floods devastated the area I set up an appeal at my school, for Girls, to raise money to help rebuild the homes. When I became a teacher it felt natural to devise an idea to help the rural communities of .

Q: When did you decide to set up RISE? A: I set up RISE in 2009 after the success of a project I started as a teacher called the Enterprise Challenge, the aim of which was to promote social enterprise by connecting my students in London with students in rural West Bengal, to enable them to develop an understanding of village life in India, as I had done growing up. I won the 2008 Teach First Learmonth School Project Award for the Enterprise

Challenge programme and felt compelled to work on scaling up which I did with support from Teach First, UnLtd and HSBC. Q: How does the Challenge fit in with your education project in ?

A: In defining the RISE mission during the first year of setting up the charity I realised that tackling educational disadvantage in rural West Bengal, where over 25% of children drop out of school before age 10,

Tackling educational disadvantage in rural West Bengal is at the core of RISE was at the core and in 2010 I began developing plans for our Yearn to Learn literacy intervention programme. Through the Enterprise Challenge, students develop key life skills as young social entrepreneurs and the funds they raise will go towards supporting the education of children at the school they are partnered with in rural by enabling them to attend Yearn to Learn.

Q: In what ways has it been helpful to be a Virgin Media Pioneer?

A: I became a Virgin Media Pioneer in the first year of founding RISE and it was particularly great to have support in the early phases of developing the charity.

Last year I attended a ‘Spark Your Ideas’ workshop led by Lara Morgan, Founder and Ex-CEO of Pacific Direct which was truly inspiring.

Mo Luthra Branding Consultant www.moluthra.com

Sanju Pal

Q: Where are you now with your charity?

A: RISE is a small charity with all members of the team in the and working in a volunteer capacity. Over the past 6 months we have been able to make significant progress because of the commitment, energy and drive of a team of 20 at Accenture who have been volunteering their time to support RISE since May. Q: What do you want to happen next?

A: It is an exciting time for RISE as we build momentum across our three projects (Yearn to Learn, the Enterprise Challenge and Survival Week) and employ full time members of staff to support our operations in the and . In 2013 we aim to work with 250 students in the through the Enterprise Challenge and support 500 students in with their literacy through Yearn to Learn.

For more information about RISE visit www.riseonline.co.uk.

If you have any questions or would like to support the charity in any capacity please email sanju.pal@riseonline.co.uk.

Are UK immigration laws splitting families apart?

The government’s promise to reduce net migration by 2015 includes measures that have made it more difficult for people from outside Europe to join family members in the UK, creating tough choices for some British residents.

The Home Secretary, Theresa May, told Parliament in June that it has been “too easy for elderly dependent relatives to join their migrant children here and then potentially become a burden on the taxpayer.”

Dr Avinash Kanodia was recruited by the Department of Health from India in 2003 because of doctor short-

ages in the NHS, he works as a consultant radiologist in Perth. He, his wife and two children are now British citizens.

An only child, he checked before committing to move to the UK that his mother would be allowed to join them if her health deteriorated. Under the new rules she would not be granted a visa because Dr Kanodia can afford to pay for nursing care in India. He told the BBC “The rules are morally wrong. I don’t want to leave my mother in the care of a stranger thousands of miles away. I was lured here with the promise of citizenship.

“But look how I am being treated as a citizen of this country. This is the worst thing the government could have done to me.”

Dr Kanodia is now considering whether to move his family back to India before his daughter starts secondary school in 2013. “I pay over £40,000 in income tax every year. I don’t see how driving people like me away will help the economy of this country.”

According to the Home Office, 2700 adult dependent relatives were granted visas in 2010. Of those, 1350 were aged 65 or over.

A report out recently conducted by communications agency Ogilvy and Public Affairs Asia scored the Indian cities of Mumbai and Delhi near the very bottom of their city brand rankings.

The perception of cities in the Asian region is very important and highly competitive these days. The desire to attract tourists, foreign investment and skilled labour is more competitive than ever before.

‘Location branding’ are the new buzz words that are flying around.

The ability for a city to be famous for something

and be placed in potential consumers minds is a must.

Asia is now the hub; it is urbanising faster than any other part of the world. With the expectation in the next couple of decades that 20 out of 37 global megacities will be located in the East.

Much like products, cities require a set of brand values to lever themselves on decision makers minds.

The task of branding a city or region is very complex. While a product or service might have a few features that makes it distinct or attractive; a city will have multiple factors.

The trouble with branding a developing Asian city is twofold.

Firstly selecting which positive features that should be communicated and that are compelling and distinct enough from other competing cities.

Secondly, how to deal with the negative aspects which also present themselves in these cities.

This is the issue that has faced India. While having a relatively stable

government, and generally being free from major natural disasters; issues such as pollution, corruption and poverty strike the headlines.

That is why the Indian cities of Mumbai and Delhi struggle when compared to places like Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney, which appear at the top of the Asian City brand rankings.

India I feel will find it hard to compete on similar values that a place like Hong Kong espouses.

In many ways India is in quite a confused space. Once famous for being a place of holy pilgrimage, backpackers and a way to escape the strains and stresses of modern life. India now is more intense and commercial than ever before.

It’s been stripped of its simplicity and spiritual vibes which had made it so unique to tourists.

It will be interesting to see in the coming years whether India catches up with the leading Asian cities or falls further behind.

Annual event of the UK (London) Chapter of ICAI held in Central London

Mr Manoj Agarwal, Mr Satish Sonthalia- ICAI London, Mr Richard Heald, CEO - UK India Business Council, Ms Fiona Crisp, Council member - The Association of Corporate Treasurer, Mr George Raju, First Secretary (Economic) - High Commission of India in UK, Mr Anil Gadodia, Mr Amit Lahoti, Mr Ajay Agrawal - ICAI London.

UK (London) Chapter of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India organised its Third Annual event on 27 October, 2012 at Hotel Crowne Plaza London – St. James. The event was attended by 150 people including members, guests from business houses, financial institutes and senior functionaries from accountancy profession.

This was the third such annual event of the chapter after the success of last two year’s events which brought together members of the Institute of chartered accountants of India in the UK, their family and friends.

The Guests of Honour for the evening were Mr Richard Heald, CEOUKIBC, Mr George Raju, First Secretary (Economic) High Commission of India in London. The event had a session of seminar in the first half focusing on

investment opportunities in Real Estate in India and educational presentation

by HDFC and ACT. The second half of the event was a fun filled evening with Bollywood music & dance, Magic shows and stand up comedy entertainment performance by Kspark Entertainments of Karan Pangali- of Just Dance fame.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), one of the largest accounting bodies in the whole world, is recognized globally for its contribution in the fields of education, professional development, maintenance of high accounting, auditing and ethical standards.

UK (London) Chapter of ICAI is one of the largest and most active chapters of the 21 overseas chapters of ICAI and has more than 600 registered members.

The Chapter was formed

11 years ago with the mission of promoting the Indian Chartered Accountancy Profession in UK. The Chapter, from time to time provides opportunities to the members to meet, exchange views and interact with one another for furtherance of their technical competency and knowledge. This is also achieved by hosting seminars and events. Also, by organising social and cultural events the Chapter strengthens the community ties among the members.

The Chapter has from time to time has also partnered with various businesses and leading accounting bodies and has organised various activities of professional interest to not only its members but also to the wider group of professionals engaged in professions other than accountancy.

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Westminster celebrates Diwali at the House of Commons The annual Diwali celebration was organised by the MPs and Lords at the House of Commons to celebrate the new year. The invitees included Bob Blackman MP, Rt Hon Lord Dholakia, Rt Hon Nigel Dodds MP, Lady Hermon MP, Rt Hon Llwyd MP, Caroline Lucas MP, Angus Robertson MP, Virendra Sharma MP, Paul Uppal MP and Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP. Many Hindu organisations and community leaders were invited to the event. Wishing the guests a Happy Diwali and Prosperous Year ahead, Bob Blackman told the invited guests, “The Hindu population of this country have brought great wealth, great prosperity, great industry. We owe you all a great depth of gratitude for what you've brought to this country and how to make this country a greater nation. I've been celebrating Diwali as well as all the other Hindu festivals for over 25 years and I have a great relationship with all the Hindu temples across North London” Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for communities told the guests, “I've celebrated Diwali ever since I was remarkably small, in Bradford. Diwali over the past 10 to 15 years has become as English as Christmas, as English as Eid and as any other event in our calender. I think there is a strong reason for that. Those UK citizens from Indian descent have made this country stronger; it's not just the relationship with the top Tatas of this world, but it is

the fact the Diwali is now celebrated in many of our cities. Our country is better when we are able to celebrate each other's festivals.

The part of being a British is that you get the pleasure of celebrating Diwali.”

Ed Miliband who lit the diyas towards the end of the ceremony told the present guests, “I feel privileged to be at this event. As an event in the Parliamentary calendar, I think it is important that I pay respect to the celebration of Diwali. We have people here from the Conservative party, from the Liberal Democrats and indeed the Labour Party. I would like to show our appreciation of the contribution of the Indian community, the huge contribution that you and people in your community make to the life of Britain. We had a full breed events this summer with the Olympics and the Paralympic games. I will not just remember the events but 'we will all be one' during and Paralympic games. We sold a vision of Britain to the world we have not yet lived- a diverse and harmonious and happy country; that is a vision of Britain I believe in. Not only the contribution of the working class, the normal contribution, but of the Hindu and Sikh to the life of our businesses and charities. Let me just say that we still have politics that is not fully representative of our country.

Finally, people in different communities are going through difficult times, but I think at those difficult times it is the strength of the community that gets us through.”

A greater Namaste to France?

Kruti Patel The media predominantly focuses on relations between India and Great Britain; but not so much of Indo-French relations is ever covered elaborately. After a briefing by Ambassador Rakesh Sood on the 5th November 2012, it has become evidently clear that the “strategic partnership” between India and France plays a profound and significant role for India' s development in many sectors.

Whether it is a question of soft or hard power there is a regularly “high levels of interactions”, a bilateral relationship between the two countries.

Trade and investment between the two has galloped over the years and India buys more civil aviation planes from Airbus than any other source.

France is known to enjoy a head-start over its western rivals in the civil nuclear sector in India. Not to forget that, Rafale beat Eurofighter to the multi-billion Indian Air Force fighter jet contract. The French also have a consistent participation to the modernisation of the Indian Railways, as well as “counter terrorism, intelligence and security co-operation” between the two is now at a much advanced level.

Referring to the time of President Shiraq's visit in 1998, when the strategic partnership was formalised, Ambassador Sood, pictured, said: “... Since that time, we have seen a steady

growth in political content of the relationship. By political content I mean regular exchange at high levels, at the level of Prime Minister and President.” There has been a certain “momentum” that has been “kept up” with the bilateral relationship, despite a change in government.

With President Hollande's intentions to visit India for the first time, Ambassador Sood indicates some the “political exchanges” that have occurred or are yet to occur, following Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's first meeting with President Hollande on the sidelines of the “G20 at Los Cabos”. There are further plans on scheduling a visit for the new external affairs minister to Paris and thereafter the French foreign minister Fabius, to Delhi, who is “no stranger” to Indian affairs.

Defence, aerospace, space and satellite launch activities, power generation cooperation

are only few of the sensitive sectors in which India and France share a strong relationship, having a vast range of bilateral projects under progress.

Although the trade figures between India and France are “ much below their potential,” India still gets much of its aerospace equipment, engines and so on from France. Other than the transportation of traditional textile items, India also exports petroleum products in certain quantities, as well as chemicals and pharmaceutical products.

Major French manufacturing companies choose to invest in India and many Indians have began to consider France as a possible foreign European destination.

Indian culture also plays an inspirational role for a niche group of French artists. A sense of awe and fascination is attached with Ancient Indian civilisation, in particular with the art and cultural aspects. It has been claimed that an artist even produced a “9 volume set of the Ramayan in French”, where illustrations or miniature paintings have been carefully collated from different private and public collections. It is not so much the contemporary India that people are intrigued by, but rather the intricacies of the traditional Indian culture.

The cultural exchanges between the two nations can also be characterised through “Bonjour India” and “Namaste France”, as well the Cannes Film Festival held in France every year.

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UK

8

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Reception held to Honour Professor Nathu Puri and Mr Mick Davis in recognition of their dedication and service to their communities Lawrence Joffe E d u c a t i o n , Entrepreneurship and Empathy - The three E’s that bond the Indian and Jewish communities of Britain, as told by Professor Nathu Puri and Mr. Mick Davis at a meeting held in their honour by the Indian Jewish Association on Thursday 25 October.

The event was hosted by law firm, Mishcon de Reya and was attended by Indian and Jewish professionals. All the guests were eager to hear from the two speakers who both came from impoverished backgrounds and who have gone on to create businesses that span the world.

Originally from the

Lord Janner of Braunstone QC; Professor Nathu Puri; Arjan Vekaria, Ramona Mehta; Mick Davis; John Levy

Punjab, Puri arrived in Britain with barely a penny to his name, yet he went on to build Purico, a network of companies in the automotive parts industry. The foundation he endowed to fund educational initiatives now donates over a million

Diwali greetings

Asian Voice will not be publishing the 17th November issue as we shall be on our Diwali break.

In the mean time please enjoy our exclusive Diwali magazine, that has a wide range of articles and helpful information on various interesting subjects.

Please be aware that our offices will be closed from 10th-14th November 2012 (inclusive).

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers, supporters, advertisers and well wishers a very Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New Year ahead. We look forward to seeing you on 24th November

pounds a year.

Professor Puri was recently made a Freeman of the City of Nottingham in recognition of his efforts for the city, which is just the latest of numerous civil honours.

However what really impresses his compatriots

back in India is his membership of the Nottingham Cricket Club Board.

He spoke with warmth about his encounters with Jewish colleagues in Britain, having recently underwritten the costs of publishing a history of The Jewish Heritage of

Gujarat. Launched at the Reception by Arjan Vekaria, IJA Council member and President of the Hindu Forum of Britain, the 44 page illustrated publication was written by Indian Jewish author, Esther David, and was published in remembrance of Mr Vekaria’s Jewish endowed school in Gujarat.

Mick Davis, chairman of both UJIA and JLC, was born into humble circumstances in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He recalled the underlying ethos of Xstrata, the mining company he has taken from several million toPage 2 many billion in turnover. Davis explained how ecological restoration after mining operations can often improve the

environment, and put back into the community more than it extracts.

After noting that God endowed the poorest people on earth with some of the richest mineral deposits, he spoke of the centrality of charity, in its truest sense, to both his business and the Jewish approach to life, recalling how his family had very little, yet were always charitable.

Many Hindu guests were touched by Davis’ precepts from the Jewish tradition, not least the Rabbi Hillel golden rule, and how closely it resembled their own moral fables.

The evening was capped with amiable networking over wine, kosher samosas and onion bhajis.

All Hindu & Gujarati Get together

On Sunday 28th October 250 men and ladies attended the all Hindu and Gujarati get together in search of a marriage partner.

The function was organised by Shri Jethalabhia Hindocha. The event took place at Harrow High School.

The event was attended by local dignitaries including the Deputy mayor of Harrow, special cultural dances were performed as

part of the opening ceremony.

The event was compared by Anitaben Ruparelia and Umesh Raichada.

PM Cameron: Britain is richer for its role model Muslims Dhiren Katwa A glittering reception to mark Eid Al-Adha, the annual Islamic festival of sacrifice, was hosted by British Premier David Cameron at Number Ten last Wednesday. I was among the over 100 guests.

Eid Al-Adha which actually took place on October 26 remembers the prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to.

Guests, young and old, queued outside Downing Street, each holding their e-invitation and photographic ID ready for inspection by an officer.

On being ticked off the guest list, each then went through security just pass the famous black gates, before entering Number Ten. Inside, guests were asked to leave their bags in reception and directed up the red-carpeted stairs to the function room.

Here, guests in business and traditional Islamic attire, exchanged

hugs, handshakes and business cards and mingled with each other, enjoying the canapés and soft drinks. In greatest demand, after of course the PM, was Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, the demoted former cochair of the Tory Party.

Almost everyone made a point of talking to her.

Dressed in an embroided red salwar kameez, she appeared to be coordinating introductions and photo calls, on request, between selected guests and the PM. It was amusing to see some guests hovering at the room entrance, in an obvious attempt to be among the first to greet the PM. Two fellow journalists returned to the room disappointed after hope of an interview with the PM turned out to be a false alarm. This two-hour event for some was probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience, hence the craze, naturally, for a photograph with Mr Cameron. No names mentioned. But at least their seemingly momentary smiles were captured on camera. Bless ‘em.

Then came the moment everyone was waiting for:

PM Cameron with guests

the PM arrived. Flanked by Baroness Warsi, he greeted guests before moving to a raised platform from where he made his five-minute address. “Welcome,” he began. “As I look around the room I see the media barons, people from sport, culture, arts, politics and business.” He paid a glowing tribute to the “immense contribution that Muslims make to British life”, adding: “Something all religions, all faiths have in common is we find different ways of saying to our communities that we all have obligations not just for ourselves but to each other and particularly to the poorest in our communities. To me, that’s what Eid is about. It’s a

message that resonates very strongly for Christians, for Hindus, for Jews as well as for Muslims. Eid is about caring for others less fortunate than ourselves.” He went on: “I’m proud of the fact that I was the first British PM to put a British Muslim woman into the Cabinet,” which prompted rapturous applause and cheer. “Britain can be proud of the fact that we’ve not turned our back on the world. If anything, we’ve turned towards the world.

We are a country that tries to heal suffering, feed the starving and helps solve the crises’ and problems all around the world that affects so many people, but Muslims in particular. He

concluded: “You’re hugely welcome. Eid Mubarak.”

Guests included Olympians Mohamed Sbihi and Abdul Buhari; footballer Kash Siddiqi, founder of charity KSF Foundation; businessmen Habib Rehman and Aftab Chughtai from Birmingham.

Also present were Mohammad Asghar from the Welsh Assembly, Lord Tariq Ahmad, who hails from the controversial Ahmadiyya denomination of Islam, Maleiha Malik, Professor of Law at King’s College London, Councillor Zahid Ali from Walsall Council, a modest and most friendly Councillor Asif Ayub from Spelthorne Borough Council, Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles, Enam Ali, founder of the British Curry Awards, Channel S TV’s chairman Ahmed us Samad Chowdhury and MPs Nicky Morgan (Loughborough) Alok Sharma (Reading West) and Richard Graham (Gloucester).

Again this year, the High Commissioner of Pakistan, Wajid Shamsul Hasan was absent.

Downing Street confirmed he was invited but had declined due to “prior engagements”. His junior colleagues Shair Bahadar Khan and Ehsan Ullah Batth, consul general in Birmingham and Manchester, respectively, were also absent.

Also missing from the gathering was Tariq Jahan, father of Haroon, the young man killed in Birmingham during last year’s riots, whom the PM had at the time publicly praised.

Live entertainment was provided by Aa’shiq al-Rasul “lovers of the Prophet”, an eight-strong Birmingham-based boyband, which describes itself as the “most versatile Nasheed group”.

Like all major faith groups, Islam too has a plethora of denominations – Ismaili, Dawoodi Bohra, Ahmadiyya, Pakistani, Mirpuri, Pathan – to list just a few.

Britain’s Muslim population stands at around 2.5 million; worldwide it’s around 1.8 billion.

Muslims are predicted to make up almost one in three of the world’s population by 2025.

EDUCATION/COUNCIL

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Teachers' anger over generous marking claim Teachers have hit out at claims they marked GCSE work too generously, as new data show the decline in pupils getting at least a C in English.

More than 600 schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland saw a fall of 10% or more in the proportion of pupils achieving grades A*-C on last year.

The figures indicate the scale of this summer's English GCSE grading debacle.

In its final report on the controversy, exams watchdog Ofqual says pressure to get good grades saw teachers overmark.

The new data - given to the Education Select Committee in response to

National Hindu Students Forum (UK)

By Mayur Shikotra

Big Hindu Questions

questions it raised of Ofqual in relation to the grading row - shows 611 schools saw a decrease of 10% or more in the number of candidates getting A*-C in English.

Head teachers have said that tens of thousands of students received lower GCSE English grades than expected this year, mainly around the C/D border.

During my time at university, I met many people who ate meat- but not on a Tuesday. When I asked them why they don’t eat meat on a Tuesday, their answer was normally, “because my parents told me not to.”

I have also asked my parents why they fast on certain days but I never get a clear answer as to why? I have begun to realize that I am not alone and that many students today are fed up of practicing a “blind faith”; doing things without having a proper explanation or reason behind it.

This year, National Hindu Students’ Forum (NHSF (UK)) have asked students across the UK what questions

Private schools urged to back academies

by Lord Adonis Many private schools are failing to fulfil their original charitable purpose, Lord Adonis warns.

The former schools minister said the independent sector must not separate itself from state education and called on them to get involved in academies. He said the trustees of private schools should look at their charitable values as a "matter of conscience and duty".

The Independent Schools Council said its schools showed their responsibility in a "rich variety of ways".

Lord Adonis served as schools minister under the previous Labour government and is regarded as one of the main architects of the academies programme.

These schools are semi-independent schools, funded by the state, with freedom over

areas such as the curriculum and staff pay and conditions.

Most fee-paying schools are charities and the status brings tax benefits.

However, as educational charities, they have to demonstrate to the Charity Commission a wider public benefit, beyond that to their own pupils and must provide more than a token benefit to those from less affluent backgrounds.

Child benefit cuts may cost some families £50,000 Some families may lose as much as £50,000 over the next 16 years due to cuts in child benefit, the accountancy firm PwC says.

The government will start to withdraw, or cut altogether, child benefit

from families where an adult earns more than £50,000 a year.

The benefit clawback will start on 7 January 2013 and will affect about one million families.

PwC says their poten-

tial loss could be substantial. "Many people affected by the child benefit cuts have probably not considered what the true cost will be to them over time," said Alex Henderson, a tax partner at PwC.

9

they want answered and have taken on the challenge in answering these; some of the most complex and controversial questions facing Hindus in the 21st Century.

NHSF (UK) brings to you ‘BIG HINDU QUESTIONS’ on Saturday 24th November at University of Wolverhampton (Walsall Campus). We believe that long gone are the days where blind faith is sufficient. Young Hindus are seeking answers to

important questions about their faith and its origins; NHSF (UK) is determined to have these questions answered.

If you have a burning question you need answering or you simply want to inquire into the great minds of world renowned Hindu Scholars and Professors then this is your chance – the floor is yours.

NHSF (UK) presents to you a ‘reality check’ at one of the most awaited conferences of the year – ‘Big Hindu Questions.’

With 3 talks and a choice of 8 workshops, this is an event that is not to be missed. So put the date in your diary and register your place.

Go to www.nhsf.org.uk/bhq for more information.

Clearing away crime at Southall clean up Almost 40 sackfuls of rubbish were collected from the canal towpath in Southall as council staff, police officers and community volunteers joined forces for a clear up day.

Cllr Ranjit Dheer, police, council staff and volunteers at the clean up day.

The council’s Safer Communities team worked with the police and the Canal and River Trust to organise the clean up on Friday 26 October.

Volunteers from Southall Community Alliance and A Rocha, an environmental charity based in Southall

Handcrafted in Britain

room for all the family

Happy Diwali from everyone at DFS

also joined in the clean-up.

As well as collecting rubbish, Safer Communities and the Police used the event to look for evidence of anti-social behaviour, drug use and knife crime, and to make sure rough sleepers at the site were directed to appropriate support.

YOUR VOICE

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Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Hurricane to the Rescue

Corruption in India

Living with dignity

Poppy Appeal 2012

The race for the White House has been put on hold as Hurricane Sandy’s gale-force winds brought havoc and disaster to the mid-Atlantic coast of New York and New Jersey. They have disrupted the final stages of campaigning for the US presidential election which is to commence on 7 November. The disaster has probably become blessings in disguise for President Obama. It has given Barrack Obama the much needed edge to show the electoral that he is in charge and that he was doing all he can to help those affected by this natural disaster. It gave him the opportunity to give a boost to his flagging popularity and to be in the lime light. He was seen to be doing all he can to help those struck by the disaster and was seen comforting people in their time of trouble. Surely hurricane Sandy has been a vote winner for him. It is ominous that his opponent, Mitt Romney, had said, in a different context, that “we want a peaceful planet”. It turned out to be anything but peaceful in his part of the world!

It is time to reflect on why these disasters are taking place. We have witnessed many tsunamis, floods, earthquakes and mudslides over the past few years. Who is to blame? What do you expect when the developed countries are belching out poisonous gases into the atmosphere. It is time for governments to do more to protect the environment. This could be achieved by reducing global warming and conserving an ecological balance by avoiding the depletion of natural resources like trees and forests – by creating sustainability.

Otherwise the world that we know today will no longer be there for the posterity.

I read with interest most of the correspondence between Alpesh Patel and Nitin Mehta regarding corruption in India and Britain. I do not agree with Alpesh Patel that Britain should take over the running of India. On the other hand India should adopt the welfare system that provides free education and national health for all.

Since Britain is welfare state the low paid workers are provided with housing and social security benefits. Hence there is no need for a police officer or a clerk or a security officer or a hospital porter to take bribe in this country. On the other hand in India renegade and corrupt politicians are paid on lakh rupees per month with free travel and subsidised accommodation. A clerk in India in the state level, is not even paid 20,000 rupees per month and a worker in small factory is paid less than 10,000 rupees per month. They are not provided with free medical care and educational facilities for their families. The government hospitals are very dirty and filthy and one has to bribe the clerk to see the doctor since there is always a long queue.

Indians who lead a cosy and comfortable life in the UK do not understand the way in which Indians live in villages. A large number of poor villagers sleep in temple court yard.

Indians like Nitin Mehta believes India is the greatest place to settle but still they would like to settle in Britain. Indians are still leaving India to come to Britain looking for jobs or for education in thousands for better standard of living, and there is no need for them to stand in the queue for bus or gas cylinder or ration card in this country.

Arun Vaidyanathan Via Email

In last week’s editorial, “Let the pensioners and old people live with dignity” would touch many hearts, as most of us who came to these shores in late sixties are OAPs in our own right! It is a sad reflection on the society that exploitation of the old and infirm is on the rise and even our own law abiding and generally well behaved Indian community is not immune to the erosion of morals, principals and the sense of what is right and what is wrong, what is and should be unacceptable.

With our younger generation preoccupied with building their careers, charting their future and enjoying exotic holidays, our older generation is looking, turning to “Care Homes” for their comfort, dignity and companionship that eludes them in their own families.

No profitable business is immune to Indian invasion and Care Homes are no exception. This is a noble way to serve the society and put back goodwill in the community that has given us our daily bread. But with declining moral standard and get rich in the shortest time-span mentality, profit and greed becomes the overriding factor that leads to neglect and mistreatment of the residents.

Such scandals throng our TV Channels on a weekly basis, not necessarily involving Asian/Indian community but no one can remain aloof, in isolation to such changes. I hope such timely and hard hitting editorial will bring home the reality and persuade our community that our older generation deserves our respect and is entitled to retire and live with dignity in the surroundings of their own choosing.

The annual Poppy Appeal sees Britons unite to remember the sacrifice of all those who have served our country.

Those who have fought bravely and dedicated their lives to defending Britain and the Commonwealth and the freedom and values that these countries embody.

Many forget that in the World Wars, thousands of Indian soldiers went into battle alongside our allies. At this very moment there are young British Indians on active duty alongside many other brave servicemen and women.

I was very proud to see our community play a visible role in Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations up and down the country; we held street parties, Melas and many of our Temples and community centres flew the Union Flag. This was a clear sign of how well the British Indian community has integrated in Britain and accepted this country as their own.

Remembrance Day and the Poppy Appeal are about honouring our heroes; those who have given their lives to defend our freedoms. It is important that the British Indian community plays its part in the appeal and participate in the services that remember the sacrifice of all those who have served our country, Great Britain.

Please encourage your colleagues, family, friends, and community to do their part this year. I have written to Temples across the country asking them to participate, and you can order your Poppy Box and Collection Box free of charge for your office or community centre by calling the Royal British Legion on 0800 085 5924.

The Poppy Appeal is woven into the fabric of British life and I very much hope that British Indians, particularly the new generation of British Indians will take part in this Appeal by displaying a Poppy as a small way of both thanking and commemorating those departed souls.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Care home and elderly people I have not seen the film showing how the staff members were abusing vulnerable residents in some of the care homes. But reading the news in Asian Voice about “Are care homes putting profits before Humanity?” It is horrifying to read upto what extent people can go. I know it is very difficult to look after people with serious disabilities but you should only join this profession if you have dedication to serve people. If you are only working for money then you are committing a sin in the eyes of God. Every one will be old one day and have health problems, we all need to think what we can develop together.

All the communities should be involved with their people to develop care homes which should be monitored regularly by health officials and community workers.These community run care homes must not have aims to make profits but should be non profit making organisations, thus could be cheaper and better.

Asian Voice editorial comments let the pensioners and old people live with dignity are very timely and must be supported by all of us. Can our religious leaders who are building very very big Temples, Gurudwaras and Mosques in Britain, can divert their attention to build care homes and look after people? I will greatly appreciate if any one of them reply to my this question in Asian Voice.

Dharam Sahdev Ilford

Bhupendra M Gandhi Via Email

Diwali 2012 Diwali 2012 is a few days ahead. I wish all readers of GS / AV in general and specifically readers of my letters a very happy Diwali and prosperous and peaceful Hindu new year - Vikram Samvat 2070. For Hindus, the period around Diwali is most active and vibrant for Hinduism when Hindu lion must ROAR. We must be assertive, non-secular, fanatical and fundamentalist Hindu during a Hin festival season and march forward with torch of our Hindu –Vedic religion? Let us spread Divali cheer for next 52 weeks.

Diwali is meant for sheer happiness that springs from satisfactory ending of past year. Stress must be on comedy, cartoons, adventure, jokes, thrills etc, from vibrant Damu Sangani, Jyotindra Dave, Tarak Mehta na OOndha Chashma, Bhadrambhadra, Vaju Kotak, Gunvantrai Acharya, Dhumketu, Chunilal Dhami. We have Bakor Patel, Mian Fooski, Joitaram ni Jadibootti, Chhako and Makko etc? Let us enjoy these as Divali crackers.

Diwali must convey to all that joy expressed on Divali is spiritual, is not boring, backward, stifling or inane hedonism.

We must acknowledge fact that all religions celebrate holy festivals during same period as Hindus - who name this period between Navaratri, Divali and Dev divali, Muslims name as Ramadhan and Eid, Christians name as Natal season. So, spirituality shines whatever the religion. Joy that

unites equated with spirituality by all religions.

Festivals are soul of any religion because every person irrespective of polity, status or education can participate willingly. All can go along and flow with happiness, Without Eid, Christmas and Divali humans can be another animal browsing on earth. Welcome, New Year and greener pastures.

Ramesh Jhalla Via Email

London Living wage This week has seen a ray of hope for lowpaid workers across London. The London Living Wage, the hourly rate of pay that allows workers to earn enough to provide them and their families with the basics of a decent life, has increased by 25 pence from £8.30 to £8.55.

Following an inspiring campaign by London Citizens, the introduction of the Living Wage in schools, hospitals, local authorities and the Greater London Assembly as well as by private sector companies such as Standard Charter and Standard Life has help lift over 8,000 families of working poverty, as well as improved staff retention and improved workforce morale. Yet in London alone, 470,000 people are still earning less than £7 an hour.

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

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

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

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

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

away five years from your life.

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

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

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E-mail: support@abplgroup.com

[Lord Dolar Popat has been appointed as a Whip in the Government, which is a very important assignment. Goodluck.

- Editor] The Coalition Government’s endless drive to slash support for some of the UK most vulnerable whilst simultaneously choosing to ignore income levels for those in work is a problem. Ministers should be encouraging employers to sign up to the Living Wage as a way to help those in work meet the rising costs of living and to make work pay rather than snatching away much needed safeguards from those struggling to house and feed their families.

Living Wage employers such as London Underground, Westfield and Prudential are proof that it is possible to take decisions which make sound business sense whilst providing decent pay standards and benefits for employees.

The Government has an important role to play in ensuring that others follow their lead.

Jean Lambert Green MEP for London

Visit our website: www.abplgroup.com

*Subscriptions paid will not be refunded ."

*

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

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

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Lord Dolar Popat Via Email

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UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Safeguarding your family legal rights - the crucial importance of ensuring that your foreign marriage or divorce is recognised in English Law Although the courts in England & Wales strives to recognise both foreign marriages/foreign divorces, understanding that their validity and recognition in England/Wales is of a fundamental importance is paramount in ensuring the safeguard of a divorced spouse’ legal rights and entitlements that will follow.

The importance of recognising foreign divorces in UK enables former spouse to make financial claims in England/Wales after obtaining a recognised foreign divorce, which may not otherwise be available. If the divorce is recognised then other issues such as: forced heirship wills, including the effect on financial provisions for former spouses legitimacy, nationality and tax entitlement to state/welfare benefits will all need to be considered.

It is now widely accepted that courts will go to great lengths to recognise foreign marriages/foreign divorces. It is essential that people know whether their foreign marriage is recognised in English law as recognition of the marriage will affect the legitimacy of any children and the availability of divorce or other marital claims that naturally follow; it will also have wider implications on an individual’s nationality, immigration, heirship, tax status and entitlement to benefits and financial claims.

For a marriage held in the UK to be valid, it must be monogamous, be carried out in accordance with the necessary legal requirements and parties have the capacity to marry. A claim to have been married in England/Wales must be supported by a marriage certificate issued by Superintendent Registrar or an authorised minister of religion. Foreign marriages are valid in England/Wales if evidence that the ceremony was performed in accordance with the local laws, the parties followed the law of the country in which the marriage took place and they each had capacity to marry. If marriage in a foreign jurisdiction takes place contrary to the rules of that jurisdiction, the marriage will be invalid irrespective of the fact that it complied with the rules of the country of origin from which both parties were from. If one of the parties to the marriage fails to consent to the marriage (i.e.: forced marriage) the marriage is voidable here provided it took place after 31st July 1971. A religious marriage in England/Wales however would not suffice as a valid marriage as the parties are required to undergo a civil ceremony in order for the marriage to be valid.

Unfortunately, not all marriages last ‘till death do us part’. A foreign divorce is recognised in England and Wales provided it was in accordance with the laws of the country in which it was obtained. A foreign marriage can be dissolved in England/Wales provided (i) one party is habitually resident and domiciled in England/Wales; (ii) the parties must be living in England/Wales when petitioning for divorce (covers living in England/Wales but working temporarily abroad). In order to petition for divorce an original marriage certificate should be produced and be translated into English if need be and certified by a notary public or authenticated by affidavit. The parties can then make an application for ancillary and/or financial relief in the same way as any other person who married in England and Wales can, subject to being granted permission from the court to do so, which is usually granted if parties are resident in the UK and have assets here.

Asia Razaq, author and trainee solicitor - Duncan Lewis. Legal 500 Firm Duncan Lewis’ specialises in advising clients on all aspects of International Family Law matters. With branches all across London, if you have any questions arising from this article, please contact Duncan Lewis on 0207 923 4020 or visit www.duncanlewis.com.

Head office Spencer House 29 Grove Hill Road, Harrow-On-The-Hill HA1 3BN www.duncanlewis.com

11

Mother accused of son’s murder for failing to learn Quran by heart A mother allegedly murdered her young son and set his body on fire when he struggled to learn the Quran off by heart, a court has heard.

Yaseen Ali, 7, was pulled from the fire and initially given CPR in the hope that his life could be saved.

Sara Ege used a stick to beat seven-year-old Yaseen “like a dog” if he couldn’t recite passages from the Islamic text.

The beatings were so

brutal that the boy died from his injuries, and his mother tried to burn the

body to destroy the evidence, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

Yaseen, pictured, was originally thought to have died in the house fire. But a post-mortem examination showed Mrs Ege had been beating and abusing her little boy in the months leading up to his murder.

She also hit him with a hammer, a rolling pin and a slipper, as well as repeatedly punching him, the court heard.

She would allegedly lock him in the shed, tie him to a door, and force him to do press-ups.

In the months after Yaseen’s death, Mrs Ege told a doctor she been told to kill him by Shaitan - an Islamic name for the devil, the court was told.

Her husband, 38, denies causing or allowing the death of a child by not stopping the beatings.

The trial continues.

Indian couple’s 87-year marital bond declared as world’s longest An era where hardly marriages endure the test of time, a centurion couple have lived in a marital bliss for 87 years. They have been now declared as the world’s longest married couple.

Hundred-and-sevenyear-old Karam and his 100-year-old wife Katari Chand, who have eight children and 28 grandchildren together, say that the key to success is looking

Britain to cut India aid by half?

Britain is set to unveil plans this week to cut its £280 million per annum aid to India by half, amid criticism that its overseas assistance is not justified at a time of recession in the country, a daily media report said on Monday.

Last February, India’s then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee – now the country’s President had told the aid chiefs that the payments were ‘a peanut in our total development expenditure’.

Justine Greening, who is visiting India now, will outline how the payments could be now reduced amid claims that India is too rich to need handouts.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that Greening may cut the subsidies by up to half. The Daily Mail on Monday reported that Greening will merely divert money sent to India to poorer countries, not cut the overall aid budget. It also added how UK spent tens of millions of pounds on an army of consultants to tell India how to spend the cash.

The department for international development has defended the subsidies, saying India is still home to a third of the world’s poor who survive on less than 80 pence a day.

Greening, a former accountant who only took on the international aid brief two months ago, revealed last month that she was in talks with India over turning off the aid tap.

Greening also promised a “new approach” to ensure every pound of British aid spent around the world has the “biggest impact”.

after each other in every way possible and making each other laugh.

“My trick is to make Katari laugh. I like to tell jokes and make her smile.

Being funny is my way of being romantic,” said Karam.

The marriage of the couple, who now live in Bradford, has lasted nearly five years longer than that of the current Guinness World Record holders and the couple are in the process of getting confirmation to be named as the new record holders, Daily Mail reported.

The couple from Punjab, India ensure that they do little things for each other to keep the

r o m a n c e a l i v e . H e added, “In the past people used to listen.

Now I don’t think people take the time to listen to each other p ro p e r l y.

People seem too Kartari and Karam Chand busy today with worries or problems they work, TV and other stuff are going through.” going on around them.

Katari told romantic Relationships are networking site Zoosk, about understanding one “When I was young I used another and listening to to make him a nice fresh concerns and problems, so meal every night. We are my advice to men and vegetarian so I brought women is to listen to their lots of fresh vegetables partners, show interest in and made sure he was eatwhat they are saying and ing healthy food.” help them overcome any

12

MEDIA WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Scrutator’s On Monday, October 29, India awoke to a reshuffled government. Seven members of the old guard had disappeared into the shadows, to be replaced by younger faces waiting their turn in the wings. The government’s “policy paralysis, “is now worth no more than a dud five rupee note. This is but the first gear of generational change. Whether the intended political renewal materializes is anybody’s guess: political risk, like any other risk, brings either fulfilment or disappointment, yet ’tis better taken than avoided. Standing still leaves a burdensome legacy.

Salman Khurshid, 59, as Minister of External Affairs is the only newcomer to the inner circle of the Cabinet. The congratulatory messages he has received from Russian, British and Nepalese counterparts, among others, underscored his reputation abroad. He had served with some distinction as minister of state in the Narasimha Rao regime in the 1990s, hence is no greenhorn in foreign affairs. His threats against anti-corruption activist Arvind Kejriwal were unbecoming of a law minister (as he was then), but this, possibly, was a momentary lapse during a heated argument. Shiv Sena leader Bal Thakeray’s incendiary rhetoric against fellow Indian citizens from states outside Maharashtra is almost a daily occurrence. That, alas, is how it is today in Bharat, that is India.

People to watch The people to watch are M.M.Palam Raju, 50, as Human Resources Development Minister, Ajay Maken, 48, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister, and the four young guns, Ministers of State with Independent charge

Economic revival

Apropos of the second quarter growth figures, the Times of India (November 1) writes, “India Inc may not be fully out of the woods, but a large number of companies are beating analysts’ estimates this earnings season…. In all 33 of 57 companies (58 per cent) have registered healthy profits, said investment banking major Morgan Stanley. Its data reveals that profit margins had expanded by 17 basis points. The broader market (comprising 658 companies) has Jyotiraditya Scindia Jitendra Singh seen revenues and earnings grow by 14 per cent and 16 per cent year-on-year.

“The worst is behind us. But the kind of improvement we make would be known only in a couple of quarters,” opined Managing Director K.R.Choksey Shares Manish Tewari Sachin Pilot and Securities.

D e p u t y Chairman of the Planning of key portfolios: Jyotiraditya Commission, Montek Singh Scindia, 41, Manish Tewari, 47, Ahluwalia, told reporters that Sachin Pilot, 35, and Jitendra the deceleration in GDP growth Singh, 41. They hold Power, had bottomed out, the decline Information and Broadcasting, having begun in the last quarter Corporate Affairs and Sports of 20011-12 at 5.3 per cent, the and Youth Affairs respectively. present incremental recovery With Pawan Kumar Bansal as would gain momentum by Minister, the Railways can once January, he said. again become “the engine for (Times of India November economic growth.”

1,4) Shashi Tharoor’s second coming as Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Resource Core sector growth Development is a restoration to grace after his abrupt fall a couMore encouraging is the core ple of years ago. sector’s 5.1 per cent expansion This calibrated exercise is in September, with coal, refinery doubtless designed to return a products and cement posting faltering economy to steady robust growth. Figures released growth and ensure, thereafter, a by the Commerce and Industry victory for Congress at the Ministry showed eight core national polls. The ends will industries achieving positive then have justified the means. growth following sluggish 2.1 (The Hindu, Times of India, per cent figures for July and Telegraph October 29,30) August.

As the sector accounts for 40 per cent of the Index of Industrial Production, there is cautious optimism that better times are ahead.

(Economic Times November 1)

Auto sales rise

Passenger car sales have also risen significantly, thanks to increased demand in the festive season.

Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra, Hyundai, Audi, Honda and Toyota Kirloskar reported robust growth in October 2012 over the same month of the previous year. However, Tata Motors, General Motors India and Ford India registered declining sales.

Leading the passenger car segment was Maruti Suzuki India, which posted an 86.5 per cent rise in sales, Mahindra & Mahindra clocked 46.6 per cent over a similar period, while Audi India grew by 76 per cent, Honda 46 per cent and Toyota Kirloskar 14.1 per cent respectively.

(Hindu November 2)

Interest rate on hold The looming arrival of every quarter gives rise to fevered optimism in market and government alike of the much sought for interest rate cut. Once again the Reserve Bank of India refused to oblige in the face of continuing high inflation.

As a sop the RBI reduced the Cash Reserve Ratio – the portion of deposits banks keep with the RBI – by 25 basis points from 4.5 per cent to 4.25 per cent.

This is expected to inject Rs 17,500 crore liquidity into the banking system.

President Pranab Mukherjee and Bangladesh Opposition leader Khaleda Zia pledge to strengthen Indo-Bangla ties

While Indian and American presentations covered a broad area, from the Gulf of Aden to the South China Sea, Japanese delegates concentrated on their country’s dispute with China over ownership of the uninhabited Senkaku islands.

Chinese media and strategic analysts voiced concern about the Delhi conclave, which, true to form, they viewed as an antiChina exercise to thwart their country’s legitimate regional interests.

(Hindu October 31, Times of India November 2)

Cause for concern

Finance Minister Chidambaram was not impressed. “If government has to work alone to face the challenge of growth, then we will walk alone,” he responded testily.

(The Hindu October 30, 31)

India, Japan, US cooperation Senior officials from India, Japan and the US met in Delhi for the third trilateral conference to discuss cooperation in maritime security, and review plans for a land route from India to Vietnam via Myanmar and Thailand. The exchanges included Africa, where the three powers hope to set up joint projects.

A Times of India editorial (November 2) appealed sententiously to India to build a relationship with China based on trust. If wishes were horses beggars would ride. The unspoken core of the Sino-Indian relationship has been Beijing’s occupation of Tibet and developments arising there-from: the Dalai Lama’s flight to India in March 1959, and the steady stream of Tibetan arrivals - now a150, 000-strong refugee community.

Their boundary dispute is more symptom than cause behind Sino-Indian mistrust.

Indo-Pakistan ties

West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan

Reserve Bank Governor D. Subbarao

Sententious editorial

M.K.Narayanan, West Bengal Governor, India’s former National Security Adviser and, prior to that, its Intelligence Bureau chief, addressing the annual India-Australia Institute in Melbourne, said that India and China were destined by geography, culture, and history to be competitors rather than close friends. Chinese activities in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and in India’s periphery had a strategic fallout for the country. India and China, he said, were aware of the possibility of conflict, therefore, had taken measures against this eventuality.

Pakistan, Mr Narayan opined, was a different ball game. “India cannot possibly rest easy unless there is a distinct change in attitude.

Pakistan possesses one of the world’s biggest armies, one that is equipped with a rapidly growing nuclear arsenal.” (Hindu November 2) Mr Narayanan might have mentioned China’s supplies of a nuclear bomb and related technologies to Pakistan and Pakistan’s export of the latter to Iran and North Korea.

There is no more persistent special pleader for Pakistan than Mumbai-based lawyer A.G.Noorani.

“A visit Manmohan must make” (to Pakistan) is the catchpenny headline to a promissory projection of peace in our time. The carrot? Sir Creek, the Siachen Glacier and Kashmir would become part of a new IndiaPakistan Shangrila.

Mr Noorani referred loftily to Churchill’s call, in 1953, for an Anglo-American exploratory summit with Russia’s Stalin (rejected by Washington) on easing Cold War tensions - the subtext being their wartime alliance against Nazi Germany, Churchill, a towering figure, warts and all, with a fine sense of history, well understood that, with the once US nuclear monopoly turning to nuclear stalemate, jaw-jaw was preferable to war-war.

Waiting for Godot, Nooranistyle is delusional fantasy.

Pakistan’s jehadi triumphalism has been predicated on India’s destruction. Sixty-five years of Indo-Pakistan talks and voluble talk shows are best summed up as karmic futility. Let the dead bury the dead.

(Hindu October 30).

Mahala Yusufzai, 15, was shot in the head for preaching the gospel of female education in Pakistan. This bloody deed, said optimists, would mark the turning of the neo-fascist Islamist tide to a new dawn of liberal plurality. It’s business as usual, alas. A school in Lahore was set upon recently by an incandescent mob claiming that the principal, a teacher or a girl pupil had blasphemed against the Prophet Mohammed. A Gallic saying, which translated, reads: “The more things change, the more they remain the same.”

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

13

Discussing Brand Bengal with Dr. Amit Mitra Political Sketchbook Dr. Reenu Punnoose

Alpesh Patel’s

Changing British Foreign Policy on Gujarat When I worked in the US Congress, we would lobby the White House and the State Department to change its foreign policy stance on Pakistan. So I have an interest in how foreign policy and power politics works.

I’ve never thought of myself as an investigative journalist, but I do consider myself a deliverer of truth without fear or favour, in the best traditions of both the Bar and the journalist profession – both to which I belong.

I care not for partisan party political writings, for they usually obscure truth. So it is only rarely I identify specific Parliamentarians when I think what they have done for their country is overlooked. Today, it is Lord Popat. Let’s get some facts straight. Since 2001 when the British Government de facto broke relations with the Government of Gujarat, the Labour administration did not, would not, could not restore them. Fact.

There are many good hardworking pro-India people in the Labour Party. And anyone from the other parties who cannot bear to read that has a problem with the truth. I have been in India alongside Prime Minister Brown and Peter Mandelson to India. I was appointed by a Labour Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, to the UK India Roundtable and was thanked in that role by his successor Jack Straw. We reported to Prime Minister Blair. They all did indeed work tirelessly for closer links with India.

But, but, but, no one acted in Government, in the Foreign Office, in the High Commission under the Labour administration, to urgings to change their stance on Gujarat.

For all our writings, representations we were impotent and it all fell on deaf ears. Self-evidently. Fact.

I’m a businessman. I don’t want excuses. I want results.

Gujarat deserved better. Under a Conservative – Liberal coalition things changed. Fact.

Backbenchers, especially Labour opposition backbenchers, had absolutely nothing to do with it. Anybody who knows anything about politics knows the impotence of backbenchers, let alone those in opposition. Their impotence is not their fault. But their refusal to accept it, is a lie. Fact.

They only matter on a select committee – and the select committees were silent. Or at times of Government defeat – not the case here. Fact.

So how do you get the Foreign Office to change its stance on India? On something like Gujarat, things need clearance from the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister.

That’s how it works. The more difficult and potentially politically sensitive the issues, the higher up the approval needed. Fact. I’ve worked in politics and with Government for over a decade, with the Foreign Office in particular, represented the British position in India through confidential briefings, to know how things work.

David Cameron made his first major overseas visit to India. He made it clear there would be an even greater proximity to India than under Labour. Fact.

David Cameron does not make policy decision based on representations from Labour backbenchers. And he didn’t do it despite our clear wishes at the UK India Business Council. Fact.

So who got to the PM? What changed in the Foreign Office? Why did it take two years into a Tory Government?

The Foreign Office was not going to do this without Number 10’s clearance. A Tory, Gujarati, who knew the PM is what was needed. But someone able to make a credible case that there would be more good than bad, willing and able to take any flak there may be for making that proposal, who had something reputationaly to lose, but nothing to gain (like an MP with a constituency) so his motives could not be doubted and his voice stronger for the community, someone who would keep on being relentless with the people in Number 10 and the Foreign Office and not kept at arms length as would lobbyists or Labour affiliates. It would have to be someone willing to cajole, be firm, yet diplomatic and play the long game too. Lord Popat was that man. Fact.

So what does it matter? Truth matters. Every reader of this paper should understand how politics works, because when we don’t, we are the first to suffer. When we are fooled into thinking that power resides where it does not, we are the first to suffer.

Since coming to power after defeating the world’s longest-ruling democratically-elected communist government in 2011, Mamata Banerjee has sought to create a new, enduring fascination for West Bengal nationally and internationally. She has also ensured that the voice of Bengal constantly resonates in Delhi’s corridors of power. It came as no surprise, therefore, when West Bengal was chosen by the Ministry of Tourism as the theme state of the India Pavilion at the ongoing World Travel Market (WTM) in London.

The World Travel Market is an annual fourday UK event targeting the global travel industry that provides a significant opportunity to suppliers in the industry to negotiate business contracts. This business-to-business event is organised by Reeds Exhibition and has over 180 countries in attendance. The organisers along with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) work together to initiate discussions aimed at stimulating the industry towards a better future.

Owing to India’s growing importance in the global industry, it has been given its own dedicated region of more than 1000 square metres of space on the exhibition floor for the first time at WTM 2012.

This has allowed new exhibitors from both public and private sectors to make their presence felt.

WTM 2011 generated £56 million deals for Indian exhibitors and it is expected WTM 2012 will generate even more. Dr. Amit Mitra, state minister for Finance and Excise, is part of the Indian delegation at WTM to showcase brand Bengal to the travel industry.

Braving the London freeze in a traditional dhoti and kurta, Dr. Mitra looked every bit a Bengali as we talked about brand Bengal over breakfast.

“The first day was purely physical promotion…promoting Bengal, bringing it into the consciousness of [the business world] and getting noticed”, said Dr. Mitra. The promotional activities involved four elements: sound, visuals, publications and based on the first three, networking with tour operators and travel magazines’ representatives. Baul singers and traditional artisans from rural Bengal were flown in for the event including a patachitra artist, a metalworker woman, a conk shell carving artist and dancers who use masks.

Eleven publications on the different dimensions of Bengal were also highlighted to provide an insight into Bengali literature.

On the tourism front, Bengal has much to offer.

Several destinations were highlighted at the event: the mountains in the North, tea tourism in Dooars (aside from Darjeeling), 207- acre land near the Teesta river surrounding hills and forests where huge projects are underway including luxury and budget hotels, a spa and a golf-course. Projects are also underway in the Sunderbans, the beaches, rural tourist spots and Kolkata. Dr. Mitra alluded to Mamta Banerjee’s dream of turning Kolkata into London, “she has brought special trident lights and the Ferris wheel project..like the London eye, that has progressed..we have got eleven expressions of interest in it”. He proudly refers to the trident lights as the new motif of Kolkata.

Apart from impressing the travel industry, Dr. Mitra was also given the task of wooing investors in other sectors. He met

members of the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) and recently appointed Minister for Indian trade and investment, Gregory Barker. Investment opportunities in the following sectors received interest: 1) development of 1000km of state highways is already under way in the PublicPrivate Partnership domain and the development of a further 3000km of highways are on the table, half of which will be under the PPP 2) building two deepsea ports 3) setting up two film cities in North Bengal and Kolkata based on the model of the MediaCityUK in Manchester 4) building hospitals and ensuring they are accessible to the poor 5) providing technical know-how to develop the 400 acre eco-park in Kolkata on which work has already begun. Dr. Mitra revealed that Gregory Barker has expressed his keen interest in helping Bengal generate power from city waste and in developing renewable ener-

gy technologies like solar and tidal energy. “UKIBC has agreed in principle to sign an MOU with WBIDC [West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation]

by December”, confirmed Dr. Mitra. The MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) will be a detailed draft that is based on the output of the meetings held between members of UKIBC and WBIDC. As the WTM draws to a close, Dr. Mitra and the state’s delegation will return home pleased with the favourable outcomes for brand Bengal. States like Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal which were previously not in the international limelight for their tourism prospects have now begun to grab the world’s attention and WTM 2012 marks a welcome change in this direction.

Even as the world’s love affair with India continues unstably, West Bengal is steadily carving its own niche place on the global investment map.

The centre’s move to bring West Bengal’s tourism prospects and investment potential to the forefront by naming it as the theme state for WTM 2012 will undoubtedly go a long way in reducing the long-standing emotional distance between Kolkata and Delhi.

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14

ART & CULTURE

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Evening of glamour for International students with Great British Mag and Selfridges Kruti Patel Great British Mag teamed up with Selfridges to host an evening, showing this seasons winter and autumn trends, especially for international students.

The event was hosted at the London flagship Selfridges store on 1 Nov. Two further events are planned for the Manchester and Birmingham stores.

International students are a logical target as Selfridges, as they have seen a growth in foreign customers over the years, and international students alone have contributed over £8.5billion to the UK economy in terms of university fees and general expenditure.

Selfridges Director of PR and Events, Annette Cremin, had stated that: “Selfridges is for everyone and this event is a very

good example of putting value into practice and recognise the relevance of the custom from international visitors, including those based in the UK.” The UK’s popularity amongst overseas students is at all-time high. In 2011, overseas student increased by 5.5% and by 2012, applications from international students for university places

increased by 8.9%, whilst there has been a 9% decrease from home students. A vast majority of these students leave the UK after completing their studies, making them great “foot soldiers” to take brands into new markets. And are key influencer for their friends and families, whether it is using new products or services, adopting new

Fill your lungs for a fuller life, says yogi Rudy Otter Most people are drifting through life using only five per cent of their true potential, says yogi Gurbachan Saini, a 74year-old who looks much younger.

Blocking each of his nostrils in turn, he inhaled and exhaled steadily, watched by scores of visi-

tors at London’s Olympia for the 8th annual Om Yoga Show over three relaxing days, Mr Saini of EduConsult International, Toronto, was among the 200 exhibitors who had visitors bending, stretching and deep-breathing in pursuit of better health.

Various forms of yoga included special exercises for pregnant women and

children.

Meditation was also popular with those striving for blissful, stress-free lives, Yogi tea helped revive “mind, body and spirit”.

Exhibitors included Nazish Akhtar who set up Aura Photography and Psychic Hands in Middlesex 12 years ago to help people “understand themselves better”.

habits or visiting key attractions in the UK and across Europe.

It has been noted that international students have a greater spending power in comparison to home students and such brands are drawn to target foreign students. Their readiness and financial ability to spend on luxury items, travel and lesuire far exceeds the spending power of British students, a characteristic of a young professional.

Wahida Ashiq, the founder of Great British Mag commented: “As the

only media channel for international students we are delighted to be working with Selfridges, who share our enthuasiam for this audience.

International students contribute a lot to the UKnot least to our economy.

These students also put the UK on the global map for its excellence in education and bring business and other opportunities back to the UK after graduation.”

The Great British Mag is the only lifestyle website for international students and provides daily content

that inspires and informs overseas students in the UK.

Calls for English Defence League to be branded “extremist” Labour’s Black and Asian Assembly Members have written to the head of the Metropolitan Police to urge him to revise the Met’s view about the English Defence League (EDL) not being viewed as an extremist group.

Last week the Government banned the EDL from marching in Waltham Forest, Islington, Newham and Tower Hamlets for 30 days.

Assembly Members Murad Qureshi, Jennette Arnold OBE, Dr Onkar Sahota and Navin Shah signed a joint letter to Commissioner Bernard

Hogan-Howe asking him to reconsider the EDL’s status.

The Met applied to the Secretary of State Theresa May amid fears of public disorder as the EDL prepared to march in Walthamstow for the second time in one month.

Members of the EDL have targeted London boroughs where there are a number of different faith groups and BAME communities.

Labour London-wide Assembly Member Murad Qureshi said: “We call on Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe to brand the EDL as an

extremist group. Members of the EDL are disrupting our communities and promoting violence and racist ideology. They are obviously a far-right group, bent on causing as much trouble in our diverse communities as possible.

“It is disgraceful that people such as the EDL who don’t even live in London and have to travel from outside the city are allowed to come to our neighbourhood to promote their evil racist ideology. We must stand together and recognise the EDL for what they are, an extremist far-right group.”

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

15

If you have any particular topics you would like covered on my page, please let me know.

www.punjabeeblonde.wordpress.com tanveer.mann@abplgroup.com

MUSic

Tanveer Mann

Upcoming British Asian rapper releases ‘Won’t Let You Down’ 2012 has been a pivotal year for one of the fastest rising rappers on the British urban scene.

With the release of ‘Won’t Let You Down’, Cynikal has his sights bigger and better projects to come in 2013 Artist and producer Cynikal has gone from being an established underground artist to performing for thousands at the London olympics and Paralympics in 2012. following national radio airplay on BBC radio 1, 1Xtra, Asian Network, Kiss fm and Choice fm, and highly praised live performances with his live band - The Street orchestra - featuring accomplished musicians who regularly perform with the likes of maverick Sabre and Jessie Ware; the momentum for Cynikal is beginning to pick up leading him into 2013.

Cynikal releases his first single on iTunes this month, titled ‘Won’t Let You Down’ and has his eyes set on the charts as he hopes to finish the year on a high.

HAPPY DIWALI from Urban-Bhangra Music Artists RDB & Nindy Kaur!

“Happy Diwali to all your readers and we wish you all the best for the year ahead.”

Manj and I [Surj] love Diwali! It is the perfect time to relax, unwind and, of course, party! We spend this most holy festival with our loved ones, just chilling out, catching up and eating loads of tasty Mithai! Diwali also holds special memories for us, as we have often been somewhere in the world performing and entertaining t h e crowds.

Diwali is a time to

Did you know..?

The tune for the "A-B-C" song is the same as "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

Word of the Week: Petaflop (noun) - a measure of a computer’s processing speed. It can be expressed as a thousand trillion floatingpoint operations per second

The video, directed by Chas Appeti and Simon Dewey, is dedicated to “my family, my friends, my fans and anyone who has ever given me an opportunity to succeed in life – it’s because of all those people I am where I stand”. The record reflects Cynikal’s talent in storytelling very poignantly about his experiences within his life.

Born in London, raised in Essex and a graduate of the prestigious Leeds College of music academy, Cynikal, also known as Tavinder Sanghera, is one of the very few urban artists with a British Asian identity. The experiences growing up in an Asian household twinned with experiences living in 21st century Britain lie at the heart of his rhythm and lyrics.

Cynikal’s song is closely drawn to his own personal experience: “The song highlights my determination to succeed, and my will to achieve what I set out to when this all began many years ago.”

The single is available to download via iTunes: http://bit.ly/cynikalWLYD reflect on the past year and take stock of what you’ve achieved and where you want to be in the future. This year it will be extra special as we have our new track ‘We Doin’ It Big’ about to release just before Diwali. We are really excited about it and can’t wait for the track to come out and for all our fans to hear it. Manj and Surj – RDB

Nindy Kaur “Happy Diwali! I am a big kid at heart, and I still get so excited every year before and during Diwali. For me Diwali is a time to spend with my family and also to catch up with friends that I may not have seen in a while. Diwali is a time for new beginnings and is the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and so everyone should embrace these principles and try to live their lives to the best of their abilities. This year, if I’m not travelling, then I’ll be in Bradford enjoying all the amazing street lights, shops stuffed with loads of goodies and, of course, the absolutely tasty food with my son, husband and family!”

- Nindy Kaur

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS Young entrepreneurs to get creative Young people from the Bradford District are being given the opportunity to create their own exciting experience for shoppers in the run-up to Christmas.

The project, which is called Youthful Creations, aims to help young people develop personal, social and financial skills by supporting them in setting up their own market stall businesses.

It will offer them the opportunity to experience a real-life market stall, where they can sell their products and work alongside local retailers.

The project will be located in the Oastler Centre and will run every Saturday for five weeks from 17 November until the Christmas holidays.

Each stall costs £5 to book

for one full Saturday’s trading. A table will be provided and there is electricity available. You will need to provide everything else needed to set your stall up. Call 01274 385909 for details.

The initiative involves young people and teams from Bradford Council’s Markets Service, Youth Service and Children’s Services.

The Lord Mayor of Bradford will officially open the project on 17 November 2012 at 10am. The opening coincides with ‘Global Entrepreneurship Week’ and is one of the busiest times of the retail year.

Places are still available if young people want to take part.

Young people under 13 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Stalls are limited to two young people if those people are aged 13 or over, or two young people and one responsible adult if any of the young people are aged under 13.

FILM Praise for new Bollywood Film Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana

The Bollywood film fraternity has unanimously acclaimed Indian cinema’s first ‘foodie’ film – UTV Spotboy’s Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, starring Kunal Kapoor and Huma Qureshi. The film also marks filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's entry into the family film genre. Directed by debutant Sameer Sharma, the film is a family drama with humor as its undertone, and a heartwarming tale of love, legacy, discovery, affection and above all – food.

Amit Trivedi has created the infectious musical score.

Bollywood actors reflected on the film: Actor Ranbir Kapoor said: “I loved the film.

Sameer is a fabulous writer. He tells the story very interestingly. The film stays with you for a long time. There's a lot of happiness and family values.

It makes you feel good about yourself. There's no better entertainment than this.”

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali said: “I was enamoured by the film and was excited about the first half. I remember being nervous in the interval because I wanted the second half to be as wonderful. And it was amazing... the music, lyrics, direction, performance. I just loved the film so much.”

Filmmaker Karan Johar said: “I loved it and think it's one of the most authentically written films. It features some of the best acting seen this year. It could well become the sleeper hit of the year. For the first time, I've seen Punjabi flavour this authentic and funny. Sameer Sharma makes a shining debut. Hats off to him for pulling off a film so mad, and with such panache."

Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, produced by UTV Spotboy and Anurag Kashyap Films Pvt Ltd, is now released across the UK and worldwide.

FASHION Kimye’s Style

The Armenian Beauty is known for her gorgeous looks and famous derriere as well as her immaculate fashion sense. However, her wardrobe choices over the last year have been questionable ever since she went public with long time friend rapper Kanye West.

The curvy beauty seems to have swapped her refined look, Christian Louboutins, Balenciaga bags and the like, for a much more edgy and ‘darker’ look. Not mentioning the lack of extensions she has been spotted without.

All praise to Mr West for encouraging the more natural look on his girlfriend yet Kim’s fans (including me!) cannot deny that they are a little nostalgic for those sky-high heels, curvaceous dresses, glamorous makeup and curly hair that she was known for once upon a time.

She seems to be picking comfort over appearance these days, Patient: Doctor, doctor. I've come out spotted in sweatshirts and her in spots like cherries on a cake. Doctor: hair tied back as well dressing Ah, you must have analogy. almost like a female version of Kanye! Has Kim ditched A man walks into a bookshop and says Fashion, her number one love, "I hope you don't have a book on for a guy? I hope not… reverse psychology."

Ha Ha.....

He He.... :P

16

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Dhanush pens lyrics for Sivakarthikeyan Dhanush has penned two songs in 'Ethir Neechal', his production venture which has Sivakarthikeyan in the lead role. The film is directed by R S Durai Senthilkumar, a former associate of Vetrimaran. "The National Award winning actor has come out with some gripping lines once again, and they are composed by his 'kolaveri' colleague Anirudh," sources say. 'Ethir Neechal', being produced by Dhanush under Wunderbar Films Pvt Ltd banner, has cinematography by Velraj and editing

by Kishore (both from Vetrimaran camp).

Neetu to add more spice to 'Biriyani' Now that Richa Gangopadhyay has opted out of Venkat Prabhu's “Biriyani,” the role now seems to have landed in the lap of Neetu Chandra. If sources are to be believed, the '13 B' and 'Theeradha Vilayattu Pillai' actress will do this spicy character of an urban and bold girl. Also, Hansika too is expected to be part of this project. It is said that Neetu, who is currently expecting the release of Ameer directed 'Aadhi Bhagavan', which has 'Jayam' Ravi in the lead, is happy about bagging 'Biriyani' offer.

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Vimala Raman bags two Bollywood films Kollywood actress Vimala Raman, the model from Mumbai who began her acting career in Tamil with 'Poi', has signed two Bollywood films recently.

After proving her mettle in a couple of Malayalam and Telugu films, the actress is now gunning down on Bollywood. She has confirmed signing two films. "In Afra Tafri, I'm paired opposite Govinda. It is a comedy and I play a naive wife who constantly suspects her partner.

Mumbai Mirror is a serious film about the Mumbai underworld and I play an investigative journalist," she says.

Hot Garam masala Katrina's sister to make her debut with Sonam's brother There has been enough buzz about Katrina Kaif's younger sister Isabella making her B-Town debut.

But it looks like the youngster will apparently feature opposite Harsh (son of Anil Kapoor) in a crossover short film. The film directed by Steven Roy Thomas has been written by Erica Stair Reddy and Melanie Easton.The film has Bollywood elements and is set in New York, although it might be re-written to make it suitable to shoot in Mumbai. Harsh has been studying in California and keen to be part of B-Town like his sisters Sonam and Rhea while Isabella also wants to follow in her sister's footsteps.

SRK’s ‘special gift’ for Mika Singh Singer Mika Singh, who's on a world tour these days, is on a double high. Not only have his shows in the US been well-received, he will also get a 'special gift' from Shah Rukh Khan. The two recently met at a studio in Andheri and hit it off instantly over a common love for films and music. And when the actor learnt that the singer is hooked to gaming consoles, Khan later tweeted that he would gift Singh one.

Mika, who's understandably excited by the star's gesture, can't wait to lay his hands on the gift. He says, "I am a hardcore gaming freak. SRK will gift me the gaming console once I return from the US."

Abhay Deol roots for porn stars in Bollywood On one hand, the entry of US porn star Sunny Leone in Bollywood with “Jism 2” might have made a certain section of the society frown in disapproval, but actor Abhay Deol reportedly welcomes the move and wishes for more adult entertainment stars to join the industry. Talking about sexuality in Bollywood, Deol said that he was happy about Sunny Leone entering the industry and hoped that more porn stars follow suit as it might help Indian viewers be more uninhibited about their sexuality. He also added that people, who are more open about sex are less obsessed with it as opposed to those who try to repress it and end up having sex on their minds all the time.

17

Bollywood's “serial kisser” Emraan Hashmi is heading to the West. He is set to feature in Oscar-winning director Danis Tanovic's next film, a collaboration of multiple production houses. Among the banners supporting the project is India's Anurag Kashyap Films Pvt. Ltd. "Emraan is a very good actor and we are excited to be working together. It will be very interesting to see the combination of an Indian star, who is so popular among the masses working with an Oscar-winning director in an international film. We are looking forward to a great collaboration," Guneet Monga of Anurag Kashyap Films Pvt. Ltd. Said.

Tanovic is known for “No Man's Land,” best remembered as the movie that toppled “Lagaan” from India for the best foreign language film at the Academy Awards in 2001.

"No Man's Land won the Oscar against Lagaan. The same director found Emraan more promising than any other actor. At a point where so many actors claim to be in talks with Hollywood, the industry's underdog or dark horse got signed on," said Monga.

Emraan's role in the movie is yet unknown but, according to a source, "Tanovic is looking at doing some great work with Emraan, whom he looks upon as one of the most talented actors he has come across".

My work is my lifeline: Karan Johar He sleeps, eats, drinks and talks movies and Karan Johar candidly admits that he can't think anything beyond celluloid. "My work is my lifeline. My films move me and I don't have a life besides my movies. They are my primary passion," Karan said.

The man, who gave a new definition to romance with his urbane, chic romantic comedy "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" in 1998 and followed it with other films like "Kal Ho Na Ho", doesn't follow any trend.

"I am driven only by my instinct. I don't go by what is happening around. If remakes

Aishwarya honoured with French award on her birthday

are being made, that does not mean I will also make one. Or just because masala action films are working, does not mean I will make one. I make what I believe in and hope to achieve the best with it.

I don't follow a norm or go by trends. I make what motivates me," he said.

Known for making larger than life films, Karan is the head honcho of one of the leading banners Dharma Productions, whose latest offering "Student Of The Year" has opened to mixed reactions.

But for the the 40-year-old, who teamed up with a young team of newcomers - Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Siddharth Malhotra - it was about fulfilling his wish of making a campus film.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been honoured with the “Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters” by the French government for her contribution to the arts on the her 39th birthday on Thursday last. The award, their second biggest honour, has been conferred on her by Francois Richier, ambassador of France to India at a function in Mumbai on November 1. In the past, noted celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan and Nandita Das have received the honour.

Actually the honour was conferred on her way back in 2009. But at that time, Aishwarya refused to accept the honour because her father was unwell. Last year the French government postponed the investiture ceremony in deference to the victims of the Mumbai bomb blasts. Now finally, the Bachchan bahu has been honoured. Ash’s entire family, including in-laws Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, hubby Abhishek and parents were present there to cheer her on.

Interestingly, Amitabh has been the recipient of the only higher French civilian honour, the Légion d'honneur. The other recipients of this honour were late filmmaker Satyajit Ray and Pandit Ravi Shankar.

Porn star and Bollywood actress Sunny Leone has emerged as the most dangerous celebrity in cyberspace, ahead of Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor, as searching for her on the web is the most risky.

In a study conducted by McAfee, Leone topped the list with 9.95 per cent chances of luring people into clicking on malicious links. Katrina, who was the most risky celeb in 2011, held the second spot this year with 8.25 percentile. She was followed by Kareena Kapoor, with 6.67 per cent possibility of making users fall into a trap of malware laden websites.

Priyanka Chopra and Bipasha Basu rounded off the top five with 6.5 per cent and 5.58 per cent respectively.

Others who featured in the list are Vidya Balan, Deepika Padukone and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Poonam Pandey.

Salman Khan, at the eighth position, was the only male star in the top ten.

Salman to keep his hands off Kareena Sanjay Dutt turns mentor Ajay Devgn felicitated with 'kirpan’ for Humaima Mallik Soon Kareena Kapoor will start shooting her item song for “Dabangg 2” along with Salman Khan. Although the number is titled Fevicol, it will have none of the anticipated physical proximity between the two stars.

On the contrary, choreographer Farah Khan has been categorically asked to keep Kareena and Salman completely apart in the song. And before jumping to any conclusions about who might have thrown in such a no-intimacy clause (could it be the newly-wed Kareena's inlaws?), it may come as a surprise to know that Salman's is the face behind Farah's brief.

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan might be famous for mentoring young talent in the film industry, but now it seems that his good buddy Sanjay Dutt is also following his footsteps. Sources claim that the deadly Dutt has taken Pakistani actress Humaima Mallik (of Bol fame) under his wing and is giving her tips on her work and how to go about with her career in the film industry. Humaima, who gained acclaim for her role in Pakistani film Bol, will be playing Sanjay's love interest in the Soham Shah directed “Sher.”

The Punjabi Cultural Heritage Board of India has felicitated Ajay Devgn for his performance in the movie, “Son of Sardaar.” Mr Charan Singh Sapra, the board president, has presented a ‘kirpan’ to Devgn at a function in Mumbai. The actor hails from Amritsar. The movie will be released on Diwali day. (Nov 13).

18

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

India’s GDP growth could hit decade-low: Chidambaram Dear Financial Voice Reader The American elections and Hurricane Sandy remind us about the American Spirit. Central to this is the spirit of enterprise. I mentioned last week the key aspects of success for entrepreneurship – so it makes me mad when each week I get more and more business propositions which do not fit or understand the basics.

This past week I had some of the key sins. First was one where the individual had fallen in love…with the business. To that extent he was not thinking with his head, but only with his heart. It was religion based and that was one reason. But don’t be sentimental. Look at the maths.

There was another where the two founders simply could not understand why someone would not want to invest. Was it that they needed more equity? No, I explained. If they think they may lose all their money, then why would they care if they got even 100% of the company. The founder could not understand that someone may think their business may not succeed. They were blinded to it.

Of course as I went to the Apple store this weekend, seeing the place packed out and the share price only at $560 – when my analysis tells me it should be at $1000 – I asked myself, why would any investor put money in something when a ‘safe’ investment can double their money in a year or two?

Then there was the example of the abundantly fair – which is good. They really were going to share the equity according to fairness without trying to steal something for nothing. And parallel to that was the business person who was unscrupulous who was happy to give equity because he had a track record of using names of others to raise money for his own 100% owned venture in elsewhere. You really do see it all.

There was the start-up without expertise – that is fine – except it was a technical field where competitors will have expertise. So what do I look for as the most highly valued?

A quick way to tell if a business will fly is if the entrepreneur asking your assistance wants you to help open a door to someone for a meeting, or wants/needs you to attend that meeting too. If the latter – it aint gonna fly – because the entrepreneur is saying, I need YOU for them to invest in YOU, as my product is not good enough. That’s fine – if it’s YOUR company and product.

But if it’s someone elses, you need serious compensation for that reputational risk.

When you’re asked to invest – compare it to putting your money in Apple. When you are asked to open doors, see if they want you to be there too.

Tata Motors can be $30 bn company: Goldman The apple of Ratan Tata's eyes, Tata Motors may be struggling under extreme competition from the likes of Anand Mahindra-led Mahindra & Mahindra, but today he (probably), along with shareholders were pleasantly surprised by some good news from a global investment banking and securities firm.

Goldman Sachs says the auto maker's market capitalisation has potential to reach $30 billion by fiscal 2017, from current value of $13.8 billion, and to nearly double its cash flow during these four years.

To get there, Goldman says Tata's Jaguar Land Rover unit would need to move to a new platform for its existing models such as Range Rover and Discovery with a light weight aluminium architecture, thus improving key factors such as fuel efficiency or pricing.

JLR would also need to make inroads into smaller engine and lower priced vehicles, as well as enter more premium segments, Goldman argues.

However, challenges include getting consumers to buy into the brand.

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India's economic growth could slow to as little as 5.5 per cent this fiscal year, finance minister P. Chidambaram said, signalling the possibility that Asia's third largest economy will expand at its slowest pace in a decade.

"I'm looking forward to this year ending with 5.5 to 6 per cent growth, barring any unexpected shocks, and next year getting back to 7 per cent growth, and in 2014-15 getting back to 8 per cent growth," he said in an interview at a G20 meeting in Mexico.

The last time full-year growth fell below 6 per cent was in 2002-03 when the economy expanded by 4 per cent. A slump in industrial activity because of slow policy-making and the global slowdown, combined with a drought, have dragged on India's performance this fiscal year, which ends in March 2013.

Until now, the govern-

P. Chidambaram

Duvvuri Subbarao

ment had estimated growth this year at around 6 per cent. The International Monetary Fund last month slashed its 2012 calendar year economic growth forecast for India to 4.9 per cent from 6.1 per cent.

Chidambaram said India had the wherewithal to again reach its economic potential.

"In 2004-2008 we had 9 per cent plus growth. It's not as though we have not done it before," he said.

"We have slowed down thanks to the world and some domestic factors, but we are absolutely confident that we will get back to the higher-growth path."

Chidambaram said he was concerned about inflation, which hit a 10-month high of 7.8 per cent in September.

Rate cut possible in January, says RBI chief: India’s central bank may ease monetary policy as early as January, governor Duvvuri Subbarao said on Monday, as price pressures ease in Asia’s third-largest economy in the first part of next year on the back of slower growth.

Growth in India has slumped to around 5.5% a year, far below the 9% rate it was clocking before the 2008 global financial crisis, while high inflation

Marussia F1™ team car carries RationalFX logo in Indian Grand Prix RationalFX, one of the world’s leading and fastest growing foreign exchange companies, is proud to have its brand logo on the Marussia F1™ Team car, as the team competed at the 2012 Formula 1™ Airtel Indian Grand Prix on the 28th of October in New Delhi.

T h e Marussia F1™ Team’s state-ofthe-art cars featured the RationalFX logo as its driver pairing of Timo Glock and Charles Pic bid for success in the thrilling and strategically important FIA Formula One™ World Championship race.

A relative newcomer to Formula One™, the Airtel Indian Grand Prix was added to the F1TM calendar in 2011 and has since

become one of the most pivotal races to decide the F1TM title. The inaugural Airtel Indian Grand Prix in 2011 was won by Germany’s Sebastian Vettel.

RationalFX was founded by business entrepreneur Rajesh Agrawal, who

has turned the company into one of the UK’s fastest growing business enterprises. Speaking about the company’s support, he said: “I’m thrilled that RationalFX is associated with such a prestigious and popular sport. The Marussia F1™ Team is an emerging force in F1™ racing and I believe they are destined for great success.”

Vedanta under fire over reform delays Vedanta, the Indian resources giant, is under pressure to set a deadline for its radical £6 billion restructuring amid regulatory and investor pressure for reform. It had pledged to overhaul its irregular and opaque structure during 2012 but the timetable has been delayed by several months.

Vedanta, with mining assets in 99 subsidiaries, is under investor scrutiny since the regulator pledged to crackdown on irregular structures.

The City watchdog has proposed stricter corporate governance rules for companies with a dominant shareholder. There is also pressure for UK listed companies to have majority control of all its assets.

Vedanta, which listed in 2003, has an unusually high proportion of shared owners of its assets. Last year, Vedanta said its "non-

Kingfisher Airlines must find more backing by Nov 30: lenders Kingfisher Airlines creditors have asked it to bring in fresh equity or an investor by November 30, the chairman of State Bank of India said.

Kingfisher may not be able to fly if it does not infuse enough capital, hurting its ability to get investors, Pratip Chaudhuri said. He did not say what steps the lenders would take if it was not able to infuse capital by the deadline.

State Bank of India is the leader of a 17-bank consortium, which has lent about $1.4 billion to the debt-ridden carrier.

According to a source, Kingfisher's licence to fly will not be renewed if the

carrier fails to provide a turnaround plan by endDecember.

Kingfisher, once India's second-largest airline, has not flown since the start of October after a protest by employees, unpaid since March, turned violent.

"Kingfisher must bring in investor or equity by November 30. We have given them enough time," Chaudhuri said. "It can't go on like this. (The) Kingfisher loan has been

undermines domestic consumption. Pressure has been mounting for lower interest rates, and the Reserve Bank of India last week put markets on notice that it may ease in the first quarter of 2013, although it did not specify when. It left interest rates on hold, but cut the cash reserve ratio for banks, another policy tool.

The RBI has one more meeting scheduled for 2012, in December, when Subbarao said easing was “highly improbable.” He said the bank would next review policy at meetings on January 29 and in midMarch, noting that the bank’s first quarter easing guidance was based on forecasts for growth and inflation.

“If the growth and inflation trajectories play out as we expected, we would act according to our guidance,” he said, when asked about the likely timing of any new move by the RBI.

non-performing on our books for over a year."

Lenders will meet company senior executives next week to discuss a turnaround plan, S. Vishvanathan, managing director of the State Bank of India, added.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), suspended its licence last month after Kingfisher, controlled by liquor baron Vijay Mallya, failed to address its concerns over safety.

It has since managed to convince striking staff to come back to work, but it still needs to come up with a revival plan that satisfies the regulator to fly again.

Anil Agarwal

controlling interests", or the proportion of the company's assets that are in fact owned by someone else, amounted to 59pc of the company.

In the latest report and accounts, filed in March, non-controlling interests soared to 75pc of the company. Consensus forecasts suggest the company will report earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of $2.5bn (£1.56bn) for the first half of the year.

London firm to set up wind power project in Gujarat London-headquartered Sitac Ltd plans to set up wind power plants in Gujarat with a total capacity of 200 mw. The company will invest Rs 13 billion crore to set up projects in Amreli, Surendranagar, Rajkot and Jamnagar.

Gujarat government-controlled venture fund - GVFL Ltd has picked up a minority stake in Sitac RE, the company’s Indian arm, and will invest Rs 2.40 billion for Sitac’s first project in India a 36 mw plant in Amreli.

“We had first approached Tamil Nadu with the project but realised that there are technical difficulties and other issues,” said Malvinder Singh, chairman and founder, Sitac Group.

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

19

Fortune Favours The Bold

Suresh Vagjiani Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

This past Friday we exchanged on a beautiful three bedroom property in St John’s Wood. The property is on the second floor of a purpose built block called Abbey Court. Unlike many buildings in Central London, the communal parts in this one are exceptionally well maintained. As soon as you step on the red carpets and you start to sink, you know they are of good quality. The bottom half of the walls are made of hard wood, and the stairs have polished brass handrails.

The communal areas of a property are important as it is the first impression of the property a potential buyer or tenant will get.

Regardless of how nice you make a flat you generally have no say regarding the communal areas. It is better for you to have a dilapidated flat with great communal areas, than having a great flat with poorly kept communal areas.

The service charge is around £3000 per annum, very reasonable considering there is a lift on the block. Having a lift in the block increases the charges due to the added maintenance involved. Not all blocks in London where service charges are this high are this well maintained. Many investors are from overseas and so do not get involved with any leaseholder meetings.

The property is on Abbey Ro ad , mad e famous by t he stud io whe re the Be atl es reco rde d their albums; you will see tourists there daily taking pictures of the stud io walls and to this d ay it boast s wo rld-c lass recording artists, mo st re cent ly Kylie Min ogu e.

The property came to us off market and due to our close contacts, we got a window to purchase this property for £825,000. If this hits the open market it would achieve at least £950,000. The closest comparable we found was on the fifth floor on the same block which sold for £1m in April 2012. The lease on this property was 5 years less than ours and it did not have the benefit of bay windows or balcony. Given this deal completed in April, the deal probably would have been negotiated in Jan/Feb 2012. Since then month on month the prices have only been rising. The lease on this property was 57 years. We were getting the property with the benefit of a Section 42 notice, this means we have the right to extend the lease for an additional 90 years without having to wait for the statutory two year period. Although 57 years may seem a short period, in the Central London market it is not unusual to find blocks for sale with only 12 year leases.

This purchase can be funded without an issue; lenders are comfortable with this security due to the location. With the help of our surveyor we have estimated the lease extension cost at £100,000.

The cost to refurbish this property has been put at £100,000, which is an over estimation in my opinion. The flat can then be resold at £1.3m conservatively, after refurbishment and with a lease of 146

The Real Deal

A share of freehold property Prime Notting Hill Over 1700 Sq Ft Ground floor A rarity to find this much lateral space Excellent deal at £1.15m

years. Opposite this block, flats have achieved £1,700 per square foot.

This property originally was a probate sale where the last occupant had passed away and her executers had sold the property. It was purchased by traders whose sole aim was to turn the contract and make a quick profit. These are investors who buy and sell properties very quickly without completing. Cash flow is important to them. They look for a quick sale and hence sell the property on fast rather than holding on and realising the full potential of it. Due to our contact, we were able to keep it off the radar whilst we closed the sale.

F ollowing a viewing on Wedn esday, we were given u ntil Thu rsday to ge t the cont ract to our solicitor and F riday to e xchange . If things d id n ot happen by t hen the propert y would g o o n the ope n market.

We presented the property to a few of our investors on Wednesday night and told them this was a great deal and for one reason or another none of them felt ready to press the trigger and move on it, at such short notice.

On Thursday I spoke to a client who has worked with us before.

He previously had purchased an ex- local authority property from us and refurbished the property to a high standard and rented it. The lease when we sold the property to him was over 90 years, he felt this was short and therefore had it extended for a further 90 years at a cost of £1,000!! This was unbelievable. This property was a ground floor flat facing Little Venice canal. Flats with views of water ways always go very quickly either for resell or rentals.

This property was purchased in cash. This cash was raised from the client’s main residential home, this was done to reduce the interest rate payable. Many investors have the illusion that if they raise the money on a BTL property rather than their own home, their main residential home will not be at risk. This is not the reality.

Despite us informing clients of this factor they still insist on raising funds on a BTL property and not their own home. This is a false sense of security. You will personally be liable for any shortfall if the lender cannot cover their loan from the sale of the property in question.

Fundamentally this investor saw the sense in what we proposed and raised the funds on his home. Therefore his BTL property has been paid for in cash. With the lease extension and the refurbishment the property will have risen substantially in value.

The purchase of Abbey Court can be done with a level of confidence, not only can money be raised on the property being purchased but also on the property which is unencumbered. This puts him in a strong position to raise the required funds in the short time he has to do so, he knows he has plenty of back up to complete this deal rain or shine.

This is one of the juiciest deals we have come across recently and often the best deals are time sensitive.

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

Specialists in Central London Property Sourcing

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

Tips of the Week l Always focus on the capital growth of an investment property - never sacrifice this as this is how the bulk of your money will be made in property, rental income is secondary l Always check the service charges and ground rents in new build flats, these have the tendency to dampen your rental yield

20

financial VoICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

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

maria@abplgroup.com

Maria Fernandes

The final days of the US election As the US electioneering reaches a frenzy in its final days the US elections, who hitherto have focused on two key issues, the economy and the global competitiveness of the country have turned to immigration policy. Both agree that the system needs to be reformed.

Years of immigration from South and Central America and more recently from Puerto Rico have changed the demographic landscape with Latinos rising from one tenths of the population 30 years ago to a quarter today.

Both candidates have attempted to appeal to the Latinos who are critically important as a voting block. When Arizona introduced tough immigration laws, which were labelled as racist, required all aliens over the age of 14 to carry their papers at all times and introduced punitive sanctions for failure to verify the status of employees, both private companies severely affected by the exodus of its staff and the Obama administration challenged this in the courts and achieved some concessions. Obama has more recently spearheaded a new policy that granted deportation immunity to undocumented (illegal) immigrants who came to the US as children. He attempted to introduced an Act (called DREAM) to put undocumented chil-

dren on the path to citizenship but the legislation was defeated in the Senate in 2009. In the meantime Republican challenger Mitt Romney has shifted away from the hardline stance of self deportation which was the preferred route by the Republican but remains opposed to the policy of offering undocumented immigrants path to citizenship.

Among the Latinos whilst generally they are more supportive of President Obama (3:1), the Cubans, who are based mainly in Florida are solidly pro Republican as they fled from Fidel Castro’s rule and are hostile to communism. Even they, however, have expressed concern about the Republicans hardline attitude to immigration which they feel re-inforces the perception that the party is hostile to minorities. There is concern that the Republicans want to make English the only language whilst latinos want their children to remain bi lingual. Mitt Romney has relied on Marco Rubio, a Florida senator who is of Cuban ancestry for the Cuban vote.

Obama has scored points with some Puerto Ricans by appointing Sonia Sotomayor who is of Puerto Rican heritage to the US Supreme Court.

He has also tried to woo the Cuban American community by receiving an

endorsement from Cristina Saralegui, who is the Oprah Winfrey in Spanish language television by joining Michelle Obama in an advert in which immigration reform was a key issue and Obama himself has also appeared on the television show and talked about immigration reform.

Interestingly on students, both are highly supportive of retaining them.

Romney told the Latino audience that he would like to “staple a green card to the diploma of someone who gets an advanced degree in America” and Obama in his State of the Union address in 2011 expressed the frustration of seeing foreign students come to the US from abroad but leaving once they get their qualifications and end up as competitors.

It makes no sense he said.

It is a known fact that the immigrant population as opposed to the indigenous population generally cast their vote. As the result is to close to call these vital votes will take on a new significance.

Fingers crossed for Obama.

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

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

Eurozone unemployment rises to new record 11.6% Unemployment in the 17-country Eurozone hit a record high of 11.6% in September, official figures showed, a sign the economy is deteriorating as governments struggle to get a grip on their three-year debt crisis.

The rate reported by Eurostat, the EU’s statistics office, was up from an upwardly-revised 11.5% in August. In total, 18.49 million people were out of work in the Eurozone in September, up 1,46,000 on the previous month, the biggest increase in three months.

While the Eurozone’s unemployment rate has

Research. Five countries in the Eurozone are already in recession - Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Cyprus - and others are expected to join them soon.

The region as a whole is expected to be confirmed to be in recession when the first estimate of eurozone economic activity in the third quarter is published mid-November a recession is officially confirmed after two consecutive quarters of negative growth. “With surveys suggesting that firms are becoming more reluctant to hire, the eurozone unemployment rate looks set to rise further.

been rising steadily for the past year as the economy struggled with a financial crisis and government spending cuts, the US has seen its equivalent rate fall to 7.8%. The latest US figures are due this Friday.

With the Eurozone economy fading, most economists think unemployment will keep increasing over the coming months.

“Financial markets have calmed somewhat, but we expect that the deteriorating economy will soon enough lead to more crisis headlines,” said Tim Ohlenburg, senior economist at the Centre for Economics and Business

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Cheers - Where Everybody Knows Your Name Last week I saw that a TV channel were going to rerun the hit comedy ‘Cheers’. Based on a bar in Boston, it narrated the ordinary tales in the ordinary lives of its ordinary patrons.

There was no complex story line or suspense, just good humour. It reminded me of the theme songs which begin with, ‘Making your way in the World today takes everything you got; taking a break from all your worries, sure it would help a lot; wouldn’t you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go, where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.’

The success of the show was partly due to the fact that it touched on this one fact - that everybody wants to feel wanted and that they belong. In our daily lives we all have our ‘comfort zones’, where we feel some sort of reassurance, even if in fact there isn’t any.

The truly great leaders were always aware of this one basic human need.

The need to feel acknowledged, that we do exist

and that we do matter.

During the Great Depression in the United States, President Roosevelt began broadcasting his famous, ‘fireside chats’ over the radio.

He often began his address with the words, ‘Good evening friends…’ In doing so he immediately reached out and embraced the millions who would be sitting at home listening to him, hoping for hope. He was able to make people feel important and that what they did, no matter how small, was important in his task of rebuilding the country. These broadcasts became so popular, and the impact so profound that to this day, every US President has delivered weekly addresses.

Mahatma Gandhi realised the importance of this. When he returned to India from South Africa, rather than taking up a nice office in Delhi from which to lobby the British government, he travelled the length and breadth of India. He wanted to meet the people he would be representing. He wanted

By Amit Patel

to know their problems before he offered solutions. All too often leaders feel that they are too busy to do this one small, simple task. They feel that their time would be better spent making decisions or ‘leading’. But they fail to realise that reaching out to your people is leading.

Whether you are in a position of leadership or not, this is about acknowledging the people around you. It is about asking their names, letting them know that you know they exist, that they matter. If you can do that, you will never have to ask people to follow you, you will never need to seek support and cooperation. But most of all, especially as a leader, you will never feel alone.

Amit Patel has over 15 years experience in the field of Personal Development and Human Resource Management. He provides consultancy services on Leadership, People Management and Development. To contact Amit, email amitpatelmail @gmail.com

ArcelorMittal plunges into loss on weak Chinese demand for steel

Top world steelmaker ArcelorMittal plunged into quarterly loss and slashed its stock dividend last week, blaming a slump in Chinese demand and operating losses in Europe, and sending its share price sharply down in Paris.

ArcelorMittal reported a third quarter net loss of $709 million (546 million euros) and said that cutting debt was now a priority. In the third quarter of last year, the group had reported a net profit of $659 million.

Chronically weak demand and difficult trading conditions forced the group to revise downwards its profit outlook for the second half of this year.

ArcelorMittal also reported an operating loss of $643 million euros on the production of flat carbon steels in Europe in the first nine months of the year.

The group, caught in controversy owing to its decision to close two fur-

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Lakshmi Mittal said in a statement that the main cause was a slowdown in demand from China that was likely to continue into the fourth quarter.

A fall in the price of iron ore in the third quarter and a weakening of the world economy had also led the group to revise down the outlook for profits in the second half, the group said.

ArcelorMittal secures land for steel unit in Karnataka: Meanwhile, ArcelorMittal has secured 2,569 acres of land, of the total requirement of 2,705 acres, for its proposed six million tonne steel plant near Bellary in India's Karnataka state, media reports said.

"The Karnataka Government has transferred the 2,569 acres of private land in the company's name and the process to transfer another 136 acres of government land is underway.

Lakshmi Mittal

naces in northern France, said that sales in the third quarter had fallen by 19.0 per cent to $19.7 billion.

The furnaces, which have been damped down for 14 months, are being closed because they are uncompetitive in a tough trading climate, partly because they lie too far from ports for transportation, ArcelorMittal has said.

The figures released were far below those expected by analysts polled

by Dow Jones Newswires who had broadly forecast a net loss of $230 million and sales of $20.56 billion.

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financial VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

21

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

CEO of Americorp – which direction will it go?

The culmination of several months relentless campaigning arrives at its zero hour this week. American voters will take to the polls to decide who will lead the single most important economy in the world.

The November 6th elections naturally play a huge part in deciding the direction of the US economy, and as such investors will have a keen eye on proceedings. Obama still maintains a narrow lead, but that has depreciated in recent weeks. Whether the incumbent is elected for a second term or Romney, the Republican candidate, is chosen, their different stances towards the fiscal cliff, the Fed and tackling the US’ haunting deficit are likely to cause a move towards dollar strength in the meantime.

Obama, an advocate of spending, has seen h i s margin disappear as his rival criticised the president’s lack of economic prowess. Despite Romney’s numerous gaffes over the course, including labelling 47% of the economy akin to deadweight, he has closed the gap to set up a thrilling finish.

It is believed that an Obama victory would continue America’s spending as it trudges through the messy landscape and embrace the expiry of the Bush era tax cuts. This approach is likely to bring with it lower treasure yields and a slightly weaker dollar.

Contrastingly if Mitt Romney

emerges victorious then the tax cuts may be retained, though he is likely to reduce the level of spending that has become synonymous with the Democratic Party’s current term. If Romney defeats Obama then it is thought that the greenback will strengthen with equities and treasury yields will rise.

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Europe faces as crucial week too, as the egg timer on Greece’s liquidity runs dangerously low.

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras warned that his nation does not have the capacity to make further cuts, a requirement that the troika demands before releasing any further tranches of funding.

Struggling to gain support to pass the proposed wage and pension cuts, the infighting within Greece’s coalition has caused investors to question the nation’s place in the euro.

However Greece poses the threat of contagion to other teetering economies such as Spain and Italy. If the uncertainty continues, it is likely that there will be a knock-on effect to the euro, causing a further drop against many of the safer currencies.

Benefitting from the euro’s despair, the pound is more attractive in comparison to the shared currency. Further contributing, the UK’s economy is improving once again, and though the road to recovery is a long one, investors feel safer in sterling.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 6th November 2012 @ 11.30am GBP - INR = 86.85 USD - INR = 54.18 EUR - INR = 69.69 GBP - USD = 1.60 GBP - EUR = 1.25 EUR - USD = 1.29 GBP - AED = 5.89 GBP - CAD = 1.59 GBP - NZD = 1.94 GBP - AUD = 1.53 GBP - ZAR = 13.79 GBP - HUF = 350.92

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.

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PakiStan-BangLadeSH-Sri Lanka

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Pak politicians told not to visit Malala Islamabad: The British hospital caring for Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old girl shot by Islamic extremists, has had to turn away a string of Pakistani VIPs keen to spend time at her bedside, according to staff.

Critics at home fear her high profile has turned her into a political photo opportunity for politicians with an eye on elections next year, at a time when she needs rest and a chance to recover.

Malala arrived at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham just over a fortnight ago after being shot in the head at close range and doctors are pleased with the progress she is making.

Last week, Islamabad's Minister for Overseas Pakistanis, Farooq Sattar, visited the hospital. Since then visitors have included Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, the daughter of Benazir Bhutto, Mian Iftikhar Hussein, information minister for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Haider Ali, a politician from Swat, Malala's home area.

Malala Yousufzai with her father Ziauddin and her two younger brothers Atal Khan (R) and Khushal Khan (L)

On Monday it was the turn of Rehman Malik, Pakistan's Interior Minister, who visited the hospital along with William Hague and a minister from the United Arab Emirates.

None was able to meet Malala but were briefed by medical staff and spent time with her family instead.

Sana Saleem, a wellknown blogger and campaigner for women's rights, said the government of Pakistan had played its part

in helping Malala but should now let her recover in peace.

Shooter's sister apologises for attack: The sister of a man suspected in the shooting of Malala Yousufzai has apologised to the teenage Pakistani rights activist, saying that her brother had brought shame to their family. "Please convey a message to Malala, that I apologise for what my brother did to her," Rehana Haleem said, referring to the actions of her 23-year-old brother Attahullah Khan.

"He has brought shame on our family. We have lost everything after what he did.

What he did was intolerable," Haleem said.

"Malala is just like my sister. I'd like to express my concern for Malala on behalf of my whole family. I hope she recovers soon and returns to a happy and normal life as soon as possible," Haleem said.

"I hope Malala doesn't consider me or my family as enemies. I don't consider Attaullah my brother anymore," she added.

Police officials have said they are searching for Khan and two other men for the shooting of 15-year-old Malala, who was hit in the head by a bullet, and is now being treated at a British hospital.

The banned Tehrik-eTaliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack and the militants have said they would target Malala again.

Since the age of 11, Malala has been encouraging people in the Swat Valley to stand up to the Taliban, who are opposed to the education of girls.

Pak applies brake on Bhagat Pakistan cracking down on Singh chowk in Lahore Haqqani network, says govt Lahore: Giving in to the pressure from hardline groups like the Jamaat-ud-Dawah and a section of local residents, Pakistani authorities have put on hold a move to rename a roundabout in Lahore after Indian freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

The city district government of Lahore had announced last month that Shadman Chowk would be renamed Bhagat Singh Chowk to acknowledge his revolutionary spirit and his role in the movement against the erstwhile British rulers.

District administration chief Noorul Amin Mengal, who made the decision to rename the roundabout, came down hard on officials

Nepal court allows lesbian live-in relationship

Kathmandu: Continuing its tradition of passing liberal judgments regarding the rights of sexual minorities, Nepal's Supreme Court has recognised a live-in relationship between two lesbians despite the efforts of the family of one of the women to separate them. In a landmark judgment, the Court allowed Rajani Shahi to live with her lover as she wished, rather than with her husband, human rights lawyer involved in the case Hari Phuyal had said. Shahi, a married woman with a 11-year-old daughter, has been living with Prem Kumari Nepali, after meeting her two years ago. Shahi had sought divorce from her husband. But Shahi's husband's and her own family tried to separate them several times and sent her to a rehabilitation centre to change her sexual orientation after she declared that she was a lesbian.

of his department for not placing a board inscribed with “Bhagat Singh Chowk” at the spot.

However, authorities have still not placed the board at the roundabout and officials on Wednesday said that the move to rename Shadman Chowk had been put on hold. “We received a strongly worded letter from the JuD that warned us not to rename Shadman Chowk after a Hindu freedom fighter.

Besides, we also got a negative response from some individuals,” an official said.

During a public hearing on the issue, several persons rejected the idea of renaming Shadman Chowk after Bhagat Singh, said the official.

Islamabad: Pakistan is already cracking down on the Haqqani network and does not need to impose extra measures following the group's addition to the UN's blacklist, a government spokesman said.

The UN Security Council's Taliban sanctions committee earlier added the Pakistan-based group, accused of high-profile attacks in Afghanistan, to its sanctions list. The action obliges all UN members to implement an asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo for the Haqqani network.

"The three elements of the ban - arms embargo, asset freeze and travel ban - are all already in place in Pakistan," Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said.

The United States desig-

nated the Haqqani network as a terrorist organisation in September, a move the group's commanders said proved Washington was not sincere about peace efforts in Afghanistan.

The Haqqanis, a group allied with the Afghan Taliban, are the most experienced fighters in Afghanistan and are blamed for some of the boldest attacks, including one on embassies and parliament in Kabul in April that lasted 18 hours.

US officials have long accused Pakistan of supporting the network, an allegation Islamabad denies.

"Which banned militant can openly travel in Pakistan?

We have also checked on financing and other transfers. There is no problem," Kaira said.

Lankan parliament to impeach first woman chief justice

Colombo: Sri Lanka's ruling coalition is all set to impeach the country's first woman chief justice on the charges of "improper conduct" after weeks of a simmering spat between the executive and the judiciary, a media report said.

A motion to remove Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake from the post will be handed over to the parliamentary speaker, the Sinhala language daily 'Lankadeepa' said.

The government parliamentary group had endorsed the move at a meeting of the ruling coalition leaders, it said.

The speaker will be informed on the motion under section 107 of the constitution with one third of parliament's 225 members or 75 MPs putting their signatures on the motion.

The paper said the motion is to be moved on the basis of

"chief justice's improper conduct" and had been signed already by 117 members of the government.

Shirani Bandaranayake

The move follows weeks of a simmering spat between the executive and the judiciary, it said.

The government was irked by a ruling on a major financial bill in which the Supreme Court held that the bill must be referred to

provincial councils for approval before being submitted in national parliament.

In mid-September the Judicial Service Commission issued a public statement claiming interference in the judiciary by the executive.

Early this month the secretary to the commission, judge Manjula Thilakaratne, was assaulted by an unknown group which the opposition blamed on the government.

Last week, Bandaranayake's husband Pradeep Kariyawasam was indicted by the anti-graft commission for his role as chairman of the state savings bank over a dubious share deal.

Bandaranayake who was appointed last year became the first woman to head the highest court. She was also the first woman judge in the Supreme Court.

In Focus Afghan presidential election set for April 2014

Kabul: Afghanistan will hold its next presidential election on April 5, 2014. President Hamid Karzai, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, had denied speculation that security problems and the exit of foreign troops that year would delay the poll.

The credibility of the vote will be vital to the security and stability of Afghanistan after the final foreign combat troops have left by the end of 2014. Karzai's re-election in 2009 was blighted by allegations of fraud.

Ailing Pak woman sells only child for Rs 1.2 lakh

Lahore: A poor woman from Punjab province of Pakistan has sold her sevenmonth-old son to an expatriate Pakistani family for Rs 1.2 lakh to meet the cost of her medical treatment, prompting police to act against both parties. The incident occurred in Gujranwala district, 80 km from Lahore.

Khalida Bibi, who is suffering from cardiac and liver ailments, sold her son Faizan for Rs 1.2 lakh to Mohammad Shaukat, who works in UAE. "I had no money for my treatment and so I decided to sell my only child," Khalida told reporters. As the news broke on TV channels, police rushed to stop the illegal deal between Khalida and Shaukat and took them both into custody.

Angry protesters set girls' school on fire in Lahore

Lahore: A large number of people, including activists of religious parties, ransacked and set on fire a girls' school in Lahore and clashed with police following reports that a question paper for a test had contained blasphemous references to the Prophet, police said. Activists of groups like the Jamaat-ud-Dawah and Islami Jamiat Talba, the students' wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami, and parents of some students were among those who vandalised three buildings of the Farooqi Girls High School, located near the historic Data Darbar shrine.

Residents of Karim Park near Data Darbar began gathering outside the school following reports that its owner, Asim Farooqi, and teacher Arifa had committed blasphemy.

Over 93 Pak pilgrims die during Haj

Islamabad: As many as 93 Pakistani pilgrims have died while performing the Haj in Saudi Arabia this year, according to Syed Abu Ahmed Aqif, director general (Haj) in the Consulate General of Pakistan in Jeddah.

"Approximately, 179,210 Pakistanis performed Haj. Saudi government had allocated same number of quota for Pakistan," the Daily Times quoted Aqif, as saying. Aqif said the burial of 87 pilgrims out of 93 have already been performed in Makkah and Madina. According to Saudi law and an agreement between the two countries, pilgrims who pass away in Saudi Arabia could not be transported to Pakistan and have to be buried in the kingdom.

Pak rights activist Marvi Sirmed attacked by gunmen in Lahore

Islamabad: Unidentified gunmen attacked prominent rights activist Marvi Sirmed on Friday, who has received threats from extremist groups several times in the past, in the Pakistani capital though she escaped unharmed. The gunmen, who were in a black car, fired at Sirmed's vehicle at Murree Road near Bani Gala on the outskirts of Islamabad while she was returning home from work this evening.They tried to target us twice and fired several shots at my car which missed. Sirmed is an outspoken defender of democracy and human rights.

Interior minister Rehman Malik said Sirmed had been provided security at her residence.

US official says Imran Khan is ‘welcome’

Washington: Pakistani cricketer turned politician Imran Khan "is welcome" in the United States even though he was briefly held by US immigration agents in Canada. "We are aware that he was detained briefly in Toronto before boarding his flight to the United States," acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters when asked about Mr Khan's questioning last week.

World 23

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Kenya PM urges Cameron to wipe away Mau Mau rebellion ‘stain’

Foreign Secretary, to reach Nairobi: Kenyan prime an out-of-court settlement. minister Raila Odinga has "The Kenyan government urged David Cameron to is ready to cooperate with wipe away a "stain" on your government in reachdiplomatic relations by ing a permanent solution compensating the surviving victims of torture carto this matter and in ried out during the British resolving these questions colonial era. that have become a stain in In a personal letter to our long and strong relaCameron, Odinga throws his weight behind the "petitions that continue to be made" by victims of Britain's suppression of Raila Odinga with David Cameron the Mau Mau uprising between 1952 and tionship," writes Odinga, 1960. Three Kenyans are who became Kenya's prime suing the Foreign Office for minister in 2008. compensation for torture In the letter, dated Oct 9, Odinga notes that they suffered at the hands of Britain has been a "vocal British colonial officials. Last advocate of respect of month, the High Court ruled human rights in Kenya", that the case could proceed adding: "The people of to full trial, although the Kenya would like to see a Government has appealed. similar approach by your Odinga's highly unusugovernment towards accual intervention will sations of torture against increase the pressure on William Hague, the its own officials."

Sunita Williams sets new record, embarks on 7th space walk

Houston: IndianAmerican Sunita Williams along with a fellow astronaut ventured out of the International Space Station, adding to her record-setting space walking sojourns, to find an ammonia leak in the vital radiator system.

Expedition commander Williams and flight engineer Aki Hoshide switched their spacesuits to battery power, signalling the start of planned 6.5-hour excursion outside the International Space Station, a Nasa statement said.

During the spacewalk, 47-year-old Williams and Hoshide were venturing out to the port side of the station's truss to configure the 2B solar array power channel's photovoltaic thermal control system (PVTCS) to support

Over the following weeks and months, flight controllers at Mission Control Houston will monitor telemetry to see if the leak continues, it added.

If re-routing the ammonia through the spare radiator stops the leak, mission managers will evaluate whether to leave the fix as it is or replace the photovoltaic radiator on a future spacewalk. If the leak continues, additional troubleshooting will be required.

This is the seventh spacewalk for Williams who holds the record for spacewalking time for female astronauts with over 44 hours during six previous excursions.

Hoshide, who was on his third spacewalk, now holds the equivalent record for Japanese astronauts.

ground-based troubleshooting of an ammonia leak, the statement said.

The spacewalking duo will isolate the photovoltaic radiator on the P6 truss from the PVTCS, shutting off the flow of ammonia in and out of it and re-routing the ammonia flow through a spare radiator so the PVTCS can continue operation, it said.

Muslims in Myanmar plead for protection from UN Sittwe (Myanmar): Leaders of the last Muslim community in the western Myanmar city of Sittwe have appealed to the United Nations to deploy peacekeepers to prevent their neighbourhood being overrun by Buddhist mobs.

The UN’s refugee agency said that almost 30,000 people had fled their homes after the latest upsurge in violence.

Thousands have taken shelter in Aung Mingalar, the only remaining Muslim area in the state capital.

The community is now entirely cut off from the rest of the town and guarded on all sides by the predominantly Buddhist police and army. Residents have little faith in the security forces’ commitment to protect them and with smoke from burning villages visible in the distance, many fear they will be the next target.

China flexes military muscle with J-31 stealth jet Beijing: China's second stealth fighter jet that was unveiled last week is part of a programme to transform China into the top regional military power, an expert on Asian security said.

The fighter, the J-31, made its maiden flight recently in the northeast province of Liaoning at a facility of the Shenyang Aircraft Corp which built it, according to Chinese media.

"This is the second entirely new fighter design that's emerged from China in the last two years, which suggests a pretty impressive level of technical development, and puts them ahead, certainly, of all their regional neighbours," said Sam Roggeveen, a security expert with the

Lowy Institute in Sydney.

The Chinese military "has been extremely deliberate and well funded and persistent, and it's starting to bear fruit", Roggeveen said. "What you're now seeing since the early '90s is the slow emergence of a first-class regional military power."

China's Defence Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

China's previous stealth fighter, the J-20, is a heavier aircraft and believed to be less manoeuvrable than the J-31.

China's military capabilities lag far behind those of the United States, but China is seeking aggressively to boost its strength, including launching its first aircraft carrier.

Ankit Shah, Gujarat’s leading advocate, visiting UK this month Ankit Shah, Advocate, LLM (London), son of S. G. Shah - Judge, City Civil & Sessions Court, Ahmedabad, working as a registrar in-charge of computerisation with Supreme Court of India is visiting UK on November 10 for 10 days. His is specialized in Civil Laws, Land & Property litigation and Tax appeals at Gujarat High Court and Supreme Court of India. His contact number for UK 07448626062 and for India +919099944019.

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24

INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Modi gets rousing reception in Patna Narendra Modi came to Patna after a gap of 28 months and was lustily greeted by BJP workers who raised slogans wanting him to be the next Prime Minister. Desh ka Pradhan Mantri kaisa ho, Narendra Modi jaisa ho (a person like Modi should be the PM),” the workers shouted when Modi reached the residence of veteran BJP leader Kailashpati Mishra, who died on Saturday, to pay floral tributes. Modi was last here for the BJP national executive meeting in June, 2010. There is no love lost between Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Modi. Kumar has ensured that the Gujarat strongman was kept out of Bihar in the 2005 and 2010 assembly elections as also the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.

Kumar was cut up when advertisements appeared in local newspapers during the BJP meet

Narendra Modi

here showing an old photograph of him and Modi holding hands. Kumar had then cancelled a dinner he was to host for BJP leaders. To show his displeasure, the Bihar chief minister had also returned a cheque of `5 crore sent by the Gujarat government as relief for victims of Kosi floods. Kumar has also made it clear that his JD(U), which is running a coalition government with the help of BJP in the state, will not back Modi as NDA’s prime ministerial candidate for the Lok

Sabha polls scheduled to be held in 2014.

He has stated that the NDA nominee for the top post should be somebody with “secular credentials”.

Kumar, who is also seen as a front runner for the PM’s post, has insisted that he is not an aspirant and that he is happy managing Bihar.

Modi went to Mishra’s residence straight from the Patna airport where he had arrived. He stayed at the residence of the departed leader for about 15 minutes before heading back to the airport. Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, BJP deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Ravishankar Prasad, Bihar BJP president C P Thakur and others accompanied the Gujarat chief minister during his brief stay. Mishra had served as Gujarat’s governor from 2003 to 2004. Gujarat CM said that Mishra acted as a guide for lakhs of party workers.

Modi-Tharoor spat: Figure of speech lost in quest for sensation Gujarat’s Chief Minister Narendra Modi has kicked up a storm by making certain comments in his speech at an election rally in Himachal Pradesh.

While referring to the allegations against Congress MP and newly re-appointed Minister of State Shashi Tharoor of misusing his political power to obtain favours from the Kochi IPL team for his then friend Sunanda Pushkar, Modi commented “Kabhi suna hai 50 crore ki girlfriend?” which literally translates as “Have you ever heard of a `50 crore girlfriend?”

Tharoor responded to Modi’s jibe on Twitter, stating that Sunanda Pushkar, now his wife, was “worth a lot more than your imaginary 50 crores. She is priceless. But you need2be able2love some1 2understand that”. This battle has gone viral over the Internet

and the media world.

What, however, has escaped much of media coverage as well as the Tharoor camp – and perhaps wilfully – is that, at its root, this was a figure of speech deployed by Modi in Hindi language.

Hypothetically, if Robert Vadra is accused of having caused a loss of, say, `500 crore to the national exchequer, wouldn’t it be common in the Hindi heartland to comment in jest that “Soniaji ke damaad to 500 crore ka pade”?

When one literally translates this in English, which would go as “Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law costs `500 crore”, it is bound to create a misunderstanding. And, while deploying such sarcasm for a damaad may not raise eyebrows, the same for women is generally frowned upon in India regardless of the obvious lack of intent of

denigrating women.

Sure, it can be argued that Modi could have chosen different words in criticising Tharoor for feigning innocence in Parliament. Just like Sonia Gandhi could’ve refrained from using a phrase like “maut ke saudagar”.

But in the no holds barred contests that political campaigning often witnesses, such niceties crop up in after-the-fact discussions. Moreover, Modi, unlike Sonia Gandhi, speaks impromptu and, therefore, the choice of words is often dictated by the response one gets from the crowd.

Yet, it must be realised that those deploying this sarcasm in such a manner do not mean to put a price tag on a Robert Vadra or a Sunanda Tharoor. It is not, by any means, a denigration of the individual in question.

Arvind Kejriwal's latest: Cong, BJP in Mukesh Ambani's pocket

The nexus between politicians and industrialists was the main reason behind rising prices in India, India Against Corruption activist Arivind Kejriwal had said.

The IAC played out an audio tape purportedly of talks between lobbyist Niira radia and former PM A B Vajpayee's foster sonin-law Ranjan Bhattacharya. In the tapes, Radia and Bhattacharya were heard talking about the composition of the Union ministry.

Kejriawal said that both Congress and BJP were helpless against Reliance Industries chairmam Mukesh Ambani. In 2000, the NDA had favoured Mukesh

Arvind Kejriwal

Ambani's Reliance in gas pricing, Kejriwal said.

After "exposing" Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's sonin-law Robert Vadra and BJP president Nitin Gadkari, speculation was rife throughout the day over the anti-graft body's next target. Kejriwal and Bhushan had hit a high with their attack on the Haryana government for

allegedly winking at DLF offering sweetheart deals to Vadra. Arvind Kejriwal greedy for power? Possible, says Anna Hazare. He said India Against Corruption leader Arvind Kejriwal may never want to be wealthy, but he is not above being lured by power.

"There is a feeling of sacrifice in him (Kejriwal), he does not think about his family as much as he thinks about the country and society. He does not have greed for money, but now after getting into politics another kind of greed... I mean he will not become a minister himself..." Anna Hazare said in an interview to a news channel.

In divine light

By Rajen Vakil

Markandeya continues the Story of Creation Markandeya continued, “After twelve years of rain the whole of this earth will be drowned in water. Then terrible winds will start blowing and the clouds which had shed the waters of submergence will start to disperse. Everything will be destroyed from men, animals, all organic life, the gods, the demons and the beings of the astral world.

Only I will remain swimming in the waves of the turbulent ocean. When I saw that there was no form of other life I became anxious. I kept swimming for a long time and even though I was very tired could find no place to stand on.

There in the middle of the ocean I saw a huge and grand banyan tree. Its branches were spread out in all directions and on one of them was a bed on which was a divine mattress. O King on that bed I saw a young child. His mouth was like the full moon and his eyes were two blossoming lotuses. I was shocked as all the worlds were destroyed and how could this young child be sleeping here so peacefully. By the power of my austerities I have always known the past and the future; nothing has ever

been hidden from me.

Try as I would with all my concentration I could know nothing about this wonderful child. The child was like a beautiful flax seed flower. He was very fair and his skin shone with lustre. He had the auspicious symbol of Shrivatsa on his forehead and he sat on the very energy of creativity. He spoke to me with melodious words.”

“O Markandeya I know that you are tired so you can sit here near me till you feel refreshed. Why don’t you enter my body and rest there, I have prepared a place for you to sit on.”

Markandeya went on, “O king when the child said these words I was wonder-

ing why I have an immortal life. The child then opened his mouth huge and wide and I was drawn inside his body. In his body I saw the whole world with all its different countries and their flags. As I roamed around in his stomach I saw all the great rivers, the Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari and Saraswati. There I saw the oceans filled with precious gems. The skies were filled with the light of the sun the moon and different fires. There were vast forests were Brahmins had lit the fires of the Agnihotra and the sounds of slokas filled the air.

There were Kshatriya kings who bowed down and helped people of even the lower castes. I saw the grand mountain chains of the Himalayas and the Hemkunt. Beyond was the great mountain called Meru with its peak covered in gold. I saw hordes of animals from lions to tigers all roaming freely. As I moved in the four directions I met the lord Indra and all the gods.”

To be continued...

All past articles on the Mahabharata can be accessed from http://epaper.asianvoice.com or from http://www.3stepbreath.com/mahabharata.html

Former Army chief threatens 75% turnout in Himachal polls to 'gherao' Parliament People came out in record

Former Army Chief VK Singh said that he backed a demand by a sugarcane farmers' body to reject the Rangarajan Committee report on freeing the sugar sector and threatened to gherao Parliament if the demands are not met.

Singh, who joined hands with the Rahstriya Kisan Majdoor Sangathan (RKMS) on the issue of plight of sugarcane farmers, backed its convener VM Singh's call for Parliament gherao on December 4.

Addressing a press conference along with VM Singh said: "I am endorsing a call in which interests of the farmers must be pre-dominant in whatever policies we look at."

Singh, however, clarified that he had not decided yet over taking part in the agitation himself, but called upon the people supporting the farmers to participate in the gherao.

The retired general further said the committee's recommendation on doing away with state advisory price (SAP) and cane reservation area would adversely affect the farmers' of northern states. To a question on whether he was on the side of veteran social activist Anna Hazare or activistturned politician Arvind Kejriwal, Singh said: "I am with any individual or per-

son, who wants to work for welfare of the nation because I always consider nation comes first always and everywhere."

The panel set up by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recommended lifting all controls on the sugar industry to balance the interests of farmers and mills. Among the steps, the panel suggested 70:30 revenue share of sugar sale between farmers and millers and scrapping the present levy system that requires mills to sell 10 percent of the output to the government at cheap rates for supplies through state-run fair price shops.

The committee, headed

by C Rangarajan, chairman of Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, also called for the scrapping of the mandatory rule that requires sugar to be packaged in jute bags.

The expert panel feels the industry has the potential to double the revenues to over $30 billion in the next 10 years if the untapped potential is unlocked with total decontrol. Rangarajan said the panel wants 70 percent of the revenues generated by mills - from the sale of sugar, bagasse and byproducts like molasses proceeds - to go to sugarcane farmers.

numbers, clocking 75% turnout in the elections to the 68-seat Himachal Pradesh assembly for which the ruling BJP and Congress are locked in a straight fight. While the high turnout could mean that both the parties succeeded in mobilizing their supporters, it could also signify a close finish as witnessed in Uttarakhand earlier this year. Himachal is also being seen as a bellwether state, since there is perhaps less suspense about the likely outcome in Gujarat, which will go to the polls next.

Both BJP and Congress have high stakes in Himachal and the surge in polling has predictably left both the parties claiming the advantage. This is the highest ever polling percentage in the state since it held its first election in 1972, a year after it was carved out of Punjab.

High point 75% turnout, a record for Himachal’s 46 lakh electorate 80% voters turn up at Hikkim, India’s highest polling booth in LahaulSpiti district, at 14,567ft 18 voters mark 100% turnout in Ka in Kinnaur, which has the lowest number of electors in the state 95-yr-old Shyam Saran Negi, independent India’s first voter, marks another election.

INDIA - world

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

25

In Focus No helmet, no petrol rule in UP

In a move aimed at ensuring road safety, the Uttar Pradesh government has directed petrol pump owners to not give fuel to two-wheeler riders without helmets. The directives were issued at the behest of state Transport Minister Raja Aridaman Singh. Police have been asked to check for the implementation of the diktat. Lucknow accounts for the highest number of road mishaps involving two wheelers in the state.The traffic officials have begun a telephone number helpline on which fuel station managers of the state capital can lodge complaints with regards to non-compliant motorists. The minister has also made a appeal to parents to not allow their children to drive without helmets. The move has also been set rolling keeping in mind the onset of winters, when frequen t dense fogs lead to road accidents.

Top Indian entrepreneur found hanged

A top Indian entrepreneur was found hanged just days after she complained to police about being harassed by her in-laws over her love-match marriage. Akanksha Rathi, 32, told police her mother and father-in-law had tried to stop her claiming her husband Anirudh Rathi’s inheritance - and said she had never been good enough for him. The glamorous businesswoman, renowned in India's male-dominated steel industry, was found dead at her parent's home in Delhi on October 23, just weeks after her husband, 34, died of a heart attack. She had claimed the family waged a campaign of mental harassment following Mr Rathi’s death on September 4 to stop her inheriting a share of the family steel empire.

27 policemen, six villagers injured in Bengal clash

At least 27 policemen, including three officers, and six villagers were injured in pitched battles in West Bengal's Birbhum district over a long-time dispute regarding land acquisition for an open cast mine, officials said. Some police vehicles were also set on fire and damaged during the clashes which occurred at Loba village under Dubrajpur police station, about 226 km from here. The confrontation related to coal extraction by a joint venture company, DVC Emta Coal Mines Ltd., as some land owners opposed additional land acquisition for the project and seized one earth-moving machine deployed by the firm in the village.

Surat businessman stabbed to death in US

A Surat businessman, who had settled in the US, was stabbed to death by two masked robbers in his store in Newark. Hemant Chauhan, 58, had taken over the US store more than a year ago after working in motels till recently. A man walked into the store named Newport Penn Bantam Market at around 7:15pm on Friday. He had jumped over the counter and demanded cash from Chauhan. After a brief argument, the attacker and his accomplice had stabbed. The deceased’s son Vishal, 28, who lives in Surat with his uncle, aunt and wife, left for Mumbai for visa on Sunday morning and is likely to reach the US soon to perform the last rites.

Now, Rajasthan panchayat says no mobiles for girls

A community panchayat in Rajasthan has unanimously favoured prohibiting girls from using personal mobile phones in order to ensure that they do not get involved with boys. Alarmed by the case of a girl who eloped with her boyfriend a few days back, elders of Bhandarez town in Dausa district decided to impose the ban in an all-caste meeting held. Girls using mobile phones are easily connected and approachable and this freedom may create unnecessary problems for her family", Durga Lal, Sarpanch of Bhandarez said.

UP withdraws cases against Sanjay Dutt

The Uttar Pradesh government decided to withdraw cases slapped by the previous Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) regime against Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, who had allegedly made comments against former chief minister Mayawati. The former Mayawati-led government had slapped three cases -- in Barabanki, Mau and Pratapgarh -- against Dutt in 2009 for his alleged comments.In 2009, Dutt had told a gathering in Pratapgarh that he would like to give a 'jaadu ki jhappi' to then chief minister Mayawati. He repeated the dialogue from his "Munnabhai MBBS" film in Dakshin Tola in Mau and at Ram Sanehi Ghat in Barabanki. Sanjay Dutt was then general secretary with the Samajwadi Party.

DIG prisons found to be worth millions of rupees

Lokayukta Police carried out a search at the house of deputy inspector general, prisons, in Bhopal and claimed to have discovered assets worth crores of rupees, disproportionate to known sources of income.

Lokayukta sleuths raided Umesh Kumar Gandhi's house in the Old Jail premises. So far, they had found fixed deposit receipts of `2.3 crore, `40 lakh investment in LIC, `4 lakh cash and title documents of 25 properties in Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Raisen, Katni and Sagar districts, Choudhary said. The search was still on.

Mr Sanjay Srivasta, Director India Tourism, addressing the guests at the Incredible India Event (Photos by www.photovideopro.co.uk)

Mr CB Patel with the new Minister for Tourism of India Mr Chiranjeevi at the Incredible India Event at Guman Tower Hotel, London

Don’t be defensive, Sonia tells Congress cadre clean slate despite eight years on the treasury benches. Rahul seems to have put his finger on how to distance his leadership from UPA's negatives while retaining the advantage as "outsider-activist". The success of the strategy would depend on multiple factors, especially how Congress tackles the economy and graft. But undeterred by the challenges ahead, Rahul kept focus on his future vision while the atmospherics of the rally appeared to be the red carpet for his ascent — he spoke ahead of all, gave the strongest backing to reforms like FDI, and even delineated his "dil ki baat" from the PM, who he said will "talk about economic challenges".

The young leader did not appear reluctant, something that pleasantly surprised partymen who were apprehensive in the aftermath of a disastrous UP campaign, scams and economic mess. Evidence: he patronizingly addressed organizational czars and young Union ministers, "You are tired of this system, I know you want to change the system. I am with you." Confident of his tack, he moved a step further to even attack the BJP — painting its graft war as episodic that ran contrary to his grand theme of system. "The opposition raises the issue of corruption but has any opposition leader spoken about changing the system," he asked.

rahul Gandhi is number 2 in party, no need to anoint him: Congress

One more reshuffle; Purandeswari gets Textiles

The Ramlila Maidan mega show only stoked the buzz about Rahul taking the reins as he took the mike before PM Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi. Ahead of moving up the line of succession, Rahul Gandhi blamed the ills of corruption and malgovernance on the system and positioned himself as the agent of change in the musty Delhi durbar, playing the quintessential outsider to free himself of the baggage of eight years of UPA. "The political system is the biggest problem, its doors are closed for the common man, the weak.

The closed system hurts the youth dreams but the system trips him," Rahul

Congress General Secretary and Amethi MP is already the No. 2 in the party and there is no need to anoint him, the party had said.

Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury while addressing a press conference in New Delhi said that Rahul has been shouldering the responsibilities for a long time. "This is stating the obvious. I don't think there is any need to anoint Rahul Gandhi. He is number two and he is carrying on with his job," said Chowdhury. There have been speculations that Rahul Gandhi is likely to be elevated and made the Congress Secretary General or Working President.

Many younger faces from Rahul's team took charge or were moved up to meaty portfolios during the Cabinet reshuffle on October 28. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said after the reshuffle that Rahul didn't want to become a minister as he wanted to

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had said. Coming from an influential member of the ruling establishment and someone about to be designated as the party No. 2, the assault on the system may have sounded clever.

If audacious, the manoeuvre appeared well-considered. Blaming UPA's bugbears on the system and the toll it takes on the youth appeared part of the project to ease into the role of GenNext icon.

Drawing the big picture of the "system" helps avoid being entangled in the nitty gritties of 2GCoalgate-CWG minefield while the focus on future equips him with the readymade slogan for 2014 as PM candidate.

It seeks to secure a

strengthen the party.

With the new look, Congress is expected to have a few young general secretaries, those belonging to his team, in important party positions.

Seniors like Ambika Soni are expected to be a part of this new set up. Unlike in the past, over the past few months, Rahul has stepped beyond his youth Congress agenda, choosing poll candidates, to being party to important decisions.

There have been speculations that Rahul Gandhi is likely to be elevated and made the Congress Secretary General or Working President. But there is also a cynicism as to whether Rahul's rise would make a difference to a party which seems to be losing its grip, particularly in major states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

His high decibel campaign in Uttar Pradesh didn't work during the Assembly

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The jumbo reshuffle in the Union Cabinet that began on last Sunday seems to be continuing.A PIB press release said that the President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has directed that Tamil Nadu MP S Jagathrakshakan be allocated the portfolio of Minister of State for Commerce and Industry.

Earlier, he was MoS for New and Renewable Energy. Sources, meanwhile, also said that Andhra Congress MP Purandeswari Devi, who was given the charge of Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, is now likely to be made MoS, Textiles (Independent charge). The winter session of Parliament on November 22 and will go on till December 20.

election and neither has he been seen airing his views of the major issues before the country. Rahul has remained silent during the worst crisis of the UPA. During the rally at New Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, Rahul Gandhi led the Congress's war cry against the opposition over corruption and FDI in multibrand retail. The rally showcased the Congress's desire to push Rahul to the forefront with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his Haryana counterpart Bhupinder Singh Hooda demanding that he be giving a more responsible and prominent position in the party. Amid sloganeering in Rahul's favour the Congress leaders declared that he was India's future leader.

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26

INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

EC rejects Swamy's plea to derecognise Congress In Focus The Election Commission (EC) rejected Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy's plea to derecognise the Congress as a party for extending a `900 million loan to Associated Journals Ltd, publisher of the now defunct National Herald. "Your letters dated Nov 3 and Nov 5 are not maintainable," the EC said in a letter to Swamy.

The EC further told Swamy in its letter: "If the party (Congress) has not complied with any of the provisions of the Income Tax Act, as alleged by you, that matter does not fall within the jurisdiction of the commission."

Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy on Saturday said that he will file a plea before the Election Commission seeking derecognition of the Congress party.

Subramanian Swamy tweeted on Saturday morning: "Based on Congi confession of the loan crime yesterday I am filing a Petition today

Subramanian Swamy

before ECI seeking De-recognition of Congi party."

Battle over Swamy's allegations against Gandhi family heightened, when he stuck to his allegations and challenged Rahul Gandhi to move court with a defamation case as threatened by the latter in response to the charges. The Congress had said that it had provided interest-free loans to the ailing company that ran National Herald without any commercial profits.

While Congress accepted that had provided interest-free loans to Associated Journals Pvt Ltd (AJPL), which owns National Herald and Quami

Awaz, it said the move was only part of its political activities. "It is a matter of pride for the Indian National Congress that it has supported the Associated Journals Ltd, publisher of National Herald and other newspapers founded by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1937, which have played a role in our freedom movement. Congress has done its duty in supporting AJPL to help initiate a process to bring the newspaper back to health in compliance with the laws of the land," said Janardan Dwivedi, Congress general secretary.

Swamy accepted Rahul's threat to move court, raising the prospect of a heightened battle between the Congress's first family and the Janata Party president, with the BJP too endorsing Swamy's claims. "My advice to Rahul Gandhi is to grow up and go to the court and file a defamation case," Swamy had said. "I will fight you there," he said.

Swamy said he has not

read the letters sent by Rahul's lawyer and his office "I have not read either of those letters. I have thrown them in my dustbin."

Swamy's belligerent stand came a day after he accused Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul of floating a private company for nonprofit and taking over the assets worth Rs 1,600 crore of now-defunct National Herald newspaper, by committing a few lakh rupees. He also accused Rahul of not disclosing his shareholding in Associated Journals, which was founded by Jawaharlal Nehru.Swamy accused Young Indian, a Section 25 company floated by the Gandhis, of illegally letting out two floors of Herald House here to the ministry of external affairs' passport division. Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said the nature, manner and timing of the allegations clearly substitute sensation for sense and superficiality for substance.

Americans give Barack Obama another term

Continued from page 1

But as it became increasingly clear that no amount of contesting would bring him victory, he called Mr Obama to concede shortly before 1 a.m.

"I wish all of them well, but particularly the president, the first lady and their daughters," Mr. Romney told his supporters in Boston. "This is a time of great challenges for America, and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation."

Hispanics made up an important part of Mr. Obama's winning coalition, preliminary exit poll data showed. And before the night was through, there were already recriminations from Republican moderates who said Mr. Romney had gone too far during the

primaries in his statements against those here illegally, including his promise that his get-tough policies would cause some to "self-deport."

Mr. Obama, 51, faces governing in a deeply divided country and a partisan-rich capital, where Republicans retained their majority in the House and Democrats kept their control of the Senate.

His re-election offers him a second chance that will quickly be tested, given the rapidly escalating fiscal showdown.

For Mr. Obama, the result brings a ratification of his sweeping health care act, which Mr. Romney had vowed to repeal. The law will now continue on course toward nearly full implementation in 2014, promising to change significantly the way

medical services are administrated nationwide.

Confident that the economy is finally on a true path toward stability, Mr. Obama and his aides have hinted that he would seek to tackle some of the grand but unrealized promises of his first campaign, including the sort of immigration overhaul that has eluded presidents of both parties for decades.

But he will be venturing back into a Congressional environment similar to that of his first term, with the Senate under the control of Democrats and the House under the control of Republicans, whose leaders have hinted that they will be no less likely to challenge him than they were during the last four years.

The state-by-state pursuit of 270 electoral votes was being closely tracked by both campaigns, with Mr. Romney winning North Carolina and Indiana, which Mr. Obama carried four years ago. But Mr. Obama won Michigan, the state where Mr. Romney was born, and Minnesota, a pair of states that Republican groups had spent millions trying to make competitive.

Americans delivered a final judgment on a long and bitter campaign that drew so many people to the polls that several key states extended voting for hours. In Virginia and Florida, long lines stretched from polling places, with the Obama campaign sending text messages to supporters in those areas, saying: "You can still vote."

BJP backs Gadkari, but cracks remain

Continued from page 1

fortnight came on a day of hectic activities in the wake of public demand by eminent lawyer and party MP Ram Jethmalani for Gadkari's immediate resignation with apparent backing of some senior leaders including Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha.

A day after his son Mahesh quit the BJP national executive protesting against Gadkari's continuance, Ram Jethmalani raised the pitch for the resignation of the party chief, claiming that some other senior leaders like Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha were with him on the issue.

He also wrote a strong letter to Advani claiming to have the endorsement of the three leaders in which he reportedly said that they met two days ago to consider whether they should quit the party over the issue. While Yashwant Sinha refrained from commenting, Shatrughan Sinha reportedly said he was part of that group.

With Jethmalani setting the agenda for the day, the party leaders went into a huddle over a number of sessions.

Jethmalani said he was in touch with Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha on the issue and they were all of the same view.

"I hope they will also take the same step. We are unanimous in our views and I have no doubt about it. They have not expressed them publicly and I hope they will express them soon," the Rajya Sabha member of the Bharatiya Janata Party said.

"We four are of the clear view that the resignation of Gadkari is necessary," he said.

Jethmalani had sought Gadkari's resignation earlier as well, after allegations of corruption were levelled against him.

The veteran said he was contemplating resignation from the party, but decided to stay on in the interest of the nation. "Basically, I thought I would resign from the party, but I believe that if in the present circumstances I resign, it will be betrayal of the whole nation. The nation needs an opposition party," the senior lawyer said.

Charges against Gadkari include land grab and

improper business dealings as chairman of the Purti Group. "On the one side you have Gadkari who brackets Swami Vivekananda with Dawood. On the other side, our future prime minister who is about to be dumped on this country does not know the difference between Kargil and FDI. So, I have to make up my mind about who is worth it," Jethmalani said, pointing to remarks that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made at the Sunday rally in New Delhi.

Gadkari offers regrets over Swami Vivekanada remark: A day after he denied comparing Swami Vivekanada with fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim during a speech in Bhopal, Gadkari offered regrets over his remark. In a statement issued amid demands by sections in his own party for his resignation, Gadkari said he never compared Swami Vivekananda with anyone and had no intention to project the seer in bad light. Gadkari offered sincere regrets on hurting public sentiments.

"I would like to reiterate that I never compared Swami

Vivekananda with anyone. I had absolutely no intention to project Swami Vivekananda in bad light. If my words about Swami Vivekananda have hurt the public sentiments in any manner, I express my sincere regrets," Gadkari said.

The BJP chief said Swami Vivekananda has always been a source of inspiration for workers and leaders in the party. "My personal reverence for Swami Vivekananda is second to none. In that context I had referred to Swami Vivekananda dedicating his intellect for the welfare of humanity. I am deeply pained to note that my words have been taken out of context to create confusion," he reiterated.

Gadkari Monday stoutly denied having compared Swami Vivekananda with Dawood Ibrahim and said he had been grossly misquoted.

"What I meant was that if one used one's intelligence properly, then one could become a Saint like Swami Vivekananda," Gadkari had said following uproar over his remarks.

Winter Session of Parliament to begin on November 22

The Winter Session of Parliament will begin on November 22, it was officially announced on Friday. A Lok Sabha press release said that the 12th session of the 15th LoK Sabha is likely to conclude on December 20 subject to exigencies of government business. The Monsoon Session of Parliament was virtually washed away on the issue of CAG report on coal block allocations.

Supreme Court quashes rape charges against filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar

The Supreme Court quashed rape charges against filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar.

Madhur Bhandarkar had approached the Supreme Court. A struggling model and actress, Preeti Jain, had accused Madhur Bhandarkar of raping her on the pretext of giving her a lead role in his forthcoming films. Preeti Jain has also told court that she is not interested in pursuing the case as it is a 9-year-old case. In July 2004, Jain had lodged a complaint alleging that Bhandarkar had raped her several times between 1999 and 2004 under the pretext of marrying her and casting her as actress in his movies.

Japan briefs India, US on islandsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tiff with China

Signaling their growing alarm, senior Japanese officials gave a classified briefing to Indian and US officials on the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands earlier this week.

China and Japan are locked in a territorial dispute over these islands in the East China Sea that has recently escalated to the level that has rung alarm bells among strategists.

This was part of the third trilateral meeting among India, Japan and the US, where the three countries explored possibilities of working together in the region. The trilateral has attracted criticism from China.

Jailed for tarring PC's son

A Puducherry businessman, S Ravi, who was arrested and later released for posting 'offensive' messages on Twitter against Karti Chidambaram, son of Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, said that he will not apologise for his tweets as he had referred to reports about Karti Chidambaram and Robert Vadra that were published in newspapers. He had tweeted that Karti had amassed more wealth than Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

In another tweet on October 19, he said "as a Tamilian" he felt "bad to have sent P Chidambaram to national politics". Section 66A says anyone found guilty of sending, by means of a computer resource or a communication device, any information that is grossly offensive or has a menacing character can be jailed for up to three years and fined.

22 killed as rains batter Andhra

Torrential rains continued to batter coastal Andhra Pradesh, claiming 22 lives, inundating hundreds of villages, paralysing road and rail traffic and damaging crops. The rains triggered by northeast monsoon and Cyclone Nilam, which crossed the coast near Chennai have so far killed 22 people.

About 60,000 people from affected areas were shifted to 86 relief camps. Incessant rains in eight districts of Andhra Pradesh have damaged 480 houses completely and 766 houses partially. Standing crops in over 250,000 hectares were also damaged. In East Godavari district, one of the worst-hit by flash floods, seven deaths were reported while about 30,000 people were shifted to relief camps. Over 500 villages in the district were marooned.

Panchayat member dubbed witch, nose chopped off

In a shocking incident, a woman panchayat member's nose was chopped off by five persons who dubbed her as a witch and beat her up in Bihar's Khagaria district. The woman, a member of Kenjari panchayat, was beaten up yesterday on suspicion of practising witchcraft, by five persons, including one who blamed her for the recent death of his son and her nose was chopped off. The woman was admitted to a hospital at Beldar, A FIR was registered against five persons.

INDIA - wOrld

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

27

Diwali- Festival of Lights British envoy writes to Omar, says UK will revoke travel advisory Light Up Your Life!

Deepawali or Diwali is certainly the biggest and the brightest of all Hindu festivals. It's the festival of lights that's marked by four days of celebration, which literally illuminates the country with its brilliance, and dazzles all with its joy. Each of the four days in the festival of Diwali is separated by a different tradition, but what remains true and constant is the celebration of life, its enjoyment and goodness.

The Origin of Diwali: Historically, the origin of Diwali can be traced back to ancient India, when it was probably an important harvest festival. However, there are various legends pointing to the origin of Diwali. Some believe it to be the celebration of the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. In Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Mother Kali, the dark goddess of strength. Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshiped in most Hindu homes on this day. In Jainism, Diwali has an added significance to the great event of Lord Mahavira attaining the eternal bliss of nirvana. Diwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and bursting of crackers.

Each day of Diwali has its own tale, legend and myth to tell. The first day of the festival, Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama.

Amavasya, the second day, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees.

Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali, and banished him

to hell. Bali was allowed to return to earth once a year, to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance, and spread the radiance of love and wisdom.

It is on the third day - Kartika Shudda Padyami - that Bali steps out of hell and rules the earth according to the boon given by Lord Vishnu. The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj) and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.

The Significance of Lights & Firecrackers: All the simple rituals of Diwali have significance and a story to tell. The illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity.

According to one belief, the sound of fire-crackers is an indication of the joy of the people living on earth, making the gods aware of their plentiful state. Still another possible reason has a more scientific basis: the fumes produced by the crackers kill a lot of insects and mosquitoes, found in plenty after the rains.

In each legend, myth and story of Diwali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope. From darkness into light - the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity.

During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the globe. Outside India, it is more than a Hindu festival; it's a celebration of SouthAsian identities. If you are away from the sights and sounds of Diwali, light a diya, sit quietly, shut your eyes, withdraw the senses, concentrate on this supreme light and illuminate the soul.

The International School Bangalore The International School Bangalore (TISB) is one of India's premier co-educational and boarding schools. It is located 45 minutes from Bangalore and is voted as one of the top five international schools in the world by The Good Schools Guide (UK). With 1,000 students from over 30 countries and from every state in India, TISB is one of the most culturally diverse international schools in Asia. The school is renowned for its outstanding academic results and global university placements, as well as for its tremendously broad co-curricular programme and global exposure opportunities through exchanges, competitions and festivals with schools in India, Europe, America and the rest of Asia.

TISB has a 125 acre campus and the students benefit from world-class facilities and superb pas-

toral care. TISB is fully accredited by the IBO, CIE, HMC and BSA and offers the broadest IB and IGCSE curriculum of any school in India. Students can be admitted throughout the year and shortterm experiential learning admissions for one or two terms are also possible.

TISB stands for academic excellence and education and for the total development of the students beyond the curriculum within a framework of ethical, disciplined, caring and teaching. TISB is an

outward-looking, modern and ambitious school which values decorum, courtesy, self-discipline and honesty as hallmarks of a truly well-educated person. In the close-knit community of TISB, lifelong friendships are forged and the distinctively vibrant experience of life on campus motivates and drives our students to the wonderfully successful outcomes that they obtain year after year in academics, activities and in their future lives at university and beyond.

British high commissioner to India Sir James Bevan has written to Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, saying that the UK government will shortly announce the revocation of the advisory against its citizens travelling to the state. The UK will be the third major country to revoke such an advisory after Japan and Germany. It is seen as an international recognition of the all-time drop in terror activities in the state.

The government hopes that the move will further boost the J&K's tourist industry, the mainstay of its economy. "At our meeting in August, you asked me to consider whether the UK's travel advice covering Jammu and Kashmir should be reviewed in light of decline in violence. I have done so," said a J&K government handout quoting Bevan's letter. "The UK government will therefore be announcing shortly that the improvements in the security situation have led us to lift the advisory

Omar Abdullah

Sir James Bevan

against UK citizens travelling to both the cities of Jammu and Srinagar, and travel between these two cities on the JammuSrinagar Highway."

The envoy said his government's move would encourage more British tourists and businessmen to visit the state and benefit its economy. The handout credited Omar's persuasion for the move.

"Omar Abdullah has taken up this issue with other diplomatic missions as well which are expected to follow suit...," the handout said. "The initiative is likely to give considerable fillip to the inflow of foreign

tourists..." The handout said lifting of advisories will restore "the visit of high end foreign tourists and flourish the business and trade". Officials said the state government is in talks with countries like Australia, Canada and that they are likely to follow suit. The J&K government has of late been inviting foreign diplomats to play golf in Srinagar as part of its efforts to showcase the change in the state's security situation. The state has been witnessing bumper tourist seasons since 2011 with a record 10 lakh tourists visiting J&K this year.

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28

travel & WOMEN

asian voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Purvi’s travel bag

By Purvi Apurva Shah

women achievers

Esther David - an author, artist and a sculptor

By AV Correspondent

The Khajuraho temples are famous not only among tourists from abroad but also among Indian tourists who come to admire the wonderful art of this World Heritage Site. Its sculpture and architecture capture the attention of the visitors. The temples were built by the Chandela dynasty around thousand years before Christ. Of the 85 temples that had been built only 20 remains standing. These can be divided into three main groups, Western, Eastern and Southern. Architecturally these temples are unique. Due to the detailed sculptural depiction of erotic motives, the temples are known as the Kamasutra temples.

However, eroticism is not the only topic.

Khajuraho has not received the deserved attention for its significant contribution to the religious art of India. There are literally hundreds of exquisite images on the interior and exterior walls of the shrines that show the pictorial richness of Hinduism. Visiting this impressive site is an extraordinary experience. Each year Shree Bindu Sewa Sansthan organizes a retreat journey to the breath-taking temples and the surrounding sights such as the Pandav waterfalls, safari park and Orcha, the temple city at the shore of the Betwa.

The temples are located in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, about 620 km southeast of New Delhi and is considered to be one of the "seven wonders" of India. The temples are made of sandstone. The builders didn't use mortar: the stones were put together with mortise and tenon joints and they were held in place by gravity. This form of construction requires very precise joints.

The columns and architraves were built with megaliths that weighed up to 20 tonnes. These temples of Khajuraho have sculptures that look very realistic and are studied even today.

Khajuraho is much different from any other temple cities of India. It is not about religion and worshipping and deities. The temples of Khajuraho are instead famous for the eroticism etched on its walls in the

form of sculptures. An amalgamation of science and art of architecture, these 10th11th century temples have a very interesting legend behind them that connects them to the origin of Chandela dynasty. It is said that in a fit of passion and lust, the Moon God seduced and ravaged a beautiful Brahmin girls known as Hemvati, resulting in the birth of Chandravarman (the founder of the Chandela dynasty).

Later, Chandravarman had a dream where his mother requested him to make a temple, which would reveal all aspects of the treasure of passion and erotic fantasy to the world.

Western Group: These groups of temples are entirely Hindu, and constitute some of the finest examples of Chandela art at its peak. The largest being the Kandhariya Mahadev, followed by a granite temple - Chaunsath Yogini. The Chitragupta Temple is dedicated to the Sun God, while the Vishwanath Temple sports a three-headed image of Brahma the Creator of the Universe. The Lakshmana Temple is superbly decorated, while the Devi Jagdambi Temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali. Other temples in the Western Group include the Varaha Temple with a nine-feet high boar-incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Matangeshwara Temple with a eight-feet high lingam, and the Brahma Temple.

Eastern Group: This group comprises of two historic Jain temples - the Adinath Temple lavishly embellished with sculpted figures, and the Parsvanath Temple, the largest Jain temple, sculpted with charming detail. There are other shrines such as the Vamana Temple with apsaras in sensuous poses, and the Javari Temple that has a richly-carved doorway.

Southern Group: This group has two impressive temples, mainly belonging to the 12th century - the Chaturbhuja Temple, with a massive, carved image of Vishnu, and the Duladeo Temple, one of the last temples of the Chandela era, dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Esther David is an author, artist and a sculptor. She was born in a Bene Israel Jewish family in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. She has won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2010 for her “The Book of Rachel.” A single mother and grandmother of two, she is now a full-time writer who lives in Ahmedabad.

Her father, Reuben David was a hunterturned-veterinarian, who founded the Kamala Nehru Zoological Garden and Balvatika at Kankaria in Ahmedabad. Her mother Sarah, was a school teacher. As a child she spent a lot of time in the zoo, watching and communicating with the animals her father nurtured there. After her schooling in Ahmedabad, she joined Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, as a student of Fine Arts and Art History.

There she met Sankho Chaudhary, a renowned sculptor, who taught her sculpture and art history.

After her graduation she returned to Ahmedabad and started her career as a professor in art history and art appreciation.

She taught at the CEPT University and NIFT. She started writing about art and became an art critic in a prominent national English daily.

Later she became a columA Gujarati delicacy is made during festive occasions like Diwali. The half moon shaped deep fried savories are stuffed with crushed dry fruits.

Makes: 20 ghughra's Ingredients for the stuffing: , 1/2 cup dry coconut, 1/4 cup of coarsely powered almonds 1/4 cup of coarsely powdered pistachios, 1/4 cup of coarsely powdered cashew nuts, 1/4 cup finely chopped figs, 1/4 cup of finely chopped dates, 2 teaspoons of freshly powdered cardamom, Ingredients for the outer crust: 2 cups of all purpose flour, 1/4 cup chilled butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 4 tablespoons of water.

Method: Combine the flour, butter and salt, in a large bowl. Work the butter into the flour with your fingers until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Sprinkle water onto the crumbly dough and with your hands push the dough from the sides to the middle of the bowl to form a ball that holds together. Be careful to add only little water at a time, and not allowing the dough to become soggy.

Knead well with our hands until the dough

nist for Femina, a women’s magazine, and other leading national dallies. She is an advisory editor of Eve Times. She has written several books. She had edited and contributed in some books also. Most of her books have revolved around the Bene Israel Jewish community in Ahmedabad.

Her first book – “The Walled City” was published in 1997. It is the story about the forces that unite and divide generations and communities in the walled city of Ahmedabad. Later it was published by Syracuse University Press, USA, and is listed in the library of modern Jewish Literature.

Her next book – “By the Sabarmati” was about two women living in pols and slum of Ahmedabad.

The Book of Rachel is about preservation of the Jewish tradition in India. It was also translated into French. In August 2007 she wrote her first book for teenagers, titled “My

Father’s Zoo.” The book was a tribute to her father and contains stories of the animals that lived or still live in the Kankaria zoo in Ahmedabad.

Her book, “Shalom India Housing Society” was released on November 4, 2007. It received a positive response from critics. “One Church, One All Jewish Faith, One God” was published in 2008 which is a fiction based on believes of Christianity. “The Man with Enormous Wings,” published in 2010 is a fiction around 2002 Gujarat violence in Ahmedabad. In Sari Sutra, she contributed a chapter on Bene Israeli Jewish costumes for a book on India’s Jewish Heritage, Ritual, Art and Life Cycle.

She also edited a collection of short stories in Gujarati by victims of the January 26, 2001 earthquake named as 'Ane Dhara Dhruji'. She also contributed a short story, The Worry Box, and The Laughing Lady, for an anthology, 'City Stories ', published by Scholastic India. Her short story 'Nanki Chirai' was also in an anthology published by Sahitya Academy New Delhi, titled, Growing Up as a Woman Writer edited

by Jasbir Jain. She had also contributed in a web based audio-visual books for children, Gattu's Wildlife Adventures.

Dry-fruit ghughra

becomes into a firm ball of dough. Cover and keep the dough aside. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Combine all the ingredients for the stuffing until all the ingredients hold together.

Divide the stuffing mixture into 20 equal portions. Divide the dough into 20 equal portions as well. On a floured surface roll out each portion into a 3 inch diameter circle.

Place a teaspoon full of stuffing mixture in the center of each circle.

Gently fold the circle into a semi circle, forming a half moon shape. Seal the edges by pressing slightly, so that the dough sticks to each other. Making sure all the stuffing is still concealed inside. Decorate the edges by twisting the dough portion carefully to form a twisted shape.

Continue the same proce-

dure with the remaining dough and stuffing portions.

Place these ghughra's on a greased baking sheet in the oven and bake until golden brown, for about 20-30 minutes. Turn over gently to check if the other side is golden as well, if not bake for little more time until it turns golden.

Health benefits: Dry Fruits are an excellent source of minerals and also contain substantial amounts of essential nutrients. They can be digested easily and keeps us healthy. Similar to fresh fruits, dry fruits have strong medicinal properties.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

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blood sugar control, these healthy people were told they could walk and exercise as normal for three days. During these three days their blood sugar didn’t spike at all after eating, a sign that they had perfect control over their blood sugar and they were ideally sensitive to insulin.

For the second part of the experiment, the volunteers became virtually sedentary and the time spent exercising fell to about three minutes. The researchers found that during those three inactive days, blood glucose levels spiked after every meal with the peaks being 25% higher than during active days. In other words, blood sugar went more and more out of control, the longer the subjects remained inactive, but if being inactive is your way of life, this experiment shows that the knock-on effect is your insulin loses its effect and you’re on the slippery slope to ill health.

Drinking age limit: Adolescent drinking may affect brain

TABLETS For all women over 40 years Gentle IRON+Vitamin syrup

Article 47 of the Indian Constitution states: “The state shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of the use, except for medicinal purposes, of intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious to health.” The raising of the legal limit of alcohol consumption would only be in keeping with the wisdom of the founding fathers of our nation.

As a result of the laxity in the implementation of the prohibition laws and the connivance of liquor dealers with excise officials in obtaining permits for anybody who desired to purchase alcohol, regardless of the age, alcohol consumption has risen hugely. The media is also culpable for encouraging the consumption of alcohol by portraying drinking in congenial social settings, by associating drinking with glamour and celebrity status, and by direct and surrogate advertising. 80% teenagers consume alcohol by the time they complete high school; 30% report having been drunk in the past month and 29% report having five

or more drinks in a row in the past two weeks.

A person who begins drinking as a teen is four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than someone who waits until adulthood to use alcohol. I feel that in India, an 18-year-old does not possess the maturity to handle life as a result of the joint family system.

During adolescence, significant changes occur in the body, including the formation of new networks in the brain. Alcohol use during this time may affect brain development. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death involving people in the 1525 age group. The rate of fatal crashes among drunken drivers in the 1625 age group is more than twice the rate for drunken drivers who are 25 or older. Alcohol use also is linked with youthful deaths by drowning, suicide and homicide.

Alcohol use is associated with many adolescent risk behaviours, including other drug use and delinquency, weapon carrying and fighting and date rapes.

Feel ColdLose weight

A groundbreaking study into the effects of brown — or ‘good’ — fat has suggested ways to burn calories without having to hit the gym.

Human are born with brown fat around their shoulder blades - it plays an important role in maintaining our body temperature as babies, by burning up calories and fat

reserves to keep us warm.

Unfortunately, scientists have long thought that brown fat disappears in infancy once its physiological uses have been exhausted.

Then five years ago, brown fat was ‘rediscovered’ in adults, when researchers carrying out scans on adult patients in the winter months noticed

Gooseberries for good health

In a new study, researchers have found new evidence that smoking may also increase the risk of agerelated cataract, which is the leading cause of blindness and vision loss in the world. The new findings are the result of a metaanalysis conducted by a team of researchers from China. “Although cataracts can be removed surgically to restore sight, many people remain blind from cataracts due to inadequate surgical services and high surgery expenses,” author Juan Ye, MD from Zhejiang University in China said.

“Identifying modifiable risk factors for cataracts may help establish preventive measures and reduce the financial as well as clinical burden caused by the disease,” Ye said.

The team performed the analysis using 12 cohorts and eight casecontrol studies from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America, to compare the prevalence of age-related cataract in individuals who ever smoked cigarettes to those who have never smoked. Further subgroup analyses were performed based on the subjects’ status as a past or current smoker and the three subtypes of age-related

India offers a great deal of native fruits. One among them is the gooseberry.

Popularly used for pickles, this fruit has many nutritional values, which is one of the reasons why it is also used extensively in all the native forms of medicine practiced in the country. Apart from being low in calories, they have phenolic phytochemicals especially flavones and anthocyanins, which have

numerous health-benefiting effects against cancer, aging, inflammation and neurological diseases.

They are also very high in vitamin C and moderate amounts of vitamins A and B-complex. Research proves that consuming a diet that is rich in vitamin C is very good for one to develop immunity in the system. Apart from this, the fruit also contains adequate levels of vital minerals such as copper, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, and potassium.

29

Menopause Tablets

How laziness can kill you In a new study, researchers have tried to tease out the precise role of inactivity in causing ill health. People who are inactive can eat poorly, be obese, smoke and have other lifestyle issues. The researchers from the University of Missouri in the US devised a novel approach - they stopped a group of very active people from exercising as usual.

They got them to cut the number of steps they took each day by at least half and the question the researchers asked was will this physical laziness stop the body from being able to control blood sugar – the key disease-inducing factor for diabetes and heart disease. Volunteers were fitted with glucose measuring devices so that their blood sugar could be checked continuously through 24 hours.

They were asked to move about as little as possible but eat normally.

To examine their basic

HeaLtH WAtcH

HEALTH & VITALITY Tablets

food — the active ingredient capsaicin has been shown to trigger brown fat into action, according to him.

He asked people, who want to lose weight, to avoid the gym and instead take a walk, go for a cycle or just skip outdoors on a cold day. Doing so can get brown fat working.

He said outdoors exercise of any kind is beneficial.

Dairy products — yoghurt, milk and cheese are thought to be important in activating brown fat.

But he warned people to avoid high-fat, sugary carbohydrates and highly processed foods as they may have an adverse impact on brown fat.

Drinking cold water or ice-cold juice may also provide the benefit, noted Professor Symonds.

Some studies have shown that cold drinks help to keep the body’s core temperature lower during exercise — the effects might also trigger brown fat into action.

areas of fat that seemed to be turned on by the cold weather.

Their scans detected a few ounces of brown fat in the upper back, on the side of the neck, in the dip between the collarbone and the shoulder, and along the spine.

Since then, brown fat has become a rapidly growing area of interest among researchers who believe it could hold a vital key to weight problems, the Daily Mail reported.

It’s now believed that not just the cold, but certain foods can also activate it. So, too, can exercise.

In a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics in June, Professor Michael Symonds Symonds has suggested some simple ways to activate brown fat in the body.

Turn down the heating and put on a jumper if you feel really cold, Professor Symonds suggested adding, “We need to feel the cold to burn calories.

Add chilli peppers to

Smoking 'may lead to cataract in elderly' cataract.

The results showed that every individual that ever smoked cigarettes was associated with an increased risk of agerelated cataract, with a higher risk of incidence in current smokers. In the subgroup analysis, former and current smokers showed a positive association with two of the subtypes - nuclear cataract, when the clouding is in the central nucleus of the eye, and subscapular cataract, when the clouding is in the rear of the lens capsule.

The analysis found no association between smoking and cortical cataract, in which the cloudiness affects the cortex of the lens. While the overall analysis suggests that smoking cigarettes may increase the risk of agerelated cataracts, the researchers point out that

further effort should be made to clarify the underlying mechanisms. “We think our analysis may inspire more high-quality epidemiological studies,” Ye said.

“Our analysis shows that association between smoking and the risk of age-related cataract differ by subtypes, suggesting that pathophysiologic processes may differ in the different cataract types,” Ye added.

The study has been published in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science.

To Our Readers We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement it. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

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30

UK

l Milan Group of Wallington is holding a Diwali Programme on Sunday18th November 2012. St Michaels Church, Milton Road, Wallington SM6 9RP. Contact: Kantibhai Ganatra: 020 8669 5014 l Bexley Gujarati Samaj is organising Rangoli Competition on 10th November at 5th Bexley heath Scout Hall, Franklin Road, DA7 4QA, 2 to 4pm; bring your own board, rangoli patten and material, entry is free.

Contact : Priya on 0794 7883828 l Brahma Kumaris annual Diwali programme and celebration- Saturday 10th November 2012, 7pm-8.45pm.

Global Co-operation House, 65-69 Pound Lane, London NW10 2HH. Event will be in Hindi, with English and Tamil. l UK Shri Pushtimargiya Vaishnav Mahila Samaj celebrating Bhaibij on Saturday 17th November 2012 from 1pm to 4 pm at St. Stephens Church Hall, 11 Warwick Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 7NH. Contact: Hansaben Patel 0208 8660 9650 l Haveli, 58 Loughborough Road, Leicester LE4 5LD. Contact: Dalpatbhai Kotecha MOB: 07957170797 - Saturday 10th NovemberMonday 12 November: Bangla Darshan every day in Shayan - Tuesday, 13th November, Mangla & Shringar Bhiter. Rajbhog Darshan as usual. Hatdi from 5.00pm - Wednesday 14 November: Govardhan Puja from 12.00pm.

Annkoot Darshan from 5.00pm followed by Annkoot Aarti at 6.00pm.

- Thursday 15 November, Yamuna

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Diwali Coming Events Paan (Bhai Dooj), Loti Otsav from 4.30pm - Wednesday 21st November Gopashtami - Friday 23rd November, Shringar Darshan Bhiter. Raas –Garba from 5.00pm followed by Mahaprashad.

- Saturday 24th November, Tulsi Vivah. 7.00pm and jagran till mid night.

- Sunday 25 November- Rajbhog Darshan in the morning l Swaminarayan Temple - Stanmore: Woodlane, HA7 4LF. Contact: 02089540205. Dhanteras 11 Nov: 7pm, Kali Chaudas, 12 Nov- 8pm, 14 Nov, Annakut- 7am-8pm, 13 Nov Diwali- 7pm, 25 Nov Tulsi vivah 10am.

- Bolton: 1-11 Adelaide Street, BL3 3NT. Contact -01204652604.

Dhanteras 11 Nov: 6pm, Kali Chaudas, 12 Nov- 6pm, 14 Nov, Annakut- 9am12:30pm, 13 Nov Diwali- 6pm - Leicester: 139-141 Loughborough Road, LE4 5LQ. Contact: 01162666210. Dhanteras 11 Nov: 6pm, Kali Chaudas, 12 Nov- 6-8pm, 14 Nov, Annakut- 12pm-7pm, 13 Nov Diwali- 7-8pm.

- Streatham, 72 Colmer Road, London SW16 5JZ. Contact: 020 8679 8050. Dhanteras 11 Nov: 7:30pm, Kali Chaudas, 12 Nov- 7:30pm, 14 Nov, Annakut- 6am-8pm, 13 Nov Diwali7:30pm.

- Gatwick: Bennetts Lane, RH11 0NY. Contact: 01293550660. Dhanteras 11 Nov: 7:30pm, Kali Chaudas, 12 Nov7:30pm, 14 Nov, Annakut- 6am-8pm, 13 Nov Diwali- 7:30pm.

- Brighton: 79a Trafalgar Road, Brighton BN41 1XD. Contact:

Families pay tribute to soldiers A junior officer and a soldier from Nepal were identified as Britain’s latest victims of a spate of killings in Afghanistan by rogue members of the Afghan security forces.

Lieutenant Edward Drummond-Baxter and Lt Baxter and Lance Corporal Kunwar Lance Corporal tleman and an inspiraSiddhanta Kunwar, both tional leader”. of 1st Battalion The Royal Lance Corporal Gurkha Rifles, were shot Kunwar, 28, from dead on last Tuesday by a Pokhara, Nepal, was on man wearing an Afghan his third tour of police uniform. They had Afghanistan. He joined just taken part in a meetthe British Army in 2004. ing with policemen at a He was described as an checkpoint in the Nahr-e “outstanding soldier” with Saraj district of Helmand a calm mind and cheerful province.

Lieutenant nature. The deaths take Drummond- Baxter, 29, a the total number of British psychology graduate who service personnel to die in lived with his parents in Afghanistan to 437 since Co Durham, was operations began in 2001. described as a “true genEditor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Freelance Correspondent: Rudy Otter Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Chief Financial Officer: Surendra Patel Tel: 020 7749 4093 Mobile: 07875 229 220 Email: surendra.patel@abplgroup.com Accounts Executive: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email:accounts@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 151 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Business Development Managers: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Nihir Shah - Email: nihir.shah@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4089 - Mobile: 07875 229 111 Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Design and Layout: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd.

01273420200. Dhanteras 11 Nov: Normal times, Kali Chaudas, 12 Nov7:30pm, 14 Nov, Annakut- 10am-7pm, 13 Nov Diwali- 7:30pm.

- Willesden: 220-222 Willesden Lane, NW2 5RG. Contact: 02084594506.

Dhanteras 11 Nov: 4:30pm, Kali Chaudas, 12 Nov- 7pm, 14 Nov, Annakut- Mahaprashad 11:30am, darshan- 7am-8pm, 13 Nov Diwali- 7pm, 25 Nov, Tulsi vivah: 10am - Harrow: Westfield Lane, HA3 9EA. Contact: 020 8909 9899. Dhanteras 11 Nov: 4:30pm, Kali Chaudas, 12 Nov7pm, 14 Nov, Annakut- 7am-8pm, 13 Nov Diwali- 7pm-8:30pm, 25 Nov, Tulsi vivah: 10am l BAPS Swaminarayan Temple, Neaseden. Contact: 020 8965 2651.

Diwali, 13 Nov- 6-7:15pm, Annakut14 Nov: 12pm-9pm.

Annakut :- Ashton-Manchester, 14 Nov, 12-7pm - Birmingham, 14 Nov- 12-8pm - Coventry, 14 Nov- 12-6pm - Havant, 18 Nov- 4pm-7pm - Leicester, 14 Nov: 12pm-9pm - Loughborough, 17 Nov 12-6pm - Luton, 14 Nov: 11:30am-8pm - Nottingham, 18 Nov: 1-5pm - Preston, 14 Nov: 10am-2pm - Southend-on-sea- 14 Nov, 128pm - Wellingborough, 14 Nov, 11am7:30pm. l 150th anniversary of Mahatma madan Mohan malaviya, 10 November, 2:30-5:30pm. Nehru Centre, 8 South Audley Street.

Contact: 020 7491 3567.

Ramesh Vaish Moradabadi is arranging for eye camps for cataract operation in India every winter for poor and disabled people. A free check up of elderly people and those who found suffering with cataract will take place in the Government Hospital, Moradabad, UP. In this hospital, beds are available with medical facilities and after the operation milk and fruits are readily to be given to the patients.

Mr Moradabadi urges people to come forward to involve in such activities in India or Africa, wherever they have grown up.

At work sometimes a little ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 upheaval and chaos is exactly

what you need to set things right again. There’s no need to be complacent: the time is now. you’ll have no qualms about deciding what you want and going after it with total devotion.

Unpredictable energies continue to influence your health sector. The key for you as always is to remain calm and collected.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

Whether you’re single or attached you’ll have to go through a lot, as deep psychological transformations are taking place in all types of relationships. No matter what your chosen path is, you’ll be recognised and rewarded for it. Don’t be afraid to experiment, trust your hunches, go with your gut feeling.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 Relationships are likely to widen your horizons, but exercise caution, because some opportunities won't prove quite as amazing as they first seem.

Saturn in Libra, the sign of diplomacy, will help you organize your priorities and systematically put them into practice. People entering your life now will encourage you to move beyond your established boundaries of safety.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

If you are your own boss, then you can look forward to a fairly good week. Cancerians who face a strict schedule may find the next seven days a little frustrating. You may be absorbing new ideas about how to create financial independence. Others may not understand, so you may have to keep your ideas to yourself.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 Anything or anyone that drains your time and energy should be re-evaluated. It’s time to use that creative imagination of yours to create grandeur in your life. Jupiter, the planet of expansion in your Solar 11th house is creating a lot of opportunities for you. Don't get too carried away and lose sight of little things that mean a lot to you.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 You know you have no choice but to streamline and reassess your priorities before haphazardly saying yes to everything that smells like a potential opportunity. Try to create a balance between expansion and conservation. Jupiter in your work sign makes you feel invincible, but the way to utilise this transit is to sift through all the opportunities that come your way.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

Expansive Jupiter in your Solar 9th house of travel and spirituality is going to play a great part for some of you, who are widening their horizons. An important time to build too, as Saturn in your solar 2nd House can be very severe and restrictive regarding finance. Regardless of the limits, you have the capacity to turn the course of your life in a more fulfilling direction.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

You have been going through major changes in your relationships, as a result of your own radical personal transformation. Your ideas about love and partnership are changing daily. As with most things, your health waxes and wanes. You might even find the energy to keep up with your projected gym schedule. No matter how hard you are working, try to make time for relaxation.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

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It’s all about communications, as they take centre stage this week. You’ll have to openly speak up about your wants and needs without fear.

Regarding love there will be a struggle between devotion and freedom. You need to feel completely consumed by the passion of your lover, and yet you need personal space to explore your own thing.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 If your ambitions have been undefined, don't worry as from now on, you understand exactly what kind of impact you need to make on the world. Jupiter in your work sector rules your daily life. All those little details should run perfectly, without you constantly worrying. Health-wise you will be feeling fit and relaxed.

Responsibility is your key word, especially at work. Set your own goals, rather than trying to meet those set by someone else. You will achieve a lot more, especially when you're motivated by your own desires. Your ability to manage what you have on your plate earns respect from others around you.

You will benefit in every way if you learn to self-discipline and pace yourself wisely.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

This is a good time to appreciate what you have already created in your life. Of course, there are still challenging issues on both a personal and practical level. It's a time of slow and steady progress that can set the stage for a long time to come. To get here you may have overcome obstacles by making important decision and choices that set the direction of your life.

Sport world

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

Yuvraj, Harbhajan make comeback; Suresh Raina dropped for England Tests Yuvraj Singh staged a remarkable comeback to the Test fold, while struggling offspinner Harbhajan Singh also returned from wilderness as India named a 15-member squad for the first two Tests against England starting November 15.

The 30-year-old, who fought back after being diagnosed with a rare germ cell cancer last year, forced his way back into the squad after commendable performances in the domestic circuit.

Harbhajan also got the nod from the new selection panel headed by former Test cricketer Sandeep Patil more than a year after his last appearance in a five-day game. There were no major surprises by the selectors, who dropped Suresh Raina to accommodate Yuvraj while Harbhajan made his way at the expense of injured legspinner Piyush Chawla.

Sachin Tendulkar, the seniormost member of the squad, will provide solidity in an otherwise inexperienced middle-order line-up which will also have the in form Virat Kohli. Cheteshwar Pujara and Yuvraj will be the

others in the middle order.

Tamil Nadu opener Murali Vijay was also named in the squad as a reserve opener though the selectors retained the experienced duo of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir despite both of them going through a form slump for a long time.

Vijay replaced S Badrinath, who featured in the last Test against New Zealand in August.

Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, whose fitness was under the scanner after he limped off the field during a Ranji Trophy match earlier, has also been retained apparently after getting the physio's nod. Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma are the two other pacers in the squad.

The team has seven spe-

cialist batsmen, three pacers, three spinners and one wicketkeeper batsman in skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The series starts in Ahmedabad from November 15, followed by the second Test in Mumbai (from November 23 to 27). The third Test is scheduled in Kolkata (December 5 to 9) and the final match will be played in Nagpur from December 13 to 17.

It is an emotional comeback for Yuvraj, who made his international return during the World Twenty20 Championships in Sri Lanka in September.

The all-rounder then went on to impress one and all with his fine performance in the Duleep Trophy for North

Zone. His 208 against Central Zone was followed by a 59 and a five-for against England for India A at the Brabourne Stadium last week, proving that he was fit for the rigours of five-day cricket.

Harbhajan, on the other, went wicketless in his 21 overs for Punjab against Hyderabad in Mohali but did reasonably well during a county stint for Surrey before this.

The presence of Vijay in the squad puts pressure on Sehwag and Gambhir to perform since Ajinkya Rahane is already in the side and can perform the role of an opener.

In the spin department, the selectors have opted for two off-spinners in R Ashwin and Harbhajan, while leftarm spinner Pragyan Ojha adds variety in the absence of any leg-spinner.

Squad for first and second Tests: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Cheteshwar Pujara, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Pragyan Ojha, Ajinkya Rahane, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Murali Vijay, Zaheer Khan.

BCCI rejects Sharmila's demand for Pataudi Trophy The Indian cricket board on Tuesday rejected yesteryears Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore's demand to name the ensuing India-England series after her husband and former India captain the late Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi.

Sharmila, in her letter to Board of Control for India (BCCI) president N. Srinivasan dated Nov 2, lashed out at the board for its delay in instituting a Pataudi lecture and a Pataudi Trophy for the upcoming IndiaEngland series.

The BCCI, however, said the series was already named after Anthony De Mello, first secretary of the board, since 1951. "In 2007, when Marylebone Cricket Club

(MCC) proposed the institution of Pataudi Trophy for England - India series, the BCCI had clarified that the trophy is already named after Anthony De Mello. India are the current holders of the Anthony De Mello trophy," BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale said in a statement.

Sharmila had reminded

Srinivasan of the BCCI's promise to institute the Lecture last year. "I have requested the BCCI president to institute the Pataudi Trophy for the India-England Test series. I have also asked to fast-track the matter. I haven't heard from BCCI till now ... I don't know why they haven't replied," Sharmila

was quoted as saying by CNN-IBN. In 2007, the MCC had commissioned the Pataudi Trophy to be presented to the winning captain at the end of future England-India Test series.

It was conceived to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the first-ever IndiaEngland Test series that took place in 1932. But the trophy never got the official stamp from the BCCI. In 2011, shortly before his death, Pataudi was invited to present the trophy to the winning captain in England only to be humiliated. He was present on the dias but was ignored as England captain Andrew Strauss was given the sponsor's trophy.

I am not the world's best bowler: Dale Steyn Dale Steyn believes there are better bowlers in world cricket and it is simply his durability and consistency that have enabled the pacer to rise to the top of the ICC Test bowling rankings. There are many who would disagree with the South African, not least those who have faced his blend of ferocious pace and pinpoint accuracy at the crease and count among his 287 Test victims.

Now part of the most feared pace attack in cricket along with Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel, Steyn looked relaxed and confident at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) recently as he pondered this month's threeTest series against Australia.

That this relaxed demeanour was a contrast with his sometimes fiery onfield persona was not lost on the 29-year-old. "Cricket brings out a more aggressive

side of me, to be honest," he told reporters with a laugh.

"Where else in the world do you get the chance to basically kill someone with two bouncers in an over. Legally. I think that can bring out the anger in anyone. Off the field I'm pretty chilled, but on it, it's all business."

As one Australian newspaper pointed out, Steyn's Test bowling figures (287 wickets in 57 Tests at an average of 23.50) stack up pretty well compared to West Indies great Malcolm Marshall at a

similar stage of his career.

Steyn, though, seems genuinely uncomfortable talking about his prolific wicket taking and his reign at the top of the rankings. "In all honesty, there are probably a lot better bowlers than what I am," he said.

"I guess I am just one of the guys that consistently plays for South Africa and has performed well. I think that when (captain) Graeme (Smith) needs a wicket or something like that he hands me the ball and I've been fortunate enough to take the wickets for him.

If I'm playing every Test match and I'm taking wickets, those points ranking system is always going to mean that I'm going to be up there.

But, like I said, it doesn't necessarily mean that I'm the best or the most skilled bowler in the world."

Good management: With Australia sweating over the

long-term fitness of young fast-bowling talent Pat Cummins, there was plenty of interest too in how Steyn has managed to stay healthy throughout his eight-year Test career.

"I'm definitely not strong, I'm pretty thin," he laughed, adding: "I've been managed well, the message that's been sent back to our coaches from the trainers has been the right one.

"I've only played a handful of one-day internationals (considering how long I've been playing). So they've managed me very well and I'm stoked about that.

"When I was younger, I probably over-bowled myself.

Now, it's about managing myself and knowing that I've got to bowl my best deliveries in the game. You don't see Usain Bolt breaking 100 metre world records during training sessions."

31

Action at a Glance Sachin gets Order of Australia

S a c h i n Tendulkar, the scourge of Australian bowlers, was on Tuesday conferred the prestigious Order Of Australia (OOA) in a formal ceremony conducted by Simon Crean, a minister in the Oz government in the presence of Peter Varghese, Australia’s high commissioner to India. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard had announced last month in New Delhi, that the cricketer would be honoured with the award.

An overwhelmed Tendulkar was lavish in his praise of the Australian cricket fraternity.

“Watching those fantastic day and night matches on television from Australia during my school days, I started dreaming of playing cricket there. It turned into reality in 1991-92. At 18, I was playing the top side in the world. It completely changed me as a cricketer.”

However, he also hailed them for being generous in their praise. “When you do well against them, they shower you with compliments. Those three-and-half months changed me completely and I thoughtIwas ready to play against any attack in the world.

The Australians have contributed to making me a tougher cricketer.” Tendulkar was also presented with a stump painted by indigenous artist Janice Murray along with the medal and certificate.

Mahesh Bhupathi-Rohan Bopanna win Paris Masters

Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna clinched the Paris Master, their second title of the year, after scoring a hard-fought win over Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi and Jean-Julien Rojer on Sunday. The fifth seed Indian pair, playing their fourth final of the season, struggled past the Pakistan-Dutch combination 76 (6) 6-3 in the summit clash, lasting one hour and 24 minutes. Bhupathi and Bopanna had won the Dubai ATP event and ended runners-up at Cincinnati and Shanghai. The Indians could not convert a single breakpoint of the six chances in the opening set but held nerves in the tie-breaker to take the lead. They saved a crucial break chance in the second set and cashed in on both the chances on opponents' serve to seal the win. The Indians have already qualified for the season-ending finale, where they will make debut as a pair. The 38-yearold Bhupathi is a four-time runner-up at the event, losing the final in 2010 with Max Mirnyi and 1997, '99 and 2000 with Leander Paes. Bopanna, 32, had made his debut at the year-end championships last year with Qureshi.

Indian Govt gives nod for Indo-Pak series in December

India’s union home ministry has given nod for an India-Pakistan cricket series to be held at the end of December 2012. The One Day Internationals will be played at Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata while the T20Is will be held at Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India had extended an invitation to the Pakistan Cricket Board in July for a short limited overs series in December. The PCB had welcomed the proposal that was subject to the approval of the Indian Government.

The security aspect is being looked into for the high-profile as the respective cricket boards cleared it. England will be going back home for a Christmas break at the end of December, and that is the time when Pakistan will come here and play till the England team returns to round-off the with an ODI series. Pakistan had last toured India in November 2007. Pakistan cricket team to arrive in India on December 22.

Full schedule: 22/12/2012 - arrival in Bangalore; 25/12/2012- 1st T20 International at Bangalore; 27/12/2012 - 2nd T20 International at Ahmedabad; 30/12/2012 - 1st One Day International at Chennai; 3/1/2013 2nd One Day International at Kolkata; 6/1/2013 - 3rd One Day International at Delhi; 7/1/2013 - Team departs.

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Action at a Glance Indian eves win Women Twenty20 Asia Cup A disciplined bowling attack by Indian eves helped them secure a thumping 18 runs win over archrivals Pakistan in the final of the W o m e n ' s Twenty20 Asia Cup in Guangzhou, China. Pakistan managed to make a total of 63 runs while chasing India's score of 81 runs before being bowled out with 5 balls remaining. Pakistan had earlier won the toss and chose to field, with India ending the innings at 81 runs.

Punam Raut played a crucial knock of 25 in difficult conditions, while Nagarajan Niranjana picked up two wickets. India captain Mitali Raj said: "So happy for the girls even though I'm disappointed not to have played because of my ankle. Winning this Asia Cup is a great achievement and what's been special is how our team has become like a family over the years, everyone contributes and plays for each other."

"The juniors came in and did well, it was good to expose them to international cricket and the junior teams, Thailand and Hong Kong, really bowled and fielded well and they can only improve the more they play the top teams," she added. Earlier, Pakistan beat Bangladesh by six wickets in the second semi final of the Asia Cup, earning this spot in the final. India was earlier declared the winner when rain disrupted the first semi-final.

Champions Trophy: IndiaPakistan tie tickets sold out

The first lot of tickets for the Champions Trophy clash between India and Pakistan at Edgbaston, England, on June 15 next year was sold out in just three hours after windows opened. The tickets went on sale on Monday and the 15-match tournament's first match was a complete sell-out eight months in advance, said an International Cricket Council (ICC) statement. The 2013 edition of the Champions Trophy will be the last, the previous having been held in 2009 in South Africa.

8-year-old batting genius becomes Internet sensation

Eight-year-old Krishna Narayan is an Internet sensation. But wait. It's not because of his singing talents or dancing skills. It's because of his batting technique.

Krishna became a rage when his father posted a video of his batting skills on YouTube. In fact, one of his recent videos attracted over 500,000 hits and even got the attention of Kerala Cricket Association.

Rajesh Kumar, Krishna's father, beams with pride as he speaks about the prodigy.

"Initially I took the videos not to post it on YouTube, but to only evaluate his game. But my nephew is the one who told me that by posting it on YouTube I can reach out to many people, including officials. And that came true. Everything else followed."

Rajesh quit his career as a software engineer to nurture his son's talent. And now, Krishna is getting coached by Sports Authority of India (SAI) trainer Biju George.

Says Biju, "He is extremely talented. If you see his first video, you will know that he is beautifully balanced. Usually children find it difficult to pick the length when they face a cricket or tennis ball. But this guy does it very well." Recently, Krishna played his first official match alongside senior players in Thiruvananthapuram. But his real dream lies elsewhere. "My favourite cricketer is Sachin Tendulkar and I would like to play with him one day," he says. Little Krishna's big dream may be to meet India's cricketing legends.

But everybody close to him is hoping that one day he will make the country proud.

Asian Voice - Saturday 10th November 2012

England keep fingers crossed ahead of tough spin trial

England's chances of winning a series in India after 27 years may well hinge on the ability of their middle order to tackle spin. On their part, the hosts have deprived England of a proper taste of tweak in the warm-up games. No quality spinner was played by India A in the tour opener and the second game against Mumbai was played on a batting track.

A first look at the pitch for the final warm-up match against Haryana at the Motera ground in Ahmedabad, starting from November 8, reveals a considerable cover of grass. It's not what one would expect come the first Test, also at the Motera, from November 15.

India have made their intentions clear, having picked three frontline spinners in R Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha.

Then there is the part-time option of Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar.

It will be interesting to see how the likes of Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan and Matt Prior - all used to playing Graeme Swann, Samit Patel, Monty Panesar & Co tackle the Indian spin brigade.

"It will be pretty challenging," said Bell, one of the better players of spin in the England squad. Bell also revealed that he had been watching a lot of videos of Ashwin while preparing for the tour.

Watching Dravid: The England players are also watching videos of Rahul Dravid to learn how to play spin correctly. "We are going through videos to analyse how Rahul Dravid had played spin, used his feet and utilized the depth of the crease to defend and attack," Bell said. The Englishmen, mean-

while, are trying to make the best of whatever opportunity they get.

Matt Prior said, "It was a bit of a shock initially (not seeing a spinner in the first warm-up match). But it's okay. Yuvraj bowled quite a few overs, Suresh Raina too bowled some. We are trying to utilize whatever opportunities we get."

Morgan added: "No matter what kind of wickets they give us for the practice matches, I believe the pitches for the Tests will be spinner friendly. We are preparing as much as possible. Our stay in Dubai before coming here will help us."

Trott, on his part, said Ashwin could be a bigger threat as he can extract a "lot more turn and bounce from the wicket."

Samit Patel stars with timely century against India A: Meanwhile, Samit Patel cemented his claims to a Test return by completing his maiden England century against India A at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

His unfussy playing of India A’s spinners during his hundred in Mumbai has already drawn praise from his opponents, but not every visiting batsman plays them with such assurance.

To guard against attacks of the jitters England have tried to recreate the intimidating atmosphere of an Indian Test ground by practising with crowd noises ringing in their ears and the team psychologist sledging them from point-blank range.

One of the downfalls of practice is that it rarely replicates the intensity and pressure of the big occasion. But during their recent training camp in Dubai, England’s batsmen faced spinners accompanied by boisterous crowd sounds blaring out from loudspeakers and Mark Bawden, the squad’s sports psychologist, trying his best to be an obnoxious distraction by clapping, shouting and appealing from the net next door.

Patel showed he could cope well with spin in the one-day series in India a year ago, so any help to him is likely to have been minimal.

But Alastair Cook played the spinners here almost as well in his own inimitable way which suggests the benefits may already be accruing.

Along with the distractions, they flew in Scott Borthwick, James Tredwell, Azeem Rafiq and Simon Kerrigan, the best spinners from county cricket, to join

Graeme Swann, Monty Panesar and Patel – the plan being to inundate the batsmen with spin on pitches specially made from Indian soil, replicating the conditions they will meet during the series.

But if they were hoping to be as thorough with their preparations here, any intensity went as soon as Cook decided to bat on into the third day against India A, a move that condemned the match to a draw.

The decision may yet bear fruit, though, as it allowed Patel to register his first hundred in an England shirt, a major fillip now that it looks certain he will bat at six.

Patel’s milestone looked likely from the moment he showed a deft touch against Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, India A’s spinners, on the second day.

Although not top-notch tweakers in the class of Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha, India’s likely Test choices, they still demanded sure hands on the bat and Patel provided them.

Resuming on his overnight score of 82, he reached his hundred with little fuss, despite losing Cook at the other end.

In a rare lapse, England’s captain edged Ashok Dinda to the keeper, but Patel looked in control until ambition got the better of him against Yuvraj and an attempted drive on the up was spooned to cover.

“I thought Samit was outstanding,” James Anderson said after adding two second innings wickets to the pair he took in the first. “He showed great temperament and just looked calm and controlled.

Often the crowd can be noisy out here and there are a lot of distractions and pressure created by men around the bat.

That’s what you have to overcome.”

cept in a domestic final in 1997.

"We were the first to experiment with this and our experience was not so great," said the BCCI's chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty. "At this stage we have no such proposal."

The BCCI held the fiveday Ranji Trophy final

between Mumbai and Delhi under lights in Gwalior in April 1997. Bowlers struggled due to the heavy evening dew and frequent changes of the white ball.

Just two innings were completed in five days.

Mumbai, who made 630 after batting first, were declared winners after Delhi were dismissed for 559 on the last day.

Four bowlers from each sides conceded more than 100 runs apiece, their plight worsened by fielders unable to spot the ball both in the air and on the ground, especially

in the outfield.

Crowds are dwindling at Test matches in India even as one-day and Twenty20 cricket enjoys wide interest.

Cricket Australia conceded on Tuesday that day-night Tests were not imminent, since an ideal ball had yet to be found.

Red balls used in Tests were not easily visible at night, while white balls used in limited-overs matches were found not durable enough for Tests.

Experiments have included playing with pink, orange and yellow balls.

England players arrive at Ahmedabad airport.

India not enthused by day-night Tests

India are unlikely to embrace the concept of day-night Test matches, a top official said on Wednesday, because a previous experiment in first-class cricket fell flat.

The International Cricket Council announced this week that Tests can now be played under lights, with rival teams deciding on the hours of play and the colour of the ball to be used.

Cricket Australia applauded the move, but the powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was lukewarm towards the idea despite having tried the con-