AV 18th September 2021

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE Women face an added layer of struggle when they become climate migrants SEE PAGE - 14 Hate crimes against Indian Americans continue to rise

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inside

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

18 - 24 SEPTEMBER 2021 - VOL 50 ISSUE 20

Covid-19: How confident are parents about their school-going kids?

NHS launches world’s largest trial of cancer blood test

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BJP to mark PM Modi’s 71st birthday with 20-day ‘Seva and Samarpan’ campaign SEE PAGE - 25

WHO WILL BEAR THE BRUNT?

Bhupendra Patel sworn in as the new Gujarat CM

As the NHS stands at the doorstep of a serious winter crisis, will Asian immigrant doctors bear the yoke of British healthcare once again?

Shefali Saxena With an estimated shortfall of 50,000 doctors ahead of what is expected to be one of the worst winters on record for the health service in terms of demand and backlog of care, England just 2.8 doctors per 1,000 people, in comparison to an EU average of 3.7.

A recent survey of BMA members in England found that significantly more doctors worked extra unpaid hours (45%) than paid (24%) in August, and nearly two-thirds of respondents feel the NHS is heading in the wrong direction.

Bhupendra Patel

A little over a year before next year’s assembly election, Patidar MLA Bhupendra Patel was sworn in as Gujarat chief minister on Monday by governor Acharya Devvrat at the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar.

Union home minister Amit Shah, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Goa CM Pramod Sawant and Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai were present among others for the swearing in. Shah was first to congratulate Patel after he took the oath. Putting up a show of solidarity, Patel's predecessor Vijay Rupani and former deputy chief minister Nitin Patel were also present at the ceremony.

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11 year old London boy has higher IQ than Einstein Aarav Mehta, 11, a student who attends primary school in Hampton scored 162 in Mensa test. The score that reflects IQ of a person, is considered to be highest for Aarav for under-18s. Even the great physicist Albert Einstein’s IQ is thought to be 160.

Aarav’s family recently

Dr Lakhvinder Larh Doctor- GP Dr Lakhvinder Larh has qualified as a doctor from Barts and the London University in 2002 and as a General Practitioner in 2006.

Lakhvinder is a GP Partner at the Loughton Surgery which is based in Essex.

He is also a GP Trainer and Programme Director for GP Vocational scheme in Newham and Clinical Director of Loughton, Buckhurst Hill and Chigwell Primary care network.

1. Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in?

London is an amazing city with so much to learn from its history, culture, and architecture.

2. What are your proudest achievements?

Being part of a team that supported our practices through the difficulties encountered during the height of the covid pandemic.

3. What inspires you?

The philosophy of the NHS and the concept of having a healthcare system which is accessible and free at the point of use for anyone that needs it.

4. What has been biggest obstacle in your career?

Rationing in the NHS can be challenging and with so many new advancements in medicine it is difficult to maintain a fair system for everyone.

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

My GP trainer helped me realise we all have the ability to influence change and dream big.

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

As a GP, I have the privilege of being able to develop a trusting relationship with people which will allow them to share their deepest thoughts and feelings with me.

7. And the worst?

My role as PCN Clinical Director is a great opportunity to improve health outcomes for my patients but due to the time commitment I am less able to provide the service myself.

8. What are your long-term goals?

To manage patients holistically and being able to offer care that can address their physical, mental and social wellbeing.

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

Provide the resources needed to overcome the health and social care divide that exist in the NHS. 10. If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?

Abraham Lincoln, I would ask him.

What was the secret of his success when dealing with people?

UK to spearhead Europe-wide initiative to reduce sugar and calorie intake The UK has been chosen by the World Health Organization (WHO) to lead a new Sugar and Calorie Reduction Network to take global action on sugar and calorie reduction.

Speaking at the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty announced the formation of the network, which will work with countries across Europe to reduce sugar and calorie intake. The WHO’s EU region covers around 50 countries, with a much wider reach than the European Commission’s remit.

The UK has agreed to use its world-leading exper-

tise in domestic sugar and calorie reduction to support its European neighbours.

Work will take place with the food and drink industry to make their products healthier by reducing sugar content in products high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS), helping to tackle global rates of obesity.

In a global market where food is increasingly supplied by the same international companies, collective action on reducing sugar and calories will galvanise the food industry to take greater and faster action. The network’s member states will share learning and technical expertise to encourage manufacturers to reformulate products by cutting the

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amount of sugar, and therefore calories, in food and drinks to ensure they are healthier.

The network will support the UK government’s key existing commitments to the sugar and calorie reduction programmes and take tackling obesity onto the global stage as part of its Tackling Obesity strategy, published last year. These programmes challenge the food industry across the UK to reduce the sugar and calorie in foods most commonly consumed by children. The UK has seen good progress with its sugar reduction programme – with sugar reduced by 13% in breakfast cereals, yoghurts and fromage frais.

moved to Carlshton from Isleworth and Aarav is currently studying year 7 at Wilson’s Grammar School in

Wallington.

To get into a high IQ society you have to score in the top 2% of the population.

Aarav scored in the top 1%.

Aarav was the youngest at the 2 and half hour test in a room of 20. He did not have many expectations, but the results amazed him and his family.

Government to take tougher stand on nuisance calls, texts and cookie warning The measures of tougher penalties are being considered for the UK’s data landscape at a 10-week consultation.

Currently, ICO can fine up to GBP500,000 for nuisance communications.

Ministers are trying to align it with the General Data

Protection Regulation (GDPR) which has a penalty of GBP17.5 million. The ICO wants to reduce the number of complaints which currently stands at 65,000.

Elizabeth Denham, outgoing Information Commissioner had earlier urged her G7 counterparts

to restrict irritating cookie notices. She has asked the government to ensure a legislative framework that would ensure people’s data is not used in more novel ways.

The government says they want to remove unnecessary barriers to responsible data use.

London mayor announces extra funding to tackle race hate crimes as they soar heavily during the pandemic Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced an additional £400,000 for a grassroots fund to help communities counter-extremism, hate crime and stop the radicalisation of vulnerable Londoners.

According to Met police figures, overall race hate offences have risen by 15% for the year ending Apr’20Mar’21 as compared to the

previous year. But for those from East and South-East backgrounds, it increased by 179% during the coronavirus crisis as racists assaulted people from Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese heritage.

According to Khan, the projects supported last year have directly benefited 250,000 people and reached

more than 600,000 altogether and this additional investment will allow it to reach many thousands more.

Asylum seekers will be housed till 2025 at controversial Napier Barrack huts UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has revealed that they would continue using Napier Barracks, the disused army accommodation in Kent, to house asylum seekers for four more years than originally planned.

The building which was used as contingency accommodation to house asylum

seekers during the pandemic was under controversy when in February the inspection report described them as dispirited and unsuitable for occupying day and night for many months, as it made many residents feel unsafe and made them suffer from poor mental health.

However, Priti Patel has

said her department has significantly improved conditions there since the inspection. Apart from facilities like individual lights, CCTV, outdoor seating and tables, sports and recreational activities and onsite dentistry, the length of stay has been restricted between 6090 days.

Priti Patel preparing to send back small boats carrying migrants in the channel Despite warnings from French authorities that it

could endanger lives, the Home office issued a statement that border forces are being trained to employ turnaround tactics at sea under plans developed for two years.

The proposal has been rejected by the French government by a letter from interior minister Gerald D a r m a n i n .

Darmanian says they have agreed with the UK to double the Anwar who appeared in pri- number of forces vate at Edinburgh Sheriff Court deployed at the chanmade no plea and was remand- nel coast and the UK’s ed for police custody on the offer for a plane to charge of wife’s murder. Faiza monitor the coast, Javed was a solicitor from but, they have rejected Pudsey. the suggestion to form

Husband murders solicitor wife, days after wedding Kashif Anwar, 27, has been charged with the murder of his wife Faiza Javed, 31 at Scotland’s iconic landmark Arthur’s seat on 26th August.

The couple who resided in Pudsey had been travelling to Scotland for two days. It was only a few days since their wedding. Faiza died in Edinburgh after falling from Arthur’s seat. At 9 pm, police and emergency services were called. They declared her dead soon after.

a single force between the two countries to stop people smugglers.

While 828 migrants crossed the channel last month, 785 had crossed on Monday. The number of those crossing the channel has been at a record high of 13,500 this year.

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18 - 24 September 2021

Britain and the world we want Emma Raducanu has awakened the debate of multiculturalism in Britain. In a pleasant surprise, anti-immigrant and Brexiteer Nigel Farage, the former UKIP leader has congratulated Raducanu, despite his own alleged reservations against the Romanian community and its associated crime rates. Raducanu, whose twitter profile celebrates her multicultural roots, was born in Canada, grew up in the UK, and has a Chinese mother and Romanian father.

Adil Ray in his show spoke about how success is now related to Raducanu’s British heritage and immigrants are associated with menial jobs otherwise. The comment of course raised eyebrows but Britain’s relationship with race-relationship has always been complex, there is no denial.

Britain that conquered half the world, despite decolonising, hung on to that neo-colonial spirit. Immigrants such as Asians were brought to the UK, to work in factories, that were byproducts of Britain’s industrial revolution. But the same communities have risen to success, creating one of the biggest conglomerates, hotels, companies, and multinational corporations.

While the majority is in acceptance and integration of other nationalities into the “Britishood”, occasionally few continue to denigrate immigrants as “lesser being”.

Let us look at the UK's economy. Mr Johnson who just lost his mother was meant to make his winter announcements on Tuesday. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced the next Budget on 27 October, which will conclude the Spending Review. It will be Mr Sunak's third Budget since he became Chancellor and reportedly comes as the UK continues to deal

with the financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

It also comes as the government announces what Institute for Fiscal Studies director Paul Johnson called "the biggest tax rising year in many decades" after the Prime Minister set out tax changes to raise £12bn a year for social care.

With Brexit and trade mayhem, the country faces acute food shortage and job vacancies are at a record high too. It has surged over an all-time high over a million and all industry sectors are now affected. Over the last three months it has increased by 54%. The tourism industry is on the brink of collapse and a Winter lockdown threatens it further. BMA has said there is a shortage of 50,000 doctors, while the NHS is severely lagging with appointments and as Covid surges, the burden on the healthcare system is insurmountable.

According to the Climate Change Committee, Britain is experiencing widespread changes in the climate; average land temperature has risen by around 1.2°C from pre-industrial levels, UK sea levels have risen by 16cm since 1900 and episodes of extreme heat or rain are becoming more frequent.

Britain is hosting COP26 in Glasgow and India has also committed to the world’s climate change action. Of course, developing nations, despite having the heart in the right place, cannot cope with the cost of technology required to have sustainable development. As the earth heats up by a critical 1.5 degree Celsius, the threat of a catastrophe is imminent.

So it is about time we get our house in order. Britain must set an example- otherwise this world as we know of it, may cease to be!

A much-awaited awakening?

The internet has been taken by storm with Afghan women’s photos, fighting Taliban’s hijab mandate, across the world, wearing colourful traditional clothes. This came right after the twenty years anniversary of 9/11- the terrorist attack that changed the face of geopolitics. Since the Cold War tensions have been polarised between the US and Russia. China kept lurking somewhere in the background, as tensions grew.

Al Qaeda was formed in Afghanistan when the Soviet Union invaded it. Osama Bin Laden, who belonged to a rich Saudi family, travelled to Afghanistan to fight a war against the Soviets. In 1996, bin Laden issued his first fatwa, calling for American soldiers to leave Saudi Arabia.

In his second fatwa, in 1998, bin Laden outlined his disapproval of American foreign policy with respect to Israel, as well as the omnipresence of the American troops in Saudi Arabia, especially after the Gulf War. Bin Laden thereafter used Islamic texts to encourage young and especially educated Muslims to attack America until their stated grievances were taken notice of.

That was the beginning of planning and orchestrating attacks in America in 2001. Years of demands, poured into hatred that killed almost 3000 and injured over 6000, and defamed a community, whose contributions were entirely forgotten about.

This was followed by the 7/7 bombing in London and 26/11 in Mumbai.

The horror hasn’t ended. People since 9/11 have lived with cancer and respiratory diseases. Many suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The longest wars in American history soon started in Afghanistan and Iraq, and are now just ending.

But it also sparked domestic wars on laws on terrorism, surveillance laws and scrutiny leading to creation of the Guantanamo

Bay. Of course these attacks brought out the best and worst in humanity. While people grew more empathetic, caring and supportive of their communities, hatred and faith related racism trebled.

MECO (Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford), a progressive and forward-looking organisation, in common with many thinking Muslims throughout the UK, is horrified at the non-democratic seizure of power by Taliban militants in Afghanistan.

They think the pernicious fanaticism and toxic theology must be exposed as entirely contrary to pristine Qur'anic Islam.

So the organisation is calling people to show opposition to all forms of religious Taliban mullahs by participating in the unprecedented Muslim-organised protest outside No 10 Downing Street on Saturday, 18th September 2021 from 10 am till 3pm.

In a statement, they said, progressive and forward-looking Muslims, along with other right-minded citizens in society, need to be in the vanguard of this trailblazing anti-Taliban protest. They are asking Muslims in particular to be vocal and visible in denouncing the Taliban's blatant misrepresentation of Islam's sacred scripture and its brazen violation of fundamental human rights. This timely protest is a historic first for the British Muslim community in denouncing the tyrannical Taliban.

Taliban may have changed, but the fear instilling methods aren’t a sign of progression for any nation. Neither treating women the way they do has ever helped any country. A revolution always needs to start from within one's own community.

Perhaps this protest is the awakening that is much awaited?

The changing scenario of politics under PM Modi The Indian politics has undergone a fundamental transformation. This has been fuelled by demographic changes such as multi-fold increase in the middle class, penetration of social media, withering among old hierarchies and systematic changes in the nature of electoral competition among others. The social and geographical expansion of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2014 has altered the political landscape resulting in further marginalisation of the Congress, the decimation of the Left Front and the decline in strength of the state-level parties.

Similarly, as the BJP made gains across the board, various voting blocs curated in the past along the lines of caste and class also seem to have melted in the saffron colour.

After Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India, he realised that popularity and caste are two important factors in winning an election. The assembly elections in many states are due in next year and the BJP under Modi's leadership has changed chief ministers of Karnataka, Uttarakhand and now in Gujarat. The assembly elections in West Bengal taught the BJP a bitter lesson. Without a popular leader, no election can be won.

In Bengal BJP did not have a popular face to project as the CM face. Though PM Modi, Amit Shah and all other big leaders of BJP campaigned for the party candidates in the state they could not beat Mamata Banerjee. Now the BJP is changing unpopular CMs and entrusting the leadership in the hands of popular leaders. In Gujarat former CM Vijay Rupani was a not a controversial man, but lacked charisma to attract voters to the party. Modi also realised that uplifting the conditions of the OBC and other backward class people also will pay good dividends. In Gujarat, many Patel leaders were not happy with the functioning of the BJP. Earlier, Patels were having a major say in the politics of the state.

Lately they were being ignored for the top post in the administration. Though Congress is a spent force in Gujarat, the Aam Aadmi Party of Aravind Kejriwal was making inroads in the state

by exploiting the Patel disenchantment. All these factors farced Modi to bring in popular Patel leader as the new chief minister of Gujarat.

The Indian economy under Modi has also gained much progress. Under GST India has been brought under one tax system. The revenue collection also improved under GST which helped in improving the economic conditions of marginalised people. Digitisation and other reforms gained momentum.

Under Modi India's standing among world also improved. Modi has become one of the most popular leaders of the world. The one- to- one meeting between PM Modi and US president Joe Biden scheduled to take place in the fourth week of September is a testimony of Modi's standing among the world leaders. During the meeting Biden, Modi, the Japanese PM and Australian PM will discuss the issues plaguing the world. Afghanistan and China will also figure predominantly in their deliberations. India has become one of the top producers of defence goods. Earlier, India had to depend on others for all its defence needs. Now, India is producing a large number defence good and even exporting defence items to other countries. All these was possible because of the strong steps India has taken in the field. Even private sector is allowed to join the defence sector now.

Many Indians seem to believe that PM Modi is a kind of messiah who will solve all their problems. A survey by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), a Delhi-based think tank, a third of BJP voters said they would have supported another party if PM Modi was not the prime ministerial candidate during the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Modi is the most popular politician in India since Indira Gandhi. "This tells you how much this vote was for Modi, more than the BJP. The 2019 election was all about Modi's leadership above all else," Milan Vaishnav, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, said.

If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely. — Roald Dahl

Alpesh Patel

What To Do When Your Dharma is Attacked Many of you have told me recently you feel your faith, or you personally are under attack. The attacks come from academia and of course social media.

Several things to remember: Not all academics are created equal. There is a push in academia for career-saving TV shows and publicity.

They thrive off baiting. It makes their otherwise anonymity seem career relevant. They’re attention seeking paranoia: where everyone is part of some Hindu Illuminati Taliban is best served by a psychiatrist not a lawyer.

There is genuine analysis of Hinduism, critical, that is done for instance at Oxford University - Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. I’ve hosted academics at our Gala Dinner and the Vice Chancellor who in their speeches spoke of the merits of genuine enquiry. This is of a wholly different calibre to publicity seeking social media tweets intended to provoke not debate but the worst in humanity.

Then there is the hatred of the faith because it is not another faith. I see on TikTok Hindus explaining their faith with immense eloquence and patience and receiving hatred from people claiming to be from another faith. A roll of the eyes and shrug of the shoulders is the best way to deal with such comments – they are intended to bring out the worst in you – to incite anger. Remember the Gita, equanimity and control of the mind is the mark of a Hindu.

Even Krishna directed Arjun to battles worthy of fighting. Is your adversary worthy? A token fringe academic in a non-serious subject spending more time on social media than the library, is not endorsed by a University just because their salary is paid by it.

Do not be fooled by the liberal use of the University’s name, any more than I saying to you that as a Former Visiting Fellow at Corpus Christi College Oxford, I write this letter with the authority of an Oxford academic and I say I find the best in humanity and it’s wisdom in my dharma time and again.

What then of social media trolls who are racist?

Should we not have the same uproar for the hatred Hindus face on social media? First, all hatred is deplorable, whether based on race or religion. Second, it takes a fool three seconds to make a post on social media, and a response takes endless replies and back and forth. Is it worth your time?

If you feel a law is being broken on hate speech, then report it to the police.

What is worth your time and energy, is practicing your faith and instead of claiming to be the best (which would in itself not be very Hindu) but rather find the best in your faith. Provide support to other Hindus who trolls wish to prize away from their faith, who trolls, academic or otherwise, wish to have deny their faith.

Ours is a faith in which Einstein and Oppenheimer and Twain found immense awe and beauty – a solitary troll with two followers is not worth your time.

Would I put before an academic troll the Upanishads, the Gita, the Mahabharat, the Vedas, the Ramayan? This same question of what to do with ‘haters’ was asked of Christ and his view is telling, “do not put pearls before swine”.

Would I really explain to someone who thinks any defence of Hinduism is some extremist view, the words of renowned respected Cosmologist, Carl Sagan, “The Hindu religion is the only one of the world’s great faiths dedicated to the idea that the Cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite, number of deaths and rebirths. It is the only religion in which the time scales correspond to those of modern scientific cosmology. Its cycles run from our ordinary day and night to a day and night of Brahma, 8.64 billion years long. Longer than the age of the Earth or the Sun and about half the time since the Big Bang.”

Continued on page 9

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Virendra Sharma MP calls on the Government to Ban so-called ‘virginity tests’ and hymenoplasty Virendra Sharma MP has joined a cross-party coalition of MPs and women’s rights organisations in backing New Clause 1 & 2 to the Health and Care Bill, to ban so-called ‘virginity testing’ and the practice of hymen ‘repair’ surgery.

So-called ‘virginity tests’ and the practice of hymen ‘repair’ surgery are both currently legal and are being conducted by doctors in the UK to ‘check’ or ‘restore’ the virginity of a woman, often prior to an arranged marriage.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that so-called ‘virginity testing’ is: “A violation of the victim’s human rights and is associated with both immediate and long-term consequences that are detrimental to her physical, psychological and social wellbeing.”

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) strongly oppose the practices of virginity test-

ing and hymenoplasty on the grounds that neither is medically required in any circumstance and support both the new clauses.

Virendra Sharma MP said: “Women and girls deserve to grow up free from notions of ‘breaking their womanhood’ so they ‘bleed on their wedding night’. These traumatic practices have no basis in medical science, harm women and girls and perpetuate dangerous myths of ‘purity’.

“We must act now to stop both ‘virginity testing’ and hymen ‘repair’ surgery. That’s why I am backing New Clause 1&2 to the Health and Care Bill as I call on the Government to end this violence against women and girls for good”.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said: “We are very concerned that women are either being coerced into having these procedures or feel pres-

Sadiq Khan promotes The London Community Foundation Last week, London Mayor Sadiq Khan don't the London refugee response to meet the needs of refugees in the city.

This appeal has been set up with leadership from the Mayor of London, London councils and charitable funders from across London to give Londoners a way to provide much-needed support to new arrivals from Afghanistan who are potential refugees, and people seeking asylum from countries living in London.

The foundation is requesting donations in order to be to enable local community partners with experience and expertise in working in and with Afghan communities and working with refugees, and people seeking asylum to meet these long term needs, and ensure that people are supported to rebuild their lives.

The London Community Foundation is managing this fundraising appeal as part of the London refugee response collaboration. The

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foundation will work in partnership with other funders to direct funds to charitable organisations in the capital, supporting Afghan refugees.

In a statement, the Mayor of London said, “London is a city built by people from every background from every corner of our world. We have a proud history of standing for others. That's why I have launched a new website that makes it even easier to help.

Right now we are raising money to help our new neighbours, rebuild their lives in the city.”

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surised into having them so they can bleed during sex and can demonstrate they are a virgin on their wedding night.

“The RCOG and the RCM want to see both virginity testing and hymenoplasty banned in the UK. This will send a clear message that there is no place in the medical world for these procedures and that women deserve the right to have ownership over their own sexual and reproductive health.”

Natasha Rattu, Executive Director of Karma Nirvana said: “We believe that every woman deserves the right to make any decision about her body – free from shame, stigma or discrimination, without pressure to subscribe to ‘gender-based societal norms’, and without fear of harm. This is why we are working in partnership with Virendra Sharma MP to bring forward new legislation to end virginity testing and hymenoplasty to help break the ‘virginity myth’.”

British Asian Covid scientist’s firm all set to make millions A group of British Covid Scientists are all set to make millions. The biotech firm they founded unveiled plans for the £2.3 billion stock market float.

The Daily Mail reported Gordon Sanghera, Hagan Bayley and Spike Wilcox could make up to £150 million if their firm Oxford Nanopore tops the predicted value. Oxford Nanopore head to sequence the virus that causes Covid-19 in 2020. This firm is valued at £2.3 billion by investors, but analysts believe that could top £4 billion.

Oxford Nanopore has its headquarters in Oxford Science Park but also has

Gordon Sanghera

offices in Shanghai, Beijing, and San Francisco. It was awarded £113 million testing contract by the government in July.

Deserve to be heard Women’s Aid launched Deserve To Be Heard, a new campaign, to highlight the devastating impact of domestic abuse on the mental health of women and their children.

Farah Nazeer, chief executive of Women’s Aid launched the national campaign in parliament with support from the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, to highlight women’s needs and the urgency of ensuring that funding for specialist domestic abuse services includes the costs of mental health support. They delivered a letter to PM Boris Johnson on behalf of Women’s Aid patron and domestic abuse survivor, Melanie Brown, with a heartfelt plea for him to listen, and respond effectively, to the needs of survivors.

New statistics, released

by Women’s Aid, reveal that 45.6% of women in refuge services reported feeling depressed or having suicidal thoughts as a direct result of the domestic abuse they had experienced.

However, Women’s Aid research - The Domestic Abuse Report 2021: the Annual Audit - revealed that fewer than 1 in 5 refugees (15.2%) have trained mental health support workers, despite the clear need for this support.

Despite the introduction of the statutory funding allocated in the Domestic Abuse Act, domestic abuse services are still chronically underfunded. Women’s Aid estimates that at least £409 million is needed next year to run the specialist domestic abuse services across England, with a current shortfall of over £200 million.

Lung Cancer Patients To Get Breakthrough Drug on NHS NHS lung cancer patients will be the first in Europe to be offered a revolutionary new drug that stops tumours growing by targeting the so-called “Death Star” mutation.

The cutting-edge therapy Sotorasib will be fasttracked to NHS patients after being proven in clinical trials to stop lung cancer growing for seven months.

The drug’s adoption by NHS follows a 40 year search for a treatment for the mutation on the KRAS gene, present in a quarter of all tumours, which has been dubbed the “Death Star” because of its spherical appearance and impenetrable nature.

Around 600 NHS lung cancer patients, a year will be given the drug initially in England, starting in the next few weeks thanks to an early-access deal.

It is the first treatment of its kind and could represent a major breakthrough in treatments for some of the world’s other deadliest cancers including pancreatic and colorectal cancers.

The announcement is the latest in a series of recent drug deals that NHS England has secured including a cholesterollowering jab which will be made available to hundreds of thousands of NHS patients, expected to prevent around 55,000 heart

attacks in the next three years.

Newly approved by the MHRA, the NHS will begin to offer the new drug within weeks to eligible lung cancer patients, following a national access agreement reached with the manufacturer Amgen.

NHS England, NICE and manufacturer Amgen have reached an agreement to enable early access to sotorasib for eligible lung cancer patients in England on a budget-neutral basis to the NHS while NICE completes its ongoing appraisal.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “The UK is leading the world in rolling out new life-saving treatments so patients can access them as early as possible.

“This ground-breaking new drug which stops lung tumours growing will make a difference to people across England and boosts our efforts to get people the treatment they need.

“We have provided record investment to tackle the NHS backlog and thanks to the hard work of staff, almost half a million people were checked for cancer in June and July among the highest numbers on record - and more than 50,000 people started treatment for cancer in the same period, a 32% increase on this time last year.”

£200,000 spent on hiring of bureaucrats by NHS According to The Telegraph, the NHS is hiring an army of 42 new executives on salaries of up to 270,000 pounds each, as Boris Johnson faces mounting anger over his tax rise to fund healthcare. The report suggests that over £9 million will be spent to employ dozens of chief executives of the new integrated care boards. Most of whom will earn more than the Prime Minister.

Quoting the Health Secretary Sajid Javid, Telegraph, said that he

promised on Wednesday, he would be watchful for any waste of the £12 billion a year tax revenue but has yet to fully explain how the money will be spent. This has left the senior Tory MPs appalled as they struggle to understand why would they be paying a mega tax for legions of new managers. A media report suggests that each of these professionals will be paid an average of £223,000 with seven of them advertising salaries of £270,000 or 80% more than the Prime Minister earns.

Prince Andrew served with a lawsuit According to a court ruling on Friday, it was reported that Britain's Prince Andrew has been served with a lawsuit by a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting and battering her two decades ago.

An affidavit was filed in the US District Court in Manhattan.

This has been forwarded to the Prince’s legal team. Prince Andrew’s lawyers have not commented on this development yet.

Prince Andrew has continued to deny these allegations. In an interview with

the BBC, he had said, “I can absolutely categorically tell you, it's never happened.”

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18 - 24 September 2021

Vedanta Hedging

CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY Helps 28,000 to recover £2.5bn

ABHISHEK SACHDEV CEO, Vedanta Hedging Ltd am incredibly humbled to be celebrating with our team, Vedanta Hedging’s 10-year anniversary. Over the last decade, we have helped nearly 28,000 businesses with hedging problems or advice. Many have asked us how the company started and what my personal journey has been.

After graduating Summa Cum Laude in Economics from Durham University I was headhunted by Lloyds Banking Group Plc to join their Executive Leadership programme.

Inevitably, I found myself in the dealing room within the

I

CB Patel & Abhishek Sachdev Feb 2013

Bank’s investment bank where I was helping corporates to manage their interest rate and foreign currency risk management. In simple terms this meant helping borrowers from the bank to make sure they were protected from rising interest rates, as well as importers/exporters to give them certainty on the rates they would buy or sell currency at.

What struck me was that all of these corporates were often hanging on my every word. First, I thought this was due to my engaging presentation skills but I then realised it's because for this specific type of risk management - there was simply no-else advising the business. All of the clients I met had solicitors and accountants; and often finance brokers too. But neither of these professions had a detailed understanding of hedging nor were they regulated by the FCA to be able to advise on them.

In 2011 this thought germinated into a willingness to take a leap of faith (supported by my mentor Truett Tate) to set up my own advisory firm. I decided to call the business Vedanta Hedging. The name ‘Vedanta’ means ‘ultimate truth and knowledge’ in Sanskrit. My vision was to demystify and bring transparency to what can be an opaque area of everyday banking. It sounds unbelievable even today, that there is no other business in the UK which is FCA authorised to advise all types of corporate on hedging. In all other parts of business life there is at least some price transparency; such as in accountancy fees, legal fees, finance broker fees, life insurance, fire insurance. But in this niche area of derivatives for interest rate and FX hedging there was effectively no way that even a large firm could check the real-time live price of the hedging they were being quoted by the bank.

In the summer of 2011, I was chosen by my Guru and Spiritual teacher, Morari Bapu to attend a 9-day religious seminar or ‘Katha’ held at the sacred Mount Kailas in the Himalayas. It was here that I asked Bapu to sign the incorporation certificate for Vedanta Hedging Ltd. My initial objective was to earn enough just to cover my fixed costs of the specialist banking software and FCA regulation I needed (c£50k). To try and reduce all of my costs and overheads, my wife Rupa and I sold our flat and moved in with my parents. Here, I started Vedanta by working on our family dining table, and remember the hassle of having to pack away (confidential!) client files twice a day as we ate lunch and dinner.

Initially, as I spoke to SMEs, they said that my service would be helpful when they next entered into hedging, but please could I help them with what they had entered into

Bapu and the Sachdev family

already with the bank prior to 2009. I looked at some of these agreements and was shocked to find that some borrowers had been given a 5yr loan with a 30 year fixed rate (swap) attached to it. It's like buying a Ford Fiesta, but being forced to take out insurance for a Ferrari!

I then approached my regulator, the FCA about this.

Unfortunately, the call centre advisors I spoke to didn't know what I was talking about (even though the FCA were my regulator, and indeed the banking regulator supposed to be protecting businesses from how these were sold!). I then reached out to my ex-school friend Matt Warman (who is now an MP) who was a Telegraph journalist. He referred me to his banking colleague Harry Wilson. I met Harry in December 2011. After a few months of research and corroboration, Harry started a series of articles in the Telegraph from February 2012 about this issue - starting with the misselling of a fish and chip shop called ‘Winking Willys’ in Scarborough.

At this point I was going to Westminster a few times a week to meet many MPs who had been hearing complaints of these issues affecting their constituents for a few years and couldn't resolve them. In March 2012, the FSA contacted me and asked my colleague Martin and I to advise them on

what these products were, how they were sold in practice and how they should be sold to SMEs. We were actually paid a modest fee also by the FCA for this advice.

When we first went to meet the FCA, I did feel somewhat ‘proud’ that my regulator was paying me to advise them. However, as I sat round the table and saw the different ‘silos’ of the FCA and began to hear their questions that pride turned to sadness because I felt these poor regulators would be like lambs to the slaughter when trying to negotiate remediation with the banks. I said to them that I genuinely felt sorry for their predicament - because if they helped all of the borrowers to genuinely recover all of their losses the cost to the banks would run into many billions of

pounds. At the same time, the FSA had a ‘dual’ mandate at this time of preserving the ‘health and stability’ of the financial sector - hence the conflict.

On the 29th June 2012, I remember being interviewed live on Sky TV about the Interest Rate Hedging Product Review (IRHP) that had just been announced by the FSA that morning. From this point on there has been a whirlwind of

Channel 4 news interview photo with Abhishek

activity in trying to force banks to fairly compensate businesses. The FCA Review considered nearly 28,000 SMEs and approximately £2.5bn has been paid out as a result of this IRHP Review. Perhaps a form of direct quantitative easing into the pockets of SMEs...

Since then, my team and I have been able to speak on BBC News, ITV News, Channel 4, Radio 4, The Times, The Telegraph, the FT and of course Asian Voice on several occasions to try and explain simply the problem caused by banks.

It has at times been a tough journey, and we’ve often had to work 7-days a week sacrificing social & family life. I could have only achieved this with the support of my family and especially my wife, Rupa Sachdev.

Sadly, there are many businesses both small and large, who had to litigate, or in fact were simply not able to challenge their bank. I had to face the devastating news of some clients even committing suicide due to the shame they felt within their (Asian) families, because their family blamed them for entering into these agreements with the bank.

These tragic events happened before the banks paid out compensation to these SMEs, which would have of course vindicated these individuals. The reality is that the true losses of being mis-sold a derivative can be truly catastrophic.

Imagine entering into a £1m loan with a bank, and then being told that to repay it early, or refinance, would cost £350k; a staggering 35% of the loan amount - who could possibly afford this? This is why even some of the largest property firms, hoteliers, care home owners and PLCs globally have been affected by this; including Councils which we have also assisted. Some of these claims have been as large as £1bn.

Bapu’s blessings have allowed us to donate 10% of all of our profits to charity since we started, which culminated in Vedanta Hedging hosting Bapu’s Ram Katha in Khadagada, Rajasthan in May 2019 which provided food for nearly 300,000 local villagers.

The banks are better behaved today but our job of trying to provide transparency is as important as ever, because the banks often appear to be providing detailed information to borrowers but often there are subtle but important nuances which can trip up the borrower. A live example of this right now is how some banks are forcing borrowers to move from LIBOR to SONIA but not giving them the most suitable options. We continue to try and help borrowers daily with this and advice on hedging and fixing their borrowing.

Do not hesitate to give us a call.

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18 - 24 September 2021

WHO WILL BEAR THE BRUNT? Continued from page 1 Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said that the NHS is heading in the wrong direction is unsurprising and the current draft of the Health and Social Care Bill carries significant risks and fails to properly address the problems the NHS is currently facing. He also mentioned that many now considering leaving the NHS, further depleting the NHS of expert talent.

“Winter is an incredibly difficult time for the health service, and we just about made it through last year with the demands of Covid-19 on top of usual pressures. With flu season on the horizon and even fewer staff this time round, it’s a total unknown as to how well our services will cope – if they even cope at all. And this is before we even consider the enormous backlog of care generated by the pandemic,” Dr Nagpaul said.

NHS backlog and work pressure There are two types of backlogs. One is an elective backlog, which includes all those procedures which have been postponed for a long time. The other backlog means cases of diabetes, cataract, chronic diseases, and those routine checks, which were stopped during the pandemic. For instance, there'll be people with diabetes who haven't been checked for two years.

Speaking to Asian Voice about the backlog and its impact on ethnic minority doctors of Asian origin, Dr Partha Kar, NHS England’s Diabetes lead and National Advisor for Medical Workforce based on Racial Equality said, “There is a huge amount

Dr Partha Kar

of work pressure coming. One of the issues with the people who come from our community is there's no risk fight. There's been no break, people have fought with Covid, and suddenly, they have to deliver amid the backlog and work harder. But I think the added focus for people from our community is that they haven't been home for nearly two years.

Breaks are going to be quite important for their own mental health. The risk of those leaves being cancelled is going to cause a pretty big issue. With the continued added pressure, there is a possibility that winter might be quite hard for us.”

Addressing how this backlog may impact trainee doctors, he said, “When you talk about trainees, one of the big things for them is direct training has anyway slipped away, because of Covid,” and they have not been able to operate in a supervised atmosphere because in urgency, seniors need to take charge and trainees can only stand and watch.

“There is a degree of concern amongst trainees, about how will this actually translate into actual practice. I think there is a huge period of uncertainty at the moment,” Dr Kar said.

Training and career progression take a hit He also mentioned that there's no clarity about the training and career progression.

“It is an added double whammy where there is differential attainment based on where you come from. Ethnicity does tend to drive where you get to. So does this push things back? Or is this an opportunity for people to say, well, here's a reset? You can use this opportunity to make it a little bit more level playing field. I would be interested in interacting with the colleges to especially when the plan comes out to see how it translates to make sure you're not perpetuating the problems that have been there. There are other issues when you are under pressure, that this doesn't translate into any form of bullying of your juniors. The idea would be not to do it to anybody and make sure that everybody is protected,” Dr Kar explained.

Dr Chandra Kanneganti, GP, BIDA Chair, Conservative Councillor, Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent City told Asian Voice,

Dr.Chandra Kanneganti

“The backlog in NHS is affecting everyone.

GPs are overwhelmed with patients waiting for their appointments. The UK has the sedans worst doctor numbers in Europe, and we are short of doctors in every speciality. As the number of immigrant doctors has come down due to Covid, we are seeing more problems with the backlog. The UK may have to step up increasing medical students’ places and encouraging doctors to come here by streamlining the immigration process and examinations for them to practice here.”

Commenting on the backlog, Dr Ashraf Chohan MBBS FRCS, Chairman Conservative Friends of NHS, told us, “The UK is facing severe shortages of doctors at all levels. The government has announced a 5.4

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billion pounds injection which will go to social care. The government has announced another boost of 8 billion that will address the backlog. The backlog unfortunately hasn’t been defined yet. I have heard that Orthopaedic and Trauma and Ophthalmology only constitute 900,000 patients waiting for appointments.

Cardiology and gastroenterology make up 500,000. The National Foundation has assessed that to deal with this backlog, an extra 4000 full-time doctors may be required.

“Surgical specialities are the worst affected in terms of piling up a backlog because of cancellations of routine surgeries. Cancer Care has also been affected to some extent. the government is now paying due attention.

Racial attacks on BAME doctors are not common but must be condemned. Racial discrimination should be considered a crime and dealt with by criminal law; that’s the only way to stop it. The government’s steps by boosting money injection for social care and NHS to deal with backlog are in the right direction and Boris Johnson must be praised for his bold and unpopular steps.”

Terrible pressure on the acute sector In a detailed conversation with Asian Voice, Dr Rahul Mukherjee, Lead Consultant Physician for Respiratory Medicine and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, University Hospitals Birmingham, explained

Dr Rahul Mukherjee

that there is a big move on prioritising the acute sector, with the government's longterm strategy of trying to privatise a large part of the NHS GP, under which, a hospital will basically provide acute and emergency care as a priority. Everything else can wait.

He said, “Covid-19 has created terrible pressure on the acute sector. For example, this winter can be terrible, again. The biggest issue is that the government is wanting to say that we will have to now create bespoke arrangements.

“I'm a respiratory physician. The number of patients I can see in the clinic is half because I only see right relatively complex respiratory patients and they all need Lung Function tests. Whenever they have a Lung Function Test and a machine trial, that room must be left empty and needs to be sanitised.

“GPs are being expected to do as many consultations as possible over the phone.

That will mean is there will be even bigger waiting lists for hospitals because patients are now not being able to see a GP. “There are ambulance queues, even in the peak summer and not being able to deliver patients,” he mentioned.

Foreign v/s British Addressing how immigrant doctors will survive this backlog, Dr Mukherjee, said that Asian doctors must make a very clear distinction between overseas graduates and British graduates.

“If you look at the 28% overseas qualified Asian doctors like me, they are three times more likely to be working in hospitals or in inner-city GP areas. The concentration of Asian doctors in London as GPs will be much higher. That would give you the picture that wherever there is deprivation, higher disease burden, you have got much more Asian GPs. So Asian doctors who qualified overseas, are absolutely at the frontline, and they are disproportionately represented.

“So, if you hypothetically, find 20 out of 200 qualified Asian GPs online, you will find 90 out of 200 Asian doctors who will deal with acute diseases. So, the proportion of Asian doctors in the undesirable specialities is higher and this is exactly what happens in any society,” Dr Mukherjee added.

He went on to say, “I landed in this country 27 years ago. The number of medical school seats between then and now has gone up by 250%. Despite this increase, they still have to massively import doctors.”

UK will have to continue employing immigrant doctors Speaking to the newsweekly, Dr Thomas John, Locum Consultant in Acute Medicine, said, “I am not sure if they (Asian doctors) have been affected any differently from other doctors. Those who tend to avoid work get away with less, whereas those who are willing to work get piled on with more work.”

When asked if the UK has trained enough people to clear this backlog amid news of not absorbing more immigrant doctors from foreign countries, Dr John said, “No. Not at the moment. They are increasing the intake of medical students so in the long-term things might change. There is a shortage of doctors and I think that they will have to continue employing immigrant doctors in the short to medium term.

Employing more immigrant doctors won’t help this winter anyway as they are unlikely to move to the country and be fully ready by this winter.

“The backlog mainly is in clinics and with surgeries, which are managed by consultants/registrars. Immigrant doctors from abroad are usually employed at more junior levels. So, the question of employing immigrants is not really for this winter, but for the next few years.”

“Racist attacks can be quite demoralising. However, we do receive a lot of negative reactions from patients, racist and otherwise. I am sure that if someone has been a victim of a racist attack, they are far less likely to be motivated to go the extra mile in service provision, but I am not certain to what extent that will have a bearing on helping clear the backlog,” he added.

Food shortage in the UK could become permanent The UK is on its way to becoming a nation with a permanent food shortage, a leading body has warned and the UK needs to prioritise on products it wants more than others.

Ian Wright of Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has claimed, "The just-in-time system is no longer working and I don't think it'll work again.”

Wright has stressed that "the UK shopper and consumer could have previously expected just about any product they want to be on the [supermarket] shelf or in the restaurant all the time.

"That's over. And I don't think it's coming back."

Wright said the shortage is "not going to get better after getting worse any time soon". Wright also warned that the UK was in for permanent shortages which do not necessarily mean that the country will run out of

food completely. Yet, it is a warning that cannot be ignored.

BCC quoted a spokesman for the government, saying: "We are taking steps to support businesses tackle a range of issues, from the pandemic to a Europe-wide shortage of HGV drivers."

“He added that the support included expanding the Seasonal Workers Pilot to 30,000 visas for workers to come to the UK for up to six months, as well as a package of measures to help tackle the HGV driver shortage that

will streamline the process for securing a licence,” the report said.

According to the FDF, the food and drink industry is short of around half a million workers - or one in eight of the total workforce.

This comes as several businesses have run out of stock due to a shortage of lorry drivers who would formerly essentially carry products to supermarkets, pubs and restaurants. This shortage has been blamed on Brexit as well.

Wright was quoted by the media, saying, "It's almost certainly the case that one of the main drivers in the lorry driver shortage that we're facing is that qualified HGV drivers have gone into being distribution drivers for Tesco and Amazon because they're nicer jobs, they don't require you to get up at 4 am and they're better paid. That is a structural change that won't reverse itself."

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Plan B: More vaccinations, no lockdown On Tuesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a press conference despite the sad demise of his mother Charlotte Johnson Wahl (79) on Monday at a London hospital.

According to the Telegraph, Johnson Wahl was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the age of 40.

Addressing the much-awaited Winter Plan for the UK, Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said: “The pandemic is far from over, but thanks to our phenomenal vaccine programme, new treatments and testing we are able to live with the virus without significant restrictions on our freedoms. Today I will set out a clear plan for the autumn and winter, when the virus has a natural advantage, to protect the gains we have made.

Johnson’s winter "plan B" includes face masks, vaccine passports and working from home if the NHS could be overwhelmed.

Lockdown will be the last resort.

The government’s autumn and winter plan set out a renewed focus on vaccines as the first line of defence, supported by testing, public health advice, and a world-leading variant surveillance system.

In England, the number of deaths and hospitalisations has remained relatively stable over the last month. The government has mentioned that vaccines are highly effective, with PHE analysis suggesting that two doses led to the prevention of 24,702,000 infections and 112,300 deaths, up to 27 August.

The government has now received the final advice from the JCVI on the booster programme. The Prime Minister and Health and Social Care Secretary will today set out how the programme will be rolled out to the most vulnerable.

The booster programme is separate from the third primary dose programme for those who are immunocompromised.

Johnson said the possible plan B measures set out by the government will not be introduced all at once and that it had “a number of different shots in the locker”. He said, “You wouldn’t necessarily play them all at once, far from it, you would want to do things in a graduated way. We’re now in a situation when because so many of the population have some degree of immunity, smaller changes in the way we’re asking people to behave can have a bigger impact.”

He also mentioned that “the burdens of testing less onerous for those who are coming back into the country,” will be taken care of so that the NHS is not overwhelmed.

Sajid Javid told the House of Commons: “Any responsible government must prepare for all eventualities.” He also said the government’s plan A included five pillars: renewing efforts to maximise vaccine uptake and expanding it to 12- to 15-year-olds; maintaining the test-and-trace system, including encouraging regular asymptomatic testing; boosting funding for the NHS and social care; encouraging people to modify their behaviour, such as meeting outside; and cooperating with international partners. The Health Secretary also confirmed the government would publish a new framework for international travel before the end of this month.

Children aged between 12 and 15 will also be offered one dose of the Pfizer vaccine, as recommended by the chief medical officer for England, Chris Whitty, and his colleagues.

Javid also said it was “highly likely”, that vaccination would be made compulsory for frontline NHS workers.

Prof Chris Whitty revealed that cases, hospitalisations and deaths are higher than this time last year - but vaccine puts the UK in a better position.

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Thousands of pounds of cash stolen and rooms vandalised at Swindon Hindu Temple Shockingly, the Swindon Hindu temple was raided for the fifth time since May. The main altar of the temple, where the deities are placed, was vandalised, the doors were damaged and collection boxes with money

were stolen in the break-in on Darby, Saturday morning.

Wiltshire Police are appealing for information from citizens related to the break-in. A forensic team has also gathered evidence

from the site.

Hindus are very upset at ransacking and robbery at this only Hindu temple in the area, the county and much beyond. People are now sleeping overnight

Sustaining momentum and measuring success at the temple to safeguard the deities themselves, according to temple chairman Pradip Bhardwaj.

Duchess praises and calls to support female journalists who report from Afghanistan Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, asks the world to support and listen to female journalists who remain in Afghanistan, working in danger every single day, while speaking at an event in Scotland.

Camilla, known as Duchess of Rothesay when

in Scotland says, addressing the female journalists from Scotland and North England that out of 700 female journalists working in Kabul, there are fewer than 100 left now. Hence, she has asked everyone to do what we can to listen and support these brave journalists.

Earlier she also opened a new accommodation block for South Ayrshire Women’s Aid. Championing the rights of women and girls and raising awareness of domestic violence is a cornerstone of the duchess’s charitable work in the UK and abroad.

MHRA to cut 20% jobs following post-Brexit loss of EU fees income The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, responsible for approving Covid-19 vaccines, has said that approximately 300 people would lose their jobs, out of

its average 1182 permanent staff and 206 other workers.

As per the 2020-21 annual report MHRA’s annual income from fee-charging statutory activities and other commercial work were

reduced by £8.1m as compared to the previous year, while staffing costs increased

by GBP 6.2m. The headcounts have to be increased by 7.5% related to EU exit transition work and respond-

ing to the pandemic.

The staff union’s letter to Sajid Javid calls for stopgap funding. It says that while the fees income of the EU has dropped due to Brexit, staff workloads have increased.

London Lord-Lieutenant confirms support of Queen and Royals to ‘Black Lives Matter’ Sir Ken Olisa, the first black Lord-Lieutenant for London said that the royals care passionately about making this one nation bound by the same values.

The Queen also supports the ‘Black Lives Matter’

movement.

Speaking as part of a new programme called Black to Front, which has an all-black presenting and reporting team, she has said that she has discussed the whole issue with the

royal household, particularly in the last 12 months after George Floyd’s murder.

The royal family has also previously faced accusations of racism – most notably from the Duke and

Duchess of Sussex during an interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this year.

Cressida’s reappointment at Scotland Yard meets outcry, but Priti Patel looks unmoved

The first woman MET commissioner Cressida Dick’s

extension till 2024 after completion of her 5-year deal was met by critics, but Home Secretary and London Mayor have decided on the offer.

The critics include mother of murdered black teenager Baroness Lawrence

and former Tory Home Secretary Leon Brittan’s wife claiming Cressida to be presiding over a culture of incompetence and cover-up.

However, Ms Patel supported by Sadiq Khan continued to regard Ms Dick as the best person for the job

with no other impressive alternative and a formal announcement could come on Friday.

The critics are demanding a more effective and independent system of oversight to old Scotland Yard to account for any failings.

Home office cancels deportation of flight to Pakistan costing the taxpayer £100,000 Home Office deportation charter flight to Pakistan, which was due to take off on Tuesday with 25 people has been cancelled. This is the third to Pakistan cancelled in the last 12 months, with two others in Oct '20.

As per sources Pakistan refused to accept the charter due to the UK government’s refusal to take Pakistan off the Covid travel red list.

Last year the Home Office paid £75,748 for two flights to Spain, two to Pakistan and one to Somalia that never took off.

Detaining people due to deportation also costs the Home Office £100 every day.

Pakistan high commissioner in London’s state-

ment asserted that there was no link between the

Rohit Vadhwana How long can you sustain momentum for any task? It is not easy for anyone to keep making an effort without result. Sometimes the outcome of our efforts seems to be out of reach.

People who keep trying in one direction expect a certain result, but if the consequence is not positive, they get frustrated. In the holy book of Gita, Lord Krishna says 'Karmanye vadhika raste, Ma phaleshu kadachana, Ma karma phala he tur bhuh, ma te sangotsva karmanye' which means ‘You have a right to “Karma” (actions) but never to any Fruits thereof. You should never be motivated by the results of your actions, nor there be any attachment in not doing your prescribed activities.’ This is holy preaching, but in reality, is it possible for anyone to keep doing their own duty without expecting a result? On a long road journey, we tend to notice the milestones indicating distance. It gives us a sense of achievement for the distance already covered, and also a confidence to finish the remaining path successfully. Doesn't an individual get mentally tired if there are no milestones of achievement on the path?

How do you mark your journey towards any task?

Do you break it up in terms of time you have put in to achieve a particular goal? Or do you divide your efforts for sections of the project at hand? The management has devised various ways to measure achievements of any project. If someone fails to achieve the desired result in the allocated time, s/he may be fired. They may have to re-visit their method and use the resources in the most efficient way to achieve success.

Life is not as easy to monitor as a construction project or any other office task. There are immeasurable aspects in an individual's life which cannot easily be quantified. Emotional and social aspects of our life poses the biggest challenge in calculating our success. In terms of health, satisfaction and mental peace, perhaps it is almost impossible to calculate any achievement.

This is the area where maximum frustration happens to an individual attempting to achieve some result. But at the same time, this is the best area of life to focus on.

Therefore, an individual strategy should be prepared to measure success, so you can sustain momentum for the betterment of life. This strategy may include small milestones, if not exactly measurable in terms of outcome then in terms of efforts, so that a satisfaction is derived.

Apart from adding milestones, think of other innovative ways as how you will sustain efforts if there is no result in sight for a long time.

cancellation of flight and the red list.

(Expressed opinions are personal)

‘Parenting from the Bhagavad Gita’: Free three-part mini-course in English BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is presenting a free three-part mini-course on parenting titled ‘Parenting from the Bhagavad Gita: What Can Krishna and Arjuna Teach Us About the Parent-Child Relationship?’

Each session will be about half an hour only and will premiere fortnightly on YouTube – accessible directly from neasdentemple.org.

The mini-course forms part of the Timeless Hindu Wisdom web series, a popular series of talks delivered in English by the learned swamis of BAPS. With years of study and practical experience of Hinduism, the swamis also include those who had previously graduated in a variety of academic fields from some of the top universities in the world, including Oxford, Harvard,

Yale and Georgetown.

The series began in April 2020, at the onset of

the coronavirus pandemic, and has continued to help thousands with more purposeful daily living. 18 months on, it remains consistent in its aim: to deliver practical guidance from universal Hindu teachings in a relatable, bite-sized format.

The series is webcast every other Tuesday from BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London – popularly known as Neasden Temple – at 7.30 pm UK time.

The talks in English have proven helpful to people of all ages and backgrounds around the world, garnering hundreds of positive reviews.

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Covid-19: How confident are parents about their school-going kids?

Shefali Saxena With the reopening of schools in the UK, demands and possible approvals to vaccinate children of age 12 -15, there’s still an air of concern and doubts among many parents about the safety and security of their children from the deadly virus.

Asian Voice spoke to some parents and a psychologist to gauge the sentiment of the community.

Lavina Mehta MBE, founder of ‘Feel Good with Lavina’ had a lot of anxiety

Lavina Mehta MBE

about the reopening of schools over the pandemic. Recently, her 13-year-old son caught Covid at end of the summer term and she got it from him too. “Despite being double vaccinated it’s not been easy for me,” she told Asian Voice.

Speaking about her child’s post-Covid recovery, Lavina said that she is focusing on boosting that strengthening his immune system and strength through healthy eating and ensuring he has adequate sleep, and building back up his physical activity – by starting off small to see how he feels, using her concept of “exercise snacking” - short bite-sized amounts through the day, to gradually build back up. He also continues to take multivitamins that cover vitamin C and vitamin D. Sharing her immediate concern, she said, “As children are not vaccinated and my concern is the spread of the virus amongst children, and then passing this on to vulnerable or elderly loved ones. Children

also seem to be getting worse symptoms with the delta variant if they are positive and I am concerned about the impact of long term covid to children.”

Commenting on the protocols being implemented by the schools, she said, “Yes our school is following protocols but it’s ensuring that everyone actually sticks to the guidelines and regular testing is key.

Our school is also taking extra measures.

For example, although face coverings are no longer mandatory for pupils, staff or visitors, they strongly encourage that they are worn in communal areas and enclosed spaces (such as busy corridors or full classrooms). Although they cannot make this a requirement, it’s an easy way of reducing the risk of transmission at a relatively low personal cost. After such a challenging year and disruption to the education system, it is important children do go back to school for their education and mental health but I am concerned cases will go up as they are not vaccinated and with Winter & flu coming it’s going to be a challenging, uncertain term.”

Sharing her advice for more parents like her, Lavina said, “Having seen my 13year-old son suffer 6 days of temperature, cough, weakness and still has no sense of smell, alongside myself being vaccinated but then also testing positive and having scary symptoms like chest tightness and feeling out of breath, fatigue for several weeks, please take the virus seriously and continue to protect your elderly and vulnerable loved ones. My advice also is that if your child shows symptoms but tests negative, keep testing daily as both my son and mine showed positive after 2/3 days. Book a PCR test for the most accurate check.”

“Listen to your body. Covid affects everyone so differently just go at your own pace and techniques like breathing can help alleviate the associated anxiety,” she added.

Swati Srivastava, a mother in England has more confidence in the system. She told the newsweekly, “Honestly, I am not too worried as schools are as good or bad

UK CMOs write to Sajid Javid Four Chief Medical Officers in the UK have given green light to the Covid-19 vaccine for children over age 12. In a letter to Health Secretary Sajid Javid four chief medical officers wrote, evidence from clinical and public health colleagues, general practice, child health and mental health consistently makes clear the massive impact that absent or disrupted face to face education has had on the welfare and mental health of many children and young people.

Having a significant proportion of pupils vaccinated is likely to reduce the probability of such events, which are likely to cause local outbreaks in or associated

with schools. They will also reduce the chance an individual child gets Covid-19.

This means vaccination is likely to reduce but not eliminate the education disruption recommended. A single dose of Pfizer would suffice among 12 to 15-year-olds.

Medical Officers also added in the letter, “Whilst full closures of schools to do lockdown is much less likely to be necessary for the next stages of the Covid-19 epidemic.

UK CMOS expect the epidemic, to continue to be prolonged and unpredictable local surges of infection, including in schools should be anticipated for some time, where they occur, they are likely to be disruptive.”

as any other place now. Plus schools have been really good in terms of not letting parents inside school, sanitise hands of

Dr Tina Mistry

children as soon as they come in, making sure they wash their hands frequently and single seating.”

Clinical Psychologist Dr Tina Mistry explained the psyche behind this and said, “Parents and children alike may be experiencing many emotions when returning back to school. What we have learnt is that there is a fine balance between social and emotional needs versus

What to do when your dharma is attacked Continued from page 3 Yes there are criticisms to be made and improvements from the adherents to the dharma, but consider these yourself thoughtfully. As Christ said, and it should be said to trolls and what they represent – ‘before you try to take the splinter out of the eye of another, take out the plank from your own eye.’

People with whatever reason to hate Hinduism, not through detached analysis, will try to disproportionately proclaim its issues - splinter compared to the plank in the world around them that is Taliban, Islamic State, Communism, incarceration of Uighurs. To them Hindus are Taliban or superstitious. Would I waste my time explaining to them Radhakrishnan’s book on Indian Philosophy or why India has the respect she does

because of the wisdom of her majority faith?

No, they would assume I am some caste-ist brahmin with secret cypher messages from the Indian ‘regime’.

Walk away. For millennia others have tried to wipe out our Dharma, but Shiv has outlived them all. Krishna still dances, Radha remains adoring, Parvati continues to adore Ganesh who continues to scribe and remove obstacles. And the cycle of destruction and rebirth continues.

Fight evil that deserves fighting, do not be distracted from meaningful battles – our climate, sex slavery, people trafficking, hunger, poverty, sexism, racism, terrorism.

To paraphrase Kipling, do not fall into the trap made for fools by knaves.

health needs. Each child is going to face unique challenges and for parents it is important to communicate with our children. As a family, it is ideal to discuss any concerns around attendance and vaccination with an open mind. For older children, parents are encouraged to allow children to debate the pros and cons. As we are modelling that they are being heard and that their perspective is valued. Sadly there is no wrong or right in this situation, however it is crucial that we feel connected during this uncertain time. If parents or teachers are concerned about a child's well-being please seek medical support.”

10 UK 18 - 24 September 2021

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Lord Ganesha's homecoming and farewell Amongst a multitude of gods that are present in the pantheon of Hindu mythology, Lord Ganesha is perhaps one of the most popular and loved ones. His idols are omnipresent in every nook and corner of the country and there is huge interest around in celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi every year.

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha who is the God of new beginnings and a fresh start. The festival falls in the month of Bhadra according to the Hindu calendar and in August/September according to the Gregorian calendar.

This year, the ten-day celebrations will begin on September 10 and will end on September 19.

Lord Ganesha is known by various names like Ekadanta, God of limitless powers, Heramba (obstacles remover), Lambodara, Vinayaka, God of Gods, God of wisdom, God of wealth and prosperity, and many more.

It is believed that the one who worships Lord Ganesha with complete faith and devotion, will be blessed with happiness, knowledge, wealth and long life.

At the conclusion of the festival, the idols are carried to local rivers or seas in huge processions accompanied by drumbeats, devotional singing, and dancing. There, they are immersed in water, a ritual symbolising Ganesha’s homeward journey to Mount Kailas --- the abode of his parents, Shiva and Parvati.

Although it is not known when or how Ganesh Chaturthi was first observed, the festival has been publicly celebrated since the era of Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra.

It was later revived by Lokmanya Tilak which is now celebrated on a large scale all over the country.

Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai, India

Body donated after her death by Late Mrs Veenaba Narendrabhai Patel to Shri Krishna Hospital, Karamsad, Gujarat India On September 7 I was reading Asian Voice and GS online here in Canada and while reading I was very much impressed to read on page 8 - Youngsters from the Jain community bring the message of organ donation sewa this Paryushan. A group of youngsters are helping to promote organ donation during Paryushan 2021 ( The festival of Forgiveness ) through a powerful video. They are encouraged to talk about organ donation to register to donate organs after death a form of Sewa. When I was reading it was cloudy, rainy and dull morning but after reading it brighten our day especially the younger ones taking lead for this very worthy cause of mankind. And what a coincidence! On the previous day, I got a WhatsApp message from one of our acquaintances Mukund Patel from Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat, India of the demise of his mother Pujya Veenaba at her old age peacefully on Sep 5 in an auspicious Hindu Sharavan Mas. What touched me most was she registered in 2019 to donate her body after death to well known Shri Krishna Hospital, Karamsad, Gujarat, India for medical students of medical colleges near the hospital. In our community, there is less awareness of organ donation not only in India but in foreign countries too including minorities, immigrants and other ethnic groups. Even if they know but they are not willing to register for much-needed organs to save the lives of others. I bow my head with the utmost respect to Pujya Veenaba for her divine, kind and bold gesture for a very worthy cause.

Recently awareness of organ donation is picking up by many religious groups organizing camps, seminars, contact on phone, WhatsApp, videos and appeal during religious festivals.

May God bless all and stay safe and healthy.

Suresh and Bhavna Patel.

Markham. Canada.

Congratulations Deesha and Daniel

Minal Patel, Reuben Patel, Ramila Patel, Daniel Elahi, Deesha Patel, Rishi Patel, Jitu Patel

On Friday 10th September 2021, the daughter of Mrs Ramila and Mr Jitubhai Manubhai Patel, Deesha got married to Daniel, son of Mrs Shirley and Mr Sohail Elahi.

The wedding took place at North Mymms Park in Hatfield. Asian Voice congratulates the newlywed couple!

KHICHADI Kapil’s

Our NHS in doldrums!

NHS is in the news practically every week but for all the wrong reasons! Although NHS was given to the nation by the Labour government of Clement Atlee, at the end of WW2, it has hardly changed, as British people are set in their ways and traditions, reluctant to move forward with time, adopt new ways and methods that would give us improved and modernized NHS, competing with the best in the world.

We are brain-washed in believing that it is free at the point of delivery, yet we pay prescription charges that go up practically every year and dental treatment; even under NHS is so expensive that most East Europeans go back to their homeland for dental treatment where even private treatment is much cheaper than what we pay here under our NHS! Patients have to wait months, even years to have simple hip or knee replacements here that would be available practically within a couple of weeks in many EU nations. How do they do it! The answer is staring in our face but our politicians are gutless, lack the moral strength to make a decision that may harm their political prospect to win the next election rather than educate the people.

Many EU nations operate insurance policies where patients pay upfront, loans available from the government and claim expenses from the insurance companies, while others give grants equivalent to what hip replacement would cost to NHS, patients can go private and pay the difference from their savings!

Some governments may give 80% of the NHS cost, thus saving NHS 20% while patients have an instant appointment, thus reducing the NHS waiting list. Some erroneously believe that this will create privileged and underprivileged classes which are nonsense. We all do not drive BMW, Mercedes or jaguar, some of us have to do with Toyota, Hyundai and Fiat, the same applies with housing, some live in one bedroom flat while others enjoy the freedom of four bedroom detached bungalow!

Our newly appointed Health Secretary Shri Javid is well informed. I hope he will read this letter I will Email him and let us, the readers of AV/GS know his views.

Bhupendra M. Gandhi

The Afghan crisis With the advancement of the Taliban in the entire country, plenty of people are waiting to come into Pakistan and the visit of the chief of ISI Faiz Hameed, to Kabul shows the importance given to the present geopolitical situation in the region. Naturally, Pakistan is not happy with the progress Kashmir has been making after the removal of Article 370.

There are all the chances that Pakistan will provide morale, military, manpower and logistical support to Taliban to create disturbances in Kashmir Valley.

Deployment of a ship to track incoming hostile missiles is a very timely step (AV 11-17 Sept 2021). Keeping in mind the present developments, India needs to be very vigilant and proactive. Our border forces may need better equipment to protect themselves and the country. We may need to use the latest technology to defend ourselves.

When the global rating of Narendra Modi is at the highest level, our neighbouring countries will definitely try to tarnish the image of the country and that of Narendra Modi.

I think it is time for India to be alert more than ever before because the Taliban may strike anytime with the support of Pakistan. Only the military cannot win but people need to be very cautious and report any suspicious activities to the authority to avoid any untoward incidents.

Hitesh Hingu London

COVID-19: WEEKLY HOUSEHOLD SPENDING FELL BY MORE THAN £100 ON AVERAGE Figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that UK households reduced their spending during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic by an average of £109.10 (or 19%) a week.

At the height of the spring 2020 lockdown, more than one-fifth of usual household spending was largely prevented.

Households may have been able to cut back on spending if they were able to shift to home working. However, for some, the reduction in spending may have been associated with a fall in income.

While both spending and income fell for many UK households, people are on average finding it easier to make ends meet, with the proportion of people reporting difficulty in making ends meet falling by six percentage points from 34% in the year to March 2020 to 28% in the year ending March 2021.

Those who had experienced a loss of income were more likely to also report financial pressures, such as difficulty making ends meet. How the pandemic has affected a person or household financially differed by employment status, age and ethnicity. Restrictions brought into place to curb the spread of coronavirus, and the changes in behaviours many people adopted due to the pandemic, meant that households did not spend as much in the last year as they would usually.

The highest-income households saw a larger drop in spending than the lowest.

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Anti-Hindu hatred degrades British Universities Kapil Dudakia Only a few weeks ago I wrote about the Anti-Hindu Terrorism in American Universities. Well not to be outdone, it seems the bastion of higher education excellence, Cambridge University, appears to have become the home for anti-Hindu hate speech advocates.

Let me introduce Prof. Priyamvada Gopal, an Indian-born ‘academic’, who is a Professor of Postcolonial Studies in the Faculty of English at the University of Cambridge. The lady has made some startling pronouncements, some come across to me at least as anti-Hindu. In fact, I wonder if this can be considered as hate speech that could incite hatred of Hindus?

The Cambridge University Hindu Cultural Society made an unprecedented announcement of their own.

With one voice they called out the anti-Hindu narrative. The National Hindu Students Forum (UK) came out in full support commenting that the sentiments expressed tantamount to being Hinduphobic.

So what is this all about?

Well, it turns out that Gopal has a special interest in making comments on the life of Hindus. Below a flavour of what I believe to be her statements: ‘Really am at a point where I would like to invite Western countries to block naturalization for Hindus.

Snatch their precious little H-1Bs. Sickos’. It seems this academic wants America to have an anti-Hindu policy.

Not only that –Hindus are called ‘Sickos’. Can you imagine the outcry if similar types of comments had been made against Muslims by calling them terrorists and asking for a ban on their immigration? Would Cambridge University be sitting on their hands? Or would they act on the gross misconduct of employee?

To me at least it seems Cambridge University’s negligence impacts Hindus and their human rights adversely. They are sitting back whilst young vulnerable Hindu students are being abused at the University.

Hindu students are living under a cloud, fearing for their very safety. Can any other organisation or leadership get away with such grotesque behaviour?

The lady even antagonised Sikhs when she asked if the official Jallianwala Bagh Memorial is a 'whale p**is'. On 13 April 1919 the British committed an act of genocide by indiscriminately firing on the peaceful crowd gathered on the site of the festival of Baisakhi at Jallianwala Bagh. Estimates of those killed vary between 391 and 1000+ people, with over 1,200 other who were injured. Can you imagine or anyone making fun of the Holocaust Memorial? It seems yet again when it comes to Hindus, those in academia believe they can say and do whatever they like without any recourse.

What we are witnessing across higher educational institutions around the western world in an open expression of anti-Hindu racism by academics. Hate speech, hate tweets, hate narrative and joking about the atrocities committed against Hindus and Sikhs. On what planet can this ever be acceptable?

The police and the CPS have agreed the following definition for identifying and flagging hate crimes: "Any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on a person's disability or perceived disability; race or perceived race; or religion or perceived religion; or sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation or transgender identity or perceived transgender identity."

As a Hindu it is my perception that hate crimes are being committed by academics in this country aided by the negligence of associated Universities. I ask the appropriate authorities, do something before innocent Hindu students are forced to give up on life. Will a Hindu student have to die before you all wake up?

We are grateful to all letter writers for more and more versatile letters well within word limit.

Please keep contributing as always. If you are new, then write to Rupanjana at rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com

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attacked and killed in Arizona, USA. This was followed by other similar attacks. Not many people outside India were aware that the turban wearing, bearded Sikhs comprised a brave and peace-loving community. Several members of the community devoted themselves to creating awareness about the values espoused by Sikhism. I remember accompanying my husband to a special event designed to create greater awareness about Sikhism and a bet-

On the 20th anniversary of September 11 terror attacks

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

This Saturday, the world observed the 20th anniversary of September 11 and the attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Centres. The destruction caused by the four attacks in the US on this date twenty years ago stunned not just America, but the entire world! The US responded by launching the War on Terror.

Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, became the scene of this war, as it was the hiding place

of Al Qaeda and its founder/leader, Osama bin Laden (OBL). With the Taliban refusal to give up its friends of the Al Qaeda and OBL, the war on terror focused on deposing the Taliban. Ten years after twin tower attacks on the US, OBL was eliminated from his hideout in a safe house in Abbottabad, virtually a stone’s throw from the heavily fortified compound of Pakistan’s Military Academy.

This year, on the twentieth anniversary of the dreaded terrorist attacks, the Taliban are back in Afghanistan, and a number of those declared as terrorists are part of the interim cabinet of the Taliban. Analysts are describing the US war on terror as ‘a crude joke’. From defeat of the Taliban, to elimination of OBL, to return of the Taliban, the cycle does look like a mirthless joke. But is that all that it is, a sad joke?

Beyond the elimination of OBL, the gains of the US war on terror are not immediately evident; the cost is apparent. Beyond the cost in human lives and financial resources, or even the damaged standing of the US, there is a much bigger loss, the price of which we will pay for the foreseeable future.

One of the immediate consequences of the September 11 attacks was that it created divisions amongst people. The trust between people and communities was replaced by fear of the unknown and unfamiliar. Soon after the attacks of September 11, a turbanwearing Sikh-American entrepreneur was

FOR ESHA – STEM-CELL DONOR APPEAL On May 13th 2021 Esha who is just 4 years old, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia. Esha was rushed to the doctor back in May after she lost her appetite, became lethargic and developed bruising on her leg.

After a series of blood tests, her parents, Rish and Kavitha Nadeswaran were given the devastating news that she had acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).

Despite spending the last 15 weeks at Great Ormond Street Hospital, the two intensive cycles of chemotherapy she has undergone has unfortunately been ineffective. She desperately needs to find a stem cell donor in the next 3 weeks to save her life, but no one on the worldwide registry is a match. You might be the match that we are praying for!

South Asians are heavily underrepresented on the register and it is much more difficult for patients with a diverse ethnic heritage to find a matching donor.

Esha’s father and mother, who are from a Sri Lankan family, urged more people from south Asian backgrounds to come forward and sign up as donors.

“It’s not just about Esha, there are hundreds of people looking for bone marrow,” Rish said.

Rish said that a transplant is the last chance of survival for Esha, who he described as a “very funny and bubbly and cheeky individual” who “makes anyone who meets her smile” and loves Disney princess movies.

He said: “The reality is if she doesn’t get it, she will not survive.”

If you’re 17-55 and in good general health, request a swab kit to become a potential lifesaver today: http://www.dkms.org.uk/Esha If you haven’t registered and would like

to get a swab test kit and get tested straight away, please come to our drop-in testing events starting this week across London.

All upcoming events will be posted here: https://for-esha.squarespace.com and https://www.facebook.com/Match4Esha

Liz Truss meets Indian commerce minister Piyush Goyal International Trade Secretary Liz Truss spoke to India’s Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal today (Monday 13th September) to discuss the scope and ambition for a UK-India free trade agreement following the close of the Department for International Trade’s public consultation last month.

They discussed the findings from the consultation and agreed to the steps to get ready to launch negotiations later this year - including the start of a series of trade working groups from September.

They also discussed the newly established Enhanced Trade Partnership and confirmed their commitment to timely implementation of the market access package.

ter understanding of the culture of Punjab, at Hofstra University in Long Island, New York, where a chair in Sikh Studies had been set up.

The word Islamophobia became a part of our vocabulary. As the terrorists that carried out the September 11 attacks were Muslims, the mistrust of Islam extended to all Muslims indiscriminately. The prejudice spread like a hydra within societies in many parts of the globe, creating deep divisions in societies that may take a long time to heal.

The consequences of recent events in Afghanistan could further exacerbate these differences. Millions of peaceful Muslims, even those suffering in Afghanistan, may face stronger mistrust in the years to come.

In many communities, the negativity tends to extend from Muslims to all foreigners.

Societies have to work hard against such

narrow-mindedness and bigotry.

For twenty years we condemned terrorism, saying there is no justification for it, that there are no good or bad terrorists.

With the way things are proceeding, as Pankaj Vohra says in thedailyguardian.com, the day may come when the very same Taliban leaders shunned by the US and the world, visit the US or address world leaders in the United Nations.

The events of the last few weeks have made condemnation of terrorism, extremism and fundamentalism seem passe now.

Our holy books tell us about the victory of good over evil; that no matter how strong the evil forces may be, or how weak the good, eventually, good will win over evil.

Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavadgita, “Whenever virtue subsides and wickedness prevails, I manifest Myself. To establish virtue, to destroy evil, to save the good, I come from Yuga (age) to Yuga.” The develop-

ments in Afghanistan have shaken this belief!

As we mourn the losses of the terrorist attacks of September-11, we need to remain steadfast in supporting the fight against extremism and terrorism, while guarding against prejudice.

12

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SCRUTATOR’S IAF to acquire 6 'eye in the sky' planes The Indian Air Force is set to acquire six stateof-the-art airborne warning and control aircraft in a deal worth close to £1.1 billion with the Cabinet Committee on Security giving a green light. The aircraft themselves are likely to be hand-me-down A-321 jetliners from Air India which will then be structurally modified to carry a made-in-India radar developed by the Defence Research and Development Radar.

The DRDO radar will be a modernised variant of the existing active electronically steered array (AESA) radar installed on two Netra airborne warning aircraft already deployed by the IAF. The IAF also operates 3 larger, A-50 EI aircraft procured from Russia which are fitted with the Israeli EL/W-2090 'Phalcon' radar system. An active electronically scanned array (AESA) is a computer-controlled radar array in which radio beams can be electronically steered to point in different directions without moving the antenna. AESA radars are more accurate, more reliable and offer better detection capability when compared with legacy systems. The radars which will be installed on the A321 aircraft will ensure 360 degree coverage of hundreds of km of airspace around the aircraft, more comprehensive than the present capability of the IAF's Netra jets. (Agency) Moved Amitabh instantly donates £1.6 mn

Kaun Banega Crorepati host Amitabh Bachchan, on the spur of the moment, announced that he would like to make a monetary contribution of £1.6 million towards a cause that filmmakerchoreographer Farah Khan championed on the show. Farah said that she would like whatever money she earns on KBC to go towards procuring a very expensive injection for a child suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare disease that affects a child's central nervous system. Farah appeared alongside Deepika Padukone on the episode.

Celebrity guests on the show usually play for a cause of their choice. In a new promo video shared by Sony Entertainment Television on Instagram, Amitabh said in Hindi, “Ladies and gentlemen, Farah is playing for a 17month-old child named Ayaansh, who is suffering from an illness.” The video then showed Ayaansh and his mother, who explained that she noticed the baby wasn't able to move his limbs much even after turning seven months old. After having him examined, it was discovered that he was suffering from SMA. (Agency) How snail-paced justice is being dispensed In a classic case of how snail-paced justice is being dispensed, it took 12 years for the Supreme Court to decide on a 54 year-old land dispute case. Finally after 12 years the SC gave title to the heirs of a doctor who had constructed his tenement over a 500 square yard land, ostensibly gifted to him by the erstwhile owners.

Both the main plaintiff and defendant

passed away during the pendency of the litigation, which started with the land owner attempting to reclaim the land from the doctor by filing a title suit before the Sitamarhi trial court in 1967.

The trial court took 19 years to dismiss the title suit, which prompted the plaintiff to appeal before the additional district judge, who reversed the trial court order in 1988. The legal heirs of the doctor moved Patna high court, where a single judge dismissed the appeal in May 1989. The appeal filed against the HC order took 11 years to be decided by the SC, which in the year 2000 remanded the matter back to the HC. The HC single judge again considered the matter and nine years later dismissed the appeals of the doctor’s heirs. The single judge also dismissed the review plea in August 2009.

The appeals were filed in the SC again in 2009 and it had issued notice on the appeal to respondents in December 2009.

(Agency)

Baghel had said. A viral photo shows Nandkumar having lunch, from a tiffin box, at the desk of a police inspector at DD Nagar police station after his arrest.

He was charged under Indian Penal Code under different Sections. An outfit, in its complaint, alleged that the CM’s father recently made a controversial appeal to people to boycott Brahmins by terming them as “foreigners”, and asked people to not let them enter in their villages. The organisation also accused Nand Kumar of asking people to “evict” Brahmins from the country. (Agency)

Four Great Indian Bustards sighted in Kutch

Vaccine delivery by drones

Telangana began a trial run for delivering vaccines by drones, eventually paving the way for taking this route to healthcare centres in remote parts of India. Delhi-based drone delivery tech firm Skye Air Mobility has tied up with Blue Dart to initiate a three-phase trial for the Telangana government’s “Medicine from the sky” project. To begin with, each drone will carry 175 vaccines and fly within line of sight and then go beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS).

Being a trial run, the vaccines being delivered initially will not be the precious Covid jabs but others. Boxes weighing 23kg will take off from Vikarabad district hospital for 500-metre-away primary healthcare centres, flying to an altitude of up to 400ft. “This is the first trial to deliver jabs by drones and different corridors have been identified for the purpose. We will start with within line of sight that will cover a distance of up to 1 km. Later, when we go BVLOS in this trial, we will deliver up to 10 km within 20-25 minutes. We are doing this trial under Blue Dart Med Express Consortium,” Skye Air Mobility cofounder Swapnik Jakkampuddi said.

(Agency) An embarrassing moment for Bombay HC In a major embarrassment for the

Chhattisgarh CM’s father jailed for hate remark

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel’s father Nandkumar Baghel was arrested by Raipur police for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Brahmins. The 86-year-old was produced in a Raipur court, where he refused to seek bail and was remanded in jail for15 days. The arrest came two days after the CM said that he was saddened by his father’s remarks and police would take action. “As his son, I respect him, but as chief minister I cannot forgive his remarks or mistakes that could disturb social harmony. In my government, nobody is above the law, even if he is the chief minister’s 86-year-old father,”

judges, it was the Centre that highlighted the merit in their reservations to return all the names for reconsideration to the three-member SC collegium, now headed

by CJI N V Ramana. The government returned the names on August 12 to the SC collegium, which on August 17 decided to send the names back to Bombay HC for reconsideration. (Agency)

Bombay high court, both the Centre and the SC collegium have disagreed with the manner in which the HC chose names of 18 advocates for appointment as HC judges during the short tenure of Chief Justice B P Dharmadhikari last year. The names have been sent back for reconsideration. The hasty selection of so many advocates and non-scouting of talents available before the Bombay HC benches at Goa, Aurangabad and Nagpur was flagged by sitting SC judges A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, who were consultee judges for then collegium headed by then CJI S A Bobde. The decision to ask the HC to reconsider the names is an embarrassment to Justice Bobde who, just a month prior to retirement, sought to push the appointments. If Justice Bobde did not heed to the objections by the two SC

While it was presumed that the exotic Great Indian Bustard (GIB) species vanished from Kutch, hopes were revived recently when forest officials sighted four females in Kutch. However, amid the sliver lining, dark clouds of uncertainty still loom large on their fate as these were all female birds while no male bird was spotted along in the group. In July, union MOS for environment, Ashwini Kumar Choubey had stated that the bird is no longer sighted in the sanctuary area. But these four birds are found outside the sanctuary area. According to forest officials, the birds are moving in a 1,000 sq km area spread in Kutch, Rajasthan and some parts of Pakistan. GIBs are listed as critically endangered and it falls under schedule 1 of wildlife protection Act. Compounded by deaths taking place from adult birds crashing into the power lines in Kutch, the species is slowly getting erased from Gujarat’s map. The future of the species is grim as only female birds were sighted. Gujarat is a part of the breeding and conservation of this bird, Anita Karan, the chief conservator of forest Kutch said. (The Times of India) Minor girls being paraded naked to propitiate rain gods In a shocking incident, minor girls were paraded naked in a village in Madhya Pradesh's Damoh to propitiate Lord Indra for rain in the area, officials said. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has taken a grim view of the matter and has sought a report from the district administration. According to the information, the incident was reported from Baniya village in Jabera block of the district. In the Bundelkhand region, in which Damoh falls, people have faith in various "traditions" to urge Lord Indra for rain. One of this is getting minor girls to pray to a local goddess in a naked state, as this is believed to please him, and make it rain. As part of this "tradition,” six minor girls bathing in the lake near the village were brought to the temple of goddess Khermai, made to spread cowdung there, and then they were stripped and paraded. A video of the incident went viral on social media, bringing it to the attention of the district administration.

Police officials said that the girls, aged 5-6, were called to the temple for spreading cowdung and then they were paraded with singing women accompanying them. He said that only women were present on the occasion and men were not there. The matter is being probed. Damoh collector said that the local administration would probe the matter and send a report to the NCPCR. (Agency)

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18 - 24 September 2021

Fruit-pickers arrive in Britain from 37 countries 16,000 workers, flew in from across 37 countries to Britain to pick fruits in 2021. The Home Office has confirmed that the top providers of workers to the UK were Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Moldova.

People who are recruited by horticulture farmers came from as far away as the Philippines, Barbados Nepal, Tajikistan and Kenya. In 2020 about 7000 workers arrived in Britain from 14 countries in 2021, the number has almost doubled. The sharp jump is due to an ongoing struggle to

recruit enough fruit and vegetable pickers because some farmers are having to consider scaling back production as crops are left rotten, the Daily Mail reported. In 2019, the UK had introduced seasonal

workers with a scheme, which allowed pickers from across any country in the world to come into Britain. The report said the scheme was expanded to allow for 30,000 workers this year before Brexit, and most of them came from Eastern Europe. Amongst Bulgarians and them, Romanians have to return home due to the Covid pandemic, which meant that farmers had to go farther to search for workers.

According to the data provided by the Home Office, Ukraine provid-

Shortage of beds for children Experts have warned that a third of all children's acute hospital beds in parts of England are being occupied by vulnerable children who do not need acute medical care but have nowhere else to go.

Dr Amelia, a pediatric consultant, who is the Assistant officer for child protection at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Care RCPCH said, that it is estimated that roughly a third of acute hospital beds at the moment is full of these vulnerable young people, many who are subject to child protection plans, or they are

already children care, living in residential placement, that's falling apart. She also mentioned that children are now stuck, and the UK is unable to provide any kind of acute medical care.

Many of these children have no diagnosable mental illness, and do not qualify for psychiatric care, Guardian reported. Some who are qualified, are unable to secure beds because beds are limited. The cost runs up to £10,000 pounds a week per child.

ed the most fruit and vegetable pickers because this year, followed

by Russia, Belarus and Moldova.

Food pickers in the UK can earn up to £20, the Times reported.

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said, “We continue to work closely with industry to understand labour demand and supply, including both permanent and seasonal workforce requirements while encouraging employers to make long term investments in the UK domestic workforce and automation energy.”

No PCR tests The UK is going to drop PCR tests for double vaccinated people. According to reports, ministers are preparing to lift the requirement for double jabbed travellers to take PCR tests when they return to the UK. Tests will be scrapped for holidaymakers returning from green and amber list countries, which will probably help the tourism industry to finally see a boom. The Telegraph reported that instead of expensive PCR tests on arrival, travellers will now be asked to take a lateral flow test, which is currently offered for free by the NHS. This will also come as a relief for many families who were bearing extra costs for going on holiday.

Watford Hindu temple in trouble A petition signed by 10,000 people was launched to save a Hindu temple in Watford, which has left its Mayor fuming.

Times reported that the Vel Murugan temple currently based in Woodside, playing fields former bolts club is facing closure after the Borough Council ordered its trustees to vacate the building by September 17.

Prashant, the temple spokesperson, started a campaign to warn

people that it would have to close.

This petition was supported by Tory MP Dean Russell, who said that he sympathises with the community. Mayor Peter Taylor expressed that this is a manoeuvre and an attempt by the Tories to simply grab the headlines. He mentioned that it was always an understanding that this was only a temporary site so that they could find a permanent building for the temple. The temple spokesperson told Harrow Times,

that the minority in the community in Watford needs their temple to practice their faith, worship congregate and come to the temple for the festivals celebrations and important religious ceremonies that are essential to their everyday lives. Closing this temple will severely affect the local Hindu community in what would or depend on it for the faith and well being, especially during these difficult times,

Only 640 double vaccinated people in England died of Covid New figures revealed by the Office for National Statistics on Monday morning, said that 640 people in England died with Covid after being fully vaccinated, which accounts for just 1% of deaths.

Metro UK reported, of the 51,002,

81 people who died with the virus between January and July, 64 were unvaccinated, but a tiny proportion had received two doses. This sums up to 1.25% of Covid deaths in the first six months of 2021.

The ONS explained: 61.1% of

breakthrough deaths occurred in males, compared to 52.2% and 48.5% for other Covid-19 deaths, and non-Covid-19 deaths respectively. The median age of breakthrough deaths was 84, compared to 82 for other Covid-19 debts, and

for non-Covid-19 deaths, 13.1% of breakthrough deaths occurred in people who were identified as likely to be immunocompromised from hospital episodes or causes of death compared to 5.4% for other Covid-19 deaths.

International students are worth £28.8 billion to the UK economy According to a report published by the Higher Education Policy Institute and Universities UK International, international students are worth £28.8 billion to the UK economy. Indian students being one of the most prolific ones in the overseas education market.

India and the United States are the next most prolific after China, the

report notes.

Both the organisations have warned that the contribution of international students to the economy of the UK, cannot be taken for granted. There should be more schemes that must promote overseas students in the UK, welcoming them into a diverse destination.

Sex groomer cries foul Rochdale groomer Adil Khan who belongs to Pakistan has been complaining about his deportation tribunal, demanding his rights to be taken into consideration in return. 51-yearold Adil has said that the home office had taken his driving licence from him, and he was surviving on his benefits. He has appealed against the decision to deport him and one more man after the six-year-long battle.

It is imperative to note that Khan impregnated a 13-year-old girl and denied that he was a father. He then met another 15-

year-old girl and tried to traffick her using violence, she had complained.

Speaking through a Mirpuri translator, he said, “But I cannot exercise any rights in the country, in this country as an individual, I cannot do anything for my family I'm just surviving on my son's benefits. I cannot take my son to school if it is raining we cannot afford a taxi. The police informed me about a month ago that they have cancelled my driver's license, according to the Home Office instructions.”

National Indian Students, and Alumni Union, UK, Chairperson Sanam Arora was quoted saying: “As today's report has shown yet again, Indian students are a major contributor to the annual net 28 point 8 billion pounds, the revenue of the British economy, bringing both direct and indirect benefits.

That is why I created the NISAU,

almost 10 years ago. Now, to champion the welfare and consumer rights of our community. I looked around nine years ago and asked myself by 1000s of Indians were being treated so badly, and decided that enough was enough and that it was about time that we got the return on investment, we deserved,” Sanam said.

Democracy must and will prevail In her speech at the Scottish National Party online conference on Monday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that “democracy must and will prevail” while the Scottish and UK Governments will continue to cooperate with each other on a second independence referendum.

“So, it is in the spirit of cooperation that I hope the Scottish and UK Governments can reach an agreement as we did in 2014 to allow the democratic wishes of the people of Scotland to be heard and respected,” Sturgeon told delegates. Focusing on the public she also said that “overall environment in the country where people are not in their day to day life being asked to limit or restrict their behaviour is crucial.”

What could have been Liverpool's new pandemic institute will now include a new human challenge facility where volunteers will be able to test new vaccines and treatments, under controlled conditions.

According to Professor Danila Ferrera, the head of clinical sciences at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine had candidates been tested during the first wave of infections. Jobs would have been ready months in advance, the pandemic Institute's facilities had been available in January 2020. The earliest vaccine prototypes and antiviral drugs could have been tested for effectiveness during the first week. The Guardian reported.

Professor Matthew Baylis of Liverpool University went on record to say that they have the largest database of pathogens in the world and where they are found.

Nearly 40% of Brits caught out by winter weather Nearly 40% of people living in Britain have been caught out by severe winter weather, according to the latest research conducted by the Met Office.

The research shows that of those who had been impacted by severe weather, over a third said they were caught out due to a lack of preparation. The Met Office conducted a survey of over 2000 adults across Britain to assess how prepared the public feels for winter weather and some of the most common impacts included over half of the people having activities impacted, almost a quarter having dealt with power cuts and 19% who experienced a broken boiler.

NHS apologises for sexist ad Sainsbury’s Christmas gift The NHS has apologised for urging pregnant women to make a special meal for their partners so that they don't feel neglected. The NHS Start4life online guide that advised expectant mothers that the 22-week mark was a good week to make a fuss out of your partner, brought trouble for the trust.

The spokesman person for Public Health England who was responsible for the guide said, “This wording is out of date and has now been changed. We recognise

it is not appropriate and we apologise.

We would encourage all pregnant women to seek help if they need it, both physically and emotionally.”

The Telegraph reported the HRC, the equalities watchdog has previously estimated that 54,000 new mothers lose their jobs each year. While the pregnant dense screwed charity said around three lakh 90,000 Working moms experience potentially discriminatory treatment at work each year.

to its employees

This year, on Christmas Sainsbury's has confirmed that it will shut down its stores for two days.

It will stay closed on Boxing Day this year to thank its hard-working staff for their efforts throughout the pandemic.

Simon Roberts, Chief Executive Sainsbury's said, “Christmas is a really special time for so many but because of

logged on restrictions last year, lots of us weren't able to celebrate in the way we wanted. In recognition of this and to say a massive thank you to all our colleagues for everything they have done during the last challenging year, we will be closing all of our supermarkets, convenience stores, and petrol filling stations, as well as our goals and habitats.”

14 WOMEN’S VOICE

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in brief

Women face an added layer of struggle when they become climate migrants Shefali Saxena Habiba Nowrose, a photographer from Bangladesh who has documented the life of Saleha, a climate migrant who is also a member of Kalyanpur Firefighting Group in Dhaka.

She is a part of ‘Shattering Stereotypes’ a Women by Women photography exhibition

by ActionAid on Wednesday 15 September at the iconic gallery@oxo.

Habiba holds an MS in women’s and gender studies from the University of Dhaka and is particularly interested in subjects that explore human relationships and gender identities. Her series, Concealed, was a finalist for the 2018 Invisible Photographers Awards and Samdani Art Award 2020. The series explores the sacrifice women make every day to fit society's standards of beauty.

Habiba’s works have been exhibited on many different platforms across Asia and beyond.

In an exclusive interview with Asian Voice, she spoke about climate migrants and her work. escribe your observations on climate migrants.

Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change and the climate change in Bangladesh takes many different forms like natural disasters and this causes people to lose their homes and migrate to Dhakar city. Dhakar city doesn’t have the capacity to accommodate so many people

D

who migrate every year and that’s why they take shelter in informal settlements in slums and they struggle every day to meet their basic human needs.

I have one or two observations about the climate migrants I have worked with. They're very flexible, they're open to changes and they're not afraid to take on new practices to make a living, because they've left their homes and livelihoods behind. They are more adaptable to changes and newer ways of making a living in Dhaka, and they have acquired that ability through the process of migrating from a village to a bigger city. ow do you think women migrant lives are different from others?

Women face an added layer of struggle when they become climate migrants because of their gender. Although men are traditionally thought to be the breadwinner of the family, women are responsible for taking care of and feeding the children. It is difficult for them to put food on the table when they become climate migrants because they are leaving their livelihoods behind in their ancestral homes. hat kind of preparation does it take for you to be able to do justice to such a sensitive and important topic?

It can be difficult to do an assignment on a topic like this if you don't know the challenges and problems that your subjects are used to facing. Whenever I

H

W

Habiba Nowrose

have a topic like this, I usually talk to experts or people who have written about it, researched it or know about it, and I do my own research by reading articles and books and talking to professionals. After gaining some understanding of the topic, although it may not be as indepth as that of the traditional experts, I try to make myself as informed as possible and then I try to do the assignment. hat kind of stereotypes against women do you wish to break?

We hear about many different stereotypes when it comes to women. No matter the class or race, some sort of stereotype will be working against them. For climate migrants, in particular, there is an idea that these women are victims and do not have their own agency or the skills to cope with changing situations. Of course, they face an added layer of difficulty because they are struggling in a city in which they do not have a permanent home. However, I think they are more skilled and equipped to adapt to the new challenges of life in Dhaka.

Unlike what we think of them, they are very innovative and

W

Post-Covid tourism A team of University College Birmingham students have shared fresh ideas to boost post-Covid tourism in a picturesque Midlands destination as part of an international competition.

Five students on the university's tourism courses competed against rivals from around the globe this summer in the Tourism and Rural Development Challenge for the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Students' League.

Finishing 10th out of more than 100 higher education institutions worldwide, the team developed a tourism marketing campaign promoting the Shropshire market town of Church Stretton, and even had the chance to present their ideas to the town mayor for possible future collaboration.

Team member Jyoti Verma revealed how her International Tourism Business Management BA (Hons) degree at University College Birmingham had helped her in developing proposals with the team.

“We had already studied the UN Sustainable Development Goals within our modules,” she explained.

“This was really helpful because we could take what we learned and put it in the report.”

51% INCREASED RISK OF CONTRACTING COVID-19 IN WOMEN WITH PCOS

Image source: birminghamchambers.com

As part of their project work, the students visited Church Stretton and talked with members of the local community, while they also met with the mayor Andy Munro to discuss their ideas.

Jyoti, who graduated from her course this summer, said the opportunity to apply her tourism training by working with a real destination for the competition had been a valuable experience for her future career journey.

“All five of us on the team are really proud of taking part in this competition, and using the real-life skills and doing a presentation for the mayor is all part of the experience,” she said.

“We can learn for our assignments and write thousands of words, but doing this project meant we could take that full stop off and do something real.

“It's also special that we have done something for University College Birmingham before we graduate.”

open to change. They can adapt to new circumstances. That is the biggest stereotype about climate migrants that I would want to break. hat are your thoughts on the theme 'Women by women'? How can women support their own tribe?

ActionAid UK's "Women by Women" initiative is a really creative way of changing how women are portrayed through images and visual media.

Women can support other women by using their voices if they are in a more powerful position, by promoting the work of other women and giving them more access to new opportunities, and by creating a positive impact when it comes to representing other women. hat are the challenges of being a woman in a creative pursuit?

The biggest challenge faced by women in creative fields is that their work is often not valued as much as men's work, and they get fewer opportunities.

Their work is categorised unequally as "women's work" in a special category separate from mainstream men's work.

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One per cent of women’s current savings into investment products could unlock £98 billion of financial capital According to an OpEd published by iNews, written by Amy Cashman, executive managing director for Insights at Kantar UK & Ireland, data shows the gap between men and women’s savings hit £50bn

during the year to March 2021, with women putting away £2,628 on average, compared with £5,335 for men.

Their report further

Research by the University of Birmingham has shown a ‘significantly increased risk of Covid-19’ in those with PCOS. Overall the study found a ‘51% increased risk of contracting Covid-19 in women with PCOS’.

In a very simplified way, this study looked at GP records of women from January – June 2020 and compared the rates of Covid-19 infection in those with PCOS and those without. Overall the study found a ‘51% increased risk of contracting Covid-19 in women with PCOS’. Even after accounting for individual secondary cardio-metabolic risk factors such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension, there was still an increased risk of 26% compared to those without PCOS. Understandably this has caused concern and anxiety in the community as we are still in the midst of the pandemic and not everyone has been vaccinated. Verity has reached out to the research team behind the study to find out more and what this means for us as PCOS patients.

BLACK & MINORITISED WOMEN'S FUND The applications for £10,000 grants are open. Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) is a national charity committed to working towards human rights by supporting and understanding small specialist women’s groups and charities. Through delivering programmes, creating networking opportunities and campaigning and influencing decision-makers, the work that WRC does is essential to ensure a diverse and thriving sector that achieves the best outcomes for women.

Black and minoritised women’s organisations reported markedly more demand than other organisations in the following areas: emergency basic services; refuge beds; enquiries/signposting and mental health support. 58% of all organisations who completed the survey are a bit or very worried about surviving this crisis. 14% reported being very worried. Organisations outside of London are worried the most The application deadline is 3 pm on 1st October 2021.

PROTESTS OUTSIDE UK PARLIAMENT

mentions that converting just 1 per cent of women’s current savings into investment products could unlock £98 billion of financial capital. The opinion piece also suggests that women feel hesitant to

invest because of their lack of exposure and knowledge about financial matters, which also hinders their ability to interact with financial advisors.

The Women’s Equality Party protested on September 6 outside the Parliament. Sharing pictures, they tweeted: Today WE are protesting outside of Parliament to demand that the government amend the Recall Act to give voters the right to #Recall MPs found guilty of sexual misconduct and stop closing ranks to protect MPs who abuse their power - as they are still doing with Rob Roberts. It is shameful that MPs can be fired for misuse of stationery but Rob Roberts can't be for sexual misconduct. Now that gvt is back from recess, @Jacob_Rees_Mogg must change the recall law to empower constituents to fire MPs found guilty of harassment or abuse. The time is NOW.”

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PRAMUKH SWAMI MAHARAJ Celebrating his life and highlights of his achievements from 1971 to 1985 Nitin and Kamu Palan On 23 January 1971, Yogiji Maharaj reverted to Akshardham and Pramukh Swami Maharaj became the Spiritual and Administrative head of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.

During this period, he continued to work tirelessly visiting hundreds of villages and initiating over 300 new sadhus. Several new temples were built including Kosindraa, Sankari and Kolkata, while establishing many other mandirs in India. Overseas saw tremendous growth with new temples being established in New York (1974), Ashton (1977), Leicester (1977), Wellingborough (1977), Dar es Salaam (1977), Mwanza (1977), London (1982), Preston (1984), Chicago (1984) and Los Angeles (1984).

To 1985, he undertook 9 international trips from visiting Africa, UAE, UK, USA, Canada, Nepal, Europe, Fiji, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. At each place he visited, he prayed and toiled for the progress of Hindu Dharma worldwide and established communities of devotees.

Over the next few years, his efforts bore fruit and today there are hundreds of mandirs and thousands of devotees. It was during one of his trips to Europe in 1984 that he also met with Pope John Paul II in Vatican to engage in interfaith dialogue.

A beautiful Yogiji Maharaj Smruti Mandir was opened in Gondal in 1975. Also, in 1981 the Yagnapurush Smruti Mandir was established in Sarangpur in memory of his guru Shastriji Maharaj.

All this did not come without inflicting a price on his health. During this 15year period he sustained his first serious illness in Mumbai in February 1978, had cataract operations on both his eyes in 1980, a gall bladder operation in 1981, and sustained a heart attack in 1983 at the early age of 62.

The following events are worthy of a special mention 3rd (and final) All-India Train Journey: 25 November 1972 to 4 January 1973 Swamishri undertook this journey with 800 devotees and sadhus. The trip had many highlights including opening of the mandir in Kolkata. The train literally became a temple and an ashram. Volunteers looked after devotees for their every need, and the train’s sound system was used for daily arti and discourses from sadhus and Swamishri. The journey concluded in Mumbai where thousands turned up at the Dadar station at midnight to welcome Swamishri.

Bhagwan Swaminarayan Bicentenary Celebrations in Ahmedabad, 1981 BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha organized its first international cultural festival in 1981 to mark the bicentenary celebrations of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The festival site was spread across a lush, 200-acre campus in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The festival was celebrated for 37 days with a variety of spiritual, humanitarian, and cultural programmes, including folk music and classical music performances by some of India’s leading pandits and maestros, theatrical and folk-dance performances from all over India, and a special exhibit dedicated to world peace and universal brotherhood. The festival featured majestic gates and mandirs carved by artisans, highlighting the beauty of Indian art and architecture.

Over 8 million visitors enjoyed the celebrations while 10,000 volunteers gave their time and dedication to making the event a success. The event motivated thousands of individuals to renounce their addictions and bad habits.

A three-day interfaith conference dedicated to religious harmony attracted more than 1,500 religious leaders, while 207 educated youths were initiated as sadhus.

The festival restored an atmosphere of peace amidst severe tensions and communal riots in Ahmedabad.

The Cultural Festival of India (CFI) in London, 1985 This festival was held on the grounds of Alexandra Park, next to Alexandra Palace. It was the first of its kind to bring the wonders of India to London. This 33-day festival attracted over a million visitors from across the globe.

CFI featured four intricately carved mandirs, 16 magnificent displays, five beautiful gates, and a “Cradle of Civilization” exhibition portraying 5,000 years of Indian civilisation. All of these structures were skilfully crafted in India and then shipped to London where they were assembled on the festival grounds. Additionally, CFI showcased 14 types of traditional Indian folk dances and musical performances by various pandits and maestros. It was as if India had descended on Alexandra Palace. The dedication of thousands of volunteers was evident in every corner of the festival.

Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami Bicentenary Celebrations in Ahmedabad in 1985 This 60-day festival marked the bicentenary celebrations of Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami, Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s first spiritual successor. It included numerous cultural performances and exhibits. It also hosted the International Convention for Better Living and an Interfaith Harmony event attended by political and spiritual leaders, including the Dalai Lama and Indian President Gyani Zail Singh.

Over 8 million visitors enjoyed the celebrations organised by 15,000 volunteers.

Through establishing mandirs and organising festivals, thousands of individuals found new meaning in life and were inspired to a higher way of noble, addiction-free living.

Schoolboy raises thousands for Whipps Cross Hospital Schoolboy Ryan Subaskaran aged 16 from Chigwell, Essex, has raised £9000 for Whipps Cross Hospital.

Ryan who is a student at Bancrofts School, Woodford Green said the mission began back in May last year, after he was inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore’s walking challenge that won the hearts of the nation. Ryan wanted to raise money for The Whipps Cross Hospital in appreciation of the many Doctors, nurses, paramedics and ancillary staff at the hospital that worked and continue to work tirelessly through the Global Coronavirus pandemic.

On the 29th August 2021, he persuaded his mother, father

and other members of his family and friends to join him on the walk, in total over 25 people followed Ryan as he made his way from a local car park to Whipps Cross Hospital through Epping Forest. At the other end, he was received by doctors and nurses at the A&E Department

to thank him for what he had achieved.

Ryan’s other charity work includes regular donations to local food banks, while he is also raising money for multiple projects in Africa and South Asia.

Ryan said “I felt it is important to make my contribution to the work that has been done by our NHS heroes. I hope that in this small way we are able to support the work of Whipps Cross Hospital. The Barts Charity which covers Whipps Cross Hospital does some tremendous work and I hope that they would be able to put this money to use. I want to thank all those who supported us with their donations.”

Historic new memorial to Sikh soldiers officially unveiled in Wolverhampton The first UK memorial of its kind commemorating the bravery of 19th-century Sikh soldiers was officially unveiled in Wolverhampton on Sunday 12 September, 2021.

The city’s new Saragarhi Monument, which stands in Well Lane in Wednesfield, is the first statue in the country to specifically honour the fallen soldiers and has been unveiled on the date of the Battle of Saragarhi.

The guest list at the ceremony included the Jathedar of the Akal Takht and appointed head of the Sikhs of the world, Giani Harpreet Singh, who flew from India to attend, members of the British Army, Saragarhi expert Doctor Gurunderpal Singh Josan who travelled from America and 3 descendants of the battle’s soldiers.

They joined a huge crowd, including members of the Sikh faith, City of Wolverhampton Council’s Leader, Councillor Ian Brookfield Mayor, Councillor Greg Brackenridge and deputy chief executive

Mark Taylor as well as MP Preet Kaur Gill, the first Sikh female member of parliament, other city dignitaries and members of the local community.

Black Country sculptor Luke Perry created the memorial, which was commissioned

by Wednesfield’s Guru Nanak Gurdwara.

Members of the congregation undertook a massive £100,000 fundraising programme for the monument, with donations made by the temple and the project supported by the community.

City of Wolverhampton Council also contributed £35,000 towards the memorial after it agreed to transfer land

BOOK REVIEW

Afflicted with polio from a young age, Arun Patel’s life as a boy is full of challenges, both physical and mental. With the influence of his demanding father and loving mother, Arun manages to survive and thrive despite the disability that would otherwise define his life. By meeting his father’s pressure to excel head-on,

to the Gurdwara on a 99year lease.

The completed sculpture includes an 8-metre steel backplate with commemorative wording, depicting the hills and forts at Saragarhi, as well as the bronze figure of a Sikh soldier. The statue, which is 10 feet tall, stands on top of a 6foot plinth.

The memorial commemorates the Battle of Saragarhi, a conflict that took place on 12 September 1897. The conflict saw 21 soldiers from the 36th Sikh Regiment of the British Indian Army fight against thousands of Afghan tribesmen.

Saragarhi Day is commemorated by the Indian Army's 4th battalion of the Sikh regiment every year on 12 September.

Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, Cabinet Member for City Assets and Housing at City of Wolverhampton Council and ward member for Wednesfield South, worked closely with the Gurdwara to develop plans for the memorial.

he succeeds in school and finds his way to London for an accountancy profession.

When his family follows, after being forcefully expelled from Uganda, he again rises to the occasion and takes over as breadwinner for his entire family. With his ability to focus on the positive and reframe life’s difficulties as “opportunities disguised as challenges,” he goes on to take advantage of every chance for an extraordinary life.

In Out of My Way, Polio! Arun Patel navigates an unusual journey certain to intrigue anyone who wonders about or faces life with physical handicaps. Ultimately founding two charities for the benefit of children with polio as well as other underprivileged children, Arun finds ways to give back while sharing his story of positivity, hope, and struggle.

Arun has imbibed Sadhguru’s wisdom to guide him for the remainder of his life’s journey : “Make sure that your work touches the lives of others, else just sit and meditate.” He has no plans to just sit and meditate.

It is Arun’s sincere hope and desire that his life’s stories and experiences will inspire all readers, not just the disabled or the professionals or the meditators, and help at least some of them to overcome their challenges.

Arun has two grown up sons and he currently lives in Ilford, Essex, UK with his wife Ranjan , and his mother.

16 UK

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£700 stolen from an 18-year old "This money was the most important money I could have had," Rudy D'Souza, said, whose £700 leftover from his government-backed Child Trust Fund was stolen last week by push payment fraud.

Victims are tricked into

transferring money to a fraudster in the belief they are calling from the victim's bank or the police. Last year alone, £479m was stolen from 150,000 victims in this way - an increase of 22% on the previous year.

"I was aware my real bank

would never ask for my password or OTP [one-time passcode], but they didn't ask me to do any of that - that's why I thought they were my bank”, Rudy told the BBC An awareness campaign run

by UK Finance on behalf of the

banks and building societies, Take Five To Stop Fraud, but Rudy said he'd never heard of it.

Rudy has been one of the fortunate victims who have had the money refunded by the bank.

Charities donating over 17,000 new products to Afghan refugee families Baby Basics, a national charity based in Sheffield with 53 centres around the UK is working with the Home Office and a coalition of charities called ’Afghan Welcome’ to deliver essential equipment to hotels where Afghans are quarantining after fleeing the Taliban. Over 17,000

brand new products have been donated for Afghan mothers and their children in less than seven days by members of the public and businesses keen to help them settle in the UK. Baby Basics collects data from the Home Office and Voluntary and Community

Sector Emergencies Partnership on how many families are in each hotel, how old their children are and what items they need. Volunteers in the warehouse then collect the customized parcels and deliver it to the hotels.

Cat Ross, the chief executive

of Baby Basics UK said, “We are going from hotel to hotel to get information about what basic needs families are in need of.”

According to the government, Ross said, “About 10,000 Afghans were in quarantine hotels last week which included thousands of children.”

Dog owners thinking to give up their lockdown dogs, says charity The Dogs Trust had seen a 35% increase in calls related to giving up dogs in the past few weeks.

The visitors on their page "giving up your dog" of their website, increased more than 180% in July compared to the prepandemic period. There was also a 100% rise in traffic in July

compared to what it had seen six months earlier in February.

The sales of pets in the UK have increased since the pandemic started when people were instructed to remain at home. The rates of puppies more than doubled, with dogs costing around £1,900 on

average.

Since the pandemic started, the Pet Food Manufacturers' Association said earlier this year a total of 3.2 million homes in the UK had acquired a pet. At present, there are about 34 million pets in the UK, including 12 million dogs.

Police investigate arson attack as a hate crime: Didsbury Mosque According to the police, “Noone was wounded in the blaze that took place at Didsbury Mosque in Burton Road on last week’s late Friday night which is being investigated as a hate crime”.

Mosque leaders said they had received warnings to burn

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in brief in brief VACCINE DEVELOPMENT LEADER SAYS EVERYBODY DOES NOT NEED A BOOSTER DOSE While the government is all set to reportedly give a go-ahead to the booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine next week, Dame Sarah who led the development of vaccines says everybody might not need to be given the dose.

Data suggests that additional Pfizer dose months after a second vaccine significantly boosts the body’s immunity to coronavirus. This works positively for those who had taken Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines. However, Sarah has said that while immunity is lasting well for most people after being double jabbed, the surplus doses should be instead redirected to countries where vaccination rates are low. She added that elderly people and those with weakened immunity should be given the third jab, providing jabs to other countries will help ensure that the world will be a safer place.

VULNERABILITY TRAINING FOR PUBS, BARS AND RESTAURANTS

As per the BBC reports, it was recognised as one of the mosques attended by the Manchester Arena attack bomber Salman Abedi and his family. Abedi killed 22 people when he exploded a suicide bomb at an Ariana Grande concert in 2017.

up the mosque for a couple of years. They were thankful to neighbours who tried to put it out with their coats.

Manchester City Council deputy leader Luthfur Rahman said the fire was "the act was dreadful and designed to create fear and hatred".

Priti Patel announces new immigration plans Home Secretary Priti Patel wants to attract the world’s greatest minds to the UK via the new points-based visa system.

She hopes to expedite the process of visa applications for Booker Prize, the Oscars, BAFTAs nominees.

Patel said: "We want to attract the world’s greatest minds at the crowning point of their careers, so the UK remains number one on the global leader board in sports, the arts, science,

film and technology sectors.

"Through our points-based system we focus on talent and

skills, not where someone comes from, and the immigration changes we make it much easier for the brightest and best to live and work in the UK." Express reported that the visa will help to guarantee sporting events such as the football Premier League continue to be British exporting successes.

Rules for who can apply for the Government's Global Talent Visa have also been expanded in order to attract the world's most

Child sex abuse found in major religious groups of England and Wales The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) said there was “no doubt that the sexual abuse of children takes place in a broad range of religious settings”. It found evidence of “egregious failings” and highlighted the hypocrisy of religions that purport to teach right from wrong, yet fail to protect children.

IICSA’s investigation examined child protection in 38 religious organisations and settings, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baptists, Methodists, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism and nonconformist Christian denominations.

The report published last week followed earlier investigations into the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches that briefed extensive abuse and cover-ups.

The report suggests that all religious organisations have a child protection policy which calls for legislative changes to allow for the official scrutiny of child protection policies in unregistered

educational institutions.

Among the cases mentioned were those of three children abused by Todros Grynhaus, a prominent member of the Haredi Jewish community in Manchester, who was sent by his rabbi for counselling after allegations were made.

Grynhaus was eventually convicted and jailed.

Another case was a girl of age between 8 and eleven, who was abused and raped at a madrasa in a “house mosque”. After disclosing the abuse, she was called a “slag” by others in the community.

gifted to Britain.

The new point-based system came into existence early this year. Which brings more control in the hands of the ministers about who they want to bring in the UK. This means that both EU and other nationals will be treated equally. The report also mentioned that now, all those looking to move to the UK must meet a specific set of requirements for which they will score points.

Most successful people are born in this month Researchers at My Heritage, have found that the most successful people in the world are born in the month of April, gathering this data from bodies of around 1000 recipients of numerous prestigious prizes.

My Heritage reported that from the Oscars to the Grammys and even the Olympics, some awards have been found to favour winners with certain birthdays over others. Their blog suggests that out of 365 days in a year April 30 proves to be the body that has produced the most winners. It also includes two scientists and Nobel Prize laureates, who share this birthday, along with three other winners. Some notable names include American rapper Travis Scott Israeli actress Gail Gadot, and American actress, Kirsten Dunst. The second book the most associated with winning prestigious awards is April 27.

The Brent Council has started vulnerability training for pubs, bars and restaurants. They have teamed up with Night Time Economy Solutions to offer free night safety training for local businesses. This online training will help the staff and owners identify and support vulnerable female customers. Sessions are available in September, October and November.

WAKEFIELD MP, IMRAN AHMAD KHAN DENIES SEXUAL ASSAULT ON TEENAGER Imran Ahmad Khan, who represents Wakefield in West Yorkshire, faces a single count of sexual attack against the then youngster in Staffordshire, whose name cannot be revealed for legal purposes. Mr Ahmad Khan appeared earlier from his lawyer's office by video link at the Old Bailey. The MP has been suspended by the Conservative Party. Mr Ahmad Khan spoke only to confirm his name before pleading not guilty. Khan, who is on unconditional bail, is expected to appear in court for a hearing next month. The date is not fixed.

The Conservatives in the past said the whip had been suspended, meaning he sits as an independent in the Commons.

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NHS launches world’s largest trial of cancer blood test Shefali Saxena Last week, the NHS launched the world’s largest trial of a revolutionary new blood test that can detect more than 50 types of cancer before symptoms appear. The first people to take part will have blood samples taken at mobile testing clinics in retail parks and other convenient community locations. The Galleri™ test checks for the earliest signs of cancer in the blood and the NHS-Galleri trial, the first of its kind, aims to recruit 140,000 volunteers in eight areas of England to see how well the test works in the NHS. What is the test?

The test is a simple blood test that research has shown is particularly effective at finding cancers that are typically difficult to identify early – such as head and neck, bowel, lung, pancreatic, and throat cancers.

It works by finding chemical changes in fragments of genetic code – cell-free DNA (cfDNA) – that leak from tumours into the bloodstream. The NHS is already sending out letters inviting tens of thousands of people from different backgrounds and ethnicities aged between 50 and 77 to take part.

Participants, who must not have had a cancer diagnosis in the last three years, will be asked to give a blood sample at a locally based mobile clinic and they will then be invited back after 12 months, and again at two years, to give further samples. The trial is part of the NHS’s efforts to increase the proportion of cancers detected early by the end of the Long Term Plan.

Partnership The NHS-Galleri trial is being run by The Cancer Research UK and King’s College London Cancer Prevention Trials Unit in partnership with the NHS and healthcare company, GRAIL, which has developed the Galleri test. It is operating with the support of eight NHS Cancer Alliances across England that span Cheshire and Merseyside, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, the North East, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, Kent and Medway, and South East London. For the purposes of the trial, only people living in these areas will be invited.

Initial results of the study are expected

Sir Harpal Kumar

by 2023 and, if successful, the NHS in England plans to extend the rollout to a further one million people in 2024 and 2025.

Patients whose cancer is found early – known as stage one or two – typically have a broader range of treatment options available to them, which can be curative and are often less aggressive.

A patient whose cancer is diagnosed at the earliest stage typically has between five and 10 times the chance of surviving compared with those found at ‘stage four.’

GRAIL is a healthcare company whose mission is to detect cancer early when it can be cured. GRAIL is focused on saving lives and improving health by pioneering new technologies for early cancer detection. The company is using the power of nextgeneration sequencing, population-scale clinical studies, and state-of-the-art computer science and data science to overcome one of medicine’s greatest challenges with Galleri™, GRAIL’s multicancer early detection blood test. With this proprietary technology, GRAIL is also developing solutions to help accelerate cancer diagnoses, blood-based detection for minimal residual disease, and other postdiagnostic applications.

NHS Long Term Plan Sir Harpal Kumar, President of GRAIL Europe, encourages the Asian communities in England to come forward to participate.

Speaking exclusively to Asian Voice, Sir Harpal Kumar said, “Our goal is to recruit participants from a wide range of

Tribute to

PRAVINBHAI SANGANI: Community pioneer and renaissance man

PRAVINBHAI SANGANI (18 Jan 1944 - 9 Sep 2021)

backgrounds, ensuring the results are relevant for as many different people as possible. The Galleri blood test, if successful, could play a major part in achieving the NHS Long Term Plan ambition to catch three-quarters of cancers at an early stage, when they are easier to treat. So if you are invited, please take part - you could be helping the NHS to revolutionise cancer care and protect yourself.”

All participant information sheets are available in Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi and Urdu and translators are available to volunteers on request.

“This is a trial operating in 8 regions of the UK (see release). Mobile clinics will move to different accessible locations in each region such as supermarket car parks,” Sir Kumar told the newsweekly.

NHS will make the decision Explaining the kind of support monetary and regulatory, that he would need from the government to take this forward and make this a success, Sir Harpal told us, “The potential future use of Galleri in the NHS is partly what this trial will help determine - we have a comprehensive health economic programme underway with this trial. Ultimately, it will be for NHS England to make this decision based on the results of the trial. Alongside the health benefit to those who get cancer, we believe that multicancer early detection (MCED) will save lives and reduce the economic burden of cancer - firstly because it allows us to detect many more cancers early without adding the significant costs (from diagnostic testing) associated with false positives; and secondly because treating cancer in later stages, or when it has spread to other parts of the body, is far more costly than treatments for early-stage cancer.”

“The third and final sub-study of the Circulating Cell-free Genome Atlas (CCGA) study found that Galleri detected cancer signals from more than 50 different types of Pravinkumar Girdharlal Sangani, a wellknown figure from Birmingham’s Hindu Community passed away in Australia last week, aged 77, after a short illness.

Born in Mwanza, Tanzania, Pravinbhai was educated at MS University of Baroda before moving to Birmingham in 1966 to complete his professional qualifications.

More recently, he resettled in Canberra, Australia, since 2014.

During almost five decades in Birmingham, he was instrumental in developing and leading numerous Indian community organisations, together with his parents Girdharbhai and Rambhaben Sangani.

Amongst his many roles, Pravinbhai served as President of the Shree Hindu Community Centre Birmingham and Laxmi Narayan Mandir; President of Shree Lohana Association Birmingham; General Secretary of Lohana Community UK; and was an active member of the Gujarati Sahitya Academy.

He also took pleasure in nurturing the next generation of community leaders and has inspired many others to follow in his footsteps.

An accountant by profession, Pravinbhai was ahead of his time in occupying senior finance positions within large blue-chip companies, such as Cadbury Schweppes and Severn Trent - both headquartered in the West Midlands. Before retiring, he last role was working with the UK’s Ministry of Defence on strategic procurement projects for the Royal Air Force.

Beyond his successful professional career, Pravinbhai was very much a Renaissance Man, who enjoyed exploring and promoting Indian arts, culture and philosophy. From his student days in

cancer. These include cancers which account for around two-thirds of cancer deaths in the UK - Anal, bladder, bowel, oesophageal, stomach, head and neck, liver and bile duct, lung, ovarian and pancreatic cancers, lymphoma and cancers of the plasma cells, such as multiple myeloma,” Sir Harpal told Asian Voice.

Sir Harpal Kumar said: “We’re delighted to partner with the NHS to support the NHS Long Term Plan for earlier cancer diagnosis, and we are eager to bring our technology to people in the UK as quickly as we can. The Galleri test can not only detect a wide range of cancer types but can also predict where the cancer is in the body with a high degree of accuracy. The test is particularly strong at detecting deadly cancers and has a very low rate of false positives.”

Advantages of the test Talking about the advantages of this test, he said, “We believe that multi-cancer early detection (MCED) will save lives and reduce the economic burden of cancer firstly because it allows us to detect many more cancers early without adding the significant costs associated with false positives; and secondly because treating cancer in later stages, or when it has spread to other parts of the body, is far more costly than treatments for early-stage cancer.”

As part of the trial design, only those people whose test detects potential signals of cancer in their blood will be contacted and referred for diagnostic tests in the NHS. Everyone who gives a blood sample as part of the NHS-Galleri trial should receive a letter around 30 days after their appointment to confirm that their sample has been received.

Will this test may also reduce the load on the pathology labs at NHS, which otherwise carry rigorous tests, which are more expensive and tedious to detect diseases like cancer? Sir Harpal said, “The potential future use of Galleri in the NHS is partly what this trial will help determine we have a comprehensive health economic programme underway with this trial.

Ultimately, it will be for NHS England to make this decision based on the results of the trial.”

Baroda, he had developed a passion for Gujarati drama, poetry and literature, which led him to study for a performing arts diploma in parallel to his main Bachelor of Commerce degree. His interest in amateur dramatics continued in the UK and he directed a Gujarati play titled ‘Uhuru’ which went on tour across several locations, to wide acclaim from audiences.

Pravinbhai was known for his engaging and jovial personality. He possessed a remarkable ability to connect with people, no matter their age, interests or background and was accomplished in putting people at ease and finding common-ground. He was frequently called upon to compere public meetings, address social gatherings, and even mediate privately in disputes using his refined skills of tact and diplomacy.

As well as being an extrovert by nature, Pravinbhai also had a more serious and philosophical dimension, which he shared with his late brother-in-law, Jay (Dilip) Lakhani, who went on to become a prominent Hindu scholar in the UK. Both were heavily influenced by the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda and were active in promoting interfaith dialogue, explaining one of Hinduism’s most important gifts to the world - which sees humankind as one family.

Pravinbhai is survived by his wife Sarlaben, a life companion of 53 years; son Jay, who serves as a diplomat with the Australian Government, currently serving in India; daughters Heema and Ami; and sister Hansaben Gadhia. Pravinbhai is a huge loss for his family, friends and the wider community - matched only by the size of his legacy.

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Dear Financial Voice Reader, Alpesh Patel

Which Stocks Are Hedge Funds Investing in Now? I became in 2005 one of the few Indian origin hedge fund managers outside of India.

2021 has been another fascinating year for the stock markets. The vaccine rollout has been successful in the US and UK, allowing these economies to begin to return to normal. However, regulatory lockdowns by the Chinese government have led to hedge funds cutting their exposure on businesses that rely on China by 26%. So, the question needs to be asked: Which stocks are hedge funds investing in now?

Not all hedge funds have had the easiest of years. 2021's meme stock frenzy burned a lot of short-sellers, with many hedge funds failing to account for — or understand — the suddenly arrived retail investors. However, some hedge funds have embraced "Reddit stocks," like Paysafe, a favorite of retail investors and about 50 hedge funds.

Indeed, it seems that hedge funds have learned from the meme stock craze and have found a way to take advantage of the shifting landscape. So much so that many industry insiders suggest that hedge funds are making a resurgence.

This year, hedge fund short books (expecting falling prices) generated their best alpha (outperforming the market) since 2010. Additionally, after three years of outflows, hedge funds saw over $6 billion in client inflows during Q1.

According to data from HFR, this brings the industry's managed assets up to almost $4 trillion.

And there is a reason for these inflows. After a challenging decade post-financial crisis, hedge funds produced excellent gains since the pandemic — posting returns of 11.8% in 2020 and 13% in 2021. Another sign of the times is that many hedge funds have stopped taking on new customers. Brevan Howard, a fund that struggled in 2019, has turned its fortunes around to the extent that it shut its doors to new investors earlier this year.

Another factor affecting inflows into hedge funds is the current unpredictability in China. These issues have led many institutional investors to pull money out of the region and invest with hedge funds. Future Fund, an Australian sovereign wealth fund, has pulled back during the regulatory fracas and is buying into renewable energy, like Tilt Renewables.

So, with hedge funds performing so well, it's interesting to know where they are investing their client's money.

Recent Goldman Sachs analysis of over 800 hedge funds and almost 600 mutual funds suggested nine stocks that both viewed favorably. The majority of these picks are growth stocks, like Adobe (ADBE), Liberty Broadband (LBRDK), Square (SQ), and Twilio (TWLO). However, two very familiar faces also made their list: General Motors (GM) and Wells Fargo (WFC).

David Harding, who established Winton Capital Management in 1992, also laid out some of his funds' recommended stock recently. Harding recommended Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-B) as his number one pick; however, you can read his top ten here.

Interestingly, Berkshire Hathaway is huge on Apple (AAPL), with a stake of more than $130 million.

Tech stocks still feature among the most significant holdings in hedge funds that are looking for reliability and liquidity. Apple, Amazon (AMZN), Bank of America (BAC), and Visa (V) are some of the big players that are still popular with hedge funds.

Disclosure: I or my firm or family own shares or derivatives in some or all of the stocks mentioned. To follow for free what I do and learn about the market – use the app free https://t.me/pipspredator

UK ranks 12th out of 165 countries in economic freedom The UK has emerged at the 12th position in the Economic Freedom of the World: 2021 Annual Report released by the Institute of Economic Affairs in conjunction with Canada’s Fraser Institute. The report identifies 165 countries, with Hong Kong and Singapore again topping the index as 1st and 2nd respectively. The top 10 included New Zealand, Switzerland, Georgia, the United States, Ireland, Lithuania, Australia and Denmark.

Based on 2019 data, the report warns that recent events in Hong Kong will

greater prosperity, more political and civil liberties, and longer lives. Academic and Research Director at the Institute of Economic Affairs, James Forder said, “The Economic Freedom of the World Report demonstrates to us, once again, that economies with less government intervention are richer, grow faster, and have healthier citizens.”

He added, “While it’s great news that the UK now ranks 12th in the index – up one position from last year – we are still a long way away from the impressive 4th position we held in 2000. Indeed, in some

areas, specifically within the ‘size of government’ component, the UK ranks among one of the worst in the world. As this report looks at data from 2019, the growth of government and its continued interference in our lives over the last two years should be a cause of great concern to anyone who cares about keeping the size of government under control.”

Countries in the top quartile of economic freedom had an average percapita GDP of US$50,619 in 2019, compared to US$5,911 for bottom quartile countries.

UK-India economic and financial dialogue boosts FTA negotiations The 11th UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) held earlier this month addressed several key sectors including climate change, facilitating investments, and addressing concerns of the services sectors.

The talks concluded successfully and gave an added push to a first-time Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between both the countries.

If finalized, this would prove to be a big win for British manufacturers as the average tariffs in India on UK exports are more than three times than those levied on Indian goods in the UK. Not to forget high non-tariff barriers India has in place, which would be addressed by the FTA. At the EFD, both sides agreed to a package of almost £900 million in pub-

lic and private finance for free projects and renewable energy. The UK Treasury said, “This includes a US$1 billion investment from the CDC, the UK’s development finance institution in green projects in India, joint investments by both governments to support companies working on innovative green tech solutions, and a new US$200 million private and multilateral investment into the joint Green Growth Equity Fund, which invests in Indian renewable energy.”

Both, UK and India also welcomed the launch of the Climate Finance Leadership Initiative (CFLI) India partnership that will mobilise private capital into sustainable infrastructure in India.

The CFLI-India partnership paves the path for financing clean energy projects involving wind energy, solar

power, and other green technologies. The partnership will be led by a group of leading financial institutions responsible for US$6.2 trillion worth of assets and is chaired by Michael Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions.

UK businesses and exporters had time till August 31 this year to submit

their inputs on areas in the proposed FTA with India as part of a formal public consultation process. The next steps will involve the UK Department for International Trade processing these suggestions and finalising its negotiating position. Formal UK-India FTA talks are likely to start sometime before the end of 2021.

UK govt fund investments include kombucha and luxury ship builder New data reveals the UK government has become a shareholder in over 150

Thousands of jobs at risks unless travel rules changed: Airlines The airlines and travel industry has called upon ministers to bring down the UK’s Covid traffic light and PCR testing rules as figures reveal their “devastating impact” on overseas flights and holiday bookings in peak season.

Data revealed by the Travel Association (ABTA) states bookings for holidays abroad this summer were down 83 per cent on 2019, with half of travel companies reporting no increase in bookings compared with last summer, despite the vaccination programme.

ABTA said thousands of jobs in the sector were at risk, with seven in 10 companies planning to make redundancies once the furlough ends. Meanwhile, the Heathrow and Manchester Airports Group (MAG) joined the calls for a simplified two-tier system for international travel. The London hub airport was the busiest in Europe, however, is now ranked 10th after a 71 per cent drop in August

likely cause its score to fall as data becomes available for 2020 and 2021. The 10 lowest-rated countries included the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Republic of Congo, Iran, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Libya, Sudan, and Venezuela. Other notable rankings included Japan at the 18th spot, Germany at 22nd, Italy at 47th, France at 53rd, Russia at 100th, India at 108th, and China 116th. to the According research, people living in countries with high levels of economic freedom enjoy

traffic compared with pre-pandemic levels.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said at the weekend that he wanted to scrap PCR day two tests for fully vaccinated arrivals “as soon as I possibly can”. However, easyJet said it had yet to see any discernible impact of the announcement on bookings. A spokesperson said the airline would continue to argue for the scrapping of all tests for vaccinated travellers visiting low-risk countries.

Chief executive of ABTA, Mark Tanzer said the requirements had “choked off” the summer’s travel trade. He said, “While our European neighbours have been travelling freely and safely, the British were subject to expensive measures which have stood in the way. The government needs to wake up to the damage its policies are doing to the UK travel industry and the impact they will have on the wider economic recovery.”

companies during the novel coronavirus crisis, including a kombucha drinks maker, a luxury ship builder and a knitting and crochet suppliers. In a major breakthrough, the government’s development bank has revealed the list of firms that received special taxpayer-backed convertible loans that were earmarked for startups.

The Future Fund was originally pitched as a way for the government to support innovative companies that may have otherwise struggled to secure money on their own during the pandemic. Published by the British Business Bank (BBB), the list includes companies like Secret Group Limited, the firm that runs the Secret Cinema series of immersive film events, as well as ski suit maker Oneskee, and Oto

International Limited, which makes the cannabis extract CBD Oil. Taxpayers also hold shares in Arksen Limited, which builds “authentic explorer vessels” for “families and friends”, and Dice FM, which runs an app and website for nightclub, festival and gig tickets.

In a statement released by the Treasury, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said, “The Future Fund was set up to ensure that investment

keeps flowing to our most innovative businesses, and it’s fantastic that taxpayers now have equity in these top-performing startups.

Investing in these companies has the potential to accelerate innovations that will transform UK industry, develop new medicines and strengthen our position as a science superpower.”

The government spent about £1.1bn in total, supporting 1,190 companies through the Future Fund.

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After GM and Harley, Ford shuts India operations After the exit of General Motors and HarleyDavidson, it’s now the turn of another iconic brand Ford to quit India. Having invested over $2.5 billion in India, and with a presence since 1995, Ford ended 202021 selling 48,042 units to garner a 1.8% share of the pie.

The company promised that “restructuring” of its India business - that will see its two plants in Chennai and Sanand shut down by the second quarter of next year - will not mean end of services and after sales support for the roughly10,00,000 customers it has in the country as its 300-odd dealerships will remain open for service.

“This is a very difficult decision. No matter what we tried and investigated, all our projections show we will continue to give sub-optimal returns to shareholders and investors. There was no

other option, but to restructure,” Anurag Mehrotra, MD and president of Ford India, said as he outlined a new strategy that would see the company begin import and sale of “must-have, iconic vehicles”, including Mustang coupe.

Ford said it took the decision after considering several options, including platform partnerships, sharing, contract manufacturing with other makers, and the possibility of selling its manufacturing plants, which is still under consideration.

Despite these efforts, we have not been able to find a sustainable path forward to long-term profitability that includes in-country v e h i c l e manufacturing,” Mehrotra said. The move will see many of the 4,000-odd permanent employees of Ford India move out. “Ford will work closely with employees, unions, suppliers, dealers, government and other stakeholders in Chennai and Sanand to develop a fair and balanced plan to mitigate the effects of the decision,” the company said.

Dealers fear that apart from jobs at Ford, over 40,000 employees at retail points also face a threat around their employment.

Vinkesh Gulati, president of dealers’ association FADA, said Ford dealers have

invested around £200 million towards infrastructure. “The retail fraternity is really shocked to hear Ford’s announcement where it has said that it will shut down production,” FADA said.

While the writing was on the wall for several months, the announcement brought finality to it.

Ford failed to grow in a market where others such as Maruti, Hyundai, Tata Motors and Mahindra, reaped in dividends.

Newcomers such as Korean Kia and China’s MG Motors also managed to get a solid opening, despite starting late in 2019. Ford’s losses to date stand at $2 billion (it also effected a $0.8 billion nonoperating write down of assets in 2019), and the company says it preferred to invest money in markets where it can fetch returns than sink further cash in India.

Airbus-Tata project to replace IAF's Avro748 planes okayed The long-pending AirbusTata project to build 56 C295 transport aircraft, which will replace the old Avro-748 planes of the IAF at a cost of over £2.1 billion, was finally cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security.

While 16 of the twinturboprop C-295MW aircraft will be delivered in a flyaway condition by Airbus Defence and Space (Spain) within two years of the signing of the actual contract, the rest 40 will be manufactured in India by the Tata Consortium within 10 years.

This will be the first time an Indian private sector company will manufacture a military

aircraft, though with transfer of technology from a foreign firm, breaking the virtual monopoly of defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in the field.

The C-295 project, which has been pending for almost a decade, is not only meant to replace the Avro aircraft which were first inducted in the early-1960, the new planes will also take

on some “tasks” of the ageing AN-32 fleet. A transport aircraft of 510 tonne capacity, the C-295MW has a rear ramp door for quickreaction and paradropping of troops and cargo. All 56 aircraft will be installed with indigenous electronic warfare suites.

“The project will give a boost to the aerospace ecosystem in India wherein several MSMEs spread over the country will be involved in manufacturing parts of the aircraft. The aircraft can even find some buyers in the civil aviation market at a later stage,” said an official.

While the C-295s are meant

to replace the Avro-748 transport planes, the new aircraft will also be suitable for demanding roles that the AN-32 currently undertakes.

The aircraft can operate from short, unprepared airstrips and carry out a variety of missions in allweather conditions.

“We have made good progress with the light combat aircraft and a variety of helicopters. But transport aircraft is one area where a lot needs to be done. The C295 project will help create an ecosystem for building transport aircraft in India,” said Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd), director general, Centre for Air Power Studies.

Jet Airways plans to start domestic flights in first quarter of 2022 Jet Airways, which had gone into insolvency proceedings, will start domestic flights in India by the first quarter of 2022, while short-haul international flights will begin by the last quarter of next year, Jalan Kalrock consortium, the winning bidder for the airline, said.

The first flight of Jet Airways would be on DelhiMumbai route, the consortium said. The headquarters of the airlines would also be moved to Delhi from Mumbai.

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved Jalan Kalrock consortium's resolution plan for Jet Airways in June

this year.

"Jet Airways 2.0 aims at restarting domestic operations by Q1-2022, and short haul international operations by Q3/Q4 2022," Murari Lal Jalan, lead member of the Jalan Kalrock consortium, said in a statement.

It plans to have over 50 aircraft in three years and 100 plus in five years, which also fits perfectly well with the short-term and longterm business plan of the consortium, he said.

"The aircraft are being selected based on competitive long term leasing solutions. It is the first time in the history of aviation that an airline grounded for more than two years is being revived and we are looking forward

to being a part of this historic journey," Jalan said.

The revival plan for Jet Airways is being implemented as per NCLT's approval and all the creditors will be settled according to the plan in the coming months, he added.

The consortium is working closely with the relevant authorities and airport coordinators on slot allocation, required airport infrastructure, and night parking, the statement said.

"Senior Members of the Jalan Kalrock consortium along with Jet 2.0 Operations Team led by the newly appointed Capt.

Sudhir Gaur, Accountable Manager, and acting CEO visited key airports last month and held productive

Insuring The Future Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

The client whom I wrote about last week, was a little fixated on getting a rate below 3%. For some reason, some clients think if they push hard enough they can bargain the rate down, this is most definitely not the case. Retail rates are set in stone, they are fixed and packaged; and in many cases sold off.

Flexibility does exist in the lending market, but more in the bridging and commercial sectors, where there is a person involved in the actual pricing of the product and not a machine.

The only way I explained we could reduce the rate was by re-looking at the term. I wasn’t actually expecting to get a rate below the 3% level to be honest, but lo and behold it existed, and without an expensive arrangement which normally tags along to compensate for the low rate.

We managed to source a rate of 2.89% with a £995 fee.

No easy feat; considering there are constraints, for example, it’s in a Limited Company which owns a freehold, which has several undersized units within the freehold. These factors whittle down the number of lenders.

But we now have the go ahead. The cost of this on the proposed borrowing of £900,000 will only be £2,167pm against an income of £6,800pm. Now, we just need to go through the application and progress this case, before the rate expires; as they look like they will be increasing not decreasing.

On another topic; we recently sourced a property in South East London, in an area which we have been focusing on, for many of our clients. Prices and rents have already been experiencing a strong push upwards despite the current situation. This is in stark contrast to Central London, where prices have softened and rents have seen dips of 30-40%; understandable, when international travellers and students have been absent from the market. A client approached us in order to source something as an investment for the future, he appreciated that even on a reasonably decent salary, it is difficult to save for an increasingly expensive future.

Property is one of the ways, which if done sensibly, can strengthen one’s future. With this in mind, we managed to source a lucrative deal, a two bedroom flat for £265,500. This was purchased by the current owner for £284,000; and then they spent £27,000 on the property. So, the owner was in for £311K in total.

The flat was initially purchased to live in. It was bought and developed with emotion, therefore there was, what usually happens in such cases, an over expenditure. Their circumstances changed and it was rented and now it needs to be sold. So, our investor is not only getting a great deal in a location which is rising but the property has been finished off to a high specification which one would never do if it was a BTL. One similar property has popped up in the market for £320K. My client did not have enough of a deposit to put down and therefore he teamed up with a relative. They wisely decided to purchase the property in a Limited Company; and the transaction is progressing smoothly. Hopefully, once this one is under their belt it will whet their appetite to do a few more deals.

The property is currently rented and therefore has the benefit of rental income from day one. Given the high spec nature of the property it is even more important to ensure decent tenants with good references are chosen going forward; it is not enough simply that they pay the rent on time. A refurbishment will cost around £15-20K to bring it back up to standard.

We have been sourcing properties for our clients in this particular area for many years, and will continue to do so.

meetings with them," it added. The airline has hired over 150 full-time employees and is looking to onboard another 1,000+ employees in FY 2021-22, Gaur said.

SC stalls HC proceedings in Amazon-Future-RIL row The Supreme Court struck a balance between the interests of Amazon and Reliance Industries (RIL), engaged in a high stakes litigation from Singapore to Delhi over the Kishore Biyani-led group’s ‘Future Retail’. The apex court stalled the Delhi HC proceedings over enforcement of emergency arbitrator’s (EA’s) interim award halting the RIL’s £2.5 billion offer to take over retail chain.

If on one hand, it stopped enforcement of the Singapore-based EA’s interim award being sought to be enforced by Amazon through a petition in the HC, the court, on the other, restrained the statutory authorities - National Company Law

Board, Competition Commission of India and markets regulator Sebi - from giving any final approval to RIL’s deal with the Biyani group for taking over the retail chain, which went into the red during the pandemic.

A bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and A S Bopanna patiently heard big guns appearing for both sides - senior advocates Harish Salve, Mukul Rohatgi and K V Vishwanathan for Future Group companies, and Gopal Subramaniam for Amazon. But, at the end, it passed the order with the express consent of the two sides, stalling precipitation of the matter for a period of four weeks.

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Qatari minister holds talks with top Taliban leader KABUL: Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani held talks with the Taliban-appointed prime minister, a Taliban spokesman said, in the highest level foreign visit to Kabul since the group seized the capital last month. Qatar is considered one of the countries with the most influence over the Taliban. The Qatari capital Doha was also the home of the Taliban’s political office which oversaw talks with the US. Sheikh Mohammed met PM Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund and a number of other senior ministers, a Taliban spokesman said. “The meeting focused on bilateral relations, humanitarian assistance, economic development and interaction with the world,” according to a statement from Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen. The meeting in the presidential palace, first reported by Al Jazeera television, was attended by deputy PM Abdul Salam Hanafi, foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, defence minister Yaqoob Mujahid, interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq. Shaheen said the leadership of the Islamic Emirate thanked the Qatar government for supporting the Afghan people. It said the Doha agreement, signed by the US and the Taliban, was a “landmark achievement, all sides should adhere to its implementation.”

Afghans protest meddling by Pak Taliban fighters resorted to discharging their guns in the air to disperse protesters, including

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani

women, at a large demonstration in front of the Pakistan embassy in Kabul last week.

Chanting anti-Pakistan slogans, hundreds of people took to the streets in Afghanistan’s capital to demand women’s rights and denounce Taliban rule, amid fears that the armed group would impose strict Islamic rule.

Blaming Islamabad for the Taliban’s return to power and denouncing its interference in Afghanistan, the protesters chanted anti-Pakistan slogans like “Death to Pakistan”, freedom” and “Freedom, “Taliban are Pakistani puppets”.

One of the placards read “Pakistan, Pakistan, Leave Afghanistan”. According to a Khaama news report, the protesters claimed that Pakistan air force jets conducted airstrikes in Panjshir province.

Several demonstrators said Taliban fighters with cameras and cell phones were taking close-up shots of the protesters.

“We fear that we will face retribution for exercising our right to protest peacefully,” a woman said outside Pakistan’s embassy.

China to give $31mn aid China announced $31 million as aid to Afghanistan, its first after the Taliban seized power in Kabul, as it backed the Afghan militant group’s interim government, saying it is a “necessary step” to restore order and “end anarchy”. Taking part in the first meeting of foreign ministers of the neighbouring countries on Afghanistan, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said Beijing will provide Afghanistan with 200 million yuan ($31 million) worth of grains, winter supplies, vaccines and medicines as per its requirements, official media reported.

The meeting convened by Pakistan was also attended by foreign ministers from Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, all of them the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan. Russia was conspicuously absent at the meeting hosted by Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Resistance group to declare a parallel govt In response to the new cabinet announced by the Taliban,

the resistance front in Panjshir province led by Ahmad Massoud has said that they will declare a parallel government in the country after consultations. The front termed the Taliban’s caretaker government as illegitimate and a vivid enmity with the people of Afghanistan, Khaama News reported. The front in its statement reiterated resistance against the Taliban and added that the Taliban are a threat to the region and the world. “The resistance front acknowledged that they will establish a transitional democratic and legitimate government, which will be forged based on the votes of the people and will be acceptable to the international community,” the resistance force said. The front has asked the UN, UNHRC, EU, SARC, ECO, and the member states of OIC to stop cooperation with the Taliban.

UN seeks millions in aid for Af The United Nations drummed up millions of dollars in emergency funds from donor countries for beleaguered Afghans who could soon face widespread hunger, even as Western governments and the UN human rights chief voiced concerns about the Taliban’s first steps in establishing power in Afghanistan. The first such conference on Afghanistan since the Taliban took over a month ago is testing Western governments and other big traditional donors, which want to protect Afghans from looming humanitarian disaster but also want to keep pressure on the new militant rulers to respect rights and moderate their rule.

In spotlight over role in Taliban win, Pak tries to shift focus on Kashmir ISLAMABAD: At a time when it is yet again under sharp international glare for engineering Taliban’s successful takeover of Afghanistan, Pakistan released a 131-page dossier against India, accusing it of grave human rights violations in J&K and alleged that it was “hosting and running terror camps of ISIS”. The dossier was presented at a press conference in Islamabad jointly addressed by Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, NSA Moeed Yusuf and human rights minister Shireen Mazari.

Citing the document, foreign office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar blamed India for “patronising ISIS”. He alleged that evidence suggested that India was operating training camps in Gulmarg, Raipur, Jodhpur, Chakrata, Anupgarh and Bikaner. “By injecting these state-trained ISIS fighters, India may try to establish linkages of the freedom movement with international terrorism in order to malign the freedom struggle of Kashmiris,” he claimed.

Pakistan has - in support of its claim that Taliban is 2.0 is a reformed and mellowed version of the group that had ruled

Afghanistan brutally, turning the country into a sanctuary for Islamic terrorists, including slain al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden - been claiming that the West should be concerned about ISIS. Qureshi said the decision to compile the dossier was taken due to the alleged actions of Indian authorities after the death of Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani and their treatment of his family. The secessionist Islamist leader, an ardent supporter of Pakistan, died on September 1 after a prolonged bout with age-related ailments. Indian authorities have released video to show that he was buried as per Islamic rites.

To a question why India’s alleged involvement in fomenting terrorism from Afghanistan wasn’t addressed, the NSA opined that one reason was India’s interests with the world such as being a counterweight to China.

Qureshi claimed there was a continuing communications blackout in Kashmir as independent journalists and observers were denied access, while facts were distorted and brutalities went unreported “by design”. He called for unhindered access to

the region for journalists, UN and human rights commissions of international bodies. He said the dossier contained details on atrocities, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, cases of

torture, pellet gun injuries and rapes, over 100,000 children being orphaned, false flag operations and planting of weapons on innocent residents to implicate them.

Cartoonist, journalist charged under Bangladesh internet law DHAKA: A high-profile cartoonist and a Sweden-based journalist were among seven men charged under Bangladesh’s internet law that critics say is being used against opposition figures. A court in Dhaka accepted formal charges laid out by police under the Digital Security Act against cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore and rights activist and journalist Tasneem Khalil, prosecutor Nazrul Islam Shamim said.

The men were charged with publishing offensive and false information, defamation and intentionally publishing digital content that creates unrest or disorder. They face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. “The court has also issued arrest warrants against four of them who are on the run,” Shamim said.

Ahmed Kabir Kishore

Rights groups say the law is being used to silence the government’s critics. Kishore, 45, said he was a “victim of injustice”. He was granted bail in March after he was detained in May last year on preliminary.

Kishore said he was tortured before police detained him. He said his alleged torturers had asked questions about cartoons he drew mocking a businessman close to the government as well as a series criticising the government’s response to the pandemic.

in brief INDIAN AMERICAN UBER DRIVER KILLED IN NY An Indian American Uber driver, Kuldip Singh, has been killed, allegedly by a 15year-old, according to media reports. Singh, 21, was shot in his car and died of his injuries. He had been injured in a shootout between a passenger in his car and the teenager who was also injured in the exchange of fire and remained hospitalized.

The police believe the driver was hit by a shot fired by the teen, whose identity has not been revealed. Officials blamed the rise in crime over the last two years to the Covid-19 pandemic which curtailed the working of the court system. Singh was in his second month with the ride-sharing company when the bullet struck the back of his head. At the hospital, surgeons were not able to remove the bullet, and he lost most of his brain function before dying, report added.

INDIAN FOUND DEAD IN CANADA A 23-year-old Indian was found murdered at an apartment in Truro town of Canada’s Nova Scotia province, with community members suspecting it to be a hate crime, according to media reports. The police which arrived at the apartment building after being informed, found a man with life-threatening injuries, CBC Canada reported. Police confirmed the victim was Prabhjot Singh Katri who later died of his injuries. Singh worked for Layton’s taxi as well as one or two restaurants in Truro. Police are treating the death as a homicide, the report said. A man was arrested in connection with the murder but was later released. Singh came to Canada from India in 2017 to study.

Singh’s friends were worried that the attack was a racially motivated hate crime, the report said. Police, however, said, they have no information on the motive.

PAK RELEASES 155 HELD FOR ASSAULT ON YOUTUBER Police have released 155 suspects, arrested for their alleged involvement in the sexual assault of a YouTuber girl on Independence Day at the historic Minar-i-Pakistan, after the victim and her team members could not recognise them during an identification parade, a Punjab government official said.

The incident, which sparked nationwide outrage and drew international condemnation, took place on August 14 when hundreds of youngsters were celebrating Pakistan’s Independence Day at Azadi Chowk near Minar-i-Pakistan in Lahore. In viral videos circulated on social media, hundreds of young men can be seen throwing the girl in the air for fun, dragging her, tearing her clothes and molesting her.

Politicians from all parties and members of civil society have strongly condemned what many of them called “sexual terrorism”.

IN FRANCE, FREE BIRTH CONTROL FOR WOMEN UP TO 25 The French government said that it would make birth control free for all women under 25, expanding a scheme currently targeting under-18s to ensure young women don’t stop taking contraception because they cannot afford it. Health Minister Olivier Veran said surveys had shown a decline in the use of contraception among “a certain number of young women. Their main reason is financial,” he said. The scheme covers pill, IUDs, contraceptive patches and other methods composed of steroid hormones.

Visits to the doctor for contraception will also be free, Veran said. The move is part of a series of government steps to boost women's rights.

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in brief

41 KILLED IN INDONESIA JAIL FIRE A fire killed 41 inmates in an overcrowded prison block in Indonesia’s Banten province, law and human rights minister Yasonna Laoly said. Scores of others were injured in the blaze that police said may have been caused by an electrical fault. The fire broke out in a Tangerang Prison block. Cells were locked at the time, the minister said, but with the fire raging, “some rooms couldn’t be opened”. A spokeswoman for the ministry’s prison department said 122 were detained in a block built to hold 38.

RUSSIAN MINISTER DIES IN BID TO SAVE FILMMAKER A Russian minister, who once served in President Putin’s security detail, died during exercises in the Arctic while trying to save the life of a documentary film director.

Yevgeny Zinichev, 55, who headed the highprofile emergencies ministry since 2018, was in Norilsk to oversee drills. His ministry said he died while trying to save Alexander Melnik who was there to make a documentary and had slipped off a cliff.

“Yevgeny jumped after him, but unfortunately, they both died.”

MAN JAILED FOR SPREADING COVID A Vietnamese man has been sentenced to five years in jail for spreading Covid-19 after he breached home quarantine rules. Le Van Tri was convicted of “spreading dangerous infectious diseases to other people” after he travelled to Ca Mau from Ho Chi Minh City in July. The 28-year old was accused of breaching a 21-day home quarantine regulation in the southern province, which had a lower case rate than Ho Chi Minh City, and he tested positive for Covid-19 on July 7. “Tri’s breach of the home medical quarantine regulation led to many people becoming infected with Covid-19 and one person died on 7 August 2021,” according to the court report.

DROUGHT HITS 15,00,000 IN CHINA Continuous hot weather and low precipitation since July have triggered droughts in China’s Gansu province and these conditions are expected to continue, the local weather bureau said. Droughts have hit 27 counties and districts in Gansu, affecting more than 1.51 million people and damaging approximately 60,000 hectares of crops, reports Xinhua news agency. Since the beginning of this year, the province had received 14 per cent less rainfall than the same period in normal years. Precipitation in central and eastern Gansu decreased by 50 to 80 per cent during the hot season.

BRITNEY’S DAD MOVES COURT TO END CONSERVATORSHIP Jamie Spears, the father of Britney Spears, asked a Los Angeles court to end the pop singer’s 13-year conservatorship, saying circumstances have changed in recent months. In an unexpected development, Jamie, who in 2008 set up the court sanctioned arrangement that governs the singer’s personal and business affairs, said in a court filing that he believed the judge should “now seriously consider whether conservatorship is no longer required”. “If Ms. Spears wants to terminate the conservatorship and believes that she can handle her own life, Spears believes she should get that chance,” read the petition to terminate the legal arrangement. Britney, 39, has been seeking for months to have her father removed as the overseer of her $60 million estate. She told the court in June the arrangement was abusive and humiliating.

Jamie said he was willing to step down but gave no timeframe.

Political detainees in Lanka tortured in custody: Rights group Colombo: Political detainees in Sri Lanka are being tortured while in police and military custody, a human rights lawyer who wrote a report on alleged abuses says, days before a United Nations human rights summit.

The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP), a rights group, gave details in its report of 15 members of the minority Tamil community, who said they were beaten, burned, suffocated and sexually assaulted by authorities over the past two years.

Together, their testimony is the most detailed account of alleged new abuses in the island nation since former wartime defence chief Gotabaya Rajapaksa became president in 2019. “We are dealing with a country where torture is savage, and there is no inclination on the part of the government to do anything about it,” Yasmin Sooka, a rights lawyer who coauthored the report, said.

“What you have is a kind of tacit approval, really, of those at the highest levels who condone what is happening.” The government denied the accusations.

“We completely refute the allegations in this report,” Keheliya Rambukwella, the health minister who also serves as a senior government spokesman, said.

Some previous allegations of kidnapping and torture had been made by “vested interests” and later proven to be false, he said, without elaborating.

Spokes people for Sri Lanka’s military and police declined to comment on the report.

The 15 members – one woman and 14 men – were not identified in the ITJP report.

They had taken part in commemorations for people killed in the war, worked as volunteers for Tamil political parties, or received funds from abroad on behalf of people under surveillance. Three of the 15 were

members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the main group that fought the government during the war, though many were children at the time.

After being detained, the alleged victims said they were subjected to treatment, including being suffocated with petrolsoaked plastic bags, and penetrated with an iron rod. The alleged victims, who fled Sri Lanka, are now seeking asylum in the United Kingdom, took part in interviews over the course of several days with lawyers and human rights investigators.

Nine of the 15 cases had supporting medical reports compiled by independent experts confirming torture, the ITJP said. Those who had not been medically examined were photographed to show their scars.

None was charged with any crime.

UN scrutiny The report has been released before a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which began on Monday and will look at Sri Lanka. The UN has given its human rights boss, Michelle Bachelet, a mandate to collect evidence of crimes against humanity committed during the civil war.

Rajapaksa has put at least 28 serving or retired military and intelligence figures in key administrative posts, including some mentioned in the UN reports on alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, Bachelet said in January.

“Sri Lanka will present its point of view at the upcoming United Nations Human Rights Council sessions later this month and show the progress that has been made in taking forward reconciliation,” Rambukwella said.

Lanka asks women to delay pregnancy COLOMBO: The island nation, which recorded its first maternal coronavirus death in May, is battling a spike in Delta variant infections after travel restrictions were eased for local new year celebrations in mid-April.

Usually, the country records 90 to 100 maternal deaths a year, but since the start of the third wave it has recorded 41 deaths of pregnant women from Covid alone, according to the government officials.

Government obstetrician and gynaecologist Harsha Atapattu said he was urging “newlyweds, as well as those who are trying to have a baby,

to delay it by at least a year because of the risks of Covid-19.

Getting infected with Covid during the pregnancy is extremely dangerous. It could affect the mother and the baby,” Atapattu said. “Initially we said

there was no threat from Covid to pregnant women but due to Delta variant this has changed. We see daily there are new variants emerging.

Chithramali de Silva, Director of the Family Health Bureau (FHB) announced at least 75 per cent of pregnant mothers have received at least one jab.

De Silva said about 5,500 expectant mothers had been infected.

Experts have urged pregnant women to get the jab, with Sri Lankan health officials stating

Court orders exhumation of Mugabe's remains for reburial HARARE: A Zimbabwean court confirmed a traditional chief’s ruling that former President Robert Mugabe’s remains must be exhumed for reburial at a national shrine.

Mugabe’s children had challenged Chief Zvimba’s controversial ruling, arguing he acted outside his jurisdiction when he found former First Lady Grace Mugabe guilty of violating tradition by burying the strongman at his homestead.

Zimbabwe’s founding father died of cancer in 2019 aged 95. His family claimed his final wish was for President Emmerson Mnangagwa not to preside over his funeral. The former First Lady was ordered to facilitate the exhumation of the long-serving ruler’s remains for reburial at a national shrine for luminaries of the country’s 1970s liberation war. She was fined five cows and two goats.

Ms Mugabe, who is said to be indisposed and seeking treatment in Singapore, was tried in absentia.

The traditional leader said he was “giving powers to those who are permitted by law to exhume Mugabe’s remains from Kutama and rebury them at the National Heroes Acre in Harare". But Mugabe’s three children, Bona, Bellarmine Chatunga and Tinotenda

Robert, filed an appeal with a local magistrate’s court, arguing that “Chief Zvimba erred at law by making an order that overturns a burial order in respect of the burial of the late Robert Mugabe, when the chief had no judicial authority to interpret legal acts from superior legislation to his jurisdiction”.

The siblings said the chief made a mistake by “making an order that affects property rights of a party that is not part of the proceedings”. They accused the chief of making a “false finding of fact, which amounts to an error at law when he found that the late Robert Mugabe was buried inside a house.”

The appeal was dismissed by a magistrate in the former ruler’s hometown of Chinhoyi. Following Mugabe’s death in Singapore in 2019, a standoff ensued between the government and his family over his final resting place, stretching for nearly three weeks.

the Delta variant appears to increase their risk of severe symptoms.

The nation of 21 million people has been under a lightly imposed lockdown since August that the government expects to lift in midSeptember. But World Health Organisation experts in Sri Lanka have called for tougher restrictions until the start of October.

Hospitals have been overwhelmed during the surge, despite efforts to speed up the vaccination drive with nearly half of the total population receiving two doses.

New Zambia leader vows 'zero tolerance' on corruption LUSAKA: Zambia's new President Hakainde Hichilema vowed to strengthen anti-corruption efforts and show "zero tolerance" for graft, in his first speech to parliament. Hichilema, elected last month in a landslide, said the government would devise a mechanism to recover state assets allegedly stolen under the southern African country's previous regime.

On his arrival at the National Assembly, Hichilema received a 21-gun salute and inspected the guard of honour before entering hand-in-hand with his wife, Mutinta. Dozens of supporters, clad in red, sang his campaign songs.

"We have a zero-tolerance policy on corruption in all its forms," Hichilema said, speaking in a medical mask and white gloves before lawmakers. "There will be no sacred cows in the fight," he added. "We will increase the benefits of being honest and the cost of being corrupt."

Hichilema promised to strengthen investigative wings agencies and create special courts to hear corruption cases. He also outlined an economic recovery plan to fix the impacts of unsustainable borrowing and mismanagement that caused copper-rich Zambia to default on its debt last year - the first country in Africa to do so in the coronavirus era.

Rising living costs, unemployment and everyday hardship boosted Hichilema's popularity, particularly among the majority young voters. He beat his long-term rival Edgar Lungu in August 12 polls by a landslide of almost one million votes - a victory hailed as a democratic milestone for opposition movements in Africa.

"We have indeed inherited an economy that is in dire straits and requires bold and decisive action," Hichilema said, vowing to boost key sectors like mining, agriculture and tourism. He has vowed to secure a bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund - a drawn-out negotiation process started under Lungu - and to achieve economic growth of more than 10 per cent within five years.

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Hate crimes against Indian Americans continue to rise WASHINGTON: The Justice Department released new data on hate crimes in 2020, compiled from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, which captured just a fraction of bias-motivated attacks self-reported by Asian Americans. Nonetheless, the UCR data showed a marked rise in bias-motivated crimes against Indian Americans, specifically Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus.

Seventy-one Sikh Americans were victims of a hate crime in 2020; 47 offenders targeted the community in 67 attacks, as reported by the FBI. This marks a huge jump from 2019: 50 Sikh Americans were the target of hate crimes.

Alarmingly, the number of hate crimes against Hindu Americans has jumped by more than 500 per cent, from just two in 2019, to 11 in 2020. Six offenders participated in 11 against Hindu attacks Americans. The FBI logged 15 hate-motivated attacks against Buddhists in 2020. Surprisingly, the number of hate crimes

against Muslim Americans dropped by half: 121 offenders participated in 104 attacks against Muslims, rendering 124 victims.

The FBI has dis-aggregated data for Hindus and Sikhs since 2016. A total of 324 hate-related incidents targeting Asian Americans were reported by the FBI, a tiny fraction of the selfreported incidents collected on the Web portal Stop AAPI Hate, which was launched last year as the Asian American community increasingly became the target of violence amid the Covid pandemic. Former President Donald Trump demonized Asian

Americans for “creating” Covid, repeatedly calling it the “China virus” and “Kung flu.”

As of the end of June, Stop AAPI Hate had collected more than 6,600 reports of bias on its portal, in several languages, including Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu. Local law enforcement agencies around the country voluntarily submit their data to the FBI for the Uniform Crime Report.

Reporting is not mandated: less than 12 per cent of law enforcement agencies around the country submit their hate crime incidents to the FBI. Former FBI agent Michael German noted that the vast majority of hate crimes go unreported. Prosecutors are reluctant to charge an offender with a hate crime, as the burden of proof - that the crime began with the intent of hate - is difficult to prove. Minnesota

Attorney General Keith Ellison explained the difficulty of charging a hate crime during an interview in which he discussed his prosecution of former police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of the murder of George Floyd. Ellison was asked why he did not charge Chauvin with a hate crime. “Hate crimes are crimes which have the explicit motive of bias,” said Ellison. “There was no evidence that Chauvin had factored in Floyd’s race.” For 2020, 10,532 hate offenses were reported to the FBI, with 10,681 victims by 6,431 known offenders; more than 55 per cent of the perpetrators were White. Of those offenses, 4,939 were motivated by race or ethnicity, while 1,174 were motivated by religion. The 2020 data reflects a slight drop in hate crimes motivated by religion: in 2019, 1,521 incidents were motivated by religion. Race and ethnicity bias was by far the largest motivator for committing a hate crime, according to FBI data.

US commemorates 20th anniversary of 9/11 with bowed heads WASHINGTON: The United States on Saturday commemorated the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the most venal terrorist attack in history, with its head bowed - literally and geopolitically.

As President Biden led the mourning with stops at Ground Zero in New York City, a field in Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon, sites where four hijacked airplanes weaponised by terrorists killed 3,000 people, a sense of regret, recrimination, and futility about a war gone wrong was palpable, particularly in the light of Taliban returning to power in Afghanistan.

The US president did not make any remarks at Ground Zero, but in a six-minute

videotaped message released before by the White House, he reflected on how the terror attacks shaped America, saying that it brought about a “true sense of national unity” while also exposing the “darker forces of human nature” in the form of fear and discrimination towards Muslims.

“To me, that’s the central message of September 11.

It’s that at our most vulnerable, in the push and pull of all that makes us human and the battle for the soul of America, unity is our greatest strength. Unity doesn’t mean that we have to believe the same thing but we must have a fundamental respect and faith in each other and in this nation,” Biden said. “It’s so hard whether it’s the first year or the 20th...These commemorations bring everything painfully back as if

you just got the news a few seconds ago.”

Biden was accompanied by First Lady Jill Biden, former President's Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and former first ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. President Bush joined him in Pennsylvania. As is the usual practice, the names of the nearly 3,000 people including at least 50 Indians or people of Indian-origin - who perished in the attack was read out. The 20th anniversary commemoration came against the backdrop of momentous events in Afghanistan with the return to power of an unrepentant Taliban, which had provided safe haven to alQaida who planned and executed the 9/11 attack.

2 Indian Americans among 4 selected for Stanford ‘Scholars in Service’ programme CALIFORNIA: Two Indian American faculty members at Stanford University are among four chosen for its 'Scholars in Service' program, which will allow them to advance new evidence-based solutions to address disparities made worse

by Covid-19, the university said.

The faculty members are Indian Americans Anisha Patel and Gopi Shah Goda, as well as Suzan Carmichael and Ira Lit. The faculty members will serve within government and community-based organizations to advance solutions to current social issues in the coming year.

They are participating in the Scholars in Service program, sponsored by Stanford Impact Labs and the Haas Center for Public Service, which offers funding and support for up to a year of full-time service, the report said.

Starting this summer, the faculty members will work closely with policymakers, advocates and community leaders to find and promote practical, evidence-based ways to make progress on issues with local to national scope, it adds.

Anisha, associate professor of pediatrics, will work with community organizations to enhance programs providing children and their families in the San Joaquin Valley of California with access to healthy food. Gopi Shah, senior fellow and deputy director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, will serve with the White House Council of Economic Advisers, focusing on federal policies related to long-term care, retirement and social insurance programs.

Food insecurity is associated

with poor health and decreased learning for children, and the San Joaquin Valley has some of the highest rates of food insecurity statewide, the university report said.

Anisha will work with Cultiva la Salud and Dolores Huerta Foundation, two community-based organizations serving Latino immigrant families in the San Joaquin Valley. Their goal is to increase children’s access to healthy and appealing food, it said. Anisha and trainees at Stanford, colleagues at the Nutrition Policy Institute, and staff from both organizations have worked with parents in six school districts to identify barriers families face in accessing school meals during the Covid pandemic, according to the report.

The team will build on this

work in the coming year to investigate how school meals can be more effective in addressing food insecurity, it said. They are using a research process known as photovoice, in which parents photograph meals and participate in focus groups to identify interventions that districts could employ to make meals more appealing and nutritious.

The process helps community members document their experiences, identify solutions and interventions to be tested, and advocate for change, it said.

The Covid pandemic threatens to accelerate the exhaustion of Social Security and Medicare’s trust funds as job losses and health shocks lead more people to rely on public insurance programs, the report notes of Gopi Shah’s work.

in brief FRANCE RAISES BIRD FLU ALERT AFTER OUTBREAK France has raised its bird flu alert level after a severe form of the virus was found among backyard poultry in the northeast, on top of cases in neighbouring Belgium and Luxembourg, the farm ministry said. The highly contagious H5N8 strain of avian influenza was found this week among ducks, hens, turkeys and pigeons belonging to a household in the Ardennes region, with all the animals slaughtered as a precaution, the ministry said in a statement. “The health situation regarding highly pathogenic avian influenza is worrying. Since August 1, 25 cases have been detected in Europe among wild and captive birds,” it said. Two cases of H5N8 were reported last week in Belgium - one at a bird merchant and one at a private home and another at a home in Luxembourg that has been linked to the merchant in Belgium, the French ministry added.

XI, BIDEN SPEAK FOR FIRST TIME IN SEVEN MONTHS US President Joe Biden talked with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for the first time in seven months, urging they ensure that “competition” between the two powers does not become “conflict,” the White House said.

The Biden administration said that the call lasted 90 minutes. During the call, Biden’s message was that the United States wants to ensure “the dynamic remains competitive and that we don’t have any situation in the future where we veer into unintended conflict,” a senior US administration official told reporters. In Beijing, state broadcaster CCTV reported that the phone call was “candid, indepth” and covered “extensive strategic communication and exchanges on China-US relations and issues of mutual concern,” and that US policy on China has caused “serious difficulties.”

MARIJUANA USE AMONG US STUDENTS ON 40-YEAR HIGH Daily marijuana use increased in 2020 to an all-time high among US college students over the past four decades, according to the University of Michigan’s (UM) annual national Monitoring the Future (MTF) panel study.

Daily marijuana use, defined as using on 20 or more occasions in the past 30 days, increased to 7.9 per cent in 2020 among 19 to 22-yearold full-time college students, showing a significant increase of 3.3 percentage points over the past five years, Xinhua news agency quoted the study as saying. Among sameaged young adults not in college, daily use was 13 per cent in 2020, below the all-time high of 15 per cent in 2019, representing a non-statistically significant decline in 2020.

Meanwhile, the annual use of marijuana last year was at historic high levels of 44 per cent since the early 1980s among college students and of 43 per cent among same-aged youth not in college.

24 PER CENT RISE IN KENYA ACCIDENTS The number of accidents on Kenyan roads rose 24.2 per cent to 8,919 in 2020 even as the government put restrictions such as curfews and a ban on inter-county movements to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Economic Survey 2021 revealed that accidents increased in 2020 even as Kenyans were working from home and moving less during night curfews. The report said that fatalities from road accidents increased by 10.8 per cent from 3,586 in 2019 to 3,975 in 2020. "Similarly, the number of persons that were seriously injured increased by 15.5 per cent to 8,026 while the number of persons that were slightly injured dropped by 4.6 per cent to 4,969 in the review period," the report said.

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Union ministers to visit Kashmir Farmers call off Karnal protest as on govt’s outreach programme Haryana IAS officer sent on leave In a new initiative, central ministers will be visiting Jammu & Kashmir, which is being seen as a significant outreach by the government close on the heels of many parliamentary panels and dozens of MPs touring the Union Territory along with Ladakh two years after the nullification of Article 370.

Sources said while some ministers have been assigned different districts, others have been asked to review ongoing projects.

They also said some of the ministers will interact with local beneficiaries of the central schemes. There is also a possibility of some ministers distributing the entitlements to the identified beneficiaries during their stay in the UT. This will send a strong message of how the Centre has a special focus on development across J&K, sources said. Most of the ministers will complete their tours this month. Over 200 MPs from at least 14 parliamentary committees have visited the UTs of J&K and Ladakh in recent months, interacting with masses and receiving a feedback on the problems they face. During their visit, many parliamentarians said that they noted lower levels of tension and a yearning for normalcy and

peace.

The latest was a visit by the Shashi Tharoor-led parliamentary panel on information technology, which spent three days in J&K soon after the death of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on September 1. “The lack of response to Geelani’s death, however, shows that it is relatively safe now to move towards an expansion of the political space, and to focus on integrating the hearts and minds of people,” Tharoor said.

The Tharoor-led panel also discussed the status of Bharatnet in J&K, apart from visiting the offices of Doordarshan and the Industrial Training Institute in Srinagar. A discussion on the internet shutdowns in J&K, to which an MP said there is “universal revulsion,” however, was not held.

Pointing to a high per capita expenditure of development funds, and projects being completed on war footing, BJP MP Zafar Islam said the committee had “specific interactions with some people from different regions of the Valley and we could see a sense of satisfaction and contentment among most of them about ongoing development work in the region”.

“Unlike general perception that there is unhappiness in the Valley, we found most people had no complaints about the changes like doing away with the special status to the state,” Islam added. The visits by multiple Parliament panels, seen as a confidence-building measure among the people of the Valley, are also seen as a prelude to the restoration of the assembly and state elections.

Ancient temple that dates back to 5th century found in UP The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has found during routine scrubbing the remains of an ancient temple that dates back to the 5th century CE, the Gupta period, at Bilsarh village in UP’s Etah. The staircase, excavated last month, has Shankhalipi inscriptions that the ASI has now confirmed say ‘Sri Mahendraditya’, the title of the Gupta ruler Kumaragupta I who ruled over what is now north-central India for 40 years in the 5th century CE. Bilsarh has been protected since 1928 and was known as an important Gupta period site. “There were two decorative pillars (at the spot) close to one another, with human figurines (found earlier). To understand their significance, we conducted further excavation and found the stairs,” said Vasant Swarnkar, superintending archaeologist of ASI’s Agra circle.

“We found something written on it in Shankhalipi. It was deciphered as saying ‘Sri Mahendraditya’, which was the title of Kumaragupta I of the Gupta dynasty.”

Shankhalipi is an ornate, stylised, ancient script, used between the 4th and 8th centuries CE for names and signatures.

The discovery came about during a “routine” clean-up. Around every monsoon, the ASI starts scrubbing its protected sites.

There’s a lot of overgrowth to get rid of.

This time, Swarnkar said, he was monitoring the cleaning when he thought the spot should be excavated and the ASI stumbled upon ancient stairs leading to a temple.

The inscription found on the Etah remains had earlier been seen on a horse statue found in Lakhimpur Kheri. It is now at the State Museum, Lucknow. But that was not confirmation enough. So, Swarnkar

sent images of the inscriptions to noted epigraphist Dr Devendra Handa. At the same time, ASI officials visited Lucknow to go over the horse statue inscription again.

Both confirmed it was indeed Shankhalipi.

Because the inscription names Kumaragupta I, the remains were dated back to his reign.

The Etah remains are only the third structural temple of the Gupta period found so far. “The Guptas were the first to build structural temples for Brahminical, Buddhist and Jain followers. Prior to that, only rock-cut temples were built,” said Prof Manvendra Pundhir from the Aligarh Muslim University’s history department.

“Before this, only two structural temples were found — Dashavatara Temple in Deogarh and Bhitargaon Temple in Kanpur Dehat. The Etah pillars are well-sculpted, better than the earlier examples in which only the lower sections were carved. The decorative pillars and staircase are a bit more advanced than the earlier ones.” The ASI will now conserve the remains, put up a shed and a descriptive signboard for visitors.

The stalemate between farmer groups sitting on an indefinite dharna at the Karnal mini-secretariat and the Haryana government ended last week after the state ordered a judicial probe into last month’s clash between protesting farmers and police, promised government jobs to two family members of a deceased farmer and sent the IAS officer at the centre of the row on leave.

The farmers had started the sit-in on September 7, seeking suspension of Ayush Sinha - then Karnal SDM who had ordered the cops to hit the protesting farmers on their heads on August 28 - and a job for the kin of a farmer killed due to the lathicharge, among other demands.

Ten protesters were hurt in the clash with police in

Karnal on that day when they tried to march towards the site of a BJP meeting. Sinha was caught on tape purportedly telling policemen to “break the heads” of farmers if they cross the line.

Haryana ACS Devender Singh said the state government will set up an inquiry committee of retired high court judges to probe the lathicharge.

Announcing the agree-

ment at a press meet, Haryana additional chief secretary (ACS) Devender Singh said the state government will set up an inquiry committee of retired high court judges to probe the entire August 28 lathicharge episode. Singh, who was assigned by the Haryana government to resolve the issue, also stated that the controversial SDM would proceed on leave for next one month.

India, Australia to enhance defence ties further India and Australia resolved to further consolidate their defence ties and work towards a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific to deter China’s aggressive behaviour, while also expressing concern at the threat of trans-border terrorism emanating from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Ahead of the first-ever “2+2” ministerial dialogue, defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Australian counterpart Peter Dutton said the bilateral defence and security partnership will be taken to “greater heights” in the delegation level talks.

The two discussed the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan.

“Australia also shared India’s concern that trans-border terrorism emanating from Afghanistan would negatively impact the other countries in the region,” said a source.

The two sides stressed that the international community must do everything to implement UN Security

Council Resolution 2593 that demands that Afghanistan’s territory should not be used for terrorism and the Taliban should provide an inclusive government while respecting human rights.

“Both Australia and India have tremendous stakes in peace, development and free flow of trade, a rules-based order and economic growth in the region… India is committed to building a robust partnership with Australia for security and growth of the entire region,” Singh said, while

inviting Australian industry to take advantage of India’s liberalised FDI policies in the defence production sector.

Dutton said India’s leadership was central to Australia’s Indo-Pacific strategy, and it was in the “sovereign interest” of the two countries to align their strategies, capabilities and resources. Australia agreed to “enhance its posture” in the Indian Ocean Region by ramping up cooperation between the two air forces, maritime engagements and exercises.

12,000 hit with ‘dengue’ in UP dist, 88 kids among 114 dead At least 12,000 people in Firozabad are now bedridden with a viral fever that has the district in its grip, sources in the health department have revealed. With four more deaths in the last 24 hours, the toll on Sunday increased to 114, including 88 children.

A team of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had identified a dengue outbreak in the district last week. The deaths have continued despite widespread fogging and door-to-door surveys to drain out stagnant water

and to arrest the spread of vector-borne diseases.

On Sunday, government hospitals continued to scramble to arrange beds while treatment prices in private hospitals have skyrocketed. Veer Pal, a resident of Bhim Nagar and a daily wager, lost his fiveyear-old son following lack

of treatment for high fever on Sunday.

The father said that a private hospital in the city had demanded Rs 30,000 in advance to start treatment.

“I requested them to start treatment and give me time to arrange money, but they refused. Later, I took my child to the Firozabad medical college where staff refused to admit my child as beds were not available. I arranged for a private taxi to take us to Agra, but my son died on the way,” Veer Pal said. No official complaint was made in the matter.

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Tamil Nadu CM promises to live-telecast Assembly proceedings CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced that the government would livetelecast Assembly proceedings following a public outcry demanding the same. In a reply to Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami during the Assembly debate on the demand for grants for a couple of government departments, Stalin said the proceedings will be livetelecast once the session commences at the Fort St George Campus.

Due to Covid-19, the assembly proceedings are currently taking place at the Kalaivanar Arangam on Wallajah Salai as Fort St George lacked space to maintain physical distancing among legislators. The ongoing budget session of the Tamil Nadu assembly is set to be completed in the second week of September.

Stalin’s announcement in

MK Stalin

the Assembly was one of the poll promises he made ahead of the 2021 assembly elections. “Livetelecasting Assembly sessions has been our demand for the last 10 years but the previous government failed to implement it. We had included the same as a promise in our election manifesto. Since the Assembly proceedings are taking place in Kalaivanar Arangam, we are not able to implement it, but definitely, once when the

session commences at Fort St.George, we will make arrangements to live-telecast the session,” Stalin said.

Tamil Nadu is the only state in south India, which did not telecast the live proceedings from the assembly. As the proceedings of the house will be presented live, voters of the state will be empowered to monitor the debates, which will further enhance the quality of discussion in the assembly, and

also push the MLAs to participate enthusiastically.

Opposition parties in the state have hailed the decision and also made an accusation that the regional political parties - AIADMK & DMK have been hesitant to broadcast the live sessions, as they used to control the political narrative of the developments of the house.

Speaking to the media about this, Congress MLA Peter Alphonse highlighted that the premise behind such a request is that government is based on transparency, and also that the legislative Assembly is the conduit through which power travels, and hence the proceedings and the decisions made for people should be made publicly available. A telecast, according to the Congress leader, will improve the level of debate, increase member involvement, and so increase the Assembly's productivity.

PUNJAB

Compulsory leave for Punjab govt employees who fail take even one dose of jabs CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced the decision to send state government employees compulsorily on leave who fail to take even the first dose of vaccine against coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

The chief minister also ordered an extension of the existing Covid restrictions in the state till September 30 in view of the upcoming festival season.

At a high-level virtual Covid review meeting, Singh cited the inoculation and infection data to highlight vaccine efficacy. The decision to send un-vaccinated employees on leave was taken to ensure vaccinated individuals do not pay the price of vaccine hesitancy, according to the chief minister’s office.

“Special efforts were taken to reach out to government employees, and those who continue to avoid getting vaccinated will now be asked to go on leave till they get the first dose,” the CMO said in a release.

The teaching and nonteaching school staff who had taken at least one dose of the vaccine over four weeks ago will be allowed to resume their duties, given they submit negative RTPCR test reports every week. The school staff with co-morbidities will only be allowed once they are fully vaccinated, as per the latest decision.

Punjab's Covid-19 situation has further improved even as some states are reporting a spike in infections. While the

Amarinder Singh

reopening of schools has caused concern, Singh expressed satisfaction that the situation remained under control with aggressive testing.

The chief minister noted that only 0.05% of the samples taken from students, teaching

and non-teaching staff tested positive for Covid-19. Citing the latest serosurvey, Singh said that “our children, even though affected by Covid, have remained largely safe from serious disease,” according to CMO.

BJP's Priyanka Tibrewal to take on Mamata in Bhowanipore Congress’ Swarna Kamal Saha by over 50,000 votes in the recently concluded assembly polls. At that time, the BJP candidate for Bhowanipore was actorpolitician Rudranil Ghosh, who lost to Trinamool senior Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay by 28,000 votes.

Tibrewal didn’t give up though. A member of BJP lawyers’ cell, Tibrewal began a solo legal battle in HC, taking up the cause of post-poll violence victims and their rehabilitation.

This got her noticed by the BJP brass. Bengal BJP had proposed her name along with two others to the party brass in Delhi. BJP seniors in Bengal had been insisting on a woman candidate against CM Banerjee.

BJP MLAs and MPs have

68 PEOPLE UNDER ISOLATION IN KERALA FOR NIPAH VIRUS A total of 68 people are under isolation for Nipah virus in Government Medical College in Kozhikode district of Kerala, said Kerala Health Minister Veena George. She said that all the patients are stable. The minister said that of the samples collected from people listed during contact tracing of the Nipah virus victim, 30 have tested negative so far. The minister has been camping in Kozhikode for the past four days since the first case of the Nipah virus was reported in the district. A 12-year-old boy died after getting infected by Nipah in Kozhikode. A total of 251 persons were listed during contact tracing. Of these, 129 were health workers and 54 were in the high-risk category. Of the total contacts identified, 11 were symptomatic. Of the 54 high-risk categories, 30 were health workers. These health workers were from one clinic and four hospitals, including MCH, Kozhikode. Earlier, the Central government had rushed a public health team to the Kozhikode district of Kerala as the state reported the first death due to the Nipah virus this year.

TAMIL IS THE LANGUAGE OF GODS, SAYS MADRAS HC Hailing Tamil as the "Language of Gods," the Madras High Court has said temple consecrations across the country should be done reciting Tamil hymns composed by saints like Azhwars and Nayanmars, besides others like Arunagirinathar. A bench of Justice N Kirubakaran, since retired, and Justice B Pugalendhi, in a recent order also said that in our country "it is made to believe that Sanskrit alone is Gods'' language." The court was hearing a petition seeking consecration of a temple in Karur district in the state seeking direction to government authorities, including the Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment to conduct consecration of Arulmigu Pasupatheshwara Swamy Tirukovil by chanting Thirumuraikal, Tamil Saiva Manthiram (hymns) and also songs of Saint Amaravathi Aatrangarai Karurar.

HC BARS ARREST OF EXPUNJAB TOP COP SAINI

WEST BENGAL

KOLKATA: The BJP has fielded high court lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal against chief minister Mamata Banerjee in the Bhowanipore assembly by-poll.

Tibrewal’s claim to prominence is her consistent legal role to bring to book culprits of post-poll violence in West Bengal that prompted the Calcutta High Court to order a court-monitored CBI investigation into complaints of murder, rape and violence against women and hand over the other criminal complaints to a Special Investigation Team under former HC Chief Justice Manjula Chellur.

Tibrewal cut her teeth in electoral politics as BJP’s candidate from Entally assembly seat, where she lost to Trinamool

in brief

planned a low-key but intensive campaign with emphasis on ‘chai pe addas’ in the morning and reaching out to voters’ houses.

Tibrewal would be up against a tough challenge in contesting against Mamata. Yet, Bengal BJP co-minder Amit Malviya had assigned responsibilities to booth-level party workers days ago. Party MPs would be in charge of various wards under the guidance of Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh, appointed BJP observer for Bhowanipore.

Fight for justice “This is a fight against injustice. This is a fight for justice, for the people of West Bengal. I would like to tell the people of Bhabanipur that they've received a big opportunity, they should come forward and make

Priyanka Tibrewal

history,” said Tibrewal ahead of filing nomination from Bhabanipur assembly constituency.

Targeting Mamata over postpoll violence in the state, Tibrewal said that the people have the right to live but this right is being taken away by Mamata and her party.

Additionally, Tibrewal also visited the Kalighat Temple, Kolkata where she offered her prayers to Goddess Kali. Tibrewal also stated that the elections would not be conducted with transparency as the ruling party supports violence.

The Punjab and Haryana high court has barred the arrest of former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in “all cases pending or likely to be registered or where he is sought to be implicated” by the police till the assembly elections slated for February next year. The court also ordered a complete stay on any investigation in all the FIRs pending against him. The court passed the orders on a petition

by Saini seeking investigation in any matter registered against him be handed over to CBI or to any other independent agency outside Punjab. Saini had also urged the HC to keep any proposal for arresting him, in any criminal matter, in abeyance for a specific period so as to enable him to seek recourse to his legal remedies.

CRUDE BOMBS HURLED AT BENGAL BJP MP'S HOUSE Some miscreants hurled crude bombs at BJP MP Arjun Singh’s residence, situated at Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal last week. According to locals, some miscreants hurled close to three crude bombs at the main entrance in the wee hours of Wednesday last. While no member of Arjun Singh’s family was hurt, the incident took place in presence of central security right outside the gate. Singh has been provided security cover by the Central government. Immediately after the incident, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar took to Twitter and wrote, “Wanton violence in West Bengal shows no sign of abating. Bomb explosions outside residence of Member Parliament Arjun Singh is worrisome on law and order. Expect prompt action by West Bengal Police. As regards his security the issue has earlier been flagged.”

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BJP to mark PM Modi’s 71st 6 killed in Saurashtra monsoon birthday with 20-day ‘Seva mayhem, nearly 5,000 shifted and Samarpan’ campaign The BJP will organise a 20day ‘Seva and Samarpan’ campaign to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s "two decades in public service” that will commence on his birthday o September 17.

Since Modi became prime minister in 2014, the BJP has been celebrating his birthday as ''Seva Diwas'' (Service Day) and organises welfare activities across the country for a week but this time it has been extended to 20 days as Modi is completing his two decades in the electoral politics.

BJP president J P Nadda has issued a set of instructions to party workers for organising health and blood donation camps and distributing rations to poor as part of the campaign. He told all state units of BJP that the welfare works should be done following Covid protocols. He has also asked the party workers to visit Covid vaccination camps to facilitate the inoculation drive. As part of the

Narendra Modi

campaign, the BJP workers will carry out a large scale cleanliness drive on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and people will be encouraged to use Khadi and local products.

On this occasion, the party has also asked that 50 million postcards will be sent from the BJP booth workers across the country saying that they are committing themselves to public service. The party has also asked workers to publicise

the auction of gifts received

by Modi. The auction will be held on pmmemontos.gov.in. and will start from September 17.

Funds generated through the auction will be widely used in Namami Gange project, the party said. Similarly BJP''s Kisan Morcha will also celebrate Modi''s birthday as ''Kisan Jawan Samman Diwas'' in every district of the country. Under this initiative the party will honour families of soldiers and farmers.

The heaviest downpour of this monsoon in rain-deficit Saurashtra left large numbers of villages marooned as continuous downpour triggered flash floods and completely paralysed normal life in Rajkot and Jamnagar districts. Official sources confirmed the death of six people in both the districts in rain-related incidents.

Close to 5,000 people were shifted to safer locations in both districts as low-lying areas started getting flooded while around 100 stranded ones were rescued by teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Air Force. As many as 50 people - 35 in Jamnagar- had to be airlifted as villages turned into islands.

Car owners could only watch helplessly as turbulent waters swept away at least 12 vehicles in both cities. Boats were the only means of commuting in many areas of Rajkot and Jamanagar cities as all the major roads, lanes and underpasses were under water due to continuous

Bhupendra Patel sworn in as the new Gujarat CM Continued from page 1

Union home minister Amit Shah, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Goa CM Pramod Sawant and Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai were present among others for the swearing in. Shah was first to congratulate Patel after he took the oath. Putting up a show of solidarity, Patel's predecessor Vijay Rupani and former deputy chief minister Nitin Patel were also present at the ceremony.

The focus has now shifted to who will be included in the council of ministers.

Amit Shah held a series of meetings with the new CM, state BJP president C R Paatil and other senior leaders to finalise the names in the new cabinet.

PM Narendra Modi was among those who congratulated the new CM and also applauded the work of outgoing CM Vijay Rupani.

“Congratulations to Bhupendra Bhai on taking oath as CM of Gujarat. I have known him for years and have seen his exemplary work, be it in the BJP organisation or in civic administration and community service. He will certainly enrich Gujarat's growth trajectory. During his five years as CM, Vijay Rupani Ji has undertaken many people-friendly measures. He worked tirelessly for all sections of society. I am certain he will continue to contribute to public service in the times to come,” Modi

added.

With state Assembly polls scheduled in December 2022, the BJP is banking on Patel, a Patidar, for poll victory. In the 2017 Assembly elections, BJP won 99 of the 182 seats and Congress got 77.

Patel likely to have a younger cabinet Hectic parleys continued through the afternoon as Bhupendra Patel got down to the task of finalizing the names of candidates who will be in his council of ministers. Sources in the ruling party suggested that Bhupendra Patel (59) is likely to have a younger cabinet with the possibility that a few cabinet members over the age of 60 will be dropped to accommodate younger faces.

The CM held a meeting with Amit Shah and other top leaders of the BJP, where the issue of who will be in the cabinet was discussed at length. Sources said that the names of Patel’s new cabinet are expected to be finalized in a day or two. Sources also informed that the swearing-in ceremony could take place either on Wednesday or a day later.

Most leaders in the ruling party refused to comment anything about the new cabinet. However, on a philosophical note, Nitin Patel, while answering questions from the media said, “The party, leadership, God and fate all work as per their time”. The party has given me positions in cabinet several times, made me the deputy chief minister, given

me the important responsibilities of finance and Narmada (departments). I am happy that I have worked as a cabinet minister in the governments led by senior leaders like shubhai Patel, Narendra Modi, Anandiben Patel, and am a part of the party’s parliamentary board. I have received a lot from the party, and there is nothing I need to comment on.”

Sources stated that one of the overriding criteria being discussed is that there should be a younger cabinet.

This would imply that a few ministers above the age of 60 could possibly be dropped from the cabinet, sources said.

Patel pips BJP stalwarts PM Modi sprang a surprises when the soft-spoken, first time MLA Bhupendra Patel was anointed as the successor of outgoing CM Rupani on Sunday. Following the script penned in Delhi, Rupani proposed Patel’s name, which was seconded

by Nitin Patel in the presence of central party observers. Patel, 59, edged out several top party leaders from the CM race. A real estate developer himself, Patel has headed the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) and helmed the standing committee of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

He is a Kadva Patel and his elevation is likely to help the BJP soothe the temper of the powerful Patidar community, its loyal vote

bank. The community has been somewhat estranged from the BJP. That disaffection was reflected in the Aam Aadmi Party’s performance in the Surat Municipal Corporation elections held in February this year - the AAP won 27 seats, all in Patidar-dominated areas.

Rupani's unceremonious exit Earlier, in an abrupt move Vijay Rupani tendered his resignation as chief minister, becoming the third CM to leave the top post in a BJP-ruled state in fewer than three months.

Rupani’s exit came after helming the state for five years and 36 days and with just over a year to go for the assembly polls. Unlike his predecessor Anandiben’s Patel's case, Rupani’s exit was without any acrimony.

Looking to play down the speculation over the possible reasons for his rather unceremonious removal, Rupani said after his resignation: “I served as a CM for five years. That is a long time.” He went on to say: “Change in leadership is a natural phenomenon in the BJP. I have requested the leadership to give me a role in the party organization.” While the move appeared sudden, political circles had been agog with rumours of the 65-year-old Rupani’s exit for some time.

The talk about ‘change of guard’ gathered further steam after the resignations of B S Yediyurappa in Karnataka and T S Rawat in Uttarakhand.

downpour. In Rajkot, an NDRF team had to be flown in from Punjab and more teams have been called in as threat of floods looms due to increasing water levels in Aji-2 dam.

The highest rainfall of 448mm has been reported in Kalavad taluka between midnight on Sunday and Monday evening. This is followed by Jamnagar city with 107mm, 205mm in Dhrol and Jodiya taluka, and 139mm in Jamnagar district.

Rajkot also received 355mm rainfall as heavy rains pounded the district since midnight on Sunday.

Lodhika taluka received 517mm, Dhoraji taluka 287mm, Kotda Sangani 229mm, Gondal taluka 243mm and Paddhari taluka received 193mm rainfall in the same period.

In Jamnagar district,

4,000 people had to be evacuated in Jamnagar rural, Kalavad and Jodiya talukas living in low-lying areas.

Altogether 50 trapped people were rescued successfully, of whom 20 comprising villagers of Banga (Kalavad), Duleshiya (Jamnagar rural), Kunnad (Jodiya) were airlifted.

District collector of Jamnagar, P S Zamsingh said, “Two teams of NDRF and one team of SDRF have been deputed while two more teams are on their way. Jamnagar, both city and rural, and Kalavad areas are the most severely affected.” Boats have been used in Kalavad naka area of Jamnagar city which is a low-lying area. Thickly populated ares including Whora na Hazira, Bardhan chowk, Tinbatti area Limda Lane too have been inundated.

Allahabad HC stays ASI survey of UP’s Gyanvapi mosque The Allahabad high court has stayed proceedings in the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir-Gyanvapi Masjid case in a Varanasi court, effectively suspending a controversial archaeological survey of the premises to determine whether a Hindu temple was partially razed to build the 17th-century mosque.

The court also granted three weeks’ time to the Union and state governments to file their replies on the issue. The mosque abuts the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple and has been embroiled in a decades-old legal dispute. Justice Prakash Padia passed the order in two separate petitions filed by the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board and the Varanasi Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which runs the Gyanvapi mosque, challenging the Varanasi court’s April 8 order asking the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a physical survey of the premises.

The two petitions said the suit in front of the Varanasi court was not maintainable because the high court had reserved its judgment on a petition regarding the suit on March 15, 2021. The high court agreed with them.

“In the opinion of the court, the court below should wait for the verdict in the petitions pending before this court and not to proceed further in the matter till the time a judgment is delivered. The judicial courtesy and decorum warranted such discipline, which was expected from the court below but for the unfathomable reasons, neither of the courses were taken,” said justice Padia.

“It is to be regretted that the court below departed from this traditional way in the present case and chose to examine the question himself. I have said so with the fond hope that judicial enthusiasm should not obliterate the profound responsibility that is expected from the court below,” he added.

The religious dispute – similar to the one in Ayodhya – is decades old and first reached the courts in 1991, when local Hindu priests sought permission to worship in the mosque area. The hearing was later suspended by the Allahabad high court. But the case gained steam in December 2019 when Vijay Shankar Rastogi filed an application in the civil court as the next friend of the presiding deity of the temple, Swayambhu Jyotirling Bhagwan Vishweshwar. Rastogi demanded that the mosque area be surveyed to prove that the Muslims had occupied parts of the temple complex and built a mosque there. In law, a next friend is a representative of someone incapable of maintaining a suit directly.

26 INDIA

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18 - 24 September 2021

PM Modi to attend Quad summit in Washington on Sept 24 Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to travel to the US during September 23-25 to participate in the first in-person summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad and to address the United Nations General Assembly.

Modi, who will be making only his second visit abroad since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, is expected to begin his visit with a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington.

This will be the first in-person meeting between the two leaders since Biden assumed office earlier this year, though they have interacted at virtual events and spoken on phone several times.

The Prime Minister will join Biden and his Australian and Japanese counterparts, Scott Morrison and Yoshihide Suga respectively, for the Quad Leaders’ Summit at the White House in

Narendra Modi

Washington on September 24 – six months after their first virtual summit held on March 12.

“The Biden-Harris administration has made elevating the Quad a priority, as seen through the first-ever Quad Leaders-level engagement in March, which was virtual, and now this summit, which will be inperson,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said.

Hosting the Quad leaders

demonstrates the US administration’s “priority of engaging in the Indo-Pacific, including through new multilateral configurations to meet the challenges of the 21st century”, she said.

The in-person summit will be an opportunity to review progress made since the virtual summit and to discuss regional issues of shared interest, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

Among the issues that are expected to figure prominently in the Quad Summit are the situation in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover on August 15, and ways to give fresh impetus to the Quad vaccine ambitious partnership, which was announced in March and envisages the distribution of one billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines across the Indo-

Pacific.

At their first 2+2 ministerial dialogue on September 11, India and Australia insisted Afghan soil must not become a safe haven for terrorists or be used for attacks on other nations, and called for steps to ensure an inclusive governing structure in Kabul. The US has said it intends to hold the Taliban to its counter-terrorism related commitments, including severing ties with al-Qaeda and other terror groups active in Afghanistan.

The deliberations at the Quad Summit are expected to shape the approach of the four countries on the crucial issue of any recognition of the Taliban setup in Kabul. The statement from the external affairs ministry said the Quad leaders will “review the Quad vaccine initiative” as part of their ongoing efforts to contain the pandemic.

Under the vaccine partnership,

the four countries were to supply US-developed vaccines, such as the Johnson & Johnson shot, that would be manufactured in India with funding from American and Japanese financial institutions.

Australia will provide logistics support to deliver the doses to countries across the Indo-Pacific.

The initiative stalled after India was hit by a devastating second wave of Covid-19 infections in March-April and the country restricted vaccine exports. Under a new timeframe, the vaccines are expected to be rolled out next year.

The four leaders will also exchange views on global issues such as critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, climate change, and education, the statement said.

Women to get admission in National Defence Academy The Centre and defence forces agreed to open the doors of the National Defence Academy (NDA), which has been a male bastion since its inception, for women aspirants, bringing to an end another gender wall within the defence establishment.

With the Supreme Court in its last hearing weighing against a discriminatory policy and passing an interim order allowing women candidates to appear in the NDA entrance examination, additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati informed a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M M Sundresh that the

government in principle agreed to allow entry of female candidates in the joint defence service training institute of the armed forces.

Bhati, who as an independent lawyer, had fought successfully for the rights of women officers in defence forces and

convinced the court to grant them permanent commission and c o m m a n d posting, informed the bench she was happy to share that a decision had been taken at the highest level in the government on Tuesday to induct girls in the NDA and sought time to place it on record.

The bench appreciated the government and defence forces for taking a positive step to end gender discrimination but in the same breath expressed concern over the authorities

Will rule on mode of inquiry into Pegasus row this week: SC The Supreme Court on Monday said it will pass orders this week on the nature of inquiry into the Pegasus controversy after being disappointed by the Centre’s refusal to file a detailed affidavit despite taking time twice, only to come back and reiterate readiness to set up an independent technical committee to examine alleged use of the spyware for snooping.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta explained the Centre’s predicament in filing an affidavit and, consequently, putting in the public domain, details of software used by the government agencies to intercept communications between "enemies of India" and terror organisations with their sleeper cells.

This was the ground taken in its short affidavit filed by the Centre on August 17, the day the SC had issued notice to the Centre seeking a detailed reply. The SG had again sought time on September 7 to allow the Centre to decide whether or not to file such an affidavit.

When he kept harping on the efficacy of the government setting up a technical committee comprising of domain experts, who have no links of any kind with the government, to examine the issue, a bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli said, "We thought the government will file some affidavit and depending on that we will decide how to go further.

Now, they have made a statement. We will consider what interim order or some order we have to pass."

The CJI-led bench said, "After all it is your prerogative (whether to file a detailed

affidavit or not). We thought that if an affidavit is filed, we can take a call and decide what type of inquiry we can order. Now, we have to take into account the whole issue and do something."

As the SG reiterated the government’s stand and said, "The government’s position on the issue is clear." CJI Ramana said, "Mr Mehta, beating around the bush is not the issue. " The SG countered it by saying, "Suppose the government says it never used Pegasus, are they (the dozen PIL petitioners) going to withdraw their petitions? The answer is no. Someone has to go into it.

That’s why I am saying someone (technical committee set up by the government) has to go into it under SC supervision."

The SC bench reserved its decision on the nature of the interim order it would pass, but kept the window open for the government to key in an affidavit at the eleventh hour. "We will pass some orders. It will take us two or three days to prepare the interim order. If you have any rethinking, you can inform us," the bench told Mehta.

not acting on their own and awaiting the court’s interference.

The bench said it was not a good state of affairs and the government and defence forces should on their own take the decision to bring more gender equality within the system.

The court said it was compelled to pass an interim order to allow women aspirants to take the exam as the government had been taking an adversarial approach on the issue and

opposing the plea instead of agreeing to consider it.

The ASG, however, told the bench that it would be difficult to implement the order this year itself as there is need to create infrastructure and also change procedures and pleaded that status quo be maintained with respect to the NDA admissions for the current academic year.

Her plea was opposed by the petitioners who informed the bench that application forms of

women aspirants were not being accepted. The court after hearing all the sides, asked the ASG to place the decision before the bench within 10 days and that would examine it on the next date of hearing. “We cannot make a wholesome change in a day... There is complexity of issues involved with the armed forces and we are not oblivious of it. But we wanted to push them to consider it,” the bench said.

ॐ Shanti Shanti Shanti ॐ Shradhanjali to Swargiya Shri Thakorbhai Bhullabhai Patel (10th Oct 1942 – 4th Sep 2021) It is with profound sadness, we inform you that one of our most dynamic founding VHP UK leader, Shri Thakorbhai Bhullabhai Patel, has left the mortal world for his onward journey to Vainkuth Teerthdham. He was born in Datej, Near Navsari, Gujarat, Bharat.

Thakorbhai went to Kenya in 1946/47, aged five. In 1960 he went to Bharat, for further studies at Ferguson College, Pune from where he graduated as a Physicist.

While in Pune, he stayed at the Sangh Karyalaya where he was awash in the Sangh Ganga, and immersed himself in Sangh Sanskaars under the guidance of intellectual scholar Ma. Professor Shripati Shastri Ji, (who later on became Akhil Bharatiya Saha-Baudhik Pramukh of Sangh). Pune had the honour of developing intellectuals and fiery karyakartas.

Shri Thakorbhai returned to Nairobi, Kenya with these sanskaars imbibed in him. He started going to Pratap Shakha, Eastleigh, Nairobi and rose to become a Karyakarta.

In 1966 he travelled to UK for his master’s MSc degree at Manchester University where he was also a lecturer for a few years.

In 1969 Thakorbhai married Kantaben who in the later years became his steadfast companion in promoting Dharma with equal zest and wise counsel in matters close to his Mission.

He joined, the huge multinational Phillips, as a senior scientist/electronics developer of new products, one of which was the TV Diode which became the mainstay of all televisions at that time. In one incident while travelling back from Phillips HQ in Holland with one of his developments, he was stopped by the Custom Officer at Manchester airport who thought Thakorbhai had some illegal contraption, secretly bringing into the UK. Thakorbhai remained calm without fear under the circumstances, and showed the letter from the Government of Holland, authorising him as the inventor to carry it with him to the UK Phillips office. This was the strength of his fearlessness, which he displayed all through out in his life.

In 1977, after living in a flat for several years, he bought Kantaben (spouse) their present house, which had a “Rose Garden”, that she adored immensely. She placed roses from the garden at the Lotus Feet of the Deities at Veda VHP Mandir for many years to come.

Thakorbhai leaves behind his beloved spouse, Kantaben, three daughters Anita, Sunita and Gita and their partners, three grandchildren Melissa, Jaysen, and Caelan who will miss him dearly. He was their Guru, Friend, Guide and inspirer.

Thakorbhai was the eldest of seven children and leaves behind Kamuben & Santaben in Bharat, and Kantibhai, Bhaghubhai, Jayaben & Vinubhai in the UK. Lately he had not been keeping good health. Only few days ago, he contracted Covid-19 and was admitted to Royal Blackburn Hospital, from where he departed this mortal world on Saturday, 4th September 2021. It was an unbelievable and unbearable shock for all of us.

We pray to Bhagwan Shree Parbrahma to grant Swargastha Thakorbhai’s Divya Aatma Param Shanti and a place of abode at his lotus feet. We also pray to Bhagwan Shree Ram to give the extended family and all of us strength to bear this huge loss.

You may convey your condolences to Swargiya Thakorbhai Patel’s Parivaar: Dr. Sunita Patel (daughter) e-mail id: sunitatpatel@gmail.com

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HEALTH

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27

18 - 24 September 2021

Artificial pancreas may soon be made available to diabetic patients on the NHS Artificial pancreas may be available to diabetic patients sooner than expected as a major trial produced “blisteringly brilliant” early results. The high-tech kit continuously monitors glucose levels via sensors under a patient’s skin and, when needed, automatically delivers insulin to the bloodstream.

It is hoped it will replace the regular finger-prick tests that diabetics need to carry out to check their blood sugar levels, as well as prevent life-threatening hypoglycaemic attacks when it drops too low.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is fitting 1,000 Britons with type 1 diabetes with one of the gadgets. The kind of diabetes occurs when the pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that controls the level of sugar, also known as glucose, in A recent study reported individuals with pre-existing health conditions, such as cancer, were more likely to report depressive symptoms during the pandemic.

Data published in the journal Lancet Regional HealthAmericas, reported at least mild psychological distress and 10 per cent of participants reported moderate to severe psychological distress.

The article took a unique look at changes in psychological distress. The report, led by Corinne Leach, senior principal scientist, American Cancer Society, used data from the American Cancer Study’s Cancer Prevention Study-3 cohort from two waves, 2018 and July-September 2020. It characterised levels of psychological distress among men and women in the US during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The study also identified factors associated with increased depression and anxiety during the pandem-

the blood.

Without insulin, harmful substances called ketones can build up in the body. This can cause a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis, which is lifethreatening if not spotted and treated quickly. The artificial pancreas trial, the largest of its kind in the world, began in July and health chiefs are expected to come to a decision next year on whether to begin offering them widely.

Professor Partha Kar, diabetes consultant at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and National Specialty Adviser to NHS England, said, “This is the first time this tech has been rolled out to so many patients, and already we can see it is blisteringly brilliant. This could be potentially life-changing.”

Scientists hope it will replace the regular fingerprick tests that diabetics need to carry out to check

Mental health adversely affected in the pandemic

ic, including sociodemographic characteristics, stressors, and comorbid conditions associated with increased risk for poor Covid-19 outcomes.

As per the data, individuals with these types of life stressors were more likely to have an escalation of psy-

chological distress during the pandemic. The report also suggests that adults continue experiencing psychological distress beyond the initial lockdown period.

The results of this and prior studies support the importance of regular mental health assessment and sub-

their blood sugar levels, as well as prevent life-threatening hypoglycaemic attacks when it drops too low. Doctors at the trial have called the artificial pancreas “overwhelmingly effective” at reducing the burden of living with type 1 diabetes and is capable of improving the long-term health of patients.

Dr Emma Wilmot, consultant diabetologist at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton, said, “At our hospital we have more than 100 patients on the artificial pancreas, many of whom are seeing really quite astounding improvements. Patients are more in control of their blood sugar levels than they've ever been since they were diagnosed. Most importantly, they say their quality of life has massively improved because they're spending far less time thinking about their diabetes.” sequent mental health support among those with a history of mental health issues and those who may be isolated to keep themselves safe from Covid-19 or other infections.

The authors said, “Several learning opportunities for how to improve population mental health during and after pandemics, natural disasters, or other life-altering events have been created by the COVID19 pandemic and regular mental health assessment by healthcare professionals is needed to better provide support for those at risk of developing, or those already experiencing, anxiety and depression.”

They added, “These data from the American Cancer Study's Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) cohort, in particular, will help clinicians identify populations vulnerable to persistent mental health and other long-term issues to provide earlier clinical support.”

Why you should swap green fruit and veg for purple

Are you team green or team purple? When it comes to grapes, people always have a favourite (red/purple is superior, just saying). But now, there’s scientific backing to prove that purple fruit and veg might actually be better for you. When it comes to grapes, cabbage, berries, onions, or even oranges, choosing the darker variety has more health benefits, say researchers.

UK scientists told the British Science Festival at Anglia Ruskin University about the benefits of the pigment called anthocyanins, which is found in purple, blue and some red varieties of certain fruits and veggies.

Anthocyanins can stop harmful compounds called free radicals from damaging cells. Previous research also indicates anthocyanins possess “anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-obesity effects”. But these preventative pigments are not found in tomatoes, beetroot or peppers.

As tomatoes tend to be lower in sugar and cheaper to buy and grow, scientists are now working on a genetically modified ‘purple’ tomato which includes anthocyanins. They told festival goers they are working to get regulatory approval for a “super” tomato that has rich purple skin.

The scientists recommend about 125mg of anthocyanins a day and two purple tomatoes would give you the same amount of anthocyanins as 70g of blackberries. Lead researchers have managed to convince Waitrose to stock blood orange juice for its health benefits, and we may soon be seeing purple tomatoes on the shelves of the supermarket too.

Dr Eugenio Butelli, from John Innes Centre of plant and microbial science in Norwich, said at the festival: “We believe anthocyanins are a bit special. Everything is converging to the idea that these are really good compounds for you - natural antioxidants that you should introduce in your diet.”

Cathie Martin, from the centre, added: “The purple tomatoes are genetically modified and it’s difficult to get regulatory approval to grow GM [food in the UK] for non-research purposes. In [America] it’s different, so we have gone through the safety procedure with the [Food and Drug Administration] and they’ll decide whether it’s safe. We’re fairly confident we’ll get that decision by the end of this year.”

Researchers added, after they get FDA approval, they will go to the UK Food Standard Agency for permission to sell seeds for people to grow their own purple tomatoes.

Peanuts can lower cardiovascular risk: Study According to a recent study, people who consume peanuts have a lower risk of having a cardiovascular disease compared to those who did not. Findings of the study were published in Stroke, a journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association. Researchers in the study specifically examined the link between peanut consumption and the incidence of different types of stroke and cardiovascular disease events among Japanese men and women.

Lead study author Satoyo Ikehara, PhD, said, “We showed for the first time a reduced risk for ischemic stroke incidence associated with higher peanut consumption in an Asian population. Our results suggest that adding

peanuts to your diet has a beneficial effect on the prevention of ischemic stroke.”

They added, “Monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, vitamins and dietary fibre that help lower risk of cardiovascular disease by reducing risk factors, including high blood pressure, high blood levels of bad cholesterol and chronic inflammation.”

The analysis included people who were recruited in two phases, in 1995 and 1998-1999, for a total of more than 74,000 Asian men and women, ages 45 to 74, from the Japan Public Health Centerbased Prospective Study.

Participants completed a comprehensive lifestyle survey, which

included a questionnaire about the frequency of peanut consumption. They were followed for approximately 15 years - through 2009 or 2012, depending on when they were originally enrolled.

The incidences of stroke and ischemic heart disease were determined by linking with 78 participating hospitals in the areas included in the study. Researchers adjusted for other health conditions, smoking, diet, alcohol consumption and physical activity, as detailed by participants in the questionnaires. The levels of peanut consumption were ranked in four quartiles, with 0 peanuts a day as the least intake compared to 4.3 unshelled peanuts a day (median) as the highest.

The link between peanut con-

sumption and lowered risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease was consistent in both men and women. Ikehara said, “The beneficial effect of peanut consumption on risk of stroke, especially ischemic stroke was found, despite the small quantity of peanuts eaten by study participants.

The habit of eating peanuts and tree nuts is still not common in Asian countries. However, adding even a small amount to one’s diet could be a simple yet effective approach to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.”

The American Heart

Association recommends eating about five servings of unsalted nuts per week, one serving is 1/2 ounce of nuts. The Association says other healthy nut options include unsalted cashews, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts and hazelnuts.

To Our Readers

We are publishing these reports in good faith. Before you try any of these remedies, please consult the doctor. We are not responsible for any adverse effects.- Editor

28

ART & CULTURE

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

www.asian-voice.com

18 - 24 September 2021

in brief

INDIAN FILM

DON’T MISS SATYAJIT RAY INSPIRED PREMIERE

FESTIVAL GROUP presents UK premiere of Bengali drama Avijatrik Cary Rajinder Sawhney

Shefali Saxena

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ondon Indian Film Festival who have now announced a season of film screenings across four cities opening with the UK Premiere of the Bengali drama Avijatrick.

The film festival has been going for over 12 years now and in that time has expanded to Birmingham for the last 6 years and went to Manchester for the first time earlier this year and now has expanded to Bradford.

The festival showcases independent films from independent directors and is well known for screening films that cover sensitive issues such as the recent documentary WOMB which received its UK premiere at its first festival in June. The Festival is the largest of its kind in the UK and Europe and always attracts Directors and Talent to its red carpet every year.

Festival Director Cary Rajinder Sawhney received an MBE for his services to the industry and previous posts he has held include Programme Adviser South Asia to the BFI London Film Festival at the British Film Institute as Head of Diversity in the National Film Archive.

Asian Voice talks to Cary about his career and the upcoming Festival and what filmgoers can expect. hat according to you has been the biggest paradigm shift in the art and culture industry during the pandemic?

A big shift in this time of uncertainty is not being able to pre-guess audience tastes.

This was typified by this June’s London Indian Film Festival where we expected audiences would come back to the cinema for new comedies. Instead, the films that sold out were our classic British Asian films like My Beautiful Laundrette which reminded audiences of good times. Also,

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how we have engaged with audiences has had to change. Last May everyone was watching films online. This year more people want to come back to the cinema, so that has required different types of marketing. hat kind of help does the sector need to stand up on its feet and also make profits?

We need to remain flexible and encourage audiences back to the cinema, providing as safe as possible viewing experience. I’m glad to say we have some of the safest high-quality screens supporting the festival. ell us about the festival and what our readers can expect.

The festival this autumn in Manchester, Birmingham and London will offer a great mix of British Asian classic films such as the British Asian music documentaries Brim Full of Asia and Mutiny-Asians Storm British Music at MAC Birmingham. There’s also our contribution to the celebrations of master filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s 100th birth anniversary with great films like Pather Panchali at Cinema Lumiere in London, or the new Ray inspired film Avijatrik (The Wanderlust of Apu) premiering in all three cities. We will also be screening Bollywood classic Mughal-E-Azam in the new partner city, Bradford. Being inclusive we are also showing the new Pakistani American feature I’ll Meet You There, also in Bradford. hat according to you will change for film lovers in the coming months?

I don’t think anyone really knows how the next two seasons will play out.

However, with cinema production up and running again in India film lovers can expect new films in cinemas and online for 2022.

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o you think institutions in the UK that cater to the film going audience and cinema lovers are ready for a post-pandemic future?

There are many factors to this question, from the fall out of Brexit and Covid and how this has hit businesses, particularly cinemas that have been closed for over a year, to how they will recover remains to be seen. Public funding via BFI has been valuable for festivals and some cinemas as a lifeline into 2022.

I’m pleased to say that LIFF, BIFF and MIFF continuing in 2020 and 2021, has shown the enduring draw and power of Indian cinema and we thank our audiences for sticking with us in spite of everything.

Receiving so much audience love and support has really inspired us. hat will be the impetus of film festivals now, given that putting them together (which was already a mammoth and sometimes thankless task) will require greater support and rejuvenated zeal to make it a successful festival?

At least for the next few years, the film festival will need to remain hybrid. This will attract different types of audiences and also give them a further reach. On our new platform LoveLIFFatHome.com we have been able to reach out to audiences in India and worldwide, especially for our screen talks and shorts programmes.

So, our festival has, for example, seen the opportunity of expanding beyond national boundaries and exploring a global market which is of course is a positive thing for the future.

Full programming for Birmingham, Manchester, London and Bradford:https://londonindianfilmfestival.co.uk/ 18 – 30 September 2021

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Renowned car collector Yohan Poonwalla wins major international awards at Blenheim Palace Yohan Poonwalla, an industrialist and one of India's leading car collectors recently exhibited several cars from his collection at leading international events Salon Prive (Blenheim Palace, UK) and Concours Of Elegance (Hampton Court Palace, UK)

Yohan Poonawalla’s 1927 Rolls-Royce Twenty HP by Barker - the car started life as a Rolls-Royce demonstrator and was subsequently owned by the Nawab of Sachin. Described by motoring historian Mohammed Luqman as a 'glistening piece of rolling art' the car was awarded the Most Exceptional Coachwork Award at Salon

Prive. Also winning an award was Poonawalla's majestic 1979 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI which was used by Queen Elizabeth II on several occasions, constructed as a showpiece for the Rolls Royce the car was widely acknowledged as 'The Ultimate Phantom' winning contemporary awards for its coachwork.

The Birmingham Indian Film Festival returns for a special autumn edition over 3 days in September. On Saturday 18th September, the UK premiere of Bengali drama Avijatrik (The Wanderlust of Apu), will be held, which is directed by Subhrajit Mitra; a new tale based on the legendary character Apu who was first brought to the screen by India’s most internationally acclaimed director, Satyajit Ray!

THE ROYALS ARE COMING The list of royal visitors to Switzerland is long – and equally impressive: Queen Victoria and Queen Elisabeth, Emperor Wilhelm II, Empress Elisabeth of Austria and Astrid, Queen of the Belgians. Between 13 March and 3 October 2021, an exhibition called The Royals Are Coming! at the Forum of Swiss History Schwyz reflects the diversity of royal visitors to Switzerland and features fascinating stories and impressive mementoes of their visits.

CARNIVAL OF SHADOWS: THE BEGINNING OF A THIRD DECADE OF STORYTELLING Akram Khan Company is presenting a programme of works to mark the Company’s third decade of storytelling in Akram Khan’s 16th year as a Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist.

Carnival of Shadows includes the UK premiere of his latest work, Outwitting the Devil; Khan’s final UK performances of his award-winning solo, XENOS; and a dance theatre production adapted for young audiences inspired by XENOS; Chotto Xenos, in the Lilian Baylis Studio. Opening the programme and presenting from Tuesday 23 - Saturday 27 November at Sadler’s Wells Theatre is Akram Khan Company’s newest ensemble piece, Outwitting the Devil (2019).

Combining classical and contemporary influences, Khan explores our oldest rituals in the context of our ever-changing planet.

Food, theatre and music engage young people with climate research where they have won major awards.

He has announced his 1949 Bentley Mark VI was awarded the prestigious Duke of Marlborough Award at Salon Prive (Blenheim Palace). Originally built for the Maharaja of Mysore, the car was last photographed at Hampton Court Palace in 1949 when the Maharaja took the collection and will be returning to the location for the first time in 70 years. The Maharaja of Mysore was reportedly the second richest man in the world and the car was personalised with special features including plaques and shields in solid silver and 24k gold.

A play co-written by young people in South Wales and Brazil and original climatethemed zines are among a series of new climate engagement projects.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) have announced a £120,000 investment in 15 projects across the UK. These will encourage 14 to 18-yearolds to engage with and contribute to important climate research.

Each of the funded projects will take place between September and December to coincide with the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) and contribute to the national and global discourse on climate change at this time.

The funded projects will use a range of creative approaches to capture the imaginations of young people including: ¡ a multimedia performance created by young people in South Wales and young people in the Amazon in Brazil which

will explore differing responses to climate change in these drastically different environments ¡ an original film created by young people in Cambridge who will work with a professional team of filmmakers to share their perspectives on the climate crisis ¡ a series of creative workshops that will support young LGBTQ+ people to develop their own perspectives on climate change.

These projects demonstrate the unique ability of the arts and humanities to explore climate research in a way that will resonate with young people and inspire positive action.

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AsianVoiceNews

BOLLYWOOD 29

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

18 - 24 September 2021

Shilpa Shetty is all set to make her OTT debut Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra is all set to make her OTT debut. The actress is quite excited about her upcoming project and is trying to win the audience's hearts. Time and again, Shilpa shared that she is ready to get back to the 70 mm screen in full swing. The gorgeous actress had been looking for some work and has been renewing all her past connections in the industry.

Shilpa is in talks for an OTT series where she will have an important role.

According to sources, the story will revolve around the female protagonist, something close to Sushmita Sen's powerful character in the Aarya series.

Shilpa is kicked about it

since this will also give her a chance to impress fans with not just her glam avatar but her acting chops as well. The final discussions are pending post which the actress will make an official announcement about the same. Recently, Shilpa's social media posts on Ganesh Chaturthi received a lot of negative comments from netizens, amid the personal turmoil she's been going through in her life.

The actress had taken a short break from her reality TV show Super Dancer Chapter 4, after the arrest of her husband Raj Kundra in the pornography case on July 19. On the work front, Shilpa was last seen in 'Hungama 2' featuring Paresh Rawal, Meezan Jaffrey, and Pranita Subhash in main roles. The film was directed by Priyadarshan and was released on Disney+Hotstar on July 23.

Amitabh walks down memory lane with latest social media post Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan took his fans on social media on a trip down memory lane. Sharing an older picture of himself with yesteryear superstars Dharmendra, Prem Chopra, Jeetendra and Shatrughan Sinha, he expressed how such a union of friends has become a rarity now.

“Jeetendra .. Dharmendra ..

Prem Chopra .. Shatrughan Sinha .. and moi ..aajkal aise jamghat bahut kam dekhne ko milte hain .आजकल ऐसे जमघट बहुत कम देखने को मिलते हैं । For them who are Devanagari challenged ” read the caption of the photo.T The photo received a lot of attention from the fans of the actor, many of whom commented “All Legends in one frame”.

On the work front, Amitabh is currently shooting for the quiz show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’. He also has several Hindi films in the pipeline including Ayan Mukerji’s ‘Brahmastra’, Vikas Bahl’s ‘GoodBye’, and Ajay Devgn’s ‘Mayday’.

Akshay Kumar shares PM Modi’s letter of condolence after his mother’s death Akshay Kumar posted on his social media, a long letter sent to him by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week. In his letter, PM Modi offers his condolences on the death of the actor’s mother Aruna Bhatia.

In the letter, he lauded Akshay’s parents for raising a son like him. He also called him “one of India’s most admired and versatile actors.”

Akshay captioned the post, “Humbled by condolence messages on mom’s passing, thankful to all. Grateful to hon’ble PM for this amazing gesture to take out time and express warm feelings for me and my late parents. These comforting words will stay with me forever. Jai Ambe.”

Akshay’s mother passed away on September 8 in Mumbai. The actor came back to the city on September 6 from London, after learning that his mother was admitted to Mumbai’s Hirachandani

Hospital. He later shared the news of his mother’s death with his fans on social media.

He wrote, “She was my core. And today I feel an unbearable pain at the very core of my existence. My maa Smt Aruna Bhatia peacefully left this world today morning and got reunited with my dad in the other world. I respect your prayers as I and my family go through this period. Om Shanti.”

Akshay was shooting for a new project in the UK for the past couple of weeks. On the work front, he was last seen in the spy thriller ‘BellBottom’, which also starred Lara Dutta Bhupathi, Vaani Kapoor, and Huma Qureshi. He has movies like ‘Raksha Bandhan’ with Bhumi Pednekar, ‘Bachchan Pandey’ with Kriti Sanon, and ‘Atrangi Re’ featuring Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan in the pipeline.

Kareena trolled for demanding £1.2 mn to play Sita As an actor, Kareena Kapoor Khan knows her worth and expresses no qualms in putting it across during negotiations. In a recent interview, the actor said that female artistes voicing demands for equal pay in the film industry should be normalized as pay parity signifies respect for women. She said, “Just a few years ago, no one would talk about a man or woman actually getting equal pay in a movie. Now there are a lot of us being very vocal about it.”

Kareena recently faced trolling for allegedly hiding her fees to play Sita in an upcoming reimagining of the Ramayana.

While the actor has not directly responded to the reports, she said, “I make it quite clear what I want and I think that respect should be given. It’s not about being demanding, it’s about being respectful towards women. And I think things are kind of changing.”

The actress also spoke about breaking age-old stereotypes attached to female artistes. Actresses have often bid adieu to their careers after marriage. However, Kareena, who married actor Saif Ali Khan in 2012, not only continued working, but also gave some of her career’s biggest successes and remains relevant to this day.

Kareena said, “When I married Saif, so many people told me that my career would be over because no producer wants to work with a married actress. At that time, no other Bollywood actress got married and then continued to work. But I just thought, OK, well, if it does end my career, then that’s fine, that’s my destiny. I’m not going to not marry the person that I love.”

On the work front, Kareena anticipates the release of ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’. She has also turned producer, bankrolling director Hansal Mehta’s next, starring her in the lead.

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Nargis regrets not revealing her relationship with Uday Chopra Actors Nargis Fakhri and Uday Chopra’s relationship was quite the talk in Bollywood from 2013 to 2017, with even rumours of an impending wedding. While the two have moved on in their lives since then and Nargis is now dating Justin Santos, in a recent interview, she addressed the speculation around her equation with Uday.

She revealed they were in a relationship and that he was a significant part of their life. Nargis said, “Uday and I dated for five years and he was the most beautiful human I met in India.” She said she regretted not speaking about their relationship at the time they were seeing each other.

“I never have said this to the press as people told me to keep my relationship quiet, but I regret that because I

Not tempted to drop names in memoir: Priyanka Chopra Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas announced that her debut book ‘Unfinished: A Memoir’ became a worldwide bestseller without being a “salacious” read. Released earlier this year by Penguin Random House India, the book offers insights into Priyanka’s childhood in India, her formative teenage years in the US where she endured bouts of racism, to her return to India, where she unexpectedly won the national and global beauty pageants that launched her acting career.

In conversation with columnist-author Vinita Dawra Nangia at the virtual Times Litfest 2021, Priyanka opened up about how she wanted to write a tell-all book about her life with grace. When asked if she was tempted to drop names, Priyanka said, “No, because it’s no one else’s story but mine. It’s actually funny. I remember reading few reviews that said, ‘Oh she didn’t speak the truth’ about things like that. I thought, basically you wanted a gossip rag in my book, not a tell-all.”

Pri added, “I’m really grateful that my book is number one bestseller without it being salacious. I don’t respond to that. I am not that person. I believe in having grace and a lot of the media doesn’t.”

Currently in London, the 39 year old actress said writing her memoir was a tough experience as she had never written a “structured” material before. She was also conscious about not turning it into a book only meant for her fans. “Writing a book is a different ball game. You need to know what each chapter means and how you’re ending it. The technique of writing it was the hardest part, and to make it an interesting read. I didn’t want the book to cater to just my fans or people who love me. I wanted it to be a good read, be funny, interesting, have a sense of personality,” she said.

Shah Rukh teases debut OTT release Give it to Shah Rukh Khan to reel in attention. In a new advertisement for streaming giant Disney+ Hotstar, Shah Rukh is seen joking about his fear of staying away from OTT platforms, something that his fans believe is an indication of his upcoming debut on the platform.

The video begins with Shah Rukh waving at his fans from his balcony as he takes pride in the fact that no star manages to pull such a huge crowd outside their house.

But his manager tells him that he is not sure about the superstar’s future because barring him, all major stars have joined the OTT bandwagon. Shah Rukh shared the video on social media, and much to his fans’ surprise, captioned it, “Hmmmm….Picture toh abhi back hai… .mere doston…#SiwaySRK.” Shah Rukh's close friend and filmmaker Karan Johar shared the video and wrote, “Never thought I’d see the day when even the Baadshah of Bollywood feels FOMO. Now I’ve seen everything!! @iamsrk.”

Actor Ranveer Singh praised the superstar’s sense of humour in the ad. He wrote, “INKA SANS OF HUMOR TOH ALAG HAI BHAISAHAB!!! @iamsrk KO BHI FOMO HO SAKTA HAI??” On the work front, Shah Rukh is currently shooting for filmmaker Atlee’s yetuntitled auctioneer with South star Nayanthara. He is also working on Siddharth Anand’s action film ‘Pathan’ with Deepika Padukone and John Abraham.

should have shouted from the mountain tops that I was with such beautiful soul. The internet and social media is very fake and the people out there won’t know what the truth is. Most often we idolise certain people who are actually bad behind closed doors.”

Nargis made her Bollywood debut with Imtiaz Ali’s 2007 romance ‘Rockstar’. Talking about her first co-star Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis said, “To this day, I am grateful to have worked with Ranbir as my first co-star. He is a fantastic actor and easy to work with. Also getting to know his mom was a blessing as she was very sweet to me. It was really comforting to have her in my life at that time as I was all alone in India.”

Sourav Ganguly confirms biopic, to be produced by Luv Ranjan Veteran cricketer and former captain of the Indian Cricket Team, Sourav Ganguly took to Twitter last week to announce that his life story is being adapted into a movie by Luv Ranjan Films. He shared on Twitter, “Cricket has been my life, it gave confidence and ability to walk forward with my head held high, a journey to be cherished. Thrilled that Luv Films will produce a biopic on my journey and bring it to life for the big screen.”

It is however, yet to be known who will helm the film, and the star cast is yet to be announced. Statement from the producers read, “We are thrilled to announce that Luv Films will produce Dada Sourav Ganguly’s biopic. We are honoured to be entrusted with this responsibility and look forward to great innings.”

Simi Garewal praises Kangana’s performance in ‘Thalaivii’ Veteran actor and talk show host, Simi Garewal was one of the celebrities who attended Kangana Ranaut’s ‘Thalaivii’s’ special screening in Mumbai. The actor was all praise for the actor’s performance as the former actor and politician Jayalalithaa. However, before praising her work in the film, Simi mentioned how she did not support Kangana’s “radical comments”.

Simi tweeted, “Altho I do not support #KanganaRanaut’s radical comments..I do support her acting talent. In #Thailavii she gives it her heart & soul! Jaya-ji wanted Aishwarya t play her..my hunch is JJ wud hv approved of Kangana’s portrayal. As for @thearvindswamy he is MGR reincarnate.”

The tweet did not go down well with a fan of Ranaut’s, who questioned why other actors are not associated with such sentences.

Taking examples of actors like Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt, the fan wrote, “Why special phrases for Kangana?” The tweet grabbed Ranaut’s attention and she went on to share a screenshot of the tweet on her Instagram story and tagged herself “a nationalist”. She wrote, “Because Kangana is a nationalist”.

Later, when a fan questioned Simi on her tweet, she replied, “I don’t hate #KanganaRanaut at all!! We’ve been friends for years. She has never harmed me. We’ve dined at each others’ homes. We’ve always shared a good vibes. But not the same views.”

Meanwhile, ’Thalaivii’ is performing well at the theatres and Kangana seems to be basking in its success. She wrote, “Great time for content makers. Even before the release, we recovered the cost and after that all is bonus. Meanwhile, multiplexes can sulk and

behave like big bullies and wait for the day they have to pay to get exclusive content like everyone else.”

In another Instagram story, she called out “movie mafia and fake feminists” for not appreciating the film that has had the "courage to deliver in the face of pandemic.” On the work front, Kangana has ‘Tejas’ and ‘Dhakaad’ up next for release.

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Filmmaker Shankar Shanmugham’s daughter Aditi Shankar is all set to make her silver screen debut opposite Karthi in ‘Viruman’. The project will be bankrolled by Suriya and Jyotika under their 2D Entertaiments banner, and will be helmed by Muthaiya.

Sharing the first look poster of Aditi Shankar on Twitter, Suriya wrote, “A very warm welcome to Aditi Shankar! You are going to win everyone’s heart! God bless!!” Shankar thanked Suriya and Jyotika in a tweet for launching @AditiShankarofl @2D_ENTPVTLTD which always delivers quality movies! Thanks to @Karthi_Offl @dir_muthaiya @thisisysr @rajsekarpandian. I believe cinema lovers will shower her with love as she comes fully prepped to make her debut.”

Aditi wrote, “So excited to have signed for this project.

I couldn’t have asked for a better team to debut with.

Blessed with the best.” Meanwhile, Karthi talked about the movie’s theme,. He posted a tweet in Tamil which translates to, “Rural stories are always closer to my heart.

I am extremely happy to join hands again with Muthaiya and Yuvan.”

Cinematographer SK Selvakumar and music composer Yuvan Shankar Raja are also part of Viruman’s team. The movie is slated for 2022 release.

Shankar’s daughter Aditi set to make silver screen debut ‘RRR’ pushed back yet again The wait for SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus just became longer. Makers of ‘RRR’ announced over the weekend that the Jr NTR and Ram Charan-starrer is almost ready. However, they are taking a call to not release it this year. The makers in fact shared that they “cannot announce a new date” as theatres are indefinitely closed across the globe.

A tweet from the makers read, “Post production nearly done to have #RRRMovie ready by October ’21. But as known to many, we are postponing the release but cannot announce a new date with theatres indefinitely closed. We will release at the earliest possible date when the world cinema markets are up and running.”

The movie was earlier scheduled for October 13 release as a Diwali treat for Jr NTR and Ram Charan fans. Earlier this year, the producers of ‘RRR’ announced that Netflix and ZEE5 have acquired the streaming rights of SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus.

‘RRR', starring Jr NTR and Ram Charan in the lead role, is a fictional story about two Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Jr NTR), who fought against the British Raj and Nizam of Hyderabad respectively. The film also marks the regional debut of Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn.

Leena Manimekalai’s passport impounded in #MeToo defamation case Filmmaker Leena Manimekalai’s passport has been impounded following a defamation case filed by Susi Ganesan. Leena received an email from the Passport Authority stating, “In the absence of any response from you, your file has been impounded.”

Her counsel, VS Senthil Kumar, however, said that it is factually incorrect to say that she did not respond.

In fact, when the Chennai Regional Passport Office had sent her a show cause notice on February 8, 2021, even though Ganesan’s petition to impound her passport then had been disposed off by the Saidapet Metropolitan Magistrate in November 2020, Leena did respond to the notice.

He informed a media source, “We replied on March 15, 2021, saying this is a matter pertaining to a private complaint, it is not pertaining to a police case.

But we did not get another response from the Passport Office. Leena even filed an RTI to know what happened to her reply to the show cause notice,

but we haven’t gotten a response for that either.”

Ever since Leena came out with her Me Too story, accusing the filmmaker of sexual harassment, she has been facing several hurdles professionally, and even with travel.

While a previous petition to impound her passport by Ganesan was not entertained by the court earlier, he again moved court to reopen it about a week ago.

Now, while Leena awaits a copy of the magistrate’s order from the day, the Passport Office has said it will impound her passport.

As Leena intends to travel to Canada to pursue her higher education now, the Magistrate has allowed the petition to be reopened. She is pursuing an MFA course from York University in Canada, which is an academic award on full scholarship. Meanwhile, Ganesan has claimed that Leena will attempt to flee the country.

Prabhas is all praise for Gopichand’s ‘Seetimarr’

Actor Prabhas dedicated a social media post to contemporary and friend Gopichand’s latest release ‘Seetimarr’, praising the sports action drama and hailing the makers’ decision to release the film theatrically. Also starring Tamannaah Bhatia, the movie revolves around kabaddi.

In his post, Prabhas wrote, “My friend Gopichand scored a blockbuster with Seetimarr. Very happy for him! Kudos to the movie team for coming forward to release the first big film post the Covid 2nd wave, despite prevailing circumstances.”

Reacting to the note, Gopichand thanked the actor. He wrote, “Thank you my friend #Prabhas

SATURDAY 18 SEP 6.00

TV Listing

Pahli Prit No Pahlo Fagan

13.00 Narsinh Mehta (Re-run) 14.00 RASOI SHOW

18.30 ABHILASHA - EK ASTITVANI 19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 20 SEP FRI 24 SEP 2021 6.00

Halo Manvyu Mele

19.30 MANMILAP.COM

20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI 20.30 SHANI

21.00 BOLO KETLA TAKA

13.00 Narsinh Mehta (Re-run)

SUNDAY 19 SEP

18.30 ABHILASHA - EK ASTITVANI

15.00 Aavuj Reshe

14.00 RASOI SHOW

19.00 BHAKT GORA KUMBHAR

12.00 Vat No Katko 18.00 BOLO KETLA TAKA

19.30 MANMILAP.COM

19.00 SHU CHALE CHE

20.30 SHANI

21.00 BOLO KETLA TAKA

20.00 RASHI RIKSHAWALI 21.00 PREM NI BHAVAI

19.30 ABHILASHA - EK ASTITVANI 22.00 SHU CHALE CHE

* Schedule is subject to change

MON 20 SEP FRI 24 SEP 2021 8.30 BHARADWAJ BAHUEIN 16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 CHHUTA CHHEDA 18.00 TUM KAUN PIYA 18.30 19.00 19.30 20.00 20.30 21.00 21.30

DIL KA RISHTA BHAGYA KA LIKHA EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN DIL SE DIL TAK BARRISTER BABU BALIKA VADHU 2 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2

for all your kind words and love!

Really overwhelmed with the response #SeetiMaarr has received.”

The movie marks Gopichand’s second collaboration with director Sampath Nandi after 2017s ‘Goutham Nanda’.

Both Gopichand and Tamannaah Bhatia are playing coaches in the film. Produced by Srinivasaa Chitturi under the Srinivasaa Silver Screen banner, ‘Seetimarr’ also stars Digangana Suryavanshi, Bhumika Chawla, Rahman, Rao Ramesh, Tarun Arora, Posani Krishna Murali, Rohit Pathak, and Ankur Singh in other major roles.

SATURDAY 18 SEP 16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 DESI BEAT (SEASON 3) 18.00 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 19.30 EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN 20.000 DIL SE DIL TAK 20.30 DESI BEAT RESET 21.00 FEET UP WITH THE STARS (SEASON 1) 21.30 SASURAL SIMAR KA 2 SUNDAY 19 SEP 16.30 RASOI SHOW-DESI FLAVOURS 17.30 DESI BEAT (SEASON 3) 18.00 KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA 19.00 BHAGYA KA LIKHA 19.30 EK SHRINGAAR SWABHIMAAN 20.00 DIL SE DIL TAK 20.30 DESI BEAT RESET 21.00 FEET UP WITH THE STARS (SEASON 2) 21.30 DESI BEAT RESET

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ECB, BCCI deadlocked over Test series status With the dust settling on the storm that led to the fifth Test between India and England being called off, it is now clear that the Indian cricket board (BCCI) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have decided to reschedule the match next year.

However, the ECB has taken the call that the match will be replayed as a ‘standalone’ Test and have no bearing on the present series that stands cancelled after the Oval game, with India leading 2-1.

Should the ECB not make an official announcement to award the series to India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) will get involved. The Indian board and players have reiterated that the match will not be ‘forfeited’. In case of a forfeit, series honours would have been shared. The ICC will, in all

likelihood, also have to intervene and figure out – through their cricket committee, led by former India captain Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid as members – how to work out the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle because of this cancelled Test. The

truncated England-India series kicked off the second cycle of the WTC that will culminate in 2023.

India had moved to the top spot of the WTC table, displacing Pakistan after the win at the Oval.

However, with the fifth Test getting cancelled and the series

Dhoni is back in Team India as mentor for World T20 Former captain MS Dhoni will soon be back in the Team India dugout - this time, as a mentor for the T20 World Cup. Dhoni’s inclusion took some of its own office-bearers by surprise, and even the selectors came to know about it just minutes before the press conference to announce the squad for the October-November tournament in the UAE. Sources said India’s dismal white-ball record in ICC events under captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri is one of the key factors behind the decision.

The team has either fallen at the final hurdle or failed to make it to the final in the Champions Trophy, and MS Dhoni

World T20 and 50-over World Cups. Kohli hasn’t even led Royal Challengers Bangalore to an IPL title. Dhoni, who leads Chennai Super Kings, is a three-time IPLwinning captain and has brought home three major ICC trophies World T20, Champions Trophy and World Cup At the media briefing Wednesday, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said the decision to call up the 40-year-old retired international and the country’s most-celebrated white-ball cricketer was taken after he met Dhoni in Dubai, where IPL teams have started converging to complete the unfinished Covidhit Season 12.

In another

Here's the full list of India's 15-member squad: 1) Virat Kohli (Captain)Matches: 90 | Runs: 3,159 | Strike-rate: 139.04 2) Rohit Sharma (Vice-Captain)- Matches: 111 | Runs: 2,864 | Strike-rate: 138.96 3) KL RahulMatches: 49 | Runs: 1,557 | Strike-rate: 142.19 4) Suryakumar YadavMatches: 4 | Runs: 139 | Strike-rate: 169.51 5) Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper)- Matches: 33 | Runs: 512 | Strike-rate: 123.07 6) Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper)- Matches: 3 | Runs: 180 | Strike-rate: 145.45 7) Hardik PandyaMatches: 49 | Runs: 484 | Wickets: 42 8) Ravindra JadejaMatches: 50 | Runs: 217 | Wickets: 39 9) Rahul ChaharMatches: 5 | Wickets: 7 | Economy Rate: 7.61 10) Ravichandran AshwinMatches: 46 | Runs: 123 | Wickets: 52 11) Axar PatelMatches: 12 | Wickets: 9 | Economy Rate: 6.88 12) Varun ChakravarthyMatches: 3 | Wickets: 2 | Economy Rate: 5.30 13) Jasprit BumrahMatches: 50 | Wickets: 59 | Economy Rate: 6.66 14) Bhuvneshwar KumarMatches: 51 | Wickets: 50 | Economy Rate: 6.90 15) Mohammed ShamiMatches: 12 | Wickets: 12 | Economy Rate: 9.80

important development, Ravichandran Ashwin, who has been in the news lately for not being part of the Test matches in England, has been picked up for the T20 squad. Chief selector Chetan Sharma pointed out that a bowler like Ashwin would be highly useful in UAE conditions, has done well in the IPL and, further bearing in mind that the young Washington Sundar happens to be nursing an injury, will add immensely to the balance of the squad.

Bowling allrounder Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who played the recent whiteball series in Sri Lanka under Rahul Dravid’s coaching, has also been picked in the squad. Among the notable absentees is opener Shikhar Dhawan who, despite being the top-scorer in IPL 2020 and phase1 of IPL 2021, has been left out.

Leg-spinner Yazuvendra Chahal, who did well in the 2020 edition of the IPL and has been a constant in Team India’s whiteball plans, has also been left out.

Among some other surprising decisions, the selectors chose to put talented middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer – who’s just returned from an injury break – in the standbys alongside allrounder Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar. These aspects aside, the rest of the team has picked itself.

result in limbo, the ICC will have to communicate with BCCI and ECB to bring the deadlock to a logical end.

India-England cancel 5th test Earlier, the fifth Test match between India and England, scheduled to begin on Friday last in Manchester, has been cancelled, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced. Meanwhile, the Indian cricket board has offered to reschedule the cancelled Test match, saying that both boards will work towards "finding a window to reschedule this Test match".

"Following ongoing conversations with the BCCI, the ECB can confirm that the fifth Test between England and India men due to start today at Emirates Old Trafford, will be cancelled," ECB said in a media statement. In

a separate statement, the Indian board "offered to ECB a rescheduling of the cancelled Test match". The BCCI and ECB held several rounds of discussion to find a way to play the Test Match, however, the outbreak of Covid-19 in the Indian team contingent forced the decision of calling off the Old Trafford Test Match, the Indian board said.

India suffered a setback during the fourth Test when three members of their support staff including head coach Ravi Shastri had tested positive for Covid.

Apart from Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar had contracted the virus.

On the eve of the fifth Test, a member reportedly tested positive following which the decision to cancel the match had to be taken by both teams.

British teen Emma Raducanu wins US Open British tennis player Emma Raducanu beat Canadian star Leylah Fernandez to win the US Open women’s final on Saturday. She is the first British woman in 44 years to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Raducanu came into the US Open ranked 150th in the world. The 18-year-old Raducanu overpowered Leylah Fernandez, a 19-yearold from Canada winning 6-4, 6-3. Their showdown lasted an hour and 51 minutes, was the first major tennis final between two teenagers in 22 years.

The match had a dramatic finale as Raducanu was forced to have a medical time out after skidding on the court and hurting her leg as she raced to return a ball.

It is an extraordinary, unprecedented achievement for Raducanu, who came into the US Open ranked 150th in the world.

She didn’t drop a set during the entire tournament, playing a total of 10 matches including three in qualifying. No qualifier had ever reached a slam final before - and as well as being the first woman to win a title in as few as two tournaments, Raducanu is also the youngest champion since Maria

Emma Raducanu

Sharapova triumphed at Wimbledon in 2004.

Each rally between Raducanu and Fernandez was hard fought, with both women reading each other’s games in a way their previous opponents didn’t manage to do. The last British woman to hoist a major tennis trophy was Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977. Raducanu was born in Toronto, Canada but moved to London when she was 2 years old, according to her WTA Tour bio.

She's been playing tennis since she was 5. Her father is Romanian and her mother is Chinese; they both work in finance, and she credits them for teaching her to be disciplined, according to the South China Morning Post.

PM Modi meets Paralympians, praises their performance Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Paralympians at his residence and individually spoke to each athlete and their coaches. He praised performance and podium finish and inquired about their family members and how they contributed in making them successful athletes.

There were emotional moments as players shared about their family members, who toiled hard to make them reach international level. When PM met noted badminton coach Gaurav Khanna, he told him, “Gaurav you have got so much Gaurav for

India!” Khanna told PM Modi that the Tokyo Paralympics ended on September 5, and India’s success in

badminton was like a Teachers’ Day gift for him.

Although India had a record haul of medals, athletes told PM Modi that they were not satisfied and that they want more medals in 2024 Paris.

“Every athlete is a champion and pride of India,” Modi said and asked them to look beyond wins

and losses. Badminton player Palak Kohli remarked that earlier people merely sympathised with players whereas now there is a spirit of pride with which people see paraathletes.

Para-shooter Deepak Saini said PM Modi’s move to call the specially abled ‘Divyang’ has helped change public perception about persons with disabilities. A similar sentiment was echoed by Ekta Bhyan who said that earlier many thought para-athletes are inferior but now, people discuss their exploits on the sporting arena. PM Modi said their

achievement will significantly boost the morale of the entire sporting community in the country, and budding sports persons will feel encouraged to come forward to take up sports.

“Your indomitable spirit and willpower is praiseworthy in light of the insurmountable odds that the para-athletes have overcome in their lives,” Modi said. The paraathletes thanked the PM for the invitation. Some of the players gifted their signed sporting equipment to Modi. A stole, signed by all medalists, was also gifted to the Prime Minister.