AV 16th April 2016

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Temple of tragedy

INDIA CHARMS WILLIAM AND KATE P18

16th April to 22nd April 2016

Vol 44 | Issue 48

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

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Over 100 killed as fireworks show goes out of control at Kerala shrine

Charred bodies and human remains lay strewn in one of the worst tragedies to strike Kerala, as a fireworks show went out of control killing over 110 people on the spot and maiming over 383 at a temple in Kollam.

Disaster struck the crowded premises of the Puttingal Devi Temple at Paravur, south of Kollam, around 3.30 am, when a whole dump

of firecrackers meant to explode in the air, fell to the ground sending sparks flying in all directions. The damage worsened when sparks reached a storehouse 'Kambapura', igniting crackers stored in the building too.

The show that was meant to mark the conclusion of the Meena-Bharani festival turned into an instant arena of chaos and destruction as the

embers spread through the nearby areas as well. The explosions also ripped chunks of concrete and plaster from the temple and nearby buildings. An entire building was brought down and several people rendered homeless in the vicinity. Troubles were aggravated by power disruption that followed which, incidentally, kept the crowd in CONTINUED ON P 26

Tata sells Scunthorpe Steel Plant to Greybull for ÂŁ1 At last, British workers need not steel themselves for job losses as there is some ray of hope to revive the Tata Steel crisis in the UK. Tatas have announced the sale of its Scunthorpe plant to Greybull Capital.

Continued on page 4

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ONE ONE with Keith Vaz, MP

Asian Voice |16th April 2016

www.asian-voice.com

to

Govind Shahi

With over 20 years media experience, Govind Shahi is an established media professional based in London.

Currently heading the Viacom18 UK business in Europe and Americas where the Network has seen significant progress namely being the number 1 network in the Free-to-air market in the UK, in respect of the South Asian viewership and revenues. By launching a sister channel (Rishtey TV) and breaking the norm of moving Colours to the free-to-air mode, risking subscription revenues, he in fact helped drive up the revenues close to 10 fold for the Network in Europe.

He continues to innovate, most recently launching Rishtey on Freeview. There is always a first which is credited to him. On a personal front, Govind is a doting father, a keen badminton player and occasionally dabbles in the kitchen over weekend trying new recipes alongside his wife.

1) What is your current position?

Business Head – Europe and Americas for Viacom18 UK

Zee, bringing large scale events like the Zee Carnival and Zee Cine Awards to the UK, along with the launch of new channels.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

I like being an innovator, which leads me in to a number of first mover initiatives. At Viacom18 UK, it has been a whole new approach after the stint at Zee, given the Network was still very young vs. some of the competitors proving opportunities to explore new avenues like going FTA, launching new channels, etc. And looking back, whilst at

3) What inspires you?

I am inspired by out of the box thinking and working with seniors who I can look up to as role models. I have worked with some intelligent people over the years who have helped bring out the best in me. If I have to summarise this response, I would say I get inspired by positive change or evolution and also creative people who have a vision to work towards that.

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

I cannot really say I have had any big obstacle in my career. It has been a learning curve which I could say has been steep at times especially when you deal with specific situations and also people within organisations who tend to be obstructive. Having said that, emerging from such situations is a learning experience for the future and I have not really looked back with regrets or, held anyone/anything specific as an obstacle in my career path to date.

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

It all begins and ends at home. A happy family ensures a successful career. The support that I have got from my wife and family in the decisions I have taken, has been instrumental in helping me grow to where I am today.

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

I enjoy my current role as I work with a leadership team that I can look upto and I have the flexibility and freedom to make decisions which impact the business.

The media world is going through rapid changes and the landscape today is very different vs. what it was when I came here 15 years back. The business models of media channels have changed dramatically and there is a lot more yet to happen in the

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years to come. I think being in a position where I can influence the change and play a key role in this evolution is probably what I would say is the most exciting part of the current role.

7) And the worst?

Probably not knowing clearly how much the landscape will evolve due to the rapid pace of changes.

8) What are your long term goals?

I do not really like to make long term plans. I prefer to live in the present with some thinking for the near future. Things happen and circumstances influence how the future pans out. I prefer to let things take shape as you move forward in the journey of life.

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

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I believe health is wealth, therefore improve the NHS, have stronger laws on HFSS, so people know what they eat. For the future generation, instil the importance of physical fitness through education so we have a young generation that grows up to be fighting fit. Stress is a killer and focus on health also helps people draw a work life balance to enjoy the best of both worlds.

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

Given my fondness towards Apple products and the creativity that Steve Jobs has undoubtedly bought in to the tech industry creating history, if I were to be marooned on an island, it would be have to be with Steve Jobs. Would be a great opportunity to discuss how we could dovetail that kind of thinking into the broadcast industry!

The story of Ramanujan ‘needed to be told’ – Dev Patel

By Charusmita Released on the 8th of April across the UK, the film The Man Who Knew

system, but at the same time was the inspiration of his genius, he adds. For the actor, it was particularly difficult to prepare for the role because there was no recorded material, audio or videos, which could be used for imagination or mimicry.

In the words of Dev, The Man Who Knew Infinity is a story of ‘not being confined to a box’.

His own journey from

Infinity (Dir. Matthew Brown) is based on the life of the Indian mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan. This biogra-

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The Man Who Knew Infinity

phical drama, based on the book by the same name by Robert Kanigel (1991), boasts of a stellar cast – Jeremy Irons, Dev Patel, Toby Jones, Stephen Fry (cameo), and Arundhati Nag, among others. In an exclusive interview with Asian Voice, Dev Patel revealed his experience of playing Ramanujan, his personal journey within the film, and his chemistry with Irons.

Dev admitted to being

completely unaware of the legacy of Ramanujan before the film.

Ramanujan’s contribution to the world of mathematics possessed a level of resilience and nobility, according to him. His biggest learning from the film was that for the mathematician, the rigidness in his beliefs was both a blessing and a curse. It was this rigidity that stopped Ramanujan from conforming completely with the

Ramanujan

The proud family of Dev Patel, aunt Hillie, gran Manjula, grandad Maganlal and uncle Sanjai

being ‘terrified’ of mathematics as a subject to playing one of the greatest

minds in the field was ironic, as his father is an accountant by profession.

Continued on page 8

C MMENTS

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Asian Voice |16th April 2016

Trevor Phillips: Stop This Bakvas Trevor Phillips, born in the UK, brought up in Guyana, married to a Parsi woman from India, has received both name and fame from the race relations industry.

He cherishes to claim that he was the Chairman of Equality and Human Rights Commission. He also brags about being “20 years ago Chair of the Runnymede Trust”.

Sadly, he has become (or rather he was always) untrustworthy and opportunist. In a long article in The Sunday Times magazine (dated 10th April), he has written extensively on, “What do British Muslims really think?”

Based on the ICM survey, he has opined about how many Muslims expect their wives to be obedient (39%), how many of them would like to have more than one wife (31%), how many would support Sharia law in the UK (23%), how many condemn (79%) or sympathise (5%) with people who take part in stoning those who commit adultery, how many agree or disagree with homosexuality (52%), as well as how many report terror activities (very few) within their community?

He has been very well guarded on such sensitive subjects and one can understand – why?

Eight out of 10 Muslims in the UK say they are happy living here. They feel British because their family life, their children's future, economic security aren't that different from most other people. Freedom to practise their religion in any way they see deem fit is also preferred by British Muslims.

But all of a sudden in that article, he writes, “In the Indian subcontinent Muslims are subject to Hindu

persecution.”

Trevor Phillips, of all the people, should know India very well. Such an irresponsible statement from him is a total lie and is highly provocative. Does he know how many Indian Presidents, Cabinet Ministers, Chief Justices of High Courts and Supreme Court, High Commissioners, Ambassadors, Chairmen of Election Commission, State Ministers, Defence Services Generals hail from the Muslim community?

Amongst the Indian businessmen, industrialists, philanthropists, in sports, in Bollywood there are so many of them from the Muslim community (they have been listed separately in this issue).

Maulana Mahmood Madani, leader of the Jamiat Ulema-I-Hind, in an interview to Rediff.com, had said: “I want to say only one thing: Indian Muslims have no better place to live than India. We are Indians not by chance, but by choice. Our ancestors had a chance to go to a State which is now Islamic (Pakistan), but they chose to stay back in that State which was not Islamic. We know that this State (India) cannot be a State of Islam, but still we preferred to live in India. So this is our country and we are its stakeholders. And there is no place that is better for us than India.”

Trevor Phillips should study carefully the situation in India. He should accept that 80% of population of India who are Hindus believe in secularism and democracy and they respect the Constitution and that's why Indian Muslims are playing more and more important role in all walks of life.

Trevor Phillips needs to be told this truth.

Srinivasa Ramanujan on the screen The story of the Srinivasa Ramanujan, a clerk in the Madras port, who turned out to be a mathematical genius of the first order is one that defies imagination. But thanks to the superbly researched book by the American author Robert Kanigel, ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity,’ Ramanujan’s emergence from obscurity to stellar status, through trial and tribulation, was made available to available to a wider public.

The inevitable next step was to bring Kanigel’s narrative to the cinema and a still wider audience with a general release in the UK last weekend. Raising money for the venture was no easy task but the myriad obstacles were slowly surmounted, largely due to the determined efforts of a number of eminent individuals, foremost of whom was the present of the Royal Society, Professor Venkataraman Ramakrishnan. The present Master of Trinity College, Gregory Winter and the members of the college governing council gave instant permission for parts of the film to be shot on location. American Professor Ken Ono, an authority on Ramanujan’s work, was consultant on the film The story begins with the arrival of a letter from Ramanujan to Trinity College Fellow, G.H. Hardy, then a world renowned mathematician. It was accompanied by sets of mathematical theorems, some known, others new and daringly original.

Hardy recognized the hand of genius behind the work. Ramanujan encountered racial prejudice but his sheer brilliance brought these walls tumbling down. Hardy, his mentor and collaborator, stood by

him through thick and thin. Ramanujan was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1918, then of Trinity College. Struck down by TB, he returned to India in 1919, dying a year later in Madras in April 1920, aged 32.

The cinematic venture, with the iconic Jeremy Irons playing G.H. Hardy and Dev Patel Ramanujan, was made possible by the collaboration of Trinity College, Cambridge, the Royal Society in London and Warner Brothers in the United States.

It was perhaps appropriate that the President of the Royal Society Professor Venkataraman Ramakrishan was, like Ramanujan, born in Tamil Nadu, in his case in 1952. He was knighted by the Queen in 2012.

Professor Ramakrishnan, speaking at a reception, before the first showing of this impressive movie, said: ‘You are about to see a movie that is rather romantic in a sense – it is about a self-taught genius….who takes this unusual step and makes the a connection with one of the most famous mathematicians in the world who happened to be in Trinity College, Cambridge, at the time. And the very fact that they would connect is such an unlikely story that if we had invented it, it would have been thought implausible. But it actually happened.’

It says a great deal for British culture that its selfcorrecting mechanisms have been so creatively transformative, that old attitudes and prejudices can be cast aside as new formations emerge. Of few countries can this be said.

Indian cricket board in spat with Supreme Court The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has long been a law unto itself. Its previous president K. Srinivasan was finally ejected through an arduous process requiring an enquiry into the affairs of the BCCI. A new President Manohar Shashank has taken charge but there is little transparency in its mode of functioning. The BCCI appoints commentators on the television networks with a gagging order that the appointees cannot question any board decision, be it administrative or selection of a player. Thus, when the Nagpur Test wicket against South Africa was viewed abroad as a disgrace – the match ended in less than three days – Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri defended the playing surface. In the recent World Twenty/20 tournament Gavaskar may have said something about a player that reflected on the selectors’ judgment. This is, at best an educated guess. But secrecy breeds a whirligig of rumour and speculation.

Ex-cricketers doing time in the hugely financial zone of newspaper columnists fell over themselves praising the extraordinary talent of the Indian team

and the near certainty that it would carry off the coveted trophy. That didn’t happen, and deservedly so.

The West Indies were the best all-round side with the heaviest guns, as Carlos Braithwaite demonstrated with such flair and power in the final over against England.

For all the media hype, India was represented by one authentic genius in Virat Kohli and ten journeymen. Thanks to Kohli’s derring-do, India got as far as the semi-final, where they lost to West Indies. That Lendl Simmons was given three lives was the responsibility of India’s bowlers and fielders. At the international level, teams make their own luck. To have ridden to glory on the back of a solitary genius would have been a travesty. Columnists would have gone into overdrive with praise for all and sundry.

Weaknesses would have been glossed over and the show would have gone on regardless. Defeat, hopefully, may lead to introspection – and the opportunity of the young guns in the wings to showcase their talent.

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Do not be misled by what you see around you, or be influenced by what you see. You live in a world which is a playground of illusion, full of false paths, false values and false ideals. But you are not part of that world.

- Sai Baba

Lord Dolar Popat

of Harrow, Government Whip and Lord-in-Waiting with responsibilities for Business and Transport

Londoners need to make their voices heard

Lord Popat with Zac Goldsmith at the Janamastami celebrations at Bhaktivedanta Manor

In less than a month Londoners will be voting for which person they would like to be the next Mayor of London. Who you vote for could essential in deciding which direction the world’s greatest City takes in the coming four years.

In 2012 Boris defeated Ken Livingstone by 62,000 votes; a tiny fraction of London’s eight million population, and only 2.8% of the 2.2 million Londoners who voted that year.

There are 600,000 British Indians living in London; if every one of them votes on May 5th then we could very well decide the election.

London has been my home City for 45 years.

I’ve seen it go through some bad times, but in the past eight years London has gone from strength to strength.

From the brilliant Olympics in 2012 that showcased our City to the world to the prospering tech start-up sector in East London. And from the continued strength of the City of London to the improved transport network, our City has taken huge strides under Boris’s leadership.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t more to do; we cannot afford for the investment in TfL’s system to dry up, and we have to take real actions

to tackle housing shortages in London. And the man who is best placed to take our City forward is my good friend Zac Goldsmith.

Last year Zac and I visited a number of Temples and events within the British Indian community, and he was blown away by the greetings he received. He frequently spoke about the values his Jewish family had instilled in him, and how he sees similar values in the British Indian community.

Zac received a lot of criticism recently for some letters to British Indians living in London, but he was determined to reach as many voters as possible during this election, and the issues that were raised in the letters were those mentioned to him last summer. They weren’t intended to patronise or offend; they were him responding to things he’d been asked to do.

Zac is a man of tremendous integrity. His record as a Member of Parliament shows he’ll only do something if it is in line with his principles and it’s the right thing for his constituents. That’s the kind of man we need leading London; independent-minded, principled and with a clear vision for our City.

Continued on page 13

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Asian Voice |16th April 2016

Cameron fights back in House after Panama Papers leaks Under fire British Prime Minister David Cameron has lashed out at what he called hurtful and untrue allegations about his late father's investments, sparked by the Panama Papers leaks.

Cameron said on Monday that “aspiration and wealth creation are not somehow dirty words” and said the UK was acting to stop evasion in overseas tax havens.

The PM has been in a tight spot since his father, late Ian Cameron, was identified as a client of a Panamanian law firm (Mossack Fonseca) that specialises in helping the wealthy to reduce their tax burdens.

Ian Cameron had

established an offshore firm Blairmore Holdings.

The PM's office earlier insisted that his financial arrangements were private, before admitting that Cameron and his wife had sold about $44,000 in shares in the offshore fund (Blairmore Holdings)

shortly before he became the Premier in 2010, to avoid any potential conflict of interest.

“I accept all of the criticisms for not responding more quickly to these issues last week,” Cameron told MPs in Parliament according to a report on Al Jazeera website. “But as I said, I was angry about the way my father's memory was being traduced.”

Cameron said his father had set up an investment fund overseas so it could trade in dollar securities – “an entirely standard prac-

tice and it is not to avoid tax”. He said millions of Britons had investments in such funds through workplace pensions.

On Sunday Cameron published a summary of his tax returns since 2009, becoming the first UK leader to do so.

Meanwhile, defending the PM Sir Alan Duncan, a former Tory minister, has sparked a furious backlash by appearing to say people who aren't rich are “low achievers”.

Responding to that the Labour MP and former government minister, Caroline Flint, said she was saddened that Sir Alan appeared to say “if you weren't a millionaire you were a low-achiever”.

Rochdale men jailed for 'appalling and vile' abuse Nine men who committed sexual offences against eight girls and women have been jailed for up to 25 years.

The men abused their victims aged 13 to 22, mainly in Rochdale, Greater Manchester between 2005 and 2010.

The principal victim came forward after a number of men of mainly Pakistani heritage were jailed in 2012 for grooming white girls in the town.

A tenth man was jailed for five-and-a-half years last September for sexual activity with the girl.

The main victim, who has a learning disability, was described in court as an "extremely vulnerable young woman" who had endured "a very difficult home life". She gave evidence in two separate trials, which lasted a total of 15 weeks. She said hundreds of men would ring her up wanting sex when she was aged between 14 and 18. No evidence was put before the court that the men had acted as part of an organised gang or that they all knew each other.

The Long Products Europe business was sold to the British investment firm for a token £1 on Monday. The move will save a third of the 15,000 jobs placed in jeopardy by the Indian conglomerate's decision to sell up in Britain.

Long Products Europe division in Scunthorpe, northern England, employs 4,400 workers.

Greybull said it was arranging a £400m invest-

Asad Shah killed for 'disrespecting Islam' The man accused of murdering Asad Shah, pictured, the Glasgow shopkeeper who was killed by a Muslim for posting an Easter message has issued a statement saying he carried out the killing because he believed Shah had “disrespected” Islam. Tanveer Ahmed, 32, from Bradford, is accused of killing Shah outside his shop in Glasgow.

Ahmed denied the incident had anything to do with Christianity.

He claimed Shah had “disrespected” Islam by claiming to be a prophet.

The statement was made through Ahmed's lawyer, John Rafferty.

“If I had not done this others would and there would have been more killing and violence in the world. I wish to make it clear that the incident was nothing at all to do with Christianity or any other

religious beliefs even although I am a follower of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him I also love and respect Jesus Christ.”

Shah was an Ahmadi Muslim, who had moved from Pakistan to Glasgow almost 20 years ago. He was found with serious injuries outside his shop on Minard Road in Shawlands on 24 March.

He was pronounced dead in hospital.

West Midlands Police officer 'admits making 999 Isis terror plot call'

Top L to R: Afraz Ahmed, Choudry Ikhalaq Hussein, Kutab Miah, Mahfuz Rahman, Mohammed Dauood Bottom L to R: Rehan Ali, Mohammed Zahid, Abid Khan, David Law and a man who cannot be indentified

The convicted offenders: Afraz Ahmed, 33, jailed for a total of 25 years for rape, conspiracy to rape and sexual activity with a child, in relation to five underage victims l A 40-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, jailed for 23 years for rape and attempting to abduct a child in relation to three victims - he will serve an additional eight years on extended licence when he is released l Choudry Ikhalaq l

Hussein, 38, jailed for 19 years in his absence for rape, sexual activity with a child and conspiracy to rape. He is believed to have fled to Pakistan during the trial l Rehan Ali, 27, jailed for seven years for rape and sexual activity with a child l Kutab Miah, 35, for nine years for for rape and sexual activity with a child l Abid Khan, 39, jailed for six-and-a-half years for sexual activity with a child l Mohammed Zahid, 55,

jailed for five years for sexual activity with a child l Mohammed Dauood, 38, jailed for 16 years for offences in relation to two victims, including rape, sexual activity with a child and sexual assault l David Law, 46, jailed for 11 years for conspiracy to rape l Mahfuz Rahman, 29, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to three counts of sexual activity with a child was jailed for five-and-ahalf years last September.

Tata sells Scunthorpe Steel Plant to Greybull for £1

Continued from page 1

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ment package as part of the deal. The business will be rebranded as British Steel once the deal is completed in eight weeks, it said.

The new business would include the Scunthorpe works, two mills in Teesside, an engineering workshop in Workington, a design consultancy in York, a mill in Hayange, France, and sales and distribution facilities.

Greybull partner Marc Meyohas said Greybull had not ruled out buying other parts of Tata's UK steel

business, according to a report on BBC website.

However, the future of the big Port Talbot Steelworks in Wales is still up in the air, although at least one potential buyer has expressed an interest in buying the plant. The government has resisted calls from unions and opposition politicians to nationalise the Talbot plant to save thousands of jobs.

British Business Secretary Sajid Javid said the government would consider co-investing with

a private sector partner to help save the Talbot plant.

“I've been in contact with potential buyers, making clear that the government stands ready to help,” Javid told the Commons. “This includes looking at the possibility of co-investing with a buyer on commercial terms.”

Unions have welcomed the deal. The Scunthorpe plant sale comes at a time when European steelmakers are struggling to survive amid a wave of cheap imports from China.

A serving police officer admitted making a 999 call claiming a colleague was going to be kidnapped as part of an Isis terror plot, a jury heard.

Pc Amar But Tasaddiq Hussain claims he genuinely believed there was a threat to officers rather than trying to frame an illegal immigrant who was living in the Black Country.

The call, which claimed an officer would be targeted by a 'radical Muslim' with links to Isis called Irfan Ul-Haq at the end of their shift later that night, sparked a major security alert and led to 'unprecedented' measures being put in place by West Midlands Police to protect officers.

Hussain, aged 29, of Yardley, Birmingham, who is suspended from duty, and two other men, Adil Bashir, 26, of Small Heath, Birmingham, and Muhammed Sheikh, 31, of Bordsley Green, Birmingham, deny two counts of conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

On the second day of the trial at Stafford Crown Court last Thursday, Mr Simon Davis, prosecuting, told the jury that Hussain had confessed to making the 999 call.

The prosecution claims the police officer was trying to frame Mr Ul-Haq, who was an illegal immigrant living in Sandwell Road, Walsall, as he had a 'grudge' against him. A friend of Mr Ul-Haq's was run-

ning security of Muslim organisation Dawal-EIslami the men all attended and Hussain felt he should be in charge and targeted him as he was vulnerable due to being an overstayer, the court was told.

Mr Davis said: "When interviewed about the call and about the police investigation, he denied that he had made any report, false or otherwise. He now accepts that he made the call but will, undoubtedly, put his own gloss on how and why the call was made.

He may say that he made the call believing the content of it to be true."

The jury also heard from Mr Ul-Haq, who was giving evidence from Pakistan via videolink, having been deported following his arrest over the kidnap claims. He was referred to as 'Irfan the terrorist' in the 999 call and said to have masterminded the plot.

He told the court he had never been involved in terrorism and that Hussain wanted to be in charge of security at the Muslim group.

The trial continues.

UK Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

UK Lohanas

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

By Subhash Thakrar

I have always been fascinated about Lohanas and their history and very keen to find out as much information as possible. So much so that as far as 20 years ago along with friends like Hasu Manek and Vijay Thakrar,

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immigrants in Gujarat.

In the North West region of the old Indian empire, as was the case all over India( not even known as India as this a creation of the British), there were kingdoms.

Lohanas represented 24 kingdoms each bearing a name like Thakar, Lakhani,

ness community. How could we have changed so much in what may be about 800 years?

This is what makes Lohana history fascinating as it distinguishes this particular caste from all other Gujaratis!

The Lohanas are a war-

Yogi Maharaj

Mohamed Ali Zina

Guru Nanak

we had several meetings and interviews of Late Haribhai Samani, who was widely respected as a stalwart in the knowledge of the history of Lohanas. We still have those recordings. Haribhai Samani was the community leader, a very proud Lohana and was able to give us some anecdotal insights about the Lohanas.

What I will say in this article are things that I have heard from various sources and read whatever I came across over the years as frankly, there is no authentic recorded history. There lies a gap which I would want to fill one day!

Soon after our interactions with Haribhai, we proceeded to appoint a PhD at Cambridge University, a Dr Katherine Prior and Professor Rohit Barot at Reading University to do further research for us from whatever historical data that exists. Interestingly, we were able to find references to Lohanas in the British history books.

Combining all this knowledge and we continue to do further research, I have gathered very interesting information about Lohanas that make me proud of the clan I belong to. Some of this information may not be verifiable but it would be fair to say that when you put the various information from different sources together, there is semblance of some history that must represent what may have been the case.

I am sharing with you what I know so far! May be some readers will provide me with information that they know and we can continue to improve on what have.

Lohanas hail from a warrior class originating from the borders of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. This distinguishes Lohanas from today's other Gujarati communities like Shahs, Patels, Prajapatis, Kutchis etc. All these castes have always been resident of Gujarat and therefore true original Gujaratis. Lohanas are

Kotak etc. It is the names of these kingdoms that has given rise to Lohanas bearing their surnames. Over the years of evolution, a number of new surnames have come about. For example, from Thakar there arose Thakrar and from Kotak became Kotecha and so on. Some developed their surnames from their business or profession. Examples of these names are Gheewala ( traders in ghee) and Mehta ( accountants). Today, we probably have 40 to 50 versions of Lohana surnames.

Whenever I ask the question: how many Lohanas are there in the whole World, I hear figures like 20 m, 10 m and 5 m. Lohanas are only about 2 to 2.5 m in the World. Some years back, I did a census of the Lohana community of North London, which probably represents the largest concentration of Lohanas in the UK, I estimated the number to be around 12000. I imagine this to have doubled.

Leicester is the next biggest concentration in UK, probably does not exceed 20,000.

So all over UK will not exceed 100,000. If we estimate similar number in US and Americas and again 100,000 in the Far East, 50,000 in the Middle East, 100,000 in Africa, we get to an approximate number of around 500,000 Lohanas living outside India. Of course the largest number has to be in India. But these are concentrated more in Saurastra rather then all of Gujarat and in Mumbai rather than in other Indian metros. These represent around 1.5 m. And so a world total of around 2.5 m is fair and reasonable.

Many Lohanas find it amazing when I say that we used to be warriors or Kshatriyas and involved in the protection of the northern frontiers of today's India.

Today, I would be hard pushed to find any Lohana in the army or the police force!

We are more accepted and respected as a shrewd busi-

rior class and believed to be the descendants of Raja Ram, who was also known as Raghu and his descendants called Raghuvanshis. So another description of Lohanas is Raghuvanshi.

Lord Ram had two sons; Luv and Kush. The descendants of Luv were known as Luvanas and from that evolved Lohanas. Or the young Lohanas now shorten this to ' Luees'!

The warrior Lohanas or Kshatriyas have still got some traces in places like Kabul. Also, I have always thought that the city of Kandahar has some connection too. Kandahar can be split in to Kanda (nions or dungri) and ahar (eating).

Well many people relate Lohanas to be onion eating or dungri!

A more probable explanation of the source of Lohana name is that Lohanas started to migrate from the North to what is now known as the Multan region of Pakistan. There was a place called Lahorghat.

Lohanas were the protectors of Lahorghat and therefore called Lahoranas. This evolved in to Lohanas. All this is really fascinating.

For the doubters, one can point out the physical distinctions of Lohanas from other Gujaratis. Lohanas have fairer skin colour, more hair on their body and are broad shouldered. May be the style of speaking of Lohanas is more aggressive reflecting the warrior blood.

By far the most important distinction of Lohanas is that they are the biggest carriers of a blood disorder called thelesimia.

No other Gujarati community has this trace. Why? Well, the story goes as follows. Alexander the Great was invading and conquering the world. He was known as Sikander. When he reached the Indian empire, he could not conquer it and died in the process. Many of his soldiers never returned to Greece and settled in the Continued on page 6

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Asian Voice |16th April 2016

Continued from page 5 northern region. There must have been interactions between Lohanas and Greeks. This is probably the reason why Greeks are even bigger carriers of Thelesimia and Lohanas picked up this strain from them. This may also be the reason why the physical features of many Lohanas resemble the Greeks! Other Gujaratis do not have this blood disorder.

Isn't this fascinating?

Here is even more evidence using modern technology. I paid a fee to National Geographic to analyse my own DNA recently. I was amazed to find that 8% of me is African, 25% Mediterranean and the balance Asian. The 25% Mediterranean must relate to the Greek influence following the advances of Alexander the Great.

I have been interacting with a contact and friend in the Multan region of Pakistan to see if there are any Lohanas still living there. He has reported that there are quite a few who remember being Lohanas but are now converted to Muslims given that Pakistan is a Islamic state and it would be very hard to live there as a Lohana Hindu community.

Indeed all Ismailis( khojas) are converts from Lohanas. You can still find many Ismailis who keep similar traditions as Lohanas for wedding and other ceremonies. They also bear same surnames as Lohanas. So we can find surnames like Somani, Lakhani etc

UK Lohanas amongst Ismailis.

There is a possible theory that a number of Hindu Punjabis were Raghuvanshis. They bear surnames like Sachdeva and Thakral which are similar to Lohana surnames. It is believed that some of the Rahuvanshi settled in the present day Punjab instead of Multan. I have read that Guru Nanak was a Lohana and his original surname was Chandarana. He started a new Sikh army by calling for the eldest son of every family to join him in the fight against insurgencies from the Muslims.

So after the Indian partition, many Lohanas moved to nearby Saurastra and Kutch regions of today's Gujarat and India. I know a number of Lohanas in UK who were born in today's Pakistan.

We are doing more research of the presence and life of Lohanas in Pakistan and hope new fascinating information will emerge in due course.

Lohanas have always been and continue to be a nomadic community. After settling in Saurastra in the 18 th century , many travelled by sea and settled in East Africa and South Africa. This happened in late 1800s and early 1900s. From Africa , a lot of the Lohanas have moved to UK, US, Europe and Australia. Interestingly some young Lohanas are moving to Africa from Gujarat and Europe.

Some of the notable Lohanas in the past include: l Jalaram Bapa who was a Thakker.

l

Guru Nanak who was a Chandarana. l Yogi Maharaj, the founder of Swaminaryen movement. l Mohamed Ali Zina, the first president of Pakistan, who belonged to a Thaker family in Gondal but converted. l Nanji Kalidas Mehta, one of the great business entrepreneurs and philanthropists. l Muljibhai Madhavani, a highly successful business entrepreneur and founder of the Madhvani Group in Uganda.

Of course the most famous royalty amongst Lohanas was Dada Jasraj.

Many Lohanas still revere him during their religious ceremonies.

Today, the modern day Lohanas are highly respected as shrewd business people and very successful.

They have their community organisations spread in many parts of the World.

However, what you see in other communities like the Patels where there is strong community spirit and desire to help other community members is regrettably lacking in the characteristics of the Lohanas. They are much more individually progressive and may be reflective of the warrior class!

Many are moving in to professionals and even politics. Lohanas have also developed a reputation of being very generous philanthropists.

I will continue to study and research about Lohanas. A history worth sharing and a history to be proud about.

66% of British Muslims would not give police terror tip-offs Sixty-six per cent of British Muslims would not tip off the police if they thought that somebody close to them had become involved with terrorist sympathisers, according to a poll.

The survey, conducted

by ICM, suggests that over 100,000 British Muslims could sympathise with suicide bombers and people who commit other terrorist acts.

The findings are a further proof that the Government’s counter-terrorism programme, Prevent, is failing to provide intelligence to the police from Muslim groups.

A report in The Sunday Times revealed in December that less than a tenth of extremism tip-offs were coming directly from the Muslim community or

Muslims wanted Sharia to replace British law in some parts of the country. l Nearly two in five (39%) Muslims thought that wives should always obey their husbands. l Nearly one in three (31%) Muslims believed it Trevor Phillips was acceptable to have more than one faith leaders. wife.

Former chairman of l Five per cent of Muslims the Equality and Human sympathised with people Rights Commission, who took part in stoning Trevor Phillips, described adulterers. this revelation as “astonishThere are 2.7 million ing” and “troubling”.

Muslims in Britain.

The survey, as reported The investigation is furin The Sunday Times, also ther proof that the found that: l More than half (52%) of Government’s counter-terrorism programme, Muslims believed that Prevent, is not providing homosexuality should be intelligence to the police illegal in Britian. l Nearly a quarter (23%) of from Muslim groups.

Corbyn firm on tackling anti-Semitism in Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn has insisted that Labour is firm on tackling “abhorrent” antiSemitism after the Jewish Board of Deputies called for him to “take action” against racism in the party.

The Labour leader said

there was “no place for any racism of any sort” and promised swift action in any cases which come to light.

He was speaking after councillor Aysegul Gurbuz was suspended by the party

over messages posted on her Twitter account claiming that Hitler was the “greatest man in history” and suggesting that Iran could develop a nuclear weapon to “wipe Israel off the map”.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Renowned Homeopathic Doctor talks to Asian Voice ahead of World Homeopathy Day

By Rani Singh April 10 is World Homeopathy Day - and for the occasion renowned homeopath Dr Mukesh Batra visited London to spread awareness about one of the youngest medical sciences Homeopathy.

Dr Batra, often known as the modern day pioneer of Homeopathy, has created 225 clinics worldwide out of which two are in London. Talking at his Wembley Road clinic, Dr Batra, who is a winner of India's highest civilian award, the Padma Shri for his contribution to the medical field through Homeopathy, chose this occasion to dispel some myths about the science whose efficacy has been debated about in the UK. Dr Batra said: "Founded by Dr Samuel Hahnemann, homeopathy originates from Germany and is one of the youngest medical systems in the world. Homeopathy is now the second largest system of medicine and more than 600 million people across the world use it."

By opening clinics in the UK at Wembley and Harley Street Dr Batra aims to give people here the option of choosing an alternative form of medicine, proven in its efficacy through various double blind trials conducted worldwide at cost effective rates.

He said: "Unlike in the UK where it takes only six months to qualify as a homeopath, at Dr Batra's Clinics we put our patients first and ensure each of our homeopaths is trained to the highest level for five years. Training includes anatomy, physiology and X- rays.

Since homeopathy is psychosomatic and treats

team successfully treat 175,000 patients every month internationally, with his patients so far emerging happy.

In the UK, Dr Batra has seen a shift in the attitude. He said: "There has been a shift in perception on homeopathy since we have begun operations in London. We are mainly dealing with the Indian community at the moment Dr Mukesh Batra and some Pakistanis. patients from the root, our I would say the biggest doctors ensure that they change is more and more not only treat the disease young people are looking but find the underlying into homeopathy in the cause in order to remove it UK. Earlier it used to be from the root. We also old patients and now we believe that at a time of can see a lot of young peodisease it is not only the ple are trusting homeopapatient who suffers but thy and coming into our the caregiver as well clinics as well. This is the hence it is important to single most perceptible provide support to the change I have seen. caregiver with holistic We opened in treatment."

September; it has been While homeopathy five months now. There helps in managing long has been a visible change term diseases such as diain the way people accept betes and psoriasis, it also homeopathy. I have spohelps with immediate ken to a lot of GPs and I relief to flu and hayfever. do not think they are now Dr Batra says it is not just anti homeopathy the way sweet pills, but a holistic they were earlier. In a way form of medicine that has the resistance to it has been proven to work. actually come down."

For example, there For those who are was a trial in Edinburgh looking at homeopathy as for rheumatoid arthritis. an alternative choice of One group was given medicine, the good news homeopathy medicine and from his recent trip is that the other NSAID, a nonhe aims to open two more steroid anti inflammatory clinics in Hounslow and drug. The one that was Southall. Talking about given homeopathy recovhis future plans, he said: ered faster and had less "We plan to open at least pain and stiffness, with no 5-6 clinics in the next two side effects. The other years in London. In the group suffered hyperacidinext quarter we are openty and less relief of the ing in Southall. We are pain and stiffness. also looking at Hounslow.

During his recent trip There would be another to London, the winner of five outside London in the Best Healthcare Clinic high density South Asian Award in Europe aimed to pockets such as Leicester raise awareness about and Manchester, so in homeopathy. He and his total 10 in UK."

Reading driver avoids jail after travelling the wrong way on M4 A drink-driver from Reading drove the wrong way down a motorway, racially abused and bit a fellow motorist who tried to take his keys from him, a court heard.

Saiful Miah, of Tavistock Road in Whitley , was twice the drink-driving limit when he careered out of a motorway services onto the wrong side of the carriageway in the early hours of November 12 last year.

The 27-year-old then did a U-turn on the motorway in front of terrified drivers, before veering

back into the services near junction 12 of the M4 motorway in Reading.

Stunned recovery driver Mark Allen, who had seen the Ford Fiesta passing him as he pulled into the services, spotted the same vehicle at the petrol station and raced over.

Alan Blake, prosecuting at Reading Crown Court , said: “He accosted the driver and asked him why it was that he’d gone the wrong way down the motorway, whereupon he gained a clear impression that Mr Miah, the driver, had been drinking.

“Mr Miah went back towards his car as if to drive off and Mr Allen leaned in and took the keys, knowing he was in no fit state to drive.

“That caused Mr Miah to become angry and there was a brief struggle or altercation over the keys.

During the course of that the defendant bit Mr Allen on his hand, causing a nasty looking injury.”

The recovery driver, together with the driver of the vehicle he had just collected, managed to wrestle the drink driver to the ground.

UK Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

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7

Consortium of Gujarati Schools holds training day for teachers The training event organised by the Consortium of Gujarati Schools took place on Saturday 2nd April and attracted 86 Gujarati teachers from 17 different supplementary schools. A pack of training materials was given out to participants. The training session commenced at 9.45am with a welcome by the EKTA Centre hosts, Nirmalbhai Shah & Bhartiben Shah. Vijyaben Bhanderi, the Secretary of Consortium of Gujarati Schools, welcomed everyone. She introduced the day and the main speakers, Jayantbhai Tanna and Shobhaben Joshi from Leicester.

In Session 1 Jayantbhai Tanna talked about lesson structure sharing objectives, 3 part lesson, starters & plenaries. Videos were shown as part of the presentation and break out group sessions held. He emphasised mainly on three points – to have clear Objectives for each lesson, a short Starter and a purposeful Summary or Plenary for each and every lesson. He also stressed the point about preparing material according to the needs and abilities of the class at different levels of difficulty.

In Session 2 Jayantbhai Tanna covered

Gujarati teachers carrying out group work

aspects about learning styles, planning & assessment. He pointed out that we all learn in different ways – sometimes through listening, others through seeing or through doing.

Teachers therefore need to incorporate strategies that allow for learning through auditory, visual and kinaesthetic styles of children. He then talked about the three levels of planning – Long, Medium and Short Term. He outlined the essential ingredients of each but stressed that the Short Term Planning was every teacher’s responsibility.

He provided a possible structure of lesson planning as well.

In Session 3 Shobhaben Joshi covered strategies to improve Gujarati spelling & grammar. She suggested using

a punctuation pyramid for which templates can be found on the internet. She suggested strategies to increase Gujarati vocabu-

my family; my extended family; my friends etc.

In Session 4 Shobhaben looked at examples of guided group work. A video of a French language class using different strategies such as peer assessment, changing statements into questions, working in pairs and groups, using the main language in class etc. was shown.

Vijyaben Bhanderi proposed a Vote of Thanks.

She paid tribute to

L - R: Shobhaben Joshi, Jayantbhai Tanna, Vijyaben Bhanderi, Bhartiben Shah

lary of pupils through games such as noughts & crosses, snakes & ladders, starboard game and so/because game. She talked about creating a small book in which the child could be given topics to write about like myself;

Jayantbhai Tanna and Shobhaben Joshi, the two presenters.

She also thanked the Oshwal EKTA organisation particularly Bhartiben and Nirmalbhai Shah and all the volunteers for providing not just the venue but

also refreshments and a delicious lunch – all without charge. She thanked all the teachers for attending the day long course and appreciated their support and co-operation.

Jayantbhai thanked Vijyaben Bhanderi for her sterling administration of the event. He thanked the committee members and everyone for attending. He

apologised for the mainly secondary focus but promised to include a primary focus next time. A session on Leadership and Management may also be included next. The topics for the next event will be decided after looking at the Feedback Forms from participants.

The day ended at about 5:00 pm.

Shock for family as car hits their home A shocked family felt their house shake as a car crashed into it Sunday evening.

Taxi driver Akram Hussain, 48, his wife Nazia and their four children were only yards away inside when the automatic Vauxhall Corsa car crashed into the living room wall of the family home in Slough at 7pm. It was being driven by a woman leaving a nearby house.

Mr Hussain said: "The whole house shook. We all rushed out and the lady who had been driving the car was there being comforted by her husband. The fire brigade came and told us the house was not safe."

Mr Hussain and his family were offered shelter by friends who live nearby.

But their house has a big

kram Hussain

hole in the brickwork at the front and a large crack right through the main structure.

Mr Hussain was back at work on Monday driving his taxi and waiting to hear the result of an expected visit by a structural engineer. He was philosophical about the disaster, saying 'what can you do?'

The family have lived at the house for eight years and his children are aged between 14 and 20.

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Vande Mataram Group Launch DNA test lifts the lid on Archbishop of Canterbury’s secret father

Vande Mataram group singing led by Bharati Sethia, with ‘mascots’ Sophie, Jasmine & Ishwar

“Forget about all other deities and worship only one that is Bharata Mata!”

Swami Vivekananda Friday saw the launch of a new forum to enthuse Indians living in the UK - a reminder of how we are a part of India’s rich heritage, a unique blend of harmonious cultures encompassing myriad languages and faiths.

The event was the Asma brainchild of Suterwala, Kalindi Chandaria and Bharati Sethia. It was fittingly launched at The Bhavan where Mahatma Gandhi used to pray in the old church building.

After some ad hoc comedic entertainment, sublime dances by Parvati Nair, Arti Bhandari and Shivani Sethia, the evening was formally commenced with the lighting of the inaugural diya by Lady Bagri and CB Patel.

The star of the event was six year old Ishwar Vishvanath, who recited slokas for universal peace and brotherhood from the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads.

Asma Suterwala also recited beautiful extracts from the Koran.

Everyone was then transported to India through a superb blend of popular and moving patriotic songs, by great poets such as Iqbal and Pradeep.

The singing was led by Bharati Sethia and ably supported by talented musicians and an enthusiastic chorus. The audience

participated wholeheartedly, singing and waving their Indian flags in unison. This vision was made sweeter by the presence of young ‘mascots’ Ishwar, Sophie and Jasmine Azhar on

Group’ should be fully explored and utilised across community centres, schools and cultures.

The auditorium was filled with over 200 people - everyone left glowing

Lighting of the lamp: Chief Guest CB Patel & Lady Bagri

stage. A separate verse, composed by Bharati Sethia, was added to ‘Aao Bachchon Tumhe Dikhayen’, to recognise the significant contribution of Gujarat to modern day India, and was much applauded.

There were moving speeches from special guests, including Lalita Ahmed Chatterjee, for whom the singing evoked nostalgia, pride and inspiration.

Chief Guest CB Patel exhorted participants to remember that from a small seed much can grow, and that the ideals behind the ‘Vande Mataram

with national pride, making it a truly memorable evening. It is hoped that the group will continue to harness the transformative power of music to foster harmony and unity, inspiring us to serve India and the UK, our adoptive country.

The next group singing session, is on Monday, 9th May 2016 at 3:00 to 4:30 pm, at The Bhavan, London. All our welcome.

Please contact Bharati Sethia (bharatisethia@yahoo.com) to register your interest and for further details on how to get involved in this exciting, new group!

Sanjeev Gupta ‘not married’ to bid for Talbot plant Sanjeev Gupta, the managing director of Liberty Steel, said he is “not married to” a bid for Tata’s UK steel business and said he would walk away if the British government fails to meet his terms.

The 44-year-old was born in Punjab, India, where his father was an industrialist who owned Victor cycles among other businesses. He moved to the UK in his early teens, attending boarding school at St Edmunds College in Kent. Later he graduated from Cambridge University.

He is married to Nicola from Essex, Canvey Islands,

who knows the ins and outs of his business.

Liberty House has now evolved into a claimed $6 billion business which employs 2,000 people in five different sectors which includes steel, power, energy financial services and property. His firm has bases in London, Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai where Gupta lived with his wife and their three daughters until last year. The family now lives in a mansion in Chepstow on the Welsh/English border.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has surprisingly discovered from a DNA test that he is the son of Sir Winston Churchill's last private secretary, the late Sir Anthony Montague Browne, and not that of Gavin Welby.a The Most Reverend Justin Welby, 60, had believed his father was whisky salesman Gavin Welby, who died in 1977.

His mother, Jane also known as Lady Williams of Elvel, has confirmed she had a “liaison” with Sir Anthony just before she wed in 1955.

She said the news had come as an “almost unbelievable shock”, and although her memory of the time was patchy, she recalled sleeping with former colleague Sir Anthony after “a large amount of alcohol on both sides”.

The Daily Telegraph reports that he decided to take a DNA test after it approached him with research it had carried out into his family’s background.

It reports mouth swabs were compared with hair samples from a hairbrush kept by Sir Anthony’s widow and showed a 99.9779%

cy of his birth, the dignified manner in which Justin Welby and his mother have handled this startling news is praiseworthy.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has been commended by faith leaders for the way he revealed that his biological father was not the man he first thought.

In a statement Justin Welby said: Real” father Gavin and Jane Welby “I know that I find with their baby son Justin Welby who I am in Jesus

“Biological” father Sir Anthony Montague Browne and Justin Welby

probability they were father and son. However, more than the illegitima-

Christ, not in genetics, and my identity in him never changes.”

The story of Ramanujan ‘needed to be told’ – Dev Patel

Continued from page 2

He claimed that unlike biopics which tend to present larger-than-life characterisation, this film manages to strike a balance between ‘the man’ and ‘the hero’. Among his fantastic co-stars, he described Jeremy Irons as an absolute perfectionist. This chemistry between Dev (Ramanujan) and Irons (Prof. Hardy) is certainly the high-point of this biopic. But can we expect to see Dev Patel in a Bollywood film in the near future? “They have got so much talent out there, they don’t need me! I’m just not cool enough for Bollywood”, he quipped.

In the film, Ramanujan

is shown to be deeply spiritual and as he himself put it, ‘every mathematical equation is a revelation of God, and therefore is the purest form of truth’.

Although the film does justice in underlining the obstacles that were a part of Ramanujan’s time at the Trinity College, it does not do much to reveal what his

research was about.

Complex mathematical sums and terms used throughout the film might make you feel confused and ‘under-prepared’ to appreciate the enigmatic mind of Srinivasa Ramanujan, whose contributions are now being used by physicists to study the Black Holes. The best part about the film is its performances which make you warm up to the characters. But its biggest drawback is that it leaves you in the dark about the centre of the film – Ramanujan’s contribution to the world of mathematics.

Inspirational Harrow teenager chosen as London St John Ambulance Cadet of the Year Sanjeev Gupta

Gupta has already saved more than 1,200 jobs in the steel industry over the past few months, having bought the high-end engineering companies owned by Caparo after it collapsed last autumn, rescuing 1,000 jobs, and re-opened the mothballed rolled coil steel mill at Newport, saving 150 jobs.

An inspirational Harrow teenager has won the title of London Cadet of the Year for the nation’s leading first aid charity. Niraj Doshi, 17, from Hatch End, earned the honour after competing in the gruelling three-day St John Ambulance Cadet of the Year competition held at the Gilwell Park Scout Camp in North East London (13 April). During the competition, 34 of the best St John Ambulance Cadets from across the country were assessed on their life saving first aid skills,

teamwork, initiative under pressure, organisation, presentation and leadership skills.

This latest triumph for Niraj follows his success in being named Lord Mayor’s Cadet of the Year in November 2015.

Both roles involve promoting the charity’s mission to get more people learning vital life saving skills. Niraj is also an ambassador for St John Ambulance’s extensive youth programme designed to help young people from all walks of life realise their full potential.

Niraj Doshi

UK Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

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Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

The Lawyer Able to Practise in Two Countries Sakate Khaitan heads the corporate mergers and acquisitions, funds, restructuring and insurance practice at Khaitan Legal Associates. He also has over 11 years of litigation experience including joint venture disputes, tax disputes and disputes with regulators in the early part of his career.

Background and Early Memories Sakate was born in Delhi, and his family originates in Rajasthan. His great grandfather migrated to Kolkata (West Bengal) in the early 1900s. No one from his direct lineage is a lawyer.

Sakate said, “I am a boarding school product, having being packed off to St. Paul’s School, Darjeeling, when I was six. My time in Darjeeling brings back happy, fond memories.

Almost all of my class stuck together for 10 years. We are like brothers. School has been instrumental in

Sakate Khaitan

shaping who I am today.

My fondest memory is spending my summer break on a stilted log house on the banks of the river Teesta located in a tea estate my family owned at the time. The setting was

idyllic with the Himalayan range as a back drop, forest cover on the opposite bank, the tea bushes and trees surrounding us. The sound of the river flowing was therapeutic.”

The legal high flyer

recalled his biggest challenge as being having to deal with a broken hand and having to adjust to life back home after grade 10.

Higher Education Sakate is an alumnus of the London Business School where he was a cofounder of the India Business Forum. IBF executives have appeared in this column over the years.

Sakate is dual qualified and is a member of the Bar Council of India. He is also as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. But he exclusively practices Indian law.

He said he was always fascinated with the legal profession. “Completing the Indian bar qualification was therefore natural.

Having read for the MBA at London Business School and deciding to make London home, completing the English bar qualification was essential.

The most difficult thing was to balance work and studies. I joined a law firm as a full time paralegal prior to joining law school in 1990. It was fortuitous that school was from 0600 – 1000 every morning.”

Work challenges Sakate advises clients on inward investments into India and India-focused cross border transactions.

He helps deal with Indian rules and regulations.

What was difficult about building his practice?

9

ences economic health, He replied, balance sheets of corpora“The biggest challenges tions and therefore banks were to keep the morale of are really stretched. We are the team high, set up seeing an increase in insoloffices in two countries and vency work (particularly in at the same time ensure the commodity sector) as there is no slippage in banks become more client service.” It’s hard, he aggressive and are not hescommented, “getting good itating to wipe out equity people with the same ethos by converting debt. In the and culture of our firm. We recent past we have seen have now been focusing Everstone Capital raise a and investing in our people distressed fund to capitalin a significant manner. It ize on such opportunities. takes a lot of effort to Cross border deals ensure excellence in work have also increased. quality, superior India has opened client experience its borders to and a desirable The biggest foreign direct work environchallenges were to i n v e s t m e n t ment. In my field people keep the morale of and systematare our the team high, set ically demolished the biggest asset. up offices in two license raj.

Leading countries and at the This has led intelligent, hard working same time ensure to increased inflow of capiand dedicated people is there is no slippage tal and therein client service fore, cross boralways a chalder deals. lenge.”

I n d u s t r y Similarly it has Trends become easier for Indian entities to make Sakate commented that acquisitions and/or estabin the insurance space, lish a presence outside India has further liberalIndia. We have seen some ized the market by permitmarque deals in the not too ting higher levels of foreign distant past such as the investment and foreign acquisition of Corus by the reinsurers to set up branch Tata Group and Novelis by offices in India. the Aditya Birla Group.

“We are also seeing an This trend is likely to conincrease in claims comtinue as corporations look pared to last year. This secto new markets for growth tor has kept us really busy and Indian corporations in the past year and I look to acquire technoloexpect this trend to contingy/brands to expand presue.” ence in western markets.”

While India experi-

PRESENTS

YOUTH CONFERENCE 2016

Subject: Transfer of ownership rights to the extent of 100% (50%+50%) Share in respect of House No.3122, built on old plot No.7, Street-Y, Sector 27-D, Chandigarh, in favour Sh. Ashok Kumar, Sh. Kishor Kumar & Shree Prem Jeet Nahar all sons of Sh. Inderjeet Nahar on the basis of Regd. Wills.

It is notified for the information of the general public and all concerned that as per record of this office property know as House No.3122 built on old plot No.7, Street-Y, Sector 27-D, Chandigarh, stands in the name of Sh.Inderjeet Nahar and Smt.Jeeto, to the extent of 100% share.

It has been reported by Sh. Ashok Kumar, Sh. Kishor Kumar & Shree Prem Jeet Nahar all sons of Sh. Inderjeet Nahar that Sh.Inderjeet Nahar and Smt.Jeeto was the owner of the said property to the extent of 100% share had expired on 16.08.1985 & 18.04.2000 respectively and leaving behind the following legal heirs:

On Wednesday 27 April, we will be hosting our annual Youth Conference networking evening. We have a fantastic line-up of speakers who will share their success stories, give motivational short talks to inspire and advise the younger generation, so that young people can fulfill their aspirations and get ahead in the world of work. There will be a scope to take part in Q&A and brief workshops.

27

In partnership with

REGISTER NOW on aveditorial@abplgroup.com by 15 April 2016.

Date & Time: 27 April 2016, 5:30-9pm Venue: TBC Age: 15-40

April 2016

1. Smt. Jeeto – Wife 2. Ashok Kumar – Son 3. Kishor Kumar – Son 4. Prem Jeet Nahar also known as Prem Jit – Son 5. Rajander Kumari – Daughter 6. Pishminder Kumari – Daughter Now, Sh. Ashok Kumar, Sh. Kishor Kumar & Shree Prem Jeet Nahar all sons of Sh. Inderjeet Nahar has applied for transfer of ownership rights in respect of above said property, in their favour, on the basis of Regd. Wills. If anybody has any information about any more legal heirs of the deceased owner other than mentioned above, the same may be intimated to the Estate Officer, Estate Office, Sector 17, Chandigarh UT, INDIA immediately.

If anybody has any objection upon the mutation of the said property in favour of the above named applicants, they/she/he may furnish in writing in the office of the undersigned within 30 days from the date of publication of this notice failing which, the said share of the property shall be mutated accordingly, and no further claim whatsoever shall be entertained at any later stage.

Prince Dhawan I.A.S. Assistant Estate Officer, U.T., Chandigarh, INDIA

10

READERS’ VOICE

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Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

Christians in India Christians in India are frequently the victims of violent attacks, and these have increased dramatically ever since the Hindu-nationalist President Narendra Modi came to power in May 2014. Prayer meetings are often raided and Christians beaten; many rural Christians have also been expelled from their villages and refused access to the village well and pastureland; and others have been forced to convert to Hinduism, often with violence.

The Catholic-Christian community in India does not indulge in terrorism, anti-national activities, smuggling, cheating and corruption, arson looting, rioting, communal and fundamentalist activities, criminal activities, encroaching government lands to create slums and female foeticide/infanticide. They marry at a very late age and are content with one or two children. They are extremely secular and work with honesty and dedication. But in spite of being very peaceful and law-abiding citizens, they face religious discrimination and persecution by people of the majority community.

Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai, India

GP from Heaven Hardly a day goes by without some horror stories engulfing corridor of fossilized, mediocre NHS. GPs are in extremely short supply, over-worked and underfunded, hounded from all sides; equivocator NHS ceaselessly increases GP work-load, expanding services like haematology, physiotherapy and minor surgeries without extra funding to reduce pressure on A & E, “Bailey bridge” mentality, robing “Paul to pay Peter!”

It is usual to take a week to consult GP. By that time, young patients would recover and in case of OAPs, chronically sick, most would have visited A & E, admitted and discharged without GP being involved. No wonder, our unpredictable weather along with NHS is main topic of conversation among elderly, not EU referendum or economy, domain of the yuppies!

Main reason for such mess is that we are brainwashed in believing that NHS is free, unable to decipher modern concept, political fiduciary. Yet we pay through our noses by taxation, prescription charges and visit to dentist seldom costs less than £50.

Our GP is God send gift, one in million. We just ring reception before 10am for telephone consultation. Call is returned within 2/3 hours. If necessary seen by GP on same day, so often within an hour. Our surgery has German efficiency hallmark and Japanese dedication to patients! Our NHS is neither lustre, nor medically homologous, although too early to write its’ obituary.

Kumudini Valambia By email

UK’s ailing steel industry

Steel industry is vital for the well-being of UK. Its closing down could be a big blow to the country’s economy and prestige as an industrialist country.

The big question that arises is that if successful industrialist of Tata’s calibre is forced to accept the defeat in view of the heavy losses and prepared to close down. Can Sanjeev Gupta, executive chair of the Liberty House Group turn it around? If he can, his contribution to UK will be remarkable. He will make the Indian community proud.

Niranjan Vasant By email

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Badge of Shame I congratulate Mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan’s comment that he wears “Badge of Shame” because of anti-Semitism, eccentricity, anti-egalitarianism prevailing in Labour Party. Sadiq, to his credit, further attacked Labour leadership for taking softly softly approach against Labour activists.

Sadiq also subtly hinted that party should have taken tougher stance, as he himself suffered hate crime and how humiliating, moral sipping this could be. “If it means senior members, including Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee has to be retrained about what anti-Semitism means, then so be it.”

He was speaking at hustings organized by London Jewish Forum in Finchley, staunch Jewish area where his words would travel far and wide, making most impact. Various labour leaders commented on Mr Khan’s speech and events that preceded it, including Labour leader JC. But reading at comments, excuses and explanations pinned in-between lines, I was not convinced of the sincerity of statements mostly by pseudo protégés. They looked stereo-typed damage limitation exercise for public consumption.

While it is legitimate to defend Palestinians who suffer draconian hardships, it is equally true that Jewish community will never revert to violence in the West against Muslims; in sharp contrast Jewish lives are lost due to no fault of their own. Middle East has always been firebrand conflict zone that should not affect our lives here, as Kashmir should not be a thorn between Indian, Muslim relations in UK. Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

Tax may not be taxing

At present there is no such thing as International Tax Law. It relates to tax on foreign-country source income accruing to residents and resident-country source income accruing to non-residents.

Perhaps the International Court of Justice could be used as a suitable vehicle to resolving tax disputes.

World Trade Organisation could formulate tax harmonisation rules that includes Capital Import Neutrality (CIN), Capital Export Neutrality (CEN), Capital Ownership Neutrality (CON) and National Ownership Neutrality (NON) in international trade in goods, services, intellectual property, ecommerce, etc.

One urgent action all Tax Authorities worldwide could take in the light of Panama Papers disclosures is to announce a two-year amnesty so as to allow investors with accounts in tax haven jurisdictions to come forward and settle their outstanding tax liabilities, capped at say 20%. Not available to anyone already under investigations, in return for full and unprompted disclosure, the tax authorities would not seek to recover further tax due or associated penalties. Finally, there is also tax evasion domestically in all countries: that could easily be curbed if Tax Returns require private drawings to be declared every year as it is grossly unfair on those who do not engage in such practice.

Nagindas Khajuria By email

Bharat tara ketla naam

Dr. Naginbhai Patel has rightly lamented divisive forces indulging in anti-national and unsavory language towards current situation in India.

Much noise is made in the name of religion to provoke public sentiments. Dr. Patel has enumerated various names to our nation by our ancestors. e.g., Aryavarta, Bharatkhand, Sindhu, Revahand/Jamboodvip etc.

Later, foreigners added names such as Hindu, Indie, India and Hindustan. But none of these names denoted attachment to religion, but denoted ocean, river, country of Hindus, country of Aryans and country of King Bharat. We must stress that religion practiced all through was named as Sanatan Dharma or Vedic Dharma.

Muslims named religion in order to convert. British rulers injected religion to convert and or divide and rule. They trained civil servants to become brown sahibs who can be controlled from Parliament in London. Congress party was founded to be such gang of brown sahibs. Unfortunately for British, the same brown sahibs drove British out of India, but obedience to rulers is not eradicated post-independence. This is the cause of psychopathic opposition by opposition party to anything and everything Hindu. Modiji and various organizations must inculcate name of country as INDIA. Ramesh Jhalla By email

Exchange of Civilities

While the daggers out in the media for some prominent people caught up in the Panama papers saga, and their woes, let us digress from that issue and concentrate on ABPL’s forthcoming award ceremony in appreciation of regular letter writers.

Summer will soon be upon us and and many of us will want to make plans for the well deserved holiday to a sun kissed spot somewhere away from the cold and damp climes of these shores! In order that our holiday dates do not clash with the award ceremony, it will be helpful if we have an inclination of when the ceremony will take place.

This would also provide us with an opportunity to put the face to the names which we are so accoustmed to.

We can then share views and opinions face to face and also meet representatives of both AV and GS. I would be glad to make acquaintace with CB, Rupanjana, Kamalbhai and others while enjoying ABPL’s hospitality in the form of a cuppa at Hoxton House!

I must reiterate that ABPL has been at the forefront in recognising talent and rewarding achivement. Asian Achievers’ Awards (AAA) and Asian Voice Charity Awards (AVCA), among many others, are examples of this! This pioneering initiative is not matched by any other weekly magazine or newsletter, be it in English or in other languages. It is therefore appropriate for AV and GS to reward their letter writers with a certificate of merit.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Brexit

I read the article by Nishitbhai which I found to be very informative.It made me proud that young people are giving their views and opinions on issues such as the EU Referendum.This is an important time for all of us and we must make sure that all generations understand why they are voting.My opinion is pro-Brexit but I think there needs to be more guidance and advice for those who are still unsure.Anyway great read and I'm sure more young people will want to be part of this debate as it will be their future which will be moulded by the outcome.

Sunil Shah By email

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Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

11

Hindus welcome “heart change” of Vikas Pota, Convener of the Global Teacher Prize, awarded Honorary Degree Oxford Theology to include Hinduism Honoured for services to global education Vikas Pota, Chief Executive of the Varkey Foundation, was awarded an honorary degree by Aston University last month, just over a week after the Foundation awarded the US$1M Global Teacher Prize to Hanan Al Hroub, from Samiha Khalil High School, Al-Bireh, Palestine.

He was awarded the Honorary DSc at Birmingham Town Hall today in the university’s degree ceremony for his services to global education. Previous of recipients of honourary degrees from Aston University include Andy Street, Managing Director of John Lewis, The Right Hon Lord Heseltine of Thenford and Evan Davis, BBC journalist and presenter.

This year’s graduation ceremonies are of particular significance as 2016 marks the 50th Anniversary of Aston as university. Aston was granted its Royal Charter on 22nd April 1966, completing the transformation from a College of Advanced Technology into a university.

Professor Dame Julia King, Vice Chancellor and Chair of Senate at Aston University, said: “We are delighted to award an Honorary Degree to Vikas Pota. His achievements are immense, and he is highly regarded and recognised around the world for his work with the Varkey Foundation, supporting and encouraging teachers globally, and rallying political leaders and the private sector to education initiatives. We are proud of Vikas Pota as an Aston graduate, and look forward to his continuing engagement with the University”.

The not for profit Varkey Foundation runs the Global Teacher Prize, which was set up to honour one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession as well as to shine a spotlight on the important role teachers play in society. Now in its second year, the US$1 million award is the largest prize of its kind.

This year’s prize, awarded on the 13th March, was announced via a special video message from His Holiness Pope Francis. As well as the announcement by the Pope, video messages of congratulations were featured in the ceremony from US Vice President Joe Biden and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.

As well as overseeing the Global Teacher Prize, Vikas also commissioned and co-wrote the Global

Hindus have welcomed the change of heart of Oxford University for reportedly including Hinduism in the Theology course.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, called it a step in the positive direction, although it came very late.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, indicated that Oxford seemed to have finally recognized that religion encompassed much more than one’s own particular tradition or personal experience.

Rajan Zed further said that a deeper, inclusive and broader understanding of religion was needed.

Oxford seemed to have begun taking the religion seriously, had started coming out of the “selective” mode and appeared to be making efforts towards including “others”, Zed added.

According to reports, Oxford’s Theology degree curriculum will now include Hinduism. Its undergraduate in “Theology and Religion” now includes Sanskrit and Hinduism.

Course content of its Masters' Degrees in Study of Religions also includes Hinduism.

Rajan Zed

“Theology and Religion at Oxford is embracing wholeheartedly the challenges of the 21st century with the opportunity to study all the major world religions and their primary languages”, an announcement says.

Letter Writers' Meet

Vikas Pota with his mother

Teacher Status Index - the first comprehensive attempt to measure teacher status across the world.

The Foundation seeks to improve global teacher capacity and promotes universal access to quality education. Through the Foundation, Vikas has pioneered an ambitious programme to train 250,000 teachers across Africa that is winning plaudits from Government and NGO leaders across the region.

He is is also the convener of the Global Education & Skills Forum (GESF), which takes place annually in Dubai and has become known as the 'Davos of Education' due to its laser-like focus on finding practical solutions to solve some of the world's pressing education problems.

Vikas serves on a number of UNESCO international education panels, including the Girls & Female Education Panel, the Teachers Task Force and the Global Alliance of Corporate Partners for Education As a result of his achievements, Vikas was named by the World Economic Forum as a 'Young Global Leader' in 2013. This honour is bestowed each year to recognise the most distinguished leaders under the age of 40, nominated from around the world. Previous YGLs include Larry Page, Mark Zuckerberg and David Cameron.

Vikas is the author of 'India Inc: How India's Top Ten Entrepreneurs Are Winning Globally'. He

is regularly asked to provide media commentary on subjects ranging from education, skills and entrepreneurship to Indian economic and public policy issues. He has appeared in many major news outlets.

In response to the award, Vikas said: “I am delighted to receive this award and honoured that Dame Julia and the distinguished Senate of Aston University have chosen me for this recognition. It is particularly gratifying as Aston University is renowned throughout the world for both its leading edge research and for its world-class teaching quality, with such strong links to industry, government and commerce.”

Three postgraduate and foundation degree ceremonies in total took place at the grade-1 listed landmark today, which first opened as a music hall in 1834. Students from across Aston’s four Schools were commended for their hard work.

During the ceremonies, the University awarded nine honorary degrees to leading individuals in fields such as business, banking, healthcare, politics and education - eight of whom studied at Aston and are alumni of the university. Honorary degree recipients that joined Vikas Pota include Barbara Cattell, Professor the Honourable Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, Sultan Choudhury, Santrupt Misra, Professor Kevin Morley, Viswas Raghavan, Shriti Vadera and Haresh Vaswani.

Letter writers have been an important part of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar right from the beginning.

On Monday (27th June, 2016) between 5pm and 7.30pm, letter writers will be able to meet each other at the Houses of Parliament. Please make a note of the date and time.

Send at the earliest information about yourself, your preferred subjects in your letters, etc. to the Editor, so as to help us prepare adequately.

This information should be supplied latest by 20th May, 2016.

12

MEDIA WATCH

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Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

The recently released Panama Letters by a Panama-based law firm, Mossack Fonseca has set the cat among the pigeons in India and a host of other countries, including top leaders in Brazil and Argentina. The big Indian names doing the rounds include Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and his high profile daughter-in-law Aiswarya Rai. Vinod Adani, elder brother of Industrialist Gautam Adani and other prominent businessmen have also been named. All these individuals have protested their innocence, but the story promises to run and run, leaving established reputations ruined, perhaps forever.

Tax havens for the super Amitabh Bachchan rich have been named.

The wealthiest elite whose financial holdings are calculated in trillions of dollars have a penchant for dodging their tax obligations. Wealthy beyond imagining, their insensate greed defies rational explanation. The global financial system was rotten to the core, pronounced Professor Richard Wolff of Massachusetts University. He pointed to the Wall Street crash of 2008, predicting and something similar by the end of this year or in early 2017

Modi gets moving

The Indian government has set up a multi-agency probe into the offshore holdings of about 500 of India’s richest men and women, all in strenuous denial of any wrongdoing. Standard stuff, it would appear. The can of worms should reveal more i8n the fullness of time (Times of India April 5)

RBI rate cut

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)has cut the benchmark repo rate by 25 bases points to 6.5 per cent, with an assurance from RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan that monetary position will ‘remain accommodating.’ Bankers said that the comment signalled the RBI’s intent to keep the door open for further rate cuts, as and when appropriate.

Easier loans

The rate cut is designed to facilitate ease the cost of borrowing for automobiles and home buyers.

The RBI said the easing price pressures had had been key in determining policy and cited ‘government’s effective supply side measures keeping a check on food prices and the government’s commendable commitment to fiscal consolidation.’ Retail inflation slowed to 5.18 in February following an acceleration over the previous six months.

Liquidity boost

To give banks greater comfort, RBI reduced the cash proportion of banks’ reserves requirements that must be deposited with the RBI from 95 per cent to 90 per cent, while also pledging to inject more long-term liquidity. RBI

said it would inject more ‘durable’ liquidity over the next 12 months by buying bonds through open market operations or by buying dollars and selling rupees on a monthly basis (Hindu, Mint April 6)

Mobile banking

The value of transactions through smart phones has surged in recent months as banks have encouraged businesses to manage their finances using mobile phones and mobile usage among retail customers. The value of such transactions surged 82 per cent over the SeptemberDecember quarter. For State Bank of India, the average size of a banking transaction on its mobile platform has jumped fivefold since the bank introduced two applications for its corporate customers. Private sector lender Axis Bank Ltd has about 2.4 million customers who transact the mobile platform, which also includes SME clients (Mint March 28)

South India leads

South Indian institutes top streams across engineering, management, pharmacy. IIT Madras tops the list of engineering colleges, IIM, Bangalore is the best among management institutes, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences is in first position in the field, while the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore leads in pure sciences (Times of India April 5)

BrahMos leads An interview with the CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace bulged with information on the world’s only supersonic cruise missile, a joint venture between India and Russia in which scientists and engineers from both countries have worked closely to manufacture a uniquely lethal product with a range of 290 kilometres. Aboard the Sukhoi MKI 30 fighter bomber which can fly for 3000 kilometres, the

BrahMos missile

BrahMos can target any site from the air. Naval and land versions of the missile are already in service with the Navy and Army respectively.

Hypersonic BrahMos

Apart from upgrades, plans are afoot to design and manufacture a hypersonic BrahMos missile with a Mach 7 speed (seven times the speed of sound). A list of countries to whom BrahMos can be exported is to be drawn up by the governments of India and Russia.

Building for the future

India is presently engaged in the construction of two additional aircraft carriers in the Kochi shipyard, plus Delhi class destroyers. Its Project 751 will include features from Russia’s Amur 1650 submarines. If the ‘Make in India’ fructifies in the next five years, with weapons acquisitions reduced to 40 pert cent from the present 70 per cent and domestic production reaching 70 per cent, more than a million new high skilled jobs are likely to be created.

Kolkata flyover collapse

A flyover in north Kolkata collapsed killing 24 people and injuring many more. The con-

former CPI (M)-led Left Front government awarded the company the contract seven years ago, when the present Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was in the opposition. A similar disaster occurred on a flyover to the airport. Fortunately, the accident occurred in the early hours of the morning when the volume of traffic was low. Prime Minister Modi’s accusation against the Mamata Benerjee government during election campaign in the State Assembly polls is unlikely to yield the desired dividends for the BJP. Bengal has been hostile territory for the party.

Meanwhile, arrests have followed in Hyderabad and in Kolkata from among the firm’s senior management (Times of India March 31, April 9)

Life sentences for Mumbai bombers

A special court in Mumbai has sentenced three jihadis – Muzamull Ansari (mastermind), Wahid Ansari and Farhan Khot to life terms for the bomb blasts in the city in 2002-03. Ten year prison sentences were handed down to Saquib Nachan, Ateef Mullah, Hasib Mullah and Ghulam Khotal. Noor Malik, Anwar Ali and Muhammed Kamil were sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. Three men were released (Hindu April 7)

Pakistan envoy calls off dialogue

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India called an abrupt end to the Indo-Pakistan peace talks, leaving the mandarins of the External Affairs Ministry speechless.The wheels of India’s Pakistan policy are coming off. Prime Minister Modi’s stopover at Lahore for a birthday bash at Premier Nawaz Sharif’s home has had what can only be described as a disastrous fallout. Personalized diplomacy without sufficient forethought and planning can only hit the rocks. The Aam Aadmi party of Arvind Kejriwal, bit between its teeth is leading the anti-Modi

Defence modernization

The Indian Express Defexpo supplement (March 28) covered the full gamut of India’s defence industry. The ‘Make in India’ mantra appears to have taken hold, with the Reliance Group about to set up a world class naval ship-building facility for strategic platforms at Rambili along the east coast near Visakhapatnam. According to the projections by the group, the Indian Navy is estimated to spend Rs 3 lakh crore on acquisitions and fleet modernization of submarines and aircraft carriers over the next 15 years creating opportunities for the Reliance Group.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Chess move pays off Russian President Vladimir Putin out-foxed the United States and its EU allies with some audacious diplomacy backed by formidable military muscle – display of grand strategy at the highest level. Syria was where Russia showed its prowess. For two years the United States kept dragging its feet in bombing Islamic Caliphate bases, arms dumps and oil pipelines leading to Turkey. The Russian military intervention was swift and devastating. Russian air sorties in a day exceeded America’s in an entire month. On the ground, the once beleaguered Syrian Army started making headway against Islamic Caliphate and Westernbacked Syrian opposition. The Western media lied through their teeth on the changing situation on the ground. When the ancient city of Palmyra was retaken by President Assad’s forces, the truth could no longer be hidden under a mountain of lies. Using Islamist jihadis has long been a ploy of American administrations and the European satraps (Hindu March 28)

Naidu seeks UK investment

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu sought UK investment for the State’s new capital, Amaravati, during a visit to London.

The British Museum’s treasure-trove of Buddhist monuments and sculptures from the ancient site of Amaravati floored the visiting Chief Minister. Dazzled by the artchitectural gems superbly preserved by the British Museum, Chief Minister Naidu said that ancient Amaravati would be the inspiration for its modern avatar, which he hoped would take its place among the world’s top ten cities. He said the Amaravati treasures were best kept in London for the benefit of humanity (Hindu March 14).

Scene from film on Srinivasa Ramanujan with Jeremy Irons and Dev Patel. see comment page 3

Kolkata flyover collapse

tractor for the project was a Hyderabad-based company with a dubious reputation, having been placed on a blacklist by Indian Railways. Despite this, the

charge. Others are certain to join the bandwagon. There are dark days ahead for the Indian Prime Minister, (Times of India April 8, Hindu April 8, 9)

US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter in India with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. see comment page 3

UK Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

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13

I will take on the extremists, says Sadiq Khan How Government’s Engage in the Fight for Your Talent – and How To Win I write to you from Mumbai having shown Their Royal Highnesses around some of the UK Venture Capital firms visiting India, and introducing them to the UK Government’s Head of Venture Capital investments into the UK – my wife!

The two scarcest resources on earth are not diamonds or oil, but money and blood – or to be specific entrepreneurial gene.

Governments around the world are in a fierce war to capture as much of those genes as possible.

No longer are we in the age of Empire where you could just capture wealth. And as the age of commodities diminishes out of exhaustion or environment, so the age of intellectual property means the wealthiest

nations are those producing the most intellectual property.

This not good news for the Middle East. But it’s great news if you are an entrepreneur. You who convert capital and your DNA into intellectual property for wealth creation of your countries.

Take Britain, in one sense just another small island off the coast of mainland Europe, yet unlike Iceland, a major global force. It is post Empire – with its Foreign and Commonwealth Office directed to work with its Investment and Trade Departments to ensure they attract capital and entrepreneurial talent to the Kingdom.

For more information please see page 16

Londoners need to make their voices heard

Continued from page 3

We need a mayor who is committed to funding our transport network as Zac has done; unlike his Labour opponent whose plan to freeze fares will leave a £1.9 billion scar in our transport system.

We need a mayor who will deal with the housing crisis in London by using brownfield sites but who will also protect our green spaces. Too many young

people can’t get on the housing ladder at the moment and Zac wants to change that, but he also doesn’t want to make our City less desirable to live in.

But we also need a mayor who can keep costs under control, keep council tax down and who can stand up to the Unions.

Ken Livingstone, Jeremy Corbyn and Sadiq Khan are peas from the same Islington-grown pod; unfunded spending com-

mitments, high taxes and giving carte blanche to the Unions.

The next London Mayor will be in charge of a £600 billion economy, a 32,000 strong police force, and a transport system that handles 24 million journeys every single day. I hope the 600,000 strong British Indian community in London makes their voice heard on the 5th May, and support Zac Goldsmith.

Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan has sent a mailshot to every household in London this week declaring that he was the “British Muslim who’ll take on the extremists”.

Sadiq Khan’s statement is the latest example of how he is putting his faith at the forefront of his campaign.

If Mr Khan wins on May 5, his election would represent a triumph for Britain’s Muslims as well as the maturity of the population. He led one poll by 10 points in a run-off against his Tory rival Zac Goldsmith, according to a survey.

A media report said in a

speech last month he stressed the importance of encouraging “the majority of mainstream British Muslims to speak out and challenge the extremists”, because they are in the most effective position to do so.

Identity politics have threatened to dominate the London mayoral contest, with Khan and Goldsmith accused of “using the race card” and exploiting — for opposing purposes — the Labour challenger’s religion.

The Times report said Goldsmith was criticised for allegedly trying to make an issue of Khan’s Muslim

faith by describing him in a leaflet as “radical and divisive”. Khan accused him in return of “divisive dog whistle” politics.

The 28-year-old victim was named locally as

Sahil Roy, pictured, and neighbours described how he was attacked in a “petty row over a few pounds”, just yards from the flat he shared with his family.

He is said to have been pushed to the ground and stabbed in the neck before his attackers fled.

Witnesses and friends told how the victim’s mother sobbed by his side as she cradled him while he lay in the road.

Sadiq Khan

Man stabbed to death in 'petty row over a few pounds' A man died after being slashed across the throat following a “petty” argument in west London on Monday.

Police were called to a housing estate in Isleworth at 4pm yesterday following reports of a stabbing in the street.

Officers found a man collapsed in the road and fought for over an hour to save him but he was pronounced dead at 5.18pm.

14 COMMUNITY

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India Connect

AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

Indian Passport Indian Passports are issued with a validity of 10 years (except in the case of children up to the age of 15 years where it is initially issued for a validity of 5 years).

Wherever any change is to be effected in personal particulars in the laminated pages of the Passport, a new Passport needs to be obtained as the practice of hand written endorsements in the existing Passport has been done away with.

Similarly, a new passport needs to be obtained where the existing Passports have run out of available pages.

Applications for Passport Services should be submitted in person with prior appointment at the authorised Indian Visa & Consular Application Centres. If, due to any reason, an applicant is not in a position to apply in person, only an immediate family member (Spouse or blood relatives) can apply on behalf of an applicant with a proper authority letter authorizing the immediate family member (Spouse or blood relatives) to apply on applicant’s behalf. The immediate family member will be required to produce this authority letter and his/her original passport/identity paper/document establishing the proof of his/her relationship with the applicant while submitting the application on behalf of the applicant.

Jurisdiction information Applicants residing in the consular jurisdictions of the High Commission of India, London are advised to submit their applications at any of the 3 offices in London (Goswell Road, Hounslow and London - Paddington), Bristol, Cardiff and Belfast. Such applicants must select UK- London as Jurisdiction, while filling the application form Online for Indian Passport Services.

Applicants residing in the consular jurisdiction of Consulate General of India, Birmingham are advised to submit their applications at offices in Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Leicester, Bradford and Newcastle. Such applicants must select UK- Birmingham as Jurisdiction, while filling the application form Online for Indian Passport Services.

Applicants residing in the consular jurisdiction of Consulate General of India, Edinburgh are advised to submit their applications in Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Such applicants must select UKEdinburgh as Jurisdiction, while filling the application form Online for Indian Passport Services.

Passport services offered by the Indian Visa & Consular Application Centre in UK are: l Re-issue of passport on expiry of full validity passport or on exhaustion of pages or change of name/surname/signature or change/addition/deletion of name of spouse or change of address. l Re-issue of short validity passport.

Issue of fresh passport in lieu of

lost/stolen/damaged passport. l Issue of first time passport to a new born child.

Passports for Children under 16 years (Minor Child) l ‘Minor applicants renewing their passports (Under 16) should have a duly filled and signed Declaration for change of appearance and consent for minor applicants with their application documents.

The current Passport having valid Visa or Residence Permit is required to be enclosed with self-attested photocopies of pages containing detailed passport particulars, Visa page and the page containing observation (s), if any. In case the latest Passport is additional booklet(s) issued to the original Passport, the additional booklet(s) plus the original Passport must be furnished. l Original Passports of both the parents are required to be furnished at the time of submission of application for issue of Passport for a child and self-attested photocopies of Passports/visa of both parents are also required to be submitted along with the application form for the minor child’s Passport. l While applying in person for minor, both parents have to be present themselves at the counter. If one of the parents is unable to come to visit the office, then an authority/consent letter should be given by the parent not appearing, authorizing the other parent to apply alone. This is addition to the required affidavit and signatures on page 2 of the application form. l If either of the parents holds a foreign nationality, then a letter from the concerned Embassy or Mission of that country or from the concerned UK authority (in case of British national) stating that the child has not acquired nationality of his / her parent would be required. l Marriage Certificate (original and copy) of the parents is mandatory for all minors, along with the full version birth certificate of the child (original and copy). l For all children under 5 years of age, THUMB IMPRESSION should be given, in the signature box, however children aged 5 years and above should write the name in the Signature Box. Applications for minor children at the time of renewal or fresh passport application: l Consent of both parents is required in the form of Annexure – H Declaration of Parent/Guardian for Minor Passports. l In case of single parent’s, Annexure – C Affidavit for a Passport of a Minor Child by either parent (who are separated but not formally divorced) or Annexure – G Declaration of Parent/Guardian for Minor Passports (one parent not given consent) form will be applicable, as the case may be in Lieu of Annexure - H http://www.vfsglobal.com/India/UK/N EW_Indian_Passport.html

For more information please contact us on our helpline numbers: +44 203 793 8629 / +44 203 695 9849 Monday – Friday 8:30 – 17:30 (except for Consular Holiday)

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Sevashram Sangha hosts series of lectures on Hinduism First Lecture: The Regeneration of Hinduism

By Chameli Meir The Sevashram Sangha under the guidance of Swami Nirliptananda Ji will be hosting a series of lectures on Hinduism in connection with the centenary year celebration of BHARAT SEVASHRAM SANGHA. The first lecture took place on the 9th April 2016 at 4pm with a full audience eagerly waiting for it to begin. It started with Swamiji, (Swami Nirliptananda) performing a short prayer starting with OM. The MC, Bharti Tailor, who is the executive director of the Hindu forum of Europe and Belgium, apologised for the absence of of Mr C B Patel but assured us that he will be present at the second lecture. She then introduced the speaker Professor Jatindra Saha, BSc Hons, MSc, MS, PhD, CPhys, MInstP, MBNES who is a scholar of Hinduism and Vedic Philosophy, especially Vedanta and Science.

Next Professor Jatindra Saha started the lecture by conveying that the prime objective of Hinduism is to “know thyself”, to know who you are and to discover your true identity. It is his opinion that Hinduism is about the quest for truth, not belief.

Professor Jatindra said that Hinduism is about explaining things and that it’s also about the goal of human life.

He stated that Hinduism is much science as it is philosophy. He believes that the Atman is the coordinator of everything, which I found a very interesting indeed.

Swami Nirliptananda pictured with Jatindra Saha and Bharti Tailor

Professor Jatindra Saha comes from a very scientific background and his scientific knowledge and delivery was very impres-

lating as he did. Bharti Tailor then informed us that the second lecture will be on the 14th May at 16:00 – 17:30pm and that

sive and he had the audience enraptured the whole time. This was very evident in the Question and Answers session that followed after Professor Jatindra finished his lecture. There were lots of intelligent questions from the audience and the discussions that took place were so intriguing and it really got me thinking and questioning things myself.

Lastly the event ended with Swamiji thanking everyone for coming and that he hoped everyone found the lecture as stimu-

it will be on the Origin, Action and Fundamental teachings of Hinduism.

The event ended with social mingling, teas, biscuits, and it was so nice to see an array or people from all over the world still engrossed in the subject and carrying on their own discussions amongst them.

I thought the first lecture was a great success and very thought provoking. I look forward to the second one but my only wish would be that more young people like myself turn up too.

Audience

Appeal to trace missing man Thames Valley Police is appealing for the public’s assistance to trace a missing man who has links to Slough.

Sandeep Flora, pictured, aged 27, was last seen at around 4.14pm Monday at Littlemore Mental Health Centre in Oxford. Sandeep is approximately 5ft 8ins tall, with black hair, a goatee style black beard and dark brown eyes. He often wears

hazel coloured contact lenses. He was last seen wearing a baseball cap, a black Adidas top, blue denim jeans and Nike

trainers. He is carrying a black Adidas rucksack with a gold logo.

Sandeep has links to Slough and Staines.

Investigating officer Sgt Alex Field, based at Cowley police station, said: “I would like to speak to anyone who has any information about Sandeep Flora’s whereabouts or anyone who thinks they may have seen him to contact police immediately.”

Corbyn’s office ‘blocks Livingstone from appearing on TV’ Ken Livingstone, pictured, the former Mayor of London, is being blocked from appearing on TV by Jeremy members of Corbyn’s inner circle, who fear he has become “uncontrollable”.

The Labour leader’s office has reportedly been calling producers on the

BBC’s top political shows and insisting that Livingstone does not appear or he be removed.

Also, it is understood that there are no plans to deploy Livingstone in the London mayoral race despite his credentials or ask him to appear in Labour’s local election

campaign, a report in the Daily Telegraph said.

SP

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List of successful Indian Muslims AsianVoiceNews

Muslims are not persecuted in India (the Indian subcontinent is not a country) as claimed by Trevor Phillips, former Chairman of Equality and Human Rights Commission. The list given below are that of successful Muslims who have made it big in India where Hindus are in huge majority. This is a testimony to India's unity in diversity and speaks volumes of its rich heritage, democracy and the nation being governed by its Constitution where every citizen is treated equally and gets equal opportunity to progress in life. The list is only a tip of the iceberg.

Zakir Husain, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed

and A P J Abdul Kalam had served as India’s President.

This is no mean an achievement for an Indian Muslim. Abdul Kalam, in fact, played a leading role in developing India’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programme.

Muslims are among India’s most prominent cricketers – Tiger Pataudi, Mohammed Azharuddin, Syed Kirmani, Zaheer Khan, Md Shami, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Wasim Jaffer, Md Kaif, etc.

Muslims are an integral part of every facet of Bollywood, which is dominated by Khans (Shah Rukh, Salman, Aamir, Saif Ali). Yesteryear star Dilip Kumar (Yousuf Khan) too is a Muslim. Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan, Farhaan Akhtar are other popular and notable actors, among others.

During his time singer Mohammed Rafi (Indian Muslim) was the most sought-after playback singer.

Naushad Ali (Indian Muslim) still remains one of the most respected musicians of Bollywood. A bhajan (mana tarapat hari darshan ko aaj…) – from the black and white film Baiju Baawra – written by Shakeel Badayuni (Indian Muslim), composed by Naushad Ali and rendered

by Md Rafi still remains everyone’s favourite Krishna bhajan. Where else in the world will Muslims get such religious participation and accolades at the same time?

Chief Election C o m m i s s i o n e r : Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi.

Chief Justice of India: Mohammad Hidayatullah was the 11th Chief Justice of India and the sixth Vice-

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President of India. He had also served as the Acting President of India. He is regarded as an eminent jurist, scholar, educationist, author and linguist.

Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi was the 26th Chief Justice of India, while Altamas Kabir was the 39th Chief Justice of India.

Justice M Fathima Beevi was the first female judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court of India (1989) and the first Muslim woman to be appointed to any higher judiciary. She is the first woman judge of a Supreme Court in India and Asia. On her retirement from the court she served as a member of the National Human Rights Commission and as Governor in Tamil Nadu.

Central Ministers: So many (over 91), including Mahommedali Currim Chagla, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Abdul Rahman Antulay, Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Salman Khurshid, etc.

Several Chief Ministers Industrialist and philanthropist: Azim Premji,

the founder of Wipro, a software giant. Yusuff Ali M A is an Indian businessman from Kerala. He is the Managing Director of Abu Dhabi-headquartered EMKE LuLu Group of companies that owns the Lulu Hypermarket chain in Middle East.

Music Directors: Oscar winner A R Rehman, Khayyam, etc.

Lyricists: Shakeel Badayuni, Javed Akhtar, Hasrat Jaipuri, Kaifi Azmi, etc.

Sir Mohammed Iqbal, a Muslim poet, wrote the lyrics of arguably the most patriotic song in India that celebrates “Hindustan” as the best nation in the world.

Bollywood Actresses: Meena Kumari, Nargis and Madhubala ruled the silver screen for decades. All were Muslims. Shabana Azmi is a legend. Katrina Kaif is one of the most sought-after actresses today.

Tennis star Sania Mirza is a huge sensation in India and Pakistan.

Table maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain and his father Allah Rakha have been legends during their lifetime.

Resul Pookutty is an Indian film sound designer, sound editor and mixer. He won an Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire.

Eminent Journalists: M J Akbar, Saeed Naqvi, etc.

TLIGHT

Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

15

You won’t get anywhere if you don’t try; the more you do the better you become

Sunetra Senior

“I believe anyone can be a comic artist,” Kripa, the Nepali-born illustrator of uniquely fantastical graphic series, Miss Moti, told us. “As long as you have a story, the technique – the format of the comic layout can be learnt. Of course it also helps if you have a signature style. ” With her protagonist being the plus-size and proud Miss Moti – the widely recognised South-Asian word for ‘fat’ - and the trajectory of her amusing adventures always dissolving into a sort of delicious, dream-like drama, Kripa’s own colourful cartoons tick all the creative boxes. Whether she is floating away on a tempting candy cloud in the stairwell, or rescuing her favourite film heroine from crime on the NY streets, the message of Miss Moti is to “own your physical attributes, and to never let them hold you back.” *** This is reflective of the otherwise chirpy cartoonist’s own struggle with a negative body image. She went on to say: “there is a double meaning to the word ‘Moti’: she is also a character I use to ‘moti’vate myself, and it refers to that. I draw to inspire the many women who are facing the ridiculous superficial standards placed on them, but primarily to inspire myself.” And Kripa’s experience of deeply entrenched anxiety does not stop there: “it was very difficult when I had my daughter in 2013. I suffered from a form of post-natal depression where I was so overcome with worry it would be a challenge to make the simplest of decisions. I remember staring in an aisle for an hour, not knowing which shampoo to buy…” The poignancy of wanting an escape from the everyday is certainly underlying in Kripa’s ‘Miss Moti’, but it is by no means the final sentiment. Her comic currently being showcased in the excellent ‘Comix Creatrix: 100 Women’ exhibition at the ‘House of Illustration’ in King’s Cross, as well as her having been the co-editor for leading, feminist comic digest ‘The Strumpet’, and the recipient of the Fulbright scholarship to the NY School of Visual Arts before that, there can be no denying this talented ink-smith has accomplished as much as she has persevered. And that is what ultimately emanates in the capers of her full-figured heroine. Empowerment comes from facing the emotional complexities of life. As Kripa herself added, “it is about overcoming all the adversity and achieving what you didn’t think possible.” Negotiating through the often blurry, grey areas – a process the artist made sure to emphasise is always ongoing – Kripa has produced a beautiful and well-defined character. Indeed in yet another spin on the noun ‘Moti’ (by varying the pronunciation), the creator’s equally vibrant blog informs us, ‘the word also means ‘pearl.’

Tell us more about Miss Moti's character?

As well as on me, she is based on my mother. She also struggles with weight but has never let that stop her. As a communication officer, she would walk for days to go to remote villages in Nepal. ‘Miss Moti’s’ technical and stylistic inspiration came from my grad thesis which was a series of paintings looking into body image issues, using the colour and print portraiture of Indian Mogul paintings. There is one instalment in particular (pictured) that critiqued the terminology of people comparing each other to animals E.g. fat as a hippo. I wanted to expose the irony where the animal themselves don’t care how they appear! So an original version of Moti has her standing by the pool looking self-conscious, while the bigger picture of creatures frolicking and being free are depicted in a gold border. At the same time I was attending a history of comics class where I was discovering the world of comics for the first time: Miss Moti was a culmination of it all.

Please describe your style?

It is sort of Magical Realist where the set-up is fantasy versus reality: I leave it to the reader to decide which. Miss Moti’s outings are also urban because she was created in New York, but the drawings are characterised by the thick black lines and colour you find in Nepali Maithali paintings. Over time they became

collage-type drawings, and Indian comic Amruta Patil who uses Indian mythology, pioneering the epicnarrative style comic in India.

less flat and more dimensional to give more drama, and inherited this Picasso-esque feel.

And what do you find most appealing about the comic medium?

That it’s versatile. You can have different combinations of words and pictures: my illustrations, for example, are wordless. It allows readers to connect with the emotion and that transcends language barriers. You can also take your time in a comic— slow it down, stretch it out. The pace is in your hands- in that sense it does what perhaps, a film, cannot.

Who are some of your comic inspirations?

Early 20th century comic artist Winsor McCay with his creation ‘Little Nemo’; Chris Ware for his page design and colour.Also contemporary artists such as Philippa Rice with her cardboard

What’s been the toughest part of your journey?

Fighting post-natal depression; I have an official comic instalment called ‘Miss Motivation’ which runs in the Nepali Times, offering inspiring quotes.

Everything you do is tinged with guilt. If you’re at home with the children, you feel you’re not doing enough with your education; when you’re at work you’re constantly thinking about child and missing them.

Finally, what would be your advice to other young comic artists?

Get yourself out there. There are many different ways: artists at Comic Con sell their own Xeroxed self-published copies, print web comics. You can also submit to different anthologies which helps share the burden of financing and self-motivation. See yourself as professional: don’t be afraid of rejection. You won’t get anywhere if you don’t try, and the more you do the better you become. Also, there is no shame in starting small.

Social media can help you test the water.

www.missmoti.com twitter.com/missmoti

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Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

Who was Satish Dhawan?

Bhupendra Jasani

Asian Voice covered a story in February this year entitled 'King’s College seeks further funds from India for establishing Satish Dhawan Chair in Space Bhupendrabhai Policy' Jasani has written a short piece on Professor Satish Dhawan in the hopes that it will help to attract some interest to establish a Professorial, Chair in the name of Dhawan, at King's College London.

Professor Satish Dhawan, born in Srinagar India on 25 September 1920 and died on 3 January 2002, was the architect of a very successful Indian Space Programme. Not only this but he had trained many highly competent scientists, to name two, Professor K Kasturirangan (former Chairman of ISRO) and Dr A J P Abdul Kalam, in charge of launcher and missile programmes and who eventually became the President of India.

He was educated at the University of Punjab, India, University of Minneapolis and California Institute of Technology, USA. His efforts led to operational systems like telecommunications satellites, the India Remote Sensing satellite and the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

The latter launched the Indian Lunar and Mars

Professor Satish Dhawan

probes and more recently the sixth of the seven navigation satellites. His academic qualifications were exceptional with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and a Bachelor of Science in physics, followed by a Master of Arts in mathematics. In addition he had a Bachelor of Engineering in mechanical engineering, a Master of Science in aerospace engineering and then double PhDs in mathematics and aerospace engineering. In spite such achievements, he was an unassuming man.

Apart from his roles as an organisation builder and deeply committed to India’s development, Professor Dhawan was, above all, a humanist who saw high technology, as a way of transforming societies. He believed that space capabilities should be used to uplift the lives of the people in remote villages and rural communities of India and other in parts of the developing

world. Moreover, he had recognised that remote sensing could also be used to improve international relations particularly when used under an international regime. Through international collaboration on development oriented initiatives, the world would be a better and safer place to live in.

King’s College London wishes to establish a Chair (see my previous article (Asian Voice, 06022016 and Gujarat Samachar 13022016) and explore how advanced space technologies can be used for the greater good of all and achieve some of Dhawan’s ideals. We will draw on the humanitarian aims of the Indian Space programme to underpin the work of the Chair. Each year, the College will invite a distinguished academic or a figure with experience in the application of space technology, to examine some of the key issues in the field.

The resulting in-depth study will then be disseminated through published papers, lectures and teaching.

The late Sir Arthur C Clarke wrote to Bhupendra Jasani: "We will take no frontiers into space. There is evidence that some nations are still attempting to do just that, making the heavens unsafe for us all.

King's work is tremendously important to ensure that outer space remains the Commons of all mankind."

UKTI Global Entrepreneur Programme Supported Company Announces Investment After Meeting Royal Couple After meeting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Mumbai at the ‘Young E n t r e p r e n e u r s Networking’ where Their Royal Highnesses met some of India’s most innovative companies including those backed by Anand Mahindra and Mohandas Pai, aReputation, an online reputation management company based in India and UK, announced an investment of $2m to expand their UK operations and expand their HQ in the UK. The Duke in his speech thanked the companies investing in the UK, saying: “It is a matter of great satisfaction, seeing companies having faith in the UK economy. Economic cooperation is the cornerstone of a prosperous nation.

Both Britain and India will benefit from this association.”

Rajat Khare, one of the leading investors in aReputation, thanked the Royal couple for their words of support and the work of UKTI’s Global Entrepreneur Programme

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David Cameron in the eye of the storm that is the sheer hypocrisy of the British media

By Yogesh Patel There is a difference between Asian Voice and the British newspapers.

CB Patel has vowed not to publish a certain type of advertisements. In its grand hypocrisy, the British national newspapers on a lynching jaunt on the Prime Minister David Cameron cannot see that they make money out of advertising products and companies offering the guides and advice on how to avoid inheritance tax. Go to The Telegraph and other sites, to their money pages, and see for yourself. I have attended a free seminar at The Telegraph with St James Place sponsored by them. Therefore, I am not talking a fiction here. It makes us wonder, what all this fuss is about where there is no story and yet there is a strenuous effort in creating a story out of twisted logic of morality on tax, peddled by everyone as the right thing to do for the Prime Minister.

Same journalists will have no hesitation in taking advantage of these rules on the inheritance tax if they had the similar opportunity available. The inheritance tax also can be questioned as an immoral tax under the moral philosophy. In one facet of the argument, how is it moral to tax someone's wealth they created for their children by working and paying the tax due or not on the income as per the rules applied at the time? It creates a tax on the taxed money passed on. To save as much tax as you can within rules is a human right. The illegal tax avoidance isn’t.

The culture in the UK is to loathe businesses and people who are successful in creating wealth.

However, everyone wants to get rich quick and be a celebrity. They want to be skint and at the same time want the endless supply of money. In India and America, wealth is not a stigma. Even a poor child on the roadside in India wants to be wealthy and wants to work for it. In their own right, many are enterprising. Thieves and beggars are everywhere to be found, even in England. Therefore, we are not talking about the criminals.

It is astounding to see the lynching mob full of pretence going after David Cameron. As the amounts are not in millions, they have to revert to the archaic arguments of morality.

Here is what Bertrand Russell said: Morality is nothing but a lack of opportunity.

Almost all selfemployed journalist in the land will try to see how they reduce their tax burden. The justification of expenses claimed obviously would filter or morph through some interesting reasoning and questions on morality. Can you see the whole country queuing up to pay their tax as HMRC demands? Why do they shout when HMRC makes mistakes?

As the end of the year approaches newspapers have many articles advising people to claim back every penny they can and show various rules they can use to reduce their tax burden. Why? If according to them David Cameron cannot use the

David Cameron

rules in place, why must these two-faced British press offer articles to help increase their circulation and preach the immorality they are rushing out to crush someone who has just used the same rules?

I have written in Asian Voice before about the Leveson enquiry into press standards. This recent outburst and lynching by the press just prove yet again that the Lord Leveson's recommendations should be implemented in full.

Perhaps David Cameron can see the reason now why it is urgent and important to do so. The shamble of an independent body established by the newspapers themselves serving their own interest cannot deliver an equitable solution recommended by Lord Leveson.

A voice of the victims of media continuously gets neglected by the politicians. There is a case here to forge for the proper independent body established. The freedom of speech is not infringed by implementing these recommendations; in fact, it will be enhanced with the responsible approach instilled.

Being married may help you survive cancer for helping them set up and expand their UK operations.

Said Khare on meeting Their Royal Highnesses“We want to improve business ties between the two countries and are keen to engage with all stakeholders. We want to express our gratitude to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for engaging with us personally and offering us their views on how to strengthen the relationship. I want to thank UKTI Global Entrepreneur Programme, VC Unit and the British High Commission for having us on this delegation.”

Alpesh Patel, UKTI Global Entrepreneur Programme Dealmaker

said, ‘I am absolutely delighted aReputation will be making this investment into the UK; we’ve worked hard to make this company a global player from their initial small UK base in Leeds, to now a bigger and ever growing global operation including in London.

It underlines how successful the Royal visit and this UK delegation led by the UKTI Venture Capital Unit, has been for capturing the imagination of entrepreneurs in India including through the launch by the Duke of the Rocketships Awards. aReputation has been one of the fastest growing companies we in the Global Entrepreneur Programme have worked with and

Married cancer patients are less likely to die from cancer, a study has suggested.

Researchers at the University of California has found that death rates among unmarried patients are higher, with the difference marked among single men. The effect also differs according to the patient's race and birthplace.

Researchers found this after a study of nearly 800,000 we’ve worked to open doors for them in Africa, Middle East, Eastern Europe, to go global from a UK base, and this follows their success on an earlier Ministerial visit to India accompanying Minister Verma who has also been directly very supportive of the company.’

people.

While some of the effect could be explained by married people being better off and having better health insurance, the researchers found “social support” was likely to be key, a report in The Daily Telegraph said.

Whether you are married or single, everyone has their own individual lifestyle as well as their own state of mind. There are many who are living all by themselves and have a reasonably contented and healthy life. One truth about human life is – mind controls the body and all of us are affected by the mindset. Studies have revealed that there are internal secretions which are monitored and controlled by the brain which may be helpful

or harmful for the body.

According to a report in BBC, although there are measures we can take to help us live a long and healthy life, there may be an element of luck involved – depending on our DNA. Much research into ageing has been focused on the role of telomeres. These are the protective tips found at the end of chromosomes.

Their role is to safeguard the end of the chromosome and prevent the loss of genetic information during cell division.

Studies have revealed that longer telomeres have been linked to a longer lifespan, while shorter telomeres have been linked to diseases such as heart disease and dementia, the BBC report added.

FESTIVITIES Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

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Baisakhi marks establishment of Sikhism

Baisakhi or Vaisakhi which falls on April 13 is one of the most important festivals of the Sikh Community. It is also celebrated as the harvest festival and and is being celebrated across India as well as world with a lot of enthusiasm and spirit.

Sikhism, was established

by Shri “Guru Nanak Dev.” On this day people sing, dance and trained Sikhs perform the acts of martial arts.

LEGEND BEHIND CELEBRATIONS

The 10th Guru of the Sikh community, Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, in 1699 established the Khalsa. The

Khalsa (Sikhism) was established to protect the mankind from the atrocities of Mughals. In his address, he asked, whether the people were ready to sacrifice their life. Initially, hearing this statement, none emerged from the crowd, but a young boy said that he was ready for the sacrifice. By seeing his courage, 4 more men emerged from the crowd.

Since then, these 5 were named as the “Panj Pyare” (the beloved ones), the ones who could die for the sake of humanity.

The Panj Pyare are the crucial part of Baisakhi celebrations. Post this, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji

sprinkled “Amrit” (the holy water) on these 5 beloved ones and himself. They were then the “baptised Sikhs”, who were given the name “Khalsa”. Since then, the festival of Baisakhi is being celebrated in the entire world by the Sikh community. The real significance of this festival and Sikhism can be best understood with Sikh’s pledge towards “the 5 holy Ks.” The 5 holy “Ks” are: Kesh (Hair) - the first “K” signifies growing one’s hair, the second signifies Kanga (Comb), the third Kada in one's hand, the fourth “Kachhera” (the undergarments) and the fifth Kirpan (sword).

Ram Navami – birthday of Lord Ram Ram Navami marks the birth of Lord Ram, Lord Vishnu's seventh incarnation on earth. Born to King Dasarath and his wife Kaushalya on the 'navami' or the 'ninth day' of Chaitra month, Ram Navami is celebrated in the spirit of a festival in March/April. According to Hindu belief, Lord Rama came on earth invested with the divine qualities of Lord Vishnu- with purity of soul, beneficence and humility. From the mythological perspective, Lord Rama is seen as eternally blissful and in his earthly form came to exemplify the perfect man, referred to as 'Maryada Purushottam'. It is this aspect that is recalled during the Ram Navami festival. Lord Rama's dutifulness, integrity and magnanimity are detailed out through the various episodes of the epic 'Ramayana'.

In 2016, Sri Ram Navami falls on 15th April.

Ramayana is a very instructive tale and Lord Rama along with brother Lakshman, wife Sita and devotee Hanuman represent various divine aspects in their earthly journey of life. The situations in their life have echoes in today's life as well where man is

accosted with unforeseen events that test his ego and moral sense of duty and humaneness. Thus, recitations and discourses from the Ramayana help us to take cues from Lord Rama's demonstration of integrity and courage in order to triumph over evil motives and selfish desires.

Thus, Ram Navami festival is for all those who want to imbibe these qualities in thought and action. It is with this spirit that Ram Navami is celebrated in all parts of the country, with instances of full nine-day celebration and fasting rituals to seek Lord Rama's grace throughout the crest and troughs of life.

The rituals in the observance of Ram Navami include recitations from 'Ramayana' or T u l s i d a s ' s 'Ramacharitmanas', long renditions of bhajans and kirtans and awe-inspiring puja and arti. The bhajans are very uplifting as they

eulogize the virtues of Lord Rama, Lakshman, Sita, and Hanuman.

Hanuman is known for is his devotion to Rama, and a lot of devotees recite 'Sunderkand' that strengthen qualities of courage and dedication.

In Rishikesh, which is an important seat of Ram worship, special payers dedicated to Lord Rama, japas and constant chantings invoking Lord Rama's name is a common practice. Mantras like 'Om Sri Ram', 'Jai Sri Ram' raise the higher energies around the place. One can opt to fast from sunrise till sunset on the Ram Navami day itself. On the final day of the Ram Navami festival, Lord Rama is adorned beautifully as well as temples are bedecked majestically with lights. Devotees listen to discourses which are supplemented by ample leaflets, booklets and books on Lord Rama's life and teachings.

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New year in Tamil Nadu, Kerala April 14 is celebrated as new year days in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In Kerala, it is known as Vishu and in Tamil Nadu it is being celebrated as Puthandu or New Year Day. Similarly, in Orissa, it is given the name Naba Barsha (New year). In the eastern part of the country, especially in Bihar, Lord Surya (Sun) is worshipped and the occasion is named as Vaishakha. Similarly, in Assam, it is the time of the new beginning of the year and rice is sowed during this time. Hence, this is the time when Rongali Bihu is celebrated.

Many people in Tamil Nadu also celebrate

Puthandu as the day when Lord Brahma - Hindu God of Creation started creation. People of Tamil Nadu celebrate Varusha Pirappu in a big way by merrymaking and feasting.

PUTHANDU RITUALS

Early in the morning, womenfolk adorn the entrance of their house with colourful Kolam patterns. Centre of the Kolam is decorated with a lamp called kuthuvillakku in a belief that it would dispel darkness. It is also customary for people in Tamil Nadu to pay visit to temple and invoke divine blessings for the coming year. A popular custom of Puthandu is 'kanni' which means the auspicious sight. Following the ritual, people start the Puthandu day by watching auspicious things like gold and silver jewellery, betel leaves, nuts, fruits and vegetables, flowers, raw rice and coconuts.

Mahavir Jayanti People in Jainism celebrate Mahavir Jayanti and consider this day as the most important religious occasion. Mahavir Jayanti marks the birth of the Mahavira who is believed to be the last Tirthankara.

Tirthankar is a virtuous term which is used by Jains

to describe a person who came on earth for the betterment for humanity. A Tirthankar is believed to abolish the things that pollute humanity and liberate the soul from all evil boundaries.

Mahavira was the 24th

and the last Tirthankar in Jainism. Jains follow the path shown by Mahavira till date and his principles will be followed till eternity by the firm believers of Jainism. Mahavira was a royal prince by birth as he took birth as a son of King

Siddhartha and queen Trishala. But, at the age of 20 he abandoned all the luxuries of life and for the next 12 years he lived as a hermit. The original name for Lord Mahavira is Vardhmaan and he earned the name Mahavira with his bravery. There were some stages through which a person had to pass to be known as a Tirthankar.

These 12 years of Mahavira's life made him the Arihant of Jainism. Not all the Arihants get to become the Tirthankara.

The first thing to be done on Mahavira Jayanti is the 'Abhishek' of the idol of Mahavira which means that the idols of Mahavir are bathed early in the morning.

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ROYAL VISIT

www.asian-voice.com

India charms William and Kate AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

British royals, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have finally come to India in a visit that was long overdue. Their first royal tour in two years, Prince William and Duchess Catherine began their week-long visit on April 10, by paying their respects at Mumbai's iconic Taj Mahal Palace hotel were 31 people were killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Onlookers caught a glimpse of the couple as they placed a wreath on a memorial.

In their next engagement, the couple played a round of cricket at a local cricket academy. Kate was a sight to sore eyes, in a printed tunic dress and William, in shirt-sleeves and dark glasses who tried his hand with the bat as he was 'bowled over' by Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. They later went to three Mumbai NGOs that work with the poor, taking a tour of the city in an open-top bus with slum children. The very evening, the two were given the glamorous welcome they deserved with a charity dinner held in the Taj hotel, with the country's cream of the crop in attendance. Bigwigs like Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Karan Johar, Alia Bhatt, Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Parineeti Chopra and, Shilpa Shetty Kundra were a few who marked their presence.

Entertainment for the evening included performances by Shiamak Davar's troupe to songs by Shankar Mahadevan and his son Sidharth. The gala ended with a speech by William, who began by thanking everyone for the warm welcome.

“My family has a long and proud connection with India, and although our relationship has evolved, my family's high regard for India –the largest country in the Commonwealth remains unchanged,” Prince William said. “It seems fitting that Catherine and I start our journey from here, a short distance from the place marked by the famous Gateway of India, where so many people, including my great-great-grandfather, have arrived. Catherine and I embark on a journey to get to know the vibrant India of the 21st century.

An India whose traditions, culture and civilization go back thousands of years, and yet co-exist with an India that is young, creative, entrepreneurial - an economic, cultural and political powerhouse, and an established democracy under the rule of law.”

The charity gala was organised by the British High Commission in part-

William and Kate lay a wreath in Taj Mahal Palace Hotel

The royal couple with Bollywood celebrities

nership with the British Asian Trust and the hotel, to raise funds for Magic Bus, Childline 1098 and the Door Step.

Day two of the 'Royal Tour Week' started off with the pair laying a wreath at the India Gate Memorial in memory of all those killed in battle. They then proceeded to meet with a group of young entrepreneurs at The Social, a cafe and business centre, where William delightfully engaged in making a dosa,

“My family has a long and proud connection with India”

using an “automatic” machine invented in Bangalore. While he sportingly took a small bite once the dosa was made, offering the Duchess a taste, Kate waved her hand in refusal.

The couple were also introduced to the team behind Mahindra Racing, an Indian-backed motor racing team that competes in the Formula E championship for F1-style electric cars. William, who loves racing his motorcycle, sat in a racing car simulator

and drove around the virtual Buddh International circuit in Delhi, managing a lap time of 2mins 6secs.

The couple were also shown a Braille typing machine made by another local company. Each wore a blindfold as they tried their hand at typing letters by following instructions on which combinations of keys to press. They spelled the word George.

Addressing the people present, William said, “Catherine and I are very impressed by the energy and ideas we have just seen. Being here today, it is clear that India is leading the way in so many areas of innovation and technology.

Your ability to innovate is not just good news for India but it’s great news for the world. With one sixth of the world’s population, young innovators like you must play a major role.”

The Prince and Duchess proceeded to national capital New Delhi, arriving at the Gandhi Smriti on Tees January Marg after laying a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti.

Gandhi Smriti director Dipanker Shri Gyan, who gave the royal couple a guided tour of the muse-

The Prime Minister receives the British couple at Hyderabad House

The Duchess ‘bowled out’ by Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar

Visit slums in Mumbai

um, said, “They told me they were surprised by his simple living; that such a man had such a simple life.” They then attended an official garden party reception at the British High Commissioner's official residence to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday.

Prince William said India's contribution to the Commonwealth was “enormously important” to the queen. Speaking at the reception, William said the

queen was very fond of India, the biggest country in the Commonwealth.

“Tonight, we are celebrating the links between our two countries. This is the first time Catherine and I have been to India and we have been incredibly impressed to see just how much this great country is on the move, and how India's dynamism is matched by the warmth and welcome of its diverse people,” he said.

Will and Kate welcomed in Assam. Seen here with CM Tarun Gogoi

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

India's poorest children welcomed the royals at a railway station in Delhi, where the two visited a drop-in centre for the Salaam Baalak Trust charity at the station, which helps kids from ages 5-18.

They first engaged in a lesson with kids who were living in the nearby station.

Charity's director Sanjoy Roy explained the couple about the charity's work.

“The boys come here for four hours of lessons and some food every day. When they're not here, they're at the railway station. We look after around 7,000 kids a year, but every day around 40 to 50 new children arrive at the station,” Roy said. A worried William asked, “What can we do to help?” Roy replied, “Spread the word.

People think of them as street kids, beggars, thieves, but they are just children.”

Kate and Will later in the afternoon, sat down with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a lunch meeting where topics for discussion included the Port Talbot's faltering steel industry. The informal meeting was held in New Delhi's Hyderabad House, a former royal residence of Maharajas. A source said the Duke and Duchess had a “friendly and informative lunch” with Modi.

Proceeding to visit the northeastern state of Assam, the Duke and Duchess were given a warm welcome by the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and his wife Dolly who greeted them with a traditional 'muga gamosa'. They enjoyed some time in the airport lounge where they were served Assamese snacks 'Jolpan', 'pithas', 'Larus' and 'sunga pitha' with the couple tasting 'til pitha' and 'ghila pitha', official sources said. After that, they left for the Diphlu River Lodge near Kaziranga National Park where they will stay the night. They will attend a programme on ethnic cultural traditions, including Bihu and jhumur dance, presented by local artistes in their honour.

The royals' itinerary in Assam includes a brief interaction with government dignitaries and the media. They will also be served with traditional Assamese cuisine, including Bhut Jolakiya, the world's hottest chilli. The couple will hold interactions with various communities to understand how they deal with man-animal conflicts. They will also meet park rangers to discuss how they protect their wildlife population from poachers. Later in the week, they will visit the Taj Mahal, which Prince William's mother, the late Princess Diana, had visited 24 years ago.

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

REAL ESTATEVOICE Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

Auctions a dumping ground

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

A colleague recently showed me a property in Tottenham; it was a duplex in a purpose built block. It was due to come up in auction shortly, close to the station, and already producing a rental of £15,600 on an AST; the guide price was £165,000.

It looked good - on the surface, to get a yield this high anywhere in London is a rarity. The lease is long and service charges low, a deposit of 25% is all that is required which equates to £41,250. If you purchase this at £165,000 you will get a net income of £7,000 per annum allowing for service charges, mortgage interest and agents’ fees. A healthy return no doubt.

Looks too good to be true?

Actually situations like this did actually exist in a bygone era, before the credit crunch, you could buy a high yielding ex council property with only 15% deposit. So on a £300k property you would only need £45k, this property would be in a W2 postcode and give you a net yield of £28k AFTER service charges, mortgage and agents’ fees. So you would be getting about half your deposit money back every year.

There were those who bought and profited greatly not just from the yield as high as it was, but from the capital growth of the property, and those who said it’s too good to be true and didn’t buy missed the boat.

Therefore, the criteria of not doing something because it’s ‘too good to be true’, doesn't always hold true.

I checked other properties which were sold in the same block, they had gone for even cheaper. The last one in the same block having sold for £147,000 in July 2015 which was the same property. It’s reasonably easy to check comparables in the same block, there is of course the variation in price according to floor and aspect, but on the whole an easy comparison can be drawn. All the properties in the block had been sold cheaply.

The guide price of £165,000 was not unreasonable.

The reason we were sourcing properties pre credit crunch at high yields was due to the acute shortage the housing associations had for accommodation, in order to attract landlords they were offering over the odds rental amounts. The essential point being they did not discriminate between private and ex council properties, the rent payable was driven by the number of rooms and borough. Ex council properties were about half the price of private ones.

These enhanced rentals are no longer on offer due to government cutbacks. Therefore, this is market rental, the only other reason for the high yield is therefore a dampened property price. So why is the price low in comparison to other two bedroom properties in the area? Other two bedrooms closely were going for £325k.

To me it only meant one thing, that the property is made with concrete panel construction. These were built after the second world war to fulfil a need for urgent housing. They were designed for a temporary period of time to fulfil an immediate and temporary need.

However, many are still standing 60 years later. Prior to the credit crunch there were a handful of lenders who would still lend on this type of construction, subject to valuer’s comments. They would charge extortionate rates, post credit crunch it has shrunk to zero. Perhaps you could convince a bridging lender to lend on one.

This means this property will need to be purchased in cash. Putting

Real Deal The

19

Knightsbridge, London, SW1X Purchase Price: £2m

this much money in one property may not suit everyone. With this much cash you can purchase a property for £500k, with the rest of the money raised from bank debt. A 10% uplift in price would mean a capital gain of £50k, in order to obtain this level of gain from a property of £165k may take a decade.

The property may suit someone who has just retired or has received a redundancy package. This may be a good supplement for a wage, however the prospect for capital growth on this property is limited and will not increase in line with the local market.

I suspect the reason for this property to have been put in auction is to catch a buyer out unaware of the issues surrounding this property. When a property is sold by an organisation such as a housing association or a receiver it normally states this on the property description. In this case it is a private individual who owns the property.

Further research showed this property was put into auction on 5th November 2015 and didn't sell with the highest bid supposedly at £151k. Further delving revealed the property was originally purchased in auction on 22nd June 2015 for £147,000 by the same individual trying to sell it currently.

A clearer picture is being built up.

In an auction you effectively exchange once the hammer is brought down on the gravel, this means you have committed to put 10% of the property value down. You then have another four weeks to come up with the rest. If you do not do so you will lose the 10% put down.

As more and more retail investors are getting comfortable with the idea of purchasing at auction, it is increasingly becoming a dumping ground for properties with issues. Unsuspecting naive buyers are being caught out off guard.

The only way this would have been uncovered is through prior knowledge and experience or if a valuation is done in advance of the auction. This however means spending money in advance of the auction.

This seems unpalatable to many as it could be money down the drain.

l Generous sized two bedroom flat l Long lease l Properties in this location are being sold for £2,200 per sq. ft. and above while this property is offering a purchase price of £1,915 per sq. ft. l We believe the value of this property to be around £2.3m l This property is located within a short walking distance of Sloane Street, Harrods and Sloane Square Station

It seems this property was dumped in the auction by a gentleman who purchased it being attracted by the yield and the price. After putting his 10% down he realised he could not get a mortgage, therefore he probably scrambled around to cobble the money together in time for completion.

It seems he is now trying to offload his investment in the same way he ended up purchasing it, through the auction hoping to catch another unsuspecting buyer.

Auctions can be a good source of deal flow but also a dumping ground for problematic properties for unsuspecting buyers. It takes knowledge and experience to be able to differentiate between the two. We offer a service which includes sourcing auction properties and analysing the deal well in advance of the auction so you can purchase with peace of mind.

Call us now to secure this deal!

0207 993 0103

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

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Central London Property Sourcing

info@sowandreap.co.uk

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SowandReapProperties

Tips of the Week

l Warren Buffett says: "Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful." Right now the market is fearful, it's the time to strike if you get the right deal. l The Ground Rule - Value does not depreciate much during a recession but bounces back much faster during a boom.

20

ASIANVOICE

www.asian-voice.com

Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

Consultant Editor Financial Voice Alpesh Patel

Dear Financial Voice Reader, I write to you from Delhi. Accompanying a delegation of UK venture capital and private equity firms led by my wife to meet their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

For those who do not know, venture capital (VC) and private equity firms (PE) invest in companies on behalf of investors such as you.

This raised an interesting issue. Should you put your money with individual stocks like Tata? Or with an index on an entire country like the BSE index tracking India’s largest companies, or with a venture capital trust which will invest in private companies, or even still should you use new online tools that allow you to be your own VC, in other words to invest in private companies yourselves.

We met Mumbai Angels who are individuals who directly invest in private companies. Well let’s run by some numbers.

With online tools you could invest with as little as £1,000. You could also invest alongside big names to reduce your risk. But don’t be fooled into thinking you will be the next Ratan Tata.

The chances of you finding another Google are limited. Plus if you are investing in such private companies then your money is locked up for a number of years. Of course you may know of Venture Capital Trusts and EIS and SEIS – those governments approved tax-dodging tax-avoiding tools?

Here for every £1 you put in, the Government tops up your investment based on tax you’ve paid already.

The advantage is that even if the investments fail a little, then you still have a positive return.

But the reason to invest in a company is never that there is a tax dodge – as the news tells you at the moment.

What therefore out of all the vehicles do I think are the best for most people? I will give you the same advice as Warren Buffett – buy into index trackers, buy and hold. Most people do not have the expertise to discern good investments and so should look to diversify they ignorance by having many eggs in their basket instead.

The other main advantage of such things is, and you are meant to buy and forget them – so investing for the long term – is you can sell them anytime in case of emergency.

So don’t get carried away just because someone invested in the great stories small companies tell you.

The next Google is a lot more difficult to find and you are better off trying to catch it with a fishing net than a fishing rod.

Co-op boss volunteers for drastic pay cut Co-operative Group chief Richard Pennycook has asked for a drastic pay cut in an unusual move that might set off as an example for corporates everywhere.

His base salary will drop to £750,000 from £1.25m and his other incentives will be altered and aligned with what is given to other senior managers. To sum up, his annual remuneration will fall by almost 60 per cent.

Co-op's chairman Allan Leighton said the decision reflected Pennycook's shift from “rescue” to “rebuild”.

“We are in a different phase and should reflect that he is the CEO of a cooperative movement as opposed to a CEO of a larger company.”

While Pennycook is the only executive taking such a cut, but Leighton said others volunteered to have their pension contributions cut to 10 per cent of salary from 16 per cent. Notice periods have also been slimmed to

Richard Pennycook

six months instead of 12.

Director Stefan Stern said, “This is a very welcome example of that rare thing called restraint. He is setting a very good example in the organisation and beyond. Pennycook has been hailed for setting a good example need to see this and feel encouraged to be braver about what incoming CEOs might make. They need to recognise that the best person and best value for money might not make the most outrageous amount of money.”

Mallya skips ED summons; faces tough action AsianVoiceNews

The Enforcement Directorate, in all probability, will decline Vijay Mallya's plea to extend the deadline sent for him to appear before the agency, till May. In tough measures that include revocation of his passport, sources in the ED said his request is unlikely to be accepted as he failed to appear for the third time on April 9, seeking time till May instead.

ED officials had earlier hinted that the third summons could possibly be the last to Mallya as under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) such action can be undertaken for a maximum of three times only.

Sources said the agency may explore options, including approaching the court to cancel his passport. “In our view, noncooperation with the probe into charges of money laundering constitutes a valid ground for scrapping the passport,” said a source. He added

the ED will also move court for non-bailable warrant against the liquor baron and follow it up, in case he still does not turn up to face the probe by getting a red corner notice issued against him. After the third summons, the agency generally approaches the court

The Supreme Court recently directed him to disclose by April 21 the total assets owned by him and his family in India and abroad repeatedly stressed that he would ensure those who have defaulted on bank loans are not spared and made to return each rupee that they owe to public institutions.

T h e businessm a n commuVijay Mallya nicated

Analysts fear another bout of market crash gist, Richard Turnill said, Analysts stated that they “It's been too quiet out noticed trading revenues at there. Low volatility and global investment firms inflation expectations look dropping by as much as 56 unsustainable.” The comper cent at the start of the ments come after stock year, with European firms markets across the world suffering the worst. Credit saw billions of pounds of Suisse, Deutsche Bank, losses at the start of the year UBS and Barclays have sparked by China's slowing gone through an average growth and low oil prices. collapse in revenues of 24 There were also per cent. They concerns over said the slowSlowdown the funding of down could could dent some of dent profits and profits and Europe's bigger prompt yet prompt yet banks including another bout of Deusche Bank, job losses. One another bout S o c i e t e of the top global of job losses Generale and investment Commerzbank. f i r m s Turnill said Europe's BlackRock has warned that issues with terrorism and it has been “to quiet on marmigration could trigger the kets” in recent weeks. It said next period of crashes, as the current calm is “unusuwell as another bout of woral” and looks “unsustainries over China's economy. able.” It warned clients to He also warned that central prepare themselves for banks' actions are also an higher volatility, fuelling unknown risk. “The future fears that stocks are about path of monetary policy to suffer another devastatremains uncertain and tail ing crash. BlackRock's globrisks remain.” al chief investment strate-

City regulator to probe pension freedoms The Financial Conduct Authority has promised a major review of new pension freedoms in a move to allow people aged 55 and over to use their pension pot however they wish. It will also include taking a lump sum instead of being forced to buy an annuity.

The City regulator is in the lookout to make amendments that will ease people

to issue a non-bailable warrant against the accused.

After Mallya's fleeing the country following default of bank loans in millions, the Modi government has toughened its stance. The PM in the past week has

out of the fear of becoming scammed, also focusing on value of money and the ease of switching providers.

It is also known that almost two-thirds of pensioners are in for a “nasty surprise” as they begin receiving a state pension income lower than the full “flat rate” amount of £155.65 promised by ministers.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

to the ED via email, urging them to exempt him from appearance till May-end, citing his ongoing court case and negotiation with banks. Mallya was first summoned by the agency to “appear in person” at its office in Mumbai on March 18 but he sought more time citing his prior engagements.

Neck deep in troubled waters, not only is Mallya facing legal proceedings for alleged default of loans worth over £900 million from various banks, the Supreme Court recently directed him to disclose by April 21 the total assets owned by him and his family in India and abroad. It also sought an indication from him when he will appear before it. The directions from the top court came after a consortium of banks led by the State Bank of India “unanimously rejected” his proposal, in the current form, to pay £400 million by September.

Modi's 'Make in India' a success: Moody's

Moody’s has said that net foreign direct investment inflows have hit an all-time high in early 2016, highlighting the success of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. The ratings agency said that the FDI inflows have more than financed the current account deficit (CAD) for the first time since 2004. “The rise in FDI points to stronger investor interest in India on the back of robust economic growth. Higher inflows also suggest that recent government policies, such as efforts to liberalise foreign investment limits in several sectors and the ‘Make in India’ initiative, are bearing fruit,” a report by the ratings agency said.

Net FDI inflows into India hit an all-time high in January 2016 at $3 billion on a 12-month moving average basis. India's current account deficit is now more than covered by its FDI inflows. The basic balance (the sum of the current account balance and net FDI) returned to a surplus in 2015 after being in deficit from 2003 to end2014. This is good news for the domestic currency whose value has been

determined by capital flows due to the country's permanent trade deficit.

The only dark cloud has been the drop in remittances. Money sent by overseas Indians dropped 30 per cent year-on-year in the September-December 2015 quarter due to turmoil in the Middle East economy. But Moody's said that India's external financing needs have diminished sharply over the last three years due to a crash in commodity prices, which were expected to remain low.

It said that the development of industrial corridors, investment & manufacturing zones, and 'smart cities' will further bolster investment inflows. “In particular, flows into the manufacturing sector are likely to accelerate as the government seeks to boost the sector's share of gross domestic product (GDP) to 25% by 2022. Government investment in infrastructure and the establishment of a dedicated fund in last year's Budget to foster private sector participation in infrastructure projects will also help address some of India's deficiencies in this area and foster FDI,” the report added.

CURRENCYVOICE

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

Paresh Davdra is the Dealing Director of RationalFX,

UK economy slowing down Currency Specialists.

The UKs Construction purchasing managers’ index remained at a reading of 54.2, unchanged from last month’s figure. This came out higher than the expected figure of 54.0 expanding at its lowest rate for 3 years. While the pace of growth picked up in commercial property and civil engineering, the PMI's gauge of housing construction activity sank to its lowest level since January 2013.

UK Services PMI came out fractionally worse than expected and is an improvement from last month which was nearly its lowest level in three years. Britain's economy appears to have slowed since the start of this year, as worries about the global economy, government spending cuts and a vote on staying in the European Union have had a significant impact. Britain's economy grew 2.3 percent last year.

Government forecasters are expecting growth to slow to 2.0 percent in 2016. These factors have all caused the pound to remain weak across the board.

Standard & Poors chief Sovereign ratings officer Moritz Kraemer stated that the Brexit could lead to Britain losing its AAA S&P credit rating which it

21

Foreign Exchange

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

has maintained since 1978. This would be due to the UKs ‘deep political, financial and trading ties in Europe’ which would be at risk if Britain were to leave the EU. There was an unofficial poll released regarding the Brexit. This Poll indicated a decline in support for the Pro EU parties, indicating quite close race. Thus causing investors to sell the pound as an exit from the Eurozone after the referendum is likely to cause significant economic uncertainty until trade terms with Europe are renegotiated.

However, with investors focused on domestic political and global market risks, fundamental economic data moved in to the background with Sterling climbing from its lowest level in more than two years against a basket of currencies. This move has been widely attributed to improved risk appetite for the pound which gave the Brexit-rattled currency a much needed boost to end four straight weeks of losses. The run up to the referendum on the 23rd of June will prove to be very volatile for GBP especially given that the ‘In’ and ‘Out’ camps are virtually tied before June’s ballot.

In the Eurozone, unemploy-

ment figures were released for February which came out slightly lower than the previous figure of 10.4% coming out at 10.3% which was in line with the expected figure showing a slight contraction in the unemployment rate in the Eurozone. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said he would keep all options on the table in its fight to stave off deflation in the Eurozone, including sinking interest rates even further into negative territory over the next few months.

The Speech underlines the ECBs willingness to step up its stimulus efforts even though they were increased as recently as its last meeting on March 10. Draghi said that the current stimulus was "without precedent" and was supporting a moderate economic recovery. He said it was time for national governments to start taking steps to make their economies grow faster, producing more demand for goods and services and raising inflation and employment.

In the US, Factory orders came out weaker at -1.7%, well below the previous figure of 1.2% showing contraction of the orders of durable and non-

durable goods in the US. This hints at a slowdown in the US economy and may add further weight to the argument that the Fed do not need to raise rates as aggressively this year. We also saw the Labour Market Conditions index released which came out at -2.1, stronger than the previous figure of -2.5 indicating further improvements for the labour market in the US after a solid non-farm payroll figure on Friday. ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI came out better than forecast and was an improvement on last month.

In the weeks passed we have seen the biggest market concerns ease with China’s stock market and yuan crisis, falling oil prices and a strong dollar from US rate hikes all become subdued. Last week Janet Yellen promised caution on any further rate hikes which in turn caused a USD sell off. Emerging markets have steadied with stocks and oil not fall as fast and China’s currency reserves rising again. We may have subsequently seen the recent bout of USD strength and now see the greenback retrace and thus markets become more stable and move back to levels we are more familiar with.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 12th April 2016 @ 1pm

GBP - INR = 94.77

USD - INR = 66.44 EUR - INR = 75.64 GBP - USD = 1.42 GBP - EUR = 1.25

EUR - USD = 1.13 GBP - AED = 5.23

GBP - CAD = 1.83

GBP - NZD = 2.06

GBP - AUD = 2.86

GBP - ZAR = 20.96

GBP - HUF = 390.08

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WORLD

Keshavjee conferred with Gandhi, King, Ikeda Award for Peace Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

ATLANTA (US): IndoCanadian specialist on cross cultural family mediation, Dr Mohamed Keshavjee was honoured with the prestigious Gandhi, King, Ikeda Award for Peace, at a ceremony in the US for promoting peace and human rights education.

He was conferred the award on April 5 at the 2016 edition of the Annual Peace Fair and Interfaith Assembly hosted by the Martin Luther King Jr International Chapel, by Dean Lawrence Carter, Dean of Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College who spoke fondly of him and his works. The dean said, “Dr. Keshavjee's work in mediation has been both long and recognized. He has trained family mediators, youth leaders, imams and pastors on family mediation and conflict resolution during his over 30 year career working with the institutions of the Aga Khan. Dr Keshavjee was a member on the Steering Committee of the World Mediation Forum, a coordinator of an international training program that has created over 1,000 mediators in some 25 countries of the world, and he is now an advi-

millions - unsung heroes, men and women, whose voices were never heard, whose travails were never requited and who’s existence on this earthly planet, was often not even acknowledged.”

Keshavjee is an English trained Barrister, a Canadian trained lawyer and a scholar of ADR and Islam. He pursued an LLM and PhD at London University in the fields of Islamic Law, Arab C o m p a r a t i v e Dr Mohamed Keshavjee (R) accepting Gandhi, King, Ikeda Award for Peace Commercial law, from Dean Lawrence Carter, Dean of Martin Luther King Jr. International alternative Dispute Chapel at Morehouse College.

Resolution and the human beings who shaped sor to the International International Protection of the moral contours of the Social Service, which is affiliHuman Rights. He has also 20th century, is both humated to over 120 countries of trained family mediators in bling and daunting. I considthe world.” some 20 countries of the er it a singular privilege for Keshavjee also made a world and has lectured on me, it represents an imporkeynote address highlighting ADR in Muslim contexts at tant spiritual milestone in the works of Mahatma the London School of my own long journey to Gandhi, Martin Luther King Economics and the Muslim reassert my human dignity – and Nelson Mandela.

College in London. The doca journey that Mahatma Entitled Gandhi, King and tor has also authored books Gandhi, the Reverend Mandela- Precursors to called, 'Islam, Sharia and Martin Luther King jr, presiTransformative Mediation in Alternative Dispute dent Nelson Mandela and Dr the Twentieth Century, the Resolution', and 'Into that Diasaku Ikeda themselves South African born Ismaili Heaven of Freedom: The undertook. These journeys Muslim, in his keynote, said, impact of apartheid on an were not taken alone. They “To receive an award named Indian family’s diasporic hiswere pathways traversed by after some of the greatest tory'.

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In Brief

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

DJ made to leave flight after woman felt ‘unsafe’

ROME: A DJ from London was escorted off a easyJet flight by armed police in Italy after a fellow passenger told the crew she did not feel safe travelling along with him. Mehary YemaneTesfagiorgis, a man of Eritrean heritage, was on his way to Gatwick from Rome, when the flight captain told him he would have to leave the aircraft following a complaint about his behaviour.

The 34-year old DJ by profession, endured questioning for more than 15 hours before he was told he was okay to travel. He is now seeking legal advice. A spokesperson from the airlines said they “have to take security-related concerns seriously.”

WhatsApp encryption ‘a blow to surveillance’

WASHINGTON: Whatsapp has announced it has completed a move to fully encrypt all the content within its app, enhancing user privacy.

The move comes after the FBI successfully hacked into the iPhone of a terror suspect following Apple's refusal to co-operate in unlocking the device. While previously only text-based messages were sent in one-to-one conversations using Whatsapp were encrypted, now, all content, including voice calls, videos and group conversations across both iOS and Android will be covered by “end-to-end encryption”.

Lanka grants dual citizenship to 1,500 expatriates

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan government has issued dual citizenship certificates to 1,500 expatriates, presented by the Minister of Internal Affairs SB Navinne at a ceremony held at the BMICH. The function was jointly organised by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Northwestern Development and Cultural Affairs and, the Department of Immigration and Emigration. Navinne said the dual citizenship scheme was halted by the previous government. Dual citizenships were granted to expatriates after a lapse of four years. More than 40,000 currently enjoy the provision.

Non-bailable arrest warrant issued probe into Pathankot against Musharraf Further attack on: Pak ISLAMABAD: While Pakistan believes the

ISLAMABAD: Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has been issued with a non-bailable arrest warrant by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan, for his failure to appear before the court in the 2007 judges' detention case. The 72 year old, was, however, not present before the court as he undergoes purported treatment in Dubai.

ATC Judge Sohail Ikram expressed his displeasure at the absence of the former president, saying he should have sought permission from the court before proceeding abroad. The court remained unsatisfied with Musharraf's lawyer Akhtar Shah's argument saying he went out of the country after he was allowed by the government. It also rejected contention of state prosecutor Amir Nadeem Tabish that government allowed Musharraf to leave after orders of the Supreme Court.

A non-bailable arrest warrant against Musharraf was later issued.

The order is, however, most unlikely to be executed as several times in the past various courts issued orders to produce Musharraf but he easily dodged them citing security and health reasons.

The same court had issued such an order in September last year but withdrew when Musharraf refused to appear and instead sent a medical certificate that he was unwell.

Musharraf ruled from 1999 to 2008 when he stepped down. He lived abroad for most of the time until his return in 2013 to contest elections but was implicated in several highprofile cases and was not allowed to leave the country.

Pathankot airforce base attack was stage-managed by India, Islamabad has announced that further investigations were underway into the attack. It also dutifully pointed out that witnesses from the Indian security forces were not produced before the Joint Investigation Team that had visited India, even though it was allowed to visit the crime scene. Pakistani media has been rife lately with quotes from JIT sources saying the investigators had concluded that the attack was stage-managed by India. In a statement issued by the Pakistan foreign ministry, Islamabad said the JIT's visit to India should be seen in the context of its commitment to effectively fight terrorism in all its forms, adding that further investigations were underway.

Man who shouted ‘jihad’ on flight jailed for 9 months

ALEXANDRIA: A man from New York who required a United Airlines flight to return to northern Virginia's Dulles Airport has been sentenced to nine months in prison. The 36 year old David Patrick Diaz shouted the word “jihad” and rushed to the cockpit saying there was something in the belly of the plane. He pleaded guilty to interfering with a flight crew. In the plane from Dulles to Denver, Colorado, Diaz had to be tackled by a group of passengers to be subdued.

His lawyer cited mental illness and alcohol as a cause. He was also ordered to pay $22,000 in restitution to United.

Pop star dies of snake bite

KARAWANG: In a tragic incident, a pop star died on stage, mid-performance as she continued to sing for around 45 minutes despite being bitten by a cobra. Irma Bule, who was bitten mid-performance by a cobra, was known for wearing snakes during her acts but the king cobra which she danced with during her last performance had not been defanged, a report said.

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Blood flowing from this girl's eyes and years

AsianVoiceNews

LONDON: A 17 year old girl who suffers from a horrific and mysterious condition has baffled the doctors in UK who struggle to find a proper diagnosis for three years.

Marnie Harvey's medical situation causes her to tear thick, stinging blood, which also flow from her ears. The ordeal began when she woke up with blood spatters on her pillow.

No amount of tests or change in diets worked as her condition continued to worse until last year when she woke up to 'gloopy' blood seeping from her eyes. She currently bleeds from her eyes, nose, ears, and fingernails up to five times a day. She also began to bleed from her tongue and scalp in the recent weeks. Thought to be the only person in the UK with the unique symptoms, Harvey from Stoke-on-Trent recalled her first moment saying, “Red , gloopy tears were dripping out of my right

Myanmar frees over 100 political prisoners YANGON: Over a 100 political prisoners finally got the justice they deserved as Myanmar's new de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, freed them under an amnesty ordered as her first official act.

State-run newspaper, Global New Light of Myanmar cited police as saying that 113 political detainees were freed across the country, which came along with a general amnesty for ordinary convicts ahead of Myanmar's traditional New Year festival, which is usually the occasion when prisoners are released. While the move brought Suu Kyi in good light, what was also observed was the sentencing of two peace activists to two years with hard labour, on the very same day. A court in Mandalay sentenced Zaw Zaw Latt and Pwint Phyu Latt under a law barring associating with an unlawful organisation for their contacts with the Kachin Independence Army, a guerilla group in the country's far north.

Both were already sentenced in February to two years' imprisonment for immigration law violations.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

WORLD Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

In Brief

23

Kerala techie abducted in Libya by rebel forces

NEW DELHI: Yet another Indian is suspected to have been abducted by rebels in war-torn Libya. Media reports say 43 year old Regi Joseph of Kozhikode, Kerala, was kidnapped by anti-government forces from his office at Souk al Jumaa near Libyan national capital Tripoli, on March 31. An infrastructure engineer with Al Diwan Company, Joseph had been living in the country with his wife and three daughters for the last two years. His wife works as nurse in the Tripoli-based TMC hospital, and has sought help from the Indian embassy established there.

Amid furore over Zuma ties, Guptas quit SA firm

Blood flowing from Marnie Harvey’s eyes and ears

eye. I had blood all over my face and a shooting pain behind my eyes. I felt my way downstairs and my parents, brother and sister all screamed when they saw me.

My brother called an ambulance.”

She was sent for a chest scan, which came back all clear, however, the symptom continued for two years. The teenager later developed a pain in her side and also began suffering migraines and sickness which caused her to miss weeks of school.

Her attendance fell below 50 per cent and although she managed to take her GCSEs, she did not get the results she had hoped for. “We had the medical letters but there

were times I didn’t go to school for weeks because the migraines were so bad all I could do was lie in my room in the dark, unable to move,” she said.

Her doctors advised her to try eliminating food groups, due to which over the course of two years she cut out dairy, chocolate, gluten, wheat and sugar; but nothing worked. She was tested for a brain tumour but the results came back clear. Despite the negative results, the bleeding continued and Harvey said she felt like her life was put on hold. She would struggle to open her eyes during the episodes as the blood caused them to sting. It forced her to give up a hairdressing course

and retail job as she “couldn't go and bleed everywhere.” “I used to go out with my friends every day but I became too scared to leave the house now,” she said.

She has also had MRI scans, CT scans and multiple blood tests, but the only problem anomaly doctors can identify is that she has a low immune system. “That’s all we’ve got to go on for now,” Catherine Harvey, Marnie's mother said.

“Specialists bring their students to have a look at me.

One student suggested stigmata - the religious belief it’s the representation of the blood of Jesus. We’re not a religious family. We just want answers.”

Kazakh president's unusual security drill at posh US eatery NEW YORK: In a security drill that would put the world’s top leaders to shame, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev turned a simple dinner with his close family into an event as his people scrutinised every food until the last detail.

Arriving for dinner at a Soho restaurant in Manhattan, Nazarbayev demanded waiters be replaced by his own lackeys, his dishes be disinfected with vodka and a doctor test every morsel of food for danger, sources said. Worried about his safety, he even garrisoned the place with his guards. A paper reported saying, “He had eight people from the (US) Secret Service inside the restaurant. As well as 15

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev

to 20 people from his own security detail. Outside the restaurant it was insane.”

The 75 year old even had his food tested by an underling.

“He had is personal doctor go into the kitchen, as well, to test all the food,” said a spy.

The said doctor inspected the Mamo fare by placing it “into little tubes”, then relayed the results to the president’s staff in the dining room through “an earpiece”.

The meal, which comprised of truffled pizza, penne with lobster, a burger and roast chicken, was delivered to the president by his own “personal servants,” a source said.

The whole charade did not go down well with other diners in the restaurant. The Consulate General of the Republic of Kazakhstan wasn’t available for comment.

JOHANNESBURG: South African beleaguered Gupta family has called to quit their company over increasing calls for a probe into the Indian-origin businessman's alleged influence in the President Jacob Zuma government. The three Gupta brothers- Ajay, Atul and Rajesh, faced pressure for the past few months after several high-ranking members of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), including the current deputy minister of finance, claimed the family offered them government positions, including appointments as ministers. The family has denied all allegations that have been termed as “state capture”. “It is with deep regret and a heavy heart, that following a period of sustained political attack on our family and our businesses, we took the decision yesterday to resign all executive and non-executive positions held in Oakbay Investments, by Gupta family members,” the family said in a statement.

Five killed as quake rocks Pakistan, Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: A 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit Pakistan, Afghanistan and India on Sunday, leaving five people fatally injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Post damage caused by the quake, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif directed federal, civil, military and provincial rescue and relief agencies to mobilise all resources to ensure safety of the people. North and northwest India was shaken by the natural disaster measuring 6.8 on the Richter Scale.

The quake hit came close to the first anniversary of the disastrous Nepal earthquake which had hit last year on April 2, claiming the lives of thousands in the region.

Two Indian students stabbed to death in Ukraine

NEW DELHI: Two Indian students studying at a medical college in Ukraine were fatally stabbed in attacks carried out by three Ukrainian nationals. The victims have been identified as Pranav Shaindilya from Muzaffarnagar, and Ankur Singh from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Also hurt was Indrajeet Singh Chauhan from Agra, who was also stabbed but is recuperating in a hospital.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup addressed the incident saying, “In an unfortunate event, three Indian students in Uzhgorod Medical College were stabbed by three Ukrainian nationals at around 3 am in the morning of Sunday, April 10. The embassy has spoken to the families of the two deceased students. All necessary actions are being taken to complete the formalities for sending the two bodies to India.”

24

INDIA

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Doctors in dock over 'height' gain surgery In Brief AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

HYDERABAD: Telangana State Medical Council (TSMC) has summoned doctors involved in the controversial height gain surgery performed on 23-year old techie Nikhil Reddy at Global Hospitals. The TSMC has issued a notice asking the doctors to appear before its ethics committee on April 20, to explain their stand on what they called an “unusual experimental surgery on a young person.”

It is reported that the council was forced to take up the case after different mem-

Dr K Ramesh Reddy, Medical Council of India member, sought to classify the Nikhil Reddy case as a classic example of throwing ethics to wind

bers of the medical fraternity raised ethical issues asking why the team led by G Chandra Bhushan, the chief orthopaedic surgeon, agreed to add three inches to Nikhil

Protests rock Hyderabad University again HYDERABAD: Protests rocked Hyderabad Central University as students demanded an immediate removal of Vice Chancellor P Appa Rao. Police arrested scores of activists from different students groups at the main gate of the building as they tried to protest the ban on entry of activists, media and others in the campus.

With banners and placards that read 'recall Appa Rao' and 'sack Dattatreya sack Smriti Irani from cabinet', SFI, PDSU and AIDSP activists sat in front of the gate. The protest is in response to the 'chalo HCU' called by the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, an umbrella group of various students' organisations to condemn police excesses on students and continued lockdown of the campus since

Appa Rao's return as vice chancellor.

Police beefed security around VC Lodge, the scene of violent protest on March 22, the day when Appa Rao resumed charge as VC after nearly two month long leave.

The JAC has been protesting his return on the ground that he has been booked under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. The JAC blames Rao for Vemula's suicide. As many as 25 students and two faculty members were arrested on March 22 during the police crackdown on protesters. They were in jail for a week before being released on bail.

Canadian street named after Punjabi pioneer

VANCOUVER: A Canadian city has given the most befitting tribute to Punjabi pioneer Jack Uppal, by naming a street after him. A well-known Punjabi businessman who came to Canada as a toddler in 1907. He faced discriminatory immigration policies that prevented Indians from bringing heir wives and children, endured bullying at school and fought for the right to vote.

Indo-Canadians were disfranchised in 1907.

Vancouver passed a unanimous resolution to designate a street in his name. His relatives were presented a replica street sign bearing his name by the city mayor Gregor Robertson after the resolution was passed amidst thunderous applause from the SouthAsian community members and councillors present in the

city hall. “This is a very significant day for Vancouver as it recognises an extraordinary Vancouverite who fought racism and discrimination and created many jobs, particularly in South Vancouver. He was a great leader from the South Asian community who became a leader across the entire city,” Robertson said. Uppal’s daughter Cindy Bains said that it is not just an honour for her family but for the entire South Asian community. Addressing the gathering at the event, former BC attorney general Wally Oppal said that Uppal should have been recognised long ago for his contribution to Canadian society and his compatriots. “The regrettable aspect of his life is that he could have done something lot better - as he faced racism, he couldn’t go to university.”

Reddy's existing height of 5 feet 7 inch. “Those who performed the surgery on Nikhil Reddy have been asked to appear before the ethics committee of TSMC to explain why he was selected for the limb-lengthening technique in the first place as there seems to no such emergency in the case. 5'7'' is not short stature,” said Dr E Ravindra Reddy, TSMC chairman. For the surgery worth Rs 700,000, Nikhil paid Rs 300,000 and made his friend give consent for the procedure.

Ilizarov technique is a medically proven limblengthening technique, Dr Reddy from OASIS said that it was mostly performed in cases where pathological reasons are found such as when one leg being shorter than other or on a polio-afflicted patient facing mobility issues or someone who has met with an accident with multiple fractures. Dr K Ramesh Reddy, Medical Council of India member, sought to classify the Nikhil Reddy case as a classic example of throwing ethics to wind.

Muslims offer prayers at Hindu temple KADAPA (ANDHRA PRADESH): A large number of Muslim men and burqaclad women as well as children queued up along with Hindu devotees to have darshan of Sri Venkateswara Swamy and Padmavathi Devi and offered prayers in the Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Swamy temple at Devunikadapa in Kadapa town on Ugadi.

The Muslim women gave offerings of flowers, rice, salt, pulses, jaggery, tamarind, chillis, sugarcane, neem fruits and vegetables to the presiding deities and broke coconuts in the temple.

Belief: The offerings are made on the Ugadi festival every year as Muslims believe that Bibi Nancharamma, a consort of Lord Venkateswara Swamy, is their daughter and refer to the Lord as their sonin-law.

The Muslim men and women take harathi, consume

the teertham and prasadam and accept the “satagopam” placed on their head by the temple priests, in tune with an age-old tradition.

A Muslim elder said: “We clean out houses, have bath and keep non-vegetarian diet away on Telugu New Year Day, visit Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Swamy temple and offer pooja to the presiding deities.”

While the nation is engrossed with debates on intolerance, religious tolerance and communal amity was amply evident in the historic temple at Devunikadapa, said to be the threshold to the Tirumala temple.

Former PM Manmohan Singh returns to teaching CHANDIGARH: Former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh is all set to return to his alma mater after accepting the offer for professorship for the Jawaharlal Nehru Chair.

Panjab University vice-chancellor Prof Arun Kumar Grover said, “We have worked out the logistics, which is the main problem. He might deliver lectures during his visit to Chandigarh and the remaining ones through video conferencing.” Singh took his masters degree in economics from PU in 1954 and joined as senior lecturer in econom-

He might deliver lectures during his visit to Chandigarh and the remaining ones through video conferencing ics in 1957. However, he left in 1966, after he was appointed as economic affairs officer (UNCTAD) at the UN Secretariat, New York.

Former VC RP Bambah had raised the subject of teaching

Dr Manmohan Singh

with Manmohan Singh at a function in Chandigarh a few months back.

“Bambah had told him that the visit would be for a week. He has then said he would consider it. Once he established contact, students can later visit him in Delhi,” Grover said. Bambah said professorship chairs in Panjab University were meant for interaction of the community with distinguished people and to inspire students, faculty and departments. Singh, he said, won't take up any research in Panjab University but interact with students and departments to inspire them.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

66 die of sunstroke in Telangana

HYDERABAD: With the temperature breaching the 40 degree mark in several areas in Telangana, as many as 66 people have died of a sunstroke in the state. An official release said the region's largest district, Mahabubnagar accounted for the highest number of 28 deaths, followed by Medak (11), Nizamabad (7), Khammam and Karimnagar (5 each), Adilabad and Warangal (4 each) and Nalgonda (2). Telangana has been enduring high temperatures for several days now with the highest maximum temperature of 43 degrees Celsius recorded at Nalgonda. The Meteorological office said Hyderabad and other towns in the state have also witnessed temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius.

India’s brand new religion, Dinkoism

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the birth of a brand new religion in Kerala, Dinkoism has created quite a stir as its 500-odd followers demand to be given 'minority status'.

Dinkoists, as they are called, are a group of people that worship a mouse called Lord Dinkan. Lord Dinkan comes from Dinkan, a comic figure who first appeared in 1983. The followers believe their lord created the world when he was eating a cassava and let out a sort of mock laugh which resulted in the formation of time and space. The group that worships a comic superhero mouse, challenges irrational beliefs and provide scientific explanations for many alleged miracles.

Irony?

Hockey legend and MLA Pargat 'assaulted'

CHANDIGARH: Former Indian Hockey captain and SAD MLA Pargat Singh was allegedly assaulted by a man after a heated argument over parking space outside the market of Sector 9 in Chandigarh. Pargat sustained a fracture on his right hand and injuries to his neck. Chandigarh police have arrested the assailant, Kamaldeep Singh, and charged him for causing grievous hurt and wrongful confinement at a public place. Pargat said he made polite requests to the man to move his car that was parked on the middle of the road and was blocking traffic movement. But, Kamaldeep stepped out of his Innova and picked a fight. An FIR was registered three hours after the incident.

Navjot Singh Sidhu’s wife quits BJP

AMRITSAR: Navjot Kaur Sidhu, chief Parliamentary Secretary and Bharatiya Janta Party MLA from Amritsar, announced her resignation from the party on Facebook.

Initially flagged as an April Fools' Day prank, her next post cleared all doubts. Apparently, Navjot Kaur, and husband cricketer-turnedpolitician Navjot Singh Sidhu, were upset with BJP's Punjab unit as well as the Shiromani Akali Dal's leadership. Rumours of Sidhu leaving the party ahead of the Assembly elections in Punjab have been doing the rounds since quite some time. His wife's resignation is expected to give impetus to all the speculations.

Woman hacked to death for lighting mother's pyre

RAIPUR: Geeta Prahlad, the sarpanch of the Mohda village in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh, was hacked to death by her brother for lighting the pyre of her mother.

Two days after the incident, her brother Tejram Verma accosted her and hacked her to death. He was accompanied by his youngest son Piyush. Geeta's son was injured when he tried to stop his uncle and cousin.

According to relatives, Verma's ego was hurt as Geeta performed the last rites of their mother. Also, he was allegedly envious of his sister who did much better than him in life and was elected the sarpanch of the village two months back.

INDIA Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

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25

Experts happy with Bihar prohibition AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Mitul Paniker, Khushali Dave

The April 1 ban on alcohol in Bihar saw the region politicise the 1915 Act, only to be further tightened by the government making the state an entirely dry state, similar to Gujarat. The new law has pretty stringent penal provisions going as far as death penalty to manufacturers, suppliers and sellers of hooch in case of death as a result of consumption of spurious liquor.

The decision was received with mixed emotions as some laughed at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's hypocrisy, (he had sought to increase revenues through a new excise policy that took liquor to villages in 2007), while other leaders, including the CM of Jharkhand were inspired enough to follow in his footsteps. But mostly, the move is considered as a pre-election stunt as Nitish Kumar plans to woo women voters with the promised ban on hooch and other forms of intoxication. As the country debates on the pros and the cons of the prohibition, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar did its own research, asking the experts to give their own two cents on the issue.

Kamla Gurjar Former Gujarat State Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, President, 'Adarsh Mahila Samaj'

“If the ban, the law that bans liquor from the state is lawfully and strongly imposed, only then will it conceive the desired outcome.

Gujarat has been a dry state for years, still, residents consume alcohol illegally.

This is the result of a lack of proper action.

The ban on alcohol prominently affects the lives of women and children, in a country where a major chunk of the society still deems women as a weak sex.

An alcoholic husband often disrupts a family, both mentally and financially.

However, women are growing aware, especially we have seen in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Haryana, where the fairer gender took initiatives against the repercussions of alcoholism.

What I believe is that as long as a set law is not hampered with, it stands on the path of proper consequences.”

Gaurang Jani Sociologist

Sudarshan Iyengar, Gandhian

“We have saved teenagers and other young people who do not want to get into this. It is a win-win situation.

Right from the beginning, every state, after independence, that opted for prohibition, was allocated a special permission by the central government, to have an additional sales tax to compensate for the revenue loss due to the excise on liquor. Now, when such a good measure is being brought, it is the responsibility of the state and the society to establish de-addiction and rehabilitation centres. Let us make an honest attempt!

Majority of the poor section of the population that get into the habit, do not limit themselves to a certain quantity. Unfortunately, in this liberalised system, everything is being legitimised. The people are going to seek, which is why, it is the society's duty to correct them.”

Rupa Vaghela, Trustee, 'Spandan' “The Bihar liquor ban imposed by the Nitish Kumar government is a reflection of his functioning towards women welfare. The measure will mostly curb domestic violence, rape, and the exploitation of women. However, a flip side to this is that those addicted to the habit will move on to spurious sources. Withdrawal symptoms are already getting the better of the people.

Also, the sudden prohibition is most likely to prompt a rise in the crime rates of the region, including illegal import/export of alcohol. Unless and until the government itself takes the law seriously, the only difference the liquor ban will make is that alcohol would not be sold in the open.”

Ela Bhatt, Founder, Sewa “My NGO 'Sewa' and I are quite happy with the ruling given by the Bihar state government. Sewa works for social causes in several states, and Bihar is one of them. The women in the region are often subjected to violence, more or less triggered by alcohol. Sewa had submitted an agenda to the Bihar government, for social welfare, and prohibition of liquor was one of the points mentioned. Children who grow up in the house of an addict are more often than not, on the way to self-destruction.”

Prohibition of liquor in Bihar is a decision welcomed by most of us.

Following the one crucial step that Gujarat took years ago, other states' decision to declare themselves a 'dry state' comes in favour of the social capital. Alcoholism has often caused problems in families. The worst hit is the proletariat.

Gandhiji had stressed on the use of alcohol in Gujarat, which is why, the state banned the substance. Now, as other governments too implement the rule, our country seems to be on a guaranteed path to success.

Dr Neeta Goswami, Parkinson's Specialist “As a Parkinson's expert, I commend the prohibition.

Consumption of alcohol is destructive to the sick and the healthy, alike. Liquor damages the nerves in the brain which provokes chances of Parkinson's disease in a person. Not only health-wise, the prohibition is also good news for social welfare. States that ban alcohol will witness peace and a general air of safety in their region.”

Hansal Bhachech, Psychiatrist A person under the influence of alcohol does whatever he pleases, mostly resorting to criminal activities. A ban on liquor imposed in any region is for the right. Yes, those who are addicted to the intoxicating drink will and have suffered from withdrawal symptoms and face severe physical consequences, which is why, what the administration can do is announce its decision at least six months prior to their implementation, which will give the addicts ample time to quit.

Shree Jalaram Mandir

SHREE JALARAM MANDIR - GREENFORD RAGHUVANSHI MAHA JAN LONDON (RAMA) (Charity Registration Number 1104605) email: info@jalarammandir.co.uk - website: www.jalarammandir.com

LAUNCH AND OPENING OF MANDIR AT PERIVALE Tel: +44 (0) 20 8578 8088

2 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middlesex UB6 7JD

Programme for Sunday 17 April 2016

9.00am to 10.00 am - - Breakfast at 39/45 Oldfield Lane South Greenford, Middlesex, UB6 9LB 10.00am - - - - - - - - - - Morning Aarti - 39/45 Oldfield Lane South Greenford, Middlesex, UB6 9LB 11.00am - - - - - - - - - - Commence move to Perivale 12.30pm - - - - - - - - - - Opening Ceremony at Perivale 2 Wadsworth Road 1.00 to 3.00pm - - - - - - Sadavrat at Perivale 3.00 to 5.30pm - - - - - - Bhajans at Perivale 6.00 to 7.30pm - - - - - - Prasad 7.30pm - - - - - - - Aarti

HANUMAN JAYANTI - FRIDAY 22 APRIL 2016

10.30am - - - - - - - Aarti 11am to 5.30pm - - 108 Hanuman Chalisa Prasad: - - - - - - - - 12.30pm to 2.30pm & again from 6pm to 7.30pm All are welcome

Perivale Underground Station (Sunday - £1.50 whole day - free after 6pm.

Weekdays - whole day £4.00 - free after 6.00pm.)

Perivale - Central Line

297, 95 & E5

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INDIA

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Statue of Unity – a tribute to the Iron Man of India Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was one of the tallest leaders of our freedom struggle. He was instrumental in unifying India as one country by integrating nearly 550 princely states.

So the 182 meter tall Statue of Unity is a tribute to the Iron Man of India which is being built at the Sadhu-Bet Island, approximately 3.5 km south of Sardar Sarovar Dam at Kevadia in the Narmada district of Gujarat. This inspiring memorial site has a number of educational and entertainment components. The total project cost is estimated to be £298.9 million and will be completed in four years.

The Statue of Unity is being designed as a true representation of Sardar Patel, wearing characteristic garments, in a walking stance.

Rich bronze cladding on the Statue that will give it a fine, aesthetically pleasing look.

The three-level base of the Statue - exhibition floor, mezzanine and roof - will contain a Memorial Garden and a large continuous museum/exhibition

hall, comprising exhibits that focus on the life and contributions of Sardar Patel.

The observation deck, situated at a height of around 500 ft from river bed, will accommodate up to 200 people at a time. It will provide visitors a panoramic view, enabling them to see the beautiful Satpura and Vindhyachal mountain ranges. The statue and surrounding area will be accessed by special boats to avoid vehicular traffic and pollution.

Museum and audiovisual department: The Project will also include a museum and audio-visual department depicting the

Continued from page1 dark about the massive scale of destruction.

Quick on their feet, locals however, began to extricate bodies from the debris and pulled out the injured, most of whom did not survive their way to medical attention.

Kerala Government has announced a judicial inquiry and a Crime Branch investigation into the series of events. While majority of the injured were admitted to the general hospital and private hospitals in Kollam city, 12 were rushed to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital and to some private hospitals in the capital. As the locals and the rescue teams tended to the injured, the administrative officers played the blame game, with the buck stopping right on the netas' doorsteps.

It has been known that the Kollam district administration had denied permission for the fireworks display based on reports from the local police that the temple committee planned to organise a competitive

pyrotechnic displays.

People from neighbouring districts had flocked to witness the show.

“It was just like somebody had dropped a massive bomb inside the house. The roof of our house has now collapsed due to its impact.

When we came back it was a horrible sight. We broke down. We were speechless.

Body parts were strewn all around. A limb was hanging from the broken wall.

Everything was smashed,” said Anita Prakash an eyewitness and resident of the United Kingdom who was vacationing in the district.

“My mother had complained to the Kollam Collector. She had visited the spot. We heard that the fireworks had been banned.

Half a dozen angry men from the temple came to our house and abused us.

They cursed us and swore at us. They said that all of us should die. They forced us to tell the Collector that we have no objection to the fireworks. But, we refused to do so. It was an illegal act.”

She and her family were

life and times of Sardar Patel. A hotel is also being built with 3-star facility. A laser light and sound show on the Sardar's efforts on the unification of India will be one of the highlights. A research centre dedicated to the subjects close to Sardar Patel’s heart like good governance and agriculture development will also be there.

Modi's call to countrymen: In October 2010 Narendra Modi unveiled the plan to build the statue on his completion of 10 years in office as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He has invited all countrymen to become a part of the

movement to build the Statue. Modi urged every village to contribute a piece (tool) of iron for this project. The project is built on a PPP model with most of the money raised by private contribution.

The government of Gujarat has allocated £10 million in the 2012-13 budget and £50 million in the 2014-15 budget. In the union budget $30 million have been allocated. Modi has appealed to Indians in India as well as those settled abroad to contribute generously to the mega project Work in progress: Much of the foundation work has been completed while construction of a bund wall around Sadhu Bet is in progress.

A Bailey bridge is being constructed to facilitate movement of men, material and equipment for the construction during the rainy season. A team of engineers is visiting bronze casting and design factories to study the latest technology, so that the same can be applied during the construction of the statue.

asked to go away from their houses as part of safety measures, which ended up saving their lives.

District Collector A Shainamol said “no permission for any kind of fireworks” was given. She said the temple authorities had asked for permission to conduct competitive fireworks show which was denied. For normal fireworks, no permission was sought and hence there was no question of granting it, the DC said.

Police sources said a case has been registered against 20 people, including temple managing committee members and contractors of the fireworks display that turned into disaster and 13 people, including seven members of the temple authorities were arrested. The Central government rushed the chief controller of explosives safety organisation PESO to check for any illegal usage of crackers or explosives at the temple.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has promised the best medical care for the injured, promising they would be shifted to whichever hospitals their relatives wanted.

“The government will

take care of all the medical expenses,” he said. “Strong measures are needed to regulate such fireworks display and everyone should cooperate. This accident should be an eye-opener. Strong guidelines have to brought in and steps taken to ensure that they are implemented,” Chandy said.

Karnataka government said it would send a 10member medical team with drugs and blood to provide relief to victims of the tragedy. Relief actions included a total of 10 transport aircraft and helicopters, all deployed in Air Ambulance role to ferry the victims. National Disaster Response Force teams from Arakkonam near Chennai, along with medical teams, were also pressed into service. The Indian Navy also helped by deputing three Naval ships; INS Kabra, Kalpeni and INS Sukanya with medical stores to Kollam coast.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi cancelled all his programmes and rushed to Kollam with a team of medical experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences to provide medical help to the needy.

CM Anandiben Patel inaugurates the concrete work of the Statue of Unity in Narmada to mark Sardar Patel’s death anniversary

Temple of tragedy

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Shani temple finally allows women to enter inner sanctum

After a long crusade by women activists demanding entry to the inner sanctum of the Shani temple in Shingnapur, the temple trust finally granted women devotees passage into the temple. This will be the first time in 60 years that women will be allowed to enter the garbhagriha after a decades-long tradition barred women from entering it, and conditionally restricted men too.

“We have decided to allow the women devotees on the platform,” said Sayaram Bankar, a temple trustee. The decision was taken after 11 members of the trust met to discuss the issue, Bankar said.

Women activists, led by Trupti Desai, welcomed the decision which follows a Bombay high court order from last week that ruled it was a woman’s fundamental right to enter a temple.

The Shani shrine has been at the centre of the raging debate for gender equality after dozens of women activists attempted to storm the temple for the first time on Republic Day this year.

“This is a big day for women today. We have managed to break a century old regressive tradition

which had prevented the women from entering the temple,” said Desai who will be going to the temple along with other activists to enter the shrine.

Last week the Bombay high court ruled that entering temple is a fundamental right of women and that the government is duty bound to protect this right. The temple trust, however, extended its ban to men and refused to allow women from entering the temple to ensure tradition was not broken.

Around 100 men forced their way onto the inner sanctum of the temple to perform abhishek to mark Gudi Padwa.

While the trust attempted to block the men, devotees climbed the barricade and jumped onto the platform. Police, who were deployed in large numbers to maintain law and order, allegedly didn’t stop the men as they clambered on to the barricades.

Following the court order, Desai and other activists had attempted to enter the inner sanctum, but were stopped by locals, including women villagers.

Police detained the activists to avoid a clash between the groups.

India, US agree to share military logistics for warships, aircraft India and the United States have agreed in principle to share military logistics, US defense secretary Ashton Carter said on Tuesday, as both sides seek to counter the growing maritime assertiveness of China.

Washington has been urging New Delhi to sign the Logistics Support Agreement that allows the two militaries to use each other's land, air and naval bases for resupplies, repair and rest. But after years of dithering, the two sides said an agreement was in hand, although not yet ready for signing.

"We have agreed in principle that all the issues are resolved. We now need to finalise the draft," Carter said after talks with India's defence minister Manohar Parrikar.

New Delhi has had

concerns that the logistics agreement will draw it into a military alliance with the United States and undermine its traditional autonomy.

But Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration, faced with an assertive China expanding its influence in the South China Sea and into the Indian Ocean, has signalled its desire to draw closer to the United States. China is also a close ally of India's arch rival, Pakistan.

New Delhi is keen to access US technology for PM Modi's "Make in India" plans to build a domestic defence industrial base and cut expensive arms imports. Carter said the two countries would also soon conclude a commercial shipping information exchange agreement.

HEALTH&WELLNESS AsianVoiceNews

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Vegetarian diet don't increase cancer risk: Researchers clarify FOOD

ecently, there were reports suggesting that vegetarian diet can lead to increased risk of colon cancer and the reports were claimed to have been based on some research papers.

But the researchers Kumar Kothapalli, J Thomas Brenna and Kalpana Joshi, who were quoted in the reports, said that the vegetarian diet actually helps reduce cancer risks and the so called reports as a "misinterpretation of our findings."

The reports on the new study have said that "scientists found evidence that a vegetarian diet has led to a mutation that may make people more susceptible to inflammation, and by association, increased risk of heart disease and colon cancer." The researchers used reference data from the 1,000 Genomes Project, to provide evidence that the vegetarian diet, over many generations, may have driven the higher frequency of a mutation called rs66698963 and found in the FADS2 gene - among the Indian population.

According to Kothapalli and his colleagues, "Simply put, our paper draws attention to possible vulnerability to chronic disease of persons

FITNESS

LIFESTYLE

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descended from traditional vegetarianism when substituting some recently available vegetarian cooking oils for traditional vegetarian foods. It does not suggest that all vegetarian diets are unhealthy; on the contrary it suggests that traditional foods are most healthy."

What has happened is this: Over thousands of generations, because of the rs66698963 gene mutation, especially in a vegetarian-heavy populace like India, there has been an increase in the body's ability to automatically convert vegetable-based Omega-6 fatty acids (precursors) to the biologically active animal omega-6 fatty acids (products) that are absolutely required for many normal body functions. But because of changing food patterns, and erstwhile vegetarians shifting to consumption of new products (such as cer-

Secret to looking and feeling young

E

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.

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.

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.

tain vegetable oils) that are rich in Omega-6 fatty acids and as well as inclusion of a non-vegetarian diet, the composition of food intake into the body has changed.

This has led to an alarming rise of Omega-6 fatty acids in the human diet. "An imbalance in Omega-6 suppresses Omega-3 functions and higher Omega-6 is generally regarded to lead to a more pro-inflammatory condition.

Inflammation is implicated in heart disease and cancer risk and severity," say the researchers.

The study's findings indicate that, on average, vegetarians are more efficient at making the Omega-6 arachidonic acid, and therefore many Indians with ancestry that long emphasised vegetarianism may be at increased risk for maintaining harmful levels of arachidonic acid, compared to omnivorous populations. In fact,

this study is not the first to raise a concern around increase of Omega-6 in the diet from such vegetable oils. Kothapalli and his colleagues refer to the findings in the 1990s by eminent biochemical nutritionist Dr Ghafoorunissa, from the National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad, in their study.

"We cite a paper in our study showing omega-6 to omega-3 balance in India to be = 20:1, whereas, we evolved by eating closer to omega-6 to omega-3 (1:1 ratio) and lower in overall omegas. When omega-6 are very high they suppress the metabolism of omega3, so maintaining a balanced omega-6 and omega-3 in the diet is very important," they say.

What one needs to conclude from this is that a vegetarian diet does not cause cancer, but it does suggest that certain ancestrally vegetarian populations like Indians would benefit from staying away from certain vegetables and products that are rich in Omega-6. One way to do that would be to replace vegetable oils with low Omega-6 oils like olive oil, mustard oil and even moderate amounts of the traditional ghee; and avoid canola oil, soybean oil, safflower oil and corn oil.

Eating walnuts daily good for old people

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new study has found that daily consumption of walnuts can help in healthy ageing, while also improving the blood cholesterol levels and maintaining good gut health. The findings showed that intake of walnuts, especially by the elderly, can boost the good fats and other nutrients as well as lower obesity and blood cholesterol levels.

Initially found to increase body weight, the study’s preliminary results demonstrated that daily consumption of walnuts for one year by older adults had no adverse effects on their body weight.

“Given that walnuts are a high-energy food, a prevailing concern has been that their long-term consumption might be associated with weight gain,” said Emilio Ros, director of the

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...

Infertility

AsianVoiceNewsweekly | Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

Lipid Clinic, Endocrinology and Nutrition Service at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Spain. For the study, the team instructed 707 healthy older adults to add daily doses of walnuts (approximately 15 per cent of caloric intake) to their typical diet or to consume their usual diet without nuts. The participants were not given advice on total calorie and macronutrient intake or food substitution for walnuts. After a year, both groups showed similar results for weight gain, triglycerides and HDL (or ‘good’) cholesterol, but those eating walnuts experienced significant LDL (or ‘bad’) cholesterol reductions. “We will further assess how walnut consumption may affect, among other outcomes, cognitive decline and agerelated macular degeneration, conditions that were major public health concerns,” Ros added.

Dr Bala Raju

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Dr Bala Raju, Director of Advatech Healthcare has worked as a doctor for over 20 years and has been developing private healthcare services in India and the UK for the past 6 years. He is writing the columns on important topics in healthcare in association with UK Consultants and GPs who have good experience in these topics.

Meera and Shyam have been trying to have a baby for over two years.

They had recently read that in some parts of the UK, there was not as much funding for assisted conception as there had been before. Neither of them had children before and approached their GP for a referral to the specialist fertility service for tests and treatment. They did not smoke or drink much alcohol and maintained a healthy diet. They had a good exercise routine and regular sex life.

Apart from the occasional stress at work, there were no other problems.

Meera was told that as she was 35 years old, she may not be eligible for assisted conception.

The worried couple did not want to take the risk of waiting any longer and wanted to check what was available through private clinics. Although there was a lot of information available in the internet, they managed to find a local clinic for an initial consultation.

They understood why this consultation was so important as most couples do not actually need any form of assisted conception at all. The specialist gathered information about their personal lives, stresses, smoking and drinking habits, tea and coffee intake, lifestyle issues along with many other factors.

Simple methods such as checking ovulation timing and dealing with psychological issues are known to be very useful and can be dealt with at this stage.

After an initial consultation they were advised to have a further consultation and tests called a “Fertility MOT”.

This included a general check up for both of them. Meera had a range of blood tests and an ultrasound scan and Shyam had to have a semen analysis. It was found that Meera had

polycystic ovarian syndrome and Shyam had a low sperm count and motility. As these could be the likely reasons for the infertility, the doctor suggested that they should proceed with Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). It is different from routine in vitro fertilisation (IVF) as the embryologist selects a single sperm to be injected directly into the egg. Eventually after two cycles, the Meera had a baby.

It is important to understand that fertility problems are quite common and will affect 1 in 6 couples in the UK. There is a national body called NICE that suggested that all eligible couples should have access to three full cycles of IVF, where the woman is aged under 40 and that certain eligible women aged 40–42 should also have access to atleast one full cycle.

Despite this, less than one in five Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are meeting the NICE guidelines in full, according to Fertility Fairness, an organisation that campaigns for equal access to assisted conception services in the UK. Although some couples do go overseas for infertility treatments because of the lower costs and immediate access to procedures, it is not always as cost effective as people think.

Managing infertility clearly requires specialist input and should ideally be accessed as early as possible by couples (even in their twenties) as the causes may be easy to treat. There are many solutions available and there are a growing number of private clinics in the UK that can provide them. It is well worth visiting the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s website for a better appreciation of what type of services are available in the UK.

Please feel free to call 07466 885 262 / 07510 888 300 if you have any specific questions relating to this article.

Email: info@advatechhealth.com, wecare@advatechhealth.com

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‘Jithan 2’ team’s horror encounters Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

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A big name to produce Mani Ratnam's next

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irector Mani Ratnam's next is touted to be a romantic and will have Karthi and Sai Pallavi of 'Premam' fame in the lead roles. Most of Mani Ratnam's films have been produced under his Madras Talkies banner while a few of them have had the association of other production banner. The recent example is 'Kadal' which was produced by Madras

Talkies and Gemini Film Circuit. Now the next yet to be titled film of the master filmmaker will have the association of a prestigious banner which has been producing and distributing Tamil films for decades.

Sri Thenandal Films has announced in their official Twitter handle that they are happy to associate with director Mani Ratnam in his next film.

Hansika to pair with Vishal again?

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n a what can be called irony, the crew of upcoming horror-thriller 'Jithan 2', experienced supernatural presence when they were shooting at a prime location in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu. Film's director and producer Rahul said, “All horror films come with good and bad experiences. In our case, we had a bad experience when we were shooting at the suicide point in Kodaikanal, against

the advice of the local people. During the course of the shoot, we experienced something eerie, and we knew it wasn't normal.” Calling it a strange experience, he said, “My cinematographer and I felt the supernatural presence. It freaked us out briefly, but we were glad nothing bad happened.

It was extremely challenging to shoot under such circumstances but it was equally thrilling.”

A sequel of

'Fan'

A cat and mouse chase between a superstar and a man who grows dangerously obsessed with him. Watch mega-star Shah Rukh Khan in and as Fan.

'Jithan', the film stars Ramesh, Karunas, Yogi Babu and Robo Shankar.

Shrushti Dange plays the ghost. “This is a horror story with a twist.

Unlike the regular portrayal of ghosts, what audiences will get to see won’t make them squirm in their seats. There’s nothing devilish about the story, because we’ve tried to portray the ghost as a human being, and one with emotions,” said Rahul.

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ansika made a rocking combo with Vishal in Sundar C's 'Aambala' and it looks like the bubbly girl is all set to pair up with the macho man

Madras Enterprises has already managed a casting coup of getting Vaigaipuyal Vadivelu and Soori on board and with Hansika joining in this could be a real fun ride.

Nayanthara, Sivakarthikeyan team up for new film

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ith the project slated to go on floors this year, actors Nayanthara and Sivakarthikeyan will come together for the first time for a yet-untitled Tamil project directed by Mohan Raja. A source said, “The makers were in talks with three heroines, with Nayanthara being the front-runner. Since she had previously worked with director Mohan Raja in 'Thani Oruvan', she jumped at the opportunity the moment she heard the script.”

Rest of the cast and the crew are yet to be finalised.

Amitabh to play protective neighbour in 'Pink'

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for the second time in her career as there were reports that Suraj has approached her for his 'Kaththi Sandai'. 'Kaththi Sandai' produced by S. Nandagopal of

mitabh Bachchan will play a lawyer in Shoojit Sircar's upcoming 'Pink' which also marks the Bollywood debut of National Award winning Bengali director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury.

A source said the story revolves around Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Andrea Tariang and Big B. “Taapsee falls for Rajveer played by Angad Bedi. One night, his friends and he get drunk and try to molest the girls leading to an accident following which Bachchan's character, Deepak, takes it upon himself to fight their case against manipulative and influential boys.” Co-producer Ronnie Lahiri admitted the film is a social thriller and said, “We will shoot a major portion in South Delhi, the court sequences with Bachchan and Angad will be filmed soon in real locations.”

Baby Ahil gets swanky gift from Mamu Salman

Sunny cherishes dance number with SRK

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he Khans are busy showering all their attention on the recent addition to the family as Salman's baby sister Arpita became mother to a beautiful baby boy. As Bollywood flocked in to meet the newborn bearing gifts, it was Salman Mamu who stole the icing on the cake. Barely a few days old, Ahil is drove back home in a swanky new black BMW 7 series. A fan of the 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' shared a pic of the car on Twitter.

t is much more than a dream come true for actress Sunny Leone who did a dance number with Shah Rukh Khan for 'Raees'.

Calling it the best thing that ever happened to her, she said, “It was a dream come true for me to do a dance number with Shah Rukh. We all want to work with him and it actually happened... It's the best thing that has happened to me. I am so happy and proud about it. When you go through the struggle personally and professionally, you feel so good that something so amazing happens. I hope people like it. He is unbelievable, he is so humble. I am so happy with the fact that I was offered this song.” The song in which Sunny flaunts her dance moves is reportedly a new take on the 1980 chartbuster 'Laila O Laila' from the film 'Qurbaani'.

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Priyanka invited for special White House dinner

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ith her back to back successes in Bollywood and Hollywood, PC is reigning over the west. Queen Chopra has been invited to the White House Correspondents Dinner with US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle. Priyanka finds herself among Hollywood's top league actors, Bradley Cooper, Lucy Liu, Jane Fonda and Gladys Knight.

However, owing to her ongoing projects and a tight shooting schedule for 'Quantico' and her Hollywood d e b u t 'Baywatch', Priyanka is still not sure if she will be able to attend the gettogeth-

er. The non-profit White House Correspondents' Association, whose members include the reporters, producers, camera operators and other journalists regularly covering the White House, traditionally hosts this annual dinner to raise money for journalism scholarships.

French honour for Sajid Nadiadwala

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Deepika to finally romance Salman!

ilmmaker S a j i d Nadiadwala will be conferred with the Chevalier de L'Ordre des Arts et Lettres, that is the Knight in the National Order Arts and Letters.

The French government is giving him the honour for his outstanding achievement as a producer and for improving Indo-French relations. This isn't the first time Nadiadwala has received international honour. The Italian territory of Puglia's Official Tourist Board, along with Apulia Film Commission, dedicated a travel itinerary to him called the Sajid Nadiadwala Housefull Itinerary, in 2013. It starts in the north of Puglia in the beautiful headland of Gargano and ends at the sea scenario of Salento in the south.

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he wait is finally over! It has been reported that Salman Khan and Deepika Padukone will share the same frame soon! In a third project that teams up the superstar and Kabir Khan, the film is said to be an action thriller.

A source close to Salman said, “Salman has signed his next after Sultan and will be seen opposite Deepika. Kabir's next would not be a love story, it will be an action thriller.”

Deepika wanted to work with the 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' star for the longest time, and was even in the race to star opposite him in 'Sultan' but things did not work out at that point and Anushka Sharma was finally chosen for the Ali Abbas Zafar film. She is currently

BollyGoods Edition 2 exhibition

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ollyGoods Edition 2 will showcase the art and the aesthetic of Indian cinema in a high end exhibition platform in London on 2nd May, from 1.30 to 8 pm at Ballroom Suite, The Dorchester, 53 Park Lane, Mayfair, London W1K 1QA. The event will be hosted by the Bollywood fraternity who will highlight the actual magic that happens behind the screen. First Lady of Bollywood, Gauri Khan, will inaugurate the fare, which will also host several famed whos who of the Indian industry, including fashion icon Rohit Bal, who will present his collection, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Freida Pinto, Anushka Sharma, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Alia Bhatt, among others.

Anushka and Virat back together!

Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

With Virat Kohli on a hot streak right now, the cricketer seems to have scored with his former girlfriend Anushka Sharma too, as the two were found leaving together a Bandra restaurant recently.

Virat and Anushka had parted ways reportedly because the cricketer wanted to marry while the 'PK' star wanted to focus on her career.

Anushka and Virat left the Bandra venue in separate vehicles and joined Salman Khan soon along with Virat’s manager and Anushka’s stylist.

A source close to the couple confirmed that marriage was the bone of contention

and that Kohli had asked Anushka to quit her Bollywood career and settle down with him. The pictures of Anushka and Virat at Salman’s residence made it official that the couple had patched up. It is learnt that the couple had an open discussion and Virat agreed to withdraw his 'quit Bollywood' clause. A close friend also revealed that “Anushka and Virat both realised that they share a special bond and love each other a lot.” Kohli has been trying to get back with her for the longest time now. He had also shut all Anushka haters on social media after internet trolls tried to throw mud at her.

working on her Hollywood debut xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage opposite Vin Diesel.

Meanwhile, even though Kabir had confirmed about working with Salman for the third time, he did not share more details about it. He was just quoted saying, “I share a comfortable working relationship with S a l m a n .

Moreover, after two major hits, I am definitely going to make another movie with him. However, right now I cannot tell if it will be my next film or not.”

Pak filmmaker impressed with Bollywood films

Sidharth’s mom approves of Alia Bhatt

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akistani filmmaker Sabiha Sumar would love to direct a Bollywood movie in the future. Director of award-winning Pakistani film 'Khamosh Pani', Sabiha said, “I am working on a few scripts now. The stories are very strong. If there is an opportunity to direct a Bollywood film, I would certainly explore it. I might do it in the future.

There are a number of filmmakers, who have come out with really good films. Not only in Bollywood, but even in alternative, off beat cinema. I like a lot of the work the Bollywood filmmakers present.”

ndian film industry's youngest couple Sidharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt, has strongly denied being together and served the age old “close friends” mantra to the media. However, the 'Highway' actress seems to have already got Mommy Malhotra's approval. Opening up about Alia in a recent interview, Sidharth said his mother too is very fond of Alia. “She finds her cute and endearing and loves her performance. She always says what a good actress she is. They have met during 'Student of the Year' and then during the screening of 'Hasee Toh Phasee'. Alia has come for all my movie screenings and so have my parents. She has also visited my house in Delhi.”

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UK

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Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

Asian Voice Meets Celebrities at Star Studded Jungle Book launch Taj Hotel London

By Rani Singh 1st April 2016 saw Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces celebrate the endangered Indian tiger in along with their partner, The Born Free Foundation, and the launch of St. James' Court’s limited edition hardback of The Jungle Book.

The famous names present included Gary Linekar with his ex-wife Danielle Bux, and Vic Reeves with his wife and children. Also attending was former Blue Peter presenter Tim Vincent, now based in the USA and working in television there.

British film actress and founder of The Born Free Virginia Foundation McKenna, now in her eighties but still elegantly beautiful, was escorted by her son Will Travers, President of the Born Free Foundation. Will’s father Bill tragically died some years ago. The family trio was completed By Virginia’s granddaughter Lily, who has just returned from India after shooting in Gurinder Chadha’s latest Lord epic about Mountbatten.

The elegant Edwardian I Banqueting Suite at St. James' Court Hotle was decked out in a complete jungle theme with jungle theme canapés and

Virginia McKenna and Siddhartha Butalia

desserts a-plenty.

The star-studded event showcased the magnificent Shere Khan diamond necklace, designed by Catherine Best. Last valued at over a quarter million pounds, the necklace is scheduled to be auctioned later in the year to raise funds for the Born Free Foundation.

The Disney movie adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book has just been released in the USA with more versions planned, so there is a lot of Jungle Book around.

Proceeds from sales of the limited edition hardbacks have been committed to Born Free’s tiger conservation work in India.

Digvijay Singh, General Manager of Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and Residences and St. James' Court Hotel also announced a number of initiatives to support the charity, like Jungle Book menus and banquet event themes. Mridula Tangirala, Director Operations, Taj Safaris, the creators of India’s first luxury wildlife travel circuit in Madhya Pradesh, was present and announced the opening of Taj’s first lodge outside India: Meghauli Serai at the UNESCO World Heritage Chitwan National Park in Nepal.

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Coming Events

l Ram Navami Bhajans, Jaspar Centre, 15th April, 12.002.00 pm. Contact: 020 8861 1207 l Executive Committee Members of National Congress of Gujarati Organisations UK (NCGO) in association with Brent Indian Association (BIA) are holding a workshop about Life in India under PM Modi on Saturday 16th April 2016, Time: 5.00 pm to 7.00 pm Venue: BIA 116 Ealing Road, Wembley, Middlesex HA0 4TH. Contact: Sharad Parikh 07734 915 211 l Bhadran Bandhu Samaj (UK) presents an evening of classical melodies of Bollywood in aid of Kidney Department Hammersmith on Sunday 24th April, 5pm till 10.30pm, Venue: Watersmeet Auditorium, High Street, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, WD3 1EH Tickets: £18 Contact: Jayrajbhai 07956 816 556 l Shrimad Rajchandra Mission, Delhi are holding a Satsang and Meditation on Living in the Western World with Spiritual Values by Ben Sri Ratna Prabhu on Wednesday 27th April Time: 8pm - 10.30pm Venue: Oshwal Centre, Coopers Lane Road, Northaw, EN6 4DG Contact: Reeta Srimal 07908 276 302 l Chinmaya Mission UK are hosting a free event entitled The Science of Happiness: Vedanta Universal Wisdom for Modern Times on 7th May 2016 Time: 11am - 6.30pm Venue: Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BJ l Ram Navami Bhajans, Jaspar Centre, 15th April, 12.002.00 pm. Contact: 020 8861 1207 l Executive Committee Members of National Congress of Gujarati Organisations UK (NCGO) in association with Brent Indian Association (BIA) are holding a workshop about Life in India under PM Modi on Saturday 16th April 2016, Time: 5.00 pm to 7.00 pm Venue: BIA 116 Ealing Road, Wembley, Middlesex HA0 4TH. Contact: Anita Ruparelia 07971 813 370 l Bhadran Bandhu Samaj (UK) presents an evening of classical melodies of Bollywood in aid of Kidney Department Hammersmith on 24th April, 5pm till 10.30pm, Venue: Watersmeet Auditorium, High Street, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, WD3 1EH Tickets: £18 Contact: Jayrajbhai 07956 816 556 l Shrimad Rajchandra Mission, Delhi are holding a Satsang and Meditation on Wednesday 27th April Time: 8pm - 10.30pm Venue: Oshwal Centre, Coopers Lane Road, Northaw, Hertfordshire, EN6 4DG Contact: Reeta Srimal 07908 276 302

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enable you to accomplish more than usual. You should be successful in both your mundane routine and health issues - some of you will start a healthy regime and even join the gym. Loved ones will be feeling especially close. Not a good week for gambling or financial risk-taking.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 The transit of two planets in

your Solar 12th House indicates that experience will put you in a deeply reflective mood. This is a favourable time for getting away from usual routines and seeking a retreat for a few days. It will be good for you to get involved in therapies that help you to get in closer touch with your inner self.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 Relationships are complex in the best of times, but Saturn's motion can make things even more complicated now. Misunderstandings can plague partnerships or potential romances - be more careful and forgiving. A good time for completing unfinished business and reassessing your future projects.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 If you are your own boss, then you can look forward to a fairly good week.

Geminis who face a strict schedule may find the next seven days a little frustrating, because this is a week where you will need a certain amount of personal space. You may be absorbing new ideas about how to create financial independence. Others may not understand, so you may have to keep your ideas to yourself.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

Whether you’re single or attached you’ll have to go through a lot, as deep psychological transformations are taking place in all types of relationships. No matter what your chosen path is, you’ll be recognised and rewarded for it. Don’t be afraid to experiment, trust your hunches, go with your gut feeling.

Solutions to minor problems should be considered very carefully if cash is involved.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 You may be anxious to spend extra time on a work-related project, but here are responsibilities at home that will also demand attention.

You may feel a bit hemmed-in or pressured at times. The Jupiter in your solar house puts emphasis on your socialromantic life and how you go about having a good time.

Once you get going there is no stopping you.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 You'll probably be in the mood for peace and quiet as Sun, Venus transit your solar 7th house. You will be feeling a bit edgy as the week begins. You will need to guard against the possibility of injury due to dashing first and looking later. Everyone is a bit sensitive now. Either you or someone you're dealing with may over-react - be calm !

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ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 Extra drive and initiative

Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (M) +91 94266 36912 Email: nilesh.parmar@abplgroup.com Consulting Editor: Bhupatbhai Parekh, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Tel: +91 79 2630 4142 Urvashi Jagadeesan (India) Mumbai: Kanti Bhatt, Hemraj Shah (Jumbo Advertiser) Horizon Advertising & Marketing: 2012, Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. Tel +91 79 2646 5960 Email: horizon.marketing@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Hardik Shah (M) +91 99250 42936 Email: hardik.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Neeta Patel (Vadodara) M: +91 98255 11702 Email: neeta_abplgroup@yahoo.co.in Business Co-ordinator: Shrijit Rajan M: +91 98798 82312 Email: shrijit.rajan@abplgroup.com International Advertisement Representative: Jain International Tel: +91 44 42041122/3/4 Fax: +91 44 25362973 Mumbai: +91 022 2471 4122 Email: jain@jaingroup.net Delhi Office: Tel: +91 9311581597

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SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 If your ambitions have been undefined, don't worry as from now on, you understand exactly what kind of impact you need to make on the world. Jupiter in your 11th house of gains and friendships will help you network and grow without you constantly worrying. Health-wise you will be feeling fit and relaxed.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 Although all kinds of opportunities are coming your way, there are many obstacles between you and the fulfilment of any of these. As you clear your path you will get closer to achieving your dreams. Relationships and romance are both under scrutiny by the presence of Saturn in your Solar 1st house.

Expansive Jupiter in your Solar 9th house of travel and spirituality is going to play a great part for some of you, who are widening their horizons. An important time to build too, as Saturn in your solar 12th House can be very severe and restrictive. Regardless of the limits, you have the capacity to turn the course of your life in a more fulfilling direction.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

Anything or anyone that drains your time and energy should be re-evaluated. It’s time to use that creative imagination of yours to create grandeur in your life. Venus, the planet of love and beauty in your Solar 3rd house with Sun is creating a lot of opportunities for you. Don't get too carried away and lose sight of little things that mean a lot to you.

It’s all about communicaPISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20 tions, as they take centre stage this week. You’ll have to openly speak up about your wants and needs without fear. Regarding love there will be a struggle between devotion and freedom. You need to feel completely consumed by the passion of your lover, and yet you need personal space to explore your own thing.

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SC slams BCCI, calls it a 'mutual benefit society'

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Unequal distribution millions of rupees among its members by the cash-rich Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) provoked the Supreme Court to slam it as a “mutual benefit society.” A bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice F M I Kalifulla found that BCCI had given £6 million each to Gujarat and Goa every year but gave nothing to Bihar for the last six years. Like Bihar, 10 other states did not receive any money from BCCI over the years.

“If 11out of 29 states get zero amount from the cricket board, that is surely not a good sign. You are giving £6 million to Gujarat and Goa but giving just Rs 5000,000 to affiliate members in north-eastern states? Why? You have not spent a penny on development of cricket in 11 states for the last several years,” the bench said after perusing the board's expenses and fund management details.

The hearing saw the bench rejecting BCCI's reservations about the recommendations of the Lodha committee, and suggesting that cricket administrators could be using fund allocation to buy supIndian cricket team all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was gifted a Rs 97,00,000 Audi Q7 car by his inlaws, ahead of his marriage to Rivaba Solanki on April 17.

Jadeja got engaged to Rivaba in a lavish ceremony on February 5.

Rivaba is a mechanical engineer who aspires to become a public servant. Jadeja and Rivaba took delivery of the luxury car from a Rajkot showroom.

BCCI president Shashank Manohar and Secretary Anurag Thakur

port from member associations.

“The mandate of the board is to promote cricket all over India and not only in Mumbai and Gujarat.

Cricketing talents are available not only in Mumbai but also in other parts of the country. You have done nothing to nurse and nourish the talent in smaller states as 11 states got zero contribution from you over the years. You have made a mutual benefit society. It is like you show me the face and I will determine how much you should get,” the court said. BCCI's counsel K K Venugopal had to call upon board official Ratnakar Shetty, who was the chief coordinator for

the recently concluded World T20 championship and is also the COO for IPL. Ratnakar Shetty explained that states which had a stadium and were capable of conducting international matches got a major chunk of the money earned by the board from sale of telecast rights. The board informed the court that henceforth, the accounts of BCCI members would be audited by three firms of international repute.

The court said this meant Maharashtra and Gujarat, both of which have three permanent members in the board, got £6 million every year while

an affiliate member like Nagaland got Rs 5000,000 a year.

Interestingly, the court asked whether it was not a tactic to buy the support of a member during voting.

“You have been releasing money and there has been no control or supervision on the manner in which the member spent it. You are basically corrupting that member to vote for you,” it said. “There has to be some distributive justice in your allocation of funds. You must chalk out a plan how to upgrade the affiliates to permanent membership and pay them adequately to improve their infrastructure,” the bench said and referred to the Justice R M Lodha-headed panel's recommendation for one state-one vote norm in BCCI. Venugopal and BCCI members protested loudly.

Though the court agreed to hear in detail the objections to certain recommendations of the Lodha panel, it said, “This is not an ordinary committee. It is headed by a former CJI and had two retired SC judges as its members. They held extensive deliberations. Their conclusions appear credible to us.”

SPORT Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

New English county season begins with a big rule change

English county season began with six matches being played across Division 1 and Divison 2. The matches will be played over a course of four days. But the biggest change has been the scrapping on the toss - or, well almost. The oldest tradition in cricket where one of the captain's picks heads or tails and then chooses whether to bat or bowl has been dropped in order to promote spin bowling in English cricket and increase the quality of pitches in use. In effect, the away team captain now has the option to either bowl or go for the toss. Across the board, all three matches in Divison One started without the toss while two matches in Division Two saw the toss with one matche yet to begin. In Division One, Somerset, Warwickshire and Surrey opted to bowl against Durham, Hampire and Nottinghamshire. In Division Two, visitors Gloucestershire wanted to bat and went for the coin and it came out in their favour against Essex. However, Sussex evaded the toss and opted to bowl first against Northants.

West Indian spinner Narine cleared

by ICC

The West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine has been cleared by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to bowl again in international cricket. The 27-year-old successfully underwent tests at the Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai on March 28 after spending months remodelling his action, reports CMC. He was banned last November after the ICC ruled his action to be illegal, exceeding the 15 degrees tolerance allowed under its regulations. Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders coach Jacques Kallis said the franchise was yet to hear from the ICC on whether Narine has been cleared to play in the Indian Premier League. "He has done a lot of work. We have not got the official verdict from the ICC yet, but I am sure they will come out positive," Kallis told reporters. During his training in India, Narine's father passed away, forcing the player to return to Portof-Spain. However, Kallis said the player would be under no pressure to return quickly. .

India demolish Pak in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

Forward SV Sunil scored two crucial goals as Indian hockey outclassed traditional rivals Pakistan 5-1 to move to the second spot in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on Tuesday.

After Manpreet Singh's fourth minute field goal was equalised

by Muhammad Irfan's flick in the seventh minute, SV Sunil scored twice in the 10th and 41st minutes to make it 3-1.

Later, Talwinder Singh scored a field goal in the 50th minute, while Rupinder Pal Singh's goal from a penalty corner gave India the 5-1 win.

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Rupinder's penalty stroke miss was probably the only blip on the Indian side coached by Roelant Oltmans.

With this win, India moved to the second spot with nine points from four games, while Pakistan remain on the sixth spot with three points from four matches.

The top two teams will automatically qualify for the final, while the third and fourth ranked teams play the bronze medal match after the conclusion of the round-robin competition.

India, coming into the

match with three insipid performances, needed a win over their eternal rivals. And in such a match the start is important and India did just that, aided by Sunil's pace.

The 26-year-old's speed helped him race from the centre of the pitch to the rival circle in a flash. The Karnataka winger then passed the ball to his left to Manpreet, who fired a reverse-flick, beating goalkeeper Imran Butt who remained stranded on the near post in the fourth minute.

Pakistan responded strongly three minutes later by earning a penalty corner. The hit was blocked illegally and in the second attempt, Irfan's flick managed to beat a diving goalkeeper Akash Chitke on his right.

India's reaction to the goal was quick. In the 10th minute, Manpreet was back in the thick of things as he drilled the ball into the Pakistan goal from the right that was deflected home from a point blank range by Sunil to make it 2-1.

The exhilarating first quarter meant that the

crowd expected another fiery show in the next 15 minutes. But the second quarter was bereft of clear-cut chances. India got a chance to go 3-1 up but the variation tactic in executing a penalty corner went awry as it ended 2-1 in favour of India at the break.

India continued with the momentum even though Pakistan threatened early after the break.

However, Sunil delivered a crucial goal at the important juncture. After receiving a pass from Kothajit Singh, Nikkin Thimmaiah squared pass

for Sunil, who was lurking in front of the goal at the far post, to tap in with a diving effort.

This two-goal cushion was enough to deflate the defensive structure of Pakistan and it played into the hands of the Indians. Talwinder drove a ball home in a goalmelee in the 50th minute that almost sealed the game in India's favour.

However, more drama was still in store as Rupinder stepped up to convert a penalty corner and later missed a penalty stroke to deny India a 6-1 win.

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Asian Voice | 16th April 2016

Gujarat Lions beat Kings XI Punjab

Debutants Gujarat Lions began their Indian Premier League (IPL) journey with an impressive five-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab at the Punjab Cricket Association's I.S. Bindra Stadium on Monday.

Set a 162-run target, Lions reached the mark with 14 balls to spare with Australian opener Aaron Finch (74) scoring the majority of the runs.

Dinesh Karthik (41 not out) was also a chief contributor.

Their run chase stuttered early on when former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum departed for a second ball duck, advancing down the track to be smartly stumped by Wriddhiman Saha off the bowling of Sandeep Sharma in the first over.

But Lions recovered from the loss, spearheaded by skipper Suresh Raina (20) and Finch.

Raina guided the team past the 50-run mark in the sixth over with a big six over midwicket. But then he fell off the very next ball, foxed by a Marcus Stoinis slower delivery to offer a

simple catch to mid on.

Finch remained unperturbed by Raina's dismissal and used all his experience to lead his team's chase, bringing up his 50 in the eight over. He forged another 50-run partnership with Karthik to bring up the 100 in the 11th over.

Lions were costing at that point but Finch's sudden stumping in the 12th over, leaving them 117/3, gave Punjab hopes of a turnaround. Lions still needed 41 runs from 42 balls. Ravindra Jadeja's (8) run out made the game more interesting. But Karthik ensured they crossed the line without any more hiccups.

Earlier, Kings XI Punjab posted 161 for six after Gujarat captain Suresh Raina won the toss and opted to field, opening batsmen Murali Vijay (42 off 34) and Manan Vohra (38 in 23) provided a 78run stand in 8.2 overs.

Then Dwayne Bravo (4/22) and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (2/30) led Gujarat's fightback as the hosts lost four wickets for 102 runs in 12 overs.

Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis (33 in 22 balls) and wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha (20) did the repair work and took the total to 161/6.

It seemed that Punjab will end up getting 180,

thanks to their sound start.

Right-handers Vijay and Vohra scored 53 runs without any loss till the powerplay overs (6).

Vijay hit three fours and a six off left-arm medium pacer Pradeep Sangwan, while Vohra also made merry, hitting James Faulkner for three fours in the fifth over.

The Punjab right-hander was dropped at his personal score of eight by Bravo, who ran from the deep midwicket in the fifth over.

Captain Raina's third bowler, leg-spinner Sarabjit Ladda also went for 21 runs in his two overs.

Then the captain turned to Indian left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who broke the partnership in his second over by trapping Vohra in front of the stumps. Then the hosts' score reached 78 in 8.2 overs.

Brief scores: KXIP: (161/6, Murali Vijay 42, Manan Vohra 38, Marcus Stoinis 33; Dwayne Bravo 4/22, Ravindra Jadeja 2/30) vs Gujarat Lions (162/5, Aaron Finch 74, Dinesh Karthik 41 not out, Sandeep Sharma 1/21)

Gujarat Lions blessed with all-rounders Gujarat Lions and Rising Pune Supergiants were the two new entrants to Indian Premier League (IPL) this year in place of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals who were suspended for two seasons. Keshav Bansal is the owner of the Rajkot-based Gujarat Lions. The presence of several all-rounders of proven ability elevates the new entrants to the status of being one of the most exciting teams in the ninth edition of the IPL. James Faulkner, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja will all form the nucleus of the side, as also will skipper Suresh Raina, and other players like Brendon McCullam, Dwayne Smith, Aaron Finch, Dale Steyn, Dhawal Kulkarni, Dinesh Karthik, Praveen Kumar, etc. The Lions, along with Pune Supergiants were allowed to pick players of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. The Lions went for Raina, McCullum, Bravo, Faulkner and Jadeja, all five blessed with all-round skills, and Dinesh Karthik which means McCullum

Suresh Raina

wouldn't need to don the wicket-keeping gloves.

In Faulkner and Bravo, they have two of the best death overs bowlers, provided, of course, that the Aussie does not have to bowl to Virat Kohli! Then there is that pace ace Steyn, always a dangerous opponent. However, the one bowler whose exploits would be keenly followed will be mystery left-arm spinner Shivl Kaushik, a raw, untested hand unearthed while playing in the Karnataka Premier League.

Kaushik bowls chinaman, top spinners and googlies with a Paul Adams-type release, unfathomably described as a "frog in the blender" action. Kaushik is taller and better built than Adams and bowls at a quicker pace.