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Vol 44 | Issue 15

9th to 15th August 2015 WORLD

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Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

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NEPAL PROVINCES MAY SHARE BORDER WITH INDIA

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MODI GOVT PLANS BIGGEST I-DAY FUNCTION Political parties in Nepal agree to resolve the contentious issues

SPORT

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SUNDAR PICHAI IS GOOGLE’S NEW CEO

LALIT MODI PLANS TO CHALLENGE ICC

Pichai previously oversaw many of the search company's core products

Modi has long been critical of the International Cricket Council's governance structure

India offers e-Tourist visa to British citizens

“We want to make a people's event. Effort would be to increase participation of public on this great occasion,” defence minister Manohar Parrikar.

Rupanjana Dutta On the 69th independence day of India, the Indo-British relationship will reach a new height, with the e-

Tourist visa scheme finally being extended to the British Indians.

British Gujaratis and British Punjabis have a reason for double

Lord Verjee to sell Victorian building for £80 million

India will celebrate its 69th Independence Day on the 15th of August when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation in a massive function at the Red Fort. Dubbed the Master of Ceremonies, Modi government has its eye set on making this year's event, the biggest in its history. Armed forces along with other government departments are

apparently pooling in their resources to make I-Day as special as it could be.

“We want to make a people's event. Effort would be to increase participation of public on this great occasion,” defence minister Manohar Parrikar said. In a run-up to the main function at the iconic Red Fort, armed forces' bands organised concerts in over 100 cities across the

country to generate larger public interest. Military bands of Army, Navy and Air Force also organised similar events in the national capital at various public places like malls, parks and centrally located chowks.

The Parliament will be illuminated on the occasion, and will be fully decked to celebrate the day in a big way. There are also

plan to install boards, hoardings and gates showcasing government's flagship programme and its achievements from the past 15 months.

All the officials invited to the function at the Red Fort, have been asked to be present, failing which “a serious view” will be taken of their absence, government has said. “The CONTINUED ON P 26

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The highly successful entrepreneur, proprietor and chairman of Thomas Goode & Co, Lord Rumi Verjee, will be selling his historic Victorian building in Mayfair for £80 million.

Lord Verjee is also known as the man responsible for bringing Domino's Pizza into the UK in the 1980s. He is also a Member of the World President's

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Lord Rumi Verjee

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ONE ONE with Keith Vaz, MP to

Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

Virendra Sharma MP

Virendra Sharma was elected as MP for Ealing Southall in a by-election in 2007. He was born in India and the grandfather-ofthree came to Hanwell from India in 1968 and started out as a bus conductor on the 207 route before studying at University on a Trade Union Scholarship and working as a day services manager for people with learning disabilities in Hillingdon. He served as a councillor in Ealing for 25 years including as Mayor. Virendra now serves on the International Development Select Committee. Virendra currently chairs the Indo-British APPG, the APPG for Gurkha Welfare, and is Co-Chair of the APPG on Nepal, the Tuberculosis Group, the Hepatitis Group and is ViceChair of the APPG for British Hindus.

1) What is your current position?

I am currently the Member of Parliament for Ealing, Southall and the Chair of the IndoBritish All Party Parliamentary Group.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

Being re-elected this year with a doubled majority was fantastic, but my proudest achievement is my family, my son and daughter, and also my fantastic grandchildren, Aatish, Riah and Jaiden.

3) What inspires you?

My father’s dedication, whose Gandhian approach and Nehruvian Ideal has always been a constant source of inspiration for me.

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

Being too honest.

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

Many people on different levels, but the biggest influence was my late mother. She taught me social values, secularism and to take care of the most disadvantaged groups in society.

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

Truly being able to effect change, speaking to min-

isters, and not just improving the lives of people here in the UK but also across the world.

7) And the worst?

Despite the wealth of the UK I am not able to help everyone in my own constituency, some need only a little help to get by, but can get none.

8) What are your long term goals?

I’m closer to ending my career than beginning, but seeing my family happy, safe and to spend time with my wife Nirmala, and leaving Southall better than it was in 2007.

9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?

Local Authority cuts are hurting the poorest in society the hardest, I would make sure that councils could still provide the services needed by making the cuts slower.

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

Nehru is a hero of mine, for his vision of a socialdemocratic nation, and creating the groundwork for a modern society based on equality, democracy and secularism.

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"WE Can" campaign helping the youth with work experience According to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills Commission (UKCES) research, two thirds of employers say that work experience is a crucial factor when hiring staff, more than those who prioritise academic qualifications.

Ahead of the GCSE and A-level results due to release, the Government will be launching the “WE Can” campaign, where advice would be given on how others can set up their own work experience placements and make the most of their time in a busi-

ness setting.

Employment Minister, Priti Patel said, ““Young people tell me they can’t get a job without work experience, but they can’t get work experience without a job. That is why we are launching the WE can campaign to give young people practical advice about making the most of their summer holidays – and beyond - to gain valuable business skills. With 14 million jobs likely to open up in the UK in the next decade, this one nation Government wants young people to be at the

New drivers more likely to cause fatal crash A survey reveals that three out of four learner drivers take their driving tests without a single lesson from a professional driving instructor.

More than 2,000 people who received their full licence in the past 2 years were surveyed.

Almost half had been taught by a relative and 28% were taught by a friend.

The head of the Driving Carly Association, Brookfield said, “We are concerned that learners are taking short-cuts by using unqualified friends and family to teach them.”

New figures from the

Driving Standards Agency showed that 415 people were involved in an accident while being tested.

Over 400 people has crashed their car while taking their driving test, and 13 bad drivers had failed their driving test for the 30th time. These figures suggest that new drivers are more likely to cause a serious accident.

forefront of the opportunities to get the best start in life.”

“WE Can” campaign will be supported by up to 12,000 young people who have taken part in Youth Employment UK activitiesled by their 84 youth ambassadors from across the country.

The campaign will encourage them the chance to take ‘workies’ – the work version of a selfie – to demonstrate to their friends at school, college and university how the new skills they have picked up during work experience

Employment Minister, Priti Patel has helped them in their career.

Polish driver arrested after police discover 17 illegal immigrants in lorry A polish lorry driver was arrested after 17 illegal immigrants from Vietnam were found in the back of his vehicle. A passing motorist grew suspicious while driving on the M25 in Hertfordshire and called the police.

All 17 Vietnamese men found at the back of the lorry were arrested and taken into custody. If the driver is found responsible for bringing the migrants into Britain, he could face a fine of £36,000, up to to £2,000 for each migrant.

The incident comes after weeks of upheaving tensions at Calais, as thou-

sands have attempted to enter the UK via the Channel Tunnel.

A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Police revealed, “Police were called shortly after 4pm on August 8 following reports of suspicious activity on a lorry on the M25 in Hertfordshire.

The member of the public who made the call followed the lorry which made its was on the M1 before police stopped it close to Junction 9 of the M1. The driver of the lorry, a 40-year-old man from Poland, has been arrested on suspicion of assisting people entering the UK unlawfully.”

Lord Verjee to sell Victorian building for £80 million CONTINUED FROM P1 Organization, the Advisory Board of the British Olympic Association and the Global Leadership Foundation. Lord Verjee was previously a co-owner of Watford FC, with Sir Elton John.

The peer will be selling the building, which is situated on 17-22 South Audley Street in Central London, to Johnny Sandelson, who is a property investor backed by Cain Hoy Enterprises. Cain Hoy Enterprises is an

American private company associated to a takeover bid for Tottenham Hotspurs FC in 2014.

Thomas Goode, a tableware, china, silverware and glass emporium is currently situated in the Mayfair building, that is being sold.

The emporium, which supplies to the royal household, has been in Lord Verjee's ownership since 1995.

However, it has been revealed that the emporium will continue to be in that building, but as a tenant on

a rolling contract. The ultimate aim is to attract luxury retailers to move into the building.

Speaking to Asian Voice exclusively, Lord Verjee said, “Like many buildings of its period, 19 South Audley street needs development to ensure it remains fit for purpose for generations to come. For this reason it makes sense for the ownership of the building to be with professional property investors and developers, and for our

team to focus on the Thomas Goode brand and its long and established heritage.”

Rumi Verjee was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), in 2009, for charitable services. He was also appointed to the House of Lords by Queen Elizabeth II, in 2013, as a Liberal Democrat Peer where he sits as Lord Verjee of Portobello in Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

India offers e-Tourist visa to British citizens

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CONTINUED FROM P1 celebrations now, with Ahmedabad and Amritsar airports being added on to the designated list of ports, that could accept such evisas on arrival.

Government of India had launched this tourist visa scheme on 27th November 2014. It had initially included 77 countries and only 9 airports were designated for allowing evisa till now. However this facility will be extended to a further 36 countries now including the UK, increasing the total number to 113 and 7 more Indian airports will be added to the list providing or accepting/processing such e-tourist visas on arrival.

The new countries being included in the

scheme are: Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Belgium, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, East Timor, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, Malaysia, Mongolia, Monaco, Mozambique, Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Seychelles, Slovenia, Spain, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Turks & Caicos Island, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The 7 more Indian airports added to the designated list of ports accepting such visas on arrival are: Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Gaya, Jaipur, Lucknow, Trichy and Varanasi.

The applicants will need to apply for the visas

online minimum 4 days in advance of the date of arrival with a window of 30 days. Example: If you are applying on 1st Sept then applicant can select arrival date from 5th Sept to 4th Oct. The eligibility includes: International travellers with return or onward tickets and sufficient money, whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sight seeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives, short duration medical treatment or casual business visit.

The passports need to have at least six months validity from the date of arrival in India and must have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer.

However, international travellers having Pakistani Passport or who are of Pakistani origin may need to apply for regular visa at the Indian Mission. This visa is also not available to Diplomatic/Official Passport Holders or to individuals endorsed on Parent’s/Spouse’s Passport or to International Travel Document Holders.

Since the launch in November, more than 200,000 e-Tourist Visas have been issued till now.

It is expected that this substantial addition of countries and airports will give a big rise to Indian tourism, also giving the Indo-British relation a new boost. More details: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa .html

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Independence Day: India’s existential challenge A few days after the Gurdaspur terrorist attack mounted by three jihadi gunmen from Pakistan, Christine Fair, the American academic whose meticulously researched book on the Pakistan Army, eulogized in this column last week, made a prescient prediction in the Times of India (August 2). The attack, she said, was designed to test the resolve of the Modi government, and would be followed by another such assault. How right she was. A four-man jihadi squad struck again, one terrorist was killed, another captured and two escaped. Usman Naved, captured alive, has been singing like the proverbial canary (see page 12); he owned up to his Pakistani origins, giving the names and location of the village and identifying his father by name.

Ms Fair explains – with a wealth of supporting evidence – that the Pakistani military-intelligence nexus, the political class and politicians, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif are, one and all, driven by the messianic Islamist vision of destroying ‘Hindu’ India and replacing it with an Islamic caliphate. Absurdist fantasy, you might say. But Adolf Hitler’s ghoulish 1,000 year Third Reich was of a similar genre, as was Zulfiker Ali Bhutto’s call, in the 1960s and 70s, for a 1,000 year jihad against India.

On becoming Pakistan prime minister in 1971, an aide reminded Bhutto, in a confidential note, of the grand plan to dismember India: West Bengal to be conjoined with East Pakistan, Khalistani rule to be established in Punjab, Mumbai to be stormed under Operation Somnath and Delhi to be subjugated under Operation Panipat.

Bhutto’s American biographer, the historian Daniel Wolpert, who gives us a compelling portrait of the Pakistani leader – surely the Subcontinent’s Mussolini in life and in death – sources details of the project from

the Bhutto archive, to which he was granted exclusive access by Bhutto’s daughter Benazir and wife Nusrat.

The more things change the more they remain the same, is a timeless Gallic aphorism.

This could apply, with some pruning, to the American political establishment as well. Stephen Hadley, a former US National Security Adviser, has suggested that India help out the US-led coalition in its war against the present nihilist Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS), with the plea that ISIS has plans to target India through Afghanistan and Pakistan. Get them before they get you, were the plangent strains of his appeal (Hindu August 5). This would entail the deployment of Indian forces in the Middle East. The Americans and their British factotums, having decided wisely to retreat to the safety of the skies, prefer to leave fighting on the ground to obliging clients. The boatloads of escapees fleeing this inferno for the imagined paradise of Europe, and losing their lives in the hundreds in their frantic attempts to cross the Mediterranean Sea, will be one of the West’s enduring crimes against Third World humanity. None of this is any of India’s doing and it would be the height of folly for India to pull America’s chestnuts out of the fire and immolate herself in the process.

Washington and Beijing, meanwhile, keep priming the Pakistani pump with cash and weaponry. The international financier and speculator, George Soros, in a leading article in the New York Review of Books (July 9-August 12) calls desperately for an American-China condominium, which would mark out China’s exclusive zone of influence in Asia’s strategic space (shades of Nixon and Kissinger in 1971) as a reward for its cooperation against Russia. Keep dreaming, pal. We are at an historical crossroad, where only the correct turn will ensure India’s future.

Remembering Hiroshima, Nagasaki On August 6 1945, US President Harry S. Truman gave the signal for the world’s first atom bomb to be dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima from an aircraft. On August 9, the gruesome exercise was repeated on the city of Nagasaki, razing both to the ground. Thousands of inhabitants were incinerated where they stood, many thousands were maimed and many were condemned to a lingering death. Truman rhapsodized over the event from his Oval Office in the White House, proclaiming jubilantly the scientific achievement and the saving of American and Japanese lives, and the conclusion of the Second World War in the Asia Pacific theatre.

Japan’s military rulers had begun, prior to these developments, to sue for peace, negotiating only the terms that would protect the Emperor Hirohito from the indignity of trial as a war criminal. Truman stalled, waiting impatiently at the Potsdam Summit of the Big Three for the results test of the atom bomb to come through. When the detailed report from General Lesley P. Groves arrived from the United States, it confirmed the test to have been an outstanding success. The news “pepped up” the American President. Next, inevitably, came its use, a brutal demonstration of the awesome power at the disposal of the United States of America.

Truman’s attitude to the Russians underwent a dramatic change. He became brusque to the point of rudeness, unyielding on post-war territorial arrangements.

His Secretary of State and alter ego, James F. Byrnes, concluded that “the overriding significance of the atom bomb would only sink into the remarkably obtuse Soviet consciousness after its power had been demonstrated in combat with Japan.”

Truman, economical with the truth, provided the staple of the officially approved American narrative for the past 70 years, was challenged by the testimony of US Admiral William D. Leahy, who issued the following statement: “It is my opinion that the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The

Japanese were already defeated and were ready to surrender. My own feeling was that in being the first to use it, we had adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Age.” This, surely, is the appropriate time to read (and read again, if necessary) and meditate on the American historian Gar Alperovitz’s magisterial work, “The Decision To Use The Atom Bomb.” Hiroshima and Nagasaki signalled the slow descent into the Cold War abyss, its intensifying arms race, nuclear proliferation and the looming spectre of Armageddon.

Alperovitz’s massively researched tome, is robustly analytical, scrupulously calibrated and informed by luminous integrity. It provides most, though not all, the clinching answers to the puzzles and purposes behind the production and management of the atom bomb, on the manipulation of information from on high, on the doctoring and disappearance of critical documents, in which notable influences, among them those of the president himself, were plainly visible.

Imperial Japan was guilty of its own horrendous crimes against the peoples of Korea, China and South East Asia, not to speak of the barbarous treatment of prisoners of war, including those from India, whose men were frequently the targets of live bayonet practice by Japanese army units. That said, the incineration of entire cities and civilian populations, for no good reason save to aggrandize, were themselves acts of unspeakable barbarity. An American Presidential expression of regret for the atom bomb attack on Japan might have been a healing balm, but this, given America’s sacramental Manifest Destiny, it’s record of carpet bombing and chemical defoliation of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, is a moral gesture beyond the diminished capability of a nation gripped by a malarial fever of self-righteous denial, and driven by an insatiable quest for enemies: today, Iran, tomorrow, possibly, Ruritania. Such hubris is invariably followed by nemesis as surely as night follows day.

True fulfilment is, I believe, vicarious. We get our deepest satisfaction from the fulfilment, growth and happiness of others. It takes time, often a lifetime, to realize this - Charles Handy in "Masters Of The Wired World", edited by Anne Leer (1999)

Philip Barton

British High Commissioner to Pakistan

The glass is half full

The first week back from a holiday brings a fresh perspective and a new impetus to your work. While of course the day-to-day business of diplomacy goes on – as witnessed by the successful visit to Pakistan by the Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Fallon – it is a chance to step back and reflect.

From outside Pakistan, you get a clearer view of how the country is perceived by the wider world. There is no point in mincing words: Pakistan is too often seen as synonymous with terrorism and violence. Every diplomat has their own story to tell of being asked “did they make you go to Pakistan?” or “isn’t that a war zone?” and having to explain what a great place Pakistan is to live in. Nevertheless, this perception is deeply embedded and makes it hard for Pakistan to make the most of the global marketplace and the benefits of global opportunities.

There is of course violence in Pakistani society – few countries have seen more terrorism over the last few years. But my experience of Pakistan is much more the story of everyday life - of family picnics, vibrant clothing, welcoming people and an entrepreneurial spirit.

Returning to Islamabad, I am struck by the disconnect between the international narrative on Pakistan and the reality here. I hope that will change. For the UK Government, Pakistan cannot just be a country where we discuss counter-terrorism, military cooperation and development: it is a business partner that could become a thriving economic hub, a destination for British tourists and a country that has deep cultural and personal links with the UK. I am not the only person in Islamabad taking this view. Last week the Managing Director of the World Bank, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, while visiting Islamabad, said a similar thing: “we frame Pakistan purely in form of challenges instead of opportunities”. This outlook is catching: Daniel Runde writing recently in Forbes magazine about the US-Pakistani relationship argued that “in order to participate in the upside of the Pakistan story, the United States will need to view Pakistan not as a problem to be solved but as a potential partner.”

There are two very real challenges for Pakistan.

First, creating a new narrative – countries with more violence and more poverty have a better reputation than Pakistan. If the only stories people hear around the world are stories about violence, death penalties and intolerance, then it so much harder for Pakistani businessmen to sell their wares overseas, government to attract inward investment to make the most of the country’s dynamic workforce, and for Pakistan to punch its weight in international diplomacy. So I hope we will see a new, alternative narrative about Pakistan’s place in the world. What the narrative should be – a young, growing, hardworking country in a strategically important position – pretty much writes itself.

I am reminded of the misrepresentation of Islamabad by the TV programme Homeland. While people in Pakistan rightly criticised the programme for its false characterisation of the city, the underlying issue was that the TV producers felt that they could show Pakistan in that way.

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Abysmal infrastructure needs improvement The railway accidents in Madhya Pradesh involved two trains, each derailed by Monsoon floods that had washed away the tracks plunging a number of carriages into an adjoining river.

Twenty-nine passengers lost their lives. Both tragedies occurred on the same night at the same location – which reflects poorly on the railway administration, maintenance or supervision during such inclement weather. Pinning the blame exclusively on the vagaries of Mother Nature will not suffice.

Elsewhere, in West Bengal, monsoon floods resulted in 97 deaths.

The poor drainage systems in the metropolis, Kolkata, and smaller towns, not to speak of the rural hinterland were primarily responsible for the disaster.

Finally, the ramshackle national carrier Air India is kept afloat through colossal infusions of financial subsidies. Its flight cancellations, delays and myriad other shortcomings deserve that the wretched be put down without further ado.

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After triumphant fight with eating disorders, Holly Desai reaches Miss England finale Beauty queen, Miss Leicestershire, Holly Desai will be in the Miss England finale for the second time, after becoming a Miss England runner-up last year. The 23-year-old may come across as a beautiful and confident woman now, but there was a time when she struggled with the attenuating effects of anorexia and bulimia. She hopes that her story will encourage people to be strong, and not crave for a skinny body.

After splitting up with her then boyfriend at the age of 20, Holly Desai felt

low and needed something to fill a void. That is when her obsession with food started. She lost two stones in just a few months, and had gone from a size 10 to a small size six.

There came a point when it became extremely hard for Holly to handle and something needed to be done. “I had symptoms of both anorexia and bulimia. There were periods of being restrictive with my food and then, if I felt I was overeating, purged myself by exercising and throwing up.

Telling my mum I'd been

making myself sick was one of the hardest things but I was just so relieved that it wasn't a secret anymore.

I'd felt so alone and scared for so long. You feel like you're a freak, you feel disgusted in yourself. I was trying to carry on, to

appear normal, and it just became too much.”

Her fight against eating disorders has been difficult but she now is at a much better place in life and has the support of her family.

Holly is now also a representative for the eating disorder charity, Beat.

Holly's positive message to women is, “Being strong as a woman is one of the best things you can be.”

The Miss England finale will be taking place on Friday 14th August. If you'd like to vote for Holly Desai, text “MISS ENGLAND20” to 63333.

14-year-old detained for 11 years for stabbing teacher A 14-year-old teenage boy, who had stabbed his science supply teacher, Vincent Uzomah (50), in the stomach with a kitchen knife, at Dixons Kings Academy, has been sentenced to 11 years in youth detention. The court heard how the attack was possibly racially motivated.

The teenager admitted a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Vincent Uzomah.

It is said that the incident followed a disagreement over a mobile phone.

After the attack, the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, ran off and after a six-hour search, the police found him in Bradford city centre.

Bradford Crown Court heard how the teenager had used the “N” word

Left: Vincent Uzomah was stabbed by a 14-year-old student at Dixons Kings Academy ers. Mr Uzomah, however, before stabbing Uzomah in is black. the stomach.

The defendant disliked Prosecutor Jonathan Sharp, told the court that him, claiming he couldn't teach, and freely referred boy was described as “disto him by the epithet ruptive and a bully” by others, and how he had taken a dislike to Vincent Uzomah.

Jonathan Sharp said, “He did not show any especial hostility to other teach-

beginning with the letter n, including saying it in anger just before he attacked him. The Crown's case in consequence is that the attack was, at least in part, racially motivated.”

The court was also informed how the teenager was allegedly a heavy cannabis user and was on bail at the time of the attack, and how he had discussed his plans to stab the science teacher with other students. After attacking the supply teacher, the teenager had boasted about what he had done on Facebook, receiving 69 Likes from people.

Brit-Indian woman wins award from Manchester University

Rathbone celebrates 30th milestone

A Birmingham charity which supports people with a learning disability to reach their full potential has celebrated its 30th anniversary.

B i r m i n g h a m Rathbone, led by CEO Chris Bates, held a special event to mark this milestone at Moseley Rugby Club last Saturday.

The day featured a wide range of activities for people of all ages. Our senior news editor Dhiren Katwa who attended the event described the charity “an open and transparent charity, particularly in terms of its finances, in an

ever-murkier Third Sector”.

Birmingham Rathbone is a high-quality service provider which prides itself on its top review score of 5 ‘A’ grades for its Supporting People services and ‘Good’ across the board awarded by the Care Quality Commission for its Home Care services.

Once homeless, a client said: “They helped me find a place to live and supported me to pay my rent and other bills. I now live in shared accommodation and have voluntary work in a charity shop to build up confidence and skills”.

Entrepreneur and journalist Lopa Patel MBE received the Outstanding Alumna Award 2015 from the University of Manchester on Monday 13 July for promoting skills, education and training, while running her own business and also for encouraging entrepreneurship among women and underrepresented group.

Presented by the Faculty of Life Sciences during the annual graduation ceremony, Associate Dean, Professor Amanda Bamford read a citation describing Lopa as an “ardent evangelist for the STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – she is a technology ambassador for STEMNET, which aims to encourage more girls to pursue careers in science,

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Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

and is a former non-executive director of Becta, the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency. Made an MBE for services to the creative industries in 2009, in April 2015 she became the first Asian women to receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion.”

Lopa received an engraved medal (bearing the image of Sir John Douglas Cockcroft who was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1951) from Vice President and Dean Of the Faculty, Professor Martin Humphries. Lopa graduated from the University of Manchester with a Bachelor of Science degree with honours in Biochemistry and Applied Molecular Biology.

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Keith Vaz and councillors meet residents to discuss traffic calming measures

LEICESTER Leicester East MP Keith Vaz organised a meeting with people living in Hastings Road and Victoria Road East, due to concerns about road safety and speeding traffic in Northfields.

Traffic-calming ideas, including a vehicle-activated speed sign and pedestrian crossing, were discussed.

North Evington ward councillor Luis Fonseca, who was at the meeting, said: "Due to the road being a rat run, accidents often happen. We wanted to meet residents to speak with them."

A number of accidents have happened on both roads.

In fact an inquest in June had heard how three friends died last January after their speeding car crossed on to the wrong side of the road and hit a couple's oncoming vehicle in Hastings Road. The couple were seriously hurt.

Ram Odedra, owner of a supermarket in Victoria Road East called Best One, reportedly said he would welcome traffic-calming measures, including cameras and many of his customers agreed.

Downing Street honours nurse who volunteered to fight Ebola outbreak

MANCHESTER A nurse from Manchester has been awarded a medal for her work in helping tackle the deadly Ebola virus.

This medal has been created for the first time to recognise people who have tackled humanitarian crisis and awarded to Cath speaking to patient 3000 people, including to Radha Kandel in Nepal members of the armed forces to doctors, nurses and laboratory specialists.

Cath Nixon, who spent four weeks tackling the deadly disease in Sierra Leone, has also worked as a volunteer nurse in Nepal. She has also spoken about women’s rights at the UN in New York and Parliament in the UK. Since returning to the UK, Ms Nixon has started a new job working with teenage parents in south Manchester.

Cath was invited to a reception at Downing Street and was handed the new Ebola Medal. Speaking about the award, she said: “It does recognise the work we have done,

by British staff, going out to there and helping out.”

Police appeal over missing Aston woman

BIRMINGHAM Police have launched an appeal for a 70 year old missing BritBangladeshi woman from Aston, who left home in Clifton Close on Sunday afternoon to visit a friend, but never arrived on the property.

Konurun Nessa is described as a very slim woman, around 5'3" and has very long straight grey hair with brown eyes. At the time of her disappearance, the pensioner is believed to have been wearing sandals, a black and white polka dot headscarf and a white sari with multi-coloured dots. Mrs Nessa, who has never been missing before, speaks only Bengali and no English.

So far there has been reportedly three sightings of her near the Drum Arts Centre on Potters Lane and Yellow Park, both in Aston. As part of their inquiries, officers have searched a number of properties and spoken to her family and friends who have also been searching. Local hospitals and other police forces have been alerted to her disappearance. Anyone who has seen Mrs Nessa should call 101 immediately.

Indian restaurant teams up with Fitness Studio

LEICESTER An Indian restaurant in Leicester teamed up with a local fitness studio to host an event for people make healthier choices when dining has been hailed a success.

Joe Hanney, who owns U Fit Studio on Barkby Road, worked with Indian restaurant Chutney Ivy, on Halford Street, and Jenny Cross of Cross Productions set up the Dining on a Diet experience, which attracted 55 guests, including former Leicester City player, Steve Walsh.

Joe created this event after a number of his clients expressed having difficulties with maintaining a healthy diet when eating out and have so far attracted 150 attendees from across Leicestershire.

The next Dining on a Diet event will take place on Wednesday 2nd September.

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Cameron's hint at new peers sparks debate Rupanjana Dutta While the House of Lords has been struck with the hooker and drug scandal of Lord Sewel, Prime Minister David Cameron has indicated that he could appoint a series of new peers to the House of Lords, to ensure the upper house reflects the fact that Tories hold a majority in the Commons. A new list of peerage, running to 50 new members, is expected to be announced some time this week, as appointments can also be made during the Parliamentary recess.

Amidst strong opposition, the PM insists there are 'very good and fair reasons' for reshaping the balance of power in the Lords, as the Tories are outnumbered there by other parties when combined.

He has also reportedly suggested that elderly peers should be 'encouraged' to retire to create room for new appointees.

Currently there are 783 peers eligible to take part in the Lords proceedings, including 192 women, making it the second largest legislature in the world after the Chinese

Lord Sewel

5

Younger people suffering from dementia

Experts have warned that the world is facing a “silent epidemic”, as dementia is being diagnosed in people 10 years earlier than it was two decades ago. Scientists have stated that environmental factors could be to blame; factors such as, pollution from aircraft and cars, as well as widespread use of pesticides.

Ministers considering stopping benefits for young Britons PM David Cameron national People's Congress.

It has 26 Bishops, 670 life peers and 87 expected hereditary peers. The House costs the tax payer £93.1 million in 2013/14, which covered everything from building maintenance to IT and staff costs. The only three paid positions are Lord Speaker (£101,038), Lord Sewel's former post as Chairman of Committees (£84,524) and Principal Deputy Chairman of Committees (£79,076).

Members of the House of Lords are appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Attempts to reform the system were abandoned in the last Parliament amid strong backbench opposition.

The House was hit with expenses scandal, where the members deliberately cheated on claims they were not entitled to. This included Asian peers like Lady Pola Uddin, Lord Swraj Paul and Baron Amir Bhatia. However, Lady Uddin was later made to pay £124,000 in 2010 after exploiting the second home rules. Lord Paul repaid £42,000 for acting 'irresponsibly' over his

Lord Paul, Baroness Uddin and Lord Bhatia per cent nominated was expenses. Baron Bhatia dropped in 2012, with the was suspended for eight fear that an elected house months in 2010 for overwill threaten the power of claiming £27,000.

House of Commons.

It is believed that the Tories have suffered a series of defeats in the Lords, because they do not hold a majority there.

With the EU referendum getting closer, it is widely believed that Mr Cameron is perhaps trying to ensure that they are as strong in Lords as they are in the Commons. The House of Lords currently has 226 sitting Tory peers, against Labour’s 212, 179 Crossbenchers and 102 Liberal Democrats. That is despite the Liberal Democrats now holding The reality stays that just 8 MPs. appointing more peers Lord Cormack called would actually go against for an overhaul so the Mr Cameron’s long-standhouse does not keep growing pledge to reduce the ing bigger. Tory MP Philip cost of politics. However, Davies and Labour MP Mr Cameron said that savStephen Pound also ings would be found by demanded changes to the cutting the number of MPs unelected chamber. Mr from 650 to 600. How to Pound reportedly went on reform the House of Lords to say: “We do need a sechas rumbled for decades.

Tony Blair made the most ond chamber, but it should be a similar size to the first drastic change in 1999 chamber. If we are cutting when he culled 600 heredthe Commons to 600, then itary peers. A bill to have it makes for me for the 80 percent of the current Lords to be 600 too.”

783 Lords elected and 20

Asian TV channel fined over claims of ayurvedic cancer cure The CEO of an Asian television channel, Mr Neeraj Dhingra, has been fined £25,000 after a yoga expert allegedly claimed 11 basil leaves and three black peppers could cure cancer.

The comment was made by Dr Pankaj Naram, on a health show, broadcasted on the Asian channel, in July 2015.

The doctor describes himself as an “authority” on Ancient Siddha-Veda Secrets, had allegedly claimed that he had “75,000 cancer patients” who were told by medical experts that they only had “another two or three months”, who went on to live normal lives 15 years on. The show was watched by many and complaints were made to Ofcom.

Neeraj Dhingra admits that the claims made by Dr Naram were “outlandish” and should not have been broadcasted.

He said, “It does sound outlandish to cure so many patients, so that became a bit of a problem. We spoke

In Brief

UK

Neeraj Dhingra to the doctor immediately after it happened and we cancelled all his programmes and told him his communications and the way he puts it across were not right, because there are many things which can happen to prevent many of these diseases but to cure is not that easy. You need to have substantial evidence and proof.”

Dhingra further added, “We have ofcom lawyers who know all these issues and we go through a lot of scrutinising our programmes before they are aired.

“In this case there was an error on our part and that's why it led to this. It

Dr Pankaj Naram was not supposed to be aired in the UK at all.”

Ofcom said, “We took into account the licensee's comments that Dr Naram was 'reputable' in the field of Ayurveda and had ‘helped thousand of patients across the globe.'

“However, in our view if Dr Naram was a widely known and reputed practitioner in ayurvedic practices, this was this was in fact likely to increase the risk of potential harm: his reputation might have encouraged more viewers to take his advice at the expense of personalised medical care provided by a qualified practitioner.”

Jihadi preacher allowed to stay in Britain It is said that a jihadi preacher who allegedly had links to Osama Bin Laden will be allowed to remain in the UK, although he was denied citizenship due to his “extremist” views.

The 50-year-old Yemeni-born imam, whose name cannot be revealed under the protection given to him by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), has spent over ten years fighting for UK citizenship in a case, costing tens of thousands of pounds from British taxpayers in court bills.

His home was also searched by Special Branch officers and there were “items” seized. He also frequently travels to Yemen, which is allegedly known as a destination for al-Qaeda linked terrorist groups.

The special court ruled that the imam is not entitled to a British passport because of his connections to Bin Laden, as well as for his radical views.

It has emerged that ministers are considering plans to stop young Britons from claiming in-work benefits, as it would be illegal to solely restrict EU migrants. The plans will have a rule intended to stop EU migrants from claiming benefits during their first four years in Britain. The rules will also stop 18-22-year-old Britons from claiming benefits, such as child benefit and tax credits.

Employers could be fined or jailed for employing illegal immigrants

Immigration minister, James Brokenshire has warned that business that choose to employ illegal workers will be hit with “the full force of government machinery”.

James Brokenshire states, “Experience tells us that employers who are prepared to cheat employment rules are also likely to breach health and safety rules and pay insufficient tax. That's why our new approach will be to use the full force of government machinery to hit them from all angles and take away the unfair advantage enjoyed by those who employ illegal migrants."

It is said that immigration officers will be carry out raids on building sites, cleaning firms, care homes, as well as supermarkets to check whether illegal migrants have been employed. Employers may be fined up to £20,000 per person for employing illegal immigrants as workers.

Furthermore, employers who employ an illegal worker, fully aware that it is illegal to do so could be jailed for up to two years.

McDonald’s to test out table service in UK

Fast food restaurant, McDonald's will be offering table service for the first time in the UK, in order to ward off competition from upmarket burger chains, such as Byron's and GBK. Customers will be able to place their order with a member of staff carrying a tablet computer, or directly through a digital kiosk at the table. The option of ordering at the till will still be available.

McDonald's will be trialling the table service at branches in Mottram, Greater Manchester, and will be extended to 11 more restaurants across the UK in August.

If successful, the trial will be rolled out nationally. The table service at McDonald's have had successful trials in France, Germany and Australia.

A spokesperson for McDonald's stated, “We have listened to customer feedback and to meet their evolving expectations we are significantly investing in our restaurants to create new environment and improve the customer experience. We are testing some new concepts, such as table service, whereby customers place their order via our new digital kiosks and then have their food brought to them.”

NOTICE In the court of District Judge, Gautam Budh Nagar Probate Petition No. 13 of 2015

Indu Sehgal W/o Late Devinder Sehgal R/o House No. 914, ATS Village, Sector 93A, Expressway, Naida, Distt. Gautam Budh Nagar.

Versus 1. Mr. Kanav Sehgal S/o Late Devinder Sehgal R/o 19, Copy moor Close Wooton Northampton, NN-4, 6bl, UK (London).

2. Smt. Jugnu Kapoor W/oShri Manish Kapoor D/o Late Devinder Sehgal R/o Adhyatrnik Nagar, Hapur Road, Dasna, Distt.

Ghaziabad (U.P) 3. M/s Cloud-9 Projects Pvt. Ltd. Registered Office 225, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III, New Delhi 110020 and Corporate Office Tech Woolword Central Block, Plot No.6, Sector 127, Noida, Distt. Gautam Budh .Nagar (U.P).

4. State of Uttar Pradesh Through District Magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar.

Whereas Indu Sehgal W/o Late Devinder Sehgal R/o House No. 914, ATS Village, Sector 93A, Expressway, Noida, Distt. Gautam Budh Nagar has instituted a probate petition no. 13/2015, against you for the residential flat No. 601, 6th Floor, Sector 100, Lotus Boulevard Espacia, Noida, Distt. Gautam Budh Nagar (U.P) of Late Devinder Kumar Sehgal S/o· Dwarika DasSehgal. you are hereby summoned to appear in this court in person, or by a pleader duly instructed, (and able to answer all material questions relating to the probate petition or who shall be accompanied by some person) able to answer all such questions, on the 25.08.2015 at 10 O’Clock morning to answer the claim and as the day fixed for your appearance is appointed for the disposal of the probate petition, you must be prepared to produce on that day all the witnesses upon whose evidence and all the documents upon - which you intend to rely in support of defence.

Take notice that) in default of your appearance on the day beforementioned. the suit will be heard and determined in your absence.

Given under my hand and the seal of the court, this 29 day of 7- 15

Administrative Officer Gautam Budh Nagar

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Hate preacher Anjem Choudary may be convicted for 10 years Spriha Srivastava

Aarushi by Avirook Sen While the 24-7 news channels have completely taken over people’s lives in India, some news stories tend to stay on with viewers for a long time. They follow it like a soap opera and are well-versed with each and every development in that case. It won’t be wrong to say that the media plays a very important life in influencing its viewers’ perceptions.

One such case is 14year old Aarushi Talwar and domestic servant Hemraj’s murder that shook the world in May 2008. The double-murder case in Noida was in news for a long time with twists and turns, no less than an Indian TV serial. In the end, the teenager’s parents Nupur and Rajesh Talwar were accused of the double murder and convicted.

Seven years later, journalist-turned-author Avirook Sen has written a book that combines his experiences at the trial, interviews with those involved in the investigation. The book examines documents as well as court proceedings exposing the nature of the Indian judicial system.

Sen also interviews everyone from Aarushi’s friends to Hemraj’s old boss, investigators to forensic scientists and the parents – Rajesh and Nupur Talwar at every stage.

The book raises several questions on the way the case was handled by the UP police, the CBI and the judiciary. The book also brings to light the excitement on the part of media channels to broadcast case developments, stories, juicy interviews and sometimes even enact the case using red paints in order to give their viewers a better idea of what really happened.

For instance, the book talks about a news channel anchor who dipped his hands in red paint in order to show what would have happened inside Aarushi’s room. While such episodes might fetch high TRP’s they tend to influence viewer perceptions and that is exactly what happened in this case.

Suddenly the Talwars became the villains who killed their daughter in the name of honour killing. Even while the case was on trial, people around the country had already passed their judgement with the parents as criminals.

The book also raises interesting questions about the speed at which the trial progressed. One of the reasons, according to Sen was Judge Shymlal approaching retirement and this being an attention grabbing case and thus his interest to wrap up the case before his last day at work. In the book, Sen talks about meeting Judge Shyamlal after the Talwars were convicted.

Judge Shyamlal was now retired and spent time mentoring his lawyer son Aushotosh. He mentioned to Sen that he wrote the judgement much before the defence finished making its final arguments.

His son Aushotosh also mentioned using good words to make it read

well. It mentions a number of incidents such as the attack on Rajesh Talwar outside the court with a meat cleaver, Nupur’s interview on NDTV leading to speculations that she is involved in the crime since she showed no sadness of losing her daughter among others.

The book leaves you unsettled in the end with a sense of shock. It makes you question the judicial system of India, the police and the investigators. It shows how one day a family could be happy and the next day everything could go wrong. Sen does a great analysis of each and every character and the role they played during investigation. He also brings to light their shortcomings and their strengths making it easier for the reader to grasp the story.

The most touching part of the book is the end where Sen has quoted excerpts from Rajesh Talwar’s diary. Rajesh Talwar maintained a diary with his daily noted which included living conditions in Dasna jail, his fellow inmates and his interactions with Nupur who seemed to be slowly getting nervous by the day as compared to her earlier strong self. The excerpts also has Rajesh Talwar constantly feeling sad over his destiny and his failure to save Aarushi from dying.

While no one knows what really happened that night, the book takes you on a journey through each and every investigation and trial, leaving the rest for you to understand.

With Rajesh and Nupur Talwar still in Dasna prison, waiting for their appeal to get accepted, one can only hope that justice prevails.

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

The glass is half full

CONTINUED FROM P3 They could not have done that about many other cities in Asia without a large proportion of their audience complaining about the preposterousness of it all. The challenge for Pakistan is not that the media all-toooften portrays it in a negative light (the media does that about quite a few countries!) it is that the orthodoxy is to portray Pakistan in that way.

The straight and leafy boulevards of Islamabad would have raised more

questions with the average viewer of Homeland than their made-up version of Pakistan.

But, of course, a new narrative will only be effective in changing attitudes with the evidence to back it up – and that is the second challenge for Pakistan. This involves hard work. And that – as Sri Mulyani Indrawati outlined – is what needs to happen next.

Investment in education, ensuring individuals, groups and communities have equal access to the

marketplace, investing in infrastructure and tackling all terrorists will help Pakistan create a new narrative about itself – and make the lives of everyday Pakistanis better.

The UK is doing what it can to help and we will continue to talk up the opportunities in Pakistan.

But I would like to see every single person with a connection to Pakistan stand up and sell Pakistan, challenge the negativity and, later this week, celebrate national day with real pride and real hope.

Hate preacher Anjem Choudary has been charged for 'inviting support for the so-called Islamic State', and could serve upto 10 years in prison, if convicted. He has currently been remanded in custody until 28th August.

Mr Choudary has allegedly living on benefits in Britain, while preaching against Britain and British ways of life. He has also been alleged to have

praised the killers of Drummer Lee Rigby, supporting ISIS as somewhere he 'would love to live', whilst being relatively unscathed by the law.

Speaking from the dock at a packed out Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Choudary reportedly attempted to use his plea to condemn Prime Minister David Cameron and the British system, for war crimes. He has also apparently demanded to

represent himself and proclaimed that a Sharia Court would ‘treat him better’.

Further tube strikes to take place over night time tubes Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) union members will be going on further strikes, regarding work-life balance and job cuts with night time tube, which will be introduced on 12th September 2015.

The 24-hour walkouts will start at 6:30pm on Tuesday 25th August, as well as 6:30pm on

Thursday 27th August.

Transport for London have stated that RMT had demanded “unaffordable pay rises”.

The upcoming strikes proceeds the previous tube strikes which took place on 6th August, as well as on 8th July.

Libra Insurance Services sold to National Insurance broker Libra Insurance Services Ltd, an Asian family firm founded over 40 years ago in Bushey, has now been acquired by Jelf Group plc, one of the UK's top three independent brokers.

Libra's founder's sons, Rex and Shailain Shah will be remaining in their roles within the company.

Jelf's Chief Executive, Alex Alway said, “This is a strong acquisition for Jelf, it’s the latest example of our proven track record of acquiring quality local businesses. We actively seek businesses who share our passion for exceeding client expectations and for serving local communities – Libra absolutely share this passion. When we acquire a business we don’t seek to change it, we sim-

ply enhance and extend the range of products and services to allow the team to deliver real benefits to their clients. I am delighted to welcome Rex and Shailain to Jelf.”

Directors of Libra, Rex and Shailain Shah jointly commented, “Libra was founded by our father over 40 years ago, so entering into discussions with Jelf was not something we undertook lightly.

However, from the start we

met like-minded people and we have never doubted that Jelf will enable Libra to continue to grow, whilst still preserving the heritage and personal service that is so important to us and our clients. We are excited about the wider range of products and services that we can now offer to clients and pleased that our staff will benefit from the enhanced career and development opportunities that Jelf presents to them.”

Kids Company closes down amidst claim of “financial mismanagement” Kids Company, founded by Camila Batmanghelidjh, in 1996; a charity which was hailed as “visionary” by David Cameron, in 2006, for being a shining example of demonstrating a bigger and better society, has now been closed.

Ms Camila Batmanghelidjh has come under a lot of scrutiny regarding the sudden closure of the charity, especially after the charity was given £3 million grant from the government in the previous week.

It is alleged that around £800,000 of the grant, which was approved by the Cabinet Office Ministers Oliver Letwin and Matthew Hancock, were allegedly used to pay the salaries of the staff members at the charity whose payments were overdue. The number of staff at the organisation

Camila Batmanghelidjh had been increasing excessively in the recent years.

As well as claims of financial mismanagement, Batmanghelidjh also faces the allegation of spending lavishly, as well as claims that the charity allegedly had a culture of fear and favouritism; this included claims of Batmanghelidjh allegedly having up to five personal assistants at one point. She has, however, outrightly denied that the Kids Company's closure was due to financial mismanagement.

Whether there is any truth to the above allegations or not, there have been many charities in the past which have been questioned about how the donations were being spent. There are so many bogus charity firms and scams which take place on a daily basis, taking away the donations from people who provide help out of goodwill, for the betterment of the underprivileged, but are left betrayed after knowing that their money has not been used for a good cause. Such experiences may have made people more skeptical and less likely to even trust genuine charities, out of the fear of being scammed. And this, ultimately, makes authentic charities suffer, as well as the underprivileged who benefits from the help of the donors.

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The Labour leadership saga continues

As I See It Celebrating India’s Independence

Sixty-eight years ago today (15 August 1947) India gained independence after almost a thousand years of external domination. India is one of the ancient civilisations and its size, population, several languages, cultural and economic variations are mind boggling for others. It's contradictions though of gigantic size, its core commitment to remain united is also unique.

The birth of an independent nation was a result of an imperial bifurcation when millions were forced to migrate and hundreds of thousands perished in religious bigotry.

Both India and Pakistan had to adjust to the new reality with unparalleled challenges.

India has remained united, democratic, secular. That in itself is a great achievement. It has never been experienced before anywhere on the planet. European Union is struggling to become a Union. Soviet Union has disintegrated, Republic of China which came into being in 1949 has its own uphill task in the years to come.

Singapore has completed 50 years as an independent city state with one of the highest per capita income. A harmonious entity amidst three racial groups (Chinese, Malays and Indians),

the sparkly clean and one of the lowest crime rate.

It's population of 3 million is reaching 7 million.

Lee Kuan Yew created an almost miracle. But let's remember again, it is a small city state, with its own challenges in that South East Asia, where Chinese hegemony can create surprises or shocks.

No doubt communist China has come a long way since 1979. Within a communist state it has a capitalist economy. What is the next phase for China? You can have your pick. It can, if it so desires follow the path of Taiwan or South Korea to transform into a democracy.

One wishes it happens.

Indians have opted to remain democratic with all its constrains and compulsions. The constitution of India is a unique document for all Indians, irrespective of religion, caste or colour. By and large various governments have remained faithfully committed to the constitution.

Since May 2014 a new era has begun, where youth, women and under privileged millions are more confident, hopeful and assertive. Narendra Modi has raised expectations, promised just a little short of moon for his compatriots. India has to do a lot, to create employment for 10 million every month, education levels have to improve, all round development is the need of the time, and yet surprisingly with all its limitations, the moral of the people of India is perhaps at its highest peak in the last 68 years.

When we read reports in the western media

especially that Modi stumbles on land reform, national sales tax, infrastructure development, labour laws etc, we do agree with all. Such are not wrong questions and yet an average Indian can see all such important issues in the context of the reality, the political reality in the present day India.

Surprisingly to some BJP gained clear majority in lock Sabha (lower House of Parliament) but Congress and opponent of BJP have a large majority in upper house (Rajya Sabha).

Several important legislations are delayed within the parliamentary procedure. Neither Narendra Modi nor any of his supporters have to apologise.

It's a game of patience and perseverance. Of course the parliamentary gerry meandering reminds us of BJP's own action in the second half of the last parliament. But the congress revenge strategy in the first phase of this parliament is not likely to make it more popular or credit worthy.

Indians have shown again and again that a ballot is far more preferable than bullet. India has evolved, inspite of its own uphill tasks within the frame work of human values and dignity.

Today, I presume Indians would still rather prefer to follow the path laid down by the founding fathers of freedom than copy cat a central command or a communist dictatorship.

Long live India, Jai hind, Jai Britain.

- CB

Ban on fresh curry leaves disappoints British Asians Fresh curry leaves are being totally banned in the UK, Uday Dholakia, Chairman of the National Asian Business Association has revealed.

He confirmed: “Imports of fresh curry leaves will no longer be permitted into the UK from, 18 August 2015. This follows a close liaison by the UK regulators and the third countries involved in exporting such leaves and investigations into options to ensure that such leaves can be exported free of the causal organism of citrus greening disease and the insect vectors which carry it”.

The UK Regulators, namely DEFRA “restricted imports to those from Ghana, Gambia, Kenya and the Dominican Republic which offered the best prospects of demonstrating compliance with the EU requirements, or proposing

an alternative system which offered equivalent guarantees. This was on a trial basis, pending development of possible cases to be submitted to the European Commission” confirmed Dholakia.

The regulators unfortunately have not been able to identify any countries which are able to meet the EU requirements, on freedom from both the pathogen and its vectors, which would allow imports of fresh curry leaves to continue. Neither has it been possible to identify alternative import requirements, which could reliably ensure freedom from the pathogen and its vectors in curry

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leaves.

By allowing imports until 18 August this will avoid blocking consignments already in the process of being exported.

From 18 August, only dried and frozen curry leaves will be permitted to be imported. It remains possible for imports of fresh curry leaves to resume in future, if third countries are able to demonstrate to the Commission and Plant Health Standing Committee that they can meet the EU import requirements.

The curry leaves from India were banned earlier, now it is being extending to African countries from August 18th has left the South Indian, Tamil and Sri Lankan communities with disappointment, as the fresh leaves are a very integral part of their curries and dishes.

Rupanjana Dutta A former MP has warned that Britain is sleepwalking into a 'one party state', following the Labour party collapse, combined with precarious Conservative policies on different issues including Unions and BBC. Writing in the Norman Independent, Baker, the former Transport and Home office minister said that 'a feuding Labour Party’s hopes of winning the next election are a pipe dream'.

The upcoming Labour party elections have raised several questions about the party's once stable and much loved status. After Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's exit, it was in the hands of the Miliband brothers. Of course the more popular one won the party leadership, but Ed Miliband failed to lead the party to a success in the 2015 General Election.

And the rest is history.

However, the crisis the party faces now is more internal than external.

It has four contestants Andy Burnham, Yvette Copper, Liz Kendall and Jeremy Corbyn. According to a YouGov poll for The Times, as we went to print on Tuesday, Jeremy Corbyn has almost doubled his lead over Andy Burnham in three weeks and looks set to become the new Labour party leader.

With ballot papers going out this Friday, and the result due on September 12, the YouGov survey shows Corbyn getting 53 per cent of firstpreference votes, up by ten points since the last YouGov poll on July 21.

Burnham is on 21 per cent (down by five points), Yvette Cooper is on 18 (down by two) and Liz Kendall lags on eight per cent (down by three).

The question arises, can these polls be trusted?

In May it could not predict that Conservative party would win the election by

What is Clause IV?

Jeremy Corbyn, Andy Burnham, Liz Kendall, Yvette Cooper

single majority, but then it was about the battle of two men representing two different ideologies and much more- fighting almost neck to neck. But this is about a man who has moved so far ahead from the rest of the competitors.

However, anticipations are on the rise everywhere.

The party's former spin doctor Alastair Campbell has reportedly said “The party must see sense and vote for "Anyone But Corbyn" - or Labour could be finished.” The party's donors have allegedly claimed to withdraw backing if Corbyn wins the election.

Everyone contesting in the election, comes with their agenda, but then Corbyn's plan of reviving Clause IV has shocked many. A pro-growth community, like Asians, are aware how removal of this clause has led to better delivery- something they have thoroughly banked on to build businesses and contribute largely to Britain's economy.

However, a spokesman of Corbyn has reportedly said that he was not advocating a return to Clause IV, rather that he would seek to open up a discussion about "public ownership objectives for the 21st century" – including the railways – if he won the leadership election.

The spokesman reportedly added, "Jeremy is not saying he wants to return to Clause IV, nor does he want a big 'moment' such as that.

“He says we need some forms of discussion about public ownership objectives for the 21st century.”

Clause IV of Labour's 1918 constitution stated that the party was committed to "common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange".

In April 1995, less than a year after being elected Labour leader, Tony Blair persuaded a special conference to scrap the clause and replace it with a new one committing the party to a "dynamic economy, serving the public interest" with "a thriving private sector and high quality public services".

As for public ownership, the party means to advocate a system "where those undertakings essential to the common good are either owned by the public or accountable to them".

Blair himself called it a "defining moment in the history of my party". As Daily Mail puts it, this helped "convince voters that the party could be trusted again in government after the wilderness years of the 1980s.”

Labour's leadership election has now spiraled down to a simple choiceJeremy Corbyn or someone else. The problem is, none of the other candidates are rising to their challenge.

Moreover the distance maintained from the Asian community by the party remains a constant threat.

Except a few hustings, the party leadership contestants haven't offered much to the community. May a better interaction could have made this leadership election a cakework? After all Asians proudly put Mr Cameron in Downing Street!

Two teachers to be charged for hitting 10-year-old boy Two teachers, who are father and son, Mohammed Siddique (60), and Mohammed Waqar (23), were due to face trial at Birmingham Crown Court for slapping and beating a 10-year-old boy with a stick for not reciting the Koran properly, have pleaded guilty to a charge of cruelty to a child under the age of 16.

The crime took place between 1st May 2014 and 13th June 2014, at a mosque in Sparkbrook, Birmingham. It is said that Siddique and Waqar taught the boy, who is now 11 years old, in separate lessons.

Judge Mark Wall QC,

Mohammed Siddique and Mohammed Waqar plead guilty to a child under the age of 16 tion of what the likely adjourned sentence until sentence will be. The con7th September 2015. He duct of each of you was said, “The fact that I am serious and the judge who granting you bail and the passes sentence will have fact I am asking for all options open to him or reports should not be her.” taken by you as an indica-

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Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

The Sea Captain and Expert in Keeping Food Fresh Enough We were recently intrigued by the subject of coldchain and the global food crisis. An expert speaker at the House of Lords on this topic, Captain Pawanexh Kohli, is the Chief Advisor and CEO of India’s National Centre for Cold-chain Development (or NCCD).

Read about how he correlates and perceives the future of our food life lines. Some interesting facts stand out, as well why the cold-chain, a specialised logistics system, may be quite essential for our future food security at the global level.

At first, Pawanexh illustrates the concept of cold chain.

“Let me share an example from ancient India lore, of rishis and rishikas; there were men and women known to meditate or do penance for extended durations.

On realising the frailty of the human body, that it could not survive without food or water for longer

than a week or so, they solved that bother by climbing atop the Himalayas, stripping themselves of clothing before entering into the meditative stage.

Exposure to the chilling cold would reduce their biological demands, their

circulation and respiration, allowing them to remain longer at whatever they were contemplating.

They effectively bought time, for multiple weeks the body literally living only on fresh air, far longer than normally possible.

This is exactly why we use

Miscarriages and the emotional turmoil

Silence can be loud

Reshma Trilochun

Expecting a baby is probably the most beautiful feeling in the world, for both the mother and father.

They both start to dream about a joyous future for their baby and start planning for the arrival, but unfortunately, many suffer from miscarriages which leads to an empty feeling within them that cannot be filled and cannot be explained to others.

The founder of Mark Facebook, Zuckerberg's post on the social media site regarding his wife's pregnancy and previous three miscarriages has opened the door for many people to come forward and share their own experiences and griefs as well. Many women, and men alike, have been suffering silently for a while as the topic of miscarriages may still be taboo in society. There are people who blame the mothers for miscarriages, making them feel guilty of something which was not in their control.

Louisa Pritchard also spoke about her experience and the immense emotional pain she felt in The Daily Telegraph. She was waiting to reveal her pregnancy to her family and friends after the 12week scan, but suffered a miscarriage at 9 weeks,

Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg and wife, Priscilla Chan making her feel “devastated”, shattered and “alone”.

She recalls, “I felt the first waves of cramps grip me. I rushed to the office loos in Grazia magazine, where I worked, and miscarried, alone, crying in stunned disbelief. I hadn't told anyone that I was expecting, save for my husband... and my parents, meaning it was impossible to turn to my colleagues and say 'by the way, I was pregnant ten minutes ago, but now I've had a miscarriage'. So I returned to my seat and sat there for the remainder of the day... devastated that all the dreams we shared for our little family had already ended.”

In today's day and age, people may feel comfortable speaking openly about issues such as divorce, or even death in the open, and receive a great amount of support around them. However, it may tend to be hard to

talk about miscarriages in the open as it may be hard to convey your loss in words.

Although it may seem that not many well-known figures speak about miscarriage, celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Jane Seymour and Lily Allen have spoken openly about their pain of losing their babies.

There tends to be a certain reservation and shame surrounding miscarriage, which makes women who are suffering feel even more lonely and isolated.

Features Director of Grazia magazine, Louisa Pritchard, with her sons, Huxley and Chester However, with people such as Mark Zuckerberg coming out and speaking openly about the pain of miscarriages and the isolation felt, it may provide some kind of inspiration for others who may have had similar experiences to speak up and not suffer in silence anymore.

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Asian Voice | 15th August 2015 refrigeration today; using the cold to stretch the usable life of what otherwise would rapidly perish.

Such use of cool temperatures is also evidenced in medieval Peru for potatoes, and elsewhere.”

Captain Kohli says that this principle applies to meats and foods.

“The cold-chain in context of our food supply is mainly about controlling the life inside and around food. In case of postmortem food products like meats and fish, these are cooled to much below freezing temperatures so that the bacteria living on its surface, which normally would decompose the inert flesh, are kept in abeyance. In this case, the cooler the temperature the better and if the bacteria also dies, all the better. On the other hand, whole produce, like fruits and vegetables, are mainly consumed whilst they remain fresh and living. When handling fresh farm produce, the cold-supplychain’s primary job is to keep the produce alive, albeit retarding its living activities. There is a fine balance between retarding the ageing process and killing the living tissue.

Each fruit and vegetable, has its individual chill point or temperature sensitivity. Just a degree below its chill point can cause damage and demise.

Unlike in the case of

meats, these also continue to breathe and live, so providing oxygen and evacuating their respiratory gases is equally important.

It is yet a different ballgame in the case of vaccines where cold-chain technology is also used.”

Without proper application of cooling, most modern society would crumble.

Captain Kohli says that cold-chain is the sole mode with which we can safely transport fresh produce grown in faraway regions to consumption clusters around the world.

As our civilisation developed, we created high density pockets of consumers, with the producing areas shifting to where resources are more suitable.

So, we are rapidly headed towards a scenario where food will be grown where it is most sustainable to do so, the demand concentrated in faraway urban centres, and where the time between the two exceeding the natural life cycle of the perishable produce. Cold-chain alone bridges this gap, by buying time to safely reach the consumers, in quality and quantity. Without proper application of cooling, most modern society would crumble, not just

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failing the food and medical supply lines, but also disrupting the data management and human comfort systems.

The expert advisory work that Pawanexh does on dry land included advising agribusiness projects of international multilateral bodies. But before that, Pawanexh was a Ship Master and also worked with street hawkers in India. His broad spectrum of experiences includes having been a Lead Commander in maritime search & rescue in the South China Sea. In an earlier avatar, as chief officer on ships, he operated the world’s largest Car Carrier which brought across the first ever import of Mini-Rovers to Japan from UK. A lateral thinker, Pawanexh is a philanthropic and supports the Kaushalya and Advit charity Foundations, and other environment conscious efforts.

He says it stems from a “healthy respect for mother nature, which gets inbred when you sail the seas”. Captain Kohli was awarded ‘Cold-chain Personality of the Year’ in 2012, ‘Exemplary Though Leadership’ in 2013, lauded as one of the ‘25 Most Talented Rural Market Professionals of India’ and with the ‘Agribusiness Leadership Award’, both in 2014.

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READERS’VOICE

Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

So the cap fits

In my letter entitled “Short, sharp and relevant”, I did not mention anyone by name yet one person seems to have taken exception to it. I do not understand what I said wrong in stating that the letters in “Your Voice” column should focus on issues which concern us here in our country of residence, rather than placing too much emphasis on matters relating to our mother land or what Narendra Modi or other ministers in India have said or done. How does all that affect us here?

Similar information could be gleaned at other pages in AV and GS. I was only giving support to K. Parmar (AV 4 July), who felt that the letters in “Your Voice” column could be more varied and informative. We must discuss issues like the current migrant crisis and whether you would want these desperate illegal immigrants for your neighbours.

I must also add that the 250 words limit is not my idea but it has been imposed by the editorial board. We must all adhere to it in order that others can also get a fair bite at the cherry. Long winded letters become boring and make me skim through them instead of digesting the contents. In conclusion, I must say that even though I am glad that he commenced his letter by stating that he admires my contributions to this column, his use of words like “modesty” and “maturity” leave much to be desired.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Passing of the Missile Man

APJ Abdul Kalam was unique, one in billion, giant of a man surrounded by pigmies, greatest soul to grace Bharat since Gandhi, Bose, Tagore and Sardar. He was people’s president with unruly, curly silver hair, twinkle in his eyes, at ease with prince and pauper alike. In fact he was so ordinary that he was detained and questioned at US airport who promptly apologized when his identity was confirmed. While APJ was man of substance, Sonia woman of straw denied him second term as president he richly deserved, opting for puppet Pratibha Patil who was once her domestic help.

Born in Tamil Nadu in a poor family, he rose through hard work and self-belief. He deserved Noble Prize for Science, Physics or even Peace, more than Obama who was himself surprised at his elevation, just after becoming President. It was political choice that demeaned Noble name. Then even Gandhiji was never awarded Peace Prize. In general they are awarded to Europeans; Asians are the last on their list. APJ laid foundation of India’s successful space exploration that is envy of the world, putting India in the same league as US, Russia and China, except India’s technology is far simple, superior and cost effective that will corner multibillion space industry.

APJ left Central Stage as suddenly as he rose to become national icon, loved across political divide, his indignity never questioned. May his soul rest in eternal peace!

Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

Sparkling Spriha

With my sister’s helping hand I would like to pay a compliment to your journalist Spriha Srivastava for writing such a nice, moving account of the meeting she once had with India’s former president, the late and much respected Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

My sister and I always read Spriha’s Corner in Asian Voice every week and find her column most informative and interesting. She is a fine writer.

Vijay Joshi By email

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Nuisance phone calls

Meet and Greet

Nuisance phone calls are just that - "a nuisance"! The best way to stop them, is to politely say to the caller, "Please remove my details from your database. Thank You for calling".

Under the Data Protection Act, companies are obliged to remove your details from any such databases if you specifically ask them to do so. If you hang up on them or are rude to them, then they will persist in anonymous calls. So it is best to be polite but firm and very clear in telling them to remove your phone number, asking them not call you again.

If the telephone number is not withheld, anonymous or the Caller Display identifies a landline or mobile number, then another way is to Barr the last Caller. Many telephone providers now provide this as a free service. You have to dial a specific number provided by your telephone company, and following the cues you can then block that caller.

If the telephone number is known, and the calls are persistent, then one can also complain to OFCOM at: http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/complain/phone-and-broadband-complaints/privacy/ Hopefully these measures will minimise nuisance calls!

It is difficult if it is a recorded phone call, or an anonymous one where you haven't got a live person to talk to. In that scenario you have to put up with it, until another solution is found.

Jayam Dalal By email

False gods bearing gifts

Your Comment Page of 1st August 2015 (as always, is very informative page).

Following the show of razzmatazz and friendship, America has yet again supplied weapons of mass destruction and a large sum to Pakistan, stabbing India in the back. The explanation that the free handout was to combat terrorism is sheer mockery. Is Pakistan going to aim the supplied missiles and warplanes at its own people or territory as it is a known fact that terrorists find Pakistan a safe haven to hide.

Under the pretext of proclaiming peace for our planet, superpower's policies are detrimental to the region..

I was happy to know that Kumudiniben hopes to read more letters from me. Indeed, I find Kumudiniben's and Bhupendrabhai's letters very interesting as our views are so similar, especially, for our motherland which has given us a huge heritage of culture,literature art, science and religion.

"Your Voice" page gives readers an opportunity to express their views rather than simmer in silence, concerning issues affecting our community. ABPL GROUP and its Team should be commended for taking the leadership in highlighting such issues, organizing petitions and bringing some positive results.

Ila Kapadia By email

Caste discrimination

The Equalities Act is meant to reform mainly the British society by addressing such issues as racism, colour prejudice, anti-Semitism, Islam phobia, etc. It is the right way forward for Britain.

Caste discrimination forms only a very small part of the act. Its inclusion is based on three things. First, Her Majesty’s Govt. has certain knowledge about Hindu society, e.g. Lohana Community, Patel Samaj and Prajapati Association appear to be social division. Besides, some Hindus are called Dalits. Second, the Home Office appointed a senior Hindu academic of Wolverhampton University to carry out social survey and submit a report on its findings. Finally the government also received Hindu voice through letters and in other ways.

There is no point blaming Baroness Flather for her support of the act. The Parliament would have passed it any way even if she voted against it, for the Labour, Lib-Dem and SNP are all reformist parties.

It is natural some Hindus should consider provision of caste discrimination in the Equalities Act is a blot to Hindu society. Arguing or blaming one another does not help anyone. Status quo is not the right way. The way forward for us Hindus is to come together and find the way to turn our society the best in the UK. Then in a few years time the legislators would realise their mistake. It will provide the opportunity to repeal caste discrimination provision from the Equalities Act. Jatindra Saha By email

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Welcoming the Unwelcomed

It's such a shame that migrants from across the sea just turn up in an overcrowded boat and get to enter the shores. Of course they are an unwelcomed entity in Europe. Due to health and safety as well as on humanitarian grounds, authorities in Italy rescue these cramped, risky and overcrowded boats.

Rather than rescuing and collecting these unwanted guests, we should turn the boats away initially or something like that. What Italy has been doing is attracting more and more migrantboats to turn up in the hope for a better life in Europe with a hope to eventually enter the UK. The UK-France border has become a place of fear rather than a holiday destination. The way migrants are trying to enter the UK via lorries, coaches, cars, fences and even through the Euro Tunnel is scary. On one side it is risky and life threatening for them while on the other side it demands a great deal of investment in terms of Border Officials, installing additional fences, Plannning and Deploying Immigration Enforcement Measures, etc.

Don't take me wrong here. I am not a harsh-headed and stone-hearted person. I do have full sympathy with these migrants living a hellish kind of life in a small cramped jungle-like-place in France. However that doesn't entitle them to enter the EU or the UK just like that! I am a settled immigrant myself; I have spent more than past 12 years in the UK, abiding by the rules, going through various stages of Immigration, paying hefty fees to the Home Office at each stage in order to become settled in the UK. The rules, the enforcement, the fees, the structure, the Border Control, etc; they are there for a reason. It can't be & mustn't be as simple as turning up in a boat illegally and enter the UK! The UN, EU, UK and rest of the affected countries must sit down and come up with some sort of solution to this crisis. Otherwise it's not fair on either side. The migrants are living a hell kind of life in a cramped jungle risking their lives by rushing into the Euro Tunnel, entering through Lorries, trying to enter through electrocuted fences, etc. Does the UK have enough capacity to accommodate these countless migrants who just turn up illegally on the shores of Italy on a regular basis?

Devang Bhatt, Goodmayes, London

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In Brief

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

Let’s ask ...

Q&A with Gareth Thomas MP Reshma Trilochun

Gareth Thomas, MP for Harrow West is a prospective London Mayor candidate. We spoke exclusively to Asian Voice about the Mayoral candidacy and what changes he would like to make in London.

1. Why do you want to stand for Mayor?

London needs bold leadership with serious solutions to the challenges our city faces. I am that Mayor. I will, for example, champion the devolution of more power to London and more power to Londoners.

2. What are the two most important unsolved challenges in London that you as a Mayor will focus on in your first years?

London is a great city, but it has a higher cost of living than anywhere else in the UK and Londoners are not being given a fair share of their cities success. I see London from the perspective of somebody getting the tube to work everyday and trying to make a home here.

That’s why I want to cut fares by 10% on day one and freeze them thereafter – an almost 20% cut in real terms by 2020 which will benefit all Londoners. And it’s why I want to change the way we build homes in this city so that everybody can afford a decent place to live.

3. What distinguishes you from the other candidates?

I am the only candidate to be both pro-business and committed to a greener, more co-operative London, e.g; pro third

runway and for extending the Congestion Zone.

If elected Mayor I would also hold a referendum in London in September 2016 asking Londoners to give their consent on giving more powers to the London Mayor, GLA and London Councils. I am also unique for wanting more co-op housing, stronger credit unions and reform of Transport for London to give Londoners more of a say in its big decisions.

4. Why should one vote for you as the Mayor of London?

Londoners should vote for me if they want more of a say in the decisions that shape the future of their city. Westminster can seem as remote to someone living in Southall or Harrow as it does to those living in the Western Isles. I will change that.

London should be able to control a little more of the wealth generated here to help tackle London’s housing crisis, stubbornly high levels of child poverty and the need for more investment in public transport.

5. What are you offering that other candidates aren’t?

I am the only candidate suggesting a 10% cut in fares and the only one committed to London bidding for the

Commonwealth Games in 2026, and extending London’s parks and ‘green lungs’.

6. How will you be helping small Asian enterprises?

I want to set up a Small Business Bank to help small businesses get access to the capital they need to invest, create jobs and expand. I also want to champion the regeneration of outer London town centres where many excellent Asian businesses are based.

7. What’s your take on the travelling cost in London?

What changes will you be making?

I believe Labour needs to stand on the side of Londoners, making it a little easier for people on their way to work. With travel in London so expensive, a cut in fares will make a real difference.

That’s why if I were Mayor I would cut fares by 10% on day one of my mayoralty and freeze them for the remaining 3 years – a real term cut of almost 20% by 2020.

8. How will you be addressing the housing challenges in London?

New research reveals parents in England restrict child freedom We often blame Asian parents, for pushing children to study more or focus on only career or be restrictive far more than other communities.

However a new international research by Policy Studies Institute (PSI) at the University of Westminster has revealed that parents in England are more restrictive than those in other European countries, granting their children less freedom to travel and play in their local neighbourhood unaccompanied by adults.

The research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, compares children’s independent mobility in 16 countries around the world based on a survey of over 18,000 children aged seven to 15 from 2010-2012.

The study found that children’s independent mobility – their ability to travel and play in their

local area unsupervised by adults - varies widely across the 16 countries.

Significant restrictions are placed on children in nearly all the countries surveyed with the research revealing that fear of traffic was the biggest factor influencing their decision.

England’s aggregate rank placed it in seventh place behind top performing countries including Finland and Germany.

Overall, Finnish parents allowed their children more freedom for almost every independent mobility indicator in this study.

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The degree of independent mobility granted to children in Finland is striking, with a majority of children aged eight allowed to cross main roads, travel home from school and go out after dark alone.

Going out alone after dark is the most withheld indicator of independent mobility. Children of any age are allowed to go out after dark in only a handful of countries – Finland, Sweden, Japan and Denmark.

The research further adds, England needs to develop its policies in order to improve children’s independent mobility, with the report outlining seven recommendations on how to achieve this.

These policies include reducing car dependency and adopting Daylight Saving Time to allow children to utilise daylight hours and reducing road casualties.

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Schools fear mistakes in A’level marks As Mayor, I would set a target of 62,000 new homes per year, which is the number of homes that the charity Shelter concluded we would need to build per year over 10 years to clear the back log, and just over a third of these new homes would be social rents.

I would establish a wholly owned Mayoral Housing Company to raise the finance for building new social housing on TFL land and with additional borrowing powers I would also support Council’s investing in new social housing using affordable rental income to offset borrowing costs. I would also issue bonds to enable Londoners to invest in social housing – the better off getting a return for helping other Londoners get a decent home at an affordable rent. The one major difference on housing between me and the other candidates is on co-op housing. I strongly support a wider mix of types of social housing and think tenants should be given much more greater control over the housing they live in.

Students may receive incorrect A-level results this week, after the Government's regulator said an exam board lacked understanding of marking. This may lead to many heartbreaks over unexpected low grades, that may cost one losing their place in a university of their choice. This has reportedly led independent schools to call on students and teachers to challenge their grades if they felt they had been awarded the wrong mark. Ofqual, the exam regulator, has also raised concerns over the increasing number of inquiries about results.

Mayor of London admits he hates eggs

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson was greeted with a cheer, as he opened an egg free cakeshop in Streatfield Road, Harrow on last Friday. He was reportedly led by director Roy Chamdal, through a series of selfie takers to cut the ribbon with Harrow MP Bob Blackman. There were many people who were waiting on the streets of harrow for hours hoping to catch a glimpse of the Mayor.

The Harrow Times reported that Mr Johnson said: “What an exciting moment this is. When I was a young boy, my mother gave me an egg to eat every day. In the end, I could not take it anymore. My very first decision was – no more eggs. You don’t need eggs. And this is the most eggstraordinary, eggsellent cake shop in London.”

ULaw promises to refund up to £7,000 if graduates are unemployed

From September 2015, the University of Law in Guildford (ULaw) will be launching a new scheme for students on its Legal Practice Course. ULaw has committed to offer graduates half of their tuition fees (up to £7,000) if they do not find employment within nine months of graduating.

Earlier this year, the University of West Scotland became one of the first universities to look at introducing a reimbursement system for students who did not complete their degrees.

The CEO of ULaw expressed that students nowadays do not only want a degree, but want a guarantee that they would find employment after the end of their course. He said, “For law graduates, this means one thing: securing a training contract or a full-time job upon graduation. Our experience in training highly-skilled law practitioners gives us the confidence and the assurance that our graduates will be in employment within nine months.”

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MEDIAWATCH

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Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

Parliament has been reduced to a jostling bazaar. No serious business has been done during the Monsoon session due to the riotous behaviour of Congress MPs, led by the mother and son duo of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan named five Congress MPs, who were suspended for a week and were barred from entering the House for that period. The uproar hasn’t abated at time of writing. The suspension brought the opposition parties together, but the prolonged impasse is doing their public image considerable damage. Hence a number of non-Congress groups have offered to mediate between the Congress party leadership and the government front benches. However, Congress and opposition parties are resolutely opposed to the Congress demand that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister resign as a pre-condition for the restoration of normal parliamentary functioning.

The very idea is utterly preposterous, the antics of arrogant bullies.

From afar, Odisha Chief Minister Naeen Patnaik has called for an end to the tumult. It has to be said that the BJP, whilst in opposition, sowed the wind and are now reaping the whirlwind. Their once obstructive methods are now being repeated by opponents who were then the government.

However two wrongs do not make a right; and Congress which was trounced in the last general election had their numbers in the Lok Sabha shrunk from 206 to the present paltry tally of 44 MPs in the House. The party has a long and arduous road ahead; and have yet to make a serious start on the journey to full recovery from the electoral debacle. Congress party heir apparent Rahul Gandhi’s apparent belief that jumping on the nearest bandwagon show in town will lead to salvation is clearly out of touch with reality. He hasn’t uttered a serious word on the nation’s economy, on national security, or on anything that truly matters. He is clearly out of his depth, deficient in brains and character. He is a living reminder to the Indian people of how unfit he is to hold the reins of power.

Jihadi caught at border

Captured terrorist Usman Naved opened thus: “Seven years after the Mumbai cop Tukaram Omble captured Ajmal Kasab, two unarmed villagers overpowered an AK-47 wielding terrorist who had sneaked in from across the border to kill Amarnath yatris [pilgrims] and attack military targets.” Their courage averted a greater tragedy, but jihadi Usman Naved’s capture leads once more to Pakistan.

Unabashed and smiling, Naved told his interrogators: “I came to kill Hindus. Had I been killed, it would have been Allah’s doing.

It is fun doing this.” (See comment, page 3). The disturbing news is that the captured jihadi and his associates had slipped into Kashmir more than a month ago and were given refuge in safe houses by sympathizers (Times of India August 8).

lence; in Sindh province it is the Hindus. In Bangladesh, Hindus and Chakma Buddhists have borne the weight of Islamist intolerance (Hindu August 5).

Another Bangladeshi blogger, Niloy Chatterjeei, was hacked to death at his home in Dhaka by Islamists, the fourth such person, and the third Hindu to die in this gruesome fashion (Hindu, Telegraph, Times of India August 8).

Naga peace accord

The government signed a landmark peace accord with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, one of the largest Naga insurgent groups, one that has been operational over the past six decades. Earlier, in March this year, the breakaway Kaplang faction, operating out of Myanmar, mounted an attack on an Indian Army convoy, killing 20 soldiers. The present accord was signed in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in New Delhi in the presence of Home Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval (Hindu, Times of India August 4).

India-Bangladesh enclave swap

It was front-page news: “LeT militant captured in repeat of 26/11,” screamed the Hindu headline; the Times of India (August 6) was equally dramatic: “Pak Caught Red-Handed, Again.” The opening paragraph of the Hindu reads: “A Pakistani militant was captured [by an unarmed village self-defence unit and handed over to the police]and another killed after they attacked a Border Security Force convoy in Udhampur. Two BSF jawans [Rocky from Haryana and Suvendu Roy from Bengal] lost their lives.” Their courage saved 44 of their unarmed colleagues in the bus from certain death.

Citizenship for persecuted

Fun and games

The Times of India (August 5)

One of the earliest pieces of legislation awaiting the attention of Parliament (and hopefully will be debated prior to the Independence Day celebrations) is an amendment to the Citizenship Act of 1955, which will make it easier for those persecuted for their faith in Pakistan and Bangladesh – Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, Buddhists and Jains – to apply for, and be granted, Indian citizenship. This should send out a message to the world and the region: that, whatever its faults and shortcomings, India is not forgetful of the ideals of its birth. In Pakistan, it is the Christian community in Punjab which suffers grievously from Islamist vio-

Derailed trains in Madhya Pradesh with caption See page 3 cent without government underlines our continued comapproval except in the defence mitment to the market as well as and banking sectors (Business our alignment with the (Indian) Line July 31).

Government’s Made in India programme,” said Sony India Managing Director Kenichiro Indian IT in key Dell role Hibi.

“Manufacturing here decreases our time to market ...

US global major, Dell Inc CEO, We see huge potential in the TV Paul Walsh, on a recent visit to business,” he said (Hindu India, told a media interlocutor: August 4).

“The innovation we are driving out of Dell IT in India is second to none. The team of 2,400 engiBajaj Auto zooms neers (a third of its global workforce of 6,500 engineers) is Not to be outdone by its comworking on the e-commerce petitors, Bajaj Auto, a major side, ensuring that Dell.com is two-wheeler manufacturer, prothe best place for our customers, duced a high 37 per cent net delivering next-generation sales profit in the first quarter (Apriltools for our internal sales team June). Pune-based Bajaj sold ... India is truly a core hub of 389,000 motor bikes and 87,000 innovation and many of the three-wheelers in overseas marinnovations from India are being kets, posting export revenues of used globally as best practices.”

Rs 2,634 crore from Rs 2091 for (Business Line August 5). the same quarter of the previous year (Business Line July 24).

IIT Hyderabad magnet for top talent

Indian flag in [Bangladesh] border enclave

Policemen Rocky and Suvendu Roy who died in encounter

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

India and Bangladesh swapped enclaves along their border at midnight July 31 as per the agreement reached and signed between the two countries during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Dhaka for talks with Prime Minister Hasina Wajed. India had 111 Bangladeshi enclaves, and Bangladesh 51 Indian enclaves. India has acquired 15,193 new citizens. These hitherto stateless people were given a choice of citizenship. As the bulk of the population consists of poor Muslim farmers, the numbers opting for Indian citizenship were surprisingly large.

There were passionate celebrations when the Indian Tricolour was raised and candles and lamps lit (Times of India, Telegraph, Hindu August 1).

Tata brand India’s No 1

Indian Institute of Technology IIT) Hyderabad, among the latest arrivals in the elite group of institutions, is attracting talent of stellar quality over some of the most reputable IITs that have had a head start. The Hyderabad facility has an ambience that is markedly cosmopolitan, while the city itself is the best job market around. Among the newer IITs, Hyderabad has the largest numbers of faculties and more than 100 laboratories, of which 50 are for research (Hindu August 1).

The Tata brand, 65th in the global league, has retained its top spot in India. For the first time, the brand value of Tata has exceeded $15 billion, $100 billion by revenue, a notable achievement surely. “Tata is the world’s 65th most valuable brand. Tata is India’s leading brand by a long way on almost every measure. It is the only truly global mega brand originating in India, but there is a new generation of Indian brands following in Tata’s footsteps,” said Brand Finance, a leading global brand valuation and strategic consultancy (Hindu July 31).

Global retailers like Walmart and Carrefour will be permitted to invest in India’s multi-brand retail through the foreign portfolio investment route. In a major reversal the BJP-led NDA government, which had once attacked the measure in opposition, has decided to support Foreign Portfolio Investment which means that foreign investors can bring in 49 per

The Indian Air Force base at Panagarh will be the new Himalayan home for its USmade C-130 heavy lift Hercules aircraft. It’s unique capacity to lift large numbers of fully equipped troops and material to forward areas along the India’s northern border with China on relatively small airfields gives India’s armed forces significant strategic reach and strengthens national security (Times of India, Hindu August 5).

Foreign investment in multi-brand retail

Hercules in Panagarh

Made in India Sony TV sets

Japanese consumer electronics giant Sony will start production of its TV sets at the Indian facility in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, from the latter half of August. “India has been an important strategic market for Sony, and this development

Indian C-130 Hercules aircraft

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Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

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Alleged "up to eight" British jihadist in Britain to carry out attack

In 2010, India saw the kind of attention she has not experienced from the world without losing a Head of Government in office; visits from British and American cousins. For the British it was the first major foreign visit by the new Prime Minister after the obligatory kissing of the Presidential ring in the Washington. For the Americans it was the longest visit by a US President.

Now in 2015, the US is locked into finding a new President and a Nuclear deal with Iran and the UK awaits PM Modi’s visit in November.

So what were the key objectives of the visits from Uncle Sam and his cousin Uncle Cam? Think political for the US and economic for the UK. Why the difference?

The US has the will and investment of political engagement in the region to a far greater extent than Britain. Britain does not seek political engagement unless to forward trade or its hand is forced in national security under and American umbrella – as in the case of Afghanistan.

For the UK the authorisation for sale of civilian nuclear technology to India back then was a major win for Serco and Rolls Royce. The British Cabinet decided before the PM’s visit that commercial opportunities outweighed the security risks.

For Britain – their objective was getting off the fence in relation to Pakistan and India and Cameron’s warning to Pakistan certainly got him onto the front pages back then. This was trade based, which is why the political damage was tol-

erated.

The US sold more armaments to India than Britain ($15billion saving 50,000 US jobs according to the US Administration) – but again this was politics over trade for the US, whereas trade alone for Britain was sufficient reason to celebrate with their smaller orders. Sure US military armaments vendors were delighted, but given US political ambitions of influence throughout the region – this is more significant politically given the scale of sales – both to prize India from the Russian military supply bear grip (freedom gives power to India too from Russia) but also shore up the democracy and doubtless those armaments serve a credible regional threat serving US interests. The US understands the concept of ‘proxy’ after all, whether against Pakistan or China.

In the age of terror and nuclear proliferation, given growing economies have the power, if not the desire as in the case of India, to project political influence backed by their economic enlargement, they are an essential diplomatic tool in a theatre that is a missile’s throw from Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and China.

And India has strong relations with three of those four at least. Indeed measure strength of democracy multiplied by economic weight and you have in India the only democratic capitalist giant in the Asia – a friend of common interest indeed to the Atlantic cousins.

The PM Modi trip is all about trade for the UK.

Immigration police arrests 32 workers at Greencore factory Immigration officer arrested 32 employees at the giant sandwichmaking factory, Greencore, in East London, as it is said that they were illegal immigrants. Greencore is the UK's biggest sandwichmaker, supplying to Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Asda.

Officers had caught people in the factory trying to discard fraudulent identity documents, and phoning their friends to warn them not to come to work.

Several lockers were forced opened using bolt-cutters.

After being questioned, photographed and fingerprinted, it is said that the 32 workers, who were from Eastern Europe and Africa were arrested.

Nine of the 32 workers

were charged with immigration offences and were remanded in custody, while one was released on bail, pending further enquiries. However, it is said that the remaining 22 are being dealt with by the immigration officers and are likely to be deported “if appropriate”.

The Home Office spokesman said, “We are successfully cracking down on those who have no right to be here. We are targeting industries and areas

where abuse is most common and we've doubled the fines for businesses which flout the rules.”

A Greencore spokesperson said, “Greencore closely follows the Home Office's guidelines and goes to great lengths to try to ensure that all of our employees fulfil the necessary criteria to work legally in the UK. There have been numerous occasions in the past on which we have spotted suspicious applications and notified the immigration services immediately.”

It is now said that Greencore and its recruitment agency could face fines of up to £20,000 per worker if it is found that they had failed to checker the workers' documents correctly.

Commonwealth voters to make a significant difference in EU referendum The Commonwealth citizens residing in the UK have been instrumental in putting David Cameron back into 10 Downing Street. Their significance in the 2015 General Elections is something that cannot be disregarded. The polls suggest that their votes have played a major role in deciding who becomes the next Prime Minister.

The Commonwealth citizens in

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Britain will continue to support Burma in the wake of the devastating floods sweeping the country by providing more aid supplies and helping with recovery efforts, International Development Minister Baroness Verma has announced.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been affected across several regions including Sagaing, Chin, Magway and Rakhine, with Kachin also affected.

The Department for I n t e r n a t i o n a l Development’s (DFID) disaster preparedness work in Burma has meant that more than 48,000 people have already been provided with high energy biscuits, while up to 20,000 people have received hygiene kits

A new government campaign is to be launched to encourage people over 40 to get more sleep, as there are fears that their erratic lifestyle is proving detrimental for their health.

Several studies have suggested that a lack of sleep is linked with many problems, such as heart disease and diabetes. It was also suggested that the sleep-deprived were 12% more likely to die prematurely.

The Public Health England are planning to encourage people aged between 40 and 60 to spend more time in bed, as part of a campaign to improve the nations health.

“I first realised I was losing my hearing when I was struggling to hear the TV. I now wear hearing aids and nobody complains about the volume on the TV anymore.”

the UK will again prove their significance in the forthcoming European Union referendum.

Estimates based on the 2011 census reveals that there are 894,087 eligible Commonwealth voters. It would be ludicrous to dis-

regard this figure as unimportant in deciding whether Britain remains in the EU or finally opts out.

Commonwealth citizens could be from countries such as Canada, India, Australia or Pakistan. It is highly unlikely that they all would have the same verdict regarding the EU referendum. Nevertheless, their votes would still aid steer the decision to a possible final yes or no.

Britain steps up support for Burma’s floods

Over 40s urged to get more sleep

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Claims of up to eight British jihadists are in the UK, waiting to carry out an act of terror who had so far failed to ond jihadist was Hussain's make an attack. wife, Sally Jones, from It is also alleged that Kent, who is now in Syria, Jones had claimed that VJ working with Hussain in (Victory over Japan) comRaqqa. memorations, which Jones conversed with involves the Queen and the the journalist through Royal Family were a target. encrypted messaging sites, However, the police believing she was talking to have requested people to an 18-year-old teenager. attend the VJ commemoJones explained that she rations as normal. There could teach her how to have been no arrests of make bombs. She also counter terror in connecmentioned that there was tions to the alleged another potential bomber prospective attack. in Scotland and two other,

and supplies to treat unclean water.

Baroness Verma confirmed that £500,000 of contingency funding would be made available to support further relief activities and to help existing programmes adapt to meet the needs of affected communities. This could include providing emergency healthcare and shelter, hygiene kits and water purification tablets as well as repairing damaged water supplies and sewerage systems.

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There have been new claims that as many as eight British jihadists are in the UK, waiting to carry out an act of terror.

It is said that around “four or five” received bomb and gun attacks training in Iraq and Syria, and have now returned to Britain to commit barbaric terror attacks.

In addition, a further three extremists were radicalised in the UK and also allegedly preparing for an attack.

These claims have been made by Sky News, which used an undercover journalist to use Twitter and instant messaging apps to contact jihadists in Syria.

Two such jihadists that got in touch with the undercover journalist was, 21-year-old Junaid Hussain, previously a hacker from Birmingham, who now runs the IS information and recruitment arm from Syria. The sec-

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Thousands join the annual Goan festival in the UK

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Cllr Ravi Vaz with the Most Rev (Dr) Alywyn Barreto and others Thousands of Goans from across the UK descended on the grounds of Cranford Community Centre for the annual Goan Festival to dance, sing and sample traditional Goan dishes provided by the many Goan Restaurants and caterers that have sprung up all over the UK from Swindon to Southampton to Norbury in South London.

The event opened in the traditional fashion with a service (Mass) which was celebrated by the Most Rev (Dr) Alwyn Barreto Bishop of Sindhudurg who had flown in especially for the occasion.

Also in town to entertain the crowds were one of Goa's leading bands A26 and Jan Jan Jaani (aka Jan Graveson star of stage, television and film) who has

Goans from across the UK Goan Association for severadopted Goa as her home. al years said: "I congratuLast year Jan opened a late Ravi Vaz and his team School of Performing Arts for putting up a first class for under privileged chilevent to showcase Goan dren in Goa which she talent and cuisine Goans plans to develop into an are rather slow to push integrated Academy of themselves and their talPerforming Arts later this ents to the wider public year. The weather too occasions such as this help played its part and allowed Goans reconnect with their the UK Goans to eat, drink motherland and at the and make merry throughsame time strengthen the out the Day. Cllr Rabi Martins, who bond with the community in our adopted homeland." served as President of the

Cllr Rabi Martins with Jan Graveson (Former East Enders and Broadway star) Local police who were in attendance also praised the crowds for the good natured way in which everyone seemed to enjoy themselves without giving the police anything to do other than soak up the atmosphere.

Representatives of the High Commission of India led by First Secretary Mr Sunil Kumar spent several hours mingling with the crowd.

Goa President Ravi Vaz said: "Such an event can only be a success because of the support of all those concerned.”

He also expressed his thanks to Lebara, Air India and other organisations for their support and sponsorship.

Hindus upset over distortion of goddess Kali image in Titan Comics Many Hindus have been shocked over the distortion of the Hindu goddess, Kali's image, in Titan Comics. Many are seeking the withdrawal of all the comics containing distorted image of Kali from the stores and online.

Titan Comics, headquartered in London, the comics and graphic novel division of global publishing giant, Titan, with brands such as James Bond and Sherlock Holmes. Titan Comics has allegedly described Kali on

its website, stating, “Kali, oldest and deadliest of these creatures, was thought defeated long, long ago; her body scattered throughout time to prevent her return.”

Goddess Kali personifies “Shakti”, or divine energy. She is considered the goddess of time and change and is widely worshipped in Hinduism.

Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism has expressed his disappointment over the distorted images of the

Goddess Kali image from Titan Comics

goddess, and also believes referring to goddess Kali

as a “creature” was hurtful to her devotees.

Edinburgh Festival marches to Bollywood tunes The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, reputed for being one of the greatest cultural shows on earth, and the Edinburgh Festival Mela, Scotland’s biggest celebration of world music and dance, have both joined hands this year with India-based Teamwork Arts, a pioneering entertainment company, to bring Bollywood glitz and glamour to Edinburgh’s festival scene this year.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which runs from August 7 – August 29, 2015 will present a nightly five-minute ‘street version’ of a Bollywood dance extravaganza, as part of the its ‘East Meets West’ theme.

The Tattoo, a global gathering that combines military spectacle, cultural performance, vibrant music and international colour – all in an historic Scottish

setting, is in its 66th year and will be held at the famous Edinburgh Castle Esplanade.

Followed by the performances at the Tattoo, the Main Stage at the Edinburgh Mela will showcase the famed musical ‘Bollywood Love Story’ on Sunday, August 30th in Leith, Scotland.

Teamwork Arts’ Bollywood Love Story is a timeless tale of romance

with pulsating dance tracks and foot-tapping music that transports the audience to the whimsical world of Bollywood. Played to packed houses across Asia, Europe and South Africa, it has staged over 200 shows globally and garnered rave reviews ever since it first hit the stage four years ago. With support from the Scottish Government Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund, a

company of 120 performers from across the world come together to celebrate love!

Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop said: “Once again The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will place Scotland on the world stage, showcasing our rich cultural heritage to thousands of people across the world.

“Through Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund, we are pleased to support The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo’s collaboration with The Edinburgh Mela to bring Bollywood to the Esplanade this August.

These dancers will be a great addition to the performers from Australia, United States, Canada and New Zealand that make The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo a global event. Scotland looks forward to welcoming people

When you donate money to charities, how do you know you are giving it to the most effective ones? If you are a charity, how do you stand out and best showcase the great work you do? Empowering Donors. Supporting Charities. That's what Asian Charity Clarity is all about.

ACC have come up with a special rating system which assesses a charity across 18 metrics for Financial Health, Accountability and Transparency, and Accessibility.

This week, we are focusing on a particular charity, Keeping Kids Company.

In Focus - Kids Company Founded by Camila Batmanghelidjh in 1996 to provide support to deprived inner city children in London, by 2015, the charity was "reaching" 36,000 children and providing 3,000 meals per week. Just recently, it was reported that Kids Company was in significant financial difficulty and government funding was withheld on the condition that Batmanghelidjh stand down as CEO because of concerns about the charity's standards of governance. A major donor withdrew following the announcement of a police investigation into allegations of sexual abuse at the charity. On 5 August 2015 the charity ceased operations and began compulsory liquidation.

All this happened despite the charity saying its Finance and Governance committees met at least ten times per year to discuss clinical governance, training, education, staff development and risk assessment. The trustees said they have identified and fully understand the charity's major risks and have systems in place to manage these. In 19 years, Batmanghelidjh had raised over £150m.

So what went wrong?

Well, here a summary of the ACC rating for it.

Green is the average for all charities we have listed on our site. Blue are the ratings for Kids Company. Kids Company's rating is exactly the same as our average rating for all charities.

It ranked better in Accountability and Transparency than the average, and well above average for Accessibility (which looks at how clear their information is, how aligned their vision and strategy are to what they actually do). But its Financial Health was poor - in particular its Working Capital position, its Expense Growth, the amount it spent on salaries and its expenditure relative to income.

Its Financial Health rating was among the poorest in all the ACC charities.

We obviously didn't know the extent of the issues at the charity, but we used data to create the rating that has been available for several months - so this is an interesting example of how ACC can help flag potential issues early on at charities through simple, but well researched ratings.

www.asiancharityclarity.org.uk

from across the world to celebrate the music and entertainment that’s on offer.”

‘East Meets West’ theme of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will celebrate the contrasts that exist in our world and those elements that are largely consistent and on

occasion similar.

Performers from all over Europe, America, Asia, Australasia and Canada will share the stage with some of the finest British Armed Forces performers and musicians, who will, among other features, mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

SP

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Isis-related play cancelled two weeks before opening night

A controversial play called 'Homegrown', produced by National Youth Theatre, exploring the radicalisation of young people who join Islamic State has been cancelled less than a fortnight before its opening night. The play had a cast of 112 people aged 15-25 from an ethnically diverse background, was set to focus on attitudes towards Islam in the UK and jihadi brides.

On the opening night, it was due to be staged at UCL academy in Swiss Cottage, North London.

The play had encountered problems in June when Tower Hamlets council warned it would be "insensitive" for the play to be performed at a school in east London less than a mile from where three

schoolgirls thought to have travelled to Syria to become jihadi brides had studied.

The team behind the play allegedly blamed "external pressures" for the cancellation - but the NYT insisted the decision was taken because it did not meet the required standards.

The theatre reportedly said: "After some consideration, we have come to the conclusion that we cannot be sufficiently sure of meeting all of our aims to the standards we set and which our members and audiences have come to expect."

Scotland Yard has however released a statement insisting the Met had played no part in the play's cancellation.

London Darbar Festival to celebrate 10th Anniversary London's South Bank Centre is celebrating tenth anniversary of the Durbar festival from 14-20 September 2015, featuring over thirty of world's top Indian classical musicians, a dance performance and a rare online exhibition.

This festival is the only one in the world to regularly unite artists from both Hindustani (north India), Carnatic (south India), Dhrupad (India’s oldest art form) and Percussion traditions and provides a platform for five musicians that make their UK debut performances. It was started in 2006 by Sandeep Virdee – the founder of Darbar Arts Culture Heritage Trust – in memory of his father Gurmit Singh.

Headline performances include legendary santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma alongside sitar and surbahar star Ustad Irshad Khan.

Flautist Pandit Ronu Majumdar, who this year was awarded one of India’s highest music awards –the Sangeet Natak Academy Award –

will return to the festival after 10 years.

Additionally there will be performances from exceptional female artists including the winner of the 2005 BBC World Music award- vocalist Kaushiki Chakraborty who has worked with acclaimed Oscar winning composer and musician A.R.Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire), the charismatic Ranjani and Gayatri sisters with their Carnatic ragas, and UK debuts from Mita Nag (sitar) and Pelva Naik (dhrupad vocal).

A digital exhibition launched especially for the tenth anniversary entitled ‘Musical Wonders of India’ will take place in London at the V&A Museum’s ‘Festival of India’ on 13th September and will feature the stories behind ten rare Indian classical instruments. A highlight of this year’s festival is a new dance programme featuring the s p e c t a c u l a r Bharatanatyam British Asian dancer Seetal Patel who will be accompanied by an orchestra of Carnatic musicians.

TLIGHT

Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

Sunetra Senior

15

The idea of a mysterious dark-haired beauty is becoming more inclusive, and blazing the way in recent news is Portsmouth University’s Krishna Solanki. Exuding a serene, yet endearing charisma, all the while working towards her maths degree, Solanki swept up the sash for the London borough of Redbridge, and is now the only contestant of Asian origin in the upcoming Miss England Finals, 2015. “It was all about the confidence,” Solanki told us, excited about the big event, which is taking place this Thurs- Fri, 14th-15th Aug. “I think people assume you must be ditzy to get into the pageant world, but it takes strategy and hard work.”

Challenging wider social stereotypes, as well as ethnic boundaries, Solanki is clearly the whole package:

Krishna Solanki

I used to lack confidence

Storming the Stereotype So what sparked your interest in the Miss England Pageant?

From a young age, I always lacked self-esteem so I did a little research into the Pageant and thought it was the perfect opportunity to restore it.

The fact that I could also do some charity work and challenge discrimination towards dark-skinned Asians appealed to me. The media promotes lighter skin which makes young girls who don’t have that complexion feel bad about it. But, as you can see, it hasn’t prevented me from getting as far as I have, and I’m glad that I can show that.

Do you feel a lot of pressure to prove yourself?

Not so much, but I do have a desire to show the Asian community that this is not just a beauty contest- it’s about being a good role model. There is a tendency to picture a girl standing there with a bikini, but the focus it is a lot more on being a well-rounded individual.

Tell us more about the rounds?

One is a charity round that involves us setting up our own fundraisers for the Miss England charity ‘Beauty with a Purpose’, which raises funds for the underprivileged worldwide. Another is the talent round where I showcased the Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance. I actually have a diploma in that too, so that’s something I’ve achieved through my own hard work.

There was also a publicity round where you had to cultivate your public speaking and really communicate with people.

What’s been your favourite part of the journey?

Definitely the talent round because I got to perform something quite unusual to what the competition usually sees. I ranked in the top 15 out of 52 contestants for that. I showed that the Pageant was about more than modelling with Bharatanatyam. It took years to perfect and was also distinctly cultural so I was bringing that to the

Is there a difference between modelling and Pageantry?

Pageantry really focuses on character building more; it’s not just about looks. In the Miss England competition in particular all the different rounds really test and allow you to explore your skills. It really shows that woman can be so much.

There is a tendency to picture a girl standing there with a bikini, but the focus is more on being well-rounded as an individual stage. The judges commented that the timing was really good and that’s a huge part of the dance which is all about rhythm, and being firm but also graceful.

What can we look forward to from you in the show?

Well, another favourite round of mine has actually been the eco round where we had to source materials from around our home and put together an outfit for the theme of the fashion show on the Thursday, and it is actually a Bond theme this year. I really like textiles and I absolutely love making dresses so I’m very excited about that myself!

Who are your Role Models?

In pageantry, Miss WorldAishwarya Rai- because she carried on with her charity work even after she did the shows. My dance teacher has been a great influence- she started her own dance academy, which made me think on similar aspirations- and finally, I look up to my mother. She has always put my brother and I first.

In your opinion, why do you think so many Asian girls are discouraged from competitions such as these?

Many Asian girls do not receive their family's approval and support due to reservations. Asian families, generally speaking, prioritise education and have concerns against exploitation.

However, through my personal experiences, I believe as long as the girls can manage their time well and assure their families that they will not compromise their morals throughout their journey in the Pageant, they can receive both approval and support.

What’s your personal motto?

You can accomplish anything you put your heart and soul into Believe in yourself; have faith.’

Vote for Krishna Solanki in the Miss England finals by texting ‘MISS ENGLAND51' to 63333. Texts cost 50p plus the standard network rate.

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INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL

Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

AsianVoiceNews

The beginning of a New India Indian independence is a benchmark for the end of colonialism and imperialism. In the short span of 68 years, India has evolved as the largest democracy which has embarked on the path of all round progress, with relevant restraints of a nascent democracy.

15th August is the beginning of a New India. I would briefly like to look back at the history of that period to throw some light on why that date was selected and the various issues which were of paramount importance of that period and some have a lingering effect even now.

Nearly 80 countries became independent since the second world war.

Without any exaggeration, the experience of India, nurtured by the Founding Fathers of the democracy, especially Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel, has stood the test of time. Indian people deserve profound appreciation of the world to have embarked as such an inspiring path.

The Indian Independence Act 1947 was as an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which partitioned British India into the two new independent dominions of India and Pakistan. The Act received the royal assent on 18 July 1947, and Pakistan was born on August 14, and India on August 15.

The legislation was formulated by the government of Prime Minister Clement Attlee and the

Governor General of India Lord Louis Mountbatten, after representatives of the Indian National Congress, the Muslim League, and the Sikh community came to an agreement with the Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, on what has come to be known as the 3 June Plan or Mountbatten Plan.

The Act also made provision for the division of joint assets, etc. between the two new countries, including in particular the division of the armed forces.

On 4th June 1947 Mountbatten held a press conference in which he addressed the question of the 565 princely states. The treaty relations between Britain and the Indian States would come to an end, and on 15th August 1947 the suzerainty of the British Crown was to lapse.

Consequently the princely states would assume independent status. They would be free to choose to accede to one or the other of the new dominions.

A crude border had already been drawn up by Lord Wavell, the Viceroy of India prior to his replacement, in February 1947, by Lord Mountbatten. In order to determine exactly which territories to assign to each country, in June 1947, Britain appointed Sir Cyril Radcliffe, a lawyer by profession, to chair two Boundary Commissions one for Bengal and one for Punjab.

The Commission was instructed to "demarcate the boundaries of the two

parts of the Punjab on the basis of ascertaining the contiguous majority areas of Muslims and nonMuslims. In doing so, it will also take into account other factors." Other factors were undefined, giving Radcliffe leeway, but included decisions regarding "natural boundaries, communications, watercourses and irrigation systems", as well as sociopolitical consideration.

Each commission also had 4 representatives - 2 from the Indian National Congress and 2 from the Muslim League. Given the deadlock between the interests of the two sides and their rancorous relationship, the final decision was essentially Radcliffe's.

After arriving in India on 8 July 1947, Radcliffe was given just five weeks to decide on a border. He soon met with his fellow college alumnus Mountbatten and travelled to Lahore and Calcutta to meet with commission members, chiefly Nehru from the Congress and Jinnah, President of the Muslim League.

He objected to the short time frame, but all parties were insistent that the line be finished before the 15th August British withdrawal from India. Mountbatten had accepted the post as Viceroy on the condition of an early deadline. The decision was completed just a couple of days before the withdrawal, but due to political manoeuvring, not published until 17 August 1947, two days after the grant of independence to

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India and Pakistan and known as the Radcliffe line.

In the event, between August 1947 and March 1948 the rulers of several Muslim-majority states signed an Instrument of Accession to join Pakistan.

Lord Mountbatten was asked by the Indian leaders to continue as the Governor-General of India. Jawaharlal Nehru became the Prime Minister of India and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel became the Home Minister. Over 560 princely states acceded to India. Muhammad Ali Jinnah became the Governor-General of Pakistan, and Liaquat Ali Khan became the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Three princely states (namely Junagadh, Bantva and Manavadar) geographically inalienable to India joined the Dominion of Pakistan.

At the time of the partition of India, Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, preferred to remain independent. He offered a standstill agreement (to maintain the status quo) to both India and Pakistan. India refused the offer but Pakistan accepted it.

But soon the Gilgit Scouts staged a rebellion in the Northern Areas under British command; this region became effectively a part of Pakistan.

Subsequently tribal Kabailis from the Northwest Frontier Province invaded Kashmir proper. The Pakistan Army's British chiefs refused to involve the armed forces officially.

With independence no longer an option, the Maharaja turned to India, requesting troops for safeguarding Kashmir and signed the Instrument of Accession to the Union of India on 26 October 1947.

It was accepted by the Governor-General the next day and the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir became a part of the Union of India.

- By CB Patel, Publisher & Editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar

taking India to

India gained freedom from the British rule on August 15, 1947 after a long independence movement. On 15 August 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru, who became the first prime minister of India, raised the Indian national flag above the Lahore Gate of the Red Fort in New Delhi. The Constituent Assembly of India met at 11 pm on 14 August at the Constitution Hall in New Delhi.

In this session, Nehru delivered the “Tryst with Destiny” speech proclaiming India's independence. In the speech Nehru pledged his government's dedicated service to the people of India and its all-round progress.

“The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future? Freedom and power bring responsibility.

The responsibility rests upon this assembly, a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India. Before the birth of freedom we have endured all the pains of labour and our hearts are heavy with the memory of this sorrow. Some of those pains continue even now.

Nevertheless, the past is over and it is the future that beckons to us now.

“That future is not one of

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ease or resting but of incessant striving so that we might fulfil the pledges we have so often taken and the one we shall take today. The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity. The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over.

“And so we have to labour and to work, and work hard, to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for anyone of them to imagine that it can live apart. Peace has been said to be indivisible; so is freedom, so is prosperity now, and so also is disaster in this one world that can no longer be split into isolated fragments. To the people of India, whose representatives we are, we make an appeal to join us with faith and confidence in this great adventure. This is no time for petty and destructive criticism, no time for ill will or blaming others. We have to build the noble mansion of free India where all her children may dwell.”

Nehru and his government had taken some bold steps for

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INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL

vision

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o new heights

the progress and prosperity of India and its people. When we gained freedom India was lacking in many fields. The five-year plans, the socialist models were some of the steps introduced by the Nehru government. Now India is on its way to one of the leading economies of the world mainly due to the far-sighted measures taken by our founding fathers.

MODI'S VISION FOR INDIA'S PROGRESS

Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India on promises of creating muchneeded jobs, attracting investment, cutting red-tape and cleaning up corrupt government. In his I-Day speech on August 15, 2014, Modi paid tributes to the farmers by saying, “This country was not built by politicians or rulers or governments. It was built by our farmer and working class. We must walk together, think together, and make a determination to take the nation ahead together.” He said, “We have to rise above 'mera kya - mujhe kya'; some things have to be done for greater national good.

We should shun the self-centred attitude of what is it in for me, rather focus on country's welfare.”

Jan Dhan Yojana - we want to integrate the poorest of the poor with bank accounts. We

ITH

believe in 'Jan Bhagidari' (people's participation in governance). We believe in taking everyone together. Have we ever thought of utilizing the power of our youth? India needs skilled workforce. Skill development will be towards job creation and empowering the youth with skills. That is progress.

"Come, Make in India" was Modi's matra on making India a manufacturing hub. Modi says “sell anywhere but manufacture here.” Let us come together and think of ways India does not have to import but we export goods to the world.

We should work towards becoming 'Digital India' with egovernance: Let us think about zero-defect production with no adverse effect on the environment. E-Governance is easy governance, effective governance. We have to move towards 'Digital India'. We import electronic goods, but if we start manufacturing these it will benefit India. We need to clean the filth from our country.

We should pledge that we will work towards keeping our nation clean. In 2019, ensuring cleanliness will be the most fitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary.

It is a shame that our women have to wait for darkness to go out in the open to defecate.

Every school should have toilets. There should be separate toilets for girls. Appeal to MPs and corporates to come forward for this. We'll decide on parameters for the villages to make them progressive, I will ask the MPs to work for at least one village. There are many schemes named after leaders. Modi announced a scheme in the name of Parliament - Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.

Modi is another prime minister who has dedicated his life for the wholehearted progress of the country. He has taken several measures to revive the economy and inculcate a sense of confidence among the people. Give him support so that he can take India to new heights.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly | Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

17

The relevance of nationalism The spirit of nationalism has rapidly changed over the years. Indians, including the vast Indian diaspora settled in various corners of the globe, are well known for carrying strong streak of patriotism on their sleeves, that has made us being dubbed as a hyper sensitive lot.

As independent India matures and celebrates its 69th Independence Day, a hint of faux nationalism grips the nation. This is the perfect occasion to introspect the relevance of nationalism, particularly amongst the youngsters associated with the country.

Some pertinent questions that needs to be answered are - have we passionately nurtured our Independence as we fiercely fought for it? Are we unnecessarily sensitive about criticism related to nationalism? Is the hypersensitivity any indication to our patriotism?

The free flowing, jingoistic opinions on social media such as Twitter and Facebook has given an altogether twisted angle to nationalism. Common people with an access to social media, have turned into referees. Thanks to the online frenzy, several trivial issues turn into a national debate while issues that are of supreme concern get reduced to a juicy subject of tea-time discussion.

Shashi Tharoor's widely discussed debate at the Oxford Union, demanding reparation from the British government for the oppressions made during the British colonialism was a prominent issue that brought nationalism alive amongst Indians.

Dr Tharoor touched the raw chord by reminding them of the gory past during the British rule when India witnessed the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the dreaded Bengal famine.

The online frenzy over reparation, led to a simple question - have we valued

the hard earned independence in all these years?

The controversy over India's national anthem was yet another debate that brought to fore faux patriotism prevalent in Indians.

Kalyan Singh, the governor of Rajasthan, pulled an old chestnut by stating that the Indian National Anthem 'Jana Gana Mana' penned by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore had praised the British rulers.

The debate suggested that 'adhinayak jai hai' literally translated to “hail the leader” and the lines were written to praise the British rulers. Once again, the twitter discussion got diverted towards the issue of national pride. A demand was made to replace the words with “mangaldayak”, which meant 'welfare giver'.

Dubious evidences were the sole basis of the entire debate which created a frenzy over Twitter that got people talking about the suggested 'sycophancy' in Tagore's rendition. People missed no chance to demand amendment in the national anthem.

Spirit of nationalism gripped everyone when Yakub Memon, only terrorist caught in 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blast, was hanged recently, in Nagpur. Armchair activists

and commentators took to twitter to give their opinion on a convict, who according to the judgement by Supreme Court of India was guilty. The frenzy of tweets by Salman Khan (which was ultimately deleted owing to public outrage), religious and political leaders, human right activists, Memon's family and Congress leaders created an environment which automatically portrayed India as the antiMuslim nation. Everyone forgot that the bomb blast and subsequent punish-

ment to a convict was an issue of terrorism and not religion.

Independence day is the right time to ponder over what is the definition of nationalism in the changed perspective for new India? It's time that we open up to issues that needs to be addressed on a priority basis than simply confusing vulnerable people over subjects that are immaterial for the future prospects of the nation, in the name of religion, caste and regressive rituals.

-By Priyanka Srivastava

Two special articles: 'From Proximity to Prosperity: Connectivity as a Resource for Development in a Globalised Economy' by Shyam Saran and 'Journey of the Women of Indian Diaspora: Carriers of culture, Preservers of identity' by Ambassador Bhaswati Mukherjee will appear in our next week’s issue, as a part of our post-independence day coverage.

Asian Voice wishes its Indian and Pakistani origin readers a Happy Independence Day

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www.asian-voice.com ASIANBUSINESS Osborne plans to relax Consultant Editor Financial Voice Sunday trading laws

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Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

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Alpesh Patel

Dear Financial Voice Reader, Why is the stock market near an all time high, as I mentioned.

Why? Company profits. Markets move on expectations. We expected far worse earnings after the credit crunch. So stock markets sold off and became cheap.

Companies expected poor profits and so they cut costs.

But exports held up. Disaster was denied, or at least delayed by ‘QE’ and so the consumer merrily bought and China and India did too. So profits rose.

Of the US stocks, the most recommended largest US stocks are: Samsung, Coca-cola, Apple (I am a shareholder), Goldman Sachs (I am a shareholder), Google, Oracle, Chevron, according to data by Bloomberg.

Am I not forgetting something? Unemployment, EU country default dangers, government spending cuts, tax rises, inflation, and commodity prices, rising oil? Surely stock prices cannot rise with all this going on? Ummm…yes they can. Unemployment is receding. EU debt defaults are being bailed out by printing money, which yes causes inflation which in turn leads to rising stock prices anyway; government spending cuts are being substituted by private sector orders for companies, commodity prices are being hedged by companies or leading to outright profits. So where is the pain? Tax, but it is slowing down growth, not killing it.

But do consider some warnings. To quote Warren Buffett, “We see the growth in corporate profits as being largely tied to the business done in the country (GDP), and we see GDP growing at a real rate of about 3%. In addition, we have hypothesized 2% inflation. If profits do indeed grow along with GDP, at about a 5% rate, the valuation placed on American business is unlikely to climb by much more than that. Add in something for dividends, and you emerge with returns from equities that are dramatically less than most investors have either experienced in the past or expect in the future. If investor expectations become more realistic — and they almost certainly will — the market adjustment is apt to be severe, particularly in sectors in which speculation has been concentrated… “Fools give you reasons, wise men never try.”

The thing is all of the above was written 4 years ago. Clearly a fool and his money – are some party.

On this basis, given that India has the highest GDP of any democracy in the world – your returns are clearly best there. But never mind my views, or those of Warren Buffett’s – what about yours? So in the age of Facebook in anticipation of this article I posted a poll: ‘If you had to invest in the equities of one of these countries which is your favourite?’ The results at the time of writing are: 58% for India; 25% for US; 0% for China, 8% for UK and 8% for Japan.

Back to caution: “Examine the record of, say, the 200 highest earning companies from 1970 or 1980 and tabulate how many have increased per-share earnings by 15% annually since those dates. You will find that only a handful have. I would wager you a very significant sum that fewer than 10 of the 200 most profitable companies in 2000 will attain 15% annual growth in earnings-per-share over the next 20 years,” said Warren Buffett. The point is the current rate of profit growth which some of the large British and US companies are producing presently cannot of course last. But the issue with the market is always ‘when’ not ‘how’ or ‘what’. So when will the music end?

Airtel launches 4G services in India Bharti Airtel has launched high-speed services along with free voice facility in India recently. With its Fourth generation services, people can now enjoy uninterrupted high definition video streaming, faster uploads and downloads.

The company will see tough competition with the entry the Reliance Jio scheduled to launch later this year. The challenge

has provoked the company to launch schemes at Rs 25 with plans starting for Rs 999 a month, along with unlimited voice calls and downloads for some music options with some of the higher end packages such as Rs 1,999 plan.

Free voice offering with some of the schemes is a first in India and comes amid buzz of Reliance Jio adopting a similar strategy.

The move will adversely affect small businesses, owned largely by the Asian communities, particularly those of Gujarati-Indian origin.

British finance minister George Osborne's plans to relax Sunday trading laws has evoked mixed reactions in the country.

The chancellor, in his budget statement announced a consultation on easing the Sunday trade rules, to local mayors and councils, potentially allowing retailers to compete better with online rivals.

He said, “To give more power to counties and to our new mayors, we are going to give them the power to set up the Sunday trading hours to in their areas.” Huge market retailers are ecstatic with the move and said the “change is welcome”. New West End Company chief executive Richard Dickinson said, “Retailers in the West End and Knightsbridge welcome the Government’s commitment to review Sunday trading and the opportunity for some greater flexibility on trading hours. Retail is an economic driver for central London with over £10 billion spent in the two international retail areas each year and we must be able to compete globally and reflect changing shopper trends, particular by giving international tourists the opportunity to shop

when they want.

An extra two hours trading on Sunday would boost central London businesses by

£ 2 6 0 million each year and provide over 2,000 additional full-time jobs.”

Hammerson's David Atkins reasoned, “With nearly 2,000 stores across Hammerson’s regional portfolio of UK shopping centres and retail parks, we believe that the relaxation of opening hours will offer retailers more flexibility and give consumers greater power to choose where and when they shop. The reforms will also bring Britain into line with other international retail markets and address the imbalance between physical and online retailing.”

However, not all market players are keen on the decision, businesses like Tesco and Sainsbury's were less enthusiastic as they argued they have huge convenience estates and are seemingly less keen to keep costly big stores open for longer.

George Osborne Sainsbury's said it regarded slammed the move, claimthe current set-up as “a sening that some small shops sible British compromise” could suffer. ACS chief execwhich works for both cusutive James Lowman said, tomers and employees.

“We are extremely disappointed that this “Inevitably the competitive Government has failed to landscape would lead to us keep its promise to thouopening our superstores for sands of independent retaillonger on a Sunday.”

The most affected with ers on Sunday trading.” the proposal are the small “Current Sunday trading businesses, owned largely rules are a popular measure by the Asian communities, with the general public, particularly those of with fewer than one in ten Gujarati-Indian origin as people wanting to see the they realised the relaxation rules abandoned. The plans of the law will do them no outlined today will serve good. Industry lobby group, only to displace trade from the NFRN, said the changes small stores into larger would cause chaos for constores, and could make sumers and damage the many small stores operating on the edge of profitability independent retail trade, unviable. ACS will fight this while The Association of unnecessary, complicated Convenience Stores said and harmful plan and will research showed fewer than one in 10 people wanted to campaign throughout the see the rules abandoned. year to ensure that our The Association of existing Sunday trading Convenience Stores rules are retained.”

Leading entrepreneur appointed to encourage further business start-ups and entrepreneurship them, celebrating their help close the economic A leading entrepreneur successes and sharing best gap between the north and and businesswomen, practice to cement the the south. The success of Michelle Mone OBE, has UK’s position as the best our economy is built on the been appointed to conduct place in Europe to start hard work and determinaan independent review to and grow a business. tion of the people who encourage further run and work for business start-ups “Through measures like them. and entrepreneurour Enterprise Bill, tre“This review is ship in disadvanbling Start up Loans and a great opportunitaged commucutting red tape, we are ty to engage nities, includbacking small busiand learn ing areas of nesses to grow and from high unemcreate more jobs ployment. and opportunity.”

According Michelle was to a recent raised in a study, the deprived part of unemployGlasgow’s East ment rate End and, after a m o n g leaving school at 15, Asians (16+) she founded the is no less Ultimo business than 25%, in her twencompared to ties.

16% among T h e whites. review Business w i l l Secretary idenSajid Javid tify said: “Small the businesses are Britain’s engine room Michelle Mone OBE Business Secretary Sajid Javid and they can

obstacles that people in the most disadvantaged areas face in becoming entrepreneurs, such as the lack of business networks and the lack of inspiring role models and mentors.

Michelle has been asked to draw on her own experiences of setting up and running her own successful businesses for the review, that will make recommendations to Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith and Business Secretary Sajid Javid in 2016.

She will travel across the country visiting communities with higher levels of deprivation – including areas of entrenched worklessness and lower education levels - to identify the barriers people in these areas face in setting up their own businesses.

The review will have a particular focus on disadvantaged groups including benefit claimants, women, young and disabled people and ex-offenders.

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Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

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The Draw of the City

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Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

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A 545 Acre Highland estate in Scotland on a private island is coming up in the next Savills Auction guided around £3m. It was originally out on the market at £15m in 2012. The property consists of 28,000 sq. ft., took six years to build and was completed in 2007.

This means the property is selling for only 20% of what it did in 2007.

The pounds per sq. ft. equates to only £107 per sq. ft.; I’m pretty sure the refurbishment cost would have been a lot lower taking into account the cheaper Scottish labour force. This figure takes no account of the extensive landscaping which has gone on in the 545 acres surrounding this property. It has been estimated the owner has spent over £20m on developing this property over the six year period. It clearly was a labour of love, and not a development project. The mansion dates back to the 1830’s and has had many esteemed visitors over the years including Sir Robert Peel, the Conservative Prime Minister, who used the island as his summer retreat.

The reason for the sale was due in part to the compulsory purchase order from a power company which the owner had unsuccessfully campaigned against. The order means pylons will be erected on a strip of land in near proximity to the estate.

Savills, says the property is “arguably the finest country house to be built in Scotland this century” which boasts of a “high standard of craftsmanship” and a “breath-taking location”.

At a similar price we exchanged on a property last week where the price was just a touch over £3m at £3.07m, however this property was only 1,400 sq. ft. in size which represent only 5% of the size of the mansion in Scotland equating to £2,200 per sq. ft., about 20 times the one in Scotland, not even taking into account the vast surrounding lands. gested to the point of gridlock, and new shopping malls start springing up to absorb the new found wealth. The prices of the designer goods in some of these malls would make a Londoner think twice before purchasing. We at least have Bicester Village and outlet centres for our designer goods.

Make no mistake the capital of Java is rising fast, it is predicted to be one of five largest economies by 2030 according to PwC. The middle class is set to double in the next five years. Multinationals are reporting massive year on year increase in profits. Properties prices here have been increasing, having more than doubled since 2009.

Its first Metro line is due to open in 2018. Since the ‘global’ financial crisis property prices have increased 300-400% driven up by speculators and investors, as well as genuine domestic demand. After recent elections property prices have slowed down and stabilised.

The issue here is foreigners cannot purchase homes, they can purchase office space only; homes are reserved for domestic buyers. The city is so highly rated that PwC have rated it as second in their city investment rankings, higher than Singapore and Shanghai.

There is talk of opening residential investment up to foreigners, this will of course increase demand further. Given the buzz in their own city, and with good reason, why then is London still favourite for wealthy Indonesians?

So why the massive difference? Why is a piece of property 20 times more expensive?

The price boils down to simple supply and demand. In London, supply is constrained, there is no land to build upon, and the properties which exist cannot be extended due to strict planning constraints.

The process of urbanisation which means a population shift from rural to urban areas is responsible for the increase in demand in cities like London. The glare of the bright lights is too bright to resist and the population has gone from the country sides to the cities in pursuit of economic prosperity. In a nut shell this is what makes one piece of land more expensive than another even though they are both on the same small island of the UK. This same phenomena is occurring the world over as countries develop.

The ever increasing population gets drawn in by the city lights. This means the demand increases, and there is very little increase, if any, in supply.

In a city like London the demand is not only domestic, it is further compounded by an international demand who see the appeal of London real estate purely as an investment and a safe haven.

Another island which has been in the press recently is Java one of 13,000 islands which make up the archipelago of Indonesia. An island I have visited several times. I have seen the same process of urbanisation occurring in Jakarta, the capital, consequently the roads start to get con-

Both the Indonesians and Chinese have been earmarked as potentially the biggest foreign investors in the London property market, what drives them to invest over here given there is money to be made in their own back yard?

The Real Deal

First and foremost, London is perceived to be a safe haven location.

London has a transparent property market. Property tenure is clear cut and underpinned by the legal system.

Given that it is such an established market, there are also good liquidity levels in most price sectors. London is also physically and politically safe. There is a clear rule of law and transparency in the political system that is not replicated in some emerging economies.

UK investment also offers a chance to diversify into another currency, the Eurozone crisis and problems in Africa and the Middle East have seen funds flow in from these regions as a flight to safety during times of crisis in these regions. Conversely a weak pound also is a big draw for inward property investment.

Education, the lure of world renowned schools and universities in and around London cannot be overstated. It is estimated a third of buyers of off-plan new-build properties do so with their children’s education in mind. In many cases, the property or properties will be used by their offspring while they study at university, and then rented out once the child or children move elsewhere.

London is among the top cities when it comes to tertiary education – it boasts of twelve universities ranked in the top 700 world institutions, rivalled only by Paris with sixteen.

For these reasons Indonesians and other overseas investors choose London as a place to invest their wealth, consequently the market is getting very heated. And the question which arises in the property market every few years is how long can it carry on for?

Knightsbridge, London, SW1 Purchase Price: £2.1m l A large and beautiful two bedroom flat with excellent finish l Overlooking Pont Street Mews l Long lease l High ceilings l Properties in this location are being sold for around £2,250 per sq. ft. while this property is coming at around £2,000 per sq. ft. l We believe the value of this property to be around £2.3m l This property is located within easy reach of Sloane Street, Harrods and Sloane Square

Call us now to secure this deal!

0207 993 0103

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Tips of the Week

l The more desirable features a property has such as high ceilings, facing a square etc the more it will appeal to tenants and buyers alike, and the more it will increase in price. l Know the type of return you would like from property; for example there is no point going for a high income property when you will be paying 50% tax on the income. It may be better to aim for capital gains instead where you can enjoy the capital gains allowance each tax year.

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BUSINESS

Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

Danube Properties launched in UK

India defers FTA talks with EU

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EU ban on 700 drugs tested by GVK Biosciences disappoints India

Virendra Sharma MP with Rizwan Sajan, Chairman of Danube Properties.

We have Saturday 1st August 2015 launched in the UK and saw the inaugural and have presented our realty launch of Danube Properties in the UK at the project ‘GLITZ 3’ to British elegant and luxurious buyers who have been Hyatt Regency London, looking to invest in properThe Churchill, situated in ties in Dubai. With luxury London's West End. and affordability comShowcasing its latest bined, investors in the UK Dubai realty residence have definitely been lookproject ‘GLITZ 3’, Danube ing forward to meeting opened its doors to with us.” prospective buyers in the Following the phenomUK seeking to take advanenal success of its previous tage of the unique investlaunches of GLITZ 1 and 2 ment opportunity growing

by Danube, confidence is in the most populous city certainly returning in in the United Arab Dubai, and with it the investors with Britons Emirates. Collaborating among the top buyers, with one of London’s leading property advisory firm spending more than £1.6 Unesta Homes, the launch billion in 2014 alone. was officially inaugurated Located in Dubai

by Virendra Sharma, Studio City, buyers were Member of Parliament for presented with the opporEaling and Southall. tunity to earn 15% return The venture into on their investment, with Dubai’s booming realty apartment prices starting market, in the form of from £140,000 as well as establishing Danube including amenities such Properties is the brainchild as landscaped gardens, of Rizwan Sajan, tennis and basket courts, Chairman. "This is a great health clubs, swimming moment for Danube pools as well as play areas.

Foxconn to invest $5bn in Maharashtra Electronics contract manufacturer Foxconn Technology has announced a $ 5 billion investment in Maharashtra over the coming 5 years, to set up manufacturing, research and development facilities.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who signed an agreement with the Taiwanese giant told the media that when the proposed investments are completed, it will offer direct jobs to around 50,000 people. The offer is the biggest single FI announcement in the state and possibly the largest in the country. Fadnavis said he visited Foxconn's manufacturing facilities during his recent China trip and invited the company to invest in the state.

“The agreement with Foxconn covers manufacturing of 'TFT screens and semiconductors'”, he said.

Founder and Chairman of Foxconn, Terry Gou declined to comment when asked if the agreement also

entails manufacturing mobile phones, the forte of the the firm. He said he had been in discussions with Maharashtra for over 2 months. “I have personally met Fadnavis seven times in the last two months,” Terry said, identifying strong leadership, along with Maharashtra's other strengths like being a centre of finance, strong talent pool and an ability to integrate software and hardware, as factors that sealed the mega pact.

A team of 70 people were in works on the deal for the last two months.

This is the first specific investment announcement

by Foxconn, the manufacturer of iconic Apple iPhones, after it left the country following the closure of the Nokia plant in Tamil Nadu on tax woes earlier this year.

A senior official from Maharashtra Industries Department said the presence of the company will be divided across either two or three sites.

India has put off negotiations for free trade agreement with the European Union after an import ban imposed on 700 drugs tested by Hyderabad based GVK Biosciences. “This decision has been taken as the Government of India is disappointed and concerned over the action of the EU in imposing a legally binding ban on the sale of around 700 pharma products clinically tested

by GVK Biosciences,” read an official communiqué from the commerce & industry ministry. The statement also said the government tried to pursue the matter across various regulatory bodies in the European Union, and added the pharmaceutical

industry was one of the country’s flagship sectors with a commendable reputation for sound research and safety protocols over the years.

“It is pertinent to mention that most of these drugs are already in the EU market for many years, without any adverse pharmaco-vigilance report from any member state.”

Therefore, the ministry added, the government would exercise all options on the matter.

When contacted, delegation of the European Union in the capital said it had not received any formal communication on this matter from the commerce & industry ministry.

“As of now, we have not

received any formal communication from the government or from the commerce ministry.

For the time being, we have no further comments. The EU remains committed to continuing working towards conclusion of an agreement between India and the EU that will be acceptable to both sides,” it said. It was India that pushed EU to complete the pending deal. The meeting of negotiators from both sides was expected to revive the talks, according to a top official in the commerce & industry ministry.

However, negotiations for the FTA failed to reach an

agreement over issues pertaining to lowering of tariff on Indian automobiles and wines & spirits. The EU-wide ban on over 700 drugs was imposed last month and accepted by the European Medicines Agency. The ban is expected to be effective from August 21. The medicines on the EMA list will lose their validity for use in the EU from that date and will no longer be distributed or sold by pharmaceutical companies, wholesale dealers, drug stores and other outlets, according to German drug regulator Federal Institute for Medicines and Medical Products.

India's economy shows signs of recovery: CII survey The Confederation of Indian Industry has said there were signs of a recovery in the economy, albeit a slow one. “What is especially significant is that there are fewer sectors anticipating negative growth,” CII Associations' Council chairman Naushad Forbes said in a statement.

“There has been a significant and perceptible positive movement in percentage points recorded by many of the sectors which were in moderate and negative growth category a year ago,” Forbes said.

The survey by ASCON for the April-June first quarter, is based on responses collected from sectoral industry associations and reveals a slight improvement in growth trends in production over the corresponding period a year ago.

Of the 93 sectors polled, 16.1 per cent recorded

excellent growth of more than 20 per cent during the quarter in question as compared to 7.1 per cent in the

year-ago period. However, the share of sectors that saw high growth rates with 10 to 20 per cent, reduced significantly to 9.7 per cent in the April- June quarter from 14.3 per cent during the same period of the previous fiscal.

The survey tracked the estimated growth trends in terms of production, sales

and exports. Responses were classed under four broad categories; excellent (growth in excess of 20 per

cent), high (growth in the range of 10-20 per cent), moderate (0-10 per cent) and negative (below zero).

The share of sectors reporting moderate growth declined marginally to 51.7 per cent during the quarter as compared to 51.8 per cent in the period a year ago.Further, the number of sectors recording negative

growth has fallen from 26.9 per cent in the first quarter last year to 23.6 per cent this year. On the other hand, the survey's respondents cited industrial relations, transport infrastructure bottlenecks and the cost and availability of finance as moderately important factors impeding growth.

“On the issues impacting growth, margin pressure from stiff competition, competition from imports, shortage of power, high regulatory burden, lack of domestic and export demand, shortage of skilled labour and talent, and high tax burden have been cited as the most important constraints by more than 50 per cent of the respondents,” the CII said. “However, a sustainable recovery would be conditional on improvement in domestic demand and investment revival.”

Tata Motors profit slumps Falling sales of JLR range of vehicles in China, the world's biggest car market, and foreign exchange volatility nearly halved quarterly net profit at Tata Motors, India's top automaker by revenue.

The economy in China, a big market for Tata Motors' luxury arm Jaguar Land Rover, has slowed to its slackest pace in 25 years and low consumer confidence is affecting car sales in that country. "The financial performance in the

quarter was lower than the strong corresponding quarter last year due to softer sales in China partially offset by strong performance in the UK, Europe and North America," the company said in a statement.

Tata Motors said profit for the April-June quarter fell 49 per cent to Rs 27.69 billion, compared with the same period a year ago.

Analysts on average expected profit to be Rs 34.59 billion. Net sales fell

6 per cent to Rs 601.80 billion.

Strong sales of its JLR cars, especially in China, have long propped up profits at Tata Motors, which has been struggling with sluggish demand for its cars in the last couple of years in India due to an economic downturn.

Jaguar Land Rover's sales in China fell by a third to 21,920 vehicles during the April-June quarter, pulling down total sales at the luxury carmaker by 1

per cent to 114,905. Sales in Europe rose 28 per cent to 28,878 vehicles.

Global automakers including BMW, General Motors and Ford Motor have cut prices on their Chinese models in recent months to combat weak sales growth.

China's automakers association has cut its growth forecast in the country with sales expected to rise by 3 per cent in 2015, down from 7 per cent expected earlier.

CURRENCYVOICE

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Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

Weekly Currencies

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

Services sector slows down The UK is set to be the fastest growing economy in the g7 for the second year running.

Growth is expected to reach 2.5% this year according to the national institute of economic and social research. It also expects unemployment to fall further, but not below 5%.

UK house prices are back in growth, by 0.4% in July, following a 0.2% dip in June according to nationwide house price index.

Growth in Britain’s services sector has slowed more than expected, as hiring eased to its slowest pace since March 2014.

This suggests the economic recovery weakened at the start of the second half of the year. The Market services PMI dipped to 57.4 in July from 58.5 in June, still indicating expansion among services businesses.

Last week we did have British industrial output figures which unexpectedly eased in June as the production of oil and gas and mining fell due to weak demand from crisis-stricken Europe and a sharp strengthening of the pound. The total trade deficit in the second quarter fell to 4.812 billion pounds from 7.496 billion pounds the smallest since the second quarter of 2011. Goods export volumes surged 6.6 percent on the quarter driven by exports to non-European Union countries particularly semi-

21

Foreign Exchange

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manufactured goods and fuels that was the biggest quarterly jump since early 2006.

So far, last week the Greek share market has dropped by 16% on the first week of trading after a 5 week shut-down. The main share index is down more than 50% from this time last year. The stock exchange as we all know was closed for five weeks to prevent people from taking funds out of banks even though the stock exchange market is now open, Greek investors are not allowed to use the money they have in the bank to invest into stock exchange.

The ADP Employment estimate was disappointing last week, coming in at 185k. The consensus was for a rise to 215k. This was the smallest increase since April and is the fourth reading below 200k this year in comparison to last year it was below 200k only once.

Firings are at historically low levels as employers hold on to more workers in response to increased demand following a slump in early 2015. More hiring would help convince Federal Reserve policy makers that the economy can withstand an increase in the benchmark interest rate this year. As such, economists are forecasting the US to hike interest rates ahead of the BoE. Details of a plan that would make up to 86bn euros (£60.9bn)

available to Greece are being negotiated with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Commission, the European Stability Mechanism and the ECB, in talks that began on 20 July.

The parties must either reach an agreement or settle on a bridge loan for cash-strapped Greece before 20 August, when a £2.4bn repayment is due to the ECB. Data released by the US census bureau last Tuesday showed that factory orders rose 1.8% as expected up from the -1.1% drop seen in May. Orders for durable goods, products meant to last at least three years, advanced 3.4% in June. Order In July the service sector in America indicated a slight rebound in service sector activity growth, following the five-month low recorded in June. The latest survey also highlighted a strong and accelerated rise in new work, alongside a further robust upturn in payroll numbers. At 55.7 in July, the index picked up from 54.8 in June and remained above the neutral 50.0 threshold for the twentyfirst consecutive month.

For non-durable goods edged up 0.4%.The US again posted another strong jobs figure, with jobless claims hovering near the lowest levels in four decades, a sign the strong labour market will bolster growth. Firings are at histori-

cally low levels as employers hold on to more workers in response to increased demand following a slump in early 2015. More hiring would help convince Federal Reserve policy makers that the economy can withstand an increase in the benchmark interest rate this year. As such, economists are forecasting the US to hike interest rates ahead of the BoE. Employers added jobs at a steady pace and wages rose slightly in July, but millions of Americans stayed on the side-lines in the latest sign of some slack in the labour market. Non-farm payrolls rose a seasonally adjusted 215,000 in July, the Labour Department said Friday. Revisions showed employers added 14,000 more jobs in May and June than previously estimated.

The unemployment rate, which is obtained from a separate survey of U.S. households, held steady at 5.3% in July. Average hourly earnings of private-sector workers rose 5 cents, or 0.2%, last month to $24.99. From a year earlier, wages were up 2.1%, in line with the 2.0% pace during the sixyear expansion meanwhile, the share of Americans participating in the labour force was unchanged at 62.6% in July. That matches the lowest reading since 1977 suggesting there is still considerable spare capacity in the US labour market.

As of Tuesday 11th August 2015 @ 1pm

GBP - INR = 100.02 USD - INR = 64.19 EUR - INR = 70.86 GBP - USD = 1.56 GBP - EUR = 1.41

EUR - USD = 1.10 GBP - AED = 5.72

GBP - CAD = 2.04

GBP - NZD = 2.38

GBP - AUD = 2.13

GBP - ZAR = 19.80

GBP - HUF = 440.27

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WORLD

In Brief

Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

22 Indians on hunger strike in a Florida jail

WASHINGTON Around 22 Indian Sikh asylum-seekers have gone on a hunger strike in a Florida jail, demanding that a local court hear their bond hearing. The detainees went on strike when they learned the judge who would hear their bond appeal at the Broward Transitional Centre does not grant bonds to individuals in their circumstances, even when other detainees in similar situations, and in the same jurisdiction were granted bonds.

The action has prompted a US civil rights group to seek federal government intervention. Local civil rights group American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)- have expressed concern over their deteriorating health and sought the intervention of the federal government in this regard.

“The situation is urgent because of these men's rapidly deteriorating health,” said Shalini Agarwal, a staff attorney for Florida unit of the ACLU.

17 killed in bomb attack on Saudi police at mosque

RIYADH A bomb attack that took place at a mosque when worshippers were praying, has killed at least 17 people, in the city of Abha. Confirming the attack, but giving it a slightly lower toll of 'more than 13' dead, an interior ministry spokesman said, “It's confirmed there's an explosion and there's more than 13 (killed)... in a mosque.” The explosion happened at the headquarters of the SWAT team, which is tasked with domestic security, he added, saying it was too early to say who may have carried out the attack. Saudi Arabia has been on alert for attacks by the jihadist Islamic State group, who have been blamed for killing policemen and for slaughtering members of the minority Shiite community.

Bangladesh blogger hacked with machetes in 4th killing this year

DHAKA The Bangladesh wing of terrorist group Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the gruesome murder of secular blogger Niloy Neel. The journalist was 'guilty' of contributing to humanist blogging mukto-mona and his posts were often critical of Islam. This isn't the first time a Bangladesh blogger was murdered. As many as 6 men, armed with machetes, broke into Neel's apartment and hacked him to death. Al Qaeda has warned of more murders of bloggers, and has threatened, “If your 'Freedom of Speech' maintains no limits, then widen your chests for 'Freedom of Machetes'.” He is the fourth secular blogger to be killed in the Muslim-majority nation since February, when Bangladeshi-born US citizen Avijit Roy was hacked to death in Dhaka.

Indian-American Atul Keshap confirmed Ambassador to Sri Lanka

WASHINGTON Former official at the US Embassy in India, Indian American Atul Keshap has been confirmed as the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives, making him the second Indian origin diplomat to be posted to the region after Richard Rahul Verma. He currently works as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in South and Central Asian Affairs Bureau of State Department, and had joined the Foreign Service in 1994. He was the deputy political counsellor at the US Embassy in New Delhi from 2005 to 2008, and has also served as special assistant for the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia for the under secretary of state for political affairs. “We want to help the Sri Lankan people strengthen democracy, civil society and human rights, including media freedom and freedom of religion,” he said. “We want to help build a lasting peace and fellowship among Sri Lanka’s ethnic and religious communities, including credible justice, accountability and reconciliation that can facilitate closure for those who suffered and lost loved ones during the war.”

Pak SC allows military trials for terror suspects

ISLAMABAD Pakistan Supreme Court has ruled on military trials for terror suspects, a decision welcomed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, as the decision is seen as a major victory for his government, even when critics and rights activists say it goes against the constitution and civil rights. The Government's legal adviser, Zafrullah Khan said the ruling gives green light to army courts for trying civilians suspected in terrorism cases. He said the ruling basically upheld the Parliament decision. In Pakistan, the Parliament has broad rights, including approving amendments to the constitution. The country has been fighting Islamic militancy for over a decade but authorities only took extraordinary measures after the Peshawar school attack, including a lift on the moratorium on executions, in place since 2008.

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All 6 provinces of Nepal may share border with India AsianVoiceNews

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Political parties in Nepal agree to resolve the contentious issues of federalism under the new constitution

KATHMANDU The four major political parties of Nepal have concluded on a landmark deal to divide the country into 6 provinces with each sharing its border with neighbouring India, resolving contentious issues of federalism under the new constitution. In a meeting, the ConstitutionalPolitical Dialogue and Consensus Committee of the constituent assembly inked an agreement at midnight to present the six federal units.

Prime Minister Sushil Koirala tweeted, “A constitution with federalism and demarcation has been ensured. I call on everyone not to be stuck on minor disagreements and work to build and develop the country.”

The parties have also agreed to include the provision of allowing children to acquire citizenship certificate in the name of

Jindal sticks to familiar themes in debate

WASHINGTON Louisiana's Indian American governor Bobby Jindal after failing to make the cut at the Republican presidential debate, stuck to comfort and familiar grounds at the 2nd tier, as the evening tested his competency at making the next president of the United States.

Playing questions on how he hoped to be elected president when he polled behind Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton in his own state, Jindal replied by saying he had already won two landslide elections in Louisiana and explained his unpopularity provoked by his need to do what was right for his state. He further said he would try to repeal Obamacare, undo “sanctuary cities” for illegal immigrants and put extra protections in place for religious people. “Simply expanding Medicaid doesn't improve healthcare outcomes,” he said when asked why he hasn't accepted extra federal money for the programme in Louisiana.

either father or mother, in the citizenship clause, according to deputy prime minister and minister for local development and federal affairs, Prakash Man Singh. Koirala and top leaders of CPNUML, Nepali Congress,

Unified CPN-Maoist and Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum Democratic were present in the meeting. However, UCPN-Maoist and MPRFD, have signed the deal with dissent.

“Although we have some reservations in certain clauses of the proposed constitution, we will fully abide by the agreement,” Dinanath Sharma, spokesperson of the UCPN-Maoist said.

Dividing the state was one of the thorny issues of

Sushil Koirala of the federal units, they the new constitution. With are yet to agree on the signing of the agreement names of the federal units. among the major parties on the issue of federal In the agreed model of model, the constitution federal structure, all the drafting has reached its six provinces have direct final phase. access with Indian border.

Although the political The capital district of parties have agreed on Kathmandu, lies in numbers and boundaries province number 2.

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Child abuse scandal shocks Pakistan

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Villagers account of a prominent family there has for years forced children to perform sex acts on video HUSAIN KHAN WALA Recent revelations of child abuse scandal in central Punjabi village of Husain Khan Wala has shocked Pakistan as parents accuse the law's incapacity at breaking up the thriving paedophile ring. Villagers have accounted that a prominent family there has for years forced children to perform sex acts on video, and the footage was sold or used to blackmail their impoverished families.

“I went to the police station to file a complaint, but instead of registering a report, they took my son into custody,” said mother Shakila Bibi. The 15-yearold is still in jail, she added.

If an inquiry found inadequate police work or complicity, the scandal could immerse the provincial government, headed by the prime minister's brother.

District police officer Rai Babar said the force would act decisively. “I assure you that we are taking this very

Ranil ahead of Rajapaksa in Lanka opinion poll COLOMBO An opinion poll, commissioned by an independent organisation in Sri Lanka a few weeks before the August 17 Parliamentary polls, has revealed that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe enjoys higher approval rating in seven out of the nine provinces than former president and the United People’s Freedom Alliance’s (UPFA) election team leader Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Wi c k r e m e s i n g h e leads in Western, Central, Northern, Eastern, North Western, Uva and Sabaragamuwa provinces, while Rajapaksa is more popular in the Southern and North Central provinces, according to the poll, conducted by Social Indicators, the survey research unit of the 19-year-old Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA). As many as 1,986 respondents were covered in all 25 administrative districts of the country, for which fieldwork was carried out during July 22-29.

seriously and there will be a fair and very transparent investigation,” he said.

Villagers have accused the police of not taking their complaints seriously and claim hundreds of children are affected. Activist Mobeen Ghaznavi says many children were abused and he had 130 video clips containing abuse as proof.

“People are afraid. They are being threatened and intimidated,” he said.

Suraiya Bibi said that when she complained to police, her family was threatened by the abusers. “One day some women in the village showed me these videos.

My son was in them. My world collapsed,” she said.

“Kids were being intimidated in these videos with weapons, they were drugged. Kids as young as five year olds were made to perform oral sex.”

“It's a very murky situa-

tion,” said Babar, adding that seven cases involving 11 children had been registered.

Recalling his abuse, an 18 year old said he had been abused since he was 10, and stole cash and jewellery from his family after his abusers blackmailed him. “I was going to school one day when these boys picked me up and beat me up badly. Then they drugged me, and when I woke up, they showed me these videos they had made of me,” he said. “They told me that they would bury me alive if I told anyone.”

Sharif has offered consolation in a statement saying “ Prime Minister ... has expressed extreme sadness ... the culprits will be given the harshest possible punishment.”

Mumbai mayhem was launched from Pak, says former investigator ISLAMABAD In an article published in a Pakistani newspaper, former DG of Federal Investigation Agency of Pakistan, Tariq Khosa confirmed speculations about 2008 Mumbai attack, as he stated it was planned and launched from the country.

“The entire state security apparatus must ensure that the perpetrators and masterminds of the ghastly terror attacks are brought to justice. The case has lingered on for far too long,” Tariq Khosa wrote in the article.

Ten Pakistani terrorists sneaked into Mumbai from the sea in November 2008 and massacred 166 Indians and foreigners in an attack that brought both the countries on the verge of war. One of the radicals, Ajmal Kasab was caught and later hanged in India.

Islamabad denied any links with the attackers but later reluctantly admitted that the entire terror group was from Pakistan. Khosa pointed out that Kasab was a Pakistani and that the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists who attacked Mumbai were trained near Thatta in Sindh and launched by sea from there.

“The training camp was identified and secured by the investigators. The casings of the explosive

WORLD

In Brief

Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

23

Sri Lankan courts order release of 40 Indian fishermen

RAMESWARAM Sri Lankan courts have ordered the release of 40 Indian fishermen, detained for the last 2 months on charges of trespassing into the country's territorial waters. The Sri Lankan navy detained 14 fishermen from Rameswaram in June, 26 fishermen from Nagapattinam and Karaikal, after which, they were all produced before Lankan courts and lodged in prisons. The 14 Rameswaram fishermen were produced before a Mannar court which ordered their release, while the rest were produced before a Point Pedro court, and ordered the same.

“All of our fishermen were released by Sri Lankan courts, and we anticipate that they may reach their homes towns soon,” said U Arulanandam of the Alliance for Release of Innocent Fishermen.

Hafiz seeks ban on Bollywood movie 'Phantom'

LAHORE JuD chief and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed has filed a plea in a Lahore court, seeking a ban on the release of Bollywood movie 'Phantom' in Pakistan, alleging that the film, set on post 26/11 attacks and global terrorism, contains “filthy propaganda” against the country. In the petition filed in Lahore high court, Saeed, through his advocate A K Dogar, pleaded that the Saif Ali Khan starrer, scheduled to release on August 28, has “venom against Pakistan and Jamaat-ud-Dawa”. “The film is about the 2008 Mumbai attack and global terrorism implicating the JuD. Filthy propaganda has been done in the film against Pakistan under subject of the world terrorism,” he alleged. “I pray to the court to ban the exhibition of 'Phantom' in Pakistan for its anti-Pakistan content,” said Saeed who has a $ 10 million bounty on his head, placed by the US.

Indian-American contractor indicted for fraud

NEW YORK An Indian-American former president of a construction company has been indicted in a $1.9 million union fraud scheme in which his workers were under paid and for making false statements in documents. Yashvant C Patel, while serving as president of My Baps Construction Corp - a Southwest Side construction company - paid less than union scale wages to his workers to defraud the benefit funds of the employees' labour union by reducing the employer contribution, a report in The Voice Online said.

Patel, 59, was arrested last week and has been charged with four counts each of mail fraud and making false statements in company documents. "Patel falsely reported that My Baps and a sister company, Vijay Construction Corp, owed approximately $600,000 less to the benefit funds of the Construction and General Labourers' District Council of Chicago and Vicinity," the indictment stated.

Kabul bloodbath: 51 dead in 24 hrs

devices used in Mumbai were recovered from this training camp and duly matched.”“Third, the fishing trawler used by the terrorists for hijacking an Indian trawler in which they sailed to Mumbai was brought back to harbour, then painted and concealed. It was recovered by the investigators and connected to the accused.”

“Fourth, the engine of the dinghy abandoned by the terrorists near Mumbai harbour contained a patent number through which the investigators traced its import from Japan to Lahore and then to a Karachi sports shop from where an LeT-linked militant purchased it along with the dinghy. The money trail was followed and linked to the accused who was arrested.”

“Fifth, the ops room in Karachi, from where the

operation was directed, was also identified and secured by the investigators. The communications through Voice over Internet Protocol were unearthed.”“Sixth, the alleged commander and his deputies were identified and arrested. Seventh, a couple of foreign-based financiers and facilitators were arrested and brought to face trial,” Khosa said.

Seemingly fed up with the up downs between both the neighbouring countries regarding the issue, Khosa said, the Mumbai case was unique, and proving conspiracy in a different jurisdiction was more complex and required a far superior quality of evidence.

“Therefore, the legal experts from both sides need to sit together rather than sulk and point fingers.”

KABUL Fifteen more fatalities were confirmed on Saturday from a barrage of bombings in Kabul, taking the toll to 51 in the deadliest day for the city in years as Afghanistan battles an escalating Taliban insurgency. The explosions on Friday, which devastated buildings and overwhelmed hospitals with hundreds of casualties, were the first major militant assaults on Kabul since the announcement of Taliban leader Mullah Omar's death. The attacks underscored the country's volatile security situation amid a faltering peace process and the potency of the Taliban insurgency, despite it being riven by growing internal divisions. In the first attack, a powerful truck bomb tore through the centre of Kabul just after midnight on Friday, killing 15 civilians and wounding 240 others. Less than 24 hours later, 27 cadets and civilians were killed when a suicide bomber dressed in police uniform blew himself up at the Kabul Police Academy.

Nepal acknowledges transgenders on its passports

KATHMANDU Nepal has moved towards recognising a third gender after the Supreme Court in 2007 ruled that individuals should have their gender legally recognised based on “self-feeling” and that they should not have to limit themselves to female or male. Transgender community, activist Monica Shahi has now become the country's first citizen with a third gender bearing passport. “This is a very welcoming move. It is a huge recognition for all sexual minorities of Nepal,” Shahi said. “My struggle was not just for myself, but for future generations. Now everyone like me can get this service. My country has recognized and respected my identity.” However, given that only a handful of countries now recognise an 'other' category, it will be difficult for people like Shahi as they travel.

24

INDIA

Jaya raises inter-state issues, GST with Modi Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

CHENNAI After accepting Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa's launch invitation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited her Poes Garden residence in Chennai.

In their 50 minute luncheon meeting, Jaya presented a detailed memorandum to Modi. She called to retrieve the Katchatheevu islet from Sri Lanka and also emphasised on the country's role to ensure welfare of the Lankan Tamils. She also sought central intervention on matters like the Cauvery and Mullaperiyar disputes with Karnataka and Kerala respectively.

On Karnataka's proposed dam across river Cauvery at Mekedatu,

Narendra Modi and J. Jayalalithaa currence. She also raised which Jayalalithaa said the Mullaperiyar issue in was “in violation“ of the which her government had final award, she urged succeeded in a court case Modi to advise the state not to proceed with the project for raising the storage level without Tamil Nadu's conto 142 feet. Jayalalithaa

Sexual abuse of 3-yearold: headmistress arrested

BENGALURU With a rise in crimes against young girls in the city, Bengaluru was witness to yet another incident of sexual assault, this time a 3 year old.

Headmistress of a private school and chairman of the trust that governs the 40 year old organisation, in Bengaluru has been arrested after a child was sexually assaulted. After medical tests confirmed the child was molested,

police took into custody a security guard identified by the girl. Schools in the city were asked to ensure that security cameras were installed and working, along with a daily verification of identity cards for adults who collect students from school. In this case, police said the school had not checked with them about the record of the guard, a requirement made mandatory since last year.

Sikh girl tops Class 10 exam in Pakistan CHANDIGARH In a country where the Sikh community accounts for only 1 per cent of population, 15 year old Manbir Kaur made her people proud by becoming the first girl from the minority, to top matriculation exam in Pakistan.

Student of Shri Guru Nanak Devji High school at Nankana Sahib, Manbir scored 1,035 marks out of 1100. She is daughter of the head granthi at Gurdwara Sri Nankana Sahib, Giani Prem Singh. Manbir’s proud father said she had achieved what even boys of the community could not. “I think Manbir’s hard work has paid off. She has always been a diligent student.

Besides, God has been very kind.” The head granthi said that Manbir, an Amritdhari Sikh, performs 'kirtan sewa' at Gurdwara Nankana Sahib along with

other groups. Asked about the concern over education among girls in Pakistan, Giani Prem Singh said, “I think women should be treated no differently from men as they have as much a right to pursue their dreams. If they can run homes so efficiently, why shouldn’t they be allowed to conquer the world outside?”

He said about 200 Sikh families staying in Nankana Sahib were doing their bit to encourage their daughters to give in their best.

“Manbir’s cousins have also done well in the Class 10 exams,” he added. The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has honoured her with a siropa after the result was announced. Kaur received congratulatory messages from different communities from all over Pakistan.

said there could be a “security threat” to the dam structure and its appurtenant structures “from unruly mobs against whom the Kerala police, instead of taking action, are acting as mute spectators.”

The first meeting between both the two leaders since BJP's memorable win in the Lok Sabha elections last year, the visit stressed on the ruling party's attempts to woo the AIADMK for important pending legislations before parliament. The TN chief minister took up a long list of issues with the Prime Minister, ranging from interstate river disputes to the GST rollout, along with the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.

3-year-old donor saves a child's life T’PURAM “Can I donate my daughter's organs for another child who is fighting for her life?” asked Ajit S R mere hours after his 3 year old daughter was declared brain dead a day after doctors diagnosed her tumour. After conversation with the grieving father, doctors transplanted Anjana's kidneys and liver to a 5 year old boy suffering with kidney and liver problems admitted in the KIMS hospital. “My wife's nephew struggled for months for a donor to help him live, they just couldn't find a kidney donor for long. We saw the family struggle. It was then that I told my wife, if one of us dies, the other should readily agree to

allow the organs to be donated,” Ajit told the media. “I had no idea that time that our daughter would be our test.” Dr Noble Gracious, a top officer with the Kerala Network For Organ Sharing, said, “These days relatives come forward to donate organs of the person who has died.”

Kerala has a record of second highest donors after Tamil Nadu and has already had 95 major organ donations till July, this year. Anjana's older brother Arjun, six, wants her photograph framed in their car. He may not know his sister just became Kerala's youngest donor. His parents hope someday he will.

20 US Congmen attend langar at Capitol Hill WASHINGTON A langar hosted by the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund and Congressman Mike Honda was attended by more than 300 people, including 20 Congressmen.

Among the dignitaries present, were House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan, IndianAmerican Ami Bera, vicechair of the Democratic Caucus Joe Crowley, and representatives Jerry McNerne and Grace Meng.

“I am honoured to once again host this event that celebrates the contributions of Sikh Americans by breaking bread with members of the Sikh community, Congressional members, and staff,” Honda said in a

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DMK seeks complete ban on liquor in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has recently started a protest over a demand for complete ban on liquor in Tamil Nadu. Party workers and leaders were seen shouting slogans and holding placards demanding ban on alcohol, across the state. While all major opposition parties in the state have united to prompt a complete ban on the sale of alcohol, ruling party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, has remained particularly silent on the issue. DMK President M Karunanidhi's recent proposal to take steps to implement prohibition if voted to power in the coming elections has been met with contempt from both the AIADMK and the PMK, who insisted that the DMK government in 1971 had first removed the prevailing dry regime despite veteran Swatantra Party leader C Rajagopalachary's fervent plea against it.

Tamil Nadu govt gives jobs to kin of slain woodcutters

CHENNAI Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has given appointment orders to 5 of the next of kin of 20 people who were gunned down by Andhra Pradesh security agencies in Seshachalam forests in April. After listening to pleas by families of victims who had sought government employment citing poor economic background, the government gave them different posts, an official statement said. Twenty Tamil woodcutters were shot down by Andhra police on April 7, attracting severe criticism in the state. While kin of 17 of victims were posted as cooking assistants, two others were appointed as Nutritious meal coordinators, and 1 person was posted as an anganwadi assistant, the official release said.

Telangana to adopt orphaned children

HYDERABAD Telangana Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao has asked officials to take steps and recognise all orphan children in the region as 'State Children', adding that of those who passed class 10, should be admitted into residential schools for Intermediate study. As the government has already declared that it will be the guardian of orphaned children, it owed the responsibility of their upbringing, security, education and self sufficiency. The government had to keep special focus on them, Rao said at a meeting to discuss KG to PG education and related issues. He also sought steps to make degree education more efficient and orient it to employment creation by appointing lecturers. The degree courses would be redesigned after assessing job opportunities in private and government sectors.

Hindu Suraksha Samiti chief killed

FATEHGARH SAHIB President of Punjab's Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Suraksha Samiti was shot dead allegedly by his security guard at his residence in Sirhand. The 45 year old Manish Sood was killed by Somnath after he allegedly pumped over 15 bullets into the party president, killing him on the spot. Khanna Senior Superintendent of Police Gurpreet Singh Gill reached the spot after the incident. The body has been sent for post mortem and an FIR was registered against Somnath. He said the reason behind Manish's murder was not known yet, adding that investigations were on in the case.

Man fined, jailed for possession of narcotic drug

statement. “Sikh Americans have a long history of innovative community engagement and leadership, from Dalip Singh Saund, who served for the US Congress and was one of the great pioneers, to the advocates at the SALDEF, who work to build dialogue, deepen our understanding, and uphold social justice for all Americans,” he added.

“Having the occasion to share a meal as equals is a strong reminder about the values of equality and universal friendship,” he said.

PATHANKOT A local court has slapped a fine of Rs 100,000 on Puneet Mahajan, along with a sentence of 10 years rigorous imprisonment, for illegal possession of a narcotic drug. Public prosecutor JP Bains said Mahajan was apprehended by police for possessing 750 grams of Dextroprpoxyphene Hydrochloride, an opioid, in 2011.

He was also booked under various sections of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. During the trial, Mahajan jumped bail, then declared a proclaimed offender, and later rearrested this month.

Sukhbir Badal warns Pakistan

TARN TARAN (PUNJAB) Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal who crossed the barbed wire fencing along the India-Pakistan international border in Khalra sector in the border district of Tarn Taran, said no one would be allowed to subvert peace in Punjab. “I am here to assure you that the Punjab government is committed to maintaining peace on the border. Any attempt to destabilise this hard won peace will not be tolerated,” he told farmers and villagers. The comments were in light of the July 27 terror attack from Pakistan, in Gurdaspur district, which left 7 people dead.

INDIA - WORLD

India-born Sundar Pichai takes over as Google CEO www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

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Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

25

Pichai previously oversaw many of the search company's core products

In a major restructuring, technology giant Google has separated its core business from other projects, launching a new parent company called Alphabet. As per the change, co-founder Larry Page will become the chief executive of the newly established company, Sergey Brin will become president, Eric Schimdt will become executive chairman.

And to lead Google, the company has thoughtfully and rightly appointed Indian born Sundar Pichai, who previously oversaw many of the search company's core products.

Page said Pichai was the natural choice to lead Google, adding that he has “really stepped up” since October, when he took on

product and engineering responsibility for Google's internet businesses. “Sergey and I have been super excited about his progress and dedication to the company.

And it is clear to us and our board that it is time for Sundar to be CEO of Google,” he said in a blog post. “I feel very fortunate to have someone as talented as he is to run the slightly slimmed down Google and this frees up time for me to continue to scale our aspirations. I have been spending quite a bit of time with Sundar, helping him and the company in any way I can, and I will of course continue to do that.”

Catching the entire tech world off-guard, Google announced the birth of

India's Kodaikanal Rapper

Sofia Ashraf Internet's newest sensation, Chennai based Sofia Ashraf rapped her way to the headlines as she took on consumer goods company, Unilever. The former creative supervisor at Ogilvy & Mather rapped about the water pollution in Kodaikanal and the people affected by mercury poisoning due to the company's thermometer factory. Modelled on Nicki Minaj's 'Anaconda', the video called out to the corporate giant for allegedly dumping toxic waste in the soil and the water in Kodaikanal, a city in southern India.

The response it got brought the concern to the company CEO Paul Polman's attention who tweeted, “Working actively solution kodai #UnileverPollutes for several years already Determined to solve. Need others too and facts not false emotions.”

Published on July 30, 'Kodaikanal Won’t' video went viral on YouTube and touched nearly 1.8 million views within a week.

She said the video is

just one part of a struggle that has been taking place over years with the help of NGOs and Kodaikanal Workers’ Association.

“There are three NGOs, Vetiver Collective, The Other Media, Kodaikanal Workers’ Association, who have been fighting this cause for quite some time and they roped me in to write a song as part of their ongoing campaign which they have been doing for years.

They also roped in Jhatkaa.org to help with the online petition. I came in a creative capacity to write the song. Obviously, these are people who believe that those who are involved have read about the cause, understand the cause and firmly believe in the cause otherwise it doesn’t make sense.”

“I’ll be glad to help in any way that I can. I am not consciously taking on the role of a social activist rapper. It’s just that the cause was dear to me and I rapped about it. Anything I can do that will make a difference, I will definitely do it,” she said.

Alphabet, under which Google itself will become an operating unit. Not just a change of name, but a reorganisation of the company, Page, in his blog post said they wanted a “slimmed down” version of Google, with their other businesses like Life Sciences and Calico Biotech, to be their own operating companies with their own CEOs. “We did a lot of things that seemed crazy at the time,” Page wrote. “Many of those crazy things now have over a billion users, like Google Maps, YouTube, Chrome, and Android. And we haven’t stopped there. We are still trying to do things other people think are crazy but we are super excited

about.”

Alphabet Inc. will replace Google Inc. as the publicly-traded entity, the company said. All shares of Google will automatically convert into the same number of shares of Alphabet.

Why asked 'Alphabet'?

Page wrote, “We liked the name Alphabet because it means a collection of letters that represent language, one of humanity's most important innovations, and is the core of how we index with Google search. We also

like that it means alpha-bet, which we strive for!”

Sundar Pichai

Blogger runs London Marathon to break stigma on women's periods NRI Blogger Kiran Gandhi who has been prepping for the London marathon for over a year has become quite an internet sensation after she revealed she ran sans sanitary protection, to end all stigma surrounding menstruation.

The Harvard University graduate ran the 41.195 km alongside two of her closest friends, completing the course in 4 hours 49 minutes.

In a blog entry titled ‘Sisterhood, blood and boobs at the London Marathon’, Gandhi explained getting her period the night before the famous race and how she contemplated pulling out, but later resolved to make a statement. “If there’s one way to transcend oppression, it’s to run a marathon in whatever way you want,” she wrote. “Where the stigma of a woman’s period is irrelevant, and we can rewrite the rules as we choose. I ran the whole marathon with my period blood running down my

legs.”

Dressed in pink to raise awareness for breast cancer, Gandhi said the experi-

ence had left her feeling empowered. “I felt kind of like, Yeah! F--- you!,” she said. “I felt very empow-

ered by that. I did.” She ended her post by saying she ran the race “ for sisters who don’t have access to tampons and sisters who, despite cramping and pain, hide it away and pretend like it doesn’t exist. I ran to say, it does exist, and we overcome it every day.”

Recalling how she felt awkward to meet her father and brother at the end of the race, she said in an interview, “I remember trying to pull my shirt down and they didn’t give an eff. They did not care.

They just scooped me up into their arms. It was a super-wonderful moment.

That really was a turning point for me as well. It made me emotional.”

“If men had their period, because we are in a male-privileging society, rules would be written into the workplace, rules would be written into the social fabric that enable men to take a moment when they need to or enable people to talk about their periods openly.”

New album brings 'Reggae feast' for listeners Desi Dark Child Records & the DDC are proud to announce the new forthcoming album “Reggae Feast” hitting worldwide music industry on 20th August 2015.

The album has a host of unique talented singers such as talented Sabar Khoti, Jasdev Yamala Jatt son of late legendry Lal Chand Yamla Jatt & Kuldeep Manak, with featured guests such as Apache Indian and Cheshire Cat adding their

own touches to the album.

The British Bhangra scene has not had many reggae genre tracks nor has reggae been explored with singers

based in India who have many qualities which shine through once given the right concepts.

Some of the album

compositions also include reggae jazz, blues reggae, Creole reggae, Latin reggae and folk reggae.

It promises to win hearts of fans with the song selection, which have been recreated in reggae compositions.

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INDIA

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MP Kirit Solanki promises to work tirelessly for direct London - Ahmedabad flight AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

Dr Kirit Solanki, BJP Lok Sabha member from Ahmedabad, said that he would not rest until Air India resumes the direct flight from Ahmedabad to London. He also claimed that if needed, he would approach Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard.

In the question hour of the Lok Sabha session held on August 5, Solanki sought resumption of direct AhmedabadLondon flight that has been stalled, making it difficult for Gujaratis to travel as they have to change flights either in Delhi or Mumbai. The stoppage causes inconvenience to passengers as they have to struggle for their luggage's safety, which most of the time reaches them only after 2-3 days.

He said the international terminal at the

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MP Kirit Solanki made in 2014, for the direct Londonrecommencement of the Ahmedabad flight and the direct flight. He said the opening of the committee had issued International terminal during the day. written notices and met

people like BJP member Mansukhbhai Mandviya.

They even met minister of civil aviation, Dr Ashok Gajapathi Raju, when he came down to Ahmedabad.

The minister then said that the flight was not being resumed for lack of passengers. Talking on the issue of 'traffic', Solanki said he had told the minister that as many people as it would take for a direct flight would be there if a direct flight is resumed as there is surge in the number of people travelling.

Solanki clearly told the minister that the argument of not having enough traffic did not hold any weight.

Explaining in detail, Solanki and Bhupatbhai said the Ahmedabad international airport was inaugurated in July 2006, during the UPA rule, by then aviation minister Praful Patel. The function was attended by then Gujarat chief minister Narendra

is the reason that all the language academies, Sahitya Kala Parishad and Delhi Tourism have combined their synergies to make Swaraj Parv, an event that Delhi's citizens will cherish and remember,” Mishra said.

“This is only the first instance of Delhi Government's plan to transform the state of tourism, art and culture in Delhi. Swaraj Parv will end with a tribute to our beloved former President A P J Abdul Kalam with an evening of Urdu poetry titled 'Shaam-e-Kalaam',” he added.

Southern state of Andhra Pradesh has its own plans of making the day special, as arrangements to celebrate 15th is at a venue like no other.

The government has selected scenic Ramakrishna beach road in the port city of Vishakhapatnam for the main function. “Probably, this is the first time in the country that the Independence Day is going to be celebrated on a beach

and bhaangda,” said an official from the Culture Ministry, which has collaborated with Delhi Tourism and NDMC for the event.

A highlight of the event will be the phase at at the Garden of Five Senses where popular street vendors from 13 states have been invited to put up their stalls.

Approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the programme will “revive the cultural milieu in urban India'. “With Bharat Parv, the aim is to replicate such events in India as well. We will start with the metros first, and then assess if such events can be scaled up to smaller cities as well,” said the official.

UNIVERSAL HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN Prime Minister Narendra Modi may announce a universal health insurance plan, this Independence Day, most probably without any subsidy, which will cover all members of a family under a single sum insured. An official from a state owned general insurance company said, “We are still working on the proposed scheme and fine-tuning the premium. The new scheme may be announced by the PM this weekend.”

Apart from four staterun non-life insurers, private players like ICICI Lombard, Bajaj Allianz, Iffco-Tokio Marine and HDFC Ergo are also reportedly in works with the government. The proposed scheme will be available to all families not exceeding five members, including those families headed by senior citizens and the entire family will be covered under a single sum insured, as per the

draft.

During his previous IDay address, Modi had announced the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana under which, banks have so far opened over 13 crore new accounts. He later announced a low-end life, accident and pension covers at highly subsidised rates as well.

Also catching popularity, prior to the main event, are Narendra Modi and Barack Obama kites, which will cover the sky prior to the 15th. Two types of kites depicting pictures of Modi; one mentioning 'Mahanayak' and 'Acche din', and the other one with pictures of Modi and Obama together.

However, the raging theme seems to be Bollywood, with Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor and other television actors, selling in the market.

Outside India, the 69th Independence Day celebrations have already commenced in United Kingdom as Bhavans, West London organised an independence day event last week. The High Commission of India has put together an open event in honour of the wide Indian diaspora in the country.

Organisation Pravasi Bharat has organised a flag hoisting ceremony, in front of the recently unveiled Mahatma Gandhi statue at Tavistock Square in London.

Organisations in the UK who have celebrated the Indian Independence Day, are invited to send us pictures and a 100 word press release to feature on our next issue.

Modi govt plans biggest I-Day function CONTINUED FROM P1

Independence Day flag hoisting ceremony at the Red Fort is an important historic and national function held every year on August 15. Considering the importance of this national function, at which the Prime Minister addresses the nation, it is expected that all the officers who are invited attend the ceremony,” Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha said in a communiqué to all secretaries of central government ministries.

The capital also has plans to indulge in a 3-day fervour, where martyrs will be paid tributes by Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's 'Swaraj Parv' will begin on the eve of August 15. “The government of Delhi has decided to celebrate this Independence Day with the people. The Swaraj Parv will be celebrated at Delhi's Central Park in Conaught Place,” said Delhi tourism minister Kapil Mishra.

It will include 'Hindi Kavi Sammelan', 'Urdu Mushaira', performance by 12 Indian bands and artists, qawwali show and musical drama. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will also participate in the celebration and address a gathering at the park on August 15.

Events that once used to be conducted by different departments under the Delhi government, has been centralised and put under one umbrella event, the Swaraj Parv. “We want to bring art, culture and heritage to the masses. This

Co-ordinator of a committee formed for the purpose, Solanki along with journalist Bhupat Parekh elaborated on the troubles faced by people coming in from London. He said he recently had a detailed talk over the subject with London's Gujarat Samachar editor C B Patel, which is when he perceived the kind of inconvenience travellers face. Bhupat Parekh told them a committ e e was

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in Ahmedabad only operates in the night and not a single flight takes off during the day time. Flights to different parts of the world are scheduled to take off after 6 pm until early morning, which is why, the number of direct flights should be increased from the city airport. And if the LondonAhmedabad flight is resumed again, Gujarati passengers would easily travel to London or the US or different countries in Europe.

The working of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha was suspended following agitation by the Opposition parties. However, when the House met on August 3, Solanki found the opportunity to raise his appeal for

road,” Parakala Prabhakar, Advisor to the state government said.

“We don't have a proper capital. Secondly, we also thought that each year we should hold it in a different place. This year, we are celebrating in Visakhapatnam. When we have the Ramakrishna beach and the beach road, why should we go for a small stadium leaving such a beautiful location.”

FOOD AND CULTURE EVENT: BHARAT PARV Over the next few evenings, there will be a mega showcase of culture and cuisines at various venues in Delhi, as the culture ministry's flagship programme 'Bharat Parv' will commence, winding up on August 15, Independence Day. “State-centric food stalls will be set up to give people an opportunity to experience cuisine from different parts of the country. Artistes from all over India have been invited to perform folk dance forms such as birha gayan, badhai, ghoomar, phag dance

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Modi, who, along with other ministers of the state, sought the resumption of the direct Ahmedabad-London flight. After Modi appealed to then Union Minister of State Dinsha Patel, MP Hiren Pathak, and others, it was promised that such a flight would be arranged by winter. However, the government has failed to honour its promise.

Parekh said that state civil aviation minister Saurabh Patel and other ministers of Gujarat also sent written applications to the Union Civil Aviation Minister. They also said even chief minister Anandiben Patel has sent a written plea to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, there is no official statement from the CM's office saying she has communicated with the Prime Minister regarding the resumption of a direct flight.

Kalam associates bicker over his social media accounts A week into APJ Abdul Kalam's demise, his aides and, long time associate have broken into a fight over the handling of his Facebook and Twitter accounts. His office has issued a notice to long time associate Srijan Pal Singh saying he should not give statements in the media and social networks in the name of the former president.

Sources say, Kalam's office aides are not too delighted with the attention Singh received after his tribute 'Last Eight Hours with Kalam' went viral on the virtual platform.

A statement issued by the office said, “Srijan Pal Singh has already been advised to deactivate all Facebook and Twitter accounts in the name of Dr Kalam or in his memory immediately.” V Ponraj, scientific advisor to Kalam said, “The office is not against Singh sharing his experience was a student with Kalam. He has every right to do that. At the same time, he has no right to share things through Kalam's official page in social networking sites. There is an office to take care of it.”

HEALTH&WELLNESS

Secret to looking & feeling young AsianVoiceNews

FOOD

FITNESS

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verybody wants to defy age and if possible to age back in time, imagine what wouldn't people do to look fresh and young again. Growing old cannot be prevented, it however, can be slowed down, resulting in clean and good looking skin.

THINK POSITIVE Your mental state reflects in your overall appearance.

So keep positive thoughts rolling. Negativity can make you feel dull and can make you age faster.

MEDITATE Even if you manage to sit with your mind open to meditation for a 5 minutes it can help you immensely.

Meditation not only clears your mind, but also helps in stabilizing and streamlining your thoughts.

REDUCE SUGAR INTAKE Sugar control can not only help you reduce extra pounds piling on, but also help you reduce wrinkles.

High level of sugar activates a process called glycation which results in wrinkles.

Daily intake of yoghurt may keep diabetes at bay

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To Our Readers

We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement it. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

AsianVoiceNewsweekly | Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

LIFESTYLE

Using digital media at night can cause sleep problems

www.asian-voice.com

EYE CREAM Don't squint your eyes, it is an effective trick to keep looking good. If you think such cosmetics are only made for girls, you need to read some new age magazines.

STOP SMOKING Smoking is one of the main reasons behind fast ageing. It not only causes major illness, but also irritates your skin and deprives it of oxygen and water which bring more wrinkles.

new study has revealed that eating one table spoon of yoghurt can dramatically cut your chances of getting diabetes. The researchers revealed that daily tablespoon of yoghurt reduces the risk of getting type 2 diabetes by nearly a fifth.

It was found that the amount of dairy foods in general people ate did not cut the risk of developing diabetes in the study participants who already had

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Frequent sauna use may be able to protect your heart

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it, but when they looked at eating specific products such as milk and cheese they spotted the link between yoghurt and a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes.

The researchers discovered that eating one 28g serving of yoghurt per day was associated with an 18 per cent lower risk.

Professor Frank Hu at the Harvard School of Public Health said that they found that higher intake of yoghurt is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas other dairy foods and consumption of total dairy did not show this association and the consistent findings for yoghurt suggest that it can be incorporated into a healthy dietary pattern.

aunas are a major part of the Finnish culture and the country that holds a population of 5.3 million, also has over 3.3 million saunas. A Finnish study claims that men who engaged in frequent sauna use have a lesser chance of fatal cardiovascular diseases and all cause mortality.

Jari A Laukkanen from the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, investigated the connection between sauna bathing and the risk of SCD, fatal coronary heart disease, fatal CVD and all cause mortality in a group of 2,315 middle aged men.

Results showed that, compared with men who reported one sauna bathing session per week, the risk for SCD was 22 per cent lower for two to three sauna bathing sessions per

week, and 63 per cent lower for four to seven sauna sessions per week.

The risk of fatal CHD events was 23 per cent lower for two to three bathing sessions per week and 48 per cent lower for four to seven sauna sessions per week compared to once a week. CVD death was also 27 per cent lower for men who took saunas two to three times a week and 50 per cent lower for men who were in the sauna four to seven times a week compared with men who indulged just once per week.

For all-cause mortality, sauna bathing two to three times per week was associated with a 24 per cent lower risk and four to seven times per week with a 40 per cent reduction in risk compared to only one sauna session per week.

study published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence has revealed that the use of the internet in the night increases the risk of sleep symptoms and has shown signs of depression in teenagers.

University of Basel examined the differences in digital media usage between teenagers with smart phones and those with old fashioned phones.

The study showed that those with smart phones spent more time on the internet in the weekdays than their peers; a ratio of

two hours as compared to one. They also indulged in more text writing; 85 messages to 7.

The major difference was found during bed time, where it was noticed, only 17 per cent of smart phone owners switched their devices off. These teenagers tended to watch videos, be online or text with their friends, more often in the night.

It is advised to those who suffer from sleep disorders or severe daytime tiredness to switch their devices off, at least one hour before they go to sleep.

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such as their relationships, community connections and special interests," Rogers added.

Patients can lose optimism but the doctor needs to try and facilitate it.

"One way is to spend time listening to the patient - being fully present and engaged in the relationship. Spirituality is about the patient being the focus," Rogers maintained.

Although spirituality is gaining increasing recognition, it is still not spread evenly across the spectrum of health care.

"Occupational therapy has taken a lead and there is growing amount of evidence in the fields of mental health and palliative care but many of the other disciplines struggle to know how to integrate it into their care," Rogers added.

Spirituality can speed up patients' recovery

ccording to a new study, spirituality plays a key role in the patient's recovery from illness.

"Spirituality and the practitioners' approach to their patients play a huge part in recovery from illness," said Melanie Rogers, senior lecturer and advanced nurse practitioner at the University of Huddersfield.

"It helps sustain health care workers and patients by recognising and supporting a sense of meaning and purpose in life. It can improve resilience in patients and practitioners alike, in addition to improving the experience of illness and crisis in patients," she added.

She acknowledges that for some people, spirituality derives from religious beliefs. "But for many others it stems from factors

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Finally, Simbu’s Samantha takes Nayanthara's place 'Vaalu' to be released with Arya AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

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fter Southern actress Nayanthara was roped in for a short but crucial role in Bommarilu Bhaskar's upcoming “Arjun Divya Mattrum Karthick,” she later opted out for unknown reasons, making way for Samantha who has already started shooting. Produced by PVP Cinemas, the cast includes Arya, Bobby Simha, Rana Daggubati, Sri Divya and Lakshmi Raai.

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ulti-talented Shruti Hassan, who has already tried her hand as actor, singer and music director, is now all set to step into production. Sources say that she will launch her own production house named Isidro, that will focus on multi -lingual short film content, new age digital, musical and multimedia content. It will also release her music and works of new, independent and young artists from across India. Shruti is a busy person as she currently works on Vijay starrer “Puli,” Ajith's project, “Welcome Back,” “Yaara” and others, all while waiting for her Telugu movie “Srimanthudu” to release.

'Brothers'

“Brothers” is an upcoming Bollywood action drama that revolves around family ties and mixed martial arts. It stars Sidharth Malhotra, Akshay Kumar and Jacqueline

Fernandez in the lead with Jackie Shroff and Shefali Shah in supporting roles. Soundtrack for the movie is composed by Ajay-Atul and lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya.

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akistan actress Mahira Khan who will make her Bollywood debut with Shah Rukh Khan's “Raees” has refused to do a bold scene with Nawazuddin Siddique in the movie. Indian media report stated “the love scene is pretty edgy, dark and somewhat brutal which has Nawaz forcing himself on her. The sequence was unsettling for Mahira and she refused to do it.”

Another report said, “Mahira’s character is Nawaz’s glam doll in the film before Miyanbhai sweeps her off her feet. Nawaz and Mahira’s relationship is not a happy one and there is a lovemaking scene between them. The scene is pretty edgy, dark and somewhat brutal as it has Nawaz forcing himself on her.” Nawaz plays a character with grey shades in the movie.

rough in the past few years. His last movie “Podaa Podi” was released in 2012, and he has only played cameos in different films like “Inga Enna Solludhu” and the recent, “Kaaka Muttai.” “Vaalu” stars actress Hansika Motwani opposite Simbu.

Sreesanth to become a film hero now

ventures into production

Pak actress refuses to do love-making scene

ollywood actor Silambarasan took to social media to announce the release of his movie “Vaalu,” which has been on hold since quite some time now. He said “#Vaalu court case has been cleared today... Thanks to almighty :) official release date soon...

Thanks for the prayers and love.” Producers of “Vaalu” went through a patch of trouble with the movie as they got involved in a legal battle with another group that claimed to own the rights to use the title, and later cinematographer Shakthi left the project and issued legal action claiming he wasn't given credits on the film posters.

Simbu has had it

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iscarded Indian cricketer S Sreesanth has gears up to act in a big budget South film, which is to be made in Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil, simultaneously. This may be a new option for the cricketer.

The untitled movie will be directed by filmmaker Sana Yadireddy and tells the story of a cricketer and the IPL. “The film will go on floors in September and we are planning to wrap it up in six months,” he said. Calling Sreesanth a superb dancer and actor, he said, “I have seen him performing at many events and always wanted to work with him.

When we narrated the story, he liked it very much and gave his nod immediately. The film will be in the background of cricket and has a very good love story in it.”

Sreesanth who is playing a negative role in Pooja Bhatt's Bollywood movie “Cabaret,” said he wanted to explore another side of life. “This is my debut film in South and I am going to work with a big filmmaker like Sana Yadireddy. I can't ask for more. I am looking forward for a good acting career in South,” Sreesanth said.

Rekha to play Salman's mother in 'Sultan'?

'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' earnings cross Rs 3 bn mark in India

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f rumours are to be believed, Salman Khan will be seen romancing two actresses in the film, “Sultan.” While it is still unclear as to who will play the role of Salman's leading ladies, a report suggests that Rekha will play the role of Salman's mother in the film. Rekha is yet to sign on the dotted line. However, reports suggest that she has indeed been approved for the project. Rekha and Salman have earlier worked together in the film, “Biwi Ho Toh Aisi.” Their camaraderie, during the last season of Bigg Boss, when Rekha had visited the sets to promote her film, too, can't be missed. It will be interesting to see the two play a mother-son duo, on-screen.

alman ' 2 0 0 Crore' Khan has crossed yet a n o t h e r milestone this year as his latest film “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” crossed the 3 billion mark at the Indian Box Office, making it the second film to reach the status after “PK.” “BB crosses 300 crore in India.

Wednesday collection Rs 2.45 crore,” a statement from Eros International said. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh wrote, “#BajrangiBhaijaan crosses 300 cr in India... 2nd film to achieve the ENVIABLE status, after #PK... 2nd HIGHEST grosser ever. Hindi films (sic).” The cross- border drama, directed by Kabir Khan, reached the mark in just 20 days of its release on July 17.

An elated Kabir tweeted, “300+”

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www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Amitabh Bachchan

£21.4 mn

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Salman Khan

Akshay Kuma

£21.4 mn

Shah Rukh Khan

£20.8 mn

Ranbir Kapoor

£16.8 mn

£9.7 mn

Forbes features Bollywood stars for the

Asian Voice | 15th August 2015

Arjun Kapoor & me are friends: Jacqueline

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fter rumours on Jacqueline Fernandez and Arjun Kapoor's growing friendship started running abuzz, the actress went on records to call the speculations bull and said it was absurd to think she was dating actor Arjun Kapoor.

“Why everyone is asking me. Why you all don’t ask Arjun about this? We were there at the IIFA awards.

We stood together for a press conference and everyone started linking us,” Jacqueline said in an interview.

“Arjun finds these link up stories hilarious. I also think it is quite funny. We are focused on our careers right now. We are just great friends and that’s it. So, it is absurd to link us together. I am single,” she said.

first time on highest earning list

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ive Bollywood actors have been featured for the first time under the world's highest earning actors list, published by the Forbes magazine recently. Three of them are featured within the first 10 names, earning even more than Johnny Depp or Leonardo Dr Caprio.

The world renowned magazine covers original articles on

finance, industry, investing and marketing topics, including several countrywise rich lists.

In the highest paid list of 35 actors, that also fea-

tures British actor Daniel Craig at number 15, has the name of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan on number 7, followed by Akshay Kumar on number 9, Shah Rukh Khan on number 18 and young actor Ranbir Kapoor on number 30.

Priyanka goes desi while shooting in NY

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ollywood actress Priyanka Chopra is very busy these days as she juggles multiple projects, both national and international. Currently busy shooting for her show 'Quantico' in the United States, Priyanka amazed her Twitter fans as she turned to a 'desi' remedy to fight the heat.

She said, “The NYC sun today is no joke! Running on rooftop n fire escapes in this blazing sun is crazy! Need my #DesiMagicTrick [sic] With all the energy drinks available

‘Bangistan’ banned in UAE

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in the US, the actress thought only of Glucon D!” With a career in modelling, acting and singing, Priyanka said in a recent interview that she considers herself an achiever, further saying she might be an achiever as a wife too, and that she would be the best wife ever. Not many know, she never wanted to take up modelling or acting, but had decided to be an engineer.

However, life shaped up differently for the actress.

Apart from her US TV show, she has Sanjay Leela Bhansali's “Bajirao Mastani” to look forward to. She is also working on her singing career.

Amitabh Bachchan to discontinue hosting KBC?

S iteish Deshmukh and Pulkit Samrat starrer “Bangistan” has been banned by the UAE censor board, putting a stop on its entry into the United Arab Emirates. The Board found the film content offensive and has raised strong objection to its release. “It is very disappointing that the censor board finds the film offensive as there is no such content in the film. We shall be sending it to the re-examining committee,” producer Ritesh Sidhwani said.

“Bangistan” is about two suicide bombers, Hafeez Bin Ali Ishwarchand Sharma and Allah Rakha Khan Praveen Chaturvedi, who are brainwashed into an explosive mission but eventually realise that death wish is a futile exercise.

This list, which is longer than the previous years, is believed to have not featured any Indian actor before.

Robert Downey Jr tops the list for the third year in a row with an earning of over £51 million, followed

by Jackie Chan with £26.

ynonymous to the famous game show “Kaun Banega Crorepati,” Amitabh Bachchan seems to be moving on. The actor has taken up a new non-fiction show on rival G e n e r a l Entertainment Channel, which aired the first three seasons of KBC. Big B's new show is said to be an adaptation of international series “Tonight's The Night,” originally hosted by actor and singer John Barrowman, which features ordinary people living out their fantasies for real.

Asin to get hitched to Micromax founder

B

ollywood actress of “Ghajini” fame, Asin will soon tie the knot with Micromax co-founder, Rahul Sharma shortly after winding up all her assignments, according to a report. It is believed that Akshay Kumar and wife Twinkle played cupid in their love story.

The husband and wife were brand ambassadors to the brand, and the 'Khiladi 786' actor happens to be Sharma's best bud. After years of silence on her personal life, Asin, who is currently busy promoting her upcoming movie opposite Abhishek Bachchan, “All is Well,” opened up about her personal life.

She told the media, “I am currently wrapping up all my professional commitments so that I can give more time to my personal life. I had stopped signing new projects two years back itself.”

Taapsee Pannu wants to ride on a bike

A

ctress Taapsee Pannu said that it was not fair to associate bikes only with men as women could also be good bikers. While in New Delhi to launch a motorcycle, she said, “women look cool on bikes as men do.”

She entered the stage on a bike. The actress said “bike chooses the rider” and if her parents permitted, she would ride a bike on a regular basis and not just in films. Be it Shraddha Kapoor in “Ek Villain,” Anushka Sharma in “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi” or Katrina Kaif in “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara,” several actresses have shown off their bike riding skills in films, over the years.

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Swami Tejomayananda’s UK visit Dipti Vyas Chinmaya Mission UK was blessed with the presence of the Global Head of Chinmaya Mission, Swami Tejomayananda (Guruji) during His annual visit to London from 4 – 12 August 2015.

The main focus of Guruji’s visit was His five evening talks entitled Timeless Questions, Eternal Answers based on the Sri Rama Gita by Saint Tulsidas. The Sri Rama Gita, which falls in the Aranya Kanda of the Ramacharitramanas, is a discussion between Sri Rama and his brother and student, Lakshmana, whilst they are exile in the forest.

Over 5 evenings, Guruji explained with great clarity and humour, Lakshmana’s state of mind (as a seeker of the Truth) as he

approached Sri Rama with a series of profound questions, the nature of the two types of maya (illusion), avidya maya and vidya maya, which stand in the way of a seeker’s realisation of the Truth, the importance of gyana (knowledge) so that one can see the One Supreme Self equally in All and the significance of vairagya (dispassion) to enable one to renounce all accomplishments of the world.

Guruji further elaborated on the superficial distinction between the individual jiva and the Lord of totality (ishvara) eloquently citing the analogy of the wave (likened to the jiva)and the ocean (likened to ishvara).

His talks concluded with a beautiful explanation of the three essential facets of devotion to the Lord (bhakti) - uncondi-

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 Jupiter entered Virgo on

the 11th August 2015. It will transit Virgo until September 9th, 2016. Jupiter in your work sector rules your daily life. All those little details should run perfectly, without you constantly worrying. Health-wise you will be feeling fit and relaxed. tional love, complete trust and steadfast respect, and the nine-fold forms of devotion to melt the heart of the Lord.

The final talk in the series was preceded by a fusion Eastern and Western classical music concert featuring talented musicians from the musical wing of Chinmaya Mission UK, Chinmaya Swaranjali, and the Spronk Family of Chinmaya Mission Holland.

Guruji’s talks were well attended by seekers from in

Coming Events

l Lohana Community South London, Pravachan on Shree Krishna and Yamuna Gangaji Mahatmya by Pujya Preetiraja Betiji. Saturday 22nd August 2015, 3pm- 5pm. Lohana Community Complex, P V Raichura Centre, Church Road, Croydon CR0 1SH. Contact Deenaben Ganatra: 07956 256 176. l The High Commission of India and the Indian Community Organisations in the UK invite you to participate in the Independence Day celebrations.

Sunday 16th August, 11am- 4pm. Indian Gymkhana Club, Thornbury Avenue, Isleworth TW7 4NQ. Participants are requested to arrive by at least 10:30am. l India's Independence Day Celebration. Sunday 16th August, 1pm- 4pm. Swami Vivekananda Centre, 10 Thornton Row, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 6JN. Contact: 020 8665 5502. l India's Independence Day Celebration. Saturday 15th August, 6pm. NAPS Samaj Hall, 26b Tooting High Street, SW17 0RJ. Contact Pravinbhai Amin: 020 8337 2873. l Independence Day of India. Saturday 15th August, 7:30pm. Federation of Patidar Samaj, London Road, Wembley, Middlesex HA0 7EX. l Independence Day Flag Hoisting Ceremony.

Saturday 15th August, 6pm. Cultural Variety Show.

Saturday 15th August, 7pm. GHS Centre, South Meadow Lane, Preston PR1 8JN. Contact: 01772 253 901. l Rathayatra. Sunday 16th August, 12pm. Croydon High Street (starting outside M&S), Croydon CR0 1TY. croydonsanga@gmail.com l Aa Family Komedy Chhey. Saturday 22nd August, Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Freelance Correspondent: Rudy Otter Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Business Development Managers: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Graphic Designers: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com Leicester Distributors: Shabde Magazine, Shobhan Mehta Mob: 07846480220 (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad.

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and around London, despite the strike affecting London’s underground network on the first two days of the discourses.

Prior to the talks, attendees had the opportunity to enjoy the incredible Chinmaya Jagruti Darshan exhibition on the life and history of the founder of Chinmaya Mission, Pujya Swami Chinmayananda, and to browse the vast array of books and CDs presented by the bookshop of Chinmaya Mission UK, Chinmaya Vani.

7:30pm. Wyllotts Theatre, Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 2HN. l Comedy Dhamaka. Friday 21st August, 7pm. Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, 4A Castletown Road, London, W14 9HQ. Contact Surendra Patel: 020 8205 6124. Saturday 22nd August, 8pm. Dianogly City Academy Theatre, Sherwood Rise, Nottingham Road, Nottingham NG7 7AR. Contact Bhavesh Jani: 07792 247 331. l Summer BBQ. Sunday 16th August, 2pm. Kingsbury High School- Sports Ground, Princes Avenue, Kingsbury, London NW9 9JR. For tickets, contactKamlesh M: 07980 929 633. l Lambeth Asian Centre Mela 2015. Saturday 15th August, 11am- 5pm. The Woodlawns, 16 Leigham Court Road, Streatham, London SW16 2PJ. Contact Hasmukh Gohil: 07831 230 112. l My Wife's Wedding. Saturday 22nd August, 7pm.

Peepul Centre, Orchardson Avenue, Leicester LE4 6DP. Contact Shailesh: 07478 243 473.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 Jupiter, planet of growth

and expansion entered your solar fifth house on August 11th. You are likely to see benefits, and experience growth, in the areas of romance, creative expression and children. For single Taurians, meeting a special person is highly likely.

Jupiter, the planet of plen-

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 ty graces your solar 4th

house for some time to come, bringing noticeable improvements to your environment. This will hold you in good stead as you have a lot of important jobs to finish around the house such as decorating and for some buying or selling of properties.

Jupiter, the planet of growth and expansion entered Virgo, your solar third house, on August 11th.

During this long-term trend, From August 2015 to September 2016, educational and communication opportunities present themselves and your ideas will be well received.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

From August 11th, Jupiter transits your solar second house. During this cycle, you are likely to see and enjoy benefits to your earning power and this will boost your own sense of security and wealth. Money problems from the past may clear up, if you manage your resources properly.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

Jupiter is transiting your sign and this is particularly beneficial and significant for you. This transit heightens your optimism and confidence. You are greeting life with a fresh and positive attitude. You have an altogether different perspective on life now, and are not fazed by anything.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

From August 11th forward, Jupiter transits your solar twelfth house. This transit brings benefits to activities that take place "behind the scenes". Meditation and retreats may be particularly helpful to you now, as they regenerate and invigorate your spirit.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

With Jupiter riding high in your 11th house, you should enjoy a very popular phase in your life where everyone wants to invite you to parties. This will give you a chance to meet people of your own calibre and pursue any romantic liaisons that might present themselves.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

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With Jupiter in your solar 10th house, your career is lit up and bodes well for the coming year.

Some of you will be in a reflective mood and taking stock of your lives and working out the best direction to take. This is a good time to re-assess your home and work balance.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

Expansive Jupiter in your Solar 9th house of travel and spirituality is good for widening your horizons. Business dealings, particularly long-distance ones and those involving publicity and promotion, are likely to be profitable now.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

Jupiter transits your solar eighth house of joint finances, loans, taxes, sexuality, and psychological matters. This is a time of increased accumulation of wealth and in some cases, a significant tax refund or inheritance, or other such benefits.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

Jupiter in your opposite sign makes you feel invincible, but the way to utilise this transit is to sift through all the opportunities that come your way. You know you have no choice but to streamline and reassess your priorities. Try to create a balance between expansion and conservation.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

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retires from international cricket England regain unassailable lead in the series and regain the Ashes

The Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke has announced his retirement from Test cricket after their embarrassing Ashes loss and the fourth Ashes Test. However, he will be playing in the last Test.

"I want to play the last Test at The Oval and give it one more crack. the time is right," Clarke said.

England won the Trent Bridge Test by an innings and 78 runs to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series and regain the Ashes. Clarke is understood to have told his teammates before play began at Trent Bridge that his reign as skipper is over and, following his retirement from one-day cricket after this year's World Cup win, he is also walking away from the Test game.

"You never want to walk away. My performances over the past 12 months have not been acceptable to me. Test cricket is about the Ashes. We tried our best, I certainly tried my best but we got outplayed," he added.

Earlier, England defeated Australia by an innings and 78 runs on the third day of the fourth

Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.

The victory saw England regain the Ashes after they were whitewashed 5-0 in Australia in 2013/14.

It also gave them a fourth successive Ashes series win on home soil, with Australia's last Ashes triumph in Britain in 2001.

Australia were in trouble right from the start of this match as they collapsed to 60 all out in 111 balls the shortest completed first innings in Test history - on Thursday last, the first day.

Fast-medium bowler Stuart Broad, who took two wickets in the first over of the match, including his 300th at this level, finished with a Testbest return of eight for 15. England in reply made 391 for nine declared, Joe Root top-

scoring with 130. Allrounder Ben Stokes took a Test-best six for 36 before Durham teammate Wood, a fast bowler, completed the win when last man Nathan Lyon played on to leave Australia 253 all out.

Adam Voges was 51 not out, with Australia losing their last three wickets in 40

minutes' play on Saturday.

This victory gave England their second successive win inside three days after they beat Australia by eight wickets to win the third Test at Edgbaston last week.

Saturday's result also saw England end a sevenmatch sequence of alternating wins and losses as they achieved back-toback wins in Test cricket for the first time in 2015.

The series concludes at The Oval in south London where the fifth Test begins on August 20.

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Cricketer Wasim Akram's car shot at

Former Pakistani cricket captain Wasim Akram's car has been shot at in Karachi, Pakistan, the country's police have revealed.

Reports say the shooting took place near National Stadium, in Karachi's Karsaz area, but the exbowler escaped unhurt.

Police said the incident appeared to be a case of road rage. Gun violence is not common in Karachi, though much of it is linked to militant groups.

Wasim has told the Express News channel: "A car hit mine, I stopped him and then his guy stepped out and fired at my car."

Police have confirmed that they are looking for the owner of the car to arrest him.

Mahi cools off with Football in home town

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was found revelling in a full 90 minute football match with players of Silli Football Academy at the Silli Stadium, in his hometown of Ranchi. Following an invite from old friend Sudesh, a footballer himself, Dhoni gave into the temptations of the sport he immensely loves.

“I was testing my endurance after a month,” said Dhoni, who played on the left flank and scored a superb goal, suffering a few bruises in the process. Taking rest for the last month, he had been playing Badminton and exercising regularly and found football to be the best way to blow off some steam.

Talking a biopic being made on him but the skipper said he wasn’t getting much involved in it. “I have been taking complete rest, spending time with the family for the last one month,” he said.

Southall FC storm to victory in Geoff Harrison Memorial Vase

The Annual preseason encounter between Hanwell Town and their long serving tenants Southall FC had a touch of local politics about it this year with local MP’s Steve Pound (Ealing North) and Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) present, along with local GLA Member Dr Onkar Sahota and Council Leader Julian Bell.

It was also touching to see Mrs Harrison and her son at the game, a fine reminder of Geoff’s love of the game.

The fourth running of the fixture was a keenly fought affair, with Southall making their intentions clear from the start, with just 1 minute on the clock a

Virendra Sharma MP with Southall football team thunderous but fair chalated the better chances in lenge from Southall’s the first half, hitting the Roger Smith left the hosts post and having a couple of in no doubt that they efforts whilst narrowly would not have this all wide of target. Southall their own way. came very close themselves Hanwell arguably crewhen striker Phil Osuhor

bravely ran onto a bouncing through ball, he just beat the Hanwell keeper to it but could not accurately guide the ball into the net.

In the second half it was Southall who seemed to be inspired by their half time talk, as they appeared to have some real fire in the belly. They forced the majority of the early second half play into Hanwell’s half of the pitch.

Indeed it was after some superb pressing from Phil and Ivan Ruiz that led to the Hanwell left back coughing up possession 35 yards from goal. No one could have forecasted what happened next as Phil Osuhor hit a first time shot that beat the Hanwell

keeper all ends up and put the visitor 1-0 up. It was a cracking goal and a very early contender for goal of the season.

Southall were firmly on top of the tie and now they had something to hold onto it was always going to be hard for the hosts to wrestle the initiative back.

Then when Ivan Ruiz forced another mistake from the under pressure Hanwell left back and squared the ball to Jack ward, Jack swivelled and finished with great aplomb. 0-2. That’s how the game finished and Southall ran out deserved winners. The Southall Squad comprised of: Arvydas, Jones, Lopes,

EzeWuzie, Acotto, Smith, Trowers, Ward, Todd, Mark, Osuhor. Subs: Cassells, Griffths, Tunc, Rogers-Oben, Jadeja Manager Asare stated after the game – “This is reward for all the hours of preparation, coaching and development of our players. We have assembled a squad that we are very proud of and to score two goals and keep a clean sheet against a side that performs two divisions above us is very satisfying.

Our Man of the match was our young full back Oliver Jones – he didn’t put a foot wrong all night…”

“This team performance was most certainly was for Geoff…”

32

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Lalit Modi plans to challenge ICC www.asian-voice.com

India shines at Special Olympics 2015

Modi has long been critical of the International Cricket Council's governance structure and financial model

Former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi admitted his involvement in a plot to overthrow the sport's establishment, aiming to create a new world governing body affiliated with the Olympic movement.

The ex-IPL boss, who is wanted by police over allegations of money laundering linked to a lucrative television deal, said a detailed plan had been years in the making. "We're talking about another cricketing system. There is a blueprint out there, it's got my rubber stamp on it," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"I have been involved in it. I say it for the first time, I've been involved in putting that (blue) print

together." In the past, while acknowledging involvement in discussions to set up a new governing body, Modi had insisted he had walked away from the project. "The plan that I have put together is a very detailed plan, it's not a plan that's come off the cuff, it's been taking years and years and years in the making," he said.

Modi, who lives in London after fleeing India in 2010 when tax and financial crime authorities raided his premises, has long been critical of the International Cricket Council's governance structure and financial model. He has voiced concern at the control exercised by India, England and Australia over the way

Former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi cricket administration by world cricket is run and said he believed he could the Board of Control for spearhead an alternative.

Cricket in India.

"We could take on the Last week a warrant for existing establishment, no his arrest was issued by a problem," he said. court in Mumbai at the "It requires a few bilrequest of India's economic lion dollars, I don't think it intelligence agency, the would be a problem to get Enforcement Directorate, that... into action." Modi which is investigating allewas fired from his job as gations of money launderIPL commissioner in 2010. ing. Modi has not been In 2013 he was banned for charged and denies all the life from playing any role in allegations.

World Summer Games organised in Los Angeles, United States saw our country perform exceptionally well. Among the 6500 athletes participating from 177 different countries, India was represented by 275 athletes in 14 disciplines.

The athletic delegation sent from the country did the entire nation proud as they returned home with 173 medals; 47 gold, 54 silver and 72 bronze. India won 47 medals in athletics and 39 medals in roller skating making a massive contribution to the total

number. India’s performance is ranked third in the Special Olympics, after USA and China. Golfer Ranvir Singh Saini created history by becoming the first Indian Golfer to win a gold medal in the Games.

Roller Skaters won a total of 39 medals, including 10 Gold, 17 Silver and 12 Bronze. This is the first time that India won such a large number of medals.

The Special Olympics were held from July 25 to August 2, with the ceremony opening attended by Stevie Wonder and Michelle Obama.