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Vol 44 | Issue 24

17th to 23rd October 2015 SPECIAL P17

COMMUNITY

MODI’S FORMER VISITS TO THE UK

MERIDIAN GRAND

SKLPC ANNUAL MELA: UNITED WE STAND, TOGETHER WE SUCCEED

NORTH LONDON’S NEWEST LUXURY VENUE

Weddings, Civil Registries, Conferences, Bespoke Events & Other Special Occasions

NEW YEAR'S BOUNTY London-Ahmedabad direct flight

Seating over 800 guests | Over 250 Car Parking Spaces Fully Air-Conditioned | Separate Vegetarian Kitchen

Mother of all polls Phase One of the Bihar assembly polls saw an outstandingly high percentage of female voters as compared to males, even as the overall attendance at the polling booths dragged around 57 per cent, 6 per cent more than the 2010 figures. The Election Commission said the figures could rise even higher once the final compilations were through. With 59.5% women turning out to vote, men accounted for 54.5%, it was speculated whether the four per cent rise in women's votes that could possibly change the entire scenario, have anything to do with the goodwill enjoyed by Nitish Kumar among women. The leader has promoted women, boosting

Continued on page 26

Direct flights between London and Ahmedabad will start in end of November this year, sources from Delhi have revealed. It is believed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will announce this direct flight during his visit to the UK from 12-14 November 2015. According to the sources, there will be four flights from London Heathrow to Ahmedabad, that will leave London at 9 am, reach Ahmedabad at 10:30pm on the same day, whereas it will leave Ahmedabad at 2am, reaching Heathrow at 6am on the same day. Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar started the direct flight campaign

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Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

P14

THOUSANDS GATHER AT DIWALI ON THE SQUARE

Advent Way London N18 3AF Tel: 020 3700 2727 www.meridiangrand.co.uk meridian_grand

UK PREPARES FOR “BUS PE CHARCHA” Modi Express bus launched in London

Charusmita

Manoj Ladwa and Paresh Rawal handing over the petitions for direct flight to Mr Narendra Modi on behalf of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar

14 years ago. After which, Air India started direct flights with 2 flights every week in 2003. It increased to 4 flights per week. Even Jet Airways started a flight

in 2004. All of a sudden with the change of government in New Delhi, the direct flights were stopped without any formal notice. Continued on page 16

MeridianGrand

Prior to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK, the Indian community and its friends in Britain, have already started the grand preparations. As part of publicising the initiative ‘UK Welcomes Modi’, a fleet of thirty ‘Modi Express’ buses were launched this Saturday, the 10th of October. The bus will have a month-long tour around iconic landmarks

in central London and will also visit various community organisations across the UK. The first stop was Ealing Road, Wembley – dubbed as ‘Little India’, followed by Trafalgar Square to celebrate Diwali in London. Lord Dolar Popat, who helped inaugurate the bus during a traditional coconut-breaking ceremony, said, “This bus launch is yet another example of the UK and India bringing people Continued on page 16

ONE ONE with Keith Vaz, MP

www.asian-voice.com

Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

AsianVoiceNews

tomer’s lives and businesses.

Gavin Patterson

Gavin Patterson was appointed Chief Executive BT Group in September 2013. He is leading the fastest rollout of superfast broadband in the world with aims to reach 95% of the UK by 2017, as well as the proposed acquisition of EE which will create the UK’s leading converged communications provider. He joined BT in 2004, becoming CEO BT Retail and joining the BT board in 2008. Under his leadership, BT Retail cemented its market-leading position launching BT Infinity fibre broadband, driving growth in IT services and building the largest Wi-Fi network in the UK and Ireland. Prior to this Gavin was at Telewest and Procter and Gamble. Gavin is currently a Non-Executive Director, British Airways and Trustee of The British Museum. 1. What’s your current position? I’m the Chief Executive of BT Group. As a global communications services company we’re enabling the digital future both in the UK and beyond. We bring together the best networks and technology with the expertise of our people, to enable businesses to grow, communities to thrive, and individuals to get more out of life. 2. What are your proudest achievements? I love it when colleagues tell me they’re proud to work for BT. The connectivity we provide plays an essential role in modern society. Our people recognise that and use their skills and energies to make positive impact in their communities and areas

of social need every day. When purpose is strong in your organisation, your ability to achieve what you set out to do is transformed. 3. What inspires you? I get inspiration from so many places. Watching what people are doing and drawing on the wealth of talent around me. Listening to customers and analysing competitors. Conversations with people from different backgrounds and industries continue to help me shape and formulate ideas. 4. What has been the biggest obstacle in your career? To be honest obstacles tend to spur me on, make me want to achieve. There was no sixth form

8. What are your long term goals? To be a good husband, good father and to make time for friends. I’ve never had a grand plan. When I was at university I had my own business. Since then, I’ve found if I focus on what I’m doing right now and not worry too much about what’s next, then actually, another challenge will often present itself.

at my school and I think only three of us from my year went on to university. For me you have to find something with meaning. So keep searching for work what matters to you, and when you find it, do it with everything you’ve got. 5. Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date? My parents. Their combined work ethic and drive, along with entrepreneurial flair is something that has definitely influenced me. My Father sparked my first interest in business. He was a lecturer in management and conversations with him gave me my first taste.

Shreya Ukil

advances” as part of an “ingrained culture of discrimination”, adding that she was “punished for submitting” to those advances and for “daring to speak out”. In regards to Wipro, she allegedly said that the atmosphere for women in the company was “toxic”, adding, “The culture within Wipro requires

women to be subservient. Women who are confident, capable and express their viewpoints are often called 'emotional', 'psychotic' or 'menopausal'. Women who support women are called 'lesbians'.” A spokesperson for Wipro said, “Wipro does not comment on its ongoing lawsuits and Wipro is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity and provides all our employees with a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment of any kind. Wipro is defending these allegations before the court.” The hearing continues.

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6. What is the best aspect about your current role? It has to be the potential to grow the business. The opportunity to lead BT into new domains. We can already see this happening across the organisation with some of our investments such as BT Sport, BT TV, fibre, mobility, IT services and our international opportunities as well. 7. And the worst? Letting customers down. It’s happening less and less, but of course the ideal is that it never happens. We have a huge focus on improving customer experience, because we recognise how important our technology, products and services are to our cus-

Mr Corbyn, not Rt Hon

Wipro accused of breeding culture of 'predatory' sexism An ex employee of one of the world's largest IT companies, Wipro, Shreya Ukil (39), has alleged that she was subjected to a “deeply predatory, misogynistic culture” during her time with the company, an employment tribunal heard. It is also alleged that Ukil has claimed that she was forced into having an affair with her older boss, Manoj Punja (54). The tribunal heard that during a business trip to Stockholm, Punja had allegedly told Ukil that the blouse she wore was “too tight” for her body because of her “big breasts.” he had allegedly also told her that she was “like a seductive dancer from Indian mythology.” She said Punja performed “aggressive sexual

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

The Queen's advisers have told MPs that Jeremy Corbyn should not be addressed as “Right Honourable” until he becomes a member of the body. It is alleged that 10 Downing Street had wrongly suggested that the Labour leader had joined the Privy Council. The Parliament's website also address Corbyn as “Right Honourable”, which was later removed. The title, “Right Honourable” announces membership of the Privy Council.

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10. If you were marooned on a desert Island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why? I’d say Bill Shankly, Liverpool Football Club’s legendary manager. He took the club to so many victories. I’d want to know his take on being successful. And of course, if we’re on a desert island there’s going to be a lot of time to fill. Talking football would make the time fly by.

No full inquest on Anni Dewani

Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn

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9. If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change? I’d make tech literacy a priority in schools, just like literacy and numeracy. Tech is interwoven into every single aspect of our lives, how we work, socialise, learn. Yet there’s a shortage of tech skills in the UK. BT will play a huge part in building a culture of tech literacy for the nation.

In 2014, Anni Dewani's husband, Shrien Dewani (34), was cleared of orchestrating arranging her murder while they were on their honeymoon. Her family had requested for a full inquest to take place as it is claimed that they believed there were still many questions left unanswered. However, the senior coroner at North London coroAndrew ner's court, Walker said, “I don't have sufficient cause to resume

Shrien & Anni Dewani an inquest. The fact that there are differing accounts of how Mrs Dewani came by her death does not, in my view, mean that the matters have not already been sufficiently established in public.”

Siberian swans arrive as Britain faces longest winter It is said that the UK will be facing its longest winter in 50 years as Siberian swans have started to arrive, although they traditionally make their way to Britain during the start of winter. Every year, approximately 300 Bewick's swans arrive after migrating 2,500 miles from Arctic Russia, to escape the approaching cold weather, which follows closely behind them.

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COMMENTS

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Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

India, Germany: Renewing a hallowed relationship The Indo-German relationship was seeded in the early nineteenth century when Indology, starting with the study of Sanskrit, began to attract many of the best European minds. The pioneering scholarship of Britons such as Nathaniel Halhed, William Jones, Charles Wilkins, Colebrooke, Carey, Wilson and others cast a light across the European continent, leading to the establishment of chairs in Sanskrit in almost every great university on the continent. The German Sanskritist Max Muller became the foremost European Indologist of the century, his biography by the Indian polymath, Nirad C. Chaudhuri has held its own since its publication in the early 1970s. Following Max Muller’s researches on the Vedas, a noted Bengali contemporary Radhakanta Deb wrote and thanked him on behalf of the people of India – vast numbers poor and illiterate – for rehabilitating India as one of the world’s major civilizations. Swami Vivekenanda joined in the acclaim. All this may have occurred a century and half ago, but German Indology, as anyone acquainted with the two volumes of research papers published in German universities, are characterized by astonishing breadth and depth; living proof that German Indology remains supreme in the Western world, and it does so by a considerable margin. It is as well that this intellectual landscape finds a place in any discourse on Indo-German relations. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s three-day visit to India has been an outstanding success on every count. At an educational level, the study of Sanskrit is to be facilitated in German schools, and the German language in Indian schools and colleges, thereby bringing the threads of the past into the present. Beyond this, are things that are of deep relevance to both countries: science, technology, economic modernization, industrial development , and the closest possible cooperation in these fields going forward. Germany, phoenix-like, has risen to a new eminence from the ashes of the Second World War and the terrible legacy of Nazism. Today, Germany is the economic powerhouse of the European Union; the strength of German industry based on the country’s unique engineer-

ing skills; the high skills levels of its workforce, are areas from which India can draw inspiration and knowledge. For German industry, India represents a dynamic and growing market, increasingly relevant now that the Chinese economy is in slowdown. ‘Make in India’ is an invitation and an opportunity for German investors to expand their global reach. Chancellor Merkel began her visit in Delhi, where she held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a vast range of issues, from politics to the environment. Of equal significance was the Indo-German business Summit in Bangalore, where both leaders interacted with German and Indian CEOs - an extended conversation that should yield a harvest of mutual benefits. Mr Modi assured German entrepreneurs and investors of favourable conditions for doing business in India, echoing the message he delivered in the United States. He said his government would respect Intellectual Property Rights and fast-track approvals and clearances for industry and infrastructure; and that there would be no retrospective taxes. ‘At a time of global slowdown India represents a bright spot for investments. We are fortunate to be sailing in the right direction,’ said Mr Modi. Chancellor Merkel replied: ‘India is a great market that offers huge potential for our companies. We want to further enhance our relationship with India. For any businesses to prosper there should be favourable conditions and we are very much interested in the reform course of the last fifteen months.’ On cue, German auto supplier Bosch announced that it would invest Rs 650 crore (Over 100 million euros) this year alone to expand its presence across India. The company said Indian engineers had made notable contributions to its success in India and throughout the world. ‘India is is a key location in our global innovation network,’ said Peter Tyroller, member of the Bosch Board of Management. So far, so good It will now be up to Mr Modi and his government and bureaucracy to walk the talk and deliver on their promises.

Indian German in top spot Indian Americans are making waves in America; Mr Modi’s courtships of their brightest stars have made media headlines. Turn the spotlight on Joybroto Mukherjee, a member of Chancellor Merkel’s delegation to India, as he affixed his signature to a document enhancing Indo-German educational exchanges. Dr Mukherjee is Vice-President of the German Academic Exchange Service; in 2009, he became the youngest head of a German university when appointed President of the University of Giessen. Born of Bengali parents in 1973, his father worked as an engineer in Cologne, in the Federal Republic, having migrated there from Calcutta in 1962. Joybroto used to visit the city during school vacations with his parents, but his education career followed a very German trajectory. His subject at university was linguistics in which earned his doctorate in English language and literature from the University of Bonn in 2000, aged 27. German universities underwent radical reform when they achieved a high degree of autonomy, making the country the third most popular destination for for-

eign students. ‘The increase in autonomy is directly related to the increased attraction of the German education system,’ says Dr Mukherjee. ‘And that’s a key area where India needs to improve.’ Say that again, Sir. Nowhere more than in Kolkata and West Bengal, where politics and mindless politicians have reduced the education system to a shambles, sending the best minds from the State fleeing to Delhi, Bangalore, Pune and other havens for salvation. A final point. Prime Minister Modi is rightly fascinated by the successes of the Indian diaspora in the US, UK, Canda and Europe, This can be largely attributed to the inclusiveness of hosts and migrants alike. Coming from India, which is also an inclusive nation, Indians, overall, have little problem adjusting to cultural norms of their new surroundings. German officials referred to Dr Mukherjee’s rise as emblematic of the people-to-people ties, which do not get the recognition they deserve because of the small size of the Indian population in the country. The recent expressions of fanaticism in India threaten a national asset, far more valiuable than the fabled Kohinoor.

President’s upcoming visit to Israel President Pranab Mukherjee will shortly be leaving for Israel on a state visit, a landmark in the IndoIsraeli relationship. India recognized the Jewish state in 1950, but it took another 42 years before they established formal diplomatic relations. The fault lay wholly with India. Indo-Israeli have been on fast track ever since, the growing faster by the day. Defence, security cooperation, intelligence sharing, agriculture, water management, investment, joint ventures, education, culture and tourism have taken ties to a new high. India is the largest buyer of Israeli weaponry, it shares with Israel the scourge of jihadi terrorism and seeks ways to counter withstand the threat. That said, India kept much of this key relationship under wraps, principally for reasons of domestic politics. Better late than never, it is time the relationship was brought out of its closet into full public view. Israel’s Ambassador to India, Daniel Carmon, said that the two countries had ‘embarked on a wonderful journey together.’ Nothing could be truer. People-to-people ties were close even in the

absence of diplomatic missions. The Israeli government is pulling out the steps to make President Mukherjee’s visit a memorable event. This will surely open new vistas of cooperation between the two sides. President Mukherjee’s journey will be a curtain-raiser to the keenly awaited visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sometime in early 2016. When Mr Modi met with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly Summit in New York, they agreed that the sky was the limit in relations between their countries. There is the vexed problem of Palestine. India has always believed in a two-state solution, living side by side with each other in friendship and harmony. President’s visit to Jordan will follow. India’s energy and commercial ties with Gulf states are close, and the bonding is set to strengthen. With US and Western policy in the Greater Middle East in a shambles, India’s ties with Israel, the Gulf kingdoms should be a breakwater in the storm.

Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul - Samuel Ullman (1840-1924)

Old and New Conservative and India I hope PM Modi will woo British Indians, and not just British Indians woo him. Let me explain why his and our patriotism demands it. Watching the Conservative Party Conference and indeed British politics recently is like watching a good game of chess. Just as people wrongly through electing Corbyn as Labour leader was them tipping their King and conceding, so they have miscalculated what the Conservative Party is doing. The old Conservatives would have said at Conference ‘We must be hard on criminals, more prisons, longer sentences, hang them if you can.’ The New Conservative says ‘Prisons cost money. Its far better we get society to engage and educate and rehabilitate because we want them paying tax and working.’ If you want to understand the ideology behind new Conservatives it is economics. Of course there is a conscience, but they’ve discovered that the biggest sin is when costs to the government are too great – because guess who suffers? It’s not the rich. It’s not the rich, not because we don’t tax them enough, it’s not the rich because no matter what you do to the rich, they will never suffer – they’re rich! It’s the poorest. And it’s not the poorest because Conservatives are toffs and hate the rich, but because they’re poor. Price hikes hit them most. Wage falls hit them most. Benefits cuts hit them most. There isn’t enough money in the world to make the poor rich. So what to do? That is why economics can be moral. It can save the poor by making sure our prisons are not costly by ensuring we cut the number of prisoners. By ensuring our NHS is economical. By making sure we increase the total number of people paying tax because there are not enough rich people to tax to oblivion. And the only way to increase the tax base is to get more people who can work, to work – and keep them there – young, old, male, female, father, mother, ex-criminal, able, disabled. Just as there is a danger Corbyn could outmanoeuvre the Conservatives if they become complacent thinking he is Michael Foot, for Labour the real possibility is they’ve been outmanoeuvred by the working class Conservative who has always been a strong strand for over one hundred years of the Conservative Party. And if you don’t believe me that for the New Conservative it is all about economics – remember the Chancellor’s visit to China – all economics. And if you want to know why India matters – it’s not as a Democracy in a region of totalitarian nuclear armed neighbours, but economics. If India wants more influence on the world stage, then it won’t do it by the size of her army, the political system, the number of nuclear missiles. It will only do it by growing her economy. All else will be secondary. Either India makes it easier to do business in India, or as the Indian Diaspora has proven in Britain and Silicon Valley, we are more than willing to live elsewhere and benefit other nations and call them our own too. Woo us PM Modi, just as much as you did Silicon Valley, for we too in Britain are talented and an asset to our country.

Asian Voice is published by ASIAN BUSINESS PUBLICATIONS LTD Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, (Off Coronet Street) London N1 6HW. Tel: 020 7749 4080 • Fax: 020 7749 4081 Email: aveditorial@abplgroup.com Website: www.abplgroup.com © Asian Business Publications

Four million mile car clocking crime boss jailed for more than five years Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

A crook who masterminded a four million-mile car clocking scam involving four of his relatives has been jailed for more than five years. Rashid Mahmood and his accomplices turned a £175,000 profit as they slashed the mileage from at least 255 motors and falsified service histories to cover their tracks. One car had an astonishing 125,000 miles wiped from its history – a distance of more than halfway to the moon. Some of the doctored vehicles broke down soon after they were sold, while one innocent buyer was the subject of a later

Shahid Mahmood, Abid Hussain, Waseem Abid, Nadeem Abid and Rashid Mahmood

claim for selling a clocked car. Mahmood, 42, of Heather Road, Small Heath, was jailed for fiveand-a-half years at

Birmingham Crown Court. He was found guilty of conspiring to commit fraud by selling or trying to sell cars with false mileages between 2007 and 2011.

Mahmood’s four relatives were jailed for a total of 12 years and nine months at the same court in July. Waseem Hussain, 27, of Mary Road, Stechford, and his uncle Shahid Mahmood, 44, also of Heather Road, were found guilty of conspiring to commit fraud by selling or trying to sell cars with false mileages. They were each sentenced to 18 months. Waseem’s father Abid Hussain, 54, and his other son Nadeem Abid Hussain, 29, both of Mary Road, pleaded guilty to the same charges. They were sentenced to 61 months and 56 months respectively.

Banned driver killed 'amazing' serving soldier as he jumped red light at 'motorway speed' A banned driver killed a serving soldier as he tore through a red light at “motorway speed”. Kasim Mohammed tried to escape – stopping only to pick up an iPad – after leaving Adam Hancox fatally injured. The 27-year-old, of Smethwick, also abandoned a woman passenger from his own car before he was restrained by members of the public at the scene. Adam’s family were at Wolverhampton Crown Court as Mohammed was jailed for 10 years. They paid tribute to him after the hearing, reports the Birmingham Mail. They said: “No words can ever express our sadness and overwhelming grief since Adam was tragically and needlessly taken from us. Adam was an amazing, loving young man with so much to live for.

Mohammed Kasim jailed for 10 years

Victim Adam Hancox, 26

His untimely death has left a massive hole in our lives that will never be filled. He will always be remembered and loved by so many. We would like to thank family, friends, community, the British Army and West Midlands Police for the ongoing support they are giving us.” Mohammed jumped a red light and smashed into Adam’s Ford Ka on a 40mph stretch of Wolverhampton Road, Oldbury, on November 23 last year. He was already banned from the roads and had no insurance.

The court heard he picked up the iPad from a passenger seat and ran from his own Volkswagen Passat, leaving a woman inside with a head injury and a fractured hip. Adam, 26, and from Smethwick, was pronounced dead at the scene. He served with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers at the Army Training Centre in Pirbright, Surrey, and received full military honours at his funeral. Mohammed pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at an

earlier hearing. He was banned from the roads for seven years and will have to take an extended test before being allowed to drive again. Collision investigator PC Julie Lyman, of West Midlands Police, said: “Although Mohammed tried to escape, quickthinking members of the public caught up with him and held him until police officers arrived and he was quickly arrested. No sentence can ever bring back a loved one, but I hope it brings some closure to Adam’s family, who can now concentrate on coming to terms with their loss. Mohammed showed a complete disregard for anyone other than himself before and after the collision and he will now spend several years behind bars to contemplate his reckless behaviour.”

Helpless Muslim woman showered in alcohol in Islamophobic attack Passengers on a train watched on as a helpless Muslim woman was showered in alcohol in a violent Islamophobic attack, Birmingham researchers have revealed. The victim’s experience is one of many hate attacks on Muslims that were revealed in a study by Birmingham City University criminologist Imran Awan. The full report, commissioned by Tell MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks), was unveiled in Parliament on Monday. Believed to be the first ever study of its kind, researchers examined the impact of anti-Muslim hate crime through in-depth interviews with victims. The woman who had alcohol poured on her said: “People were watching but they ignored it. No-one wanted to help,” The study revealed

Imran Awan, Deputy Director of the Centre for Applied Criminology at Birmingham City University

many Muslims were reluctant to report incidents of abuse and often received little support from onlookers. Another participant told researchers: “A man shouted to me and my Muslim friends, ‘You are terrorists, I’m gonna come to the back of the bus and stab you’. I told the bus driver and asked him to stop and call the police but

he refused.” Meanwhile, many Muslim women said they are removing their headscarves and men are shaving their beards in a bid to disguise their Islamic beliefs through fear of being targeted in religious hate attacks. The study, which looked at attacks on Muslims both online and “in real life”, also uncovered evidence that men are especially unwilling to report attacks through fear of being seen as weak. Mr Awan and Dr Irene Zempi, a criminology lecturer at Nottingham Trent University who also carried out the research, are now calling on social media websites to take threats posed to users more seriously. Mr Awan said: “This research reveals worrying levels of fear and intimida-

tion experienced by many Muslims, compounded by a lack of support from the wider public when facing physical threats in the real world and an absence of tough action from social media platforms at the abuse people are receiving online. “Participants argued that anti-Muslim hate must be challenged from within Muslim communities – too often reluctant to report abuse or attacks – and that the public should intervene and assist victims of anti-Muslim hate where possible.” Dr Zempi added: “Our participants made a number of recommendations for tackling anti-Muslim hate crime. We are determined to work with relevant organisations to ensure that their voices are heard and recommendations implemented.”

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New Aviation Report Launch

BIRMINGHAM: New research into the economic impact and potential of Birmingham Airport has been published. The 40-page report, ‘The West Midlands Aviation Opportunity’, was officially unveiled at a breakfast event in Birmingham last Friday. In 2014, aviation connectivity delivered £1.1 billion across the regional economy and over 25,000 jobs, according to the research. The two-hour event featured a discussion with panellists Andy Street, Chair of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP, Paul Kehoe, pictured, CEO of Birmingham Airport, Paul Faulkner, CEO of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and report author James Brass.

Deadly breast milk sold online

COVENTRY: According to an investigation, breast milk, that is being sold by British mothers online contains potentially deadly bacteria. It is said that a BBC Inside Out reported posed as a father to buy breast milk from mothers advertising on the internet. 12 purchases were analysed by experts at Coventry University. A third of the samples contained E.coli, two contained candida, and one contained pseudomonas aeruginosa- a deadly bacteria. Dr Steele from Queen Mary University of London told Inside Out that parents have “heard the message that breast is best, which is absolutely the case but this is stuff bought off the internet. You don't know the seller, you don't know how they've been storing it, you don't know what it contains and, more pertinently, they're often doing this for profit and that poses the risk that they may tamper with it, water it down, be it with water, formula, cows milk or soya milk.” Dr Steele further stated that the issue was a “real problem for infant health”, also adding, “We don't want to see a situation where a baby dies as a consequence.”

Shopkeeper saved by his turban

NOTTINGHAM: A Sikh shopkeeper was saved by his turban, after being hit with a bottle by a shoplifter. The court heard how the attack by 49-year-old Ronald Richardson, from Nottingham, left Gurpal Singh (42) with hearing problems and a bump on the side of his head. Singh said, “It was very odd- he had paid for the whiskey but tried to take a few bars of Dairy Milk worth £7.” Ronald Richardson admitted threatening behaviour and assault and was ordered to pay £200 compensation, and also given a suspended 16-week jail term.

Bed-making company used "slave workforce"

LEEDS: It is said that many Hungarian nationals were employed as a “slave workforce” by a West Yorkshire bedmaking company, Kozee Sleep, that supplied to John Lewis, Dunelm Mill and Next. Three men associated with the bed-making company have gone on trial after being accused of people-trafficking. Leeds Crown Court was informed about an investigation into Kozee Sleep began after Janos Orsos and Ferenc Illes, from Hungary, were arrested for allegations over human-trafficking. The jury was informed that a large number of Hungarian men were employees of Kozee Sleep's factory. Prosecutors said that the company owner, Mohammed Rafiq, as well as Mohammed Patel and Mohammed Dadhiwala, who held positions in the company, were allegedly aware that the workers supplied to them were trafficked. Rafiq, Patel and Dhadhiwala have denied conspiracy to traffic individuals into the UK. The trial continues.

Just Married..... Dhiren Katwa

BIRMINGHAM: Congratulations to Cllr Asif Ahmed, also a qualified solicitor, who last Saturday got married to Sana, daughter of Mr & Mrs Arif Mahmood. The lavish ceremony at the Majestic Conference & Banqueting Centre in Birmingham brought together over 600 guests.Asif, the eldest of three sons, has followed in the footsteps of his father Khurshid, both Labour councillors in St James’s ward, Dudley Council. Khurshid, who also runs his own law practice, is one of the most down-to-earth councillors I’ve met, ever. Also present were the Council’s Leader, CEO and other senior officers. Dudley Council is divided into 24 wards. Each ward has 3 councillors.The Labour Group currently holds 38 seats and therefore has political control of the Council. Best wishes to the newly-wedded couple, pictured, from the team at Asian Business Publications Limited.

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Stock Market watch Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

Accendo Markets

Amrit Panesar is a Senior Trader at Accendo Markets, the City trading

Just call it a comeback!

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If you watch the news or read the papers there is a lot of doom and gloom about slowing global growth and big trouble in big China. However, global monetary policy remains exceptionally accommodative with zero interest rates and stimulus in place to bolster growth and help with global recovery and steady exit from a brace of financial crises (US subprime, Eurozone sovereign debt). And this kind of environment is great for equities. The evidence is clear from the recent reaction to the US Central bank’s policy update as markets factor in no US interest rate rise until 2016. Equities have rallied to levels last seen in August and many blue-chip name shares have rebounded by anything from 10% to 30% in the last fortnight – returns not to be sneezed at. Troubled mining giant and trading house Glenore may have seen its shares fallen by over 60% this year, however, the fact that they have since doubled from all-time lows on 28 Sept is no mean feat. Especially taking less than 2 weeks to complete. Traders continue to bargain hunt for the most discounted equities after the summer sell-off, looking for names still priced close to multi-year even all-time

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Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

Spriha Srivastava

Welcoming Goddess Durga abode London's rich multi-cultural environment gives you exposure to various festivals, celebrations and events. While it is Diwali on the square one day, it is Eid celebrations another. And it is almost time for Christmas now. Speaking of Christmas, my local Sainsbury's has already started selling mince pies and oh I spotted a Christmas jumper on the high street the other day. But Christmas is a while away and at the moment hindus in the UK are busy celebrating Durga Puja. From London to Manchester, Leicester to Wales, different communities have come together to celebrate one of their favourite festival. Mother Goddess is worshipped to start the new harvest season by performing religious rituals which call upon the cosmic forces for the rejuvenation of the soil. The festival is celebrated across India but in many different ways, for instance Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata are very different from Navratri Gujarat. The festival is celebrated in the same way among Indian communities here in the UK. The word Navaratri means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Devi are worshipped. The tenth day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or Dussehra. Navaratri or Navadurga Parva happens to be the most auspicious and unique period of devotional sadhanas and worship of Shakti of the Divine conceptualised as the Mother Goddess-Durga, whose worship dates back to prehistoric times before the dawn of the Vedic age. A comprehensive list of Navratri celebration in London in the UK is published on page 30. This year Navratri starts on 13th October, while Durga puja will officially start from 18 October onwards. Last year, I remember visiting the Upton Centre near East Ham, I saw many women dressed in Bengal cotton saris. Some of them had worn it in the traditional Bengali style. Men were dressed in cotton kurtas and a lot of them in the traditional kantha work kurtas. I walked inside to the main hall and was speechless to see a rather magnificent idol of Ma Durga. These are things we tend to take for granted when we are in India and see it happening every year. It becomes a part of our lives. But it is when we are far away from our country that we start missing all these stories, rituals

and of course the food. But the Durga Puja celebrations in London didn’t make me feel even for once that I was away from my country. The celebrations are also taking place in Camden, Tooting, Ealing, Wimbledon and even outside London. It is absolutely amazing how each part of London coordinated amongst them to organise the celebrations. Each year, the statue of three goddesses - Durga, Lakshmi (the Goddess of Wealth) and Saraswati (the Goddess of Knowledge) are beautifully decorated and put on display for devotees to worship. Men, women and children join after work to pray and give their offerings to the goddess.

Standing amidst all this, I wonder about the position of women in India. We in India idolise and worship a woman in the form of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati – Goddess of power, wealth and knowledge respectively. But when it comes to a human form of a woman, we still practice female foeticide ad infanticide. In many parts of India, we still don’t give enough importance to the education of a girl child as much as we do to a boy child. Why does honour killing still exists? It is very well said that “strong women make strong nation”. Well, it is indeed true, because women, according to our culture, are embodiments of power, knowledge and wealth. We idolise them as goddesses and even worship the young girl child till she reaches the age of puberty. We celebrate Dussera to glorify the victory of good over evil. So why is it that when it comes to the human form of women, we are still not able to give the same level of equality as deserved by her? Well these are questions that one can go on asking oneself over and over again. The answer lies in our hearts and it is for us to bring it out. But I am glad that even though many like me are thousands of miles away from India, they are still close, not just to the culture but also understand and are aware of the evils that continue to affect the Indian society. And just like how we celebrate the victory of good over evil every year, let’s hope that someday we ourselves gain triumph over those evils that concern the mankind.

Let us know what you think. Email Spriha at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

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London gears up for Durga Puja festivities Rupanjana Dutta London Sharad Utsav (Location: West) London Sharad Utsav will be celebrating Durga Pujo at Ealing Town Hall between 22nd - 25th October. The 6 year old organisation hosts one of the best Pujos in the UK and also popularises Durga Pujo in Kolkata as a global tourist destination by calling on all global NRIs to visit the Pujo celebrations in Kolkata during Dussera. A line-up of cultural programs by renowned artistes, Phucka, jhaal Muri,Kolkata rolls, sarees, jewellery, Henna painting & various other stalls are the attractions at the event, including the book launch of 'What happened to Netaji' by Anuj Dhar. This year Bollywood singer and Minister of West Bengal, Babul Supriyo will be the Chief Guest at their Bijoya Dashami Evening called London Sharad Sandhya. Supriyo, who is the Minister of State for Urban Development, and for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation in West Bengal, India, is also planned to meet the students and teachers of a leading Business School in London, a marketing college from Cambridge and one of the Big 4 Audit and Accounting Firms in UK LSU started in 2009 and has been a thought leader amongst the Durga Pujas in UK, since inception. Among the puja festivites, it also promises to launch of Anuj Dhar's new book 'What happened to Netaji'. Anuj, who is in a tour of USA during the Durga Puja, popularising the declassification movement, will be joining in, through Skype. Prabasheer Chokhey Desher Shera Pujo (Pujo in the eyes of NRIs) Not contend with just being limited to celebrating Durga Puja in UK, LSU has emerged as a thought leader in aimed at popularising the Durga Puja in Kolkata as a global tourist destination. Tying up with a Kolkata based NGO called Banchbo, LSU launched this unique Pujo rating contest in Kolkata, which encourages NRIs from across the globe to visit Kolkata during the Pujos and participate in this. The inaugural year itself was a big success, with about a dozen of visitors. This year this has reached the next level, with the Bengali Aasociation Midlands, from Birmingham and Wales Pujo Committee, Cardiff, joining in as Prabashee Partners and sending their representatives. More than two dozen visitors from London, Cardiff, Birmingam, Glasgow and other parts of UK, who will be visiting the Kolkata during the Pujos, will be the 'judges'.

Global Durga Puja Four years back, LSU started a unique initiative called Global Durga Puja, whereby Kolkata Pujos were beamed live at the LSU venue at Ealing Town Hall, London. This year, this has been taken to a new level with a new name called Global Connect, by Kolkatatoday.com. As per the plans, there will be live interaction between visitors at the LSU venue and those at Deshapriya Park and Chetla Agrani Sangha Durga Pujos. Also, Wales Pujo Committee

doyen of Bengalee journalism who edited Jugantar and Amrita Bazar Patrika, the venue first was the Mary Ward Hall, Tavistock Place London WC 1. The celebrations then moved from hall to hall, eventually found a home in the Hampstead Town Hall for a few years before settling for good in the present place of worship, the prestigious Camden Centre, Bidborough Street, London WC 1, in the heart of London. They have had help and generous support of some renowned NRIs like Lord Swaraj Paul, Lord R. K. Bagri,

London Sharad Utsav at Ealing Town Hall

and Bengali Association Midlands have joined in this initiative, leading to further globalisation of this unique concept of Global Connect, an initiative of Kolkatatoday.com Panchamukhee Durga Utsav (Location: North) Panchamukhee (a Sanskrit word literally meaning ‘five faced’, a metaphorical representation of multiple dimensions or facets of life) is a non-profit association that was founded in London in 2006 by a group of like minded enthusiasts. The key objectives of Panchamukhee are to promote the arts and cultural heritage of the Indian subcontinent and explore how diffrerent peoples and cultures can work together in todays multicultral UK. Like every year, they will celebrate Durga puja from 18-24 October at Harrow Arts Centre in Hatch End. On 18th, to celebrate Mahalaya, they have organised for a recitation from spiritual verses of 'Chandi kavya' including Bengali songs, classical music and a dash of acoustic melodrama. Spondon, will also perform at the Durga puja. Spondon literally meaning ‘pulse’, is a music group that was formed in 2006 to provide a platform to the rich and diverse musical, dance and drama talent that we have amongst us in the community. Durga Puja Dusserah Committee (Location: Central) Started by few pioneer dedicated Bengalees with the help of the late Shri Tusar Kanti Ghosh,

Mr. S. N. Gourisaria and Mr. N, Sethia in addition to the support given to them by the festivalattending public and friends. Their present protima (idol) is a work of art, especially sculpted by the legendary sculptor Late Shri Gorachand Paul of Kumartuli, Kolkata on commission by the world renowned industrialist Mr Lakshmi N. Mittal Chairman of LMN Group/Ispat International Ltd., for the London Durga Puja Dusserah Committee and Mr Mittal remains our main patron. This year they will be celebrating the grand conclusion of 52 Glorious years with a grand support from Shri Mittal and many partners. Sanaton Association London (Location: East) The Sanaton Association has been serving the Bengali Hindu community in Greater London since 1983. Held at York Hall, Bethnal Green, Durga puja will be held from 19- 22 October 2015. South London Durga Puja (Location: South) Held at 58 Streatham Road in Mitcham, the celebrations will begin on 19th and go on till Thursday 22 October 2015. Cultural programme will be held from 20th onwards, finishing with “Shidur khela' on Thursday. The Cultural Programme will be followed by Anjali on every day. The evening meal will be served from 21:00 onwards. The above list in non-exhaustive.

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Nadiya Hussain crowned as the baking queen The winner of the Great story behind the British Bake Off 2015 is idea of this cake. Nadiya 30-year-old “We went to Hussain, who wowed Bangladesh to get everyone with a wedding married and they cake clad in a sari with the don't do cakes there. colours of the Union flag. If I'd got married in The mother-of- three, this country I would born and bred in Luton, definitely have had a was initially under conficake.” dent and skeptical with Her acceptance how receptive people speech is touted as would be of her in the one of the best competition. She feared speeches, making that the viewers may disviewers tear-eyed at miss her as “a Muslim in a home, as well as headscarf”, however, she making the 80-yearNadiya Hussain came out victorious, astonold Mary Berry shed a final cake, one of the ishing herself the most. tear as well. Hussain had judges, Mary Berry said it She said, “I was a bit nervsaid, “I'm never gonna put was “sheer perfection” and ous that perhaps people boundaries on myself ever added, “The finished result would look at me, a again. I'm never gonna say had to wow us and Muslim in a headscarf, and I can't do it. I'm never Nadiya's showstopper was wonder if I could bake.” gonna say 'maybe'. I'm stunning.” Journalist and author, never gonna say, 'I don't Yasmin Alibhai-Brown wrote in the Daily Mail, “As a liberal Muslim myself, I admit that I was also initially put off by Nadiya's headscarf and severe look. Yet by winning the show with such grace, humour and dignity, Nadiya has done more to further the cause of Asian women- and men- than countless government policies, think-tanks, initiatives and councils put together have achieved in Nadiya Hussain with her winning cake the past half-century.” Hussain's showstopper During the competithink I can.' I can and I was named My Big Fat tion, Hussain's determinawill.” British Wedding Cake, and tion had won the hearts of After winning the comspoke about the personal the audience, especially petition, Nadiya Hussain is when she stated, optimistic about “Just because I'm the future. She not a stereotypical said, “Family life British person, it will carry on as doesn't mean I am normal- being a not into bunting, mum to three chilcake and tea. I'm as dren under ten is British as anyone pretty time conelse.” suming- but I H u s s a i n , wanted to have my undoubtedly has own adventure... been the favourite I'm really looking among the audience, Mary Berry wiping Nadiya Hussain's tears after forward to see what especially for her wry will happen.” she is declared the winner facial expressions and witty comebacks, saying things such as she would rather give birth again than try to make another chocolate soufflé. “I wasn’t even trying to be funny. At the time I said it, it really was in the heat of the moment and it was a stressful moment. I’m not giving up on the chocolate The dynamic team of Asian Voice is looking soufflé just yet though. It won’t beat me.” for a journalist. Apply with your full CV to Hussain, who moved to rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com. Leeds after her marriage to her technical manager Asian Voice is UK’s largest ethnic husband, Abdal, had spent newsweekly with several highly acclaimed 10 years dedicating herself to her family. Her husband theme based magazines covering is supportive and took healthcare, pharmacy, accountancy, responsibility of the children while she concentratwomen and finance. ed on the show. She said, The successful candidate must have “My husband thinks it's great and he steps back excellent communication skills, good spoken and takes photographs and written English and ability to work to when we're out and about. He is very proud and really tight deadlines. happy for me.” Closing date: 30/11/15 Describing Hussain's

Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

On Monday 12th October, the jury at Woolwich Crown court were inform that three alleged jihadists had planned a beheading using a hunting knife, on Remembrance Day, in the name of Islamic State. The court were told how the three men, Nadir Syed (22), from Hounslow, Yousaf Syed, (20), from High Wycombe, and Haseeb Hamayoon (28), from Hayes, had filmed themselves stamping on a poppy, which was shown to the jurors. The jury was informed how the three men were “unnaturally interested in murders and beheadings” and took interest in the killing of Fusilier Lee Rigby, in Woolwich 2013. The trio were arrested on 6th November 2014, and it is said that their “catalyst for violence” came in September 2014, after an Isis spokesman, Abu Muhammad al Adnani, issued a “chilling” fatwa, goading followers to attack westerners. He said, “Rig the roads with explosives for them. Attack their bases. Raid their homes. Cut off their

From left: Haseeb Hamayoon, Yousaf Shah Syed and Nadir Ali Sayed at Woolwich Crown Court

heads.” It was further alleged that Nadir and Yousaf Syed had shared images of beheading with Haseeb Hamayoon and two of them also had photographs of police community support officers on their mobile phones. It is alleged that Hamayoon had also purchased a Rambo First Blood II knife. Prosecutor, Max Hill, QC, said “This fatwa, and the worldwide attacks that followed it, inspired the defendants to plan their own attack in this country, emulating the attack on Lee Rigby carried out by Michael Adebolajo, who they considered to be a mujahid,

or Islamic fighter. Their attitude to the poppy as the Remembrance image in this country is clear.” The three accused, however, deny the allegations. In his statement to the police, Humayoon said that he was a trained chef “and had experience of cooking utensils and knives to a professional standard.” Nadir Syed said that he went to purchase knives for his mother as “she was complaining about the state of knives in her kitchen”, while Yousaf Syed stated that he had moved into a new home with his wife and wanted to buy a new knife sharpener. The case continues.

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Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

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United we stand, Together we succeed Rupanjana Dutta Shree Kutch Leva Patel community organised their annual mela at West End Roads, Northolt, London on Saturday 3 October. Organised for the last 40 years, the mela this year was attended by more than 8000 community members. There were over 400 volunteers, who ensured this event was a great success, proving the power in unity and community cohesion. A milestone at this event was opening of a permanent children's playground, offering free community lunch, giant kids' zone with fun free activities for children all day. Sponsors for the ground included ABC depot, Burntoak Builders Merchants, Euroken Supplies, Jaysam Contractors Ltd and Vascroft Contractors Ltd.

Mavji Vekaria, Raj Kohli, saints from Bhuj temple, MP Stephen Pound, Laxman Mulji, Mahesh Pindoria, Kiran Pindoria, Kiran Pindoria, Devshi Halai, Hari Hirani, Manji Halai, Laxmanbhai Raghvani, Bhagwadpriya Dasji, CB Patel

tion and sexism that women and girls face in and outside of our community. I also believe that education is a route for social change. “I sincerely thank you all, particularly the members for their

Mandir, SKLPC Patron Shashikant Vekaria (Vascroft). Visrambhai Mayani, President, President Mavji Vekaria giving a speech Swamirayan Mandir, Harrow. Pradip Patel from Indian High Speaking about the children's Commission was also present and playground, he added, “The conparticipated in the aarti. They cept and birth of a spoke about the Permanent Children’s importance of Playground was executunity, culture and ed as this year’s major heritage. They highlight offering activithanked SKLPC for ties for ages 2-16 years continuing to build old. A playground with a connections with capacity for over 80 chilthe younger generdren to play while giving ations. families the opportunity Guests present to come and enjoy the Ghanshyam Dasji addressing the Raj Kohli, included grounds during Samaj, audience S u p e r i n t e n d e n t , Gaam and private Swaminarayan Mandirs, for their MET Police, Navin events. I would like to assistance. Naranbhai Halai, Shah AM, Trupti thank everyone who supPresident, Cardiff Swaminarayan Patel, President, ported us with this Mandir was felicitated. Cllr Ajay HFB, vision, without you it The event also had 60 stalls Maru, Cllr Manji would not have been pos- Mayor Mark Shooter, Laxman Mulji, Dhiru Vekaria, Ramji, from various fields including Kara, Cllr Krupesh Premji Hirani, Kalyan Vekaria, Devraj Vekaria, Sandip Halai, sible.” Health & fitness, Wellbeing, Hirani, Cllr Cllr Manji Kara Speaking about comLifestyle, Printing, Property, Radhaben Rabadia, munity services and equal opporFinancial, Beauty & Luxury, continued support in progressing representative from Kenyan High Secretary Velji Vekaria tunity, the President concluded forward and continuing our culby saying, “Our Bhuj Samaj and ture and tradition. Our Samaj is The whole day cultural proSwaminarayan Temple Bhuj are moving forward, we have new gramme, which had many youngworking together in harmony, ideas, we want your ideas and sters participating, started with a combining resources to provide together we can make it happen. performance by Shree Kutch our community the ability to All of us pledging allegiance to Satsang Swaminarayan Mandir reach the same end goals and the Samaj, a strong community East London, followed by 18 objectives. unit with a strong sense of identiother performances. SKLPC “Thousands have benefited ty and preservation of our culSaturday School had opportuniand thousands of rupees have ture, traditions and heritage. ties to perform more than once, been saved by not-duplicating United we stand, together including classical we succeed…” dance: Bharatnatyam, Delegates included and Bollywood numbers. Ealing North MP Stephen Kutch Social and culturPound, Barnet Mayor Cllr al society put up a comeMark Shooter, CB Patel, dy play. Publisher/Editor of Asian Mavji President Voice and Gujarat Dhanji Vekaria, who led Suryakant Varsani, Premji Varsani, Mina Hirani, Vinod Gajparia, Kurji Samachar, saints from the preparations for this Kerai, Vinod Halai, Chandani and Panna Vekaria, Shashi Vekaria, Kanji Shree Swaminarayan historic occasion, in his Hirani, Mayor Mark Shooter, Mavji Vekaria, Vipul Halai Mandir Bhuj viz speech spoke about the Bhagvadpriya Dasji and Kishor Commission, merit and strength in Shastri Ghanshyam Parmar, Advertising togetherness to achieve Prasadji, were especially Manager, Gujarat success. Paying due Samachar, George, Chief credit to the Board of Kanji Jesani, Khimji Khetani, Devraj Vekaria, Kanji present to give blessings. Kerai, Suresh Rabadia Aarti was done by Saint Operating Officer, Asian Trustees, Management Bhagvadpriya Dasji, Sarayu Voice and Gujarat Committee and all external memactivities. We are also trying to Swarup Dasji, Dasji, Sant Samachar, and officers bers, who have stood by the follow the same philosophy and Vedantswarup Dasji, Kapilmuni from Scotland Yard. President, he said, “One person hope you can see the rewards Dasji, Bhajan Prakash Dasji, Special credit was given alone cannot achieve as much as a here today. This includes the curMuktavallabh Dasji, Ghanshyam to Kanjibhai K Jesani, team can, therefore I want to rent joint venture project comPrasad Dasji, donors Kuvarjibhai Devrajbhai thank our Board of Trustees, my mitment between Willesden Shyamjibhai Shivjibhai Dabasia Vekaria, Kuvarjibhai Management Committee and all Swaminarayan Temple, Our Laxmanbhai Arjanbhai Kerai, Secretary from Jeysam, external members who have Samaj and the Nepal School on Laljibhai Kerai, Devshibhai Willesden Mandir, stood by me throughout this Wheels project for the earthKarsanbhai Halai, Khimjibhai Khetani, CB Patel, incredible journey and collectivequake victims earlier this year. Manjibhai Halai, President, Swaminarayan Mandir, ly worked tirelessly to achieve “As a community, we must Stanmore, Jadavjibhai Willseden Swaminarayan great strides in the last 3 years.” also tackle everyday discriminaHirani, Secretary, Swaminarayan Mandir, SKLPC Ladies made the biggest rangoli in Stanmore, Vinodbhai London. Participating were Manju Siyani, Jadavjibhai Gajparia, Dhani Kerai, Pushpa Varsani, Ranjana Vinodbhai Halai, Kanjibhai Bhojani, Hiru Bhudia, Vijya Halai, Nirmala Jesani, Sumitra Halai, Rama Vekaria, Parbatbhai Hirani, Kanchan Bhudia and Kanta Gorasia Kailashben Kerai, Marketing, Motor, Cleaning, Shivlalbhai Vekaria, Vijibhai Fashion, Plumbing and car hire, Parbatbhai Vekaria, Kiranbhai to name a few. Asian Voice and Pindoria, Ravibhai Patel, Gujarat Samachar also had a stall Kalpeshbhai Halai, Pravinbhai at the mela. Gajparia and teams from Photo courtesy: Suryakant Jadva and Woolwich, Cardiff, Bolton, Ravi Patel Thousands gathered at the marquee, enjoying the happy ambience Harrow, Kingsbury, Willesden

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Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

Work & Play and the novel, Something Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Not. Lucyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest book is called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Invisible Threadsâ&#x20AC;? and she talked about it at Asia House recently, when the IJA was invited. It will be published soon in India by Fingerprint, an imprint of Prakash books. The plot tells how Sara, a therapist, always thought her husband Mike died in Afghanistan â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but when she learns he was actually killed in India, her desire to uncover the truth leads her to a clinic in New Delhi. Once in India Sara is dazzled by the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culture and its people. At the clinic, she grows close both to her patient Pritti and a bewitching, low-caste driver named Hemant. Yet Sara finds herself increasingly appalled at the treatment of women; in this country of old traditions and new opportunities, so much remains shocking or forbidden, like the practice of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Devadasiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; prostitutes who work at temples. As Sara inches towards the truth about Mikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death and their marriage, and becomes entangled in the dark side of Delhi, she is thrust into the terrifying reality of an India few Westerners ever see. Lucy told the Asian Voice how she fell in love with India Lucy Beresford through many visits

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

The Author Who Connects With Women of India Lucy Beresford is a writer, broadcaster and practising psychotherapist. She hosts a two-hour show on LBC Radio and she's the Agony Aunt for the womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s glossy Healthy. Lucy has travelled widely not only in India but also South Africa, Zimbabwe, Peru, North Korea, Indonesia and, most recently, Malaysia. She writes about everything from food, sex and celebrity to literature and restaurants, as well as relationships and social media for press including Evening Standard, Daily Mail, Independent, Spectator, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Weekly and The Times, and the Calcutta Telegraph and Straits Times in Asia. She also appears regularly on Channel 4 News, ITVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Good Morning Britain, BBC2â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Daily Politics, BBC Radio 4â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hour and reviews the papers on Sky News. She is currently in discussion with production companies to make a TV documentary about India, womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights and the life of women. Lucyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s previous books include Happy Relationships: At Home,

through her colleagues at the Delhi Psychiatry Clinic. At the slum clusters, women who are in or who have been in tough personal situations are helped through interactive support and counselling to gain confidence and self-belief. They are being taught skills like hair dressing and tea-making that can help them earn money, and Lucy found that their confidence improved as a result. Some of her communication, especially with non-English speakers, was non-verbal, Lucy says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Perhaps the overall mood was heaviness and sadness, but I also saw a lot of joy and empow1994. My eyes were erment. For instance, there opened. India opened my was a moment where I susworld, making me less selfpected a slum resident had centred. I was shown a had issues with male vioworld that I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know lence at home. We existed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Invisible had a wonderful For instance, once in Threads is my male translator, but she was Udaipur, I was Love Letter to tense. The taken to weavIndia. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a minute I asked ing companies beautiful land him to step where women out of the sat working of extreme room, she away for contrasts, relaxed and hours. I went which makes held my hands. back to India me feel Her eyes were quite deliberaterimmed with ly to see if I could energized.â&#x20AC;? tears. It was a powhelp other people. I erful connection.â&#x20AC;? learned a lot from talkLucy adds; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Invisible ing to people in a slum Threads is my Love Letter cluster. The novel is about to India. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a beautiful a two-way influence, how a land of extreme contrasts, broken, grieving woman which makes me feel energoes to India but learns a gized. And I wanted to tell lot. I was positively influthe story of women who enced by India.â&#x20AC;? currently in India have no Lucyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visits to the slum voice.â&#x20AC;? clusters of Delhi happened as a high- flying investment banker. India has enriched her, she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I first went to India in

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Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

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Thanksgiving

Christian missionaries came into India soon after the British East India Company was given permission by Emperor Jahangir to trade in what was known as Mughal Empire. Since then conversion of Hindus into Christianity has been going on unabated. These missionaries do not go to Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc. They know if they try to convert Muslims in these countries they are most likely to be beheaded. They look for soft target for their proselytising activities. Hindus being tolerant and open-minded, progressive India is a very suitable target. The consequence of their activities is now quite obvious. By evangelising they divide families, society and create problems for the country they operate in. It creates family conflict and societal problems. They offer bribe to simple uneducated people of remote villages and tribal areas. If these people refuse to be converted violence has been used to convert them. They believe they are God-men carrying out God’s mission on earth! When Spanish missionaries convert people of other religions they give Spanish names. Similarly Portuguese missionaries give Portuguese names, American and British missionaries offer English sounding names. It is a process of alienating the converts against their society and homeland. If the Nagas in the North East region of India were not converted into Christianity there would not have been any Naga separatist movement. There is a definite need for a rational constructive debate on their proselytising activities and in consequence the problems they have been causing throughout the world.

The other day I was talking to a friend in England and told him that on October 12 we have Thanksgiving bank holiday and than he asked me what Thanksgiving Day is? I explained to him that Thanksgiving is celebrated in North America to thank God for the blessing of the harvest and it was started in 1621 by European settlers (pilgrims) in North America for their first successful harvest in New World. It is being celebrated early in Canada on October 12 due to the short summer and long winter while it is celebrated in the USA on November 26. In different cultures of the world most of the people believe in God or the Supreme power and pray and give thanks to God for everything He has given to us some times more than we expected not right away but sooner or later and that too at right time when we needed it most. 41 years ago we immigrated to Canada 3 weeks before Thanksgiving. I was looking for job in my accounting field as I did my accounting study in India and America. My wife's cousin was visiting from America and called us to say that he would like to come and see us so we gave him our address. He came with his friend who worked for a bank and asked me to apply there which I did along with other companies too. And just before Thanksgiving I got a call from that bank offering me a job. So we have a special significance of Thanksgiving in our life as God directly or indirectly helped us when we needed his help most. Now we are enjoying our retirement life as we have educated our two daughters and a rich heritage, values and cultures both Indian and Canadian. They both married and happily live in their own homes.

Jatindra Saha By email

Suresh and Bhavna Patel Markham, Canada

I would like to share with my fellow readers and contributors of this column something which I have recently discovered. You do not have to wait till Friday or Saturday for your copies of AV and GS to land on your doormats through the letter box! On the Internet on your mobile ‘phone, just type “Asian Voice opinion” and you will be directed to the relevant page (8 or 10) of the “Readers Voice” column where you can pre-empt whether your contribution is published or not and also glance at other letters in advance of receiving the hard copies. Also, if you are registered with them, you can receive copies of Gujarat Samachar/Asian Voice on a regular basis by e-mail. I wonder whether similar facility is available to readers of other papers. I also wonder if people could read the papers on-line like this then there is little incentive to subscribe to them or to purchase them at the news agents. Having said this, I will state categorically that there is no comparison with the hard copies of the actual full sized versions.The only downside to this is that if you if you search the “Readers Voice” column and see that your own contribution is not published for some reason, the enthusiasm of waiting for the postal copies wanes a little. But never mind, you try again and if it is worthy of publication, your letter will surely get included. Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

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Personal vendetta

Your anguish at murder of a Muslim rumored to have eaten beef is noteworthy. Kamal Rao has given better details about the incident in Gujarat Samachar. I fully appreciate his stance that, if stripped of religion, beef eating and community ethos, this is a plain murder, as a result of personal vendetta and exploiting Hindu-Muslim animosity. All concerned must be punished rapidly to placate Muslims. But this incident does not reflect and should not reflect pan-Hindu or pan-national hatred for Muslims. It does not represent national image. Humanity and humanism is still abundant among Hindus, Hinduism and in India. Interfaith harmony and tolerance is still strong backbone of India and especially of Hindu religion. India’s tolerance is evident when seven faiths exist in India without bombings and blood shed, compared to intolerable, internecine violence which is happening in Muslim countries where only one religion is prevailing. It is apt to remember the equation- "all Hindus are not murderers"-which is used for Muslims when they repeatedly terrorize not only India but other countries. Hindus must overcome inferiority complex whipped by national and international anti-Hindu bigots and opportunist politicians. Ramesh Jhalla By email

Inspiring speech

Reading in AV/GS about Cllr Jogia’s maiden speech at Conservative Conference in Manchester, youngest British Indian to be granted such privilege, I listened on internet and to my surprise and delight, I found his story similar to those of most East African Asians, most of whom struggled and worked hard to gain foothold, quantum leap on property ladder, although Ameet’s tale is more touching and sincere, having grown up on council estate. No wonder law abiding lustre East African Asians are most successful ethnic minority in Britain! After failure of business venture, his family became homeless overnight, spending a night in their car in Council carpark, before being allocated temporary B & B accommodation for six months, moving from pillar to post before being offered Council flat that became their home for 26 years, ultimately buying it under “Margaret Thatcher’s Right to Buy” lustre scheme first introduced in 1980s, brave, novel and imaginary scheme, to encourage home ownership, now relaunched by PM Cameron to the delight of Conservative supporters. No wonder Ameet fondly describes his generation as “Thatcher’s Grandchildren” who should follow in her foot-steps and carry on, even expand on her rich legacy to enable younger generation to climb property ladder. Ameet, being Lord Popat’s PA, I met him several times, to discuss topics of mutual interest, get acquainted with this young, ambitious, upcoming politician who I feel should be in HOC after 2020 election, as Conservatives encourage such talent. Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

Unfair student quota

Most would appreciate, even support government crackdown on bogus colleges that robe students of their hard earned money but provide questionable, even worthless qualifications and stringent but fair test in English language, essential ingredient to succeed. However introduction of superficial quota system, Hobson’s choice will deprive genuine students who meet high standard but miss out due to unfair quota system, thus forcing them to go to USA and Australia for further studies, depriving our world class universities of much needed finance that may lead to even higher student fees capped at £9000 annually. It seems PM Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May want to apply corrosive cosmetic surgery to address their failed immigration policy, sacrifice Indian students at the altar as immigration is hot topic in public domain. Some may construe this Bailey bridge policy as racist, as it principally targets students from Indian subcontinent, not other white commonwealth nations, although to be fair, not many of their aspiring students enrich our educational establishments. PM Cameron, who is contrived to be India friendly with close personal repertoire with Indian PM Modi, will be judged on action, not sweet, smoothing words that come with ease to most politicians. Kumudini Valambia By email

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Asian Voice |17th October 2015

Malala Yousafzai may study in America The world's youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner, a global advocate for girls' education, and the recipient of an outstanding Malala GCSE result, Yousafzai (18) is thinking about the university she would like to pursue her undergraduate degree from. Oxford University as well as Stanford University, California, are her top two choices, however, it seems like she is steering more towards opting for Stanford, mainly due to the weather. Her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai stated, â&#x20AC;&#x153;They have 300

Malala Yousafzai's top 2 university choices are Oxford and Stanford University

days of sun out of 365 days, which is a rare phenomenon in the UK. Three hundred days of sun makes a

difference.â&#x20AC;? She is currently studying for A-levels in History, Maths, Geography and Religious Studies.

Diwali to be hosted at UK Supreme Court On Thursday 29 October 2015, prominent lawyers and judges from across the legal sector will attend the first ever Diwali reception at the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom being hosted by the Hindu Lawyers Association and supported by national law firm Bevan Brittan LLP. The theme of the evening is 'The Laws of Leadership and The Winning Mindset' with keynote speeches from

Alpesh Patel (lawyer and Principal of Praefinium Partners Ltd) and Robert Bourns (Vice President of the Law Society). Representatives from the Ministry of Justice will also address the audience whilst a live classical Indian music interlude will be provided by a number of internationally renowned musicians. The reception not only acknowledges the triumph of light over darkness but

also celebrates diversity within the legal profession. It is hoped that all attendees are inspired to strive to be leaders within their firms, chambers as well as within their communities. The skills possessed by lawyers are valuable and readily transferable to benefit society and it is hoped lawyers step up to contribute to creating a more prosperous United Kingdom.

Park in Ireland home to 9 Ganesh statues Victoria's Way, located near Roundwood, County Wicklow in Ireland, is home to 9 black granite Ganesh statues. The 9hectare privately owned meditation garden includes a number of small lakes and forested areas. A plaque by the entrance says the park is dedicated to cryptographer Alan Turing. The park is open to the public during the summer months, with an admission fee for adults. The Ganesh sculptures range in size from 5ft 6ins to 9ft and weigh between 2 and 5 tonnes. The statues were shipped from India to Ireland at a cost, paid by Victor himself. Victor was born of German Jewish parents in Berlin in 1940. By the age of 14, he had decided to go to India, keen to become a sadhu and spend his life in

the pursuit of enlightenment. Before he had reached 25, Victor reached India. Thereafter, he spent the next 25 years as a wandering monk in India, learning about Hinduism, Buddhism, Yoga, studying the Vedas and Upanishad. He spent some time at Shri Aroubindo Ashram in Pondicherry. He travelled widely through India,

spending time at various ashrams, under the tutelage of many gurus. He also travelled to the Far East. During his long stay in India, not only did he came to love the country, but his own devotion to Sri Ganesh, arguably the most beloved of the gods, grew. That gave him the idea of starting a Ganesh Park in Ireland.

Parkfield Community School, in Birmingham's reported a 10-year-old Muslim student to the police on suspicion of extremism, after the boy complained about not having a prayer room. It was during a residential trip when he came to

the teacher's attention. It is alleged that he was also telling female Muslim pupils that they should cover their faces with a head scarf. The boy was referred to the police by the primary school, under the government's Prevent Duty initiative. The government's

Prevent Duty initiative guides teachers on detecting signs of extremism.

Ten-year-old reported on suspicion of extremism

Parkfield Community School

MEDIAWATCH

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Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

A country such as India, with its multiple languages, ethnicities, faiths and economic contrasts, from the vibrantly modern to the miserably primitive, its multitudes of poor and socially disadvantaged, the country is in occupation of different historical time zones. There is thus good news, bad news and, frequently, dreadful news. What transpired at the Uttar Pradesh village of Bishara in the Dadri district, where a Muslim householder, Mohammad Ashlaq, was set upon by a frenzied mob of Hindu zealots, led by local BJP leaders, because of rumours that he had slaughtered a cow, was shame beyond imagining. The noted Indian economist, Professor Ashok Sanjay Guha in a satirical take on the subject of eating beef, quotes Swami Vivekenanda: ‘There was a time when without eating beef no Brahmin could remain a Brahmin; when a king, a hermit or a great man visited, the best bullock was klilled in his honour.’ Professor Guha then writes: ‘The bans [on cow slaughter] owe little to ancient Hindu tradition. Dev Indra would have been persona non grata in Devendra Fadnavis’s Maharashtra. And Vajnavalkya? As a historical person, an undeniable Hindu sage with a passion for tender beef, he would have represented a most disconcerting presence, a ghostly reminder of Hinduism’s carnivorous past, an immemorial nightmare come to haunt a chief minister whose childhood dream was a ban on cow slaughter.’

Shock waves

Returning to Time present, the Dari murder of an innocent man has sent shock waves across the country. Economic growth and digitalization do bring hopes of a brighter future for the Indian people, but growing levels of intolerance do not bode well for the dream of an inclusive India at peace with itself and the world. Three prominent intellectual have been assassinated for no reason than their rationalist views were offensive to the assassin and their fanatical minders. Hinduism’s diverse schools of thought include rationalism and agnosticism. Ritual pieties on the Indian Constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech and thought invite derision when fringe elements of the Sangh Parivar, keep flouting them.

Award returned

The writer Nayantara Sahgal took a courageous step last week by returning her prestigious Sahitya Academi Award as a protest against the mounting tide of intimidation and violence against those who in public life have embodied the diversity of Indian civilization as an article faith. She was joined by Hindi poet Ashok Vajpeyi and writer Gita Deshpande.. (Hindu October 7)

President’s warning President Pranab Mukherjee reacted to the deplorable situation with the following words: ‘I firmly believe that we cannot allow the core of our civilization to be wasted….over the years [India’s] civilization diversity, promoted and advocated tolerance, endurance, and plurality. These core values have kept us together over centuries….If we keep those core values in mind, nothing can prevent our democracy from moving on,’ he said. Hopefully, these sentiments will have the desired effect. A day later, Prime Minister Modi endorsed the President’s message (Mint, Times of India, Business Line Hindu October 8, 9)

Moral message

Make in India carries a moral subtext. Modernization can truly fructify and endure on a shared culture of democratic values. In Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and, maybe, Bangladesh, dissenters are either sentenced to public flogging, death by lynching or hanging from the gallows, or shot by vigilantes. Caveat Emptor! India beware (Hindu, Times of India, Telegraph October 6)

Fastest growing economy

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), has projected a 7.5 per cent economic growth for India in the next financial year, 2015-16 , which make the Indian economy the fastest growing major economy. China’s growth for next has been pegged at 6.3 per cent. India is expected to benefit from lower global commodity prices, since it isn’t a major commodity importer (Mint, Times of India, Business Line October 6)

Doing business in

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Narendra Modi pose for a photograph before a meeting in New Delhi

India extolled Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing German and Indian business leaders in Bangalore expressed optimism was upbeat about doing business in India, saying that he would make sure that the country’s tax laws were transparent and equitable; also that conditions for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which was vital for India’s growth, would be closely monitored to keep them on track. As result of government measures Foreign Institutional Investments (FII) were now flowing back into the country (Business Line October 7)

Bullish on India

Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP Plc, the world’s largest advertising firm, told reporters in Delhi that his company was clocking up rapid growth. He was more bull-

Martin Sorrell

ish about India than he was last year. India, he said, ‘is the only country among BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) that has got its head above the water….There is a tremendous degree of optimism about India. Obviously, the Prime Minister [Narendra M Modi] has positioned himself in a very short time as a world leader….Our business is doing very well, pretty much across the board. We have done just under $600 million this year with 15,000 people,’ he said (M int October 6)

Japanese CEOs in India meet

There are more than 80,000 Japanese companies in China and barely 1000 in India. This was the verdict of Japanese academics and CEOs - at a meeting organized by the Japanese Consulate in Kolkata - with their Indian counterparts in Presidency University. There is no Japanese presence in eastern India, but where there is such a presence, the Japanese impact

has been telling. Consider the spanking Metro in Delhi (recently voted among the world’s top five that has made a seminal difference to life in the Indian capital) and the Mumbai-Delhi Industrial Corridor, for example. Japanese speakers stressed the need to give illiterate labourers vocational training and made fit for purpose for a modern economy (Times of India October 7)

BlackBerry, Tata

India is to use the services of Canadian firm BlackBerry to set up anti-espionage communications system, for which it will be partnering with Tata Power’s Strategic Engineering Division to develop a secret communications system tailored to the needs of the Indian government. There is also a German angle to this, as BlackBerry recently acquired German subsidiary Sercusmart, which specializes in high-security voice and data encryption and anti-eavesdropping solutions which services the requirements of the German government, something discussed by Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merkel, but whose details have not been disclosed (Business Line October 7)

Creator of world class company

Unknown not so long ago, known today throughout the world in his specialty: that is BVR Mohan Reddy, whose company Cyient has broken into the almost impenetrable world of aeronautics. His company is involved in almost every aircraft design programme. ‘When I started an engineering services company in 1991, many global companies were not ready to outsource engineering.’ Defence is a long haul business, not easy to get into, but the rewards are great for those with the patience to last the course. Mohan Reddy is Chairman of India’s software industry body Nasscom (Business Line October 7)

Delhi-Mumbai Corridor

The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, which is work in progress, will lead to the creation of five new cities along it various nodes. The urban centres most likely to benefit from the completion of Phase 1 of the project are Noida, Greater Noida, Gurgaon,

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Manesar, Jaipur, Ahmedbad, Indore and Aurangabad, according to a report submitted by Knight Frank India. In a statement, Shishir Baijal, Chairman & Managing Director, Knight Frank India, said: A total of 24 nodes have been planned along the entire stretch of the Corridor. Once all the phases of the the project are completed, job creation will be unprecedented. The resultant effect of this astronomical creation will lead to immense real estate development across verticals in and around the project areas.’ (Business Line October 7)

Modi takes US cash prize

China or India? That is the question to which Gordon Chang gave a swift answer in Forbes Magazine. The well known China-born journalist who is now an American citizen, having examined his crystal ball opts for India in the long run, when India’s numbers will count over China’s.

Timely visit

Referring to Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Silicon Valley and his ‘Digital India’ project, Chinaborn, American domixiled, writer Gordon Chang quotes NRI Aarthi Ramamurthy, founder and CEO of San Francisco-based Lumoid, who says, ‘There is a lot going to happen in the next one to three to four years. This trip [by Modi] is very historic and very timely. Hence concludes Chang, in Forbes magazine, ‘Xi Jinping may have gotten a 21-gun salute and state dinner in D.C. but it is Modi who will reap the American cash.’

INS Astradharini Commissioned

India’s latest naval acquisition is a 50 metre catamaran hull torpedo and recovery vessel, indigenously designed and manufactured, and now part of the Eastern Fleet based in Visakhapatnam. Bristling with hi-tech weaponry, it has crew of 27 ratings and two officers. It is commanded by Rear Admiral S.V.Bhokare. Vice Admiral Satish Soni, Chief of Eastern Command, launching the vessel congratulated the design staff and engineers for a state-of-the-art product which made India proud. (Hindu October 7).

Boosting business: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and business leaders from the two countries at the Indo-German Summit. See comment page 3

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Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

Student diversity officer to appear in court New petition to allow parents over 65 to Bahar Mustafa (28), student diversity officer at Goldsmith, University of London, is due to appear at Bromley Magistrates' Court on Thursday 5th October 2015, to answer a charge of racism. It said that the student diversity officer allegedly tweeted “kill all white men”, and has been ordered to appear in court over complaints about making “racially motivated malicious communication”.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan police said, “A woman interviewed under caution regarding a complaint of racially motivated malicious communication made on social media network has been summonsed to court.” Previously, there was also a petition from the union at the university for her to be removed from her post. The union had alleged that she had tweeted remarks such as, “#killallwhitemen” and “white

join British citizens as adult dependents

Bahar Mustafa

trash”. The charges against her cover the period between 10th November 2014, and 31st May 2015.

Scottish economist wins Nobel memorial prize The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has been announced that the Scottish economist, Angus Deaton (69), has won the Nobel memorial prize in economic sciences for “his analysis of consumption, poverty and welfare”. Deaton, the son of a Yorkshire miner, was born in Edinburgh, in 1945. He has taught at the Universities of Cambridge and Bristol, before moving to Princeton University, in the United States of America. In his 2013 book, The Great Escape, Angus Deaton argued that foreign aid did more damage than good to developing coun-

Scottish economist, Angus Deaton wins the Nobel memorial prize in economic sciences

tries as he claims the money from western governments has only helped to propel corrupt leaders in those nations, rather than reaching the people who could benefit from the aid.

He wrote, “The idea that global poverty could be eliminated if only rich people or rich countries were to give more money to poor people or to poor countries, however appealing, is wrong. These simplistic beliefs are based on a misdiagnosis of what it is that is keeping people poor.” During a press conference following the announcement of winning the Nobel memorial prize, Deaton stated that although he expects extreme poverty to decrease globally, he doesn't want to be “blindly optimistic”. He said there are “tremendous health problems among adults and

A petition has been initiated to allow parents over the age of 65 to join British citizens as adult dependents. The UK has tightened its immigration laws when it comes to allowing who enters Britain; be it students, or the elderly. These new laws have made it difficult for many people, especially for those who have parents over the age of 65. This petition was created by Himanshu Sori, whose parents are over the age of 65. He would like to have his parents over to strengthen their bond with his child, while it will be an opportunity for his child to learn about their culture and get a good understanding of family relationships. Himanshu Sori stated in the petition, “I do not expect them [his parents] to claim any benefits, like

pension. Whatever visa may it be, it could restrict the right to settle. When they are here, I would be supporting them financially. I have done this in past. A British citizen born here

children in India, where there has been a lot of progress.” The award-giving body praised Deaton for his work, which has influenced public policy on aid and poverty. While announcing this prize, the award-giving

body said, “To design economic policy that promotes welfare and reduces poverty, we must first understand individual consumption choices... More than anyone else, Angus Deaton has enhanced this understanding.”

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will have their parents nearby. Their children will have a more integrated family life with the grandparents around.” The rule, however, does not apply to EU citizens. Sori stated, “EU citizen is allowed to bring their parents as adult dependents, when they migrate from other EU countries to UK, even if for short durations.” There are many people who could benefit with this

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petition as it seems like a constant struggle for many to bring over elderly or ailing parents. It also becomes difficult for people residing in Britain to constantly travel back to where their parents reside in order to check on them, health-wise. So far, the petition has over 5,000 signatures. At 10,000 signatures, the Government will respond to this petition. 100,000 signatures are required in order for this petition to be considered for debate in the Parliament. If you would like to sign this petition, please visit https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/109314 /signatures/new

This petition will run until 29th March 2016. US economist, Tyler Cower said Deaton was “a brilliant, excellent selection. He stated, “He truly, deeply understands the implications of economic growth, the benefits of modernity, and political economy.”

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Thousands gather at Diwali on the Square Rupanjana Dutta Diwali celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance, although the actual legends that accompany it differ across India. London Mayor celebrated Diwali on the square on 11 October. More than 35,000 people attended the event.

This year the theme of celebration, focussed on the legacies of valour, unity and sacrifice in pursuit of peace and freedom. Working alongside the National Army Museum, it commemorated the role the Indian sub-continent played in World War I, and paid tribute to the many brave soldiers of the British Empire and Commonwealth who

served to protect that freedom, a number of whom lived to tell the tale. A packed line up of the best in contemporary Asian music and dance were performed by artists and talented community groups. Traditional religious music and rites opened and closed the show. The event also offered the chance to taste Asian

vegetarian cuisine, sample the delights of festival sweets and drinks. Children could enjoy activities, buy colourful trinkets, don a sari and pose for interactive photo ops. There were many stalls too. Asian Voice paper was distributed to the visitors, free of charge. Photo courtesy: Kois Miah & Raj D Bakrania, Prmediapix

Lighting of diya on the stage

South Indian dhol performers on the stage

Dancers performing on the stage

Kishan Amin and troupe performing

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Merchant of Vembley The 'desifyed' adaptation of Shakespeare Reshma Trilochun

and showcased how brilliantly talented and versatile he is as an actor. Staging a play which

From 6th- 25th October 2015, the play, Merchant of Vembley was showcased at the Cockpit Theatre, London- a play written by Shishir Kurup, and directed by Ajay Chowdhury. Merchant of Vembley, as the name suggests, is an adaptation of W i l l i a m From left: Vijay Doshi, Ishwar Shakespeare's play, Maharaj & Aria Prasad The Merchant of Photo courtesy: Shyamantha Asokan Venice, but with a “desi” twist. The play deals with prejudice, focuses on the south stereotypes and Asian community of Islamaphobia could be a North West London, and very dangerous territory if deals with issues of racism not dealt with sensibly. and Islamaphobia, issues Chowdhury said, “The which are not only prevaanti-semitism in the lent in contemporary Shakespeare [play] is very Britain, but globally as naked and directors have well. to be very careful on how Speaking about what it is staged. It is interestdrew him to direct Shishir ing that there have been Kurup's script, Ajay four productions of Chowdhury said, “It is a Merchant this year, given brilliant script because it the global rise in antimaintains the essence of semitism. Shishir has the Shakespearian story taken this idea and transbut has been completely lated it to a post 9/11 reimagined to a contemworld where people feel porary London, and all they have the license to done in iambic pentamedemonise Sharuk as a ter! I loved its 'masala' of Muslim because of what references from they read in the newspaBollywood to contempopers every day. The play rary pop music to the landoes not give any pat guage of the streets of answers and the audiWest London, all under ences' sympathies keep the backdrop of money, shifting between the charracism and intolerance. It acters.” made me laugh and also Although the concept question a lot of ideas that of the play is interesting I myself had.” and gives the director He added, “He has many scopes to explore also subverted the original and be creative, the play extremely well- if you came across as slightly know the original, a lot of confusing in some porthings you expect to haptions. The equation pen do not and a lot of between some of the charthings happen that you acters were not very clear. don't expect. It is rare to There was no clarity to find a modern play with a why the supporting charlot of character. Given the acters reacted in a certain debates on diversity these way. days, the timing was parAnother glitch was ticularly good. Finally I that the play was on a loved his use of languagethrust stage, which meant using English, Hindi, that in some sequences, Jamaican vernacular in the actors would perform pentameter is wonderful.” with their backs facing The cast of Merchant some of the audience; this of Vembley encompasses was slightly distracting a bunch of talented actors and at times, off-putting who bring alive the charas well. acters on stage; some On the plus side, the playing more than one Holi sequence with a chopart. The cast includes, reographed Bollywood Rohit Gokani, who pornumber was fun-filled trays Devendra and Bipin and entertaining. Jarreau Shah; Shamir Dawood, Antoine, who played the portrayed Jeetendra- a character of Armando, Bollywood star; Emilio being the only non-Asian Doorgasingh, portrayed in the cast outshone in the Sharuk- a strict Muslim; Bollywood dance routine, and Aria Prasad, who porgiving the audience a trayed the rich heiress, glimpse of his dancing talPushpa. An actor that ent as well. stood out was Ishwar Overall, Merchant of Maharaj, who played the Vembley is a good watch, characters Tooranpoi, thanks to the group of Rasik, Sabu, as well as the actors who perform with role of a waiter. He full force and make the brought in an element of characters relatable, as comic relief to the play well as believable.

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Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

RfO flying even higher the Diversity flag Dhiren Katwa The British Armed Forces, pictured, were proud recipient of the Employee Network Award at the Race for Opportunity (RfO) Awards 2015. Held at the Hilton Park Lane, London, last Tuesday, the prestigious event marked RfO’s 20th anniversary. The event was hosted by

paigns to reduce Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) youth unemployment, accelerate progression and balance representation of BAME people in the UK workforce and increase diversity among senior business leaders. Guests included ethnic business guru Professor Monder Ram; Mayank Shah, founder of

the page, it always begs to be taken off it. I have seen disillusioned students being asked to analyse poetry at school, and I do think vocalisation can help. Poetry is there to speak to people and in that sense, performing makes it accessible.

Velvet in her Voice

Sunetra Senior

MSDUK, the inclusive procurement forum; Nikesh Mehta from GCHQ; Amandeep Rehlon from Bank of England and Nav Malik, Assistant Chief Constable, Warwickshire & West Mercia Police. Other winners included: Talent Award – Large Organisation (Northern Trust); Employee Network Award – Private Sector (Deloitte); T r a n s p a r e n c y , Monitoring & Action Award (Teach First). By 2051, one in five people in the UK will be from a BAME background. For full list of winners visit www.raceforopportunity.bitc.org.uk

Vijender Singh makes star debut in Manchester Indian boxer Vijender Singh made a ruthless professional debut knocking out UK's Sonny Whiting. Singh won the contest with just a few seconds left in the third of the four-round bout via Technical Knockout, pushing Whiting on to the ropes and serving him with a combination of jabs and uppercuts before the referee stepped in to stop him. “Thanks to all my fans. My next fight will be October 30 in Harrow, enjoy it. It’s new for me but I’ve been working hard. It’s going well, I want to win! That’s just the beginning,” the Indian boxer said, beaming about the smashing start to his pro career. “I am very happy for this win. It’s just

Vijender Singh a beginning as I have to go a long way. I will work more hard and have to be Professional champion one day. I never got nervous during the bout. My punches have replied to Sonny Whiting in the ring. Its new for me but I have been working hard. Its going well. I want to win, win and win.”

Finding that perfect word; what Flaubert called "le mot juste"

Shruti Chauhan

ITV News presenter Charlene White and brought together around 500 guests. The evening featured entertainment from Endurance Steel Band and a panel discussion on a soon-to-be launched race at work survey – the biggest of its kind in the UK, with over 24,000 participants. Panellists were: Adrian Joseph, a director at Google; RfO Director Sandra Kerr; Nishma Gosrani, a director at Deloitte; and Daryl Scales, Vice-President of Finance for Europe, Enterprise Rent-a-Car. RfO is part of Business in the Community, the business-led charity that cam-

TLIGHT

Good writing is always honest; and even better when it is brave. Who better to ask about the recent eruption of a raw and writhing form of literary expression- the live-wire world of Performance Poetry – then, than the straight-talking Shruti Chauhan, one of its younger, rising stars: “I have always adored page poetry” she told us. “I received a lot of encouragement for it, for example through mentoring programmes, where I got to work closely with Canal Laureate Jo Bell, and Mark Goodwin. But it wasn’t until I took to the open mic that things really took off.” At once soft and searing, Shruti’s verse delves deep into questions of identity that gain a delicious drama as they come to stage: “this voice sipped sonnets/similes, soliloquies”, she reads with the gushing grace of a film-noir actress (precise wrist movements and all), from one of her cultural exploration poems, ‘In Praise of my Voice’, “high, sometimes low/this voice simmered/now silky, stormy…”As the Leicester-based lyricist herself stated: “poetry is in essence dynamic, and that’s why it’s so thrilling to feel out.” Now in the middle of her first UK tour, ‘Three the Hard Way Part 2’, supported by Arts Council England, she joins two fellow poets – internationally acclaimed Jean Binto Breeze, known for her Jamaican ‘Dub’ poetry, and the neon-haired Lydia Towsey, a prolific Midlands talent – as part of an experimental, cosmopolitan trio. With the rehearsal process involving a sort of freestyle “feeding off each other’s poems, and responding to each other’s accounts”, Shruti is evoking the largest truth yet; the women effectively deflect from the red herring of race or gender to the internal meeting point of “human experience”. Tell us a bit more about this tour? Three the Hard Way was inspired by Jamaican DJ culture. The artists would respond to each other’s sets in a way that was either collaborative or competitive, so we are adapting that for the purposes of poetry. You end up looking at the poems and the places where they converge. It’s what happens naturally with people close to you and what fosters a sense of community. It’s a one and half hour long show, playing with sound, voice and movement, and picks up on themes of cultural diversity, politics and gender.

And is there a feminist angle at all? yes, in that we are 3 women speaking out.

Does performing take poetry to the next level? Performance poetry is definitely thriving on the literary scene. I’ve always been a performer, and poetry after all, did begin as an oral tradition e.g. The Iliad, The Odyssey. Though it was later bound to

Do you think it helps ‘access’ yourself too, as the writer? Yes, it compels you to speak from the heart. You plunge into the depths and it feels different every time. It is difficult to compare to page poetry though. Written words still contain musicality and if it’s a good poem in print it should, in theory, be good on stage. They’re sort of inseparable. I love writing too. For example when you finally find that perfect word, what Flaubert called ‘le mot juste’.

Is there a central theme to your poetry: wonder, culture, romanticism? No, not really. From issues such as cultural skin-bleaching to mental health and the way that women sometimes become self-deprecating when they’re relating to men – I wrote a poem called ‘Why Don’t you like me?’ - I don’t necessarily pick a theme so much as it manifesting by itself. It just comes from the every day. That’s a writers’ inspiration: overhearing a conversation, feeling a certain way. It’s all around them.

You do have some very funny poems. Is comedy a huge part of your collection? Well naturally, some of my observations fall into that category. I’ll just be describing something, and it touches on something light; for example with the poem, ‘Relations’. I was genuinely just thinking about how perplexing it is to explain the broadness of the term ‘auntie’, in Indian culture!

Have you always had a proclivity for language? I’ve always been drawn to sound in a broader sense. My dad is very musical, and I learned Indian classical vocal music. I love the shapes and colours of certain words. I have a passion for languages too. I taught myself Hindi and studied Sanskrit.

'Poetry is there to speak to people'

Now, I know you have a fascination with the moon? (Laughs) It’s not just the moon- it’s the sky in general. Looking out into the depths of space has a very grounding effect. It’s humbling. Finally, who are your inspirations? Arundhati Roy, Shane Koyzcan, Carol Ann Duffy and Kate Tempest

Three the Hard Way rehearsals

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W 3thehardwaypoets.wordpress.com

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UK PREPARES FOR “BUS PE CHARCHA” Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

Modi Express bus launched in London

Continued from page 1 together for a positive cause. As we look forward to Prime Minister Modi’s visit in November, I’m elated to see members from across the two communities coming together and supporting one another.” Also gracing the occasion was Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP, who encouraged people to join him on the Modi Express bus from Leicester saying, “Even if you’ve left your oyster cards at home, be sure to bring your ‘Modi cards’ to join the Modi Express wherever you are.” Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, the London Borough where Wembley Stadium is situated, said "I am looking forward to welcoming Prime Minister Modi to Brent. There is huge excitement amongst all communities." The civic leaders who attended and spoke at the event included Navin Shah AM, member of the London Assembly, Krupa Sheth, the youngest British Indian councillor in the UK and Cllr Krupesh Hirani. Over 60,000 people

Lord Dolar Popat formally inaugurating the launch event by breaking a coconut

branding images of the PM along with flag images and social media hashtags. The tag ‘#UKWelcomesModi’ is a signifier of how inclusive, popular and rigorous this branding exercise is. As we go to press, UK

Welcomes Modi WhatsApp Group campaign has been launched, for the welcome partners. Photo courtesy: Raj D Bakrania, Prmediapix

Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP speaking at the launch event. Present on the bus: Cllr Muhammed Butt, Cllr Krupa Sheth, Navin Shah AM, Lalubhai Parekh, Nitin Palan and others

will attend the reception, called UK Welcomes Modi (on 13th of November), and tickets are due to be distributed by Wembley Stadium in the coming weeks. People from over 250 cities and towns in the UK have applied for an invitation. They have applied from as far north as Dundee and as far south as Plymouth. Nitin Palan, coordinator of the Modi Express bus declared, “Our website will be going live next week. People will be able to book Modi Express bus tickets to attend the event from all over the country.” Mayuri Parmar from the organising committee spoke about inspiration from Modi’s nationwide popular campaign ‘Chai pe Charcha’. They hope to encourage ‘Bus pe Charcha’ to evoke discussions and opinions during the visit of the Indian PM. The buses are a beautiful shade of blue with

Continued from page 1

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New Year's Bounty

issue at length. In 2015, when Mr Arun Jaitley, the Finance Minister of India came to the UK to inaugurate Gandhi statue at the Parliament Square, the issues of the direct flight was raised with the Minister. There was a point when during Prabasi Bharatiya Divas in India, a Minister announced the flights would resume shortly, but the plan never materialised. After much persuasion, including letters to PM Modi and current Chief Minister of Gujarat, Ms Anandiben Patel, three months back, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar learnt that Mr Modi is con-

Innumerable readers and members of the community approached our Samachar News Editor newsweeklies for help. Kamal Rao and Rupanjana Hearing their plight, Asian Dutta, now Asian Voice Voice and Gujarat Associate Editor along Samachar newsweeklies with NCGO (UK) leaders with NCGO (UK) immedihanded over the petitions ately started a petition, to the Air India office. CB asking the diaspora to Patel, the Publisher/Editor come forward and sign the of Asian Voice and Gujarat petition to restart direct Samachar was then the flights between London Chairman of NCGO (UK). Heathrow and Despite of running innuAhmedabad. They pointed merable petitions and artiout that the worse sufferers cles, the direct flight failed were elderly, pregnant to ply. women, families with small In 2012, Manoj Ladwa, children, people with a London-based political health problems especially strategist, lawyer and Mr disabled people, those on Modi's director of commuwheelchair, who have to nications during India's disembark and embark at Mumbai/Delhi or any other airport in the Middle East with their hand luggage etc to change flights and wait long hours. Over 18,000 petitions were collected. Prominent Maya Deepak, Rajya Sabha BJP Chief Whip Mansukhbhai Mandavia, politicians, including ex-MLA Jayantilal Barot, Gujarat State Minister Tarachand Cheda, MP British MPs, Peers, Nitinbhai Patel, CB Patel, Publisher/Editor, Asian Voice and Gujarat Councillors and Samachar, Education Minister, Gujarat, Bhupendra Sinh Chudasama, leaders of various veteran journalist Bhupadrai Parekh, Shri K H Patel, Dr Bhavesh organisations and Parekh, Dr Urvi Parekh at Fortune Inn Hotel, Gandhinagar, where the direct flight discussion was hosted by CB Patel in 2013 businesses in Britain, sidering reinstating the late Ashok Bhatt, Speaker general election along with direct flight between of Gujarat Assembly, Shri veteran actor and now MP, Jaynarayan Vyas, Senior London and Ahmedabad. Paresh Rawal handed over It is a well known fact that Minister of Gujarat govseveral thousands of fresh NaMo thinks of the needs ernment, Shri Dinsha petitions along with supPatel, Minister of State in of diaspora very closely, port letters from various already offering Indian ethe Central government, British MPs, Peers, local Shri Sidharth Patel, visas to NRIs and direct councillors, Indian MPs flights between California President of Gujarat and MLAs delivered to Mr and India. Pradesh Congress Modi's office (as Chief While many others are Committee, Shri Shakti Minister) in Gujarat. While Singh Gohil, Leader of the claiming the credit to have CB remained the drive made this direct flight posOpposition in the Gujarat behind this petition for the sible, Asian Voice and Assembly, former minispeople of his community, Gujarat Samachar are ters and senior MPs Bhupadrai Parekh took up pleased to announce to including Shri Haren the baton in India to drive Pathak, their readers, that finally President of this mission. all their efforts have bore Gujarat state, NCP Jayant In 2013, CB on a 7 days Patel (Boski), Pradip C fruits. The readers who visit to Gujarat, organised a Jadeja, the Chief Whip of have been on this journey dinner at Fortune Inn with our newspapers, Government of Gujarat Hotel in Gandhinagar, should now celebrate this and many others who where eminent personalioccasion and get ready to themselves have experities, Ministers from the book their family holiday enced the hardships, government and tickets with 'baa and baba' signed the petition in supOpposition MLAs/MPs (grandmother and babies) port of this campaign. were present, who disIn 2010, soon. Gujarat cussed the direct flight

Diaspora seeks answers from the Labour Party Leader

Manoj Ladwa and the Hindu priest Madhava at the launch event

While the Indian diaspora awaits eagerly for the visit of Shri Narendra Modi, many of them have been shocked by a recent comment by Mr Jeremy Corbyn at the UK Parliament. Dipankar De Sarkar, a veteran Indian journalist in Live Mint reported, that recently Corbyn told the UK Parliament, “It cannot be right that a country with India’s aspirations to modernity and to taking its place in the world, including a permanent place on the UN Security Council—a country that is obviously a major power in every aspect—can allow such (caste) discrimination to continue. “Dr Ambedkar’s con-

stitution is a remarkable document and clearly outlaws discrimination on the basis of caste or descent. However, it is equally clear that in reality Dalit people’s opportunities to get access to justice do not exist in many parts of the country.” Corbyn had also spoken up strongly against the 2002 Hindu-Muslim riots that took place in Gujarat when Modi was chief minister of that state. He was also one of the six signatories of an Early Day Motion in the British Parliament in 2013, which spoke of MPs’ concern at “authorities in Gujarat leading the efforts to dismantle a secular India”. Now Prime Minister,

Narendra Modi is all set to visit the UK in November. While many of the Labour MPs including Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP have pledged their pay rise to the funds for the big gala organised for Modi's visit, it is evident the NaMo at some point will come to know Her Majesty's Opposition Leader's stand. Chuni Chavda, who has been a former Lib Dem party councillor, on behalf of the diaspora has written an open letter to Mr Corbyn asking for answers, which they have not received as yet. The diaspora is hoping that Mr Corbyn will be able to give answers before NaMo reaches UK.

SPECIAL

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MODI’S FORMER VISITS TO THE UK

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Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

Mitul Paniker

Narendra Modi has strived to interact with Indians abroad since before his days as the General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janta Party. The Prime Minister we see today, is a man who unrelentingly stuck on his views and his beliefs, taking one step closer to his goal. He has actively engaged and fostered the Indian diaspora in the UK, meeting with them every chance he gets. During a five day visit to Britain in 1999, he made time to attend the Overseas Friends of BJP dinner at the Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden, arranged to celebrate the BJP's election victory. Delivering 20 out of 26 seats in the then polls, there were no doubts that this man would soon rise to lead the Gujarat state. An RSS pracharak, Modi had already expanded the BJP party network from 1000 to 16,000 village units from 1985-95. His second visit came soon after in 2000, a prompt stopover on his way to the Caribbean where he was to speak in the World Hindu Conference, Modi was also invited as a guest to the United Nations Peace Summit. In his brief albeit illuminating stay, he met with several members from the Overseas Friends of BJP and held tele-conferences with CB Patel of Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice. He apprised them with the political situation of Gujarat and spoke about the efforts made by the central government to counter terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Modi spoke of the illness that is, terrorism. “Terrorism is an evil against humanity. Wherever it may be, in India, the Middle East, or in Northern Ireland,” he said One of the fondest memories of Modi, the community holds is from

Modi addressing the invitees Narendra Modi and CB Patel after the inauguration of Shakti Hall

Lord Gulam Noon asking questions at the UK and Gujarat Video conference in 2011

Modi Inaugurates Shakti Hall at Karma Yoga House

2003, when he was leading Gujarat as the Chief Minister and had embarked on a four day visit to the UK. Gujarat had just suffered a disastrous blow in 2001 with an earthquake of a 7.7 magnitude scale shaking the entire region, for which NRGs had effectively provided a gener-

ous aid. “You are all the real friends of Gujarat and I have come to reciprocate the loyalty. We have slept in the street of death and today I have come to repay a debt of friendship to those who helped is in our hour of need,” his voice boomed across London's W e m b l e y

Modi answers questions asked by Rt Hon Stephen Timms and Hon Steve Pound

Conference Centre amongst cheers of adoring fans. NaMo's oratory skills are well known and appreciated across the globe. As Asian Voice looks back to 2003, we find his vision as clear as water. Even then he had stressed on the wonders of IT combined with India. “IT is not Information Technology,” he had said. “IT is India Today. BT is not Biotechnology. It is Bharat Today. IT and IT equals IT. That means Information Technology and Indian Talent is India Tomorrow.” The then chief minister, Modi besides, inaugurated the Shakti Hall at the Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice office in London, in a grand ceremony on 20 August. The leader has always sought unconventional methods to interact with his people abroad. London witnessed two magnificent gatherings in 2011, celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the formation of Gujarat as a state. A video conference was arranged between UK and Gujarat at the Music Room in Killik & Co near Grosvenor Square. Organised by the 'Friends of Gujarat' along with Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice, Modi spoke to a distinguished audience of 90 people, including British MPs and Peers. “The name Gujarat and development are synonymous. Gujarat is creating history. Normally when we celebrate such events, we honour people, talk good things. But in this Golden Jubilee celebration we have decided to build a Mahatma Mandir. We have collected earth from 18000 villages in Gujarat to make this monument. We have also collected earth from abroad, especially UK,” he said. “We aim to serve the common man. My special thanks to CB, who always innovates new programmes to serve people.”

ASIANBUSINESS

Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

Consultant Editor Financial Voice

Alpesh Patel

Dear Financial Voice Reader, How do you make time to trade and invest? After all you may want to toe dip to see how much time you should devote. Many people cannot and do not want to spend all day in front of the screen. So when mentoring I help them with this issue. After all it is about not just financial freedom but also personal freedom. I explain to them that trading is simple, it’s just people don’t know the simple things they should do. People wrongly think trading is about just buying the right thing. But what you cannot be 100 percent right all the time? And for how long do you buy it? Simple questions people don’t know how to answer and so lose money. To save time, energy and money, you can therefore simply buy, and place orders with the online broker to sell if the price hits a certain profit (take profit) or a certain loss (stop loss). Wrong. Where do you place them? And why are you cutting profits by having these orders, and why are you taking losses? Again, people think they are advanced when they’ve done this. They are still not doing it right. You place a stop loss because professionals know from experience that without one you blow up eventually – may be one trade in 30 costs you all your 29 other winners – but it happens. But what about take profit (limit orders) – surely you should let profits run. You can. The simplest way is to have a trailing stop that moves up with the price. But then the question is how far away this is? So you see by asking simple questions it starts looking complicated. Bear with me, it’s not complicated. Your stop loss should be far enough away so not to be hit by normal price moves. And it should be such that it is not more far away than the reward, profit, you will likely achieve. And what about how much to bet? Well that should be so that if your stop loss is hit, you do not lose more than 1% of your total risk capital. Professionals do it this way. Okay, but what about knowing when to place these orders? When is the trade in your favour, when is there momentum? Well people look for price trends, they look for price ‘breakouts’, they look for stories in the press, all sorts of things to support the view. There is nothing stopping you placing a stop loss at night (trailing) and going to bed. So why doesn’t everyone make money in their sleep? They do not bet the right amount. They lose too much when they are not one hundred percent correct. They do not place a stop loss. They do not make it trailing, so that all their profits vanish. They put it too close to their opening position. They do not enter when the price momentum is in their favour – it may not be at the time they go to bed, they can always place the entry order at a level that if the price hits and they enter the market, that would show the momentum must be in their favour eg a recent high level in the price. But you know how we hedge fund and professional managers do it really well? We add to positions when they are in profit. We repeat this whole cycle.

US woos Punjab, Haryana The United States looks to invest in Punjab and Haryana-based firms, especially in life science, textile and auto parts, to strengthen trade and economic ties between India and the States. “There is a strong life science component in Punjab area. So this is the one sector which we see a lot of growth opportunities and another is auto parts,” Embassy of USA, Commercial Officer, Paul Frost said. However, he said the US was also looking at other sectors including textile, IT services, pharmaceuticals from India to make

investments in America. The US Department of Commerce's Select USA Programme will hold its first ever India road show starting October 13 till 16 to be held in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. Officials of US Embassy will also hold meetings with local politicians of Punjab and Haryana and representatives of local industry associations as part of its programme to attract investments from India. Frost said a delegation from the US will also visit India to provide information to potential investors.

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IMF projects India to grow at 7.5% in 2016 AsianVoiceNews

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India will benefit from recent policy reforms, a consequent pickup in investment, and lower commodity prices,” the IMF said in its latest World Economic Outlook Update The IMF has projected a growth rate of 7.5 per cent for the Indian economy in 2016 as against China's 6.3 per cent. “India's growth is expected to strengthen from 7.3% this year and last year to 7.5% next year. Growth will benefit from recent policy reforms, a consequent pickup in investment, and lower commodity prices,” the IMF said in its latest World Economic Outlook Update. On the other hand, growth in China is expected to decline to 6.8% this year and 6.3% in 2016. Previous excesses in real estate, credit, and investment continue to unwind, with a further moderation in the growth rates of investment, especially that in residential real estate, it said. The forecast assumes that policy action will be

consistent with reducing vulnerabilities from recent rapid credit and investment growth and hence not aim a fully offsetting the underlying moderation in activity, it said. Global growth for 2015 is projected at 3.1%, 0.3 percentage point lower than in 2014 and 0.2 percentage point below the forecasts in the July 2015 World Economic Outlook

(WEO) Update. In advanced economies, growth is expected to remain robust and above trend through 2016 and contribute to narrowing the output gap. The growth recovery in the euro area is projected to be broad based. In Latin America and the Caribbean, activity is expected to rebound in 2016 after a recession in

2015, it said. According to the report, inflation in India is expected to decline further in 2015, reflecting the fall in global oil and agricultural commodity prices. Near-term growth prospects in India remain favourable, and the decrease in the current account deficit has lowered external vulnerabilities. The faster-than expected decline in inflation has created space for considering modest cuts in the nominal policy rate, but the real policy rate needs to remain tight for inflation to decline to the inflation target in the medium term, given upside risks to inflation, it said. Continued fiscal consolidation is essential, but it should be more growth friendly (tax reform, reduction in subsidies), it said.

HC rejects £310 mn tax demand on Vodafone In a victory for British telecom major Vodafone, the Bombay high court last week set aside a £310 million tax demand on it by the income tax department in a contentious transfer pricing case. The order comes as a clear sign to foreign investors, who have been slapped with multiple tax demands over the last few years, that rule of law prevails. The case pertains to two transactions - an assignment of put and call options and sale of a call centre business in Mumbai - that related to Vodafone's entry into India in 2007. The I-T department valued these together at around £850 million and held them to be international transactions within the meaning of Indian transfer pricing regulations between an Indian compa-

ny and its foreign arm and thus taxable in India. The I-T department had raised a tax demand of £310 million. The HC upheld a challenge filed by Vodafone questioning the department's jurisdiction against

an order passed last December by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. “The HC order is justice done in a long fight which the Supreme Court in 2012 had already adjudicated inclusively to hold that department had no jurisdiction,” said Feresthe Sethna, lawyer for

Vodafone. Beni Chaterjee, the lawyer for the I-T department, said the order may be challenged once the detailed judgment is made available and studied. The HC ruling by a bench of Justices C S Dharmadhikari and Anil Menon held that the SC had gone into the transfer pricing aspect on call options and had held in favour of Vodafone International. Vodafone India Services had challenged a December 10, 2014 order of the ITAT, Mumbai that had held that call options held by Vodafone under the framework agreement executed by Vodafone with Analjit Singh, Asim Ghosh and their group of companies in July 2007 stand transferred to CGP India Investments. This transac-

tion of call options transferred by Vodafone India to its associated enterprises, which the IT department said was a “wholly owned subsidiary of Vodafone Group,” was treated as capital gains and hence taxable. A transfer pricing officer (TPO) valued the transaction at £617 million. When Vodafone entered Indian in 2007, it was decided that the call centre business alone will be retained by the Hutch group. Hence, it was sold by Vodafone India to Hutchison Whampoa Properties India by a Business Transfer Agreement in May 2007 for £6.4 million. The IT department held it to be an international transactions valued at £241.4 million and the tribunal accepted that stand.

Infosys shows better than expected results Infosys's September quarter results were better than expected, and the sequential revenue growth was the fastest in the last 16 quarters. But investors were disappointed by the resignation of CFO Rajiv Bansal and a lowering of the revenue guidance for the year in dollar terms (constant currency guidance remains intact). These pushed the share price down on Monday by almost 4%. The full-year revenue growth guidance in dollar terms was lowered to 6.48.4% from 7.2-9.2%. But the constant currency guidance was retained at 10-

12%, indicating that the changes in dollar terms are because of cross-currency movements over which the company has no control. Sikka noted that the industry generally has a weak second half, on

account of furloughs and holidays. “We are maintaining our guidance. Our wish is that the third quarter of this year is much better than last year but our visibility is that it will not

be. We know that even if we are flat, we would end up at the higher end of the guidance of 10- 12%,” he said. Infosys has now beaten street expectations in two consecutive quarters. Revenue grew 4.5% sequentially in the June quarter, and surged 6% in the latest quarter to $2.3 billion. Such growth rates were last seen in 2012. In constant currency, the growth was 6.9%. The revenue growth was helped by a one-time revenue accrual of $23 million from a manufacturing client who terminated its

contract on account of factors internal to it. Excluding this one-off accrual, the dollar revenue growth was still impressive at 5%. The revenue grew 14.2% year-on-year in constant currency. The company signed five large deals with a total contract value of $983 million during the quarter and it added 82 clients, taking the total tally to over 1,000. The firm's net profit grew 9.1% sequentially to $519 million and rose 1.6% from the same period last year. In the June quarter, the net profit had declined by 4.5% sequentially.

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

REALESTATEVOICE

Finding The Common Ground

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

We have a couple of development projects that someone is potentially looking at buying, with one we are just getting ready to start work, with the other the paperwork is still being sorted out. The potential buyer is a developer who buys, develops and then resells. He has just finished his project and now needs another deal, to make money and to keep his builders busy. He’s looked at both of our properties and he likes them, but we are unable to find a common price where the deal would work for him and us. To be honest there isn’t one; if we sell one of the properties to him he will be paying 10% roughly in stamp duty as it’s priced at £3m, this kills the margin for him. He has nine flats on a freehold building in Highgate which have just been completed. A couple of months ago I went to see the development. In fact I saw it several years ago when it had been stripped to a shell. The location is superb and the development has been done to a very high standard. He asked me if I wanted to purchase the finished product before he gave it to a local agent who was dying to get the instruction. I have been told they already have offers, which the developer is not moving on, as his preference is to sell the whole building.

I told him I need a 15% discount for me to even consider the deal, as he was getting offers at market price this didn’t work for him. He was open to giving a discount but nothing at these levels. So we left things there as it didn’t seem like we could come to a common ground. I was then contacted again about a month later, by the runner who made the introduction to say the developer was ready to give a full 15% discount on the deal. This is something we can work with. However the added problem of the stamp duty when he purchases my properties still remain.

pedantic, and if he is he should change him. Sometimes lawyers in the name of acting for the client often acts for their own best interest. Rather than looking at what’s best to get the deal done for the client, they look at everything from a point of view of what’s the safest and the path of least resistance option. This means they don’t do anything too creative and like to operate in their own comfort zones. Many of them may not even have done transactions which are outside of the plain vanilla buying and selling. If the lawyer is not the correct one, it could break the deal mid flow.

In order to get rid of this issue, I spoke to him to be sure if he was definitely intending to sell the properties on once developed and not change his mind. He confirmed this is what he does: buy, develop and resell. So I suggested we go in joint partnership where he injects the money into the deals, the property remains on title so that officially we remain the owners but the sale proceeds would be skewed so that he ends up with them all. We can just tweak the JV agreement so that the interest payment is so high we get left with nothing.

The developer has made it known to me he needs £800,000 straight away. This means I know what I have to do to make this deal work for him. The total of the nine flats without the discount comes to £7.5m, the 10% exchange money comes to £750,000 - I can release this to keep him sweet.

The scenario where we cannot sell and the property has to be rented should also be squared off, as a precautionary measure. It may be his intention to resell the property but things may change. One of the main driving factors for him to be so keen in taking on these two projects is to keep his builders busy. If you have a good team and you want to keep them together, you need to have a steady stream of projects to keep them well fed and happy, otherwise they will disperse and you will have to start again. This was the main driving force rather than the profit element, and a good working team is invaluable especially if they are your team and therefore working at cost price. So this is possible to do. I told him his lawyer cannot be too

Then I can press for a long completion, as long as I release my two sites to him. He has the money he requires from day one in his pocket. And his builders have work, what more can a man want? This hopefully will give me enough leeway to push for a late completion, six months is what I would like. The 15% discount can be passed to our investors, and if structured in the right way we can do the deal with only a 10% deposit in place. To purchase a Buy to Let property with only 10% in High gate is no small thing.

The Real Deal

Nowadays you need 25% at least to put into a BTL property, at times even more. The stronger the location, the less the rental. When you take a BTL mortgage the rental normally must be 125% of the monthly mortgage payments, if the rent isn’t this amount then the loan offered gets reduced so that this criteria is met.

Ealing Road, Wembley, HA0 Purchase Price: £2.2m

This means the amount of deposit a BTL property can swallow up in good locations is often much more than the 25% usually asked. The deal in Highgate will be subject to this same criteria. Having a long completion also allows you to engage the agent and have a chance in reselling the properties prior to completion, or at least many of the units. This will allow you to get full market price and ease your cash flow. There is a difference in price on the deals, ours combined are worth £5.4m, his is worth £6.375m (with the 15% discount). Therefore a difference of roughly £1m. Most of this will be settled on exchange and therefore ease the pressure of completion. This is something which could work, the next step is to engage the right lawyer on both sides who will not mess the deal up between them. Get in touch with our office if you’re interested in a 15% discounted property in Highgate!

l Freehold building in a hot location with commercial on the ground floor and residential on the first floor l Around 8.5% gross rental yield l Scope of adding two additional flats to the property l Long completion period l Very good buy and hold opportunity l Ideal property to purchase in a pension pot Call us now to secure this deal!

0207 993 0103

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

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info@sowandreap.co.uk

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55 Bryanston Street, Marble Arch Tower, London, W1H 7AA

Sowandreapuk

SowandReapProperties

Tips of the Week

l Control your emotions. When it comes to an investment property don't think how your family will fit into the rooms a few years down the road, keep the two separate.

l While renovating a property, try to get multiple quotes. But always be mindful of not just the quotation but the time period as well, as the delay will be costing you in interest and losing you rental income.

LEGALVOICE

VISA BYTES

Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

Landlords appointed to role of unpaid immigration officers

Maria Fernandes

Last year, the Immigration Act 2014 introduced regulations which prohibit landlords from authorising adults to occupy premises under a residential tenancy agreement if their immigration status disqualifies them from doing so. There was a pilot study within certain areas in the north and the law will now be rolled out country wide. Landlords need to get their affairs in order for any new tenants that are taken on after the law came into effect. Properties affected The regulations affect lodgers, those on short term assured tenancies or property that is sublet within the landlord’s property. Exclusions • The regulations exclude the following: • under 18s • long leases • care homes • student accommodation Documents to check (originals only) • passports, biometric cards, residence cards • British citizens, EU citizens and those who have indefinite leave will not need to have further checks done. • There will be a need to repeat the check when the person’s leave is due to expire. When to carry out checks • Before the tenancy begins and no earlier than 28 days before the start of the tenancy. The landlords should carry out the check themselves but can delegate this to an agent providing there is a clear written contract between the landlord and agent. Retention of documents Copies of documents must be made and kept for at least 12 months after the tenancy expires. Action that needs to be taken • The Home Office are establishing a Landlords Checking Service where enquiries can be made. If this service reports that a person has a right to rent, this will provide a defence against any changes that occur that the landlord is unaware of. • If the tenant no longer has a right to rent, the landlord is required to report this to the Home Office as soon as is “reasonably practicable” but thereafter under no obligation to evict the tenant. However there are regulations that have been put into the latest Immigration Bill which are designed to make it easier for the landlord to evict a tenant. Penalties Lodgers in private households will receive fines of £80 or £500 if there has been a breach before in a 3 year period. Occupiers of rented accommodation will receive fines of £1000 or £3000 if there has been a breach in 3 years. Avoiding discrimination A landlord cannot discriminate by selecting only British and EU citizens or avoiding renting to those who only have a limited right to rent. There is a Code of Practice issued which gives some guidance on this issue.

To contact Maria Fernandes, please email at info@fernandesvaz.com

I-T notice to Nokia India The income tax department has issued a fresh tax notice to Nokia India, which, the Finnish telecom firm wants to be included in the ongoing negotiations between India and Finland to resolve the £200 million tax dispute. A senior finance ministry official said the fresh notice was for a “dispute relating to other assessment years, apart from the one being

contested currently in ITAT.” The official, however, did not reveal the demand raised or the action that the I-T department has proposed. The department had in 2013 slapped a tax notice of £200 million on Nokia's Indian subsidiary for violating the withholding tax norms since 2006 while making royalty payments to the parent company in Finland.

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Jaitley voices concern over IMF quota reforms delay

AsianVoiceNews

India's Finance Minister said, “The IMF would be constrained in meeting its obligations if the IMF Quota and governance reforms are not implemented.” India's Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has expressed strong reservations on the delay in implementation of the quota reform of the International Monetary Fund that aims to provide emerging economies more voting power with regard to the functioning of the multilateral body. In his lead intervention in the plenary session of the International Monetary and Finance Committee (IMFC) of the International Monetary Fund in Lima, Peru, the Finance Minister said, “The IMF would be constrained in meeting its obligations if the IMF Quota and governance reforms are not implemented.” Stressing upon the Indian government's commitment towards fiscal consolidation, he pointed that key indicators such as current account deficit and inflation substantially lowered. He said that the infla-

Ex-Citi CEO Pandit invests in TransferWise

Vikram Pandit

Arun Jaitley tion has dipped to a low of 3.7 per cent and the CAD stood at around 1.3 per cent of GDP, down from 4.8 per cent two years back. Confident about achieving higher GDP growth rate, he said, “The Indian economy grew by 7.3 per cent during the last year, significantly better than 6.9 per cent recorded in the previous year... This year India expects to do even better.” Meanwhile, the IMF recommended that India to launch the next phase of

economic reforms and improve its business climate for faster and more inclusive growth. “In India, while several policy actions have been taken recently, further steps in relaxing longstanding supply bottlenecks, especially in the energy, mining, and power sectors, as well as labour and product market reforms, and improving the business climate are crucial to achieving faster and more inclusive growth,” it said.

Nikhil Rathi- new CEO of London Stock Exchange Plc On 29th September 2015, Nikhil Rathi was appointed as the new CEO of London Stock Exchange Plc, succeeding Alexander (JJ) Justham, who served as CEO since June 2012. Nikhil Rathi grew up in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and studied at Oxford University. He had joined London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), as Director of I n t e r n a t i o n a l Development and Chief of Staff, as well as a Member of the LSEG Executive Committee, in May 2014. Prior to joining LSEG, Rathi worked in the UK Treasury, where he held

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Nikhil Rathi- CEO of London Stock Exchange Plc many senior positions for 11 years, including as Director of the Financial Services Group, where he represented the Uk Government's financial services interest in the EU and globally. From 20052008, he also served as

Private Secretary to the Prime Minister. CEO of LSEG, Xavier Rolet said, “During the last year, Nikhil has played a key role driving the Group’s strategy in key markets, such as China and India as well as supporting key integration projects across the Group. I’m confident that under Nikhil’s leadership, London will continue to be the premier global market for both domestic and international companies that are attracted to London’s unrivalled international investor base and deep pool of liquidity when raising capital to grow their businesses.”

Former Chief Executive of Citigroup, Vikram Pandit has invested in a London-based financial technology start-up, TransferWise, which is building a high-profile roster of investors. Taking an undisclosed stake in the money transfer group earlier this year, it adds to his growing portfolio of investments in 'fin-tech' start-ups, which include New York-based groups CommonBond and Orchard Platform. Ousted from Citi in 2012, Pandit invested in a funding round as Andreessen Horowitz, one of the Valley's premier venture capital groups. The particular funding round in question valued the transfer group at $ 1 billion. Taavet Hinrikus, cofounder of TransferWise said, “To have a man of Vikram’s heritage invest in TransferWise is hugely important. Vikram served as CEO of one of the world’s biggest banks for five years and has an understanding of the system that few can match.” TransferWise is one of a raft of money transfer start-ups, including WorldRemit and Azimo, that are trying to grab a share of the $529 billion in remittances that zip around the world each year, according to estimates from the World Bank. These groups have said that online remittances will be a multibillion dollar opportunity, as internet transfers account for about 5 per cent of the overall remittances market.

Birmingham's significant property magnate Paul Bassi (53), is one of the several property magnates from Birmingham riding the significant economical wave that has been sweeping the West Midlands. Bassi is the son of Indian immigrants who moved to the UK in the 1950s. He initially started out running an estate agency, and he now runs Real Estate Investors, a listed property company said to have a portfolio value of over £100 million. Real Estate Investors

Paul Bassi are considered as one of the most influential and largest private landlords of Birmingham, have brought in a wide range of new tenants, such as the NHS,

HSBC Bank and The Royal College of Surgeons. Speaking about the initial years, Paul Bassi said, “Back in the 1970s, when strikes closed British Leyland and manufacturing was struggling, my uncle used to drive me to football practice and he would take this shortcut through acres and acres of industrial areas and factories that were empty.” During the financial crisis, he purchased cheap buildings and he has recently announced that

interim profits had increased from £2.6 million to £8.1 million. He said, “The upswing happened in southeast England in 2009 and 2010 but not here, so our window to buy at the bottom was open for longer. It allowed us to buy some of Birmingham's family silver. While some questioned our buying at the bottom of the cycle, we believed it would come back. I really did think it was an opportunity we would end up capitalising on, and we have.”

CURRENCYVOICE

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

Paresh Davdra is the Dealing Director of RationalFX,

Interest Rate would remain on hold Currency Specialists.

Growth in the UK service sector slowed further in September to its lowest rate in nearly two and a half years, a survey has indicated. The latest Markit service sector purchasing managers index (PMI) fell to 53.3 last month from 55.6 in August. Markit said that its survey data indicated that UK GDP growth slowed to 0.5% in the third quarter of the year, and is entering the fourth quarter at a pace of 0.3%. This compares with growth of 0.7% in the second quarter of the year. Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, said: "Weakness is spreading from the struggling manufacturing sector, hitting transport and other industrialrelated services in particular. Strong U.K. industrial production data released showed that industrial production in the U.K. rose better than expected in August, boosting the outlook for third quarter growth. Industrial production rose 1.0% from a month earlier, beating expectations for a 0.3% increase. Industrial output rose 1.9% from a year earlier, compared to expectations for a 1.2% increase. Manufacturing production was up 0.5% from a month earlier, however it was down 0.8% on a year-over-year basis.

Foreign Exchange

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee announced that the Base Rate would remain on hold at 0.5% by split majority vote. The committee voted 8-1-0, with Ian Mcafferty the single member continuing to vote for a rate hike, the remainders voting for no change and no one voting for a rate cut. The committee cited that the U.K. economy is withstanding global pressures, whilst signalling that they have room to keep the Base Rate at a record low as inflation weakness persists. They continued to cite that the near-term outlook for inflation had weakened since August and that price growth would probably stay below 1% until spring 2016. The BoE’s analysis showed that unit-labour costs are not yet strong enough to push inflation back to its 2% target. While the Office of National Statistics have put the annual increase in unit labour costs at 2.2% in Q2, the central bank has said the underlying figure may be much weaker. Investors are now pricing in a rate increase in late 2016. Europe's economic recovery is showing dangerous signs of falling flat after another disappointing set of data from the single currency.

The weak numbers all but guarantee the European Central Bank will be pushed into further stimulus measures, ramping up its €1 trillion quantitative easing programme. We saw the Euro weaken off after data showing that The pace of growth in service industries cooled from the best reading in a decade, a sign that weak wages may be pushing demand down amid signs of a slowdown in the global economy. Services PMI figures released from the US showed that the sector is still robust. Business activity and incoming new work also rose at slower rates. U.S. exports figures took a hit from an ailing global economy in August and imports from China surged, fuelling the largest expansion of America's trade deficit in five months. The FOMC released minutes from their September 16-17 meeting, where they kept rates on hold and Janet Yellen revised inflation forecasts and the interest rate path downward due to low oil prices, the slowdown in China and the appreciating US Dollar. As expected the minutes revealed that Federal Reserve officials put off an interestrate increase in September because

of growing risks to their outlook for economic growth and inflation, mainly from China, even as they continued to say they were on track to raise the target later this year. The minutes showed that although the FOMC had noted that domestic economic conditions, including data on consumer spending and housing, had continued to improve, and the labour market had reached, or was close to, the committee’s long-run estimates for unemployment, the committee decided that it was prudent to wait for additional information to confirm that the economic outlook had not deteriorated, before committing to hike US rates. A slowdown in emerging markets driven by weak commodity prices has led to The International Monetary Fund downgrading its forecast for global economic growth this year. It has reduced its figure to 3.1% from the 3.3% it predicted in July. The 2016 forecast is down to 3.6% from 3.8%. The sharpest downgrades are for emerging economies, especially Brazil, Nigeria, South Africa and Russia. So the IMF is still predicting growth, but it is distinctly lacklustre growth, especially for the current year.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 13th October 2015 @ 5pm

GBP - INR = 99.21

USD - INR = 65.08 EUR - INR = 74.05 GBP - USD = 1.52 GBP - EUR = 1.34

EUR - USD = 1.14 GBP - AED = 5.60

GBP - CAD = 1.98

GBP - NZD = 2.28

GBP - AUD = 2.09

GBP - ZAR = 20.48

GBP - HUF = 416.29

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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.

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WORLD

In Brief

Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

Minor illnesses often lead to fall among elderly people

MASSACHUSETTS: A new study reveals that half of the falls at home by elderly members are caused by infection, not due to poor eyesight or failing mental capacity. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found that minor ailments, such as urinary tract infection can cause low blood pressure and dizziness, which can account for up to 45% of painful falls. However, they also suggest that family members, care givers and health care providers shouldn't rush to conclusion regarding the cause of a fall.

The benefit of carrots

MASSACHUSETTS: A study led by Harvard University has found that carrots are indeed beneficial for the eyes. Carotenoids, which gives spinach, peppers and carrots their colour, can slow the commencement of age-related macular degeneration. The study involved data tracking 100,000 over-50s for 25 years. The team found that those who consumed the most carotenoids had a 40% less risk of developing the condition.

British mother grieves over radicalised son

LONDON: Mother of a British man who converted to Islam and was killed fighting for a terror group, has expressed grief. Thomas Evans, who was fighting on behalf of Al Shabaab, was killed during a gun battle with Kenyan troops in June. His mother said he is “burning in hell” for his crimes. The former Manchester United fan from High Wycombe, Bucks, was radicalised in Britain and had changed his name to Abdul Hakim before travelling to east Africa in 2011.

Airstrikes kill 100 militants in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Airstrikes in Afghanistan's Kandahar province has killed at least 100 Taliban militants last week. Kandahar police officials said, “The militants were gathered in Shurabak and had planned to capture the district but the airstrikes carried out by Afghan army killed 100 insurgents and injured 50 others.” The insurgents arrived in the district from bordering areas. No civilians were injured or killed in the strike, the officials said. Shurabak borders Pakistan where insurgents are known to be active and frequently target local security forces.

Bangladeshi pastor falls victim to Islamic group

DHAKA: Hard line Islamic group in Bangladesh has now attacked a pastor trying to slit his throat. Three men walked into his home, pretending to want to learn about Christianity, but tried to kill him, he however managed to survive. The attempt comes after the killings of two foreigners last week in the predominantly Muslim country. Pastor Luke Sarkar, 52, suffered minor injuries when the men attacked him with a knife at his home in the northwestern district of Pabna. He said the men had phoned him two weeks ago saying they wanted to visit him to learn about the religion, and after they arrived, they suddenly attacked him and tried to slit his throat. However, when he shouted, his wife came to his rescue and they fled.

‘Pak most dangerous country’

WASHINGTON: A retired CIA official has said that Pakistan is probably the most dangerous country for the world as it is ripe with threats of terrorism, a failing economy and the is the fastest growing nuclear arsenal. “While Pakistan is not the most dangerous country in the world, it is probably the most dangerous country for the world, and as such, a serious case for close and continued US engagement with Pakistan can be made,“ Kevin Hulbert, a former top intelligence officer who retired in June 2014, wrote in an oped in The Cipher Brief. “Rather than risk it, and as much as we might like to move on, we really should increase the level of engagement with Pakistan, not decrease it,“ he said.

Pilot dies during flight

NEW YORK: An American Airlines captain died during a flight from Phoenix to Boston, prompting his co-pilot to make an emergency landing in Syracuse, New York. Captain Michael Johnston, 57, was piloting the Airbus A320 plane with 147 passengers and 5 crew members on board, when he fell gravely ill and eventually died. The co-pilot then took control of the plane and landed the jet safely. Crew members “took extraordinary care of Mike, each other and our customers,” American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said in a statement sent to employees. “We couldn't be more proud of the teamwork this crew showed during an extremely difficult time.”

www.asian-voice.com

Nepal elects new Prime Minister AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Small Himalayan region Nepal elects a new leader amongst evolving protests that continue to burn the nation.

KATHMANDU: Veteran Communist leader K P Sharma Oli swore in as Nepal's 38th Prime Minister, a day after he was elected in the Parliament with help from smaller parties. Oli, 63, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Baran Yadav at his official residence. He has already formed a small cabinet, incorporating two deputy prime ministers; Bijay Kumar Gachhadar and Kamal Thapa, and five ministers. The leader who now has his hands full with challenges like the protests and blockade of a key border trade point with India, over the country's new Constitution, defeated former premier and Nepali Congress Chief, Sushil Koirala. In the voting, held in the Parliament, Unified Marxist Leninist chairman Oli, garnered 338 votes, 39 more than the 299 he needed to win, while Koirala only managed to secure 249. While he was backed by UCPN-Maoist, Rashtriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal, Madhesi Janaadhikar ForumDemocratic and other parties, Koirala was supported by four Madhes parties in

K P Sharma Oli the United Democratic Madhesi Front. The new Nepali PM has served as Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Girija Prasad Koirala-led government that was formed immediately after the 2006 People's Movement. His government comes at a very crucial time when the small Himalayan region faces violent political protests by the Madhesi people who disagree with the new Constitution. Also, the country is locked in a diplo-

matic standoff with India over the supply of essential goods, including petroleum products, which were hit due to blockade of border trade points with India following the violence. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his counterpart, conveying that he hopes Oli would address the political issues facing the country in the spirit of dialogue and reconciliation. He also invited the newly elected PM to India, saying he looked for-

ward to closely work with him. Modi told Oli he had been elected in democratic and orderly elections, and conveyed his “hearty congratulations”. Meanwhile as over 5000 cargo vehicles wait at the Indian border to cross over into Nepal and New Delhi staying optimistic that the Nepalese political parties will find a solution to the crisis, the Nepal government appears to have come to a decision of introducing an amendment to the new Constitution on the two major issues that fuelled the protests; proportional inclusion in state organs and, highlighting population as the major basis for delineation of electoral constituencies. The protests have caught the eye of the European Union, which has asked the Nepalese political parties to work out a “prompt solution” to a problem that could pose serious crisis in the future. In a statement, it said, “The ongoing talks represent a unique opportunity to make progress in this direction and the Heads of Mission encourage all involved to take advantage of it in a spirit of responsibility and compromise.”

Sharif hopes to change Pakistan's image; seeks US support ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, who is expected to meet United States President Barack Obama at the White House on October 22, hopes to gain support for Pakistan's role in the war against terror, and change the image asserted by India of the country sponsoring crossborder terrorism. Foreign Office officials said the meeting will give Sharif a chance to rebut India's assertion that Pakistan is disturbing regional peace and sponsoring terrorism. “Pakistan was also disappointed last month when the US and India agreed to deepen cooperation in fighting terrorism and asked Pakistan

to bring to justice the 2008 Mumbai attack perpetrators,” a media source reported. The joint statement after India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue

ahead of the UN General Assembly last month prompted Sharif to blame India during his UNGA address. Pakistan's envoy to the UN, Maleeha Lodhi also presented three

dossiers accusing India of sponsoring terrorism in Karachi, Balochistan and the northwestern tribal areas. Sharif had proposed a four-point “new peace initiative” calling for demilitarising Kashmir and Siachen glacier, and formalising the 2003 ceasefire. India rejected it insisting that Pakistan “must stop supporting terrorism” before talks can be held. “The prime minister expressed the hope that the visit will also help in providing Pakistan with an opportunity to highlight the matchless sacrifices and huge losses in the war on terror,” said an official statement.

Court rules against yoga guru's copyright claims NEW YORK: A US appeals court has ruled against Indian-American yoga guru Bikram Choudhary's claims to copyright protection over yoga poses and breathing exercises he uses in hot rooms developed by him. A bench of three judges in the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in California ruled in favour of Evolution Yoga, against whom the lawsuit had been

filed in 2011. Choudhary, in the lawsuit, had claimed that

Evolution founders, Mark Drost and Zefea Samson had set up a “copycat yoga system that offers classes that utilise and infringe” on his copyrighted sequence of yoga poses. The court said that the sequence of yoga

poses and breathing exercises developed by Choudhary was not entitled to copyright protection because “it was an idea, process, or system designed to improve health, rather than an expression of an idea.” “Because the Sequence (of yoga postures) was an unprotectable idea, it was also ineligible for copyright protection as a compilation or choreography.”

WORLD

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Delhi issues probe into 'sexual In Brief favours' for India-funded houses in Lanka AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet wins Nobel Peace Prize, 2015

COLOMBO: The Indian High Commission in Colombo, along with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, has launched a joint investigation into a complaint put forward by a war-displaced widow against a Red Cross official for “soliciting sexual favours” in return for houses in an Indian government-funded housing project. An angry South Block took the matter “extremely seriously” with Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar immediately asking the High Commission for a joint probe with the SLRCS, as soon as the news reached Indian capital New Delhi.

Mohajirs cry for 'Azadi' WASHINGTON: With the recent face off between India and Pakistan in the UN and several videos of protest demonstrations erupting in the social media against Pakistan, people are raising doubts on Pakistan's audacity to put Kashmir in negotiation when it can't even care of a huge chunk of its own population, primarily responsible for its formation. “Shocking...completely shocking. I have no words for this,“ exclaimed Marvi Memon, a ruling party lawmaker in Pakistan after watching clips of the protests outside UN. “Azadi has been attained in 1947. If they have issues they should negotiate with the government of Pakistan...the blood of every Pakistani will be boiling at this.” The videos of demonstrations show hundreds of protestors chanting “Azadi”, a rallying cry for several separatist Kashmiris in J & K. US wing of the Pakistan's mainstream Mohajir Quami Movement, which organised the demonstrations, openly acknowledged its role and the rallying cry in a statement, saying, “While PM Nawaz Sharif was addressing the UN General Assembly , raising the Kashmir issues and atrocities of Indian state in Kashmir, MQM USA chapter was protesting against state terrorism on 50 million Mohajirs in Pakistan.” Mohajirs is a term used for Muslim refugees from India who migrated to Pakistan after seeking a separate homeland. Meanwhile, Baloch dissidents have also stepped up their lobbying for a separate state in Washington, London, and New Delhi. The exiles have begun to call attention towards the situation of their countrymen.

Sources said Indian High Commissioner Y K Sinha quickly approached the Sri Lankan foreign ministry to ensure that officials under probe in Sri Lanka, do not leave the country until the investigations are over. “We don’t want the accused officials to escape, so the Sri Lankan foreign ministry and their immigration authorities have been informed,” an Indian official said. Another Indian diplomat said that while there was “no time-frame”, the probe will be conducted “expeditiously and thoroughly”. “India will not condone any such activity by any of the implement-

ing partners of this project. The Government of India through its High Commission in Colombo and the consulate in Jaffna - is conducting a joint probe along with the Sri Lankan Red Cross officials,” an Indian High Commission spokesperson This is reportedly the first time such a complaint had come to India’s notice, and was taken seriously since PM Modi had handed over houses to some of the war widows during his visit to Jaffna in March this year. These women are called “war widows” as their husbands were either declared killed or went missing during Sri Lanka’s

war with the LTTE, which ended in 2009. SLRCS Kilinochchi branch secretary Thampu Sethupathy claimed that he had received more than 30 written and verbal complaints regarding demands for sexual favours. “For the last two months we have been getting this kind of complaint from the public, particularly women. Initially, we did not consider this as a serious issue until we received some of the complaints which were very sensitive, with a similar pattern. It was thereafter that we brought this to the attention of the head office,” he said.

Pak court sentences MQM chief to 81 years ISLAMABAD: Fugitive chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement has been sentenced to 81 years in prison by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan for making anti-state speeches and instigating violence. TC Judge Raja Shahbaz Khan in Gilgit city, sentenced the politician to 81 years imprisonment and also imposed a Rs 2.4 million fine on him. The judge ordered Inspector General of Police, Sindh province to execute the court order as 62 year old Hussain has permanent residence in

Altaf Hussain Karachi. The judge has also ordered authorities to confiscate the properties of the MQM chief and open them for auction. The MQM leader has repeatedly criticised the army and other security institutions this

year, asking NATO and the UN to send troops to Karachi, in July. Many cases were registered against him in different cities of Pakistan on charges of treason, incitement to violence and speeches against the state and armed forces. The Lahore high court as already imposed a ban on media coverage of Hussain and airing of his images and speeches across all electronic and print media in a case. Meanwhile, the MQM has challenged the order in the Supreme Court.

Dutch probe confirms MH17 was shot down by a BUK missile GILZERIJEN, NETHERLANDS: The Dutch Safety Board has concluded in its final report that the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine by a Russian-made BUK missile, killing all 298 passengers on board, majority Dutch. The board's findings however, has not mentioned the group or party responsible for launching the missile. A fight had emerged in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces ever since the aircraft was downed. Western experts took to blame the rebels. “A 9N314M warhead detonated outside the aeroplane to the left side of the cockpit. This fits the kind of warhead installed in the Buk surface-to-air missile system,” said Safety Board head Tjibbe Joustra, presenting the report. Russia for its part disputes that a BUK may have been used. Deputy Foreign

Minister Sergei Ryabkov responded to the report by saying there had been “an obvious attempt to draw a biased conclusion, and carry out political orders”, according to Russian news agencies. The Safety Board report said that simulations of the missile's trajectory showed it came from somewhere in an area covering some 320 kilometres southeast of Grabovo, Ukraine; an area mostly controlled by separatists. Makers of the BUK said their tests had shown that the aircraft could not have been hit by a misslie fired from the rebel-controlled territory. While the report hasn't named anyone for the strike, it will

certainly further strain diplomatic ties between the Netherlands and its allies, and Russia. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte urged Russia to cooperate fully with a separate criminal investigation issued by the Netherlands, with the participation of Malaysia, Australia, Ukraine and Belgium. The White House called the report an “important milestone in the effort to hold accountable those responsible”. “Our assessment is unchanged — MH17 was shot down by a surface-toair missile fired from separatist-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine,” National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said. The report also seemed certain to strengthen calls within the airline industry for a review of how information is shared in conflict zones.

OSLO: The Norwegian Nobel committee announced that the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet has been awarded the peace prize for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia during the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011. The peace prize worth $ 972,000 will be presented in Oslo on December 10. “The Quartet was formed in the summer of 2013 when the democratization process was in danger of collapsing as a result of political assassinations and widespread social unrest. It established an alternative, peaceful political process at a time when the country was on the brink of civil war. It was thus instrumental in enabling Tunisia, in the space of a few years, to establish a constitutional system of government guaranteeing fundamental rights for the entire population, irrespective of gender, political conviction or religious belief,” the Nobel Committee said in its press release.

Two Indians detained in Saudi Arabia, Dubai

DUBAI: Two Indian nationals have been detained in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates in terror cases and are expected to be deported soon. Abu Sufiyan alias Asadullah Khan has been detained in Saudi Arabia and Zainul Abideen alias Zahid Sheikh nabbed in Dubai in the UAE. Originally from Hyderabad, Sufiyan, 50, allegedly participated in terror conspiracy meetings in Riyadh in 2011-12 with a few youths from Karnataka and Maharashtra who were arrested for alleged links with Lashkar-e-Toiba. The Interpol recognises Sufiyan as Mohammed Asad Khan in a red corner notice, and as Asadullah Khan alias Asad Khan alias Abu Sufiyan in a November 2012 NIA chargesheet.

Teenaged Indian boy becomes world’s youngest ACCA

Dubai: An 18 year old Indian boy in the UAE has become the youngest affiliate with a global body for professional accountants. Ramkumar Raman, a graduate from the Indian High School, Dubai, has to complete three years of qualified work experience in order to attain the Association of Chartered Accountants membership. “As of now, Raman holds the record for the youngest ACCA affiliate among our records,” Herriot Fitgerald, the ACCA Academic Advisor Middle East said. “I began coaching for examinations in September 2012 and I wrote the final exam in June 2015,” Raman said. “As far as my earlier previous exams are concerned, I don’t think I performed that well. When it comes to marks, I scored a 8.6 CGPA in grade 10 and an 87% in 12th,” said Raman.

Man Survives on Ants for Six Days LAVERTON: A man who went missing for six days in a remote Australian desert was found alive, surviving on black ants. Reg Foggerdy, 62, disappeared on October 7 while on his way to a hunting trip. When he failed to return, family members called for a search by police trackers, who finally found him 15 kilometers from where he went missing. Goldfields Police Superintendent Andy Greatwood said Foggerdy had been sitting under the same tree for the last two days, with now water. “He was eating black ants, that's how he survived, so fantastic survival skills by him, and fantastic skills by our trackers who found him in an extremely remote location,” he quoted.

Myanmar rejects proposed election delay

YANGON: Myanmar election authorities have confirmed that the landmark polls scheduled for November 8, will go as per plans after Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition rejected official suggestion that the vote be postponed because of flooding. In an announcement read out on state media the Union Election Commission said it had decided to go ahead as planned with elections, after floating the idea of a delay at a meeting with major parties in the capital Napyidaw. “Following a review of the possible pros and cons of postponing the election date, the commission's decision is that the general elections will be held on November 8 2015, as previously stated.”

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New world record on Gandhi In Brief Jayanti created AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

BENGALURU: Venkat International Public School in Bengaluru has created a new world record after 4,600 students assembled at a single venue dressed as Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. “We are happy to have created a world record on assembling around 4,600 students, all dressed as Mahatma Gandhi at a single venue at Shri Kanteerava Stadium on the occasion of his 146th birth anniversary,” said the school's Executive Director Shekhar Balakrishna.

“We spent £30,000 for this,” he said. It took oneand-half hours to assemble all the students at the venue and was an exciting sight as the granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi,

Sumitra Gandhi, witnessed the event, Balakrishna said. “It was a sight to cherish as the grand daughter of the Mahatma blessed the students participating in the event.” A previous such

record was made by a school in Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu when around 2,900 students were dressed as Mahatma Gandhi in 2013. Balakrishna said his school wanted to instil Gandhian values among the students. “Apart from achieving the new world record, what moved us was to instil the invaluable doctrines and principles by which Mahatama Gandhi stood all his life and gave freedom to Indian Independence with the unique weapon of non-violent Satyagraha.”

Jaganmohan rushed Telangana proposes to hospital 12% quota for Muslims GUNTUR (ANDHRA PRADESH): YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who began an indefinite fast six days ago seeking special status to Andhra Pradesh, was on Tuesday forcibly admitted to a government hospital following worsening of his health. A team of policemen shifted Jagan from his fasting camp at Nallapadu to the Guntur Government hospital despite attempt by Jagan's supporters to prevent the move. Doctors, who monitored Jagan's health condition said that the ketones in his body have risen which may lead to kidney-related problems besides various complications. Other health parameters too were worrisome. Doctors treating him at the hospital also suggested that Jagan take a liquid diet to improve his condi-

Y S Jaganmohan Reddy tion though he wanted to continue with his hunger strike. They administered him fluids intravenously. The Leader of Opposition in AP Assembly has been kept under observation. Speaking to mediamen after Jagan's hospitalisation, his sister Sharmila alleged that CM Chandrababu Naidu made the 42-year-old leader break his fast as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting the state on October 22 to lay the foundation stone for the state's new capital Amaravati.

15 Punjab farmers end life as pest ruins crop BATHINDA: The Whitefly, a common pest found in crops, has affected the cotton crop in Punjab's Malwa region, destroying not only the yield, but also the lives of the farmers involved. “It was just like the Japanese air strike in the film Pearl Harbour,” said Naresh Kumar Lehri, a seed and pesticide dealer at Singho village in Punjab's Bathinda district “They appeared out of no where and left a trail of destruction.” The pest has affected two thirds of standing cotton crop in the state, causing an estimated loss of £420 million. The whole agriculture sector lies in a mess as reports of at least 15 cotton farmers committing suicide circulated and dealers sell spurious pesticides. Farmers have blocked traf-

fic and demanded compensation while the Akali Dalled NDA has announced a compensation package of £64 million. Over the years, the whitefly has regularly attacked cotton plants only to be controlled by the use of intensive chemical pesticides. However, this year, despite introducing a new pesticide, the pest issue has spun out of control. “Since July, we have sprayed pesticide 10-12 times. Each spray costs about £33 per acre. But the whitefly was unaffected,” said a Manjeet Singh in Singho village, standing on four acres of his withered cotton crop.

H Y D E R A B A D : Telangana Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao has announced that the state assembly would pass a resolution for 12 per cent quota to the Muslims in the state and forward it to the central government. Reiterating his commitment towards increasing reservation for the community in education and employment, he said the panel studying the socioeconomic and educational status of Muslims in the state will soon submit its report. “Once we get the report, we will know the ground realities. We will pass a resolution in the house and we will go to the centre,” he said replying to a debate on minorities welfare. The Chief Minister told Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Akbaruddin Owaisi that

Chandrasekhar Rao the panel was working hard and evaluating all the data. He said he firmly believed that the state can only progress if all sections of people are happy and promised the Muslims will get their share in Telangana. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi had promised during the elections that Muslims will be provided 12 per cent reservation in proportion to their population. Muslims in Telangana currently enjoy 4 per cent reservation in education and employment under a separate category of backward classes.

Non-Muslims help repair Punjab mosque N A T H O W A L (LUDHIANA): While one part of the country finds itself drenched in anti-secularism, a village in Ludhiana finds itself untouched by religious differences. Nathowal in Ludhiana has a population of around 7,000 of which around 500 are Muslims and around 50 members are Hindus. The Sikh and Hindu community members are helping the Muslims repair an old mosque and even construct a second storey, bearing more than 65 per cent of the expenses. A contractor and president of Jamia Masjid, Mansa Khan said, “All three communities lived in peace here even before Partition. During Partition, 10 to 12 families migrated to Pakistan but 50 families

stayed back as our Sikh brothers didn't allow them to leave. Today, our relations are only stronger.” Repair on the mosque started six months ago. Of the £25,000 invested in the project, around £15,000 have been contributed by Sikhs and Hindus. They also ferry bricks, cement and sand for the construction. “Our village is more of a family. If a villager wants to donate money to a religious place he contributes equally to the gurdwara and the mosque. We will continue to uphold this spirit in the future. When we started work on the mosque, every villager pledged to help irrespective of his religion,” says Pyara Singh, block committee member and president of Gurudwara Dharamshalla in the village.

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Cong irked over Karnataka CM's non-invitation

BENGALURU: Congress workers staged a protest outside NASSCOM recently after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to the nation's IT hub with Angela Merkel overlooked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The CM's absence in one of the two events was highly noticed and irked many from the party. State minister, Dinesh Gundu Rao said, “This is a very unfortunate situation. Karnataka and Bengaluru are the hub of IT and computer science and startups... We don't compete with any other city in India but with world cities... I don't know whom to blame. NASSCOM as an organisation should have been more careful in seeing that proper protocol is maintained and respect is given to the state leaders... NASSCOM exists because of Bengaluru.” The party leaders have expressed their disappointment and said the BJP has disrespected their sentiments.

Karnataka minister apologises over insensitive remarks

BENGALURU: Insensitivity is a major illness suffered by almost every other political leader. The latest to trigger a controversy with his ill-made remarks is Karnataka Home Minister K J George who said “How can you say gangrape? Gangrape means four-five people,” when questions were asked him regarding the recent gang rape of a 22 year old BPO employee by the driver and cleaner of a van. By the time he realised the mistake it was too late. “I am very sorry...a rape is a rape whether it is one person or a gang,” he said. “See public perception of the gangrape is a group of people openly raping a girl or a lady. That is a public perception. It was two people involved. They were already been arrested when the question was asked, and what I feel it is condemnable heinous crime and we have taken action hands down.”

Modi calls Badal India's Mandela, creates media storm

CHANDIGARH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal the “Nelson Mandela of India,” igniting a social media storm. During a speech at the 113th birth anniversary of socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan, Modi said, “Badal Saheb is sitting here... he is the Nelson Mandela of India. He has spent so many years in prison that too for political reasons. What was the crime of people like Badal Saheb? Only that he had political views different from those in power.” The statement evidently did not go well down people's throats. Sadhvi Khosla, who is followed by the PM's personal account tweeted, “I am deeply saddened by the words @narendramodi in praise of corrupt #Badal My PM has let me down today.”

Private detectives to check sex determination tests in Punjab

CHANDIGARH: Punjab government said that it would engage private detective agencies to check if pre-natal sex determination tests were being performed by private ultrasound centres in the state. State Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani said the administration took the decision to effectively implement the PNDT Act. The state government had been tough with the owners of these centres and as a result of which the sex ratio in the state has improved considerably, Jayani said. Principal secretary to health Vini Mahajan reiterated that the government has increased the cash reward to people giving information about ultra sound centres involved in illegal pre-natal sex determination tests in Punjab.

US Sikh group raises $210,000 for needy Punjab students

WASHINGTON: The Sikh Human Development Foundation has raised over $ 210,000 for a scholarship programme it provides for underprivileged children in Punjab. More than 350 guests from metropolitan Washington area came to show their support at the gala that also featured pop singer Jaz Dhami. The SHDF has been giving scholarships to bright but poor students in Punjab since 2001. Chairman Gajider Singh Ahuja said, “We need your help, They need your help.” Chief guest Gurcharan Singh Kanwal donated $ 50,000, and in recognition to his contributions, Kanwal and his wife were honoured with the SHDF Community Higher Education Empowerment Award. Board member Manpreet Singh said, “SHDF has been able to provide scholarships to over 4,000 students and more than 1,500 students have graduated and become professionals.”

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10 days after marriage, man Outrage over Saudi maid attack, sends Talaq through WhatsApp India mulls ban on workers The Indian government might ban citizens from working as domestic helpers in Saudi Arabia after a housemaid in Riyadh had her arm chopped off, allegedly by her employer. Kasthuri Munirathinam, 58, said her right arm had been hacked off by her sponsor on September 29. She had earlier complained to police that she was being mistreated and not being fed or paid sufficiently, according to her family, who hail from Tamil Nadu in India. Television footage showed Munirathinam in a Riyadh hospital with bandages covering a stump just below her right shoulder. She described how she tried to escape from the house by tying a sari to a balcony railing and said that was when her employer – who has not been named – attacked her. “We are very disturbed over the brutal manner in which the Indian lady has been treated in Saudi Arabia,” said Sushma Swaraj, India’s foreign minister. Vikas Swarup, a foreign ministry spokesman, said the Indian embassy in Riyadh had taken up the matter with the Saudi foreign office and asked for strict action in the matter. “We have also sought an independent probe in the incident and urged that a case of attempted murder be lodged against the sponsor so that he is punished, if found guilty as per law,” Swarup said. The attack

follows another high-profile incident in early September in which two Nepali maids accused a Saudi Arabian embassy official in Delhi of raping, assaulting, starving and holding them hostage. “They would beat us every night and often there were more than one man who would torture and rape us,” one of the women said. “We have marks all over our body.” The official left India a week after these complaints were registered, claiming diplomatic immunity. The embassy called the allegations “completely baseless”. In the same month, a video of a Saudi employer hitting a male Indian worker went viral in India. The first hint that India might ban the recruitment of maids to Saudi Arabia came from D Raja, an MP from Tamil Nadu, who said a parliamentary committee met last week to discuss the idea. “We discussed how to stop the flow of housemaids from Tamil Nadu’s Nellore and West Godavri district of Andhra Pradesh, which top the list of regions producing house-

maids for the Saudi Kingdom,” Raja said. He said Saudi Arabian employers had frequently broken Indian laws on the recruitment of labour. Indian government figures show that there are roughly 2.8 million citizens working in Saudi Arabia. Of these, half a million are domestic workers, and about 50,000 are women. The Saudi labour ministry said last year that it would issue 100,000 work visas for Indian domestic workers during 2015. But in reality, there is no reliable estimate of the number of Indian women who work as housemaids in Saudi Arabia. Many such workers leave on short-visit visas, which do not require attestation by Indian authorities. Once they arrive in Saudi Arabia or other Middle Eastern countries, their visas are changed to employment visas. In this way employers avoid the US$2,500 (Dh9,200) bank guarantee that they are required to deposit with the Indian embassy for each hire, under a scheme formulated in 2007. Last year, Indian and Saudi authorities agreed on a standard contract for Indian domestic workers, a minimum monthly wage of 1,500 Saudi riyals (Dh1,470) and a list of 27 approved private recruitment agencies. However, the agreement did not touch on working conditions such as hours of service and freedom of communication and movement.

Protesting writers return Sahitya Akademi awards With six more writers returned their Sahitya Akademi awards on Monday in protest against the organisation’s silence on the recent killing of a man in Dadri over rumours of cow slaughter and the murder of author M M Kalburgi, allegedly for his rationalist views. The latest string of protests took to 21 the number of writers who have returned their awards to the Akademi since Hindi writer Uday Prakash first did so last month over the killing of Kalburgi. Kannada author Aravind Malagatti submitted his resignation from the Akademi’s General Council. Those who returned their awards included Hindi poets Mangalesh Dabral and Rajesh Joshi; Vadodara-based Ganesh Devy; Konkani writer N Shivdas; Kannada writer Kum Veerabhadrappa; and Gurbachan Singh Bhullar, Ajmer Singh Aulakh, Atamjit Singh and Waryam

Singh Sandhu from Punjab. After tribal activist Ganesh Devy, another Gujarati litterateur poet Anil Joshi returned his award. Joshi on Monday wrote a letter to Sahitya Akdemi president Professor Viswanath Pratap Tiwari informing him about his decision to return the award. “In this atmosphere where scholars, rationalists and intellectuals are facing attacks, keeping Akademi's award at my home makes me feel guilty. I don't require oxygen in form of an award at his age, said Joshi, 76. He had received the award in 1990 for his work `Statue' - a collection of essays. Joshi also took a dig at current Akademi president for being silent on the incidents. “The statement given by Akademi's president that he needs approval of the executive board to make a statement against the government is laughable to say the least. But even at this age I still have some skin left in my body to

speak out,” said Joshi, who has spent most of his time in Mumbai. Like others from the literary field, Joshi also spoke against the murders of Kannada writer Kalburgi and anti-superstition activists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare questioning the Akademi's silence. “Monday's assault on Sudheendra Kulkarni during a book launch at Mumbai is also an example of growing intolerance against diverse view,” said Joshi, who is known for his creations including `Maari koi Daalkhi Ma Pandada Nathi', `Hullad Geeto' and `Kanya Vidaay'. “Creators are sons of Goddess Saraswati (the Goddess of knowledge) and Goddess Vagheshwari (the empress of speech). Attacks on scholars and intellectuals are a direct attack on the Goddess on the eve of Navratri,” said Joshi, whose creations have been sung by singer Manhar Udhas.

Hardly 10 days after his wedding, a Keralite working in Ber Dubai has sent his 21-year-old wife a triple Talaq message on WhatsApp, which an Islamic scholar has described as against the rule. The shocked woman, a BDS student and hailing from Alappuzha district of Kerala, has now approached the Kerala Women’s Commission for help. The young woman in her complaint said her husband had not even informed her if he had reached Ber Dubai, where he is working, safely. After her repeated messages to him went unanswered, she finally got a reply shocking her to the core. “Why are you calling me? I do not like you. Do not wait for me. If we like apple, will we keep eating it every day?. We will like to eat other fruits also. Talak Talak Talak”, the woman, who was at her wit’s end seeing the message, told the Commission, its member J Prameela Devi said. She wants her husband to be tracked and NonResidents Affairs depart-

ment has been asked to trace him, Prameela Devi said. Prameela Devi said she spoke to Panakkad Sadik Ali Thangal, an Islamic scholar, who was of the opinion that this type of talaq was against rules. The woman’s widowed mother had given her £10,000 as dowry and 79 sovereigns of gold. After 10 days of marriage, he left for Ber Dubai and did not keep in touch with her, she said. The Commission has sent a notice to the parents of the man asking them to appear before it in the next sitting. In the aftermath of the shocking development, both the woman and her younger sister, studying in 12th standard, have left their studies. Describing

Sena chief hails attackers of Sudheendra Kulkarni Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday met six activists of his party who were arrested on Monday night for throwing black paint on columnist Sudheendra Kulkarni, and delivered a pat on their backs. Party sources said the Sena chief felicitated the workers, who were released on bail in the morning, and said, "Well done." On Monday, the Sena activists stopped Kulkarni's car and threw paint on him for rejecting the party's demand that former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri's book launch be called off. Kulkarni a former BJP advisor and organiser for the event, appeared at a press conference, his face smeared with paint, and declared that, "the show will go on." Kasuri's book "Neither a Hawk Nor a Dove: An Insider's Account of Pakistan's Foreign Policy" was launched on Monday evening without further incident, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis providing the former Pakistani minister with unprecedented security. The Shiv Sena, which partners the BJP in the Fadnavis government, said its protest continued. The party says it is opposed to any engagement with Pakistan as long as the country supports terror and

Sudheendra Kulkarni had last week, forced the cancellation of a concert in Mumbai by Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali. In an editorial in its mouthpiece the Saamna, the Shiv Sena launched a blistering attack on Kulkarni, comparing him to 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab, and praising his attackers. "Sudheendra Kulkarni proudly showed off his black face and his shamelessness. Patriots blackened the face of Pakistan's chamchas (sycophants)," it said. It also attacked Fadnavis who accused the Shiv Sena of shaming Maharashtra with its attack on Kulkarni. Monday's incident brought the two allies closer to a breakpoint, one they have been steadily approaching since assembly elections in Maharashtra last year shifted the balance of power in the BJP's favour. After Fadnavis criticised it, the Sena firmed up plans to dismantle their alliance for crucial civic elections in a Mumbai suburb.

talaq through social media like Facebook and WhatsApp as ‘barbaric’, Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen state President T P Abdulla Majeed, said this was against humanity. “There is no validity of such an act. Some people are playing with religion,” he said. “Talaq cannot be practised in such a flimsy manner. It has got three stages. It has to be used only in a situation wherein it is extremely difficult to take forward a marriage,” he said. Reacting to the development, Dakshina Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama leader Kadakkal Abdul Azeez Moulavi said there was no validity of such talaq.

Hardik forms all India outfit Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener Hardik Patel announced the formation of Patel Navnirman Sena (PNS). Later in the day, he released its logo on social media sites. “The PNS will be a non-political body and work to protect the community”, said Hardik who had announced a few days earlier his intention to form such an outfit. “It will contribute to the development of the nation.'' He further said that PNS will bring Patels and other affiliated communities such as Kurmis and Gujjars together to demand OBC status and reservations. “It will campaign for their demand for reservation in government jobs and education under OBC category,” said Hardik. He also claimed that PNS units had been formed in 16 states and that he was unanimously elected its national president. However, observers of the Patidar movement said that Hardik wants to replicate in Gujarat and in other states an organization like the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena that was dominated by Patidars. The PAAS leader has publically called the late Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray his idol. The Maharashtra outfit responded by calling him `a hero'.

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Modi urges Hindus, Muslims to fight poverty, not each other

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke his silence on the murder of a Muslim man in Dadri, near Delhi, over rumours that his family was consuming beef, by delivering a strong message against communalism and communal violence. He chose an election rally in Bihar to clarify his position, saying: “In a democracy everyone has the right to speak their mind. But Hindus must decide whether they want to fight Muslims or poverty. Muslims must decide whether they want to fight Hindus or poverty.” Modi has been criticized for keeping silent on the Dadri murder even though his ministers, Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh, have condemned the killing. The PM sought to set doubts to rest by citing President Pranab Mukherjee's statement warning people against any dilution in India's core values of diversity and tolerance. The Rashtrapati has shown us the way. “There is no bigger inspiration than him, let's follow his path,” PM Modi said. President Mukherjee a

Narendra Modi Mukherjee. There can be day earlier had said that no bigger thought than tolerance was core to that. President has shown India's survival. Modi though had been slammed us the way, and we have to by his political opponents walk on that path. Only for not commenting on the then will we be able to live unfortunate incident in up to the expectations of Bhisada village where a the world," the PM said. Muslim man was lynched Pranab Mukherjee had earlier said that Indian civover rumours of consuming ilization has flourished due beef. to "core civilizational values The 'long-drawn' and adherence to them". silence of the Prime Hitting out at communal Minister though ended forces who were trying to when he said that the coungain political mileage from try must remain united. the Dadri incident, the PM "Hindus and Muslims said, "I want to tell the peoshould work together to ple that because of politics fight poverty. India has to stay united. Only commuand for petty gains, people nal harmony and brotherare making irresponsible hood will take the nation statements. I appeal to citiforward," Modi said. zens not to take them seri"Hear the speech of ously ... It is time to shun President Pranab politics of polarization."

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Women pilots to fly fighter jets soon India will soon have women fighter pilots which will put them in combat positions in the Indian Air Force (IAF) for the first time, Air Force chief Arup Raha said. While Indian women have been serving in the forces since the early 1990s, they haven't been allowed to have any combat roles. They could fly transport aircraft and helicopters in the Air Force, but could not tear into the skies as fighter pilots. "We are now planning to induct them into the fighter stream to meet the aspirations of young women of India," said Air Chief Marshal Raha. His announcement coincides with the 83rd anniversary of the birth of the IAF. Women officers in the other two services too have been kept away from combat roles. In the Navy, they cannot serve on warships and in the Army, they cannot join the infantry, armoured corps or artillery. In the IAF, a major hindrance until now, according to military brass, was that it took well over £1.3 million to train a single fighter pilot, with the huge investment being recovered only over 13-14 years of active flying. Women fighter pilots, they believed, may get married, have children, and consequently disrupt the IAF's tight flying schedules. Still, there is a rethink in the IAF now, with women officers also

increasingly winning their legal battles for permanent commission in the armed forces, instead of being allowed to serve just 14-15 years as short service commission officers. Also, with technological advancements making traditional attributes like physical toughness redundant for fighting roles, women officers have been making a push to be allowed to take up an increased role in the armed forces. Also, flying a fighter is significantly different from a ground combat role in close proximity to enemy forces. Several women pilots

have proven themselves flying helicopters and transport aircraft in highrisk rescue and other missions. Some have also flown sorties of AN-32 aircraft to the Advanced Landing Ground at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) in Ladakh. DBO, the world's highest landing ground at 16,500 feet, is close to the frontline and is a critical supply line for troops posted at the Siachen Glacier. Women pilots have also proven themselves with the Ilyushin IL-76 heavy-lift transport aircraft, referred to in the Air Force as 'Gajraj', in difficult sorties to Leh.

Brit-Indian woman found dead in North London

Mother of all polls

CONTINUED FROM P1 female enrolment in schools by distributing bicycles among students. However, it was also argued that the anticipated goodwill for the JD(U) leader was not in evidence in LS polls and could have toned down because of his partnership with Lalu Prasad. Bihar's chief electoral officer Ajay V Nayak said, “It may be because of the exodus of men to other states primarily for work.” The oldest woman voter was 108 year old Maharani Devi from Teghra constituency in Begusarai. The EC said voting in Maoisthit areas was between 310% more than last time. Sikandra in Jamui recorded a 10% increase. Modi followers maintain the huge turnout was provoked by the Indian Prime Minister's campaign which saw record audiences in all the rallies he addressed, triggering speculations that the BJP might find firm roots in the region.

Usha Patel Scotland Yard launched an appeal to trace Miles Donnelly, also known as Miles Ryan, after the body of Usha Patel, 44, was discovered at her flat in Cricklewood, northwest London, on Thursday morning. Officers arrested Donnelly, 34, on suspicion of murder in Paddington, central London, on Sunday morning and was taken to a north London police station where he remains in custody. A Met Police spokesperson said that the post-mortem examination found Ms Patel died from "strangulation". Neighbours expressed shock at the death and paid tribute to Ms Patel, who was a fulltime carer for her young autistic son. They con-

firmed that Ms Patel had lived for about nine years at her home in Melrose Avenue, which is in a semi-detached building containing three flats. The 5 year old boy was seen holding the hand of a police community support officer outside his home after the body was found. The Evening Standard reported that a neighbour Sali Aboudali, 42, said her child went to school with Ms Patel's son and he would spend weekends with his father. "Her son depended on her for everything. She said he had autism." A man thought to be the boy's grandfather reportedly attended the property on Thursday after police discovered Ms Patel's body.

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HEALTH&WELLNESS

f you're among of the millions who dutifully carve out 30 minutes a day for the moderate-intensity exercise recommended by experts based on the idea that you're doing all you can for your heart, you're in for some disappointing news. A new analysis finds that that amount of activity may not be good enough. Researchers reviewed 12 studies involving 370,460 men and women with varying levels of physical activity. Over a mean follow-up time of 15 years, this group experienced 20,203 heart failure events. Each of the participants self-reported their daily activities, allowing the team to estimate the amount of exercise they were doing. They found that those following the 30-minutesa-day guidelines issued by the American Heart Association had "modest reductions" in heart failure risk compared to those who did not work out at all. But those who exercised twice and four times as much had "a substantial risk reduction" of 20 and 35 per cent, respectively. The findings challenge the notion of a 30-minutes-a-day magic number for exercise. Instead, research found that physical activity and heart failure may be what they called "dose dependent," meaning that higher levels of physical activity appeared to be linked to a lower risk of heart failure. That association appeared to hold across age groups, gender and race. Jarett D. Berry, senior

FITNESS

author of the study and an associate professor at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, said the study shows that physicians and health policymakers should consider making stronger recommendations for greater amounts of physical activity to prevent heart failure. Heart failure, which occurs when the heart cannot supply enough blood to the body, affects more than 5.1 million adults in the country, and results in health-care costs exceeding $30 billion per year. The American Heart Association reports that it accounts for "a significant proportion" of hospitalizations and deaths of older Americans. Officials suggest that this "growing epidemic" is expected to increase by 25 per cent from 2010 to 2030. "Heart failure is a big public health concern and in contrast to the dramatic reduction in coronary disease that we've seen in the population, the incidence of heart failure remains relatively unchanged," Berry said. American Heart Association guidelines recommend that middle-aged adults engage in at least two hours and 30 minutes per week of exercise such as brisk walking. Berry said walking 30 minutes a day, for instance, may not be enough for a middle-aged person with hypertension, which presents an increased risk of developing heart failure. Those with diabetes or a history of heart failure also would

LIFESTYLE

benefit from talking with their doctors about increased physical activity. Ambarish Pandey, the study's lead author and a cardiology fellow at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, said the study was limited in its ability to compare the relationship of heart failure risk with different types of physical activity, as well as in differentiating between workrelated physical activity vs. exercise for leisure. "If someone runs to their work, that doesn't count as leisure," Pandey said. "That counts as occupational. If someone is an exercise trainer, then he will be more active at his workplace and that may not be accounted for in the leisure activity that we have looked at." If there's no way you can cram in 300 to 600 minutes of exercise a week,

don't despair. Plenty of research shows that lower amounts, even microbursts of intense 10 to 15 minutes of activity, can be beneficial. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that one minute of vigorous activity is about the same as two minutes of moderate activity, so you can do a mix of the two each week. Vigorous aerobic activity is defined as a something that makes you breathe hard and fast and that pushes up your heart rate pretty high. "If you're working at this level, you won't be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath," government guidelines note.

The study included almost 22,000 participants, with 23 per cent reporting secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in the past year.

Four hundred and twentyeight strokes were reported in the period of April 2003 to March 2012. Lead author Angela Malek of the Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston said, “Our findings suggest the possibility for adverse health outcomes such as stroke among non-smokers exposed to SHS and add to the body of evidence supporting stricter smoking regulations.” “Future research will need to investigate the role of cardiovascular disease risk factors in the association and explore potential exposure to additional environmental variables, such as ambient air pollutants, in relation to stroke.”

Second hand smoke increases stroke risk population based study that investigated cardiovascular disease events and morality endpoints among white and African American adults older than 45 years of age, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, has found that second hand smoke may increase the risk of stroke by around 30 per cent, in non smokers. The researchers found that even after adjustment

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...

for other stroke factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, the 30 per cent stroke risk for non smokers remained.

DON´T LET YOUR TEETH WORSEN YOUR DIABETES

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30 minutes of exercise a day not enough, shows new study FOOD

| Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

If you have Diabetes, you may have been told about the importance of looking after your eyes, your feet, your diet and checking your glucose daily. But what about your oral health? Periodontal disease (gum disease) has been proposed as the sixth most common complication of Diabetes Mellitus. People with Diabetes are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop periodontal disease and other oral complications such as; fungal infections, chronic ulcers, dry mouth and consequently decay. Periodontitis is a serious gum infection that damages the gums and the bone that support the teeth. If left untreated, it can lead to tooth loss. In fact, statistics show that 1 in 5 cases of tooth loss is linked to Diabetes. Gum disease can also have other implications such as increased sugar levels and a higher risk of cardiovascular problems. Periodontitis and Diabetes have a two-way relationship; that is, being diabetic leads to an increased risk of developing gum problems, and having gum disease can also affect the body’s glycemic index (in people with or without Diabetes). Whilst non diabetics might be able to tolerate an increase in the glucose levels when being affected by gum disease, we all know how important it is to maintain low glucose levels in Diabetes. Having severe gum disease leads to increased sugar levels, and poor glycaemic control can lead to other complications of the diabetic condition. As it can become a vicious cycle, the early diagnosis, treatment and prevention of periodontal disease is essential for people with Diabetes. The good news is that by treating gum disease, studies report a reduction of up to 0.4% in the glucose levels (HbA1c). Studies also show, that 1% reduction of HbA1c can have a significant positive impact in the risk for cardiovascular complications. Managing Diabetes is complex, and monitoring the different aspects of your health is now more crucial than ever. At Diabetes Dental Care we can help you look after your oral health and incorporate it into your Diabetes care routine in order to prevent unnecessary oral health problems that can aggravate your Diabetes. What is Diabetes Dental Care? It is a dental clinic formed by experts in the oral manifestations of Diabetes. We will thoroughly examine your oral and dental status and provide you with the best oral health advice and treatment for your particular situation. We assure you that we will link up with your GP and Diabetes doctor or nurse, in order to provide the right treatment for you. Why Diabetes Dental Care? Because people with Diabetes are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop severe oral problems such as periodontal disease (gum disease), fungal infections, dry mouth and decay. At Diabetes Dental Care we can help you control your Diabetes, by monitoring your oral health. When use Diabetes Dental Care? Whether you think you might be having symptoms or if you just want peace of mind and advice to prevent oral health problems in the future, we can help you. We focus on helping you maintain a good standard of oral health which will ensure a better quality of life. 'my HbA1c level reduced from 8.9 to 7.3 after my treatment with Dr Casanova. Thank you!' - DDC patient 'I wish my doctor had sent me earlier' - DDC patient

30A Wimpole Street London W1G 8YA Tel: 02075639980 info@diabetesdentalcare.co.uk www.diabetesdentalcare.co.uk

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Arundhati plays an undercover cop AsianVoiceNews

Another Dhanush film touches the finish line

Superstar Rajinikanth all praise for 'Puli'

Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

ijay's latest ' P u l i ' released to mixed reviews with the critics calling out poorly developed characters, weak execution and other reasons. However, the Kollywood industry has taken a liking to the movie as fellow actors shower praise for the bigbudget movie. D i r e c t o r

Linguswamy said the movie was a perfect entertainer for children and lauded the technical features of the film. Even superstar Rajinikanth was impressed with the movie. A source said Rajini was all praise for Vijay and Sridevi's performances and termed the film a thrilling entertainer for family and children.

ctor Dhanush's second film with cinematographer turned Director Velraj, has been completed as far as the shooting is concerned. Actress Samantha, who plays the female lead in the film has confirmed on

her microblogging page that the shoot is wrapped and the first look can be expected soon. Earlier, Dhanush had also confirmed that the first look and title of the second film of Team VIP will be released soon. He has

also clarified that the film is not a sequel to VIP. The movie features Dhanush, Samantha, Amy Jackson, Sathish, K S Ravikumar and Radhika in important roles and the music is given by Anirudh Ravichander.

She has played the actor's love interest in both the previous films in the franchise. However, it is also known that Shruti Haasan is also on board and probably

will be vying with Anushka for Suriya's affection in the movie. Anushka's historical flick, 'Rudhramadevi' will release on October 16 with the Telugu version out a week earlier.

Anushka - Shruti Haasan rivalry confirmed

outhern beauty Anushka has confirmed that she is part of Suriya's 'Singham 3', directed by Hari and the shooting of which is set to begin in November.

'Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2'

Directed by Luv Ranjan and produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Panorama Studios Production, 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2' is a sequel

of the 2011 hit film of the same name. The story revolves around the twists and turns of relationships between men and women.

aggiradhai' actress Arundathi has been signed on for a movie titled 'Ardhanaari' where she will play the role of an undercover cop. The movie will be directed by award-winning filmmaker Bala's son Sundara Ilangovan. “The script of the film revolves around a lady cop who goes undercover for an assignment. The challenges she faces as a woman in her duty and how she overcomes it forms the crux of the plot. There are minor references in this film to the service sector, especially the police force, which is still considered a male bastion, despite the fact that many women carving a niche in the profession. Any similarity of current issues to the ones discussed in the film, is only coincidental,” director Sundara claims. The actress had to go through a workshop to get into the skin of her character. “I took training with a few real life police officers to get that tough body language, and to learn things like holding a gun,” she said.

Aishwarya's Jazbaa creates Mugdha Godse confirms good buzz in Pakistan relationship with Rahul Dev

he power-packed acting of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Irrfan Khan in 'Jazbaa' has already grabbed attention. The movie has also attracted quite a good buzz in Pakistan. A report revealed that Aishwarya has a huge fan following in Pakistan while Irrfan has a good hold around the globe. The source stated that 'Jazbaa' release strategy is going as planned as the makers of the film were clear that Pakistan was the territory they wanted to explore.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

ollywood actress Mugdha Godse has finally admitted that her relationship with Rahul Dev was more than friends and that she is in a relationship with Rahul Dev. The sexy actress has apparently been seeing Rahul for quite some time and now she has finally opened up about her relationship with the hunky actor. The duo was recently spotted enjoying each other's company during a beach holiday. Mugdha and Rahul will be seen together in an upcoming film.

'Dhanak' receives warm reception at Busan

fter winning two awards at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival, Nagesh Kukunoor's 'Shanak' made its Asian premiere at the Busan International Film Festival 2015 held in South Korea. The movie was met with a warm reception as the audience cheered right through the end credits. Kukunoor said, “Dhanak's dream run continues! To be given a chance to screen at Busan is a wonderful honour.” CEO of Drishyam Films, Shiladitya Bora said, “We are delighted to have the film's Asian premiere at Busan.”

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Ranbir breaks his promise made to Katrina! AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

here were reports that Ranbir Kapoor had undergone a therapy to quit smoking after ladylove Katrina Kaif wished it as her birthday gift. On Katrina's birthday the couple had flown down to The Original FX Mayr Health Center in Austria, which helps people kick nicotine addiction. While the actress took a few detox sessions, Kapoor took the stop-smoking injections and did in fact, quit smoking for a few weeks post therapy. The 'Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani' actor who is currently busy shooting in Europe for Karan Johar's 'Ae Dil hai Mushkil' along with Anushka Sharma, however, did

Mukerji amongst others. The picture of him smoking has gone viral on the internet and we only hope Kaif is not too mad about her beau breaking his promise.

Alia denies having relationship with Sidharth

Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

utting an end to all speculations about her alleged relationship with former co-actor Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt in a promotion of her upcoming film 'Shandaar', said she is single right now. Praising Malhotra, she said, “He is far more calmer, happier, more easy and likes to play cricket. He also likes to interact with the crew.” When asked about her relationship status, she said, “I am single.” Adding, “Stop searching for the smoke then you will not get fire.” “I am very close to Sid and always will be. We started our careers together. And I have had a great relationship with every co-actor of mine.” Alia who will soon share screen with Shah Rukh Khan for the first time in Gauri Shinde's upcoming untitled project said she was intimidated. “I feel intimidated by Shah Rukh obviously because of his experience. But then I am also excited. With Shahid, I was nervous when I met him but then later it was all cool.” When asked what she thinks about Salman Khan, she replied “Salman Khan is Shaandaar!”

break the no smoking policy as he was spotted smoking at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. He participated at the most awaited festival of the year and was seen with cousin Armaan Jain and Ayan

Hrithik joins hands with Unicef for a special campaign

ollywood actor Hrithik Roshan has been chosen as Indian Ambassador for Unicef and the Global Goals campaign's World's Largest Lesson. The World's Largest Lesson aims to teach children in over 100 countries about the new Sustainable Development Goals that will be adopted by the UN General Assembly later this month. The actor has joined other international public figures such as Freida Pinto, Dani Alves, Kolo Touré, Neymar Jr., and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai. “The World’s Largest Lesson will do more than teach children about the global goals. It will engage them in the effort to achieve those goals, educating them about the challenges that are shaping their futures and encouraging them to drive change in their own communities,” Unicef executive director Anthony Lake said in a statement. “Young peo-

ple can help achieve the global goals by holding their leaders accountable for the promises they are making, and by holding themselves accountable for building a better future for everyone,” he added. The campaign is also supported by Indian NGOs the Akshaya Patra Foundation and Magic Bus. Roshan, a father of two very young boys said, “As a father, I believe that all children should have access to good education and through this education they learn how to take care of their health. In order to achieve the best, they need to be fit and healthy. It enables children to push their extreme. These are fundamental rights that every child deserves hence I champion Goal 3 Good Health.”

President Mukherjee to watch 'Talvar'

resident Pranab Mukherjee, who has barely watched two movies in his tenure at Rashtrapati Bhavan, has shown interest in watching the movie 'Talvar'. The film is based on the Aarushi Talwar murder case. The President's office has recently contacted Meghna Gulzar, the film's director, seeking a screening of the critically acclaimed film for him at Rashtrapati Bhavan on the 25th of this month. Meghna confirms the development and said, "It's an honour for us to host a screening for the President. We are looking forward to the screening and are obliged that the President has expressed his desire to watch our movie."

Salman will romance a newcomer in Sultan!

Colors Launches Bigg Boss 9

Shah Rukh finds Kajol 'stunning'

alman Khan sure knows how to keep in news! His upcoming 'Sultan' announced by Yash Raj Films has kept the media guessing as they realised the film hasn't finalised a heroine yet. A lot of names were dropped, from Deepika Padukone, Kangana Ranaut to Anushka Sharma, who turned down the offer, the makers are now on a hunt for a newcomer, who will be seen romancing the 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' actor. So while nobody's still aware who will be the right co-star, we hear actress Kriti Sanon is one of the names on the list.

hah Rukh Khan has never shied away from tweeting his feelings about his favourite co-star Kajol. After working together in 'My Name Is Khan' in 2010, the two actors have been brought together by director Rohit Shetty. The 49 year old star tweeted, “Late night shoot. All tired but was fan. Laughs with happy co-actors. Kajol looked stunning. Varun dashing. Kriti so pretty. I looked like me.” Shetty's 'Dilwale' is slated to release on December 18.

isagreements... Disappointments and Drama... Bigg Boss Season 9 has launched on Indian television and this time, with TWICE the spice. One of the highest watched reality shows hosted by our very own 'bhaijaan' Salman Khan, the programme has commenced this year with a theme that has its audience already glued to their seats. With a grand première, the contestants were given a task the very first day where they were asked to pick their partners. Also a part of the show is our desi 'Bhai Bhai' singer Arvind Vegda who is paired with TV actor Ankit Gera. Be a part of the fun and the madness as Bigg Boss 9 airs on Colors TV on weekdays at 9:30 pm and weekends at 9 pm on Sky, Virgin and Freesat.

Navratri

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Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

l Surrey Gujarati Hindu Society- Navratri: Tuesday 13thWednesday 21st October 2015, 7:30pm- 11pm. Sharad Poonam: Tuesday 27th October, 7:30pm- 11pm. Norbury Manor Business & enterprise College for Girls, Kensington Avenue, Thornton Heath, Croydon CR7 8BT. Contact Ghanshyam Patel: 07932 781 163. l Redbridge Gujarati Welfare Association (RGWA)Navratri/Diwali Celebrations: Tuesday 13th- Friday 16th October & Monday 19th- Thursday 22nd October, Navratri celebration at RGWA Hall. Sharad Poonam: Monday 26th October, RGWA Hall. Diwali Party: Thursday 5th November, Praba Banqueting Suite, Ilford. Contact S. Patel: 020 8270 2303. l Prajapati Youth Group Hounslow- Navratri Festival 2015: Tuesday 13th- Thursday 22nd October & Monday 26th October, 8pm- 10:30pm. The Heathland School, Wellington Road (south), Hounslow TW4 5JD. Email Sharad Mistry: pyg_hounslow@hotmail.com l Milan Group Wallington- Navratri 2015: Tuesday 13thThursday 22nd October. The Centre Milon Road, Wellington SM6 9RP. Contact Kantibhai Ganatra: 020 8669 5014. l SSVA & Maa Krupa Foundation- Navratri 2015: Tuesday 13th- Wednesday 21st October, 7pm- 10:30pm. Canons High School, Sheldon Roa, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 6AN. Contact Jayantibhai Khagram: 07915 066 671. l Navratri Raas & Garba: Tuesday 13th- Wednesday 21st October. Sharad Poonam: Saturday 31st October. Weekdays: 7:30pm- 10:30pm. Weekends: 7:30pm11:30pm. Shree Depala UK Community Centre, 67A, Church Lane, East Finchley, London N2 8DR. Contact Mahindra Maru: 07956 570 610. l Durgashtmi Havan: Wednesday 21st October, 10am- 3pm.

Coming Events

l Sufiana with Qawali & Ghazal: Saturday 24th October, 7:30pm. Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, London SW1X 9DQ. Contact: 020 7730 4500. l First Ever Samelan of Dattani Parivar. Live Music by Maya Deepak & Group: Sunday 25th October. Meet & Greet and Canapé: 5pm- 7pm. Entertainment: 7pm8pm. Dinner & Music: 8pm- late. Dhamecha Lohana Centre, Brember Road, South Harrow HA2 8AX. Contact Anil Dattani: 07876 102 523. l Klose to My Heart- Sonu Nigam Live in Concert: Sunday 1st November, 6pm. SSE Arena Wembley. Contact: 020 8907 0116. l Acuitus- Commercial Property Auction: Thursday 22nd October. Contact John Mehtab: 020 7034 4855. l Admission in September 2016 for Krishna Avanti Primary School, Croydon CR0 4HA. Open Evening will be held on Friday 23rd October 2015, 5pm- 8pm, at Lohana Community Centre, Church Road, (Corner of Lower Coombe Street), CR0 1SH. Drop-in session with presentations. Contact Brij Vadhvania: 020 8731 1454. l Vijya Dashmi Utsav 2015, "Nari Shakti Swaroopani", Female Strength in its Grandest Form: Sunday 1st November 2015, 4:30pm- 8pm. Vegetarian dinner will be served. Corelli College, Kidbrooke, Corelli Road, London SE3 8EL. RSVP woolwichnagar@gmail.com or contact Binal Rabadia: 07849 978 940. Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Editorial Executive: Reshma Trilochun Tel: 020 7749 4010 - Email: reshma.trilochun@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Account Executive: Arjun Chokshi Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email: arjun.chokshi@abplgroup. Advertising Manager: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Business Development Managers: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Graphic Designers: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com Leicester Distributors: Shabde Magazine, Shobhan Mehta Mob: 07846480220 (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. Tel. +91 79 2646 5960 Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (M) +91 94266 36912 Email: nilesh.parmar@abplgroup.com Consulting Editor: Bhupatbhai Parekh, Ahmedabad,

Adhya Shakti Mataji Temple, 55 High Street, Cowley, Middlesex UB8 2DZ. Visit:www.matajitemple.com l Navratri Celebrations: Tuesday 13th- Thursday 22nd October, 8pm. Sharad Purnima: Friday 30th October, 8pm. Diwali Celebration on Saturday 7th November. HCS Bhavan, 3 Lyndhurst Avenue, London N12 0LX. Contact Om Pathak: 020 8886 1999. l South East Gujarati Association's Navratri Program: Tuesday 13th- Thursday 22nd October. Poonam: Saturday 24th October. Asian Community Centre, Plumstead. Contact Kirit Patel: 07780 533 391. l Navratri 2015: Tuesday 13th- Thursday 22nd October. Weekdays 8pm- 11pm. Weekends 8pm- 12:30am. Sharad Poonam: Tuesday 27th October. Harrow Leisure Centre (Byron Hall), Christchurch Avenue, Harrow, Middlesex HA3 5BD. Contact: 020 8426 0678. l Shree Bavis Gam Patidar Samaj presents Navratri 2015: Tuesday 13th- Thursday 22nd October. Sharad Poonam: Friday 23rd October. Weekdays 7:30pm- 11pm. Weekends 7:30pm- 11:30pm. Oakington Manor Primary School (Front Hall), Oakington Manor Drive, Wembley, Middlesex HA9 6NF. Contact Sanjay (Gutal): 07956 920 321. l Lohanna Community North London, Navratri 2015: Tuesday 13th- Wednesday 21st October. Poonam: Monday 26th October. Dhamecha Lohana Centre, Brember Road, South Harrow, Middlesex HA2 8AX. Contact Dinesh Sonchhatra: 07956 810 647. l Navratri: Tuesday 13th- Thursday 22nd October. Sharad Purnima: Sunday 25th October. Weekdays 7:30pm- 11:30pm. Weekends 7:30pm- late. Nakshatra, Snakey Lane, Feltham TW13 7NA. Visit: www.karamsadsamaj.co.uk l PIJ Union (UK) Trust London- Navratri Garba: Tuesday 13th- Thursday 22nd October. Sharad Purnima: Tuesday 27th October. 8pm- 11pm. Oshwal Mahanwadi, 1 Campbell Road, Croydon, Surrey CR0 2SQ. Contact J.R. Patel: 01689 821 922. l Navratri: Tuesday 13th- 24th October, 7:30pm- 11pm. Grand Marquee, SKLPC Centre Northolt, India Gardens, West End Road, Northolt, Middlesex UB5 6RE. Contact Mavji Dhanji J Vekaria: 07831 430 812. l Navratri Garba: Tuesday 13th- 22nd October, from 7:30pm. Sharad Poonam: Sunday 25th October, 4pm10pm. Wanstead High School Sports Hall, Redbridge Lane West, Wanstead, London E11 2JZ. Contact Subhasbhai Thaker: 07977 939 457.

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ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 Jupiter is transiting

your work and health sector. You are likely to see benefits in these areas, as well as daily routines. Benefits may come through work itself, co-workers, or employees during this cycle. You might be especially interested in the healing arts during this cycle, such as massage or aromatherapy.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 Jupiter is transiting your creative fifth house. Your willingness to enjoy yourself and explore your creativity now brings new opportunities.. Love and romance may come into your life or an existing romance is enhanced with good humor and warmth. Pregnancy or childbirth may occur during this transit. GEMINI May 22 - June 22 Jupiter is present in Virgo,

your home and family sector. You are likely to find much joy and pleasure in your family connections and experiences during this transit. Opportunities to buy or sell real estate for financial gain may present themselves. Home improvements and renovations are also favored.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 Jupiter is now in your creative third house. Communication opportunities present themselves. During this long-term trend, neighbors or relatives could be especially helpful in your life. You express your ideas with more enthusiasm and positivity, and they are received well. LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 Jupiter in Virgo, your money, values, and possessions sector. You are likely to see and enjoy benefits to your earning power and value system. You are likely to feel more confident and enthusiastic about your earning ability. Money problems from the past may clear up during this period if you use it appropriately. VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

Jupiter’s presence in your sign is particularly beneficial and significant for you. This transit heightens your optimism and confidence. You are greeting life with a fresh and positive attitude. You have an altogether different perspective on life now, and are not fazed by anything. Furthering yourself comes easily during this transit.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

Jupiter transits your 12th house. This benefits activities that take place "behind the scenes". This is a cycle in which you become more compassionate, sensitive and get in deeper touch with these traits. Jupiter in the twelfth house is said to offer us spiritual protection. Meditation and retreats may be particularly helpful to you now. Jupiter is gracing your solar eleventh house. This transit brings benefits and fresh energy to networking activities, long-term goals and organizations in your life. Achieving your goals tends to come more easily. Income from your business or career is likely to increase. You can rely on your friends for their help and support.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

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SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 Jupiter’s presence in your solar tenth house will bring increased public recognition and professional success. This can be a time of career advancement, and success in business. Your worldly or public status may change for the better. Integrity, directness, and honesty will get you everywhere now. CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 Jupiter entering Virgo is particularly beneficial for you, as it transits your solar ninth house. You may have opportunities to travel, study, expand your horizons, and meet people who are of diverse backgrounds. Business dealings, particularly long-distance ones and those involving publicity and promotion, are likely to be profitable now Jupiter the Great Benefic in your eighth house (Virgo) of joint finances, loans, taxes, sexuality, and psychological matters will transit for quite a while. This is a time of increased accumulation of wealth if you manage your resources well. In some cases, a significant tax refund, inheritance, or other such benefit might arrive during this transit.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20 Jupiter in it’s transit is occupying your solar seventh house of partnerships. You may enjoy benefits through marriage, business partnerships, negotiations, and/or contractual agreements. Financial benefits could possibly come through partnerships. The need for freedom in your social relationships is stronger than ever.

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Rousing welcome to Pele in Kolkata AsianVoiceNews

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'Thank you Kolkata', Pele said with a broad grin as he kept on waving at the crowd standing on the floor of his car and the fans reciprocated by chanting 'Pele, Pele'.

Frenzied scenes were witnessed at the Kolkata airport when the 'king of football' Pele landed in the 'City of Joy' after 38 years as the 74-year-old Brazilian turned emotional and stood on the floor of his SUV to wave at the crowd, who kept chanting his name. As a matter of fact, only a handful of fans and scores of mediamen had turned up at the airport to witness the legend's arrival but as soon as the news trickled in about 100-odd visitors, who were there to receive their relatives, gathered soon to catch a glimpse of the 'Black Pearl' whose Emirates EK 0570 flight via Dubai landed at 8.07am. It took about 30 minutes more for the 'God of football' to complete the immigration formalities and come out of gate no 4B completing his long journey spanning more than 24 hours. Clad in a black suit and matching watch, the three-time World Cup winner, however, looked fresh as he was escorted out by state minister Firhad Hakim and the organisers.

'Thank you Kolkata', Pele said with a broad grin as he kept on waving at the crowd standing on the floor of his car and the fans reciprocated by chanting 'Pele, Pele'. Such was the crowd's response that Pele's high security convoy struggled to make its way through to the five-star hotel in Alipore where he will be staying for three days in his return to the city, 38 years after he had enthralled football fans with his team New York Cosmos in a 2-2 draw against local powerhouse Mohun Bagan in an exhibition match way back in 1977. Indian football icon Chuni Goswami received

Pele at the hotel with another former player Dipendu Biswas as he was given a traditional welcome by the students of NSHM Knowledge Campus, one of the organisers of his visit. "In a lighter vein, I asked him, 'can you play football?' to which Pele humbly replied: 'Not at all, I'm not very fit'," Goswami, a former Olympian, told reporters. "I also asked him how do you rate Messi? 'He's very close to Maradona and Pele'," he added. Pele's connect with Mohun Bagan was evident as the crowd had scores of the green and maroon fans who kept waving the

team's flag, while there was also a group of kids from Dum Dum who were seen with the Brazil national flag. "He's like 'God' to us and it's a dream come true for us to have a glimpse of him," a fan waving the Brazil flag said. Among the crowd was also a former East Bengal footballer Bhuvan Mitra, 80, who had witnessed the Mohun Bagan-Cosmos match at Eden Gardens in 1977. "I came to know about Pele so we waited to see him. It was like a double bonanza for me," Mitra, a retired banker said. There was also an Army personnel who had landed from Bagdogra and was lucky enough to get an autograph from Pele at the airport. "I greeted him in Portuguese and he called me and obliged me with two autographs," he said showing his memorabilia book which has photographs and autographs of scores of celebrities.

India lose by five runs to SA in 1st ODI

Rohit Sharma's swashbuckling knock of 150 runs off 133 deliveries went in vain as India suffered a five-run defeat against South Africa in the first of their five-match One-Day International (ODI) series at the Green Park stadium in Kanpur on Sunday. After South Africa scored 303/5 - thanks to a blistering unbeaten 104 by skipper AB de Villiers, Rohit's eighth ODI ton put India in a strong position. But after the Mumbai right-hander's departure, the visiting bowlers clawed their way back into the game to contain the home side's middle-order batsmen. Earlier, de Villiers scored his 21st century in just 73 balls as he blasted five fours and six sixes to pulverise the Indian bowlers and help his side register the highest total at the venue. Ravichandran's side strain injury further helped the visitors as the Tamil Nadu off-spinner could only bowl 4.4 overs in which he picked up a wicket and gave away just 14 runs. The visiting captain got a strong base to kick on as openers Quinton de Kock (29) and Hashim Amla (37) gave him a decent start.

After Ashwin dismissed de Kock South Africa were 45 for one in 8.4 overs. Faf du Plessis (62) joined hands with Amla to forge a 59-run partnership as the former recorded his 17th ODI 50. Leg-spinner Amit Mishra broke the partnership by bowling out Amla with a faster one and it brought de Villiers to the centre, with his team at 104/2 in 23.2 overs. The 31-year-old got into business from the word go and alongwith du Plessis, the South Africans negotiated the Indian bowling with ease. After a 48-run stand, du Plessis perished. With the score at 152/3 in 33.1 overs, left-hander David Miller came in to support his captain but the former was stumped by Mahendra Singh Dhoni off Mishra. De villiers was then joined by Jean-Paul Duminy (15) and the duo got into the act of collect-

ing quick runs with the captain already on the job having completed his halfcentury off 54 balls. In the first ball of the 46th over, Yadav forced an edge off left-hander Duminy to bring Ferhan Bahardien (35 in 19 balls) to the middle and he started hitting all around the park. De Villiers, playing his 191st match, hit a six to reach his three-figure mark and help his side cross 300. Chasing the 304-run target, Rohit and Ajinkya Rahane (60) kept India in the hunt with a 149-run stand for the second wicket. They joined hands after Shikhar Dhawan (23) fell to a leg before wicket (LBW) decision against tall pacer Morne Morkel. Both the Mumbaikars - Rohit and Rahane - used their feet to good effects at times slightly moving ahead, tucking it away and hanging back to attempt a square cut or a square

drive. Rohit played all around the park against both pacers and spinners. As the partnership ended with Rahane's fall, India were 191/2 in 33.4 overs. Rohit, later, also made good use of hook and pull shots - one six each off Morkel and Dale Steyn as he collected 13 fours and six fours during his innings even though Virat Kohli (11) was not able to support him. Skipper Dhoni (31 in 30 balls) forged a 55-run stand with Rohit as the latter was lucky to survive after wicketkeeper de Kock made a mess of a run out chance. With India at 269/3 in 46 overs, Rohit was dismissed with a return catch to leg-spinner Imran Tahir. That over changed the complexion of the match as reliable Raina (3) soon walked back to the pavilion. With 31 required off the final three overs, Dhoni and Stuart Binny (2) collected 20 runs in the next two, leaving 11 runs for the final over. However, young seamer Kagiso Rabada conceded only four runs in his first three deliveries and in the next two dismissed both the batsmen, paving the way for a five-run victory over the hosts.

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Asian Voice | 17 October 2015

FIFA ethics committee suspends Blatter, Platini for 90 days

The ethics committee of the football's governing body has suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter and his possible successor and European soccer chief UEFA Michel Platini, provisionally for 90 days. "During this time, the above individuals are banned from all football activities on a national and international level," FIFA's ethics committee said in a statement. It also handed out a 90-day suspension to FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, who had already been sent on leave, and banned former FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-joon for six years and fined him 100,000 Swiss francs ($103,000). The moves against the most powerful men in world soccer dramatically deepened the turmoil at FIFA as it faces criminal investigations in Switzerland and the United States into corruption at the highest levels of the game. "The grounds for these decisions are the investigations that are being carried out by the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee," the committee said. Swiss prosecutors last month opened a criminal investigation into Blatter over a Caribbean World Cup TV rights contract he signed, and a 2011 payment of 2 million Swiss francs ($2.07 million) to Platini.

Sania, Hingis win China Open, their 8th title together

The top Indo-Swiss doubles pair of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won their eighth title of the season, with a 6-7 (9), 6-1, 10-8 victory over Chinese Taipean pair of Hao-Ching Chan and Yung-Jan Chan in the China Open final in Beijing on Saturday. The top pair in the doubles circuit this year, needed 1 hour 41 minutes to claim the summit clash in the $4.7 million prize money tournament. They broke the first service game of their opponent’s to take an early 2-0 lead at the Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Centre. But their opponents immediately broke back to be on level terms 2-2. From there on the two team’s keenly contested and held on to their serves. The evenness extended to a tiebreaker where Sania-Martina blinked first at 9-11 to surrender the first set. Sania-Martina upped their intensity to race to a 4-1 lead in the second set and claimed it 6-1 to force the match into the third set tie-breaker. The tiebreaker was also closely fought with both teams matching each other stroke for stroke. But ultimately the Indo-Swiss duo held their nerve to claim the title at 10-8. They won 82 of the total 145 points played, a 56 per cent winning rate. The leading women’s tennis doubles pair entered the final, thumping the Chinese duo of Chen Liang and Yafan Wang 6-2, 6-3 in a one-sided clash on Friday.

Olympian boxer suspended for graft

Olympian boxer and Arjuna Award winner Jai Bhagwan, posted as an inspector in Hisar district, was placed under suspension on the charges of allegedly accepting a bribe of £1,000 from three persons who were arrested by him on gambling charges last month. Besides Jai Bhagwan, constable Anil Kumar, attached with him, is also placed under suspension.“Both Jai Bhagwan and Anil Kumar have been placed under suspension following the preliminary report by deputy superintendent of police (headquarters) who conducted an initial probe. Now, a regular probe will follow,” Hisar superintendent of police Satender Kumar Gupta said.

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Asian Voice | 17th October 2015

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India win hockey test series against NZ In the 41st minute, the game witnessed its first goal from the sticks of Ross, who collected a pass from Steve Edwards and calmly finished off the move to give New Zealand a 1-0 lead. India replied back immediately in the 43rd minute with a goal from Sunil and draw level.

India managed a 1-1 draw against New Zealand in the final hockey Test to pocket the four-match series 2-1 in Christchurch. After a goalless opening two quarters, Nick Ross broke the deadlock for New Zealand in the 41st minute. But the hosts' joy was short-lived as India equalised two minutes later through a field goal from SV Sunil (43rd). The first quarter of the game witnessed a series of attacks from the Indians, who dominated the entire session. Without wasting much time, skipper Sardar Singh broke into the hosts defence from the right flank but his attack was stopped by New Zealand's Alex Shaw. In the 11th minute India was awarded a penalty corner but Rupinder Pal Singh's

effort went off the target. New Zealand then put some pressure on the Indian defence with a long pass from Blair Tarrant, which found Nic Woods in a goal scoring position but his effort was denied by an alert Indian defence. Dying moments of the first quarter saw Akashdeep Singh get a chance to open the account

but his attempt went wide of the post. In the second quarter, the Black Sticks dominated the early part with an attack from the left side of the pitch which earned them a penalty corner, but Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh made a good save. This was followed by a counter attack from India but an unmarked Dharamvir Singh's try was blocked by New Zealand goalkeeper. Akashdeep Singh then pierced through the New Zealand defence but his attempt was thwarted as both the teams failed to open their account at the halfway break. After the change of

ends, both the teams tried hard to break the deadlock but could not find a way through. Finally in the 41st minute, the game witnessed its first goal from the sticks of Ross, who collected a pass from Steve Edwards and calmly finished off the move to give New Zealand a 1-0 lead. India replied back immediately in the 43rd minute with a goal from Sunil and draw level. The last quarter started with equal zeal as New Zealand got a great chance to take the lead in the early minutes with Simon Child running into the Indian defence but a vigilant Indian defence blocked the attack without any damage. Riding on a series of attacks, New Zealand earned a penalty corner in the 54th minute but Sreejesh dived to his left to make a brilliant save.

Super Sunday for Indian badminton Sunday turned out to be a Super Sunday for Indian badminton as the country bagged two international titles across two continents. Forgotten warrior Ajay Jayaram reminded once again of his fighting prowess when he retained the Dutch Open Grand Prix. Earlier, in the afternoon budding doubles duo of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy clinched boys doubles gold in the Badminton Asia Championships in Kudus, Indonesia. Jayaram, who surprised everyone when he stormed into the finals of the Korea Open last month, continued his rich vein of form as he outclassed Raul Must of Indonesia in straight games 21-12, 21-18. The third seeded Indian dominated the contest right from the start. He was off in a flash in the first game with a 4-0 lead and even before Must warmed up Jayaram stretched the lead to 11-6

Ajay Jayaram by the break. Thereafter, he widened the margin and won the first game at 21-12. In the second Must secured the first four points. But once Jayaram got adjusted to the drift he wiped off the deficit and maintained a healthy lead throughout the second game. The Mumbai shuttler, who trains under Tom John, was excited after defending the title. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It's been an amazing week. Delighted to have successfully defended the title. Being the highest ranked player in the tournament and having had a good run in my previous tournament, there was definitely a lot of pressure going into the tournament. But I enjoyed myself on the court,â&#x20AC;? said Jayaram, who will now move to Denmark for the Super Series Premier.