AV 17th July, 2021

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE Pension Poverty: Over 53 per cent people aged 65+ targeted by pension fraudsters

'Hunger has no religion' SEE PAGE - 23

SEE PAGE - 15 Red-list: In the land of Sunak, Patel and Javid unjust and unfair to discriminate against India SEE PAGE - 17

R

inside

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side Astronaut Sirisha Bandla vaults into space on board Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity 22 SEE PAGE - 22

PM Modi goes for big Cabinet reshuffle SEE PAGE - 26

17 - 23 JULY 2021 - VOL 50 ISSUE 11

Until we meet again, Saheb-eAlam SEE PAGE - 30

Megastars and celebrities cheer on SEE PAGE - 32

STILL OUR HEROES! Photo source: Twitter

Amid racist attacks and an array of backlash, what did England’s entry into the Euro 2020 finale mean to British Asians?

The Three Lions: Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho's billboard

Shefali Saxena

"I'm Marcus Rashford, a 23-year-old black man from Withington and Wythenshawe, South Manchester. If I have nothing else I have that. For all the kind messages thank you. I'll be back stronger. We'll be back stronger,” said the player whose mural, painted on the side of a cafe in Copson Street in Withington, south Manchester, was graffitied on within hours of his missed penalty in the match. The graffiti was covered over with black plastic sheets and duct tape while Greater Manchester Police undertake an investigation to find the offender. In the meantime, Rashford’s fans went to the mural to stick paper hearts and notes to show their support.

Continued on page 6

2 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

17 - 23 July 2021

with Keith Vaz

‘I was groomed and sexually abused

by MP let back into Labour by Corbyn’

Dr Vinod Kapashi OBE, World Council of Faiths Dr Vinod Kapashi OBE has lived in the UK for more than 50 years. He is a Civil Engineer but retired early to pursue social, charitable, and religious activities.

He has written 21 books on Jain and non-Jain topics. His PH. D. thesis on Nine Sacred Recitations was widely acclaimed by critics. He is an Executive Committee Member of the World Congress of Faiths. Vinod was the president of Mahavir Foundation for 22 years and has provided a temple for the local community. He has presented his papers in four assemblies of the Parliament of the World’s Religions held in Chicago, Barcelona, Melbourne and Capetown.

Vinod is also a trustee and Vice-president of the Navjivan Vadil Kendra, which is working for the betterment of senior citizens. He has also written several plays and short stories besides two novels in Gujarati. Vinod was awarded the prestigious honour of OBE in the Queens Honours List in 2018.

Which place or city or country do My wife and of course biographies you most feel at home in? of some past great personalities. Work I feel at home in England. This carried out by great people inspire me country has given me my bread and and I think that I have not done butter and much more. I have been able enough. But I have also learned that to pursue charitable, social, and relione can only do certain things as he has gious activities freely in this country. been guided (or restricted) by lots of There are no significant socio-economother forces. ic and other problems in this country.

What is the best aspect of your India is the place of my birth and I like current role?

Indian cultures too.

I still lecture on various subjects. I What are your proudest am also working for the Navjivan Vadil achievements?

Kendra (Senior Citizens club) and keep My achievements are as follows: I our seniors occupied and help them. I have taken keen interest in religious provide the benefit of my knowledge and non-religious literature and have and experience to various organisastudied most holy books in quite a tions including the Institute of detail. I, with the help of others, have Jainology (OneJAIN) established a Jain temple for the local And the worst? community. I am a founder trustee and past president of the Mahavir Minor health issues prevent me Foundation. I have done many charitafrom working hard and sometimes the ble activities and have collected money attitude of few people here and there for the various causes. I have gained takes you back in terms of enthusiasm.

Ph.D here and have published 21 books.

What are your long-term goals?

I am working for the betterment of senior citizens and received many Keep serving people. Keep doing awards. Have received OBE from H M social-charitable activities I also want the Queen besides other awards in to write few more books and travel India and the UK. more. But I will not be disappointed if What inspires you? these do not materialise.

If you were Prime Minister, what Something inside me keeps guiding one aspect would you change? and keeps advising me to work and Well, very difficult question but I work for others. The good books and can say one thing. I will try to be recogthe lives of many people inspire me day nised as the common men's (and and night. I feel that I have been women's) Prime Minister. Will be rewarded when I see the smile on peofrank, sincere, and approachable. Not ple's faces after I help them. This is one saying that present PM lacks these of the biggest satisfactions. qualities. These are just my views.

What has been the biggest obstacle If you were marooned on a desert in your career? island, which historical figure Not many obstacles but we have to would you like to spend your time with be patient. Nothing happens overnight and why? and we have to pursue hard.

I would like to spend my time with Sometimes you feel that people around Mahatma Gandhi and would learn few you do not understand or appreciate more things from him. He was a good you but that is the way of life. Perhaps environmentalist and good saint cum our Karma! political figure. This will give me a Who has been the biggest influence good opportunity of understanding on your career to date? him more.

1

6

2

7

8

3

9

4

10

5

A former NHS worker has spoken for the first time about how she was groomed by a married Labour MP who subjected her to a campaign of sexual abuse. The 56-year-old woman was left homeless and without a job when she was sacked by Mike Hill after he repeatedly sexually assaulted her.

Hill, the Labour MP for Hartlepool from 2017 to March of this year, persuaded the mother of two to give up her house and move to London to work for him. He promised

accommodation to cut her costs. Last week the woman won an employment tribunal against Hill, who quit as an MP in March because of the scandal.

His resignation triggered a

by-election that Labour lost, damaging Sir Keir Starmer as a leader and plunging the party into crisis. A separate investigation found that Hill had breached parliament’s new sexual misconduct policy.

She is also likely to pursue a complaint to the police against Hill, which she had put on hold. Labour said that it had “paused” its investigation to let the woman pursue her complaint through parliament’s procedures and closed the case when Hill resigned.

Supposed sex abuse is happening, schools told The department’s Keeping Children Safe In Education document will become mandatory in sixth-form and college settings for the first time in September. The guidance warns that abuse can happen outside school or college and can be hidden.

It follows an Of-sted review into peer-on-peer sexual abuse that found children trading nude pictures like a “collection game”. Many chil-

dren did not report it because they believed it would not be taken seriously. The review was prompted by testimonies on the website Everyone’s Invited, where teenagers described sexual abuse by other pupils. The guidance adds a section on dealing unsubstantiated, with unfounded, false or malicious reports, as well as adding information on child criminal

exploitation, which makes clear that the experiences of girls can be different from boys’.

Brady beats No 10 pick in 1922 vote Conservative MPs have defied Johnson and voted to re-elect Sir Graham Brady as chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbenchers. Brady saw off a challenge from Heather Wheeler, the MP for South Derbyshire, to retain the post, which involves being a spokesman for Tory backbenchers.

Wheeler had accused Brady of leveraging his position to promote his own views.

She had secured the backing of a number of ministerial aides

and the tacit support of No 10, according to sources. During his campaign, he sent an email

to Tory MPs saying he wanted to champion the “independence of backbenchers”. He said his victory was a “vote of confidence” in his chairmanship, which he has held since 2010. “It is a privilege to have been re-elected,” he added.

Wheeler, a former whip, had benefited from the decision by Robert Goodwill, the Conservative MP for Scarborough and Whitby, to pull out of the race. Goodwill, a former minister, stood aside to allow wheeler a clear run.

Commuter describes being trapped underground with machete attacker A commuter trapped in a packed Jubilee Line carriage with a machete-wielding attacker has described his fear of being “hacked to death underground”.

British Transport Police (BTP) said they attended reports of a stabbing at Green Park underground station in

central London on Friday, and the victim is in a stable condition in hospital. A passenger in his 30s, who was among those stuck in the carriage with the attacker, said he feared he would be “hacked to death underground”.

The witness said the Tube train eventually stopped and

armed police arrested the attacker, who did not resist them. BTP said a man has been arrested on suspicion of inflicting grievous bodily harm, and that Green Park station has been closed.

Paramedics also attended the scene and took the victim to a nearby hospital.

Prince George 'may leave London this year’ FINANCIAL A SERVICES MORTGAGES Residential Buy to Let Remortgages

PROTECTION Life Insurance Critical Illness Income Protection

Please conta act:

Dinesh Shonchhatra S Mortgage Ad dviser

Call: 020 8424 C 4 8686 / 07956 810647 77 High Street, Wealdston ne, Harrow, HA3 5DQ mortgage@majorestate.co om ~ majorestate.com

Prince William and Kate Middleton's oldest son will be turning eight this month and it's been reported that his parents might be packing him off to the Royal County of Berkshire - just a couple of hours outside of London.

Family ties aside, it's been speculated that the pair would like to send Prince George to school in the Berkshire countryside.

George currently attends Thomas's School - a prep school based in Battersea, southwest London. Princess Charlotte also goes to Thomas's, whilst little Louis attends Willcocks Nursery in Kensington. William went to Ludgrove School in Berkshire from the age of eight, as did his brother Prince

Harry, so it's thought the new little

prince could do the same. Both William and Harry went on to attend the famous private school Eton.

It was recently reported by The Daily Mail, that William and Kate had been enquiring about schools in the Berkshire area, as well as nearby real estate. If they did decide to move to Berkshire, they'd have plenty of family and friends close by.

The report disclosed that the family doesn’t plan to stay in London longterm, so maybe a move to the rolling hills of Berkshire is on the cards. The plan to use Kensington Palace as their London base, and will continue to do so even after becoming Prince and Princess of Wales.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

COMMENTS 3

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

17 - 23 July 2021

The fine line between cheerful patriotism and xenophobia Thousand hearts broke in England when Italy went on to bag the trophy at UEFA European Football Championship 2020. The country that gathered more than 300,000 signatures for a bank holiday if England won, with offices and schools allowing employees and children to go to work and school respectively, later than usual. Groups of Indians were seen standing and taking photos outside Wembley Stadium since early hours, treating it as a temple of glory.

Fans had gathered from 8am on Sunday outside Wembley stadium, ransacking the city, leaving behind litres of trash everywhere. Some English fans in fact tried to break into the ground without tickets when the riot police stopped them. Slogans flew around “It is coming home” while the Italians countered it with “it is going to Rome” and the English hummed Sweet Carolina as they walked about, wrapped in English flags and jersey. Homes across London and other parts of England donned windows and doors with St George’s flags, with Indians seen doing arti in front of the English squad photo, putting tilak on Harry Kane.

But as England's Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka missed their penalties, social media burst into racist slangs at them, making the dream of “pride in diversity and equality” end too soon.

Tweets flew around abusing how Italy and Argentina won cups because they had “no monkeys in a human’s game”- taking a dig at the players’ Black heritage. English supporters were also seen attacking those not supporting England at yesterday’s match, calling them “unpatriotic”.

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Duke of Cambridge and the Football Association condemned the racist abuses. The Met Police is investigating and said, "it will not be tolerated". UEFA has started disciplinary proceedings into events at Wembley, as we went to press. England Manager Gareth Southgate described the

racist abuse directed at players as "unforgiveable".

The obsession with this game perhaps had a few extra reasons.

This championship coincided with UK’s roadmap out of the lockdown. Though daily cases are more than 30,000/day, it looks like letting 60,000 people in at Wembley Stadium itself was a wrong decision. But when you compare this squad with the likes of Harry Maguire, they are incredible- conscious, charitable and socially responsible!

Rashford who received Queen’s Honours spent last year fighting for free school meals for hungry kids in England. Last year Sancho was among stars protesting racism following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis. Raheem Stirling has been praised by the Queen for his work against racism. In 1966, the year of the team’s solitary big-tournament win, of the World Cup, the team was all-white. More than half of Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad have at least one parent or grandparent born outside of the UK, according to the Migration Museum and the team’s media managers successfully conveyed an image of them as wholesome and representative of modern and truly diverse Britain.

Of course, none of this would have mattered if this team won.

The battle of ego can easily become a battle of culture. And by criticising the England team for taking a knee before games to express opposition to racism, Conservative Party politicians have trivialised racism in an already heated situation.

Moreover Brexit has made things doubly sour. The ones who were present and remember the 1966 victory are essentially the same people to vote for Exit. With that tension in the background, the separatist movement and growing demand for independence of Scotland makes things more complicated. In 1966 World Cup victory was celebrated with the union flag. But now England does not represent Wales or Scotland. Football like cricket arouses patriotism.

Can India-Iran-Russia partnership combat China?

78-year-old Joe Biden’s biggest ‘trump’ card lies in the fact that he is trying to style himself as a modern day and progressive US President, since his predecessor Franklin Delano Roosevelt. His foreign policy emphasises on repairing the US alliances that was damaged by the former President Donald Trump, but is clearly a work in progress, especially as he struggles to find someone suitable as an ambassador to the UK. Though Downing Street has reportedly denied the claims that the delay in the appointment of the US Ambassador to the UK is because Prime Minister Boris Johnson objected to Joe Biden's first choice - Barack Obama, but after two wealthy political donors turned down the role for financial reasons, US is reportedly sending a ‘placeholder’ as temporary ambassador to London.

The Times explained how Ambassadors to the UK are usually donors wealthy enough to pay for lavish embassy parties and events at their Winfield House residence in Regent’s Park. The US embassy in London is due to host its annual Independence Day on 21 July and believed to be paid by sponsors in absence of an ambassador. But is choosing a suitable ambassador only a matter of finances? Or does it talk about power dynamics in post-Covid world especially security and oil diplomacy?

Even before Donald Trump sworn in as the President in January 2017, he had announced Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets American football team as his choice for the ambassador in London. He did not choose an ambassador to Ireland till 2019. Barack Obama picked his ambassador to the UK first and waited a year to choose one for Ireland.

The CNN reported that Iranian President-elect Ebrahim Raisi in a press conference recently said his priorities would be to improve ties with regional neighbours and revive the 2015 nuclear deal. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA,

lifted sanctions that had crippled Iran’s economy and cut its oil exchange to roughly half, in return for curbs to its nuclear program. Alongside the US, France, Germany, UK, Russia and China were also signatories of the agreement.

In 2018, then-President Donald Trump following a manifesto promise from his election campaign, unilaterally withdrew the US from JCPOA calling it the “worst deal ever.” He also reintroduced sanctions on Tehran that had been previously lifted during Obama era. Therefore, other signatories of the pact struggled to keep the agreement alive.

Though the Biden administration has not changed its stance with no diplomatic relations with Tehran, Iran has now demanded US sanctions relief on oil exports ahead of its resumed compliance with the original nuclear deal. In the meantime, China has stepped in to buy more of Iranian and Venezuelan oil.

This is the right time for India to put forward its diplomatic leverage. Vinay Kaura, Assistant Professor, Sardar Patel University of Police, Security and Criminal Justice, Rajasthan, pointed out (in The Print) that US is still one of the most important players in the Afghan drama. So, this makes Washington indispensable for New Delhi.

But Indian diplomatic strategy here should involve Iran and Russia. As the Taliban are seizing areas on the border with China, Iran, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, the Afghan government’s relaxing grip over the country’s international borders must be sufficient to make Tehran and Moscow apprehensive. Since none of these countries including India have sufficient leverage on their own, they should collectively encourage all Afghan parties to work for relatively smooth transition to a neutral interim government.

This is the only way possible to avoid a tumultuous consequence in the allied world.

Modi’s new team has to perform to improve image of government A combination of economic slowdown, a poorly handled pandemic, political setbacks in a series of provincial elections, external security challenges, growing international criticism of domestic politics, and the consequent decline in the popularity of the ruling dispensation’s top leadership define the context of the expansion and reshuffle of the Union council of ministers by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Any reshuffle seeks to address multiple objectives. Three things stand out in the big cabinet reshuffle. First, Narendra Modi has clearly sent out a performance message which has great bearing on India’s post-pandemic revival, like health, education, labour, aviation, petroleum, pharma, IT, telecom and railways and will be helmed by new ministers. As will be crucial portfolios like law and I&B. PM’s big bet is ex-IAS Ashwini Vaishnaw, who has got IT, telecom and railways.

That Vaishnaw gets these jobs held earlier by supposed Cabinet heavyweights says a lot about how much is expected of him.

Expectations will also be high for Mansukh Mandaviya, who has health and pharma (part of chemicals). New civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia inherits a portfolio that oversees an industry now in great trouble. He, too, is expected to deliver. As are the likes of Kiren Rijiju, who’s got law at a time when the union government and the Supreme Court are often in vocal disagreement.

Amit Shah’s charge of cooperation is interesting too, given state governments have traditionally dominated cooperatives.

Second, there is clear focus on the coming assembly elections in 2022 and 2023. With UP heading for elections next year, a number of OBC faces have made the cut. SP is pinning its hopes on reviving its OBC vote. BJP appears to have anticipated the danger. The increased representation for Bengal is aimed at bolstering the BJP state unit’s sapped morale amid TMC aggression.

Most of the inductees are aged less than 60 and seven are women – signalling great care in age and gender balancing. They are also well educated and of clean image. There has been an increase in

the number of ministers from the ranks of other backward classes (OBCs). Third, with 77 members, this is Modi’s biggest council of ministers. This big team has the job of getting pandemic-battered India back on track. The economy is in the worst shape in 30 years and the vaccination question is not fully answered. A Covid third wave remains a potent fear. If the council of ministers’ primary job is to govern, this new Modi team has its task cut out. There are a lot of poor people in India who cannot afford the costly treatment and the government has to be well equipped to take care of them as and when the third wave strikes.

There has been considerable speculation about the incompetence and exit of senior ministers. Making an example of Dr Harsh Vardhan, the minister for health, science and technology, and dropping him was the least the PM could do to atone for the Union government’s handling of the Covid pandemic. The minister alone was not responsible for the poor performance of the health ministry. The question is why others in the policy making system have also not been sacked. Much is being read into the exit of senior ministers Prakash Javdekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad. That the PM would have been less than impressed by the minister for information and broadcasting, given the decline in his own and his government’s popularity ratings, is understandable. He may not have also approved of the high decibel campaigns of his minister for law, justice, communications, electronics and information technology. Apart from reassuring friends in the United States the PM may also want to adopt a different approach to the handling of social media and the judiciary. Merely changing ministers and portfolios will not help if the PM himself does not comprehend the gravity of the economic situation, institutional decay and the level of social and political disaffection across the country. Let us hope that the new ministers will perform to the satisfaction of the government and the people.

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up. - Thomas A. Edison

Alpesh Patel

Race and Investing The racism issue should not be taking up media coverage of England’s great team performance. We should be talking about what wonderful role models they are.

I still recall 20 years ago a numpty emailed my editor at the Financial Times that my CV was too good to be true; as I took the call before dinner as a Fellow of an Oxford College. I was appointed by the PM with the FT editor to a Govt role so he could vouch.

Did someone think "surely people of his background don't get CVs like that"? You do start questioning motives with what’s going on today. I've been fortunate - been elevated by people of all colours. And try to pay it forward.

One reason I decided to be a Barrister was because in the 1980s when I made the decision I was told it was the last bastion of racism – what better challenge than that then I thought. It was after all English educated Barristers Gandhi, Jinnah, Sardar Patel and Nehru who led the greatest democratic movement in recent history and brought down the racism of Empire.

In my second profession of investing we know that the recent fastest market rally in history will not benefit black people in either the UK or US. We know this because research shows they will have less money invested in stocks. And so they will benefit less from market rises.

Wealth through investments is not about money alone. It is not about just saving and having your money work for you and not just you work for your money, but wealth through investing is choice, it is networks, it is an insurance policy – it is not having a foot on your throat – whether that foot is real or symbolic.

Or take the City – as Chair of City Hindus Network – I am well aware you are disproportionately less likely to be on the Board of a UK Plc – yet we know for instance in America, Indians at least, but not Black people, are in prominent positions.

Social mobility so often comes from education.

Failings at even the age of five can set the directions of one’s life. It also comes from the desire of those in positions up the ladder to open their networks. I always on my free education investing webinars tell people to join me on LinkedIn – the professional networking tool.

We will at City Hindu Network be launching in time of lockdown more TV style interviews with role models to inspire those to achieve and succeed. As an organisation we are open to all regardless of faith, but what the US race debate shows it is incumbent on all of us in positions of privilege – including City Privilege to help others still climbing the ladder.

But there are some people who need not come to me for help. The racists shouldn’t bother applying. My goodwill and inclusivity has limits. As the PM said, go crawl back under the rock from where you came.

Similarly those who so loathe themselves, their heritage, their faith, their origins that they mock others who are, for instance Hindu. The haters of Hindus need not apply. You won’t get equal treatment from me. Same goes for haters of any religion. I’ve got a limited number of years left, and being surrounded by hate is not how I choose to fill it. I will however happily look to destroy the hate filled terrorism apologists. I will not meet you with love.

Asian Voice is published by

Asian Business Publications Ltd Unit- 7, Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, (Off Coronet Street) London N1 6HW. Tel: 020 7749 4080 • Fax: 020 7749 4081 Email: aveditorial@abplgroup.com Website: www.abplgroup.com

INDIA OFFICE

Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad-380 015.

Tel: +91 79 2646 5960 © Asian Business Publications Email: gs_ahd@abplgroup.com

4 UK

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

AsianVoiceNews

www.asian-voice.com

17 - 23 July 2021

Twenty-one of Britain’s leading Asian Tech Pioneers were honoured, by equality charity Diversity UK, on the publication of its annual Top 100 Asian Stars in UK Tech list. The list celebrates diversity in the digital sector with a focus on disruptive technologies and celebrates its seventh anniversary this year.

Lopa Patel MBE, list curator and Chair of Diversity UK said: “It is inspiring to see so many Pioneers scale new heights over the past year, which has continued to be challenging for all of us in so many ways. I am delighted that the Top 100 Asian Stars in UK Tech list has marked its seventh anniversary with a stellar list of nominees, including another year with a record number of new nominees (60%) and that we have been able to honour twenty-one amazing Asian Tech Pioneers who have been selected by a judging panel of their own peers.

The Asian Tech Pioneers index now stands at 71 individuals and it is pleasing to see that newer sectors like greentech and healthtech are now being represented well against categories like business (22%) and investors

founder of Alma Angels and Venture at Partner Speedinvest who has been an advisor to female founders in the London ecosystem for 8 years now. Women make up 18.3% of the Asian Tech Pioneers list.

The official list of the Top 100 Asian Stars in UK Tech 2021 was published yesterday

by Diversity UK and aims to highlight the ground-breaking business models, apps, funding and support networks being created by Asian digital entrepreneurs.

The list addresses the perceived lack of diversity in the tech sector and showcases the wealth of talent that is currently growing the British tech scene. The list also showcases the top five Asians in the UK involved in business, greentech, healthtech, investors and startups, as chosen by expert judges.

The Top 100 Asian Stars in UK Tech list and Diversity UK are the brainchild of the digital entrepreneur Lopa Patel MBE who has long been recognised as an evangelist for STEM and the tech industries in the UK.

Leading Asian Tech Pioneers

HONOURED IN 2021

(18%). Among the Asian Tech Pioneers list are accelerators, influencers, investors, and VCs whose collective efforts will be really needed in the coming years if Britain is to bounce back entrepreneurially from the impact of the pandemic, but it is doubly thrilling to see women coming through the ranks to reach the top too."

Women Asian Tech Pioneers recognised for supporting the

tech ecosystem include Pratima Aiyagari, Venture Partner at Nauta Capital, which invests in early-stage (mainly Seed and Series A stage enterprise software companies) in deep tech domains; Joyeeta Das, Chair at AI company Gyana and Associate Venture Partner at SuperSeed ventures, working with the best deep tech startups to achieve their highest potential and Deepali Nangia, Co-

The full list of Asian Tech Pioneers 2021, in alphabetical order by surname: 1. Ajaz Ahmed BEM, Founder - Freeserve 2. Pratima Aiyagari, Venture Partner Nauta Capital 3. Ruhul Amin, Co-Founder - Onfido 4. Azeem Azhar, Founder - Exponential View 5. Iggy Bassi, Founder & CEO - Cervest AI 6. Joyeeta Das, Chair - Gyana 7. Imran Ghory, Partner - Blossom Capital 8. Amit Gudka, Co-Founder - Bulb Energy 9. Vinoth Jayakumar, Partner - Draper Esprit 10. Ron Kalifa OBE, Chairman - Network International 11. Mustafa Khanwala, Founder & CEO Mishi Pay 12. Deepali Nangia, Venture Partner SpeedInvest 13. Daniel Ng, CEO - CyberOwl 14. Jeffrey Ng, Chief Scientific Officer Founders Factory 15. Chintan Patel, Chief Technologist & Engineering Director - Cisco UK & Ireland 16. Suman Saha, Co-Founder & Medical Director - Doctify 17. Hitesh Sanganee, Head of Emerging Innovations - AstraZeneca 18. Bhavneet Singh, Founder & CEO Sandbox Partners 19. Arnie Sriskandarajah, Managing Director - Round Hill Ventures 20. Sumanta Talukdar, Co-Founder - Wave Optics 21. Alick Varma, Founder & Chairman Osper

Boris Johnson ‘deeply sorry’ for the suffering of Britons Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi launched an emotional attack on Mr Johnson at PMQs as he slammed 'sycophantic, spineless, hypocritical' ministers over their handling of the pandemic and being denied the right to bid adieu to relatives who passed away because many people like Dhesi were following Covid protocol. Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologised after the Labour MP’s speech in the PMQs. Speaking in the Commons, Mr Dhesi said: 'My grandmother, whom I loved dearly, was lying on her hospital death bed and none of us were allowed to be there to comfort her in her final moments. I couldn't even carry her coffin on my shoulders.

'I also had to endure the agony of watching alone, online, the funeral of my fun-loving uncle, and we were not there to comfort my brother-inlaw's father, who somehow contracted Covid in a Slough care home, during his final moments. All this because we followed Government guidance.

'Having experience of painful

personal sacrifices, like many others, imagine our collective disgust when in order to curry favour with the Prime Minister's chief adviser (Mr Cummings) we see sycophantic, spineless, hypocritical Government ministers lining up to defend the indefensible – saying "it's time to move on", with some even having the gall to tell us that they too go for a long

Mr Johnson told Mr Dhesi: 'No one who hasn't been through something like that can imagine what it must feel like to be deprived of the ability to mourn properly and hold the hands of a loved one in their last moments in the way he describes.

'I know how much sympathy there will be with him.

'I take his criticisms, most sincerely, of the Government and everything that we have done, but all I can say is we have tried throughout this pandemic to minimise human suffering, to minimise loss of life.

'When he asks for me to apologise, I do, I apologise for the suffering that the people of this country have endured.

'All I can say is nothing I can say or do can take back the lost lives, the lost time spent with loved ones that he describes. I'm deeply, deeply sorry for that.'

National Minimum Wage rate reminder for summer staff

24 hour helpline e

020 8361 6151

• An independent Hindu fam mily business • Dedic D di atted d Shi Shiva chapel h l off restt • Washing and dressing facilities • Ritual service items provided • Priest arranged for perforrming last rites • Specialists in repatriation n to India

Chandu Tailor Jay Tailor Bhanubhai Patel Dee Kerai

drive when they need to get their eyesight tested.

'What an absolute disgrace, and they should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

'So when is the Prime Minister finally going to apologise to the nation for not mustering up some courage and integrity for doing the honourable thing and sacking his chief adviser, who so shamelessly flouted his own Government guidance, that he could have regained that lost public trust and confidence, and he could have demonstrated that it's not one rule for him and his elite chums and another for the rest of us plebs?'

07957 250 851 07583 616 151 07939 232 664 07437 616 151

24 hour helpline: 020 8361 6151 | e: info@tailor.co.uk | w: www.tailor.co.uk Chani House, Lower Park Road, New Southgate, London, N11 1QD

Students and seasonal staff are being reminded

by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to check that they are being paid the National Minimum Wage (NMW).

All workers are legally entitled to be paid the NMW. This includes temporary seasonal staff, who often work short-term contracts in bars, hotels, shops and warehouses over the summer.

Last year (2020-21) HMRC helped 155,000 workers across the UK to recover more than £16 million in pay which was due to them. HMRC is reminding workers to check their hourly rate of pay and to also check any deductions or unpaid working time.

One person who has benefitted from HMRC’s enforcement of the NMW is Amber, a marketing apprentice. She was concerned that she was not being paid correctly, so contacted HMRC online.

HMRC looked into Amber’s concerns and spoke with her employer.

Amber was being underpaid and she received £1,900 in back pay.

The National Minimum Wage hourly rates are currently: - £8.91 - Age 23 or over (National Living Wage) - £8.36 - Age 21 to 22 - £6.56 - Age 18 to 20 - £4.62 - Age under 18 - £4.30 - Apprentice.

Steve Timewell, Director Individuals and

Small Business Compliance, HMRC, said: “We want to ensure that seasonal workers and students are being paid what they are entitled to and, as the economy reopens, help employers if they are unsure of the rules.

“Workers should check their hourly rate and look out for any deductions or unpaid working time which would reduce their pay. It could take them below the minimum wage.

“HMRC investigates every complaint made about the minimum wage, so whether you are selling sun cream, giving a hotel room a clean, or serving a strawberry smoothie, if you think you are being short-changed you should get in touch.”

Sunak says, ‘be in your office’ Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said that Brits must go back to work after the lockdown ends.

Speaking to The Telegraph he said, “I think for young people, especially, that ability to be in your office, be in your workplace and learn from others more directly, is something that's really important and I look forward to us slowly getting back to that.” He added: “Even with rising case numbers, the hospitalisation numbers are at a manageable level.” All restrictions are currently due to end on Freedom Day and fully vaccinated people must still follow self-isolation rules until August 16.

Teenager stabbed in Harrow A stabbing took place at a funfair in Barnet. The police have made an appeal for information and witnesses.

Met Police said: “Police were called at 20:34hrs on Friday, 9 July, to a funfair in Parkside Gardens, Barnet.

There were reports of a group of males fighting and a person stabbed. Officers attended along with London Ambulance Service.

A group of youths made off on police arrival."

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

17 - 23 July 2021

5

6 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

17 - 23 July 2021

Continued from page 1 “I can take critique of my performance all day long, my penalty was not good enough, it should have gone in but I will never apologise for who I am and where I came from. I've felt no prouder moment than wearing those three lions on my chest and seeing my family cheer me on in a crowd of tens of thousands,” he added. The Euro 2020 final is over. We all know what followed.

Police are treating it as a racist incident after Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jason Sancho, who all missed a penalty, have been targeted with racist abuse on social media. In over 850,000 tweets, 1,913 flagged as potentially abusive, specifically targeting Jadon Sancho, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling. 167 posts were considered to be "high risk" abuse. Twitter removed more than 1,000 posts, Facebook and Instagram re-instated tougher measures. Yet, from watermelon emojis alongside monkey and banana emojis to calling them ‘flag-waving piccaninnies’, Britain saw one of the most shameful racial attacks last week.

UEFA has said that it is launching an investigation into events involving supporters inside and around Wembley Stadium during Sunday's Euro 2020 final.

After the Euro2020 finale, Shaista, Amna, Huda, of the #TheThreeHijabis group started an online petition on change dot org, demanding a ban on racists for life from all football matches in England. As of July 13th, the signatures were almost close to a million, making it one of the top signed petitions on change dot org.

More than half of Gareth Southgate’s 26man squad have at least one parent or grandparent born outside of the UK, according to the Migration Museum. Out of the 11 players who started for England in their thrilling semi-final victory over Denmark, a total of seven have a parent or grandparent from overseas.

Before the tournament Southgate, the England manager reportedly urged people to speak out against white privilege. He wrote, “Our players are role models.

“It’s their duty to continue to interact with the public on matters such as equality, inclusivity and racial injustice while using the power of their voices to help put debates on the table, raise awareness and educate. It’s clear to me we are heading for a much more tolerant and understanding society, and I know our lads will be a big part of that.”

More than just a footballer In an exclusive comment for Asian Voice about Marcus Rashford’s work to support 1.3mn vulnerable children in the UK during the pandemic with free school meal vouchers during summer holidays in England, a spokesperson from The Akshaya Patra told us, “The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK shares a relationship of absolute respect and mutual admiration with Marcus Rashford.

He has appreciated Akshaya Patra UK several times. Besides, on the matter of child hunger, Akshaya Patra UK strives to serve as many thousands of children in the UK and is pursuing further collaboration with the activist and English footballer.” Rashford was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Honours in 2018.

19-year-old Bukayo Saka missed the penalty that gave Italy the edge, denying England its first international trophy since the 1966 World Cup. It is important to note that Saka made a powerful show of solidarity from Arsenal with the Black Lives Matter movement, where he sported a t-shirt that said: 'My skin is not a crime.’

20-year-old Jadon Sancho is known for leading Bundesliga players' show of support during BLM, where his t-shirt read, “Justice for George Floyd.”

Earlier last month, Manchester City and England player Raheem Sterling was named in Queen Elizabeth II's Birthday Honours list in recognition of his work to promote racial equality in sport. The 26-year-old, who has been heavily involved in anti-racism and antidiscrimination campaigns, has been made an MBE. TRH Duke of Cambridge, Prince William said in a statement that, “I am sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night’s match. It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent

STILL OUR HEROES! behaviour. It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable.”

PM and Home Secretary under scrutiny Anti-racists called for a demonstration at Rashford mural and said that Gary Neville was correct in calling out government racism and racist abuse towards, Rashford, Saka and Sancho. The demonstration was held on Tuesday 13 July at 6 pm in Withington. Stand up to Racism Co-Convenor Sabby Dhalu told Sky: “Boris Johnson failed to condemn the booing of England footballers taking the knee and MPs such as Home Secretary Priti Patel, Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith who attacked England for taking the knee.

This gave succour to far-right racists and fascists. Therefore, the torrent of racist abuse since the final is not surprising. Racism starts from the top.”

In a press statement, Lee Bloomfield, Chief Executive of Manningham Housing Association said, “As a BAME association which stands for equality and diversity and against any form of racism or prejudice, it is critically important that public figures and public-facing organisations with the ability to speak out against such appalling behaviour now take a stand. Turning a blind eye to unashamed racism will lead our country towards an abyss. Instead, a spotlight must be shone on this cancer and those individuals who have committed crimes of hate must be harshly dealt with by the criminal law.”

“The Prime Minister said that it was okay for the population of this country to boo those players who were trying to promote equality and defend against racism,” Gary Neville - football pundit, coach and the former player said.

After being heavily criticised for letting in ‘racist idiots’ inside the Euro2020 finale at the Wembley Stadium, at a Downing Street press conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “To those who have been directing racist abuse at some of the players I say shame on you and I hope you will crawl back under the rock from which you emerged. Because this entire team played like heroes and I'm sure that this is just the beginning of their achievements, and I say bring on Qatar next year and let's also dare to start, together with Ireland, how the United Kingdom can host the World Cup in 2030.”

Groups of Indians were seen taking photos outside Wembley Stadium, treating it almost as a sacred and holy grail. Homes across London and other parts of England donned windows and doors with English flags, with Indians seen doing aarti in front of the English squad photo, putting tilak on Harry Kane. Photo of a home mandir with idols wearing England’s jersey and flags in the backdrop made rounds. Captain Mike Patel installed the flag of England in his prayer room at home after his relatives suggested that they must pray as people back home in India do during cricket matches.

Did you know, there are about five most common Football Fan Superstitions and Rituals, which include Wearing a lucky shirt (23%), Having your lucky number on your shirt (14%), Wearing lucky socks (11%), Wearing lucky pants (9%) and Kissing the badge/Sitting in the same seat when watching at home (8%). Who would have thought that there should have been a sixth superstition, a ritual to keep racist abuse at bay.

Asian Voice reached out to members of the community and experts to know their take on this unfortunate incident.

Social media companies need to do more Tony Burnett, Kick It Out CEO, told this newsweekly, “When it comes to online abuse, we need bet- Tony Burnett ter regulation and enforcement, and we need social media companies to be part of the solution. The social media companies are in the best position to have an impact – they have the financial resources, the technology and the people. They need to ensure their resources are allocated consistently to solve this problem and they need to

Marcus Rashford's re-decorated mural after it was vandalised

show determination to solve this problem.

The changes we’d like to see include applying preventative filtering and blocking measures to stop discriminatory abuse being sent or seen; being accountable for safety on platforms and protecting users by implementing effective verification; and ensuring real-life consequences for online discriminatory abuse, such as banning perpetrators, stopping account re-registration and supporting law enforcement. We will continue to work with our partners in football to drive discrimination out of the game, but we call on those with the power to act now. The social media companies need to do more to stamp out abuse on their platforms, and the government also need to step up and keep its promise to regulate. The Online Safety Bill could be a game-changer and we aim to help make that happen.”

England team was an extension of ourselves Jasvir Singh, Co-founder of South Asian Heritage Month told us, “The England team is the most diverse ever. Jasvir Singh Its progressive views and approach represent modern Britain in a way unlike any other national team to have represented us before.

To the millions who made this country their home from the 1950s onwards and their children and grandchildren, this has made us feel that the England team was an extension of ourselves. It's as simple as that.”

Speaking to the newsweekly, Cllr Ameet Jogia, Co-Chairman of the Conservative Friends of Cllr Ameet Jogia India, who he attended the semis against Denmark at Wembley said, “The current England team reflects modern-day Britain.

We are all proud of how far the team got under the fantastic leadership of Gareth Southgate. It is a young, dynamic, and reformed team that show great promise ahead of the World Cup and future competitions. I think the racial abuse suffered by players afterwards was deeply sickening and disappointing. This goes against our British values, and I hope those inflicting such abuse will be reprimanded.”

Snide remarks for England residents supporting Italy Atrayee Bandyopadhyay was supporting Italy, not England. She had to face snide remarks for not supporting the country of her Atrayee residence. Talking to Asian Bandyopadhyay Voice, she said, “A Bengali’s fascination with football is well known and I’m no exception!

I’ve grown to love the spirit of the game since childhood and the euphoria transcends all ethnic or religious barriers! I was supporting Italy, a childhood favourite, in the final match of the Euro Cup and for the first time came across snide remarks about my loyalty to the country I inhabit! Though driven by passion, to me sports is not about nationality or patriotism, it goes beyond the field and is a valuable source of inspiration and sustenance for the mind! Political or racist references only tarnishes the image of the game. We should be thankful to all the players to have given us a reason to rejoice and unite in such difficult times and stay away from any negativity.”

Wembley resident Bharat Vaswani shared his two cents Bharat Vaswani

with the newsweekly and said, “In 2019, people born outside the UK made up an estimated 14% of the UK’s population or 9.5 million people. The England 2021 squad is more

England's flag at Captain Mike Patel's Mandir at home

racially diverse than the country and that to me is acceptance and importance of the diverse racial fabric of the UK. As a person of Indian origin every single day I deal with people of different ethnic heritage at work and outside. In the UK, migration defines who we are, where we have come from and where we are going. The racial abuse faced by some of the team members has undone the spirit of oneness of the past weeks in one single day.

There is a need for deep introspection at this time. The reality of football in the UK is that is a diverse team with predominantly white followers.”

Bizarre events Amid all the chaos, Nina Farooqi, 37, made an excuse to dodge work so she could go to Wembley after getting a last-minute ticket. She was fired by her boss spotted her cheering on TV at the stadium at 6 am the next day. Britons wanted a bank holiday if England won the Euro 2020 finale. A petition was started to support this demand with over 300,00 signatures. Alas, instead we all need a break from the rampant racism and open intolerance towards people of colour.

British Bangladeshi Dipul Miah who drives a Black cab on London’s streets told us that he decided to take a day off on the day of the finale because he pre-empted the ruckus that hooligans created for drivers, cabs and public transport. WhatsApp and social media videos of vandalism went viral post the match.

The award-winning family-owned chain of Kushi restaurants and takeaways in East London and Essex had announced that customers would get free vindaloo if England won the UEFA Euro 2020 Final on Sunday.

Meanwhile, fans have started petitions calling for England vs Italy rematch. They never lose hope.

Instances of domestic abuse increase 26% when England play and 38% if they lose Amidst total chaos and orchestrated racist attacks, the National Centre for Domestic Violence rolled out a campaign that said: “Not everyone is looking forward to the match tonight...instances of Sharon Bryan domestic abuse increase 26% when England play and 38% if they lose.”

Speaking exclusively to Asian Voice, Sharon Bryan – Head of Partnerships and Development, NCDV (National Centre for Domestic Violence) said, “The link between domestic abuse, racism and football is, I suspect, that many perpetrators who are domestically abusive to their partners and/or former partners, those that cause trouble and are abusive at or about football matches are also abusive to people of colour. I have worked in the field of domestic abuse for 23 years, mainly front line, and this has been my experience.

“I am also a survivor of domestic abuse and my ex-husband was all of the aforementioned things. He regularly caused trouble at football matches. He was racist and I have lost count of the times he assaulted me when either his football team or England lost a match. There is a correlation between Domestic Abuse and Racial Abuse.”

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

17 - 23 July 2021

7

8 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

17 - 23 July 2021

Parents unite to save local Sikh school Parents, teachers and students alike have signed a petition to irrefutably oppose the pending re-brokerage of Khalsa Secondary Academy (KSA) in Stoke Poges, Buckingham. The petition, created by the Save our Sikh School group, has now reached over six thousand signatures from dismayed and concerned parents to try and save KSA from being re-brokered to an alternative Academies Trust.

Despite the academic strength of KSA, consistently in the top 10% of schools nationally for the results achieved and high student satisfaction, the Department of Education (DfE) is still determined to rebroker the school – regardless of the significant progress made since the Ofsted inspection as evidenced by external audits in Safeguarding, Governance and SEND. Parents are increasingly worried that despite the strength of education and depth of religious support their children receive at KSA, all of this will be lost in moving to a different Trust.

Parents are particularly concerned that the proposed sponsor aligns a separate jatha, or collective group of Sikhs, to that currently followed at the current sponsor (Khalsa Academies Trust) and they have no previous

Photo credit: Rehmat Rayatt

experience of running a secondary academy, making it a grossly inappropriate choice.

Above all else, the Save our Sikh School group and the wider school community are furious about the disruption to the education of the students at the academy, which has already been impacted due to Covid19 but is now also being hampered by uncertainty around its future.

One parent of the Save Our Sikh Schools group, Inderjit Bahmra, said: “Most of the pupils at the school have decided to go to Khalsa Secondary Academy as it is a Sikh school following the Sikh ethos. If the school is moved to a different trust, I am sure

quite a few students will probably leave. I am quite disappointed with Ofsted considering that the school has made tremendous improvements with safeguarding since the last inspection in December 2019.”

Anita Singh, who founded the 'Save our Sikh school' group, said: “As the official body of the parents of Khalsa Secondary Academy, we are collectively supporting the Khalsa Academies Trust in their legal challenge against the Department of Education and its continued unfair treatment of our school. The Save our Sikh School group will continue to fight for justice against the perceived inequalities and injustice caused by the Department of Education and Regional School Commissioners through their ignorant and unexplainable actions to enforce a Termination Notice and subsequent re-brokerage upon Khalsa Secondary Academy, to move the school to an entirely inappropriate sponsor. We welcome the decision of The High Court to investigate the decision-making process around Khalsa Secondary Academy’s Termination Notice and even if this isn’t prevented, the need to appoint a more appropriate sponsor needs to be recognised.”

Dr Nikki Kanani wins GDST Exceptional Contribution Award Dr Nikita Kanani MBE has been awarded GDST Exceptional Contribution Award for the key role she has played in the roll-out of the Covid vaccination programme.

Dr Kanani is a GP and Medical Director for Primary Care for NHS England and NHS Improvement, the first woman ever appointed to this role. She has been consistently at the forefront of the fight against Covid, and played a leading part in the rollout of the largest vaccination programme in the health service history, launching the NHS blueprint to increase vaccine confidence – a critical

part of the roll-out. She did all this while continuing to work as a GP in her southeast London practice.

She was awarded an MBE in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to primary care and is a member of The King’s Fund General Advisory Council.

With her sister, Dr Sheila Kanani (Wimbledon High School alumna and Alumna of the Year finalist in 2011), she co-founded STEMMsisters, a social enterprise supporting young people to study science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine.

Speaking about her work, Nikki said, “Always remember to be true to

Over a third of UK students adopt vegan diet

An estimated 12% of the population currently opt for a meat-free lifestyle and while this might not sound like many, it equates to nearly 7.8m people across the UK. The figures also show that Generation X (14%), Millennials (15%) and Generation Z (14%) are far more likely to adopt a meat-free lifestyle and so it could soon become the norm, with these generations already accounting for 5.8m people who choose to live meat-free.

Research by the student accom-

modation provider, UniHomes, has also found that students could be helping to lead the meat-free revolution. While 86% of UK adults are meat-eaters in the traditional sense, the research found just 64% of students shared the same dietary choice.

18% were flexitarians occasionally eating meat or fish, 8% were completely vegetarian, 6% were pescatarian, with 3% stating they were vegan.

The predominant reason was the health benefits associated with doing so. Personal benefits aside, students

Dr Nikki Kanani

yourself and your values. Listen to your gut, be driven by your heart, leave a legacy that will inspire others.” were also largely influenced by their environmental footprint and their moral beliefs, while some were influenced by friends and even media such as Netflix documentaries.

However, heading away to university can prove problematic when it comes to sticking to your dietary lifestyle, with UniHomes finding that 52% of students struggle to do so once-living away from home.

The cost of groceries ranked as one of the biggest factors although this is perhaps understandable given that a vegan diet has the highest average costs per month when compared to other dietary lifestyles.

Research by PETA has revealed that when it comes to veganism specifically, some universities are working hard to make students feel at home. According to PETA, the bestranked vegan-friendly universities are the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics.

London (8), the South East (7) and the South West (4) are the regions home to the most top-rated, vegan-friendly universities.

Additionally, research by MyStudentHalls found that when it comes to the healthiest universities in the UK, the University of Nottingham ranked top, with the Universities of Edinburgh, York, Glasgow and Bristol also ranking amongst the best for health-conscious students.

A match is not won till the final penalty kick!

Rohit Vadhwana We saw in the Euro2020 final match between England and Italy that the result is not decided till the final penalty kick. It was a good game and both teams played well but just as it happens in every sport, the winner is only one. Each minute of the match was exciting. Every viewer was sitting on the edge of the chair, holding their breath till the last penalty stroke. The game changed in favour of one team to another many times, giving hope and despair not only to the players but also to supporters. Stakes were very high for both the teams.

The same thing happens in real life. In day-to-day life, we do not pay attention to such heart-throbbing intensity in different situations, but it is actually true that the last moment and last effort decide the final result. It is in a way positive as well as negative. If you are already winning, you cannot be laid back till the final decisive moment. You can even lose an already won war in the last battle. Remember the famous story of rabbit and tortoise?

In the cases where success is difficult to achieve, efforts till the last minute may change the result dramatically. Never give up, till it is finally decided. After all, only those are confirmed losers who do not try. Therefore, keeping fingers crossed, keeping hopes positive, and working towards successful results is the best lesson learned from every sport.

Sometimes even miracles happen and circumstances change beyond our expectation, leading to a well-desired result. If two boxers are in the ring, the knockout punch can come from anyone. Even those who have dominated the whole game may end up losing by the final stroke of the play, suddenly and shockingly.

In fact, every game, and the situation in life, is based on our efforts, circumstances and opponents. Skills play a very big role in the performance and therefore honing the skills to our best is important in practice. Performing to the best of our strength and skills is next most important for winning the game and achieving success in life. But then other factors like opponents' skills, strength and performance also play a role. If they are weak, distracted, it is easy to win. If they are dedicated and at the top of the game, it is not easy to compete. But in both cases, our attentiveness cannot be valued less. Losing sight of the final goal can be disastrous for us anytime. Just take a case of a Formula One racer. How fast he has to drive, how quickly the position changes on the track, how advantageous it would be for other drivers if he misses his attention even for a second? Similarly, if other racers miss the focus for even a fraction of a second, his position would change to a more advantageous one.

It's true for climbing the ladder of success also. Therefore, till the result is announced, never give up hope for a positive one. Never give up efforts in middle. Hit with the best of your might till the last moment. Put your best foot forward till you win.

(Expressed opinions are personal)

Amazon, Sky and Molson Coors back vaccine rollout campaign Amazon, Sky, Molson Coors and Three UK have joined forces with the government to encourage their employees to get Covid19 vaccines.

Over the last six months, leading businesses have pledged their support in promoting positive vaccination messages and encouraging their staff to get the vaccine to ensure workplaces are safe and employees are protected from Covid-19.

Employers involved in the drive - including Asda, Slimming World, Metro Bank, Santander, Nationwide Building Society, Severn Trent and Merlin Entertainments - have committed to offering flexibility for staff receiving the vaccine during working hours and to signpost staff to NHS advice on vaccination.

Companies have also committed to giving paid time off for employees, in addition to providing sick pay for the minority who experience minor side effects like fever or a headache.

In order to galvanise more leading businesses and employers, LinkedIn has also committed resources and free advertising to help target CEOs and Directors to support their staff and encourage employees to get both vaccine doses by signposting to the government’s Employers Toolkit. Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi held a roundtable with the businesses who have signed up to the employer coalition to thank them for supporting the largest vaccination programme in UK history and called on all UK businesses to join the employer coalition.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

UK

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

17 - 23 July 2021

Volunteering at Euro 2020

Shakespeare Martineau launches new India desk Sneha Nainwal, Legal Director

L

aw firm Shakespeare Martineau has launched an ‘India Desk’, following an increase in demand for legal support across the two jurisdictions.

Bringing together a team of specialist lawyers, the new ‘India Desk’ will be acting on a broad spectrum of matters in the UK-India space, for both individual and business clients.

Based in the UK, its specialist dual-qualified team supports those looking to invest in the UK, set up business in India or operate globally, providing tailored advice on international transactions and cross-border disputes as well as supporting individuals looking for tax, family or immigration law advice.

Led by dual-qualified legal director Sneha Nainwal, the team have multi-lingual capabilities with lawyers fluent in the various languages spoken across India and more than 20

languages spoken globally.

Sneha said: “India has an incredibly exciting and fastmoving economy, with unrivalled opportunities. Because of our reputation for handling international transactions, cross-border disputes and business immigration work, we’ve seen a growing demand for our services in the UK-India space.

“To meet this demand, we’ve pulled together a team who are able to act for businesses, financial institutions, funds and individuals from around the world and have unbeatable connections with premier law firms in India to provide a fully co-ordinated advice on Indiarelated matters and on-theground representation to our clients.

“We are a multi-disciplinary firm and able to offer legal services ranging from corporate advisory, corporate finance and dispute resolution to global

mobility, tax, data protection and trust planning.”

Working with organisations of all sizes, Shakespeare Martineau delivers a broad range of specialist legal services and has particular expertise across areas including but not limited to: energy, education, banking and finance, healthcare, investment funds, manufacturing, agriculture, family business, Islamic finance, later living, social housing and real estate. Shakespeare Martineau also provides services for families and private clients. It has been listed in Best Companies 2021 for top 20 law firms, top 100 Midlands and top 75 large London businesses. With more than 880 people, Shakespeare Martineau has offices in London, Lincoln, Nottingham, Leicester, Sheffield, Birmingham, Stratford-uponAvon, Solihull, Milton Keynes and Glasgow.

After the hosting of the Olympics in 2012 in London, the Euro2020 final was the biggest sports event held at Wembley stadium. Mr Bharat Shah who volunteered at the stadium during the finale has hosted 8 matches including 2 semi-finals & 1 final. All the events were very well organised and the arrangements were highly appreciated by the spectators.

Speaking to Asian Voice, Mr Shah said, “I had the proud privilege to be a volunteer at this amazing tournament from 11th June to 11th July 2021 at Wembley Stadium, London. Though this event had to be postponed from last year due to the pandemic, yet I was fortunate to have been given this lifetime opportunity after being one of 1000 volunteers selected from 6000 applicants.

“We as volunteers, prior to our selection, had to undergo a rigorous interview process, safety & covid procedures briefing and complete manda-

Bharat Shah

tory e-learning modules as part of the preparation for our role during the tournament.

However, now as this mostwatched tournament is confined to history, for me as a volunteer, it has been a ‘never to be forgotten’ experience. Though we volunteers were not on the pitch, yet we as a team of volunteers, performed to the best of our ability to make this much-awaited tournament a grand success. The memories will remain afresh in our minds for years to come.”

British Indian wants BBC to issue an apology for showing the incorrect map of India UK based Chuni Chavda noticed that on several occasions like January 2021, 17th and 19th June 2021, the BBC carried a wrong map of India where the states of Jammu and Kashmir were not a part of the map. Chavda reached out to the Office of the Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP, Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet to seek help and an apology from the BBC. She contacted the BBC and received an email where the BBC accepted its mistake and said, “This

was an extremely serious error that should not have occurred, and the content was quickly removed and corrected.

“We are very sorry for the offence caused by the publication of this map.”

The BBC promised to further alert its journalists and reduce the possibilities of human error. Chavda is still dissatisfied with the apology issued and wants it to be published on BBC’s website throughout the day.

10 READERS' VOICE

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

17 - 23 July 2021

Businesses are facing rising staff shortages, so how do we solve them?

An article written by Lord Karan Bilimoria, the president of CBI “Businesses are facing rising staff shortages, so how do we solve them?” in AV 10-16 July shows the grim reality the businesses are nowadays facing. It is well known that there is a huge shortage of drivers especially for Heavy Goods vehicles recently.

The short-term solution is to “grab” skilled manpower from another company by giving more money and better facilities. Companies may think of recruiting people from the EU on a temporary basis especially seasonal workers like fruit pickers etc. Nowadays reputed companies should think from a longer-term perspective, how to hire talent and retain them. The law of demand and supply prevails everywhere including the labour market. Companies should pay decent pay, perks and other intangible benefits to retain talented people. If they are being treated as just numbers and not as a valuable intangible asset of the company, the chances of an individual working wholeheartedly will diminish which will ultimately result in manpower turnover.

Improving profitability, cost-cutting, reducing manhours, rationalisation of management structure and empowering team are some of the buzz words in the corporate world. But to fulfil these objectives, a sound structure and continuous flow of talented people should be there.

Longer term solution is to provide adequate training in the schools/colleges about jobs and required skills. I think practical training is more important. This way the learners will come to know earlier what is required in the real job market. There was a news item on the BBC on 16/06 where John Lewis’s boss Sharon White says young staff lack basic numeracy skills and functional literacy skills. In the same article the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said a high proportion of the UK workforce had “poor literacy, numeracy and computer skills”. Adequate resources should be invested now to get the results after 5 to 10 years. More students should be encouraged to take STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects.

Hitesh Hingu London

Social Media giants rule the world Kapil’s article in AV article (12 June 2021) and Hitesh Hingu’s letter on the above subject have both given voice to many millions around the globe who empathise with the sentiments expressed therein. Social Media is a double-edged sword. It can help to bring about positive social good by bringing the world together but, in the wrong hands (politically motivated ideologies), it has the power and reach to cause social and communal unrest, civil strife and even help to topple governments. Fake news and fake tweets are seen as a clear danger to peace and harmony and present a national cohesion and security risk to many countries so cannot just be brushed aside under the pretext of freedom of speech.

Free speech is not absolute in any country and does not absolve anyone (individual or corporate) of their responsibility as a responsible global citizen. One of the regulations requires the social media platforms to identify the source of origin of the fake message/tweet, when asked to do so by the law enforcement bodies. This is a very reasonable ask to protect social harmony and cohesion of the country from unsubstantiated messages/tweets which can now be shared rapidly and have the potential to cause havoc and communal tensions in the country, if left unchallenged.

Twitter’s failure to comply with India’s IT laws and regulations whilst continuing to operate in India is shameful, irresponsible, and arrogant. This is despite having been given ample advance notice of the implementation of the Regulations and despite being allowed to gain even more non-compliance time by allowing the company to mount legal challenges in the Indian courts. Thus far, they have lost the legal challenges and so remain non-compliant with the law whilst continuing to operate in India. Can you imagine an Indian company operating with such impunity in the USA or Europe and get away with it? We can only assume this is because of the political cover that Twitter enjoys in the US government.

Twitter should be thankful that India is governed by the rule of law unlike China where an independent judiciary is non-existent and, as far as I am aware, Twitter is not allowed to operate there. India needs to act tough now to bring Twitter into compliance by imposing significant financial penalties commensurate with the number of subscribers it has in India, by suspending its licence to operate in India and ultimately taking legal powers to ban Apps/platforms for non- compliance with India’s laws enacted by a democratically elected government. Undoubtedly, there will be the usual suspects accusing India of curbing freedom of speech, so the Indian government needs to get into gear and communicate its actions clearly.

Dinesh Rai

KHICHADI Kapil’s

Are elderlies a soft touch?

Business attitude in this country is to make profit at any cost, fair or foul, no matter who gets hurt in the process.

Businesses I had bad experiences with were energy provider, insurance, telephone and TV and few more. Then I am not alone. I at least can fight my own battle and if I fail to resolve the issue, my MP is always ready and willing to help me!

One trend I have noticed recently is that when paying by monthly DD, they will allow you to create underpayment, even though you may have submitted readings. So, when the time comes to renew, you will be presented with a bill of some £500 to £2000 arrears with the offer to include this underpayment in your renewal set-up, thus avoiding hefty payment.

As many people, especially trusting elderly who could not afford lump sum arrear payments, will agree and renew yearly contract, trapping these people, captive customers who are unable to take advantage of cheaper rates available in the open market.

There are also some very reliable businesses who care for their customers and will help you as much as they can. My experience is that we should stick by them, even though they may be marginally more expensive, as in the end we may not only save more but have hassle free renewal.

The worse experience I have was with fiduciary firms pretending to be disabled, elderly friendly and quote twice the going rate! When I query, their lame answer, excuse is, it is computer who works out the quote! My reply, it is time you should update your computer!

It is time government regulate these rogue firms who use the logo and make them register and yearly renewal to sort out good from bad and stop exploitation of venerable people, if necessary, with hefty fine! Then our politicians living in their Ivory Tower with bridge raised; are not interested in our welfare. Are they?

Bhupendra M. Gandhi

WE WANT YOUR SUPPORT Mr Gandhi isn’t the only one who suffered such fate with businesses trying to reap off the elderly or those believed to have less knowledge, as easy targets. Even being pressured or misleading you into buying something is an offense you can report.

The Age UK in a report said: scams are a major threat to older people’s financial security and overall health and wellbeing. Scams, or frauds against individuals, take many forms. As well as scams carried out on people’s doorsteps, the opportunities for fraud have massively expanded in recent years. Anyone can become a victim of scams, including people of all ages and those who are financially sophisticated and confident. But within this diversity of victims, older people may be particularly targeted, often because it is assumed that they have more money than younger people.

If you have a story to share about a financial scam you have suffered recently, write to shefali.saxena@abplgroup. com.

We would urge local MPs, organisations to come forward to join us in this campaign to save the vulnerable from being targeted.

The end of an era An era in the Indian cinema has come to an end on 7 July 2021 with the sad demise of the legendary actor, Dilip Kumar. The prolific actor breathed his last at the age of 98 after a prolonged illness at a Mumbai hospital.According to media reports, he even visited Pakistani singer, Noor Jehan in Karachi for an interview.Dilip Kumar was one of India’s most respected and talented actors and was known for his roles as a tragic hero in several Bollywood movies.He was born Muhammad Yusuf Khan in 1922, in Peshawar -- in what is now a part of Pakistan. His father was a fruit-seller and the family moved to Mumbai, then known as Bombay, during his childhood in the 1930s. A decade later, he moved to Pune to launch a canteen business and supply fruits.

A chance encounter with Devika Rani of Bombay Talkies landed this shy and debonair young man in tinsel town with his first film, 'Jwar Bhata' in 1944. Devika Rani had gone out shopping to a local market. At one fruit shop, she looked keenly at this young man engrossed at selling his merchandise. It was by mere chance that the shy shopkeeper had only replaced his father that day. Devika Rani found this young man with a sensitive face and expressive eyes quite unusual.

She gave him her visiting card and asked him to meet her at the studio the next day.

Bombay Talkies not only changed Dilip Kumar's destiny but also his name.In a career spanning over six decades, Dilip has worked in over 66 films. His last movie was 'Qila', which was released in 1998.He has paired opposite several heroines of his generation, including his wife Saira Banu.

They made a wonderful pair both on-screen and offscreen.He has won several awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994. He was buried at the Juhu Qabrastan in Mumbai according to Muslim rites.

His death is a loss to both India and Pakistan.

Jubel D’Cruz Mumbai, India

Follow me on Twitter: @kk_OEG

Kargil Vijay Diwas Kapil Dudakia 26th July 1999 has gone down in history as the day when the great Indian armed forces uprooted from Kargil the demonic forces of Pakistan. True to their nature, the Pakistani government broke the bi-lateral agreement with India and in a clandestine manoeuvre invaded the high post in Kargil. The nature of Pakistan since 1947 has always been of dishonour, of breaking agreements and siding with criminality. So it was to be expected that regardless of how well meaning India is, and has been to Pakistan, that Pakistan just cannot help itself but betray everyone.

At the time, Pakistan made every attempt to disassociate itself by claiming that the Kargil attack was none of its doing. That it was an independent terrorist outfit. The world looked on, knowing all too well that this was a blatant lie. Lying of course has become Pakistan’s trademark, so nothing new on that front. It was not too long before details emerged that the whole attack was indeed orchestrated by the Pakistani government and led by General Ashraf Rashid who was their head of the paramilitary forces.

Over some 60 days of fighting that ensued, lives were lost on both sides. However, the inevitable happened on 26th July 1999 when Indian forces overwhelmed the Pakistani forces and ejected them out of Kargil. Operation Vijay was an outstanding success.

India had to learn some hard lessons quickly. It’s safe position of ignoring the wrongs of its neighbour had ultimately compromised national security and led to the loss of Indian lives. The public woke up to the ground zero realities as well. There was an upsurge of support for the Government to become very proactive in Indian defence and to ensure that the armed forces were adequately resourced. It made some difference, but not on the scale required.

Pakistan’s humiliating international climbdown became a national day of shame. One that lives on in their psyche even today. Mention Kargil to anyone in Pakistan, and everyone goes mad.

It took the arrival of PM Modi to change the narrative.

The mandate given by the people to the BJP was astonishing. They wanted a government that would put India first.

A government that was not ashamed to be Indian and to celebrate and rejoice it historical heritage of Bharat Varsh.

PM Modi has made great strides in building up Indian armed forces. Gradually our troops are being positioned in their tens of thousands along the LOC with both Pakistan and China.

By getting rid of the illegal A370, it opened up Jammu and Kashmir to the whole of India. By restructuring Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh it has created massive safe zones where life can thrive once more. Tens of thousands of Indians are beginning to move back and establish a thriving economy. The neglect of 70 years cannot be undone in a few years. It will take another decade of focus to change the local narrative and empower the population to reach for the stars.

So on 26th July, we celebrate the bravery of those who gave their lives for the nation. We mark the day when Pakistan was taught a lesson. We note the day when India started to awaken to the dangers it faces from all side. And whilst progress in the past 10 years has been significant, in my view this is still not enough.

PM Modi needs to raise his efforts by several notches and shorten the timeline for success. The nation comes first narrative must now become the very core for every Indian. There is no room for doubt, for the protection of Dharma, its time to stand tall.

Punished twice for same offence?

Normally one cannot be punished again and again for the same event by courts. I do not understand how a French court is able to punish India when an American court has already done so for the same thing.

Suriakant Shah Croydon

We are grateful to all letter writers for more and more versatile letters well within word limit. Please keep contributing as always. If you are new, then write to Rupanjana at rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

UK 11

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

17 - 23 July 2021

Working for a Better India

Ruchi Ghanashyam Mrs. Ruchi Ghanashyam is the former High Commissioner of India to the UK. With a career in Indian Foreign Service for over 38 years, she has been posted in many countries including South Africa, Ghana, before arriving in the UK. She was only the second woman High Commissioner to the UK since India’s independence and during her tenure, she witnessed a number of significant developments in the UK-India relations.

Recently, I came across a story on ‘6 Women Help Award-Winning Weavers Across India earn Rs 60 lakh in 2 Months’. By the time of writing this column, the amount raised had already gone up to Rs 75,00,000.

The story by Rinchen Norbu Wangchuk and edited by Vinayak Hegde appeared on an Indian digital media platform, The Better India, on 7 July 2021. The report focuses on the efforts of the ‘Weaver Resource Bridge’

in helping nine award-winning master weavers, including a Banarasi and a Pashmina weaver, sell their work online during Covid-19. This was my first introduction to thebetterIndia.com which claims that it wants to showcase everything that is working in India. By using the power of constructive journalism, they want to change India – one story at a time.

The Weaver Resource Bridge (resourcebridge4weavers@gmail.com) comprises six volunteers at the moment. Talish Ray (a Delhi-based corporate lawyer) Meenakshi Vashisht (heritage specialist), Mani Tripathi (homemaker from Lucknow), Namrata Varma Kaul (real estate professional), Shruti Mathur (IT consultant living in Melbourne) and Monika Srivastav (a homemaker). The initiative was started by Talish Ray after serious family exposure to Covid. She found a partner volunteer, Meenakshi, on the social media site, Facebook. The others too joined the effort as volunteers.

Being a heritage specialist, Meenakshi was ideal for an effort to help set up a resource bridge for struggling weavers. They reached out to a highly skilled craft professional with over 40 years of experience, who had earlier worked with the National Crafts Museum in Delhi. He apprised them of the bad financial situation of master weavers, suffering due to virtually no sales over the last year of the pandemic. As the pandemic raged across India and the world, lockdowns and work from home have increasingly been the norm in most countries. As people are confined to their homes, they have taken to dressing in casual

comfort wear. The exquisite art and skill of the master weavers have gone unappreciated in the process. The volunteers offered to find donors or buyers for the inventory of the master weaver they had first contacted, but being proud of the craft, the master weaver did not seem to want charity.

Nevertheless, they were able to get the contact details of 20 other master weavers whom they approached. Eight of them decided to come on board.

Another master weaver came on board shortly after the initiative went live.

The group included two award-winning Banarasi weavers, a hand block printer from Bagru, Maheshwari weaver from Madhya Pradesh, Kota Weaver, Chanderi Weaver, Chikankari craftsperson from Uttar Pradesh and a Pochampally weaver from Andhra Pradesh.

In order to ensure that products made by these master weavers and put across by the Weaver Resource Bridge were of high quality, the women first bought a variety of pieces from all the eight weavers themselves and found the quality to be impeccable. Their faith has been rewarded by repeat buyers as nearly 60% of those who engaged in a transaction are repeat buyers.

The volunteers see themselves as a bridge between the craftspersons struggling to find a market and those willing to lend a helping hand or otherwise in need of buying the beautiful creations of these master weavers.

They reached out to their network of friends through social media. Once approached by a prospective patron, they ensure that the person commits a minimum buying amount, promises

not to haggle and is aware of the need to respect the dignity of master weavers. They also screen the craftspeople from curious onlookers who may be only interested in window shopping by linking up the prospective buyer with the specific crafts person sought instead of indiscriminately giving out the contact details of all the master weavers.

The Weaver Resource Bridge aims to touch Rs 10 million in sales for the nine master weavers by Independence Day (15 August). They will then close this initiative. The women involved have no commercial interest and their association with the master weavers is purely voluntary.

Later this month, the volunteers of the initiative will conduct a workshop for the nine master weavers to enhance their technological capabilities and improve their sales methodology.

They also hope that through the workshop, master weavers would be strengthened with the necessary tools to advance further once the initiative of the Weaver Resource Bridge concludes. Most of all, the workshop aims to impart the spirit of creative dignity to the master weavers.

The pandemic has devastated not just lives, but also livelihoods. Our hope of recovery depends also on each one of us extending a hand in whichever way we can. One hopes that the Weavers Resource Bridge would not conclude its efforts but that they would take up another set of craftspersons to assist. One also hopes that many more such initiatives will come forward to build a better India and a peaceful and prosperous world.

12 MEDIA WATCH

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

17 - 23 July 2021

SCRUTATOR’S School comes on camel for Barmer children When about 700 children of a government school in Bhimtal in Barmer district of Rajasthan were on the verge of dropping out, their teachers hit on a unique way to reach out to them – travel on camel back to hold classes at their villages. Four teachers travelled on two camels every alternate day, braving the hot desert wind.

They taught the students who live in eight villages spread over 10 square km area – at their doorsteps, literally. The teachers, who mostly live in Bhimtal, travelled from eight to 12 km to reach these villages, which took about an hour. Even online classes were impossible as mobile network near the border was very poor.

Villagers then decided to gift camels to teachers so that they could be persuaded to come and teach the children in the villages.

Initially, the teachers were hesitant about travelling in the scorching heat. But we managed to convince them,” said Roop Singh Jakhar, principal of the school. Mukna Ram Dhaka, a teacher, said they inform the village they are visiting two days in advance. “We have started carrying books and stationery items after we realised that many of these students don’t have them. They have not attended a single online class either,” said Dhaka. (Agency) SC judges get Rs 208 per day per case

A Supreme Court judge gets a salary of Rs 250,000 a month, which works out to approximately Rs 8,333 per day, during which he hears arguments from lawyers on an average in 40 cases. This translates to Rs 208 per case, be it a simple appeal, a PIL or one involving intricate questions of law. In contrast, a newly designated senior advocate commands a price of Rs 100,000 to Rs 500,000 for arguing a case. The services of a seasoned advocate like A M Singhvi, Kapil Sibal, Mukul Rohatgi or Harish Salve may find the litigant's bank balance lighter by Rs 10,00,000 to 20,00,000 per hearing. So an SC judge, who hears and decides a case, gets Rs 208 per day per case while seasoned senior advocates, who cannot guarantee a result in a case, are paid in millions per day per case. Well, none of the senior advocates argue in 40 cases a day, for which an SC judge prepares every evening to be ready to listen to the legal arguments the next day. This is the reason why many SC judges look forward to their retirement, which allows them to offer legal expertise as arbitrators, or, for that matter, provide valued opinion to corporations and multinationals on legal issues in their operations in India, or in disputes arising from contracts, agreements and MoUs. (Agency) Gujarati school in Karachi to get its name back

The original name of a Gujarati school in Pakistan’s Karachi is all set to be restored by the Sindh government after social media users demanded the government to protect the city’s history.

The school was originally named Seth

Kooverji Khimji Lohana Gujarati School (SKKLGS) after a Gujarati social worker. It was renamed as Malala Yousafzai Govt Girls Secondary High School in February 2012 after the young Nobel laureate. “Let’s not change history,” said Kapil Dev, a human rights activist from Pakistan in a tweet. He requested the Sindh education minister to reverse the decision. Malala’s father Ziauddin Yousafzai said that the school’s original name must be restored.

Saeed Ghani, Sindh’s education minister, said he has asked his department to submit a comprehensive report on the matter.

“The name will be restored officially after due process but surely any other school will be named after Malala which has no such kind of old name,” he tweeted.

Kooverji Khimji was a respected philanthropist with contributions in the education sector. His name highlights the Gujarati Sindhi contribution in the making of Karachi and needs safeguarding, tweeted social media users. (The Times of India) From Master Blaster to Master Chef

After conquering the cricket field, legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar has set himself a new challenge.

Tendulkar is mastering the art of cooking and by the look of things, he is faring quite well. Last week, the Master Blaster put on the chef's hat to cook a meal for his friends. However, Tendulkar did not reveal the name of his dish. The video was shared by the 48-year-old on Instagram. In the clip, Tendulkar is seen flaunting his culinary skills, bringing his famous wrist work into play here as well. The video opens to the batting maestro in the kitchen, taking a potshot at himself. "It's a surprise for everyone, nobody knows what I am cooking and neither do I, so don't worry," the cricket legend is heard saying.

"Now, the batsman is set, so the bowlers have to save their lives so they are going to get bashed around. I've mastered this art, and figured out what to do. It takes a bit of time but we are there," he adds. Even though Tendulkar did not know what he was preparing, he was more than happy with the end result. "Say, Hi to your chef for today. Guess, what's cooking?" the caption read. (Agency)

Poverty forces graduate brothers to push plough in fields There has been a huge loss to the economic condition of many people amid the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, where millions of people have lost their lives. India's agricultural sector has also been hit hard. Two graduate brothers had to pull the rope to plough their field in place of their bullocks.

Poverty has forced these graduate brothers of Domed village in the Mulugu district of Telangana to tie the ploughing rope on their shoulders and work in the fields along with their father. The last two years have ruined the life of a family in Telangana. Covid-19 lockdown took away the jobs and both of their bulls were killed in an accident. The family has their farm as a means of earning but they didn`t have money to buy new bullocks. The elder of the two, Narendra Babu has B.Sc and B.Ed degrees. He worked as a teacher for a few years. Younger brother Srinivas earned a master`s degree in social work (MSW). After this he worked as a computer operator in an educational institute in Hyderabad. Narendra Babu said, after the death of the bullocks, it became difficult for us to survive. He quit his job and went to his village. Narendra said, the last two years were very difficult due to Covid. I and my brother earned whatever money we could under MGNREGA. We even worked as a porter to run the house.(Agency) Judges told not to act like emperors The Supreme Court said that judges must exercise their powers within limits of modesty and humility and should not behave like emperors by summoning government officials 'at the drop of a hat'. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hemant Gupta said such practice must be “condemned in the strongest word” as it also violates the principle of separation of powers between judiciary and executive.

Advising the judges not to resort to such practice, the bench said respect to the court has to be commanded and not demanded and the same is not enhanced by calling public officers. The apex court noted in its judgment that “a practice has developed in certain high courts to call officers at the drop of a hat and exert direct or indirect pressure.” (Agency) Ladakh is fully vaccinated Ladakh has become the first Union Territory to vaccinate all residents and the ‘guest population’, consisting of migrant labourers, hotel workers and Nepalese citizens who are earning their livelihood here, with the first dose of Covid-19 jab, administration officials said. In spite of Ladakh’s low population,

this is no mean feat in view of the region’s challenging terrain, extreme weather and isolated centres of population - many of which are difficult to access. According to official data, a total of 89,404 people from all eligible age groups, including 18-44 years, have been administered the first dose of Covid vaccine. The second dose has been administered to 60,936 people. This was done in less than three months of starting the third phase of vaccination, covering the 18-44 age group. A total of 6,821 Nepalese citizens living in the UT were among those vaccinated. “We gave priority to hotel workers, most of whom are from outside Ladakh, and taxi/public transport drivers as they are in the frontline of the tourism industry. Labourers and handymen come in from other states during summer, so they were also treated on priority,” a senior official said. (Agency) 'Unwell' Pragya Thakur found dancing

Days after a video of Pragya Thakur playing basketball went viral, the BJP MP is seen dancing at a wedding she helped organise. The videos have drawn comments from the Congress on the politician who has begged off court appearances in the Malegaon blasts case citing ill health. The latest video is from a twin wedding - held at the MP's Bhopal residence - of young women from very poor families. Pragya Thakur, 51, is seen shaking a leg at the celebration and asking people to join in. The dancing video, however, provoked sarcasm from Congress leader Narendra Saluja.

"Whenever we see the Bhopal MP, sister Pragya Thakur, play basketball and walking without support or dancing happily like this, it makes us happy...?" tweeted Saluja. On July 1, Saluja had shared a video of Pragya Thakur shooting a basket and had written: "We had only just seen Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur in a wheelchair but today, we feel very happy to see her trying her hand at basketball at the Bhopal stadium...So far we knew she couldn't walk or even stand properly because of an injury...? May god always keep her healthy..." (Agency)

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

UK

13

17 - 23 July 2021

Virendra Sharma MP

The time for lip service has well passed Euro 2020 showed us the best of football, but off the pitch, something far more grim is taking shape. The abuse and hatred so many of England’s players are facing keeps building and is only getting worse. Having a go at players for missed shots and fumbled balls is part of the great tradition of English football and of any sport, fans criticise as deeply as any expert analyst because they love their country or their club. It is now so much more than this.

The appalling racism and aimed squarely at three young black players for their part in the final match was totally and completely unacceptable. They played hard, and they lost, as a team and we can all respect that. A zero-tolerance attitude to racism in football, or any sport, is the only solution. I do not want young Black, Asian or White kids growing up to think that is just part of football, I don’t want them thinking I have to tolerate this to play, or if we lose I will be verbally or even physically attacked. We already see far too few young Asians joining football teams, and the horrible abuse Yan Dhanda revealed he had suffered shows us why too many say no to a career in football.

Sadly, this all comes from on-high.

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, at the helm of this Tory government that has

been around since 2010 is part of the problem. When our incredible team took the knee, he and Priti Patel derided it as gesture politics - well that so-called gesture politics means a hell of a lot to millions. It means publicly saying no to racism, it means publicly showing yourself as an ally and it means saying enough is enough. Booing that and abusing players on the pitch and on social media, is not acceptable, and to tacitly approve of booing that brave and visible act of antiracism is making division in our country greater. The time for lip service has well passed, statements on paper and wellmeaning organisations stuffed with talking heads will no longer be enough. We need practical action and legal remedies to address racism in football, online and everywhere.

Former England great Gary Neville said, just the other day, promoting equality ‘starts at the very top’, and I couldn’t agree more. This Prime Minister, and this Government in office for more than a decade, deserves to take the blame for much that is wrong here after so long in power. Whether it is the Prime Minister comparing Muslim women in burqas to letterboxes or talking about Johnnie Walker in Sikh Temples he has set a tone of intolerance and racism that many have decided to follow. His mealy-mouthed distancing from the worst racial abuse of the last 48 hours doesn’t undo the cover he has given those same people for years.

What we need now is a concerted effort by those running the country, and community leaders everywhere to bring people back together, and stand against divisive behaviour and language designed only to split communities. Italy may have won the football and taken home the cup - congratulations to them for that; we can win something else, football without the hate and the racism, if we say no and our leaders take their responsibilities seriously. And, just to say, clearly, it should have been a red card for Chiellini.

Freedom Day could return us all to house arrest The London Medical Laboratory has said that Freedom Day could return us to house arrest because it’s based on the wrong data.

Following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement confirming the end of compulsory Covid-19 restrictions next Monday, the coronavirus antibody testing expert London Medical Laboratory (LML) is warning the changes will increase the spread of coronavirus. It warns that, far from removing the shackles on society, the measures could result in the return of restrictions and even new lockdowns, because the decision is based on the wrong measurements.

The London Medical Laboratory says the PM’s decision to end lockdown rules is based on the wrong tests. It warns we must measure antibody levels, not just the number of jabs given, before ending Covid-19 restrictions. Events such as school proms could act as coronavirus super spreaders after 19 July,

while businesses should not just rely on the new certification plan.

The Government’s planned end to legal Covid-19 regulations on mask-wearing in stores and on public transport, together with the reopening of nightclubs, is misguided, warns LML. This is because it’s based on data such as the number of people who have been vaccinated, rather than the level of antibodies they have developed.

Low-traffic zone fines make millions Drivers are being fined millions of pounds for entering low-traffic neighbourhoods because they fail to properly understand road signs, it is claimed.

Campaigners have called on the government to overhaul rules on signage because existing warnings lack clarity, leaving tens of thousands of motorists with penalties of £130.

Figures suggest that motorists have paid 250,000 fines worth £14 million for

driving in the zones in London over the past year. Hackney in east London has collected £2.7 million, with its analysis showing 82per cent of those fined were from outside the borough. However, in parts of the capital councils have turned to cameras, in part because of a lack of access to emergency services. London is the only part of England where local authorities can use cameras to penalise drivers for “moving traffic offences”.

14 WOMEN’S VOICE

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

17 - 23 July 2021

in brief

‘Missed the Cook

REPRESENTATION: WHAT WOMEN WANT

more than I missed my parents’ Shefali Saxena When Mandira Sarkar moved to the UK 22 years ago, she missed her cook more than she missed her parents, not really knowing how to cook.

Today, she’s the founder of Mandira’s Kitchen. In an exclusive interview with Asian Voice, Mandira spilled the beans about her journey to entrepreneurship, Asian cuisines and being a woman in the hospitality industry.

- How did you come up with the idea of launching Mandira's Kitchen I learned to cook the hard way through recipes from family and friends and constantly complained about the lack of proper homestyle Indian food until a friend asked me to " put my money where my mouth was". With a sudden end to a project I was working on, I decided to follow my heart and do something my parents would disapprove of as no educated Indian woman leaves her career in her forties to set up a food business!!

- How supportive was your family about your venture?

My husband has always been very supportive. My parents initially were not so sure - coming from corporate backgrounds, leaving a secure career was rather alien to them.

However, they did eventually come around.

- Since the Asian culture is so diverse, how did you zero down on the cuisines from thousands of choices?

We do not churn out a "curry" from our kitchen because it sounds or looks Indian.

Every dish we create has a personal history or connection - so our vegan Jackfruit Enchorer Dalna is based on my grandmother's recipe, our best selling Kaju Dhania

Q

Q Q

Chicken is something my mother always made for us, the Keema ( mince curry) is based on the recipe our old cook Sukumar made for us in Delhi and so on. Our Goan Xacuti is Sabina, our chef's family recipe. I could carry on for each of the dishes but you get the idea ... we not not make Chicken Tikka Masala in our kitchen!

- What are the challenges of being a woman entrepreneur in the hospitality industry?

The hospitality industry is by its very nature one that needs you to work unsocial hours - most people would like events over weekends or evening when women traditionally spend time with their children and families, So to be able to thrive in this sector, there is a constant juggling act - the need to be very organised as well as to have a supporting team and family. It says you need a village to bring up a child and for anyone running a hospitality business, this is ten times more apt.

- How did the pandemic impact you? Did you face any shortage of staff or logistic issues?

The pandemic led to a complete halt in our events business but our online freezer meal business saw a huge surge in growth as more and more people wanted something healthy and delicious that they could

Q

Q

Mandira Sarkar eat or offer their families. Added to this, the initial lockdown days saw big shortages of essential products such as rice and sugar. We were lucky because of the fact that we are a small team, we could adapt to the changing situation and some of us worked 16-hour shifts to keep the business moving.

- Is there any way in which the government can help business persons like you?

Government help is often rather skewed towards the "sexy" businesses like tech or businesses looking to work internationally. For small businesses that create products or are based in the "wrong" area, there is not much support forthcoming and a lot can be done to help these businesses through small grants and support.

Q

Violence against women continues…

A police watchdog has warned that women and girls are being subjected to an epidemic of violence that requires a “radical and bold” shift in how authorities in England and Wales tackle crimes that disproportionately affect female victims.

“In an interim report, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has called for councils, schools, health and social care bodies and all areas of the criminal justice system to work together to address the problem, as police “cannot solve this alone”,” The Guardian said.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales estimated that about 1.6 million women experienced domestic abuse in the 12 months to March 2020, as well as the 153,136 rape and other sexual offences recorded by police, in which the victim was female in 84% of cases.

Her Majesty’s inspector of constabulary, Zoë Billingham, said: “We are living during a national epidemic of violence against women

and girls. The prevalence and range of offending and harm is stark and shocking.

We are clear that the police have made great progress over the last decade against a backdrop of greater demand, and we want forces to maintain this momentum and build on these improvements. But there is still evidence of inconsistent support for victims and

Meet the agony aunt of the 60s Kailash Puri, the ‘agony few south Asians to pubaunt’ of the 60s was a lish texts on Indian self-proclaimed sexolocooking, much before gist, poet, broadcaster, stalwarts such as poet, and author. Many Madhur Jaffrey took Punjabi women and famover.” ilies settled across India, Kailash was awarded Canada, the US, the Woman of Germany and other Achievement Award in European countries con1999, the position of the fided in Puri for their Puri with Margaret Thatcher Ambassador of Peace in Photo source: The Better India issues and queries.

2000, Woman of the Year in 1984, and the According to Better Lifetime Achievement Award (Ealing) in India, “After a stint in Nigeria, the family 2004. She was also the Chairperson of returned to England in 1966, where the Community Relations Council in the Kailash began teaching oral Punjabi to UK from 1968-75, an executive member the police force and other professionals of the Women’s League for Peace and whose work required it. She also gave Freedom from 1970-90, and the cookery classes, and was appointed by President of the UK Women’s Asian Marks & Spencer as a consultant on Conference from 1980-95.

Indian cuisine and was among the first

low prosecution rates.

“Offending against women and girls is deep-rooted and pervasive in our society.

Urgent action is needed to uproot and address this and police cannot solve this alone. There must be a seamless approach to preventing and tackling violence against women and girls across the whole system, including education, local authorities, health, social care and those from across the criminal justice system – with all agencies working together.”

Sarah Jones, the shadow minister for policing and the fire service, said: “HMICFRS’s report is clear. There is a crime ‘epidemic’ against women and girls, and ‘fundamental system-wide change is needed’ to address it. This is damming and sadly predictable, after devastating Conservative cuts to policing. Tackling violence against women and girls must be a top priority in both legislation and in national and local government strategies.”

Despite being the largest ethnic minority group in the UK, making up 7.5 per cent of the population, an Ofcom report in 2018 illustrated that we are the least represented of any group on TV in the UK. The statistics sadly illustrate this. In six seasons of Love Island, there has been only one other female South Asian contestant (Malin Andersson, S2). Netflix’s Too Hot To Handle again has had only one South Asian contestant. A South Asian woman called Shannon Singh became a part of the popular reality show Love Island but was eliminated in the early days. A website reported, “Not only was she praised by viewers on Twitter for being the bombshell of the season, she also had a family history that departed from the typical depiction of South Asian families on TV. Her Punjabi father was previously a stripper and she is a glamour model- a career that her parents actively supported. This shows a side to South Asian families that has never really been on TV before.”

UK INVESTMENT FIRM RECOGNISED AS AMONG 2021 BEST WORKPLACES FOR WOMEN Fisher Investments UK, a subsidiary of Fisher Investments, was recognized on 2021 Best Workplaces™ for Women list by Great Place to Work® UK. Fisher Investments UK ranked 36th in the Large Companies category and was recognized alongside companies such as Salesforce, Hilton, Accenture, SC Johnson and Stryker in the overall list. Fisher Investments UK was also named to the overall 2021 UK Best Workplaces™ list. Great Place to Work®, the global authority on workplace culture, anonymously surveys organizations' employees to identify how their employers foster a positive work environment for employees. Based on those survey results, Fisher Investments UK ranked amongst the UK's Best Workplaces™ for Women in 2021.

MEN, NOT WOMEN ARE NOW MORE LIKELY TO CONTRACT THE VIRUS Results from the latest REACT-1 study from Imperial College London and Ipsos Mori showed one in 170 people in England had coronavirus between 24 June and 5 July.

According to the study, men are a third more likely to test positive for Covid-19 than women, according to scientists - and mass gatherings for Euro 2020 may be the reason why. This is the first time scientists have distinguished a difference in infections among men and women. The Sky reported that experts suggest the fluctuations are likely to be caused by social mixing and men having "more social activity than usual".

Maternity colleges urge healthcare professionals to provide best care to pregnant and postnatal women with Covid-19 The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and Royal College of Midwives (RCM) are urging healthcare professionals to follow their evidence-based Covid19 in pregnancy guidance after a new report found pregnant and postnatal women aren’t receiving the best treatment when they have the virus.

Learning from SARS-CoV-2-related and associated maternal deaths in the UK June 2020-March 2021, released by MBRRACE-UK, reviewed the care of all pregnant and postnatal women who died with the Covid-19 infection, and women who died and whose care or experience of care was influenced by changes as a

consequence of the pandemic.

The report found that only one out of ten women who died from Covid-19 was treated in accordance with the evidence-based guidance developed by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Royal College of Midwives, suggesting that there needs to be wider awareness of how best to treat pregnant and postnatal women with Covid-19.

The report also noted ongoing indirect impacts of the pandemic such that women are fearful of seeking care and may delay accessing help or not seek help at all, even if they have concerns about their baby.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

UK 15

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

17 - 23 July 2021

Failure in child care: Campaign group launches legal challenge against councils The Kent-based Good Law Project has requested for a judicial review issued against five of the worst-offending councils, citing that children are placed in the care of local authorities because they cannot be cared for by their birth families or others for any number of reasons, making them extremely vulnerable.

According to the Project, many in the care system have suffered abuse and neglect at home, according to children’s charities, and their life chances and outcomes are often very poor, especially when it comes to performance and behaviour in school.

The Good Law Project says the challenge concerns the particular problem of 38% of children in care being placed outside the area of their local authority in 2020, with only 55% per cent within the boundary of their area, and 7% not known.

According to the organisation, recent figures also show the problem is particularly severe for children in residential care, with 70% of them housed out-of-area in 2020.

“Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is also being challenged for not stepping in to ensure local authorities are complying with their duty to ensure children in care are kept within their local area. The organisation said these “failures” are leaving children in care vulnerable to sexual exploitation, poor mental health, and county lines involvement,” ITV reported.

Gemma Abbott, Legal Director of Good Law Project went on record to say, “Time and again local authorities are placing children in the cheapest accommodation, often far from home, and not the accommodation that best meets their needs.”

The worst offending councils include: Surrey County Council, West Sussex County Council, Essex County Council, Cambridgeshire County Council and Derby City Council.

First baby beaver born in 400 years The National Trust has said that the first baby beaver born on Exmoor in 400 years has been spotted on film. The trust also said that two adult beavers were released on the site 18 months ago and have successfully bred.

According to Sky News, “The young beaver - known as a kit - was born about six weeks ago and was caught on film swimming with its mother back to the family lodge while she stopped to chew on a branch. Two adult beavers were introduced to an enclosure in Holnicote Estate in Somerset in January last year, the first introduced on National Trust land in 125 years.”

Sky quoted Jack Siviter, one of the rangers on the Holnicote estate who said: "We first had an inkling that our pair of beavers had mated successfully when the male started being a lot more active building and dragging wood and vegetation around the site in late spring. The female also changed her usual habits, and stayed out of sight, leaving the male to work alone. It was then several weeks until we spotted her again, and this is when our suspicions were confirmed that she had given birth, due to having very visible teats."

Pension Poverty: Over 53 per cent people aged 65+ targeted by pension fraudsters Shefali Saxena The UK has about 1.6mn older people who are living in poverty, the Office of National Statistics has revealed. Charity Age UK is urging older people to apply for a free benefits pension test.

Boris Johnson confirmed his commitment to retaining the triple lock pension — an agreement by which the government must increase the state pension every year by the highest level average UK earnings growth, inflation or 2.5 per cent.

However, a long-awaited solution to the social care crisis has been delayed until later this year. The Treasury has been keen to impress upon Downing Street that it could have to raise taxes or cut spending to find the extra £4bn for keeping the triple lock pledge this year, according to Sunak’s allies.

Since 2013/14, the number of pensioners in poverty has risen by almost a third (31 per cent) from 1.6 million. Official figures show that a third of Asian older people (33 per cent) and just under a third of Black older people (30 per cent) in the UK live below the poverty line, compared to 16 per cent of White older people. The over-85s, renters, and single, female pensioners, are also at greater risk of poverty than the older population as a whole. The total number of older people living in poverty in the UK now stands at 2.1 million.

Despite these high numbers and recent government figures showing that nearly a million older people could not afford an unexpected bill of £200, nearly a million (920,000) pensioner households are missing out on Pension Credit payments worth up to £1.6 billion every year– that’s an average of £32 a week, or over £1,600 a year, per recipient.

In an exclusive comment for Asian Voice Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, said: “It’s sad to realise that the burden of poverty in old age is falling disproportionately on Black and Asian older people in our society at the moment. For their sake and, indeed, for the sake of anyone forced to scrimp and save in their The most commonly asked questions about Pensions on Google w w w w w w w

Are pensions taxable? 5,760 annual Google searches Are pensions worth it? 3,840 yearly Google searches Can I inherit my husband’s state pension? 2,620 Google searches Pensions: can you cash them? 2,040 yearly Google searches Are private pensions safe? 1,680 yearly Google searches Pensions: where to start? 840 annual Google searches How pensions are divided in a divorce?

840 Google searchers

later years, we should do everything possible to raise their incomes, so they can enjoy the dignified and comfortable retirement they deserve. The number of older people living in poverty has risen steadily over the last few years across the board and there are a lot of older people worried sick about how they’ll cope if their heating or their cooker breaks down and needs replacing.

“It’s deeply frustrating that the money is available to top up the incomes of pensioners who live on the lowest incomes but that much of it goes begging every year because many never claim what is rightfully theirs. It's especially important to claim

Pension Credit because once gained it entitles you to other forms of financial help too – but that Government to set up a National Scams Task Force to bring a renewed focus, building on the good work that is already going on.

Older people may be especially at risk due to social isolation, cognitive Caroline Abrahams impairment or bereavement Charity Director at Age UK It is extremely worrying that people in vulnerable circumstances may be put on What about those who own homes in the EU but live in the UK so-called ‘suckers lists’ that are used and shared by or vice versa? How can they avail themselves of pension fraudsters in the UK and benefits? overseas. This can lead to Pension credit is a benefit for people who live in the UK it is not people being repeatedly paid to people who live in other countries. It is based on targeted; for example, being someone’s income and savings/capital. sent many letters every day.

This can result in people How are NHS doctors impacted by this, if at all they are? becoming ‘chronic We are not sure how this issue affects NHS doctors, but victims’.Some victims lose pensioners who do not have an occupational pension – as NHS tens of thousands of pounds doctors will – are four times as likely to be in poverty as those from hard-earned savings. who have an occupational pension (40% with no occupational The research also suggests pension compared to 10% with some occupational pension). I that a third of older people think it reasonable to conclude that retired NHS doctors are who responded may have lost unlikely to be in pensioner poverty. £1,000 or more.

100-year-old finally claims What kind of provisions and help are available for disabled state pension people?

100-year-old Margaret Attendance Allowance (AA) is a benefit for older people who may need extra help to stay independent at home due to an Bradshaw has just started illness or disability. There are two weekly rates: • £60.00 (lower claiming her state pension. to reports, rate) if you need help either in the day or at night • £89.60 According Margaret did not know that (higher rate) if you need help both in the day and at night she was entitled to state Is pension poverty different for different genders? Are widows pension until her 78-year-old included? daughter Helen 20% of women are in poverty compared to 16% of men. There Cunningham, read an article is no breakdown of these figures by ethnicity and there is no about tens of thousands of pensioners who might have specific information about whether people are widowed. missed out because the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) never notified them that means putting in a claim. they were entitled to claim. On June 30, “There are many reasons why older Margaret finally began receiving £82.45 a people don’t claim, including lack of week. She was entitled to a nonawareness, worry about filling in long forms contributory pension from the age of 80. or disclosing personal information, feeling “She has been given a year’s worth of there is always someone worse off than they backdated payments — £4,000 — but has are, or is determined not to ask for help, missed out on more than £75,000,” FT even though in reality they badly need it. reported.

“The great thing about Pension Credit is that it not only gives older people extra cash in their pocket, it can also open the door to other benefits such as a free TV licence for the over-75s, free NHS dental treatment, hospital transport, help with Council Tax and rent, and Cold Weather Payments.

We’re urging anyone who is struggling financially to get in touch for a free benefits check – it could make a huge difference to the rest of their lives.”

Over 53% per cent people aged 65+ targeted by pension fraudsters Age UK has found that over half (53 per cent) of people aged 65+ believe they have been targeted by fraudsters. While only one in 12 responded to the scam, 70 per cent of people of all age groups who did respond said that they had personally lost money.

This could mean that a staggering half a million older people have fallen victim to losing savings. Recent reforms to private pensions make it likely that people retiring will be targeted by fraudsters who know that they can now draw all their pensions in cash.

There is an urgent need for stronger leadership, coordination and ambition in tackling scams. Age UK calls on the

Older people may be especially at risk due to social isolation, cognitive impairment or bereavement.

16 UK

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

17 - 23 July 2021

TikTok star baffles fans with 'hidden' British village that looks just like Italy TikTok star Meera Pankhania made a video about her trip to the picturesque village, which she visited with her boyfriend a few weeks ago. The village of Portmeirion really does look like it's been lifted straight from Italy, and comes complete with brightly coloured houses, large fountains, and even a piazza.

However, it's not on the continent but in northwest Wales near the Snowdonia National Park - and now TikTok users are set to be flocking there after being alerted to its location by Meera.

Built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, Portmeirion was designed to emulate the Italian

lage. Some were rebuilt to create loggias, grand porticoes and tiny terracotta-roofed houses, painted in bright colours.

Sharing a video of the spot online with her 808 followers, Meera asked: "Did you know

Driver dies and three other people rushed to hospital in Neasden Riviera, and endangered buildings and unwanted artefacts from all over the globe were even transported into the vil-

Oxford students wins The Diana Award A 24-year-old Indian American, Serene Singh, a Rhodes Scholar and Truman Scholar who attends the University of Oxford as a doctoral student has been recognised with The Diana Award. Her research is centred on the treatment of women in the United States criminal justice system.

Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the award is given out by the charity of the same name and has the support of both her sons, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex, a news release said.

“This award is more than just an honour. For me, it is an opportunity to connect with

there is a hidden village in the UK that looks like Italy?" Her videos received over 318,000 views, 56,000 likes, and thousands of comments from people who couldn't get enough of the secret village.

A driver in his 50s has died and three other people rushed to hospital after a crash on the North Circular in Neasden. An air ambulance landed on the slip road in North West London after a collision involving seven cars and a lorry at just after 12.30 pm. Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade found the driver of one of the cars critically ill and though he was taken to hospital, he could not be revived and died later.

A statement from the

Metropolitan Police said he 'suffered a medical episode a short time before the collision'.

Another six people suffered minor injuries, four of whom were taken to hospital. The dead man's family has been informed, police said. Traffic was also moving slowly eastbound on the A406. The road was closed for a few hours and traffic was being diverted through Neasden, Dollis Hill, Willesden and Wembley. Bus routes 112,232,332 were also being diverted.

£50,000 raised for teacher in Prophet cartoon furore passionate and resilient leaders worldwide while also being a reminder of the impact continuing to burn flames of justice and equity has and will always have on others,” Singh told IndiaWest.

Nearly £50,000 has been raised for a teacher who went into hiding after receiving threats for showing a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad to a class. The man used the image in an attempt to illustrate a debate about blasphemy on March 22 to pupils at Batley Grammar School, West Yorkshire. Some parents and Muslims from outside the area staged protests demanding that he be sacked, saying that depictions of the prophet were highly offensive in any context.

The religious studies teacher was suspended until an independent inquiry last month found that he had not meant to cause offence by showing the image.

Tests could add £500 to travel costs for families Foreign travel will be out of reach for many this summer with a study finding that coronavirus tests will cost up to £530 for a family, even if the adults have been fully vaccinated.

Research suggests that tourists with both vaccine doses will be required to pay about £133 a person for tests to visit countries on the UK’s “amber list”, including France, Portugal and Italy.

The bill, which covers tests to leave the UK, the return flight and a further one at home, can add more than £530 to the cost of a holiday for a family of four because most children must be tested. Costs to travel are far higher for adults who have not completed a full vaccine course, rising to as much as £223 per person to visit Spain.

Grant Shapps, the transport

secretary, indicated that the government would consider relaxing the requirement for people to take “gold-standard” PCR tests upon arrival in the UK at the end of this month. He previously confirmed that from July 19 fully vaccinated passengers would be able to travel to amber countries without quarantining for up to ten days on return to England. They will be required to take one PCR test rather than two on arrival. Northern Ireland will adopt the rules a week later while plans are being considered in Scotland and Wales.

Analysis by Which? shows that these test requirements will add significant costs this summer. Spain and Greece do not require a test to enter if people are fully vaccinated though this still means a test before the

Illegal immigrant suspected being a people-smuggling 'kingpin' detained An illegal immigrant Afghan national Gul Wali Jabarkhel, 32 believed to be a leading member of an international peoplesmuggling network appeared before magistrates in London.

He was detained by National Crime Agency officers in Colindale, North London, last Thursday. He is suspected of being a ‘kingpin’ in an

organised crime group involved in transporting migrants from northern France and Belgium into the UK in the backs of Lorries. He faces two charges of conspiracy to facilitate illegal migration to the UK and was remanded in custody at Willesden Magistrates’ Court and will appear again in August.

return flight along with the PCR upon arrival in England.

It said this would add £94 per person, including £55 for the day-two PCR test. The study said that unvaccinated travellers faced average testing bills of £223 for the return trip to Spain and £177 to Greece. France, Italy and Portugal all require a negative test to enter even for fully vaccinated people. This includes

children aged at least 11 in France, six in Italy and 13 in Portugal. Italy requires all Britons to quarantine for five days.

Covid passports could be mandatory for entertainment venues Covid-19 certificates will be required for customers to enter bars, restaurants and nightclubs under plans to tackle a fourth wave of the virus in a move that experts hope will boost jab rates among the young.

This will also prove that they had either had both doses or a negative test the day before. Recent figures have shown a reduction in the takeup of vaccines with first doses halving in two weeks. Fewer than 100,000 a day are being given out on average for the first time since April.

Unvaccinated young people are believed to be behind a rise in cases. While more than 95 per

cent of the over-50s have been vaccinated, the rate is 76 per cent in those aged 30-34 and is now plateauing. So far 58 per cent of those aged 18 to 24 have had the first jab. The number of people supporting the government’s unlocking plans has fallen from 59 per cent to 47 per cent in the past week while the number of people opposed has risen from 28 per cent to 43 per cent, YouGov polling shows.

in brief in brief OVERSEAS STUDENTS COMPLAIN OF ‘LACK OF COMPASSION’ International students, who pay fees up front and may take on substantial debts to fund themselves, face being dropped from their course or barred from graduating if they do not pay. After relocating and paying high costs to study, they feel UK universities mis-sold a “blended learning” experience but offered students almost fully online courses. “The most frustrating thing was definitely the ‘blended learning’ fiasco,” says a South American student at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, who is one of hundreds of international students who have withheld all or part of their fees. The university did “nothing” to support in-person activities, he says, while “refusing to discuss any type of financial compensation”.

HISTORICAL MISUNDERSTANDING Four in ten children have never heard of the Battle of Britain and more than a third believe Alexander the Great is fictional, three in ten believe Sherlock Holmes is real, and a fifth believe the Second World War ended between 1966 and 2001, suggests study for the Adventures in Time history book series.

MET CHIEF FEELS ‘BETRAYED’ AFTER OFFICER ADMITS EVERARD MURDER The chief of London’s Metropolitan Police has said “everyone in policing” feels “betrayed” after a serving officer pleaded guilty yesterday to the murder of Sarah Everard in March. Wayne Couzens’ admission, at a hearing at the Old Bailey, followed his previous guilty pleas entered in June to the kidnap and rape of Everard, 33, who disappeared on the evening of March 3 as she walked home from Clapham Common to Brixton. Cressida Dick, Met chief, said in a statement the force was “sickened, angered and devastated” by Couzens’ “truly dreadful crimes”, adding: “Everyone in policing feels betrayed”. Couzens was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on September 29. He also faces a police disciplinary hearing.

TORIES SAY CPS DECISION IS A CALL TO IMMIGRANTS The Crown Prosecution Service’s decision not to prosecute asylum seekers crossing the Channel illegally will prompt more to make the journey, Tories have warned. They branded the decision “a new low even for the Crown Prosecution Service” as relations between the party and the service hit rock bottom. It appears the CPS made the decision after being threatened with legal action by a left-wing pressure group.

UK AND BRUSSELS CONFLICT OVER £40BN BREXIT DIVORCE BILL Brussels and London are locked in a dispute over the size of the UK’s Brexit bill, after the EU suggested that Britain would be obliged to pay €47.5bn, or about £40bn, as part of its post-Brexit arrangements. The UK Treasury insisted the Brexit divorce settlement remained within its previous central range of £35bn-£39bn. An updated estimate is to be published next week in an EU finances statement.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

UK

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

17

17 - 23 July 2021

in brief SOUTHERN WATER FINED FOR £90M FOR DUMPING SEWAGE Southern Water, which deliberately dumped raw sewage into the sea and rivers and covered up what it was doing, has been fined a record £90 million by the regulator.

The penalty handed to Southern Water comes after it was ordered to pay £126 million by Ofwat, the regulator, in 2019. The fine is more than four times the previous record of £20.3 million. The company admitted 6,971 illegal spills between January 2010 and December 2015 across 17 sites in Kent, West Sussex and Hampshire, almost all in protected and popular coastal areas. A total of between 16 billion and 21 billion litres of sewage was pumped into the sea.

ANGER OF SMALL FIRMS FORCED TO CLOSE FROM NHS TEST AND TRACE APP ASKING THEM TO ISOLATE Many small businesses, which managed to make it through the lockdowns of the last 16 months, now face another threat to their livelihoods – having to close again. This time, it is a result of staff having to self-isolate for ten days due to testing positive for Covid, being contacted by NHS Test and Trace, or simply being 'pinged' by the NHS app asking them to isolate. With many businesses having taken out loans just to stay afloat through the pandemic and desperate to generate regular income, losing key staff is a devastating blow.

DOCTORS CAN PINPOINT WHICH BABIES WILL BE PREMATURE Pregnant women could be spared lengthy hospital stays with a new risk prediction tool

that can determine which babies will be born prematurely. The health of babies born preterm can be greatly improved by timely interventions when their mothers present with signs of early labour. However, it is difficult to diagnose and women are often sent to the hospital to be safe, which can be costly. NHS tests assess premature risk based on cervical length, age, BMI, ethnicity, smoking status and pregnancy history. But research has shown 80 per cent of women admitted to hospital because of such factors were still pregnant a week later. NICE guidance says that fetal fibronectin, (a protein produced by fetal cells, in the mother) tests should be considered when diagnosing premature labour if the measurement of cervical length is unavailable.

PETITION FOR HOME ISOLATION INSTEAD OF HOTEL QUARANTINE There’s a new petition to allow fully vaccinated people coming from red list countries to isolate at home instead of the hotel quarantine which is very expensive and non-affordable. People need to go to see their families. Doctors who work for the whole year need to see their parents. The petition had over 27,000 signatures as of July 13th.

Britons confused by mixed messaging The health secretary has confirmed that England will move to the fourth and final stage of the government's roadmap for lifting lockdown restrictions in a week's time. Calling it a “major milestone” Sajid Javid said that the move to step four on 19 July will see social distancing rules and limits on social contact removed across the country. However, he did caution there could be as many as 100,000 Covid cases a day later this summer.

It is important to note that summer holidays for school start in a week’s time, so children will still be shielded from sudden exposure after the unlock, yet one must remember that it’s the youth that could be the most vulnerable and the biggest career of the virus.

Meanwhile, Mr Javid said, on the evidence before him, he did not "believe that infection rates will put unsustainable pressure on the NHS".

‘Absolutely vital that we proceed now with caution’ Cementing that England reopens on 19 July, at a Downing Street news conference, Boris Johnson did not forget to mention that s it was "absolutely vital that we proceed now with caution". This left a lot of Britons baffled.

"I cannot say this powerfully or emphatically enough: this pandemic is not over, This disease, coronavirus, continues to carry risks for you and your family. We cannot simply revert instantly, from Monday 19 July to life as it was before Covid,” the prime minister said.

And he did not rule out introducing restrictions again, saying: "If we are seeing very exceptional circumstances, the arrival of a new variant that we haven't bargained for, budgeted for, that really is causing us a real problem, then obviously we must rule nothing out."

News is that NHS staff could be made exempt from self-isolation rules when restrictions lift on 19 July Those who are fully vaccinated will be able to forgo selfisolation from 16 August - but this could be brought forward for NHS staff to help tackle a backlog in non-Covid cases.

BMA: Pressing ahead with lifting final restrictions ‘irresponsible and perilous’ Responding to the Government’s announcement that the lifting of all remaining Covid-19 restrictions will be lifted in England on July 19th, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said: “It’s irresponsible – and frankly perilous - that the Government has decided to press ahead with plans to lift the remaining Covid-19 restrictions on July 19. In doing so, the Government is reneging on its own promise to be led by data and impact on the NHS.

Association, the NHS does not have enough doctors and will take 25 years to match average staff levels in Europe.

Doctors are “working too hard”, becoming burnt out and “terrified of making mistakes, missing things, accidentally harming our patients or losing our livelihoods”, the report said.

Almost 50,000 extra doctors are needed Dr Chaand Nagpaul Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan to meet England’s health needs, the “Scrapping the remaining restrictions BMA said. The BMA said that on present next week – when a significant proportion trends it would take until 2046 for the NHS of the population will not have been fully to have the same number of practising and vaccinated – will give this deadly virus an trainee doctors. opportunity to retighten its grip; pushing Asian and Black ethnic groups continue to infection rates up, increasing have increased hospital admissions & death hospitalisations and people ill with longDr Rageshri Dhairyawan, Sexual Health Covid, risking new vaccine-resistant and HIV Consultant, Barts Health, NHS, variants developing, and putting more lives shared a paper with an analysis of the at unnecessary risk. outcomes of patients admitted with Covid“While the Government has said it will 19 NHS Barts Health in the 2nd wave, by continue to encourage the wearing of face ethnicity. found significant ethnic coverings after the 19th, within the same disparities. breath ministers confirm that masks will 4855 patients with documented not be mandatory. This is contradictory and ethnicity for our analysis. After adjusting for shows the Government absolving itself of age, sex, diabetes, CKD, hypertension, responsibility while heaping pressure on the smoking, obesity & deprivation, Asian public, confused by mixed messaging of the patients were at a significantly higher risk of highest order. death within 30 days compared to White Dr Nagpaul mentioned that a BMA patients (HR 1.47 [1.24-1.73]). Compared to survey found that 90% of doctors think face the 1st wave, in the 2nd wave: More patients coverings should remain compulsory on were admitted (5533 vs 1996). A larger public transport, with another 75% proportion of admissions were in Asian supporting mandatory social distancing on patients (35.7% vs. 27.0%). public transport too.

To conclude, despite improvement in He further said, “The BMA has overall outcomes, better treatments, and repeatedly warned of the rapidly rising access to care, Asian and Black ethnic infection rate and the crippling impact that groups continue to have increased hospital Covid-related hospitalisations continue to admissions & death in hospitals associated have on the NHS, not only pushing staff to with Covid-19. This is likely to be due to the brink of collapse but also driving up increased exposure to Covid-19 already lengthy waiting times for elective Britain's third Covid wave may have peaked care. We already know hospitals are Professor Tim Spector, who runs struggling – with at least one already Britain's largest Covid symptom tracking cancelling cancer treatments – so how will study, said new cases peaked at around they cope with the 1,000 to 2,000 Covid 33,000 per day on July 6. As of July 12th, hospital admissions the Government’s own Britain recorded 34,471 Covid cases as modelling projects as a result of today’s infections rise by 26% in a week but deaths changes? fell slightly to just six. Department of Health “This is all before we consider the data showed the daily infection tally had significant number of people at risk of, or risen, despite signs outbreak may be already living with, long-Covid – and the slowing. Up to 40% of 'Covid hospital long-term impact this will have on patients' infected with Delta variant may individuals, the health service, education have been admitted for a different illness, and the economy. official figures suggested as of July 9. Non“The Prime Minister repeatedly Covid respiratory illnesses are on the rise in emphasised this evening the importance of a the UK. Increase in cases of bronchitis and slow and cautious approach, but in reality, common colds attributed to people mixing the Government is throwing caution to the after easing of lockdown Researchers at wind by scrapping all regulations in one fell Imperial College London identified soswoop – with potentially devastating called “autoantibodies” in long Covid consequences.” patients that were absent in people who Doctor shortage will take 25 years to fill, recovered quickly from the virus, or who warns BMA had not tested positive for the disease.

According to British Medical

Red-list: In the land of Sunak, Patel and Javid unjust and unfair to discriminate against India Shefali Saxena

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Turkey.

British taxpayers might soon have to Taxpayers in the UK might foot the bill for the cost of have to pay for British holidayquarantining thousands of UK makers who cannot afford the nationals returning to the UK from £1,750 cost of the hotel red-list destinations. quarantine bill, The Express Most Covid restrictions are due reported. The lawyers who to end on 19 July, however, planned organised the legal challenge changes to self-isolation rules are have argued that the one-sizenot expected until 16 August at the fits-all payment system of earliest. But many companies, £1,750 was unfair on poorer especially in the hospitality and Dr Sanjukta Ghosh travellers. Arrivals have to pay leisure sectors, say their reopening £1,750 for their stay in a hotel, with additional plans are in disarray due to the number of costs of £650 for adults and £325 for children. staff having to isolate because they have come Commenting on this, Dr Sanjukta Ghosh, into close contact with someone who has Historian at SOAS South Asia Institute told tested positive for Covid. us, “While Boris Johnson relaxes quarantine Amid this, the cost of quarantining rules for fully inoculated citizens/residents Britons returning from red-list destinations returning from mostly European amber could fall on the backs of UK taxpayers after countries, including business and leisure the Government conceded to allow travels to visits, the same does not apply for the "apply for a fee waiver or reduction on the growing red list countries. Despite the Sunak, grounds of financial hardship". Current Patel and Javid trio’s high-level political roles, nations on the Government's red-list include

and a large South Asian diaspora, Boris continues to safeguard public health policy without factoring in the needs and welfare of Britain's ethnic minorities. Many of us are unable to visit sick and dying relatives and friends due to strict emergency rules, and the unchanged mandatory quarantine policy costing a steep £1750 pounds for individuals and even more for families. It is politically hypocritical, unjust, and unfair to discriminate against India, for example, where vaccination is currently both rapid and effective.”

Last week, Heathrow's Terminal 5 saw long queues at security on Monday morning because of the absence of more than 100 staff.

“The airport said the issue had arisen because the security staff were instructed to selfisolate by the NHS Test and Trace app.

Some passengers experienced lengthy queues from 06:00. Many complained that there was limited social distancing. It comes as the government faces calls to bring forward changes to Covid self-isolation rules.

18 UK - FINANCE

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

17 - 23 July 2021

Dear Financial Voice Reader, Alpesh Patel Record Money Goes Into Funds, What Does It Mean For Stocks?

As you know, I am not a fan of fund managers. I’ve written about it in my Financial Times columns why. First, they pick stocks from a narrow geographic pool, so inevitably underperform the market. Second, the data shows they rarely maintain two consecutive years of outperformance. Third, you can learn to invest yourself in stocks and save a fortune in hidden fees.

Fourth, their fees as widely reported are often hidden. This is why I launched my campaign – www.campaignforamillion. com Investors have been pumping money into funds at an unprecedented rate. According to data provider EPFR, during the first half of 2021, $580bn has been added to the equity fund sector.Strategists say that if this rate continues for the rest of the year, it will mean that inflows in 2021 will be higher than the combined totals of the last 20 years.

What Does This Mean For The Stock Market?

Equity funds, flush with cash, have been putting this money in the one place that is producing excellent returns: the stock market. The markets have continued to rise as the pandemic recovery plan continues. Markets are at record highs and are outperforming the expectations of several analysts and big-name institutions.

The S&P 500 is up almost 15%, and the FTSE All-World Index is up by 12%. Even the UK markets, slower to recover from the pandemic crash than the US, are beginning to move north — up about 5% this year.

What Has Caused This Record Fund Investment?

One of the most significant factors in these record numbers are bond yields. Compared to the equity markets, bond yields are producing relatively low returns.

More than $12tn-worth of debt is trading with yields of below zero. With US inflation rates at around 5% for June and UK inflation at 2.1%, bond yields have struggled to keep up. For many investors, this left them with a stark choice: Accept negative real returns on bonds or enter the booming equity market.

Why Are Bond Yields So Low? On March 31, Treasury yields hit a high of 1.749%. Market optimism was high with the vaccine rollout and pandemic recovery going to plan. Cut to July, and the 10-year Treasury yield is at 1.251%.

The US job market is recovering slower than expected, but overall the economy is recovering faster than the 2008 financial crisis. So why are bond yields so low?

Michael Darda, a strategist at MKM Financial Partners, suggests two reasons. Firstly, the bond market is pricing in a recession during 2022. Current predictions indicate growth of around 4%. However, if he is correct, earning estimates would have to come down, meaning the market would take a tumble.

Darda's second reason is also bad news for the market. He believes that the Fed's bond-buying and returning money to the Treasury are pulling down rates.

Where is the Bond Yield Money Flowing?

So far, the flows out of bond yields have been directed to global funds and funds that buy American, European, and Japanese stocks. These funds have been pouring into the growth and tech sectors. While inflation is something of concern, this pattern is expected to continue.

Another fact is low-interest rates. The cost of cash is decreasing, and investors are looking for places to use it, and they are choosing broader asset markets.

Value stocks, whose prices are tied to the economic cycle, performed well in recent months. But since inflation expectations increased in May, market rotation has seen the tech sector surge once again. Stock like Apple is up 13% this month.

Retail Investors Another stream that is flowing into funds is from retail investors. Data from Vanda Research's VandaTrack suggests that first-time traders are active in the market and have invested $28 billion in stocks and exchange-traded funds.

Recent market volatility and significant price rises continue to attract investors who are sure the market will continue to rise.

Where Will The Equity Market Go? Retail investors market optimism is shared by larger institutions like UBS Asset Management, JPMorgan Asset Management, and BlackRock. They all suggest that the equity market will continue to grow throughout the second half of 2021. As long as bond yields remain low and credit spreads stay at a tight level, the stock market is the most attractive place for investors.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs have suggested that $5.5 trillion is sitting on the sidelines due to the pandemic. They believe that this pent up demand will further swell the equities market. As long as interest rates stay low and earnings growth stays positive, the market should remain healthy.

Conclusion With bond yields failing to beat inflation and the pent up demand of cash saved during the pandemic being used by institutions and retail investors, funds have seen a record inflow of money. These investment funds are likely to target highgrowth opportunities, in particular, large-cap US companies.

As this money flows in, expect the markets to continue their upwards trajectory.

Britain records fastest quarterly retail growth on record The British economy reinforced an upward trend leading to the fastest quarterly growth on record in shopping in stores and online. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said warmer weather, people holidaying in the UK and the start of the Euro 2020 football tournament had all reinforced the trend towards higher spending.

In its monthly health check conducted in collaboration with the accountancy firm KPMG, the BRC said retail sales were 13.1 per cent higher in June than in the same month two years ago, while the total for the second quarter of 2021 was 10.4 per cent up on the same three-month period of 2019.

The BRC said it was comparing 2021 spending with 2019 because the figures last year were distorted by the

downturn caused by the early stages of the pandemic.

The BRC said the postlockdown freedom for consumers to shop on the high street and retail parks had led to a dip in online spending, with the digital penetration rate dipping from 49.7% to 39.3% between June 2020 and June 2021.

Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the BRC, said, “The second quarter of 2021 saw exceptional growth as the gradual unlocking of the UK economy encouraged a release of pent-up demand built up over previ-

ous lockdowns. In June, while growth in food sales begun to slow, non-food sales were bolstered by growing consumer confidence and the continued unleashing of consumer demand. With many people taking stayscations, or cheaper UK-based holidays, many have found they have a little extra to spend at the shops, with strong growth in-store in June. Fashion and footwear did well while the sun was out in the first half of June, while the start of Euro 2020 provided a boost for TVs, snack food and beer.”

She warned that retailing still faced difficulties, with many firms still trying to make up ground lost during the lockdown and city

centres still suffering from low footfall caused by working from home and a lack of international tourists.

“Consumer comfort with the next stage of the roadmap will be key to the ongoing success of retail.

Many customers are looking forward to a return to a more normal shopping experience, while others may be discouraged by the change in face covering rules. The government will need to reassure the public on safety, while pushing forward with its hugely successful vaccination programme,” she said.

Paul Martin, the UK head of retail at KPMG, said, “The fight for share of wallet is under way, as consumers unleash pent-up demand for social activities as restrictions in the UK continue to unwind.”

Britain's wealthiest gain £50,000 on average during the pandemic According to a think tank report, the wealth gap in Britain widened during the pandemic with the richest 10 per cent gaining £50,000 on average, minimising increases for the poorest third of the population.

The Resolution Foundation (TRF) said wealth had increased during lockdown as a result of a lack of spending opportunities and rising house prices, but the benefits remained with the richest by a ratio of more than 500 to 1.

Senior economist at the think tank, Jack Leslie said it was rare for wealth to increase during a recession but the impact of events during 2020 and 2021 had

been to “turbo-charge” the gap between rich and poor.

“The Covid-19 crisis has seen a highly unusual combination of a sharp reduction in economic activity, and a sharp increase in household wealth. Many families have been forced to save rather than spend during lockdowns, while house prices have continued to soar even while working hours have plummeted,” Leslie said.

TRF said the findings of the report should cause the government to rethink its decision to scrap the £20 a week increase to universal credit in September. The report, produced in partnership with the Standard

Life Foundation, found that the average household had enjoyed a windfall of £7,800 per adult during the crisis – the first time wealth has increased during a recession since the mid-1940s.

TRF's report said total UK wealth had increased by £900bn to £16.5tn during the course of the pandemic, but the poorest households were more likely to have run down rather than increase their savings, and had not shared in the house price boom because they were less likely to own a home in the first place.

“As a result, the rising wealth gaps that marked

pre-pandemic Britain have been turbo-charged by the crisis. “With policymakers facing many tough decisions in the autumn – from protecting households as unemployment rises to paying for a decent system of social care – they can no longer afford to ignore the dominant role wealth is playing in 21st-century Britain,” Leslie said.

According to the report, adults in the richest 10 per cent of households now have wealth of £1.4m each following the £50,000 increase during the crisis, while the poorest 30 per cent gained an average of just £86 per adult in additional wealth.

Chancellor Sunak faces tight vote on foreign aid budget cut Chancellor Rishi Sunak faces a tough response to his £4bn cut to the foreign aid budget, with fellow Tories threatening to join with Labour to vote down the change. The government backed down on allowing a vote after the Speaker last week said the House of Commons must have a say on the move to cut the aid budget from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent of gross national income.

A group of up to 50 Conservative, and opposition party MPs have expressed concern about the deductions, which have caused quite the uproar.

British charities warn the cut will lead to deaths and suffering in other countries reliant on the UK's foreign aid contribution. Sunak released a written statement, setting out his argument for the change being a

public services like the NHS, schools and police, then the government will continue with the approach set out in this statement.”

Adding, “however, if the house were to Rishi Sunak negative the motion, rejecting the governtemporary measure that ment’s assessment of the fiswould increase again to 0.7 cal circumstances, then the per cent when there was no government would consemore borrowing for day-toquently return to spending day spending and underly0.7% of GNI on internationing debt was falling. al aid in the next calendar He said the government year, and with likely consewould abide by the consequences for the fiscal situaquences of the vote, with tion, including for taxation spending returning to 0.7 and current public spending per cent of gross national plans.” income in the next tax year Andrew Mitchell, the if MPs rejected his proposConservative former develals. He said, “If the house opment secretary who is one approves the motion, recogof those leading opposition nising the need to manage to the cut, said, “Every MP in the public finances responthe House of Commons sibly and maintaining strong stood on a very clear investment in domestic promise to stand by 0.7 per

cent. What is being proposed may not return Britain to the commitment for decades to come. I am urging my colleagues to keep their promise and prevent hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths by voting against tomorrow’s motion.”

Meanwhile, former Brexit secretary, David Davis, and another leader of those rejecting the change, said that even some ministers had been privately encouraging the rebels to overturn the government’s decision. He said Sunak’s proposal was “not good enough” and the impact was likely to be the deaths of 100,000 children. He said he thought the government had offered the vote because it realised that the rebels would keep on the pressure.

“We will not give up,” he said.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

FINANCE & REAL ESTATE

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

19

17 - 23 July 2021

French court lets Cairn Energy to seize 20 Indian govt assets In a setback to India, Britain's Cairn Energy has secured a French court order to seize some 20 government properties in Paris to recover a part of the USD 1.7 billion due from New Delhi following an arbitration panel overturning levy of retrospective taxes. The centrally located properties mostly comprise of flats, valued at more than EUR 20 million, were used by Indian government establishment in France, three people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

The French court, Tribunal judiciaire de Paris, on June 11 agreed to Cairn's application to freeze (through judicial mortgages) residential real estate owned by the Government of India in central Paris, they said adding the legal formalities for the same was completed last week.

While Cairn is unlikely to evict the Indian officials residing in those properties, the government cannot sell them after the court order. A three-member international

arbitration tribunal that consisted of one judge appointed by India, had in December last year unanimously overturned levy of taxes on Cairn retrospectively and ordered refund of shares sold, dividend confiscated and tax refunds withheld to recover such demand.

With the Indian government refusing to honour the award, Cairn has moved in multiple overseas jurisdictions to enforce the award by seizing Indian assets. Last month, Cairn brought a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York pleading that Air India is controlled by the Indian government so much that they are 'alter egos' and the

airline should be held liable for the arbitration award.

Similar lawsuits are likely to be brought in other countries, primarily with high-value assets.

The arbitration award has been registered in countries such as the US, UK, Canada, Singapore, Mauritius, France and the Netherlands. Cairn has identified USD 70 billion of Indian assets overseas for the potential seizure to collect award, which now totals to USD 1.72 billion after including interest and penalty.

While India's finance ministry did not offer immediately comments on the matter, a Cairn spokesperson said: "Our strong preference remains an agreed, amicable settlement with the Government of India to draw this matter to a close, and to that end we have submitted a detailed series of proposals to them since

February this year."

"However, in the absence of such a settlement, Cairn must take all necessary legal actions to protect the interests of its international the shareholders," spokesperson said without elaborating.

Sources said the French court order affects some 20 centrally located properties, belonging to the Indian government, as part of a guarantee of the debt owed to Cairn. In May, the finance ministry said that the tribunal "improperly exercised jurisdiction over a national tax dispute that the Republic of India never offered and/or agreed to arbitrate".

The ministry called the 2006 reorganisation of Cairn's India business for listing on the local bourses as "abusive tax avoidance scheme that was a gross violation of Indian tax laws, thereby depriving Cairn''s alleged investments of any protection under the IndiaUK bilateral investment treaty".

Jet employees in a fix over new revival plan Defunct Jet Airways owes each of its employees anywhere between Rs 300,000 to Rs 85,00,000 as per the claims admitted under the insolvency resolution process. The revival plan, submitted by its new owners KalrockJalan, proposes a payment of about Rs 23,000 to each employee.

Under the resolution plan, which was cleared recently by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), the payment would be made only if 95% of Jet employees give their acceptance to the plan within the next three months. But with no word

in the NCLT order even on statutory dues like gratuity and with no clarity on their pending dues, Jet Airways employees have found themselves in a fix.

Kiran Pawaskar, president, All India Jet Airways Officers and Staff Association, said, “Jet has asked employees to cast a vote, either a yes or no, to the plan cleared by NCLT. But the plan hardly offers about 0.5% of the total sum owed to each employee. It is as good as zero,” said Kiran.

“If the issue isn’t resolved, we will challenge this in the court.” The association sent a letter recently to the new civil aviation minister,

labour minister and regional labour commissioner. “On preliminary perusal of the resolution plan we found no reference to the claims of the employees. A very paltry amount has been proposed as a resolution in the insolvency and bankruptcy process.

The company over its 26 years of existence has a large work force and many of them have worked for long parts of their lives,” it said.

Jet Airways owes an undisputed sum of £1.54 billion to its creditors, out

of which £125.4 million is owed to its workers and employees in the form of unpaid salaries, gratuity etc.

A Jet staffer said, “Jet owes each commander about Rs 85,00,000 and about Rs 300,000 to the lowest paid employee. The quantum that the workers stand to lose under the resolution plan is shocking.”

SC to hear Amazon-Future-Reliance case on July 20 The Supreme Court has adjourned for July 20 the Amazon-Future-Reliance case in view of the final hearing before the Singapore Arbitration Tribunal next week. A bench headed by Justice Rohinton F Nariman adjourned the matter after senior advocate Harish Salve appearing for Future Retail submitted that the Singapore Arbitration Tribunal is hearing the application from Tuesday and requested for the matter to be heard next week.

Earlier, the bench had stayed further proceedings before the single judge and division bench of Delhi High Court in the AmazonFuture-Reliance case. The top court was hearing an appeal of e-commerce giant Amazon challenging the

Delhi High Court's decision to stay an order upholding an emergency arbitrator award restraining Future Retail Limited (FRL) from going ahead with its £2.47 billion assets sale deal with Reliance Retail.

On March 22, a division bench of the high court Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh had stayed a March 18 order of Justice JR Midha ordering attachment of the assets of Future Coupons Private Limited (FCPL), FRL, Kishore Biyani and 10 others promoters. Amazon has been seeking enforcement of an order of the emergency arbitrator (EA) at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) restraining FRL from taking any steps to transfer its retail assets.

Amazon has 49 per cent

stake in FCPL, which in turn owns 9.82 per cent stake in FRL. Amazon's contention is that it has invested £143.1 million in FCPL on the clear understanding that FRL would be the sole vehicle for its retail business and its retail assets would not be alienated without consent and never to a 'Restricted Person'. FRL, on the other hand, has objected to the enforcement of the EA award saying that it is not an order under Section 17(1) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act and hence not enforceable in India.

FRL has contended that the £2.47 billion deal was very important to save its 25,000 employees. It had said that as per the deal, Reliance will not only take over FRL's shops but also all its liabilities.

Follow the money

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

We have recently managed to let 4 flats in our development of 6 flats. The rental is at LHA rates, of £1,470 pm. At 500 sq. ft. the flats are not very large.

However, as long as we meet the council’s minimum sq. ft. they are classified as 2 bedrooms.

I was concerned following the first few viewings, many of the potential tenants weren’t impressed with the sizes. I assumed that as there was a housing shortage, and that they were newly refurbished flats, they would fly off the shelves very quickly. Not so. Many of the tenants were very particular in their requirements.

However, the bottom line is there is a black hole requirement for accommodating Social Housing Tenants and this is the overriding factor; which in the end comes out on top.

So, now there are only 2 available. One has been delayed because there is a requirement to put a sprinkler system within the flat, with its own water supply; this adds another £4-5K on the costs. This is in motion and should be completed within the next few weeks.

The property when fully let will be producing £100K per annum, giving over 8% yield on the purchase price of £1.2M. This is only for about 1/3 of the property. The other 2/3rds is still a work in progress. There is a tax credit which has been applied to the income of this property coming up to about £275K. The rental will be received tax free up till this amount to the investors, so they’ll be receiving a tax free income.

The market is very hot at the moment, this is the feedback I have been receiving from other investors in the market as well, and the auction results are confirming this sentiment.

Deals do float to the surface, but you need to keeping fishing.

The market will go down at some point – in my opinion; at this point the bargains will become more readily available.

Currently, we have extended our reach to other parts of London and even outside, basically following the money. To analyse these deals you start from the basics, as a start, then keep digging into the deal. You can never get enough local knowledge on the deal.

Remember the deal is only as good as the weakest link.

What I mean by start from the basics, is for example, to first look at the sales prices of properties in the location. If they are too low, there is probably no point in even looking at the deal, as the planning and construction costs will make it unviable.

Another example is to check it is close to a prominent station, this will ensure a good demand for resales and rentals.

The above is simply just covering 1st and 2nd bases. There are many variables to consider, and also to try and see what’s going on in the area in the near future as well.

Zomato IPO to open on July 14, list by month-end The much talked about initial public offering (IPO) for food delivery major Zomato is set to open on July 14 and close on July 16. Under Sebi rules, the stock will be listed before the end of the current month, most likely by July 27, market sources said. The shares of the company are being offered at a price band of Rs 72-76 each, BSE disclosures showed.

The app-based food delivery major, in which listed tech company Info Edge holds a substantial stake, aims to raise about £937.5 million. Of the total issue size, shares worth about £37.5 million are in an offer for sale by the tech entity. On July 2, Zomato received markets regulator Sebi’s nod to launch its IPO. After the listing, the company is eyeing a valuation in the range of $8-10 billion, or about £6 to 7.5 billion, market sources said.

Funds raised by issuing new shares would be used for financing Zomato’s organic and inorganic growth initiatives, and general corporate purposes, the draft papers for IPO had noted. In the last few

days, on the back of strong demand for its shares from large institutional investors, the company has upped the IPO size from about £750 million that was planned earlier.

At the same time, InfoEdge has also halved the size of its offer for sale from £75 million earlier.

During fiscal 2020, Zomato’s revenues had jumped over twofold to $394 million compared to its year-ago period, while its ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) loss was around £220 million.

20 WORLD

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

17 - 23 July 2021

India evacuates Kandahar mission personnel as Taliban advance NEW DELHI: As uncertainty increases in Afghanistan, New Delhi evacuated all its Indiabased personnel from Kandahar by a special flight, as Taliban advanced into the region amid fighting and violence. The Indian mission is now manned only by local Afghan staff and while it is technically open, for all intents and purposes, India is out of the region. In an announcement, the Taliban claimed this week they control 85% of the country. Security sources feel Taliban are incharge of about a third of the country but have a significant presence at choke points that control cities and important highways.

The MEA spokesperson said, “India is closely monitoring the evolving security situation in Afghanistan. The safety and security of our personnel is paramount. The Consulate General of India in Kandahar has not been closed. However, due to the intense fighting near Kandahar city, India-based personnel have been brought back for the time being. I want to emphasise that this is a temporary measure until the situation stabilises. The consulate contin-

ues to operate through our local staff members.”

India had already closed down its missions in Jalalabad and Herat in 2020, citing Covid, but it was clear that the security situation had played a part.

Despite some optimistic assessments by the departing US military forces, the Afghan government security forces are collapsing with barely a fight. The Taliban too are playing a smarter game this time - by controlling and closing off the northern borders as well as on the Iranian side - to capture border revenue sources as well prevent the growth of any Northern Alliance-like formation to challenge them.

Taliban capture key districts The situation in Afghanistan has become more volatile, with the Taliban launching a blistering campaign and capturing key districts of the country, in an escalated move as the US forces gradually withdraw from the country. Responding to a question whether the Afghan government thinks the US betrayed it, Atmar said that Washington had signed an agreement with the Taliban with honest inten-

tions. “The Taliban did not fulfil their part of the deal and deceived the whole world. The Taliban are making a huge mistake. All of us have extended a hand of friendship towards them,” he said. He said the Afghan government was telling the Taliban to honour the Doha peace deal, adding that Kabul had fulfilled its obligations of the deal related to prisoners’ swap and ensuring exit of foreign troops from the country.Jaishankar will face Pak min at SCO meet.

Pak’s terror groups join Taliban war Thousands of Pakistani terrorists from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and other groups are currently fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan in a clear violation of the 2020 peace deal signed by the Taliban and the US, according to reports from security agencies. The assessments come at a time of growing alarm in the international community, including India, at the Taliban’s rapid resurgence in Afghanistan that some intelligence agencies

fear is poised to wrest control of key parts of the country from the Afghan government.

A majority of the LeT and JeM fighters are active in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces in eastern Afghanistan and Helmand and Kandahar provinces in the country’s southeast, according to information gathered by Afghan and Indian security agencies. All four Afghan provinces share borders with Pakistan – Kunar and Nangarhar with the erstwhile tribal areas and the other two with Balochistan. Terrorist fighters from other Pakistanbased groups such as Tehrik-eTaliban Pakistan, Lashkar-eJhangvi, Jamaat-ul-Arhar, Lashkar-e-Islam and al-Badr have also been spotted fighting alongside the Taliban in sizeable numbers.

Fire kills 52 workers locked inside Bangladesh factory DHAKA: A fire engulfed a food and beverage factory outside Bangladesh’s capital, killing at least 52 people, many of whom were trapped inside by an illegally locked door, fire officials said.

The blaze began Thursday night at the five-storey Hashem Foods Ltd factory, in Rupganj, just outside Dhaka, sending huge clouds of black smoke billowing into the sky.

Police initially gave a toll of three dead, but then discovered piles of bodies after the fire was extinguished. So far 52 bodies have been recovered, but the top two floors of the factory have yet

to be searched, said Debasish Bardhan, deputy director of the fire service and civil defence.

He said the main exit of the factory was locked from the inside and many of those who died were trapped. Many work-

Pakistan opens state-run school for transgender students MULTAN: Pakistan opened its first government-run school for transgender students in the central city of Multan, a provincial education minister said, promising to set up more such schools in future.

The school, established by the educational department in Punjab province, where Multan is located, opened its doors on the first day of school with 18 students enrolled.

“We have provided them everything that is required” for their schooling, tweeted Murad Rass, Punjab’s education minister. He added hopes that the school will help transgender youth get better job opportunities later on in life.

More trans students were still expected to enroll in time at the school in Multan, where classes are offered from grade 1-12.

Human rights activists welcomed the school’s opening. Trans people are considered outcasts by many, especially in conservative areas of Pakistan. They are often sexually abused, assaulted and even murdered.

They hesitate to get enrolled in regular schools to avoid discrimination.

ers jumped from the upper floors of the factory, and at least 26 suffered injuries, the United News of Bangladesh agency reported.

Bangladesh has a tragic history of industrial disasters.

Continuing corruption and lax enforcement have resulted in many deaths over the years. The factory that caught fire was a subsidiary of Sajeeb Group, a Bangladeshi company that produces juice under Pakistan’s Lahore-based Shezan

International Ltd, said Kazi Abdur Rahman, the group’s senior general manager for export. According to the group’s website, the company exports its products to Australia, the US, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Bhutan, Nepal and nations in the Middle East and Africa.

Rahman said the company is fully compliant with international standards, but he was not certain whether the exit of the factory was locked. According to Bangladesh laws, a factory cannot lock its exit when workers are inside during production hours.

Stop baseless propaganda over blast at Hafiz residence, India tells Pak New Delhi: Asking Pakistan to not engage in baseless propaganda against India over the recent blast outside JuD chief Hafiz Saeed’s residence in Lahore, the government said that Islamabad would do well to expend the same effort in setting its own house in order and taking credible and verifiable action against terrorism emanating from its soil.

Pakistan PM Imran Khan had himself alleged that the attack in Lahore had links with “Indian sponsorship” of terrorism against Pakistan. India also said it had asked OIC to be watchful that their platform is not subverted by “vested interests for comments on internal affairs of India or for anti-India propaganda through biased and one-sided resolutions”.

In a rare meeting between Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia and OIC secretary general earlier this week, the latter said it had proposed talks between India and Pakistan and that it wanted to send a team to J&K to assess the situation there. “The meeting was held in response to an earlier request made by the OIC secretary general to meet our ambassador. Our ambassador conveyed the need to correct some of the

in brief TWO INDIAN AMERICANS CHARGED FOR INSIDER TRADING The US Securities and Exchange Commission announced insider trading charges against a Silicon Valley trading ring, two of whom were Indian Americans Naveen Sood and Naresh Ramaiya. The six-member ring generated nearly $1.7 million in illegal profits and losses avoided by trading on the confidential earnings information of two local technology companies. According to the SEC’s complaint, Nathaniel Brown, who served as the revenue recognition manager for Infinera Corporation, repeatedly tipped Infinera’s unannounced quarterly earnings and financial performance to his best friend, Benjamin Wylam, from April 2016 until Brown left the company in November 2017, the SEC news release said. The SEC’s complaint alleges that Wylam traded on this information and also tipped Sood, who owed Wylam a six-figure gambling debt.

Sood allegedly traded on this information and tipped his three friends Ramaiya, Marcus Bannon and Matthew Rauch, each of whom also illegally traded on the information, according to the complaint

THOUSANDS FLOCK TO SEE BANGLA DWARF COW Thousands of people are defying a nationwide coronavirus lockdown in Bangladesh to see Rani, a 51-centimetre (20inch) tall cow whose owners claim it is the world’s smallest. The 23-month-old dwarf cow has become a media star with scores of newspapers and television stations throwing the spotlight on the tiny bovine at a farm near Dhaka. Pictures of Rani, a Bhutti or Bhutanese cow, have gone viral on social media platforms, setting off a tourist frenzy.

In the past three days, 15,000 people have visited Rani. Despite a nationwide shutdown because of record coronavirus infections and deaths, people are flocking in rickshaws to the farm in Charigram, 30 km southwest of Dhaka.

CANADA NAMES FIRST INDIGENOUS GUV GENERAL Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the UK’s Queen Elizabeth II has accepted his recommendation of indigenous leader Mary Simon as the country’s 30th Governor General. Simon, former president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the national Inuit organization, will be the first Indigenous person to hold the post.

Trudeau’s appointment comes over five months after Julie Payette resigned from the post after media reported that she fostered a “toxic” work environment at Rideau Hall, which is the official office of the Governor General. From Nunavik, Quebec province in the country, Simon has long been an advocate for Inuit rights and culture. She has worked as a radio host and later served as chair of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.

N KOREA IN GRIP OF HARSH FOOD SHORTAGE: UN mis-perceptions about India that are perpetrated by vested interests in the OIC,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

Asked about Pakistan’s claims related to the Lahore attack, he said the international community was well aware of Pakistan’s credentials when it comes to terrorism.

“This is acknowledged by its own leadership, which continues to glorify terrorists like Osama Bin Laden as martyrs,” Bagchi said.

Pakistan’s national security adviser Moeed Yusuf had told reporters in Islamabad that the mastermind of the Lahore attack “is an Indian citizen” and he is associated with Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

North Korea is facing an acute food shortage of around 860,000 tonnes this year, according to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation forecast. It has warned the country could experience a “harsh lean period” by next month. Their Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un has also made rare references to the crisis in the recent past.

The impoverished country, under multiple sets of international sanctions over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, has been grappling with chronic food shortages for long. Last year, the pandemic, summer storms and floods put further stress on the economy with Pyongyang admitting last month that it was tackling a “current food crisis”.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

WORLD 21

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

17 - 23 July 2021

in brief 6 STUDENTS AMONG 9 HELD IN ALLEGED HK BOMB PLOT Nine people, including six secondary school students, were arrested in Hong Kong for allegedly plotting to set off homemade bombs in courts, tunnels and trash cans as political tensions rise in the city where China is tightening its grip. Police said they were detained on suspicion of engaging in terrorist activity under a harsh national security law that Beijing imposed a year ago as part of a crackdown on dissent in the former British colony that has long enjoyed freedoms not seen on the Chinese mainland. If the allegations are true, the group appears to represent a more radical fringe of the protest movement, which has demanded broader democratic freedoms for Hong Kong. Police said the group was attempting to make the explosive triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, which has been widely used in bombings in Europe and elsewhere, in a makeshift laboratory in a hostel. Nine people between 15 and 39 years old were arrested.

28 FEARED DEAD IN PLANE CRASH IN RUSSIA’S FAR EAST A plane carrying 28 people apparently crashed as it came in for landing in bad weather in Russia’s Far East, and everyone aboard was feared dead. Wreckage from the An-26 was found on a coastal cliffside and in the sea near the airport in the town of Palana, according to officials. The plane was on approach for a landing in fog and clouds when it missed a scheduled communication and disappeared from radar, officials from the Kamchatka region said. The plane “practically crashed into a sea cliff,” which wasn’t supposed to be in its landing trajectory, according to Sergei Gorb, deputy director of the company that owns the aircraft, Kamchatka Aviation Enterprise. According to Russian media reports, none of the six crew members or 22 passengers on board survived.

MUSEVENI URGES AFRICANS TO UNITE THROUGH SWAHILI Uganda President Yoweri Museveni urged Africans to use Swahili as a way to unify the continent during his African Integration Day speech. He said Swahili was a "neutral language", non-ethnic that "belongs to nobody." The Ugandan ruler, who often stresses the importance of development on the continent, also said the way for the 1.4 billion Africans to prosper was to focus on " integrating the markets that will consume what we are producing as Africa. We were colonised and suffered slave trade not because our ancestors were weak, but were not well organized. We have got more capacity while operating together hence the need to develop strategic security for Africa" Yoweri Museveni added.

ZIMBABWE'S NEW BIGGEST BANKNOTE IS WORTH JUST $0.60 Zimbabwe's central bank announced the introduction of a new 50-dollar note, the country's highest denomination, worth only around $0.60 in US currency. Insufficient to pay even for a loaf of bread, the bill's entry into circulation has revived memories of hyperinflation seen more than a decade ago in the southern African nation. As price growth spiralled out of control, denominations at the time mounted as high as a 100-trillion-dollar note. Award-winning journalist and government critic Hopewell Chin'ono scoffed at the new banknote, which at the unofficial black market exchange rate will be worth just $0.35 in US dollars. "It tells you something about inflation in your country if you need 3 notes of your highest currency denomination to buy a premium beer in a supermarket," tweeted Chin'ono. The new note is the latest and most valuable in a series introduced from February 2019 as Zimbabwe moved back to using local currency.

Former SA president Jacob Zuma hands himself over to police PRETORIA: South Africa's former President Jacob Zuma has handed himself in to police to begin serving a 15-month jail sentence for contempt of court.

He was admitted to Estcourt Correctional Centre in his home province of KwaZuluNatal last week.

Police had warned that they were prepared to arrest him if he did not hand himself in by midnight. Zuma, 79, was handed the jail term last week after he failed to attend a corruption inquiry.

The sentencing sparked an unprecedented legal drama in South Africa, which has never seen a former president jailed before.

Zuma had initially refused to hand himself in, but in a short statement, the Jacob Zuma Foundation said he had "decided

what has become known as "state capture" - meaning the siphoning off of state assets.

Businessmen have been accused of conspiring with politicians to influence the decision-making process while he was in office.

Jacob Zuma But Zuma has repeatedly said that he is the to comply". His daughter, Dudu victim of a political conspiracy.

Zuma-Sambudla, later wrote on In a separate legal matter, Zuma Twitter that her father was "en pleaded not guilty last month in route [to the jail] and he is still in a corruption trial involving a high spirits". $5bn (£3bn) arms deal from the Zuma was sentenced on 29 1990s.

June for defying an instruction Though he was forced out to give evidence at an inquiry of office by his own party in into corruption during his nine 2018, the African National years in power. He has testified Congress (ANC), he retains a only once at the inquiry into loyal body of supporters, espe-

cially in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal.

Crowds formed what they called a human shield outside Zuma's palatial home in an effort to prevent his arrest. Similar crowds gathered before he handed himself in. Zuma was once an illustrious political figure, who was jailed for fighting the racist system of apartheid in South Africa. It is an ignominious end to Zuma's political career, but a proud moment for South Africa's democracy. It shows that no-one is above the law - not even a former president. His supporters threatened to block any attempt by police to arrest him, but in the end they did not have to. The 79year-old surrendered, knowing he could not defeat the might of the state.

Ship that blocked Suez Canal sets sail after deal signed CAIRO: A huge container ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March - disrupting global trade - is finally leaving the waterway after Egypt signed a compensation deal with its owners and insurers. The Ever Given weighed anchor shortly after 11:30 local time (09:30 GMT) and headed north towards the Mediterranean escorted by tugs. The ship has been impounded for three months near the canal city of Ismailia.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed but Egypt had demanded $550m (£397m). As it got under way, Egyptian TV showed footage of the captain and a crew member being presented with flowers and a

plaque on board the ship. The 193km (120-mile) Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea at the canal's northern end to the Red Sea in the south and provides the shortest sea link between Asia and Europe.

But the vital waterway was blocked when the 400m-long (1,312ft) Ever Given became wedged across it after running aground amid high winds.

Global trade was disrupted as hundreds of ships were stuck in the traffic jam. The container ship was refloated following a six-day salvage operation that involved a flotilla of tug boats and dredging vessels. One person was killed during the operation.

Since then, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has been seeking compensation from the Ever Given's Japanese owner Shoei Kisen for the cost of the salvage operation, damage to the canal's banks and other losses. The SCA initially asked for $916m compensation, including $300m for a salvage bonus and $300m for loss of reputation. But UK Club which insured Shoei Kisen for third-party liabilities - rejected the claim, describing it as

Ugandan minister blames west for Covid vaccine shortage KAMPALA: An Ugandan minister has blamed the west for his country’s inability to secure more Covid-19 vaccines, as the World Health Organization warned Africa urgently needed hundreds millions more jabs to fend off a surging third wave of infections. Chris Baryomunsi said Uganda had been able to vaccinate more than a million people but was unable to obtain further shots.

“The problem has been the supply side,” said Baryomunsi, who is also an epidemiologist. “We have the money but we simply can’t get the vaccine. This is a challenge of access and equity. We have to rely on the western world and the western world has focused on its population. The impression is that people there don’t care about Africans.”

Uganda, which successfully repressed earlier waves of infection, has like other countries across Africa risked significant economic damage by imposing another severe lockdown. “There was complacency that set in with the population and then a new variant that was much more aggressive,” Baryomunsi said. “We have lost many people. The good news is that we have started to bring down infections.”

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s director for Africa, said the

continent had just marked its most dire pandemic week ever. “But the worst is yet to come as the fastmoving third wave continues to gain speed and new ground,” she said. In the seven days, the continent recorded 251,000 cases, a 21% increase. So far only 1.6% of vaccine doses administered globally have been given in Africa, and less than 2% of its population vaccinated.

“This leaves hundreds of millions of people still vulnerable to infection and serious illness,” Moeti said.

“The end to this precipitous rise is still weeks away. We can still break the chain of transmission by testing, isolating contacts and cases and following key public health measures.”

Sixteen African countries are experiencing a resurgence of the virus, with the more contagious Delta variant detected in 10 of them. In all, 151,000 people have died across the continent. With limited testing and mortality statistics, both totals are thought to be very significant underestimates. South Africa is the worsthit country in Africa, with new daily infections hitting record highs, fuelled by the Delta variant and late responses from policymakers. Excess mortality figures in South Africa suggest more than 170,000 have died of the disease, though official statistics record 65,000.

"extraordinarily large" and "largely unsupported". The SCA later lowered its demand to $550m. The final settlement, which has not been revealed, was agreed a few days ago and signed to coincide with the ship's release.

Nepal SC orders ouster of Oli as PM KATHMANDU: Nepal’s Supreme Court on Monday reinstated its parliament, which was dissolved by caretaker Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli in May, and ordered that his rival Sher Bahadur Deuba be appointed as prime minister. The K P Sharma Oli move deals a major blow to Oli, who was unable to muster a majority in the House of Representatives and had sought to force a fresh election by dissolving parliament on May 22. Oli’s move had sparked a fresh constitutional crisis in the Himalayan nation and it marked his second attempt to dissolve parliament in recent months after an initial attempt in December 2020, following a split in his party, was reversed by the Supreme Court in February.

After Nepal’s parliament had been reconstituted, Oli lost a confidence vote on May 10. Before his rivals could stake a claim he advised Nepal’s President Bidya Devi Bhandari to dissolve parliament, saying neither he nor opposition leader Deuba were able to muster a majority and form a new government. The opposition challenged the move.

On Monday, Supreme Court official Debendra Dhakal said the court had ordered parliament be reconvened within seven days. It also ordered that Sher Bahadur Deuba be appointed as PM. “The court has not left any room for political manoeuvring by the outgoing prime minister,” said Bipin Adhikari, a constitutional expert and analyst.

Deuba, 75, a four-times former prime minister who heads the centrist Nepali Congress party, had attempted to form a new government after Oli failed to garner a majority among lawmakers. Nearly two dozen rebels from Oli’s Communist Unified Marxist Leninist party were expected to support Deuba at the time.“The court has saved democracy.

Now five political parties will form a coalition government,” Deuba said.

22 WORLD

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

17 - 23 July 2021

Astronaut Sirisha Bandla vaults into space on board Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity 22 NEW YORK: Sirisha Bandla vaulted into space July 11 on board VSS Unity 22, becoming the third Indian American astronaut to do so. The Virgin Galactic's spacecraft reached the 53.5 miles altitude that marks the entry into space after taking off from Spaceport America in New Mexico and returned to the base after a flight of about 90 minutes.

Astronaut 004 Bandla, accompanied by Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson, two other crew mates and two pilots touched the space mark. Before the flight Branson signed himself dramatically as Astronaut 001 and gave the Astronaut 004 rank to Bandla, 34. During the space flight, Bandla was scheduled to conduct experiments designed by the US government's pioneer space agency, NASA involving plants in microgravity.

Sirisha Bandla

Bandla, the Virgin Galactic vice president for Government Relations, is an astronautical engineer by training. Before her flight, she said on an interview that her adventure was an "incredible opportunity to get people from different backgrounds, different geographies and different communities into space.”

The others on the VSS Unity flight were Beth Moses, Virgin Galactic's chief astronaut instructor; and Colin Bennett,

the lead operations engineer, which was piloted by former Royal Air Force test pilot Dave Mackay and former NASA Space Shuttle C o m m a n d e r Michael Masucci.

The spacecraft was carried by a twinbodied carrier aircraft, VMS Eve, for the first leg on its way to space before being launched for the final leg.

The launch was delayed by about 90 minutes because stormy weather overnight delayed the flight preparations.

Bandla is the third Indian American in space after Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Pandya Williams and the fourth person of Indian descent, the first being Rakesh Sharma, who flew on a Soviet spacecraft.

But unlike them, Bandla did

not go into orbit and her flight was a short one to demonstrate the capability of Branson's space program, a breakthrough in the commercialization of space travel by private entrepreneurs.

Bandla was born in Andhra Pradesh and grew up in Houston, Texas. Her passion to learn more about space inspired her to pursue a bachelor's degree in aeronauticalastronautical engineering from Purdue. She also holds an MBA from George Washington University.

Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy hailed Bandla's space flight.

Bandla's grandfather Venkat Narasaiah savored her space moment at his home in Tenali. Narasaiah and his wife Rama Devi took care of Bandla during her childhood before she emigrated to the US.

Indonesian woman brutally caned in public for being ‘too close’ to boyfriend Banda Aceh (Indonesia): A woman was brutally caned in public just for being “too close” to her boyfriend in Indonesia.

The incident took place in Banda Aceh, the capital and largest city in the province of Aceh. The woman was reportedly being caned by a member of the Sharia police as punishment, under Aceh province’s Sharia laws, for being caught in close proximity with her boyfriend.

The woman's boyfriend was also publicly caned by a member of the Sharia police as punishment for their "crime."

Aceh, a deeply conservative province which the majority of residents are Muslim, is the

country’s only region with the autonomy to enforce sharia law.

Floggings are carried out by authorities for a range of offences, including drinking booze, adultery, and engaging in premarital or homosexual sex.

In 2018, the authorities in the province announced unmarried couples will be banned from sitting at the same table in restaurants, cafes or coffee shops under a religious crackdown.

The brutal punishment is widely seen as a warped interpretation of sharia law - an Islamic criminal code that seeks to prohibit “morality” offenses. In 2018, Aceh officials vowed to end public floggings

and carry them out behind prison walls.

In spite of the promises, the number of public floggings and canings has reportedly risen.

The most vicious punishment is 100 lashes, which is administered for the most severe crimes along with prison time. Human rights groups have condemned the brutal punishments as inhumane, but they have wide support in Aceh.

Amnesty International has condemned the practice, saying last year the canings are violations of international

human rights law. "Under international human rights law all forms of corporal punishment are prohibited – they violate the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment and often torture."

Black teen wins Miami building collapse: Body of Brit mum, husband found US National Spelling Bee title WASHINGTON: A black teen became the first African-American to win the US National Spelling Bee title, marking a milestone for the community, and in the process, loosening the grip Indian-American kids exercised over the championship for the past two decades. Zaila Avant-garde, a 14year-old from Louisiana, correctly spelled the word murraya - a type of tree - to clinch the trophy beating Chaitra Thummala, a 12-yearold sixth grader from San Francisco and nine other finalists, all but one of Indian-origin.

Chaitra slipped on neroli oil (a fragrant pale yellow essential oil).

Zaila will receive a $50,000 cash prize and a host of scholarships, praise, and headlines that accompany an event that has now become an American TV staple. First lady Jill Biden, an English professor, was among those who dropped by at the event, which resumed this year after being cancelled in 2020 for the first time in its 96-year history due to the pandemic. Zaila’s win evoked comparison to Arthur Ashe winning the Wimbledon championship in 1968 to ignite black interest in tennis. “I’m hoping that in a few years I’ll see a whole lot more AfricanAmerican females, and males too, doing well in Scripps Spelling Bee,” she told Good Morning America.

MIAMI: The body of working around the clock to pregnant Bhavna Patel, the try and bring closure to the 36-year-old UK-US dual families and their number citizen, her husband Vishal one priority is to recover the Patel, 42, were found from victims.

Miami-Dade the wreckage of the Assistant Fire Chief Raide apartment building which Jadallah told families at a collapsed near Miami beach, private briefing that the but their baby daughter emergency crews would Aishani remains missing. remove the rescue dogs and They were reported missing sound devices, but otherwise Vishal Patel and Bhavna Patel after the condo collapsed on would continue to search June 24. Sadly, Bhavna and Vishai have been through the rubble for the bodies of their found dead among the rubble, Miami-Dade relatives. police department said.

Chief Jadallah said, "Our sole responsibility at this point is to bring Six further victims have also been closure." Hope of finding survivors was identified: Maria Teresa Rovirosa, 58, Luis briefly rekindled after workers demolished Lopez Moreira III, three, Sophia Lopez the remainder of the building, allowing Moreira, 36, Luis Pettengill, 36, Deborah rescuers access to new areas of debris they Berzdivin, 21 and Juan Alberto Mora, 80. In hoped would contain “voids,” or open a tweet, Miami cops said: "We have pockets with enough room for a person. identified eight additional victims who The remainder of the building was tragically and unexpectedly lost their lives demolished on Sunday last. in the Surfside building collapse. Search and No one has been pulled alive from the rescue efforts have now turned into a building since the first few hours after part recovery mission after a portion of of the 12-story condo collapsed in the early Champlain Towers South collapsed more hours of June 24. Miami-Dade Mayor than two weeks ago. Dozens remain Daniella Levine Cava said: "Our Miamimissing following the collapse on June 24.

Dade County Task Force 1 members, Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo who’ve been here since the beginning…

Ramirez said work was continuing at a they could go home, but they are still here." “swift tempo.” He said rescue teams are

in brief ROCKETS LAND IN BAGHDAD NEAR US EMBASSY Rockets landed in and around the heavily fortified Green Zone in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, which houses the US embassy, causing material damage, Iraqi security forces said. Two Katuysha rockets fell near the national security building, and in an open courtyard inside the Green Zone. A third rocket fell in a nearby residential area, damaging a civilian vehicle, the statement said. It followed two separate attacks on bases housing US troops in western Iraq and across the border in Syria, where US-led coalition forces are based.

The attacks come as tension is on the rise between US troops and Iran-backed fighters as Baghdad and Washington negotiate a timeline for foreign troop withdrawal from Iraq.

ASSASSINATION OF HAITIAN PRESIDENT: 17 HELD At least 15 Colombians and two HaitianAmericans suspected to be involved in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise have been arrested, officials said. At least 28 people participated in the murder of the Haitian president, including 26 Colombians and two Haitian Americans, Leon Charles, director of Haiti’s National Police, said. Eight other people have fled and three assassins were killed in the shootings with security forces, added the official. Moise was shot dead last week at his residence during an early morning raid by a group of gunmen. He had been ruling Haiti by decree after legislative elections due in 2018 were delayed. Disputes have been around on when his term ends.

Haiti’s constitutional referendum, which should have taken place in April but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will be held on September 26, the national electoral commission announced on June 28.

TEMP IN LAPLAND REGION HITS 33.6°C, HOTTEST IN 100 YEARS Finland’s northernmost Arctic Lapland region has recorded its hottest temperature for more than a century at 33.6°C, during a heatwave that’s been afflicting the entire Nordic country for weeks. The temperature was measured at Finland’s northernmost Utsjoki-Kevo weather station near the border with Norway by the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The institute said there was only one higher historical measurement reported in Lapland - 34.7°C in the Inari Thule area, in July 1914. The beginning of July has been exceptionally warm in Lapland, one of Europe’s last remaining wildernesses known for its extremely cold winters. The region, Finland’s largest by surface, host records for the coldest temperatures in the nation of 5.5 million. “It is exceptional in Lapland to record temperatures of over 32°C,” a meteorologist said.

FOUR-DAY WORK WEEK IS A BIG SUCCESS IN ICELAND A four-day work week has been an “overwhelming success” in Iceland with a majority of the labour force switching to fewer working hours without affecting overall productivity, according to researchers in the country. A study was conducted between 2015 and 2019 in the Iceland government and capital Reykjavík’s city council, of which over 2,500 workers - or about 1% of the Nordic nation’s working population - were paid the same as before but for fewer hours in duty, BBC reported, quoting a report by UK-based think tank Autonomy and Iceland’s Association for Sustainable Democracy. Productivity levels rose or remained the same with the help of rearranged shifts, junking of unnecessary tasks and methods to finish work faster, researchers said. Eventually, more sectors in Iceland were involved in the four-day schedules. Presently, 86% of Iceland’s workforce is either working fewer hours for the same pay or they are gaining the right to do so, BBC reported.

www.asian-voice.com

INDIA 23

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

AsianVoiceNews

17 - 23 July 2021

HC urges Centre to take steps to have uniform civil code

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti nominated as US envoy to India US President Joe Biden on Friday nominated Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as his ambassador to India. If confirmed by the Senate, Garcetti, 50, would replace Kenneth Juster, who served as US Ambassador to India during the Trump administration. Early this week, Juster was appointed as distinguished fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Announcing the nomination along with several other ambassadors, the White House said Eric M Garcetti has been the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles since 2013, following 12 years as a member of the City Council, including six as Council President. As Mayor, Garcetti oversees the busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere, the largest municipal utility in the country, and one of the busiest airports in the world.

He led LA's successful bid to return the summer Olympic Games to American soil for the first time in three decades. He currently chairs LA Metro, the country's second-busiest transit agency, which is building or

Eric Garcetti

extending 15 new transit lines, and shifting to an all-electric fleet. Garcetti co-founded Climate Mayors and led more than 400 US mayors to adopt the Paris Climate agreement.

He is the current Chair of C40 Cities - a network of 97 of the world's biggest cities taking bold climate action and has led the organization's engagement and expansion in India as well as C40's global response to the Covid-19 pandemic through the sharing of best practices and resources.

During 12 years as an Intelligence Officer in the US Navy Reserve Component, Garcetti served under the

Commander, US Pacific Fleet and the Defence Intelligence Agency, retiring in 2017 as a Lieutenant. A Rhodes Scholar, he studied at Queen's College, Oxford and the London School of Economics and Political Science. Garcetti was selected as an inaugural Asia 21 Fellow of the Asia Society, and taught at Occidental College's Department of Diplomacy and World Affairs, as well as at the University of Southern California's School of International Relations.

"He has lived and conducted field work on nationalism, ethnicity, and human rights in Southeast Asia and Northeast Africa. He is the founding Chair of the Latino Alliance of Mayors at the US Conference of Mayors, serves on the Board of National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, and speaks fluent Spanish," the White House said. Biden has also nominated Denise Campbell Bauer, as his envoy to Monaco; Peter D Haas, to Bangladesh; and Bernadette M Meehan, his top diplomat to Chile.

Dominican court grants Choksi bail, allows him to go to Antigua The fugitive jeweller Mehul Choksi, who is under arrest in Dominica, was granted bail by a Caribbean court and allowed him to travel back to Antigua and Barbuda. This is a setback for Indian agencies that had moved court in Dominica to get Choksi repatriated to India to face trial in the £1.3 billion PNB loan fraud case.

While India has argued that he is an Indian citizen, Choksi has maintained that he ceased to be one when he took Antiguan citizenship in 2017. Antigua too had said it does not want Choksi back in its country and would prefer him to be repatriated to India.

According to reports in the Antiguan media, Choksi has been granted bail on medical grounds and allowed to travel to Antigua for treat-

ment. Choksi’s lawyer Vijay Aggarwal, who confirmed the development, said, “Dominica courts finally upheld the rule of law and rights of a human to be treated in the medical facilities of his choice. And all attempts by various agencies did not bear fruits.

There is a solace in saying that all clever foxes end up as fur coats.”

According to reports in the Antiguan media, Choksi’s bail plea was supposed to be heard on July 23 but was heard on July 12 on medical grounds. His lawyers had moved the court pleading that he was suffering from a neurological disorder for which he needed treatment in Antigua. The Eastern Caribbean High Court in Dominica, which granted Choksi bail, has asked him to furnish

a bond of 10,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars and also asked him to return to Dominica after treatment. Antiguan PM Gaston Browne had last month said that Choksi was a Dominican problem, but if he came to Antigua, he would become Antigua’s problem.

The bail order comes amid allegations from Choksi’s family and lawyers that the jeweller was abducted from Jolly Harbour area of Antigua by agents of Indian agencies and forcibly taken to Dominica in May. According to his London lawyer Michael Pollak, this was done to deprive him of the protection of law that he enjoys in Antigua and Barbuda as a citizen of that country. Choksi is facing a case of extradition in Antigua on India’s request.

Backing the need to introduce a uniform civil code, the Delhi high court has said that the “hope expressed in Article 44 of the Constitution that the state shall secure for its citizens a uniform civil code ought not to remain a mere hope”. Justice Pratibha M. Singh said a code “common to all” in the country is needed and urged the central government to take necessary steps in this matter. Its observations came while hearing an estranged couple’s plea for divorce where the wife has challenged the application of the Hindu Marriage Act (HMA).

Justice Singh added that “in modern Indian society, which is gradually becoming homogenous, the traditional barriers of religion, community and caste are slowly dissipating.” The HC said citizens should not be made to struggle due to conflicts and contradictions in various personal laws on the issues of marriage and divorce, highlighting that “courts have been repeatedly confronted with the conflicts that arise in personal laws”.

“Persons belonging to various communities, castes and religions, who forge marital bonds, struggle with such conflicts,” it said. The HC noted that the Supreme Court has also repeatedly highlighted the need for such a code, which would enable “uniform principles being applied in respect of aspects such as marriage, divorce, succession, etc., so that settled principles, safeguards and procedures can be laid down”, and referred to the Shah Bano verdict. It pointed out that decisions were “rendered way back in 1985 and more than 35 years have passed”.

In the Shah Bano case, the apex court had said that a common civil code would help the cause of national integration by removing disparate loyalties to laws having conflicting ideologies. It had also observed that the state was charged with the duty of securing a UCC for citizens. “It is unclear as to what steps have been taken in this regard till date,” the HC said and directed that its order be communicated to the secretary, ministry of law & justice … for necessary action as deemed appropriate. It was dealing with a plea in which the couple belong to the Meena community, which was excluded from the ambit of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (HMA).

When the husband sought a divorce, the wife claimed that the HMA did not apply as the Meena community was a notified Scheduled Tribe in Rajasthan. But closer scrutiny by the HC revealed that from the start of the litigation, both parties admitted that their marriage was solemnised according to Hindu rites and ceremonies, and that they follow Hindu customs when it comes to marriage or other social functions.

The court said that although there was no definition of Hindu the Supreme Court has held that if members of tribes are Hinduised, the HMA would be applicable to them, and allowed the husband’s appeal.

'Hunger has no religion' Indian hunger activist bags UK’s Commonwealth Points of Light Award Rupali Shinde Hunger is one such thing which can make or break people. This very hunger changed Syed Osman Azhar Maqsusi who was recently conferred with the UK’s prestigious Commonwealth Points of Light award for leading an interfaith food donation drive ‘Hunger has no religion’.

The 41-year-old Hyderabad resident Maqsusi was only 4-years old when he lost his father. His mother was a housewife and he and his other 4 siblings lived a hard life. He recalls that some days, they used to go to bed without any food. “I remember, when we used to get an invite for any family functions, we used to plan out things and were happy that we will be getting food to eat,” said Maqsusi.

At the age of 12, Maqsusi started working as a tailor. He wanted to study further but could not complete his education owing to the financial crisis. The only thing on his mind was to earn and to feed his family. In 2012, one day he saw a woman at railway station who was physically challenged and was with her son. He enquired

Syed Osman Azhar Maqsusi

and found out that her name was Laxmi, and both had been hungry for many days. “It hit me so hard. I could relate to her pain. We are a developing country, but even today, people die out of hunger.

After giving her food, I decided then and there that I will start feeding people like Laxmi. The next day, I went near Dabeerpura Flyover and started distributing food. I had no plan, I did not think about finances, I just wanted to feed people,” said Maqsusi.

In 2015, he formed Sani Welfare Foundation NGO, through which he carries out his various activities. Along with ‘Hunger has no religion’ food

drive, he initiated ‘Do roti campaign’. He urges people to carry two rotis (flatbread) with them so that they can donate them to people who are in need. He believes that children who beg near signal, should be given food instead of money, as it will discourage them any wrongdoings.

It has been 10 years now, Maqsusi has been feeding people.

He said, first 4 years were tough for him. He used to bring food on credit, used to sell the scrap from his shop and used to buy food. He thanked God that he was able to look after his family and was able to continue his food drive.

When he started the food drive, he was all alone, but slowly and steadily, people joined him. “I have a habit of posting photos about food donation drive on social media. It is all there since the first day of my food donation drive. When I was featured on Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan’s show ‘Aaj ki raat hain zindagi’, many more joined. Now, because of this, I started getting more than I required and needed.

Then, I started food drives near Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad, in

Raichur, Karnataka, Bangalore, Jharkhand, and Assam”.

Food drive has been running relentlessly, says Maqsusi. He recalls that in the early days of the drive, his wife used to cook food and he used to distribute the food, later they hired a cook. He says that this drive is not dependent on anyone, if for some reason, cook is not able to come, he and his wife cooks food and they distribute.

During lockdown, they started feeding migrant workers as well.

“When lockdown happened, I did not face any problem. But when we learned about migrant workers, we set up a camp on the highway, outside Ramoji film city, for 8 days. On a daily basis, we were feeding 8,000 to 10,000 migrant workers. Along with this, we were helping migrant workers who were stranded in Hyderabad with ration”.

He said that he was scared that his cook, driver, or his cousin might get corona, hence, he drove alone and continued distributing food, until his elder son accompanied him. When asked about the Commonwealth Point of Light Award, he said he was elated and

could not believe at first. He dedicated the award to his team who helped him in thick and thin. He recalled the moment when he saw his photo on the Points of Light website with Indian national flag, he got emotional and broke into tears.

The Commonwealth Point of Light Award recognises ‘outstanding individual volunteers who are making a change in their community’. These awards are made by Queen Elizabeth II, as Head of the Commonwealth, to thank inspirational volunteers across the 53 Commonwealth nations for the difference they are making in their communities and beyond.

“My goal is no one should die hungry in India. If we look at the Global Hunger Index, we are in the serious hunger category, and I really want this to change. I want to take my ‘Hunger Has No Religion’ food drive to every nook and corner of India,” says Maqsusi.

He wants younger generation to be kind and embrace humanity while pursuing an education. He believes that unless and until one has humanity degree, one cannot be successful in career and life.

24 INDIA

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

17 - 23 July 2021

SOUTH INDIA

Kerala struggles with rising Covid cases; Zika virus outbreak adds to its woes Thiruvananthapuram: Rising Covid-19 cases in Kerala, coupled with the recent outbreak of the Zika virus, is causing concern to the health authorities as the southern state battles to bring down the fresh infections. The state is now seeing daily fresh cases between 12,000 to 15,000 with no end in sight to the 'prolonged surge', as some experts put it. Add to the woes to the state is the infection of 19 Zika virus cases.

Health Minister Veena George had recently said the virus numbers spiked due to certain unlock measures and that they were expected to go down soon. While on June 1 this year, Kerala reported 19,760 positive cases, there was a slight decline for a week with 9,313 new cases being recorded on June 7. However, two days later it again shot up to 16,204. For over a month, the state has been reporting cases between 11,000 to 13,000 on a daily basis.

While the medical experts

praised the Kerala government for its preventive measures which helped keep the infection rate from peaking drastically, some opined the administration's inability to enforce Covid appropriate behaviour after the unlock phase came into effect was one of the reasons that the numbers have not gone down.

Dr T S Anish, who specialises in community medicine, said the present situation has its pros and cons.

A prolonged infection rate would put stress on the doctors and other healthcare workers and in case a third wave comes, the medical system which is

partially filled could be overwhelmed. He also said it was a matter of concern that the government was unable to reduce the rate of infection.

Virologist Dr Sarada said people were not following Covid appropriate behaviour which was also a reason for the cases not declining. She and Anish were of the view that vaccination was the key, the only solution and the state government should try to get the vaccine in more quantities by whatever means. Sarada also said that other states may not be showing such high numbers as they probably were not testing their rural population unlike Kerala. Citing the positive side of the situation, Dr Anish said the government was able to prevent a sharp increase during the peak of the second wave by putting in place a lockdown and thereby, ensured the healthcare system was not overwhelmed.

This steady rate of infection could also help to prevent a third

wave as the health system or machinery would be vigilant and would quickly detect any new variant or mutation. According to him, if the cases go down substantially, the system would be less vigilant as there would be less testing and therefore, by the time a new variant or mutation is detected the third wave would have already hit.

Dr Amar Fettle, the state nodal officer for Covid said that the Kerala government was carrying out extensive testing to ensure no one who is infected is missed out and it was taking measures to ensure elderly people and children, who would be vulnerable to infection, are protected. Fettle said that after a long period of lockdown, when the unlock phase comes into effect people venture out and therefore, the infection re-enters homes. A prolonged surge is better than a short spike or wave, as then the healthcare system will not be overburdened, he said.

PUNJAB

Punjab BJP leaders allege attack by protesting farm union members Rajpura (Punjab): A BJP spokesperson, Bhupesh Aggarwal, claimed that he, along with other party leaders and workers, was allegedly “chased, roughed up and held hostage” for over three hours after a meeting in Rajpura. The leaders reportedly had to take shelter in a nearby house to save themselves from the unruly mob, though the police denied they were physically attacked. A police team, including two DSPs, was present with the BJP leaders, even as the Patiala DIG and SSP rushed to the town to escort them to safety.

Videos from Rajpura that went viral on social media purportedly showed angry farmer union members waving

black flags and attacking a BJP supporter as the police tried to escort them to safety.

According to Aggarwal, he had reached Rajpura to hold a meeting of party workers from Ghanaur, Rajpura and Sanaur constituencies. “I had apprised senior police officers about the meeting in advance. However, when we reached the venue, only a handful of cops were present there,” he said.

“I was told to finish the meeting within 30 minutes as farm union members had assembled outside the venue.

As I came out, I was asked by the police to use a nearby lane to reach my vehicle. On the way, I along with our local president Vikas Sharma was

attacked by farm union members with sticks. My personal gunman intervened to keep protesters at bay. We took shelter in a house to save ourselves,” claimed Aggarwal.

“From there I called up senior officers, following which I was rescued after over 50 minutes of chaos,” he said.

“When we reached the house of another BJP leader for a separate meeting, the same mob reached there. They raised slogans and threatened us,” he claimed. DIG Vikramjeet Duggal and SSP Sandeep Garg reached the spot and rescued the leaders before taking them to Patiala. Meanwhile, farm union members, including women, claimed BJP leaders

were only chased after their gunman pointed a weapon at them. “Despite our warnings, they continue to hold meetings and then blame us,” they said, claiming no one was beaten up.

Ghanaur DSP Jaswinder Tiwana said they were examining the claims of the BJP leader if he was thrashed, as there was ample security at the scene. “We escorted him out and asked him to leave after the first meeting. However, he insisted on holding another meeting, where farmers gathered and there was a standoff. We will take action after ascertaining the facts. As for now, there is no proof of any leader being roughed up,” Tiwana added.

WEST BENGAL

Calcutta HC asks Mamata to pay Rs 500,000 fine Kolkata: Though Calcutta High Court judge Kausik Chanda recused himself from hearing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s plea challenging the Assembly election verdict in Nandigram, the court fined her Rs 500,000 for the way in which she sought the judge’s recusal.

Justice Chanda said that the settled practice was to approach the concerned judge with an application seeking recusal.

However, Mamata approached the Acting Chief Justice on the administrative side. When the case was first put up before the bench on June 18, no request for recusal was made, Justice Chanda noted. Justice Chanda said he had “no personal inclination to hear out the case” nor did he have any “hesitation in taking up the case” but he still chose to recuse because “the two persons involved in this case

Mamata Banerjee

belong to the highest echelons of state politics.

Some opportunists have already emerged... in the name of saving the judiciary. These trouble-mongers will try to keep the controversy alive and create newer controversies. The trial of the case before this bench will be a tool to aggrandise themselves.

It would be contrary to the interest of justice if such unwarranted squabble continues along with the trial,” the judge said. The fine of Rs 500,000 should be paid to the Bar Council of West Bengal to help families of advocates who lost

their lives to Covid, he ordered.

Banerjee did not respond to media’s questions on the fine.

“This is a sub-judice matter. I will not speak on this. The lawyers will take a decision,” she said. But other Trinamool leaders as well as the BJP’s IT Cell chief took to Twitter after the order. Trinamool Rajya Sabha leader and spokesperson Derek O’Brien, without directly referring to the judgment, tweeted: “We live and learn. We live in a world where the cost of speaking the truth now comes with a staggering price tag: Rs 500,000. We live in a world where propaganda and falsehood are also meted out.

The price: FREE. Got the reference? Modi hai to mumkin Hai. Go figure.”

Trinamool Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra, whose tweet listing the cases Justice Chanda had appeared for the BJP as a

lawyer was mentioned in Justice Chanda’s order, tweeted: “Petulance at its best today.

Realising no way out but to recuse himself he decides to slap Rs 500,000 fine simply because he can. Kind of like teacher realises student is correct & breaks blackboard.” BJP leader Amit Malviya, however, felt the fine was “a small sum”. “The fine on Banerjee for showing the judiciary in poor light is a small sum, given the potential of her actions and utterances to cause erosion of trust of the common man in our institutions. She had similarly maligned EC during elections,” he tweeted.

Justice Chanda said in his order that he did not agree with the CM’s petition that his “long, close, personal, professional, pecuniary and ideological relationship” with a political party posed a “conflict of interest.

in brief PEOPLE RAISE £1.8 MN TO SAVE KERALA CHILD In a display of human kindness for a cause of serious concern, £1.8 million was raised in Kerala through crowdfunding in seven days for an 18-month-old child suffering from a rare genetic disorder called spinal muscular atrophy. Mohammed, son of PK Rafeeq and Mariyumma, requires a dose of Zolgensma, which is considered as one of the most expensive drug in the world. The treatment committee informed the public that over £1.8 million reached the bank accounts opened for the donations and asked the people not to deposit any more. The treatment committee, headed by MLA M Vijin, had a week ago appealed to the public to crowdfund for the treatment of Mohammed. The campaign was taken over by social media resulting in raising the amount within seven days from across the world. Incidentally, 15-year-old Afra, the elder sister of Mohammed, was also affected with the same disease and is on wheelchair. The medicine will have to be procured from abroad.

TELANGANA MINISTERS LEAD 'NO MASK' ACT AT BONALU FESTIVAL Worrying visuals of hundreds of people, most without masks and social distancing, have emerged from Hyderabad, where the Telangana government is celebrating the Bonalu festival. Among the attendees were state ministers as well - without masks, or masks pulled down below the chin - and no Covid protocols in sight. Over 30,000 devotees have been celebrating the festival in the state, police said, even as experts warn against large gatherings as the country limps out of a deadly second wave. Ministers Talasani Srinivas Yadav and Indrakaran Reddy were seen offering what is called Bangaru bonam or golden bonam to Goddess Jagadambika at Golconda to the accompaniment of dancers, drums and music.

Social distancing went for a toss as the venue that was seen brimming with people in visuals.

PUNJAB COVID POSITIVITY RATE LOWEST IN MONTHS After staying over 10 per cent in May, Punjab’s weekly Covid test positivity rate has now fallen to under 0.5 per cent. In the past one week, 291,000 samples were collected, of which only 1,233 turned out positive for Covid-19, taking last week’s positivity rate to 0.42 per cent. The rate remained between 1 and 2 per cent during January and February, but started increasing thereafter. In the second week of May, it peaked, hitting 22 per cent on May 10. Since then, there has been a gradual decline. During the second wave, the rate consistently remained over 10 per cent. In May, the state’s overall rate regularly touched 15 per cent. The situation was especially worrying in SAS Nagar, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Fazilka, Mansa and Muktsar districts, where the rate was over 15 per cent. According to experts, positivity rate was an important indicator as it helped understand the quantum of infection spread in the society.

MUKUL ROY NAMED PAC CHAIRMAN, BJP CRIES FOUL Veteran politician Mukul Roy, who recently rejoined the Trinamool Congress after winning the Assembly polls from Krishnanagar North on a BJP ticket, was made the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman on the last day of the Budget Session in the West Bengal Assembly. The BJP MLAs, who pitched for Ashok Lahiri as the PAC chief, staged a walked as a mark of protest following the appointment of Roy. “This is the first time in history that the opposition party has not been given the PAC chairman’s post. The Speaker has done this intentionally to hide misappropriation of funds.

Had BJP’s Ashok Lahiri been made the PAC chairman, all the misdoings would have come to light,” said leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

INDIA 25

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

17 - 23 July 2021

ATS in UP busts al-Qaida linked Big boost to Gujarat ahead of unit, two operatives arrested assembly polls The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh police claimed to have busted a module of Ansar Ghazwatul-Hind, said to be an auxiliary unit of alQaida, with the arrest of two operatives. The two were planning a series of blasts in Uttar Pradesh around Independence Day, the ATS claimed.

While the sleuths arrested Minaz Ahmad, 32, from a house in Kakori outskirts of Lucknow, his associate Masiruddin, 50, alias Mushir was picked from his house in Madioan at the former's instance. An improvised explosive device (IED) in the form of a pressure cooker bomb along with a 9mm country made pistol was recovered from Minaz's house.

According to the investigators, the two accused were in touch with Umar Halmandi, a listed AlQaida operative based somewhere along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. On Umar's directions,

the duo was planning blasts in the state. Umar is said to be handling AlQaida’s operations in the Indian sub-continent region. The investigators are on the lookout for another associate of the arrested accused identified as Shakeel, who is Minaz’s neighbour.

Additional Director General of police, Law and Order, Prashant Kumar, said that Al Qaida was a multi-national terrorist organization founded in 1988 by Osama-bin-Laden and Abdullah Azzam during Soviet-Afghan war.

Also, its India sub-continent module was announced on September 3, 2014, by Al Zawahiri and

Asim Maulana Omar was made its leader. Asim Umar had roots in Sambal district of Uttar Pradesh and was killed in 2019 in Afghanistan.

Thereafter, this module was being run by Umar Halmandi from Peshawar/Quetta area.

“Halmandi along with other operatives and the arrested accused were planning to unleash terror activities on August 15 in different cities of the state.

They were also planning to use human bombs," Kumar said. “We had developed the information based on an informer’s tip-off and then the ATS team nabbed the accused. An IED in the form of a pressure cooker bomb recovered from the house of the accused was also defused,” said the ADG. Police also said search operations in districts around Lucknow were under way.

UP to incentivise couples who do not have more than two babies On World Population Day, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath launched a population policy which aims to incentivise couples who do not have more than two babies. Stating that population control is related to awareness among masses and poverty, Adityanath said every community has been taken care of in Population Policy 2021-2030. The health minister Jai Pratap Singh said Uttar Pradesh is aiming for stability by 2050 and the government is trying to reduce population growth rate to 2.1 per cent.

Besides, Uttar Pradesh, Assam is pushing for a similar move with its chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stating last week that population norms will be slowly implemented for government schemes.

Two-child policy The UP law commission that has formulated a population control bill said the policy would be voluntary and nobody would be forced to follow any rule.

However, if any person decides to on his or

her own to not have more than two babies, they will be eligible for government schemes., while those who do not follow the policy, will face restrictions in government jobs, availing ration, and other benefits.

Meanwhile, the BJP-led government in Assam may soon give effect to a 2017 resolution titled ‘Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam’ that proposed a bar on people with more than two children from getting government jobs and other benefits. There is already a rule in place in the north-eastern state wherein individuals with more than two children are not allowed to contest local body elections.

Over the years, several other states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have introduced such measures to bring down the population, but the success has not been equally spread. While states like Bihar and UP continue to register high population growth, others have been able to control the fertility rate.

Gujarat got its largest representation in the central government with Prime Minister Narendra Modi working out a fine math to induct new colleagues, while balancing caste and regional equations within the state ahead of the assembly elections next year. On the very next day of appointing senior tribal leader and former cabinet minister Mangubhai Patel as the new governor of Madhya Pradesh, PM Modi appointed three MPs – Darshana Jardosh, a Brahmin married to an OBC from South Gujarat; Devusinh Chauhan, a Kshatriya from Central Gujarat; and Dr Mahendra Munjpara in the Council of Ministers, while Parsottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya were elevated to the cabinet rank.

The reshuffle has been effected with the clear eye on the 2022 Assembly elections and 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party has been working for the uplift of the SC/STs, OBCs and the underprivileged. The induction of three OBC ministers from Gujarat justifies that. Until now, two Gujarat MPs – Amit Shah and S Jaishankar (he is RS MP from the state although he is not from Gujarat) – were cabinet ministers while Mansukh Mandaviya and Parshottam Rupala were junior ministers.

The three MPs: Darshna Jardosh: Mrs Jardosh had held the position of the vice president of Surat BJP's ward no. 8 committee in the late 1980s and was later elected as a corporator from the same ward in 2000. Subsequently, she was appointed as the president of the women's wing of the Surat BJP and later as the general secretary of the state BJP women's wing till 2008. After she became an MP in 2009, Jardosh served as a member of different

Devusinh Chaughan

Parsottam Rupala

Darshana Jardosh

Mahendra Munjpara

committees of Parliament, such as committees for chemicals and fertilisers, estimates, empowerment of women, finance and business advisory.

Mahendra Munjpara: Mahendra is a first-time MP from Surendranagar in Gujarat. He holds an MD in General Medicine and Therapeutics from the Gujarat University. Before entering politics, Mahendrabhai was a practicing cardiologist and professor of medicine for nearly three decades.

Devusinh Chauhan: A two-time MP from Kheda in Gujarat, Devusinh Chauhan has also served as an MLA in the Gujarat Assembly for two terms.

Chauhan holds a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from Politechnic, Porbandar, and worked as an engineer with All India Radio (AIR) before taking a plunge into politics.

Elevating two junior ministers to the cabinet rank and inducting three other MPs into the council

Vrikshit Foundation, an initiative to enhance hygienic conditions of society Environment is beset with different issues such as climate change, deforestation, and pollution. Environmentalists and earth warriors are fighting hard to restore our planet to its original beauty. Vrikshit Foundation was started in May 2019 by Shankar Singh from Delhi. The NGO promotes cleanliness in society and enhances hygienic conditions in the society. At present, around 200 volunteers are working with the NGO. The Foundation has organised clean-up drives in more than 15 cities including Delhi, Jaipur, Ajmer, Amritsar, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai. It

has also been conducting awareness campaigns in educational institutions and large-scale plantation drives in large open spaces and playgrounds.

However, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the NGO decided to focus on helping the under- served population by providing ration kits to the poor families who are vulnerable to losing or have lost their source of income due to the pandemic. These include 800 families of sex workers residing at GB Road, Delhi, and about 3,500 families of migrant labourers in different locations of Bihar, including Araria, Patna, Supol, Katihar,

and Muzaffarpur. It also extended medical support to many people in need and distributed 155 oximeters to people in Hyderabad, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.

In the near future, the NGO will be covering the hillside regions with fewer medical facilities and cater to artist groups like Rajasthani folk singers and others who are presently out of work. It is also opening an oximeter campaign in rural areas, where locals can check their oxygen levels at the camps.

Besides, it is also planning to provide legal support against Covid-19 frauds with the help of lawyers.

of ministers, Prime Minister Modi has bolstered Gujarat’s representation in his government. The number of Gujarat ministers in the Modi cabinet has now increased from four to seven, making this perhaps the biggest number in a union cabinet in the state’s political history.

The cabinet reshuffle reflects an attempt to strike a balance between castes, communities and regions in the state. A senior BJP leader said, “The state has not got such a representation in any Union government since 1960. The Prime Minister and seven ministers in the Union cabinet are new record from Gujarat.” The first cabinet reshuffle in the second innings of the Prime Minister Narendra Modiled NDA government has five faces from Gujarat – two former ministers and three new.

Mansukh Mandaviya, the minister of state for ports, shipping, chemicals and fertilizers has been promoted to cabinet rank. He has been given Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as well.

Mandaviya holds a Masters in Political Science from Bhavnagar University and is pursuing a PhD. Mandaviya was a state legislator from 2002 to 2007 and a Rajya Sabha member from 2012 to 2018; his second term as MP began in 2018.

The other face Parshottam Rupala was a minister of state for Panchayati Raj, agriculture and farmer’s welfare. He has been promoted to the cabinet rank and appointed Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Rupala is an old horse of the BJP and a pillar of the saffron party in Gujarat.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been given the newly created Ministry of Cooperation.

26 INDIA

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

17 - 23 July 2021

PM Modi goes for big Cabinet reshuffle 36 new ministers added, 7 elevated, 12 dropped Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week effected sweeping changes to his government, ushering in a new set of leaders in key roles with 36 fresh faces, seven others being elevated, and seven cabinet and five junior ministers getting dropped. The reshuffle was arguably the biggest such exercise in several years. It has brought in former CMs Narayan Rane and Sarbananda Sonowal, women leaders such as Meenakshi Lekhi, Shobha Karandlaje, Bharati Pawar and Pratima Bhowmik, politicians with strong grassroot connections and better known faces like Jyotiraditya Scindia and Rajiv Chandrashekhar.

The portfolio allocation reflected important roles for Dharmendra Pradhan who moved to education, Mansukh Mandavia who has been given charge of health and chemicals and fertilisers, Kiren Rijjuju, the new law minister, and Giriraj Singh, who got the politically significant rural development portfolio.

There was also a wild card entry, Ashwini Vaishnaw, who bagged the meaty railways, communication and IT ministries.

Virender Kumar, a low-profile Dalit leader from MP, is the social justice and empowerment minister in place of Thaawarchand Gehlot.

Just as significant as the inductions and elevations were the exit of senior ministers like IT and

law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and I&B minister Prakash Javadekar, who have been public faces of BJP and the government.

Exit of health minister Harsh Vardhan, HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal and chemicals and fertilisers minister Sadanand Gowda added up to a significant recast.

Social justice and empowerment minister Thaawarchand Gehlot quit a day earlier and was appointed Karnataka governor.

Railways & IT for ex-IAS Vaishnaw Ashwini Vaishnaw, who joined politics just a few years ago, is arguably the biggest gainer from the Cabinet reshuffle, bagging two major ministries in IT and railways. The 50-year-old Rajya Sabha MP from Odisha, who did an MTech at IIT Kanpur and an

Mansukh Mandaviya takes charge as new Health Minister After holding the office of Health Minister and spearheading the health sector for more than two years, Dr Harsh Vardhan has tendered his resignation and Mansukh Mandaviya has now taken over the charge. This comes as a part of a major Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Narendra Modi wherein as many as 43 leaders took oath as Mansukh Mandaviya Union Ministers. Mandavia is from Bhavnagar and began his political career with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He was the youngestever MLA in the assembly at the age of 30. Amid the reshuffle, Mandaviya was serving as a minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Chemicals and Fertilizers. His contribution during the pandemic was noteworthy.

He was active in shoring up the inventory of amphotericin, the drug used to treat mucormycosis. Just days ahead of the reshuffle, he visited Bharat Biotech, Zydus Cadila, Hester Biosciences and Serum Institute of India. He was honoured by UNICEF for his contribution to the cause of women's menstrual hygiene by using the chain of Jan Aushadhi Kendras to sell 100 million sanitary pads made with oxo-biodegradable technology at a nominal price.

Mandaviya is known for his remarkable contribution at various levels since decades. He is having very good relations with the ABPL group since many years. He was appointed as the Chairman of a National Campaign committee to start the direct flights from London- Ahmedabad- London for the Gujaratis residing in the UK. Renowned journalist and a member of ABPL group, late Bhupatbhai Parekh and Publisher/Editor, CB Patel met Mansukhbhai at London and requested him to initiate the direct flights. Mansukhbhai took the call and coordinated with all the ministries. Within a short span of time, PM Narendra Modi in his visit to a function at Wembley, inaugurated the direct flight. British Indians, residing in the UK, Gujarat Samachar along with ABPL group wished him hearty congratulations to Manadviya for being appointed as the Cabinet Minister.

MBA from Wharton, served in the IAS before joining the corporate sector and working in multinationals like GE and Siemens. He then turned entrepreneur and launched two companies before plunging into politics.

After the reshuffle, only two of the current ministers - defence minister Rajnath Singh and minister for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi - were in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee ministry.

Given the younger age profile of the new ministers, the PM has sought to bring a new set that will have close to three years to gain experience of office before the next Lok Sabha polls. After the reshuffle, there are only two MoS (independent charge) Rao Inderjit and Jitendra Singh. Prahlad Patel, who held independent charge of

culture, has lost the perch.

The new nominees reflect an effort to increase the profile of OBCs in the council of ministers, with the number reaching 27 in a ministry of 78. The attempt to reduce the bias towards upper castes is clearly intended to further expand BJP’s appeal among OBCs and make it a more inclusive platform. The emphasis on has been “backwards” complimented by picking nominees who have credentials as doctors, lawyers and community workers.

The chopping has extended to the MoS ranks with Santosh Gangwar, who held independent charge as labour minister, being shown the door. Similarly, ministers of state Babul Supriyo, Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao, Rattan Lal Kataria, Pratap Sarangi and Debasree Chaudhari are out.

Lacklustre performance has seen them make way for choices the BJP brass feel will make a mark.

BJP’s electoral needs in UP, where party appears to have made a conscious effort to supplement its Hindutva plank by bringing in non-Yadav “backwards” (Mandal), Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal appeared to have been a major consideration.

The new ministers represent hard-nosed political calculations such as former CM Narayan Rane who is seen as a pugnacious Maratha leader who can be a

counter to Shiv Sena and NCP in his area of influence in Konkan.

CM Sarbananda Former Sonowal’s induction reaches out to Assamese sentiments after he made way for Himanta Sarma, who articulates Hindutva issues more sharply.

There are several ministers who reflect the criteria of having done a solid work at the state level.

Virendra Kumar (MP); Pankaj Chaudhary, S P Baghel, Bhanu Pratap Verma and Kaushal Kishore (UP); Ajay Bhatt (Uttarakhand); Chauhan Devusinh (Gujarat); Bhagwanth Khuba (Karnataka); and Bhagwat Karad (Maharashtra) fit this bill. Ties with Bihar ally, JD(U), have been consolidated with the induction of its chief R C P Singh as steel minister and that of Pashupati Kumar Paras who has the backing of chief minister Nitish Kumar. UP ally Anupriya Patel, leader of Kurmi outfit Apna Dal, has been brought back.

Reshuffle signals support for Yogi, BSY The Cabinet reshuffle is a message signalling full support to regional leaders like Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh and BSY in Karnataka, who have faced challenges but have earned the backing of the brass. Narayan Rane’s presence as a Cabinet minster is a strong message to Shiv Sena that the BJP in future is readying itself to contest elections on its own.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

HEALTH

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

27

17 - 23 July 2021

Contraceptive pills to be sold overthe-counter in Britain British drug regulators have approved two brands of contraceptive – Lovima and Hana to be available without written prescription.

Branded a “historic milestone for women's health”, the move is the first of its kind since the Pill was first licensed 60 years ago. Both brands will be available for all women of child-bearing age, including teenagers who meet the criteria for supply.

The decision comes after a safety review and public consultation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) earlier this year.

MPs say the change will reduce risk of unplanned pregnancies and abortions, and relieve some pressure from GP surgeries and sexual health clinics. Consumer healthcare association PAGB welcomed the move.

Its chief executive Michelle Riddalls said, “Making these progestogen-only contraceptive pills available without prescription in the UK is a historic milestone for women and women's health.

This is the first time that any form of daily contraceptive pill has been licensed for over-the-counter sale in the UK, 60 years after the pill was originally offered by the NHS – initially to married women only.”

They added, “Enabling women to buy the progestogen-only pill in pharmacies

will be particularly beneficial at a time when accessing sexual health services has become more challenging in parts of the UK because of pressure on NHS resources and the Covid pandemic.”

The MHRA, meanwhile, said that for women under 18, and especially under 16 years of age, who wanted the Pill it remained “essential to establish that the girl is not being exploited or abused.”

The progestogen-only Pill prevents pregnancy by thickening the mucus in the cervix to stop sperm reaching an egg. It needs to be taken reliably every day and is 99 per cent effective if taken correctly.

Public health minister

Jo Churchill said, “This landmark reclassification, which was widely supported by women and healthcare professionals in the recent consultation, will enable women to purchase a progestogen-only contraceptive from a pharmacy following a detailed consultation with the pharmacist.

This will provide an additional route to access for those seeking contraceptive services and will help to reduce the pressure on GP surgeries and sexual health clinics with the potential to reduce the risk of unplanned pregnancies and abortions.” They added, “Pharmacists already provide a range of services in the area of sexual and reproductive health and are trained practitioners who are experienced in checking eligibility for all the products they supply.”

Influenza vaccine partly protects against Covid-19: Study A recent analysis suggests that people vaccinated against influenza may be partly protected against some of the severe effects of coronavirus and be less likely to need emergency care.

Approximately 75,000 Covid-19 patients found significant reductions in stroke, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and sepsis, and fewer admissions to emergency departments and intensive care units, among those who had been given the flu jab.

While it did not reduce Covid deaths in the study, previous research suggests the jab may provide some protection against coronavirus by boosting the innate immune system, the body's general defences that are not targeted against a particular pathogen. Senior author on the study and professor of clinical surgery at the

University of Miami, Devinder Singh said, “We detected an association that appears to show flu vaccination offers some protection against severe Covid-19 disease.” He however added, “It is very important to emphasise that we absolutely recommend the Covid-19 vaccine, and in no way suggest the flu vaccine is a substitute to the proper Covid-19 vaccine.”

If the study findings are backed up by further research, they may be most valuable to countries that have lost in the global race for vaccines. Scientists compared the electronic health records of 37,377 Covid patients from the UK, the US and elsewhere, who had received flu jabs with those from the same number of Covid patients who had not been vaccinated against the

flu.

They analysed how often the patients suffered any of 15 potentially serious health effects ranging from blood clots and heart attacks to kidney and respiratory failure in the four months following their Covid diagnosis.

Member of the government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, Prof Peter Openshaw said, “It could be

that the flu vaccine stimulates the immune system non-specifically and has that benefit, but you always wonder whether these associations are casual, or whether there's a common factor, like social deprivation which might explain why they go hand in hand. People who manage to get a flu vaccine may have better health in other ways. The best way to protect yourself from Covid is to get a Covid vaccine.”

Covid-19 survivors may only need one shot of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine: Study A new study suggests that people who have recovered from Covid-19 may only need one shot of the vaccine. Scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that people who had been previously infected with the virus had sufficient immune responses to combat Covid-19 after only receiving one shot of a twodose vaccine.

They also found that the second shot gave no

additional immunity.

Findings of the study provide evidence that many more people around the world are protected than previously believed. The study, published in ACS Nano, saw 36 former Covid19 patients, and 26 people with no history of the virus recruited. Each participant received one shot of either the Pfizer-BiNTech or the Moderna vaccine.

The group with no Covid history all developed

antibody levels similar to someone with a mild infection of the virus after getting the first shot and it took two doses to have levels on par with someone who had been severely ill with the virus. Meanwhile, all Covid survivors showed antibody levels similar to someone who had been severely infected after just one dose. Neither did they show an increase in antibody levels after receiving second doses.

Senior author Dr Otto Yang, professor at the UCLA School of Medicine said in a statement, “Our data suggest that a person who previously had Covid19 has a huge response after the first mRNA vaccination and has little or no benefit from the second dose. It is worth considering changing public health policy to take this into account both to maximize vaccine usage and avoid unnecessary side effects.”

‘There is a difference between mental health and mental illness’ Rupajana Dutta Dr Gurmit Dhillon is a Specialist Psychotherapist at one of the NHS Trust and a Clinical Teaching Fellow at University College of London. Speaking to Asian Voice about the importance of mental health wellbeing, he explained how crucial it is for the community to ditch the culture of shame, come out and seek help, especially now.

“There is a difference between mental health and mental illness,” said Dr Dhillon. “Mental health normally includes physical, psychological, social and personal wellbeing. Mental illness refers to a range of mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia.. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

“Thoughts don’t have a shape or form. It’s important that we talk about them, so that they get processed by our brain. Research shows that this lessens psychological stress.

“However, while we need some stress in our daily life to stimulate our brain to perform problem solving processes, mental health problems will only take over, when the problems become chronic in nature and keeps on going for months to years. We can prevent having mental illness if we engage in healthy lifestyle.”

You can look up Every Mind Matters for practical tips and expert advices to take care of your mental health and physical wellbeing.

Talking about cultural taboo among Asians, who are often seen suffering in silence, Dr Dhillon emphasised, “There is no health without mental health.

There is bidirectional relationship between them, and no one can be better without the other. For example, someone with Diabetes and other physical health problems will pay less attention to the management of these issues and can end up having depression and anxiety. The latter may also discourage them to seek help and engage with appropriate services.

“First step would be to recognise there is a stigma attached to mental health issue and lockdown may exacerbate and perpetuate this taboo. Once recognised, the issue needs to be discussed at local level through place of prayers, cultural gathering and organisations. I have done a project with the Asian community near my workplace, where I have tried to raise awareness and explain to people scientifically that help is available, if you need, especially through the NHS.” Top tips by Dr Dhillon for your mental wellbeing: 1. Behavioural strategies

• Spend time with family and loved ones and do joint activities that you enjoy.

• Limit listening to news on tv and radio.

• Connect with others through online apps.

• Go for a short walk once a day (being mindful of social distancing) or do yoga, daily housework or DIY projects. Keep active.

• Mindfulness and music (like Kirtan) at home could be relaxing. Pick up a new hobby. Learn to play a musical instrument online.

Pamper yourself with activities at home.

2. Cultural strategies • If you believe in God, doing ‘path’, ‘Salat’ or prayers every day may help. Explore the meaning of religious books using online tools such as podcasts.

• Explore websites to learn about religion and positive cultural values.

• Do ‘sewa’ by helping the vulnerable (within UK Government guidelines).

3. Thinking strategies • Write 5 things that went well in a gratitude journal every day.

• Recognise Negative Automatic Thoughts and do not try to stop them.

• It will help to recognise that some of these thoughts and feelings are mental events and not facts.

• Differentiate between hypothetical worries from real issues.

Share your thoughts and feelings with others.

28

ART & CULTURE

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

17 - 23 July 2021

Final Farewell

Sudha Bhuchar on racism against artists of colour: “The proof is in the pudding” Sudha Bhuchar

Shefali Saxena British Asian actress and director and theatre-maker Sudha Bhuchar is an acclaimed actor/playwright/founder of Bhuchar Boulevard. As co-founder of Tamasha, with Kristine Landon-Smith, their landmark work includes A Fine Balance and the award-winning musical Fourteen Songs Two Weddings and a Funeral.

As dramaturg, Sudha recently worked with Nyla Levy on Does my Bomb Look Big in This? and Tuyen Do on Summer Rolls.

Sudha is the writer of Final Farewell (Tara Arts July 21), a reflective and collaborative piece honouring the losses people have experienced during Covid. In an exclusive interview with Asian Voice, she spoke about the past, present and future of theatre.

- What is the current sentiment in the theatre community?

Theatre people have come together in unexpected ways to make work and help others while keeping faith in the future.

The realisation that freelancers are the lifeblood of theatre will hopefully lead to lasting change. There is trepidation too as we navigate the landscape after lockdown ends while cases are mounting.

- How can the government and art enthusiasts help the sector to nurture theatres further?

Many theatres/companies have been

Q

Q

unable to access emergency Government funding. For the road map to the recovery of ‘live’ theatre, there urgently needs to be Government-backed insurance. Shows are having to cancel at short notice with huge losses. Arts enthusiasts can help by seeing work and advocating/campaigning for the importance of theatre.

- How can artists of colour get their due and more work in the arts sector without having to worry about institutional racism?

Many public pledges have been made about eradicating institutional racism but for artists of colour, the proof is in the pudding. We can at last place the burden of challenging institutional racism away from our shoulders. As for getting dues and work, I have never had the luxury of relying on institutions.

- Do you have any demands or plans that could help freelancers in the community?

As a freelancer, especially as an actor, I often feel a lack of agency, in how I am represented. It is hugely important to me therefore that the work I make employs and supports freelancers and multiplies opportunities. Bhuchar Boulevard pays people appropriately, promptly and adheres to high standards and good working conditions.

- How would you describe the evolution of theatre companies from the time you founded one and now? What has changed?

I have observed that more artists are

Q

Q

Q

Parichay continues to constantly reinvent himself Parichay has delivered yet another banger from his 10 track album 'Moodz' - this time on a romantic trip. 'Tera Asar is a smooth love song that redefines Urban Bollywood music. The production combines elements of Hip Hop and R&B with a dynamic and catchy vocal melody definitely a sound you haven't heard before in Hindi music.

The album is composed, arranged and produced by Parichay. Other featured collaborations include Jonita Gandhi, Happy Singh, Haji Springer, Joe Louis, Mr Maxx, Farah Mitha, Ferzaana and The Gunsmith!

The album even features custom emojis on the artwork to represent the mood for each song and a range of merchandising is to follow featuring the slogan #MyMoodzMyRulez.

Parichay says: “One of the biggest songs of my career is 'Tu Hi Zindagi' and I wanted to have a song with a similar vibe on Moodz. I went through 20 songs until I landed on Tera Asar. It's just a feel-good, summer love kind of song and one of my personal favourites on the album. Besides, I wanted to push boundaries with Urban Bollywood music by combining soft, melodic vocals with a hard-hitting 808 and drums".

Collaborations over the years include Bollywood actresses Nargis Fakhri and Sonakshi Sinha, Grammy-nominated artist Sean Kingston and the Rap legend Kardinal Offishall plus many more.

His biggest break came in 2016 when he became the first-ever non-resident Indian & Canadian citizen to produce 4 out of 5 songs

for the production powerhouse, Tips, including the mega-hit Bollywood track 'Peene Ki Tamanna'.

With over a 150million views on YouTube and over 200,000 dedicated fans across his social media, Parichay continues to constantly reinvent himself and create fresh sounds and spread his musical message further across the globe.

taking charge of curating their own voices, through forming companies or unusual partnerships for work/movements they want to bring to fruition. There are more projects in non-theatre settings and working in co-creation with communities.

For example, my Wellcome Collection/Revolution Arts commission, Touchstone Tales.

- What do you think is the future of theatres post-Covid?

This is the million-dollar question that needs a crystal ball. Theatres that think outside the box of just programming their seasons, and focus on their civic role too in the communities that they are based in will hopefully thrive. Being relevant to the constituencies on their doorsteps is ever more urgent.

- As a woman with a stellar career in the arts, how would you describe your journey as compared to your male counterparts?

My race/ethnicity as a British Asian shaped my journey as much as my gender and while British Asian men have shared many of the same challenges, they have had more privilege by virtue of their maleness. I have had to forge my own path which continues to be a challenging but scenic route.

- Tell us about Evening Conversations and Final Farewell Evening Conversations is an extended monologue inspired by my banter with my millennial sons, an invitation to let me into their lives. Final Farewell is an audio tour of remembrance- the stories of loss during covid, captured through warm and revelatory monologues that give voice to the deceased through the window of the words shared with me by the bereaved.

Q

Q

Q

The British Art Show is back The British Art Show 9 opened at Aberdeen Art Gallery on Saturday, and with work, by 33 artists who use film, photography, paint and sculptures to tell their stories there is plenty on offer for art lovers. The custom-built vehicle is equipped with the latest creative tools including screen printing, jewellery making, laser cutting and even includes a mobile darkroom and raku kiln. ith the natural world.

The Express reported, “It is the first time the show has come to the northeast.

Now to get locals exploring their creative side, Mobile Art School is running a series of pop-up sessions across the city. The Mobile Art School is an outreach project from the Gray’s School of Art at Robert Gordon’s University and before the pandemic, it travelled to schools.”

Councillor Marie Boulton, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokeswoman, said: “People who have visited Aberdeen Art Gallery in the last couple of weeks will notice that things are changing, with artworks moving, and gallery spaces closed off as the team get ready to install work by the 33 artists exhibiting in British Art Show 9 in Aberdeen. “In a double first for the city, we are tremendously excited to be hosting this prestigious exhibition for the first time, and launching the UK tour. We hope that local residents and – Covid-19 restrictions permitting – people living further afield will take the opportunity to visit BAS9 in Aberdeen, perhaps as part of a summer staycation – British Art Show 9 will be activating the silver city’s streets and is not to be missed.”

Tara Theatre’s ‘Final Farewell’ was showcased on 12 July, featuring as part of Abdul Shayek’s first season as Artistic Director of Tara Theatre, the UK’s longest established Asian, Black and ethnically diverse led theatre company.

Final Farewell is an outdoor audio walking tour beginning and ending at Tara Theatre, with a final event taking place at Tara Theatre at the end of the walk. A contemplative, collaborative, celebratory and unique work, Final Farewell responds to those lost during Covid-19 and explores how we say a proper goodbye. From those lost from the mosques, temples and churches to people on the front line, Abdul Shayek and Sudha Bhuchar have gathered peoples’ memories of their loved ones and created a piece where audiences listen to the stories whilst walking in the deceased’s footsteps, be it their journeys to work, the gym or a Sunday stroll.

in brief MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 2021 Manchester International Festival is an artist-led biennial showcase of original, new work and special events featuring performance, visual arts and popular culture.

This year's MIF takes place from Thursday 1 - Sunday 18 July. It is one of the first major public events to take place in the city this year, with activities in indoor and outdoor locations across Greater Manchester. And many events are available to enjoy online for audiences at home.

Dates: 2 July-18 July Pay What You Feel - £5, £10, £15, £20 Video on Demand is available to watch from Friday 2 July to Sunday 18 July

TWELVE STEPS TO HOME Indian-American singer-songwriterfilmmaker Amanda Sodhi is also the founder of Pen Paper Dreams. Born and brought up in Washington, DC, Amanda later moved to Los Angeles and then Mumbai and Kolkata.

Last year, during December, she sold off all her furniture in Kolkata, downsized to one suitcase and on December 31st, 2021 began a new journey of discovering home and belonging across India. 12 Months. 10 Cities.

1 Suitcase. And, a search for home/belonging.

This project is titled Twelve Steps To Home - Amanda has been living out of a suitcase, documenting this journey in the form of a book. January was Hyderabad. February was Andaman. March was Ooty. April and May were Kashmir. June was Hyderabad / Hampi.

And, July is Manali.

BEATRIX POTTER: DRAWN TO NATURE Victoria and Albert Museum is celebrating the life and work of one of the best-loved children's authors of the 20th century.

Featuring original watercolours, drawings and manuscripts, as well as personal artefacts, including letters and photographs, this exhibition will bring to light the places, people and animals that inspired some of Potter's most beloved characters. It’ll open on 12 February 2022. Tickets will be available soon.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

BOLLYWOOD 29

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

17 - 23 July 2021

'It is absolutely okay to feel low' - Mrunal Thakur

Shefali Saxena Mrunal Thakur was a household name even before she did massive films like 'Super 30' and 'Batla House'. She was popularly known as Bulbul from the TV show 'Kumkum Bhagya' on Zee TV. The 28-year-old actress is now a part of Shahid Kapoor’s 'Jersey' and Farhan Akhtar’s latest upcoming release 'Toofaan'. In an exclusive interview with Asian Voice, Mrunal spoke about her journey so far.

Q - Unlike many of your contemporaries, your choice of films has always been wise and you've played well-written

roles. What goes on in your mind while choosing a film?

Well, what goes in my mind is to get out of my comfort zone. I want to break the stereotype. I don't want to do a certain type of role. And I think one of the reasons why I keep experimenting is that I want to be known as a versatile actress.

Q - How do you prepare to work with a director and cast like that of 'Toofaan'? Are there any inhibitions?

Well, there were inhibitions earlier, but Rakeysh said, ‘Let's keep your makeup aside. Let's keep your hairstyle and this hairdo. And this wardrobe aside, let's just have this girl who is asked simple you know, relatable, and a Mumbaikar who is a doctor and at the same time, she is this strong and confident and 2020 girl who would be firm and who will bring joy on people's face and she'll bring a smile and that's our agenda is.’ So working with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s speed was overwhelming, it was challenging, but at the same time, I feel like it's a dream come true.

Q - What is your take on OTT versus theatrical release?

Does it matter to you?

Well, right now, the pandemic has hit us and we're in a situation where it's not really safe for us to step out. And as

Bebo-Saif's second son named Jeh Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan welcomed their second child, a baby boy, in February this year. While they haven't revealed any more details, Kareena's father and yesteryear actor Randhir Kapoor confirmed that the newborn has been named Jeh. Speaking in an interview, Randhir said, “Yes, Kareena and Saif's son has been named Jeh recently.”

Kareena has shared glimpses of her son a couple of times on her Instagram handle, however, the couple is yet to make any announcement surrounding the baby's name. They also share a four year old son Taimur Ali Khan who remains a paparazzi favourite since the time he was born. There was also a lot of controversy regarding his name, with many drawing parallels with the barbaric invader, Timur.

Kareena recently revealed the cover of her debut book titled 'Kareena Kapoor Khan's Pregnancy Bible'. Calling it her “third

IndiaCast UK ropes in 5 channel partners for the launch of Colors Gujarati in the UK

child”, she posted on Instagram, “This has been quite the journey... both my

pregnancies and writing my Pregnancy Bible. There were good days and bad days; some days I was raring to go to work and others where I struggled to get out of bed.

This book is a very personal account of what I experienced both physically and emotionally through both my pregnancies.”

On the work front, Kareena will next be seen opposite Aamir Khan in 'Laal Singh Chaddha', whereas Saif is gearing up for the release of 'Bhoot Police.'

The channel which launched in June on Sky TV and Virgin TV is the only premium Gujarati Entertainment channel available for the sizeable Gujarati speaking population in the UK. Since the launch, the channel has been performing well on the ratings chart. This has drawn some exceptional brands in the UK to partner with Colors Gujarati.

These brands include Skrill Money Transfer, Sunrise Radio, Vasu Healthcare (Trichup Haircare), East African Foods (Wots Kenyan Chevdo) and Sumeet’s Step2Step Dance Academy, along with a few notable show sponsors as well.

Elaborating on the development, Govind Shahi, Executive Vice President, IndiaCast UK said, “we have 5 channel

a performer and an actor, it's very important for me to reach out to the audience and entertain them through my movies. And I think thanks to OTT platforms, it's a blessing that we are able to showcase our work to these platforms and Amazon Prime Video is going to release the movie in 240 countries and its territories.

Q - You've received critical acclaim and popularity right from the start of your career, including your TV days. What keeps you going and how do you balance success and more importantly, mental health?

You know, I feel like the reason why I am in this industry, not just to become a star, but to be known as the characters that are played in the movie. And it is quite a win-win situation for me. You know, when I walk on the streets and people call out to me from too far, and our film is releasing soon. So that gives me so much joy.

It is absolutely okay to feel low, it is absolutely okay to feel emotional sometimes because you're human. And that's what you're supposed to feel you're not a robot, right?

So I feel when you asked me about my mental health, I think most of the most difficult situations in my life. I have gotten inspired by the movies. I remember when I was really confused about my career, there were a few movies that played an important role. And that's where I choose my heart, all my brain or my mind, I must say.

I made sure that I was learning dance forms, and I was exercising and staying away from all the toxic people and took really, really care good care of me because if I will not make myself happy, no one else would. So I need to keep myself happy. That's when I can give happiness to others.

Harsh Varrdhan defends his film choices Actor Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor defended his film choices in a tweet that is now pinned to his Twitter profile. He said he is “living out own dream” by doing the films he has always wanted to do, adding that he is not in the film industry to “fulfill others' expectations.”

Harsh wrote, “Bhavesh Joshi Ak vs Ak and Spotlight are very much the kinds of films I’ve always wanted to do and I’m happy to be living out my own dream. It would be foolish of me to expect everyone to understand me but I’m here to live for me and not to fulfil others' expectations.” After making his acting debut with 'Mirzya', he starred in 'Bhavesh Joshi Superhero', and followed it up with an extended cameo in 'AK vs AK', in which he played a fictional version of himself. He was most recently seen in the Netflix anthology 'Ray', in Vasan Bala's segment titled 'Spotlight'.

In an interview with RJ Siddharth

partners on-board during the launch phase itself speaks volumes about the trust our partners and advertisers have in us and on the channel. Colors Gujarati is a perfect platform to reach a targeted audience base; especially in today’s times when one does not have the luxury to go all out with mass media campaigns. The initial viewership numbers for Colors Gujarati UK are encouraging and we are sure that all our partners can work on building a regular engagement with our loyal audience base.”

Jitesh Malde, MD - JDM Distributors, said, “We are proud to support the

Kannan recently, the actor said that a “small minority” of the audience hates him because he is Anil Kapoor's son. “Obviously, no matter how well I do, no matter how many films I do, no matter what I achieve in life, there will be a small minority of people that

will want to hate me because I’m Anil Kapoor’s son,” he said.

On the work front, he will be seen next in the biopic of Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, alongside Anil Kapoor.

launch of Colors Gujarati, the only Gujarati language entertainment channel in the UK. Our loyal customer base includes diaspora especially East African Gujaratis who are proud of their culture much like our Kenyan Chevdo, which celebrates our unique heritage.

Hakuna Matata, enjoy our delicious Chevdo.”

This channel’s marketing campaign revolves around the theme of “Dil Thi Gujarati” literally conveying that the channel will resonate with each and every Gujarati speaking in the UK. With a perfect mix of family dramas, comedy, movies, mythological & food shows; the channel surely lives up to the colourful and variety seeking Gujarati audience expectations. The channel is also running a small contest for all viewers currently and has planned a couple of interesting viewer engagement activities in the near future. Stay tuned in and do not miss out on the fun!

Colors Gujarati UK is available on Sky TV No. 794 & Virgin Media No. 825.

30 BOLLYWOOD

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

17 - 23 July 2021

Until we meet again, Saheb-e-Alam wrote, “Even in this larger-than-life context, there was a dash of the realism that defined him.”

Writer, Researcher and Documentary Filmmaker Lalit Mohan Joshi told Asian

Shefali Saxena Voice, “He acted as if he was really being In an award show in the early 2000s, as that role. But at the same time, he was a Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu entered the method actor. And he sort of brought in stage to receive his Lifetime Achievement certain dramatic elements into it, especialAward, the nation witnessed an overly in his diawhelmingly emologue delivery. tional moment So the way he where respect for an narrated his artist was Ude Jab Jab Zulfen Teri role, the way he paramount, enough Suhana Safar Aur Ye Mausam Haseen acted in his for Shah Rukh Khan voice, became to roll out the red Madhuban Mein Radhika Naache kind of a role carpet with his own Aaj Ki Raat Mere Dil Ki Salami Le Le model for the hands as Dilip Saab Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya future generawalked. In that tion of actors iconic speech, he like Amitabh Bachchan - they took from held SRK’s hand with utmost affection and his style of dialogue delivery. So he was said, “No actor can be bigger than the subvery influential in Bollywood, he was right stance which he portrays.” there from the beginning of even before In his obituary in the New York Times, the golden period of Indian cinema, which National Award Winning Film Critic was the 1950s.”

Baradwaj Rangan hailed Dilip Kumar and

Top Songs:

In one of his rare TV interviews, Dilip Saab told NDTV that he felt he was targeted again and again because he was a Muslim. Little do people know that Dilip Kumar’s real name was

was married to actress Saira Banu for 44 years, amid which he also married and Muhammed divorced Asma Rahman between 1981-1983.

Yusuf Khan. Actress Devika In his autobiography, 'Dilip Kumar: The Rani suggested that he must change his Substance and the Shadow', he revealed name to a Hindu name to achieve success that Banu had conceived in 1972, but develat the movies. Hence he adopted the name, oped complications in the pregnancy, leadDilip Kumar. In the same interview, he ing to the child's death. Following this, added, “The younger generation has to they did not try to have prove itself in its social children again, believing beliefs and view - on not that it to be God's will. just filmmaking but also His digital presence the ethics involved in filmMughal-e-Azam was kept afloat by his dear making, and the obligation Naya Daur patron Faisal Farooqui and that film workers, stars, Madhumati all his life updates were producers, directors owe to Ganga-Jamuna consistently shared via the society."

Twitter. He was almost Dilip Kumar was one of Dil Diya Dard Liya like a brother to Lata the only living legends, Nadiya Ke Paar Mangeshkar and a father often called the Tragedy Devdas figure to Shah Rukh Khan.

King of Indian cinema who Yusuf Khan passed away witnessed 98 out of 100 on July 7 after a prolonged fight with prosyears of the most famous film industry in trate Cancer and multiple organ failure at the world. Film Critic Mayank Shekhar Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai. He was laid to went on to share an interesting anecdote rest at Juhu Kabristan. Dilip Kumar was 98. about Kumar and said that when Dilip

Saif, Hrithik to unite for 'Vikram Vedha' remake Saif Ali Khan and Hrithik Roshan will be seen together on the big screen for the first time in 'Vikram Vedha's' Hindi remake. The film producers have planned to released it next September.

'Vikram Vedha' was a 2017 Tamil neo-noir thriller, starring R Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi. The Hindi remake will be produced

by Neeraj Pandey under his company Friday Filmworks in association with Reliance Entertainment and YNot Studios, the producers behind the original.

“The Hindi remake with Hrithik and Saif is in advanced pre-production stage and will most likely go on floors next month. We are looking to release it on September 30, 2022,” a source said.

Madhavan played a cop named Vikram while Sethupathi played gangster Vedha. Pushkar and Gayathri, who directed the original, will also direct the Hindi remake.

On Friday, Hrithik began work on 'Fighter' with Deepika Padukone. The action-drama will be directed by Siddharth Anand, who previously worked with Hrithik in 'War.' He is also working on fourth instalment of his super-

Kumar was brought in as one of the witnesses in this breach of contract case against Madhubala, he professed his love for Madhubala before the judge. Dilip Kumar

TOP FILMS

Alia signs deal with an international talent agency Alia Bhatt has taken a step forward towards realising her Hollywood dreams. The actress has reportedly signed a deal with an international talent management agency called William Morris Agency (WME). WME is the longest-running talent agency that manages sports, events, media and fashion. It has managed actor Freida Pinto in the past, and in 2019, was named Agency of the Year at the Billboard Live Music Awards.

hero franchise, 'Krrish.'

Saif Ali Khan will be seen in' Bhoot Police' with Arjun Kapoor, Yami Gautam and Jacqueline Fernandez. It will release on September 17 on Disney+ Hotstar. He is also reuniting with 'Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior' director Om Raut to play 'Lankesh' in Prabhas-starrer 'Adipurush.'

Neetu Kapoor will treat Ranbir's wife like a queen: Riddhima In a recent interview, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni said her mother Neetu Kapoor would make for a “chilled out” mother-in-law and would pamper Ranbir Kapoor's wife. She said her mom would treat her daughter-inlaw like a “queen”.

Riddhima said, Mom will make a fab mom-in-law. Totally chilled out.

She’ll give her daughter-in-law everything and expect nothing. She won’t be a ghusu – the interfering kind. She values her space, so she will give them their space too.” She added, “She will spoil her daughter-in-law rotten,

shower her with love, give her all the respect and look after her… without meddling in their lives. In short, she will treat her like a queen.”

Ranbir has been in a steady relationship with fellow actress Alia Bhatt since 2018. He had earlier said that the couple would have married, had the pandemic not hit their lives. They are often spotted at each other's family functions and events. The entire Kapoor clan, including Neetu share a close bond with the actress. She was also spotted standing closely with the family when they recently endured the loss of Rishi Kapoor.

Alia is currently busy shooting her next film titled 'Darlings', which also marks her first production venture under her banner Eternal Sunshine Productions. The movie is said to be a story of a mother-daughter duo and features Shefali Shah, Vijay Varma, and Roshan Mathew.

It is being co-produced by Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment.

She also awaits the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Gangubai Kathiawadi', and Ayan Mukerji's 'Brahmastra'.

www.asian-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

KOLLYWOOD

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

31

17 - 23 July 2021

Taapsee Pannu signs on Telugu film Actor Taapsee Pannu is returning to Telugu cinema after a brief gap of three years with upcoming thriller 'Mishan Impossible'. Makers of the movie welcomed her on board with a special announcement. A tweet from Matinee Entertainment read, “This ‘Mishan’ is surely ‘Impossible’ without her Welcoming the amazingly talented @taapsee on board for #MishanImpossible”.

The project has reportedly already gone on the floors, and will be directed by Swaroop RSJ of 'Agent Sai Srinivas Athreya' fame. On the work front, Taapsee has a slew of projects in her kitty. She was recently seen in crime thriller 'Haseen Dillruba', and has projects like 'Rashmi Rocket', 'Roop Lapeta', 'Dobaaraa', and 'Shabaash Mithu' in the offing.

She awaits the release of Tamil film titled 'Jana Gana Mana', which is tipped to be a remake of Akshay Kumar's 'Baby'. She also has a Tamil comedy with Vijay Sethupathi in the pipeline.

Rajinikanth returns from the US, welcomed by fans Ace actor Rajinikanth returned to Chennai from his annual health check-up over the weekend. He was welcomed by fans with chants of 'Thalaivaa' at the airport as he stepped out to board his car.

The actor, along with his daughter Aishwarya left for the US on June 26, for his routine health check-up. While he could not make the trip last year, he recently completed shooting for his upcoming Tamil film 'Annaatthe', he decided to take a break and get his routine.

Rajinikanth arrived at Chennai airport in the early hours of Friday, and stepped out to board his car. He

was welcomed by a group of his fans with chants of 'Thalaivaa'.

Many even referred to him as their God. Rajinikanth’s 'Annaatthe' is gearing up for release this Diwali festival. Tipped to be a rural drama, the film also stars Keerthy Suresh, Meena and Khushbu Sundar in key roles. The film was officially launched in 2019 December in Chennai in a low-key affair.

The veteran actor was last seen on screen in AR Murugadoss' 'Darbar'. After the film bombed at the box office, the actor agreed to take a 50 per cent cut for the movie. His remuneration was reduced from an estimated £11.8 million for 'Darbar' to £5.8 million for 'Annaatthe'.

Pandemic has taught me important lessons: Nagarjuna South superstar Nagarjuna Akkineni is taking away key life lessons from the ongoing Coronavirus that has created havoc. Instead of worrying about the delays in shoot, shuffling of release plans, or general stress factors, he said he chooses to focus on all the positive things.

And in these past few months, everything came to a stop. And it was good.” he says. Nagarjuna points out that the one positive thing on the work front is the boom of OTT platforms in the country.

“Now, all kinds of films will see the light. Some films are

Speaking in an interview, Nagarjuna said, “I have learnt a lot of patience and humility. And coronavirus has taught me, 'Don't think you are too big, you can anytime get wiped out'. In fact, the whole world can be wiped out. So, don't think you are someone big and won't get affected.”

“Since long, I have been working continuously, and had never stopped to look at that.

made and they never release.

They either don’t find buyers, or even if they are released in theatre, nobody come to watch it.

But on OTT, they will probably watch that film,” he says, noting that this also gives a chance to people to experiment with varied roles and stories.

The actor himself will make his debut in the space with 'Wild Dog' which will feature him as a ruthless NIA officer.

Allu Arjun rejoins 'Pushpa' sets Actor Allu Arjun joined the sets of his upcoming pan-Indian film 'Pushpa', and if grapevine is to be believed, 45 days of shoot on the project will be wrapped up in a single stretch in this schedule.

Shoot of the movie has resumed in Secunderabad where the team plans to complete the rest of the shoot.

Being directed by Sukumar, 'Pushpa' will be released in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada as well apart from Telugu.

The film also stars Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil in key roles. For the first time in his career, Arjun will be seen sporting a thick curled hair look for his character. The film’s first-look poster was unveiled last year in May and featured Arjun in a fierce and intense avatar.

Earlier this year, the makers confirmed that the film will be released as two parts. They had also recently revealed that they're spending a whopping £600,000 for a chase sequence in the movie which will be shot under the supervision of a few international stuntmen. This project, which is tipped to be a forest-based thriller, will be based on red sandalwood smuggling.

The film marks the third collaboration of Arjun and Sukumar.

TV Listing * Schedule is subject to change

MON 19 JUL FRI 23 JUL 2021 6.00 MINDHOL CHHUTYA MANDAVE 13.00 MAHAVIR HANUMAN 14.00 RASOI SHOW 15.30 JAI SHRI KRISHNA 16.00 SAU DAHDA SASUNA 18.30 ABHILASHA - EK ASTITVANI 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR 19.30 MANMILAP.COM 20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI 20.30 SHANI

21.00 PREM NI BHAVAI SATURDAY 17 JUL 6.00 KUL DEEPAVE DIKRI 13.00 MAHAVIR HANUMAN 14.00 RASOI SHOW 15.30 JAI SHRI KRISHNA 16.00 SAU DAHDA SASUNA 18.30 ABHILASHA - EK ASTITVANI 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR 19.30 MANMILAP.COM 20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI 20.30 SHANI 21.00 PREM NI BHAVAI SUNDAY 18 JUL 15.00 Sasu Sher Toh Jamai Sava Sher 18.00 RASOI SHOW 19.00 Gandhi Ni Golmaal 22.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 19 JUL FRI 23 JUL 2021 8.30 BHARADWAJ BAHUEIN 15.00 RAMAYAN 16.00 SILSILA BADALTE RISHTON KA 16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 CHHUTA CHHEDA 18.00 TUM KAUN PIYA 18.30 DIL KA RISHTA 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 20.00 DIL SE DIL TAK 20.30 BARRISTER BABU 21.00 EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2 22.00 ISHQ MEIN MARJAWAN 3

SATURDAY 17 JUL 15.00 RAMAYAN 16.00 SILSILA BADALTE RISHTON KA 16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 CHHUTA CHHEDA 18.00 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 20.00 DIL SE DIL TAK 20.30 DESI BEAT RESET 21.00 EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2 SUNDAY 18 JUL 15.00 RAMAYAN 16.00 SILSILA BADALTE RISHTON KA 16.30 RASOI SHOW - DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 DESI BEAT (SEASON 3) 18.00 BOLLYWOOD KI SHAAM BLOCKBUSTER KE NAAM WELCOME 21.30 DESI BEAT RESET 22.00 DIL SE DIL TAK

32

www.asian-voice.com

17 - 23 July 2021

AsianVoiceNews AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Megastars and celebrities cheer on!

The UK recently witnessed some massive cheer and footfall at the games from renowned celebrities, both at Wimbledon and Euro2020 at Wembley Stadium where England lost to Italy in the finals in an unfortunate penalty round.

Among those who went out to cheer players at Wimbledon were the HRH Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, Sadiq Khan Football star David Beckham and Skipping Sikh Rajinder Singh David Beckham at MBE. Wimbledon The Duchess made another appearance with Prince George and HRH Duke of Cambridge Prince Williams at the Euro2020 at Wembley Stadium. Team England was cheered on by megastars like Tom Cruise, TV Chef Nigella Lawson, the pioneer himself, David Beckham, Prime Minister Boris Tom Cruise and David Beckham at Euro2020 Johnson with wife Carry and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

The Royals

Priyanka Chopra

Boris Johnson and wife Carry

Skipping Sikh

Indian-American Samir Banerjee wins Wimbledon boys' singles title Indian-American tennis player Samir Banerjee lifted the Wimbledon boys’ singles title on Sunday, a remarkable triumph for the youngster who was testing his skills in a Grand Slam for only the second time in his fledgling career. All of 17, the player from New Jersey just wanted to win a match at the biggest stage in the junior circuit, but little did he know that he would be the last boy standing at the hallowed grass courts. And that too when he did not have his coach Carlos Esteban with him, since his wife had reportedly tested positive for Covid-19.

Up against compatriot Victor Lilov, the teenager won 75, 6-3 in the summit clash that lasted one hour 22 minutes. He broke his rival thrice and dropped serve only once. “It’s going to be amazing, this trophy

is going to be my centrepiece, I’m going to look at this and be inspired to keep playing and hopefully come back here as a pro,” he was quoted as saying.

“I really just wanted to win a round, I didn’t expect this. I had a tough French Open, lost to a good player. So here I just wanted to keep my expectations low so that if I passed them, then I’d be happy. But this was way beyond my wildest dreams,” he said to a round of applause from the crowd.

India beat England in 2nd WT20I The spin duo of Poonam Yadav and Deepti Sharma scripted India’s dramatic comeback with tidy death over spells that helped the visitors level the series with an eight-run win over England in the second women’s T20 International. England, who needed 33 runs off 30 balls with six wickets in hand, crumbled under the pressure generated by Indian spinners who were complemented well by their fielders. Shafali Verma’s 48 off 38 balls had allowed India to post 148 for four after being put in to bat.

Offie Sneh Rana defended 14 runs in the final over to cap off an impressive bowling effort from the spinners. Leggie Poonam ended with figures of two for 17 in four overs and Deepti one for 18 in four overs. The England innings saw India effecting four run outs. The series decider will be played on Wednesday.

England were in the driver’s seat for the major part of the chase and had reached 52 for two in the first six overs despite losing Danielle Wyatt and the in-form Nat Sciver cheaply. Sciver was run out in a rather interesting fashion as wicket keeper Richa Ghosh ran back to effect a direct hit after failing to collect a widish delivery. In contrast to India’s innings, the loss of early wickets did not affect the innings’ tempo as England batters kept getting the boundaries.

Since the coach was unavailable, Banerjee's uncle Kanad accompanied him. “My uncle is here, he’s not technically a tennis coach, but if these results keep happening then I should start travelling with him more,” he said jokingly.

As Lilov’s backhand sailed over the baseline on matchpoint, Banerjee dropped his racquet, put both his hands on his head in disbelief as if to say that this was not what he expected to do but still accomplished.

Legendary Indian tennis player Vijay Amritraj congratulated Banerjee.

“Wonderful win for Indian American 17 yr old Samir Bannerjee in the boys singles at Wimbledon 2021. Wish him well for a great future,” the 67-year old who reached singles

quarterfinals at Wimbledon and US Open tweeted. Banerjee’s father Kunal was born in Assam, and his mother Usha was brought up in Andhra Pradesh before both migrated to the USA in the mid-1980s and got married there.

The youngster, reportedly, will take a break from the tour to enrol for a degree in either economics or political science at the Columbia University in the coming months.

While Banerjee’s victory is a testament to the system that US Tennis Association has put in place, India has been struggling to field a worthy contender at junior Grand Slams for some time now.

Due to the lack of a robust domestic circuit and not having enough competitions at home to earn world ranking points, India has been struggling to create the next crop of youngsters.

in brief CHAIR UMPIRE MARIJA CICAK MAKES HISTORY Chair umpire Marija Cicak made history on Sunday as she became the first female to officiate the men's singles final at Wimbledon in 144 years. Marija Cicak is the umpire for the title clash between world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Italian Matteo Berrittini at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. The 43-year-old Cicak has been an umpire at The Championships for the last 15 years and has also officiated in 10 WTA Finals. She was also the umpire at the 2014 Wimbledon women’s final and the women’s doubles final three years later. Cicak also officiated the women’s singles gold medal match at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

The Croatian official is also a gold badge chair umpire and a member of the WTA Elite Team since 2012. A Statement from Wimbledon read: ‘The Chair Umpire for the Gentlemen’s Singles Final is Marija Cicak, 43, from Zagreb in Croatia. Marija has worked at 15 consecutive Championships as well as 10 year-end WTA Finals and numerous Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup ties around the world. In addition, she has worked at the Olympic Games in Athens, London, and Rio, where she umpired the Women’s Singles Final.’

ASHWIN OPENS BOWLING FOR SURREY Veteran India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin made history on Sunday as he became the first spinner to bowl the first over in a County Championship match in 11 years when he started the proceedings for Surrey against Somerset at The Oval. Ashwin, who decided to play for Surrey to prepare for next month's Test series against England, opened the bowling for Surrey after Somerset captain James Hildreth won the toss and elected to bat first. Ashwin, who replaced the injured Kyle Jamieson for this game, gave away just 2 runs from the first over of the match bowled to Somerset openers Devon Conway and Steven Davies.

The off-spinner later picked up the wicket of No.3 batsman Tom Lammonby for 42 in the 40th over to reduce Somerset to 113 for 3.

Ashwin has played for Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire in the County Championships in the past. He joins Hashim Amla as the second overseas player for Surrey in their final Group 2 match. Ashwin will play only one match for Surrey as he will join the rest of the Indian squad, who were given a 20day break, to gear up for the 4-Test series against England, starting August 4.

Indian Olympic Association ropes ARGENTINA BEAT BRAZIL; in MPL, Amul as sponsors The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) roped in mobile gaming platform MPL Sports Foundation as the principal sponsor of the country's contingent for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics and next year's Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The association is set to last till December 31, 2022. IOA said Amul is another sponsor of Indian Olympics team.

"We are delighted to inform you that the IOA has entered a sponsorship agreement with MPL Sports Foundation as the Principal Sponsor covering the Tokyo Olympic Games, 2022 Asian Games & Commonwealth Games," president Narinder Batra and secretary general Rajeev Mehta said in a joint statement.

The statement further read that according to the terms and conditions of the sponsorship deal, MPL will pay a total of £800,000 to the IOA. "Sports kit

for the 2022 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games Indian contingent will also be supplied by them (MPL)," it said.

The IOA also said that diary giant Amul has agreed to be a sponsor for the Tokyo Games to be held from July 23 to August 8. "Amul, who has supported us in the previous games also, has come forward to support IOA for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Amul's sponsorship is for £100,000 for a period till 31st December, 2021," the IOA top officials said.

"We are hopeful of bringing more of such good news in the coming weeks as the talks are going on with some more sponsors." IOA inked the deals days after dropping Chinese sportswear brand Li Ning as the Indian team's official kit sponsor for the Tokyo Olympics and stating that the country's athletes will wear unbranded apparel during the Games.

WIN COPA AMERICA

Argentina won their first major title in 28 years on Saturday and Lionel Messi finally won his first medal in a blue-and-white shirt when an Angel Di Maria goal gave them a 1-0 win over Brazil and a record-equalling 15th Copa America. Di Maria, starting for just the second time in the Copa, justified his selection by scoring the opener midway through the first half. Renan Lodi failed to cut out a long ball forward from Rodrigo De Paul and Di Maria lobbed the stranded Ederson with aplomb. Brazil piled on the pressure in an exciting second half but even with five strikers on the field they could not get an equaliser against an Argentine defence protected by the outstanding Rodrigo De Paul. "First we have to congratulate our opponents especially for the first half when they neutralised us,” said Brazilian defender Thiago Silva. “In the second half there was no contest - only one team tried to play football, the other just wasted time as we knew they would. It’s not an excuse, we didn’t do what we had to, principally in the first half.”