AV 12th May 2018

First & Foremost Asian Weekly in Europe

R

Vol 47 Issue 2

12th May to 18th May 2018

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side 80p

ASIAN MIGRANTS: ‘WINDRUSH VICTIMS’ w w w . d u b a i h o lida y s .c o

Mukesh Ambani's daughter Isha to wed Anand Piramal

Full report on page 26

Karnataka Election: Countdown to Showdown Begins

Siddaramaiah

Rupanjana Dutta

Asian migrants in the UK are calling themselves the latest victims of Britain's next ‘Windrush scandal’, as many face threats of 'wrongful' deportation by Home Office. While some are being accused of lying in their Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) application due to basic tax errors (that were cleared years back), others are being accused of cheating in Test of English for International Communication.

Hundreds of South Asian highly skilled migrants held a huge protest against delays in their ILR decision as well as visa refusal on grounds of 'threats to national security' because of 'minor' errors on their tax returns.

More than 23,000 people have signed a petition to

the newly appointed Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Prime Minister Theresa May and Labour and Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, urging them to put an end to this 'hostile environment' for 'legal' immigrants.

Continued on page 16

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS)), both have the common goal; to overcome Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and stop the Congress from yet another term in the state. While both the parties are in direct contest to each other, and Modi has boosted his criticism of the party in his recent rallies, claiming it had a “secret

B. S. Yeddyurappa

alliance” with the Congress, the fact cannot be overseen that both parties are all too acutely aware they need each other. South Karnataka is a crucial region. A look back on the state's electoral map from 2013 shows that the influence of the JD(S) is mostly limited to the region, where the BJP is not a strong political player.

Continued on page 26

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Asian Voice | 12th May 2018

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Keith Vaz, MP

Ashok Patel Ashok Patel, the Chairman of Travelpack, has always been involved in travel, joining his uncle’s Travel Agency Deluxe Travel in 1973. He went on to acquire Travelpack and chose to develop this brand.

Travelpack now consolidates for over 90 of the world’s top airlines and specialises in tailor-made holidays throughout the world. Travelpack have arranged travel for passengers for over 35 years and has won numerous awards from the travel trade and airlines. Under Ashok’s direction, Travelpack now has offices in London, Toronto, Delhi, Gujarat and Goa. Ashok attributes his success to the strength of his 250 strong team and reveals his philosophy as: “Teamwork is about respecting each individual and developing them, whilst giving them freedom to express their views and help them shine”.

Ashok admits that he works very long hours, but still finds time to spend time with his 2 children and grandchildren and sometimes gets to the odd Tottenham Hotspur match with his son. Ashok also takes a keen interest in the local community; he regularly attends charity events and participates in fundraising activities for the community.

1) Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in?

My parents are originally from Gujarat and I grew up in Uganda, however, I have built up my business and raised my family in London which I have always considered as home.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

My proudest achievement was when I achieved an equity partnership with Air Canada. It was a great feeling that a small growing company like mine could form such a special

relationship with one of the world’s major airlines.

3) What inspires you?

The travel business is constantly changing and opportunities arise every day. I am totally inspired by taking on new challenges and successfully completing the various projects that come my way.

4) What has been biggest obstacle in your career?

When dealing with the complex world of travel there are often times when obstacles do appear, but I always accept them as a challenge. I am very lucky to say I haven’t faced any big obstacles in my career to date.

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

The biggest influence on my career, and a great personal friend, is Robert Milton, the Ex CEO of Air Canada and now Chairman of United Airlines. A very big player

An image has been released of a man wanted in connection with two sexual assaults on a train in Essex. The British Transport Police are looking to identify him as they believe he may hold information linked to the two separate incidents, where a female victim was touched inappropriately.

The first incident was reported to police on October 5 last year, after a woman, who was in her 20s, was travelling between Romford and London Liverpool Street and was touched inappropriately three times during her journey by a man.

Despite extensive enquiries and investigations into the incident, the man was not found by police. Then, on January 9 this year, a man touched a woman in her 30s inappropriately on the 7.34pm service travelling between London Liverpool Street

(Image: BTP)

Two women sexually assaulted on trains between Romford and Liverpool Street disgraceful and we’re working hard to trace the man responsible for these assaults.

Acts like this will never be tolerated on the railway and everyone has the right to travel on the rail network work without fear or intimidation. As part of our Report it to Stop it campaign , we’re encouragPolice believe that this man could ing victims of hold information linked to two sexual unwanted sexual assaults behaviour to report offences to and Romford. us so that we can stop British Transport offenders.”

Police now believed that Information can be both the sexual assaults sent to BTP by sending a are linked and would like text to 61016 or by calling to speak to the man pic0800 40 50 40 quoting reftured as he may have erence 157 of 01/05/2018. information that could help the investigation.

Alternatively, you Detective Constable can call Crimestoppers Tim Barnes from BTP, said: anonymously on 0800 “Unwanted sexual 555 111. behaviour such as this is

in the airline world, he has always been a source of inspiration to me.

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

The best aspect of my current role is building and growing the Travelpack name into an international brand. I have enjoyed the years of establishing Travelpack as a brand leader in this country and now have the satisfaction of seeing the name becoming stronger in other parts of the world.

7) And the worst?

I completely enjoy my role, it does not have any bad aspects.

8) What are your long term goals?

My long term goal is to give back and contribute more to the community and develop the charities we are currently working with and who are close to my heart.

9) If you were Prime Minister, what one

aspect would you change?

I would create special think tank groups that are pioneers/leaders in their specific fields to advise politicians for the benefit of the public.

10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical

figure would you like to spend your time with and why.

I would like to spend my time with Mahatma Gandhi, as he was a great leader and a person with integrity, strength and a wealth of knowledge. I would be keen to hear his stories and learn from him.

Harrow politicians champion region’s diversity Politicians in northwest London have championed the region’s diversity as they paid a visit to one of its most recognisable sites. Councillors and MPs from Harrow and Brent spent time at Shri Swaminarayan Mandir – known more widely as Neasden Temple – as they helped raise awareness of working together.

While party politics will have played a part as local elections loomed, representatives from all sides cited the greater goal of increased tolerance. They were celebrating the annual 10k challenge supporting Care UK, with 3,000 participants descending on the temple’s grounds.

Cllr Sachin Shah, Harrow Council leader, said he was proud that those representing his

Bob Blackman at the 10km at Neasden Temple

borough have always been keen to visit all places of worship. He said: “Harrow is the most diverse borough in London therefore it’s vital that politicians that want to serve the people understand all the communities in Harrow.”

Harrow East MP Bob Blackman was another who praised the region’s make up as he commented on the importance of places like Neasden Temple. He said: “Harrow and Brent is a diverse

area; we have people from all corners of the globe living and working here.

This strengthens the area as we can draw on many cultures to work together on community projects.

Take the event at Neasden Temple, weekend gone, for example. We had people from all walks of life present to raise money for Carers UK.” He added that freedom of religious expression “is important to our brilliant area”.

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COMMENTS

Indian paradox in tumultuous world Faced with the venality, greed, small mindedness of Indian politics should drive India watchers to despair. The saving grace is the ordinary citizen’s robust scepticism which prevents asinine pontifications – save from a lunatic fringe – on the country’s ‘exceptionalism,’ of a city standing on a hill, as a light unto the nations. That, mercifully, appears to be the copyright of American politicians and their mainstream media, driven by the stubborn delusion that their country is adored rather than abhorred, detested and despised for its persistent crimes against humanity across continents.

While the political end of India’s kaleidoscope makes discouraging viewing, there are images of hope, encouragement and dare, one say, even of inspiration. A tour d’horizon of the country reveals statistical truths of states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka who have, or are, approaching the GDPs of midsized countries. The Maharashtra economy – India’s largest – has exceeded $400 billion. With the other above mentioned states in the $200 billion bracket. Kerala, with near 100 per cent literacy and advanced healthcare is an exemplar of welfare development including better gender equality than its peers. Agriculture is approaching new levels, thanks to technological inputs in seeds and expanding irrigation systems.

Substantial poverty reduction in the eastern states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh – once derided as India’s ‘bimaru’ [sick] states are now making economic progress on a variety of fronts. The hill state of Himachal Pradesh is India’s fruit orchard; dairy products, thanks to the milk revolution has made India the world’s largest milk producer, have exploded across urban and rural domestic markets, their once scarcity a receding public memory. ‘$100 billion achieved,$1 trillion next,’? was a question posed by a business columnist in the wake of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) breaching the $100 billion market cap barrier – the first Indian company to do so. He then quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remark of a year ago, that India’s winning formula into the future would be ‘IT + IT + IT which put into common speech

reads, ‘Information technology, Indian talent = India tomorrow.’

What made the TCS achievement phenomenal was the company’s listing a mere 14 years ago. This success was rooted in the power of compounding which becomes reality over a sustained period. On a macro level, India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) demonstrates a good pace of growth going forward; add to this the country’s current GDP of $ 2.5 trillion and the crystal ball will reveal a potent mix for a compounding effect that could propel the Indian GDP to $5 trillion by 2025 and arguably to $20 trillion by 2040.

Looking across the panoramic sweep, one must marvel at the paradox of a country so lacking in daily discipline carrying out a military air exercise, over a fortnight, of exacting precision and daunting scope involving 3000 aircraft of every type and 10,000 ground staff coordinating every move and tactic spread from the Strait of Hormuz in the west to the Strait of Malacca in the east, the choke point from the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean.

The Chinese media hitherto more noted for their scorn of things Indian were clearly gob-smacked. One of its organs commented: ‘In terms of scale, magnitude, timeframe, geography and complex activation of every component of the IAF’s fighting machine, ‘ “Gagan Shakti 2018” is a monumental one where the entire range IAF’s assets including light, medium, heavy variants of various aircraft are being used.’ Retired Indian Air Vice-Marshal Kapil Kak noted: ‘It is clearly the simulation of a swift, intense, short two-front conflict.

From this forbidding scene to one more agreeable: Australian, English, New Zealand and South African commentators at the Indian Premier League were awed by the wealth of young Indian cricketing talent on view: Prithvi Shaw and Subnam Gill as teenagers played with staggering maturity and skill beyond their tender years, performing superbly on an international stage before vast crowds. Time was when India ranked with the sport’s nohopers.

The cricket revolution is integral to India’s social transformation, bridging the urban-rural divide.

Ease of doing business in India has improved considerably over several years and elicited praise from the World Bank. Maximum Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) applications in critical sectors like telecoms and defence receive security clearances from India’s Home Ministry within 40 days, down from the nine months it took earlier. These investments originated from China, the UK, US and Mauritius.

According to the Ministry, some 5,000 applications had been cleared in the past four years. The operational

policy is determined by 15 parameters which require approval from security agencies. Once these are obtained, Home Ministry passage is accomplished in around 4 to 6 weeks. In 2015, 1,201 proposals were passed, in 2016, rose to 1,263, in 2017, it was 1071, with another 543 proposals passed by the automatic route through revised policy guidelines. In addition to the countries mentioned above as sources of investment, Germany, Italy, Israel, Netherlands and Switzerland have now been added to the list.

The brouhaha over the Commonwealth during its recent summit in London and the ground realities Britain’s bespeak ambivalence towards the institution. With looming Brexit, there was much talk from Whitehall of increased bilateral trade and investment between Britain and the 53-nation Commonwealth, with India the most populous market and the fastest-growing economy among large countries playing a key role going forward.

That said, the implications of this envisaged closer relationship requires unfettered movement of capital and less obstructive movement of labour. There is something odd in welcoming, say, Indian investment in the UK and frowning upon the presence of skilled Indian labour, such as software engineers, in the country.

A rigid immigration regime is an impediment to the development and success of British business, as the Confederation of British Industry and other UK trade bodies have repeatedly made clear. Their voices have been robustly dittoed by the by the Confederation of Indian Industry to little effect, it would appear.

Immigration is the elephant in the room. Immigrants from the Caribbean were welcomed after the war to help run transport services at a time of acute labour shortage; the Caribbean experience was complemented by immigration from the Asian subcontinent. The services of these Asian newcomers were sought in both transport and health sectors.

The once young men and women who came from the Caribbean on board the ocean liner ‘Windrush’ appear to have outstayed their welcome in their old age on account of their papers gone astray. Diane Abbot, the Labour Party spokesperson on Home Affairs during a debate in Parliament highlighted the scandal of Britain’s ‘hostile’ immigration regime on Britons of Commonwealth origin that refuses to die down. This is the issue that has

resonated across the Commonwealth…There is a whole series of Commonwealth migrants ,who, unless the Home Secretary does what it takes, will suffer the same humiliation that the “Windrush” generation did.’

Much of the plight of the Britons of Commonwealth descent has been caused by the loss of documents by the British government, yet many men and women are being penalized for not having the correct documents – a truly Kafkaesque situation from which there is apparently no refuge. Some of these people have been unable to work, others have been denied healthcare under NHS rules, still others are unable to return to Britain.

According to the Oxford Migration Observatory, an estimated 57,000 UK nationals arrived in Britain before 1971, including 13,000 from India. Many have documentation to prove their status and thus have no problems with the authorities. The new Home Secretary Sajid Javid has pledged to introduce a raft of measures for greater transparency in the review process, which is welcome, but the hostile immigration environment meanwhile has sown avoidable discord and mistrust across the board.

Diane Abbot again: ‘The problem with the hostile environment is that it has swept up perfectly legal British citizens. Its treatment of the “Windrush” generation is not an aberration.’ The debate comes amid more and more disturbing revelations about the great and good. In a recent article in the London-based Evening Standard, the former Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne [in the David Cameron government] tells of then Home Secretary Theresa May’s decision personally to veto calls for the relaxation of visa regulations to let in doctors needed by the National Health Service. The immigration debate is destined to run.

Key FDI applications cleared in 40 days

UK ambivalence on Commonwealth

Asian Voice | 12th May 2018

3

Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out -James Bryant Conant (1893-1978)

Alpesh Patel

Freedom of Speech v Islamists and Khalistanis ‘Free Jaggi’ had a blow. He’s been charged in India with murder. A political murder. In the UK, when the IRA did it, that was called terrorism. But his supporters don’t care. Just like Sinn Fein did not. This is State Sponsored. So it is State Sponsored terrorism.

It’s a model which has worked well for Pakistan before.

Like most liberals I believe in freedom of speech and privacy. But Voltaire and JS Mill and all the others never foresaw the internet or modern terrorism.

They never foresaw the ability to mass murder with such efficiency.

It used to be that unless harm is caused to another, the power of the State will not be used.

Now that has to change. We cannot wait for murder before we arrest.

We have to stop people when they display the ISIS or the Khalistani flag. We have to revoke their nationality for it. We do have to undertake extreme vetting if you are from Pakistan or visit Saudi Arabia or Turkey.

Don’t tell me, ‘but that’s what the terrorists’ want. It’s not. They want you dead. They do not want you to limit their entry. They want you to have free speech – so they can have hate speech.

And I want my Government to have a backdoor key to unencrypt my communications if they need. I have nothing to hide. For God’s sake, we kept on telling them, the Mosques are breeding this problem, not all of them, but enough. We told them in the 1980s. We told them they are not integrating.

They don’t listen. Now its Sikhism they are trying, unsuccessfully, to infiltrate – as they did Islam.

But all the time the bloody liberals said, ‘no, you are being intolerant’. And while we are at it, I am not tolerant of bourkas either. They are a political not religious item of clothing. They breed a desire to stay apart and we know extremism starts in small steps. This is one of them. It is an item of clothing stating ‘my way is better, not different, and I look down on you and your ways’. And mothers breed children who learn from parents. Stop. Enough.

When the ‘Free Jaggi’ useful idiots burn the Indian flag and seek to provoke in Kashmir through their State Sponsors of Pakistan, then display on the internet that their feelings are hurt – those are the people to be monitored for extremism. You read the warning here.

Do not tell me this will push people to extremism. I am not here to molly-coddle the wanna be extremist and plead he will not turn. And don’t tell me, the IRA were Catholic extremists. That’s because they were not – they had protestants who were Irish nationalists wanting a united Ireland.

And as one of the Heads of the Church says it IS a Muslim problem – stop telling me the terrorists have nothing to do with Islam.

If it was Hindus doing it, I would say, ‘it is my job personally to stop you, personally’. I want them to know they are being monitored, watched, listened.

Vigilance is the price of freedom. Either that, or more teenage girls die and a nation is terrorised.

Come down hard.

Editor: CB Patel

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Asian Voice | 12th May 2018

Indian-origin mum travels to India on husband's passport Emirates Airlines had to launch an investigation after an Indian-origin businesswoman managed to travel 4200 miles from Manchester city to New Delhi via Dubai on her husband’s passport before the serious security lapse was picked up in India.

Geeta Modha, who runs Alankar boutique in Rusholme area of Manchester, left for the airport with husband Dilip’s passport by mistake for a business trip on April 23.

According to the Manchester Evening News, the 55-year-old was able to check-in and board the flight and was waved through a stopover at Dubai on to New Delhi before the error was picked up. As a holder of Overseas Indian Citizenship (OCI) card, Mrs Modha was expected to produce her passport at Delhi immigration and was denied entry to

Geeta Modha

India at that point.

Indian officials made Geeta travel back to Dubai to wait for her own passport, which was flown to her by Emirates. Geeta’s son Sagar, 32, had to take her passport to the airport so Emirates could get it to her.

Frequent flyer and mum of two Geeta reportedly told the newspaper, “It’s scary and worrying that people aren’t checking properly.

“The fact they say they are so strict on security in

TUI customer was 'locked out' after demanding holiday refund

A husband who claims he was mis-sold a holiday by travel agent TUI says he was locked out of the store after demanding a refund.

Naveed Sadiq booked a last minute week-long holiday in Turkey for himself and wife Adila Mushtaq with the firm at its Fort Shopping Park branch last Saturday.

The couple were meant to travel on Sunday but after realising Mr Sadiq's wife would only have access to a communal pool, they requested a refund.

Mr Sadiq, who has since been offered a full refund, claims he was marched out of the store when he started recording the conversation with staff on his mobile phone.

And he claims he was locked out of the branch by staff, with his wife still inside the shop.

Mr Sadiq claims he booked the holiday with the assurance from staff that his wife would have access to a segregated pool.

Mr Sadiq said he was told he would have to apply in writing for a refund and could have to wait up to 28 days for a response.

He continued: "I was getting nowhere with the staff, so I decided to film the conversation. Staff took exception to this and marched me out of the store.

"I was locked out of the store and my wife was still inside. It was ridiculous, as I was not being aggressive or violent.

"I was not shouting and I left the store when they told me to. To lock me out, with my wife still in the store, was totally extreme."

airports but you can do this in 2018 is terrible.

“At check-in, the staff member even made me move stuff from one bag to another because it was 2kg over - and yet let me travel with the wrong passport.”

She added that the experience had left her concerned that passengers could potentially fly overseas without valid checks. Currently in India she said that if the error had been flagged at check-in she could have asked someone to bring her own passport to the terminal. She further added: “They only looked at my surname not at my first name or the picture. If I got through who else could get through?”

He said: “At one point we were looking at flights to see if we had to fly out to her in Dubai.

“I was so worried and stressed for her. I am appalled that in this day and age someone can get to a

country as far away as India with the wrong passport.”

Manchester Airport said it is the responsibility of airline staff to ensure passports are checked.

A spokesperson for Emirates reportedly said: "Like all airlines, we work closely with our airport handlers to ensure that all regulations relating to passport checks is taken very seriously. In this instance our usual high standards were not followed and we would like to apologise to Ms Modha.

"The airport handlers ensure that ongoing training is provided to all staff so that they are kept updated with all regulations and security procedures.

"We are currently investigating how this incident occurred and are working closely with them to ensure that all training materials are properly reviewed and full retraining is provided for the staff involved."

Drunk driver pins baby's pushchair against shop front A drunk driver mounted the pavement and slammed into pedestrians, injuring a mother and crushing a pushchair with her six-month-old baby boy in it against a wall.

The “despicable” incident happened in Belgrave Road on the evening of October 14 last year as pedestrians were walking along the Leicester’s famous Golden Mile.

After drinking and having a row with his ex-wife, Bipranjit Singh got in his car and left his home in Cossington Street, Belgrave, intending to drive round and confront her in person. On joining Belgrave Road he swerved onto the pavement, knocking into a male pedestrian who had to run to avoid being pulled beneath the vehicle. No sooner had he managed to get clear of the car Singh, who was nearly twice the drink-driving limit, drove towards two sisters out walking with their three children. The 32-year-old's car ended up pinning one moth-

er to the wall of a shop, smashing her right leg, and also crushing her baby son’s pushchair against the wall.

The baby escaped unhurt.

The woman has still not recovered from her injuries and still walks using two crutches seven months after the incident.

Singh, who admitted charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and driving with excess alcohol, was jailed for 22 months at Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday and will be banned from driving for two years after his release.

Judge Martin Hurst told him it was a “despicable act” and praised the members of public who grabbed Singh to ensure he could not escape or do any further harm after his car came to a halt.

The judge said it made no sense why Singh had decided to mount the pavement when one of the two lanes of Belgrave Road was clear of traffic.

Coventry man unveils Ricoh Arena replica made with 45,000 toothpicks A Coventry man who recreates iconic sporting venues out of toothpicks has unveiled his latest model – and it’s a little closer to home.

Shaminder Singh, 34, from Wyken , has created a miniature version of the Ricoh Arena using 45,000 toothpicks. Shaminder has hit the headlines in the past for his bold reconstructions of Wimbledon’s Centre Court, Old Trafford and a cricket stadium. Impressed by what he saw, Lord Mayor of Coventry , Councillor Tony Skipper, approached Shaminder last year to ask if he would recreate the Ricoh Arena in time for the Lord Mayor’s Charity Fundraising Dinner. Shaminder duly

obliged, and even took time off work to complete the project in time to present it to Cllr Skipper at the event, which was also held at the Ricoh Arena. The model will raise money for Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice , which is also a charity partner of Wasps.

“I drive past the Ricoh Arena every day on my way to work and I think it’s a beautiful stadium. "I’m a keen sportsman, so I was more than happy to make this model,” said Shaminder.

“The time-consuming part when creating models such as these is getting the shape of the building as accurate as possible, as I had to study satellite images in great detail and cut each toothpick to various lengths

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South Asian gallery plan for Manchester Museum expansion

A museum has been given a £4.2m grant for a project that includes the first "large-scale" South Asian museum gallery in northern England. It will go towards Manchester Museum's £12.7m Courtyard project, which also includes a new temporary exhibitions gallery and new visitor facilities.

The Heritage Lottery Fund grant is in addition to £5m from the government for the South Asia Gallery. A museum spokeswoman said it would make the venue "more relevant".

Work is due to start in August, with the Courtyard project expected to open to visitors in 2020. Museum director Esme Ward said: "The project will develop and transform the museum to bring more wonder and inspiration from around the world to the people of Greater Manchester and beyond."

With contributions from the British Museum, the South Asia Gallery will also be the UK's first permanent gallery on the region's diaspora.

Photo shoot celebrates Grenfell and arena bomb volunteers

A photo shoot by portrait and fashion photographer Rankin is celebrating the volunteers who helped after the Manchester bombing and Grenfell fire. The high rise blaze in London and the terror attack saw the largest Red Cross humanitarian responses in the United Kingdom since World War Two. The images have been released to mark Red Cross week, which begins on Sunday.

More than 1,000 Red Cross volunteers worked in Manchester and London in the aftermath of the tragedies.

Rankin said he hoped his shots of the volunteers captured how the "power of community shone through" following the horrific events in both cities. Twenty-two people died on 22 May when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Ariana Gande at the Manchester Arena while 71 people died in the west London tower block on 14 June.

Driver who killed best friend doing 60 in a 30 zone jailed

A man who killed his work mate after ‘singing’ and ‘dancing’ at the wheel as he drove at twice the speed limit is now behind bars. A judge said Seif Khan’s bad driving led to the death of his 25-year-old friend Salih Mehmed, who'd moved to the UK from Bulgaria to start a new life.

Khan is said to have asked his other surviving passenger to lie to police and say he hadn’t been speeding. Minshull Street Crown Court heard how Khan, Mr Mehmed and another man were in a Seat Ibiza on Bolton Road, in Rochdale, after leaving work at the nearby Argos depot in Heywood.

Khan, 23, who passed his driving test just eight months before, was travelling at about double the 30mph speed limit on the road before he lost control and crashed into a tree.

Prosecuting, Rob Hall said before the collision Khan was ‘singing and moving his shoulders in a sort of dance’.

Mr Mehmed, the front seat passenger, was rushed to hospital after the smash, but died the next day. Khan, of Ansdell Road, Rochdale, was jailed for three years and banned from driving for four-and-a-half years.

Concern growing for missing teenager with connections to Leicester

Shaminder Singh

to achieve this.

“I’m hoping to make more models in the future which can be auctioned off for charity – including the reproduction of some prestigious cars.” Shaminder also received support during the build from Sikh Union Coventry, Coventry Mercia

Lions Club and Coventry City Council .

The miniature Ricoh Arena model now resides at the real-life Ricoh Arena for visitors to admire after the Lord Mayor decided to donate the model to Nick Eastwood, the chief executive of Ricoh Arena and Wasps .

Police are concerned for the welfare of a missing teenager with connections to Leicester.

Leicestershire Police have shared an appeal from Derbyshire Constabulary over the whereabouts of Daniyal Chaudary. The 16-year-old has not been seen by his family since last Wednesday.

A spokesman for the Derbyshire force said: “We need your help to find Daniyal Chaudary, who has been missing from his home in Normanton, Derby, since Wednesday, May 2. He has links with the Alvaston area of Derby as well as the city of Leicester.”

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Asian Voice |

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12th May 2018

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Parties fail to make decisive gains in local elections Voters in England casted their ballots in local elections which was considered a test of the public mood less than a year before the UK leaves the European Union.

Voting tookplace Thursday to fill more than 4,000 seats on 150 local councils in towns and cities across England, including all of London's 32 boroughs.

UKIP have lost almost all of the seats they were defending. Labour gained more than 70 councillors but ended up with no change to the numbers of councils they control, having failed to take several targets from the Conservatives, including Wandsworth. They won back Plymouth and became the largest party in Trafford and Tower Hamlets.

TORIES

The Tories were bracing themselves for losses as some voters expressed anger over unsteady Brexit negotiations, an explosive immigration scandal and years of public spending cuts. They won Barnet and Redditch and gained from a collapse in UKIP's vote to take Basildon and Peterborough from No Overall Control.

They held on to their flagship London councils, gained control of Redditch from Labour and Barnet, Basildon and Peterborough, which had been under no overall control. But they have lost control of Trafford in Greater Manchester, a key

northern stronghold, where Labour is now the largest party, Plymouth, and Mole Valley, Surrey as well as losing two London councils to the Lib Dems.

Prime Minister Theresa May visited Wandsworth on Friday morning - one of the Conservative's key London councils which the party held, despite losing eight seats. She said the party "won't take anything for granted" and would "build on this success for the future".

LABOUR

The main opposition Labour Party was hoping to pick up hundreds of seats, but has been tarnished by allegations that its leadership failed to clamp down on antiSemitism in party ranks.

Swings to Labour in London mean that overall they have lost councillors compared to the last time these seats were up, in 2014.

The party was defending the most seats - more than 2,200 - and had talked up its prospects in London, where it made gains in last year's general election.

Labour gained control of Plymouth from the Conservatives as well as Kirklees, but lost control of two Midlands councils Derby and Nuneaton and Bedworth - to no overall control. Its hopes of seizing control of Wandsworth and Westminster proved unfounded while the party lost ground in Hillingdon.

Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour achieved "solid" English local election results despite not making big gains.

The party failed to take several targets from the Tories, including Wandsworth, but won back Plymouth and became the largest party in Trafford.

LIB DEMS

The Lib Dems have won back control of Kingstonupon-Thames, in southwest London, which they lost to the Tories four years ago, after taking neighbouring Richmond both areas had a large majority in favour of remaining in the EU. The party has also gained control of Three Rivers, south-west Hertfordshire, which had been under no overall control and has won South Cambridgeshire from the Tories.

The party also withstood a strong Conservative challenge to hold onto Sutton in southwest London - while it picked up nine seats in Kingston-upon-Hull.

Party leader Sir Vince Cable hailed the result in Richmond: "It's certainly the beginning of the comeback of the Lib Dems.

It's not going to happen overnight - Rome wasn't built in a day. Morale is now very high. We have demonstrated that we can win when we are focused and we can only build on that."

UKIP

UKIP suffered the worst results in this election.

Yougest Newham councillor becomes Pride of Baruch after recent election win Four Newham councillors, Mariam Dawood, Salim Patel, Mars Patel and Firoza Nekiwala have not only won seats in the recent council elections but have also become the Pride of their home state Baruch in India.

Mariam Dawood has become the youngest councillor to be elected having won a majority vote out of the 60 councillors who were standing. Her father, Sayad

Adam moved to London at the age of 14 from the village of Vedva in Bharuch.

Mariam became a Labour support at the tender age of 15 and at 18 became secretary of Newham council’s Labour party and graduated from a top university. She was also selected to take part at the United Nations Youth Leader conference.

Cllr Salim Patel was born in Mahathula distric

Mariam Dawood

before settling in London whilst Cllr Mars Patel came from Umraj and Cllr Firoza Nekiwala originated in Karmad.

Labour’s Heidi Alexander quits Commons to work for Sadiq Khan Labour MP Heidi Alexander is quitting Parliament to work for London Mayor Sadiq Khan, it was confirmed today.

Ms Alexander's departure will trigger a by-election in Lewisham East and will be seen as another

blow to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The MP has clashed repeatedly with Mr Corbyn and joined a walk out on his shadow cabinet in 2016. She has since been a leader in opposing Brexit from the Labour backbench.

MP Heidi Alexander

The Eurosceptic party has, as predicted, haemorrhaged support, losing nearly all of the council seats it won in 2014, when it broke through into local government for the first time.

It put up candidates in only 540 seats compared

with 2,193 in 2014, lost all ten seats it contested in Basildon, five in Thurrock and seven in Dudley. So far they have lost more than 100 seats and won two including unseating Labour's council leader in Derby.

Former deputy chair

Suzanne Evans said the fact it had taken two seats in Derby was a sign it could still "put the cat among the pigeons". Meanwhile its general secretary, Paul Oakley, compared UKIP to the Black Death and said the party "not all over at all".

Brit-Pak woman becomes first directly elected mayor of London borough Councillor for Custom House in East London, Rokhsana Fiaz has created history by becoming the first directly elected mayor of a London borough. She secured 73.4 per cent votes, as around 35.84 per cent of Newham turned out to vote for the council elections on May 3.

Rokhsana will replace Sir Robin Wales, who was deselected recently after holding the post for 16 years.

She will be in-charge of almost £250 million annual budget for Newham, one of the most diverse boroughs in western Europe, and also one of the most deprived. The new mayor said her victory highlighted the importance of hard work and ethics. She said

that her win was the result of a long political struggle.

“Wow. It's mind-blowing.

It says to me two things about Newham- one, the amount of trust and hope they have in the Labour Party, and the fact that we have been accelerating over the last couple of years since Jeremy Corbyn's leadership. Eight

years of devastation by Tory cuts is showing with wins like this. I think it reflects the confidence of the people in Labour's ability to lead a council in the face of these cuts,” Rokhsana said.

She added, “I reflect the hopes and aspirations of other ethnic minorities.

I worked twice as hard as my counterparts to prove that I have talent and ability to occupy this role. The fact that I am the first directly elected ethnic minority mayor is significant. It's also significant that I am the first directly elected woman of colour in the whole of country. It shows to young people that if you work hard and play smart, play by the rules then you can go to the top.”

A senior editor at the BBC has made accusations that the company pays ethnic minority staff almost £20,000 a year less than their white colleagues. In breaking news, Saleem Patka stated he is suing the Corporation for race discrimination.

He claimed that a certain group of employees earned less only because of the colour of their skin.

Senior Manager at the World Services language unit in London, he has claimed Freedom of Information figures showed World Services languages staff were paid an average of £7400 less than staff on the same grade in network news.

Patka said the main reason for the gap was that 74.4 per cent of staff in London had black and minority ethnic backgrounds, while 80.2 of network news staff had white backgrounds. The Indianorigin senior editor has been involved in a twoyear legal battle over his claims which the Corporation is contesting.

The latest claim comes

after a row over salary gaps between genders. It was sparked when China editor Carrie Gracie quit after learning that international male editors earned at least 50 per cent more than her.

An employment judge outlined Patka's case at a preliminary hearing in 2016, saying, “The claimant's case... is that on the grounds of race the salary he was offered at the three managerial roles that he held since 2010 was at a lower level than that which was offered or would have been offered to white managers in network news at the same level doing the same work as him. He says that it was on racial grounds because the decisions as to the level of salary were made in accordance with the policy or practice to pay those in World Service (non-white people) at a lower level than those in network news (White people).” The judge added, “His case is that that police or practice was racially discriminatory because the difference in pay between the two

groups was due to the difference in the racial composition of the two groups.”

In response, the BBC said pay at Mr Patka’s level was “determined on an individual basis taking into account a number of factors”. It also said the statistics were not drawn from “truly comparable groups”.

Mr Patka had also pursued an internal grievance. It was initially refused, but in October 2016 Graham Ellis, the BBC’s deputy director for radio, partly upheld his complaint, court documents show. Mr Ellis concluded the difference in pay was “neither directly nor indirectly discriminatory”, but considered his pay should be set “at around £100,000”.

In 2017, the Corporation aligned median pay for World Service and BBC Monitoring journalists with that of their counterparts in network news. A BBC spokeswoman said: “We are defending this claim.”

Mr Patka declined to comment.

Rokhsana Fiaz

Allegations of racial bias in wage troubles the BBC

ASIAN MUSIC CIRCUIT PRESENTS

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UK

Asian Voice | 12th May 2018

An expertly curated EXHIBITION -

MUSIC OF THE THREE WORLDS from 10.00 am to 5.00p - Mon 3rd July to 8th July 2018 Academic Symposium 3rd July 2018 10.30am till 3.30pm

at Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street, Marylebone, London, W1G 7LP

Related Concert Series

TAJJALAN – premiere of a new choral work commissioned by the AMC inspired by Miserere of Allegri but using beautiful melodies of Indian ragas - performed by RUBYTHROAT a choral ensemble of students of Trinity Laban under the artistic direction of LINDA HIRST. TAJJALAN is a mystical cosmological approach developed by the ancient seers attempting to describe REALITY or BRAHMAN. Manorama – brilliant exponent of Carnatic vocal music - will be performing the poetry and devotional songs of legendary composers of Carnatic music. She is accompanied by Sri R N Prathap on mridangam and Sri Sivaganesh on violin.

Sunanda Sharma – one of India’s foremost performers of THUMRI. A student of the late legendary Girija Devi. Sunanda sings her beloved thumri - romantic music essentially in praise of Lord Krishna - bhajan - the devotional songs of North Indian Hindustani music . Sunanda will be accompanied on tabla by BABAR LATIF, on harmonium by REKESH CHAUHAN and on sarangi by SURJIT SINGH.

CADOGAN HALL,

tickets all £20.

Featuring the fabulous vocalists

Pandits RAJAN AND SAJAN MISRA

The legendary vocalists from the holy city of Varanasi have established themselves as the finest performers of the North Indian style of khyal but also sing exquisite bhajan, thumri and tappa. They perform afternoon and evening ragas associated with deities as well as nature.

Sanju Sahai accompanies on tabla Sumit Mishra on harmonium Sunday 1st July 2018 all tickets £20 each

Concert 2

Concert 1

The Cockpit at 1pm Gateforth Street Marylebone, London NW8 8EH 020 7258 2925 www.thecockpit.org.uk

ts Ticke - £25 0 2 £ £15 -

SLOANE TERRACE, LONDON SW1 9DQ FRIDAY 29TH JUNE 2018 at 7.30PM Tel: 020 7730 4500 www.cadoganhall.com

Elgar Room, Royal Albert Hall at 7.30pm Royal Albert Hall Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP 020 7589 8212 www.royalalberthall.com

programme subject to change without notice

A CONCERT OF INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC www.amc.org.uk

A POWERFUL AND MOVING CONCERT BY THE MYSTICAL BAULS from Bengal and BUDDHIST MONKS OF TASHI LHUNPO MONASTERY The BAUL owes allegiance to no one religion but is ever in search of himself. “moner manush”- the man within – the absolute. Their beautiful and abstract poetry is beguiling as is the music they sing and play on the dotara and gubgubi.

THE POWER OF COMPASSION - Buddhist monks exiled from Tibet now living in Karnataka, India inspire with their chanting, prayers and mudras colourful costumes and dance.

Using bells, frame drums, long horns and cymbals all aim to remove negative forces and bring about universal spiritual harmony, good health in mind and body.

WATERMANS ARTS CENTRE THURSDAY 5TH JULY, 2018 at 7.30pm 40 HIGH STREET, BRENTFORD, MIDDLESEX, TW8 0DS Tel: 020 8232 1010 www.watermans.org.uk

SUNDAY 1ST JULY at The COCKPIT at 1pm and at the ELGAR ROOM – Royal Albert Hall at 7.30pm

ALL TICKETS

£15

SUFIANA A FABULOUS DOUBLE BILL WITH

USTAD IQBAL AHMED, BABAR LATIF, SALEM HASAN CHISHTI + PARTY

USTAD IQBAL KHAN – recipient of the prestigious national Sangeet Academy Award Iqbal Ahmed carries on the tradition of one of the oldest music traditions of singing and is today the head of the Delhi gharana. This can be traced back to Amir Khusrau of the 13th century. Iqbal performs compositions of Amir Khusrau in rare ragas and also ghazals of Ghalib and other styles of Sufi qalam.

BABAR LATIF is the younger son of the great tabla maestro the late Ustad Latif Ahmed Khan of the Delhi gharana. Music and tabla is in his blood and he has imbibed all the best values of one of the oldest music traditions in India - Delhi gharana – sweetness of tone – youthful virtuosity.

Saleem Hasan Chishti and his accompanists Sarfaraj Hasan, Suhail Hasan, Ajmal Khan and Hayat Hussain Khan are the principal singers of qawali at the Fatehpur Sikri shrine of Sheikh Saleem Chisti – descendent of Khwaja Mohinuddin Chishti of Ajmer.Saleem Hasan Chishti is fast making a name for himself in India Well trained and versed in the classical music of North India he weaves Sufi poetry into beautiful uplifting and inspiring music compositions. Saleem Hasan Chishti will sing from the repertoire of RUMI, WARSI, AMIR KHUSRO, HAFIZ and BULLE SHAH.

THE BHAVAN WEDNESDAY 4TH JULY, 2018 AT 7.30PM 4A CASTLETOWN ROAD, LONDON, W14 9HE TEL: 020 7381 3086 www.bhavan.net programme subject to change without notice

Tickets £10 & £15

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Asian Voice |

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12th May 2018

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My Thoughts on Cancer Harrow born brother-sister duo add Vegan Chocolates to luxury brand

Sruti Dharma Das The last month has been a rollercoaster journey.

For over 40 years I have spoken about the harsh reality of life in lectures, funeral sermons, congregational gatherings and personal meetings.

Now I am facing those same realities in my own life. It is not an easy pill to swallow.

The Bhagavad-gita explains that we are spiritual beings on a material journey. This life is simply a chapter, and according to the spiritual consciousness we develop now, the rest of the story unfolds.

Our current situation is a result of past activities, and the responses we generate now will determine our future. Having the bigger picture helps to put everything in perspective.

A loving father will nurture his child in different ways – sometimes with a sweet appreciation, and other times with a strict reminder. Both are equally necessary, and behind both is incredible love, care and concern. In the same way, God provides encouragement and challenges. This particular stage in my life may well be the greatest test I have faced so far. Pregnant within it, however, is the greatest opportunity.

Peace is not an absence of anxiety, but the presence

of God everywhere, at all times. This experience is definitely bringing me closer to God. So I have mixed feelings. On one side there is a natural care, concern and affection for my spiritual friends and family who I have spent so much time with. We have served each other and been through so much. We have plans to do so much more, and the thought of separation is painful. On another side, there is anticipation, urgency, opportunity and excitement to deepen my own

spirituality and use this test to come face to face with God. The prospect of death brings your spirituality alive!

One of the most touching things has been the messages of encouragement that have come my way. To know that sincere devotees of God are praying for you gives incredible inspiration and enthusiasm. As each day passes, I continue on and wait to see what will unfold. Whichever way it goes, I have no doubt that Krishna will be right there to help me through it.

Fraud, wealth, and reckless debauchery Andrew Davies, a promising young Manchester solicitor was approached by a very worried Shaun O'Driscoll who needed a lawyer.

Unfortunately for him, Davies was a fraud, who looted the accounts of his wealthy clients, only to plead guilty to along list of other criminal charges recently. O'Driscoll, one of the victims prepared to speak at the Bolton Crown Court this week, put forth a tale of secrets, the wealthy, and the elite's love for debauchery. A selfproclaimed rent boy turned sadomasochistic “dungeon master”, O'Driscoll's clients included a former British diplomat who was secretly filmed being thrashed until he bled.

O'Driscoll also claimed to have had a 15-year relationship with an Italian duke who paid him £40,000 a year “to procure participants, costumes, and equipment to act out the duke's fantasies.” Very soon, the high of the work

began to spiral in a whirlwind of blackmailing allegations, lawsuits, and a series of degrading revelations that knocked at the door of one of London's grandest social institutions- the Reform Club in Pall Mall.

The 58 year old claimed in court papers that his Italian client, the late Roberto Ferretti di Castelferretoo, whose ducal title predates the abolition of the Italian monarchy in 1946, had set up a Swiss bank account to finance their activities. He had also bought houses in Chorley and Blackburn, Lancashrie, to use as “dungeons”. Both the men were members of the Reform Club and mingled with leading figures from business and politics, yet, when O'Driscoll provided Davies with a dossier of his relations with the duke, he claimed Ferretti lived a double life.

When the duke died, O'Driscoll was paid £66,000. However, the now retired and married father

of three claimed that he was promised £100,000 for every year of his service£1.5m in total. When he failed to receive the money, he went to Davies, who agreed to launch a legal claim against Hitesh Tailor, the duke's male partner from 1986, as trustee of Ferretti's personal foundation in Liechtenstein. The duke told me the will was kept in a black briefcase along with the home movies of our sessions and private letters and a statement on his involvement in the betrayal of Calvi, which he wanted made public,” O’Driscoll said.

However, he was shocked to learn within a year that his solicitor had been struck off and charged with criminal conduct and that Davies had lied to him about the progress of his case against Tailor. O’Driscoll has started again, this time in the small claims court, seeking £10,000 for Tailor’s failure to produce the black briefcase.

In 2015, Indian-origin brother-sister Jay and Roopa Rawal founded The London Chocolate Company, a luxury confectionary brand which specialises in Prosecco, Gin and Tonic flavoured truffles have now launched their Vegan Chocolates. Born in Harrow, their mother came from Gujarat, while father came to the UK from Nairobi, Kenya in 1960s. Graduating from University Roopa went into business immediately, while Jay spent 10 years as an IT consultant before joining the business.

Over the past 12 months, the firm has experienced 100% increase in sales and a growing appetite from consumers across Europe, USA, Canada, UAE and Japan.

Since growing their business online via Amazon Marketplace, the company is now on course to make £100k this year (year three), compared to £10k in year one.

Following their Amazon success and general consumer demand, The London Chocolate Company launched their Vegan products in March 2018, especially dark chocolate truffles with orange and coconut flavours and expanding these products due to its

Roopa Rawal

increasing popularity.

The duo started the L o n d o n Chocolate Company brand in 2012 after identifying a Jay Rawal niche in the confectionery marketplace for a London centric chocolate brand, utilising the skills and contacts developed during their time with the Devnaa brand to bring the concept to life.

Jay told Asian Voice, “Whilst we believe the Devnaa chocolate or the Indian sweet concept was a great idea, the overall consumer demand/marketplace was too small for an ultra-premium Indian themed confectionery product and didn’t fall in line with the larger vision we had to build a business.

The London Chocolate Company is a completely separate brand to

Devnaa.”

They are using the Amazon marketplace to reach a far wider audience more economically and faster than they could manage on their own.

Supporting the 'Made in Britain' concept he added, “We sell premium chocolate truffles with a London centric brand, the chocolates are made in London with fairly unique flavour combinations and whilst our packaging would be cheaper if purchased in the far east we have committed to buying the packaging from a UK based manufacturer. Our product ‘carries’ the official 'Made in Britain' marque.”

Young Asian tech entrepreneur takes the oil & gas world stage Former University of Cambridge graduate, Dr Nikhil Shah, cofounder of S-CUBE, a technology company that evolved from Imperial College London, has revolutionised seismic imaging data processing techniques for the petroleum exploration and production industry. Rapidly growing oil and gas sectors are taking notice of these techniques.

Dr Shah told Asian Voice, "Data processing is highly scalable and new start ups with novel algorithmic breakthroughs can optimise processes in the most the capital intensive industries in the world.”

Before completing a PhD at Imperial College London (Earth Science & Engineering), he then worked for Chevron USA as a Project Manager.

He is the son of Koolesh Shah, Managing Director and owner of London Town Group of Companies, which has successfully developed into an

Dr Nikhil Shah

established hotel and residential property company with assets in excess of £125 million since being founded in 1988. He opened Intercontinental Hotel Group’s first Hotel Indigo branded boutique hotel outside America in central London. On the residential property side, Koolesh owns and manages a substantial portfolio in London.

Shah cofounded SubSalt in 2013 to revolutionise seismic analysis by automatically deriving the most detailed velocity models in the industry.

The biggest risk facing oil and gas companies is the optimal placement of drilling locations in explo-

ration and production. Key to resolving this risk is obtaining the best possible seismic image; the most important step in this process being the creation of an accurate seismic velocity model. Such a model enables making better drilling decisions and identifying subsurface resources.

S-CUBE revolutionises seismic analysis by automatically deriving the most detailed velocity models in the industry. It supersedes hand velocity picking and interpretation-based tomography, considerably speeding up the process and providing a much superior velocity model and subsequent subsurface imaging.

S-CUBE has developed and patented a technique called Adaptive Waveform Inversion (AWI™), which is arguably the most accurate and efficient algorithm in the world to determine the final velocity model from a highly inaccurate starting model.

UK

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Asian Voice |

British Indian boy joins Armed Forces A young British Indian boy has made his family proud by joining the Royal Armed Forces, following his grandfather's footsteps.

Pte Arjun Anilkumar Patel of Kings 4 Platoon has become a member of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces as a front line.

Following his grandfather Chunibhai Becharbhai Patel of Piplav Gujarat, who was a soldier in WWI from Kenya. Arjun has currently been deployed in Cyprus, private infantry division of Royal Anglian Regiment. He

completed his initial Training Course at Catterick on 17th November 2017.

23 year old Arjun was born and educated in Leicester and attended Swansea University to study Maths. He left his course after completing 2 years of study to follow his dream of serving in the British Army. His father Anil and mother Jayshree Patel of Leicester and brother Kishan Patel speaking to Asian Voice said, “We are very proud that Arjun is following his beloved grandfather's footsteps.”

Pte Arjun Anilkumar Patel

UK students offered 'contract cheating' by returning Indians UK experts are concerned over 'contract cheating' claims or selling assignments for a fee, where Indian students who allegedly have experience of studying at British Universities are returning home and offering essays and assignments to current students online for a price.

Hindustan Times reported that Thomas Lancaster and Robert Clark at Birmingham City University had first reported about it in 2008. They now claim it has become more sophisticated over the years, making it impossible to detect through usual plagiarism

Peer apologises to Sajid Javid for sharing a 'racist' cartoon

A Labour peer who supported the Brexit Remain campaign has apologised to Cabinet Minister Sajid Javid after sharing a "racist" cartoon which appears to mock the new British Home Secretary saying that he will deport his own parents to Pakistan.

Javid is the first Home Secretary of South Asian origin MP and to hold such a key portfolio. In the tweet, which has since been deleted, a figure purporting to be Javid is seen at his desk, with the caption: "I just want to settle in, get organised, then deport my parents!"

Javid responded directly to the former education minister, Lord Adonis, saying "you're better than this". BBC reported Adonis then apologised to Javid for the "poor taste" cartoon. He wrote, "Sajid, on reflection I think the cartoon is too personal and in poor taste.

I have deleted it. I am sorry.”

detection software.

Lancaster, who is now based at Imperial College London, shared a recent research that showed a “lot of UK students” continuing to use Indian writers to complete essays and assignments for a fee delivered online. More than 100 websites and internet forums are offering assignments to students will soon be blocked on campus computers and wi-fi systems. The prices quoted by such websites depend on the level of assignments and deadlines. The price can range from a couple of hundred pounds for one essay to as much as £6,750 for a PhD dissertation, written by many claiming to have

MBAs and even PhDs themselves.

Lancaster reportedly said, “We’re also seeing people come to the UK to study at a particular university. They then gain knowledge of that university and contacts in the UK, then go back to India to set up a writing business specialising in the university where they studied.”

The newspaper further reported that according to the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), an independent body tasked with safeguarding standards and improving the quality of higher education, “advertising activity of essay mills has increased in recent years”.

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12th May 2018

Lakshmi Kaul appointed as the new CII head in UK Lakshmi Kaul has been appointed as the the new Head and Representative of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII-UK) based in London. A service professional with over 15 years of work experience in the nonprofit sector; her experience ranges from relationship building, communications, public relations, research, strategy and policy work to creating community networks and building focussed campaigns promoting the interest of India in the UK. She has taken over the role from Shuchita Sonalika, who has moved to the US, to head the CII office there.

Lakshmi’s work in entrepreneurship, adult education and school improvement was recognised by key mentors at European Commission and she was invited to work on a multi-partner and multi-location school improvement programme of Aga Khan Foundation.

Lakshmi has worked across the spectrum of United Nations, Non Profit sector in India and UK, policy and govern-

Lakshmi Kaul

ment affairs in the IndiaUK corridor as well as managed a historic heritage project documenting India’s contribution during the World War 1 as part of the centenary commemoration of The Great War. In her role as the political aide to a UK Member of Parliament, she has been instrumental in establishing a mechanism of focussed briefing for UK parliamentarians from the Indian government as well as launched various platforms for community to engage with their local MPs in addition to sup-

porting the various All Party Parliamentary Groups including the Indian Traditional Sciences, British Hindus, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

She has mentored a number of women trying to get back to work or wanting to set up entrepreneurial ventures. In 2015 she organised a start ups and small business summit in London for over 300 Indian start up entrepreneurs providing them guidance and information on setting up a business in the UK. Lakshmi considers her current appointment as a great opportunity to highlight the priorities of the Indian business community. She hopes to bring to the role the insights she has gained from her experience of working the UK Parliament and wishes to leverage existing platforms for Indian companies in the UK as well as UK companies interested in India.

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READERS’ VOICE

Asian Voice |

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

12th May 2018

46th year in publishing many congratulations

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar have not only been a private publications but served the community at large.

A number of projects alleviating the problems of the community have been successfully undertaken by the newsweeklies.

We are grateful for all that you have done for us.

Kanti Nagda By email

A dog’s breakfast

Every time I say the word "Brexit" to people, it somehow comes out as "breakfast"and I have to correct myself.

Maybe we should stick to calling it "breakfast" as negotiations are proving so complex and confusing it is turning out to be a complete "dog's breakfast" as the saying goes!

Rudy Otter by email

U.K.'s economy on the slide

Currently while U.K. is bogged down with crisis in Brexit negotiations, Windrush generation problems, spike in knife and gun crime, austerity cuts, NHS crisis, housing shortages and anti-Semitic issues. In fact our attention has been diverted from the economic decline we are facing.

California with population of 40 million has become the world’s fifth-biggest economy overtaking United Kingdom according to federal data of USA. California’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew $127 billion between 2016 and 2017 to more than $2.7 trillion and It has also created 2 million jobs.

Whereas at the same time the U.K.’s GDP shrunk when measured in U.S. dollars because of currency fluctuations. Only the U.S., China, Japan and Germany have economies larger than California's.

There were some marked differences between sectors in U.K.. Service industries grew quite strongly, while manufacturing and construction slipped back.

For manufacturing it was the third consecutive decline. It looks like Brexit has become more important than the economy of the country.

More attention is given to ideology by the political parties than the economic health of the nation.

This is a wake-up call to U.K. to put its house in order.

Serious priority is to be given to the economy and jobs. They should not be sacrificed at the altar of Brexit.

The issue of single market and customs union should not be brushed aside by scoring political points. One has to think of the future of the country and not of a political party only.

Baldev Sharma Rayners Lane, Harrow

A few suggestions for AV/GS

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar is now 46 years old, deserve all the best of wishes for the future.

Royal National Institute for Blind (RNIB) can help you towards Free postage to blind, OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED PERSONS / readers. There are many optical conditions which may be termed as blind but person is NOT totally blind but visually impaired. There is an optical condition known as Age related macular degeneration, where patients/ sufferers get reading and readable material free of postage. You can post to such patients/ sufferers free postage as material for the BLIND. Simultaneously, you must undertake steps to use LARGE OR BOLD printed versions of your paper, as is done by libraries. You may sacrifice film page or alternatively, omit photos of actors. Just print script of news, NO photos please. Thus you will NOT suffer loss of any pages.

BRAILLE version can also be investigated and posted FREE to totally blind persons, on request by such totally BLIND readers.

Readers’ Voice is a treasure trove at service of both papers and is FREE OF ANY COST. Ramesh Jhalla By email Dear Mr Ramesh Jhalla, Many Thanks, please help us to coordinate with the RNIB - Editor

Poisoned chalis

Congratultaions to Sajid Javid, an Asian, for landing the top job, for being promoted to the much coveted post of home secretary of the United Kingdom. He was promoted to this post after the resignation of the former home secretary, Amber Rudd over the Windrush immigrants saga.

Many home secretaries have fallen flat on their face over the migrants problem. Javid has said that the helping of the so called Windrush people will be his priority. However, the Home secretary post has been compared to a poisoned chalis, a goblet full of posion and not palatble for many to handle.

Who would have thought in the early sixties that the son of an Asian bus driver would rise to the powerful post of Home Secretary of Briatin. It would seem that the days of racial discrimination and preference of white people for jobs have long gone.

In the late sixties when we, East African Asians, arrived in this country after being expelled by the ruthless dictators like Idi Amin of Uganda, covert and even overt, discrimination was rife and even with university degrees, we were being confined to manual jobs in factories.

Even in the Civil Service, Asians with university degrees were being considerd suitable only for clerical jobs. For an Asian to rise to the top job of Home Secretary was something which could not be even dreamed of in those days. Next step for an Asian to become the Prime Minister of UK? Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Health crisis fuelled by obesity

Britain is the most unhealthy nation in Europe, as far as obesity is concerned. Now research has shown that besides traditional illnesses associated with obesity, such as type two diabetic and heart problems, liver problem, the deadly cirrhosis and liver cancer will affect obese, overtaking alcohol as the main reason for developing such illnesses in five years’ time.

While government is addressing alcohol problem, making “Drink and Drive” a social taboo, it seems health crisis fuelled by obesity escapes close scrutiny.

This may pose serious problems for NHS with more patients needing treatment for cirrhosis as well as liver and kidney transplant. Build-up of fat in the body is one of the most serious health problems of the modern time, as it practically affects every organ, especially liver and heart, both are important organs to stay healthy.

Although we associate obesity with fast food and sugar intake, there are vast and varied reasons and one of them is our life-style. Those who remember sixties will know hardly one in ten household used to have a car. Streets were empty of cars and parking problem was not even on the horizon. Car was a luxury not many could afford. Now most families have at least two cars. Same goes with TV in every room. Only FA cup final was shown live on TV besides international matches in sixties, in black and white. Today our screens are covered with live sports twenty four hours a day. Parks and open spaces were overflowing with children playing sports, picnicking and families having wonderful time, especially during summer time, with up to sixteen hours of day-light. Today children’s time is taken by ipad, mobile phones, computer games and socializing on internet. It is time for the government, society, schools, NHS and parents to tackle obesity before it is too late!

Kumudini Valambia By email

London Commonwealth ugly protest

The anti-Modi protestors have violated the law by desecrating the flag of India hurting the sentiments of all Indians world over and caused widespread anger amongst the right minded people and friends of India. This unlawful act was provocative and could have incited violence had pro-Modi group were not peaceful and law-abiding.

The Indian Flag on the British soil in the Parliament Square is the property of the State and must be protected by the government from any criminal damage. The act of criminality happened right in the presence of the British Police. The lunatics are proud of committing this grave crime and are walking free without any consequences with their head high.

This cannot be tolerated. All those responsible must be identified and punished. All those Indians who care for India’s honour, integrity and unity should spare no efforts to seek justice in the matter.

Niranjan Vasant By email

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Does Trump deserve Noble Peace Prize?

It would be difficult to believe that someone could have the audacity to nominate controversial President Donald Trump for the highest and most prestigious honour, “The Nobel Peace Prize” (NPP) and elevate this publicity seeking enigmatic, businessman turned politician to the level of illustrious past winners of the prestigious award that include Nelson Mandela, Bishop Tutu, Kofi Annan, Mother Teresa, Shimon Peres, Egyptian President Mohamed Al Sadat and many more.

Then there is no shortage of admirers who love Trump. He was nominated by 18 Republican Senators who lodged a letter to “Norwegian Noble Committee” (NNC) his most loyal and die-hard supporters. Then he is not the first US President to be nominated. If he wins which is most unlikely, he would be fifth US president to win this great honour, following into the foot-steps of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barak Obama.

If he could bring peace to Korean Peninsula, make it nuclear free zone and bring North Korea into the international fold, then perhaps he may deserve NPP. But then why omit North Korean dictator Kim Jongun and South Korean President Moon Jae-in who are the main architects of improving relations between two Koreas? It is also possible that President Trump could veto these improving relations when he meets Kim in a face to face talk.

There are 300 nominees, so this may prove to be just a stunt to attract free publicity. Then NNC has acted, selected and excluded some controversial figures. President Obama was bestowed NPP as soon as he was elected and Obama himself said it was too early to be honoured with such prestigious prize.

Than Mahatma Gandhi, “The Personality of 20th Century” who was nominated three times, was overlooked and neglected. He was considered to be a political rubble-rouser. Could it be that NNC was unwilling to attract the displeasure of the mighty British Empire? Let us wait and see who is crowned with NPP for 2018.

Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

Readers’ Voice

As usual I was reading on internet Asian Voice April 28 edition and read an article by Mitul Panikar Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice @46.

May month is a very significant month in which two very important events happened. First on May 1 1960 separate Gujarat State was formed by then central government in India and second event on May 5 1972 Gujarat Samachar was launched in England by the blessings of then High Commissioner of India respected Shri Appa Saheb Pant with a clear mandate to the team of Gujarat Samachar to serve community with their problems and to raise voices to help and solve them.

In this journey of 46 years both Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice must have faced numerous problems, seen many ups and downs, faced financial difficulties but one by one they overcame all hurdles and became largest weeklies in Europe and serving community with it’s established goals without worrying about many unfounded criticisms. Kudos to all involved from top to bottom in publishing both weekly newspapers and God bless you all.

Opening ceremony of Gujarat state was performed by very dedicated and well respected social worker Late Shri Ravi Shankar Maharaj. Gujarat state came in to being not by easy way. There was big continued protest by Gujaraties under the leadership of well respected, fondly known as Shri Indu Chacha, Shri Harihar Khambholja and many like minded selfless leaders of that time and many young student lost their lives in agitation against central government by police firing. Late Moraji Desai was staunchly against the demand of separate Gujarat state but by strong agitation and protest finally it was established as a separate state and by dedicated politicians and visionary governments Gujarat state has become a very progressive and model state and we all Gujaraties living in India and abroad must take pride of our beloved state and fondly wish for more success in future.

Last but not least on up coming Mother’s Day in America, Canada and in India on May 13th we wish Happy Mother’s Day to all not only on Mother’s Day but everyday because it is not limited to only one day celebration but it is celebrated everyday by spending quality time with mother/parents and get their blessings.

Suresh and Bhavna Patel Markham, Canada

UK

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11

12th May 2018

Damian Hinds acknowledges funding Cheating at top universities soars by 40% cheating. Cases more than senior teaching fellow at The number of students doubled from 181 to 433, Imperial College London caught cheating at the pressures on schools in three years. At Glasgow and one of the UK’s leadUK’s top universities has

The education secretary has recognised the extent of funding pressures in England's schools after hearing warnings of a "financial crisis".

"It is challenging for schools making the numbers add up," Damian Hinds told a head teachers' conference. And he said he accepted that "society asks much more of schools than we did a generation ago".

"School funding is in crisis. Most people see it," said heads' leader Paul Whiteman.

Speaking to the National Association of Head Teachers in Liverpool, Mr Hinds offered more support to improve teacher recruitment and retention. This

included sabbaticals for experienced teachers and plans to remove confusion over when schools would be classified as underachieving.

But Mr Hinds faced questions about funding pressures - with the union's general secretary Paul Whiteman saying that "rhetoric cannot hide the real picture of a system in financial crisis".

The NAHT leader said the public now backed schools' warnings over budget shortages and this campaigning would continue. The education secretary said that schools were better funded - but he acknowledged that they now faced increased financial pressures and also

Damian Hinds

more social pressures, such as children's mental health problems.

"I certainly don't pretend I can just stand up here at this podium and say a few words that will solve all of the challenges that you face in schools today. It is true that schools get more funding than they used to but it is also true that society asks much more of schools than we did a generation ago," said Mr Hinds.

Free speech pledge for universities Free speech in universities has to be protected from "chilling" intolerance and "over-zealous" regulations, says the Universities Minister, Sam Gyimah.

The minister has met university and student leaders on Thursday to create a more straightforward set of guidelines for ensuring open debate on campus.

Mr Gyimah warned

"unfashionable or unpopular" views should not be stifled.

The meeting of higher education groups and

government - described as a "free speech summit" - is a response to concerns that universities have become hostile places for freedom of expression.

There have been warnings about speakers being blocked by socalled "no platforming", where it's claimed their views are so offensive that students try to stop them speaking.

Shahs celebrate diamond anniversary with pomp and fervour

Hendon-residents Sureshchandra long and successful marital life with a V Shah (83) and wife Ilaben Shah (81) song of 1967 movie 'Milan', “Hum tum celebrated their Diamond Jubilee on yug yug se geet milan ke gaate rahe April 22, in grandeur with friends and hai, gaate rahenge, jug mein jeevan family. The anniversary took them saathi ban ke aate rahe hai, aate radown memory lane as they relived 50 henge..”

The song prompted a very years of togetherness. Sureshbhai was e m o t i o n a l born in Patan disSureshbhai to walk trict in north towards Ilaben and Gujarat.

He speak fondly of the reached London in sacrifice and love of 1978 as the audit an Indian wife. He manager of Bank of said he was grateful Baroda. He has for his wife for toleralso performed his ating him for such a duty as a manager long time. He said, in Kenya and South “God has been very America, and has kind to me. Which is served as a group why, all of my advisor in a wellchildren have known company in grown up to be so the UK. humble and The wonderful successful.” couple has three Present on the daughters, one son, occasion was Asian and seven beautiful Voice and Gujarat grandchildren.

Samachar's Their eldest daughSuresh V Shah publisher and ter Dr Falguni B.Com.;B.A.;LL.B.(Bom);C.A.I.I.B.(Ind) editor, CB Patel. CB Gandhi and son-inA.C.I.B.(Eng);B.Sc.(Econ)(Lond); congratulated the law Dr Bharat Then, Gandhi had visited Advocate,(S.C.,Ind);F.L.C.(TX.USA);L.C.(Eng.) couple. specially from Houston, USA for the Sureshbhai praised Prime Minister occasion. Second daughter Alka Shah Narendra Modi for his administrative is an officer in Natwest bank, London. skills. He said, “When Shri Modiji was Third daughter Bindu Shah is also a the chief minister of Gujarat, I had only banker and lives in Dallas, Texas. Son, met him once, and yet, he Dr Ailesh is a dentist in London. He remembered my birthday and wished lives with wife Sonal and their two chil- me on January 8. I can not forget the dren in Barnet, London. Falguni and moment. Modiji and his team Bharat gave a tribute to their parents' deserves a salute!”

shot up by a third in three years, with experts warning that institutions are ignoring the problem.

Figures compiled by the Guardian from freedom of information requests to Russell Group universities – a group of 24 leading institutions that includes Oxford and Cambridge – shows the number of academic misconduct cases surged by 40%, from 2,640 to 3,721, between the academic years 2014-15 and 201617. Experts have expressed concern about the findings.

Thomas Lancaster, a

ing experts on essay cheating, said: “A growing number of young people also feel more pressure than ever before, often turning to cheating to help them get through their degrees.

It’s also easier to access websites that offer paidto-order essays.”

Lancaster said universities were getting better at recording incidents, but that they were often inconsistent in how they tackled cheating, with many “assuming it’s not their problem”.

Leeds University recorded one of the biggest rises in reports of

University, the number shot up from 161 to 394.

The figures come as government concern grows about contract cheating, where students employ ghostwriters to complete assignments.

The then universities minister Jo Johnson announced a crackdown a year ago, but since then only a handful of the 24 Russell Group universities recorded details of contract cheating separately.

Most have not updated their academic misconduct processes in the last year, although a number are reviewing them.

The research, part of an international demographic project, shows that at least a million fewer people moved between 2001 and 2011 compared with 1971 to 1981, once other changes in population have been taken into account.

It shows that the pattern of people moving up the housing ladder - and

expecting to keep moving to a bigger or better home or more desirable location was much more common in the 1970s and 1980s than in the 2000s. They might also put up with longer commutes rather than move for work, say the researchers.

The researchers thought that such a big drop in moving home could have been driven by an ageing population, with older people less likely to move house. But this only accounted for about a third of the change and there was a similar pattern common across other age groups.

People much less likely to move home

People in England and Wales were much more likely to move home in the 1970s than in the first decade of the 2000s, says research by population experts. The study, based on census data over 40 years, shows a picture of people becoming progressively less mobile, for both renters and homeowners.

Dr Ian Shuttleworth, from Queen's University Belfast, says there had been a long term "change in behaviour". He said this lack of movement could be part of a slowdown in social mobility.

ºђકЦ® ¸Цªъ³Ъ ╙¸àક¯ђ³ЬєÃºЦ ˛ЦºЦ ¾щ¥Ц® Major Commercial Property Auction Thursday 24th May 2018 On behalf of Mapeley, Wesleyan, Gala Leisure, C0-Operative Bank and Receivers at Alder King, CBRE and Savills amongst others.

90 lots to include

(unless otherwise sold prior)

Hinckley, Leicestershire, LE10 1AW 8-14 Station Road Substantial Freehold Parade with Residential consent to convert upper floors.

Rent £93,200 p.a.x.

Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK40 1PL 23-25 Midland Road Shop let to Bodycare.

Rent £82,500 p.a.x.

116-118 High Street, Ruislip, HA4 8LS

RETAIL INVESTMENTS

Clapham, London, SW4 7TR

Hayes, London, UB4 0RX

Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, HG5 0HB

692/694 Uxbridge Road

43 High Street

Shop with Flat above let on AST. Rent £30,800 p.a.x.

Let to Superdrug.

Rent £27,500 p.a.x.

Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 6EH

Torquay, Devon, TQ1 1ES

8 Market Place

15 Union Street

Bank let to Santander Plc. Rent £33,500 p.a.x.

Shop let to Boots Opticians.

Rent £39,430 p.a.x.

Large shop let to Waterstones until 2046.

Rent £152,500 p.a.x.

Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV1 3ER

Ruislip, London, HA4 8LS 116-118 High Street Shop let to Specsavers plus vacant Flat above.

Rent £25,000 p.a.x.

Greenwich, London, SE8 3BU Meridian Point, 133/137 Creek Road Retail Parade comprising four Shops.

Rent £115,000 p.a.x.

21 Clapham High Street Shop let to So Me Beauty.

Rent £47,000 p.a.x.

Morley, Leeds, LS27 8EF 91 Queen Street

44-45 Dudley Street

Ivybridge, Devon, PL21 9AB

Former BHS, 36,000 sq ft.

Vacant Possession

11-12 Fore Street Shop let to Day Lewis Pharmacy.

Rent £40,632 p.a.x.

Farnham, Surrey, GU9 7DN

Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 7GP 2 Greycaine Road, Greycaine Industrial Estate

14-15 West Street Shop let to Sharps Bedrooms.

Rent £56,000 p.a.x.

John Mehtab: +44 (0)20 7034 4855

INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT

48,269 sq ft. Multi let to 5 tenants on 1.8 acre site.

Rent £338,000 p.a.x.

www.acuitus.co.uk

12

MEDIA WATCH

Asian Voice |

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12th May 2018

Black comedy and farce appear to be way of life for a class of Indian politician whose sole purpose for engaging in public life is to grab media headlines, whatever the cost to their image. Congress President Rahul Gandhi was recently on board an Air India plane that was forced to make an emergence landing shortly after takeoff from New Delhi airport when a weather balloon was sucked into one of its engines. It was no big deal, and attracted barely a paragraph in the dailies next day (Times of India April 30) Most papers ignored the story.

Rahul Gandhi The hallowed Rahul Gandhi sensing an opportunity to make a splash, was quickly off the mark with a statement that he had feared his end was nigh, and that having survived the life threatening crisis unscathed, he would be making a pilgrimage to Lake Manasarwar in Tibet, within easy distance of Indian border, with hundreds of Hindu and Buddhist devotees who consider the site sacred. Godman Rahul? Whatever next?

Biplab Deb at it again The other farcical instance came from BJP Tripura Chief Minister, Biplab Deb, who produces a gaffe a day as the country’s unlicensed national jester. A Hindu newspaper editorial writes (May 1): ‘Mr Deb has held the

Biplab Deb

spotlight on himself for one gaffe after another,’ starting with the claim that the internet and satellite communications were known and used during the period of the epic Mahabharata two millennia ago, then took issue with the judges of a Miss Universe beauty contest for not choosing a well known Bollywood megastar, whose looks apparently were in closer accord with those of the female deities of the Hindu pantheon.

Mr Deb perceives himself to be a champion of Indian civilization.

Many of his fellow citizens may consider registering as certified barbarians!

village in Manipur, in India’s farthest North East, received its electricity connection – a milestone in the national electrification programme to light up the entire country. The next challenge is to bring affordable electric power to every household.

Roads, railways, airways, electricity, television, mobile telephones bring better market and consumer access and ensure rises in living standards for one and all (Times of India, April 30, May 1).

Three-wheeler boom for Indian industry Three-wheeler vehicle sales have surged to an unprecedented annual one million units and herald a boon for Indian industry at home and in exports to foreign markets. According to data released by the Indian Automobile Manufacturers total production of three-wheeler vehicles, passenger and commercial, for the financial year 2017-18 [ending March 31].

The former category grew 24 per cent, the latter 8 per cent.

Exports in the passenger segment increased 40 per cent, while the goods carrying segment grew over 45 per cent.

The export segment to Africa and South East is expected to remain at its high level because of significant infrastructure development in these regions.

The Bajaj Auto company is leading the surge with 70 per cent of overall export sales (Times of India May 1).

Son to invest $10bn in

with a $100 billion fund, is to invest $10 billion in Indian startup ventures, saying: ‘There are some examples of young Indian entrepreneurs creating new or original models ahead of the world, such as Oy [ Rooms]….

Young entrepreneurs in India are creating unique models that can scale, which is exciting.’

SoftBank has invested in Flipkart and Ola (Economic Times April 30).

Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons said that the adoption of major sites in Delhi such as Red Fort had been given to the private companies for infrastructure development. This meant that its surrounds such as cafeterias, transport exhibition halls and lecture theatres would be constructed and maintained to the highest possible level etc to attract tourists in greater numbers. The measure is pure common sense, one would have thought, but it fail to take into account the cussedness of the Congress party or the Communists and left-wing populists who have criticized the measure as an alleged sellout to capitalists. When the state monopolies with licences and permits were empowered to manufacture cars the outcomes was little short of disastrous, as the defunct Hindustan model proved over barren decades: shoddy products which cost a king’s ransom. The case of Air India is a more potent example, bleeding the exchequer to the bone and inefficient to boot. Like the Bourbon monarchy in France, Congress satraps have learnt nothing and forgotten nothing; their unsullied foolishness endures (Economic Times April 30).

India, Pakistan in Russia war drills India and Pakistan are to take part in a multi-power counter terror military exercise in Russia under the aegis of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Russia and China, and the Central Asian states such as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan will also participate in the exercise scheduled for September. India’s engagement was confirmed by

PM Modi with President Xi Jinping in Wuhan

thus well calibrated and point to emerging ground realities that have left most Indian broadsheets drawing oxygen from the imported wisdom of Washington or the BBC in London, gasping for air. This event will surely be an offshoot of the Modi-Xijinping Wuhan summit.

India labs key to IBM’s AI endeavors At a time when US giant IBM is undergoing a remarkable makeover, the company’s India research laboratories are playing a seminal role through their critical contributions on Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain technologies and quantum computing, said Dr Michael Karasdick, Vice President, Global Labs, IBM Research. Recognized as ‘IBM Master Inventor,’ he said the applications innovation coming out of its India labs ranged from helping farmers to increase crop yields, solving food spillage to detecting gender biases in the Bollywood cinema industry (Hindu April 30).

Rental drones for Kerala farmers Indian entrepreneurs in Kerala have designed drones for rent to local farmers for such activities as spraying fertilizers and checking the health of crops.

Apart from being time saving these machines make farming more profitable. ‘Besides these drones for sowing seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, the inbuilt spectrum camera helps monitor crop health, detect water deficiency,’ said Swathin Siddharth, CEO of Trekonik venture of young engineers, who have approached the Kerala Startup Mission for funds to further develop and market their product (Business Line May 3).

Rural demand in Hero Motor surge Masayoshi Son, CEO Softbank

Indian start-ups

Masayoshi Son, CEO of Japanese SoftBank, the world’s most influential technology investor

growth. Hero MotoCorp is India’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer.

Company Managing Director and CEO Pawan Munjal said: ‘Another big leap, catering to popular customer demand, Hero

Red Fort upkeep for private sector

India electrified Time was in much of India, when rural communities far-off corners and nearer corners, too, relied on candle power, barely a hundredth of the illumination of a single 100 watt bulb. A little over a week ago, Leising, a

It will be the first time since Independence that India and Pakistan join in a military exercise of any dimension, let alone of such strategic and diplomatic significance. Recent analyses in Asian Voice were

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during a recent SCO meeting of Defence Ministers in Beijing (Hindu April 30).

Strong rural demand has driven Hero Motor fourth quarter (ending March 31) sales, resulting in a net profit of 35 per cent amounting to Rs 967 crore on 24 per cent year-on-year

MotoCorp marked its entry into the premium motorcycle segment as it unveiled India’s first 200cc motorcycle - ’XPulse’ and ‘Xtreme200K’ – at the Auto EXPO 2018 in New Delhi (Business Line May 3).

Taiwanese firms eye India With US-China trade war a disruption, with the economic impact of China’s rising debt of around 250 per cent of the country’s GDP, Taiwanese companies on China’s coastal region are moving to South East Asia, some are now eyeing India as a good bet for investment.

James Hwang, Chairman of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council has said that the earlier interest in South East Asia is now supplemented by interest in India ‘as a constructive partner in the next 20 to 30 years,’ spelling out India’s smart cities , electric vehicles and petrochemicals industry as areas of interest.

Taiwan businessmen will be attending the trade expo in New Delhi. Taiwan’s bilateral trade with India amounted to $3.7 billion in 2017, with Taiwan importing $3 billion Indian products from India. Taiwanese investments in India are worth $5 billion. (Business Line May 3).

India critical market for Apple: Tim Cook Apple CEO Tim Cook accepted that the company’s low base in India’s smartphone market, when noting record revenue growth in the country in the first six months of the fiscal year ending in September. The rapid growth of India’s middle class and its movement into 4G represented a major opportunity for Apple, which planned to focus its entire range of initiatives on the Indian market including retail. Cook has figures on his side to prove the point: Apple’s revenues in India grew 30 per cent to $61 billion in the January-March quarter, driven by iphones. Chinese and Korean companies dominate the Indian market but Apple is determined to catch up and head the pack (Economic Times May 3).

UK

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Woman taken to hospital after 'massive fire' destroys canal boat in Southall A woman has been taken to hospital as a priority after a canal boat caught fire on the Grand Union Canal in Southall on Tuesday (May 8) afternoon. Fire crews were called to the scene just after 1.30pm to reports of a fire. In total, 25 firefighters and six fire engines attended the scene.

A statement on the London Fire Brigade reads: "Six fire engines and 25 firefighters and officers were called to a fire on a canal boat near Gilding Way in Southall.

"A barge was destroyed by the fire. One woman left the boat before the Brigade arrived. She was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.

"Firefighters also cooled two cylinders to an ambient temperature. The Brigade’s 999 Control Officers took 13 calls to the fire.

"The Brigade was called at 1342 and the fire was under control at 1551.

Fire crews from Southall, Hayes , Feltham , Acton and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.

The cause of the fire is under investigation."

A photo taken after the fire was extinguished shows that the boat was completely destroyed by the blaze.

A woman was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service (LAS), but it is unclear if her injuries were as a direct

result of the fire.

A worker at Chodas Auto Services, whose workshop is next to the canal, reported seeing a "massive fire".

“It was a massive fire, the whole barge was in flames. There were lots of fire engines and fire fighters, and at least three ambulances too from what I could see," he said.

The official LFB Twitter account tweeted at 4.02pm to say that the fire was under control, and that the woman had been taken to hospital.

Hoax emails received by a 'number of schools' Schools across the country have been evacuated due to an "emergency" after threatening emails were sent out on Tuesday morning (May 8).

The National Crime Agency (NCA) is looking into threats which have been made at schools in Uxbridge , Feltham , the

West Midlands, Warwickshire and London.

Schools are being asked to contact police if they receive the emails, although the NCA stressed that "there is no credible threat" within them.

An NCA spokesman said: “We are aware of a

number of threatening emails being sent to schools and are investigating alongside our partners in the police.

We understand that these types of emails can be distressing and while we take the communications extremely seriously we must stress there is no credible threat.”

Hotel tycoon reveals new alternative expansion with one terminal 'campus' Heathrow's biggest landlord Sunder Arora has released another alternative plan for Heathrow Airport's Expansion.

The Arora group claims that its plan will cost "under half" as much as the current Heathrow Airport Limited Scheme and will focus on a "Western Hub".

The plan would see all terminal activity focused to a single "campus", to the west of the airport, between Terminal 5 and the M25.

Hotel tycoon Sunder Arora believes that by not having to redevelop the existing terminals 1 and 2, the airport will not only avoid costs, but also

extreme disruption.

The cornerstone of the businessman's plan is that the airport is currently being run as a monopoly, with the government only recognising Heathrow Airport Limited as having the "sole right to undertake Heathrow expansion".

Arora's plan also has the backing of both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic .

The airport operator's current plan has the support of the government, and a vote expected to carry through before Parliament's summer recess will give the operators outline planning permission for expansion.

The cost of expansion is currently estimated at £14 billion, but the Arora group labels the figure "misleading, arguing that it doesn't take into account the need to accommodate the additional passengers.

Arora believes the real Heathrow expansion figure will be more like £31 billion, but says his plan will cost just £14.4 billion.

A lesson learnt following the Court of Appeal (COA) decision of Darnley v Croydon Health Services NHS Trust [2017] - think twice before walking out of A&E after being told the waiting time.

In this case Mr Darnley attended A&E with a head injury. Upon arrival, a receptionist informed Mr Darnley that he would wait 4-5 hours before being seen – this was incorrect.

The actual waiting time was 30 minutes. However, Mr Darnley, deciding that 4-5 hours was too long, left after 19 minutes.

Mr Darnley deteriorated and returned in an ambulance.

Due to the delay in treatment, Mr Darnley sustained an extradural haematoma and suffered partial paralysis with long-term disabilities.

Mr Darnley brought a claim against the NHS Trust on 2 grounds: 1) The receptionist‘s failure to provide an accurate waiting time was negligent; and 2) The hospital was negligent on the basis that he should have been seen within 15 minutes.

NICE guidelines entitled: 'Head Injury – Triage, Assessment, Investigation and Early Management of Head Injury in Infants, Children and Adults' stipulate that head injuries should be assessed within 15 minutes of arrival.

The NHS Trust denied breach of duty, accepting that had Mr Darnley been present when called to be seen he would have avoided permanent injury.

The court held that the NHS did not breach their duty and there was no duty on the receptionist to give accurate waiting times.

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A Santander bank customer almost had her account shut down because she referred to Bradford as ‘Curryland’ while on the phone to a call centre worker. Sarah Leigh, 50, had called the bank about her credit card when the bank worker mentioned that he was from Bradford. The mum-of-three referred to

Author, Nilma Shah is a solicitor in the Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence department at Duncan Lewis. She is experienced in a mixed litigation cased load including fast track and multi-track claims and has dealt with a wide range of cases involving misdiagnosis, delay in diagnosis, surgical errors, and birth injury claims.

Contact Nilma on 02031141274 or nilmap@duncanlewis.com.

Duncan Lewis Clinical Negligence Solicitors Duncan Lewis’ Clinical Negligence team have extensive expertise in brain injury claims, resulting from medical negligence, including birth injuries, misdiagnosis, prescribing and surgical errors.

As a Chambers & Partners 2017/18 recommended firm, Duncan Lewis are the largest UK provider of Legal Aid and adept in personal injury matters.

the Yorkshire city as ‘curryland’ and mentioned reading how waterways had turned yellow because of the amount of turmeric washing into them. The call centre worker did not complain at the time but days later Mrs Leigh received a letter from the bank saying she had offended him. Mrs Leigh,

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The case also failed on causation as Mr Darnley decided to leave without informing the staff.

Mr Darnley’s solicitors appealed the court’s decision in the COA on the basis that he was told to wait 4-5 hours. He would have waited if told 30 minutes.

The COA’s accepted there is no duty on the receptionist as she is solely performing her clerical function.

This case is now being appealed to the Supreme Court.

This case presents an important lesson - if you attend A&E be warned that if you are told to wait 4-5 hours this may be incorrect and you are likely to been seen sooner. Hospitals are meant to see 95% of patients within 4 hours.

That being said, in March NHS emergency departments in England recorded their lowest performance since 2004, with 88.4% of patients having been seen within 4 hours.

Santander threatened to close woman’s account after she said Bradford was ‘Curryland’

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12th May 2018

A&E - How long do I have to wait?

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Nilma Shah

The canal boat was completely destroyed in the fire (Image: LFB)

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who is a magazine sales executive, had made the call on 20 April and had forgotten about it until she received the letter a week later. She subsequently rang up the bank and spoke to an employee, explaining what she had said to their colleague. Santander said it was simply following procedures.

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Asian Voice |

www.asian-voice.com

12th May 2018

Raas Garba for River Yamuna in Gokul

Mr Jagjit Singh along with his wife lighting the candle, in presence of Trupti Patel

Over £10,000 was raised at a charity raas garba in aid of environmental projects for the historic town of Gokul on the banks of river Yamuna.

The event was organised at Kingsbury High School in Kingsbury on Saturday 5 May, with the support of Hindu Forum of Britain (HFB) and attended by Shri Jagjit Singh, the Second Secretary from the Indian High Commission.

The event started by the famous Parle Patel teaching some garba moves. Shri Jagjit Singh, along with his gracious wife, lit candles to kick

start the garba.

During the interval, Shri Jagjit Singh praised the efforts by everyone in raising awareness and funds for the plight of the polluted river. He outlined the many infrastructure projects the government of India is undertaking as well as robust law enforcement actions.

Mrs Trupti Patel, President of HFB commented that volunteering organisations play a vital role in fundraising for “bottom up” projects that educates the local population and reduces the pollution in a very practical way.

Friends of Kera (UK) in aid of disadvantaged children Friends of Kera (UK) charity is extremely proud to have completed the Everest Base Camp Challenge last month. The team was lead by Prakash Nardani, 27 brave members joined this challenge for a worthy cause supporting disabled children. The team members had been training hard for past 8 months and were fully prepared to face this tough challenge.

Everest Base Camp is one of the toughest challenge they claim to have done so far and the longest too.

It was a 14 day trek with 6 to 8 hours of trekking everyday in severe conditions of cold, snow, rain and less oxygen as they climbed higher & higher, but the team members were all very brave and mentally strong to complete this challenge.

The total team fund raising collection so far has been approx £35,000. The participants were all majority from Kutchi (Gujarati) community of the UK. A total of 18 men

and 9 women from London participated in this charity event within the age range of 22 and 61 years.

Team members included: Kishore Nardani, Prakash Nardani, Ghansham Nardani, Pravin Mavji Hirani, Chandrika Kalyan Rabadia, Rajnikant Dhanji, Vanisha Nardani, Prem Kalyan Rabadia, Rajen Nardani, Amrat Hirani, Rithen Pravin

Hirani, Ashwin Sojitra, Roshni Vekaria, Ketan Hirani, Premila Pindolia, Naresh Pindolia, Mansukh Kunverji Meghani, Arvind Kunverji Meghani, Kastur Patel, Ramesh Vekaria, Dhanu Jesani, Laxman Patel, Hrishkesh Mehta from Mumbai, Michal Lipert from Poland, Savita Laxman Patel, Priti Ramesh Vekaria and Chandrakant Mawji Patel.

Dr Ambedkar's anti-discrimination work commemorated in the House of Lords

All Party Parliamentary Group hosts inaugural meeting on the Western Rail Link to Heathrow

Tan Dhesi MP with other dignitaries at the meeting

Last Tuesday saw the inaugural meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Western Rail Link to Heathrow (APPG for WRLtH) which will support the case for and delivery of the Western Rail Link to Heathrow.

WRLtH would see the creation of a new rail connection from Reading, via Slough, to London

Heathrow, giving 20 per cent of the UK population access to Heathrow via one interchange.

Journey times in the future could be as short as 26 minutes from Reading and 6 minutes from Slough.

Tan Dhesi, MP for Slough said: “This project would not only benefit my Slough constituents, but provide a more direct rail link for passengers from the Thames Valley area,

Believed to be the father of the Indian Constitution and the maker of modern India, the most qualified leader of his time, Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar fought all his life to eliminate caste discrimination, dispossession, and humiliation. It was the 127th anniversary of his birth on the 14th April 2018.

While different parts of India enjoyed the spectacle of a great leader’s birth anniversary (Ambedkar Jayanti), political leaders, academics, social entrepreneurs, and activists from the UK got together to commemorate the occasion in Committee Room 2, House of Lords on 30 April. Lord Harries of Pentregarth chaired the fifth such event organized by Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddhist Organisations UK (FABO UK).

Wales, Bristol, the West Midlands and the South West. Beyond the obvious convenience of reduced journey times, the scheme could see an estimated £800m of economic activity and 42,000 new jobs, and shifting passengers from road to rail could lead

Ms Santosh Dass MBE, President of FABO UK, the Vice Chair of the Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance, and a leading figure in the campaign to outlaw caste discrimination in the UK, said “I want to make Dr Ambedkar’s appeal universal.” She also touched on the “relentless and ongoing fight” to outlaw caste discrimination in the UK. Ms Dass was also instrumental in the acquisition of the London House where Ambedkar lived as a student in 192122.

Dr Jesús Cháirez-Garza and Dr William Gould from the University of Leeds reflected on why race was important in relation to caste, especially with the idea of caste and race closely related in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Dr Gould discussed the forthcoming research into how Scheduled Caste and Scheduled

to CO2 savings equivalent to approximately 30 million road miles a year.”

Tan Dhesi and Richard Benyon were elected as Co-Chairs, Geraint Davies as Secretary and Luke Pollard as Treasurer, Kevin Foster and Christina Rees as Vice-Chairs.

Tribe NGOs shaped Government policies related to them.

Ms Bonnie Dobson, a musician described how she came to know about and admire Ambedkar. Mr Arun Kumar, FABO UK spoke about the Ambedkar House and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s no show on 19 April.

Mr Raj Bangar, of Kanshi TV, shared how his TV channel gives the marginalized a voice. Mr Pratap Tamble, a Diversity lead, highlighted findings of pan-India survey of higher education in 2015-2016 that found representation lacking in different wings of the government, higher education, judiciary, business and public media.

Dr David Mosse, SOAS, University of London, spoke about Caste in the market economy and its relevance today.

The inaugural meeting was attended by Tan Dhesi, Slough, Richard Benyon, Newbury, Christina Rees, Neath, Luke Pollard, Plymouth, Gary Streeter, South West Devon, Ruth Cadbury, Brentford and Isleworth, Chris Evans, Islwyn,

Geraint Davies, Swansea West, Steve Double, St Austell, and Newquay and Kevin Foster, Torbay.

Jane Jones from GWR was also in attendance.

Many other MPs expressed their support and promised to attend future meetings.

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COMMUNITY

Your chance to participate in this year's Anand Mela Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar's annual Anand Mela will be held on 9 and 10 June this year. One of UK's most thriving culture festival for charity returns, the 8th edition of the grand two-day event will take place at the Harrow Leisure Centre. Anand Mela attracts thousands of people every year, and flaunts a variety of stalls for food, fashion, wedding, beauty, property and investment, health and well-being and others.

One of the main attractions being food, the event will serve various Indian preparations this year, including samosa, bhelpuri, aloo tikki chat, and other items.

Drinks like falooda, lassi, and ice cream will also be served to beat the heat. The event will also see cultural performances by highly sought performers, community organisations, and school children.

A heartfelt invitation to all organisations and associations

Every year, religious, and social communities from London and neighbouring boroughs participate in large numbers. It has been brought to our attention that this year too, organisations and communities are keen on participating. If you or your organisations are interested in associating with Anand Mela, please let us know on a prior basis, so necessary arrangements can be made.

Golden chance to build your business

Anand Mela encourages small-scale businessmen and enterprises to spread their business and help them market their products. If you are involved in the line of interior decoration, clothes like chaniya choli, Modi jacket, wedding costumes, mehendi, jewellery, packed snacks, or run businesses like a marriage bureau, travel and tourism, education, finance-banking, and insurance, book a stall at Anand Mela and expand your reach to a whole new set of potential customers.

Not only your client base, this will also be a unique chance to advertise your venture. You can reach out to the vast Asian community in a short span of just two days, with Anand Mela. For more details on stall booking, contact us on 020 7749 4080.

Contact: Kamal Rao: kamal.rao@abplgroup.com 07875 229 211 Kokila Patel: kokila.patel@abplgroup.com 07875 229 117 Kishor Parmar: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com 07875 229 088

My Planet, My Contributions

A wake up call from Sai School of Harrow pupils raising awareness of our threatened environments has been the central theme for each year group this term. Each class has worked on a range of issues, from the Arctic to Rainforests, From the Great Barrier Reef to the Amazon.

Tied into the same theme, Sai School organised a Gayatri event on Sunday 6th May as a Heal our Planet initiative.

About 500 supporters and guests attended the event where different musicians chanted the Gayatri mantra, the most sacred prayer from the Rig Veda dedicated to Savitur (The Solar Energy and Sustainer of Life). Many guests commented on the excellent visuals during the chant-

ing where images of Planet Earth and quotes from famous people like Sir David Attenborough were displayed to inspire everyone. Children’s projects were displayed within the School for all guests to see how children wanted us to be responsible for our actions, and how they want to stand up to protect the planet.

Year 6 pupils created an underwater scene teaming with marine life, with a dead whale spilling out plastic bottles as you can see in the photo. Some of the children’s videos can be viewed on Sai School of Harrow face book page, where children as young as 6 are talking about Reusing, recycling and you will see how incredibly passionate they feel.

The Spirit of Cricket Asian Voice | 12th May 2018

SP

Sunetra Senior

Danny added: “I actually played with Amit when I was younger. Kamal is a great role model and his passion for cricket matches mine. Being here reminds me of Amit.” But as the media manager also went on to say: “cricket specifically as a game has allowed me to recognise losing is as much a part of life and personal development as the winning and the highs.” Indeed, always lauded as the Gentleman’s Game, the sport is known for its more balanced, regulated and focussed approach. “Where other sports such as football might invite aggression as commonplace with normalised fouls and so on,” Kamal said, “cricket very much asks the individual and the bat and ball do the performing.” It is at once selfreflective and a team effort. This extends to Ganador’s – the name meaning winner and by the brand’s extension, a particularly open-minded sort - inclusive social ethic. As well as producing affordable equipment, Kamal also actively works to recruit more women, and varying

Vice President of Ganador Sports, Kamal, talked to us about a cultivated yet impactful way to enjoy cricket. His company’s unique motto is “passion, participation and diversity.” Ganador is associated with all the major cricketing bodies in the country. They mainly manufacture signature, worldclass durable and light helmets, created by cricketers for cricketers. Kamal himself was the first captain of the Ilford Cricket Club to win the league and cup double, and still plays as part of the Essex over 50s team, winning a championship last year. Media manager and the brains behind the Ganador website and much of the design, Danny, has also been playing the game for an adept while: “I’ve been playing cricket for 30 years, including at the senior level for Essex in the late nineties. My father was WestIndian so it really wasn’t choice! It’s great to be involved in the product design side in the trade.

For example, I’m looking forward to seeing my artwork on some new equipment, hopefully coming out by end 2018.

It’s great to have an opportunity to directly give back to a game that’s given me so much.” The company then brings first-hand experience to the technical blueprint. However, as well as being highly professional, Ganador also concertedly focuses on the quality of safety, selling a universally agefriendly range of cricketing supplies, including the ICC-approved bats and balls, to people of all ages. “The establishment is owned by a family,” Kamal elaborated, “where the three main drivers, myself included, have a vision for not only providing people with high-quality and entertaining cultural backgrounds into the game: games, but trustworthy equipment “we are very proud of our brand ambassador, Saba Nasim: a great which will encourage more young woman who has helped many girls children to want to play the game in from different upbringings realise England whilst being protected. It is their potential. We are also involved legally stipulated that everyone on with Capital Kids Cricket, who go the pitch should wear a helmet.”

Here, an unsaid yet equally defining into schools to deliver a program set quality of the company also out by the ECB to encourage greater emerged: authenticity. We participation from inner city found out that Kamal’s youngsters in the game. We investment in the compaare also very proud of our Cricket very ny goes beyond his love association with the for the game, commumuch asks the Essex County Cricket nity and his fellow staff Club Multi-faith crickindividual and back through time to et tour to the Vatican.” his beloved son, Amit.

In September 2017, the bat and ball Ganador sponsored a Taking after his father, do the Multi-faith team to the young player was performing. play against a team also very gifted, but was based in the Vatican City tragically killed in a road - and we very much look accident at the tender age forward to welcoming them on of 21. “Part of the reward in working for the company is knowing their return trip to the UK in I can stay connected to my son,” June/July this year. “It’s been an Kamal commented. “It was a joy to incredible journey and we are only watch him grow and thrive, and that getting bigger,” Kamal said. “We’ve Ganador can now do this for many had great praise and support from more is wonderful. We can help so incredible cricketers such as Gareth many boys and girls become skilled, Batty too. We’ve also had positive responses from professional teams, achieving their dreams.” such as Surrey, who have come into the office to try the equipment and ***

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TLIGHT

were voted number one for our bats on the merchandise site: ‘It’s Just Cricket’. Thus, just as much a social experience as an enterprise, the Ganador Squad not only put the heart into good business but capture the very essence of their sport as they do it. “We represent grass-roots cricket and accessibility for all,” Danny aptly concluded. “We wanted to be fair and include everyone.

That’s initially why we expanded out into miscellaneous products: a good plastic set, say, could be a child’s introduction to the game.” Through its literal equivalent, Ganador show how genuine devotion can propel you in the proverbial professional field.

How exactly does the Ganador Helmet incorporate safety?

Designs are developed so they perform to the impact protection standard. The technology involved is double-shelf. There are two layers of protection: the polycarbonate plastic shell of the helmet and the second, interior layer of protection, covered by cloth, is a more rigid material. It’s moulded to the interior of the exterior of the product. You want to be protected against what is essentially a missile that could be coming at you at anything up to 90 miles per hour.

What have been some of your proudest moments with your star equipment?

Punam Raut, an Indian Women international cricketer, wore our helmet while scoring a century in the 2017 Women's World Cup against Australia. It’s also been great to have cricketers who play the game come back to us so impressed with the quality of our merchandise. Finally, it’s good to be getting more people from European countries to play the game. It’s already quite big in Asia.

Name another ambassador for Ganador?

Ryan Karuna. He’s the fifteenyear old captain of Essex Under 15s.

He was another obvious choice for us as he is a talented young person with a bright future.

Finally, Danny as a media manager, was there a specific trick to boosting traffic on the site?

It’s quite simple if you’ve the vision in mind: have good spelling and grammar; make sure the general layout of the website is appealing and clean e.g. example easy accessibility to the homepage.

W: http://www.ganadorsports.co.uk/

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UK

Asian Voice |

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

12th May 2018

Continued from page 1

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Asian Migrants: ‘Windrush Victims’

On last Wednesday, the highly skilled migrant group gathered at Parliament Square in pouring rain, wearing white t-shirts that said 'Stop Hostile Environment', holding placards saying 'Tax Correction is not a crime', 'Home Office don't rip-off our office' and 'We want justice' and shouting slogans “Injustice no more, attention Home Office.”

Suma, a business intelligence developer in IT sector for last 6 years, told Asian Voice, “Recently my ILR got refused after Home Office held the application for 23 months. It was due to one tax error made by my accountant, which I was not aware of. After that I have rectified the tax mistake and paid my due. I have also complained about my accountant but the registered body said that they cant take this case further, as my accountant's membership has elapsed. I am appealing my decision to Home Office.”

Nisha Mohite, who used to work as a Quality Assurance Officer in the pharmaceutical industry developing anticancer and anti-epileptic drugs told the newspaper, “I was a key member of the team, handling major projects by the company.

In 2016 June, I got my first ILR refusal, for tax discripancy in 2010 and 11. I thought they had made some mistake and my solicitor advised me to re-apply with all evidences that I paid my

taxes on time and cleared all my dues. Still after months of waiting, Home Office refused the application, yet again, saying that they were not satisfied with my tax rectification in 2013 for 2010-11.”

They booked her under section 322(5), branding Nisha as 'a threat to national security', defaming her character as 'not good enough for a settlement visa' in the UK. “I went through severe depression,” she said. “But finally gathered some strength and courage to come out and speak to people. My solicitor has advised me to challenge the decision in Court. My friends and family are supporting me as I have lost my right to work. I have sold all my assets and gold to survive in this country.”

She added, “People may question why am I so stubborn and determined to live in the UK. The answer is, I have lived here for 10 years of my life, I have contributed to the society like many others and have been a law abiding person. So I am here and fighting for my justice.”

Aditi Bhardwaj, one of the main organisers of this protest and campaign told AV, “The migrants campaigning here have been denied settlement under Section 322 (5), which was initially made for dangerous criminals, rapists and terrorists. Putting these people who had minor tax rectifications under the same bracket as terrorists is based on speculation. Most of these people have school going children. Their appeal

rights have been taken away.

Now they have to go for Judicial Review which is a very expensive route. They dont have a right to rent, right to work, it is quite hard for them to survive. The Home Office held the application for more than 12 months, for some it was 24 months. And then going to court for 2 years, how do you expect someone to survive in the UK for 4 years without work rights or appeal or justice?”

The group has reportedly raised £40,000 to challenge Home Office in the courts for using the controversial section 322(5) of the Act. This group of migrants include IT and medical professionals to name a few.

Among these migrants is Saleem Dadabhoy, a scion of one of the wealthiest families in Pakistan. He is facing deportation despite three different appeal courts having scrutinised his accounts and finding no evidence of any irregularities, and a court of appeal judge having ruled that he is trustworthy and credible, The Guardian reported.

His deportation would directly lead to the loss of 20 jobs, all held by British citizens, and the closure of a British company worth 1.5 million pounds.

Paul Garlick, a former QC who specialises in extradition and human rights law, and was a parttime judge at the crown court in London reportedly aid: "The decisions of the Home Office are beyond belief and deplorable."

Afzal Khan MP, Shadow minister for immigration, said: "Driven by a misguided net migration target, the Home Office has gone after what they

Travel agency fraudster targetting Muslims booking trips to Mecca British Muslims have lost almost a million pounds to hajrelated frauds in the past five years. Between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2017 there were 17 reports of Hajj related fraud made to Action Fraud, marking a 143% increase on the previous year’s reporting figures. Hotspots for recorded offending were London, the West Midlands and Manchester.

Reports show that victims can lose anything from £1000 to £33,000 and between 2013 and 2017, the crimes had a total reported value of £988,743. The average age of a Hajj fraud victim is 42. The Council of British Hajjis estimates that the number of victims reporting to Action Fraud is as little as 3%.

Each year upto 25,000 British Muslims book trips to Mecca to perform Hajj in the autumn. As Hajj approaches, a number of individuals who have paid for a tour package for themselves and their family discover their dreams have been shattered by fraudsters.

Some could even arrive in Saudi Arabia to find the accommodation they booked does not exist. Others may realise that their whole trip is in fact a scam set up by illegitimate travel operators who have disappeared with thousands of

pounds of their money.

Law enforcement and figures within the Muslim community remain convinced that these numbers represent just the tip of the iceberg, with many victims feeling too embarrassed, ashamed or frightened to report what has happened to them.

Over the coming months, the City of London Police, will be working with Birmingham Trading Standards to carry out visits and checks on relevant travel agents. More work will be done to help educate officers on how to help victims of Hajj fraud and to ensure correct reporting.

Detective Sergeant Kevin Ives, from the City of London Police, said, “Many victims will have saved for years to be able to afford to travel to Saudi Arabia and as a result will be absolutely devastated when they find out that they have in fact been conned by fraudsters.

“Hajj fraud continues to destroy the dreams people have of making a once in a lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca, which is why, together with our industry partners, we are raising awareness of this crime.

“Be sure to conduct your own research into the travel company you are thinking of

using and make sure it is really a member of ABTA by checking online and is ATOL protected and is not just using false logos.

You should also get everything in writing and, if you think you have become a victim, report it to Action Fraud.”

CEO of the Council of British Hajjis, Rashid Mogradia, said, “The City of London Police have supported us in trying to combat this despicable fraud.

We want to see all Pilgrims complete their pilgrimage safely reporting all fraud and scams is hugely important in ensuring that future pilgrims do have their trip of a lifetime destroyed by the criminals.”

Chief Executive of ABTA, Mark Tanzer, said, “Every year fraudsters target pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia, as very large sums of money are at stake. ABTA members selling to the Muslim community have reported to us that fraudsters rely on the fact that some pilgrims may not be aware of the strict regulations governing package travel, or the benefits of booking through companies who belong to a recognised trade body, like ABTA. This kind of fraud is particularly despicable as pilgrims may never again be in position to fulfil this religious duty.”

perceive as easy targets..."

A latest report by The Times has also claimed that a senior Home Office official received a bonus upto £10,000 for removing illegal migrants. This claim was made by Yvette Cooper, Labour's Chairwoman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, during a Common's debate. Caroline Cokes, immigration minister has promised to investigate the claims.

7000 students may have been wrongly deported

Many students are facing deportation over accusations more than 35,000 international students accused of cheating in the Test of English for International Communication who insist that they have been falsely accused, the Financial Times has reported.

Theresa May, the then Home Secretary had suspended Educational Testing Service (ETS) conducting this test after BBC Panorama four years ago uncovered fraud. The test was essential for migrants to meet their visa requirements.

However ETS was confident that 33,000 test candidates had used someone else to take the test and in 22,000 cases the tests were questionable. In an immigration appeal ruling two years ago it was found that in only 80% of cases the computer had indeed been correct, resulting into at least 7000 students then wrongly accused of cheating, their visa revoked and finally deported.

Lawyers representing some claimants have said that there are serious questions about the methods that ETS, the US compa-

ny that administered the test, used to identify cheats. There are also serious questions about file handling at test centres and whether the voice recordings that have been used to accuse students were actually those that they recorded. Yet students lost all their income, rights to rent property and part-time jobs along with their visas.

Wahidur Rahman's visa was revoked over the allegations that he cheated in the English language test for students from non English-speaking countries and applicants for some other types of visas. He told the FT, “I have some relatives that live here. But, if anybody asked me would I suggest to somebody to come to this country as a student, I would definitely say no, because the current environment is really, really difficult.”

35 year old Sheikh Amin from Dhaka was reportedly arrested by immigration officers in Februaury last year and held him for three days at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre near Gatwick Airport before he was released on bail. 30 year old Nafis Karim lost his part-time job after Home Office revokef his student visa in 2015. His wife Irfana lost her job too, and a family with two young boys Ifraj, 4 and Ifham, 8 months, they have no income and face eviction from their flat in June.

Story is also the same with Syed Hussain, 28, who has been homeless since his visa was revoked.

Most of these students spoke excellent English, raising questions abourt why would they need to cheat in an English exam.

Interfaith coding lessons for girls Faiths Forum for London has partnered with social media giant, Twitter, to provide coding workshops for girls of all faiths.

As part of their successful partnership, they will provide four invaluable full-day workshops for 30 girls, aged between 11 to 13 years old, from a variety of faith schools.

The inspirational workshops, which are now in their fourth year, not only inspire young women to pursue a future career in tech, but also introduce the students to those from different faith backgrounds.

Sessions provide the opportunity for the girls to form friendships across communities and ask questions about each other’s faiths, practices and cultures.

At a time when Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and racial hatred is prevalent, the chance for young people to forms these bonds is crucial to stamping out hate, helping build bridges across communities.

The course has been created by female Twitter coding engineers to deliver coding classes, and has so far trained more than 250 students and inspired 80 per cent to pursue a career in IT. Rabbi Natan Levy, Head of Operations at Faiths Forum for London, said: “The partnership between business and faith sec-

tors is a refreshing model of true collaboration.

“While the students learn about the tech, they are also learning about each other’s shared values. It is really wonderful to see the students asking important questions about each other’s communities and gaining an understanding of different faiths. Those who take part find there are more similarities between them than differences.”

One eleven-year-old girl who took part, Shadiya Porter from Ursuline High School, raved about the opportunity and said: “It’s important to work with different people of different backgrounds as you make new friends and learn new things.”

The schools taking part in this year’s workshops include two Jewish schools, Yavneh College and Hasmonean Girls, two Muslim schools, Al-Sadiq and Al-Zahra School and Ayesha Community School and a Catholic school, Ursuline High School.

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Asian Voice | 12th May 2018

TLT defeats applications Faulty property deals puts a dent in couple's dreams

by Mallya in £1.145 billion debt recovery action tions, giving parties British law firm TLT has opportunities to enforce acted for 13 Indian banks in their judgments against successfully defeating two any assets held here. This applications filed by busicase also sets a strong ness mogul Vijay Mallya. precedent for parties to The first application was to secure a worldwide freezset aside the first recorded ing order when enforcing case of a judgment of the judgments against wilful Debt Recovery Tribunal in defaulters.”

India being registered by “In a weakened global the English High Court, economy, non-performing while the second was to loans present a real chaldischarge an associated lenge for lenders, particuworldwide freezing order.

Vijay Mallya larly where customers The registration will allow have assets located around the world. The banks to enforce the Indian judgement, English courts can play a vital role in now worth over £1.145 billion, against his these cases given that London is the assets in England and Wales. Worldwide world's leading financial centre.” freezing order prevents him from removMallya is separately contesting proing any assets from England and the ceedings to extradite him to India where Wales, up to that value, or to in any way he faces criminal charges relating to dispose, deal, or diminish the value of his money laundering. The court has also assets in or outside the jurisdiction, up to considered a number of arguments relatthe same value. ing to the granting of a worldwide freezThe case was led by Paul Gair, partner ing injunction that will affect other cases, in TLT's banking and financial services including the timing of when such an litigation team, along with legal director application can be made. A consortium of Nick Curling, solicitor Jack Hargreaves, 13 banks led by State Bank of India, and and trainee Adam Cooke. Gair said the included Bank of Baroda, Corporation “judgement is a very important decision Bank, the Federal Bank Limited, IDBI not just for our clients, who want to proBank Limited, Indian Overseas Bank, ceed in this jurisdiction with enforcing Jammu & Kashmir Bank Limited, Punjab the judgement they secured against Dr & Sind Bank, Punjab National Bank, State Mallya in India, but also for Indian and Bank of Mysore, UCO Bank, United Bank international banks more generally.” He of India, and JM Financial Asset continued, “In dismissing Dr Mallya's Reconstruction Co. Pvt Ltd. Is currently application, the High Court has demonentangled in a legal battle with Mallya for strated its willingness to recognise judgdebt defunct. ments granted by courts in other jurisdic-

What was supposed to be a dream home of Pratik Patel and wife Vanessa, soon turned into a house of horrors as they began to discover patches of damp and mould in the living room, water seeping in from the roof and flickering lights. Not only that, the handbasin was cracked and the underfloor heating that came at an extra cost of £7,000, failed to work. The Patels paid almost £450,000 for a new house from Redrow, one of Britain's largest builders. The couple moved into the four-bedroom detached property in Pentyrch, near Cardiff in November unaware of the impending issues. After all, wasn't Redrow's pride “attention to detail in the pursuit of excellence”?

Even the real estate giant accepted that “clearly some things were not picked up and need to be improved.” A three-day schedule of corrective works was soon drawn, but the Patels felt their concerned ignored. They paid £540 for an independent survey, which was conducted by firm Building Logistics. The char-

Vanessa and Pratik Patel

tered surveyor found so many problems with the building that he requested an urgent meeting with the company to discuss “structural issues that gave rise to concern.” The calll was ignored by Redrow. The surveyor’s final report in February confirmed “significant and onerous” problems, with not a single lintel or timber beam “free from defect or liability”.

Today, after over five months of moving in, the Patels continue to be in dispute with Redrow over the required works. They contacted Money after not hearing from Redrow since April 15, when Pratik, a business analyst, sent a detailed email to the company outlining the multiple defects to the property. “This is hardly the treatment we expect from a company that emphasises the quality of its buildings.

You expect a newbuild home to be trouble free. That is not our experience at all. To my mind, we have moved into a home that has been rushed in order to meet certain sales targets.”

Not only them, neighbours on the same Redrow estate have also had problems. IT consultant Philip Barry, 34, had damp in his four-bedroom detached home. And eventhough Redrow fixed it, he still had water leaking through his roof. Now, defects residents are highlighting concerns about the quality of new-build homes as construction firms face growing pressure to build more. “There are clearly problems with shoddy workmanship. Whether that is because developers are rushing their work to meet government targets or simply because these companies want to get their cash and then move on to the next site, with little regard for the people buying the properties, is up for debate,” said Paula Higgins, chief executive of the HomeOwners Alliance, a campaign group for those who own newbuild homes.

Holy Month of Ramadan around the corner The holy month of Ramadan is just around the corner, as it will take place from May 15 and end on June 14. Held during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, the month is a time for spiritual reflection, acts of charity, and spending time with loved ones.

But most prominently, it is known for the rigorous fasting Muslims go through. Those observing Ramadan don't eat or drink between sunrise and sunset.

Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, and marks the month the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammed. The other four pillars are faith, prayer, charity, and making pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca.

During the holy month, Muslims forgo food and water, smoking, and sexual activities during day light. This is the period of reflection, patience, selfrestraint, and generosity and is meant to bring Muslims closer to Allah. Fasting is a must for Muslims who reach puberty, generally the ages of 12 to 14. Pregnant , breastfeeding or menstruating women, ill, and the elderly, and those suffering from mental illness are exempt from the fasting.

First comes the Suhur, a pre-fast observed each day in the month before dawn. Then Muslims begin Farjr, the first prayer of the day. During sunset, families get together for the fast-breaking meal, known as Iftar. It is usually a high calorific diet with loads of meat and bread. However, dates are the first food to break the fast as per tradition because Muhammad broke his fast with three dates. After that, Muslims generally adjourn for the Maghrib prayer, the

fourth of the five daily prayers, after which the main meal is served.

Traditional Iftars and community feasts There are mass iftars and community gatherings, where buffet style food is laid.

While the usual beverage of choice is water, drinks like juice, milk, soft drinks are also served.

Iftar in the Middle east consists of water, juices, dates, salads, and appetizers. It also has one or two main dishes and various desserts.

Usual main dishes are lamb stew, lamb kababs, roast chicken, and biryani.

Sweets include Baklava, Kunafeh, and Gulab Jamuns. Today, Iftar has become a major banquet festivals, with not just the Muslim population, but also people of other faiths join community gatherings to indulge. Masjids and banquet halls for over 100 people are held.

Eid al-Fitr The festival of the breaking of the fast, Eid al-Fitr or Eid, marks the end of Ramadan each year. Muslims wish each other by saying “Eid Mubarak” and families and friends gather together to eat and pray together. The festival can last up to three days and also sees people give money to charity.

Ramadan and its £200m economy

Like any other festival in the world, Ramadan has been lately targeted by brands and supermarkets in the UK, subsequently leading to a rise in the expenditure on food and gifts particularly in the month. Similarly to Christmas, supermarket chain like Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, and Morrisons have in the last couple of years, increasingly flaunted products and special offers on popular Ramadan food and other items.

Brands like MAC cosmetics, the Body Shop, and Godiva chocolates have begun special packaging for Eid gifts. Morrisons, this year, is selling a Ramadan countdown calendar aimed at children.

As per a study titled the 'Great British Ramadan', by Islamic marketing consultancy Ogilvy Noor, almost twothirds of Muslims plan financially for the month. Over half are concerned about their concentration during the monthlong fast, and two-thirds worry about dehydration.

Young adults are particularly concerned about their fitness regime, and it is observed that gyms in areas with big Muslim populations adjust opening times to allow exercise between iftar an suhoor. Gift-giving, buying new clothes, eating out and family gatherings are key features of the Eid holiday. Also,

donations are also increased during the month, particularly among 25 to 34 year olds. It was noticed that Muslim charities through website JustGiving website increased by almost 500 per cent over Ramadan last year.

How to fast safely during Ramadan The NHS has a guide for proper fasting and having a balanced diet.

A balanced diet with the right proportion of carbs, fat, and protein is suggested for Ramadan. Dr Razeen Mahroof, consultant from Oxford suggests to approach the fast with discipline, otherwise instead of losing weight and becoming healthier, one can cause some serious weight gain.

Balanced Diet Two meals a day are to be had during Ramadan, the Suhoor and the Iftar. One's food intake should be simple and not too different to that of their normal diet.

Foods from all major food groups should be consumed. Like fruits and vegetables, bread and cereals, meat and fishes, milk, and dairy foods. Consumption of sugary foods and healthier sources of carbohydrates. Foods high in fibre can help keep the bowel healthy, and add bulk to one's meal. Also, avoid caffeine-based drinks as it is a diuretic and stimulates faster water loss through urination.

Cooking methods to avoid - Deep frying - Frying - Excessive use of oil Healthy cooking methods Shallow frying – usually there's little difference in taste.

Grilling or baking is healthier and helps retain the taste and original flavour of the food, especially with chicken and fish

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Asian Voice | 12th May 2018

Walmart plans $2-3bn push to strengthen Flipkart

Global retail giant Walmart reportedly has interest to pump in $2-3 billion as fresh equity into Sachin and Binny Bansal's online store Flipkart.

In a bid to strengthen its hold on the e-commerce company, while buying existing shareholders for majority control, sources said the mega-sized organisation may look at roping in more investors over the next few years, while maintaining that the e-tailor's operations are in sync with its India strategy.

Sources said the Beast of Bentonville has lined up “significant” investments in setting up cold chains, stepping up sourcing for global operations, building a supply chain, setting up modern warehouses and building partnerships with local stores. “There are plans to make significant investments in India in various areas to set up a global scale business,” a source said. Walmart will most likely bring its managerial expertise, although the existing leadership in Flipkart is expected to stay as they “understand the market well”. It is said that the world's largest retailer by revenue has almost completed the process to buy a majority stake of up to 75 per cent in Flipkart. Sources said that Walmart might even partner with Google's parent Alphabet in the deal. The whole process, including getting various approvals, is expected to take more than two months.

N Chandramouli, CEO TRA Research, said, “The Walmart-Flipkart deal will be a disrupter in online retail industry in India. Walmart's partnership and investment in Chinese online store, JD.com is the model that they will probably be replicating in India as well. The Walmart-JD.com partnership

in China has turned the applecart for Amazon in the country and this new partnership has the potential to do the same in India.”

Senior forecast analyst at research and advisory firm Forrester Research, said the investment was a deal Walmart had been looking forward to for more than 20 years to get access to the Indian retail market. He said that Walmart was not investing in the current performance of Flipkart but was looking at the future addressable market that India would provide in the next 15 years. “If I am Amazon and if I have to defend my second biggest market which is India then I have to buy Flipkart, it makes absolute sense.

There is so much headroom for the online retail to grow in India that the valuation of Flipkart would appear small after some time,” said Hemchandra Javeri, co-founder, Forum Synergies India PE Fund Managers. Ajit Singh of Artiman Ventures said, “Here, the rising boats like Walmart and Amazon are lifting the tide in India.”

Walmart India owns and operates

21 stores under the cash-and-carry system in nine states across the country. It also has a global sourcing centre in Bengaluru and a technology centre that employs 1,200 engineers. Sources said both Walmart and Flipkart will be run as separate entities and the former will use its experience in sourcing and working with farmers and kirana stores to strengthen its online presence.

Sachin Bansal to sell entire 5.5% to Walmart Sachin Bansal, Flipkart's executive chairman and co-founder, will sell his entire 5.5% stake in the company to Walmart, as he departs from the internet firm, people close to the development said. Sachin is set to step down from the Flipkart board as Walmart prepares to invest in the homegrown web retailer, sources said. People close to the development said Sachin was “not aligned with the strategy and operating structure that was being proposed post Walmart coming on board.” When contacted, Sachin, did not comment on the reasons for him leaving Flipkart.

Over 23,000 bank frauds worth £10 bn reported in 5 years: RBI Over 23,000 cases of fraud involving a whopping £10 billion have been reported in the past five years in various banks, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). A total of 5,152 cases of fraud, up from over 5,000 cases in 2016-17, were reported in banks from April 2017, to March 1, 2018, it said in reply to an RTI query.

The highest ever amount of £2.85 billion is said to have been involved in these cases of fraud reported from April 2017, to March 1, 2018, the central bank said. In 2016-17, banks had reported 5,076 cases of fraud involving £2.39 billion. From 2013 to March 1, 2018, as many as 23,866 cases of fraud, of Rs 1,00,000 or above in each case, were reported. A total of £10.07 billion was involved in all the cases put together, according to the reply.

Giving the break-up, the RBI said 4,693 such cases (involving £1.87 billion) and 4,639 cases (involving £1.94 billion) were reported in 2015-16 and 2014-15 respectively. In 2013-14, banks reported 4,306 cases of fraud, involving £1.01 billion, the central bank said. "The reported fraud cases are processed and action is taken according to the facts and circumstances of individual cases," the RBI said.

The data assumes significance as central investigating agencies such as the CBI and the ED are looking into various big-ticket fraud cases in banks involving industrialists and others. Among the prominent ones is the over £1.30 billion fraud in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) allegedly committed by diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi,

the promoter of Gitanjali Gems.

The CBI had recently also booked top officials of two public sector banks, a former CMD of the IDBI Bank, former Aircel promoter C Sivasankaran, his son and companies controlled by him in connection with a £60 million loan fraud in the IDBI. The CBI has named 15 bank officials who worked at senior levels at the IDBI in 2010 and 2014 when loans were sanctioned to the companies controlled by Sivasankaran in its FIR registered on a complaint from the Central Vigilance Commission.

Managing Director and CEO of Indian Bank Kishor Kharat (who was then MD and CEO of IDBI Bank) and his counterpart in Syndicate Bank Melwyn Rego (then Deputy Managing Director in IDBI Bank), along with then Chairmancum- Managing Director of IDBI Bank M S Raghavan, have been named in the latest FIR filed by the CBI. According to government data, the gross non-performing assets (NPAs) of all banks in the country, amounting to £84.09 billion in December 2017, were led by industry loans followed by those in the services and agriculture sectors. The highest amount of gross NPAs was for the country's largest lender, the State Bank of India, at £20.15 billion. Among the others, the NPA for PNB stood at £ 5.52 billion and for IDBI Bank, £4.45 billion. Bank of India had NPAs worth £4.34 billion; Bank of Baroda, £4.16 billion; Union Bank of India, £3.80 billion; Canara Bank, £3.77 billion and ICICI Bank, £3.38 billion, according to data presented by Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla in the Lok Sabha on March 9.

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Auto cos start FY19 on strong note

Car makers have kicked-off the new fiscal on a strong note, despite higher fuel prices and chances of a spike in interest rates looming in the near future. Top makers like Maruti, Mahindra, and Tata Motors opened the fiscal 2018-19 with double-digit growth in April as new models and attractive schemes helped sales. After launching its new-gen version of its hatchback Swift, Maruti sold a total of 1,60,000 units in April, a growth of 13 per cent over the 1,40,000 units sold in the same month last year.

Company chairman RC Bhargava said that Maruti, which will invest £500 million over the next 12 months, expects to grow by double-digit this fiscal after realising a 14 per cent growth last year. Tata Motors, which has seen a turnaround after encouraging numbers for the Tiago hatchback and the Nexon mini SUV, reported a 34 per cent growth in April volumes at 17,235 units against 12,827 units in the

same month last year.

Mayank Pareek, president of Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, said, “While there were challenges in the market, strong demand for new products led the growth for us.” Mahindra and Mahindra, which launched a new version of its XUV500 SUV, said numbers are higher by 13 per cent at 21,927 units.

Companies, however, are worried about the impact of higher fuel prices and possible inflationary trends emanating from it.

“Increasing inflation trajectory which might weigh on customer’s access and cost to credit, coupled with increasing crude prices, could lead to passenger vehicle industry growing at low single digits,” Anurag Mehrotra, president and MD of Ford India, said.

Honda cars saw a 37 per cent decline in volumes, because the company did not deliver the older-generation Amaze to dealerships.

A company official said the new Amaze is hitting the roads soon.

Qatar Air to apply soon to start airline in India

Qatar Airways (QA) is planning to apply soon for starting an airline in India.

While the proposed airline will be fully-owned by Qatar entities, it will have an Indian chairman and majority of board members will also be from India. QA has also stated it is not bidding for Air India.

In his first interaction with the Indian media since last March when he announced the plan to set up an airline in India, QA Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said: “Our lawyers have started working on our application. We will soon get some clarification from government authorities in India to give us the exact direction on how we can start the process (and) formally apply for the (licence) sometime soon.”

Qatar will not have an Indian partner in this proposed airline. “Indian foreign direct investment rules clearly state that a foreign entity can own 100% of a domestic carrier and we are going by that rule. However, it will be a carrier in India that will be managed by Indians. The

entire board, minus one or two people, will be all Indians including the chairman,” Al Baker said.

The government had in June 2016 allowed 100% foreign-owned carrier in India. While the foreign air-

Akbar Al Baker

line can have up to 49% stake, foreign investment arm/s can own the remaining 51%. “If an (Indian) airline has more than 20 aircraft, it can operate outside India (as per Indian rules).

However, the airline that we are launching will operate within India even beyond 20 aircraft,” Akbar Al Baker said.

India currently has three full service carriers (FSC) - Air India (AI), Jet and Vistara.

REAL ESTATE VOICE

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CUTTING THE DEAL AsianVoiceNews

Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap London Property Investment

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

This week we are looking to close a flat in Notting Hill. The property is run down; it seems as if it was rented, and allowed to degenerate. Perhaps this says something about the landlord, it could be inferred the owner is strapped for cash and unable to spend even a moderate amount to keep the property in good shape.

using our management service, recently got his Wembley property back in a dilapidated state. It was hard to imagine how a property could get like this whilst people were living in it. The property requires about £15k to £20k work. A deposit of one month had been taken, however, that would hardly make a dent in the works required.

This reflects on the amount of rent you can attract, and perhaps more importantly, the quality of tenant you will get in your property. This in turn has a bearing on how they will treat the property. That’s not to say you keep this standard for every property. If you give out peanuts you get monkeys.

If monkeys are what you want to attract, there’s no issue in giving out the peanuts in the first place.

This is a common problem in places like Harrow and Wembley, as houses are often rented supposedly by one party and then sublet on a room by room basis. At times, with as many as four people in a room, effectively using it as a slum hotel. The property then comes back in an incredibly poor state.

It may have actually been more profitable to have kept the property empty for the year. In effect, what is happening is the party renting the property

One landlord, who was not

AGONY AGENT IS HERE TO HELP! This week, rather than replying to a question, I thought I would write about a situation that occurred recently. Last month, we had a leak from one of our landlords’ apartments into the apartment below. Now, the leak was stopped and repaired within 24 hours, however, there was damage done to the apartment below. In such a scenario, we/landlord would make a claim on the contents insurance and all would be well.

This owner, however, does not have this in place!

This will make it a long and lengthy battle with

the owners of the apartment below, and their insurance company, and will be very costly for our landlord who will have to fund the repairs.

This is not a unique case, but a very common one.

We all have to cover a car, pet, home or holiday but choosing insurance can be a tricky minefield involving endless small print and differences between what policies do and do not cover. For landlords, the right home insurance cover is vital, but it is easy to get it wrong and doing so can be costly.

BUY TO LET OPPORTUNITY

Bayswater, London W2 Purchase Price: £575,000

Specialists in Central London Property Sourcing

Let me tell you another story of a landlord who rented out their home to tenants while they were overseas. They returned to find their house, and all its contents, completely trashed. The tenants had stripped the property of the furniture and other fittings and there was extensive water damage to the walls, ceilings and floors, caused by extremely high heat and humidity levels; indicating the tenants had likely been growing cannabis in the house.

Now, if this was not bad enough the couple

Asian Voice |

19

12th May 2018

is taking money from the landlord’s pocket, and putting it in his own.

Several quotes were taken for the property.

Dismayed at the amount it was going to cost, the landlord attempted to rent the property as it is… Lo and behold, he got two offers; one for £1,700 and one for £2,000. This time there was no concern regarding the condition the property will be given back in, as it could not be much worse than what was given out.

However, the property in question, in Notting hill; is not of this calibre. It should have been decorated to a certain standard, even £20k spent effectively, and well, would have delivered the desired result. The property is worth close to £1m.

It seems this vendor is strapped for cash, this is mistakenly thought their home insurance policy – which was sold to them as suitable for a tenanted property - would cover them for the £100,000 worth of damage incurred.

But, when they tried to claim their insurer refused to pay out, pointing to small print in the policy stating that it did not include cover for malicious damage or theft caused by people lawfully in the home. The cover was for theft and damage following a break in.

Although it may seem common sense to assume that an insurance policy for a rented property will provide cover for damage

the vibe you get from the property. He has just had a sale fall through, and is anxious to get the deal done with someone else as soon as possible.

There are a number of angles to this deal. The overriding one is not actually to do with price.

If the deal can be acquired under-priced, all well and good. But I see development potential with this property. It has the potential for at least one if not two extra floors.

This is the driving force of caused by tenants, when it comes to insurance one should never assume anything. Every detail should be checked so you have a thorough understanding of exactly what you are and are not covered for. Sadly these landlords will have to pay the price for having the wrong or no insurance. Too many landlords inadequately insure their property, some mistakenly believing that a standard home insurance policy will cover them.

Like everything in life, it is always best to be over

the deal.

Also, much comes down to not just the price, but also to the structure. What I mean is, it is not only the price which can be played with, but the timing between the exchange and the completion.

This is a deal, which in a stronger market would be long gone. The deal has discount as well as development potential. It can be closed at circa £900k. Get in touch now, if you are interested.

protected than under. At Sow & Reap we can tailor a service to your needs.

Please get in touch if you would like any help.

Richard Bond Lettings Manager Sow & Reap

l Stunning top floor apartment with a breath taking view of the London skyline l Comprising of a large reception room, three bedrooms, one bathroom, and a fitted kitchen l Approximately 800 sq. ft. l Featuring a communal garden and a lift l Minutes away from Paddington Recreation Ground l Expected resale value is £750,000 Call us now for more information!

0207 993 0103

info@sowandreap.co.uk www.sowandreap.co.uk 27 Gloucester Place, London, W1U 8HU SowandReapProperties

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Turning land into cash Get in touch about our land opportunities

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Asian Voice | 12th May 2018

Consultant Editor Financial Voice Alpesh Patel Dear Financial Voice Reader, I often get people asking me how to become a hedge fund manager and managing other people’s money.

When I wrote my first book, there was a very good reason I called it ‘The Mind of a Trader’. Every one of the 10 leading traders I interviewed for the book told me that psychology was key to success.

Bill Lipschutz was Global Head of Currency Trading at Salomon Brothers at the end of the 1980s. If ever there was a right time and a right place for a trader, that was it - then and there.

I interviewed Bill Lipschutz twice, on both occasions in London. The first interview was conducted by the side of the open air roof swimming pool of the Berkeley Hotel, overlooking Green Park and Knightsbridge. The second interview took place in Surrey at the home of Mark Slater, one time Head Currency Trader at Salomon Brothers’ in London.

It is often not realized that the source of trading funds can affect one’s trading style and performance.

As Bill Lipschutz explains, this fact is something even the most experienced traders do not appreciate until they experience it.

“I was unaware that there were these differences.

Seven years ago, I had a naive view that you get the money from here, or from Salomon Brothers’ proprietary capital, whether it is ten high net worth individuals or a fund of funds I felt it was all the same; let me see how much I can extract from the market. The big issue in leaving a major firm is that I did not foresee that that is something that is learnt, that it is a series of experiences. It’s all very well for me to sit here and attempt to articulate it, but it is something you have to experience.”

“At Rowayton, we had three different products, if you will. As a side, my experience is that managing people’s money and trading for a company, while on the surface one might think they are the same, and I certainly did at one time, they are so vastly different, particularly the motivations. It is not simply a questions of saying, ‘oh, I have some capital. It doesn’t matter what the source is. I will go out and I do my best and at the end of the day try to make some money.’ It is not like that. There are many, many different strengths that come from being a corporate entity. Whereas dealing for high net worth individuals, you do live and die by your monthly numbers. It is much, much different from being a money manager.”

“The whole money-management game is a difficult game. It has not only to do with how well you perform, but what kinds of results people are looking for in their portfolios. Absolute performance is a real misleading thing. I can say to you, ‘we were up 600 percent’ over five years in our most aggressive program, and you might say, ‘wow 600 percent’. But that does not necessarily mean that much in and of itself, without knowing how well other currency-only managers performed. For example, say a guy is managing $200 million, and $120 million of it is a fund that he runs with a very specific mandate. If he made 600 percent over four years in that particular fund, he may have people pulling money out from that particular fund, because they are nervous, because that really was not the kind of variance they were looking for. So, it is very complicated.”

“Look at the very different approach of George Soros, when he used to trade, and Peter Lynch. Soros is out there on the margin, trying to make a lot of money.

Peter Lynch in managing the Magellan Fund, was about the preservation of capital. He was in a big bull market, he was a big stock-picker, he made a lot of money, but believe me, if the Magellan Fund is ever starting to be down at all you would have massive redemptions and you would ultimately have no fund. So the people with George Soros understand they may be down 20-30 percent in that part of their portfolio. I mean I don’t think you have any people whose whole investment portfolio is in the Quantum Fund, they are going to be diversified. The motivation of the investors is very different.

Of course, part of that is that George Soros’s style is different to that of Peter Lynch, but that is due to the algebra of the source of money.”

Alpesh B Patel For a free online trading course visit www.alpeshpatel.com/apprentice

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

India to become fastest growing economy in coming decade: Harvard study India has topped the list of the fastest growing economies in the world for the coming decade, and will grow at 7.9 per cent annually, ahead of China and the US, as per a Harvard University report. The Centre for International Development at Harvard University (CID) said in new groth projections that countries that have diversified their economies into more complex sectors, like India and Vietnam, are those that will grow the fastest in the coming decade. The report said, “India tops the list as the fastest growing country for the coming decade, at 7.9 per cent annually, in the economic complexity growth projections. India has made inroads in diversifying its export base to include more complex sectors, such as chemicals, vehicles, and certain electronics.”

The report said that India's productive capabilities far exceed expectations for its current income level, which contributes to the projection of

rapid growth for the coming decade.

The team also find India ranks the best on the criteria termed the Complexity Opportunity Index (COI), which measures the ease of deploying existing knowhow to enter new complex products. “India's existing capabilities have not only diversified its exports, but also allow for easy redeployment into related products that depend on those capabilities, making further diversification relatively easy,” it said. China is projected to grow at 4.9 per cent annually to 2026, the US at 3 per cent and France 3.5 per cent.

The high-ranking means India has several “unrealised opportunities” to diversify into related, high-value sectors to continue to drive productivity growth and job creation. The report added, “Up to now, that potential remains unrealise, however, as India's complexity has not changed over the past decade. The rapid growth that is predicted is effectively capitalising on previous gains in complexity.” It stressed that ensuring the long-run potential of India's economic growth will rely on realising diversification into related products. Another challenge would be to ensure the inclusive nature of this productive transformation, as the gains made in new chemical, vehicle and electronics exports are highly concentrated in specific localities of the subcontinent.

“Whether that knowhow can be disseminated into new areas of India will in part determine whether rapid growth can be sustained in the longterm,” the report said.

Bill Gates hails India's expertise in public health tion and sanitation where India still is... Has a lot to do that could improve childhood health and survival pretty dramatically.”

He said he loves going to India.

“Because there's so many smart people. It's a vibrant democracy, many voices. There are people like (Andhra Pradesh) Chief Minister (Chandrababu) Naidu that I've known for a long time.

And, of course he was in power and out of power.

But even my Microsoft work gave me a lot of exposure to the deep talent in the country and the incredible potential it has.” Gates further said that globally, including India, the health sector has produced excellent results. For instance, childhood deaths, has

dropped to 5.5 million now from 11 million a year in 1990. There's many reasons for that, but the biggest single reason is the delivery of new vaccines, including a rotavirus vaccine and a pneumococcus vaccine that deal with the majority of the cases of diarrhoea and pneumonia.

“Also, in areas where there's malaria, getting out the bed nets and the spraying has made a big difference. So we've cut childhood death in half.” Gates also said, “We have to say the Indian government really did push for rotavirus vaccine to get out, which is a big thing.

It's in the process of getting pneumococcus approved, which over time a lot of those will come from domestic manufacturers like Serum.”

Buyer of AI to get slots, flexibility

ICICI Bank Q4 net profit at 2-year low

One of the richest men walking on earth, Bill Gates, was all praise for India and its expertise in public health recently. He called it a “mixed story”, adding that even though it has made progress in almost every area of public health, there is still a long way to go in some areas related to child health.

“Well, public health, you know, India has a definitely a mixed story where there are some really good, incredible things like the level of expertise in the country and the experts we work with.”

Head of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates today, is engaged in major philanthropic work across the globe. He noted that the Gates Foundation Scientific Advisory Board

Bill Gates

has more people from India than anywhere.

“They are super helpful to us. More vaccines are made there than anywhere,” he said. Gates said his foundation spends the most in India. “And almost everything is improved. I can't think of anything that's gotten worse. But there are things like nutri-

The Indian government has said the buyer of 76 per cent government holding in Air India will enjoy benefits of bilateral rights and slots at all airports that the national carrier currently enjoys, while extending the deadline for submission of expression of interest (EoI) by a fortnight to May 31.

Responding to 160 queries raised by potential buyers, the government clarified that individuals will not be eligible to bid but indicated that bidders may be given flexibility to change consortium partners until the submission of financial bids.

It promised complete freedom in managing the airline, adding that code share arrangements can also be reworked. The statement also made it clear that the government will only be present as a minority shareholder, given that 24 per cent stake does not give it veto powers. Several interested players and a large section in the government, are keen that the Centre has only a limited role in operations of the company. The government, however, said it won't provide guarantee to AI after disinvestment. The debt-laden airline has

managed to access cheaper funding, and also finance aircraft acquisition, based on a sovereign guarantee.

Bidders are currently barred from selling AI shares or ceding management control for a stipulated period. The “lock in” restriction does not rule our fresh issue of capital. In-depth terms for fundraising will be provided in subsequent phase, clarifications released in the nature of questions and answers said.

Asked about the extension of deadline, the sources said there were several holidays since the document was first released in March-end, both in India and abroad, and the extension was based on request from “interested parties”.

ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar sprang a surprise following the bank’s board meeting on Monday. She announced a fourth quarter net profit of £102 million 50 per cent lower than last year and the lowest in two years - but in line with market expectations. Her ‘2020’ strategy for the bank surprised many as her term expires in March 2019 and she continues to be dogged by a controversy over loans to defaulting borrower Videocon, which had a business relationship with her husband. Though she ducked questions about Videocon, her elaborate plans appear to be designed to quell speculation about her tenure.

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BANGLADESH

Imran Khan warms up to army; his political fortunes rise L A H O R E: Imran Khan, the cricketer-turnedpolitician, made a spirited claim to lead the next government when he addressed his supporters in Lahore recently. Khan is the main challenger to the political party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted last year by the Supreme Court after a corruption inquiry.

Sharif was barred from holding public office, and he faces a verdict next month on corruption charges.

With Sharif looking at possible jail time, and several leaders of his party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, ensnared in corruption investigations, Khan says his time has come. He presents himself as an alternative to what he calls a corrupt political elite, and says he will work to improve education, health and the environment.

His prospects have brightened in light of his warming ties with the military, which controls the main levers of power in Pakistan and has dominated foreign and

Imran Khan

security policies for decades.

Sharif's efforts to assert civilian control over the military during his last term failed, turning him into an intensely hated figure among the military establishment. Khan, on the other hand, has no qualms about working with the military. "I think a democratic government rules from moral authority," Khan said in an interview. "And if you don't have moral authority, then those who have the physical authority assert themselves. In my opinion, it is the Pakistan army and not an enemy army. I will carry the army with me." In recent months, the army

chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, has increased his clout, while dissenting voices in the country have come under greater pressure and restrictions on the media have increased.

Hasan Askari Rizvi, an analyst, said Khan's political stock has risen as his relationship with the military has become closer.

"Imran has realized that if you want to run Pakistan, you have to work with the military because of the internal and external challenges," Rizvi said. "By fighting with the military, you cannot run the state. I hear all this stuff about how the army is influential in Pakistan.

The army depends on one man. Whoever is the army chief, the army policy goes the way of the army chief," Khan said in the interview. Khan then praised Bajwa. "It's the first time that I am seeing an army chief saying time and again that 'I will ensure free and fair elections,' which is the one thing that we want. That's all I want. This is music to our ears."

Pak interior minister shot at Narowal and later shifted to a ISLAMABAD: In an incident hospital in Lahore. Tallal that heighten political tension Chaudhary, state interior minahead of the general election ister, said the attacker has expected in July, Pakistan’s been shifted to an unknown interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, location, where he is being 59, was wounded in an apparinterrogated. Malik Ahmed ent assassination attempt. He Khan, a spokesman for the was hit by a bullet in his right Punjab government, said that shoulder in the attack during a the attacker was about to fire a Pakistan Muslim League second shot, when police and Nawaz (PML-N) election rally people overpowered him. The in Narowal district, his conattack comes a few weeks after stituency in central Punjab Ahsan Iqbal a member of a religious organprovince. isation hurled a shoe at Iqbal when he was The suspect, who police said was named addressing a workers’ convention in the disAbid Hussain, shot at Iqbal at close range trict. with a 30-bore pistol, as he was leaving the The attack on the minister drew strong rally. “The only bullet fired by the accused hit political reactions, with Punjab chief minisIqbal’s right shoulder. The attacker was ter Shahbaz Sharif describing the incident as arrested and a 30-bore pistol was recovered an “assassination attempt” and seeking from him. He fired at the minister from a disreport from the inspector general at the eartance of 10-20 yards,” said district police liest. PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi condemned officer Imran Kishwar, adding that Hussain, the attack and called for an immediate who is in his early 20s, is suspected to be a report into the incident from top police offimember of a militant outfit. cials of Punjab province.

Iqbal was admitted to a hospital in

Pak sets record for hottest April day ISLAMABAD: Nawabshah, a city of 1.1 million people in the southern part of Pakistan, recorded a temperature of 50.2 Celsius. Meteorologists say it is the highest temperature ever reliably recorded, anywhere in the world, in April.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) keeps global temperature records, but not by month, which means Nawabshah cannot be officially confirmed as the hottest April day.

But experts on extreme temperatures say it probably is. Christopher C Burt, the author of ‘Extreme Weather: A Guide and Record Book’ and a contributor to Weather Underground, said 50.2 degrees Celsius appeared to be the hottest reli-

21

Asian Voice | 12th May 2018

ably measured April temperature “in modern records for any location on Earth.”

Only one reading might challenge it: the 51 degrees Celsius temperature that was recorded in Santa Rosa, Mexico, in April 2011. But Burt said the measurement could be “questionable because the site was a regional observation site and not of first order.” A large area of high pressure over the Indian Ocean, known as a heat dome, is to blame for this situation.

Intense, life-threatening heatwaves have become more frequent as the climate has warmed, and Asia has been especially hard-hit.

Bangladesh wants India as an ‘observer nation’ in OIC D H A KA: Bangladesh has proposed restructuring of the charter of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) to pave way for inclusion of non-Muslim countries like India as an "observer state".

The OIC is a 57-member grouping of Muslim majority nations. "A number of countries have large number of Muslims as their citizens . . . There is a need to build bridges with those non-OIC countries," Bangladesh's foreign minister Mahmud Ali said as his counterparts in the group joined in their annual council called Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Dhaka.

He said the induction was needed so that a large number of Muslim population "do not remain untouched by the good work of OIC and that is why, reforms and

re-structuring is critical for OIC".

The Muslims may be minority in those countries, but in terms of number they often exceed the total population of many OIC member countries, Ali told the CFM after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened the meet last week.

Officials and analysts said the proposal was meant mainly for India where Islam is the second largest religion with Muslims constituting some 10 per cent of the global adherents of the faith. Several OIC states countries and the secretary general of the grouping appreciated the proposal but experts said it could see opposition from Pakistan which had earlier opposed India's induction. India, however, has fairly robust relations with most OIC member states.

Dhaka begins process to extradite ex-PM Zia's son from UK DHAKA: Bangladesh has initiated a "vigorous process" with the UK government to extradite Tarique Rahman, the "fugitive" son of imprisoned former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who has sought political asylum in Britain. Rahman, 50, who had been jailed during the militarybacked interim government, was allowed to visit London for medical treatment following a Supreme Court order in 2007. He

Tarique Rahman

has been living in London since then.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Zia, last month said that Rahman "temporarily" sought political asylum in the UK, triggering a political uproar in the country. Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said that the government has initiated a "vigorous process" to bring back Rahman from London.

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Kenyatta calls for ‘forgiveness’ UNP will form its

N A I RO B I: Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has called for forgiveness and reconciliation during his state of the nation address. "If there was anything I said last year that hurt or wounded you, if I damaged the unity of this country in any way, I ask you to forgive me, and to join me in repairing that harm," Kenyatta said.

Kenyatta was criticized for calling the judges "thugs" after the Supreme Court annulled his election win in August 2017. He won a re-run, which was boycotted by his main rival Raila Odinga. Kenyatta called Odinga "a mad man." "I pray that all of us will spend the days and weeks after this address repairing the bonds that frayed last year," he said during the address.

"Let us apologize for our words, and for the anger and malice that Kenyans heard." The

Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta

President won an heated election re-run last October, which Odinga had boycotted. Around 150 people were killed in election-related violence, with police accused of using excessive force to quell opposition-organised protests. Odinga and Kenyatta shook hands in March to promote reconciliation.

Kenyatta vows to crush al-Shabaab terrorists Meanwhile, Kenyatta mourned the death of nine Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers and

vowed to crash the alShabaab terrorists.

Kenyatta described the KDF soldiers as true patriots who paid the ultimate price with their lives while protecting the country from the dangerous militia. The soldiers were killed on May 6, after their vehicle was blown off by an Improved Explosive Devices (IED) planted on a road in Dhobley town between the KenyanSomali border. After blowing off the vehicle, alShabaab fighters ambushed the soldiers

Teachers flee, schools close following al-Shabab attacks

NAIROBI: At least 224 primary schools and 42 secondary schools in Wajir County, a border area in Kenya with Somalia, can no longer function after nonlocal teachers fled the area.

The exodus was caused by the al-Shabab attack on a primary school in which two non-Muslim teachers were killed. Kenya's Teachers Service Commission transferred 329 teachers elsewhere for their safety. Many others left on their own. In all, 917 non-Muslim primary school teachers have left the

region. Analysts say the extremist group threatens education in a region that until recently was the most marginalized in Kenya and has been described as a hotbed for recruitment for extremist groups, which oppose Western education.

Children out of school become easy targets.

For al-Shabab the closure of schools will be seen as "a success," said Abdullahi Boru Halakhe, an expert in countering violent extremism. "Schools and education is one of the antidotes

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against the narratives of the (extremist) group. Thus, if you close the school, how else can you build a counternarrative?" he asked.

Al-Shabab has carried out a wave of attacks in Kenya since 2011, calling it retribution for Kenya sending troops to Somalia to fight the extremists. Attacks include the April 2015 raid on Garissa University that left 147 people dead.

Teachers near the Somali border have been targeted, including in a November 2014 attack on a bus in neighboring Mandera County. Some 120 nonMuslim teachers have left their posts in Mandera County due to the latest insecurity. The teachers have been sleeping in the Kenya National Union of Teachers boardroom for nearly two months and spend their days camped out at the offices of their employer, the Teachers Service Commission.

with heavy artillery fire at Sheftuk between Dagalema and Dhobley areas. The attack came hot on the heels of a warning by the American government of an impending terror attack on highly populated areas.

“The mission for which they gave everything will continue until the evil terrorists of alShabaab are defeated, and the people of Somalia are safe once more. We owe victory to the fallen. You may be sure we will win, for we have right and might on our side,” Kenyatta said.

The country has been relatively calm with few terror attacks reported as the country’s security agencies sustain war on criminal elements within and beyond the borders.

KDF has been in Somalia for many years in an operation meant to wipe out al-Shabaab terrorists and their sympathisers.

Kenya set to launch homemade satellite NAIROBI: Kenya is set to embark on space exploration with its first ever home-made satellite dubbed Nano Satellite. The satellite, which was developed by the University of Nairobi (UoN) in collaboration with Spienza University in Italy and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is expected to be launched on May 11, in Japan.

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed will lead a delegation of state officials to Japan to witness the historic event.

Confirming the scheduled deployment of Nano Satellite, University of Nairobi Vice Chancellor Peter Mbithi said the 10 cm by 10 cm cube satellite will be used in gathering data on weather forecast, climate change, coastline monitoring, wildlife and earth mapping and even transport and logistics.

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own govt in 2020: Wickremesinghe

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the United National Party (UNP) would form its own government in 2020. “We will form a UNP government in 2020. This is the objective behind the party’s recent reorganization. I am not looking at a government which will last only for five years but one that will last for 20 to 25 years. However, I will not be able to do it alone.

Others in the party should come forward to fulfil this task,” he said at the UNP’s May Day rally held at the Sugathadasa Stadium.

“Former president J.R. Jayawardene created a second level leadership in the 1970s and in the 80s. I have also done the same.

Therefore, new leaders will emerge from the UNP in the years to come and the party will be able to name successors.”

The Prime Minister asked the members to set up mini Sirikotha offices in the constituencies and pledged to expand Samurdhi. He said UNPers who had been subjected to political victimization will be taken care of as well employment would be provided to the youth in the government and the private sector.

The premier apologised to the party supporters who were unable to enter the indoor stadium because of the lack of space. Deputy leader Sajith Premadasa stressed the need for an urgent welfare package and suggested providing fertilizer free of charge, free school uniforms and shoes to school children and absorbing UNPers to the public service.

Ranil Wickremesinghe

“It is a do or die situation which the party is facing now,” he said and added that the party’s next presidential candidate should be named at Galle Face Green. “My father, the former president Ranasinghe Premadasa was named as the presidential candidate at the Sugathadasa Stadium in 1988 where we are holding our May Day rally today.

However, I suggest that we should name our next presidential candidate at the Galle Face Green."

Premadasa said the UNP’s next presidential candidate would campaign with the report on the progress of the 2,500 village reawakening programme in his hands. “I am willing to accept any unanimous decision taken by the party and go along with my late father’s policies," he said.

UNP assistant leader Ravi Karunanayake, MPs Hirunika Premachandra, Ranjan Ramanayake and Ranjith Aluvihare were conspicuous absentees at the rally while a notable feature was the presence of Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe and Joseph Michael Perera who protested against Karunanayake's appointment at the recent working committee meeting.

Lanka president opens parliament session COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has opened the second session of the eighth parliament on Tuesday. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the President arrived at the parliament for the ceremony. The President was earlier received at the main steps of the Parliament building by the Speaker and the SecretaryGeneral of Parliament.

This was followed by the Breaking of the Presidential Standard, a guard of honour, the singing of the national

anthem and a 21 gun salute. The President then proceeded to the Parliament building accompanied by the Speaker and SecretaryGeneral and escorted by the serjeant-at-arms.

After the ringing of the Quorum Bell, all members of parliament took their seats in the chambers of the parliament.

The Secretary-General of Parliament read out the proclamations issued by the President proroguing the house and summoning the meeting. President Sirisena then addressed the Parliament.

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Life term for US man who killed Indian techie WASHINGTON: A US Navy veteran who killed Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in a racially motivated hate crime at a bar in Kansas City last year has been sentenced to life in prison. In March this year, Adam Purinton, 52, had pleaded guilty to the charges of murdering Kuchibhotla.

He was charged with first-degree murder of Kuchibhotla, 32, and two counts of attempted firstdegree murder in the shootings of his friend, Alok Madasani, and a bystander, who chased Purinton after he fled the Austin's Bar and Grill in Olathe city on February 22 last year.

Purinton, yelled, "Get out of my country," before

Adam Purinton and Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla

shooting Kuchibhotla, who later died from injuries sustained in the attack. A federal judge in Kansas sentenced Purinton to life in prison for the firstdegree murder of Kuchibhotla and 165 months imprisonment for each of the other two murder charges.

Kuchibhotla's wife

Dumala in a statement said, "Today's sentencing in the murder of my husband will not bring back my Srinu, but it sends a strong message that hate is never acceptable. I want to thank the District Attorney's office and the Olathe police for their efforts to bring this man to justice," she said.

Indian American student in trouble for forging documents

of recommendation from a CALIFORNIA: An Indian high school teacher.

American student has been Chandra was admitted to sentenced to five years' proCornell in the fall of 2010. bation as she forged docuIn 2013, while still ments to get admission and enrolled at Cornell, financial aid in medicine in Chandra began the process three elite US universities. of applying for medical According to a statement, school through the Cavya Chandra, 26, of American Medical College Carmel, Indiana, admitted Application Service. As that she obtained admission part of her medical school to, and attended, three uniapplication, Chandra subversities - Carnegie Mellon Cavya Chandra mitted forged transcripts University in Pittsburgh; from Carnegie Mellon and from Cornell, Cornell University in Ithaca and Indiana according to the Justice Department.

University, Indianapolis - by forging variHer elaborate forgery began to unravel ous documents. Chandra also pleaded as AMCAS reported to Cornell that it susguilty to forging financial aid documents at pected Chandra had submitted a frauduCornell University. lent transcript, and Cornell launched an She was ordered to pay $70,000 in restiinternal investigation, during which it tution to Cornell as prosecutors stated she uncovered Chandra’s previous admissions received more than $130,000 while at fraud. When confronted, Chandra admitted Cornell. According to the Justice that she had falsified information in her Department, in 2008 as Chandra was transfer application, and Cornell expelled denied admission to the freshman class at Chandra in November 2013.

Cornell University; she then applied to Following her expulsion from Cornell, Carnegie Mellon University, submitting a Chandra applied for admission as a transfer forged letter of recommendation from a student to Indiana University, again subhigh school teacher. CMU accepted her into mitting forged copies of her Carnegie the class of 2009.

Mellon and Cornell transcripts. Purdue During her second semester at CMU, admitted Chandra as a transfer student and Chandra tried again to get into Cornell by gave her credit for a number of classes that submitting a forged transcript showing she she did not actually take or pass at Cornell. had a 4.0 GPA during her first semester at The university conferred a bachelor’s CMU. She also submitted a forged high degree on Chandra in 2015, but rescinded it school transcript to Cornell, with a much after her fraud was exposed. higher GPA, as well as another forged letter

Trump hails Kalpana Chawla as American hero WA S H I N G TO N: US President Donald Trump has hailed Indian-origin Kalpana Chawla as an American hero for devoting her life to the space programme and inspiring millions of girls to become astronauts.

Trump’s remarks came on April 30 as he issued a proclamation declaring May as ‘Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month’. The US Congress has also designated the month of May each year as “Asian/Pacific American

Kalpana Chawla

Heritage Month.”

Chawla was the first woman of Indian-origin in space. She was one of the

23

seven crew members who died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003 when the craft disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

“Indian American Kalpana Chawla was the first woman of Indian descent to fly in space, and became an American hero for her devotion to the Space Shuttle programme and its various missions transporting cargo and crew to and from the International Space Station,” Trump said.

US-based Khalistani body threatens Punjab minister NEW YORK: The US based pro-Khalistan Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has threatened an elected representative in Punjab state over his disagreement on a demand for a separate homeland for Sikhs.

Recently, Punjab's Minister for Jails Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa strongly criticized the `Referendum 2020', which has been launched by pro-Khalistani Sikhs based in Canada and the United States. Advising the separatists to create a state of Khalistan in the country where they were presently living, Randhawa said, "If someone talks about Khalistan while sitting in Canada. He is the citizen of that country. It is the problem of Trudeau (Canadian Prime Minister) and not mine".

Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa

However, the Sikhs for Justice issued a video threatening the Punjab minister. In a tweet, the Sikh body said "Referendum 2020 - Responds to Punjab Jail Minister - Will you come to Canada or should we handle you in India". The

people who were pitching for Khalistan from their cosy confines were playing with the sentiments of innocent Sikhs in India and they had no knowledge of the reality in Punjab, Randhawa told media when asked for his response to the Sikhs for Justice tweet.

In a video message tweeted on April 2, the representative of Sikhs for Justice said, "We will make Khalistan in Punjab and we are giving this a guarantee."

Using a foul language against the minister, he said, "Wearing a tag of `Referendum 2020', we are roaming openly the world over. If you have guts, spare yourself from bodyguards.

You visit any gurudwara without security and our men will teach you a lesson".

Indian-origin appointed interim judge

NEW YORK: Indian American Deepa Ambekar has been appointed as interim judge to the civil court of New York City, becoming the second Indian American woman judge in the city after Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari. Ambekar, 41 is appointed to Civil Court and will be serving in Criminal Court, said a statement from the office of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The mayor announced the appointment of interim Civil Court Judge Ambekar and the reappointment of three Family Court

judges. “Every New Yorker deserves access to a fair and equitable justice system,” de Blasio said. "I know these judges will ensure due process is afforded to all who come before their court.” Ambekar served with the New York City Council for three years as Senior Legislative Attorney and Counsel to the Committee on Public Safety.

Prior to that, she was a Staff Attorney at the Legal Aid Society, Criminal Defense Division, and a litigation associate at a private firm.

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INDIA

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SOUTH

Karnataka refuses to share Cauvery water with TN NEW DELHI: In reaction to the Supreme Court's warning on sharing the Cauvery river water, Karnataka said it was not in a position to release water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu. “Even if we want to release we don't have water. We have shortage,” a minister said. The Supreme Court had last week, warned the state to “be ready to release Cauvery water or face the consequences.”

Karnataka Water Resources Minister MB Patil said, “There is a total of nine tmc water in all the four reservoirs coming under the Cauvery basin. That 9 TMC water is not enough for our drinking needs and crops.

Cauvery Dam

We have shortage.” In a video message, he said, “In this circumstance we cannot obey Supreme Court's order, as we don't have water. We will inform the Supreme Court about availability of water currently and our needs.” The SC, in its order,

had also rebuked the Centre for asking for more time to act on issue, on grounds that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ministers were busy with the May 12 Karnataka polls.

The court had directed the Centre to inform it by

next week, what steps were taken to frame the scheme to monitor the release of water to Tamil Nadu. Chief Justice of India, Dipal Misra told the Centre's lawyer KK Venugopal, “You are supposed to frame the scheme”.

He said, “We are not bothered about the polls. The scheme should have been framed by now. States have no role in this.” Tamil Nadu has accused the Modi government of “politicising the issue” and worrying more about the elections in Karnataka. It said, “Centre doesn't want to frame the scheme now. This is the end of cooperative federal politics. What do we tell the people of Tamil Nadu?”

Child rape triggers 18 km long traffic jam in Andhra HYDERABAD:The rape of a 9 year old child, allegedly by a 60 year old man in Andhra Pradesh, has triggered massive protests in a village in Guntur district. Angry that the rapist has not yet been arrested, locals protested on the state highway, blocking traffic for almost six hours.

Highway in Dachepalli village was blocked till 4 in the morning last week, as the villagers protested throughout the night.

They demanded that the accused be immediately arrested.

Some even demanded that he be hanged or shot dead in public. Police officials had a tough time controlling the protesters, who vented their anger by damaging a few

Locals staged protest over alleged rape of a nine-year-old girl by a 60-year-old man in Guntur

buses. Neighbour of the victim, Subbaiah allegedly lured the 9 year old with chocolates and toffees and raped her. Officials said he dropped her back home after threatening her that she would be killed if she told anyone. They suspect

he is mentally challenged and may have committed suicide.

The child's mother noticed she was bleeding when she complained of severe pain. She took her to a hospital where doctors confirmed sexual assault.

What triggered the protests was when locals noticed the condition of the child in the hospital. Meanwhile, the bleeding child fainted in the hospital and received stitches. An official shut down was called as shopkeepers downed shutters and came on to the streets too. Special police forces were deployed but that did not stop angry youngsters from trying to bring down the roof of the home of the accused. He was beaten up by the crowd and had to be rescued by the police. Guntur collector Kona Shashidhar said, “Everyone is disturbed and upset. So there were people from all communities demanding justice for the child.”

PUNJAB-HARYANA

Deletion of Sikh history from text book raises uproar C H A N D I G A R H: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has set up a subcommittee to conduct a probe into the deletion of chapters of Sikh history from Class 12 text book in Punjab. SGPC spokesperson Diljit Singh Bedi said, “The matter is serious.

The sub-committee will submit a report in two days.” The panel involves SGPC member from Chandigarh Harjinder Kaur, member of Anandpur Sahib Surinder Singh, SGPC secretary (Education) Avtar Singh, Guru Nanak College of Girls, Muktsar principal Tejinder Kaur Dhaliwal, and assistant secretary (Dharam Parchar) Simarjit Singh. The panel will be coordinated by SGPC education director Jatinder Singh Sidhu.

Meanwhile, in Ludhiana union minister Harsimrat Karu Badal has called the decision of the Punjab government to

remove chapters of Sikh history as improper.

Speaking at the convocation of Guru Nank Dev Engineering College, she said, “Can you imagine the chief minister of Punjab removing Sikh history?

Who is going to promote Sikhism then?

Several Sikh intellectuals and academicians have accused the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) of presenting the Sikh history and culture in new textbooks for Classes 11 and 12 from ultra-Hindu nationalistic perspective.

Assembled at the call of 'Sikh Vichaar Manch', the intellectuals demanded immediate replacement of new textbooks with those “carrying comprehensive and unadulterated Sikh annals”. They said the board should reconstitute an “expert committee” with overwhelming presence of Sikh historians to recast the history syllabus for senior secondary classes.

Farmers fined Rs 27,500 for stubble burning in Panipat

PANIPAT: The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has imposed a fine of Rs 27,500 on 12 farmers of different villages in the district for burning wheat crop residue. A ban has been imposed on stubble burning by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) as it causes air pollution and other health problems. Following the orders, the agriculture department has directed all the Agriculture Development Officers (ADOs) and the field functionaries to keep a vigil.

SDO of the department, Sunil Mann said a team comprising a patwari and an official from the HSPCB conducted joint inspection.

He said, “In the last season, there were 31 teams, but this time the department has fixed responsibility of the field functionary concerned, including ADOs, to check stubble burning.”

Twelve farmers from Parahalad Pur Khalila, Shahpur, Raja Kheri, Seewah, Manana, Dehra, and Dhodhpur villages have been fined. Mann added that eight more cases of stubble burning had been detected.

Bhupinder Singh Chahl, Regional Officer, HSPCB, said, “Twelve cases of stubble burning have been reported so far in the district and Rs 27,500 fine has been imposed on 12 farmers.”

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

WEST BENGAL

Kolkata's controversy on hugs

KOLKATA: Just last week a young couple was trashed for “public display of affection and obscene behaviour” on a Metro train. The incident has evoked sharp reaction from youths and 'Hok Alingan' (Let There Be Hugging) groups gathered on Metro stations last week in protest.

Witnesses to the episode said the young couple travelling by a Dum Dumbound late evening train were harassed by some commuters for standing too close to each other.

They were pushed out of the train at Dum Dum station and thrashed till some other commuters rescued them.

A video of the moral policing incident went viral on social media. It prompted Metro Railway to convene a press conference to explain its stand on the social issue. Metro Railway General Manager Ajay Vijayvargiya said, “We scrutinised the CCTV footage but couldn't find

anything concrete. We couldn't determine what happened.”

Kolkata Metro uploaded a post on their Facebook page condemning the act of moral policing and ensuring an inquiry into the incident.

However, an administrator of the page justified the attack and said that “young generation people do not know decency and good manners.” Once the post went viral on social media, the comment was promptly deleted.

The comment said, “What wrong has been done by the passengers.

Nothing. It is the inevitable fallout of yearlong vulgarity shown by a section of young generation. In Metro train, most of the young generation people do not know decency and good manner. To speak in English does not mean civilisation. Good qualities are totally lacking in young generation people and morality a distant dream.”

Bengal panchayat poll on May 14 as court refuses to interfere KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court has refused to interfere in the schedule of the West Bengal panchayat polls, pulling up the state election commission for not conducting itself in a “manner that showed neutrality”.

It is reported that the court said the poll body floundered in upholding its constitutional obligations.

Election to the state's local administrative bodies is scheduled to be held on May 14. The poll body had earlier said the elections will be held on three days, on May 1, 3, and 5.

The new dates triggered accusations from opposition parties that said the voting decision was taken to oblige the ruling Trinamool Congress. The HC said, “SEC reduced the number of phases for the panchayat polls in the state from three to one without providing necessary clarification which raised eyebrows. It is expected that the commission will redeem itself by treating the court's observa-

tions as a wake-up call.” The polling process was earlier stalled after the opposition parties in the state petitioned both the SC and the HC alleging widespread violence and strong-arm tactics by the ruling party throughout the nomination process between April 2 and 9 and on April 23.

Opposition parties have alleged that the ruling party's supporters were using every weapon of intimidation, from phone calls to crude bombs and firearms, to prevent their candidates from filing nomination, which began on April 2. The nomination process was supposed to continue till March 9.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party has moved the Supreme Court seeking an extension of the nomination process and the deployment of central forces to ensure a free and fair election. The SC refused to step in on April 9, saying the SEC should address its grievances.

HERITAGE HISTORY

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Asian Voice | 12th May 2018

Dr. Hari Desai

HMG concedes Victory of ‘Lenin’ Patel • For the first time Bhikhiben addressed Vallabhbhai as “Sardar” • Lord Winterton told, “Patel has met with a measure of success” Part III of IV n the last installment, we discussed the climax in the Bardoli Satyagraha and Gandhiji preparing to go to Bardoli as “a solder of Vallabhbhai”. Of course, before the Mahatma reached Bardoli on 2 August 1928, many dramatic events were to take place on Ground Zero. By May end, the Members of the legislature started resigning their membership. K. M. Munshi resigned on 17 June, five days after the nation-wide celebration of the Bardoli Day on 12 June. Barrister Vithalbhai Patel, the elder brother of Vallabhbhai and the President of the Central Legislature, wrote to Gandhiji attaching a cheque of Rs.1,000 with a promise to send Rs.1,000 every month till the Bardoli

I

The President of the Central Legislature Vithalbhai Patel extended moral as well as financial support to the Bardoli Satyagraha

Satyagraha would be on.

The action of Vithalbhai embarrassed the Government.

On the Ground Zero, Vallabhabhai virtually paralysed the Taluka’s revenue administration. Eighty Village Patels (Head-men) and nineteen Talatis had resigned. Among the other Government employees, the most were sympathetic to the cause of the peasants and the Satyagraha.

To enlighten the people about the Bardoli Satyagraha and raise funds

for it, it was decided to celebrate Bardoli Day on 12 June throughout the country.

Narhari Parikh describes the celebration and collection of Rs. Two Lakh in these words in “Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel”: “12th June celebrated throughout the country with great enthusiasm as Bardoli Day. The people of Bardoli fasted for 24 hours and offered prayers. The young men in Bombay went from house to house and collected anna each and collected 1,500 rupees. The office of the Bardoli Satyagraha Ashram was inundated with cheques and money orders.”

Some Parsi gentlemen including a Parsi who did not belong to Bardoli Taluka purchaged some land.

People of their own community and of the town to which they belonged resolved to boycott them.

On Bardoli Day, the Sardar served a warning to those who had purchaged or might purchage the forfeited land: “So long as a square foot of land belonging to any agriculturist or to any participant in this fight remains forfeited, this fight will continue. For the sake of such land, thousands of agriculturists are ready to die. This is not a charity performance for the

Gandhiji at Bardoli in August 1928

Government to hand over land to some kerosene merchant from Bharuch. He who buys such land drinks the life-blood of agricultur-

Lord Winterton conceded the Sardar’s success in Bardoli in the House of Commons

ists. Whoever does that will do well to give thought to the retribution which will be meted out to him by God in this life.”

A Lenin in Bardoli “The first limb of the establishment to concede Vallabhbhai’s ascendancy in the conflict was the Times of India. After touring the Taluka, its special correspondent described Vallabhbhai as a “Lenin” who had “instituted a Bolshevik regime” in Bardoli, and held him responsible for the suffering of the peasants “herded in their miserable windowless dwellings” and their cattle

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with “festering sores all over their bodies,” describes Rajmohan Gandhi in “Patel: A Life”, adding: “All the same, the correspondent’s reports suggested that the Raj’s writ no longer ran in the Taluka but Vallabhbhai’s did.”

On the side, the Commissioner of the Northern Division, Mr. Wilfred Smart, who had gone to the sea-side for rest, was ordered to proceed to Surat and to camp there.

The Collector was also resting in the neighbouring state and he was ordered to come down. “It was surprising that while so much was happening in the Taluka, the District Collector had not thought it necessary even to visit Bardoli,” notes Narhari Parikh. He adds, “He was content to see everything through the eyes of his deputy.”

Even when the Collector went to visit Bardoli, he found all shops shut and the doors of all the houses locked. Not a man was to be had to wait on him. Then he thought he would go to some smaller village. The policeman went to hire a taxi. The taxi-driver said that the car was already engaged. So his license was taken away. With great difficulty, he reached the village Sarbhon. As he approached

the land with them to it, the young men immediEngland? The Government ately beat the drum, so that declared that it had disby the time the Collector posed of 1,400 acres of land entered the village, the and was keen to disposed of doors of every single house another 5,000 acres. “How were shut and the streets much land does a man were completely deserted. requires? Six feet at the The Collector sent for the most, and the Hindus not Patels who replied, “The even that, except for a coupeople will not listen to us. ple of hours, after which The people are indifferent about forfeitures and confiscations.”

The Collector started making false statements, transferring the weak Mamalatdar to another Taluka and bringing stricter one to act for the seizures.

Some times in April, in one of the public meeting a tribal K. M. Munshi who resigned his lady named Bhikhiben membership of the Bombay Legislature addressed Vallabhbhai they make room for others,” as “Now onwards you are the Sardar would address our Sardar” and Patel the public. earned the title “Sardar”.

The Empire surrenders Now, you are our Sardar Following the Times of Though Rajmohan says, India report, even while “It was during April 1928 replying the discussion in that someone, no one the House of Commons, knows who, first referred to Lord Winterton, a member Vallabhbhai as the peasof His Majesty’s ants’ Sardar, Maganlal I. Government had to Patel of Bardoli College in admit:“It is true that his Ph.D. thesis submitted Vallabhbhai Patel has met to the South Gujarat with a measure of success.”

University in September The Governor of Bombay, 1990, clearly states: “During Sir Leslie Wilson, declared the Bardoli Satyagraha in a his intention to rush to meeting of peasant men Simla for consultation with and women at Nani Palsod, Lord Irwin, the Viceroy. All in the presence of Sardar eyes were set on the Raj’s Patel, Kanaiyalal Munshi, further action.

But Mahadevbhai Desai, Vallabhbhai was informed Mohanlal Pandya etc., one

by Commissioner Smart lady of Makoti named that the Governor Bhikhiben told after was willing to floral reception of Next Column: receive him at Va l l a b h b h a i , ‘ Va l l a b h b h a i , Calcutta Congress Surat. The Raj had been now onwards welcomes the co m p e l l e d . you are our Sardar Gandhiji wrote S a r d a r . ’ to Vallabhbhai: Uttamchand Shah, “The next two weeks are a the Secretary of Swaraj very critical period during Ashram, Bardoli along with which no such words be his wife Santokben, was also uttered on our side as is present in the meeting.” likely to impede a settleDuring the hot summer ment.” Patel agreed with of May 1928, even when the Gandhiji. agriculturists were warned that land once taken in possession of the Government would not be returned, the (The writer is a SocioSardar was making fun of political Historian. the Raj, asking them E-mail: whether they would carry haridesai@gmail.com )

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INDIA

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Mukesh Ambani's daughter Former CMs not entitled to govt bungalows: SC Isha to wed Anand Piramal Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani’s 26-year-old daughter Isha is set to tie the knot with Anand Piramal (33), son of Ajay Piramal, chairman of the Piramal Group. The couple will marry in December in India. The announcement came close on the heels of Isha’s twin Akash’s engagement with Shloka Mehta, daughter of Russell Mehta of Rosy Blue, one of India’s largest diamond companies.

Anand proposed to Isha at a temple in Mahabaleshwar and the couple celebrated the occasion with a lunch with close family, including parents Nita and Mukesh, Swati and Ajay, their siblings, and grandparents. “Anand and Isha have been long-time friends and both their families share a strong

bond of friendship for over four decades,” a statement said.

The Ambanis and Piramals sit atop diversified business interests from oil and telecom, to healthcare and financial services.

The Piramal Group is also considered among the more cash-rich in India Inc, especially following its sale of Abbott Laboratories for $3.72 billion. Anand is an executive director in the Piramal Group. He gradu-

ated in economics from Uni. of Pennsylvania and completed his MBA from Harvard Business School.

Isha is a board member in Reliance Jio and Reliance Retail. She graduated from Yale University with double majors in psychology and South Asian studies in 2013 and is currently pursuing an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, which she will complete in June this year.

Severe thunderstorms lashed many parts of India last week, killing at least 129 people and leaving a trail of destruction, with houses flattened, trees uprooted and electricity poles in disarray. The maximum devastation occurred in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, where the storms claimed 114 lives.

Uttar Pradesh reported 73 deaths, of which 46 were in Agra district alone. As many as 41 people died in Rajasthan, followed by seven in Telangana, four in Uttarakhand and two each in Jharkhand and Punjab.

The fury of unusually strong winds and heavy

rains lasted for up to three hours in many places, but the extent of the damage was known only the next day. “Concrete houses came down like a pack of cards one after the other.

Trees, streetlights and whatever stood taller than a few feet was flattened by winds. We took out victims from debris and ferried them to hospitals on motorcycles,” Narendra Sharma, the SHO of Kheragarh police station in Agra district, said after spending the night in rescue ops. With 24 deaths, Kheragarh tehsil in Agra near UP-Rajasthan border bore the maximum brunt of

the storm in the district.

Over 200 people injured in Rajasthan, 90 in UP Deaths were reported from other parts of the state too. These included three each in Bijnor and Kanpur Dehat, two each in Saharanpur, Hamirpur, Mirzapur and Kanpur city; and one each in Bareilly, Pilibhit, Chitrakoot, Rae Bareli, Unnao, Mathura, Amroha, Banda, Sitapur, Sambhal, Etawah, Allahabad and Rampur.

Nearly 90 people were injured in the storm. The UP government has announced a compensation of Rs 4,00,000 each for the families of the deceased.

Anand Piramal, Isha Ambani with Neeta and Mukesh Ambani

Super storms kill 129 in UP, Rajasthan

Former chief ministers are set to lose bungalows in prime locations in state capitals with the Supreme Court holding that occupying a constitutional post in the past does not entitle a person to government accommodation underwritten by tax rupees.

The court said after demitting office, ex-CMs should be on a par with common citizens and in a scathing attack on the practice in some states of giving life-time official accommodation to former CMs, a bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R Banumathi said public office held earlier could not be a ground to shower special privileges or create a separate class of citizens.

The decision strikes down accommodation to highprofile politicians like former UP CMs - Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati, Rajnath Singh (now Union home minister) and Kalyan Singh, who is currently Rajasthan governor.

Despite fiercely antagonistic politics, political leaders have found common ground in backing this privilege.

The court’s verdict may not affect the Centre’s policy of providing residential accommodation to former Presidents, Vice-Presidents and PMs as the apex court had in 1997 approved it.

But the policy may now be open to challenge in view of observations made by the apex court in its judgment. “Natural resources, public land and public goods like government bungalows/official residence are public property that belong to the people

Rajnath Singh

of the country. The doctrine of equality which emerges from the concepts of justice, fairness must guide the state in the distribution/ allocation of the

Mayawati

same,” the bench said.

“The chief minister, once he or she demits office, is at par with the common citizen, even if by virtue of the office held, the person may be entitled to security and other protocols. But allotment of government bungalow, to be occupied during lifetime, would not be guided by the constitutional principle of equality,” the court said.

The court quashed Section 4(3) of UP Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, which was legislated

Mulayam Singh Yadav

by the SP government in 2016 for allotting official bungalows to former CMs and termed it arbitrary and violative of constitutional principles. As per the provision, a government residence shall be allotted to a former CM for life-time, on payment of such rent as may be determined from time to time by the estate department of the state.

The provision was not altered after BJP assumed office in 2017.

The rules were intended to frustrate the SC’s 2016 verdict in which it had directed six former CMs Mayawati, Mulayam Singh, Rajnath Singh, Kalyan Singh, Ram Naresh Yadav and ND Tiwari - to vacate bungalows and set aside a rule framed by the state for giving them accommodation. The bench said the impugned legislation can very well be construed as an attempt to override the judgment of this court.

“Undoubtedly, Section 4(3) of the 1981 Act would have the effect of creating a separate class of citizens for conferment of benefits by way of distribution of public property on the basis of the previous public office held by them,” it said.

Karnataka Election: Countdown to Showdown Begins Continued from page 1 The Old Mysore region will most likely be a two-horse race between the Congress and the JD(S). The Congress, in 2013, had bagged 45.8 per cent of the seat share, with the JD(S) closely following at 42.4 per cent. The BJP, on the other hand, had barely registered a presence at 3.39 per cent.

Modi lashes out at the Congress Karnataka polls are just a week away and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the state to convert votes.

Speaking at an election rally at Vijayapura on Tuesday, Modi hit out at the Congress party, saying their excuse for defeat in Karnataka Assembly elections will be faulty EVMs. “Instead of going among the people, the Congress leaders are thinking about what excuses to make about a certain defeat. The reasons for their excuse will include faulty EVMs among others,” he said. “When the state was suffering due to droughts, ministers handling key portfolios were busy in Delhi doing politics.”

Modi said the people were gathered for the rally in large numbers as they wanted to show their support for the BJP and aspire a better life in the coming five years. “I am here in a land closely associated with Bhagwan Basaveshwara. His philosophy called for taking all sections of society together. Sadly, the Congress government has not followed his principles. All they are bothered about is their votes,” Modi said. He said the Central Government has brought social security schemes that are benefiting the poor. “It is our government that worked on electrification of villages that had no power for 70 long

years.”

The state will go to polls on May 12 and the counting of votes is scheduled for May 15. The BJP has declared its state unit chief B S Yeddyurappa and JD(S), H D Kumaraswamy as their chief ministerial faces. Both have been the state's chief minister.

Politics of Caste “Political leaders might be hurling words such as communalism, secularism, and opportunism at each other, but the common thread here is that all of us are pandering to caste politics,” a BJP official said. The major chunk of candidates fielded by the three main contesting parties are the Congress, BJP, and the JD(S), are the Lingayats and Vokkaligas. While the Congress has fielded 49 Lingayats and 46 Vokkaligas, the BJP has fielded 68 Lingayats, and 38 Vokkaligas, and the JD(S) has 41 Lingayats and 55 Vokkaligas in the race. The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), who collectively form the largest caste population are also important for three parties.

Political analyst Narayana A said, “Caste is absolutely important. Examine the Karnataka assembly polls from any angle, you will realise that caste occupies centre stage. Only caste calculations are being spoken at the grassroots. Kurubas, who form a major chunk among other backward castes (OBCs), has solidly stood behind the Congress only because of chief minister Siddaramaiah, who belongs to the community.” The focus has primarily been on stitching caste alliances from the very beginning, and not so much on the selling of the development agenda. While the BJP has not chosen any

Muslim candidate, the Congress has 17 Muslims, and the JD(S) has 19. A Muslim leader said, “Muslim consolidation is happening in a strong way this polls, something not many are talking about. Muslims will make a huge difference this time.”

Five richest candidates from Congress As per data released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), citing the self-sworn affidavits of candidates furnished before the Election Commission of India, the top five richest candidates in the race seeking re-elections have seen their assets increase since the last polls. It has cited that the richest MLA witnesses a whopping increase of 234 per cent in the last five years. Assets of 184 re-contesting MLAs have increased by £1.73 million on an average. The data pointed out that the top five richest re-contesting candidates are from the ruling Congress. They are the State Energy Minister DK Shivakumar, N Nagaraju, Shamanur Shivshankarappa, Priyakrishna, and Deshpande Raghunath Vishwanath. These men have seen their assets rise by at least over £10 million in the last give years. DK, contesting from Kanakapura constituency, had assets worth £25.1 million in 2013, which has today turned to £84 million. N Nagaraju, contesting from Hosakate constituency had assets worth £47 million, which is now over £101.5 million. Shamanur's assets were only worth £6.7 million in 2013, which has grown to over £18.3 million.

Out of 184 re-contesting MLAs in the upcoming election, 108 candidates are from the ruling Congress, 49 are from BJP, 24 are from JD-S, 2 are Independent candidates and one is from Namma Congress.

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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To Our Readers

We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement any advice. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

UK parks boost quality of life by £34bn

Parks and green spaces generate health benefits that would cost more than £34bn if they did not exist, research by Fields in Trust has suggested. The charity, which protects green spaces, also found that parks save the NHS about £111m a year.

The report coincides with the launch of a fiveyear plan to protect parks.

Green spaces can improve overall health for all, including "the young, isolated and the vulnerable", said parks and green spaces minister Rishi Sunak.

In the report it is calculated that people would need to spend £974 each year to achieve the same level of life satisfaction they get from parks if they were not there.

That individual figure was then multiplied by the adult population, and the findings showed that parks generate more than £34bn of benefits.

The total cost saved by the NHS is based only on prevented GP appointments and does not

include savings from nonreferrals for treatments and prescriptions.

The research comes at a time when 95% of park professionals say they are concerned about the lack of investment in green spaces, and 16% of people believe their local park is under threat of being built on.

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Asian Voice | 12th May 2018

5 Benefits Of Foods Rich In Vitamin A Our bodies need a number of nutrients in the form of minerals and vitamins to function properly. A deficiency of any of these minerals and vitamins leads to a deficiency in the body, which manifests itself in the form of a number of symptoms that can lead to illnesses.

While some of these nutrients are produced by the body, some others need to be provided to it.

This is why we need to have a balanced diet to include all important nutrients in our meals.

One such micronutrient that our body needs is vitamin A, which cannot be manufactured by the body naturally and therefore must be included in our diets.

The vitamin A that our body gets from our food, is stored in the liver, until it is required by the body. It supports many bodily systems and a deficiency of this vitamin may lead to symptoms like throat infections and ulcers, acne and dry skin, sore eyes, etc.

In pregnant women, a deficiency of vitamin A may result in night blindness and poor immunity, especially if the mother becomes deficient in the last trimester. It may also

have an adverse impact on the brain development of the foetus.

Types Of Vitamin A: There are two different types of vitamin A retinol which is present in meats, milk and eggs, is used up directly by the body, and carotenoids which can be found in fruits and vegetables which needs to be converted by the body into retinol.

The most important carotenoid is the betacarotene present in foods like carrots and oranges.

Our body is able to convert this carotenoid into retinol, in the most efficient way. Yellow, orange and red coloured vegetables and fruits are the richest sources of betacarotene.

Here are 5 benefits of vitamin A, which make it essential for the body: 1. Maintains Eye Health: Adequate intake of vitamin A can keep eye disorders at bay and even

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Maintains Bone Health: Vitamin A is essential for healthy bones as it plays an important role in the formation of osteoblasts- the bones that are responsible for building new bones. A deficiency of vitamin A leads to poor absorption and metabolism of calcium, leading to poor bone health.

Although vitamin A is essential for the body, its overdose through supplements can have adverse impact on your health.

Studies have suggested that higher doses of vitamin A may lead to osteoporosis and even hip fractures in older people. It's healthier to consume Vitamin A through natural sources like fruits and vegetables, instead of taking supplements. To know the recommended daily intake of vitamin A for you or your kids, it is always better to consult an expert dietitian or nutritionist.

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3. Promotes Skin And Hair Health: Vitamin A is one of the most important vitamins for skin and hair health. This is because vitamin A promotes the replacement of skin cells and also promotes hair growth. It is used in making acne medicines and also medicines to treat baldness. Vitamin A also prevents skin ageing, making your skin looking young for longer.

4. Lowers Risk Of Cancer: Research has shown that adequate intake of beta-carotene is linked to lower risk of lung, stomach and

prostate cancer in people.

However, an overdose of vitamin A supplements may actually lead to an increase in the risk of cancer.

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improve eyesight. A number of eye disorders like glaucoma, cataracts, night blindness, etc. can be avoided by regular consumption of foods with vitamin A in them.

2. Boosts Immunity In kids: Vitamin A is very important for improving immunity in kids.

Research has indicated that a deficiency of Vitamin A in kids makes them susceptible to diseases like diarrhoea and measles.

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Rajini's schedule too expensive for Subbaraj?

O ne of the biggest superstars the nation has produced, Rajinikanth is reportedly all set to join hands with filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj for a massive project which will be bankrolled by Sun Pictures. Recent reports suggest the actor charged a whopping amount for the project. If it is to be believed, Rajinikanth has given a 40-day call sheet and reportedly charged Rs 64 Crore for the yet-untitled film. The project is likely to go on the floors later this year and the film is expected to release next year.

The film will feature Vijay Sethupathi as the antagonist, and the music will be rendered by Anirudh Ravichander. Rajini, who is currently in the US, will return to Chennai next week.

He currently awaits the release of the much-awaited 'Kaala', which being prepared for its release on June 7. Also, his sci-fi thriller '2.0' is expected to release by the end of this year.

Directed by Shankar, the film also stars Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, and Sudhanshu Pandey in pivotal roles.

‘Raazi’

Based on a true story, a young girl was sent to Pakistan in 1971 as a spy to source out any information she could during impending war between India and its neighbour.

Simbu makes his singing debut in Kannada

I

t seems there is nothing our beloved multi-faceted artist Simbu can't do. Early in the beginning of his career, he co-directed the psychological thriller 'Manmadhan', which went on to become a blockbuster success. Also, his singing is another talent that makes him popular. The actor has sung several chartbusters like 'Loose Penne', 'Evandi Unna Pethan', and 'Manasellam'. The latest scoop is that the actor will now mark his singing debut in Kannada cinema.

The actor has reportedly lent his voice for a song in the upcoming 'Iruvudellava Bittu', directed by Kantha Kanali. He asked for the meaning of every word before he started recording for the song. Kannali said, “The lyrics by Dr Nagendra Prasad talks about how people inflict troubles upon themselves. The song advocates that it's better to forget everything and enjoy life. The composer, Sridhar V Sambram, has created a highenergy tune. Simbu really liked the tune too, and agreed to sing.” The song has been recorded. It is said the team took four months to ready the recording process.

Nayanthara and Vignesh were at Coachella this year

A

ce actress Nayanthara and her relationship with Vignesh Shivan is no secret.

Both of them have repeatedly been seen together in public.

And while rumours about their relationship refuse to die down, they refuse to admit what exactly is cooking between them. Adding fuel to the existing fire, a recent picture of them holidaying in the US has become a hit with the internet. Shivan shared a picture of the both of them surrounded by a swarm of people. “Good bye #Coachella #StageCoach had an amazing time ! Short musical journey wit my star:) great experience ! #Beyonce moments being the best ! #BackToWork #SummerVacationOver #WorkMode.”

Coachella is short for the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. It is located in the inland Empire's Coachella Valley in the Colorado desert. The event is a major hit and every year, features Hollywood's most hip and happening people.

Andrea's upcoming to feature no songs

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ne of the current favourites of south Indian filmmakers, Andrea is at her best when it comes to playing free-spirited, bold characters. After wowing the audience with her roles in 'Taramani' and 'Aval', the actress is now set to start shooting for 'Kaa- The Forest'. Director Nanjil revealed that Andrea will play a girl with a hippie-like nature in it. “'Kaa...' is a crime thriller that stresses on the fact that life, irrespective of whose it is, is important. Andrea plays a wildlife photographer, someone who is quite wild and very hippy.

She was my first and final option to play the lead because her face and attitude matched the character's – she is friendly, but has this 'don't mess with me' attitude. She didn't have to do any homework; I'd asked her to only attain a trimmed physique,” the debutant director said. He added, “Salim Ghouse is playing a character that's starkly opposite to Andrea's. I think he was impressed when I said there won't be any songs in the film.”

No songs in a South movie?! The director said, “It was

composer Amrish's idea. After he heard the narration, he told me that the script is so packed that it has no scope for song insertion. He told me in a pretty serious tone to not include any songs even if he himself insisted at a later stage. Wherever required, there will be BGM, and the rest of the film will ride heavily on sound effects. Amrish will be giving a soundscape that complements the story. He will be using jungle sounds to enhance the narration.”

Prabhas to shoot chase sequence for ‘Saaho’ in Abu Dhabi

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urrently busy shooting for his trilingual action flick 'Saahi', Prabhas is reportedly in Abu Dhabi for a 50-day schedule to shoot high octane chase sequences. A report said the chase scene will involve helicopters, trucks, cars, and bikes. The actor has been gearing up for the shoot for quite some time and had changed his workout regime to be in perfect shape for the shoot. Prabhas will be seen in a different avatar for the scene. It is also reported that Hollywood action choreographer Kenny Bates is designing action sequences for the film.

'Sahoo' will see Prabhas and Bollywood's Shraddha Kapoor in the lead, and actor Neil Nitin Mukesh as the antagonist. While Neil had reached the venue in April and has been training with weapons for his part, Shraddha will join the team next week. The movie also stars Jackie Shroff and Mandira Bedi in pivotal roles, along with Chunky Panday. 'Saaho' will also mark Evelyn Sharma's debut in Tollywood.

The actress shared her gratitude on Twitter, saying, “Speechless and humbled... This is the best life I could be living and I'm deeply grateful for it. I dreamt of doing an action role and now I couldn't be more excited to join this mega film #Saaho! Thk you #Sujeeth #Prabhas and team for making me a part of your journey!” Directed by Sujeeth, the film will be released in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, and Malayalam.

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Sidharth Malhotra and Varun Dhavan to reunite

F

ormer competitors/besties for Karan Johar's 'Student of the Year', Sidharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan are set to make a comeback in 'Student of the Year 2'. Johar's Dharma Productions is back with yet another high school drama, this time featuring Tiger Shroff and debutantes Ananya Pandey and Tara Sutaria. When making a sequel to a cult favourite, one can't do it without the original cast. Many questions were raised on whether Sid and Varun will do a cameo in the movie.

Yes! The two hunks are definitely filming for a cameo, a source said, and it could happen anytime soon. Details on their roles however, are strictly under wraps. Who knows? May be they will be judges in the competition or may be the bring a twist to the movie?

There is however, no news on whether Alia Bhatt will return to the franchise. She had however, hinted on the same in 2017, saying “never say never” in an interview.

The second part will see Punit Malhotra in the director’s chair, with Johar only handling production responsibilities. The crew and cast is currently in Mussoorie, shooting for the film.

Sonam Kapoor ties the knot

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he recent trailer of 'Sanju' is proof that the movie will either make or break Ranbir Kapoor, who not only seems to have played the role brilliantly, but also greatly resembles the titular character, Sanjay Dutt. Not only has the 'Tamasha' actor grasped Dutt's mannerisms and body language, what is striking is his resemblance to the 'Vaastav' actor. When asked how, Prosthetic artist Dr Suresh Murkey revealed how he altered Ranbir's appearance without even meeting Dutt, and mostly by pictures given by director Rajkumar Hirani.

“It was based on the pictures that I designed Ranbir's prosthetics. I took four sets of measurements of Ranbir's face in order to minimise any scope of error,” Murkey said. He said to make Kapoor look absolutely like Dutt in the nineties, Murkey worked on the lower half of Ranbir's face. “I needed to make Ranbir's jaw bone look different to resemble Dutt's, and make his cheeks look puffy, especially near the lips.” He added, “In order to add age to his face for the latter part of the film, prosthetics were worn on the upper part of his mouth so that his cheeks could look fuller near the nose and below the eyes.” 'Sanju' narrates the life of Dutt. It will over six stages of his life, including his battle with drug addiction, loss of his mother, rise to stardom and his imprisonment for illegally possessing arms in a case related to the 1993 Bombay Blasts.

Asian Voice | 12th May 2018

B

ollywood's big fat Indian wedding is right here! BTown's sweetheart Sonam Kapoor has finally tied the knot with businessman Anand Ahuja in a typical Sikh wedding. The cat was out of the bag when the couple's wedding card went viral a few days ago. The 'Anand Karaj' took place on May 8 at Sonam's aunt Kavita Singh's Bandra bungalow, between 11 am to 12.30 pm. It was followed by lunch for the guests, and a reception in the evening.

The celebrations were held in true filmy style, with the Kapoor cousins leaving no stone unturned to give Sonam a grand celebration. The Mehendi and Sangeet functions was a glam-a-palooza as Bollywood's finest marked their attendance dressed in the best of blings. Sonam looked expectedly stunning in a fabulous Anuradha Vakil lehenga, which she paired with a spectacular choker and a necklace along with a royal mathapatti and jhumkas. Her now-husband Anand Ahuja complemented her in a gold sherwani with a ruby red necklace.

Guests included Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor Khan with husband Saif Ali Khan and son Taimur, Karishma Kapoor, Sonam's best friend Jacqueline Fernandez and others.

Sister Rhea announces her new name Designer and Sonam's sister, Rhea posted a photo on her Instagram account after the wedding, where she announced the actress' new name. “Forever and ever. Sister love is the truest love I know. Me and Sonam KapoorAhuja.” Sonam's father Anil Kapoor defied age and looked dapper in a sherwani, and brother Harshvardhan looked like a million bucks in his themed Indian designer wear.

Cousins Janhvi and Khushi wore Manish Malhotra, while Shanaya and Arjun were all decked up for the special day too.

I RK looks more like Sanjay Dutt, than Dutt himself

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Priyanka and Deepika dazzle at the annual Met Gala

t was night like no other. The first Monday of May, now officially recognised as the night of the Met Gala was much more grand and magnificent than last year. The event is attended by the who's who of New York society and celebrities of Hollywood. The high-profile gala was attended by the likes of Rihanna, Katy Perry, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Kate Moss, Chadwick Boseman, and Greta Gerwig among others. Also in attendance were Indian beauties Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone.

Priyanka looked dashing in a Ralph Lauren velvet dress with a jeweled hood.

Incorporating this year's theme 'Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination', PeeCee looked like a vision as she posed and pouted for the papparazzi; the eye-catcher being the gorgeous hand made head gear. Deepika, meanwhile, kept it low key and classy with a red Prabal Gurung number. This was their second appearance at the Met Gala for both the Bollywood celebrities. They are both skipping the wedding of fellow actress Sonam, for the event.

Deepika is all set to fly to Cannes where she is to appear

Deepika Padukone

Priyanka Chopra

on the red carpet of the film festival. She will walk on May 10 and 11. The Costume Institute Gala at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, hosted by Vogue's Anna Wintour, is the biggest fundraising event of the fashion industry and is known for its out-of-the-box themes.

Janhvi, Khushi and Boney Kapoor collect Sridevi's award T wo months after he tragic death, Sridevis' daughters Janhvi and Khushi, along with husband Boney Kapoor collected the late actor's National Award for Best Actress at a ceremony in New Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan. Janhvi looked like a dream in one of her mother's sarees, which designer Manish Malhotra described as an “emotional and precious moment”.

Sridevi, who drowned in Dubai in February, was honoured with her first ever National Award posthumously. Ahead of the ceremony, Janhvi told reporters, “I want to thank the jury and the government

of India for recognising the hard work my mother has done. It is very special for as a family.” Also present were late veteran actor Vinod Khanna's son Akshaye, with wife Kavita.

The two had come to collect Khanna's Dadasaheb Phalke Award-

India's highest film honour.

Other awardees included 'Assamese Film Village Rockstars', which won National Award for Best Film, while Riddhi Sen won Best Actor for his performance in Bengali film ' Nagar Kirtan'. In this year's National Film Awards, 55 winners made their absence felt as they skipped the ceremony, upset they would not receive the honour from the President. In a break from 65-year old tradition, President Ram Nath Kovind only handed out the award to 11 of the 137 winners.

The rest received it from Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, and Minister of State Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

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Asian Voice |

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

12th May 2018

Hindus welcome naming crater on Pluto’s largest moon Charon after Revati Hindus have welcomed the naming of a crater on Charon, Pluto’s largest and far-flung moon, after Revati, which finds mention in ancient Hindu texts.

larger bodies in the Kuiper Belt with a wealth of geological features), which was proposed by NASA's New Horizons team.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada, calling it a step in the positive direction, urged IAU to explore the richness of thought offered by Sanskrit texts of Hinduism and name more celestial bodies after names and concepts found in ancient Hindu texts.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that that Sanskrit, which was

In Hinduism, Revati is wife of Balabhadrarama, elder brother of Lord Krishna; and is also one of the 27 stars mentioned in Mahabharata.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU), the internationally recognized authority for naming celestial bodies and their surface features, recently approved the name of Revati Crater on Charon (one of the

Coming Events

l Enfield Asian Welfare Association celebrates its 20th anniversary, on June 2, 6.00 pm to 10.30 pm, at the Darji Pavilion, 26 Oakthorpe Road, London, N13 5JL. l Hindu Forum of Britain to hold the Community Security Conference on June 10, 11.00 am to 1.00 pm at Vascroft Estate, 861 Coronation Road, Park Royal, London, NW10 7PT. l 'How to Live Purposefully'- a creative workshop

by Jay Pinara, to be held on May 13, 2.00 pm to 5.30 pm at the Global Co-operation House, 65-69 Pound Lane London NW10 2HH. l Sree Sree Anukulchandra's Satsang to be held on May 12, 6.30 pm onwards, at Brent Indian Association Building, 116 Ealing Road, Wembley HA0 4TH. Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha's head Param Pujya Mahant Swami left for Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, on May 1. He conducted his vicharan there till May 6. During his time in the city, he engaged with children and the youth, and gave everyone present the opportunity of attending his Satsang. Mahant Swami spread the word of peace, unity, and empathy. He then left for Bengaluru on May 7, and will conduct vicharan there till May 13.

Sneh Joshi

Distressed debt firm Strategic Value Partners raises $2.85bn the IAU is the world's largest professional body for astronomers. Dr. Silvia Torres-Peimbert and Dr. Piero Benvenuti are President and General Secretary respectively.

Thug who left men’s faces ‘peeling off’ after brutal acid attack is jailed

An acid attacker who severely burnt two men in a parked car for ‘no apparent reason’ has been jailed for 10 years. Rahad Hussain, 24, hurled concentrated sulphuric acid at Mohammed Ahmed, 24, and Mohammad Hussain, 25, causing the skin on their faces to start ‘peeling’ off.

The two men were sitting in Mr Ahmed’s black Volkswagen Jetta in Bethnal Green, east London, on July 25 when they saw Hussain drive past and wave at them.

Hussain returned a few minutes later to throw the contents of a bottle of acid through the passenger side window over Mr Hussain.

But Mr Ahmed stalled

Rahad Hussain

school, shouted ‘you want some’ before throwing the corrosive fluid.

Mr Karim and other members of the public emptied 30-40 bottles of water over them which lessened their injuries, the court heard. But both men suffered first degree burns and some permanent scarring. Mr Ahmed sustained damage to his ear and the surface of his eye.

Hussain handed himself in to Stoke Newington police station two days later and was identified by the victims despite a ‘cunning’ attempt to change his Victims: Mohammed Ahmed appearance. Mr Ahmed is and Mohammad Hussain still on medication to deal the car which caused the with the psychological electric windows to open damage the attack has further, and Hussain empcaused, the court heard. tied the contents of the Judge Simon Mayo QC read acid bottle over him. a note from Hussain in Snaresbrook Crown Court which he expressed how heard Hussain, who has ‘sorry’ he was and how he known Mr Ahmed since felt like a ‘coward.’

One of Wall Street's “distressed debt” specialists, Strategic Value Partners (SVP) raised almost $3 billion for a new fund as some investors grew more nervous about the scale of corporate indebtedness and effect of rising interest rates.

Demand for the new fund surpassed SVP's expectations and, at $2.85 billion, was twice the size of its last vehicle. Distressed debt investors usually jump on the loans and bonds of troubled borrowers, either betting that prices have fallen too far, or trying to take over ownership through a restructuring process.

Data and intelligence source Preqin said, “Investors across different asset classes increasingly feel that public markets are at or close to a peak,

and may be due for a correction.” It added, “In this context, the appeal of higher-risk strategies like distressed debt and special situations is growing...

This may be why we have seen distressed debt overtake direct lending as the most sought-after strategy.” SVP founder Victor Khosla stressed that its fourth fund was not linked to expectations that a downturn is looming for corporate debt, but as a “vote of confidence” in the company's results.

“We invest across cycles. We tend to lean in after a crash, but we try to invest fairly steadily.

People have been calling for another downturn since 2009, but it doesn't feel like the economy is going to turn over this year or even 2019,” he said.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced in the House of Commons that hundreds of thousands of women aged between 68 and 71 had failed to get invitations since 2009 because of a computer error.

An independent review has been launched into the computer error, which Mr Hunt said was discovered in January and dates back to 2009.

The problem stemmed from a National Health Services trial created to find out whether extra screening would protect older women from breast cancer. It has not been disclosed, which hospitals the centres are at.

Screening does not save lives overall and women have been misled into worrying needlessly, according to the medical

experts.

Ms Baczkowska said even is screening may not have saved her mother's life, it could have extended it, which she said would have been "very valuable" because she made the most of life.

Women aged between 50 and 70 are supposed to be invited for a mammogram every three years.

All of those affected who are living in the United Kingdom and registered with a GP will be contacted before the end of May. All women who were not sent an invitation for their final screening will be given the opportunity to have a new appointment.

Hunt said that any women who missed their mammogram will be contacted by the end of May.

Women are urged to avoid catch-up breast screening

The UK’s leading Vedic writer and TV personality

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 At work sometimes a little

upheaval and chaos is exactly what you need to set things right again. There’s no need to be indecisive: 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, bringing erratic highs and lows. The key for you as always is balance.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 You will probably have little

cause to complain this week. Expect everything to run smoothly and luck to attend your efforts. However, underneath this positive surface you may be plagued by a feeling of restlessness. Try to strike a balance between material and emotional affairs !

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 It would be unwise to take any risks, particularly in regard to joint interests and investments.

Expenses and outgoings are likely to become heavy. So be extra careful if you need to deal with complex legal matters and necessary red tape. Plan your spending and set sensible budgets to reach your financial goals. Associate with people that you are comfortable with.

You will continue to be in a restless mood for some time to come. This makes you impatient with restrictions and even more determined to cut your own path. Do not get over-anxious if everything seems to be in slow motion - it is time to pull a few strings. You are likely to experience some tension in close relationships.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

known as “the language of the gods”, provided the theoretical foundation of ancient sciences.

According to tradition, self-born God created Sanskrit, which was everlasting and divine, Zed added.

Founded in 1919 and headquartered in Paris,

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020 8518 5500

The focus is on finances this week, but that doesn’t mean you should worry yourself sick. Rather, it is about finding new and improved ways to boost your earnings potential. It’s fine to consider several options but don’t get caught up in indecision. Schedule networking opportunities later this week. Every day routine and health issues need to be re-assessed.

Guard against being too impatient and restless.

Avoid get-rich-quick schemes and be cautious about other people's enthusiasm which is likely to be misplaced. Make a very conscious attempt to stick to main priorities. Organise your time so that it is not taken up entirely by the demands of other people.

It seems that the winds of change begin to gather momentum and put a strong focus on domestic and family matters.

Besides spending more time tending to domestic affairs, the focus can be on cultivating and nourishing your inner foundations, so to speak. Extra energy and drive will serve you well in getting things accomplished, but try not to come on too strong when you deal with others.

An exchange of opinions ought to prove very enlivening at this time. An influence that should help to enjoy the 'nicer' side of others as bring out the best in friends, colleagues and partners alike. A wind of change may be in the air; attention should turn to the wider world and benefits come from broadening of horizons and mental stimuli.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

Work is going to play a great part for some of you, who are widening their horizons. An important time to build too, as Saturn can be very severe and cold especially regarding relationships.

Regardless of the limits, you have the capacity to turn the course of your life in a more fulfilling direction.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

You know you have no choice but to streamline and re-assess 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 sign makes you feel invincible, base your decisions on facts.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

Keep your assertive inclination under control as conflict and disagreement could be sparked off by your shortsightedness. Think carefully about the implications of your actions. However, this is not likely to be an easy-going week because demands on time and energy are going to be heavy.

The art of making haste slowly should therefore be cultivated.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

Business partnerships are tested, some of them could challenge your authority. The more you live up to your own set of principles the more you will gain. Now is the time to cultivate an easier relationship with life, get out and about, explore fresh possibilities. Once you set your mind on a goal you must go for it.

SPORT

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NAIR RETURNS TO TEST SQUAD, RAYUDU NAMED FOR ENGLAND ODIS AsianVoiceNews

As expected, Ajinkya Rahane has been confirmed as India's captain for the oneoff Test match against Afghanistan in Bengaluru next month, overseeing a familiar-looking squad which includes the recalled Karun Nair and Shardul Thakur. Rahane, however, has been left out from the ODI squad for England series, along with spinner Axar Patel.

The BCCI selectors met in Bengaluru to pick six squads on Tuesday, including two T20I squads to face Ireland and England and ODI outfit to face England, the latter featuring Ambati Rayudu who was recalled as replacement for the injured Kedar Jadhav and KL Rahul who took Manish Pandey’s place. Virat Kohli leads the T20I and ODI squads, but having opted to play county cricket for the month of June with Surrey, Rahane will lead India in Afghanistan’s debut Test from June 14.

Nair made headlines in late 2016 when he became the second Indian batsman to score 300 in a Test, doing so with a monumental 303 not out against England when filling in for the injured Rahane. He was

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dropped, however, after managing 54 runs in three innings against Australia. A strong domestic season has propelled Nair back into the Test squad as a batting replacement option in

and Sussex - are not playing first-class matches between May 14 and June 30.

The ODI squad comprises first-choice picks, with the inclusion of Rayudu coming after Jadhav was

Karun Nair

Ambati Rayudu

Kohli's absence.

Thakur, 26, has replaced Jasprit Bumrah in the Test squad. He has been part of previous Test squads but has yet to debut. His international experience encompasses seven T20Is and three ODIs. Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishant Sharma, who have both featured in county cricket over the past few weeks, will return to India to play the Afghanistan Test as their counties - Yorkshire

ruled out of the IPL with injury. Rayudu is the leading run-getter in the ongoing IPL 2018 with 423 from 10 innings at a strike-rate of 151.61 for Chennai Super Kings. Rayudu, 32, last played an ODI in June 2016.

Rahul has also been recalled after a strong IPL run of form for Kings XI Punjab, having last played an ODI in August 2017.

Opening the innings, Rahul has racked up 376 runs in nine innings at a strike-rate

of 162.77.

From India's previous T20I squad, which contested and won the Nidahas Trophy in March, Deepak Hooda, Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, Vijay Shankar and Jaydev Unadkat have been replaced with Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, Siddarth Kaul and Umesh Yadav. Kaul has taken 13 wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, which places him at fourth place on the bowling charts.

Test squad: Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Cheteshwar Pujara, Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Hardik Pandya, Ishant Sharma, Shardul Thakur T20I squad: Virat Kohli (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, Siddarth Kaul, Umesh Yadav

Rohit Sharma hits 300 Twenty20 sixes Rohit Sharma became the first Indian cricketer to hit 300 sixes in T20s across all tournaments. Rohit achieved this feat en route to an unbeaten 24 in 15 balls that helped Mumbai Indians defeat Kings XI Punjab by six wickets.

The landmark moment came for the Mumbai batsman in the 17th over when he sent a delivery from Afghanistan tweaker Mujeeb Ur Rahman high into the stands. He added one more maximum later to take his tally of sixes to 301 at the end of the match.

Another feat The match witnessed Rohit claiming another first as well. By remaining unbeaten during Mumbai Indians’ chase, he took his tally of unbeaten winning knocks to 17 in the IPL. This is a new IPL record. Earlier, Gautam Gambhir held the record with 16 such knocks. Out of these 301 sixes, the 31-year-old has hit 183 sixes in the IPL and 83 for the Indian cricket team. The rest of them have come in other T20 events - including Champions League T20 and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

The record for hitting the most number of sixes in T20 belongs to ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle who has clobbered 844 maximums in the shortest version of the game so far.

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Asian Voice | 12th May 2018

Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik in World XI v West Indies charity T20

Hardik Pandya

India cricketers Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik have been confirmed as part of the ICC World XI which will play West Indies in a charity T20 game at Lord's on May 31, cricket’s governing body has said in a statement.

The BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary had last month said that Pandya and Karthik would feature in the match, which is being organised to raise funds for stadia in the Caribbean, which were damaged due to hurricanes last year.

Former ECB head Giles Clarke, who is supporting the event, welcomed the addition of the two India players. “This is a fantastic opportunity for fans of the Indian team to come out and watch these two flamboyant players, who bring both class and star value to what I’m sure will be a memorable match at Lord’s,” he said in the ICC release. “People would remember Pandya’s valiant 43-ball 76 against Pakistan in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy last year while Karthik too has played Test cricket at

Dinesh Karthik

Lord’s. He has been in terrific form and recently blasted 29 off eight deliveries and sealed victory over Bangladesh in the final of the Nidahas Trophy with a last-ball six.”

Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, will skipper the ICC World XI which so far features Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Thisara Perera, Rashid Khan and now Pandya and Karthik. The remaining players will be announced in the coming days, the ICC said. The proceeds from this match will be donated towards rebuilding and renovating five major venues as well as other community cricket facilities that were damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The venues that will benefit include the Ronald Webster Park in Anguilla, the Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua, the Windsor Park Stadium in Dominica, the A.O. Shirley Recreation Ground in the British Virgin Islands and the Carib Lumber Ball Park in St. Maarten.

Kohli officially signs for Surrey Rohit Sharma

Gayle also tops the IPL chart for the most number of sixes with 290. Last week, Sharma and Gayle were up against each other. Gayle struck a 40-ball 50, which included two sixes, to power Kings XI Punjab to 174/6. Australian allrounder Marcus Stoinis also shone for Punjab scoring a quick-fire 15-ball 29.

India captain Virat Kohli last week officially inked his deal with top English county side Surrey in his bid to prepare for the tour of England, starting in July. While Kohli joining the London-based team was an open secret, the county officially announced the deal on their official website. “Surrey County Cricket Club are delighted to announce the signing of India captain Virat Kohli for the month of June,” the club announced.

Neeraj Chopra to train with Uwe Hohn in Finland India's star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has decided to train under legendary German coach Uwe Hohn who is the chief national javelin coach. Chopra, who has had some brief stints under Hohn earlier, is looking to make a mark in the upcoming Asian Games and the Worlds. Chopra was mentored by Werner Daniels in Germany for three months before returning to India to join

the national camp ahead of the recent Commonwealth Games under Hohn.

It's believed that the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) played a role in the decision. Chopra will be part of the national camp in Finland from May 10 to June 22. The camp will be for throwers - shotput, discus throw and javelin – and the athletes will return to India to participate in the Inter-State

Neeraj Chopra

meet in Guwahati from June 26 to 29, which will

also act as qualifiers for the Asiad.

During the duration of the camp, Chopra will be allowed to participate in different competitions across Europe and Hohn will accompany him to some of these events.

Chopra kicked-off his long European sojourn with yet another dash at the prestigious Diamond League in Doha on May 4.

According to AFI officials, Chopra may be exempted from participat-

ing in the Guwahati meet since he is already throwing the javelin well past the Asiad qualification mark of 82m. “He could be an automatic choice and need not appear for trials,” said an official. In that case, the reigning world junior champion will be asked to appear in a confirmatory trial on August 15 in Patiala to ensure he’s keeping pace with his performance.

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Asian Voice | 12th May 2018

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ENGLAND PIP INDIA TO BECOME TOP ODI SIDE England leapfrogged India to gain the No.1 spot in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) One-Day International (ODI) rankings after the annual update which saw the men-in-blue losing a point to be positioned at second in the latest rankings. England, who last topped the ODI rankings in January 2013 have gained eight points and moved to 125 points after the performances in the 2014-15 season has been dropped from the latest calculations while those from the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons were weighted at 50 per cent.

India, who were at the top before the update,

have lost a solitary point to slip to No.2 with a total of 122 points. South

England ODI team

Africa, who were second, have dropped down to third place after losing

four points, from 117 to 113, leaving them nine points adrift of India and

only one point ahead of fourth-placed New Zealand. The remaining places remain unchanged, meaning that the current top 10 ranked sides are the ones who will be playing in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. However, there have been some significant changes in points.

World champions Australia have lost eight points to go down to 104 in fifth position and are only two points ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2017 winners Pakistan, who have gained six points. In other changes, Bangladesh (93 points) have gained three points, Sri Lanka (77) have lost seven points, the West

Indies (69) have lost five points, Afghanistan (63) have gained five points, Zimbabwe (55) have gained four points and 12th-placed Ireland (38) have lost three points.

Meanwhile, in the ICC T20I rankings led by Pakistan, there is no change in the top seven places but Afghanistan are now ahead of Sri Lanka in the eighth slot. Pakistan (130) and Australia (126) remain in the top two positions without a change in their points total while India have gained two points to reach 123. New Zealand (116) are unchanged on points while England (115) have gained a solitary point.

Sunrisers virtually seal playoff berth Sunrisers Hyderabad yet again defended a low score with aplomb and in the process carved out a fiverun win over Royal Challengers Bangalore.

After being bowled out for 146, the Sunrisers looked in trouble as the RCB skipper Virat Kohli threatened to run away with the game.

The skipper hammered two fours and a six off leftarm spinner Shakib Al Hasan to take his side to 47 for one in the fifth over.

However, the Bangladesh bowler had the last laugh as he had Kohli (39) caught by Yusuf Pathan.

After Kohli's departure RCB lost the plot completely. The batsmen looked clueless against leggie Rashid Khan. AB de Villiers (5) was castled by Rashid and Moeen Ali (10) was caught behind by Wriddhiman Saha of Siddharth Kaul RCB were staring down the barrel.

Mandeep Singh (21no) and Colin de Grandhomme (33) kept RCB in the hunt with a 57-run sixth wicket stand but SRH bowlers managed to prevent the big hits. RCB ended up with 141for six. Earlier, Sunrisers skipper Kane Williamson (56) yet again carried the innings with his fifth half-century of the season.

Hardik, Surya star in MI win over KKR Defending champions Mumbai Indians walked away with another win over Kolkata Knight Riders and keep alive their playoff hopes. The 181 proved too much for Knight Riders as they could manage just 168-6, giving the hosts a win of 13 runs and two points.

Mumbai openers

Suryakumar Yadav (59) and Ewin Lewis (43) gave them a fantastic start.

When skipper Rohit Sharma departed Mumbai Indians were 106 for two.

Haridik Pandya (35*), Krunal Pandya (14) and JP Duminy (13*) played their parts to ensure Mumbai reached a competitive total.

Kings slay Royals Karnataka batsman KL Rahul guided to a sixwicket win over Kings XI Punjab after they lost their top four batsmen for 87.

When Kings XI required 52 off 31 balls, Rahul guided Jaydev Unadkat towards point and Sanju Samson took a one-handed blinder. The catch was referred to the television umpire. Once Rahul (84) was declared not out, his body language changed and he looked even more determined. Rahul slogged when others gifted their wickets away and guided KXIP to a six-wicket win at Holkar Stadium as they chased the target of 153 with ten balls remaining.

Daredevils let it slip Sunrisers Hyderabad chased down 62 runs from the last 36 deliveries, 28 from 12 and 14 from the last over. Solid foundation, skipper Kane Williamson’s calm influence and Yusuf Pathan’s pyrotechnics ensured the hosts reached 164 for three to complete a seven-wicket win over Delhi Daredevils. The first 10 and the last 10 overs yielded 82 each for SRH, a contrast to Delhi’s 163 for five that saw 95 in the first 10 and 68 in the second half. Prithvi Shaw put Delhi on a sound footing after Glenn Maxwell, promoted to open the innings,

Jubilant team members of Sunrisers Hyderabad

was run out by Sandeep Sharma while backing up too far at the non-striker’s end. Now they have very little chance to make it to the playoff stage.

CSK spinners strangle RCB Led by Ravindra Jadeja (3-18) and Harbhajan Singh (2-22), Chennai Super Kings restricted a powerful Royal Challengers Bangalore batting unit to a score of 127/9 before notching up a sixwicket win. The pitch looked a lot drier than the previous days and the ball, too, was stopping a bit. The run chase was not without difficulty, but an ice-cool M S Dhoni (31 not out) and Dwayne Bravo (14 not out) kept their composure at the end to eventually seal victory. For RCB, the loss means that they will have to win each of their remaining five matches to entertain hopes of qualifying for the playoffs.

KKR keep playoff hopes alive Kolkata Knight Riders keep their playoff hopes alive by registering a sixwicket victory over Chennai Super Kings. CSK are now second on the table with 12 points from nine matches while KKR rose to third spot with 10 points from same number of matches.

Once again, KKR spin trio of Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla and Kuldeep Yadav did a fine job and were largely instrumental in restricting CSK’s big hitters to 177 for five. Dinesh Karthik won the toss and opted to chase. KKR’s faith in youngsters paid dividends as young Shubman Gill scored 86 runs in 36 balls in company with Karthik that sealed the issue for the hosts.

Delhi Daredevils win thriller Delhi Daredevils

scored a four-run victory over Rajasthan Royals (D/L method) under rain truncated match and keep their hopes of qualifying for the playoffs alive. Since the start was delayed due to rain the match was reduced to 18 overs each.

Delhi made 196/6, five balls short of their tally of 18 overs. While chasing a revised target of 151 in 12 overs, Rajasthan Royals managed 146/5 in the allotted overs.

RCB stay alive with 14run win over Mumbai Playing their penultimate match at home, Royal Challengers

Bangalore under Virat Kohli's leadership ended their five-match losing streak against Mumbai Indians with a much-needed win. Defending 167, the home team bowlers finally delivered as Mumbai fell short by 14 runs and finished their innings at 153/7. At 4/47 and their main batsmen back in the dugout, it was a tough task for Mumbai to cross 153.

Pandya brothers - Hardik (59) and Krunal (23) - took the fight to the opposition with their 39-ball-56 stand, but the latter’s dismissal in the penultimate over ended their hopes.

IPL, 2018 - Points Table

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied Sunrisers Hyderabad 10 8 2 0 Chennai Super Kings 10 7 3 0 Kings XI Punjab 10 6 4 0 Kolkata Knight Riders 10 5 5 0 Rajasthan Royals 10 4 6 0 Mumbai Indians 10 4 6 0 Royal Challengers Bangalore10 3 7 0 Delhi Daredevils 10 3 7 0

Pts 16 14 12 10 8 8 6 6

NRR 0.448 0.421 0.097 0.145 0.552 0.070 0.361 0.411