AV 13th July 2019 by Asian Business Publications Ltd

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13 - 19 JULY 2019 - VOL 48 ISSUE 11

HINDUS DEVASTATED AT TEMPLE VANDALISATION

inside: Celebrating the new game changer in UK’s economy SEE PAGE 16-17

Rupanjana Dutta Britain’s Hindu diaspora have been left anxious and angry with increased incidents of vandalising of temples in the UK. In the last month alone there has been more than one incident at Shree Ram Mandir in Walsall. Temple leaders were left devastated after finding their sacred statues outside temple destroyed in a recent attack, with one’s face entirely broken off. Some of the statues were smashed during the first incident outside the temple at about 10am on June 10, before a second attack was carried out just nine days later at around 11pm.

Continued on page 13

Breather for Karnataka govt as speaker says resignations 'not in order' SEE PAGE 24

NRIs to get Aadhaar card on arrival SEE PAGE 26

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13 - 19 July 2019

onetoone

WITH KEITH VAZ, MP

Mohammed Azharuddin

Mohammed Azharuddin is a politician and former Indian cricketer who Captained the national team during the 1990s. He was born in Hyderabad in 1963 and began his Test career with great fanfare when he scored a century on his debut against England in 1984. In 1990, he was appointed Captain of the Indian side, which he led for the next decade, winning 103 ODIs and 14 Tests. During this period, he set records for the fasts hundred, most runs and most catches in ODI cricket. After his retirement he entered Indian politics, being elected in 2009 as a Member of Parliament for Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. He is married to the actress Sangeeta Bijlani. He is regarded as one of Indian crickets sporting icons.

Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in? I feel most at home in Hyderabad but also, I really like London. I was born in Hyderabad and people are always very helpful and very kind. Hyderabad is a historic city. Once the richest person in the world lived in Hyderabad, he was called Nizam of Hyderabad.

What are your proudest achievements?

Playing for India and being its captain; I enjoyed winning games for my home country and I was extremely proud whenever we won a game. But to be the captain of the team and therefore, given the responsibili-

ties of leading the team was of course the greatest honour that I have ever had.

What inspires you?

I always get inspired when I see people who despite a disability or deformity are able to achieve so much. That is why I like watching The Paralympics. Those who are born with handicaps and who achieve so much should be an inspiration to all of us. I am certainly very inspired by them.

What has been biggest obstacle in your career? When I was young the biggest obstacle to developing my skill as a cricketer was the

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state of the wickets at my school. These were really poor facilities and the wickets, and the grounds were just not being maintained. As a result, I think that there was a huge amount of talent that could have developed, if only the facilities were made available. But the state of the pitches at school level made it very difficult for people to flourish. It’s possible that people could have got injured on those pitches because they were so badly maintained. But imagine the great achievement of people who are able, despite these difficulties to make it to the top. That is where cricket starts, at the grass roots.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date? My grandfather Mir Vajehuddia on my mother’s side taught me so much and I miss him every single day. He taught me good manners and how to choose right from wrong. And he always said to me, if you made a mistake you need to own up to that mistake. He was a very pious man and after I was born he told my mother that he would look after me and he would provide me with the support that I needed. That is why I think he had the greatest influence of my life and I miss him, and I thank him for all that he did for me.

What is the best aspect about your current role? I just want to help people in any capacity’s that I have available, whether it’s as a cricketer or in politics, I think it’s very important that we give as much as we can to people. It’s also important for Indian cricketers to give something back and I hope I have done my bit to my community.

And the worst?

I hate losing and therefore, when we lost a game I would get very angry. I would replay

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What are your long term goals?

To help humanity in general and to make sure that my experiences are made available to other people. I think education is extremely important and to be able to give people that education that they need is extremely important, so I want to do as much as I can to help young people in particular to develop their skills and talents.

If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change? Not just to sit in the Prime Minister’s Office, I would want to go and visit every town, city and village in India and find out what the people think, so that there can be proper feedback on what I would be able to do. So, there is not one particular thing but a mood, a climate which I would want to foster as Prime Minister, if of course I was able to be Prime Minister! I think that politicians should straight talk, should be truthful and be very open and transparent in what they are doing.

If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why. Indira Gandhi. She was a very strong lady. She was very, very tough and no matter what difficulties she faced she was able to keep going. Of course, in her life as in the life of any successful person she faced difficulties, but I would like to be with her to learn so much about what happened, when things went wrong she made sure that she tried to put them right.

12-year-old from Harrow wins national writing competition A 12-year-old was presented with first prize in a national writing competition for young people by an awardwinning children's novelist. Vranda Radia, pictured, a student at Hatch End High School, won first prize in the 2019 Henrietta Brandford Writing Competition and was given the award by Mitch Johnson on June 27. To participate, entrants had to complete a story begun by Mr Johnson, who won the 2018 Brandford Boase Award for his debut novel, Kick. The annual competition

is open to anyone under the age of 19, with the hope to find and encourage writers of the future. It runs in conjunction with the Brandford Boase Award, an award to recognise outstanding children’s or young-adult novelists. As part of her prize, Ms Radia was given a copy of each of the books shortlisted for the Brandford Boase Award and was given the option to have her books signed by the authors present at the awards. The Branford Boase Award is funded by Walker

Books and was set up in memory of the prize-winning author Henrietta Branford and Wendy Boase, editorial director and one of the founders of Walker Books.

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the game in my mind so many times and it was the best way of finding out exactly what went wrong. However, failure leads to encouragement and I hope very much that we will be able to learn from our failures and become successes.

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COMMENTS

13 - 19 July 2019

India’s transformative Budget No national budget in a democracy commands allparty support. India is no exception to the rule. There are pros and cons, and discussions in the public space will intensify going forward. A significant point needs to be emphasised. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landslide victory in the general election was based on the broad perception that his first term had registered sufficient economic and social change that merited a second period in office to complete what he had begun. In 2014, when Mr Modi first swept to power at the Centre, India ranked eleventh among the world’s large economies; five years later, in 2019, it had risen to sixth position. However, much remains to be done to drive India forward to the next cycle of growth to meet the government stated target of a $5 trillion economy. Among its priorities is the reenergizing of a slowing economy to an annual growth of 8 per cent, allied to low inflation. This could be achieved by restoring investor confidence, and hence persuade the captains of Indian industry to place their trust in the potential of the domestic market, among the largest in the world and expanding in every direction. The required jump start lay in addressing the the rot in the banking sector. Government will now inject Rs 70,000 crore into public sector to bolster capital and facilitate lending. Experts also expected further consolidation in the banking sector and hoped the capital infusion would be tied to performance. In keeping with its vision, the government seeks to access global investors by floating sovereign funds denominated in dollars, pounds sterling or euros. This will ease pressure on domestic savings and interest rates. Next, the government has enunciated a clearer focus on Make in India, which will concentrate on selected sectors such as Micro, Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), start-ups, defence manufacturing, automobiles and electronics. Third, the government has set its sights on global investor participation in mega-manufacturing plants as a means to bring in advanced technology in electric vehicles, electronics and related areas. Such an environment, it is hoped, will lift India’s investment rate from the current 31.3 per cent based on around 7

per cent growth to a higher investment rate linked to 8 per cent growth. MSMEs have hailed the extension of a lower 25 per cent corporate tax to companies with an annual turnover of Rs 400 crore from the present Rs 250 crore. ‘This will cover 99.3 per cent of the present companies. Now only 0.7 per cent of the companies remain outside this rate,’ said Finance Minister Sitharaman. Welcoming the measure, K. John Baby, CEO, Funskool India Ltd, said, ‘The government policy of phased reduction in corporate tax rates is a welcome step. The widening of of annual turnover will boost profit in the long-term.’ The move was also welcomed by N.V. Raman, Partner Indirect Tax, BDO India. Easier loans for housing development are expected to lead to a realty boom and should therefore be a boon for the country’s middle class. A One Nation One Grid proposal is calculated to ensure power for every section of society, near and far. Defence allocation stands at Rs 3.19 lakh crore, excluding pensions. The Finance Minister (previously defence minister, and hence aware of its needs) said, defence modernization remains an urgent national priority. ‘For this purpose, import of defence equipment that are not being manufactured in India are exempted from the the basic customs duty, she said. ‘This will have an impact of augmenting the defence budget by Rs 25,000 crore on asccount of savings in expenditure on customs duty over the next five years.’ Education and health proportionate to the Budget remains at 3,5 per cent at Rs 94,854 crore and Rs 64,999 crore respectively. Concluding on an optimistic note, Mallika Srinivasan, Chairman and CEO, TAFE , writes: ‘The format of the present budget represents an interesting development from the past. It lays out the bold goal for us as a nation, to work towards a progressive and inclusive India that is a global leader by 2025...This gives confidence that there is clarity of vision, combined with commitment to ensure continuity in policy making for the next five years.’

Mantra of Rail budget The Rail budget has partnered the national budget for decades. India’s Railways has been,is, and will continue to be far into the future the county’s mass transport system. Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said the government was eyeing a massive investment of Rs 50 lakh crore by 2030 to trnsform it into a global leader. The Minister said rail infrastructure in the country had increased by a mere 30 per cent in the past 65 years, while passenger traffic rose by 1,500 per cent. The government envisioned a network ensuring passenger safety, expansion of track and increase in freight share. Minister Goyal announced that the entire length of

the iconic Konkan Railway Corporation route from Mumbai to Mangalore would be electrified in the next year and a half. Electrification work has commenced under the authority of the Railways Ministry at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore. ‘Running the entire route on electricity will save the environment and increase speed. Besides, trains will run on clean fuel,’ explained the Minister. Apropos of the Konkan railway, measures were underfoot to increase its capacity without doubling the track. Mr Goyal said his Ministry has a sanctioned budget of Rs 1.60 lakh crore as opposed to the Rs 45,000 crore invested in 2013-14, the final year of the previous Congress-led government.

Politics goes skyward at Headingly The ODI cricket World Cup tie at Headingly, Leeds, between India and Sri Lanka was a riveting encounter: India’s star batsman Rohit Sharma hit a record fifth century for the tournament, studded with an array of glittering strokes; his partner at the crease, K.L. Rahul also compiled a century with more measured batsmanship. This was in reply to Sri Lanka’s fighting total of 264, of which Angelo Matthews contributed a gallant century. India cantered to 7 wicket victory, and hence topped the table of four contending sides, Australia, England and New Zealand the other three, for the trophy. Sport was spiced with contentious politics, when two aircraft flew across the ground trailing a banner which read ‘Justice for Kashmir.’ The plane reappeared and did two sorties circling the ground, with a more strident proclamation: ‘India stop genocide, free Kashmir.’ Later, when Sharma and Rahul were batting, the plane made a third appearance, with a yet another banner reading, ‘Help end mob lynching in India.’

The International Cricket Council (ICC) organizers of this magnificent tournament, were deeply upset, as keeping politics away from cricket has long been their mantra. They issued the following statememnt: ‘Throughout the tournament we have worked with the local police forces around the country to prevent this type of protest occurring.... we were assured by the West Yorkshire Police there would be no request of this issue, so we are very dissatisfied it has happened again.’ An upset BCCI expressed its displeasure at this blatant breach of security. It expressed concern about the safety of the Indian players currently playing in the World Cup. The police had assured the ICC that given Headingly was under the flight path of the Leeds-Bradford Airport, it would not be an issue. Obviously the precautionary measures failed, and the public must say why. West Yorkshire is an infestation of jihadi communities much given radical Islami0st causes in most corners of the civilised world.

Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times - Martin Luther King

Lord Dolar Popat Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Rwanda and Uganda Chair of All Party Parliamentary Group of Rwanda

Supporting India over England leaves me stumped This year’s ICC World Cup has been an absolute triumph for cricket. Huge crowds, great matches and (mostly!) good weather have created a great advert for the fifty over game. Last Sunday’s game (30 June) between England and India was a tense affair. England’s great start was pegged back by some outstanding bowling and fielding, and India looked for many overs like they’d make the challenging 338 target, before falling 31 runs short at the end. Yet the outstanding on-field action was not what grabbed my attention in Edgbaston; it was the thousands of British Indians in the crowd who shunned supporting their home nation in favour of Kohli’s boys. I was saddened that so many felt compelled to support their ancestral home, rather than the nation they call home. The British Indian community has integrated so well into British society and whilst I know that many British Indians supported England – the world’s cameras did not show this, which gave the wrong impression to the average English person about where our loyalties really lie. It showed our community as looking backwards rather than forwards. Last week I met an English lady from Shadwell who had gone out for Sunday lunch and watched as young British Indians roared India on. She was offended that those who lived, studied and worked here and spoke perfect English and British by nationality, with more than half born here, couldn’t bring themselves to cheer their home country on in a cricket match. I appreciate that is just one lady, but how many others like her were there across the country? Sometimes we forget how important these little things are. British Indians often talk about how patriotic we are and how proud we are to be British, but if that is the case then we have to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. We have to show how proud we are of our home country, and – for those of us who came in trying circumstances from East Africa – remember the opportunities that Britain has given us, including the education to our children. In this case, I often refer to the analogy of Lord Krishna. He had two mothers – his birth mother and his adopted mother. Lord Krishna’s loyalty always went to his adopted mother. In the same way, the loyalty of many British Indians will always remain with their adopted home – England. I understand that when it comes to short-form of the game, India’s team are the rock stars of cricket. With the IPL and huge investment in Indian cricket, Kohli, Dhoni and Bumrah are some of the biggest names in the game. I’ve hugely enjoyed watching their games and seeing the popularity they’ve brought to this great game. But if the cricketing gods determine that these two teams will meet again in the final rounds of this tournament, I will once again be supporting my country England, just as I did the last time. I am sure other British Indians will do the same, but of course it is their choice. Because at a time when our country is trying to redefine itself on the world stage, as we try to deliver a post-Brexit future that solves some long-standing issues and tensions in society, the British Indian community should stand as the example of a community that has come to Britain and is proud to call it our home. We should use this amazing tournament as an opportunity to reaffirm how grateful we are to Britain, and how British Indians have succeeded in this great country. That we aren’t harking back to our past, but rather that we’re a central part of Britain’s future. Editor: CB Patel Asian Voice is published by Asian Business Publications Ltd Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, (Off Coronet Street) London N1 6HW. Tel: 020 7749 4080 • Fax: 020 7749 4081 Email: aveditorial@abplgroup.com Website: www.abplgroup.com © Asian Business Publications

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Pair arrested over second fatal shooting in London over weekend Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was gunned down in east London early this morning. He was the second man to be shot dead in the capital this weekend, after a man in his 30s was killed in Wembley on Friday night. Firearms officers were sent to the Phoenix snooker club in Leyton around 3am after reports of a number of shots being fired. Police say the man in his late 20s was involved in an altercation with another group before the shooting started. Medical staff from

the London Ambulance Service fought to save the victim’s life, but he died at the scene. Police spent today questioning two suspects, also in their late 20s, and say they

had also been injured and were treated at hospital. There were two more shootings in north-west London on yesterday afternoon. A man was shot in the arm in Brent and shots were

fired in Wealdstone High Street, Harrow. Chief Superintendent Richard Tucker said the two fatal shootings were not linked and reassured the communities that police were working hard to catch those responsible and take the weapons off the streets. He added: ‘Those near crime scenes can expect an enhanced policing presence in their area in the coming days. Officers will be on hand to listen to any concerns they have and continue to appeal for those with information to come forward.’

Accused 'left friend for dead' on doorstep A 70-year-old man was "unceremoniously dumped" and left for dead on a doorstep of a house after suffering blunt force trauma, a court heard. Gurmukh Singh was found outside the White Road, Smethwick, address of Palvinder Hayre on 23 November and was taken to hospital where he died. Mr Hayre, 51, denies murder. But prosecutor David Mason QC said it was the crown's case the pair argued and Mr Hayre violently assaulted Mr Singh before dumping his body.

Opening the case at Wolverhampton Crown Court earlier, Mr Mason said the men had been introduced by a friend in September and both were "heavy drinkers". The court heard Mr Singh had 19 rib fractures, along with a fracture to his sternum and an area around the throat. His right lung was also punctured. A pathologist concluded he had been subjected to a "violent blunt force trauma assault", Mr Mason said. The court was shown CCTV footage from the day

before Mr Singh was found, with both men, Mr Mason said, seen entering and leaving the White Road property, and visiting a nearby supermarket. The court also heard Mr Singh stayed at the house that evening. On CCTV footage from the next day also played in court, Mr Mason said just Mr Hayre could be seen entering and leaving the home. Mr Hayre could be seen wearing a "distinctive" blue and white striped jacket, according to the prosecution. In the recording of the

moment Mr Singh was dumped, Mr Mason said it was clear the person removing him from the home was wearing the same clothes as the accused. The court heard Mr Singh was discovered by Mr Hayre's housemate Vytatus Gudas, who called emergency services. The defendant was arrested at the scene and a forensic search found Mr Singh's blood in several areas of the property, Mr Mason said, adding blood was also on Mr Hayre's clothing. The trial continues.

Police investigating disappearance of Hounslow dad make murder and kidnap arrests Detectives investigating the disappearance of Shah Khan from Hounslow have arrested two men on suspicion of murder and kidnap. The two men - aged 22 and 25 - have been arrested on suspicion of murder, kidnap/abduction and perverting the course of justice. They both remain in custody at this time. Met Police officers were

searching an address in Brentford on Monday night, July 8 as part of the investigation. They previously carried out a search warrant at a "motor trade premises" in Hounslow on Friday morning, July 5 in connection with the 27-year-old's disappearance and the discovery of his Audi Q3 car. No arrests were made as

A driver targeted cyclists and police outside the Houses of Parliament in an attack designed to "kill as many people as possible", a court has been told. Salih Khater aimed his car at members of the public before swerving towards police officers in Parliament Square, his trial at the Old Bailey heard. His actions of 14 August 2018 were "designed to cause maximum death and injury", the jury was told. Mr Khater, 30, of Birmingham, denies two counts of attempted murder. Opening the case for the prosecution, Alison Morgan QC said the defendant first drove at cyclists waiting at traffic lights, before driving at officers guarding the side entrance to the Palace of

Westminster and then crashing into a security barrier. Ms Morgan told jurors Mr Khater's reason for the attack was unclear. But she suggested that by targeting officers guarding the Palace of Westminster, the defendant had a "terrorist motive". She added: "Using his car in the way that he did, driving in the manner and direction he did, the prosecution alleges that it is obvious that he intended to kill as many people as possible." Jurors were shown CCTV footage of the defendant's silver Ford Fiesta driving at cyclists before crashing into barriers as two uniformed police officers dived out of the way. Footage also showed Mr Khater driving through Parliament Square at 01:00

part of the search. Police have not released the address of the business or anymore information of what type of company it is. It is now also known that false registration plates were put on the car belonging to Mohammed Shah Subhani, known as Shah Khan, within two days of when he went missing. A £20,000 Met reward is

being offered both for information leading to the whereabouts of Shah, and also information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of anyone connected with his disappearance.

Salih Khater 'wanted to kill many’ in Westminster car crash

in brief NEW HINDU TEMPLE OPENS IN COVENTRY

The Hindu community of Coventry has celebrated the opening of a new temple. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir opened in Stoke, on Saturday 29th June. Spiritual leaders came together to celebrate the new religious building, which will also act as a community hub. As well as providing a place of worship for the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha sect, it will also offer activities for children, healthcare and will host charitable events. Classes already running at the centre include arts and music, Sunday school, and social groups for all ages. Amongst the guests at the opening was Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director for Coventry City of Culture of Trust. She said: "I really enjoyed the new mandir. It's a place the whole community can come together, but also a place that's inclusive for others. Everyone is welcome." Deputy Lord Mayor Ann Lucas added: "[Today] is proof that we might be different, but the views held here are the same views held by Muslims, Christians, and all religions. We're going to show the rest of the world how people in Coventry live in peace together."

MAN AND WOMAN ARRESTED AFTER GIRL, 12, DIES IN HITAND-RUN ON MOTORWAY

A man and woman have been arrested after a 12-year-old girl died in a hit-and-run on a motorway. Five other people were injured in the collision involving a Vauxhall Corsa and a Nissan Qashqai on the M61 near Chorley, Lancashire on Saturday night. Sana Patel, from Blackburn, was a passenger in the Nissan and died at the scene. The occupants of the Vauxhall fled the scene on foot and Lancashire Police urged them to "search their conscience" and come forward. In a statement on Sunday evening, the force said a 23-yearold woman from Mirfield in Yorkshire had been arrested on suspicion of death by dangerous driving. A 28-year-old man from Dewsbury in Yorkshire was later arrested on suspicion of death by dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident. Both remain in custody. The collision happened around a mile from junction eight for Chorley at around 10.45pm on Saturday. The five other people in the Nissan were treated for minor injuries. The M61 was closed in both directions between junctions six and eight while investigators attended the scene. The motorway was reopened at around 9am on Sunday. Police have urged anyone with information about the collision to contact them.

£50,000 REWARD OFFER ON 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF JUNAID KHAN DEATH

Salih Khater, depicted here at a magistrates' court hearing last year, denies attempted murder

BST, allegedly conducting reconnaissance. He returned about six hours later and completed four laps of the square before launching the attack, jurors were told. The Sudanese national, who was granted asylum in the UK in 2010, had shown signs of "paranoia" about British authorities in the

months leading up to the attack, the court heard. Ms Morgan told the jury: "The defendant selected an iconic site. This was no coincidence." Mr Khater has also pleaded not guilty to two alternative charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm. The trial continues.

A £50,000 reward has been offered in a bid to trace the killers of a man who was shot dead in Oldham ten years ago. Junaid Khan, 21, was shot multiple times outside a doctor's surgery in Chadderton in the early hours of 9 July 2009. Four men were cleared of his murder in 2011. Junaid Khan was 21 Appealing for information, Mr Khan's when he was shot with sister Raheela Durrani said it is "really an automatic weapon painful knowing there is someone out outside a doctor's surgery there that's responsible". Mr Khan had been visiting friends when he was shot with an automatic weapon on returning to his car outside Block Lane Surgery. The offenders fled in a silver Mitsubishi Shogun with the registration number YP57 XSH, which was later found burnt out, Greater Manchester Police said. Police are offering £50,000 for information that leads to arrest and conviction.

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Rickshaw driver’s 13 year old son clears Scholarship exam; with YUVA Unstoppable’s mentorship Here is a success story of a young 13 year old boy, Prince Baria who aspires to become a scientist. Ranip is one of the oldest areas of Ahmedabad and has cultural importance in making Ahmedabad India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City. It majorly has a Gujarati speaking population. Ranip has a lot of government schools. Deval Ben, who is a fellow teacher at YUVA Unstoppable, teaches in Ranip School No. 4. She has been associated with YUVA for 2 years now. While taking her classes, she met a young boy and realised that he is a very bright kid. She recognized the potential he has and helped him academically. She sat with him for 2 hours daily after the school got over and trained him personally. Prince Baria is a student of Ranip School No. 4. He studies in class 8th . In April 2019, YUVA organised a summer camp science workshop for these students. It tried to include fun activities like treasure hunt to improve their reasoning and qualitative thinking and also included a lot of interesting science experiments for enhancing the scientific ability of kids. Prince’s drive for knowledge and active interest in science forced him to make a brilliant working model of a volcanic eruption himself. It was appreciated by everyone in his school including the teachers as well as his friends.

Recently, Prince appeared for the NMMS (National Means cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme) which provides scholarship to government school students till they complete their class XII. With Deval Ben’s guidance, he cleared the exam successfully and now is looking forward to shift to a better private school till he completes his schooling. “Deval Ma’am has helped me a lot in performing well in the NMMS exam. YUVA helped to recognise my potential. I want to be associated with YUVA till I graduate”, said Prince while talking to one of our volunteers. Prince told us that the thing that he appreciates the most about YUVA is that it gave him a platform to understand his favourite subjects not only through his academic curriculum, but also through practical lessons that helped in understanding the subject more effectively. He said that YUVA has provided him exposure to this part of the subjects that his school has not been to provide. This is not only Prince’s success story, but equally belongs to Deval Ben who gave her best efforts, went beyond the limits and helped Prince in achieving his aim. Prince comes from a challenging financial background. His father drives auto rickshaw on the streets of Ahmedabad for a living. His mother works as an ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) is a community health worker who goes on house visits to provide vaccination. She is a hired for a contract of only some months and doesn’t have a permanent job. Prince wants to improve his lifestyle. He wants to live a life that he has not experienced before and he knows that would be achievable only by completing his education. We at YUVA have transformed the lives of almost 150,000 young students like Prince. We believe that education is key to any nation’s success and should not be taken away from them. We try to provide the best facilities to every student we come across so that they can be an asset to their family as well as the nation. YUVA provides scholarship to its students after class 10th only and would be looking forward to assist more and more students like Prince to fetch their dreams.

Sponsored Charity of Asian Achievers Awards 2019

To know more about Yuva Unstoppable please visit www.yuvaunstoppable.org.

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13 - 19 July 2019

UK's new approach to immigration? MPs will head an inquiry into the Home Office's treatment of international students who may have been wrongly accused of cheating in the English language test by questioning the most senior civil servants in the Home Office. Sir Philip Rutnam, the permanent secretary at the Home Office, and his deputy, Shona Dunn, will join Mark Thomson, the director general of UK Visas and Immigration, to face questioning from MPs. Approximately 2,500 students have been forcibly removed from the UK after being accused of cheating in the exam. Another 7,200 left the country after being warned that they would face the prospect of being detianed and removal if they

stayed. Many have tried to prove their innocence in court: 12,500 appeals have been heard and so far 3,600 people have won their cases. The hearing by the Commons public accounts committee is the latest in a series of official attempts to investigate why the Home Office decided to accuse more than 30,000 international students of cheating in an English language test they were required to sit as part of their visa application process. A National Audit Office report published in May concluded that some students may have been mistakenly accused and unfairly removed from the UK and it criticised the Home Office for failing to protect those wrongly caught up in the scandal.

The report questioned the quality of the evidence used to determine who had cheated. "We are pleased that a second government watchdog is now investigating this scandal. We hope that this brings the tens of thousands of students who were denied the chance to prove their innocence a step closer to the justice they need," said Nazek Ramadan, Director of Migrant Voice. Meanwhile, a group of the students had successfully delivered their letter to the Home Secretary earlier at the Home Office. A member of the Home Secretary's staff came down to receive the letter, and Stephen Timms MP was also there to show his support for the students.

“ICM polling for our new report finds that only 18% of the British publicand just 25% of 2017 Conservative voters - agree that Mrs. May did a good job managing immigration in either office. Those vying to replace her in Downing Street have sought to distance themselves from this failure,” wrote Sunder Katwala for the Financial Times. In the meantime the Prime Ministerial candidate Boris Johnson has proposed for a points-based system combining control with skilled migration whereas his competitor Jeremy Hunt has announced his intention of reviewing £30,000 salary threshold for skilled migrants.

Disabled man left on plane after special assistance failed to turn up A disabled passenger was left on a holiday jet for two hours after it had landed because the special assistance booked for him never arrived. Quamer Khaliq, 44, and his daughter, aged 11, had been on a dream £6,000 trip to visit Disney World in Florida and had just touched down at Manchester Airport after a nine-hour flight. Mr Khaliq, who has been dependent on a wheelchair since birth because of spinal muscular atrophy, remained in his seat after his Thomas Cook Airlines flight arrived at the airport. After all the other passengers had left, Mr Khaliq, his carer and his daughter remained in their seats as the cabin crew and pilot disembarked. Cleaners came and went and the drama only came to an end after newly recruited cabin crew came aboard for training and he threatened to dial 999 to get the fire service to rescue him. The new recruits' tutor raised the

and promised to investigate. Mr Khaliq, from Ashtonunder-Lyne, G r e a t e r Manchester, said: 'There was a moment when I was actually crying. My daughter saw me crying. I wanted this to be special for her. Mr Khaliq Mr Khaliq, from Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater described how the Manchester cabin crew and the pilot left the plane, alarm but it took another 30 leaving him in his seat minutes for a wheelchair to beside his daughter, before a be brought to the plane and team or 'five or six trainee Mr Khaliq was finally lifted air stewards' came on board out of his seat. to be shown the inside of the Mr Khaliq says he sufaircraft. The airport confered 'distress and humiliatractor which provides assistion'. He had booked the tance for disabled passentrip through Disabled gers, ABM Aviation, apoloHolidays.com and the comgised and said it was reviewpany says it booked 'special ing the incident. assistance' for him at A Thomas Cook Airlines Manchester Airport. spokeswoman said, 'Mr. ABM Aviation, which Khaliq's experience was was only awarded the conclearly unacceptable. 'On tract in April, has apologised arrival into Manchester, our

Closing ethnic gap: Indians earn more than British Recent data from the office of national statistics has revealed that Indian employees earned a higher median hourly pay than their British counterparts last year, while wages for bangladeshi and pakistani workers were lower than any other ethnicity in the UK. The report, the first of its kind by the ONS, comes months after prime minister Theresa May proposed new plans which would oblige employers to release their race pay gap statistics. According to the

ONS, Indian workers earned 12 percent more an hour compared to white UK staff while Bangladeshi employees earned the lowest medium hourly pay, approximately 20 per cent less than white British workers, followed by Pakistani employees. Although some large businesses, such as Santander, agreed to report their ethnicity pay gap, not all have followed suit. The Prime Minister launched the Race Disparity Audit in 2017, to examine how people of different ethnic back-

grounds were treated across society. However, the report also highlighted that Pakistani and Bangladeshi were significantly less likely to be employed, probably owing to “cultural differences” as many women were found to be looking after their family or home. When in employment, data found that Bangladeshi females earned more per hour on average than their male counterparts, showing a gender pay gap of negative 10.5 per cent.

crew made multiple attempts to connect with Manchester Airport's special assistance providers, and a member of the Thomas Cook Airlines team stayed with Mr. Khaliq until he was met at the aircraft. We have asked Manchester Airport to look into what went wrong with its provider to ensure that this does not happen again.' A Manchester Airport spokesman said: 'We are committed to ensuring all our customers enjoy a positive experience when travelling through Manchester Airport, and are therefore disappointed to hear the standards we expect of our partners do not appear to have been met on this occasion. 'We have raised this matter as a priority with ABM Aviation, our special assistance provider, and will work with all parties concerned to understand what happened here, and will ensure any lessons are learned.

Theft at Harrow Restaurant: Cricket ball stolen Amidst the on-going Cricket World Cup, Bombay Central in Harrow Weald had displayed a huge cricket ball outside their restaurant. However, the ball is now reportedly stolen. A man is seen untying the ball that was secured to one of the Rickshaws outside the restaurant, in the CCTV footage that was uploaded and shared across social media. The caption reads: ‘Do you know this man?’. Police are aware of the theft. “Please help us identify the individual in the footage. The reward – a meal for four at Bombay Central,” said, owner Rishi Lakhani, Bombay Central.

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As I See It CB Patel

Cultural acceptation does not come with bending the knee Dear Readers,

Britain is under attack. The very foundation of Great Britain is being challenged by political jokers who have unfortunately been given a voice by a majority population. I have to admit, national news these days are nothing more than a compilation of headacheinducing 'Breaking' reports. Let me address the issue at hand. Boris Johnson. The front-runner to replace Prime Minister Theresa May has once again stepped up and proved to be our bane. Unless you have been living under a rock, you are aware of the insensitive statements Johnson has come forth with this week. “I want everybody who comes here and makes their lives here to be and to feel British. That is the most important thing. And to learn English,” Johnson said. He added that in parts of UK, "English is not spoken by people as their first language." This isn't the first time he has openly displayed his feelings for immigrants. We all remember the circus that was the 2016 Referendum when Johnson, along with Priti Patel (ironic) called for a full stop on immigrant inflow. I believe it is his sense of cultural superiority that nudges him to speak the way he does. In my 52 years of life in the UK, I have observed one thing, among many others. Britain is by and large a tolerant country. The people here are protected by the rule of law, and also enjoys equality of opportunity, and acceptance of other cultures. I, of course say these things loosely considering current political conditions. Every now and then, racial incidents occur than push us as a society in its entirety, a few decades behind. What is even British culture? NeoEnglish society is a result of the Industrial Revolution that occurred 300 years ago. Britishers have always been proud, no, conceited about their culture. History depicts their arrogance with stories of colonisation and slavery. I have spent the first 10 years of my life under British Raj. The disease reflected in British politicians today is nothing new to me. Back in 1835, Thomas Babington Macaulay urged the then Governor-General to reform secondary education provided to Indians under the East India Company on utilitarian

lines to deliver "useful learning". He said, "We have to educate a people who cannot at present be educated by means of their mother-tongue. We must teach them some foreign language." Imagine considering one's community language and culture not fitting enough for others. Back when I first came to London, there was rampant racial discrimination. I remember trying to rent houses along with my friends, only to be greeted by signs saying, 'Indians, Irish, and Dogs not allowed'. Immigrants have suffered enough. Especially Indians, who have suffered British arrogance in their home country. However, Indian Sanatan culture continues to withstand all adversities. The old civilisation was ruled over by the Badshahs from the 13th-14th century to the 18th century. The Muslim rulers imposed all kinds of taxes on Hindus, amidst other pressures. Despite living through those ages, the Indian population currently consists of 80 per cent Hindus. Our culture is much more than one religion. India has been more than accommodating of all foreigners. I distinctly remember the Jewish community stating that India is the only country with no anti-semitic inclination. The country has in the past and will in the future shelter people from all the around the world without forcing them to Indianise. First the Portuguese and then the Britishers during their rule, on the other hand had run a rather hot propaganda to impose Christianity in India. I fail to understand the whole idea behind the competition of cultures. If a culture is worth preserving, it will automatically be preserved. The common people simply want to live their lives in peace. Indians in the UK face the same difficulties as other immigrant communities. Even in doing so, they continue to excel and stand apart in various fields including business, social service, arts, and others. Credit is due to the British society and its values. Indians combined are decidedly doing better than others despite being distinguished into separate groups of culture and religion. As for the so called 'Culture' that is so in discussion these days, first generation immigrants brought Indian cultural norms to the UK or wherever they migrated. A

handful of years later, their subsequent generations walk along the same drawn cultural lines. Some time back, a 92 year old individual with diabetes wrote me a letter and invited me to his home. I, along with Jyotsnaben, her husband, D.R. Shah and Surendrabhai went to meet him at his residence in Harrow. The house was fairly large and inhabited by three separate generations. All of us had a wonderful Gujarati vegetarian meal together. The family communicated in Gujarati, and prayed before we ate. Similarly, I was invited to a 40th birthday party hosted by a multi-talented daughter-in-law from a distinguished family known for their public services. The palatial home is situated in outer London. Around 100 guests flocked in and the family entertained them all with warm hospitality, music, vegetarian food, and most importantly, zero alcohol. Their Indian values were as clear as day to me. I would also like to share the story of a doctor friend of mine. His son married 20 years back and at the wedding, six of his friends were present. They made a pact to meet with their families at least once a month or once every three months. They would all converse in Gujarati and eat Gujarati cuisine. The group has now grown into a little more than 100 people. Families of the original seven friends are involved. Together, they sing, dance, and eat. When I asked the doctor how the group grew, he said their children bonded during their get-together and they continued their small pact. My point here is, culture evolves with practice, not preaching. Progressive individuals follow what is worth following and with that, the culture remains unblemished. They also readily accept what is worth from the British culture too. There are organisations in the UK that have been contributing towards retaining Indian culture and its soft powers like dance, music, and yoga. We readily accept what is worth from the British culture too. While politicians like Boris Johnson take every opportunity to point out how much the UK has provided to immigrants, I want to take this one opportunity to point out how much the immigrants have provided to the British, and at what cost?

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LIVING BRIDGE The historical significance of ‘dhows' Rohit Vadhwana Historically India has connected to the outer world mainly through sea routes. North of India was dominated by the greater Himalayas and difficult terrain of Sindh, Balochistan and Afghanistan, which diminished prospectus of smooth travel. But peninsular India was bestowed with long sea cost on the East, West and South sides. The only available sailing facility in the vast Indian Ocean and connecting waters was a small or medium size ship called dhow. They were typical ships made of the wooden hull and one or more masts. The word dhow is Arabic but there is no certainty as to who invented these dhowsIndians or Arabs. But it is no more important as far as the word and ship have played an important role in connecting Indians with various parts of the world for millennia. Indians and Arabs fondly narrate their historic ties through the reference of dhows which were constructed in Beypore, Kerala mainly by Yemeni settlers known as ‘baramis’. There is ample evidence to show that India had trade relations with Arab and African countries in the pre-christ era. Indians reached out to Gulf, Africa, countries of South Asian today known as Maldives, Indonesia, Malaysia and also much farther to Mauritius, Seychelles etc. Different types of dhows used to sail between India and these regions carrying fresh water, dates, cotton, spices, animals,

sandalwood, precious stones and many other items. As the technology and trade improved, the ships became larger and more modern but in common parlance, they were still known as dhows. Based on the size and shape, they are called Baghlah, Baqarah, Barijah, Battil, Badan, Ghanjah, Jahazi, Sambuk, Boum or any other name. Their importance is not lost in history. Many Indians settled in East Africa had travelled through ships which were more akin to dhows. Those Indians who were taken by the British might have a different story but others who travelled to Africa and the Arab world on their own had relied on the buoyancy of wood and power of mast for propulsion. Sometimes the wind would not support the sail and dhow would take rounds in the mid sea for days or weeks before reaching the destination. Seasickness would take the toil of travellers and few might even die. But with these sailing vessels, Indians have reached far ends of the world, for trade and settlement. Their journeys were lifetime experiences and they all have a unique story. No wonder if an old Indian living in London too has a story to narrate about a dhow journey from India. In this way, dhow has become a living – sailing – bridge for Indians, connecting them with many other cultures. (Expressed opinions are personal.) (Do you have a story or suggestion for this column? Email me at: livingbridgeasianvoice@gmail.com)

Just the ticket for Wolverhampton school in bus poster competition A poster designed by a Wolverhampton school pupil will be advertised across the West Midlands to encourage more people to leave their cars at home and get on the buses. Year 5 pupil Sukhmani Bratch, from Newbridge Preparatory School in Tettenhall, won a West Midlands Bus competition to design a poster, as part of Catch the Bus Week. Her bright, eye-catching picture will be displayed on outdoor banners at bus stations across the West Midlands and at the school gates. It shows the benefits of travelling by bus, especially reducing air pollution and helping to tackle loneliness and isolation. West Midlands Bus, which is part of Transport for West Midlands and the wider WMCA, works in partnership with bus operators, local authorities and other organisations to improve the quality of bus services in the region. Cllr Kath Hartley, Chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Transport Delivery Committee, presenting the girls with their prizes said: “I was highly impressed by the creativity of all the entries, which show very powerfully

Newbridge Preparatory School teacher Becki Bayley, competition winner Sukhmani Bratch, headmistress Sarah Fisher, Stephen Holloway from Transport for West Midlands and Cllr Kath Hartley, Chair of the WMCA's Transport Delivery Committee

why catching the bus is better for us than taking the car. “As well as improving our quality of life, fewer car journeys will reduce traffic congestion, which already costs this region £2bn each year.” A total of 17 girls, aged nine and 10, from the school took part in the competition, and they all received a goodie bag of gifts, including art materials and a

pedometer. In addition, Sukhmani has won a fourweek regional nbus ticket. Becki Bayley, art and design subject leader at Newbridge Preparatory School, said: “We were delighted that West Midlands Bus invited us to take part in the poster competition. “The girls came up with some fantastic, creative ideas to encourage us all to catch the bus more often.”

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No. 11 beckons Javid: Brent Cabinet Member launches bid to represent Supports BoJo as the next PM Brent and Harrow

Cllr Hirani’s announcement follows the decision by the Labour incumbent, Navin Shah, to stand down after twelve years in the role. Assembly Member Shah has publicly endorsed Cllr Hirani’s candidacy, backing Brent’s Cabinet Member for Health, Culture & Leisure to replace him at next year’s election. Born, raised and educated in Brent, Krupesh has represented Dudden Hill ward since 2010, and has served as the Lead Member for Health since 2012. He previously worked for the Harrow-based spinal injury charity, Aspire, before joining the MS Society as their Regional Officer for London in 2015. Outlining his priorities for Brent and Harrow, Cllr Hirani has highlighted the need to protect police numbers, improve the accessibility of public transport and lead the fight against cuts to local health services. Other commitments include the introduction of a Young People’s working group to facilitate better youth engagement across the two boroughs to bring issues forward to the Mayor, as well as improving air quality in some of the area’s most polluted neighbourhoods. Endorsers of Cllr Hirani’s campaign include MPs Barry Gardiner (Brent North), Dawn Butler (Brent Central) and Gareth Thomas (Harrow West), as well as the leaders of both Brent and Harrow councils, Cllr Muhammed Butt and Cllr Graham Henson. He is also backed by the GMB trade union.

Navin Shah

Cllr Krupesh Hirani

Announcing his intention to stand, Cllr Hirani said, “I’m standing to be Labour’s candidate because I believe Brent and Harrow deserve a representative who really understands the challenges facing our communities. Our area has seen enormous change over the past decade, and I am committed to giving local residents a strong voice in City Hall – a voice that will fight to protect the things we all care about. “Over the past decade, we have seen huge changes across Brent and Harrow that have helped to unlock new opportunities. I want to make sure that everyone is able to take advantage of those opportunities, and am committed to working closely with residents from every corner of Brent and Harrow to help our communities realise their full potential. “It would be an honour to serve the people of Brent and Harrow, and an oppor-

tunity to give back to a community that has given me so much.” Gareth Thomas, Member of Parliament for Harrow West, told Asian Voice, “Krupesh is wellknown across communities in both Harrow and Brent. He is the ideal candidate to represent Labour at the London elections and I am proud to support him as our candidate for 2020.” Dawn Butler, Member of Parliament for Brent Central, said, “Krupesh works tirelessly for Brent and as his MP I am always confident when I refer people and issues to him that he will deliver.” Navin Shah, London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow told the newsweekly, “I first met Krupesh as a community activist in Harrow rather than through the Labour Party. Brent and Harrow will be in capable hands with Krupesh as its Assembly Member.”

lier in the week that the “pound would crash” if Johnson took the UK out of the EU without a deal. In the meantime, it is revealed that Javid is planning for an emergency budget if a pact is not reached. While, more than a sixth of expats — 17 per cent — intend to liquidate UK assets if there is a no-deal, according to a recent figure.

McDonald’s employee has no plan of retirement at 83 An 83 old McDonald’s employee, who is the chain’s one of the oldest workers has said that he has no plans to retire. Oliver Grogan, received a cake and cards from staff and customers As he celebrated his birthday, Oliver Grogan received a cake, cards and well wishes from staff and customers at the restaurant on Thames Street in Windsor. He has worked at that branch, opposite the Windsor Castle, ever since he was 55, roughly for 28 years. The fast food giant reportedly said that he is certainly one of their oldest employees and is trying to establish if he holds the record. Mr Grogan is a customer care assistant on the tills and says he looks forward to work each day. He told the Windsor

Pic courtesy: McDonald's

Cllr Krupesh Hirani will seek the Labour nomination for the seat of Brent and Harrow in next year’s Greater London Assembly elections.

home secretary has put his weight behind Johnson and insisted that “he is the bestplaced to deliver Brexit”. The move comes right after the former foreign secretary, Johnson told the Tory hustings that he would take up no-deal with the EU in hopes of receiving a better deal. However, Chancellor Philip Hammond had warned ear-

After being knocked out of the race in becoming the UK's Prime Minister, the home secretary has pledged his support for Boris Johnson in the current leadership contest. Javid is reportedly eyeing the keys for No.11 with the intention of becoming the next chancellor amidst fears of a crashing pound in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The

Atul Pathak and staff presenting Oliver with a cake on his 83rd birthday

Observer, "I was thrilled to have my team come together to celebrate my birthday. "I love working with my colleagues here. We have a lot of fun together and I look forward to coming into the restaurant each week to see both my team and customers." Franchisee owner Atul Pathak said he was proud to

have Mr Gorgan working for him. He said, "Oliver is a really valued member of our team and is very popular with us all. "I am very proud to have an employee like Oliver working in one of my restaurants and truly admire his dedication. I look forward to celebrating his birthday next year."

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Demi gods I am sure most of us Indians were put to the Tebbitt test when India played against England in the ICC cricket world cup on 30 June. Readers will know that Norman Tebbitt, a former minister, had said to the effect that Indians who were living in England would support the Indian team when the Indian team played against England in a cricket match. In the event India lost. They lost in the only game they are good at and occupy a prestigious place in the world of sport. We say that a game is a game but in cricket, like in football, lots of money is at stake and like the film stars, cricketers are put on a pedestal like demi gods. It is a shame that our heros failed to come up to the aspirations of their supporters. Now the tennis season is upon us and our eyes are glued to the TV screen watching tennis. But why is there not a single Indian player taking part in the Wimbledon tournament? Is it because of a lack of support from sponsors or from the Indian Government? Once we used to excel in hockey but even that has been lost to us. In the absence of sponsors, the Indian government needs to encourage our youngsters to participate in the game of tennis in order that we can have a player or two to represent India at Wimbledon in this interesting to watch game. Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

In appreciation! I am indeed avid reader of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar for a very long time. As I do not regularly buy national newspapers, these weeklies are more of less my only source of information, supplemented by TV media. The news we appreciate are vast and varied coverage of events from our “Motherland Bharat” especially from Gujarat which is unique feature of these weeklies. Readers Voice in AV and its counterpart in GS, along with Editorial Comments, Alpesh’s Political Sketchbook, Bollywood and CB’s Jivan Panth are my favourite read. Rupanjana also deserves special mention for her numerous, well researched articles. At one time there were many contributors to “Readers Voice” but now numbers have dwindled, although Baldev Sharma, Jubel D’Cruz and few more make worthwhile contributions. But in Bhupendrabhai and Kumudini, you have regular contributors; picking subjects that are unique, informative and makes pleasant reading and that include “Hell of Water World” and “Flourishing Wildlife in Metropolitan London” in last week’s AV. I did not know about flourishing wildlife in Richmond Park, although we regularly use these roads passing through the park while visiting friends’ in Surrey. Now these journeys will have special significant! I have also read Bhupendrabhai’s two popular novels, Ivory Tower and Olive Grove, books borrowed from our local library. Although most libraries do not stock them, they will willingly order them upon your request if you give them proper details, obtainable on Amazon. Dinesh Patel Edgware, Middlesex

Helen’s Law: Better late than never! So often criminals jailed for serious offences like murders, keep taunting their victims’ families while behind bars. Many even refuse to reveal the location where they have hidden, buried their victims’ bodies, depriving grieving family members to put to rest their beloved ones and move on. While criminals who refuse to refund stolen money, mostly hidden in overseas accounts under false names or converted into gold bars and precious jewels, either buried safely or distributed within trusted friends and family members, face lengthy sentences, this is not the case for murderers who refuse to revel the fate of their victims. Marie McCourt who lost her 22 year old daughter Helen in 1988, murdered by Ian Simms, a pub landlord, while she was walking back to home from work, has been campaigning tirelessly to introduce a law that if a murderer fail to cooperate, to reveal final resting place of their victims, they should not be eligible for parole, the Parole Board must consider this cruelty, taunting by the prisoner when reviewing offender’s eligibility for early release. This legislation, known as “Helen’s Law” was passed way back but still not put on the statute book, will now get government’s support to legalise Helen’s Law as soon as possible. Although prison sentence is meant to educate and rehabilitate prisoners, make them ready for reintegration on release, that is the main aim throughout the Western world, grieving families’ pain and heartache should be taken into consideration when these criminals are seeking early release. After all it is in their hands to cooperate and gain the goodwill of the Parole Board to get early release for good behaviour. Kumudini Valambia By email

No deal Brexit

Blind people with guid dogs

None of the two contestants for the Prime Ministership Boris Johnson and Jermyn Hunt have any idea what will happen after 31 October, 2019. Although both have said if EU does not agree to a new withdrawal agreement, then will go for a ‘no deal’ Brexit. To do this they will have to first get the approval of the parliament, which they very well know, they will not get it. So they are contemplating to prorogue the parliament and go ahead with the ‘ ‘no deal’ arrangements. Sky News reports that the UK government won’t need to pass legislation in order to revoke Article 50 if the European Court of Justice (ECJ) confirm an initial opinion reached in early December 2018. Agriculture is part of the largest manufacturing sector, food and drink, which is worth more than the car industry and the aerospace industry put together. They employ one in seven people so it is really, really serious for Britain No deal Brexit could affect trade, employment, food standards and animal welfare: No one has so far worked out the total disruption this move will have on the economy, political, social and cultural maters. The only alternative is to leave in an orderly and friendly manner or cancel Brexit. The UK government has already been found in contempt of parliament. If the government yet again ignores parliament, the UK will be plunged into a full scale constitution crisis not seen since 1910. Parliament is sovereign. It represents the views of the British public, as expressed in elections for MPs. Parliament is in charge of government. Brexit is already an intense political crisis. A government which repeatedly ignores parliament and triggers a UK constitution crisis with unknown consequences. This should not be allowed to happen and hopefully it will not happen, if good sense prevails. Baldev Sharma Rayners Lane, Harrow.

I don’t have any personal experience or knowledge about guide dogs but I do know that they are trained from very young age and for the ‘master’ they are inseparable. I am very disappointed that all kinds of places, taxis, religious places have some sort of objection. Some offer assistance from volunteer to take them round, if allowed in the first place, whilst the guide dog is looked after somewhere else. This is just like saying to a mother, you stay outside, we will take your child round. We have Hindu Dieties riding a lion, we rever Ghai-mata, monkeys are allowed free reign in temples in India etc yet we discriminate to against blind people with guide dogs. Stop making excuses! Narendra Patel By email

Sour grapes!

I would like to thank regular, long standing readers of AV/GS who have been reading my contribution to AV, well over three thousand, that include letters, short stories, poems, travel log, interviews of prominent personalities, as well as covering visits of Indian politicians like L. K. Advani, Shruti Irani, CM Modi (2002) and many more, since I first started contributing to AV/GS way back in 1993. Over last two decades I have interviewed twenty prominent politicians that include Barry Gardiner, Gareth Thomas, Stephen Pound, Sarah Thatcher, Navin Shah AM and many more. Most were published in Asian Voice and India Link where I have my own column. I hope to interview two more, my personal favourite, Lord Popat and MP Bob Blackman before I put my pen to rest. I email my weekly published work to some six hundred prominent people, including politicians. Since then, I have published three books of short stories, main ones being “Ivory Tower and Olive Grove” over half a million words. My fourth book, collection of ninety poems “Don’t Cry for Me” (Not Argentina!) will be out by the end of this month, with Forward written by Lord Popat. This progress on literary front could not have been possible without help and support of C. B. who has more faith in me than I have in myself. I clearly remember one incident when Advani visited London; function was organized by OFBJP. I received telephone call from CB, who was meeting late Anil Pota, discussing Advani’s visit. C.B. requested me to write short piece of 700 words about last night’s function. As I had not taken notes, I hesitated, especially as there was three hour deadline. I remember CB’s words, “Bhupendrabhai, I would not ask you if I believe you could not do it.” I submitted 1500 word piece well before deadline. That gave me self-belief, thank you CB. I believe selection of letters, choice and length is just right, although there are occasional repeats, letters recycled that takes up valuable space without significant contribution. My thanks go to Editorial Board, in particular CB, Rupanjana, Urja and associates. As most AV readers are A1 class, I am sure they understand every word written by us without referring to dictionary! One reason we are able to contribute so profoundly is that we have loyal, devoted following who writes to us regularly, often suggesting topics and providing information. As we say, what you sow, so you reap! Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

MAKE YOURSELF HEARD Write to our ‘Reader’s Voice’ section about what you think regarding the various ongoing issues all around the world. Please send your letters to aveditorial@abplgroup.com Make sure they are NOT more than 350 words. Any letter longer than the limit may not be published. Note that all your letters are subject to being edited by our team for valid reasons. - Asian Voice

UK News

Mayor honours victims of 7/7 bombings

London Mayor Sadiq Khan laid a wreath at the 7/7 memorial in Hyde Park on Sunday morning to mark the 14th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the capital. Khan was joined by

British Transport Police chief Paul Crowther, Met Police commissioner Cressida Dick and City of London Police commissioner Ian Dyson to honour the 52 people killed in the bombings on July 7, 2005.

Drugs gang jailed in Wales Three Midland men have been jailed for a total of more than eight years after police spotted a local 'gopher' and busted a County Lines drugs ring in Wales. Two men from Dudley and a third from Walsall travelled to Llanelli to take part in an operation to supply cocaine, heroin, synthetic cannabinoids ('spice') and cannabis. But they were caught after police spotted local

man Damien Hearne, who was described in court as 'a gopher'. Swansea Crown Court heard it was a ' County Lines operation ', where a telephone line referred to as Mitch was used to facilitate the sale of the drugs, WalesOnline reported. Ravi Talware was jailed for four and a half years, while Walker and Hearne were both jailed for three years. Higgins was jailed for 14 months.

Armed police 'believed London Bridge terrorists were about to detonate explosives' Armed officers who shot the London Bridge terrorists believed explosives were about to be detonated and lives were at risk, an inquest heard. A Metropolitan Police officer, known only as BY28, told the Old Bailey he feared for his life as he made his way to the scene on June 3 2017. The officer said his main objective was to "protect the innocent parties" and get there as quickly as possible. BY28 told the inquest that as his vehicle arrived he spotted a man who "looked like he'd been painted in blood". In the space of 10 minutes, Khuram Butt, 27, and Rachid Redouane, 30, from Barking and Youssef Zaghba, 22, from Ilford, had ploughed into pedestrians

on London Bridge and run amok around Borough Market with knives and fake suicide belts. All three were shot dead in Stoney Street, bringing to an end a rampage which left eight people dead and 48 seriously injured. The officer said he would ideally liked to have been 100 metres away from the suspects but said they needed to stay for the safety of civilians. The inquest continues.

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13 - 19 July 2019

Nominate stellar individuals excelling in their fields for this year’s Asian Achievers Awards The bell has rung and preparations for the 19th Asian Achievers Awards have begun. Like each year, we have nine categories that will be represented by nominees pitched by you. We have been blown away by your remarkable responses in the past, and we pride ourselves on this initiative. However, AAA holds a more special place in our hearts with its theme this year- Inclusivity. Resonating with the current global wave, the theme could not get any better or similar to how we wish to represent ourselves. At ABPL, we know no race, gender, or sexual orientation. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: The world is a family, and we want to celebrate each and every one of you. Which is why, this year, we urge all of you to nominate at least one individual of the Pride community for each category. One of Britain's premier Asian awards, AAA recognises the outstanding work of individuals from across all areas within the Asian community. One of our 8 categories is Woman of the Year. It exclusively cheers for the fairer and stronger sex. We also have the Uniformed and Civil Services category for individuals with outstanding achievements in the field or contri-

Pragnesh Modhwadia of Axiom Stone Solicitors with Woman of the Year award winner Trishna Bharadia and Bianca Miller of BE Group

which is one of our more bution to the community popular award slots. through any of the Last year too, the services. AAA has The world is a the Community family, and we want awards celebrated outstanding Service category to celebrate each and every British Asian talfor those who have conone of you. Which is why, this ent across arts & media, sports, t r i b u t e d year, we urge all of you to community serimmensely to the society. vice, uniformed nominate at least one One of the services and busiindividual of the Pride most accredited ness. The winners community for each categories is the were honoured in a Sports Personality glamorous event held category. of the Year category, at Grosvenor House.

Lord Gadhia with Asst Commissioner Helen Ball accepting the award on behalf of winner Asst Commissioner Neil Basu for Uniform and Civil Service category and Merul Patel of Asian Voice

Those who took awards home include multimillionaire, hotelier, trustee of the Balaji Temple in Birmingham and Chairman of the Bhartiya Vidhya Bhavan, Joginder Sanger, Atul Lakhani, CEO of multi-award winning catering and event management specialists Sanjay Foods, and renowned property developer and philanthropist

Vraj Pankhania. If you know an exceptional, stellar individual excelling in their field, let us know and we will present them to our panel of judges. We invite not only our subscribers and readers, but also the wider community to nominate achievers for various categories of the awards.

PLEASE NOMINATE

For

s there someone you know who has broken boundaries and deserves recognition for their unique contribution to the Asian Community or the Nation ?

Deadline for nomination 31st July, 2019

AWARDS CATEGORIES ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! The prestigious Asian Achievers Awards is hosted every year by UK’s leading news weeklies Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar to honour British Asians par excellence.

pply online

Achievement in Community Service Woman of the Year Sports Personality of the Year Business Person of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award Uniformed and Civil Services Entrepreneur of the Year Professional of the Year Achievement in Media, Arts and Culture

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12 MEDIA WATCH

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SCRUTATOR’S It was a stellar performance. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the first woman to hold this post, delivered her two hour, 15 minute maiden Budget speech in English, interspersed with quotations from Tamil, Hindi and Urdu texts to emphasise a particular point. A rapt Lok Sabha listened enthralled by the speaker’s self-assurance, eloquence and clarity, as she laid out the defining goal of the Budget and outlined the measures for its fulfilment.

kin would not be tolerated. Addressing the BJP’s parliamentary meeting, he clearly had in mind Akash Vijayvargiya, Indore MLA, son of the BJP General Secretary Kailas Vijyavargiya, who hsad been arrested and released on bail for assaulting a government official with a cricket bat. The Prime Minister was reported to have said, ‘whoever he may be, whosoever’s son he may be, such arrogance, misbehaviour cannot be tolerated.’ He censured BJP members for the fanfare at the

access to the most advanced American weaponry. This arises from a shared perspective on maritime security in the IndoPacific region in a clear bid to counter China’s rise, and its muscular territorial claims in the South China Sea. (Times of India, July 3). The Senate motion will have to be submitted to the House of Representatives for approval, following which it will be passed on to President Trump for signature. The President has the right to veto it but is unlikely to do so. This said, India’s policies on Iran, Syria and Russia are contrary to those of the United States. The convergence of their national interests are limited but well defined. JMB jihadi run to ground

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her team on their way to present the Union Budget with a new brief case

Five trillion dollar economy The principal goal of the second Modi government was to build a $5 trillion economy, over the next five years, from its present $2.7 trillion. She reminded the House that India was now the sixth largest in the world, having progressed from eleventh place under previous Congress-led regime. It is standard practice for governments to remind Parliament and the country of its manifold achievements. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the ‘Budget has taken all-round steps for the empowerment of poor farmers, Dalits...and the underprivileged sections...the country will get the energy to fulfil the dream of a $5 trillion economy from these empowered sections.’ Senior Congress party leader, P. Chidambaram, once the finance minister himself, accused the government of ‘not listening either to ordinary citizens or knowledgeable economists.’ Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress head, Mamata Banerjee, the loudest entrenched voice in the country’s lunatic fringe politics, dismissed the Budget as ‘Visionless.’ [See page 3].

down as Congress President, taking full responsibility for the party’s debacle in the recent general election. His decision was irrevocable and it was up to his successor to preside over the party’s desired renewal. Mr Gandhi stands tall in handing over the reins instead of carrying on regardless as Congress courtiers desired in their own selfish interests. There must be a clean sweep of the old regime. Experienced and capable old timers such as Anand Sharma should stay as a bridge to a new order led by a raft of young leaders who have the intelligence and character to revive Congress and make it fit for purpose once more. It is in the larger interest of Indian democracy that this should happen. A stable democracy requires a responsive two party system, more so in India, with its etnic, cultural and religious diversity. The process to find a new leader, if free of intrigue and back-stabbing, will be the first step in Congress winning back its lost moral and political authority (Times of India, Hindu, Statesman, July 4; also TV channels). PM admonishes BJP bosses

Rahul Gandhi Resigns Rahul Gandhi made a formal declaration that he had stepped

release on bail of the erring Akash Vijayvargiya, suggesting that action be taken against them (Hindu, July 3) Unruly politicians, mainly in north India and West Bengal, have become a scourge, much like medieval robber barons. The PM ‘s condemnation was salutary. IAF men for S-400 Russian training Indian Air Force are to leave shortly for Russia for training in operations of the S-400 Trumf missile systems, a mega multibillion dollar deal, which the Trump administration attempted to abort, both with India, and NATO ally, Turkey. The system is widely accepted as the world’s best. Period (Statesman, July 3). Russia to train Indian astronauts ISRO [Indian Space Research Organization] has signed an agreement with Russia’s space agency for the training of Indian astronauts for the country’s first manned mission, Gaganyaan, and the medical support staff. Rakesh Sharma, India’s first astronaut went into space aboard a Soviet Soyuz satellite in 1984. India’s Institute of Aerospace Medicine has long experience of working with Russia. Rakesh Sharma, now a member of the National Advisory Council, said it was good senese to work with Russia, for long a tested friend and partner (Times of India, January 2).

Jihadi Abdul Rahim has been arrested for his participation in the Bodh Gaya, Bihar, bombings targeting Buddhist pilgrims in 2013. He was tracked down by antiterror police squads following the arrest of Jamaat ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB)IS West Bengal Dhuliyan (Murshidabad) module, that shares direct links to likeminded South-India based JMB associates. Arising from the interrogation of suspects, Abdul Rahim was arrested in Bardhawan, West Bengal (Times of India, July 3). B.K. Birla dies Industry icon Basant Kumar Birla has died at his home in Mumbai, aged 98. Along with JRD Tata, he was the business giant of his generation and set the course for India’s transformation into an industrial power, following the country’s Independence in August 1947. His passing marks the end of an era. His wife Sarala and son Aditya Vikram Birla, also an industrialist, predeceased him; his grandson Kumar Mangalam Birla is today the keeper of the Birla flame. The youngest son of the legendary Ghanshyam Das Birla – a close JRD contemporary too - the founder of this remarkable business dynasty, B.K. Birla expanded the family empire into new areas, making it the giant it now is, as it keeps moving relentlessly forward (Business Line, Hindu, Times of India, Statesman, July 4).

World Cup Charge Veterans of spot fixing and possibly even the murder of Bob Woolmer, the team’s coach, during the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean (hushed up by London and Washington) and much else that has brought cricket into disrepute, in keeping with this dubious heritage, a number of well known Pakistanis, among them Waqar Younis, the once great fast bowler, now turned commentator has charged India with throwing the match against England to derail Pakistan’s chances of making it the semi-finals. Its sheer absurdity is apt to leave one speechless. Never one to let a loose ball go unpunished, Sunil Gavaskar, an all-time cricket great, now columnist and commentator, who pointed a formidable finger [see Times of India, July 4] at the curious Afghanistan-Pakistan match, which appeared lost, but turned suddenly Pakistan’s way, when Afghaistan captain Gulbadin Naib, his side’s most expensive bowler, took the ball in the critical final stage and conceded 19 runs in his opening spell. There were other Afghan bowlers on the field who had performed admirably keeping the Pakistan batsmen in check; they were ignored. Gulbadin also dropped a caught-and-bowled sitter. West Indian coach of the Afghan team, Phil Simmons, looked thunderously on at the seemingly stage-managed last rites. Simmons will be revealing the backstairs intrigues and goodness knows what else, when he returns to Kabul with his official report. A word from the authorities to the Taliban on a possible Pakistan factor in the outcome may help unveil the truth! Box Andaman terminal project The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Administration plans to develop a container transhipment terminal with a Free Trade Warehousing Zone in South Bay, the Greater Nicobar Island to provide Indian shippers an alternative to Colombo, Singapore and Port Klang, Malaysia. Tendering for the project is underway (Business Line, June 4).

Monsoon havoc in Mumbai

US Senate for India’s NATO status

Narendra Modi

Rahul Gandhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stern warning to BJP members that hooligan behaviour by kith or

The US Senate has passed a motion for NATO status for India despite it not being a member of the alliance. A similar arrangement was worked out with Israel and South Korea. India, like Israel and South Korea, will have

Mumbai under flood water

India’s financial capital, Mumbai, has been devastated by monsoon flooding. The death toll across Maharashtra stands at 35 and rising. Road, rail and air transport were out of gear. Mumbai’s citizens have been posting messages on social media platforms offering help to the stranded. The city’s municipality has much to answer for the dilapidated roads and drainage system (Statesman, Times of India, July 3,4).

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13 - 19 July 2019

Our Schools As schools break up for holidays, and the next potential PM promises to improve the education system, I am reminded that our schools do not come close to overtly teaching the skills for life needed to thrive and survive. Schools were once built to build character for nation builders. A generation of snowflakes, entitled and crackable at the slightest trouble are seen by many as a modern social problem. That’s unfair. From the greatest of all generations – that of my grandparents, those who fought for liberty in a World War to mine and those after me, there is dilution in character traits. The most important thing I would tell my younger self, 30 years on, is a character trait which is the need of our time today; something which will see you through to success in all times. There are books on the bestseller list dealing with this – so I am not the first to have come across it. And I am still working on it myself. The most important lesson in school: resilience and ‘anti-fragility’ Your professional and personal lives will fall apart without this. I joined Fulneck Boys School when I was 13. I was two years behind the other pupils. Resilience came from crying at midnight as I had to translate every word in my German homework, word by word. It did not come from being told I was perfect as I am, but to show courage and fight on. ‘I don’t care if you succeed or fail, I want you to show courage’ was the message from my grandmother. Damn right. Nowadays I fear it would be ‘you’re just wonderful darling.’ And winning the German Prize three years later provided serious devotion, dedication, persistence and resilience and the attitude of never giving up, even at 13 and 14 is a life lesson well worth paying the price for

when I could hear the other pupils playing outside having fun. Before that at my state school, the same thing happened, but in English - looking for synonyms, well past midnight. There, I was demoted to a lower class not good enough in English to be in the top tier. I promised you this, you will be in demand for the whole of your life if you make the choice to be resilient. You will be wanted personally and professionally. Resilience does not come from being pampered and told you are perfect – but instead when you hit 93%, being told by your uncle – ‘What happened to the other 7%’? That builds resilience and makes you look up, when you think you are at the top. Not from being told you are perfect, entitled and wonderful. Each year our schools dilute the award of top grades, no wonder everyone feels entitled to A's and A*'s – they are worthless. And this past week a report revealed that 40% of University degrees are First Class. It was 10% when I was at University. Society reinforces mediocrity as excellence. It’s time our educational establishments toughened up the snowflakes from being entitled to think nothing is ever wrong with them or their fault to looking at themselves first. But that is also the failing of my generation – we blame ourselves too much. But that’s nothing. The kids I would see in India working at midnight under flickering light bulbs on one meal a day – that’s resilience and thank god I did not have to compete against them. In trying to top exams my fear was never the wealthier students who may have private tutors, it was always those from poorer backgrounds, the quiet ones. They were the real competition – they were hungry. I feared them the most – they could take my top spot.

Detectives investigating disappearance of man execute warrant in Hounslow Detectives investigating the disappearance of a man who went missing from Heston more than a month ago have carried out a search warrant at a motor trade premises in Hounslow. Officers attended the premises on the morning of Friday, 5 July in connection with the disappearance of Mohammed Shah Subhani and the recent recovery of his AUDI Q3 vehicle. A search of the motor trade premises in Hounslow has now concluded. No arrests have been made. Enquiries continue. A 23year-old man previously arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice has been released under investigation. Police were called on Tuesday, 7 May after 27-year-old Mohammed Shah Subhani failed to return to his home in Hounslow, west London. His family reported him as missing shortly before midnight, having seen him last at 12:30hrs that same day. The search for Mohammed continues. Mohammed’s white Audi Q3 was recovered in Camden on Wednesday, 19 June and forensic tests are ongoing. At around 18:30hrs, officers were

informed that the occupants of a white Audi had been involved in an argument with another group of people on Robert Street, NW1.

The occupants were alleged to have been in possession of weapons. There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.

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HINDUS DEVASTATED AT TEMPLE VANDALISATION Continued from page 1

The temple, which also serves as a community centre, has been part of the area since the 1980s and has never suffered an attack like this before. But these have not been the only incidents. In the recent past a number of temples have been robbed and vandalised around London too. Describing the incident after seeing the CCTV footage that recorded the attack, staff Jagu Patel reportedly said, “We saw some pictures on the CCTV footage of somebody coming in from the side and he came in with what looked like a cricket bat or a hockey stick.

Tripti Patel

HFB has been at

Virendra Sharma MP the forefront in seek-

“He hit the statue several times while speaking to one of his colleagues, who was sitting in his car. He then came back again and badly damaged some of the statues, running away with the face of one of the statues. “We just want to know why the people who did this, did so. They don’t get anything from this and it just seems senseless. We’ve never had such incidents before and it’s very sad. We are a Hindu temple in a quiet area of Walsall and we feel that every person should live peacefully with heart and soul.” The statues that were imported from India, are expensive and replacing them could cost the temple a fortune. While Mr Patel said they haven’t yet received any cost estimations yet, but he was sure replacing them had to be done through their contact in India and would cost a lot of money especially in shipping. Representatives from the temple are in touch with the authorities and also urging the community for any kind of support. A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police confirmed the attack, and said anyone with information is urged to contact police on 101, quoting crime reference 20WS/147794M/19 or 20WS/137218F/19.

HFB to host security conference Trupti Patel, the President of Hindu Forum of Britain (HFB) told Asian Voice that the Hindu Forum of Britain was created following a meeting of Hindu leaders when such an attack took place at Shree Vallabh Nidhi Temple in Wembley. The

ing funding from the government for saving their places of worship from such attacks. In the last year the HFB organised two security conferences in the UK in partnership with the Home office and UK police force to raise awareness of the threats facing the temples and the solutions of making them secure. Mrs Patel has been in touch with the government officials after this incident and an emergency security conference has been planned in Tooting on 16 and 17 July. Officers from the Home Office are meant to attend the event and outline the procedure of how to apply for funding to improve safety of temples. She told the newsweekly, “Hindus in the UK have always been hard-working integrated members of the UK society and it is sad that such attacks are taking place in the temples.” In 2018, after attacks at the Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple in Kenton, Harrow on Tuesday and another at the Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Willesden where three Hare Krishna idols were stolen, Virendra Sharma MP asked Justice Minister David Gauke whether the cases would be treated as hate crimes and not just ignored by police as they “targeted people of one faith”. He told The Hindu Newspaper, “Given the way society is developing, given the way some sections of society are going around and spreading hatred and intolerance in society, I strongly feel that people should keep open that possibility,” He pointed to a new First World War monument of a Sikh soldier that was vandalised last

week, an incident that is being treated by police as “racially aggravated criminal damage”.

Home Office announces fourth round of protective security funding scheme The Home Office has announced that the fourth round of the Places of Worship (POW) Protective Security Funding Scheme which is open for application till 31 August 2019. Over the last three years, and increasing hate crimes against places of worship such as temples, gurdwaras and mosques, the scheme was awarded to more than 130 places of worship with grants to install measures such as protective alarms, security lighting and access controls to protect their places of worship. Home Office has made this year’s scheme easier to encourage more places of worship and associated faith community centres to apply. This includes removing the need for applicants to find their own quotes for security measures. Instead, applicants this time will benefit from a central supplier for assessments, quotes and installation. In addition the scheme is now open to faith community centres, and the eligibility criteria is broadened, so that applicants no longer need to show they have already been victim of hate crime. Instead the test will now assess vulnerability to hate crime. The scheme is open to places of worship and associated faith community centres across England and Wales. For further details of the funding scheme and how to apply can be seen at:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/places-of-worshipsecurity-funding-scheme.

14 COMMUNITY

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13 - 19 July 2019

Sixth Atul Pathak Community Awards at the House of Commons

photo courtesy: Raj D Bakrania, PrMediapix

Nachural Awards

Atul Pathak OBE and the award winners

The Atul Pathak Community Awards were held on Wednesday 19 June to celebrate the work of charities and community groups at a reception in Parliament hosted by Atul Pathak OBE. Atul is the Managing Director of Appt Corporation, the largest McDonald’s franchise in the UK, and the second largest in Europe, employing over 3,000 people across London and Berkshire. The Awards were set up in 2014 by Atul to celebrate the work of charities and community groups, they include cash grants and ongoing support for the year to help their local work. The winning organisations operate in the areas where Appt

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

The winners were:

Colindale Communities Trust – Community Group of the Year Move into Wellbeing – Service to the Community Award P.E.S.T.S (Parents of Ealing Self Help Training Scheme) - Service to the Community Award Youmanity – Community Partnership Award Gold Plogolution – Community Partnership Award Gold East Barnet Community Festival – Community Partnership Award Silver Wokingham, Bracknell and Districts Mencap – Community Partnership Award Silver Award Boyne Hill Cricket Club – Community Partnership Award Bronze

Corporation has existing operations. Speaking to Asian Voice, Atul said: “Giving something back to the community is woven into the DNA of my business. That’s why the Community Awards are such a joy to host and it’s

humbling to find, celebrate and reward people and organisations who give so much to their communities. It’s also a pleasure to give them cash grants plus ongoing support to help their work too! “All winners were such

strong contenders for the Awards and I hope the support we are giving will help them to achieve their goals. My message to them is keep up the great work!” Bina Omare, Chief Executive Officer of the Colindale Communities Trust, said: “This award makes a significant impact supporting CCT’s holistic health and well-being programme. Critically it will allow us to focus on a highly vulnerable community’s need for mental well-being projects to reduce isolation, anxiety and depression, especially the young people, and provide them with an essential network of friends, neighbours and volunteers who can continue to support them.”

Writers' network provide scholarships to aspiring authors from the diaspora On Saturday 22nd June, Tattva celebrated its third book launch, Tipping Points, featuring the latest cohort of authors, Jaspreet Kaur Sharma, Kishan Bhatt, Snehal Shah and Vivek Sharma. Attended by creative leaders like Niraj Chag, Parle Patel and Karun Soni, the event was a celebration of the intersection of Indic Culture, Society and Literature, held at the prestigious King’s Place, London. Since 2017, Tattva, a non-profit organisation run entirely by volunteers, has trained and published the works of 17 authors. Through a structured, 16week programme of mentoring, assignments and workshops, aspiring authors are led through all varieties of writing and publishing expertise. Award-winning novelists, journalists and literary experts facilitated workshops, including Katy

Darby of Liars' League London, Will Storr, author of ’Selfie', Cyan Traynor of Huck Magazine, and industry expert Scott Pack. A key element of the programme is its focus on one-to-one mentoring. Mentors range from academics and education

experts to marketing directors and editors. After the programme, Tattva offers a network for alumni members to collaborate, build their portfolios and access publishing opportunities. Parts of the programme are open to the public through the range of its workshops

and events which have taken place in major UK cities. Over three years, the programme has published over 90 pieces of literature in three books, 'Being in Beta', 'Think Different' and now 'Tipping Points'. For more details see www.tattva.org.uk.

Local industrialist Stewart Towe, pictured with Ninder Johal, outgoing President of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce

Dhiren Katwa Barclays Bank scooped the ‘Diversity & Inclusion’ award at the Nachural Summer Business Awards. Held in Wolverhampton last Friday, the awards, now in their 4th year, are the brainchild of Ninder Johal, outgoing President of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce. The keynote speaker was Greg Reed, UK CEO of Homeserve, the home emergency repairs business. The Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed upon local industrialist Stewart Towe – pictured with Ninder Johal - for his commitment to business and the community. Mr Towe, who is Chairman

of the Hadley Group, has overseen growth of his business from £1mn turnover in the 70’s to one approaching almost £200mn. Other winners on the night included: Business Start-Up (Fluoro Tech Ltd); Community Excellence (James Wong); Business Person (Jaya Nayyar); Businesswoman (joint winners Farhana Sheikh & Amina Hussain); International Enterprise & Innovation (Bowman Stor). The glittering round table, black-tie event was attended by over 500 people, hosted by BBC’s Tommy Sandhu. Over £10,000 was raised for Acorns Children’s Hospice, the chosen charity.

Fusion Awards recognises GHS Youth Leadership

Gujarat Hindu Society (GHS) has won youth leadership award at annual the Fusion Awards in Blackburn, beating four other groups (pictured). GHS has been at the forefront in the development of young people ever since its inception in 1975. The organisation’s motto of empowering people has continued over the years

and has provided young people with self development skills and confidence building through team work and at the same time instilling cultural and religious values of the organisation. The GHS Youth Club has organised youth festivals at local, regional & national levels over a period of 30 years.

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TLIGHT

The Dancing Maharani & Other Stories

Asian woman on the streets: she, along with many of that generation, was plagued by loneliness. There was a lot of hardship adapting to life, after arriving in the UK too.” Having moved back to India with her family for a period of five years herself, Ranjit also knows the feeling of cultural displacement firsthand. Here, she voiced her consequent frustration at “the xenophobia in the U.K.,” where “the amount of people from the Indian subcontinent who recently voted for anti immigration parties was shocking. How could people be talking about migrants as some sort of scum? Have they become so removed from their background? Past generations struggled; they worked hard. There are accusations of immigrants burdening the NHS when so many of those from a minority background are the backbone of the institu-

ebut writer, Ranjit Kaur, brings forth a charming collection of short fiction, with a unique focus on the migrant experience. As reflected in the joyous and stately title, her stories form a commemorative bridge between modern British-Indian identity, and an earlier post-colonial past. “History is often told by victors,” Kaur told me of the inspiration behind her work, “and so topics such as mass immigration,” which followed the oppressive era of the British Empire, “and the interpersonal conflicts that came of it, are rarely explored. However, British colonisation resulted in the world’s biggest migration.” Filled with overlapping cultures, humorous mothers, and evocative accounts of travel, both to and from the UK, Kaur then recovers the underrepresented perspectives of the older South-Asian generation with moving, lucid depth. One story, A Monumental Love, primarily based in India, touches on women who were abducted from their families during the political upheaval of Indian partition, while another, Whisky and Sauna, shows the mischievous side of a second generation immigrant’s mother, who naively assumes her boring. “Many of the stories in The Dancing Maharani are drawn from real life events,” Ranjit stated. Also a passionate advocate for women’s rights, the writer explained: “A lot of the mature Indian women I know, who came over in the Fifties and tion’s medical staff. Such people are the Sixties are such funny, open people. It’s carers who look after me.” a common misconception that they’re And so, Ranjit ultimately honours passive. These women have much to another famous saying: ‘those who share with us.” Ranjit elaborated on the don’t heed history are doomed to influence for A Monumental Love, repeat it.’ Her collection, The Dancing which was an intimate revelation from Maharani is as much an education as a her mother: “she informed that my personal catharsis, promoting intergrandfather had the job of returning generational dialogue alongside the kidnapped girls to their families, durcross-cultural. Indeed, reading as if ing the 1947 divide of British-India. The real-life fairytales, the vignettes consituation was heartbreaking already, tain excitement from page to page as and many abductees did not even want well as inquisition. There are tigers to return home as they considjumping out of suitcases, and ered themselves “dishon‘electric blue saris studded oured”. Generally, this with sequins.’ It’s aptly was a chaotic, affecting reminiscent of the more "We so easily time – one that tradition of forget what people Eastern deserves to be recogoral storytelling, radinised.” ating a signature have gone through. and warmth When my mother came wonder *** that makes the writto the UK in the Fifties, ing easy to absorb. It is no surprise The book is sympait was rare to see then that the catathetic to the older another Asian lyst for writing this South-Asian commucollection of illustranity, while appealing woman on the tive stories was an to a multicultural audistreets" earth-shattering shock ence and the young. to Ranjit’s own life. In 2009, Interestingly, Ranjit has a she was diagnosed with secbackground in legal and social ondary cancers, and was referred to a work. She has served in the Civil hospice for support: “I was given 2 Service, and has been Director of a years to live, and thoughts naturally women’s charity, which gives legal turned to ideas of legacy. My mother, advice on a range of issues, including for example, turns 85 this year: I domestic and sexual violence. The colthought if I don’t document her stories, lection emerges as a fusion of the and indeed my own, who would?” It author’s creativity and social contook her over seven years to craft the sciousness. Kaur creates an altogether nostalgic tales, through sickness, and completer narrative of British-Asian pain but she persisted. “We so easily heritage at a crucial time. As sharp geoforget what people have gone through. political divides seem to return, the When my mother came to the UK in gentle reconstitution of a shared conthe Fifties, it was rare to see another sciousness is surely a healing salve.

How Private Equity can boost your growth in good times and save you during crises.

Ranjit Kaur

Sunetra Senior

13 - 19 July 2019

Kaur doesn’t just provide a nuanced look at forgotten history, but also a social empathy that helps strengthen cultural fabric in the “current context.” Proceeds from the stories will go to King’s College Hospital, and the Women’s Resource Centre.

Who are some of your favourite writerly influences? My favourite novel is Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. I was always imagined myself to be the girl protagonist, Scout. I also enjoy many Asian writers, including Arundhati Roy, and Khaled Hosseini. I love the works of Anita Anand too. In terms of my passion for writing the collection, I wanted to support a charity for women called the Women’s Resource Centre. This is a second tier

organisation responsible for campaigning on the Tampon Tax. The government currently charges VAT on tampons as they are seen as luxury goods though, of course, they are basic requirement. George Osborne had promised that the money would go to helping women’s charities, but this year, of the ten charities that received the money only one is a women’s charity, Southall Black Sisters. We shouldn’t be paying the tax, or alternatively, women’s charities should be supported as pledged.

Do you think a good short story should be as open as it is interrogative? Yes! A lot of people do ask me what happens next in my pieces, and obviously that’s great. It gets them thinking. However, importantly, I wanted there to be humour and lightness. I think the brief format allows for that too. Finally, there’s one story in your collection that highlights the hypocrisy of Bollywood culture e.g. how lyrics romanticise sexuality, but this is frowned upon in real life. Do you both celebrate and scrutinise tradition? Yes. I’ve been sexually harassed on the way to school as a child growing up in India. In the movies, sexual harassers are shown as heroes, and this is worth examining if we want a strong and truly vibrant culture. The Dancing Maharani & Other Stories can be found on Amazon, and in all good bookstores. T: @dancingmaharani

The general wisdom amongst business people, and academicians is that the more debt one has the more vulnerable one is in times of economic slowdown or crisis. On the whole there is plenty of evidence to suggest this is true as equally for householders as it is for businesses. However, to what extent is it true for businesses Sachin Nandha backed by a Private Equity (PE) sponsors? Many Chief Executive PillboxCapital 3 entrepreneurs worry about taking on PE because of debt and losing control of the business during times of crisis. Again, to what extant is this true? PE acquires profitable businesses, and then introduces both capital and debt to the business in order to grow profitability. The simplest way to determine whether PE-backed businesses contribute to the overall financial fragility during an economic crisis is to compare information about performance to all similar companies without PE backing. Mezzanotti, an academic from Stamford, recently studied 500 companies that are backed by PE and 500 that are not. He found that while all firms during the 2008 crisis cut their investments, PE-backed firms did so much less than firms not backed by PE. He found that the PE firms spent 5.9 percent more than non-PE ones. It goes without saying that if businesses were more fragile, one would expect them to be cutting investment back that much more. In fact, PE at a time of crises can be a boon for entrepreneurs. PE often brings with it money to reduce debt, strong relationships with lenders to negotiate during difficult times, and expertise in dealing with suppliers. A case in point is the UK pharmacy market. It has recently been through a tumultuous time with severe funding cuts, and many perfectly steady businesses found themselves cash strapped and unable to invest, grow, and in some cases even survive. When everybody else was in a panic, we backed a small group of pharmacies with capital, strong network with lenders, and helped the entrepreneurs re-think their business model going forward. Now we are engaged in a buy and build in the sector, and investing a large amount of investor capital when everyone else is still reeling from the economic shocks. Debt is good, so long as it is creating real value at an enterprise level. Debt is bad, when it fuels working capital, and people’s pet projects which might, or more likely might not go anywhere. PE backed entrepreneurs more often than not are able to see the ‘wood from the trees’ because they are challenged by PE professionals every step of the way to optimise investment and maximise growth. PE is a blessing for any entrepreneur who wants to grow, and grow at pace. Having said that, one always needs to understand that once PE sponsors arrive the game will change; it will professionalise; and pet projects will be put to bed quickly unless they have real legs to create value. PE will bring networks, and ready-made customers, stronger suppliers, and pedigree in deal-making. The question is, what are you willing to give in order to access this money and expertise? To find out more about PillboxCapital visit: www.pillboxcapital3.com or call 0116 274 0707

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18 FINANCE - UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

13 - 19 July 2019

Consultant Editor Financial Voice Alpesh Patel Dear Financial Voice Reader, Will it keep going up? Too late to pick some quality stocks for growth? Should we be more focussed on protection from falls? Or waiting to buy on dips? All this and more from this newsletter. As I’ve been saying – we are not overly expensive when earnings are factored in – helped by our low expectations and each time they are exceeded, the market moves up. Above all else this is what I presently have the most faith in – ie any correction will be short-lived and an opportunity to buy. Well, unemployment is at lows. So no worries there. Of course other factors can override it. In case things to go wrong – it will look like the image below: My view is I want to buy more stocks for my pension and also if the market falls, buy even more. I just see so many companies to choose in UK and US markets with an Alpesh Patel 8 or 9 rating, based on our algorithms which analyse income, growth and value. I’m picking the highest rated stocks on my algorithm which datamines based on valuations, growth of the companies and the income they generate – to make sure I have comings paying out, growing fast and still well valued. What more could we want? I also like to buy into long term trends. Sometimes, like AT&T – the fundamentals can be in place, but the price goes sideways. So I’ve highlighted these with a bit about what they do from the web: Celanese Corporation, also known as Hoechst Celanese, is a Fortune 500 global technology and specialty materials company with its headquarters in Irving, Texas, United States. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., usually known as The Hartford, is a United States-based investment and insurance company. The Hartford is a Fortune 500 company headquartered in its namesake city of Hartford, Connecticut. It was ranked 156th position in Fortune 500 in the year of 2018. Merck & Co., Inc., d.b.a. Merck Sharp & Dohme outside the United States and Canada, is an American multinational pharmaceutical company and one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. I’ve also searched the highest moving ones this year so far with at least: Bruker Corporation is an American manufacturer of scientific instruments for molecular and materials research, as well as for industrial and applied analysis. Cadence Design Systems* Cadence Design Systems, Inc. is an American multinational electronic design automation software and engineering services company, founded in 1988 by the merger of SDA Systems and ECAD, Inc. Euronet Worldwide Euronet Worldwide is a US provider of electronic payment services with headquartered in Leawood, Kansas. It offers automated teller machines, point of sale services, credit/debit card services, currency exchange and other electronic financial services Ball Ball Corporation is an American company headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado. It is best known for its early production of glass jars, lids, and related products used for home canning. EPAM* EPAM Systems, Inc., also known as EPAM, is a global provider of software engineering and IT consulting services headquartered in Newtown, Pennsylvania, United States. The company has software development centers and branch offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Paysign* (my speculative one) Paysign, Inc. provides innovative debit and prepaid card programs that deliver secure, immediate and user-friendly access to incentive, reward, compensation, and reimbursement funds. Hamilton Lane* VeriSign* Verisign, Inc. is an American company based in Reston, Virginia, United States that operates a diverse array of network infrastructure, including two of the Internet's thirteen root nameservers Mastercard* *means going in my pension, to add to Globant and Veeva Systems.

British Steel receiver warns sale will take time A government employee responsible of finding a buyer for British Steel has said he is considering several "viable" offers but warned that a sale aimed at saving 5,000 jobs may not happen quickly. Official receiver David Chapman, who is managing the sale process and has been overseeing the funding of operations at British Steel since it went into liquidation, prefers buyers interested in the whole business rather than tweezing out individual parts. "I am encouraged by the level of interest shown in purchasing British Steel. After reviewing all the bids received, I am now in further discussions with the potential buyers who have made the most viable offers for the business. Due to the complicated nature of the business I expect any

potential sale will take time to deliver. While these commercial negotiations continue, British Steel continues to trade and supply its customers as normal," Chapman said. He is scheduled to give a further update this week at a weekly meeting hosted by Business Minister Greg Clark. The business department said, "The government is determined to do everything in its efforts to find a suitable

buyer for British Steel and safeguard the jobs of the more than 4,000 people directly employed at British Steel, as well as those in the supply chain." The department said there are regular conversations with a wide range of companies both in the UK and overseas. The steelworkers union also favours a buyer that wants to take over the entire business, including the Scunthorpe blast furnace

steelworks, where the vast majority of staff are employed. Interested parties are thought to include India's JSW and the Chinese statebacked steel mill owner Hesteel, while billionaire Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich's Evraz has also been linked to the company. Liberty House, meanwhile, has slagged on its interest after the government declined to provide loan guarantees for a costly conversion of the Scunthorpe site to recycle scrap steel. Network Rail, which gets 97 per cent of the steel for Britain's train tracks from the Scunthorpe site, has said that if no other buyer is found, it is prepared to save the rail service centre, the division that covers welding, finishing and storage of rail.

India's Ola gets licence to take on Uber in London India's ride-hailing giant Ola has been given permission by London’s transport agency to launch its service in the UK capital. The development would deepen its battle with US rival Uber. Ola said that it has bagged a private hire vehicle (PHV) operator licence from Transport for London, a local government body responsible for the transport system in Greater London. But Ola said it has not yet decided the date of launch of its services there. “London is one of the world’s most iconic cities and hosts a progressive mobility environment. We couldn’t be more excited to bring Ola to London in the time ahead,” said an Ola spokesperson. “We are looking forward

to building world-class mobility offerings for London by collaborating with drivers, riders, the government and local authorities. Londoners will hear more from us closer to our launch in the city, as we get ready to serve them.” Ola has been steadily expanding presence across the UK since its entry into the region in August 2018.

Sources at the company said it has been recognised for its collaborative approach to help solve the transport mobility issues in innovative and meaningful ways. In the UK, Ola is the only app that offers black cabs and private hire vehicles (PHVs), giving both the driver-partners as well as the users, more choice, said an official at the firm. In

March, the SoftBank-backed company unveiled its services in three cities in the UK Liverpool, Birmingham, and Reading after obtaining ‘taxi and private hire’ licences from the local councils. Ola is now present in seven cities in the UK. The Bengaluru-headquartered company is planning to launch in more cities across North England and the Midlands in the coming months. As part of its pledge to empower drivers on the platform, Ola had in March said it offered the highest share of revenue, charging just 10 per cent commission from black cabs and 15 per cent from PHVs, compared with 25 per cent charged by competitors.

British businesses hunker down and hope for a Brexit deal Over thousands of businesses across Britain are currently treading water as they wait for the Brexit fog to clear. They have stockpiled mountains of goods to offset delays at the ports and, if they are manufacturers, rented warehouses, to store parts and raw materials. There are also some, like Bathstore, who admitted they couldn't hang on any longer. The bathroom retailer filed for administration last month after a rocky year when consumers cut back on bigticket purchases, with new cars and newly installed bathrooms among major

purchases being shunned. While a rival retailer might rescue a part of the store, but the current trend, which has seen most businesses think first of survival while some are undone and sink below the waves, is likely to continue until the politicians arrive on some kind of deal with the EU. The construction industry was said to have "dropped like a stone" while manufacturers suffered a similar reversal, with a majority saying order books were shrinking and current activity was down on the previous month. However, contrary to their sense of doom, from

many commentators in the construction industry, IHS Markit researchers said, "Demand for construction staff was relatively resilient in June, with the latest survey pointing to only a marginal fall in workforce numbers. Where a decline in employment was reported, this was often linked to the nonreplacement of voluntary leavers." The same approach of wait-and-watch can be detected across most industries. Setting aside the 6,000 redundancies at Jaguar Land Rover, and the planned closures of Honda's car factory in Swindon and

Ford's factory in south Wales, most manufacturers have hunkered down to see out the worst of Brexit. The UK's largest trading partner in the EU, Germany saw its manufacturing "drop off a cliff" in May. Industrial orders fell 2.2 per cent month-on-month when analysts were only expecting a marginal 0.2 per cent drop. Once bulk order were stripped out the May data was even worse, declining by 3 per cent from the previous month. Analysts at HSBC said, "This clearly suggests that the deterioration was genuine and not due to fluctuations in volatile bulk orders."

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AsianVoiceNews

REAL ESTATE VOICE

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

13 - 19 July 2019

FROM LEAD INTO GOLD We’ve identified a property which we believe is ripe for conversion. This is an office building which can be converted into a large number of self-contained apartments. This conversion will circumvent the normal planning process by going under the permitted planning rules. This is a real blessing because planning always looks easy on paper, however, there is often a variance between the theory and what happens on the ground. Under permitted development, as long as the application is procedurally correct it cannot be refused. Furthermore, it will be approved within the statutory 56 day period. Suresh Vagjiani Sow & Reap London Property Investment

This means within a couple of months you can expect to have full planning for 42 apartments. The size of the building is over 12,000 sq. ft. It also comes with car parking. The angle is to convert the property into 42 apartments, which should bring in a rent roll of £300K per annum. We are hoping to secure this deal at £1.5M, we have allowed a construction cost of £1.2M. This, very crudely, would be getting you a 10% yield. Once rented the idea is to refinance the property back out; i.e. you should be able to extract your original £3M for the purchase price and the development back out, based on the uplift on the building and the rent roll.

The cake is a good one, I’m sure you’ll agree; however, the story is not over yet. There is icing on this cake. Once this is in place, you can split the title, meaning separate the building away from the car park, sell it to a third party and then get planning for a whole new building on this now separated piece of land. The aim could be to build out the scheme or sell with the benefit of planning. The later is preferred, as this is the easiest way to make money. The developer makes typically 20-30% on a development project. When a site with planning is sold, the build costs and the resale values are predictable and the project is sold with the developer’s margin in mind. Most money in property is not made by building units, but rather by changing the utility of a piece of land or building. This is where the magic exists in property. In order to do this, one needs to have a good grasp of the rules and also have their finger on the pulse with regards to the local council and their sentiment. In addition, a good planning consultant is essential, as this is an area which is continually changing and there are many factors which could affect the planning. Even with regards to permitted development,

some councils could apply to remove themselves from granting permitted development. Only yesterday I heard of a builder who purchased a large commercial site in Wembley for circa £7M, to discover it was not part of the master plan and never will be. They will now need to get very creative with their purchase or resell back on to an end user. The office deal is on the table and currently seeking an investor. Do get in touch if you are interested!

AGONY AGENT IS HERE TO HELP! Q: How can I ensure a smooth tenant check out? A: Whether you’re saying goodbye to your perfect tenant or celebrating seeing the back of a troublesome one, you should always oversee the tenant check out professionally. You need to ascertain whether the property is in an acceptable state and, if not, how much of the deposit should be kept. If you produced a thorough inventory at the start of the tenancy then the check out should be fairly straightforward. Here are five things to be aware of: 1. Start early A few weeks before check out, get in touch to remind the tenant that you, or a professional inventory clerk, will be coming over at a convenient time to check

on the property’s condition. This gives them a chance to review their copy of the inventory and make sure that the property is still in the same good condition it was in at the start. 2. Reasonable wear and tear It is important to remember that the property will never be in the exact same state as at the start of the tenancy. You can’t charge a tenant for the natural deterioration that happens to bits and pieces in every house. However, if something has been actively damaged, then that’s a different matter. If the sofa is looking a little grubby and frayed, then that falls under the heading of “fair wear and tear”. If you arrive to find one of the sofa arms falling off, that’s when you can charge them for it. If there’s a red wine stain, the best course of action would be to

BUY TO LET OPPORTUNITY

charge the tenants for a professional clean. 3. Ask your tenant to be there It will speed up the process if your tenant is in the house, or waiting somewhere nearby, when the check out is being carried out. If something was left in a condition that you consider unacceptable, it could be explained to them in person with the use of the inventory. If they disagree with your decision, a discussion could take place there and then. This is when pictures taken at the start of the tenancy could be very useful.

possible, limiting any unnoticed or hidden damage. It also ensures that the tenant has taken all their belongings with them. Definitely do not sign anything until the tenant has completely moved out just in case that final bookcase puts a hole in the wall! 5. Take time to assess damage

4. Wait… …until the last minute to do the check out. It is advised that the check out is done on either the last day or the day after they have left. The property will be as empty as

If you think you need time to assess any damages and the corresponding costs to clean, repair or replace items, take it. Get quotes from the relevant people and remember replacements should be ‘like for like’: you can’t charge for a plush new chair if they broke a bog-standard one. Nor can you charge them for a professional clean of the whole house if they only left a stain on the living room floor. Richard Bond

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20 FINANCE - INDIA

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

13 - 19 July 2019

NCLAT okays Arcelor’s bid for Essar Steel

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has upheld steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal-led ArcelorMittal’s £4.2 billion bid for the acquisition of Essar Steel. The Resolution Plan submitted by ArcelorMittal has been, however, modified by the tribunal to safeguard the rights of the operational creditors and other financial creditors of beleaguered steel comany. The appellate tribunal also rejected the contention by the promoter of Essar Steel, Prashant Ruia that ArcelorMittal was ineligible to bid due to holdings in loan defaulting companies. A two-member bench of the appellate tribunal headed by Chairperson Justice S J Mukhopadhaya said that both the classes of creditors will share the sale proceeds

Lakshmi Mittal

proportionately and that the distribution of funds will be done by the resolution professional handling the Essar Steel case and not by the company’s committee of creditors (CoC). This verdict places operational creditors on a

par with financial creditors for the first time (it should be noted that operational creditors are not part of the CoC). The order also for the first time determines that the CoC has no powers to decide on the distribution of the sale proceeds but the resolution professional. CoC will only look at the viability of the resolution proposal submitted by the bidder. The total claims of Essar Steel’s operational and financial creditors are over £6.9 billion. Financial creditors had earlier anticipated a recovery of 90% of their claims of over £4.94 billion but with recent ruling, financial creditors will get only 60% of the dues from the £4.25 billion offered by ArcelorMittal. On the other hand, operational creditors, which were supposed to get a small portion of their

dues, will now get to recover 60% of their claims. The financial creditors, who are upset over the ruling, are considering moving the Supreme Court over the development. ArcelorMittal said: “We need to review the full written order to understand any implications on completion of the transaction.” While an Essar spokesperson said: “It appears that new facts regarding ineligibility under Section 29A, which emerged only after the previous judgment of the Supreme Court, have not been given due consideration. We are awaiting the detailed order and will decide our course of action thereafter.” The Essar Steel case has been dragging on for more than 700 days.

PNB allowed to recover £720 mn from Nirav Modi The Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) has directed fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi and his companies to pay Punjab National Bank (PNB) and a consortium of banks an aggregate sum of £720 mn, with 14.3% annual interest from June 30, 2018. Presiding Officer Deepak Thakkar, who holds additional charge of DRT, Mumbai, passed two orders in two cases in favour of the PNB. DRT issued the recovery certificates, based on which the bank’s recovery officer can now proceed to attach Modi’s properties if necessary. But with most of Modi’s assets attached by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), it will have to be seen how the recovery proceeds. The recovery officer may have to move the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court. Some of Modi’s highvalue art works and other assets have already been auctioned by ED. “I am convinced that the applicant PNB has made out the case of fraud perpetrated by Nirav Modi and others to obtain the LoUs (letters of understanding),” said Thakkar in his judgment. Advocate Nitesh Jain appearing for PNB narrated

what DRT observed was the “modus operandi of Nirav Modi and others” through “fraudulent transactions… in collusion with Bank’s employees. Modi enjoyed the credit facilities by unlawful means, conspiracy and deceit,” argued Jain. PNB was the first to approach DRT last July against Modi, seeking recovery of £720 mn in the case of alleged fraud by Modi, currently lodged in a London jail. He fled India last year. There were 150 allegedly fraudulent LoUs issued in Modi’s favour without approval

or authority, said PNB. The fraud was systematically perpetrated in open defiance of the SWIFT System and Core Banking System, observed DRT. £380 mn fraud against Bhushan Power and Steel A year after the fraud by Nirav Modi, PNB has reported another fraud worth over £380 mn by Bhushan Power and Steel, which is a non-performing asset for lenders and is facing insolvency action. The intimation to the RBI follows a forensic audit investigation by the CBI, which has filed an FIR

against the company and its directors, alleging diversion of funds, PNB said in a stock exchange filing. Sources in the bank said the decision was taken by a consortium of lenders led by the State Bank of India, which has also informed the RBI. PNB said that its large corporate branch in Chandigarh had an exposure of close to £320 million to the controversial company, while there was an overseas exposure of £34.5 million through its branch in Dubai and another facility of £26.8 million was extended by the Hong Kong branch. For the promoters Singals too, this is the latest headache as they are facing multiple investigations after their failure to repay loans to banks. The company, along with Bhushal Steel, has been under the lens for the past several years as their investments were suspected to have been overvalued. BPSL is one of the 12 accounts identified by the RBI for insolvency proceedings. Bhushan Steel's former chief financial officer and director Nittin Johari was arrested by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) on May 2 and is in judicial custody.

FDI inflows in Gujarat dips to $1.8bn in FY19 Gujarat sees a further decline in foreign direct investment (FDI) equity inflows, going by the data revealed in Socio-Economic Review 2018-19. The FDI inflows to Gujarat has seen a downfall from $2.91 billion in 2017-18 to $1.803 billion in 2018-19, it said quoting Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Gujarat had achieved all time high FDI of $3.36 billion in 2016-17. According to the figures released by DPIIT recently, Maharashtra ranks first having garnered $11.36 billion or 25.66% of the national share. Gujarat ranks sixth with about 4% share,

after Chennai which drew $2.6 billion, contributing 5.89% to the country’s share. Maharashtra, which also covers Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, also saw a decline in its FDI inflow that stood at $13.42 billion in 2017-2018. FDI inflows in Delhi, which covers the national capital, parts of UP and Haryana, has seen a steady rise in the past few years and is ranked second. Besides Japanese car maker Suzuki Motor Corp, which has planned huge investments in the state for car manufacturing factories and a lithium-ion making unit, China’s SAIC

Motor Corporation-owned British automobile brand MG Motor has recently started rolling out cars from its factory in Halol. “There are many foreign companies that have lined up investments in Gujarat. From the past few years the FDI flow has been declining globally due to various reasons. This year we expect a good inflow of FDI as many companies have finalised their plans and are at the stage of investing,” said a Gujarat government official. For the financial year 201819, the total FDI equity inflows to India has been $44.37 billion.

The top sectors that received highest FDI inflows include services sector (21%), computer software & hardware (14%), trading (10%), telecom (6%) and automobile (6%). The top five investing countries in equity inflows include Singapore (37%), Mauritius (18%), Netherlands (9%), US (7%) and Japan (7%). In 2013-14 Gujarat’s share in the total inflows to India was about 3.5% which went up steadily to 7.75% in 2016-17. The downward trend which started in 2017-18 when the state’s share was reduced to 4.66% has now gone down to 4.06%, according to DPIIT data.

in brief SFIO PROBE ORDERED AGAINST JET AIRWAYS

The government has ordered an SFIO probe into now defunct Jet Airways and its group companies for alleged fund diversion, indulging in malpractices and other large-scale irregularities found during an inspection. There have been allegations of fund diversions of more than £500 million out of the airline by promotor Naresh Goyal through questionable transactions. In fact, several instances have come up in the MCA investigation where Jet is suspected to have written off investments in various subsidiary companies without any apparent reason, sources close to the development pointed out. SFIO has been directed to complete the investigation within six months and submit its report to the government. The cash-strapped company became the first domestic airliner to go into bankruptcy after the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) admitted an insolvency petition filed by SBI on behalf of 26 lenders on June 20.

UK'S REVOLUT TO ENTER INDIA NEXT YEAR

Revolut, founded by Nikolay Storonsky and Vlad Yatsenkothe, is looking to enter India next year. Being one of the fastest growing fin-tech companies in the European market, it has listed two new openings for India market - head of country operations and head of legal. Londonbased branch-less banking Unicorn said it is planning to enter India in 2020 as part of its international expansion plan. Currently, it is exploring options for licensing and is actively hiring a broad range of roles, the startup said. As a digital-only bank, Revolut targets the techsavvy millennials to whom it offers pre-paid debit card for cash withdrawal in over 100 countries, money transfer, savings tools and insurance for smartphones and overseas travel. Revolut had raised $250 million led by DST Global at a valuation of $1.7 billion last year. The startup declined to comment on its discussions with regulatory authorities like RBI.

US HAULS INDIA TO WTO FOR DUTY HIKE ON 28 GOODS Weeks after India raised duties on 28 American goods, the United States has dragged India to the World Trade Organisation requesting dispute consultations on the 'retaliatory duties' imposed by the country. The US alleged that the additional duties are inconsistent with provisions of the WTO’s general agreement on tariffs and trade (GATT) by unfairly discriminating against US imports vis-a-vis those from other WTO members and by according less favourable treatment to US goods than that provided for in India’s schedule of concessions. According to a communication of the Geneva-based WTO, the US said that the additional duties imposed by India “appears to nullify or impair the benefits accruing to the US directly or indirectly” under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994.

INDUSTRY DOYEN B K BIRLA PASSES AWAY

Basant Kumar Birla, patriarch of the Birla group and doyen of Indian industry passed away at the age of 98 at his Mumbai residence on 3 July. He was cremated on 4th July at his birth place – Kolkata. His family said Birla had been suffering from age-related ailments. Fondly called ‘B K Babu’ or ‘Basant Babu’, was the last surviving member of a generation of industry stalwarts, who included JRD Tata. Besides being among post-Independence India’s first generation of key industrialists who helped shape India Inc’s growth, the Birla family patriarch also enjoyed close personal relationships with the tallest of national leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, right from his teens. President Ramnath Kovind and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee were among the first to condole the death. Ratan Tata led the tributes from Indian industry.

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in brief ANCIENT HINDU TEMPLE IN PAK REOPENS AFTER 72 YEARS

An ancient Hindu temple in Sialkot in Pakistan's Punjab province has been reopened for worshippers after 72 years on the directives of country's Federal government. Fulfilling the longstanding demand of minority Hindu community, the Shawala Teeja Singh Temple was recently opened and inaugurated according to Hindu traditions. "For several years, the Hindu community has been demanding that the temple be opened," said Syed Faraz Abbas, the deputy secretary of the Shrine. Abbas added that the work on restoring the temple will soon begin after estimating the renovation cost. The idols of Hindu deities will be brought in from India. The temple had remained closed since the partition and was reopened on the directives of Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and Evacuee Trust Property Board (EPTB) Chairman Amir Ahmed.

PROTESTERS ASK PAK TO STOP FORCED CONVERSIONS

Scores of protesters, mostly Hindus from Sindh who have made Canada their home, gathered at the Mississauga Celebration Square, demanding Pakistan to stop forced religious conversion of minor Hindu girls and justice for those who have been forcibly converted. The protests were held to pressurise the Pakistani government to take action against criminals who are using religion as a tool to kidnap and rape innocent girls, according to the organisers. The agitators could be seen holding placards which read, "stop forced conversion of minor Hindu girls in Pakistan," "Stop persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan," "Pakistan stop kidnapping of Hindu girls, stop forced conversion of Hindu girls," amongst others. They also chanted slogans like "we need justice."

Hafiz Saeed, aides booked for 'terror' financing ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has lodged 23 cases on charges of terror financing and facilitation against Jamaatud-Dawa (JuD) chief and 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and a dozen accompliances of the terror group, amidst growing international pressure to act against terrorism. CTD said it registered the cases in Lahore, Gujranwala and Multan for collection of funds for terror-financing through assets or properties in the names of trusts or non-profit organisations as well as five banned outfits masquerading as charity organisations. Pakistan's CTD statement said “Large scale investigations have been launched into matters of JuD, LeT and FIF regarding their holding and use of trusts to raise funds for terrorism financing. They made these assets from funds of terrorism financing, they held and used these assets to raise more funds for further terrorism financing. Hence, they committed multiple offences of terrorism financing and money laundering under AntiTerrorism Act 1997. They will be prosecuted in ATCs (anti-terrorism courts) for commission of these offences. These assets/NPOs have already been taken over by the government in compliance with UN sanctions.” According to the official, substantial and irreversible punitive/legal action has

Hafiz Saeed

been taken against them by the state, making these organisations "fully dysfunctional." Cases have been registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) against the leadership of JuD, LeT and FIF (Falah-iInsaniyat Foundation) for gaining assets from terrorism financing through Dawat ul Irshad Trust, Muaz Bin Jabal Trust, Al-Anfaal Trust, Al Hamd Trust and Al Madina Foundation Trust. It also named the leaders of JuD and LeT who have been booked, including Saeed and his aides Abdul Rehman Makki, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Ameer Hamza, Muhammad Yahya Aziz, Muhammad Naeem, Mohsin Bilal, Abdul Raqeeb, Ahmad Daud, Muhammad Ayub, Abdullah Ubaid, Muhammad Ali and Abdul Ghaffar. Global watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) had deferred blacklisting Pakistan, which managed to gain support from China, Turkey and Malaysia. And Pakistan said it remains committed to taking “all necessary measures to ensure completion of the action plan in a timely manner.” However, it accused India of attempting to “politicise” FATF deliberations.

Pakistani authorities in March sealed the Lahore headquarters of JuD and FIF and detained over 120 suspected militants as part of an ongoing crackdown on banned groups. Saeed-led JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The US declared the LeT as a foreign terrorist organisation in June 2014. India not impressed, says 'cosmetic steps' India has described Pak crackdown on Saeed and his aides as “cosmetic steps”, and said Islamabad’s sincerity will be judged on the basis of its taking “verifiable, credible and irreversible action” on terror and not “half-hearted measures”. India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India has seen such actions by Pakistan earlier too. “Let us not get fooled by these cosmetic steps. We have seen the course of such actions in the past. We have seen where it goes, where it is headed. Pakistan’s sincerity to take action against terrorists and terror groups will be judged on the basis of their ability to demonstrate verifiable, credible and irreversible action on terror and terrorist groups operating from their soil, and not on the basis of half-hearted measures that they undertake to hoodwink the international community,” the spokesperson said.

Nine get death for 1994 attack on Sheikh Hasina

Sheikh Hasina

DHAKA: A court in Bangladesh has sentenced nine members of the opposition party to death and 25 others to life in prison for an attack on a train carrying political leader Sheikh Hasina 24 years ago. Thirteen people were also jailed for 10 years by Paban district trial court under the Explosives Substances Act of 1908. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Hasina's archrival and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, rejected the verdict, calling it politically motivated. The current prime minister and thenopposition leader, Hasina was leading a nationwide campaign by rail when she was attacked at Pakshi Rail Station on Sept 23, 1994. The attackers fired shots and hurled bombs at the train, injuring scores of people. However, Hasina survived the assault carried out during Zia's first term as prime minister. The prosecution and local Awami League leaders voiced satisfaction that the offenders had been convicted even after the completion of the trial that took 24 years. In a statement, BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged the verdict was "dictated" and "cruel" and alleged the train attack had been staged to create a political issue. "The verdict is part of the government's policy to eliminate BNP using the court," the BNP leader added. Hasina won her fourth term and her third straight with an overwhelming victory in Bangladesh's last election in late December. Amid worry that the dominating victory would allow her to become more authoritarian, she vowed when Parliament opened that she would allow criticism from the opposition.

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Lanka's top court halts executions until Oct 30 COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's Supreme Court halted the execution of four people until October 29, a week after the country's president announced he would end the country's 43year moratorium on the death penalty. The apex court's order came after it took into consideration 11 petitions filed in various courts against President Maithripala Sirisena's order and termed it as a violation of the fundamental rights of the convicts. One such petition was filed by MA Sumanthiran, a lawyer, claiming that Sirisena's decision impinges on the rights of one of the drug convicts. "The case argument was that hanging would be a cruel and degrading treatment", he said. Sirisena is facing mounting criticism from his countrymen as well as the international community, including European Union, since he passed the order. Sri Lanka became a party to the UN moratorium on death penalty and voted in favour of

Human rights groups and several governments have raised concerns about the restoration of capital punishment in Sri Lanka

the moratorium just six months back. The British government in a statement condemned the move, saying the decision would have implications on many areas, including counterterrorism cooperation. Sirisena accused the European Union of challenging Sri Lanka's sovereignty by threatening with tariffs if capital punishment is re-introduced in the country after 43 years. He also claimed to have turned down a telephonic call by UN

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to reconsider his decision to reintroduce death penalty. Sirisena has said narcotic drugs have become a menace with 300,000 addicts across the island nation, which authorities say is being used by dealers as a transit hub. He said 60% of the country's 24,000 inmates were jailed for drug-related offenses. Sri Lanka's prisons were built to accommodate 11,000 people. Drug trafficking is a capital

offense, but no prisoners have been executed since 1976. Currently, 1,299 prisoners are on death row, including 48 convicted of drug offenses. In April, police publicly destroyed 770 kg of drugs seized in 2016 and 2017. Police have seized 731 kg of heroin, 1 kg of cocaine and 1,607 kg of marijuana so far this year. Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug in Sri Lanka, followed by heroin and cocaine. Drug-related arrests rose 2% in 2017 from the previous year to 81,156. Sirisena, who visited the Philippines in January, praised President Rodrigo Duterte's harsh crackdown on illegal drugs as "an example to the world." Thousands of suspects, mostly urban poor, have been slain since Duterte took office in 2016. Rights groups have denounced what they say are extrajudicial killings. Police say most of the suspects were killed in encounters with officers.

Two former Lanka top officials arrested over serial bombings COLOMBO: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Sri Lanka arrested former defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando and ex-police chief Pujith Jayasundera for their alleged failure to prevent attacks on churches and luxury hotels that killed more than 250 people in April. Attorney General Dappula de Livera ordered their arrest on July 1 and urged the acting police chief to bring charges against the two, including for grave crimes against humanity. “The two officials should be brought before a magistrate for their criminal negligence to prevent the April 21 attacks,” the attorney

general said in a letter to the acting police. During the time of arrest, the duo was undergoing treatment at different hospitals. Fernando was arrested from the Colombo National Hospital while Jayasundara was taken into custody from the Police Hospital. Earlier, President Maithripala Sirisena had suspended Jayasundera and Fernando for their alleged inaction on the information shared by India, which warned of an attack by Islamic militants and thereby failing to prevent the attack which resulted in an Easter terror attack on April 21, 2019.

FOUR DEAD AFTER BOAT CAPSIZES IN PAKISTAN At least four people have been killed and 21 went missing after a boat capsized in northwest Pakistan, officials said, with a rescue operation continuing as hopes for finding survivors fade. The boat was carrying passengers along the Indus River from Shangla to Haripur district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when it overturned. "There were 38 people on the boat when the incident occurred and 13 people saved their lives by swimming to the shore," a police official said. "We have retrieved four bodies from the river," he said. "The flow of the water is very fast the river is very deep which has dimmed the chances of survival, however we will continue the rescue operation till the last individual is found," he added.

MAN DIVORCES WIFE OVER VACCINATION A woman who was divorced by her husband for having their children inoculated against polio has condemned the “anti-vaxx” campaign that is sweeping Pakistan. Dua Rabbani, 26, was at home with her children when a vaccination team arrived in the area, on the outskirts of Karachi. Her husband, Israr Ahmed, was at work but had left strict instructions that the children were not to receive the vaccine. “He had often fought with me about vaccinations. He said they were suspicious and damaged children’s health,” Rabbani said. Rumours have spread like wildfire across Pakistan in recent weeks, fuelled by a series of lurid videos posted on social media claiming that scores of children who had taken polio drops during a recent vaccination died.

NEPAL POLICE ARREST PAKISTANI COUPLE

Ex-police chief Pujith Jayasundera and former defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando

However, they deny all allegations against them. On April 21 serial attacks, over 250 people were killed in eight suicide attack carried by National

Thowheed Jammath (NTJ), local Jihadi group, linked to ISIS. The serial attacks were one of the deadliest attacks in the recent history of Lanka.

Nepal bans Tibetans from celebrating Dalai Lama's birthday KATHMANDU: Authorities of Nepal have stopped the Tibetan community from holding public events to commemorate the 84th birthday of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, over security concerns. Amid China’s growing economic and defence ties with Nepal, the latter has been reported to have stalled a programme by Tibetan refugees to celebrate the Dalai Lama’s 84th birthday. To mark his birthday, Tibetan refugees and people of Tibetan origin planned to hold several events in the valley where they reside. The Nepal government beefed up security in areas inside the Kathmandu valley ahead of Dalai Lama's birthday, according to reports. Nepal is said to be home to about 20,000 Tibetans. Krishna Bahadur Katuwal, assistant district administrator of Kathmandu, was quoted as saying the government refused permission for Tibetans to mark the Dalai Lama’s birthday because “infiltrators” could create trouble. “There

in brief

could be a law and order problem as infiltrators could organise demonstrations or try to self-immolate.” The programme, according to security sources, was to be attended by senior diplomats from western countries, including the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. Several western diplomats had expressed reservations over the move by the K P Sharma Oli government. "These diplomats have expressed serious concerns about the forced cancellation of the event, which is a severe violation of rights of people of the Tibetan community," a western diplomat said. The Nepal government generally intervenes in events organised by the Tibetan community stating Nepal is committed to 'One China Policy'. The country, in the past has detained Tibetans on their way to India and later handed them over to Chinese authorities. Reportedly, airport immigration authorities in

Dalai Lama

Kathmandu refused to admit a US citizen of Tibetan origin and deported him last month, reportedly at China’s request. Many schools across Nepal were recently reported to have made it mandatory for students to learn Chinese. They were apparently lured by the Chinese government’s offer to cover salaries of teachers who teach Mandarin. India was miffed by the recent visit by the Nepal army chief to Beijing which saw the two sides agreeing to further “upgrade” military ties.

A Pakistani couple was arrested for the second time for stealing foreign currency from Rajendra Shrestha's Davis Metro Money Exchange at Jhochen, Lalitpur from where they have stolen 900 American Dollar, 3000 Saudi Riyal and 1400 Chinese Yuan," the Nepal Police said. The duo has been identified as 32-year-old Mohasin Khan and 31-year-old Puja Mohasin Khan native of Lahore, Pakistan. As per the police, the couples went to money exchange office claiming they want to exchange 500 Saudi Riyal with the American dollar and stole the foreign currencies. As per the police record, the same couple was arrested on May 14 for stealing cash from shops in Bhaktapur and Rupandehi districts.

240 FALL ILL AFTER EATING AT IMELDA MARCOS PARTY More than 240 people were brought to hospitals in the Philippine capital with suspected food poisoning in an event celebrating the 90th birthday of former first lady Imelda Marcos. Bryant Wong, a disasterresponse officer, said dozens of ambulances transported at least 244 people who either vomited or grew dizzy hours after eating a breakfast of chicken stew with egg and rice and drinking water in a sports center in suburban Pasig city. Food and Drug Administration personnel took samples of the food to check if it caused the apparent poisoning. The incident cut short what was supposed to be a daylong celebration by more than 2,000 Marcos followers, Wong said. Imelda, who ended her term in May as a member of the House of Representatives, celebrated her birthday last week.

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in brief SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BATTERED BY ANOTHER QUAKE

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake jolted much of California, cracked buildings, set fires, broke roads and caused several injuries while seismologists warned that large aftershocks were expected to continue. The quake preceded by a recent 6.4-magnitude temblor in the Mojave Desert - was the largest Southern California quake in at least 20 years and was followed by a series of large and small aftershocks, including a few above magnitude 5. There is about a 1-in-10 chance that another 7 quake could hit within the next week, said Lucy Jones, a seismologist at the California Institute of Technology and a former science adviser at the US Geological Survey. The chance of a 5 magnitude quake “is approaching certainty,” she added. However, the quake was unlikely to affect fault lines outside the area, Jones said, noting that the gigantic San Andreas Fault was far away.

SIX KILLED AS TORNADO HITS NORTHEAST CHINA

A tornado swept through the northeastern Chinese province of Liaoning, killing six and injuring 190, the state broadcaster said, amid a series of "extreme" weather events that government forecasters have linked to climate change. The tornado damaged nearly 3,600 homes and affected more than 9,900 residents in Kaiyuan, a city of around half-a-million people, according to reports. The country's weather bureau said that climate change could cause more extreme weather events, following floods, drought and extreme high temperatures in some regions this year. It said rainfall had broken records in some areas and that as many as 40 weather stations had this year registered their hottest temperatures ever.

44 DIE IN AIR STRIKE ON LIBYA MIGRANT CENTRE

An air strike hit a detention centre for mainly African migrants in a suburb of the Libyan capital Tripoli, killing at least 44 people and wounding more than 130, the United Nations said. It was the highest publicly reported toll from an air strike or shelling since eastern forces under Khalifa Haftar launched a ground and aerial offensive three months ago to take Tripoli, the base of Libya's internationally recognised government. The conflict threatens to disrupt oil supplies, boost migration across the Mediterranean to Europe, scupper UN plans for an election and create a security void that Islamist militants could fill. Haftar's air force attacked Tripoli's only functioning airport, which is in the same area as the detention centre, causing its temporary closure to civilian traffic. United Nations Libya envoy Ghassan Salame condemned the strike, saying it "clearly amounts to the level of a war crime".

WOMAN NOMINATED TO HEAD TOP EU BODY

European Union leaders nominated German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen to become the new president of the bloc’s powerful executive arm, the European Commission, one of two women named to top EU posts for the first time. Von der Leyen, will seek support in the EU parliament hoping to secure the confirmation that she will need in two weeks’ time. Von der Leyen, a close ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, is due to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the EC and France’s Christine Lagarde will head the European Central Bank. Leaders hope the decision to put two women at the top of EU decision-making for the first time will send a positive message.

US Senate passes provision to give India NATO ally-like status WASHINGTON: The US Senate has passed a legislative provision that brings India at par with America's NATO allies and countries like Japan, Australia, Israel and South Korea in a key move to increase defence partnership, including advanced technology transfer. The development comes amid the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in Osaka and the visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to New Delhi. The National Defense Authorisation Act or NDAA for the fiscal year 2020 which was passed by the US Senate last week, contained this proposal. Introduced by Senate India

Caucus Co-Chair Senator John Cornyn with the support of Senate India Caucus Co-Chair Senator Mark Warner, the amendment provides for increased US-India defence cooperation in the Indian Ocean in the areas of humanitarian assistance, counter terrorism, counter-piracy and maritime security. In recognition of the shared democratic values and commitment to free navigation, another suggestion in the budget document is to increase engagement with India in multilateral frameworks "to promote regional security and defend shared values and common interests in the rulesbased order". It said the

quadrilateral dialogue among the US, India, Japan and Australia should be enhanced. The bill would be signed into law after both the chambers of the US Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate passes it. The House is expected to take up its version of the NDAA sometime in July before legislators adjourn for the month-long August recess on 29 July. In a statement, the Hindu American Foundation commended Senators Cornyn and Warner for their efforts in advancing the US-India strategic partnership. “Elevating India to non-NATO status is vital, now more than ever, for the US, for India, and for the entire region,” said HAF managing director

Dubai ruler's wife seeks asylum in Britain 'in fear of her life' armed men off the coast of India and returned to Dubai. Princess Haya then, along with the former Irish president Mary Robinson, defended Dubai's reputation over the incident. A Family Court hearing has been set for July 30, when lawyers for the Sheikh Mohammed will argue that the children belong to him. Sheikh

Princess Haya bint al-Hussein

Princess Haya bint al-Hussein, 45, the most visible and glamorous wife of the 69- year- old ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, fled to London claiming to be 'afraid for her life'. If the sources are to be believed, Sheikh Mohammed had become increasingly concerned about her closeness to the former British Army Officer, who provide security for their family. Sheikh Mohammed has taken up to Instagram to post a furious poem accusing an unidentified woman of "treachery and betrayal". Princess Haya, one of Sheikh Mohammed's six wives, allegedly lavished gifts on the married bodyguard who accompanied the Dubai royal family on trips around the world. While senior royals were critical of what they described as 'inappropriate intimacy' between the two, the bodyguard was employed by UK Mission Enterprise Limited, which is based in London. The Jordanian-born and British-educated Princess Haya, married Sheikh Mohammed owner of Godolphin horse racing stables - in 2004, becoming his sixth and "junior wife". Sheikh Mohammed reportedly has 23 children by different wives. She fled with their 11- and 7year-old children to London several months ago, a person close to the royal family said, making her at least the third woman to flee Sheikh Mohammed’s palaces in Dubai. Princess Haya fled initially this year to Germany to seek asylum. She is now said to be living in a £85 million house in Kensington Palace Gardens, in central London, and preparing for a legal battle in the High Court for the custody of the children. Sources close to her said that Princess Haya had recently discovered disturbing facts behind the mysterious return to Dubai last year of Sheikha Latifa, one of the ruler's daughters. She fled the UAE by sea with the help of a Frenchman but was intercepted by

Samir Kalra. "Whether we do that with free standing legislation or whether we do that with an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act matters, I think, very little. What matters is that we recognise the importance, in a tangible way, of the US-India alliance," Congressman Sherman said at the HAF Capitol Hill Reception last week. The US recognised India as a "Major Defence Partner" in 2016, a designation that allows India to buy more advanced and sensitive technologies from America at par with that of the US' closest allies and partners, and ensures enduring cooperation into the future.

Mohammed has hired Helen Ward, who handled Guy Ritchie's split from Madonna, while Princess Haya hired Fiona Shackleton, whose clients have included Prince Charles in his split from Diana. The case is likely to be complicated for royals with two young children, billions of dollars and a tangle of political relationships, including the United Arab Emirates’ longstanding alliances with Britain and Jordan, at stake. The princess is a half sister of Jordan’s King Abdullah II. Sources suggest that his treatment of Sheikha Latifa will be a key to the custody fight.

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SOUTH INDIA

Breather for Karnataka govt as speaker says resignations 'not in order' BENGALURU: Karnataka's Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government, on the verge of losing its majority after 14 exits, won a breather as Speaker Ramesh Kumar decided that the resignations were not in order. None of the lawmakers had met him, Kumar told the Governor in a letter. While this buys the ruling coalition a little more time, more exits may be inevitable. A dozen Congress lawmakers skipped a meeting despite compulsory attendance. Three of them called in sick. The Speaker, who was not in office when 13 rebel Congress and JDS lawmakers submitted their resignations on Saturday, said he would act according to the constitution. "The MLAs have not given letters as per law, so they have to come again and give me. Out of 13 resignations, eight are not in order," he said. If the resignations stand the Speaker's scrutiny, the Congress-JDS coalition's 118 members in the 224-seat state

Ramesh kumar

assembly will come down to 102 and the majority mark will drop from 113 to 105. The BJP has 105 members and the support of the two Independents, which takes its tally to 107. Congress leader Siddaramaiah warned of action against the dissident lawmakers. He said he had asked the Speaker to not only disqualify them but also ban them from contesting polls for six years. A lawmaker who did attend

the meeting, Sowmya Reddy, indicated she was not ruling out resigning. "I am not really sure," she said, when asked about the coalition's survival. Sowmya Reddy's father Ramalinga Reddy is among the lawmakers who quit on Saturday. "My father did this because he had been upset about double standards," Sowmya said. The dissident lawmakers who resigned, both from the Congress and JDS, moved out of a luxury hotel in Mumbai as their parties desperately reached out to them, and are at another unknown location. The rebels were shifted out of the Sofitel in Mumbai after Youth Congress workers protested outside the hotel. All coalition ministers quit on Monday to make room for the dissident lawmakers as the Congress and JDS went all out to try and bring them back. To prevent more exits, the JDS has put up its remaining lawmakers to a resort of the outskirts of

Bengaluru. Sources said the party has also booked 35 rooms in Paddington Resort in Kodagu. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who cut short a private visit to the US and returned to handle the crisis, said all Congress and JDS ministers had resigned and a cabinet reshuffle would take place soon. "The government will survive," he said. The coalition's troubles deepened after two independent lawmakers, who were made ministers last month in an attempt to consolidate numbers, resigned and pledged support to the BJP. Congress leader DK Shivakumar accused the BJP and its Karnataka chief BS Yeddyurappa of engineering the resignations and then ferrying the lawmakers to Mumbai on special flights. Congress MPs staged a walkout in parliament to protest against what they allege are the BJP's machinations to seize power in Karnataka.

PUNJAB

Sunny Deol faces flak for appointing proxy in Gurdaspur CHANDIGARH: Actor-turnedpolitician Sunny Deol is facing ire after he appointed his representative to address issues in his constituency Gurdaspur. The BJP MP triggered a political slug fest when he appointed Gurpreet Singh Palheri of Punjab’s Mohali district as his "representative" to "attend meetings and follow important matters". "I hereby appoint Gurpreet Singh Palheri, son of Supinder Singh, resident of village Palheri, district Mohali, Punjab, as my representative to attend meetings and follow important matters pertaining to my Parliamentary constituency, Gurdaspur (Punjab), with concerned authorities." Deol

said in an official letter issued on June 26. Palheri, is a writer and producer. The first-time MP’s move, however, did not go down well with the ruling Congress in the state, which termed it as a "betrayal" of the voters' mandate. Hitting out at Deol, Congress said that people only voted for him to get a selfie with him. "In marketing, customer is always right, in democracy, voter is always right. One has to accept it. Voters never expected anything from him other than selfie with him," Congress leader Sunil Jakhar said. Congress leader KTS Tulsi also lashed out at the Gurdaspur MP and said that he should resign if he can't

Sunny Deol

address the grievances of the people. Breaking his silence on the issue, Deol said the appointment was made to "ensure smooth flow of work" whenever he was "out of Gurdaspur". The firsttime MP added that it was

"extremely unfortunate to see a controversy being created out of nothing at all". As per reports, Palheri said that Deol would visit the constituency every month and will be making a visit to Gurdaspur after the current session of Parliament ends.

WEST BENGAL

TMC MP Nusrat Jahan attends Rath Yatra, calls for communal harmony KOLKATA: Newly-elected Trinamool Congress MP Nusrat Jahan has made headlines ever since her Parliament debut. Sporting a lime green saree, red bangles, a "mangalsutra" and vermilion (sindoor), Jahan repeated her "un-Islamic" look as she attended the annual ISKCON Rath Yatra in Kolkata as a special invitee along with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at Minto Park. Jahan was heavily trolled recently for wearing vermilion and sporting a "mangalsutra" at her oath-taking ceremony in Parliament. "In West Bengal, we

participate in festivals irrespective of caste, creed or religion. Bengal symbolises amity," the MP from Basirhat said. "Mamata Banerjee comes for Eid and stands with all. There is no politics in this, it is about faith and belief. Let's keep politics and religion apart," Jahan said during an interaction with reporters. She also reacted to the backlash she's facing from the Muslim clerics over her look by saying, "I don't pay heed to baseless (things). I am Muslim in my heart." The Basirhat MP also conveyed her gratitude to

ISKCON for inviting her to the Rath Yatra celebrations and extended her best wishes to all. "We should all move ahead together and learn to live together... Jai Jagannath," she told the gathering. ISKCON applauded Jahan's Nusrat Jahan with Mamata Banerjee at Rath yatra participation in the new India...an all-inclusive India. ceremony. ISKCON Respect for others' religious spokesperson Radharaman Das beliefs and participation in their had thanked Jahan for accepting festivities will make India great the invitation as a special guest again. This is what India stands for the inauguration of their for and youngsters like Nusrat 48th Rath Yatra ceremony. Jahan are showing the path "Nusrat Jahan represents a forward," he had said.

in brief ONE-YEAR JAIL FOR VAIKO IN SEDITION CASE

Former MP V Gopalaswamy, popularly known as Vaiko, has been sentenced to one-year jail term by a Chennai court in connection with a sedition case. The bench, however, stayed the execution of the order for one-month so that he can move the Madras High Court to challenge his conviction. The case against Vaiko dates back to 2009, when the DMK filed a complaint against him over a remark issued by him during the launch of his book "Naan Kuttram Kaattugiren". Vaiko was accused of challenging India's sovereignty by allegedly commenting that parts of South would secede if the war on LTTE is not stopped in Sri Lanka. Incidentally, the DMK, which had then filed a case against him, has now forged an alliance with his party and has announced him as their candidate for the biennial Rajya Sabha polls.

30-DAY PAROLE FOR RAJIV CASE CONVICT NALINI

The Madras high court granted Nalini Sriharan, who is serving life sentence in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, a 30-day parole to make arrangements for her daughter’s marriage. She had sought a parole of six months but was granted 30 days, the maximum allowed under the rules. The court also recorded Nalini’s statement that she would not give any interview to the media nor meet leaders of political parties or any other organisation. The court then granted 10 days’ time for the authorities to process her leave application, including verification of sureties and place of stay. Nalini was permitted to appear in court in person to make her case. She read out her submission in Tamil, pleading with the court to allow her to at least make arrangements for her daughter’s marriage, as she and her husband Srihari alias Murugan never got an opportunity to do anything good for their daughter as responsible parents.

11 PUNJAB COPS GET LIFE TERM FOR KILLING CONVICT

Thirteen people, including 11 policemen, were awarded life imprisonment in a 2014 kidnapping and murder case of a prisoner serving life sentence. Court of additional session judge Sandeep Singh Bajwa handed out the sentence to the 13 accused, while one of the accused, ASI Baljit Singh, was declared a proclaimed offender during the trial. Bikramjit Singh was serving a jail term in Amritsar jail for gunning down six people. On May 5, 2014, Bikramjit was taken to a local government hospital for treatment from where he was kidnapped by a police team led by Gulshanbir Singh and taken to Batala where he was tortured and murdered, as per the complaint filed by his brother Dalbir Singh.

CENTER REFUSES TO RENAME WEST BENGAL TO 'BANGLA

In a setback to Mamata Banerjee, the Centre refused her plea to rename West Bengal to ‘Bangla’, saying the move required constitutional amendment. MoS Nityanand Rai denied that Government has cleared the name 'Bangla' for West Bengal as proposed by the state government. Soon after this, Banerjee sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for expediting the matter. “I would again request you to kindly accept the wishes of the people of West Bengal, as enshrined in the resolution of the West Bengal legislative assembly and in the proposal of the West Bengal cabinet, to rename our state as 'Bangla' in English, Hindi and Bengali,” reads an excerpt from the letter.

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INDIA

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

13 - 19 July 2019

A Love story of Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan

• Grand daughter of a Hindu turned Christian, Irene was converted to Islam • M.A. Jinnah used to say, “I found Pakistan and Liaquat founded Pakistan” “

Do you know why he has come? He wants to know how serious my illness is, how long I would last.” The Quaid-i-Azam is reported to have told Fati (Fatima Jinnah, his devoted sister) immediately after Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan left following a courtesy call to the dying Governor-General at Ziarat, a hill station 8,500 feet above sea level in Baluchistan, in July 1948. When Liaquat arrived Jinnah asked him: “Why Ra’ana has not come with you?” Liaquat and his Begum Ra’ana were both responsible to convince Barrister Mohammad Ali Jinnah to return to India from his Hampstead retreat to take up the responsibility of the All India Muslim League in 1934. Both Jinnah and Liaquat led the Pakistan movement. Liaquat as a Finance Member in the Interim Government of India was responsible for Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a Home Member, to make up his mind to give separate Pakistan in December 1946 itself. Ultimately, when Pakistan was carved out in August 1947, Jinnah as the Governor General and Liaquat as the Prime Minister were to decide the future of the new Islamic Nation. Unfortunately, both died within a span of just 4 years, the Quaid in September 1948 of tuberculosis (the British reports were of lung cancer) and Liaquat in October 1951 when he was shot dead publicly. Thanks to both jealous women (Fatima and Ra’ana), at one stage differences cropped up between Jinnah and Liaquat.The PM offered to resign. The Quaid responded by telling him: “Let not the relations between these two spoil our long standing relationship.” Jinnah used to say, “I found Pakistan and Liaquat founded Pakistan”. Ra’ana was born as Irene RuthMargaret on 13 February 1905 at Almora, in a Brahmin clan whose founder, Taradutt Pant, her grandfather, had turned Christian. The family was related to Govind Ballabh Pant, the Premier and the Chief Minister (1937 and 1950) of UP who also was the Home Minister of India An uxorious husband Liaqut and charming as well as (1955-61). After MA (Economics) from intelligent Begum Ra'ana (Courtesy: White Star) Lucknow University, Irene joined and honesty (she loved the most).” Diocesan College in Kolkata and later Comparing and contrasting the Indraprasth College, Delhi as lecturer. In personalities of Jinnah and Liaquat and their 1930, she met the upcoming politician from marital relationship in particular, Roger Karnal, Liaquat Ali Khan, Deputy President Long states: “Both married a modern second of the UP legislative council, who was, wife from a different faith who converted to needless to say, struck by her personality Islam upon marriage… Of the two men, and ready wit. They were married on 16 Liaquat’s marriage was the longest and April 1933 at the Maidens Hotel in Delhi. happiest. Jinnah dominated his wife (Ruttie Her family was furious since she was to who died in February 1929) and was the more marry a Muslim and that too a guilty party upon marriage in Next Column: married man. But as the the estrangement between he longest serving Pak Lal Bahadur Shastri on his and his wife; Liaquat was highly Ambassador to US, Jamsheed successors after death! solicitous to Ra’ana and they Marker, a Parsi, paid a great tribute to the exchanged almost daily letters and telegrams brilliance of her personality: “When she when he was on his travels. It would not be walked into a room, the place would entirely inaccurate to say that Liaquat was an suddenly light up…Begum Sahiba and uxorious husband.” Quaid-e-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan carried Once when the Quaid was asked much love and admiration for each other.” why he didn’t remarry (after Ruttie’s In the recently published biography, “The death), his reply Dr. Hari Desai was: “Get me Begum: A Portrait of Ra’ana Liaquat Ali a n o t h e r (The writer is a SocioKhan, Pakistan’s Pioneering First Lady” by Ra’ana and I political Historian. Deepa Agarwal and Tahmina Aziz Ayub, E-mail: haridesai@gmail.com) would.” Ra’ana is quoted: “His (Liaquat’s) simplicity

29 killed as bus falls into drain between two flyovers near Agra At least 29 people were killed and 23 others injured when an Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation bus plunged 40 feet into a drain between two flyovers after breaking through the safety railing near Agra on Monday. The two-tiered AC sleeper bus was cruising at a high speed when it crashed at Etmadpur, 4 km from Agra. It fell upside down into a drain, which had about sixeight feet water. “Prima facie, it appears that the driver fell asleep at the

wheel. The bus was speeding, which caused it to jump off the flyover's railing,” Agra district magistrate N G Ravi Kumar said. The driver was among those killed. The bus with 52 passengers and two crew members was heading to Delhi from Lucknow. The Yamuna Expressway is one of the most modern roads in the country but the highspeed stretch is also notorious for its fatal crashes. A total of 944 deaths

have been reported on the expressway since it was commissioned in August 2012. Expressing grief over the tragedy, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath announced an ex-gratia of Rs 500,000 to the kin of the passengers killed in the accident. He also ordered that an investigating committee, comprising the transport commissioner, divisional commissioner and IG (Agra range), be set up to probe the accident.

Diary of a new Canadian Immigrant

Mitul Paniker

Canada's mighty Pride Dear Readers, The month of June was celebrated as the International Pride Month, and Canada one upped itself with its celebrations this year. Pride 2019 comes 50 years after the infamous Stonewall Riots of New York. For the uninitiated, the Stonewall riots were a series of

created what seems to be an everlasting bond. The roads were strewn with people decked in the most eccentric outfits and the energy was out of this world. To readers wondering why this choice of topic this week, I have no special reason nor agenda. The need for 'inclusivity' surged from a series of partial and

'Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joins members of the LGBTQ community at Toronto's annual Pride Parade

spontaneous violent demonstrations by the gay community against a police raid on June 28, 1969, at Stonewall, New York. Toronto's Pride parade held on June 23, was one of the largest of hundreds of pride celebrations across the country. Crowds gathered by the hundreds and lined over a dozen downtown blocks to celebrate the annual parade. Among those attending were high-profile politicians like Prime Minister Justin Trudeauu, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, and Toronto Mayor John Tory. A regular to the event, Trudeau waved a rainbow flag featuring a maple leaf as he led members of his cabinet through Toronto's downtown. My husband and I participated in the parade too. While we knew almost no one, we made friends instantly from the crowds. They danced with us, sung with us, and we

conservative reactions to individuals who dared to stand. For ages, those who haven't followed the "normal" path, have been shunned or mocked for being different. While times have changed and acceptance has grown worldwide, I can't help thinking why the need for acceptance? Why does the gay community have to attain consent from the society? Why can't we realise that no two persons are the same and in that lies our uniqueness. The LGBTQ community has fought for recognition for decades and this year, I had the privilege of celebrating them for the first time in my life. I was humbled. The vivacity of the crowds dancing and marching across downtown gave me inner strength. Each participant phenomenally stood out in their capacity and I couldn't be more proud.

Rahul quits finally, sets stage for churn in Congress Congress president Rahul Gandhi made his resignation final last week in a “farewell letter,” which could set the stage for a major churn in the party involving possible resignations of officebearers, reconstitution of the working committee and the installation of a new party chief. Rahul’s detailed letter slammed the lid on speculation that he might be persuaded to reconsider the decision he announced at a meeting of the CWC on May 25 in the aftermath of a second successive defeat to BJP, with the party winning just 52 Lok Sabha seats. The Congress leader said the party needs a “radical transformation” to fight BJP. While owning responsibility for the mauling, Rahul Gandhi lamented that he at times fought alone and personal battle against BJP-RSS and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, repeating an insinuation he made at the CWC meeting. His

Rahul Gandhi

reference to the need for sweeping changes and that “numerous people” should also be held accountable seems to indicate a call for a purge or a version of the “Kamraj plan” where senior leaders voluntarily follow suit. “The consequence of Rahul Gandhi’s resignation should be resignations of office-bearers and the constitution of a new CWC,” said a senior party leader. A party source said PCCs and AICC do not need to be dissolved and will be expected to endorse the

new CWC as and when it is constituted. Senior leaders did not rule out a successor being chosen by consensus and deliberations, but said the party constitution pointed to a certain process. “What method will be adopted remains to be seen. Party seniors and current CWC can decide,” said a leader. In his letter, Rahul wrote, “It is a habit in India that the powerful cling to power, no one sacrifices power. But we will not defeat our opponents without sacrificing the desire for power and fighting a deeper ideological battle.” Cong fought entire machinery of Indian state: Rahul Rahul Gandhi said he had already suggested that a group of people be entrusted with the task of searching for a new president. “I have empowered them to do so and committed my full support to this process and a smooth transition,” he said.

26 INDIA

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13 - 19 July 2019

NRIs to get Aadhaar card on arrival

In a major relief for NonResident Indians (NRI), Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in the Union Budget, proposed quick issuance of Aadhaar cards for those holding Indian passports. Now, Aadhaar card for NRIs will be issued after their arrival in India, without waiting for the mandatory 180 days. This will facilitate NRIs in getting KYC done quickly and use the card for expediting financial transactions within the country. Issue of quick Aadhaar to NRIs may allow them to use the card number for filing income tax returns also. An Aadhaar card allots a unique identification number to each citizen linked with a centralised database and includes demographic, bio metric and other data. 8 new diplomatic missions across Africa To project its soft power and increase its global footprint, India will open 18 new diplomatic missions in various locations across Africa, Sitharaman announced. "We have decided to open Indian embassies and high commissions where India does not have diplomatic missions yet. We have approved 18 new Indian diplomatic missions in Africa," said the Finance Minister. "Five embassies have already been opened in Rwanda, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Guinea and Burkina Faso in 2018-19. The government intends to open 4 more

markets through embassies in the year p o r t f o l i o 2019-20. This will not only investment schemes increase the footprint of (PIS), which are India's overseas presence governed by the but also enable us to Reserve Bank of provide better public India (RBI). The services to the local Indian scheme comes with c o m m u n i t i e s , " several restrictions Sitharaman said. and NRIs aren’t FDI norm relaxation often keen on using The government proposed the route. relaxation in the FDI Even though norms for sectors such as India is the world’s media, aviation, top remittance insurance, and single recipient, NRI brand retail with a view to investment in attract more overseas Indian capital investment. The finance markets is just minister in her maiden around £300 budget speech said that million. NRIs prefer India’s FDI inflows in to invest heavily in 2018-19 grew by 6 per cent real estate to USD 64.37 billion. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arriving in compared with Besides, it announced parliament to present budget stocks. The merger a review of the norms to payments situation and of NRI portfolio route with further open up FDI in strengthen the rupee value the foreign portfolio aviation, insurance and against other global investment (FPI) will help media (animation, visual currencies, especially the US funnel more money into the effects, gaming and comics) dollar. country. This, coupled with to provide a fillip to foreign NRIs can now invest via the removal of 24% statutory flows into the country. FPI route limits for FPIs and match it While the details are yet to The budget has with sectoral limits, will be discussed in detail, proposed several measures ensure greater NRI sources indicated the to boost overseas fund participation. proposal may include flows. Finance Minister The gifts received by the allowing foreign airlines proposed the merger of NRI would now be taxable more shareholding power in investments made thorough A dampener for NRIs is the Indian carriers. This will NRI portfolio route with the move by the government to help sustain domestic foreign portfolio plug the loopholes in gifts players, some of which such investment. The move will tax. Gifts by Indian residents as Jet Airways and usher the single regime for in the form of property or Kingfisher were forced to foreign investors and money will be taxable in shut shop as they could not regulate investments and India. However, the get global investors. funds brought in by the exemption on these gifts Foreign investments are non-resident Indians and from income tax would considered crucial for India, person of Indian Origin. apply, depending on the which needs around billions These measures would treaties between India and of dollars for overhauling its provide a more conducive respective countries. infrastructure sector such as regulatory environment to Any gift received by a ports, airports and highways FPIs, especially NRIs, taxpayer in India is taxable to boost growth. experts said. Currently, under the head, income FDI helps improve the NRIs invest in Indian stock from other sources, as per country’s balance of

their slab. Non-residents, on the other hand, have enjoyed a leeway on the ground that it’s not an income that has accrued or arisen in India and, so, can’t be taxed in India. This latitude has now been done away with. Non-residents who have received gifts from India after July 5 - whether in terms of money (above Rs 50,000) or immovable property (the value of which exceeds Rs 50,000) - will need to take a harder look at the new proposal. Existing exemptions available to a taxpayer in India will also apply to NRIs. Thus, gifts of a value below Rs 50,000 will continue to be exempt. Similarly, gifts received on certain occasions, such as marriage or by way of inheritance, won’t come under the tax net. Similarly, gifts from relatives in India will continue to be exempt. However, the term relatives is narrowly defined - it covers gifts from parents, spouse, siblings, maternal and paternal aunts and uncles (and their spouses). The move would keep in check benami property transactions too, say experts. Tax proposals futuristic in nature The Budget 2019 presented by Sitharaman aims at widening the tax base while ensuring simplified tax administration, anti–abuse measures, incentivising common man, encouraging start-ups and promoting digital economy. The various tax proposals are

futuristic in nature and have a far reaching impact. Under the new tax regime, those with income between £200,000 and 500,000 will pay tax at the rate of 39%, and those earning more than £500,000 will have to pay tax at a whopping 42.74%. This is more than the US, where the maximum rate is 37%, which triggers over an income of $600,000. With this, the government has clarified that a high income earner will have to pay more tax for the development of the economy. The government did not dole out any bonanza to taxpayers. Income between Rs 500,000 and 10,00,000 will continue to attract tax at 20% and cess of 4%. In the highest tax bracket of 30% for incomes up to Rs 50,00,000, there is no surcharge, but cess at 4%. But when income crosses Rs 50,00,000, a surcharge of 10% will be levied up to income of £100,000. Income between £100,000 and 200,000 will continue to attract a surcharge of 15%. Aadhaar and PAN interchangeable Aadhaar and PAN are now interchangeable - this would enable filing of an Income Tax Return (ITR) through Aadhaar, as well. The Aadhaar option is intended to help people who do not hold a PAN, but have an Aadhaar card, for purposes specified in the IT Act. These include sale or purchase of motor vehicles, opening bank accounts and purchase of foreign currency among others.

Body of famous British mountaineer still missing Noted British mountaineer Martin Moran, who led the 8-member team on its illfated expedition to the Nanda Devi East peak in May, was identified as the only person whose body is yet to be recovered by the rescue personnel. Nainital district magistrate Savin Bansal said that the identification of the seven bodies recovered from the western ridge of the peak was completed on Saturday. The others were identified as John Charles McLaren, Richard Payne and Rupert James Whewell from Britain, Anthony Edward Sudekum and Ronald Isaac Beimel from the US and Ruth Margaret Mc Cance, the lone woman mountaineer from Australia and liaison officer Chetan Pandey from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation. Representatives of the British high commission and family members of McCance were expected to collect the bodies. Sources

Martin Moran

said that the bodies of the US citizens have been placed in the mortuary. Bodies brought to Uttarakhand's Munsyari Earlier, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) airlifted the bodies of seven climbers to lower ground for identification. The body of British mountaineer Martin Moran was not found. Nanda Devi and its sister mountain, Nanda Devi East, are among the world's most challenging peaks and only a handful of people have climbed them.

Martin Moran Highlands-based Martin Moran led the 8-member team on its ill-fated expedition to the Nanda Devi East peak in May. British Mountain Guides (BMG) said the body of Tyneside-born Moran was still unaccounted for. BMG a national body representing the interests of mountain guides working in the some of the world's highest mountains, paid trbutes to Moran. His name is legendary in UK climbing circles. He

graduated in geography at Cambridge University before studying and qualifying as a chartered accountant. But the outdoors, and in particular mountains, were his passion. In the winter of 1984 Moran and his wife Joy made the first completion of all Munros - more than 280 Scottish mountains with a height of 914m (3,000ft) or more - in a single winter season. Himalayan expeditions The Morans moved to Lochcarron, a small community in Wester Ross in the north west Highlands, and established their adventure holiday business, Moran Mountain. Moran's reputation as a mountaineer has also grown over the years. In 1993, he and fellow climber Simon Jenkins climbed 75 4,000m (13,123ft) Alpine peaks in 52 days. The men cycled between the different ranges involved, rather than using motorised transport.

making it the first selfpropelled traverse of Alpine peaks of 4,000m. The previous year, the Morans' business started offering guided Himalayan expeditions. Since then, the

company has run more than 40 treks and climbs in the Indian Himalayas. The business then offered climbing courses in Norway and Arctic mountaineering in 2005.

Statement

On 6 July 2015 an email was sent to Mr Praful Patel by Dhiren Katwa, Senior News Editor of the Asian Voice which was blind copied to more than two hundred individuals including members of the mainstream press, Members of Parliament, Peers and Government Officials, as well as a number of other individuals within the Asian community. The email requested disclosure of the accounts of The India Overseas Trust and enclosed two readers’ letters. It has since come to light that the accounts requested had been filed with the Charity Commission in the time period prescribed by law and were indeed readily available at the time of Mr Katwa sending the aforementioned email. Furthermore, the two readers’ letters are hereby withdrawn. We make it absolutely clear that at no point did we or anyone associated with this publication consider or allege any wrongdoing on the part of Mr Patel, or any other members/Trustees/agents of The Indian Overseas Trust. Furthermore, Mr Katwa regrets and apologises if his email and associated articles have been misconstrued as such. This statement has been sent to those copied in on the original email. Mr Praful Patel has donated the sum of £2,500 to the Karmayoga Foundation for its charitable works.

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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

13 - 19 July 2019

Bladder cancer 'attacked and killed by common cold virus' A strain of the common cold virus can infect and kill bladder cancer cells, a small study suggests. All signs of the disease disappeared in one patient, and in 14 others there was evidence that cancer cells had died. University of Surrey researchers said the virus could "help revolutionise treatment" for the cancer and reduce the risk of it recurring. A bladder cancer charity called the study "very exciting" if larger studies confirmed the findings. Non-muscle invasive bladder is the 10th most common cancer in the UK, with around 10,000 new cases each year. Current treatments for this type of bladder cancer are invasive or can cause serious, toxic side effects. And constant, costly monitoring is needed to check that the cancer has not returned after treatment. In this study, 15

patients with the disease were given the cancerkilling coxsackievirus (CVA21) through a catheter one week before surgery to remove their tumours. When tissues samples were analysed after surgery, there were signs the virus had targeted and killed cancer cells in the bladder. Once these cells had died, the virus had then reproduced and infected other cancerous cells - but all other healthy cells were left intact. What the virus does is special, says study leader Prof Hardev Pandha, from the University of Surrey and Royal Surrey County Hospital. Normally, the tumours in the bladder are "cold" because they do not have immune cells to fight off the cancer. But the actions of the virus turn them "hot", making the body's immune system react. Prof Pandha said the same virus had also been

A virus of the common cold infected and killed bladder cancer cells in the study

tested on skin cancer, but this was the first time it had been studied in a clinical trial on bladder cancer. The plan is now to use the common cold virus with a targeted immunotherapy drug treatment, called a checkpoint inhibitor, in a future trial in more patients. Dr Nicola Annels, research fellow at the University of Surrey, said viruses like the coxsackievirus "could signal a move away from more established treatments such as

chemotherapy". Allen Knight, chairman of Action Bladder Cancer UK, said the study findings were "very exciting". Bladder cancer costs the NHS more per patient than nearly every other cancer, because of the high recurrence rate, he said. Dr Mark Linch, a bladder cancer expert at the Cancer Research UK Cancer Institute at University College London, said the initial results were "encouraging".

Blasting legs with high energy sound waves could treat condition without surgery Blasting the legs with high energy sound waves could be a radical new way to treat unsightly varicose veins – without the need for surgery. The experimental treatment, which takes just minutes, means patients are left scar-free. Doctors use a high-tech and painless form of focused ultrasound, which is fired through the skin to destroy bulging and unsightly veins below the surface. Experts predict the cutting-edge method, known as echotherapy, will transform management of the condition, which affects tens of millions of people in the UK. ‘This will completely alter the way we treat varicose veins,’ says Professor Mark Whiteley, the first British surgeon to use the technique. He has treated a dozen patients at

his private clinics in London, Guildford and Bristol. Varicose veins occur when the wall of the vein starts to weaken and it becomes swollen and out of shape. Leg veins carry blood back up to the heart and, as the blood is moving against gravity, the veins have to work very hard to carry it in the right direction. To help, there is a series of oneway valves in the leg veins. As blood passes through, the valves close, stopping gravity from pulling it down again. But when vein walls weaken, which can occur due to genetics, ageing, pregnancy or being overweight, these valves do not close properly. Blood starts to pool, a phenomenon known as venous reflux, causing veins to bulge through the skin.

NHS waiting lists surge due to pensions row Waiting lists for routine surgery have risen by up to 50% in England because senior doctors say they cannot afford to work extra shifts. Consultants have begun refusing to work beyond their planned hours after receiving unexpected tax bills, following new pension rules in 2016. NHS hospitals said delays are becoming increasingly routine as a result. The Department of Health said it aimed to solve the problem with more flexible pensions. Consultants who earn more than £110,000 a year faced new limits on how much they could contribute to their pension from 2016. Complex rules mean the charges can be unpredictable if they go over the allowance.

But those near the threshold have few options to avoid the impact, other than reducing their hours, quitting the NHS pension scheme or taking early retirement. The government gives tax relief on contributions to pension schemes, and allows up to 25% of the benefits to be taken tax-free at retirement. Since 2006, there have been limits on the amount that can be contributed each year and the total benefit that can be built up over a career. If the growth in a doctor's pension scheme exceeds this annual allowance they face a charge, or a reduction in their pension benefits. The limit on the annual allowance has come down from £255,000 a year in 2010-11, to £40,000 a year

for those earning broadly less than £110,000 in 201819. In addition, a tapered annual allowance was introduced in 2016 for higher earners. This means that the annual allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 earned, says the British Medical Association (BMA). It says a major problem for doctors is that all their income is taken into account when calculating their annual allowance, including work that is nonpensionable. In addition, the annual allowance is based not just on their annual income, but also on the growth in their pension pot. Because of the way the allowance is calculated many consultants will face a significant tax bill even if their earnings are only just above £110,000 a year. There is also a lifetime

allowance to consider. Doctors who accumulate just over £1 million in pension funds become liable to pay tax on their pension. NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, said senior staff were now saying they could not afford to work at weekends to bring waiting lists down. A senior anaesthetist at one hospital worked 27 Saturdays last year to reduce waiting times but now cannot afford to, the organisation said. Another hospital has seen numbers waiting for routine surgery increase by 50% since April, with staffing issues due to the pensions problem partly to blame. NHS Providers said a solution is needed urgently and the government is moving too slowly.

in brief REVOLUTIONARY TEST 'CAN LISTEN TO BACTERIA COMMUNICATE' AND DIAGNOSE INFECTIONS WITHIN 30 SECONDS 'COULD CURB ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE' A revolutionary tool that can 'listen to bacteria communicate' could curb antibiotic resistance, scientists say. The test, still under development, could be used to diagnose everything from UTIs to lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. It works by translating conversations bacteria have before they colonise and attack, which is when they can become lifethreatening. Researchers warn it can take days for standard testing, such as a swab from the back of the throat, to produce a result and lead to a diagnosis. This leads doctors to prescribe antibiotics ahead of time, fuelling drug resistance which has been labelled as one of the biggest threats to global health. Dr Fatima AlZahra'a Alatraktchi said new technology used within the test is able to pick up bacteria and make a diagnosis within 30 seconds. And she hopes it will allow doctors to prescribe specific drugs straight away, reducing the use of blanket treatments or guesswork. Bacteria communicate by secreting molecules. When there is a large accumulation of these molecules, it signals to the bacteria that they are not alone. They acknowledge there is an opportunity to attack the body, and initiate action when there is a high enough threshold. Together they may overrule healthy bacteria, thrive, and excrete a toxin that is dangerous to the human body.

WOMEN AGED OVER 40 'CAN GO 10 YEARS BETWEEN CERVICAL SCREENINGS' WITH SOON-TO-BE ROLLED OUT SMEAR TEST THAT LOOKS FOR HPV AND CANCER

Middle-aged women can safely go ten years between cervical screening tests if they test negative for HPV, research suggests. A Government-funded trial looked at data from 24,500 British women who had been tested for HPV testing alongside their routine smear test. It found women over 40 who tested negative for HPV - a virus that causes almost all cervical cancer cases - did not need to be screened for another decade. The study also found younger women with a negative HPV test could go longer than the current three years between appointments. It comes as smear test attendance is known to be at an alltime low — just 71 per cent of those invited go for their smear, NHS figures show. NHS England announced it is adding HPV testing onto the standard smear tests by 2020. They are currently not offered but will be rolled out starting in July this year. NHS Scotland will roll out HPV testing onto the standard smear tests starting in January 2020. In Wales, the tests have been running since September 2018. The 10-minute tests, considered embarrassing by many, take a sample of cells from a woman's cervix – the connection between the vaginal canal and the womb.

ORANGES, GRAPES AND CARROTS CONTAIN CANCER-FIGHTING COMPOUNDS WHICH CLOSELY RESEMBLE MOLECULES USED IN ALREADY LICENCED DRUGS

Oranges, grapes and carrots may contain cancer-fighting compounds that closely resemble those used in licensed drugs, research suggests. A study found that out of more than 7,900 molecules within fruits and vegetables, 110 have the potential to battle tumours. This was based on the molecules' likeness to compounds found in existing anti-cancer medications. Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants called flavonoids, which give them their colour. Flavonoids may help prevent cancer by suppressing inflammation, controlling cell replication and even inducing tumour 'suicide'.

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...

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Priyanka's glam avatar at brother-in-law Joe's wedding Known for her glamourous and elegant sense of style, Priyanka Chopra Jonas was a sight to behold at the prewedding dinner and dinner of her brother-inlaw Joe Jonas and his beautiful wife Sophie Turner. The two recently got married in a private affair in the south of France. While their ceremony was a highly guarded affair, a picture of Priyanka hanging out with one of the guests has surfaced on the world wide web. The actress recently featured on the cover of Elle magazine August issue. She shared new stills from the photo

shoot on Instagram. Priyanka spoke about her family to the magazine, and said, "It's so different I'd never realised having a husband and a boyfriend are such different things. When you say your vows, it's like, this person is my family, and it's the family I chose. There's a weird responsibility to them. And a safety that comes from it. We are learning about each other every day." After attending the wedding, Priyanka and husband Nick attended the Paris Fashion Week. While she wore a green flowing gown, Nick was in black jacket and trousers with a flower pattern on the chest.

Akshay Kumar shares special post on 'Mission Mangal' Actor Akshay Kumar shared a long post on Twitter dedicated to his upcoming film 'Mission Mangal'. He announced that the film is based on a true story of India's mission to Mars, and will be released on Independence Day. He wrote, "#MissionMangal, a film which I hope will inspire as much as entertain. A film which I’ve done specially for my daughter and children of her age to familiarise them with the incredible true story of India’s mission to Mars!". Kumar added, "For several years Hollywood made movies and TV shows like Star Trek, Star Wars, Gravity etc., this inspired an entire generation of inventors, scientists and explorers. I have always wanted to be part of one such movie... a movie that inspires our future generations... one that celebrates imagination and curiosity. 'Mission Mangal' is that film for me... a film that I hope, will inspire as much as it will

entertain. Based on the incredible true story of India’s mission to Mars, 'Mission Mangal' is a film about ordinary people achieving the extraordinary... a story that proves that creativity, ideas and dreams have no limit... just like the sky! This Independence Day - the sky is not the limit". Produced by Balki and directed by Jagan Shakti, the movie is touted to be a space drama and stars Kriti Kulhari, Vidya Balan, Sharman Joshi and Taapsee Pannu. Shooting for the film was completed earlier this year, and Pannu shared a picture announcing the wrap up. She wrote, "End of an another beautiful journey. #MissionMangal comes to an end for ‘Kritika Aggarwal’ With such wonderful actors together in one frame it was truly an experience to treasure and cherish. 15-08-19 will be the celebration of this super power called India: @akshaykumar".

Not here to make true friends: Diljit Dosanjh on Bollywood One of the rising stars of the Indian film and music industries, Diljit Dosanjh is steadily finding his footing and there is no slowing him down. In a recent interview, he opened up about Bollywood and his experience playing in the major league. "It's a very good place," he said. "I am not in the industry to make true friends. I already have true friends. However, I enjoy good equations with the people I have worked." When stated that the film industry is very cut-throat, he said, "That's okay, what's bad in that? There's a guy, whose one film doesn't work, second film doesn't work, the next one too doesn't work, so the

producer will think that he should work with someone else. But the actor will also think that let's try something else. It is not a bad thing to say this." He added, "The equations are the same in every industry." On the work front, the 'Do You Know' singer will be next seen onscreen in 'Arjun Patiala', and then in 'Good News' with Kareena Kapoor Khan and Akshay Kumar. "I am very excited. All the films that I have lined up this year are in the commercial zone. In the past one or two years, I had done serious cinema. Of the films which will come next year, one or two will again be on serious subjects. This year is my commercial year."

Alia to sing and feature in music video

Bollywood's Alia Bhatt has a lot more talents than acting. Having crooned a few songs in her movies, reports now suggest that she may soon release and feature in her own music video. Reports said Alia is set to sing a song and feature in the music video which will be released on her recently announced YouTube channel. A source said, "What she posts on her Twitter and Instagram handles is the final result. Her channel will showcase how she works with her team behind the scenes. Whether it's a film promotional event or a friend's wedding, how she gets ready for it... and what does it take to do so will be some of the professional aspects that she will share." Alia recently returned from New York with her boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor. They were in the US visiting Ranbir's father and veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer. On the work front, the two will be seen together for the first time in Ayan Mukerji's fantasy trilogy 'Brahmastra'. The movie also stars Amitabh Bachchan,

Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna. Alia will also begin work on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Inshallah' soon, in which she will be paired with Salman Khan for the first time. The film is scheduled for an Eid 2020 release. After that, Alia will shoot for Karan Johar's 'Takht' which also stars Ranveer Singh and Kareena Kapoor Khan.

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Anushka wants to ‘seal the silly moments’ with Virat

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli have finally got some time together in London. The Indian cricketer has apparently taken time out of his busy schedule for wife Anushka before he played against Sri Lanka

on July 6 in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup. Fans were treated to some lovely photos by Anushka who shared a picture of the two and captioned it, "Seal the silly moments".

Virat too shared another picture and captioned it, "Mr and Mrs". On the work front, Anushka is yet to announce her new project. She has clarified it was her choice not sign any film as the last few years have taken a toll on her. She said, "In the past three years, I have been working in a fashion which was very hectic, and have

13 - 19 July 2019

done roles which were extremely demanding." "In one calendar year to do a film like 'Pari', 'Sui Dhaaga' and 'Zero', it's not easy and takes a toll on you. All are different, and required a lot of prep. You feel you want to sit back and take a call. I think I have reached that position and security as an actor in my career, where I don't need to do things or sign films just because I have to fill up time."

Ananya Panday launches mobile application against cyber bullying One film wonder, Ananya Panday has stunned everyone when she announced her first mobile application, So+, or So Positive, an initiative to stop cyber bullying. When asked why she felt the need to launch such an initiative, she said, "I feel cyber bullying and being mean to people on social media has been going on for a long time but no one has taken a step or necessary action. A lot of my growing up years have been spent in the digital world and on social media. It is something that I can relate to very strongly. So, if I can create a conversation or a

supportive system for people then that is important to me." She added, "People can believe lies so easily. In today's tech-savvy world, it is not hard to photoshop a conversation or start a lie because whatever people read, they believe it to be the whole truth. That is why I came up with a platform like So Positive where people can talk, share without being judged or hated. It is to teach people a way to deal with bullying." When asked what the first memory of being bullied was, Ananya said, "Since there

Kangana lashes out after 'Judgementall Hai Kya' controversy

Kangana Ranaut, scriptwriter Kanika Dhillon and director Prakash Kovelamudi has launched the trailer of their upcoming film 'Judgementall hai Kya' in Mumbai. After launching the trailer, the actress spoke about the controversy surrounding the movie's original title 'Mental hai Kya'. Kangana said, "Whenever anything is of Kangana Ranaut, lots of people have several problems. If we outsiders even breathe, there are people who have a problem with that. Keeping all that in mind, even we have learnt to make our way through it and ensure that no one has to face any inconvenience, even if it means that I have to face some inconvenience in return." She also stated that the word "mental" was banned recently. She said, "There were several cases and threats against us. The South Indian original of

Salman Khan's 'Kick' is called 'Mental'. But we were informed that these words were banned just a few weeks ago." However, the actor maintained that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) was very supportive and had no issues with the film's consent. Kangana said, "The Censor Board cooperated with us a lot. We have been given a U/A certificate. They said, ‘you’ve made a good film and we couldn’t find anything offensive in it.’ We have faith in our intentions." She also revealed how she herself has been shamed on many occasions. "There was a phase in my life where people tried to openly shame me by saying that I have a mental illness. They said I am on medication and hence she is claiming things. I had answered that as well saying, ‘so what?’. Even though I am not on any medication, I would not have been embarrassed if I was."

was no social media when I was growing up, the first memory of being bullied would be from school when people would call me a hunchback, too skinny and stuff like that. But even back then I would tell a teacher or my mother about it. So, I think it is important to talk about it rather than keeping it all in because that is how hate grows within." She also urged people to do the right thing. "Talk to people. It can be anyone, even me. I want to give people the option to speak to me about their episode of being bullied."

Hrithik opens up on relation with sister Sunaina Days after a controversy invoked by his sister Sunaina, actor Hrithik Roshan has revealed that things are in fact warm and cosy within the family. "It's a beautiful relationship. With our kids, with us as friends, it's all about wisdom. One thing is for sure, Love can't turn into hate. If it's hate, it wasn't love. The flipside of love... is also love.

Once you understand that, you'll keep finding ways back into love." On the professional front, Hrithik will be seen in his upcoming film 'Super 30', which will see him play the role of Bihar mathematician Anand Kumar. He said he is consciously choosing films that deeply move him. "The rest of the journey becomes easy. I'm not a very good actor, I'm not the fittest guy.

I'm the opposite of these things, so movies for me are a very difficult thing. It takes a lot out of me to do the simplest things that other actors do instinctively. That's why I need to find stories that fuel me to go through the entire process- to wake up at 6 o'clock, to take the aching back, knees, shoulders, the broken bones, and do what I do. 'Super 30' just hit it out of the park for me, especially the climax." Hrithik also claimed that he is happy to see that the star system is withering away. "We’re getting to a much better place. It’s far more real – that whole concept of actors being gods? The distance isn’t that much now. Look at Tiger (Shroff), Varun (Dhawan), Ranbir (Kapoor)– they’re chill. No one’s walking around like a star. But they’re still delivering hit films."

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13 - 19 July 2019

Anushka Shetty shares look from the sets of 'Silence' Actress Anushka Shetty has given us a peek into the look of her character from an upcoming investigative thriller titled 'Silence'. And by the looks of it, the actress will be sporting curly hair for the role. Shetty took to Instagram and shared a picture of her standing on the stage under the spotlight. She captioned it saying, "Into the spotlight soon #SILENCE". Her curly hair look has piqued the interest of the fans and the image has since gone viral. A Hemant Madhukar directorial, 'Silence' also stars R Madhavan, Anjali, Shalini Pandey and Hollywood actor Michael Madsen. If grapevine is to be believed, Anushka plays a deaf and mute character in the film which revolves around the murder of a key character and the subsequent investigation to find the killer. First schedule of the set is complete, now Madhavan and Anushka are expected to join the sets for the second schedule from this week. This will be Anushka's first major release since the release of her last Telugu horror thriller 'Bhagmathie', in which she played dual characters. Meanwhile, she has completed shooting for 'Sye Raa Narasimha'.

Rajinikanth's daughter Soundarya trolled for her insensitivity Superstar Rajinikanth's daughter Soundarya fell victim to the internet's ire recently, when she shared a pool picture of herself and son Ved on social media. However, the actor later deleted the pictures to show her solidarity with the acute water shortage prevalent in Chennai. She took to her Twitter to write, "Removed the pictures shared in good spirit from my #TravelDiaries considering the sensitivity around the current #WaterScarcity we are facing. The throwback pic were to emphasise the importance for physical activities for children from a young age only #LetsSave Water." Her followers supported the move and praised her for deleting it. A fan even wrote, "Sadly.. People don't understand the context...they take it in whichever way they want. Good decision..." Another wrote, "Its not the duty of her to provide water to everyone, plz ask your MP and MLA for that."

* Schedule is subject to change

SATURDAY JULY 13, 2019 00:00 FILM: TUMSA NAHIN DEKHA 05:00 FILM: GOOD BUDDY GADBADI 07:30 FILM: HOTE HOTE PYAR HO GAYA 10:19 FILM: AGNIVARSHA 13:03 FILM: WAH TAJ 15:21 FILM: D-DAY 18:20 LIFESTYLE : STAR STOP 19:00 FILM: PARTNER 22:00 FILM: THE KILLER SUNDAY JULY 14, 2019 00:00 FILM: TUMSA NAHIN DEKHA 05:00 FILM: GOOD BUDDY GADBADI 07:30 FILM: HOTE HOTE PYAR HO GAYA 10:19 FILM: AGNIVARSHA 13:03 FILM: WAH TAJ 15:21 FILM: D-DAY 18:20 LIFESTYLE : STAR STOP 19:00 FILM: PARTNER 22:00 FILM: THE KILLER MONDAY JULY 15, 2019 00:00 FILM: TUMSA NAHIN DEKHA 05:00 FILM: GOOD BUDDY GADBADI 07:30 FILM: HOTE HOTE PYAR HO GAYA 10:19 FILM: AGNIVARSHA 13:03 FILM: WAH TAJ 15:21 FILM: D-DAY 18:20 LIFESTYLE : STAR STOP 19:00 FILM: PARTNER 22:00 FILM: THE KILLER TUESDAY JULY 16, 2019 00:00 FILM: TUMSA NAHIN DEKHA

* Schedule is subject to change

Soundarya is an active social media user and occasionally shares pictures of her father and husband Vishagan Vanangamudi's fun moments with the little one. Soundarya had tied the knot with Vishagan in February this year. She was earlier married to industrialist Ashwin Ramkumar with whom she has her son.

Dhanush, brother to work together after eight years In good news for Dhanush fans, he has confirmed that he will soon reunite with his filmmaker brother Selvaraghavan for a yetuntitled Tamil project which will be produced by Kalaipuli S Thanu. He has affirmed signing a new project which will be directed by his brother. The two had previously worked in Tamil films such as 'Kadhal Kondein', 'Pudhupettai', and 'Mayakkam Enna'. After his last outing as a local ruffian in 'Maari 2', Dhanush will now be seen playing a daily wage labourer in 'Asuran', which will also be produced by Thanu under the banner of V Creations. The film marks his fourth

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collaboration with director Vetrimaaran. After completion of the project, Dhanush will return to resume shoot of director Durai Senthil Kumar's yetuntitled film in which he again plays dual roles. Dhanush also awaits the release of 'Vada Chennai 2', and has already confirmed that they've shot 30 minutes of footage of the second part. Shoot of the project is expected to resume later this year. He also has a project each with director Ramkumar of 'Ratsasan' fame and Mari Selvaraj of 'Pariyerum Perumal' fame. Both of movies are expected to go on the floors later this year.

SATURDAY 13TH JULY TIME TV PROGRAM NAMES 16:30 KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI 18:30 THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW 20:00 SUPER DANCER CHAPTER 3 21:30 THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW 23:00 THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW SUNDAY 14TH JULY TIME TV PROGRAM NAMES 17:00 KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI 18:30 THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW

05:00 FILM: GOOD BUDDY GADBADI 07:30 FILM: HOTE HOTE PYAR HO GAYA 10:19 FILM: AGNIVARSHA 13:03 FILM: WAH TAJ 15:21 FILM: D-DAY 18:20 LIFESTYLE : STAR STOP 19:00 FILM: PARTNER 22:00 FILM: THE KILLER WEDNESDAY JULY 17, 2019 00:00 FILM: TUMSA NAHIN DEKHA 05:00 FILM: GOOD BUDDY GADBADI 07:30 FILM: HOTE HOTE PYAR HO GAYA 10:19 FILM: AGNIVARSHA 13:03 FILM: WAH TAJ 15:21 FILM: D-DAY 18:20 LIFESTYLE : STAR STOP 19:00 FILM: PARTNER 22:00 FILM: THE KILLER THURSDAY JULY 18, 2019 00:00 FILM: TUMSA NAHIN DEKHA 05:00 FILM: GOOD BUDDY GADBADI 07:30 FILM: HOTE HOTE PYAR HO GAYA 10:19 FILM: AGNIVARSHA 13:03 FILM: WAH TAJ 15:21 FILM: D-DAY 18:20 LIFESTYLE : STAR STOP 19:00 FILM: PARTNER 22:00 FILM: THE KILLER FRIDAY JULY 19, 2019 00:00 FILM: TUMSA NAHIN DEKHA 05:00 FILM: GOOD BUDDY GADBADI 07:30 FILM: HOTE HOTE PYAR HO GAYA 10:19 FILM: AGNIVARSHA 13:03 FILM: WAH TAJ 15:21 FILM: D-DAY 18:20 LIFESTYLE : STAR STOP 19:00 FILM: PARTNER 22:00 FILM: THE KILLER 20:00 SUPER DANCER CHAPTER 3 FINALE 23:00 THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW MON 15TH JULY - FRI 19TH JULY TIME TV PROGRAM NAMES 18:00 VIGHNAHARTA GANESH 18:45 MERE SAI 19:30 YEH UN DINON KI BAAT HAI 20:00 CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA 20:30 ISHAARON ISHAARON MEIN 21:00 PATIALA BABES 21:30 LADIES SPECIAL 22:00 CRIME PATROL SONY MAX 2 PRIME TIME 19:00 MONDAY KAREEB 19:00 TUESDAY SWARAG SE SUNDER 19:00 WEDNESDAY KRANTIVEER 19:00 THURSDAY JAMAI RAJA 19:00 FRIDAY SAAJAN 19:00: 19:30: 20:00: 20:30: 21:00:

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 8TH - FRI 12TH JULY 2019 13:00: SWARAGINI 15:30: SIRF 30 MINUTES 16:00: THE GREAT INDIAN GLOBAL KITCHEN 2 16:30: RASOI SHOW 17:30: CHHUTA CHHEDA 18:00: RADHA PREM KI DEEWANI 18:30: BHARADWAJ BAHUEIN

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 8TH - FRI 12TH JULY 2019 18:30: KITCHEN CHAMPION 19:30: CHOTI SARRDAARNI 20:00: SHAKTI ASTITVA KE EHSAAS KI 20:45: GATHBANDHAN 21:30: BEPANAH PYAARR 22:00: BAHU BEGUM

JAHAANARA BEPANNAH TERE NAAL ISHQ MOHE RANNG DO LAAL BALIKA VADHU - LAMHE PYAAR KE 22:00: RED ALERT SAT 13TH JULY 2019 18:00: RADHA PREM KI DEEWANI 18:30: BHARADWAJ BAHUEIN 19:00: UNPLUGGED 19:30: RED ALERT 20:30: INDIA'S GOT TALENT (SEASON 8) 21:30: JAGTE RAHO SUN 14TH JULY 2019 18:00: RADHA PREM KI DEEWANI 18:30: BHARADWAJ BAHUEIN 19:00: UNPLUGGED 19:30: FEMINA MISS INDIA 2019 21:30: JAGTE RAHO 22:30: SILSILA 23:00: VISH SAT 13TH JULY 2019 19:30: DESI BEAT RESET 20:00: BFFS WITH VOGUE (SEASON 3) 21:00: DANCE DEEWANE SEASON 2 22:30: KAWACH MAHASHIVRATRI SUN 14TH JULY 2019 19:30: DESI BEAT (SEASON 3) 20:00: BFFS WITH VOGUE (SEASON 3) 21:00: DANCE DEEWANE - SEASON 2 22:30:00

KAWACH

MAHASHIVRATRI

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Mahant Swami in Bharuch

US legal battle resolves conflict in Sikh community

Chain Of Pearls - Poem by Rabindranath Tagore Mother, I shall weave a chain of pearls for thy neck with my tears of sorrow. The stars have wrought their anklets of light to deck thy feet, but mine will hang upon thy breast.

BAPS chief Mahant Swami is in Bharuch. He arrived in Bharuch on 4th July from Ahmedabad after celebrating rathyatra festival in the morning. On the same day, in the evening, he also participated in the rathyatra celebration held in Bharuch. Harikrishna Maharaj and Pujya Mahant Swami sat on the chariot while the saints performed parikrama encircling the temple. On 5th morning, Mahant Swami inaugurated the assembly room of the temple. 'Phulon Se Holi' program was held on 7th May where Mahant Swami showered flowers on saints and devotees. For the first time in Bharuch over 20,000 devotees partcipated in the event. On 8th Mahant Swami performed Murti Pratishtha in temples across the areas in Bharuch city and under Sankri temple. He will depart for Bochasan on 11th July.

Coming Events Correction

Om Day Reception To welcome his Holiness Swami Saswatanandaji Maharaj, Vice President, Bharat Sevashram Sangha Chief Guest: Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham Councillor Daryl Brown, Guest of honour: C B Patel: Editor & Publisher Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar, Time: Friday 19th July from 7-9 pm. Preceded by Bhajans, Havan and Arati by the visiting sannyasis 5.30 –6.45pm, Preeti Bhojan will be served RSVP 020 8743 9048 or sevashramvision@hotmail.com before 12th July 2019. ● NRI Group UK (London) and Sangat Group Proudly presents, Pink Purple Production Mumbai's Latest Hindi comedy play, Family Ke Side Effects venue: Alperton Community School, Ealing Road, Wembley, Middlesex HA0 4PW, On Saturday, 13th July 2019 at 7 pm (doors open at 6.30 pm), Ticket prices: £12.50 & 15 (including dinner), All numbered seats (Full price for all age groups) Form: Rashmi Shah (events trustee) Maa Krupa Foundation Tickets available from: Bollywood Pan Centre- 020 8204 7807 Ashwin Trivedi – 07956 276 228, Sudha Malavia – 07956 815 101, For further info., tickets and group bookings call Keshavbhai Balak - 07747138012 ● Jignasu Satsang Mandal, organises 'Shree 108 Hanuman Chalisa' Date: 14 July Sunday, Time: From 11 am to 5 pm Venue: Social Club Hall, North Wick Park Hospital, Harrow HA1 3UJ, Food Sponsors: Shardaben Patel and the family Contact 020 8459 5758/07973 550 310 ● Gandhi Dhun – Musical program about Gandhiji's views and values, Date: 16th July, Tuesday, Time: 6.30 PM Venue: Nehru Center UK - 8S, Audley Street, Mayfair London W1K 1HF Programs, Contact. 020 7491 3567 ●

Sneh Joshi

Wealth and fame come from thee and it is for thee to give or to withhold them. But this my sorrow is absolutely mine own, and when I bring it to thee as my offering thou rewardest me with thy grace. Gurdial Dhami

Manjinder Kooner

A legal battle over obtaining membership at a Sikh place of worship has been resolved after 10 years before the courts. The executive committee of the Gurdwara Khalsa Prakash in Windsor had been limiting membership to maintain control of the Gurdwara, court documents say. "It really made me feel bad because there was a time when I could not even come to the Gurdwara," said Manjinder Kooner. At times, he had a no trespassing order for the property on County Road 42. Kooner was a member until 2012. He said that's when it was unfairly terminated. Following a recent Ontario Superior Court of Justice decision, Kooner said he and hundreds of others will get their memberships back. And many applicants who were also turned away can re-apply.

For Kooner, the main reason he wanted to maintain his membership was to have a vote at the Gurdwara. He was still able to attend religious functions, but even that became increasingly difficult during the divisive legal battle. At times, court documents say tensions "erupted into violence," although Kooner said he never heard or witnessed any of that. In his ruling, Justice Christopher Bondy said the Gurdwara's constituion was not being honoured. Gurdial Dhami applied to be a member, and was denied. He was one of nearly 300 people involved in the latest lawsuit. Dhami estimates it cost the group between $300,000 to $400,000 in legal fees over the years. Now, he said it's time for people on both sides of the controversial issue to move forward.

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The UK’s leading Vedic writer and TV personality

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 Mercury retrograde Occurs in

your solar fifth house. Extra care should be exercised when it comes to matters surrounding romance, children, and creativity. Be as non-judgemental as possible and you should avoid jumping to any premature decisions. This is a period of review and rest. Speculation and gambling are not advised right now. Mercury turns retrograde in TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 your fourth house,you need to watch out for extreme changes in peoples attitude and behaviour at home. Strong emotions may spill out with your loved ones, but it is alright to reveal your fears and insecurities sometimes. It's a cosmically testing time, so try not to tread on each other's toes.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 Mercury, your ruling plant turns

retrograde in your third house of communication, making it difficult to express yourself clearly for the next three weeks. Misunderstandings and confusion could waste a lot of your time. This is also a good time to read into the unspoken rather than what is being said to make any sense. Retrograde Mercury transit CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 occurs in your solar second house this time, extra care should be exercised when it comes to new financial initiatives. There may be the need to resolve old, nagging issues regarding personal finances. Take this time to re-budget and re-think how you want to spend your cash during this period.

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Mercury is retrograde in your solar first house this time, extra care should be exercised when it comes to your body language. Others may misinterpret whatever you say and you should be aware that you can give off mixed signals. Confusion and frustration reign, so put your plans on hold.

Mercury turns retrograde in your ninth house of travel and adventure, slowing down your pace for the next three weeks and creating havoc. Make sure your travel documents are in order. Your mental focus could be anywhere other than your normal routine. Find a way to break up the monotony.

Retrograde transit of Mercury occurs in your solar twelfth house this time, extra care should be exercised when it comes to private and personal matters. Be as non-judgemental as you can, but do keep an eye out for deceptiveness and falseness in others. Good time for contemplation and taking stock of things around you..

The planet Mercury turns retrograde in your eighth house of joint resources, taxes, wills, legacies and alimony, creating confusion and complications for you during the next three weeks. Travel could also prove to be problematic, so make sure you have plenty of time to get where you need to go.

It's a good time for getting on with your work colleagues, as Venus embraces your 10th house. Bear in mind that Mercury turns retrograde in your eleventh house of friends and associates as well. The next few weeks would serve you well if you spend more time listening than speaking.

Your closest relationships come under scrutiny as Mercury, the planet of communications goes retrograde in your seventh house of marriage and partnerships. There can be a lot of misunderstandings and confused signals. You'll need to listen carefully to what your partner is saying. Try to resolve issues diplomatically, instead of being rash.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

Mercury turns retrograde in your tenth house of career and status, slowing down your progress at work. It is important for you to be steadfast and focused as misunderstandings and confusion reign. Stay as organized as possible while Mercury, the planet of communications does its best to trip you up.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

The next three weeks may bring confusion and misunderstandings at work and troubles with your health as Mercury turns retrograde in your sixth house. You'll need to pay more attention to detail and double check everything before finalising important matters. Close relationships need to be reassessed

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

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13 - 19 July 2019

AsianVoiceNews

CRICKET // WORLD CUP

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INDIA IN WORLD CUP FINAL? The first semi-final match between India and New Zealand in the ICC World Cup has been callled off due to rain. After a whole lot of ‘will they won’t they’, the umpires have decided to end the speculation and called an end to the day after fresh showers forced the ground staff to bring the covers back on. Unlike the group stage match between India and NZ many weeks back, the stakes are higher this time round and there is a reserve day for the semi-final. as we go to press both teams resume the match on 10th July, wednesday where New Zealand will (hopefully) continue their innings from where they left off, at 211/5 in 46.1 overs. However, has rain destroyed India’s chances to enter the world cup final on Sunday, 14th July 2019? What India Might be Chasing? accelerate the innings. From there on Ross Taylor changed gears and If New Zealand don’t come out to completed his half-century. The bat after the match resumes, then wickets kept falling from the other according to DLS method, India end and when rain arrived in the would be chasing the following 47th over they had scored 211/5 in target, depending upon the 46.1 overs. number of overs: India thrash Sri Lanka For 46 overs, the target will be 237 Rohit Sharma became the first For 40 overs, the target will be 223 player to hit five centuries in a For 35 overs, the target will be 209 For 30 overs, the target will be 192 single World Cup as India cantered For 25 overs, the target will be 172 to a comfortable seven-wicket win For 20 overs, the target will be 148 in their final World Cup group match against Sri Lanka on There are reserve days for both Saturday. Sharma smashed 103 off the semi-finals and the final. If 94 deliveries as semi-finalists India both the days of the semi-finals are chased down their target of 265 in washed out and a result isn’t 43.3 overs to end the league stage possible then the team ranked with seven wins, one defeat and higher during the league stage will one washout. Sharma's opening qualify for the final. But if the final partner KL Rahul top-scored with on Sunday is washed out then both 111 as the pair put on 189 runs for teams will share the trophy. the first wicket to put India well on Earlier, New Zealand skipper top. Kane Wiliamson won the toss and Sharma reached his century off chose to bat. Bhuvneshwar Kumar 92 balls with 14 fours and two sixes and Jasprit Bumrah swung the ball but was dismissed shortly both ways and bowled two maiden afterwards. Sharma now leads the overs. New Zealand lost opener tournament's run-scoring charts Martin Guptill cheaply in the 4th with 647 runs in eight matches over with scoreboard reading 1. after hitting his third successive Henry Nicholls and Kane century. He is only the fourth Williamson batted slowly but batsman after Sachin Tendulkar, steadied the innings. They stitched Matthew Hayden and Shakib Al a 68-run partnership for the Hasan to score more than 600 runs second wicket before Nicholls got at a single World Cup. out for 28 runs. Williamson scored South Africa upset Australia a gritty half-century and kept their South Africa caused a massive innings going. He got out trying to

Indian players coming out after heavy rain

upset on the final day of the group matches on Saturday as they stunned Australia by 10 runs to end their campaign on a high. The result means the defending champions have been dethroned from the top position in the points table by India. Defending 325 on a good batting track in Manchester, South Africa negated the threats from David Warner and Alex Carey's knocks to bowl Australia out for 315 in 49.5 overs with Kagiso Rabada leading the way with 3 wickets while Dwaine Pretorious bagged two. Chris Morris, Imran Tahir, Kagiso Rabada and Andile Phehlukwayo picked up a wicket each. Warner top-scored for the Aussies with 122 while Carey made a swashbuckling 85 off 69. The duo were batting superbly after Australia had collapsed to 119 for 4, adding 108 runs for the fifth wicket. But pressure of the asking rate got to the duo as the chase fell apart for Australia after Warner's wicket with Carey also falling at a crucial juncture. Some big hits from Mitchell Starc in the death overs kept Australia interested but the Proteas held their nerves and prevailed eventually.

Pak secure 5th place Pakistan secured fifth place after beating Bangladesh by 94 runs and finished on the same points as fourth-placed New Zealand. Both teams had five wins but the Black Caps advanced with a superior net run-rate. To reach the semis, Pakistan had to win by an unprecedented 316 runs. It didn't take on the challenge and finished on 315-9 with Imam-ul-Haq scoring a 100-ball 100 and Babar Azam 96 in 98. The updated maths meant, to advance to the semis, Pakistan had to bowl out Bangladesh for 7 or less, and that equation died in the second over of the chase. Powered once more by the brilliant Shakib Al Hasan (64 runs in 77 balls), Bangladesh ended on 221 all out. The 19-year-old Shaheen Afridi swung the ball and took 6-35, the best figures by a Pakistan bowler in World Cup history, and the youngest bowler in tournament history to achieve a 5for. He ended with 16 wickets in five matches. Windies end campaign with a win Chris Gayle waved to all sides of Headingley as he walked off the field for the last time at a Cricket

World Cup. Upon reaching the boundary edge, he was met by Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib who bowed before the West Indies great. It wasn't the perfect farewell for the man otherwise known as the "Universe Boss" - Gayle's last World Cup innings was a scratchy 18-ball 7 - but he still made a telling contribution in his own inimitable style. With his occasional offspin, Gayle took the pivotal wicket of Ikram Ali Khil for 86 that sparked a mini-collapse as Afghanistan stumbled in its pursuit of 312 in a match between the World Cup's two worst teams on Thursday. The Afghans were dismissed for 288 on the last ball of the match, their highest total at a World Cup but still not enough to avoid a 23-run loss and returning home with a sweep of nine defeats. England beat New Zealand to enter semis Riding on a splendid hundred by Jonny Bairstow – his second of the tournament – and a fine performance by the bowling unit, England hammered New Zealand by 119 runs at Chester-le-Street and stormed into the semi-finals of the World Cup. England scored 305 for 8 and then bowled out New Zealand for 186 in 45 overs. They are the third team to qualify for the semi-finals after India and Australia. England end their group stage with 12 points at number 3 on the points table. New Zealand are currently at number 4 and have ended their group stage campaign at 11 points. Were the fourth semi-finalist as Pakistan faled to come up with a record-breaking win against Bangladesh on Friday.

87-year-old Indian cricket fan Charulata Patel Eighty seven - year - old Indian cricket team fan Charulata Patel’s impromptu meeting with Indian captain Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has been one of the more heartwarming stories of the ICC Cricket World Cup so far. Charulata was seen in the stands during India’s previous game against B a n g l a d e s h , enthusiastically blowing a vuvuzela and supporting her team. Her enthusiasm caught everyone’s attention, and post the match, captain Kohli and Rohit were seen interacting with her. After the match, Charulata’s grand-daughter Anjali said, “When he (Kohli) hugged her (Charulata), he said ‘Please come for all our matches,’ to which Charulata replied

that she did not have tickets for all of them. Kohli then promised to arrange for tickets for the last group stage game, the semi-final and final should India make it. Sure enough, Charulata was seen in the stands supporting her team during India’s match against Sri Lanka at Leeds. In a tweet shared by the official BCCI Twitter account, a handwritten letter that Kohli wrote for Charulata can also be seen, which read, “Dear Charulata Ji, It is so inspiring to see your love and passion for our team and I hope you enjoy the games with your family. Lots of Love and Regards, Virat.” Pepsi Co collaborates with Charulata Pepsi Co has collaborated with Charulatal, who became an internet

Virat Kohli with 87-year-old Charulata Patel

sensation. A Pepsi Co spokesperson said, " Pepsi has constantly innovated and reinvented itself to create experiences that connect with consumer passions, be it Bollywood,

Music or Sports. Pepsi’s ‘Har Ghoont Mein Swag’ campaign unveiled in February this year, reflects the self-belief of India today. Living in the moment, seizing new,

interesting opportunities and doing it all with SWAG is an attitude that defies any age. " During an interview, Charulata revealed that she is a huge fan of the Indian

team and was there in the stadium when India lifted their first World Cup trophy, back in 1983, under Kapil Dev's captaincy. She said that she has been watching the game for decades. "I have been watching cricket for decades. When I was in Africa, I used to watch it, then I came to this country in 1975. Here I had work because of which I did not get time to watch but I used to watch it on TV. But nowadays as I am not working, so I have the interest and I am very lucky that I get a chance to watch cricket." She became the talk of the town when former England player Michael Vaughan shared her picture on his official Instagram, describing the photo as "the picture of this World Cup for him".