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VOL 43. ISSUE 02

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

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ment, although that is often achieved with outside support from regional parties. India's staggered voting, spread over five weeks to reach the country's 815 million voters and move security forces around its varied terrain.

Most polls also predicted that the Congress would be reduced to its lowest ever tally, though one of them, the Times

The world's biggest ever election process ended on Monday 12th May, with BJP led NDA expected to form a new government. However, much depends on Modi winning enough seats to form a stable government that can push through promised reforms that include creation of new jobs. A majority of 272 seats in parliament is needed to form a govern-

Ahead of the poll results of India’s 16th general elections, the exit polls are already projecting top BJP leader Narendra Modi as India’s next Prime Minister. Four exit polls showed BJP to win highest number of seats with its allies and reach to a parliamentary majority on Friday, 16th May. The polls also indicate that the BJP would get its highest tally ever - the r a n g e varying from a little over 200 to just under 340.

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Now-ORG poll, put the party's tally at between 111 and 138 seats, which means it could do better than the 114 seats it got in 1999. Another common factor in the polls was that the AIADMK and Trinamool Congress are likely to emerge as the two largest regional parties with 20 or more seats each.

Times Cnn-IBNHeadlines ABP NewsNow-ORG CSDS Today-Cicero Nielsen NA 257 NA 135 151

236 276 77 97 170

NA 272 NA 115 156

NA 281 NA 97 165

Community pays homage to fallen patriot

Continued on page 26 News24Today’s Chanakya 291 340 57 70 133

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

Keith Vazwith MP

Monica Bhandari

Keith Vaz MP

Monica Bhandari is a Consultant for Fruity Fresh (Western) Ltd and also a Senior Lecturer in Law at a London University. Born and bred in London, with family roots in India, she has a background in law, having gained her LLB and LLM, and has been working in the family business since she was a teenager. Her roles have changed over the years, but she is now able to bring her expertise in the legal arena as well as her writing and public speaking skills to the business in her role as consultant. She has been married for 6 years and is the mother of two young children.

1) Please tell me about your current position?

I am a consultant for the family business, Fruity Fresh (Western) Ltd, Importer, Wholesaler and Retailer of fruits and vegetables. I am also a Senior Lecturer in Law at a London University.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

At the moment, the achievements relating to raising the profile of the ban on mango imports from India into the EU is certainly my proudest achievement. With the active campaigning of our small family (my brother Neil, sister-inlaw Preeti and husband

Parminder), we started an epetition, which made it into the press worldwide, on the BBC (TV and radio) and several national publications. We are fortunate that our hard work has won MPs such as Seema Malhotra and of course Keith Vaz on side to support our cause and take it to the next level in order to push for change.

3) What inspires you?

I am inspired by my father, Ashok, who came to this country with so little and has built a business empire which supports not only his own, but other families. I am inspired by my mother, Rashmi, who gave

my father every support he needed to build his business and who really brought us up on her own in order to allow my father to achieve what he has.

And I am inspired by my children, Svara and Yaavi, who remind me of the important things in life, which I often forget.

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

Regulation in the import business is a major obstacle, often regulation which does not take

account of individual circumstances or changes which can happen very quickly in our business. We recognise the need for regulation, but we also believe that those who comply should be allowed to continue with their businesses and not be held back due to the actions of those who do not comply.

goals?

My brother, Neil, and I wish to take the business to the heights that it deserves and build on the legacy my father has created. This will mean bringing the business into the modern era, using technology to take the business forward and also expanding to other product lines and business areas. In the future I also hope to combine my interest in education with a desire to create a thriving business of my own.

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

Again I would have to say my parents.

They have taught me that you have to work hard to achieve and that without hard work, achievements do not fulfil your potential.

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

Access to those who run the country on our behalf – I think the communication channels between citizens and the government need to be opened up so that everyone truly feels that they have a voice. Whilst a vote for government is a vote for running the country on your behalf, I do not think that absolves the government of responsibility for taking on board changing trends and social beliefs over its term.

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

I am fortunate enough to have a great deal of variety in the business, yet I am given the flexibility to work around my young family and I think for every working mother, that is a crucial aspect to any role.

7) And the worst?

Working with family has its challenges!

8) What are your long term

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

Shakespeare – if we are there a long time, I would like to be with an excellent storyteller who could make me laugh.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

COMMENT

Confident Modi ready for power

The final stage of the Indian general election will be completed on Monday and the result announced at the weekend. The Sensex, which is in overdrive, points to a BJP victory, but there’s many a slip betwixt cup and lip, so it would be wiser to await the figures rather surrender prematurely to media hype, remembering that the pollsters got it badly wrong in 2004 and 2009 when they predicted a BJP triumph. That said, they may well have got it right the third time of asking. Indira Gandhi, with her premonition of death had said that she was certain that India would land on its feet, whatever happened. Whoever wins, the democratic will of the Indian people must be respected by all sections of disappointed humanity. It has been a tough campaign with no quarter given and none expected.

Narendra Modi has drawn the largest crowds and his voice for change has risen above the din and babble. The electoral exercise might usher in the best of times or the worst of times for a very polarized country; calming influences may well come into their own at the appointed hour.

Narendra Modi’s extensive interview to TV anchor Arnab Goswami (reproduced substantially by the Telegraph of May 9) showed the mettle of a man at the top of his game. His answers to a wide variety of question – some particularly searching – were robust and challenging. Asked about his policy on minorities, he said they had nothing to fear from a Modi government. He claimed to have attracted significant support from Kerala’s Christian community. Without Modi’s commanding presence, the BJP would have been on a wing and a prayer, said Raj Thackeray, in Mumbai.

However, in the interests of balance, claims by Modi and Modi admirers on the uniqueness of his Gujarat model of development need to be subjected to close critical scrutiny. Reading some of the paeans of partisans one could be forgiven for thinking that outside Gujarat’s milk and honey the rest of India languished with little to showcase. This is

far from true. Gujarat is luminous when compared to the abysmal performances of the former BIMARU (sick) States of the country’s northern Gangetic heartland. When one looks at social indictors, investment and the like, Gujarat would appear to be a “middle state” in national ranking.

If the Gujarat “model” of development is to be seen as an exemplar, then why shouldn’t the same be said of, say, Haryana or Karnataka? Neighbouring Maharashtra does better than Gujarat on all summary indexes, yet there is no touting of the Maharashtra “model.”The real Indian toppers Tamil Nadu and Kerala should be dubbed ”super models,” surely. Not only do Tamil Nadu and Kerala routinely come out on top or near the top in summary development indexes, they also surpass other States in the scale of their improvement, as shown in the Composite Development Index.

Rounded development must, in this day and age, include science and engineering and not merely the fortunes of the country’s corporate houses and stock brokers. Making a fast buck can never be the whole story. Whether in the civilian or defence sector, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the southern States generally, and a few others further afield, leave Gujarat in the shadows. Vikram Sarabhai, who died in 1971, was the last Gujarati scientist with a national and international reputation. To point out these facts is not to belittle Gujarat, whose entrepreneurial and commercial strengths need little elucidation, But the Gujarat model deserves more light and less heat.

As India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi will have his work cut out. He will have to make informed decisions not merely on economic matters, as has been the case hitherto, but on space, nuclear energy, defence and foreign and security policies based on the national interest. How he handles these issues will be the true measure of a Modi-led government and its place in India’s history.

According to a recently released Whitehall report entitled “Portrait of Modern Britain,” the UK’s Indian community has been described as the most prosperous among its peers, with 43 per cent working in the most skilled professions.Which means that British Indians as a whole must be among the best educated in the country. An appropriate observation, culled from history, is surely in order. The pre-partition All India Muslim League, led by Mohammed Ali Jinnah pitched its demand for a separate homeland for the subcontinent’s Muslim on the ground that perceived Hindu domination would discriminate against the faithful and keep them educationally backward. Well, the presiding dispensation in the UK is Christian by heritage and faith, hence presumably neutral in such matters, and determined on maintaining a level playing field for all communities irrespective of ethnicity or faith.

Pakistanis perform as poorly in the UK as they did previously in British India and do in Pakistan itself. The lances of the faithful tilt habitually at imaginary windmills of the mind and the price paid for such weakness and continues to be high.

British Indians are mainly from a Hindu, Sikhs background, but the community includes also Jains, Christians, Zoroastrian Parsis and atheists et al.

Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group,

who happens to be Parsi, was awarded an honorary knighthood (Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire), the first Indian to be so honoured, by the British Crown. He was presented with the award at a ceremony in the British High Commission in New Delhi by Sir James Bevan, the High Commissioner. Sir James said, “Ratan Tata’s leadership, vision and integrity will remain the gold standard for generations of aspirational British and Indian business people. His contribution to the deep ties that exist between the UK and India has been invaluable.”

In his reply, Ratan Tata said, “I am deeply touched and honoured to receive the recognition so graciously bestowed on me by Her Majesty. It has been a privilege to have our enterprises contribute to the growth of the UK. I am deeply appreciative of the support we have received from David Cameron and his government, through good times and bad times. This support and faith have been of immeasurable value.”

Britain and India bring to the table their complementary strengths, supplemented by their shared values of democratic governance and the rule of law, of civil liberties, intellectual freedom and respect for cultural pluralism. these constitute an enduring guarantee of a creative and lasting relationship through the 21st century and beyond.

Vietnamese Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, President of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, has called on India “to rise quickly” in the region. Reason? “We are deeply concerned by China’s assertiveness in the south china sea where the Chinese navy is acting without provocation. These decisions are being taken at the highest possible level,” he said. the Vietnamese Ambassador was also sceptical about American intentions in the region, saying that “President Obama’s policy lacked clarity,” he was speaking at a round table meeting in Melbourne, Australia, where foreign delegates interacted with their Australian peers on regional security and Sino-American relationship.

While the US makes noises about Chinese ambitions, it also courts Beijing as a hedge against Russia, a tradition going back to the days of President Nixon and his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger in the 1970s. Then, India and Vietnam were targets of the Sino-US strategic alignment calibrated in

Washington and Beijing. The shrewd and experienced Vietnamese need no tutoring on the treacherous cross-currents of international politics.

Reacting to Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy’s statement, Australia-India Institute Director Amitabh Mattoo said, “Chinese assertiveness is bordering on aggressiveness and there seems to be a pattern to Chinese maritime behaviour. Clearly, Beijing believes that its time has come and it wants to exercise hegemony over the whole region. But this behaviour is short-sighted and counterproductive.” Dr Mattoo said that apart from North Korea and Pakistan, every nation in the region viewed China with increasing concern.

These were wake-up calls. The new government in Delhi will have to address India’s foreign policy strategic interests in a volatile world. Vietnam, a time-tested friend of India, must be accorded pole position within India’s counsels. This is no time for faint hearts, but it is for stout hearts and clear minds.

Indians a pivotal force in UK

Vietnam’s call for India’s rise to counter China

3 You cannot stop the birds of sorrow from landing on your shoulder, but you can prevent them nesting in your hair - Chinese proverb

“Our London” Navin Shah

GLA Member for Brent and Harrow

Thank you to the people of Kenton East and Harrow First and foremost it’s been a privilege and an honour representing the residents of Kenton East Ward as their Councillor for the last 20 years. Now that I’m standing down from being Kenton’s Councillor I would like to take this opportunity to thank residents for vesting their trust in me.

I have strived to serve the community of Kenton East and Harrow with total commitment and if I’ve failed to produce a satisfactory result, I apologise unreservedly.

During my 20 years on the Council, the successive Labour Groups have made some major strides in in serving Harrow’s people and I’m proud of Labour’s record over those years.

However, I wish to take this opportunity to reflect exclusively on equality and related aspects.

Equality has always been very high up in everything I do. My first election address in 1993 for Kenton East stated “Navin is active in the fields of Race Relation, Equal Opportunities and he is opposed to any forms of discrimination”.

Nothing’s changed in the last 21 years and nothing will change as long as I Iive as far as these principles are concerned. I’m immensely proud of my roots in the AntiApartheid Movement and the role I’ve played in founding the Harrow Anti-Racist Alliance and my active involvement in the Harrow Council for Racial Equality and the Harrow Equalities Centre.

I’ve always regarded working with Harrow’s diverse community as one of my main priorities, so as to promote equality, community cohesion and to

understand and deliver culturally specific services. That is why I continued to hold the ‘Partnership’ portfolio when I was Leader of Harrow Council.

In 1994 when I joined the Council, the workforce of the council did not reflect Harrow’s demography. Since then we’ve changed that and now the employees of the Council do reflect our diversity (though to my regret not at the middle or senior management levels). Well over a decade ago, long before ‘community cohesion’ and ‘big society’ were promoted by government, Labour in Harrow pioneered the ethos of working in true partnership with diverse communities to genuinely support them, forge true equality, tackle racism and meet the aspirations of our people. It was under Labour leadership that Harrow Council was awarded the prestigious Beacon Award for Promoting Racial Equality. It was the Labour administration who successfully obtained £10 Million government funding to build, in Harrow, the first ever voluntary aided Hindu School in the country.

I’m proud of Labour’s commitment to reflecting equality at the highest level on Harrow Council.

This is demonstrated by the actions of Harrow Labour Groups electing 2 Leaders and a Deputy Leader of Harrow Council of BAME origin.

Additionally, Labour Groups over the years have given Harrow 7 Mayors of BAME origin including 1 Conservative Mayor who was ignored by her own party.

Continued on page 30

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UK

Community pays homage to fallen patriot

More than thousand people gathered at the Gujarat Arya A s s o c i a t i o n Community Centre, in Hildyard Road, Leicester, between 46pm on Saturday to pay respect to Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Flt Lt C h a u h a n , Rakesh Chauhan Leicestershire, who died a premature death, when a Lynx helicopter crashed in Afghanistan's Kandahar province on April 26th.

The 29 years old intelligence officer, simply known as Rak to his friends, was believed to have been co passenger in the helicopter with Intelligence Corps colleague Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas and its three-man crew –Captain Thomas Clarke, Warrant Officer Class 2 Spencer Faulkner and Corporal James Walters, of the Army Air Corps.

The servicemen's bodies were flown into RAF Brize Norton, Carterton, in Oxfordshire, last week, lunchtime, where a private ceremony was held for close relatives. Flt Lt Chauhan's father Kishor, mother Jyoti and his older brother Kesh, 31, were also present. Flt Lt Chauhan's family run Milan's Sarees, a shop in the Leicester's Golden Mile, in

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

Mourners pay their respects as the coffins pass the Memorial Garden in Carterton, Oxfordshire

Belgrave, that was founded by his grandmother.

More than thousand mourners – including service personnel, schoolchildren and relatives – lined the streets to pay their respects as the cortege passed the base's Memorial Garden. A bell tolled to mark the cortege's arrival and flowers were thrown on to the hearses and some grieving relatives touched the glass of the cars as they wept.

The crowds then applauded as the coffins, each draped in a Union flag, were driven away to the John Radcliffe

Hospital, in Oxford.

Flt Lt Chauhan, who was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan, was based at RAF Odiham, in Hampshire.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has denied claims by the Taliban that insurgents shot the helicopter down, with initial investigations indicating a "tragic accident" rather than enemy action as the cause of the crash.

The crash caused the third biggest single loss of life of British troops since the conflict in Afghanistan began and brought the total number of service personnel killed there to 453.

Hindujas top Billionaires' List in Britain

Top Asian Billionaires in the list, as per the order 1. Sri and Gopi Hinduja, £11.9bn, up £1.3bn, Industry, Finance

3. Lakshmi Mittal and family, £10.25bn, up £250m, Steel 46. Sri Prakash Lohia, £2110m, up £220m, Textiles, Plastics

48. Lord Swraj Paul and family, £2000m, No change, Industry 50. Anil Agarwal, £1700mn, down £500m, Mining 66. Simon (pictured), Bobby and Robin Arora, £1400mn, up £300m, Discount stores

74. Sir Anwar Pervez and family, £1310m, up £280m, Cash and Carry 102. Ajay Kalsi and family, £1000m, down £400m, Gas

The number of billionaires living in the UK have increased to 104 with a combined wealth of £301bn.

According to the 2014 Sunday Times Rich List, Indian born brothers Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja, running the conglomerate Hinduja group, have topped the list with a fortune of £11.9bn. The number of billionaires living in the UK has jumped from 88 in 2013, with their combined wealth shooting up from £245bn last year.

It is the first time since 2008 that the minimum wealth of the 50 richest people in the UK has exceeded £1.5bn. A fortune of £1.7bn is now required to make the top 50 up from £700m, 10 years ago.

London has more billionaires than any other city in the world with 72 far ahead of nearest rival Moscow with 48.

Amongst the British Asians on the list, Lakshmi Mittal has now come up to the 3rd position from last year's 4th, while Anil Agarwal has slipped from 36th position to 50th in 2014. For Sri Prakash Lohia though the fortune is up by £220m, he has slipped from 40th position in

2013, to 46th in 2014, while Lord Paul who was in 39th position last year, is now on the 48th. Simon, Bobby and Robin Arora who were in 76th position in 2013, is now up to 66th, Sir Anwar Pervez and family have come up to 74th position from 84th in 2013, while Ajay Khalsi and family has come down to 102nd position from 57th in 2013.

This list of course undermines the common argument that because of higher tax rates in Britain, super rich do not wan to settle here. A large population of them are perhaps non-doms, who pay little or no income tax, though they now have to pay a fee of £50,000, increased from £30,000, to keep their tax-privileged status if they had lived in the UK for more than 12 years. It also includes around 10 women billionaires, including actress Salma Hayek. Other notable figures on the list include the Duke of Westminster, Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson. The full Sunday Times Rich List will be published in the Sunday Times on 18 May.

Hare Krishna, Hare Rama

Sounds for the Soul, the annual 24-hour non-stop spiritual event, took place in Birmingham last weekend. Organised by the local branch of the Hare Krishna Movement, the vibrant festival attracted scores of devotees from home and abroad.

The event, now in its 15th year, was streamed live on Mayapur TV. Credit to the army of volunteers for their tireless efforts in ensuring, yet again, the success of this gathering. Sacinandana Swami from Germany delivered, as ever, an inspirational discourse. Compered beautifully as ever by Ravi Prabhu, guest speakers included Mike Nattrass MEP and our senior news editor Dhiren Katwa.Photo: Devotees immersed in devotion.

Leicester Business Diversity Awards

Dhiren Katwa & Dipak Joshi

Plaudits were bestowed on ordinary citizens for their roles in adding greater value to the local economy at the inaugural Leicester Business Diversity Awards. Over 100 guests attended the event at the Sturgess Jaguar showroom on Jayantibhai Chandarana Narborough Road.

Organised by Business 2 Business (UK) Limited, run by Cllr Veejay and Varsha Patel, the round-table networking forum heard from Mr Jovan Donev, Ambassador of Macedonia and other business leaders.

The evening featured karaoke, an Indian dance and a three-course meal.

Among the 11 guests on the top table were: Jaffer Kapasi, Tim Parker, President of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire Chamber, Ron Lynch, RD of the IoD, and Michael Nichol, Head of Apprenticeships at the National Apprenticeship Service.

Award recipients included: Ashwin Mistry of Brokerability; Farouk AliMahomed of Fara Estates, Mr SB Khandelwal of Saree Mandir Leicester, Karl Brown of Leicester Warriors, Pete Patel of CoFresh, Sue Horner of Leicester College, Emily Jones of Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Futures and Andrew Hargreaves of A4E.

Elections 2014: The Biggest Event in the World The Indian Journalists' Association and LSE South Asia Initiative have jointly organised a lively and informal discussion in lights of the Indian Elections Results on Friday 16 May at the Thai Theatre, New Academic Building, Lincoln Inn Fields, London School of Economics. The event known as 'Elections 2014: The Biggest Event in the World- The Results' will be chaired by Mukulika Banerjee, Associate Professor, Department of

Anthropology, LSE, Pranab Bardhan, Emertitus professor of Economics at University of California, Berkeley, James Astill the Political Editor and Bagehot columnist at The Economist, Mukul Devichand, a BBC journalist and Charul Shahane, Senior Broadcast Journalist at the BBC World and a representative of the IJA. To attend this event, please email ijaeurope@hotmail.com.

Admission strictly on RSVP.

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Pictured aspiring magician Dilan Lodhia entertaining guests

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NHS Chief urges hospitals to listen to whistleblowers

UK

Bangladesh hopes to resolve water disputes post Indian elections

Rupanjana Dutta

Sharmila Chowdhury

Dr Raj Mattu

The head of the NHS Simon Stevens has urged hospitals to take all complaints made by whistleblowers seriously, as more and more staff have been coming forward to call for action.

A total of six whistleblowers have asked for their cases to be reopened, which includes the whistleblower Raj Mattu, who was suspended and eventually sacked by the University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust after complaining in 2001 about the standard of care in a cardiac unit. Mr Stevens reportedly said that NHS managers often pushed into whistleblowers employment disputes rather than listening to their concerns.

Since then, a source has reportedly said that

Mr Stevens hopes to reassure whistleblowers that they can speak out safely.

Two other whistleblowers include Narinder Kapur, a distinguished neuropsychologist who sacked by was Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge in 2010 after he complained repeatedly over several years that unqualified staff in some clinics were endangering patients, and Sharmila Chowdhury, a widowed radiographer who was head of her department when she raised the alarm over alleged moonlighting b consultants at Ealing hospital in 2007.

Both Mr Stevens and health secretary Jeremy Hunt, have recently met with some of the whistleblowers to discuss how to take this forward.

Bangladeshis are concerned about some of the references to Bangladeshis in Gujarat chief minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party's chief campaigner Narendra Modi's speeches during the Indian election campaign. This was indicated by Dr Dipu Moni, until recently Bangladesh's foreign minister and now chair of the foreign affairs committee in the Bangladesh parliament.

In London attending an evening event to celebrate women in global politics, organised by Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, followed by tea with the journalists and a lunch with a few of them at the popular Red Fort restaurant in Soho, Moni emphasised: "It is entirely for the people of India to decide who they wish to elect. But some of Mr Modi's speeches in respect of Bangladeshis have caused concerned among people in Bangladesh."

On bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India, she added "they've moved in the right direction in recent years". She added that the "economic

Dr Dipu Moni

corridor" from Kolkata to China via Bangladesh, the North-East of India and Myanmar was on track.

Asked about the intersituation in nal Bangladesh, Moni, who belongs to the ruling Awami League, described this as "peaceful".

Replying to a question, she stated the opposition Bangladesh National Party "must be regretting not taking part in the elections" last winter. The circumstances were full of agitations and violence in the pre-election period, generally perpetrated by

the BNP and its part the Jamaat.

H o w e v e r speaking on the water issue, though Dr Moni thinks that the Indian foreign policies do not much change with a change of government, she is hopeful that post this16th general election, it may resolve the long pending dispute over river Teesta water sharing between India and Bangladesh.

The dispute has remained under knots following strong opposition of West Bengal Chief Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee.

Though Bangladesh and India have 54 rivers in common, these 2 countries have a water sharing treaty only for river Ganga.

On being asked about the treaty with River Teesta and its future, Dr Moni indicated that much of its decision still lies in the hands of the Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee. She told Asian Voice, “This time around we were trying to solve another river.

5

Both countries and its two governments have agreed on the terms, there was internal politics within India for which it could not be signed.

“We have framed a cooperation treaty between two countries, talked about joint management of common rivers. There are 57 international rivers we share with our neighbours. It is not possible to do treaty for each one of them. If we have a common understanding that these rivers connect us, bind us, by doing joint basin wise management, if we cooperate on every aspecteconomy, ecology or culture, that would bring prosperity and peace, and thats the expectation of the people. We are working with that goal.

“The attitude of sharing common resources have to be there and that understanding is growing, everyone who has a right, must get that share. The idea of going beyond bilateral relationship has been a great step, and the journey has been an upward trend. Ms Banerjee in her pre election speeches has indicated a shift in the decision and I hope that it would stay that way.”

6

UK

An Ayurvedic journey to remember

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

By L. George

Work, work and work. I hadn’t taken a break for the last 3 years. So this year I was determined to take my family along with me and the destination was Incredible India.

I wanted a holiday which will give me enough time to spend with my wife and kids and also rejuvenate. Being a South Indian and having heard a lot about Ayurveda and the rejuvenation programs, I decided to explore that avenue. It was a sheer coincidence that I receive an email from Taj about their property in Calicut and their Ayurvedic centre. I had made my decision now and included a week stay at The Gateway Hotel, Beach Road Calicut, into my plan.

Having arrived in Calicut airport, a friendly local driver arranged by the hotel received us and then drove us to the hotel. I was happy to see that the airport was relatively less disorganised than other Indian airports, though still a far cry from the moving walkways of western airports.

He took us through coconut fringed roads, fresh smell of the unpolluted air and feeling like a Sahib in the antiquated air conditioned taxi we bumped and honked through Calicut’s narrow streets. Through the sepia tinged light, a bull with coloured horns crossed our path. “Auspicious omen” smiled the driver as he swerved. “Lucky Bull” I sighed with relief. I found getting from A to B on Calicut’s pot-holed roads was quite wearying.

Negotiating the oncoming traffic, sharp turns and narrow country roads, the constant blaring of horns is not for the faint hearted.

We finally reached the hotel Taj Gateway. We were welcomed by a guard who opened the car doors with a smile. As soon as the we reached the reception desk waiting there was Head of sales, who was very hospitable and keen to explain the

process of the Ayurveda treatment for the coming 7 days.

We were then taken to our room which was very spacious and clean. We were asked to rest for sometime before we visited the Ayurvedic physician. Approximately after an hour's rest we headed to meet the physician. She went on to explain to us various courses of the treatment that range from 7 to 28 days in length, depending on the health issues one wishes to

address.

The most typical course lasts for 7 days, which fits neatly into the holiday schedule of the many Europeans who return, year after year, for cleansing, rejuvenation, and sunshine. The ideal months for treatment are June to September.

The doctor determines our 'dosha'- 'mind-body constitution' or 'mindbody personality' - as well as discusses the issues to be addressed. All aspects of treatment strive to bring one back into balance. Once a person's dosha is known, medications, food are determined.

Doctor advises the to do therapist Dhinacharya- a specific treatment in Ayurveda.

A typical Kerala weather is hot and humid for most of the year.

Traditionally, Ayurveda used to be performed during the two monsoon seasons of the region. This was the time when the fields would not being tended and the workers could afford to pamper themselves. It is also practically the cooler time of the year (though that is a relative term). Though our visit was in January it was milder than the usual climate.

A typical day at the

Jail for British girl who attacked Sikh pensioner

A young British teenage girl, who attacked an 80-yearold Sikh pensioner in Coventry city centre last August, has been jailed for two years by Warwick Crown Court.

Coral Millerchip, 20, attacked pensioner Joginder Singh on a main road in Coventry and walked away. The act was captured on camera and caused extreme anger among the Sikh community in the country.

Millerchip kicked and punched Joginder Singh until he fell to the ground and his Sikh turban fell off. Mr Singh suffered a scratched

Coral Millerchip

nose in the attack and was later discharged after being taken to the hospital.

On Friday 9 May, the judge ruled that the girl had reportedly "humiliated" Singh and sentenced her to a two-year jail term and 20 more months for an uncon-

nected burglary.

Mr Singh was a dementia patient and died three months after the attack from an unrelated health issue.

Millerchip pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm, a report reportedly said.

hotel was with yoga, followed by a therapeutic massage with appropriate herbs and oils, breakfast, lunch, rest, and dinner.

Sunbathing by the pool is interspersed regularly with these activities, at the visitor's discretion. Although tours and shopping excursions can be arranged by the hotel, they are not heavily promoted since rest is an important aspect of any detoxing regiment. Activity levels can plummet due to the change in temperature and the effects of the treatments.

The idea of receiving a daily massage can be quite indulging, but they are, an important part of the overall treatment plan. While aspects are certainly designed to help one relax, massages are most definitely curative in character, rather than leisurely.

Clients may be anointed with oil, scrubbed with herbal powder, or even rubbed with bags of rice pudding. The therapists work solo or in tandem with an assistant depending on the type of massage. Men always work on men, and women work on women.

Types of massage and

medication may change as the program progresses.

Our program included with a day of purgation fasting with herbal supplements to cleanse the bowels. Mood and energy fluctuate as unwanted substances leave the body.

One of the most amazing and best aspects of the treatment is the food.

Despite being locked into a diet plan by one's 'dosha', typical Kerala dishes provide an endless variety of delicious, frequently served in fantastic curries.

On day two we were taken to a cooking course where the chef cooks Ayurvedic food.

Physician/doctor prescribes a vegetarian menu, but with the incredible flavours available, most

carnivores like me will not miss meat in the slightest when the food is correct for one's body type. Eating for body type and avoiding processed foods have wonderful effects on the body.

The massages lasted for about an hour and we were always left with ample time for exploring the local area. I was very keen to visit a place that teaches Kerala’s martial art, Kalarippayattu which is India’s best kept secret.

Believed by historians to be one of the oldest martial arts in the world it is fitting that it thrived in Kerala. The speed, agility

and skill of its exponents is astounding. Training for years without weapons, once proficient enough, they learn to use a spear, sword, dagger, stick, shield and deadly vital points called marmas. They also learn the moral code of Yoga and the healing art of Ayurveda. With muscles shining from oil, jumping meters high, spinning and wielding weapons, a Kalarippayattu display is a memorable spectacle.

Seeing these healthy, robust bodies one will be inspired to address their withering body’s needs.

Kerala is famous for its magnificent natural environment, extending from the palm forests and backwaters to the tea plantations. Places to visit close by are a ship building yard, the famous beach where Vasco da Gama once first set his foot in India and the state owned handicraft shop.

For many, India is a mysterious country, thousands of miles from home.

It would be impossible to describe in few words , the and experiences impressions await you here. However, every journey begins with good preparation. Take your time, relax and enjoy the first impressions with Taj Gateway.

Relax, de-stress, detox, and rejuvenate yourself.

Revitalize yourself like never before!

For further information about Taj Gateway you can call Shikha Kataria, Taj Hotels, Resorts & Palaces on tel (0)207 834 6655 ext 3001 or to book your holidays you can call Holidaymood on 020 3475 3130.

Indians represent UK's highest skilled professionals

Police investigated after released murderer kills his wife

A UK think tank that has claimed that Britain's ethnic population is set to double, making up nearly a third of country by 2050, has claimed that Indians tend to cluster in the highest skilled professions in this country. The study in the handbook A Portrait of Modern Britain, released portrayed a detailed picture of five largest minority groups in the country, Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Black Africans and Black Caribbean. The survey compiled by Indian origin researchers Rishi Sunak and Saratha Rajeswaran reported that Indian community that was most dispersed all over the UK, predominatly lived in London, Manchester and Birmingham. It also emphasised that Indians stood out for their tendency to cluster in the highest skilled professions. The report found, “Almost all minority groups, except the Indian community, have unemployment rates double the national average... 24% of Pakistani men are taxi drivers and half of all Bangladeshi men work in restaurants. In contrast 43% of Indians work in the highest skilled professions.”

For more see comment on page 3.

Twelve police officers are being investigated for misconduct after choosing to release a man, who was initially arrested for threatening to kill his wife, but two weeks after his release, went on to murder his wife.

Mohammed Badiuzzaman, 34, was arrested for threatening to kill Sabeen Thandi his pregnant wife, was released and then went on to murder her two weeks later. He pleaded guilty to murdering mother-of-three Sabeen Thandi at the Old Bailey on Friday 6 May. The couple had started dating in November 2012 and Badiuzzaman moved in with Ms Thandi two months later.

Badiuzzaman forced his 37-year-old wife to wear a hijab after pressuring her into an Islamic marriage. Badiuzzaman admitted murder and was remanded in custody ahead of sentence on May 27.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

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UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

As I See It

If Modi is a Hindu Nationalist, how do we describe PM David Cameron?

The 16th General Elections have indeed become a historic milestone. Over 500 million voters, in free and fair elections (as the US spokesmen have described), in a reasonable peaceful manner, have exercised their democratic right.

Youngsters have voted as never before, as reported by an ABP Channel report. 80% of them have reportedly opted for Narendra Modi. Most of them are not IIT or IIM graduates. But they are as well informed, perhaps if not more, about their national situation than some hacks or so-called intellectuals outside India.

In Tuesday's Financial Times, the banner headline was 'Opposition leader Modi on course for victory.' The Times has proclaimed, 'Modi poised for power after crushing BJP victory,' but the Telegraph cannot show any impartiality and have kept on the usual tone and said, 'Hindu Nationalist Modi on the verge of Victory.'

Some individuals have problems facing the facts!!

Prime Minister David Cameron has rightfully described Britain as a Christian Country. Anywhere in the world, when a Briton is even facing a serious charge of narcotics, drugs, paedophilia or murder, the British government, again, is correctly concerned about them.

Whenever Christians or Jews are being persecuted anywhere in the world, the British to their credit, do not hesitate to express their pain and disgust. The Indian government, so far, have not followed this honourable and justified tradition.

On what basis, Narendra Modi, or for that purpose, BJP, can be termed as a Hindu nationalist?

Last Thursday, some former students of Cambridge University, met to have a social interaction in London. One of them happened to be a Financial Times reporter. He told his Indian friends, that most of the Indians in the UK appear to

be supporters of Narendra Modi.

He further added that he knows of some Indian publication which has been supporting Modi for a very long time. The publication had written to the editors of the British media challenging their incorrect reporting or unacceptable name calling. The Indian happened to be a close family member. The name of the publication was named as Asian Voice by the journalist, but to his credit, he did clarify that

Communalism, Secularism as well as the term specially used in South Asia, 'Sectarianism' Please refer to your dictionaries to understand the correct meaning and compare how the terms are misused by certain elements to justify their pre-judged assertions.

Asian Voice had been bold enough to acknowledge when the British Media is right. Surely, this will make my esteemed readers, the letter writers, as well as me, the Publisher/Editor, happy and gratified.

The so-called intellectuals or pseudo-secularists have an excellent opportunity to closely monitor the incoming Modi government on its omissions and commissions.

They should make a special mission to keep a close eye on the

manifesto and the performance all across the national and international issues. I know that as they have not done that in an objective and professional manner in the last twelve years vis-a-vis Narendra Modi, they are least likely to embark on a really scholastic approach to keep Modi under the microscope.

Perhaps the dogmatic attitude has blinded them. We can't help it. It appears that the Indian voters have made their choice in a very bold and proper way. They have chosen their future and they've given Narendra Modi and BJP as well as other NDA allies an opportunity to bring a change India needs. No apologies are enough for non-performers.

India has miles to go. It has changed beyond recognition since 1947. The loot, the exploitation of the previous two centuries under foreign Imperialism had almost ruined the countries which was for the previous 1500 years, the world biggest economy and its wealth and scholarship, heritage and history, culture and arts had attracted innumerable visitors and students to reach that far off land in the bygone days.

India will see a new beginning on the 16th May 2014. The prediction of the exit poll is likely to be confirmed and Narendra Modi is almost certain to be the next PM of India. The mess of the last 10 years will require enormous effort to cleanse and embark on further progress for all people of India, irrespective of class, religion or provincial background. So far India has transformed by sheer guts and dedication of its people.

She will march forward competently and confidently without fear or favour. Jai Hind, Jai Britain!

- CB

Indian diaspora to celebrate India's 'Modification'

To celebrate Narendra Modi's sweeping victory in the Indian general elections, the Indian diaspora in Britain have decided to organise a weekend full of celebratory events in London. Nachiket Joshi, who runs i4Unity, a group consisting of around 700 professional Indians who campaign for BJP leader Narendra Modi and also a part of the National Executive Committee of Overseas Friends of BJP, has organised a procession in Ealing on Friday 16 May, to celebrate Modi's victory.

On Saturday 17 May at 3pm, President Mukesh Patel and Trust board of Sattavis Gam Patidar Samaj (Europe), along with Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar and BJP supporter Rashmi Amin have organised a 'vijay utsav' (victory celebration) in Forty Avenue, Wembley at Sattavis Patidar Centre. Expected to be attended by thousands of Modi and BJP supporters, this event will

be open to all members of the community- without any bars. Attendees are free to recite poems, sing songs and celebrate this victory, while enjoying light refreshments at reasonable prices. Popular singer Arpan Kumar and Mital Patel will also be present to sing some selective patriotic numbers.

Nachiket Joshi told the Asian Voice, “After India's independence, it's the first time India will see such a great leader, with such vision, personality and dedication towards our country. It is very fortunate that NDA will come with clear majority. India will surely become a super power in the near future.

“Indian economy, agriculture, IT industry will surely boom under his guidance, women's empowerment and security will grow too.

Youngsters abroad will now fearlessly go back and settle in India with a prosperous future under Modi's leadership.”

Mukesh Patel,

President of Sattavis Gam Patidar Samaj said, “We are very proud to learn that our Narendrabhai Modi has become the Prime Minister of India.

His vision will make sure all the discrepancies are resolved in India. The country needs a change and no one can bring a positive difference other than Modi.

“He has repeatedly proved in the past that where there is a will there is a way, and he will surely prove that in the future too. We all hope there will be direct international flights to go to Gujarat now. NRIs in Britain have a soft spot for India.

Under NaMo, trust and faith in our country will be reinstated. It's the best news India ever had.”

Kokila Patel, Managing Editor, Gujarat Samachar said, “The exit polls clearly indicates that Indians will have 'ab ki baar Modi sarkar' (Modi government, this time).

This change of government has been our dream

since the last one decade.

Shri Modi has proved to be a visionary leader of Gujarat and we are sure he will take India to a different echelon of success.”

Contact Kokila Patel at 07875229177 or kokila.patel@abplgroup.com Or Rashmi Amin at 07932790245

For god’s sake it’s only the largest realisation of the democratic dream For god’s sake it’s only the largest realisation of the democratic dream that has ever happened in history. For centuries wars have been fought for this, the Berlin wall came down for this, Eastern Europe fell over this, Vietnam War and if that was not enough the First and Second World Wars happened for this – for democracy over every other form of Government. So where the heck is the media coverage in the self-proclaimed home and protectorate of democracy – the USA and Britain.

I mean, come on, only 800 million will be eligible to vote. That is more in one election than all the British that have ever voted. Ever!

That is more than the entire population of the United States, man, woman and child – three times over! That means more Indians have voted in this Millennium than all the humans in all the other countries – ever!

More Hindus have voted in democratic elections than people of any other faith, ever. On that mark, no religion is more democratic. And it raises other faiths, for in India more Muslims have voted since Independence than all the Muslims in all the other countries of the world put together. You decide – do you want democracy or not. If you do, then you want this.

Then you cheer for this.

Then you sigh a breath of relief for this because in the history of the world I bet you can’t name two democracies that have gone to war against each other. Think of it. It’s not democracies that cause wars. It’s the damn fools in other political sys-

tems.

Before you start criticising democracy, remember the alternatives.

So how come America does not have wall to wall coverage of the Indian elections, the greatest act of democracy? Far greater an act of democracy than invading Iraq, Afghanistan. How come?

Arrogance?

Ignorance? Superiority?

Indian political leaders need to regain the power they projected on the world stage when at the funeral of Mahatma Gandhi an American journalist wrote, ‘Pope Pius, the Archbishop of Canterbury, President Truman, Chiang Kaishek, the Foreign Minister of Russia, the President of France are among the millions here and abroad who have lamented his passing. In the words of General George C. Marshall, the American Secretary of State, “Mahatma Gandhi had become the spokesman for the conscience of all mankind.” ‘ Never should any leader of India aspire for anything less. Every American President, every British Prime Minister, ever Russian Premier holds those aspirations of themselves. Indian leaders must have gravitas, stature, the projection of power backed by being the only country that can lead the world to the peace that a democracy promises, to the political ideal it encapsulates, to the hope it gives in an age of clashing civilisations. Only India can be that leader, only an Indian Prime Minister can deliver on that promise with any credibility.

Hindus of Brent urged to vote in local elections

The Hindu Council of Brent have urged the local Hindu communities to come forward and vote in the forthcoming local elections, to stop being treated like 'second class citizens'.

With local government grants scrapped for Hindu festivals like Navratri and Diwali, some organisations have stopped celebrating them altogether, while some have reduced the number of days they celebrate it.

Speaking to the Asian Voice, Manubhai K Makwana, Chairman, Hindu Council (Brent) told the Asian Voice, “Hindus in Brent should

get equal benefits as other communities, We need the Navratri grant reinstated and there should be Diwali lights on ealing Road as in past.

“It is the community in Brent who promoted Brent by celebrating diverse festivals and hosting cultural events like Navratri. The local Hindu community has been very hurt by these cuts imposed by the current Brent Council Administration.

“Time has come to protect community interest and festivals in Brent and get the Council to make provision for such grants.

“The only way to stop Hindu community being used as second class citizens, is by making proper use of your vote in the forthcoming council elections on 22 May.” A special bulletin on Indian Election Results will be available from Saturday, 17 May, 2014, afternoon on our website at www.abplgroup.com

A celebratory special of the new government will be published in next week’s issue (24 May)

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

Leading Lights

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

An Indian leader working at the intersection of politics, foreign policy and technology Sujit S. Nair, FRSA has an M.B.A from London Metropolitan University and learnt most of his business lessons from its incubator, Accelerator. He also has an M.Sc (Biotechnology ) from Bangalore university.

He is the only person chosen to feature twice as a Leading Light to date, setting a record.

Since he last appeared here, he became a partner and CEO of a 10 year old web applications company called EyeTechnologies software solutions which is headquartered at the World Trade Centre in Bangalore, India. It has development centres based in Kerala and a sales office in London.

EyeTechnologies offer technology products which helps businesses in different sectors succeed in the market, has worked with over 500 clients and employs around 50 people. “I have been invited as a keynote speaker to the World Hindu Economic Forum, scheduled to take place in Durban during the month

Sujit S. Nair

of July, alongside 20 other local and international leaders including Ambassador to BRICS, Ambassador to Asia and Middle East, MEC for Economic Development and prominent Indian and Mauritian politicians and business leaders,� Sujit told me. He went on, “There are two ventures that I am currently involved in. One is a forprofit technology development company called EyeTechnology software solutions whereas the

other venture is a not for profit independent trade body called BSICC. EyeTechnologies has developed a range of IT products for businesses from various sectors and is in discussion with international technology companies to license innovative IT products to India. In addition, we are currently working on a model which has the potential to disrupt the outsourcing industry in India. India offers a great value for companies looking to out-

Cameron to discuss mango ban with the new Indian PM

The British Prime Minister is to discuss the Mango issue with India’s new Prime Minister after May 16th.

The British Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to speak to the new Indian Prime Minister about the ongoing mango issue, during his official phone call next week. Indian mangoes have faced a temporary ban from May 1st, supported by Defra, owing to consignments being infested with fruit flies.

The ban is expected to remain force till Dec 2015.

PM Cameron reportedly confirmed that he will speak to the Indian PM, during his interaction with Senior Indian origin Labour MP, Rt Hon Keith Vaz in the House of Commons. Mr Vaz has been campaigning over the issue and urged the British PM to reverse the ban which would cost firms millions of pounds.

Mr. Cameron thanked the Leicester East MP for the special delivery of Alphonso mangoes at Downing street last week as part of his efforts to raise awareness on the EU’s decision. He con-

cluded saying, “Will he do his best to reverse this ban so we can keep the special relationship with India which his predecessors and we Keith Vaz MP PM Cameron have worked cious mangoes once so hard to maintain, and again.� so we can have our deli-

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source their web and mobile applications development work and we are hoping to take advantage of this opportunity.

BSICC was set up to address the lack of exposure for South India States in United Kingdom and other international markets. The organisation is trying to fill a gap in the market whereby the majority of people outside India are not aware of the potential of South India.

People are familiar with Mumbai and Delhi and the potential opportunities there but less people are aware of South Indian cities, or about the opportunities available there.

Over the last two years, BSICC has been trying to create awareness among UK companies and the UK public about the potential of South India by successfully hosting business meets focused on each of the South Indian states and bringing in prominent delegates including political and business leaders from respective South India states so as to talk to the UK residents about the opportunities there.

Following the successful hosting of the UK South India Business Meet, UK Karnataka Business Meet, UK Kerala Business Meet and various other state Business Meets at the Houses of Parliament over the years,

BSICC, in partnership with UKTNCC, organised the UK Tamil Nadu & Puducherry Business Meet 2014 on 8th May at Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London.�

The business meet was chaired by BSICC Patron Mr Virendra Sharma MP (Ealing-Southall, UK).

I believe that India has moved on from being a nation whereby one has to be from an influential family or a family of means to succeed in life We had around 140 delegates from UK, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Middle East etc attending the business meet. Mr.Bharat Joshi, British Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai, started the meet by talking about UK/ Tamil Nadu relationship.

Mr. Hasmukh Vora, President of Hindustan Chamber of Commerce, Chennai offered his perspective of pursuing business activities in Tamil Nadu & Puducherry. Mr. Christie Cherian, Chairman and Trustee of British Business Group, Chennai, spoke about how good an investment destination is Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Dr. R. Seetharaman, group CEO of Doha Bank in

9

Qatar mentioned about some of the Opportunities for UK residents and Global Tamilians in the Gulf. Mr.David Happy, who was till recently the Vice President EU Affairs for Samsung Electronics, spoke about India UK collaborations and how the UK is a hugely effective springboard into the rest of the EU-27 for Indian companies. Mr. Velou Singara of UKTNCC spoke about various business opportunities in Puducherry for UK companies whereas Mrs Kamala Sekar who was till recently the Head of Export Finance at UKTI spoke about the channels of support from UK public sector and BSICC/ UKTNCC. Sujit has a very straightforward ambition and I am sure he will reach his goal. “All my efforts, whether through EyeTechnologies or through BSICC, are not only directed towards playing a key role in bringing about growth and development in India, but also in creating jobs for my people. I believe that India has moved on from being a nation whereby one has to be from an influential family or a family of means to succeed in life. I sometimes joke to my friends that I am not a "son" rise story but an "India" rise story.�

10

YOUR VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

Delhi is not far now

Indian elections

India's HDI

All indicators and pointers tell us that Narendra Modi is on his way to New Delhi. If Gujarat’s dream to put a Gujarati person from Vadnagar in the Prime Minister’s pedestal comes true, it would be satisfying to know that against many odds, a Gujjubhai has made it to India’s capital.

While campaigning at Varanasi, Narendrabhai has stated that he has cleaned up Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati river and will now clean up the Ganges at Varanasi. He has challenged his opponents and doubters to go to Gujarat for just one day and stand on the banks of the Sabarmati - the river which had become a sewer, 10 years ago and see how clean and tidy it has become today.

He has said however, that to clean up the Ganga, he would need to clean-up Delhi and Lucknow. Till the shower that is in power at present has been ousted, there is no possibility of the river being cleaned up.

However, besides cleaning up the Ganga, would he be able to eradicate the country of corruption, nepotism, violence against women, poverty and many such vices that are endemic in India?

Let’s hope he is successful in his quest to become the next prime minister of India and fulfil his promises.

I read with interest both Shri Kapil Dudakia's column and Shri Narsihbhai's letter regarding the anti Modi western forces (AV 10th May 14).

Kapilji mentions that the anti Modi Labour MP Mike Wood held a seminar on the BJP PM candidate in the HoC. I have never meet Mike Wood I am sure he is genuine in his beliefs but he is badly misinformed.

Both articles have one common word and that is the word "Hindu".

Narendraji is a Hindu and that's why he is under constant attack. Mahatma Gandhi was a staunch Hindu and was jailed by the British for his stand. The current Christian Italian Gandhi family is vehemently anti Hindu whilst perversely claiming allegiance to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.

Last year I had a meeting with Shri Modiji in Gandhinagar and I presented him with a 150th birth anniversary brochure on Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya the fourth Congress freedom fighter, his memory erased from Indian history.

Malaviyaji was a Sanskrit scholar and an expert on the Gita, he was constantly at Gandiji's side and was his rock. He founded the Banaras Hindu University (BHU). We held a function in London 2012 to mark this anniversary, chief guest was Justice Giridhar Malaviya, his grandson.

So a year on it was heartening for me to learn Shri Modiji flew to BHU garlanded Malaviyaji statue and invited Justice Giridhar to file his nomination papers for the elections.

Human Development Index (HDI) was created by the Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq and the Indian economist Amartya Sen in 1990.

HDI has been widely used by the UPA to try and challenge the success of Gujarat’s development model under Modi. First and foremost, there is a paradox in their reasoning. On the one hand the UPA spokespersons don’t miss an opportunity to point out that Gujarat had always been ahead of most other states even before Modi came to power in 2002.

On the other hand they use the HDI to demonstrate that other states have performed a lot better than Gujarat in poverty reduction!

Superficially this may seem true, but scratch the surface and the story is different. The percentage of poverty reduction is less because there is less poverty to be reduced! This is assuming the HDI figures actually reflect the truth and that HDI does not take into account poor migrant workers coming to Gujarat from other states distorting the figures.

The major flaws in calculating HDI for individual states are: 1) Metropolises of Mumbai and Chennai are included for Maharashtra and TN respectively, whereas New Delhi is a separate entity. If New Delhi was part of UP, the HDI for UP would match that of Maharashtra and TN! 2) The Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) varies wildly from state to state. A meal at a restaurant in Mumbai can easily cost Rs 300. An equivalent meal in Ahmedabad can cost about half that amount or less.

Jayesh A Patel Wimbledon

Kiran Mehta By email

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Jai Ho – Gujarat

I eagerly await Kapil’s column. I understand such hard hitting column requires checking facts, figures, confirmation and response from politicians which is difficult to come-by.

Since the caste discrimination legislation fiasco, the Hindu community has lost faith with Labour suffering from psychiatric disorder and subject to irrational whims with Napoleonic complex! They blur realities with half-baked truths and complete lies.

It is condemnable to hold an anti BJP/Modi conference on Gujarat Day, next to the main event celebrating 54th Anniversary of establishment of State of Gujarat, the birth-place of Gandhi and Sardar, known as the pillars of “Quit India Movement.”

The local election on 22nd May is a golden opportunity for Hindus to show their displeasure at the ballot box. But without unity, without a vote-bank and apathy on the part of Hindu voters, no wonder we are stooges, taken for granted.

This is not the time to show the dignity, saintliness, generosity or forgiveness the Hindu community is blessed with but it is the time to teach lessons to those who dare to marginalize us. It is time for “Om Kranti” not “Om Shanti!”

Vote wisely. Vote for Hindu friends, irrespective of their party affiliation.

There is no shortage of choice, as both main parties; particularly Conservatives have put forward candidates who would provide quantum improvement and motivation for Hindu community.

Indian business acumen

Avanti House

Amul dairies: 173 milk producers' cooperatives and 22 federations supply pasteurised, packaged and branded milk to more than 1000 cities across the country.

11 million farmers earn more from what they produce (page 76).

Lijjat papadums, with 6 branches, employ 40,000 women and have over $60 million turnover.

Rag packers, hawkers, construction workers and slum-dwelling weavers were helped by by Ela Bhatt to form SelfEmployed Women's Association (SEWA).

It has 71 cooperatives and 70, 000 members. Among their many activities, it runs a very successful micro-finance bank.

Subhash Chandra who set up the first Hindi language satellite channel is now worth $2.5 billion dollars.

Karsanbhai Patel started making detergents in his back yard and made Nirma one of the world's largest-selling detergent powders. Karsanbhai inspired C K Ranganathan to sell shampoo in sachets at 1 Rupee per piece. It now has a turnover of $40 million. Naresh Goyal was an employee of Lebanon International Airlines Jordanian and Philippine national Airlines. Now his creation Jet Airways increased its gross revenue from $43 million to $500 million in less than a decade. 5,000 dabawallas deliver 150,000 lunch boxes to offices in

I am delighted by the news that the Avanti House secondary school is to be located at the Whitchurch Playing Fields site. This school will expand choice for children and parents across Harrow, and will provide much needed school places at a time when some of our existing schools are close to bursting at the seams.

Everyone wants Harrow’s children to have a good education, and the existing Avanti House primary school is rated as good by OFSTED. No doubt such standards will continue at the new school, for the benefit of all pupils.

However, an unfortunate misconcep-

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Mumbai. Only one mistake occurs in 8 million transactions. Turnover is $ 20 million, earning them $100 each. (Being Indian by Pavan K Varma pages 75-90).

There are hundreds more. Most started from humble background. If elected with a firm majority, the BJP party must nurture thousands of small scale industries (SSI) by international standards. If it falls prey to takeovers by multinationals, it will destroy the creativity, enthusiasm and entrepreneur spirit of millions of Indians.

Nagindas Khajuria Via Email

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Modiji’s 2014 election campaign

The story of Modiji’s 8 month electoral campaign began in September 2013.

India’s election is a stupendous phenomenon. All competing parties, from Kashmir to West Bengal, have ganged up against Modiji. Having failed to punish him for post Godhra imbroglio, these dirty tricksters used the election platform to damage Modiji’s image.

These belligerent elements successfully influenced western powers to refuse visa and blackball Modiji. But Modiji successfully wooed investors from China and Japan. Western powers saw the light and have reversed their anti Modi stance.

Sane leaders in the West and Muslim countries have dismissed pro Hindu speeches of Modiji as politicians’ routine rhetoric and not to adversely affect cordial relations with India, or discourage / oppose Modiji’s aspirations to be Prime Minister.

Following facts about campaign by Modi camp have emerged as undermentioned: 440 rallies covered 5800 locations and 3 lakh kilometres; 12 rounds of 3D rallies covering 1350 locations; Creating Volunteers’ portal where aspirants can click in and serve online or on field.

Fullest use of IT; “Whats app” for messages, use of selfies and infographics; charchas at 4000 venues to hear peoples’ views and answer queries. His main message was development, governance and innovation.

Modiji has succinctly implemented Swami Vivekanand’s message to rise to occasion, and create strong developments, inclusive India and project India as Jagad Guru.

Keeping in view, optimism and euphoria, results after 12th May 2014 will match public expectations for Modiji to be next prime Minister.

Ramesh Jhalla By email tion has arisen about this proposed school, and I think it’s important to correct it. Concerns have been raised that, as a faith school, Avanti House will only be of interest to Harrow’s Hindu population.

In fact, though all faith schools have certain powers regarding staff appointments, collective worship and admissions, Avanti House schools actually waive their right to apply faith criteria to their admissions policy. This means they are far more open to pupils from other faiths and other sections of our community than many other faith schools.

This school is a sizeable step for the future of education in Harrow, and one which can be welcomed across our borough – irrespective of faith or belief.

Cllr. Vina Mithani Kenton West Ward (Conservative) Harrow Council

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

11

The Indian High Commission Lord Bilimoria appointed as Chancellor of the University of Birmingham turns a new leaf

A public interaction was held at India House on May 7, 2014 by the High Commissioner HE Ranjan Mathai with the Indian and the British Indian community to apprise them of the steps taken by the High Commission of India in London to improve the consular services offered by the High Commission. A Public Response Unit has been created to coordinate the Commission's High response to a large number of queries received

and, on an average, around 600 enquiries are responded every week by the Unit. Contact details of the Unit have been prominently put on the official website of the Mission.

An Open House is held every Wednesday to personally hear the problems/grievances of the public. Further, the officers concerned are available to meet the public in person as and when required. In addition, the High Commissioner has

OCI-PIO merger stalled The Indian High Commissioner, HE Ranjan Mathai reportedly said that the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card and Person of India Origin (PIO) card merger will not go ahead any soon.

A new Bill which sought to do away with the existing OCI card & the PIO card and replace them with a single OCI card was proposed by the Indian Government a few months ago. But this had caused immense outrage amongst the Indian diaspora, especially in Britain.

Mr Mathai in an address to the media reportedly said that the bill went through in Loksabha (Lower House in Indian Parliament) but did not pass through Rajya Sabha (Upper House in Indian Parliament). He added that there would be no discussion on this matter until a new government is formed in New Delhi. from Indian nationals and Persons of Indian Origin in the UK. The queries are received and responded both telephonically and email. The initiative has been very well received

decided to hold Open House on a monthly basis.

Recently, responding to the increasing demand, the Mission has launched a system that allows booking of appointment online

HE Ranjan Mathai

for the submission of OCI applications in person.

This initiative has been highly appreciated by the public as it has reduced the waiting time at the Mission’s premises.

The Mission has restarted surgeries in different parts of the country where services are provided to them in their own cities. This also affords an opportunity to meet members of the Indian community to get a first-hand feedback. The first surgery was undertaken in Belfast in April 2014. Further surgeries are planned beginning with Cardiff followed

by Manchester.

The website of the Mission is updated regularly to inform the public about the procedures, guidelines and requirements as well as any changes in the regulations.

In order to facilitate faster services to the public, the timings for differ-

LOVE WHICH IS WITHIN “On one hand, we seem to have the potential to move mountains, go to the moon, create huge cities and we try to alter nature. We seem to know so much about so many things. But when it comes to us, to our nature, we have no idea.

Who are we?

I raise these questions because the answer, surprisingly enough, is beautiful.

When we look for our truest nature, we will find that there is peace, understanding. There is the truest love.

Do you know that wherever you go, whatever you do, there is love in you and there is hate in you? There is pain in you and there is joy in you. Do not be under the misunderstanding that the love is in someone else. No, love is in you.

Have you searched for that which has always been within you? You have searched outside, but have you searched inside?

Search. Whatever it takes, find peace in your life. This is what’s important. If you cannot find peace, come to me. I can help. Understand your true nature.

Understand this life. Understand what you have been given because it is magnificent. Be in love with this life, which means see the good in this life of yours.

If you want to be in love, begin by loving each breath. Begin by falling in love with understanding, with clarity, with the truest sincerity. These are the angels in your life. When all is dark, they come-all lit, graceful, beautiful with clarity.

One second of clarity and all the darkness vaporizes. Don’t try to remove the darkness - it won’t work. All you have to do is usher in the light. Fall in love with living. Fall in love with that which is within you.” ~ Pr em R aw at

Live Event With Mr Prem Rawat in London!!!

On: Sunday, 29th June 2014

Further details on: www.wopg.org/en/events SONY SAB TV – Watch: ”Words Of Peace” in Hindi. Every SUNDAY at 8:00am Tuesday 8:00pm on Sky channel 212 and Freesat channel 401, repeated Saturday 5:30pm

UK Info Lines: 08450 76 77 78 Hindi: 0845 387 0009; www.wopg.org www.tprf.net

University of Birmingham has announced that one of the country’s leading international entrepreneurs has been appointed as its new Chancellor reflecting the University’s position as a truly global institution that attracts the brightest and best from across the world.

Lord Bilimoria, pictured, of Chelsea CBE, the India-born founder of Cobra Beer, will take up his post at an Installation Ceremony in July, making him the seventh University of Birmingham Chancellor. He follows in footsteps of the Chancellors including the Right Honorable Joseph Chamberlain and the Right Honorable Anthony Eden, the Earl of Avon, and succeeds Sir Dominic Cadbury, who stepped down last December after 11 years in the role.

Professor David Eastwood, ViceChancellor of the University of Birmingham, said: “We

are absolutely delighted that Lord Bilimoria will be our new Chancellor. He is a highly respected global businessman and Crossbench Peer with a clear passion for higher education and the value it brings to society and to the economy. He not only encapsulates the University’s commitment to internationalisation but his appointment underlines further the importance we place on forging strong, mutually beneficial partnerships between business and higher education.”The Chancellor acts as the ceremonial fig-

urehead of the University and has an important ambassadorial role, working with the ViceChancellor and the ProChancellor to raise the University’s profile and advance its interests nationally and internationally.

On accepting the post, Lord Bilimoria said: “I am honoured and humbled to have been asked to be Chancellor of this internationally renowned University with its vibrant, global community. I am also delighted to have the opportunity to take on such a prominent role at the University where both my mother, my uncle and my maternal grandfather studied; the University which instilled the value of higher education in them, and in turn drove my own passion for learning and discovery.”

Lord Bilimoria is already a member of the University of Birmingham Business School Advisory Board.

ent services have been staggered in order to avoid overcrowding at the premises.

The process for outsourcing of collection and delivery for various services including passport, visa, OCI, PIO and vari-

ous other consular services has been initiated.

Presently, only visa service is outsourced. It is expected that the whole process will be completed by by November/December this year.

In order to avoid

inconvenience to the public, the Mission has since commenced delivery of OCI cards by post. This has reduced crowd in the premises and also has helped in providing better services with a greater satisfaction to the public.

12

MEDIA WATCH

By the time these words appear India’s general elections will been concluded and the result’s known. The campaign has been rough for the most part, with personal insults and vitriol freely traded and policy issues in deep freeze. Which could mean a measure of continuity in policy in the event of a BJPled government coming to power. One saving grace in the present situation - if the Times of India prediction (May 7) comes to pass – is that the voter turnout will be the largest since India’s independence in August 1947, a sign surely that the broad mass of Indians have not lost faith in their country’s political system, warts and all. Two cheers for Indian democracy, the third to be withheld until we know more about the emergent government and its prospect of survival and the stability thereof.

Last stage voting, Kolkata

For the present, the violence in the Bodo districts of Assam targeting Bengali Muslim immigrants, which claimed 41 lives, and the rail crash in western India, in which 21 passengers died and scores more injured, dominated media headlines.

Both events have tarnished the reputation of the country’s administration. Enquiry committees on these tragedies have been set up, and their findings and implementation will be awaited with interest.

Meanwhile, Prakash Karat, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) “conceded that the Left would not have a strong presence in the next Lok Sabha to influence policy even if a third alternative government was formed with Congress support.”(Hindu May 4). And so to a temporary respite from electoral politics in preparation for the deluge to come with the results.

Company sales picking up

Fiscal fourth quarter earnings of India’s top companies (ending March 31) have revealed positive gains in profit resulting from the fastest growth in sales in the last six quarters. Market analysts view this as proof of the green shoots of economic recovery, something that should gladden the country’s next government, provided it is stable. The increased sales of commercial vehicle s, in particular, are a reliable benchmark of an economic upturn, say bankers, industrialists and transporters. Demand for multi-axle tractor trailers is picking up. Unsurprisingly the stock prices of Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Eicher and Ashok Leyland have hit 52 month highs in April. Aditya Puri, Managing Director and CEO of loan provider Housing Finance Development Corporation (HFDC) sad he sensed a change across the

entire economic growth cycle.

(Mint, Times of India May 5)

Astra test-fired

India’s defence preparedness achieved a significant milestone at the weekend with the first successful test of its indigenously designed and developed airto-air Beyond-Visual-Range 60kilometre Astra missile over the Arabian Sea. The missile was test-fired from a Sukhoi 30MKI aircraft, the country’s most lethal warplane. The test met all the mission objectives, the launch captured on high speed cameras. Astra is an all-weather missile with active radar terminal guidance, excellent electronic –counter features, smokeless

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

dures are not bypassed. Safety check of platforms is carried out on a regular basis,” he concluded (Hindu May 7)

Tata-AirAsia ready to fly

The Tata-AirAsia venture joint company, to be DRDO scientists Avinash Chander known as AirAsia India, will be takand the entire country.” Project ing to the skies anytime in the Director S.Venugopal said Astra next three months after receivwas comparable to the world’s ing its licence from India’s best missiles.

Directorate General of Civil Astra Mark II, with an Aviation. This low-cost carrier, increased range of 100 kiloIndia’s seventh, will offer 35 per mtres, is to be test-fired later this cent “lower fares” from current year. He said the Astra test was fare levels. The new airline the culmination of a sustained marks the re-entry into the aviaeffort by a team of dedicated of tion business by Tata after three scientists and engineers from the decades out in the cold. The Missile Complex, Hyderabad company’s re-emergence in aviaand kindred bodies including tion was made possible by the Indian Air Force (IAF) specialgovernment’s decision to permit ists and private sector units to Foreign Direct Investment attain this level.

India also plans to test its supersonic 290kilometre BrahMos cruise missile from a IAF Sukhoi 30 MKI aircraft at about the same time.

The Indian Army and Navy are already in possession of their respective versions of BrahMos (Hindu, Times of India May 5)

DRDO’s top secret K-4 missile tested

India’s top secret underwater K4 3000 kilometre range missile was test-fired in the last week of March, the information being released a week ago. The launch, from a 30-metre submerged pontoon, took place off Visakhapatnam on the east coast. The missile, ejected by a powerful gas generator, splashed down in the Indian Ocean. “We will do many more missions to prove the missile’s sub-systems and increase their reliability,” said an informed source.

Meanwhile,K-4’s predecessor the 700 kilometre K-15 missile, which has been tested over the last few years is now under production for induction into the nuclearpowered submarine, INS Arihant.

(Hindu May 7) Astra missile test-fired

propulsion and high Single Shot Kill Probability with a capability to operate in multi-range target scenarios. Astra is the work of India’s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Congratulating the team, DRDO Director General and Scientific Adviser Avinash Chander said: “Many more trials are planned and will be conducted to clear the launch envelop.

Weapon integration with Tejas Light Combat Aircraft will also be done in the near future.”

Proud moment

V.G. Sekaran Director General (Missiles and Strategic Systems) described the test “as one of the proudest moments for DRDO

Vikramaditya operational

India’s Russian-built aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, is operational, announced the new Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Robin Dhowan, the integration of its MIG-29K fighters now completed. After inspecting a ceremonial guard of honour on board the carrier, he addressed officers and ratings of the Southern Naval Command, Kochi. Admiral Dhowan, said, “We follow stringent proceedings, have taken serious note of incidents and whatever recommendations for enhancement of safety thereon and continue to carry out safety audit to ensure that standard operational proce-

Tony Fernandes CEO AirAsia

(FDI) in the airline industry.

The company’s prime aim is to service connectivity between India’s two-tier cities rather than doing the familiar rounds between metros. A jubilant Air Asia CEO, Malaysian-based Tony Fernandes, tweeted, “History has been made today in aviation…Proud day for me and all Air Asia stars.” His colleague Mittu Chandiliya, CEO AirAsia India tweeted: “Boom! 1815 hrs today AirAsia India was born.”

(Hindu, Times of India, May 8)

Tata-Singapore Airline ready for takeoff

The full-service Tata- Singapore Airline has also been fast tracked by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation and is is set to stretch its wings in India and abroad. The company’s hub will be Delhi and all major routes in the country, including

the metros. The Delhi-Mumbai route will be serviced by two daily fights, which will rise eventually to seven per day. The second busiest route will be the between Delhi and Bangalore, with two daily flights initially rising to four (Times of India, May 9)

Cognizant profit up 20 per cent

Cognizant Technology Solutions met street expectations by posting a fourth quarter (ending March 31) of 20 per cent. The company’s net income came to $348.9 million. Its incremental revenue addition stood at $67 million from the previous quarter, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) come next among Cognizant competitors with $ 65 million. Cognizant said it had added a total of 7,200 professionals to its staff during the quarter. On a geographical basis, income from the US rose 16.1 per cent, in Europe by 35 per cent, and in the rest of the world by 28.4 per cent. Overall, year-on-year Cognizant earned $1 billion for the first time (Times of India May 7)

HCL Tech bags Norway deal

HCL Technologies has won a seven-year contract worth $400 million from Norway-based banking firm DNB Bank ASA to service its IT infrastructure services and applications operations across the globe. This is the biggest single deal the Indian technology firm has won in the 2013-14 fiscal. Under the contract HCL Technologies will provide IT support to the bank’s 2.5 million retail banking customers and end-users across all DNB’s products, including retail and online banking, cards, insurance, capital markets, payments and finance. As the prime services provider HCL will also be responsible for managing the operations and multiple vendors across the bank’s technology landscape. (Business Line May 8)

Adani Group in Australian hit

Australia’s Queensland state has approved the Adani Group’s 15.5-billion Australian dollar coal project in the GGalilee Basin. The expected approval of the Federal government in Canberra will seal the deal.

Adani is clearly playing it big.

(Business Line May 9).

Ratan Tata honoured by British high commissioner James Bevan (left) see comment page 3

LOCAL ELECTIONS

Have Your Say In This Local Election

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

Every British Indian household is busy debating about the 'Modification' of India, almost over shadowing the upcoming local elections in Britain on 22 May 2014.

Participation in local election, whether as a candidate or as a voter, is very important, especially as they affect our lives on a day to day basis. Whether it's council tax, education, social services, waste collection, planning and regulation- one ultimately has to turn to their local council.

This year there are many new candidates standing from different councils and wards.

However, a common trend in London boroughs shows that there are much less Hindu or Sikh candidates, though there is a surprise increase in Muslim representations.

For your perusal, here is a comprehensive (though not exhaustive) list of candidates from your community in your locality.

It is important that you vote and have your say in this upcoming elections. This is your country, and it's future, even at the grass root level, is entirely in your hands.

BARKING AND DAGENHAM COUNCIL

Abbey Labour - Laila Butt, Giasuddin Miah Conservative - Emran Hussain Chowdhury UKIP Local Residents - Tariq Saeed Albion Conservative - Jakir Hussain, Md. Neamat Ulla, Mohammed Sumsuz Zaman Becontree Labour - Faruk Choudary Chadwell Heath Jamil Miah Eastbury Pushpa Choudhury Labour - Hardial Singh Rai, Faraaz Shaukat Gascoigne Labour - Saima Ashraf, Abdul Aziz Conservative - Krishan Kumar Kar Goresbrook Conservative - Anjuna Hussain, Nadia Khatun Heath Conservative - Mohammed Miah Longbridge Ward Labour - Syed Ahammed UKIP Local Residents - Ruma Tahir Liberal Democrats - Mohammod Jalal Uddin Mayesbrook Conservative - Sufia Begum Labour - Kashif Haroon Parsloes Conservative - Zahanara Ali, Numaun Islam Chowdhury, Goyas Miah River Labour - Amardeep Singh Jamu Conservative - Husneara Majid Thames Conservative - Reba Begum, Bijan Dutta Valence Conservative - Ahia Ahmed Chowdhury Labour - Syed Feroz Ghani Whalebone Conservative - Juhel Ahmed BARNET COUNCIL

Burnt Oak Labour - Ammar Naqvi Childs Hill Conservative - Rohit Roshyan Grover Labour - Nila Patel Colindale Labour - Nagus Narenthira, Zakia Zubairi Coppetts Labour - Reema Patel East Finchley Labour - Arjun Kumar Mittra Finchley Church End Green Party - Vedantha Kumar UK Independence Party - Amir Latif Mill Hill Conservative - Sury Khatri Oakleigh Labour - Parmodh Sharma Conservative - Sachin Rajput Underhill Conservative - Michael Subramaniyam Labour - Amy Trevethan West Finchley Conservative - Ajantha Tharindra Kumari Tennakoon West Hendon Conservative - Ansuya Sodha Woodhouse Conservative - Mukesh Harilal Depala UK Independence Party - Karl Khan Green Party - Gardi Vaswani

BEXLEY COUNCIL

Belvedere Conservative - Amandeep Singh Bhogal, Pardeep Kaur Bhogal Northumberland Heath Labour - Baljeet Singh Gill BRENT COUNCIL

Alperton Borough Liberal Democrats - Samira Said Ahmed, Trusha Patel Green Party - Yusuf Akram Labour - Bhagwanji Hari Chohan, Mili Patel Conservative - Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury, Ramila Mistry

Barnhill Borough Labour - Shafique Choudhary Conservative - Janu Kotecha, Jahan Mahmoodi, Kanta Ratna Pindoria Dollis Hill Borough Labour - Parvez Ahmed, Arshad Mahmood Liberal Democrats - Mohammad Anwar Conservative - Rbee Mehmood, Suresh Prajapati, Gopal Sachdev Dudden Hill Borough Labour - Aslam Choudry, Krupesh Jadavji Hirani Conservative - Sanjay Patel Fryent Borough Conservative - Mick Iqbal, Amit Lakhani, Bhavisha Panchal Liberal Democrats - Arvind Patel, Murari Prasad Sharma Labour - Shama Shilesh Tatler Harsledon Borough Conservative - Brindanand Dass, Camadoo Arthi Prajapati, Vijaya Khimji Rabadia Kenton Borough Labour - Nadhim Ahmed, Syed Alam Conservative - Suresh Laxmidas Kansagra, Bhiku Mani Patel Mapesbury Borough Conservative - Samer Ahmedali Labour - Ahmad Shahzad Northpick Ward Borough Conservative - Kishan Devani, Harihar Patel Preston Borough Conservative - Harshadbhai Patel, Monica Patel Queensbury Borough Conservative - Jayanti Patel, Snehal Mehta, Kanta Mistry Labour - Ramesh Patel, Kana Naheerathan, Sandra Kabir Stonebridge Borough Conservative - Summer Jafferali, Rohit Natverlal Patel, Pritul Rabadia Liberal Democrats - Dineshkumar Shantilal Shah Labour - Zaffar Van Kalwala, Sabina Khan Sudbury Borough Conservative - Jessica Bhardwaj, Badrul Haque Labour - Aisha Saleha Hoda-Benn Green Party - Manish Patel Liberal Democrats - Deven Indulal Shah Tokyngton Borough Green Party - Khalid Akram Liberal Democrats - Vijya Parbat Bhudia, Naim Hasani, Chunilal Kalyanji Hirani Labour - Muhammed Asghar Butt, Ketan Sheth Conservative - Jimmy Desai, Mesbah Uddin

Welsh Harp Borough Labour - Amer Agha Green Party - Jafar Hassan UK Independence Party (UKIP) - Syed Iliyas Hussain Liberal Democrats - Patricia Ratnayake Wembley Central Borough Conservative - Mohammed Faruk Ahmed, Abirami Senthilnathan, Jyotshna Patel Liberal Democrats - Dhiraj Kataria Willesden Borough Conservative - Shahin Chowdhury Liberal Democrats - Ibrahim Jahangir, Mayanthie Wijesuriya BROMLEY COUNCIL

Bromley Town UK Independence Party - Rubina Badrudin Sutton Cray Valley East Labour - Marina Masuma Ahmad Orpington Labour - Md Golam Kabir Bhuiyan Petts Wood & Knoll Labour - Mohammed Kamruz Zaman CAMDEN COUNCIL

Hampstead Town Green Party - Prashant Bhaskar Vaze Belsize Labour - Harunur Rashid Gospel Oak Conservative - Sangita Singh Kentish Town Liberal Democrats - Omar Ali Haverstock Labour - Abdul Quadir Regents Park Conservative - Shahin Ahmed Labour - Nash Ali, Nadia Shah Liberal Democrats - Daviyani Rayshma Kothari St. Pancras and Somers Town Labour - Samata Khatoon Green Party - Koonal Kirit Shah Kings Cross Labour - Abdul Hai Bloomsbury Labour - Rishi Madlani Green Party - Shana Tufail CROYDON COUNCIL

Addiscombe Conservative - Partha Chatterjee Bensham Manor Labour - Humayun Kabir Conservative - Abdul Matin Talukdar Broad Green Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Ragesh Khakhira Conservative - Sophie Khan Green Party - Bimal Mohanan Liberal Democrats - Syed Arif Mohiuddin Labour - Manju Shahul-Hameed Coulsdon East Liberal Democrats - Arfan Bhatti Coulsdon West Conservative - Jeet Bains Croham Green Party - Shasha Khan Fairfield Liberal Democrats - Sasha Konechni Conservative - Vidhi Moha Green Party - Saima Raza Heathfield Green Party - Yasmin Halai-Carter Norbury Labour - Sherwan Chowdhury, Shafi Khan Green Party - Raj Mehta Conservative - Gurmit Singh Purley Conservative - Badsha Quadir Sanderstead Labour - Stella Nabukeera Selsdon and Ballards Labour - Chandra Babu Shirley Conservative - Richard Rishi Chatterjee Waddon Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Anindya Bhattacharya West Thornton Conservative - Samir Dwesar, Patrick Ratnaraja Labour - Bernadette Khan Woodside Labour - Hamida Ali Conservative - Mustafa Tary

EALING COUNCIL

13

Dormers Wells Liberal Democrat - Mojgan Ahmad Labour - Tej Ram Bagha, Tejinder Singh DhamiRanjit Dheer Ealing Broadway Green Party - Meena Hans Conservative - Seema Kumar East Acton Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Ravi Patel Labour - Hitesh Tailor Elthorne Liberal Democrat - Nigel Bakhai, Harjinder Singh Green Party - Suneil Basu Conservative - Anita Kapoor Greenford Broadway Conservative - Param Singh Bhatia Labour - Harbhajan Kaur Dheer Greenford Green Conservative - Jamila Bibi-Sarwar Labour - Aysha Raza Hanger Hill Labour - Amran Hussain Green Party - Ruby Visaria Lady Margaret Conservative - Chamkaur Singh Bhathal, Sarosh Khalil, Gurcharan Singh Labour - Mohinder Kaur Midha, Karam Mohan, Swaran Singh Padda Liberal Democrat - Keshav Narayan Sorathia North Greenford Conservative - Qazal Abbas, Gurinderjit Singh Khaira Labour - Shital Ved Parkash Manro Northfield Labour - Surinder Nath Northolt Mandeville Conservative - Paramjit Singh Anand Norwood Green Labour - Mohammad Aslam, Gurmit Kaur Mann, Rajinder Singh Mann Conservative - Neena Kapoor Liberal Democrat - Margaret Anthea Sharma Perivale Labour - Munir Ahmed, Tariq Mahmood, Charan Sharma Conservative - Madhava Kumar Turumella South Acton Conservative - Sara Kumar Southall Broadway Independent - Darshan Singh Bhinder Gurmail Singh Dokal Labour - Sarfraz Ahmed Khan, Sanjai Kohli, Kamaljit Kaur Nagpal Liberal Democrat - Gurpal Singh Kular Zahida Abbas Noori Manjit Singh Southall Green Conservative - Inderjit Anand, Avtar Chand Labour - Jasbir Kaur Anand, Kamaljit Singh Dhindsa, Swarn Singh Kang Walpole Conservative - Ashok Kumar Kapoor Labour - Binda Rai Addison Labour - Khafi Kareem Avonmore and Brook Green Labour - Zarar Qayyum College Park and Old Oak Liberal Democrats - Visuddha Bowatte Hammersmith Broadway Conservative - Asi Ahmed North End Labour - Ali Hashem Conservative - Nabil Najjar ENFIELD COUNCIL

Bowes Conservative - Atilla Arslan, Dimpi Dattani Labour - Yasemin Brett Enfield Highway Labour - Ahmet Hasan Conservative - Vijay Sujan Haselbury Labour - Suna Hurman Jubilee Labour - Rohini Simbodyal Conservative - Alok Agrawal Upper Edmonton Conservative - Mel Hussein Labour - Ali Bakir

14

LOCAL ELECTIONS

GREENWICH COUNCIL

Eltham South Labour - Sekhon Jagir Kaur Glyndon Conservative - Bhaval Upendra Patel Labour - Radha Rabadia Plumstead Labour - Rajinder Sehmar Shooters Hill Conservative - Amit Tiwari Woolwich Common Labour - Ambreen Hisbani, Harry Singh Woolwich Riverside Independent - Hamsa Yusuf HACKNEY COUNCIL

Hackney Downs Liberal Democrats - Mohammed Sadiq Hackney Wick Liberal Democrats - Ahmed Idris Homerton Independent - Shuruj Miah London Fields Green Party - Fatemeh Beyad Stoke Newington Liberal Democrats - Imtyaz Lunat Victoria Conservative-Rumi Begum, Shahi Dewan HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM

Addison Labour - Khafi Kareem Avonmore and Brook Green Labour - Zarar Qayyum College Park and Old Oak Liberal Democrats - Visuddha Bowatte Hammersmith Broadway Conservative - Asi Ahmed North End Labour - Ali Hashem HARINGEY COUNCIL

Alexandra Conservative - Ali Ismail, Mahi Parvin Bounds Green Liberal Democrats - Sakina Chenot, Ashleena Deike Conservative - Mity Ragnuth Harringay Liberal Democrats - Asha Kaur Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts - Kan Patel Northumberland Park Labour - Kaushika Amin Green Party - Mridu Thanki Seven Sisters Labour - Dhiren Basu Stoud Green Labour - Raj Sahota Tottenham Hale Liberal Democrats - Thuranie Aruliah West Green Liberal Democrats - Ramazan Alma Woodside Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts - Jack Gautami HARROW COUNCIL

Belmont Labour - Farhan Ahmed, Nishit Patel Conservative - Manjibhai Kara, Mina Parmar Independent Labour Group - Smita Patel, Ashwin Trivedi Canons Liberal Democrat - Natoo Bhana Labour - Yogalingam Dayanamby, Anjali Raval Conservative - Ameet Jogia, Amir Moshenson, Bharat Thakker Edgware Conservative - Akil Dhalla, Sima Halai Labour - Nitin Parekh Independent Labour Group - Meghal Patel Greenhill Independent Labour Group - Kamal Mirza, Imran Iqbal Qureshi Conservative - Narinder Singh Mudhar, Ravi Sodha Harrow on the Hill Independent Labour Group - Jamal Khalif Ahmed, Shivakuru Selvathurai Labour - Raj Pudasaini, Sadiqur Rahman Harrow Weald Conservative - Ramji Chauhan, Pritesh Patel Labour - Shohidul Choudhury

Independent Labour Group - Tahir Ali Hashmi Hatch End Labour - Samir Juthani Liberal Democrat - Dolly Nandhra Headstone South Independent Labour Group - Dushka Ahmad Conservative - Prakash Chhotalal Raja, Pravin Kumar Seedher Labour - Sasi Suresh Kenton East Conservative - Viomini Amin, Anjana Patel Labour - Niraj Dattani, Aneka Shah Independent Labour Group - Krishna James, Savitri Panwar, Manju Parmar, Kenton West Independent Labour Group - Manish Bharadia, Kavita Patel, Adeel Umair Riaz Labour - Mrinal Choudhury, Ajay Maru Conservative - Vina Vipin Mithani, Kanti Rabadia, Yogesh Ratilal Teli Marlborough Independent - Asif Iqbal Independent Labour Group - Rehana Khanum Labour - Varsha Parmar Pinner Green Party - Karen Pillai Pinner South Conservative - Kam Chana Labour - Ash Dharmasingham Queensbury Independent Labour Group - Sanjay Karia Conservative - Bharat Mistri, Panna Raja Labour - Kiran Ramchandani, Sachin Shah Rayners Lane Independent Labour Group - Ratneswary Muthukumar, Vaithilingam Pathmanathan Liberal Democrat - Pash Nandhra Labour - Krishna Suresh Roxborne Liberal Democrats - Marshel Amutharasan Independent Labour Group - Mano Dharmarajah, Nilesh Jobanputra, Sajid Navaid Khokher Roxeth Independent Labour Group - Thaya Idaikkadar, Zarina Khalid, Sukhi Mukhal Conservative - Mohammad Kaiserimam, Dinesh Babubhai Solanki Labour - Primesh Patel Wealdstone Independent Labour Group - Asrar Ahmad, Paresha Panchal Labour - Rekha Shah West Harrow Independent Labour Group - Ananda Hapuarachchige Jay, Sudesh Sembukutti Conservative - Kanagasabaapathy KuhaKumaran Labour - Kareema Marikar HAVERING COUNCIL

Mawneys Conservative - Dilip Patel

HILLINGDON COUNCIL

Barnhill Labour - Kanwal Dheer, Jasjot Singh Local Conservatives - Sarwan Singh Heer Brunel Labour - Laween Atroshi, Jagjit Kaur Brar Local Conservatives - Roy Chamdal Liberal Democrats - Suryakant Bhavinchandra Purohit, Hetal Bhavindchandra Purohit Harefield Independent - Atul Sodha Heathrow Villages Labour - Manjit Kaur Khatra Local Conservatives - Heena Makwana Hillingdon East Labour - Raheela Butool Ickenham Liberal Democrats - Kim Mathulla Mathen Manor Labour - Shashi Mathur Northwood Labour - Mahan Singh Dhillon Northwood Hills Northwood Hills Community Champions Nilesh Dodhia Uk Independence Party - Heidi Rao Pinkwell Labour - Jazz Dhillon, Kuldeep Kaur Lakhmana Townfield Labour - Robin Sansarpuri

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

Uxbridge North Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Zahra Salman Asif Liberal Democrats - Nasim Aijaz Khan Uxbridge South Imran Khursheed – Labour West Drayton Naman Purewal – Local Conservatives Yeading Labour - Mohinder Singh Birah, Narinder Kumari Garg, Jagjit Singh Yiewsley Labour - Parminder Kaur Local Conservatives - Shehryar Wallana

HOUNSLOW COUNCIL Bedfont Labour - Sachin Gupta Liberal Democrats - Jin Jhooto Conservative Party - Gursh Sandhu Brentford Liberal Democrats - Mona Zahra Naqvi Chiswick Riverside Green Party - Rachhpaul Bedi Labour Party - Rasheed Bhatti, Rakib Ruhel Cranford Conservative Party - Sarbjit Singh, Javaid Iqbal Labour Party - Daanish Saeed, Sohan Singh Sangha, Gurpal Singh Virdi Liberal Democrats - Ray Sekhon Feltham North Conservative Party - Gurbachan Singh Athwal, Abdul Majid Labour Party - Khulique Ahmed Malik, Hina Mir Feltham West Conservative Party - Anand Kumar Rai Hanworth Conservative Party - Shakil Ahmed, Koisor Khan, Nanda Kumara Ratnayake Labour Party - Samia Chaudhary Hanworth Park Labour Party - Bishnu Gurkha Gurung, Hanif Ahmad Khan Conservative Party - Paul Jabbal Heston Central Labour Party - Harleen Atwal Hear, Manjit Singh Buttar Conservative Party - Amarjit Singh Dhillon, Radhesham Karwal, Karamat Ali Labour Party - Surinder Singh Purewal Heston East Conservative Party - Sati Bansal Labour Party - Kamaljit Kaur, Gurmail Singh Lall, Amrit Mann Conservative Party - Rehana Siddiqi Heston West Labour Party - Rajinder Singh Bath, Shantanu Singh Rajawat Conservative Party - Baljinder Singh Panesar, Harinder Singh Sahota, Herdeep Singh Hounslow Central Labour Party - Ajmer Grewal, Pritam Singh Grewal, Nisar Ahmed Malik Conservative Party - Maneesh Singh, Raj Tangri Hounslow Heath Labour Party - Mukesh Malhotra Hounslow South Labour Party - Shaida Mehrban Hounslow West Labour Party - Bandna Chopra, Puneet Grewal, Jagdish Rai Sharma Ajmer Singh Dhillon Conservative Party - Jagir Singh Sandhu, Mandip Singh Thind Isleworth Sana Jarche Osterley and Spring Grove Labour Party - Unsa Kausar Chaudri Conservative Party - Ajoy Gosain Syon Conservative Party - Ranjit Gill ISLINGTON COUNCIL

Barnsbury Labour - Jilani Chowdhury Bunhill Robert Khan Canonbury Liberal Democrats - Mihir Magudia Clerkenwell Liberal Democrats - Tahmid Rahman Chowdhury, Alan Shan Muhammed Holloway Labour - Rakhia Ismail Junction Conservative - Riddhi Bhalla St Georges Labour - Satnam Gill

KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA COUNCIL

Abingdon Labour - Tina Alkaff Earl's Court Labour - Junaed Khan

KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES COUNCIL

Alexandra Labour - Niranjan Ranil Antoine Jayasundera Liberal Democrat Focus Team - Haran Kailasapillai Berrylands Liberal Democrat Focus Team - Sushila Abraham Labour - Amina Rasool Beverley Conservative - Raju Pandya Canbury Green Party - Tariq Shabbeer Labour - Nisha Ravindra Tailor Chessington South Liberal Democrat Focus Team - Shiraz Mirza Coombe Hill Conservative - Gaj Wallooppillai Coombe Vale Conservative - Roy Arora Labour - Sushil Kumar Pallen Grove Ward Liberal Democrat Focus Team - Shoaib Bajwa St James Conservative - Priyen Patel St Marks Conservative - Jack Cheetham, Pratik Shah Liberal Democrat Focus Team - Yogan Yoganathan Surbiton Hill Conservative - Ronak Pandya Tolworth and Hook Rise Liberal Democrat Focus Team - Thay Thayalan LAMBETH COUNCIL

Clapham Common Liberal Democrats - Ruhi Hayat-Khan Gipsy Hill Labour - Niranjan Francis Conservative - Ali Kayikkiran Oval Ward Conservative - Pawan Sharma St Leonard's Labour - Saleha-Begum Streatham Hill Labour - Rezina Akhtar Chowdhury Streatham South Liberal Democrats - Nazir Ahmed, Ahmad Ali LEWISHAM COUNCIL

Whitefoot Liberal Democrats - Vijay Naidu MERTON COUNCIL

Merton Park Liberal Democrat - Nazir Ahmad Malik St Helier Labour - Imran Uddin Hillside Ward Liberal Democrat - Mohammed Hasan Pollards Hill Conservative - Imran Kali Longthornton Conservative - Hamna Qureshi Raynes Park Labour - Praful Nargund Lower Morden Liberal Democrat - Ashraf Asif Abbey UK Independence Party - Rathy Alagaratnam Whitefoot Liberal Democrats - Vijay Naidu NEWHAM LONDON COUNCIL

Beckton Conservative- Syed Ahmed Labour- Ayesha Chowdhury Boleyn Conservative- Yasir Asif, Yaseen Farmer, Jamal Uddin Labour- Obaid Khan, Harvinder Singh Virdee

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014 Custom House Labour- Rokhsana Fiaz Communities United-Najma Saher Conservative- Naz Uddin East Ham Central Labour: Unmesh Desai Conservative: Abdul Motin East Ham North Conservative- Biju Gopinath, Ilyas Sharif Christian Peoples Alliance- Moriamo Sadiq Labour- Paul Duraisamy Sathianesan Trade Unionist and Socilaist CoalitionKeerthikan Thennavan East Ham South Conservative- Kamal Hussain, Nasima Khatun Forest Gate North Conservative- Shaeb Khan Forest Gate South Conservative- Asif Choudhury Labour- Masihullah Patel Green Street East Conservative- Ashfaq Ahmed, Shahan Ahmed, Kamran Qureshi Labour: Mukesh Patel, Rohima Rahman Green Street West Conservative: Saiful Choudhury Labour Party: Tahmina Rahman Little Ilford Ajab Khan – Conservative Farah Nazeer – Labour Attic Rahman – Conservative Manor Park Conservative- Rahima Khatun, Abdul Rafiz Labour - Salim Patel, Amarjit Singh Plaistow South Labour- Ahmed Noor Conservative-Abdul Salam Stratford and New Town Conservative- Bilal Hassan, Jawad Khan, Biju Koshy Liberal Democrats-Gopinathan Benoy, Shakila Masih, Arunasalam Pirapaharan Christian Peoples Alliance-Amal Raj Kakumanu, Sashir Raj Kakumanu, Sharmila Sundar Swarna Independent- Bob Singh Mudhar REDBRIDGE COUNCIL

Aldborough Conservative-Thane Thaneswaran Barkingside Labour-Ayub Khan, Vinaya Kumari Sharma Bridge Labour-Shushila Patel Chadwell Labour- Aziz Ahmed Choudhury Liberal Democrats- Naren Dattani Conservative-Bharat Laljibhai Parmar, Mohammed Nazim Uddin Clayhall Labour: Shamshia Ali, Gurdial Bhamra, Sanjib Bhattacharjee Conservative: Nathan Pathmanathan Liberal Democrats: Harjinder Singh Clementswood Conservative- Jahangir Ahmed, Habib Rehman Liberal Democrats-Ajaz Akram, Zahid Butt, Sanjeev Kumar Patel The Green Party-Wilson Chowdhry Labour Party-Zulfiqar Hussain Cranbrook Labour- Ahmed Mushtaq,Varinder Singh Bola Conservative- Mahboob Chaudhary, Ashok Kumar Fairlop Labour-Davinder Singh Nijjar,Muhammad Raza Fulwell Ward: Labour- Baljit Kaur Panesar Goodmayes Conservative-Mohammed Asif, Arvind Bhadresa, Pradip Solanki Loxford Independent Loxford-Saima Butt, Virendra Tewari Conservative-Adnan Anward Chaudhary Labour-Taifur Rashid Mayfield Labour: Jas Athwal, Ayodhiya Parkash Conservative-Nisha Patel Newbury Conservative- Afsor Hussain, Vijay Thurairajah Labour-Thavathuray Jeyaranjan

Roding Labour Party-Rahman Siddique Sevin Kings Consevative- Mosheraf Ashraf Liberal Democrats-Sadiq Yakub Kothia Labour- Baldesh Kaur Nijjar Valentines Labour- Khayer Chowdhury Liberal Democrats-Shoaib Patel Green- Gurdeep Sahota Conservative-Atul Sharma

LOCAL ELECTIONS

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RICHMOND UPON THAMES COUNCIL

Barnes Labour-Su Patel South Richmond Labour-Sachin Patel

SOUTHWARK COUNCIL

Cathedrals Labour-Sirajul Islam Chaucer Labour-Vijay Luthra East Dulwich Labour- Cassim Bakharia Faraday All People's Party-Alhaji Kanumansa Nunhead Labour- Sunil Chopra All People's Party- Mariam Yusuff The Lane Conservative- Ami Aupadhyay Labour Party- Jamille Mohammed

SUTTON COUNCIL Beddington North Labour-Nawaz Ahmad Conservative- Anusha Vamadeva Stonecot Unionist and Socialist Coalition- Livvy Najman Conservative Party- Sheena Munsami Sutton North Conservative Party-Mukesh Rao Wallington South Green Party-Rosa Rajendran TOWER HAMLETS COUNCIL

Bethnal Green Tower Hamlets First-Babu Chowdhury, Salim Ullah Labour-Shafiqul Haque, Sirajul Islam Conservative- Taz Kha'lique, Meera Amrish Patel Liberal Democrat- Kamrun Shahjahan Blackwall and Cubitt Town Conservative-Geeta Mohan Kasanga Tower Hamlets First-Faruk Khan, Hifzur Rahman Labour-Anisur Rahman Bow East Labour-Amina Ali Tower Hamlets First-Abdus Salam Bow West Independent-Anwar Ahmed Khan Conservative-SM Safiul Azam Labour-Asma Begum Tower Hamlets First-Jainal Chowdhury Liberal Democrat-Altaf Hussain Bromley North Labour-Khales Uddin Ahmed, Zenith Rahman Tower Hamlets First-Mohammed Mufti Miah, Syed Monirizzaman Bromley South Tower Hamlets First-Kobir Ali, Syeda Choudhury Conservative-Srikanth Rajgopal Labour- Helal Uddin Canary Wharf Tower Hamlets First-Ahmed Hussain, Maium Miah Labour Party-Shubo Hussain Island Gardens Labour-Raju Rahman Tower Hamlets First-Bellal Uddin Lansbury Tower Hamlets First-Ohid Ahmed, Shuily Akhtar Labour-Rajib Ahmed, Shiria Khatun Conservative- Mohammed Riaz Limehouse Tower Hamlets First-Mashuk Ahmed Mile End Conservative-Mushtak Abdullah, Jewel Islam Tower Hamlets First-Shah Alam,

Mohammed Shahid Ali, Mustak Syed Trade Unionist and Social Coalition-Arzoo Miah Labour-Motin Un-Zaman Poplar Ward Tower Hamlets First-Kibria Choudhury Labour-Kahar Choudhury Shadwell Liberal Democrat-Monowara Begum Tower Hamlets First-Rabina Khan, Harun Miah Labour-Mamun Rashid, Farhana Zaman Spitafields and Banglatown Labour-Helal Uddin Abbas, Tarik Khan Tower Hamlets First-Suluk Ahmed, Gulam Robbani St. Dunstan's Tower Hamlets First-Rofique Ahmed, Mahbub (mamun) Alam Peace party-Abdul Munim Choudhury Liberal Democrat-Koyes Uzzaman Choudhury Labour-Ayas Miah, Abdal Ullah St Katherine's and Wapping Tower Hamlets First-Ahad Miah St Peter's Liberal Democrat-Azizur Rahman Khan Tower Hamlets First-Abjol Miah, Muhammad Ansar Mustaquim, Aktaruz Zaman Labour-Sanu Miah Stepney Green Labour- Sabina Akhtar Tower Hamlets First- Alibor Choudhury, Oliur Rahman Weavers Tower Hamlets First-Kabir Ahmed, Yousef Khan Labour- Abdul Chunu Mukit Whitechapel Labour-Faruque Mahfuz Ahmed , Jamalur Rahman Tower Hamlets First- Shahed Ali, Abul Asad, Aminur Khan WALTHAM FOREST COUNCIL

Cathall Labour Party - Naheed Asghar Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Marijerla Ratnaseelan Forest Liberal Democrat Focus Team - Arfan Abrahim, Farooq Qureshi Labour - Shabana Dhedhi Grove Green Labour - Khevyn Limbajee Liberal Democrat Focus Team - Imran Khan Mahmood, Naser Masood Hale End and Highams Park Conservative - Darshan Singh Sunger High Street Labour - Raja Anwar Liberal Democrat Focus Team- Mahmood Akhtar Hussain Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Senan Uthayasenan Hoe Street Liberal Democrat Focus Team - Jahanara Azim Labour - Ahsan Khan, Saima Mahmud Lea Bridge Labour - Masood Ahmad, Mohammad Asghar Leytonstone Liberal Democrat Focus Team - Suleman

Naseem Ahmed, Sadia Mirza Markhouse Labour Valley - Johar Khan, Asim Mahmood Labour - Akta Beg Liberal Democrats - Shahnaz Malik William Morris Labour - Nadeem Ali Liberal Democrats - Qaisar Iqbal Wood Street Liberal Democrats - Maqsood Akhtar, Sahar Masih WANDSWORTH COUNCIL Graveney Conservative - Rakesh Mazumdar Tooting Conservative - Shakeel Ahmed Syed West Hill Labour - Basheer Khan WESTMINSTER COUNCIL

Bayswater Labour - Hussain Ahmed Conservative - Suhail Rahuja Harrow Road Labour - Nilavra Mukerji Conservative - Hartej Singh Maida Vale Labour - Rita Begum Regent's Park Conservative - Gotz Mohindra Warwick Nurul Islam Westbourne Labour - Papya Qureshi

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION

Election of eight members of the European Parliament for the London Region Statement of parties and individual candidates nominated and Notice of Poll List of Parties with Asian Candidates An Independence from Europe Munpreet Bhathal Animal Welfare Party Dimple Patel Ranjan Kumar Joshi Christian Peoples Alliance Sharmilla Sundar Swarna Communities United Party Kamran Malik Humera Kamran Idris Aden Ali Sunita Kaur Singh Conservative Syed Salah Kamall Green Party Haroon Saad Shahrar Ali Labour Kamaljeet Jandu Liberal Democrats Anuja Prashar National Liberal Party – True Liberalism Jagdeesh Singh Sockalingam Yogalingam Upkar Singh Rai

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

Unemployment, Poverty, and Illiteracy major issue in Bihar

Mayuri Dave

GENERAL ELECTION 2014

(NDA) formed the government. In the fourteenth Lok Sabha elections held in 2004, United Progressive Alliance was the winning party, while NDA took the lead in 2009.

Major issues of the state are declining GDP growth, Maoism, unemployment, poverty and illiteracy. As per recent data, the state has

With 40 Lok Sabha seats, Bihar is one of the big states in the country to decide the fate of ruling party at the centre, when it comes of India’s general elections. However, after almost 67 years of independence major issues in the state still hovers around unemployment, poverty and illiteracy.

Located in the eastern part of India, Bihar is surrounded by West Bengal in the east and Uttar Pradesh in the west. In the north, the state is bordered by Nepal and in the south by Jharkhand. In 2000, the southern part of Bihar was sub-divided and the state of Jharkhand was born.

All the major political parties are having presence in the state. Apart from three major parties BJP, Congress and Janata Dal (United), regional parties like Rashtriya Janata Dal (Lalu Yadav), Lok Janshakti Party, Bihar’s People’s Party, Bihar Vikas Party, Kisan Vikas Dal, Sampurna

Vikas Dal etc are active to have their pie in the power game.

The first election was held in 1951 with Congress as the winning party. It continued to be the winning party in the Lok Sabha elections till 1989. In the twelfth and the thirteenth Lok Sabha Elections held in 1998 and 1999, the National Democratic Alliance

recorded a GDP growth of 8.82% in 2013-14, while in 2012-13 it was 15.05%. This decline is a cause of concern as Bihar is still much below its potential and can keep growing at a faster rate.

The state has witnessed a major attack by the CPI (Maoist) when the insurgents looted ammunition and arms from the police of Bihar. It was the biggest loot of 2013 in India by the Maoists.

Lucknow: BSP supremo Mayawati ruled out extending any kind of support to the BJP-led NDA government in the event of the party coming to power after the Lok Sabha polls. The former UP chief minister also said that the BJP has realised that it might not be able to form the government and that there is no Modi wave as claimed in the media.

"BJP leader Narendra Modi in his recent interview had claimed that if needed he might seek support of AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa, TMC's Mamata Banerjee and BSP national president...I want to make it clear that BSP will not extend any kind of support to NDA at any cost," Mayawati told reporters.

"When elections started, Modi was claiming that NDA will not require support of any other party. No party talks about taking support of any other party unless it is unsure of its victory...The interview of Modi is a ploy to create confusion in the minds of minority community which are voting for us," she said.

More than 500m people voted in India’s vast general election, and opinion polls seem certain that there is a clear favourite to win. These formal surveys have, however, repeatedly been proven wrong, and those seeking additional advice could do worse than ask one of the country’s unofficial political pundits: the underground bookmakers. In keeping with popular sentiment, bookmakers are predicting a victory for Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate for the opposition Bharatiya Janata party (BJP). They have stopped taking bets on Rahul Gandhi, after an unexpectedly high volume of wagers against the ruling Congress party hopeful upset their financial calculations. “It has become big this year because of the Modi fever that’s running around,” one bookie says of gambling on the election. “The scene has exploded.”

Though gambling is largely illegal in India a vast illicit trade exists, valued by KPMG at about $60bn. It is unquestionably dominated by cricket, the national obsession, but political betting remains popular – and tends to

command bigger wagers.

“Sports betting is a common man’s game,” says one bookmaker, “the election betting is mainly middle-class and people associated with politics directly or indirectly.” Currently, bookmakers are offering odds of 35 paise on Modi, which means a Rs100 ($1.67) bet would yield just Rs135 if the BJP favourite is declared prime minister after results are revealed on Friday. By contrast, punters who place Rs100 on Arvind Kejriwal, leader of the fledgling Aam Aadmi party (AAP), will receive a staggering Rs. 50,100 in the highly unlikely event he leads India’s next government.

One bookmaker claims that he personally had a spread bet in which he sold BJP seats at 241 for Rs 5,000 a seat. He stands to lose Rs 5,000 for every seat the opposition party wins above 241 seats, but he will win Rs 5,000 per seat if the BJP wins 240 seats or less in the 545-member parliament. They may be working in an underground industry, but India’s illegal bookmakers are respected for their predictions in both the sporting and political world.

Maya rules out support to Modi

ANALYSIS

Ram Vilas Paswan

Shatrughan Sinha

Laloo Prasad Yadav

Sushil Kumar Modi

Nitish Kumar

Voters put India’s political future in ballot

India will remain sec

Charusmita

The election fever in India is taking an unprecedented gigantic form and is being touted as having the most polarised-voter base in the history of Indian elections.

programmes such as Newsnight, spoke about the framework and activities of the Lok-Sabha elections 2014 in India. Gracing the occasion was the British MP Virendra Sharma as the Chief Guest. The venue, the

Kailash Budhwar

Virendra Sharma

Kailash Budhwar, former head of the BBC World Service (Hindi and Tamil) and a regular commentator on South Asian politics for

Nehru Centre (Indian High Commission’s cultural centre), was thronged by Indians and British Asians who were eager to understand, contex-

tualise and make sense of the most anticipated political event of this year.

With around 814 million people voting to elect the nation’s leader, India will witness the largest election ever, in the world. A week ahead of the poll results on 16th of May, Mr. Budhwar’s talk shed light on the major players in the electoral exercise, the importance of democracy and the significance of coming out to vote. An important clarification was made regarding democracy in practice and the voting process- about how voting alone does not guarantee a successful democracy but is definitely the first step towards achieving a healthy one.

The talk began with the explanation of the framework of these elections and he

BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has accused the Congress party for its alleged alliance with crime tainted political parties. Congress, especially its President Sonia Gandhi and Vice-president Rahul Gandhi were under fire for a seatsharing deal with India’s most crime tainted political party headed by Lalu Prasad Yadav in their attempt to hold on to power in polls that concluded on12th May. Modi highlighted the scale of alleged criminality among the Congress Party’s closest ally, against which it does not field its own candidates. Yadav was previously jailed after being convicted for his part in siphoning £200 million in government funds for non-existent livestock, so is now personally banned from running for office in this election. More than 70 per cent of his party’s candidates face unresolved criminal charges against them, ranging from corruption and theft to extortion and murder.

At a rally in Bihar, the northern state that is Yadav’s stronghold, Modi taunted the Congress leaders for keeping Lalu at arm’s length. “Do you see Lalu sitting with them?

Everything they do is behind curtains,” he said. Most notorious of the RJD party’s candidates is Pappu Yadav, a senior figure unrelated to its leader, who has been named by an election watchdog as the candidate facing the highest number of criminal cases.

A four-time MP, he served five years of a life sentence for the murder of a political rival until he was cleared on appeal. At his nomination, he declared he had been accused

in more than 80 criminal cases, including 24 for serious offences including attempted murder, kidnapping and extortion under the threat to kill.

As he campaigned in his Saharsa constituency in an open top car garlanded with marigolds, Yadav, in white trousers and a pink shirt, waved to voters and beckoned them forward to receive his “blessings”. During a break from campaigning, flanked by burly members of his Yuva Shakti (Youth Power) bodyguard organisation dressed in black safari suits, he denied he had ever killed anyone, kidnapped or practised extortion.

He said he had a bad reputation because he had been a youth leader who stood up for his backward Yadav caste when its members were attacked by Brahmins over the government’s introduction of quotas for government jobs and college places for them.

He said he was caught up in a “caste war” in the early 1990s in which more than 12 people, including a policeman, had been killed.

Because of that involvement,

he had been branded as a “strongman”, an Indian euphemism for a gangster.

He had no option but to fight, he said. “I regret that and have remorse for that. A policeman was killed during that struggle ... I was on the verge of losing my life,” he said, adding that he had exercised leadership to “avoid bloodshed”.

“If everyone ran away from the dirt and filth of politics, how would people like Jesus be produced? I fought for the people’s cause and that was why I was persecuted,” he said.

According to the Association for Democratic Reforms, which scrutinises candidates’ personal and financial records, one in three of BJP candidates and 27 per cent of Congress contestants also face criminal charges.

Even the anti-corruption Aam Admi (Common Man) Party has chosen alleged criminals as candidates in one in six constituencies. In the association’s analysis of the seventh of the nine phase election, which was held last week, it identified 222 of 1292 candidates facing criminal charges.

Narendra Modi jeers at Congress over poll alliance with alleged criminal

SPECIAL

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

cular and democratic gave some interesting statistics which had evaded public memory – like the 2 seats apart from the 543 Lok S a b h a

which a r e reserved for Anglo-Indian members, in case they don’t get elected within the initial 543 ones. He highlighted the

geographical and infrastructural complexities which make the election process hard to conduct but despite such challenges, India is all set to elect its 16th Lok Sabha (House of the People in the Indian

Parliament) in May 2014.

Regarding the concerns around the anticipated threat of antisecular sentiments around the NDA’s Prime Ministerial candidate, he said that it does not matter who comes to power in these elections as they will not be able to destroy the sanctity of the pluralism that has always existed in India. Secularism as the political tool of communication, according to Mr. Budhwar will not be able to disturb the age old harmony among the Indian citizens.

Mr. Budhwar also talked about the role of the youth in the current elections. Given the record breaking registration of young voters this elective season, he foresees a substantial role of the youth in Indian elections. He sees this as an indication of a stronger youth connection and awareness towards facilitating development and an improvement in the standard of living. Stating that technology has made it possible to measure and compare such indicators across countries, Mr. Budhwar concluded by predicting that these are the parameters that will measure and decide the future of India. This talk was followed by a few words by the British MP Virendra Sharma who maintained that the British government would be happy to be associated with the elected leadership of the government of India, irrespective of individual party ideologies.

great deal of his plans for jobs. Growth has been above 7 per cent for most of the Congress years but, inconveniently, dipped below 5 per cent just before the election.

Investment levels have stalled and the historic Congress tendency to over regulate the economy has been in evidence.

The voters also spontaneously voice the two other great failings of the Congress party. The corruption that is

had become a puppet of his party’s president, Sonia Gandhi, have diminished Singh’s governing authority at the same time as confirming the untoward influence of the dynasty. Much of the attraction of Modi is that he styles himself as an outsider to this kind of Delhi elite politics. Finally, there is another sense in which the Congress party no longer stands for India.

Paradoxically, Congress has failed to come

Corruption tainted Congress set to lose the general election

The 814 million eligible Indian voters are largely delivering a negative verdict on the Congress party government, which they are in the process of kicking out. In fact the corruption tainted congress party is proving the adage of democratic elections right – Lost by governments rather than won by oppositions.

The final phase of voting completed in Calcutta, a city where crumbling 19th century palaces rub up beside sprawling slums, will have the final say. The result of the great Indian Poll will be announced on 16th May. Nowhere in India lives and breathes politics as does Calcutta, where 22 per cent of people live on less than 27 rupees (27p) per day, forcing many to rely on party links for access to basic services and handouts. Turnout is expected to hit 80 per cent, compared with 53 per cent in Mumbai and 65 per cent in Delhi. Six weeks after the first ballots were cast, Narendra Modi, the Hindu nationalist leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is favourite to become the next prime minister.

The promise of the Congress party, ever since independence in 1947, has been that it would deliver economic justice for all Indians. Progress on that count has been painfully slow and is likely to produce a terrible reckoning for Congress.

Over the past two decades India, despite a growth rate well over 5 per cent a year, has fallen behind poorer nations such as Bangladesh on measures such as child nutrition. Modi has made a

NDA is about development, not religion or caste

A strong BJP supporter Cllr Dr. Neeraj Patil became the first Mayor of Asian origin in the London Borough of Lambeth from 2010-2011.

A consultant in Accident and Emergency Medicine, Dr Patil spoke exclusively to Asian Voice about India's ongoing elections, in reference to his recent visit to India.

Commenting on the need for a change of government in India, Dr Patil said, “The economic growth in India has fallen from 10% to 5% in India.

Partly perhaps because of the global economic slowdown, but when there is a 50% reduction in growth, the government has to take some blame for it.

Tackling unemployment and inflation have been a big failure. Also, in parts of rural India, you have basic problems such as drinking water, electricity, and food to eat.”

He also expressed his concern that people have become hugely distrustful of politicians in the last 10 years, mainly due to the large scale corruption that takes place. “People are very disappointed because they see their hopes and aspirations have been let down by all the governments. Their trust in politics has hit rock bottom, no matter what political party you come from.

There is a lot of corruption everywhere, which is affecting the growth and prosperity of the nation.

People are fed up. They want to see things get better even if one step at a time. And Narendra Modi has been able to achieve

that in Gujarat and that is why he's been getting elected.”

Mr Patil suggested that the only way the world’s largest democracy can be restored is if the common man backs political parties that will make a difference. He said, “People in India are good at judging politicians. So if you can show even a little bit of difference, they'll give you the benefit of the doubt. In the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime, no matter who becomes the Prime Minister, the remote control is in the hands of the Gandhi family. This won't happen in National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The new government that is likely to form, doesn't talk about religion or caste, it only talks about business and development.”

Addressing the misconceptions surrounding the notion of Hindutva, Dr Patil emphasised, “Hindutva presents the

BJP's conception of Indian nationhood. It is not a religious or theocratic concept. It's about “Indianness” or Hindutva, about promoting Indian culture and heritage, including the native Indian Muslim, Christian and Sikh cultures. There is a growing concern amongst native Indians about the erosion of native Indian culture and heritage. It is important that the native “Indianness” or Hindutva is preserved.”

On his predictions, Mr Patil said, “All the opinion polls predict a BJP victory.

The challenge is that if the NDA want to push forward its manifesto, it must get 270 seats. If they get any less than that, they will have a coalition.

If this happens, their manifesto will dilute. The challenge is whether the magic figure of 270 will be reached, not whether NDA is going to come to power, as they will surely come to power.”

New Delhi: Finally the curtain came down on marathon Lok Sabha elections with an all-time record high turnout of 66.38 per cent as the final phase of polling covering 41 seats in three states replicated the trend of increased voters' participation seen in the previous 8 rounds.

The overall turnout in all the nine phases of polling this year stood at 66.38 per cent, posting the highest in the history of LS elections, surpassing the previous best of 64.01 per cent in 1984inthewakeoftheassassinationof the then prime minister Indira Gandhi. Turnout in 2009 was 58.19 per cent.

The polling on Monday in 18 seats of Uttar Pradesh, 17 in West Bengal and six in Bihar

was by and large peaceful barring stray violence.

The highest polling on Monday was recorded in West Bengal, where stakes are high for TMC hoping to retain all 14 of 17 seats decided in the last phase.

Bihar registered the second highest turnout with 58 per cent followed

by Uttar Pradesh 55.29 percent. The turnout in Varanasi, one of the the most high-profile constituencies where Narendra Modi is pitted against AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal and Congress' Ajai Rai, was pegged at 55.34 percent.Overninecrorevoters wereeligible to seal the fate of 606 candidates, including Modi, Kejriwal and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav in the ninth phase of polling.

Two Bihar BJP leaders filed separate cases against Priyanka Vadra for her neech rajniti (lowlevel politics) barb at Narendra Modi even as Rahul Gandhi countered the saffron offensive over the remark, saying people’s actions are low, not their caste. The controversy over the remark also refused to die down with BJP and Congress sniping at each other. BJP Bihar unit’s General Secretary Surajnandan Mehta filed a case in Patna alleging that the remarks would promote enmity between groups and lead to breach of peace. The head of state BJP fishermen community cell Arjun Sahni filed a case in the court of Darbhanga Chief Judicial Magistrate Shailendra Pandey against her levelling similar charges.

Last phase wraps up Lok Sabha polls with 66%

endemic in Indian democracy is the greatest threat to the country’s development. The barriers to India’s growth are infrastructure, public health and better education — all of them questions of public policy. Corrupt government is therefore not just bad and illegitimate in itself. It is a direct economic problem.

This is linked to the second problem. The long rule of the Gandhi family has ceased to be a virtue for Congress and has now become a burden. Deriving from India’s first prime minister, Nehru, rather than Mahatma Gandhi, dynastic politics may have reached the end of the bloodline with the catastrophic performance in this election campaign of the latest scion, Rahul Gandhi.

Reports that the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh,

to terms with an India that it has had a big hand in creating. India has myriad social problems but it has also seen huge income growth and the creation of a large class of aspirational voters. In concentrating its policies on subsidised work schemes and food handout programmes, Congress is appealing to a dwindling proportion of the electorate.

India is not yet, to recall an old BJP election slogan, shining. It is, however, changing rapidly and the Congress party will have to change with it. It needs to abandon hereditary politics, get a proper grip on corruption and modernise its economic approach. As the last voters go to the polls in the world’s largest democracy, they are making it pay the price for stagnating.

17

Cases against Priyanka

18

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

Dear Financial Voice Reader,

India and Britain marching on together. I mean with their stock markets hitting highs. I write to you from Delhi, after visiting the financial capital Mumbai.

These are the highlights: The FTSE 100 and the Bombay Sensex are at highs.

In the UK giants such as AstraZeneca and Sage and Barratt are leading the way. In India it is the giants like Hero, Infosys, TCS, Maruti, Bajaj Auto, Tata Steel.

In both countries the breadth and diversity of companies adding wealth is clear. In both countries growth is expected to rise (albeit for different reasons).

In both countries the Governments are well into their terms – and by the time you read this indeed in India the old Government will have gone.

In both countries the rising stocks are not all international, but quite a few of them focus purely on their domestic markets – like Barratt in the UK and Hero Honda in India.

You may find this startling given all the criticism of both governments is that their economic policies have hurt growth, that the cost of living is increasing and people have less and less disposable incomes. Yet the facts are that it will be under the Congress Government that the Indian stock market will have hit its all time highs.

So what is the outlook? Most definitely the expectations are so great on any new Indian government that the market is bound to fall a month from now.

Such a rate of rise cannot continue in the short term, such high expectations cannot ever be met.

Look at the US under Obama – as soon as he came into office the stock market just kept falling. When he was getting ready for office, it kept rising. And this is a common truth of the markets around the world; buy the rumour, sell the fact. Markets work on expectations, they anticipate. They do not look backwards or even at the present, they only ever look forwards.

This is also the reason that very often people will see a companies profits rise and yet the share price fall. To understand the market you have to think like the other participants do – you have to outthink them, anticipate their move and of course understand that they are doing the same about your moves.

So what will happen with the UK market then? Our expectations I believe are beaten lower than the reality. So when facts like company profits are announced by companies, then they will be better than expectations and the market will rise. So I remain till the end of the year optimistic about the UK market.

It is ironic then that the UK with far lower growth than India will outperform the Indian market in the near term.

World Bank bans two Indian entities over fraud

World Bank has banned two Indian entities for violating its fraud and corruption guidelines, making them ineligible to participate in any projects financed by the global lender for certain period.

Savoir Soft Solutions, based out of Noida, and one individual Laxminarayan Mallick from Cuttack have been barred from participating

in any bank-financed contract, according to latest information from the World Bank. The ban on Savoir Soft Solutions is for four years starting from March 19, 2014.

As per the lender, Mallick, who also does business under Laxmi Narayan Construction, has been banned for three years. The ban has come into effect from March 25.

Commercial Finance BusinessPurchase Property Purchase

Mortgages Residential Buy to let

Foreign investors seek clear policies from new Indian govt

Right now, all eyes are on India and on the Indian election results. The reason being, the new government and its policies will have a significant impact on what role foreign investors and the diaspora will play in the growth of India.

Dr Mohan Kaul, Emeritus Chairman, Commonwealth Business Council, says that Narendra Modi, one of the three main leaders of the contending parties, will put the Indian economy at the centre of his political agenda.

Mohan Kaul explains that what India needs today is the creation of a business environment that is conducive for trade – both domestic and international. He says that if India doesn’t make regulatory and structural changes, it will fail to live up to its true potential. To achieve the desired economic growth, India will need substantial flow of FDIs. He adds that British

and foreign businesses have confidence in India but they need to see the right signals to increase investment in the country.

They want a government which will cut red tape and increase liberalisation. In order to attract foreign investment, India has to remove retrospective tax rules, pushing for faster clearances and regulations, and a nationwide Goods and Services Tax. The single biggest factor causing India to languish in 134th position out of the 189 countries in terms of ease of doing business, according to The World Bank report, is its inconsistency in policy making. To make India attractive to foreign investors, the new government has to win the confidence of foreign business by removing the red-tape and easing bureaucratic hurdles. If Modi becomes the next Prime Minister of India, he says, he (Modi) will stick to his pro-business agenda.

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries leads the pack of 54 Indian companies in Forbes' annual list of the world's 2,000 largest and most powerful public companies, with Chinese companies occupying the top three slots on the list.

The Forbes 'Global 2000' is a comprehensive list of the world's largest, most powerful public companies, as measured by revenues, profits, assets and market value.

China is home to the world's top three biggest public companies and five of the top 10. The US retains its dominance as the country with the most Global 2000 companies at 564. Japan trails the US with 225 companies in aggregate.

Reliance Industries is

ranked 135 on the list with a market value of 50.9 billion dollars and 72.8 billion dollars in sales as on May 2014. Reliance is followed

by State Bank of India which is ranked 155 and has a 23.6 billion dollars market value.

The other Indian companies on the list are Oil and Natural Gas ranked 176, ICICI Bank (304), Tata Motors (332), Indian Oil (416), HDFC Bank (422), Coal India (428), Larsen & Toubro (500), Tata Consultancy Services (543), Bharti Airtel (625), Axis Bank (630), Infosys (727), Bank of Baroda (801), Mahindra & Mahindra (803), ITC (830), Wipro (849), Bharat Heavy Electricals (873), GAIL India (955), Tata Steel (983) and Power Grid of India (1011).

India home to 54 of world's biggest companies

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Bank of Baroda receives Outstanding Services to the Community award

Mr Dhimant Trivedi, Chief Executive European Operations, UK receiving the Outstanding Services to the Community award from Priti Patel MP.

Priti Patel, the Prime Minister's UK Indian Diaspora Champion and an MP of Gujarati origin, hosted the first ever Gujarat foundation day event in UK Parliament with hundreds of guests and dignitaries.

This event took place on the 1st of May - the same day 54 years ago that Gujarat became an independent Indian state - and it was the first of its kind in the UK. To mark this major milestone his Excellency

Mr Ranjan Mathai, Indian High Commissioner in London; the Rt Hon Hugh Robertson MP, Minister of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office; Alpesh Patel, a leading expert on UK-India business relations; and executive members of the NCGO were present. At the event Bank Of Baroda was conferred “Outstanding Services to the Community” award.

The Function was organized by NCGO.

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REAL ESTATE VOICE

Weathering the storm

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

19

In the property game we require funding, and from time to time we have to use bridging funds which are very expensive but in the right situation they can serve well.

There’s a Jewish family who has been lending for many many generations originally from Iraq. As well as lending they do their own property developments as well. Whilst purchasing a property I got to know that they are the freeholders for a block that we were buying in. Owning a freehold means you own the land the flats are built on. This entitles you to collect ground rents from the leaseholders. When the lease gets shorter you have the privilege of charging a large premium for the extension.

They’re old boys and so once we had done some business I sat down with them and asked them to level with me. Why on earth would they be interested in earning 12% on their funds, when clearly they are able to earn much more money on their developments.

It was then I discovered this was a side business for them, the money they were lending out was not even in the country, it was off shore. Off shore money earns a paltry rate of interest but the aim is to leave it off shore. The bank cross guarantees the funds and then the loan is given. These are old school boys who like to look you in the eye and also look at the projects themselves. The fact they had been lending for generations made me think of the story in the bible wherein Jesus enters the temple and throws out the money lenders:

12 Jesus ente red the te mple an d dro ve ou t all who we re selling and buyin g in the te mple, an d he o ve rtu rne d the table s o f the mon ey chan gers and the seats of tho se who sold d oves. 13 He said to them, “It is writt en, ‘My hou se shall be called a hou se of prayer’; but you are makin g it a d en of robbers. ” I’m pretty sure these were the same people whose ancestors had been lending during the times of Jesus and quite possibly in this temple!

Interestingly the charging of usury or interest is prohibited to other Jews but is allowed to non-Jews. Biblical law forbids taking or giving interest to “your brother” (a fellow Jew), whether money or food or “anything”.

In Islam charging interest is forbidden. They get around in two ways, one is very simply by calling it rent instead of calling it interest. So you carry on paying ‘rent’ until you pay the principal back.

The other way is the bank purchases the property and resells it to you at a higher price.

In both of these methods the prevailing interest rate is used in both calculations. The change of name changes something from Haram – forbidden, to Halal – permissible.

Going back to my meeting, in short they were engaged in two main activities: money lending, and ground rents. Clearly I was missing a trick, I don’t have this ancestry; mine are famers.

This is a long term almost infinite formula, not the boom and bust the property wave which the masses engage in. So what’s the reasons for the focus on these two aspects?

Ground Rents are interesting. There is almost zero default on the collection of this, if the leasee refuses to pay the ground rent,

the freeholder simply informs the lender, they will then pay the freeholder the ground rent and then add it on to the outstanding mortgage along with an admin fee for doing so. You do not have this level of security for rents. The level of ground rent payable is fixed in advance so it does not change with the market force, it is predefined in the lease. Unlike rents which can change according to the season and market forces.

From a security point of view the ground rents top the rental for properties. Furthermore when the lease gets smaller you can charge a lump sum to extend the lease. Over a medium to long term property prices will rise therefore the amount you charge will rise as time goes on. This is the cherry on the pie.

Looking at the second investment of money lending, the loan to value is 60%-70%, furthermore they lend only on prime assets.

Meaning if the property is worth £1m the risk will be £600k to £700k. On a property downturn particularly in prime parts of London the prices will rarely dip this low. Most of the loans are done with personal guarantees, this means in the unlikely event they fail to recover the money loaned they have the right to claim the rest from the borrower.

These investments are designed to weather a storm and to survive for generations, unlike those surfers who surf a rising wave, which of course you can do only whilst the wave is rising.

The practise of money lending has been around for thousands of years, and has been frowned upon by most of the Abrahamic religions.

Language can be very revealing if you decipher the true meaning of the words we use.

The simple definition of mortgage is: A financial instrument by which the deed to real property is held in lieu of payment.

However in this article we want to examine the root meaning of the word mortgage, which is ‘death grip’. Upon closer examination we find that mortgage is made up from two words: ‘mort’ and ’gage’. Mort comes from the Latin word mortuus from which we get ‘mortuary, mortal, death’. Gage means ‘hold or grip’.

Therefore, mortgage is a death grip!!

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Tips of the Week l When renting a property tell agents you're only prepared to take 12 month contracts with no break clause, this will reduce void periods and expenses. l As a pension property makes a lot of sense, it gives a stable monthly cash flow, and you can understand the expenses and income easily, unlike many pension fund terminology.

20

LEGAL VOICE

BSICC and UKTNCC hosts UK Tamil Nadu & Puducherry Business Meet

Following the successful hosting of the UK South India Business Meet, UK Karnataka Business Meet, UK Kerala Business Meet and various other state Business Meets at the Houses of Parliament over the years, BSICC, in partnership with UKTNCC, organised the UK Tamil Nadu & Puducherry Business Meet 2014 on 8th May 2014 at Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London.

This business meet was chaired by Mr Virendra Sharma MP. The audience included representatives from Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Members of House of Lords & House of Commons, representatives from other Indian states/other countries and businessmen from India who are successful in UK. One of the notable attendees for the business meet was Mr. Bharat Joshi, British Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai, who was also the chief guest of the day.

The event started with a formal welcome by BSICC Patron MP, Virendra Sharma. This was followed by a brief overview of UK Tamil Nadu & Puducherry Business Meet by Jacob Ravibalan, BSICC Vice Chair for Tamil Nadu and

Virendra Sharma MP, Jacob Ravibalan, Bharat Joshi, Hasmukh Vora, Christie Cherian, R Seetharaman, David Happy, Velou Singara, Kamla Sekar, Siv Matchendran and other guests was till recently the Head the Group Chief Executive Puducherry and Founder Officer of Doha Bank in of UKTNCC. of Export Finance at Qatar mentioned about Bharat Joshi, British UKTI spoke about the some of the opportunities Deputy High channels of support from for UK residents and Commissioner based in UK public sector and Global Tamilians in the Chennai, spoke about the BSICC/ UKTNCC. UKThistorical relationship NCC Founder Director Gulf. between UK and Tamil Sundar Subbiah offered David Happy, who Nadu. Following this, the strategy and roadmap was till recently the Vice Hasmukh Vora, President for UKTNCC President EU Affairs for of Hindustan Chamber of Jacob Ravibalan told Samsung Electronics, Commerce, based out of Asian Voice, "The busispoke about India UK colness meet was a huge suclaborations and how the Chennai, offered his percess and we had participaUK is a hugely effective spective of pursuing busition of more than 150 delspringboard into the rest ness activities in Tamil egates from Tamil Nadu, of the EU-27 for Indian Nadu & Puducherry.

Puducherry, UK and the companies and twice as Christie Cherian, who Middle East. Following big as the USA and a is the Chairman and the business meet, we are wealthy region.

Trustee of British Business Velou Singara of UKTGroup, Chennai, spoke hopeful that few UK NCC spoke about various about how good an investbased companies will start business opportunities in ment destination is Tamil exploring opportunities to Puducherry for UK comNadu and Puducherry. invest in Tamil Nadu and panies. Kamala Sekar who R Seetharaman who is Puducherrry.”

Conciliation talks between the government and Vodafone over a Rs 200 billion tax dispute have failed as the British telecom giant has decided to serve an arbitration notice to the government, a move which shuts out any possibility of a resolution through talks.

The government had decided to withdraw its conciliation offer made to the telecom major for settling the nagging tax demand that arose from its 2007 acquisition of Hutchison Whampoa’s stake in Hutchison Essar.

“Vodafone confirms that Vodafone International Holdings BV (VIHBV) has

commenced an international investment arbitration against the Indian government under the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) between India and the Netherlands,” a spokesperson for Vodafone Plc said in a statement from the company’s headquarter in London. “Since Vodafone and the Indian government have been unable to find an amicable means of resolving the dispute, Vodafone has commenced an international investment arbitration as a way to achieve resolution,” the spokesperson said.

The arbitration notice was served on April

17, and Vodafone is understood to have settled for London as the venue for pursuing the case. Reports said the finance ministry had already moved a Cabinet note for withdrawal of the non-binding conciliation offer it had made to Vodafone in June last year. The telecom company has been given two months for response, which effectively means that arbitration would have to be handled by the new government.

The Cabinet had on February 28 decided to put on hold the proposal to withdraw the conciliation offer, pending settlement of Vodafone’s transfer-

pricing case at the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT). Vodafone, in its notice, however, said it wants to move ahead with the arbitration without waiting for the ITAT decision on the Rs 37 billion transfer-pricing case.

The Supreme Court had ruled in Vodafone’s favour on the capital gains tax issue in 2012, saying it was not liable to pay any tax over the acquisition of assets in India from the Hong Kong-based Hutchison. However, the government went ahead with its plans to collect the tax by changing the rules to claim tax retrospectively.

Congratulations to Mitesh Patel who has been nominated for the "Best in Legal Services" award at the inaugural British Indian Awards on 16th May. The awards seek to serve, recognise, reward and highlight the achievements of People of Indian heritage.

The evening will showcase the determination, hard work and personal targets achieved by British Indians. The award ceremony will be a colourful celebration outlining the significant role played by British Indians at the forefront of their businesses and wider communities.

The awards embody the continuing strength of the British Indian community, recognising those who continue to thrive, evolve and make Great Britain a better place.

Mitesh’s hard work in the Asian community has seen him become a household name, a regular face on Asian TV and rise up through the ranks at Levenes to become one of our youngest ever partners.

Mitesh, speaking on his nomination told Asian

Voice, "I am honoured to be nominated for the British Indian Awards in the “Best legal” category. I consider the nomination for this award as a clear reflection of our fabulous and dedicated legal team who have been serving the Asian community across England and Wales since 1999." Mitesh is all too aware that the members of the Indian community do not have the same access to justice as others on account of language barriers and he

has therefore forged a strong presence in the legal field to facilitate access to those who need it the most.

He frequently holds free legal advice clinics and has written numerous articles in many Asian newspapers, including Asian Voice and various magazines.

The awards ceremony will be held on the 16th of May at the St. Johns Hotel in Birmingham, and it is set to be a fantastic evening celebrating Indian culture.Further information about the event be found on the awards website http://thediversityawards.i nfo/britishindian

Vodafone to serve notice to Indian govt

All the best to finalist Mitesh Patel

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

Changes to immigration as at May 2014 Maria Fernandes

maria@abplgroup.com

There are a number of changes of procedure, law and practice. The judgment of the case on the lawfulness of British spouses and the minimum salary requirement is awaiting a decision having been argued at the Court of Appeal.

Tier 2 Applicants who are applying for permanent settlement will now have their passports returned and will be able to travel abroad whilst their application is pending.

Passports will be returned automatically after the application has been registered. It is not clear what will happen if the application is considered and refused whilst the applicant is abroad especially with regard to rights of appeal which are determined by statute.

Ping Pong The House of Lords has now passed the third reading of the Immigration Bill and the next stage of the Immigration Bill is called ping pong, so called because the Bill goes from the House of Commons to the Lords to agree the final set of amendments before the Bill becomes law. This Bill, when it becomes law, will have a

significant impact on the practice of Immigration in a number of areas including housing, employment and healthcare.

Increase in Maintenance The required maintenance for Tier 4 students is to increase for applications made after 1st July 2014. The increases are not huge but nevertheless need to be carefully considered. For example for those studying in inner London the figure will go up from £1000 to £1020.

Venezuela They join the list of visa national countries and will require visas to enter the UK as of the 5th May 2014.

Call for Amnesty In the meantime Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has repeated his call for an amnesty of illegal migrants who have lived in the UK for 10 years or more. He believes that doing so will enable them to contribute lawfully to the Exchequer. He has also criticised the Government for restricting legal immigration. He is the only mainstream politician willing to make such a bold statement especially as the drum beat of the elections gets closer.

BSE Sensex breaches 24,000 level for first time

The benchmark Sensex crossed 24,000 mark for the first time on sustained FII buying in power, consumer durables, PSUs, banking and capital goods stocks after exit polls showed the BJP-led NDA will form the next government at the Centre.

The 30-share BSE barometer, after opening on a strong note, breached 24,000 level to trade at an all-time high of 24,068.94 by surging 517.94 points, or 2.19 per cent.

The rally was led by stocks of Coal India, Reliance Industries, SBI, ICICI Bank, NTPC, ONGC, Larsen and Toubro, ITC, Maruti

Suzuki and Infosys. The Sensex had gained over 1,206 points in the last two trading sessions.

The broad-based Nifty of the National Stock Exchange zoomed by 151.50 points, or 2.16 per cent, to hit a new high of 7,165.75. Stocks of PSUs, oil and gas and capital goods sectors turned investors' fancy, helping the key indices to touch historic highs.

Besides, positive global cues too triggered buying by foreign funds. The power sector index gained the most by rising 4.45 per cent to 1,875.41, followed by capital goods index by 4.17 per cent to 13,450.52.

India’s manufacturing sector growth remained “steady” in April as a slowdown in export orders was countered by firmer domestic demand during the month, an HSBC survey said. The HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), a

measure of factory production, stood at 51.3 in April, unchanged from 51.3 in March, amid moderate expansion of incoming new business orders.

Activity in the sector expanded for the sixth consecutive month in March.

India’s manufacturing PMI remains unchanged

CURRENCY VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

21

Foreign Exchange

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

Interest rate hike Possibility sooner

The US dollar managed to claw back its losses from the previous week following comments made by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.

Janet Yellen

Yellen told the panel that data shows “solid growth” for the economy in the second quarter, supporting the case for faster expansion this year.

She was incredibly cautious in her language in regards to future rate hikes but It is notable that she discussed fiscal policy to more a degree than she has done.

It was said that work would be needed in regards to fiscal sustainability and that in the context of riding rates, Congress should address fiscal

policy accordingly.

She also commented that labour market conditions are far from satisfactory and that inflation persisting below 2% ‘could pose risks’ Whilst the US dollar strengthened marginally following the speech, the longer term downtrend for the US dollar remains intact as the low interest rates in the US are more than likely to prompt investors to reach for return in higher yielding currencies.

The euro approached a 52week low versus the pound last week, whilst also falling to 4week lows against the US dollar.

Although the European Central Bank (ECB) announced no new policy changes in its meeting on Thursday 8th May, the euro fell after ECB President Mario Draghi signalled action to stimulate the economy as early as June. The ECB remains wary of a prolonged period of low inflation and action next month would coincide with the central bank's updated economic forecasts.

Data from the UK continued to show that the recovery in the UK is picking up pace. UK construction data showed the 12th consecutive month of growth, with house builders driving the sector. The PMI figure came in 60.8 which is down from 62.5 in March, however, still shows considerable growth as it is well above the 50 level.

The UK’s service sector grew at its strongest pace in 2014, with approximately 100,000 new jobs added in April.

Data from Markit revealed that the sector expanded beyond expectations from 57.6 in March to 58.7 in April. UK firms reported a sharp increase in new orders suggesting an increase in business confidence.

Whilst the Bank of England,

Weekly Currencies

As of Tuesday 13th May 2014 @ 4pm

GBP - INR = 100.12 USD - INR = 59.47 EUR - INR = 81.56 GBP - USD = 1.68 GBP - EUR = 1.23

EUR - USD = 1.37 GBP - AED = 6.18

GBP - CAD = 1.83

GBP - NZD = 1.95

GBP - AUD = 1.80

GBP - ZAR = 17.850

for the month of May, decided to hold interest rates at 0.5%; the improving economic fundamental outlook has incited investors to speculate once again the possibility of a rate hike occurring sooner than the first quarter of 2015. This of course would drive the pound higher should this rate hike occur.

GBP - HUF = 372.85

www.rationalfx.com

Information provided by RationalFX. None of the information on this page constitutes, nor should be construed as financial advice. The exchange rates used are the commercial foreign exchange rates provided by RationalFX. For a live quote or to find out more about how RationalFX can help you, call us on 0207 220 8181.

22

WORLD

Boko Haram offers to swap kidnapped Nigerian girls for prisoners

Maiduguri (Nigeria): The leader of the Nigerian Islamist rebel group Boko Haram has offered to release more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by his fighters last month in exchange for its members being held in detention, according to a video posted on YouTube on Monday.

The search for the girls intensified as a senior US administration official said the United States deployed manned surveillance aircraft over Nigeria and was sharing satellite imagery with the Nigerian government.

About 100 girls wearing full veils and praying are shown in an undisclosed location in a part of the 17minute video in which Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau speaks.

Boko Haram militants, who are fighting for an Islamist state, stormed a secondary school in the northeastern village of Chibok on April 14 and seized 276 girls who were taking exams.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

cial satellite imagery with the Nigerians and are flying manned ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) assets over Nigeria with the government's permission," the senior US official said. In a 1.25-minute segment of the YouTube video, scores of girls in black and grey veils sit on the ground, chant and sing.

Shekau, wearing military fatigues and holding an AK47, then addresses the camera. He appears confident and at one point even laughs.

"All I am saying is that if you want us to release the girls that we have kidnapped, those who have not accepted Islam will be treated as the Prophet (Mohammad) treated infidels and they will stay with us," he said, according to a translation of his words originally spoken in a Nigerian language.

Some have managed to escape, but about 200 remain missing.

A government official said "all options" were being considered to secure the girls' release.

Nigeria has deployed two army divisions to hunt for the girls, while several countries, including the United States, Britain, Israel and France, have offered help or sent experts.

Nigerian authorities met with some of the experts on Monday and plan further meetings with the West African country's defence and security agencies, a government statement said.

"We have shared commer-

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"We will not release them while you detain our brothers," he said, before naming a series of Nigerian cities. It was not clear if he was in the same location as the girls, although the release of the video appeared to signal a willingness on his part to negotiate.

Mike Omeri, a senior Ministry of Information official, told a news conference the government had seen the video. "The government of Nigeria is considering all options towards freeing the girls and reuniting them with their parents," he said.

The governor of Borno state, where the girls were abducted, said in a statement the video had been distributed to families and local schools in an effort to identify the girls shown.

Security officials said on Monday five militants suspected in two car bombs that killed at least 90 people on April 14 and May 1 in a suburb of the capital, Abuja, had been arrested.

In Brief

Protestant church in China demolished

Beijing: The communist leaders in China are doing everything to arrest the spread of religion in the country. On April 28th they have demolished a large Protestant church in the city known as “China’s Jerusalem.”The Sanjiang church, in the eastern city of Wenzhou, took six years and 30m yuan ($4.8m) to build, but officials said it had violated building codes. Local Christians who gathered at the church could not stop the demolition.

Call to improve diabetes care

London: Experts said that The NHS is wasting billions of pounds of public money by not tackling diabetes at the early stage of its detection. The charity Diabetes UK accused health bosses of “failing to learn” that early intervention can save taxpayers’ money and improve the lives of millions of Britons living with the illness. Diabetes UK said that the NHS needs to quickly improve its care before the bill to the public purse becomes unmanageable.

Negligence costing asthma victims dearly

London: Many asthma sufferers are dying because of the negligence of British medical staff. The shocking conclusion came after the Royal College of Physicians conducted an indepth review of asthma-linked deaths. Two thirds of fatalities could have been avoided, they found. More than five million people in Britain have asthma and 1,200 a year die, of whom about 20 are children.

NOMINATION FORM

The prestigious Asian Achievers Awards is hosted every year by UK’s leading news weeklies Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar to honour British Asians par excellence. If there is someone you know who has broken boundaries and deserves recognition for their unique contribution to the community and the nation then please nominate them for one of the awards listed below.

Make sure that you fill in this application form and send it on or before 14th July, 2014 by post, fax or email to Mr. L George, Tel: 020 7749 4013, Fax 020 7749 4081, Email: aaa@abplgroup.com. If you are sending it by post the address is Mr. L George, ABPL Group, Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, London N1 6HW.

Please tick the appropriate category Entrepreneur of the Year ....................................................

Uniformed and Civil Services ............................................

Awarded to an entrepreneur with a proven track record of operating a successful business enterprise.

For outstanding achievements in uniformed and civil services or contribution to the community through any of the above services.

Achievement in Media, Arts and Culture ....................

Professional of the Year ......................................................

Someone who has made a mark in media including print and broadcast media; cinema, art and culture.

Achievement in Community Service................................

Professionals in the field of medicine, law, education, banking, finance and others, who have scaled the heights of their chosen profession.

International Personality of the Year ............................

In recognition for an individuals service to community.

Awarded to those who have acclaimed popularity internationally for his/her contribution in any particular sector and is recognised for their timeless philanthropic activities.

Sports Personality of the Year............................................

Awarded for excellence in sports.

Woman of the Year ................................................................

The award will recognise and honour a woman who has made a significant mark in any chosen field.

Business Person of the Year ..............................................

Awarded to a business person who is a success in every sense of the word and can demonstrate a genuine passion for social issues.

Lifetime Achievement Award ............................................

To honour those individuals, who during their lifetime, have made immense contributions in any given field. This remarkable individual can be marked as an example for the younger generation.

Application Form

Name of the Person you are Nominating: __________________________________________________________________________

Contact Details of the Nominee (Tel & email):_______________________________________________________________________

Present Occupation of the Nominee:_______________________________________________________________________________

Please attach the Nominees's CV which includes the following information (Please do not exceed a limit of 1000 words) (1) Personal background (2) Most important career achievements till date.

(3) Nominee's contribution to the community and nation.

(4) Future Plans, ambitions and visions.

(5) Any notable obstacles in the Nominee's career that has helped him/her to reach where they are today.

Summary- (Please include a summary in not more than 150 words why the nominee is worthy of winning the particular award in a separate sheet) Nominator’s name and contact details: ____________________________________________________________________________ Nominator’s current Occupation/Company: _________________________________________________________________________ Tel/Mobile: _________________________________ Email: __________________________________________________________

NOMINATION AND SELECTION PROCESS This is a unique event where readers nominate and an independent panel of judges comprising of eminent personalities selects the winner. Judges’ decision is final. ABPL Group will not entertain any dialogue with members of the public regarding the judging process. In order to ensure a high degree of transparency and fairness, the management and members of the staff of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar will play no role in the nomination or judging process. You may use an additional sheet if the space provided is insufficient. The winners will be announced at the AAA Awards ceremony on 19th September, 2014. Asian Voice, Gujarat Samachar will publish the names of the short listed candidates and winners after the event. The winners names will also appear in our e-edition www.abplgroup.com You can nominate yourself if you wish to.

Nominations and entries must follow the prescribed format. All nomination forms must reach our offices on or before 14th July, 2014

Chemicals in everyday products can cause infertility

London: A new research has found that chemicals found in products such as toothpaste, soap and even plastic toys are having a direct impact on male fertility. It is thought that the chemicals affect the potency of sperm, altering their swimming behaviour and causing them to prematurely release enzymes which are needed to penetrate egg cells.

Shorter men live longer

London: There is some good news for shorter men. A study of 8,000 men has found that those of a lesser height lived longer than their taller peers – with those below 5ft 2in living longest.

The research, conducted by US scientists, suggested short stature may be related to a gene that is linked to longevity. A protective form of the gene, called FOXO3, leads to smaller body size during early development but is also likely to mean a longer life span.

Mortgage applicants asked strange questions

London: If you are an applicant for mortgage, then get ready to answer some bizarre questions.

Some of the applicants were asked whether they play golf or eat steak, or being quizzed over the price of their haircuts, their plans for more children and their hopes of a pay rise. The questions are asked to prevent a return to the reckless lending behind the financial meltdown of 2008.

LONDON

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

In Brief

Nagging wives beware

London: Nagging wives beware. Your constant demands on your husbands can result in early death of your partner.

Researchers have found that hundreds of extra male deaths are because of the burden of a demanding partner. Men who had constant demands and worries placed on them by their partners were two and a half times more likely to die within 10 years than those with less stressful relationships, the study found.

Woman claiming to be a ‘shaman’ cheated her victims

London: A con woman who claimed to have supernatural power has cheated at least 11 people, including cancer sufferers, of 1 million pounds. The incident came to know when one of the victims went to the court when Juliette D’Souza, claimed to be a "shaman,” cheated her of £ £170,000 to help her get pregnant. Her modus operandi is first to make you believe that she has supernatural powers and then started demanding money so that you can get your wish fulfiled.

Rape charges against Oxford union president

London: Ben Sullivan, 21, the Oxford union president has been replaced by his deputy, Mayank Banerjee, following his arrest on suspicion of rape and attempted rape.

Sullivan, a history and politics student at Christ Church, Oxford, was absent from a crucial meeting of the historic debating society. Mayank Banerjee, who is studying politics, philosophy and economics at St John's College, instead took his seat at the head of the Union chamber.

33 million tourists visit Britain in 2013

London: The pleasant weather had attracted nearly 33 million tourists to Britain last year and made 2013 as a record year for international visitors. Museums and royal palaces enjoyed unprecedented number of visitors, while sporting events, festivals, concerts and a myriad of cultural activities all reaped the benefits.

The Great Recession is over

London: Britain’s six-year Great Recession has finally be over as the monthly estimate of growth from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research shows that GDP is back at, or just fractionally short of, its March 2008 record.

23

Snipers, shells & surviving Great War

London: The First World War was the most written about wars in the history. Most British families have an ancestor who fought in the war. For many of us these soldiers are just a name.

Yet their stories survive: in letters, diaries, postcards and photographs; in regimental histories and the accounts of fellow soldiers; on yellowed paper in attics all over Britain. Our grandfathers and great-grandfathers often avoided talking about the war, but they did write about it. I remember my Great Uncle Tim as a pair of bristling moustaches and piercing blue eyes. In my memory he smelt deliciously of tobacco, leather and gin; a bony, slight man of seemingly impossible age, rather terrifying and apparently indestructible. I knew he had fought in both wars, but I would never have dared to question him.

It was not until many years after Tim’s death that I became interested in the First World War and discovered his extraordinary past - a story of resilience, laconic humour, incredible good fortune, lightly worn bravery and a bloodyminded determination to survive. In 1915, Tim turned 19, officially old enough to fight, and was deployed to the Western Front as a machinegun officer with the 3rd Battalion of the Rifle Brigade.

“I became ripe for cannon fodder,” he later wrote.

Lieutenant Tristram (Tim) Massy-Beresford had been in France only a few months when he was sent to take over a section of the front at St Eloi. Here the British lines included a steep hill into which sappers had tunnelled to create a machinegun emplacement directly facing the German trenches. The officer he was relieving invited Tim to look down the sights of the gun and take “a

quick glance at the field of fire”.

A sergeant whipped away the flap of sacking that camouflaged the opening, and as Tim bent to look down the barrel, a German sniper, awaiting precisely that moment, pulled the trigger.

The bullet pierced Tim’s lung in two places and passed out of his back without touching

To our readers

If any of your ancestors had joined the First World War please contact Asian Voice with history

a bone. Tim, in a way, was lucky. The other officer was not. “The bullet,” Tim wrote, “having passed right through me with bad enough results, had continued straight into his head, killing him instantly.”

Tim was rushed to a clearing station, and was still breathing when he arrived, “much to everyone’s surprise . . . I was the only casualty in that particular ambulance to reach its destination still

Anand Mela Gujarat Samachar & Asian Voice Presents

7th & 8th June 2014

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Hatch-Match-Dispatch

Both our newsweeklies provide the following services:

10am to 7:30pm

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There are occasion we would like to share with our love ones. Some of them may have moved on. Our address book may not be accurate. Such acquaintance may be from our ancestral home, residence in India or East Africa or some other places we have resided earlier. In the UK. Information regarding Birth of a child, Engagement of family member, Wedding or Sad occasions like Bereavement can be quickly shared through the pages of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar.

As you are aware our total number of subscribers are 25,000, and they may be reached through the pages of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar.

We are able to serve the purpose either no cost or minimum charge.

1. Birth, weddings and bereavement: Up to 25 words free of charge without photo.

2. Birth, birthday, weddings, anniversary, bereavement notices and other occasion: Up to 150 words and a photograph £120 including VAT. The written message has to be in English and the photograph will have to be provided by the sender, with their relevant contact details and need to be emailed to Saroj Patel by Monday 5pm at saroj.patel@abplgroup.com. Phone: 020 7749 4006 / 4080

wrote, as if it were the sort of situation anyone might face.

“I did not know what to say, so I said nothing, rightly, I think, looking back.” For me, this odd incident captures the peculiar spirit of that war: stoical, sensitive and darkly humorous.

Tim was determined to return to battle, but it was not until 1918 that he was considered fit - he passed the medial examination by avoiding any reference to Gertie the Groggy Leg. Back at the front, he briefly met up with his younger brother Jack, an artillery officer. They went riding together. A photograph shows the two young men, their pipes set at the same angle, Jack with an adopted terrier mongrel in his arms. A week later Jack was killed by a stray shell splinter to the head. He was 21.

In September 1918, Tim led his men over a hill during the Battle of Cambrai. It was, he wrote, “an almost complete disaster”. Within minutes of the advance, Tim “felt a blow like that of hammer on my left thigh” and tumbled over. “I was able to pick myself up. Closer inspection revealed that a bullet had gone right through my thigh without touching the bone.

There was a neat hole at the front and quite a mess at the back, but I was able to hobble along and keep up.”

alive.”

Months of recuperation followed, both from his wound and an ensuing blood clot in his leg, leaving him with a permanent limp he referred to ever afterwards as “Gertie the Groggy Leg”. Slowly recuperating in London in a private house off the Mall, Tim and other injured soldiers watched from a terrace as the great men organising the Great War passed by on the way to their clubs: Kitchener, Asquith and Lloyd George. “We dropped nuts on their hats and had an elaborate system of scoring, depending on the importance of the target.” He had already seen enough horror for a lifetime, but Tim was still only a boy. Some time later, still unfit for active duty, Tim fell into conversation with another officer who described how his closest friend had been killed at the front by a bullet to the head that had passed through the body of another officer. Tim immediately realised that the man was describing his own strange injury. Should he explain that the body through which that bullet had passed, killing the man’s best friend, was his own? “What does one say in such a situation?” he later

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24

INDIA

Municipal elections: TDP wins Seemandhra, Cong in Telangana

Hyderabad: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Monday swept the municipal elections in Seemandhra, generating hope among its cadre of a return to the political centrestage after a decade in virtual oblivion. As expected, the Congress, which initiated Andhra Pradesh's bifurcation, drew a blank in Seemandhra, but surprised the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) by bagging a majority of municipalities in Telangana.

Of the 92 municipalities and corporations in Seemandhra, the TDP got

K Chandrasekhar Rao majority in 62 civic bodies.

The YSR Congress, touted to sweep the elections in Seemandhra, could get only 18, while no party was a clear winner in nine municipalities.

In Telangana, of the 53

municipalities, the Congress emerged the winner in 23.

The TRS surprisingly bagged only nine, TDP seven and the BJP two municipalities.

However, since the newlyelected MP and MLA too will have a say in the local polls, the final figure in the various municipalities and corporations can change when they vote on June 2, said state election commissioner P Ramakanth Reddy.

Surprising, MIM and BJP made inroads in Telangana.

While MIM bagged the majority in Bhainsa municipality in Adilabad district,

the BJP won in Narayanpet municipality of Mahabubnagar district. And in an embarrassment for the TRS, the TDP secured majority in Gajwel municipality in Medak from where its party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao is the Assembly candidate. The CPM got majority in Mahabubabad municipality.

Elections to 145 municipalities and corporations across the state were held on March 30 and the declaration of results was delayed because of the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

polled in each machine by each candidate and can record it. A copy of the votes recorded in each EVM will have to be given to each agent on the respective counting table. After completion of each round of counting, the entire round will be tabulated and results given to each candidate's agent at the head table. It will be displayed in the hall and also uploaded on the election commission website."

The EC said it would be difficult to install a camera on each table, as it posed various problems, especially with regard to space.

Chennai: With thousands of management seats going vacant in engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu, the colleges are wooing students now. The days of capitation fee are gone and the colleges are now offering to pay faculty and students to get students of their choice. In addition to advertisements and scholarships, they now turn to their faculty and students to spread the word, and are willing to reward their efforts.

"The management has said that it will pay us Rs 15,000 for a student with a cut-off of 185/200 or higher.

For referring a student with a cut-off between 160 and 185 we get Rs10,000. It is offered as an incentive. It is a winwin situation, as the student with such high marks can also get scholarships and tuition fee waivers from the college," said a faculty member of an engineering college in the city. Existing students have also been made the offer. Students in their second, third and final years can

get Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 waived off their tuition fee for the next academic year.

"This is an admission tactic.

Even if they offer a full tuition fee waiver, colleges stand to benefit from filling seats rather than let them go empty. They make do with hidden charges like transportation fee or books," said an admission officer for a group of engineering colleges in Erode. When they get good students, the reputation of the college improves, and they are able to attract companies for campus placements, he added. Colleges engage in such practices to get a high academic ranking, which is now looked at as an indicator of a good college.

"College managements expect faculty members to do these kinds of jobs. I was asked to approach schools, speak to the school principal about the merits of the college and ask her to give my contact number to students who score high marks," said a teacher in a private engineering college near Chennai.

Counting of votes: EC rejects DMK plea

Chennai: The E l e c t i o n Commission has rejected DMK's plea for live video coverage of the counting process on May 16, and has told the Madras high court that it is not necessary to install video cameras on every counting table and assistant returning officer's table.

A submission to this effect was made in a counter-affidavit filed by the EC in response to former union minister and DMK candidate from Thanjavur T R Baalu, when the matter came up for hearing before a vacation bench comprising Justice R Sudhakar and Justice KK Sasidharan.

Special chief electoral officer A Karthik said the counting hall, not each counting table, would be videographed. He said, "Candidates will have agents at each table, and they will be able to see votes

Portal to offer meanings of all words of Guru Granth Sahib

Patiala: Meanings of all words contained in Guru Granth Sahib - holy book of Sikhs - will be soon available on the web portal punjabipedia.org, the first-of-itskind online encyclopaedia launched by Punjabi University, Patiala, in February. The two-volume Sri Guru Granth Kosh, which was edited by Harbhajan Singh of Dehradun, is so far available in print edition only.

Rajwinder Singh, editor of the portal and assistant professor in Punjabi department of the university, said, "Once Sri Guru Granth Kosh is uploaded on the portal, anyone can see meaning of any word mentioned in the holy book. Our database is ready and we will upload it on the portal in the coming few days. There are over 17,000 entries of the Kosh."

He said that these new set of words would increase number of entries in punjabi-

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

pedia.org from 76,000 up to 93,000. Regarding addition of Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha's "Mahan Kosh", having over 62,000 entries and is considered as the first encyclopaedia on Sikh history of Punjab, Rajwinder said it would still take few more weeks to upload the voluminous book on the portal.

"Compiled in 1930s, the encyclopaedia contains few letters and words having pronunciation similar to Sanskrit or Persian. These letters are not available in Punjabi fonts and are not supported by Unicode font format. We are still in the process to filter these technical aberrations, which may take some time," said Rajwinder.

Engineering colleges in TN wooing students now

Canada Post releases stamp on Komagata Maru

Bathinda: Even though the Punjab government failed to commemorate the centenary of the Komagata Maru incident, the Canadian postal department has come out with a stamp dedicated to the incident. The 100th anniversary of Komagata Maru incident is observed on May 23. The Canada Post on May 6 released the stamp on Komagata Maru with many Punjabi origin politicians hailing the decision and gracing the occasion.

Komagata Maru, a Japanese steamship, was hired by influential Sikh Baba Gurdit Singh and set sail with 376 Indians aboard and reached Vancouver on May 23 but they were not allowed to disembark. The ship was returned to India and British troops had gunned down several of the occupants at Baj Baj, near Calcutta.

"The incident was a black mark on Canadian history. The issuance of a stamp on this historical incident is about recognizing the mistakes made in the past. We need to move forward as we have remembered and recognized the event," said Devinder Shory, Punjabi origin MP of Calgary Northeast. Shory, who was present at the stamp release ceremony, said that it was a big incident in Canada's history and the country had tried to remember those who were meted out injustice on Canadian soil 100 years ago.

He said India and Punjab governments too need to commemorate the centenary of the incident. "After the Komagata Maru Heritage Foundation of Canada had approached the Canada Post in 2012, it had approved the issuance of a stamp in October 2013 and last week it released the stamp.

South Brief

SC quashes Karnataka order on mother tongue

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has struck down a decision of the Karnataka government and directed that it cannot make it mandatory for all primary schools in the state to teach in Kannada language. In July last year, a twojudge bench of the apex court had said its Constitution Bench will examine whether the government can impose mother tongue or regional language as the medium of instruction at the primary education stage as it has a farreaching significance on the development of children.

SC bans Jallikattu bull fights in TN

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has banned Tamil Nadu's centuries-old Jallikattu bull fights.

A bench of Justice KS Radhakrishnan and Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose also asked the centre to amend the law on preventing cruelty to animals to bring bulls within its ambit. The court also struck down a 2011 Tamil Nadu law regulating the conduct of Jallikattu. The law was enacted in the wake of a large number of deaths and injuries that took place during the sport.

Two nabbed for making bomb threat calls

Chennai: A 23-year-old man and a college student were arrested for making bomb threat calls to authorities. The first caller, S Shivakumar, made three calls to the police control room, railway station and ambulance service, saying a bomb would go off at Chennai Central station. Police found that Shivakumar had been making such prank calls for more than three years since he enjoys creating panic in the minds of the people. In the case of college student, she made the call as she wanted a day’s leave to attend a wedding.

North Brief

30 villagers booked for attack on SGPC team

Bathinda: Tension prevailed at Bhairupa village after police registered attempt to murder cases against 30 people for beating up a Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) team and stopping it from taking possession of 161 acres land in the village.

Three members of the team, including the Muktsar gurdwara manager, were injured in stone-pelting by villagers. Sukhdev Singh, a villager, said they were protecting the land belonging to their forefathers and police sided with the SGPC. "We will protest if cases against us are not withdrawn," he said.

Punjab minister undergoes religious punishment

Amritsar/Bathinda: Punjab cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia, brother-in-law of deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, began his 'tankhah' (religious punishment) by dusting shoes and washing utensils at Takht Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib and Takht Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo (Bathinda). Majithia listened to 'gurbani' (holy scriptures) at Takht Kesgarh Sahib, dusted shoes and washed utensils. Majithia said he would follow the directions of the "supreme" Takht and thus was doing 'sewa' (voluntary service) as instructed.

SGPC for Anand Marriage Act across India

Chandigarh: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar has demanded implementation of Anand Marriage Act for Sikhs in entire India. In a statement, Makkar said required changes should be made in the Act and it should be implemented across India.

Poison suicides in Chandigarh

Chandigarh: A PGI study has claimed that the city has the highest number of people committing suicide by consuming poison as compared to Panchkula and Mohali, citing dejection in love as the dominant cause among men and prolonged illness as that for women. The survey found that 657 Tricity residents had consumed poison. Out of these, 251 were from Chandigarh, 117 from Mohali and 38 from Panchkula.

The strategists behind Narendra Modi’s poll campaign

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

One man’s army There is one core team, which is working day and night to make Narendra Modi the next Prime Minister of India. This team is not only centralised in Delhi, but it is spread right from Gandhinagar to Lucknow.

The members of the team are collectively known as ‘one man’s army’. This is the place where once upon a time Govindacharya, L K Adavani, Atal Behari Vajpayee and Jaswant Singh used to discuss party’s strategy, now welleducated 20-30 - year- old youngsters are seen looking extremely busy for ‘Mission Modi’. Let us see who the strategists of Modi outside Delhi are.

Amit Shah

Shah is former Home Minister of Gujarat and close aide of Narendra Modi. He is also in-charge of Uttar Pradesh (UP).

The state houses 80 Lok Sabha seats. Shah is on mission mode to win at least 40 seats for his party from UP. He is also considered as brain of Narendra Modi. Chicago-born Amit Shah had also worked closely with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as well as Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He is a master strategist. Till now he used to manage Advani’s elections. He did micro planning of Modi’s Maninagar assembly constituency as well as various elections of Gujarat.

Prashant Kishor He is the chief of Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG).

Earlier he was the chief of Strategic Planning and Social Policy Group of United Nations. The 34year-old Prashant Kishor has created a team of youngsters, who passed from institutes like IITs and IIMs. His organisation

Piyush Goyal

He has years of association with BJP. His father Vedprakash was treasurer of BJP and also minister in Vajpayee government.

Piyush Goyal is Chartered Accountant and also studied law. He was also Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha and also became treasurer of BJP. The 49-year-old Goyal was amongst the first few within the saffron party who dared to opine that Modi was fit for PM candidate.

He is heading Party’s subcommittee pertaining to Information Technology and Communication. In order to make Modi the next prime minister he is playing key role in the war being played on cyber space.

Arvind Gupta

He is coming from a business family. He is heading BJP’s IT cell.

In order to bring changes in policies, politics is the best tool, he believes. “BJP is the tool which can bring changes and because of this reason I joined the party”, he says. Gupta studied in Banaras Hindu University as well as University of Illinois. Till 2009 he used to own a software firm, now he is handling BJP’s websites. He uploads videos of different rallies and sends to media and also posts comments.

K Kailasnathan He is a retired IAS officer, but in Gujarat Secretariat p e o p l e known him as KK. He is handling administrative work as principal secretary at Gujarat Chief Minister’s office and also handles Modi’s special assignments. Hailing from Tamil Nadu, he was instrumental in arranging Modi’s meeting with Amrutanandmayi. He also has connections in Kerala.

He also arranged Modi’s meeting at Shivgiri Math

in Kerala, which helped Gujarat’s chief minister to woo people in Dalit communities. There is an impression that KK is running entire government.

Rajesh Jain & B G Mahesh

Both these gentlemen are brain behind Modi’s two promotional websites – ‘Niti Central’ and ‘India 272’. They also handle various websites related to Modi. They are running a campaign to woo youngsters towards Modi through cyber space.

Rajesh Jain studied in Columbia University and as of now he is running a Mobile Data company. B G Mahesh stays in Bangalore. He is the founder of Genian Information Technology.

Jain and Mahesh also run Modi campaign through Facebook and Twitter.

They have more than 100 experts.

Manoj Ladva

He is British Gujarati s o l i c i t o r.

He runs a management consultancy firm in London. He has also taken leadership of Modi fans residing outside India. He also runs a campaign to create support for Modi from overseas Indians. He is contributing to creating awareness amongst NRI investors on Modi’s brainchild‘Vibrant Gujarat’ events.

Ram Madhav

He is a spokesman of RSS and member of M o d i ’ s think-tank.

R a m Madhav is the man who brought technology in RSS. He is also director of Delhi based India Foundation which works for Strategic Studies and International think-tank.

Recently it organised a dialogue between Corporate World and Narendra Modi.

Suresh Prabhu Originally he was member of Shiv Sena.

But now he is member

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Mr Manharlal Teraiya son of Pranjivanbhai Teraiya whose permanent address in UK is 22, Curzon Avenue Stanmore HA7 2AE, London hereby give notice of my intention to change my name to MR Manubhai Pranjivanbhai Teraiya.

of Ram Madhav’s thinktank. Law degree holder Suresh Prabhu was also member of Vajpayee cabinet and remained energy minister. Modi has given prominence to power sector on his agenda. Prabhu is a staunch supporter of Modi.

They are all Narendra Modi’s ‘One man’s army’ (Courtesy: Red Rose column “Sandesh”Gujarat based daily)

25

Bureaucrats eye foreign postings

New Delhi: With a week to go for the declaration of election results and there being little chance of the ruling coalition getting a fresh term, UPA ministers and their staff have started winding up.

Most offices wear a deserted look with ministerial staff either looking at foreign postings or starting to scout for their next assignment within the country. The early birds have already taken up new assignments. For instance, Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi, who was pri-

vate secretary to PM Manmohan Singh, has moved to Washington as a senior advisor in the International Monetary Fund. Similarly, Anjali Prasad, who was the additional secretary responsible for FDI policy, has joined as India’s ambassador to WTO in Geneva.

There are several others who are in contention for foreign assignments, starting with the government’s chief spokesperson Neelam Kapoor, who is said to be headed for Nehru Centre in London.

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BJP’s Delhi headquarter is now not an office of boring dhoti clan old leaders.

Here one can see young and dashing young people working in corporate style wearing jeans and tie with tight collar. Charts are in front of them as well as facts and figures are at their finger tips. This scene looks like a call-centre, but in reality it is a headquarter of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). They all are having a computer screen right in front of them. They have only one goal – ‘Make Narendra Modi, India’s next Prime Minister!’

They all have one mission – mission 272 plus.

CAG had conducted a programme called ‘Manthan’ at Tyagraja stadium in Delhi, in which 7,000 students participated. In that programme, Modi sat for whole day and listen to everyone.

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26

INDIA - WORLD

Modi, Modi, All The Way

Continued from page 1 An expected Modi victory would be a blow for campaigners who have long maintained he is an autocratic 'Hindu' supremacist responsible for an outbreak of religious riots in his home state, Gujarat, in 2002 in 800 people died.

Modi, who rose from humble roots as a tea vendor's son, was shunned by Western nations for years after the bloodshed in Gujarat, where he has been chief minister since 2001.

Modi’s rise on the national stage forced a rethink among the European Union and the United States, whose ambassadors have met him to patch up relations.

Modi denies the accusations against him and a Supreme Court inquiry found no evidence to prosecute him.

Meanwhile, the BJPled alliance is forecast to win 270-282 seats, according to a poll conducted by research group CSDS for the CNN-IBN television network. It forecast just 92-102 seats for the coalition led by the Congress party, which would be worst ever result

for the ruling party led by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.

Congress spearheaded India's independence movement and has governed the country for over 50 years since freedom from British rule in 1947.

If the BJP and its pre-election allies can win an outright majority, it will be the best showing by a single group since Congress and its allies won 414 seats in 1984, when the assassination of thenprime minister Indira Gandhi created a swell of public sympathy for the party.

Several national exit polls over-estimated the BJP's seat share in the last two general elections in 2004 and 2009. The Congress party went on to form coalition governments on both occasions.

“We will only know if this 'Modi wave' has really happened after the election results,” said Praveen Rai, a political analyst at CSDS who recently published a report on exit polls. “It still might be more of a media wave, a manufactured wave.”

Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state and a

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crucial political battleground, is particularly tricky for pollsters to forecast because it is a castesensitive state where some voters are afraid to speak frankly about who they chose, said Rai. Another poll released

by Nielsen for ABP News, showed the BJP-led alliance hitting 281 seats.

A third, by Cicero for the India Today group, predicted Modi's alliance would take between 261 and 283 seats, and pollster C-Voter forecast a tally of 289. One outlier poll, by Today's Chanakya, showed the BJP emerging with enough seats to rule on its own. The Congress' predicted tally too varies widely from a mere 57 in the News24 poll to a possible 138 in the Times Now poll. At 57, the Congress wouldn't just be reduced to a historic low, it would face its biggest crisis in postIndependence history.

Coming to the wide variance among pollsters, in Bihar, for instance, the Times Now-ORG poll gave the RJD no seats at all and the JD(U) 10 seats, while most other polls projected the RJD-

Congress alliance as the primary challenge to the BJP and the JD(U) being squeezed out.

Similarly, in Karnataka, the Headline Today-Cicero poll suggested the Congress had a clear lead over the BJP and would win between 15 and 19 of the state's 28 seats. The News24 poll projected a diametrically opposite outcome with the BJP winning 20 seats in the state.

In Rajasthan, the Headline Today and News24 polls predicted that the Congress could, at one end of the range of their projections, get completely wiped out, but the Times Now poll predicted that party could win 14 of the 25 seats in the state where it faced a rout in the assembly polls in December.

On AAP, most polls agreed that it would make its presence felt, in Punjab in particular, but yet again there was disagreement on just how well it would do.

The News24 poll said the party could emerge as the single largest in Punjab, winning five of the 13 seats while others gave it no seats at all.

Jharkhand boy cuts off his tongue

A 17-year-old boy sliced off his tongue with a blunt blade in an extreme act of devotion at a temple in Jharkhand.

Lalmohan Soren was sitting at Mahedevgarha Temple, in Dugda, Jharkhand, when worshippers spotted blood splattered across the floor as they came to the temple for their morning prayers.

Lalmohan's tongue was inside a bowl next to his feet with a note saying: ‘I have cut off my tongue and offered it to Lord Shiva. 'Please do not throw me out of the temple, I just want to sit here

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

In Brief

MP claimed condolence card expenses

London: A record published by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority revealed that Tory MP Caroline Dinenage has claimed £3.95 she spent for sending sympathy cards to families of dead constituents. The Gosport MP filed the expense claim under 'hospitality' and insisted the claim was fair.

Sweeping powers given to taxmen

London: The government has given sweeping powers to the taxmen and now the HM Revenue and Customs officials can raid your bank accounts to recover the unpaid tax bills without a court order. The rules could even apply to couples with joint bank accounts, even if there are no grounds for complaint against one of the partners.

Exercise just before meals to control blood sugar

London: A new study has suggested that a few minutes of intense exercise Just before meals can control blood sugar levels. The study says that people who did several one-minute intense exercise 30 minutes before their daily meals saw a 12 per cent reduction in their blood sugar levels after their meals, compared with people who did 30 minutes of moderate exercise once a day.

Justice sought for NHS whistleblowers

London: Doctors, nurses and MPs united together to seek justice for NHS whistleblowers who were ousted from their jobs after raising the alarm over poor care.

Meanwhile, the new head of the health service is under pressure to reopen the cases of six former staff members who were removed after they speak out against the NHS authorities. They have also asked the government to order an inquiry into their sacking.

Machines that read your mind

London: Now scientist hope to quell the road rage or lure the frustrated technology users into sticking with a particular gadget for just a little longer by devices designed to detect and even predict bad moods. The urge to vent frustration at fellow road users, thump computer keyboards or channel-hop television stations has become a familiar facet of our gadgetfilled lives.

Families resorting to panic-buying of houses

London: Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors said that due to a shortage of two and threebedroom houses, the buyers are panic-buying houses before prices rise beyond their reach. Some 23 homes were sold per surveyor in the three months to April, the highest level since February 2008. at the feet of the Lord’.

The temple leader was informed and eventually he managed to persuade Lalmohan to go to hospital. Doctors tried stitching his tongue back together but failed and eventually Lalmohan was discharged after a few days.

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Wife’s taunt leads man to travel to Syrian terror camp

London: Following a taunt by his wife, Mashudur Choudhury, 31 travelled to Syria to join a terrorist training camp and to become a martyr. Choudhury suggested to Kingston Crown Court that the group he was travelling with should be called the "Britani brigade Bangladeshi bad boys". The Portsmouth man is accused of going to the Middle Eastern country to undertake training in terrorism on or before October 25.

Sharing of household work leads to happy married life

London: Researchers said that couples who share household chores equally are more likely to live a happy married life. Researchers at University of Illinois said that marital bliss for just-married couples is at risk of taking a knock when one partner is perceived as not bearing a fair share of household work.

Parents blamed for students’ poor performance

London: Experts have blamed British parents for poor performance of students in school. They say that the parents believe that pupils will only succeed if they are born bright. The researchers say that the parents have to change their attitude and motivate the children to work hard to succeed.

Cambridge beats Oxford again

London: Oxford has lost out to Cambridge for the fourth year running in a new league table of universities. Both Cambridge and Oxford took the top two places in the latest annual Complete University Guide. In third place went to the London School of Economics and Political Science, followed by St Andrews in Fife, Scotland, which moved up two places to fourth, and Durham, which holds on to fifth place.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

Weekly yoga class can help ease stress during pregnancy

weekly yoga class can reduce stress among A people, especially among

pregnant women.

According to a study, taking up yoga in pregnancy can ease stress – and reduce women's fear and anxiety of childbirth by a third.

Professor John Aplin, who specialises in reproductive biomedicine, even suggested yoga could help women cope with the pain of childbirth and reduce the number of emergency Csections. He added: “Perhaps we should be looking at providing yoga classes on the NHS. It would be relatively cheap to implement, could help mothers and their children be healthier, as well as reducing the costs of longer-term healthcare.”

Yoga is popular with mothers-to-be, but until now no one had studied whether it is actually ben-

eficial. The Manchester University researchers looked at two groups of women who were 22 weeks pregnant. Half did a weekly yoga class for two months and the other half attended antenatal classes. The yoga sessions were adapted for pregnancy and included relaxation techniques, as well as exercises to strengthen the body and ease pain.

There were concerns that the weekly focus on childbirth in classes might actually make

women more nervous.

But a single yoga class cut the amount of anxiety the women felt by a third.

Stress levels after the session were even lower than when relaxing at home, according to the study published in the journal Depression and Anxiety. And many of the women credited the techniques with keeping them calm and making the birth easier.

Lead researcher Dr James Newham, who is now based at Newcastle University, said: “We have

long believed that it works but no research has been done to back up the theory. We have now gone some way to prove that it can help. It was no small effect. This has the potential to really help mothers who are feeling anxious about their pregnancy.”

Jacqui Clinton from baby charity Tommy's, which funded the study, said: “We already know that pregnancy yoga can help improve physical health and strength on the run up to having a baby, and this new evidence shows it may have important benefits for women's emotional health too.”

The NHS advises pregnant women to stay active to help cope with labour. But a Department of Health spokesman said that the decision to run free yoga classes would need to be taken by individual hospital trusts.

Excessive or less sleep can Dieting and exercising not enough to lose weight cause depression

ess or more sleep than normal can cause L depression, a new study of

adult twins and adolescents has found. One major cause of depression is genetic, but the study found that short and long sleep durations activated the genes related to depressive symptoms.

"We were surprised that the heritability of depressive symptoms in twins with very short sleep was nearly twice the heritability in twins sleeping normal amounts of time," said principal investigator Dr Nathaniel Watson, associate professor of neurology and codirector of the University of Washington Medicine Sleep Center in Seattle, Wash. "Both short and excessively long sleep durations appear to activate genes related to depressive symptoms," added Watson.

A study of 1,788 adult

To Our Readers

We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement it. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

twins is the first to demonstrate a gene by environment interaction between self-reported habitual sleep duration and depressive symptoms.

Results suggest that sleep durations outside the normal range increase the genetic risk for depressive symptoms. Among twins with a normal sleep duration of seven to 8.9 hours per night, the total heritability of depressive symptoms was 27 per cent. However, the genetic influence on depressive symptoms increased to 53 per cent among twins with a short sleep duration of five hours per night and 49 per cent among those who reported sleeping 10 hours per night.

Another study of 4,175 individuals between 11 and 17 years of age is the first to document reciprocal effects for major depression and short sleep duration among adolescents using prospective data. Results suggest sleeping six hours or less per night increases the risk for major depression, which in turn increases the risk for decreased sleep among adolescents.

"Healthy sleep is a necessity for physical, mental and emotional well-being," said American Academy of Sleep Medicine President Dr M Safwan BaDr. "This new research emphasizes that we can make an investment in our health by prioritizing sleep."

new research has found that controlling A how much you eat and

doing lots of physical activity is not enough when it comes to shedding off the kilos.

Dr. Claude Bouchard, Professor at the Texas A and M University Institute for Advanced Study (TIAS), said that when someone says of an obese person, “They should just eat less and exercise more,” he says if it were that simple, obesity wouldn't be the worldwide epidemic that it is.

Bouchard, director of the Human Genomics Lab at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., studies the genetics of obesity and believes there are dozens of factors involved in determining whether or not a person becomes overweight or obese.

Bouchard asserted that obesity is a complex problem because there are so many drivers and approaches focus on only a few and forget that while we control them there is compensation taking place elsewhere; there are other drivers that come into play.

He divides those drivers into four categories: social, environmental, behavioral and biological.

Let’s sleep on it HEALTH STOP

Health & Wellness

Social factors include less access to nutritious foods, more recreational eating, powerful and constant advertising, large food portions, poor school meals, eating on the run, food pricing and fewer meals cooked at home.

Our physical environment affects eating habits as well, said Bouchard, such as the absence of sidewalks, reliance on automobiles, building design and enviro n m e n t a l pollutants.

Behavioral factors such as spending less time in strenuous activity, taking medications known to increase body weight, the absence of breast-feeding, eating corn fructose syrup, an increase in sedentary jobs and high-fat diets.

And biological factors such as genetics, viruses, gut microbiota, adipose tissue (body fat) biology, and metabolic rates can all affect weight and many are not within a person's control.

Bouchard explained that the biology is very complex and the response to environmental, social and behavioral factors is conditional on the genotype of an individual. "Your adaptation to a diet or a given amount of exercise is determined by your genes," he asserted.

27

10 simple ways to fight sleeplessness

Ravi Bhanot

JP MRPharmS Dip(Nutr) Dip(Hom) Dip(Ayurv) Dip(Stress Manag) Dip (Massage) Pharmacist, Ayurvedic, Complementary Health and Nutrition Consultant, Lecturer, Researcher and Author. He is a celebrity columnist for many magazines and is Director of The Ayurveda Institute of Europe and Coolherbals Ltd.

Do you struggle to sleep at night, wake up frequently during the night or do you anxiously watch the clock until the time you have to get up?

Why can’t I get to sleep?

Temporary insomnia can simply be because of jet lag or not being tired enough. However long term insomnia could be due to psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, chronic stress, bipolar disorder or trauma. In some instances it could even be sleep disorders that are causing the insomnia: conditions such as sleep apnoea (shallow or infrequent breathing), narcolepsy (brain's inability to keep sleepwake cycles normal), or restless legs syndrome (irresistible urge to move one's body).

It may sound obvious but avoid naps, reduce caffeine intake, try to keep to regular sleep patterns, sleep in a quiet environment, avoid exercising within four hours of bedtime, avoid eating a late heavy meal and try relaxing – perhaps with a regular ayurvedic head massage. Contact us for your nearest therapist.

If this has not worked then try these ten solutions: 1. Get out of bed to

break the cycle – perhaps have a glass of water.

2. Read a book - hopefully not one that is too exciting that you would not want to put down.

3. Watch television.

4. Have a warm bath with relaxing herbs or oils.

5. Do not keep looking at the clock to see when you have to get up remove the clock from your bedroom.

6. Do not let negative thoughts takeover.

Consider what good this thought could mean and focus on this. May be it is a test from God designed to make you a stronger person? Someone once said ‘God let me not have problems – instead let me be a stronger person’.

7. Simply breathe deeply for five minutes. Yawn to relax the jaw muscles.

Roll your head in circular motion to relax the neck muscles. Roll the shoulders in a circular motion to relax the shoulder muscles.

8. Some oils are relaxing.

Place a few drops of any of these to your pillow: Valerian, Lavender, Sandalwood or Clary Sage.

9. Sleeping tablets. Your doctor could give you some as a last resort, for a short period of time.

However, doctors are usually reluctant to prescribe sleeping tablets as they do not treat the cause and may cause side effects, such as a feeling of a hangover or daytime drowsiness.

10. Herbs such as Valerian and Ginger. For some people a natural herbal remedy without side effects is the solution. Herbs such as Valerian and Ginger have been used as a sleeping aide since the times of Alexander the Great.

Valerian contains Valerenic acid and Iridoids which act as a mild sedative. Ginger contains Cineole which has a calming effect.

If you want more information on insomnia solutions or have a health or beauty problem email ravi@coolherbals.com, phone 020 8597 9039 or write to Ravi Bhanot or Sushma Bhanot, 386 Green Lane, Ilford, Essex IG3 9JU.

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28

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

D

Priya Anand and Vemal in Kannan’s next

irector Kannan of “Settai” fame is finetuning his next script which stars Vemal and Priya Anand as the lead pair. This film will be produced by Michael Rayappan. As per the reports going on, Kannan has apparently come with two titles for his film Sakkarai and Kaadhal Konjam Kammi.

When asked about the title of the film, he said, “Yes, I have zeroed in on two titles. I have asked the design team to come out with logos and will compare the two and opt for the best. But in most probability, it will be Kaadhal Konjam Kammi as a film called Sakkarakatti is already released and this might create some kind of confusion in the minds of the audience”

Hansika, next to Superstar Rajinikanth

‘Kochadaiiyaan’ release postponed again T

amil superstar Rajinikanth's longdelayed and long-awaited “Kochadaiiyaan” will be delayed further. The film will not be released on May 9 as scheduled. A new release date is expected to be announced shortly.

This is the latest in a series of delays for the film, with the release date in the last two months being shifted from April 11 to May 1 and finally to May 9. The animated period piece, in which Rajinikanth plays a triple role, co-stars Deepika Padukone and is directed by the superstar's

T

he year 2013 has been an exciting year for Hansika Motwani. And, she is all set to continue her dream run in the coming year as well. She says, “2014 is going to be bigger and better for me. I see myself a cheerful person in 2014. It will be full of lights, camera and action.”

She has two meaty projects lined up – “Aranmanai” with Sundar C and “Maan Karate” with Siva In Karthikeyan.

Aranmanai, she plays ‘God’s Child’. Sources reveal that she will not have a pair in this supernatural psychological thriller. While for a Maan Karate song, she had to drive five bikes.

She said that she thoroughly enjoyed every bit of her riding experience.

‘D Gangs of Mumbai’

The movie is about two young men Avi (Sanjay Kapoor) and Shiva ( A a r y a Babbar) on a mission to establish their name in Mumbai as dreaded criminals.

A series of killing by both makes them cynosure of the police department who wants them dead or alive. ACP Hemant Jog’s (Sushil Singh) thinking is that eye for an eye is not a solution to control the criminals and they should be given a chance to reform. With permission from authorities the ACP releases them.

Both Avi and Shiva leave the city and were leading a peaceful life.

daughter Soundarya R Ashwin.

On May 5, Soundarya tweeted: “Post-production for the film, which uses performance capture, was previously blamed for the delays. Despite our very best efforts, we're just not ready. We need two more weeks and we are not willing to speed up the post-production just because we have been missing other deadlines in the past."

In April, Rajinikanth's manager said, "The release date has been locked as May 9. There will no further changes in the film's release."

Sonakshi makes Rajinikanth nervous!

R

ajnikanth nervous! Unbelievable! Well Rajnikanth‘s reason for getting nervous is the fact that he would be acting opposite Sonakshi Sinha, who is all set to make an entry down South opposite the superstar Rajnikanth in “Lingaa.”

Rajnikanth expressed this sentiment since he is a good friend of Shatrughan Sinha and now he would be romancing his daughter on screen. It has been reported that Sonakshi too expressed her nervousness about working with Rajnikanth, “I’ve met Rajni Sir when I was younger. After coming to the set of ‘Lingaa,’ I told him that I was pretty nervous about working with him. But he surprised me by saying, Why are you nervous? I am nervous to work with you since you’re my friend’s daughter,” said Sonakshi.

Sonakshi Sinha is very thrilled about working with the legend of cinema since Shatrughan Sinha and Rajnikanth are friends. “It is definitely a Dabangg entry for me.” says Sonakshi.

Unexpectedly, someone wanted to take revenge on them for a murder they committed earlier. Will Avi and Shiva return to their old ways or how they circumvent the situation is crux of the story.

‘The Xposé’

It is a musical film directed by Anant Mahadevan and produced by Vipin Reshammiya under the banner of HR Musik. The film stars Himesh Reshammiya as a detective named Ravi Kumar, who is investigating a murder.

Zoya Afroz and Sonali Raut appear in supporting roles, whilst Irrfan Khan has been roped in for a special appearance.

Punjabi music artist Yo Yo Honey Singh also appears in the film to play a role of

villain, thus making his Bollywood acting debut.

‘Midsummer Mumbai’

Midnight

It is a romantic movie directed by Braj Bhushan and the music is by Sujeet Chaubey, Afroz Khan. The main acators are Sara Khan, Paras Chhabra, M A Guddu, Pooja Thakur, Kiran Kumar, Milind Gunaji, Pramod Mautho, Raju Kher, Shiva Rindan, and Mushtaq Khan.

‘Aashiqui 2' singer arrested on rape charges

S

inger Ankit Tiwari, who rose to fame with his blockbuster hit song “Sun Raha Hai Na” from “Aashiqui 2,” has been arrested by the Versova police station on rape charges. The singer's brother Ankur Tiwari too has been arrested for threatening the victim. According to a report, the victim is Ankit's girlfriend, an event management professional, who the singer has decided not to marry despite promising to marry her.

The report says that the victim is 28-years-old and is not from the film industry. She was staying with her sister in Mumbai and met the singer through common friends. Since then the two have been in touch with each other and the two brothers used to visit her house frequently.

29

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

Akshay Kumar turns army intel officer in ‘Holiday’ kshay Kumar is set to take on his most iconic role in his A new film – “Holiday: A Soldier Is

Never Off Duty,” releasing worldwide on 6th June 2014through Reliance Entertainment.

It is an intelligent, highoctane, edge-of-your-seat romantic thriller, which delves into the dark labyrinth of terror cells, bomb plots and international espionage. The film directed by A. R. Murugadoss has Sonakshi Sinha, Govinda and newcomer Freddie Daruwala in pivotal roles.

Akshay Kumar essays the role

of Virat Bakshi, a military officer who is on holiday with his battalion in Mumbai. However, unknown to his fellow officers, Virat is also an undercover Secret Defence Intelligence Agent.

Whilst on a family visit to Mumbai, Virat is caught up in a gruesome terror attack that sees a crowded bus blown to pieces.

But this is just the beginning of the story for Virat, as he gets drawn into a sinister web of lies and deceit in his quest to bring the very top echelons of the terror mafia to justice before they strike again in the heart of Mumbai.

Kukunoor’s 'Lakshmi' to open London Asian film festival

akshmi,” a hard-hitting drama about “L child trafficking in India,

directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, will open the 2014 edition of the London Asian Film Festival (LAFF).

The film is based on the real-life story of an impoverished 14-year-old girl kidnapped from her village in Andhra Pradesh and forced into prostitution and who eventually testified in court against her traffickers.

Kukunoor will travel to London for the occasion and take part in an exclusive tete-a-tete following the screening on 1 June at the

capital's historic Tricycle Theatre.

“Lakshmi” stars newcomer Monali Thakur in the central role, as well as Indian TV stalwart Ram Kapoor and veteran Bollywood star Satish

Kaushik who was also part of the film's production team.

The film had its world premier in January at the Palm Springs International Film Festival 2014 where it won the Audience Award for “Best Narrative Feature.”

Kukunoor has been praised by critics and audiences alike for his unflinching portrayal of the horrors of child trafficking and sexu-

al slavery in India where more than 50,000 abductions and “disappearances” are recorded every year.

“Lakshmi” kicks off a 12day celebration of independent South Asian arts and cinema across London as LAFF returns for a record 16th year.

Among the other highlights of this year's festival are an exclusive appearance by filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, Pam Chopra, the wife of the late Yash Chopra, Indian-American comedian Nadia P Mansoor as well as films from Pakistan, India and the UK.

Sonakshi flaunts her figure for ‘Holiday’ promotions ollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha B revealed her amazing

new svelte figure during promotions of the film “Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty’’ with co-star Akshay Kumar.

She flaunted her supertoned midriff during a special appearance on talent show Dance India Dance, in Mumbai recently. She was joined by Akshay Kumar, as the pair chatted to the young contestants and entertained the studio guests. She also showed off her slim-line physique on the green carpet at the recent International Indian Film Awards (IIFA) in Florida.

Produced by Akshay Kumar and Vipul A Shah, “Holiday” is an intelligent, highoctane, edge-of-your-seat romantic thriller, which delves into the dark labyrinth of terror cells, bomb plots and international espionage.

The film is directed by A. R. Murugadoss, who made the blockbuster “Ghajini.”

Veteran actor Govinda performs the role of Akshay’s senior commanding officer.

Newcomer Freddie Daruwala shines as the ruthless and brutal leader of the terror cell.

The music is by Pritam Chakraborty.

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UK Dewani hearing postponed till June 20

30

The British millionaire from Bristol, Shrien Dewani, pictured, appeared briefly in a South African court, where his lawyers successfully argued he was not fit to stand trial for the murder of his Swedish bride, Anni Dewani.

Mr Dewani, 34, reportedly stared forward, emotionless, as he appeared in the dock at a five minute long pre-trial hearing in the Western Cape's High Court. Francois van Zyl, representing Mr Dewani, argued that he had "fully co-operative" since his extradition from Britain to South Africa last year.

However, Mr van Zyl told the court that, "We have been told not to consult

with him for more than 30 minutes at a time and even that has proved frustrating because of his lack of ability to concentrate", Mr van Zyl told the court.

The lawyer proposed that Mr Dewani's case be postponed to June 20 this year and the South African prosecution has agreed the delay. Judge President John Hlophe agreed that Dewani be held in custody at Valkenberg until then.

Coming Events

l Wednesday 21 May 2014 – Exhibition: WWF Tiger Talk Exhibition from 6.15pm at The Nehru Centre, 8 South Audley Street, London, W!k 1HF. l Thursday 22nd May 2014 – A Path to Wisdom: 5 Steps to a Heart Centred Approach to Leadership hosted by City Hindus Network from 6.45pm – 8.45pm at The Hub, Westminster, London. l Friday 23rd May 2014 – 'In Spotlight' at the Cockpit Theatre from 7pm – 9pm. l Saturday 24th May 2014 – Indo-UK Theatre Arts presents A Gujlish Drama from 7.30pm at Shree Lohana Mahajan Hildyard Road, Leicester LE4 5GG. Contact: 01162664642. l Saturday 24th May 2014 – Hindu Introductions Event from 6pm – 10.30pm at Myerscough College, St Michael's Rd, Bilsborrow, Preston PR3 0RY. Contact: 07929329204. l Saturday 24th May 2014 – Sunday 1st June 2014 - Shrimad Devi Bhagwat from 2.30pm – 5.30pm at Shri Sanatan Hindu Mandir, Ealing Road, Alperton, Wembley, HA0 4TA. Contact: 0208 903 7737. l Sunday 25th May 2014 – Rock On Music presents Shreya Ghoshal at The Royal Albert Hall. l Saturday 31st May – Shruti Arts in association with Shivan Theatre present Chorna Hathma Chavi, a Gujarati Drama, directed by Kiran Purohit at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 4a Castletown Road, London W14 9HE. Contact 0207 381 3086. l Sunday 1st June 2014 – Pankaj Sodha presents 'Dikri Vahal No Dariye' at 7pm at Copland School, Cecil Avenue Wembley HA9 7DU. Contact: 07947561947 Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Editorial Executive: Tanveer Mann Tel: 020 7749 4010 - Email: tanveer.mann@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Freelance Correspondent: Rudy Otter Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Chief Financial Officer: Surendra Patel Tel: 020 7749 4093 Mobile: 07875 229 220 Email: surendra.patel@abplgroup.com Chief Accountant: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email:accounts@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 151 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Business Development Managers: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Graphic Designers: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad.

Tel / Fax: +91 79 2646 5960 Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (M) +91 94266 36912 Email: nilesh.parmar@abplgroup.com

Thank you to the people of Kenton East and Harrow

Continued from page 3 I’d also like to place on record admiration for my colleague and friend Keith Toms, who declared himself as the “Anti-Racist Mayor of Harrow”.

Harrow has come a long way from being a white, middle class leafy suburb to one of the most religiously and ethnically diverse Boroughs, with people living together in the spirit of respect and harmony. There are many challenges that lie ahead but I’m proud of our multicultural community and I know that our journey will continue to build on our successes and ensure Harrow remains one of the top places to live and work.

Personally it’s been a happy journey and I’ve made some friends from all mainstream parties and genuine independents.

The low points have been the totally unnecessary pettiness and personal insults I’ve faced from a small quarter of Tories.

I’ve stood firm against those individuals and I’m glad that people of

Harrow haven’t been fooled by them either. My Labour colleagues and I have been subjected to the allegations of institutional racism by the so-called ILG. Their allegations are as bogus as the ILG itself and they are nothing but imposters with no integrity or principles. I’m least surprised that the opportunist UKIP has joined the ILG in the bandwagon to discredit the Labour Party in Harrow by spreading the unfounded filth about racism. But, they cannot disguise the fact that they are simply a glossy version of the BNP and fair minded people know it.

I bow out of local council politics with a tinge of sadness but make no mistake I’m not retiring. I remain London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow and will be working even harder for and with our communities in Brent and Harrow. I’m always happy to assist, you can contact me by email navin.shah@london.gov.u k or by telephone on 020 7983 4377.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

All close ties of love and affection will benefit from the gentle influence of Venus. If you are married or have a well-founded relationship, it seems that the pattern of events will somehow draw you closer together emotionally. Those who are not yet totally decided, this is a fine time to do some serious thinking.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 You should enjoy a very popular phase in your life where everyone wants to invite you to parties. This will give you a chance to meet people and pursue any romantic liaisons that might present themselves. Your communications are extremely high making it easy to close those lucrative deals.

You will be pleased to see that your social life livens up during this week. It is as if a lucky twist of events and something unexpected that will provide you with a key to your heart's desire. There is a definite expansive trend where money is concerned, so do not be surprised if this turns out be a time of lucky breaks.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

Give top priority to important written work, official matters and vital communications. If you can manage to get away from usual routines, this will not only prove to be highly enjoyable but it will have a decidedly beneficial effect on your physical and psychological well-being. Loved ones will be looking after you.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

It's a time of slow and steady progress that can set the stage for a long time to come. Of course, there are still challenging issues on both a personal and practical level. To get here you may have overcome obstacles by making important decision and choices. You will achieve a lot more, by motivating your own desires.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 You will feel energetic and confident as the week begins. New beginnings are favoured around now. Your thinking is inspired, so listen to your thoughts. This may be a time of expansion and it would be unwise to let yourself become complacent. Affairs of the heart are likely to flourish.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

l Brent Indian Association in partnership with Sri Sathya Sai Organisation UK has once again taken an initiative to hold a FREE walk-in health awareness day on Sunday 18th May 2014, 9.30am-4:30pm at 116 Ealing Road. l Thursday 15th May 2014 - Quest Ensemble Album Launch at 7.30pm at Wilton’s Music Hall, Graces Alley, London E1 8JB. l Wednesday 21 May 2014 - Talk on ‘India’s Contribution to the Great War’ with Lord Bhikhu Parekh, 6.45pm at Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 7LP. Consulting Editor: Bhupatbhai Parekh, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Tel: +91 79 2630 4142 Urvashi Jagadeesan (India) Mumbai: Kanti Bhatt, Hemraj Shah (Jumbo Advertiser) Horizon Advertising & Marketing: 205, Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar,Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. Tel / Fax: +91 79 2646 5960 Email: horizon.marketing@abplgroup.com General Manager: Sanat Trivedi (M) +91 94293 65619 Email: sanat.trivedi@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Hardik Shah (M) +91 99250 42936 Email: hardik.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Neeta Patel (Vadodara) M: +91 98255 11702 Email: neeta_abplgroup@yahoo.co.in Assistant Marketing Manager: Manish Shah (Vadodara) M: +91 96876 06824 Email: manish.shah@abplgroup.com Business Co-ordinator: Shrijit Rajan M: +91 98798 82312 Email: shrijit.rajan@abplgroup.com International Advertisement Representative: Jain Group (South India) Tel: +91 44 42041122/3/4 Fax: +91 44 25362973 Mumbai: +91 222471 4122 Email: jain@jaingroup.net Delhi Office: Tel: +91 44 9311581597

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The fiery planet Mars, continues to occupy your Solar 1st house for some time to come. Its influence will help you to maintain a high energy level and achieve positive results in anything that requires drive and initiative. If you are involved in a fairly competitive field of activity, you will be the one who comes out on top.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 It is essential that you adopt a very open attitude now for this is a time of lucky opportunity and a chance to greatly enrich your working life and at home. New windows on the world are about to open and this will have a maturing effect on you. There is a rather secretive aura surrounding new romance.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

You may find yourself hard at work behind the scenes, although that may not be apparent to others. You may find yourself caught up in a whirlwind of activity, with opportunities to advance on both the inner and outer level. There’s a sparkle to your social life and much enjoyment from being in touch with other people.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 Domestic and family matters are very much to the fore indicating increased harmony and feeling of contentment in your home life. At a more practical level, property matters are under a highly encouraging trend, making this one of the best times for pushing ahead with buying, selling or renovating your property.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

You have everything to gain by following creative inclinations. If you have new ideas, now is the time to put them into practice. Whatever your present interests you are likely to find that new doors open and the way ahead offers increased scope for expressing your real self. A great time to meet and interact with people.

There seems to be some pressure on financial affairs and maybe a problem to contend with in regard to a joint venture. If you feel that something has been hanging in the balance, whatever happens you will get a clearer picture of the situation eventually. Allow matters to ride as impatience will not give you the whole picture.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

IPL Results of 10 matches played from 6th to 12th May

Match Date 1 6 May

2

7 May

3

7 May

4

8 May

5

9 May

6

10 May

7

10 May

8

11 May

9

11 May

10

12 May

Teams MI v/s RCB at Mumbai MI won by 19 runs Brief scores: MI 187/5 (20 overs); RCB 168/8 (20 overs) DD v/s KKR at Delhi KKR won by 8 wickets Brief scores: KKR 161/2 (18.2 overs); DD 160/5 (20 overs) KXIP v/s CSK at Cuttack KXIP won by 44 runs Brief scores: KXIP 231/4 (20 overs); CSK 187/6 (20 overs) SRH v/s RR at Motera SRH won by 32 runs Brief scores: SRH 134/9 (20 overs); RR 102/10 (19.5 overs) KXIP v/s RCB at Bangalore KXIP won by 32 runs Brief scores: KXIP 198/8 (20 overs); RCB 166/9 (20 overs) DD v/s SRH at Delhi SRH won by 8 wickets Brief scores: SRH 44/2 (4.2 overs); DD 143/7 (20 overs) MI v/s CSK at Mumbai CSK won by 4 wickets Brief scores: CSK 160/6 (19.3 overs); MI 157/6 (20 overs)7 10 May KXIP v/s KKR at Cuttack KKR won by 9 wickets Brief scores: KKR 150/1 (18 overs); KXIP 149/8 (20 overs) RCB v/s RR at Bangalore RR won by 5 wickets Brief scores: RR 190/5 (20 overs); RCB 191/5 (18.5 overs) SRH v/s MI at Hyderabad MI won by 7 wickets Brief scores: MI 160/3 (18.4 overs); SRH 157/3 (20 overs)

India to play ODI series against Bangladesh

SPORT WORLD

MI beat Sunrisers by 7 wickets

Lendl Simmons and Ambati Rayudu hit solid half centuries as defending champions Mumbai Indians recorded a comprehensive seven wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in an IPL match on Monday.

Opener Simmons (68) and Rayudu (68) frustrated Hyderabad bowlers for 14.3 overs during which they shared 130 runs for the second wicket as Mumbai chased down the target of 158 with eight balls to spare at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium at Uppal.

With this victory, their third from nine matches, Mumbai, jumped to sixth spot with six points while Hyderabad remained on fifth position with eight points from nine matches.

Mumbai though did not have a good start in their run chase as they lost opener Chidhambaram Gautam (1) in the second over off pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar but Simmons and Rayudu steadied the innings and then set up an easy win for MI. They batted slow for a while before Simmons took 16 runs off Irfan Pathan in the fifth over with two sixes and a four.

Pathan was the unfortunate bowler as he was also picked by Rayudu for special treatment later on and the pacer conceded 29 runs from his two overs.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra was also expensive as he conceded 33 runs from his three wicketless overs to add to the woes of Hyderabad who were playing their first match at home in IPL-7.

Rayudu, who hit seven fours and two sixes off 46 balls, and Simmons, whose 50-ball knock included five fours and four sixes, batted sensibly as they hit occasional boundaries to keep the asking rate under control while also preserving

wickets.

From 32 for one at the end of the fifth over, Mumbai reached 32 for one at the halfway stage and then raced away to 125 for one at the end of the 15th over and the asking rate had been brought down below seven an over by then. The duo, however, were out in quick succession - in the 16th and 17th overs off Bhuvneshwar (2/21) and Moises Henriques (1/23) respectively - as Mumbai faced some jittery moments towards the end before skipper Rohit Sharma (14 not out) and Kieron Pollard (6 not out) took their side home.

Rohit hit the winning runs - a four - as Mumbai reached 160 for three in 18.2 overs to notch up a much-needed win to stay afloat in the tournament.

Earlier, a late assault

by David Warner (55 not

out) after a solid batting show by opener Aaron Finch (68) took Hyderabad to 157 for three after electing to bat.

Hyderabad were tied down for most part of their innings and it seemed they would fall short of 150 before the last two overs yielded 33 runs to take them to a fighting total.

Finch played the role of sheet-anchor as he stayed till the penultimate over of Hyderabad innings, sharing 63 runs for the third wicket with Warner from nine overs.

He hit seven boundaries and two sixes in his 62ball knock.

The in-form Warner was largely instrumental in taking the score past 150 as he smashed two sixes off Lasith Malinga in the penultimate over and two boundaries off the final two balls of the

the team in his absence.

But the ace batsman too has indicated it to the BCCI hierarchy the need of a break before the long and hectic international season, and is likely to miss the tour. In absence of these two, it’s likely that a new captain will be announced for the series.

Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, the three players who have donned the skipper’s hat apart from Dhoni and Kohli in recent past, weren’t part of the ODI squad in Asia Cup, and a new face could probably be chosen by the selectors this time. Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin seem to be the frontrunners for the temporary role.

The Mumbai Cricket Association got a jolt as the IPL Governing Council decided to shift the final of the high-profile event on June 1 from Wankhede Stadium to B a n g a l o r e ' s Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Although the BCCI press release did not specify the reason for shifting the final, a top official said that the antiSrinivasan attitude of some of the MCA officebearers had played a part in the decision.

The official said since MCA belongs to the anti Srinivasan faction which still rules the roost, this decision was intended to get even with some top MCA officials who have openly expressed their displeasure at the Tamil Nadu strongman continu-

Ambati Rayudu

innings bowled by Kieron Pollar as Hyderabad scored 15 and 18 runs of the last two overs.

Warner's 31-ball unbeaten knock was studded with six boundaries and two sixes. Opener and captain Shikhar continued his struggle and he could contribute just 11 from as many balls in his side's first match at home this season. He was out in the last ball of the fifth over with Malinga uprooting his middle stump as he went for a drive outside the line.

One-down Lokesh Rahul was run out in the 10th over while going for a non-existent single. He made frantic return to the crease after running halfway down the pitch, but not before Chidhambaram Gautam broke the stumps.

For Mumbai, Malinga took two wickets for 35 runs off his four overs.

Indian Premier League 2014 Points Table (12 / 05 / 2014)

Teams KXIP CSK RR KKR SRH MI RCB DD

Match 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9

Won 7 7 6 4 4 3 3 2

IPL final shifted to Bangalore

India will tour Bangladesh for a 3-match ODI series between IPL and its departure for England. The final of IPL 7 will be played on June 1 while the team will leave for England on June 22. Now, 3 ODIs with Bangladesh have been scheduled in Dhaka on June 15, 17 and 19.

According to reports, both skipper MS Dhoni and his deputy Virat Kohli will be unavailable for the short tour. Dhoni has already planned a family vacation during that period and BCCI also believe in resting the captain before a hectic international schedule which ends with 2015 World Cup. Dhoni missed the Asia Cup due to injury before the World T20 in Bangladesh and Kohli led

31

ing at the helm.

However, those who attended the GC meeting were aware about the reasons given.

"The unofficial reason given is the atrocious quality of the Wankhede Stadium's Hospitality Box which is very cramped. The BCCI will be having a clutch of high-profile guests from across the globe, including senior ministers in the UAE government.

Lost 2 2 3 5 5 6 6 7

That's one reason why some of the decision makers felt that Wankhede will be inappropriate as a venue," the official said.

The second reason given is "MCA having problems in dealing with Mumbai Police."

"There is always shortage of VVIP car parking passes for the BCCI members. A lot of them have complained that they have to walk down a fair distance from the allotted car parking areas," the official said.

When asked whether Wankhede lost due to Srinivasan and MCA being at loggerheads, another senior official said, "All I can say is that the final is shifted. You are free to interpret the development."

Tied 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

NRR 1.03 0.61 0.25 0.01 -0.26 -0.35 -0.46 -0.95

Points 14 14 12 8 8 6 6 4

Man City bag Premier League title again

Manchester City secured a second Premier League title in three seasons by comfortably defeating West Ham United 2-0 at a jubilant Etihad Stadium on Sunday. City needed only a point to claim the championship ahead of Liverpool, but goals in each half from Samir Nasri and Vincent Kompany meant that they completed their mission with room to spare.

Victory took City's goals tally to 102 - one short of Chelsea’s Premier League record from 2009-10 - and made Chilean Manuel Pellegrini the first nonEuropean manager to win an English top-flight title.

SPORT

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 17th May 2014

Jeetan Patel plays crucial role in Warwickshire’s victory

Jeetan Patel played a decisive role with the ball as well as with the bat in the victory of Warwickshire over Middlesex by an innings and 47 runs in the county cricket at Edgbaston. From 140 for six, still 27 runs behind on first innings, Warwickshire reached 462 thanks largely to a stand of 175 for the seventh wicket between Patel and Tim Ambrose. Both scored hundreds, and by the end of the partnership Middlesex were beginning to look slightly dispirited and even more frustrated.

Patel averages 30 with the bat and 27 with the ball for the county he joined in 2009. He is also a good slip fielder and recently underlined his commitment by rejecting an invitation from New Zealand to tour West Indies next month. He is eligible for all games in all formats. Warwickshire lost Ateeq Javid and Keith Barker during an improved first spell from Steven Finn.

Ambrose and Patel started watchfully, a hooked six by Patel against Neil Dexter to

Jeetan Patel the shortest boundary was a rare reminder of the tempo he prefers to impose. In midafternoon, Patel overcame cramp in his left hand with help from an electrolyte drink. Patel found spin to his liking and reached his second first-class hundred from 134 balls by hoisting Ollie Rayner over mid-wicket. He fell a couple of minutes later, before Richard Jones kept Ambrose company for 12 overs. Then Chris Wright helped Ambrose to add 112 for the ninth wicket.

Warwickshire scored 462 runs. In reply Middlesex

Special offer:

could score only 167 in the first innings and 248 in the second innings. Patel took 4 Middlesex wickets also.

Jeetan Shashi Patel (born 7 May 1980) is a New Zealand cricketer of Indian descent. Patel is a right arm off spin bowler. He played domestic cricket for the Wellington Firebirds and has represented the New Zealand Black Caps in One Day Internationals, Twenty20 matches, and Test cricket. He played age group cricket in Wellington at under 15, under 17, and under 19 levels. He played for the New Zealand Cricket Academy in a one-day match against England A in 1999 and made his debut for Wellington in New Zealand's 1999–2000 domestic season.

Patel currently has a first class bowling average of around 40 and a List A bowling average in the mid-30s.

Patel showed steady improvement as a bowler during the 2004-5 season, taking 26 first class wickets at an average of 32.84. He played two one-dayers

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against South Africa A on the 2004–5 New Zealand A tour of South Africa. He represented the North Island in the 2004 -5 State of Origin match and played for the New Zealand Academy in the 2005 Cricket Australia Emerging Players Tournament.

In the 2004 English Season, he represented Buckingham Town Cricket Club, making a big impact in the 1st Team as well as progressing youngsters in local development schemes. Patel became the first player in 20 years to take 50 league wickets during his spell at the Bourton Road club and first player ever to go on to play international cricket. Patel was a member of the 2005–6 New Zealand Black Caps tour of Zimbabwe. He made his ODI debut for New Zealand against Zimbabwe in the 2005–6 Videocon TriSeries. He toured Sri Lanka with New Zealand A later in the season and played in the Triangular A Team Tournament at the conclusion of the tour.

Junior Cricketers relish an exclusive master class with Mark Ramprakash

Several aspiring junior players of Hurstpierpoint CC had the opportunity of a lifetime last weekend, when they got to experience a master class with the professional, gifted and successful Mark Ramprakash at Lords. The experience was part of an auction item, which was offered at the Asian Achievers Awards 2011.

Each year, the Awards, hosted by Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, choose a designated charity to partner with and raise money. In 2011, the chosen charity was Oxfam and all money made in the auction went to this charity.

This once in a lifetime experience was relished by the young players of Hurstpierpoint CC. The club, which was founded in 1717, has developed and sustained a junior section, which has now grown to in excess of 100 junior members and also boasts a girls and women’s side.

Second set of twins born to Federer family

Roger Federer's wife Mirka has given birth to the couple's second set of twins, boys named Leo and Lenny, the former world number one said.

"Mirka and I are so incredibly happy to share that Leo and Lenny were born this evening! #TwinsAgain," Federer, who already has fouryear-old twin girls, Myla Rose and Charlene Riva, wrote on his Twitter feed. The Swiss announced earlier he had withdrawn from this week's Madrid Open Masters event to be at the birth.

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