AV 18th July 2015 by Asian Business Publications Ltd

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India-Pak talks seesaw as Pak pivots

First & Foremost Asian Weekly in Europe

Britain's Muslim community to celebrate Eid-al-Fitr

See Page 26

See Page 15

The FBI event a success despite tube strike

MUSLIM COMMUNITY SPLITS OVER MODI'S VISIT

See Page 20

VOL 44. ISSUE 11

Paes, Mirza and young Sumit Nangal dazzle at Wimbledon

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

80p

Sania Mirza, Sumit Nangal and Leander Paes

Full story on page 31

Vara appointed Minister at Department for Work and Pensions

Rupanjana Dutta

Shailesh vara

Full story on page 04

Government criticised over new visa rules for non-EU students

Full story on page 13

The Indian community in Britain is awaiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit with much anticipation amidst deep concerns from some Muslims about offering the PM a 'big and flashy' reception. The Indian Prime Minister is due to visit UK in November 2015, where he is believed to address a mass gathering at the Wembley Stadium, that holds upto 90,000 people. He is also speculated to address a crowd of Hindus at a temple in Wembley, soon after the Diwali celebrations. He will be the first Prime Minister to visit Britain for nearly a decade. Modi’s address to about 20,000 NRIs at New

18th July to 24th July 2015

Hindus and Sikhs welcome crematorium review proposed by the Chancellor Chancellor George Osborne has launched a review into crematorium facilities for Hindus and Sikhs at his summer budget to ensure that they are appropriate to the needs of all users and faiths. This will follow representations to the Chancellor from British Hindus and Sikhs, who are concerned that current facilities are often too small, and not equipped to meet their needs. Through this proposed consultation, the Government wants to know more about these issues and what steps can

be taken to improve existing facilities in line with current law. Asian Voice has spoken to key community representatives, who have welcomed the initiative and have shared their opinion.

For full story see page 17

IPL betting trails lead to CSK and RR York’s iconic Madison Square Garden was the highlight of his visit to the US last September. The Downing Street arrangements are promised to outdo the NY program, to boost the trading relations between the governmemt and diaspora. But some of the Muslim groups are unhappy about what they see as an uncritical welcome being afforded to Mr Modi. According to a report in Finacial Times on Monday 13 July, Shamsuddin Agha, the President of the Indian Muslim Federation in the UK said, “We know David Cameron has to look after business in this country, but he should be more careful about how he deals with Mr Modi.” The group

is also allegedly arranging a possible protest against the visit and may be joined by other organisations with similar view. Asian Voice tried to contact Mr Agha but he was unavailable for any comments. After the 2002 Godhra incident critics had accused Mr Modi of being complicit towards the death of many Muslims, in his home state of Gujarat. During Mr Modi's last visited UK in August 2003, he inaugurated the Shakti hall, at the offices of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar in Hoxton, on 20th August. While some Muslims continue to show deep displeasure, not all Muslims are actually against this possible visit. Continued on page 4

Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra

Ghosts of 2013 IPL betting and spot fixing haunt Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals as a Supreme Court panel led by Justice R M Lodha suspended both the franchises for two years, on

charges of corruption. The result? Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, stand-in-skipper for Zimbabwe tour Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Continued on page 27

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

Sarju Raikundalia

Sarju Raikundalia, aged 38, is the Managing Director of Kerala Ayurveda Centre which was founded in 2008. After graduating with a first class degree in Mathematics he went on to work in blue chip companies and qualify as an Accountant. Sarju first encountered Kerala Ayurveda Centre after exhausting conventional treatment for whiplash sustained in a car accident. Initially, dismissive of his mum’s recommendation that he try Kerala Ayurveda, Sarju was astounded by the results. Years later, married with children he founded the first Kerala Ayurveda Centre in Leicester to bring proven benefits of authentic Ayurveda to the UK. 1. What is your current position? I am the managing director of a group of holistic treatment centres called Kerala Ayurveda Centre which was established in 2008. We have four branches; Leicester, Leeds, Blackburn and Birmingham. 2. What is your proudest achievement? As a company we have served in excess of 25000 patients with various conditions. A number of our patients have been in significant pain and discomfort. Seeing clients having a positive experience through our authentic treatments is perhaps one of my

My parents! Thousands of Asians endured great challenges when they were excluded from Uganda in 1972. Growing up in this era of hardship gave me the vision and determination to work hard and to be successful in a career based on ethics, values and love. I believe the youth of today can learn from these principles.

proudest achievements. 3. What inspires you? Hanumanji the mighty hero of Ramayana is a perfect integration of spiritual awakening, intellectual skill and dynamism in action. Such a personality is an inspiration and applying these qualities to the daily challenges faced gives me the motivation and inspiration to succeed in any challenging situation. 4. What has been the biggest obstacle in your career? In my twenties I had great ideas to make a difference and to pursue my dreams as an entrepreneur. However, the

lack of confidence held me back from moving out of my comfort zone. Sometimes, life is about giving everything you have for a dream that no one can see but you! 5. Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?

A 15-year-old schoolboy of Indian-origin in the UK has won at the Google Science Fair Prize. He developed a potential test for Alzheimer's, in which the disease could be diagnosed 10 years prior to the first symptoms. Krtin Nithiyanandam, from Epsom, Surrey said, “The main benefits of my test are that it could be used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease before symptoms start to show by focusing on pathophysiological changes, some of which can occur a decade before symptoms are prevalent.” Krtin, who studies at Sutton Grammar School

Picture Courtesy: Facebook.com/krtin.nithiyanandam

15-year-old develops Alzheimer's test

15-year-old Krtin Nithiyanandam

further stated, “Some of my new preliminary research has suggested that my diagnostic probe could simultaneously have therapeutic potential as well as diagnostic.”

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Krtin was born in India and moved to the UK with his family when he was a baby. As a child, he suffered from hearing problems. He intends to study medicine at university when he leaves school. “I have personally seen what a difference it can make to people's lives and I want to make a difference to the lives of others.”

6. What is the best aspect about your current role? I value the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life with diverse knowledge, experiences and culture. As well as dedicating my time and efforts to my business my role allows me to have the flexibility to spend my time with my family, friends and hobbies.

And the worst….. Whenever something stops challenging me, I just move on. The real challenge is to stay motivated; therefore it is essential the right choices are made. Having your own business presents many decisions and your success in business depends on the choices you make. I feel that when you follow your heart and intuition the decision proves to be successful. 7. If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change? I would try and change people’s mind sets through love and being a role model. Imagine if we all work together for the same cause - we can move mountains! 8. If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why? Mahatma Gandhi. A man of great personality; he was respectable, humble and an ambitious man. His teachings convey good values and ethics for a good role model in society.

Slave owners were given compensation after the abolition of slavery

Although slavery may have been abolished in the 19th century, historians from University College London (UCL) have methodised the 46,000 British subjects who were compensated by the British government for losing 800,000 slaves, due the abolition of slavery. Those who are descendants of the last British slave owners are now able to find out about their ancestors' involvement in the slave trade. It is said that 46,000 British slave owners were compensated a total of £20 million, which is the equivalent of £17 billion today. The research also suggest that slaves

were not only owned by the rich, but clergymen, shop owners, as well as “ordinary” members of the British middle classes owned slaves. This may receive many criticism from many sectors of society whose ancestry stem from slavery. Many peo-

ple of South Asian ethnicity, or those who have African or African Caribbean roots may find the results from the research as absurd. Paying a compensation to slave owners after the abolition makes one think about humanity, or the lack of it.

17-year-old's donated kidney by mother is failing

17-year-old Akash Suryavansi, from Leeds was told that the donated kidney from his mother was failing and he would have to wait several years for a new one. The average wait for a kidney transplant in Yorkshire is 1,114 days but due to the shortage of registered organ donors from the Asian community, Akash may have to wait longer. Akash was born with polycystic kidney disease and became severely ill in 2004. He was in the transplant waiting list for 6 years until his mother was found to be a suitable live donor for him. However, the kidney is now failing him.

His mother, Tina Suryavansi (46) said, “We were devastated to get the news. We have always known it would be around the corner one day and have always said to ourselves, ‘a little bit more time. Having been through what we have been through, we have lost a bit of faith. We were still waiting six years, I gave him my kidney and I haven’t got another to give him.” She has requested people to register on the donors list. “You will save a life. That’s the difference you will make. One person can change nine lives and it’s the gift of life – that’s what we are giving, that’s how I see registering.”

17-year-old Akash Suryavansi with mum, Tina Suryavansi

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

COMMENT

BRICS on BRICS: Remaking global order

The much awaited Summit of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) got underway in the Russian city of Ufa. Against the backdrop of the Greek economic meltdown and the country’s membership in the Euro-zone at risk, with the global economic order fashioned at Bretton Woods, USA, in 1944, under mounting challenge in diverse corners of the world, the emergence of BRICS is a landmark event. BRICS includes the two most populous nations on earth, 44 per cent of the world’s population, 40 per cent of its GDP and 18 per cent of global trade. Each of the BRICS nations brings to the table its unique strengths, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the opening session of the BRICS Business Council. He was sharply critical of the sanctions regime imposed on Russia by the United States and its European allies, just as he was against those on Iran, a country with which India had close economic and political ties. At

a time when the global economy was slowing such measures did little to promote international harmony. The Indian Prime Minister went on to say that enhanced cooperation among the BRICS partners would be the “driving force” for development. “We can tap our strengths like skills development,” he said, referring to BRICS New Development Bank, whose projects should entail close collaboration between the partners. President Vladimir Putin in his address emphasized that BRICS was neither a military nor a political bloc, its role would be financial and economic, a point reinforced by K V Kamath, the first (five-year term) President of the BRICS Bank, who spoke of innovative practices the bank hoped to introduce in its operations. With a capital reserve of $100 billion, Its primary focus would be to address the needs of Third World countries seeking advice and aid.

Within a few hours of his arrival in Ufa, prior to the BRICS Summit, Prime Minister Modi and President held a comprehensive review of the time-tested IndoRussian strategic relationship, In which they share a commitment to take forward, from nuclear energy to defence cooperation et al. India’s foreign secretary, Subramaian Jaishankar told reporters that, “They paid a lot of attention to accelerate civil nuclear cooperation.” Also up for discussion was India’s membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization whose Summit was held separately. Mr Modi expressed his appreciation of President Putin’s efforts to elevate India’s observer status to full membership – over initial Chinese reservations - and his personal call to New Delhi when this was done and dusted. Mr Putin described this as “a very important event.” Mr Modi referred to the annual Indo-Russian summit in Moscow later this year, to

which he looked forward to continue his conversation with Russia’s President. Two important subjects may come up then for signature or near closure. The first, say informed sources, is the final contract for the joint production of the Fifth Generation stealth warplane, while the second may result in an agreement on India’s accession to the Russian-sponsored Eurasian Economic Union, of which Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Vietnam are already members. It is understood that India has given top priority to negotiations with Russia on New Delhi’s membership of this potentially game changing body. On a lighter vein, President Putin – a judo black belt – wondered whether he had the physical fitness for yoga, since it appared to be pretty demanding. The basics are not, if he were to ask one of the many hundreds of Russian men and women who performed their asanas across the country on Yoga Day.

The talks between Mr Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping broke no new ground, with both leaders proclaiming that Sino-India’s were improving. However, biting the bullet, Mr Modi conveyed India’s disappointment that China had vetoed an Indian draft resolution to the UN Security Council, censuring Pakistan for the latitude and indulge it displays to Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the mastermind behind the Mumbai terror assault of 26/11/2008. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying rejected the Indian complaint, stating that, “As

a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China always deals with the matters in the spirit of objectiveness and fairness.” Apparently the four other permanent members of the Security Council, Russia, the US, France and Britain do not, since they chose to support the Indian resolution; neither did they believe the Indian evidence on Rehman Lakhvi’s terror role “weak.” China’s casuistry should jolt Indian lotus-eaters on the limits of its friendship, assuming it exists at all. A wary relationship with China is the best way forward for India.

The Modi-Nawaz Sharif exchanges on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Ufa have been hyped by the Indian media as a new beginning to a fraught relationship. How often has this been regurgitated before? Atal Bihari’s peace in our time proclamation in Lahore following his talks with Premier Nawaz Sharif, foundered on the Kargil heights in 1999, and the Pakistan jihadi slaughter in Mumbai in

2008. One recalls the old Gallic aphorism: The more thing change, the more they remain the same. India’s Pakistan policy is an infantile disorder: BJP or Congress, it doesn’t really matter. Waiting for Godot, or the next game of IndiaPakistan cricket is all that counts with media and political cheerleaders and mobs. There is clearly no release in sight from the karmic cycle of murderous challenge and piteous response.

The tragic massacre of 39 Western tourists – 30 Britons among them – on a Tunisian beach hotel carries the chilling message of 7/7 in London a decade ago. This is a struggle beyond human pity or remorse, punctuated by acts of brazen horror. The British government has responded to the Tunisian outrage in the only way it knows: with the threat of aerial bombardment, as if the elusive victory over an equally elusive adversary would end its time of trouble. Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya: bovine errors repeated on a giant scale, stemming from an abysmal lack of knowledge of ground realities. The awful ruins of the Middle East bear witness to a failure of policy driven by cynicism and national conceit. Out of the debris has emerged jihadi terrorism, whose reach now extends into the heart of Metropolitan Europe. Jihadis incubated, armed and succoured by the American Dr Frankenstein are now haunting their creator with murderous intent. The historical entrapment was

waiting to happen with the disappearance of the old Soviet quarry. America, fervently righteous about its Manifest Destiny, its exceptionalism, having sown the wind is reaping the whirlwind. That said, the serious moral and social deficit in the Islamist camp brooks no denial either. Its grievance industry is loath to accept any internal criticism on the atrocious record on human rights, democratic governance, the absence of the rule of law and lack of respect for religious and ethnic minorities, carries its own intolerable burdens across the Islamic world. Without introspection, no honest dialogue can be held to bridge the gap in understanding between Islamic and non-Islamic communities. Too often Islamist outrages in the West are airily dismissed as the work of small numbers, but why they remain afloat and grow is rarely addressed. These questions cannot be ducked with well worn clichéd responses, shibboleths, casuistries or familiar dissembling. Time to be honest.

India is still many leagues away from being the level playing field we seek, so the glimmers of hope for a better day are invariably received with unrestrained joy and comfort. There have been instances recently of young men and women from modest, even severely disadvantaged, backgrounds, rural and urban, who have triumphed over adversity to crack the demanding IIT entrance examinations and the opening of opportunity. Their achievement bespeaks effort, persistence and talent in open competition where merit is the sole criterion for success. The latest example is

that of a teenage Goan lad, Asil Damgui, who was unable to afford the fees. Happily the money for the entire four-year course has been raised through the contributions of an industrial house, the local Rotary club and a generous state grant. An even more amazing case was that of a disabled son of a weaver from Gaya, Bihar, Rohit Kumar, by name, who has got into Kanpur IIT, thanks to the steadfast support of his family and well wishers. More power to his elbow. The hunger for education could well be India’s salvation.

Modi-Putin talks

Modi-Xi exchange

Pakistan futility

Message of the Tunisian massacre

Poor enter their inheritance

3 Knowing others is wisdom;

Knowing the self is enlightenment; Mastering others requires force;

Mastering the self needs strength.

- Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu

in the “Tao Te Ching”

Priti Patel MP

Minister for Employment & the Prime Minister’s Indian Diaspora Champion

Securing a Better Future for Britain

This Budget is a key moment in our plan for a one nation government. It is a Budget that puts security first. The economic security of a country that lives within its means. The financial security of lower taxes and a new National Living Wage. And the national security of a country that defends itself and its values. It is a One Nation Budget from a One Nation Government, continuing to move Britain from a low wage, high tax, high welfare economy to a higher wage, lower tax and lower welfare society. It will mean we continue down the path that we’ve set so that everyone has the opportunity to succeed – no matter your background or where you are in the country. Thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of the British people over the last five years, working through our economic plan, we’ve been able to turn the economy round and we will not put that at risk. Britain is growing faster than any other major advanced economy and we are forecast to be the strongest growing major advanced economy for a second consecutive year. Jobs are being created and living standards are rising strongly. There are over two million more people in work since 2010, and the forecast is that in current conditions almost a million more will be created in the next five years. Our ambition is to go further, working towards a target for full employment. Living standards are forecast to be higher this year than in 2010, and to continue growing. In my own role I’ve seen at first hand the work of Government in

supporting people come of welfare and get into work. Our 700 Jobcentres across the country are helping people either return to work, or make those first important steps towards building a career. From across London, the Midlands, the North East, North West and across every region in the country our schemes and policies are supporting hard working people from every background be able to reach their full potential and create stronger futures for their families. And we can see that in the employment figures. We have record levels of employment and the ethnic minority employment rate in this country is the highest it’s been since current records began. Since 2010, we have seen two million more businesses created, record employment and more people in work. But this is just the start. Behind the figures, we will make sure that everyone, regardless of their background and where they are from, can take up the opportunities offered by our growing economy to secure stable futures for their families and children. The National Living Wage means people get a proper pay packet for a day’s work and do not have to depend on benefits to top up their earnings. It will start in April next year and will reach £9 by 2020. Some six million people are expected to feel the benefits as a result. And we are giving our young people the opportunity to have the best start in life through education, training and apprenticeships. Continued on page 6

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Vara appointed Minister at Department for Work and Pensions

Shailesh Vara MP has been appointed as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions by the Prime Minister, David Cameron. Vara has been the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice since 2013 and will continue in this role alongside his new appointment. Speaking about his appointment, he said, “I am delighted to have been appointed by the Prime Minister as a Minister in the Department for Work and Pensions. I am also very pleased that I will be able to continue my work in the Ministry of Justice. Both departments have important work to be done and I look forward to helping progress the government’s agenda.” A British Indian origin MP, Vara was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for North West Cambridgeshire in the 2005 general election, succeeding Brian Mawhinney

as the Conservative MP for the seat. Vara has previously been a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party. In 2006, he was appointed to the Shadow ministerial post of Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons. Following the 2010 general election, he was appointed to the position of Assistant Whip in the Coalition government. On 7 October 2013, he was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice.

He was born in Uganda to a Hindu Gujarati family and came to Britain in 1964 at the age of four. He was educated at Aylesbury Grammar School and Brunel University, and qualified as a solicitor. Vara worked in the City and West End of London, and during 1989-1990, he worked in Hong Kong. He has been a senior legal adviser and business consultant for London First, and is Vice-President of the Small Business Bureau.

Continued from page 1 MPs and Peers of cross party reference have also shown interest in welcoming the Indian PM in November. Mr Munaf Zeena, the former Chair of Council of Indian Muslims (UK), told Asian Voice, “Things have changed since 2002. Hon. Narendra Modi is not the Chief Minister of Gujarat but the Prime Minister of India. Whilst justice should prevail that is for the courts to decide but in the meantime engagement is necessary for the development of the community. An opportunity missed is an opportunity lost and therefore I will welcome the Hon. Indian Prime Minister to the UK.” A b d u l k a r i m Gheewala, Chair of Indian Muslims Association (Leicester), a member of Islamic Education Trust (Leicester), Masjid Al Falah, Federation of Muslim Organisation (Leicester), on asking about Mr Agha's statement, told Asian Voice, “We certainly have a different stand. When Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India, the overseas BJP party organised an event in Leicestershire, which I attended, as well as spoke at. “I believe now that Mr Modi has become the Prime Minister, he should be able to resolve the minority issues, in a much amicable way. We believe in engagement and we must continue open dialogue. “As British Indians, we should be proud of our

link with India and to both countries' interests, we should welcome Mr Modi here. Any issues that need to be debated - all channels are open for further discussions at personal level.” Labour MP and the Chair of Home Affairs Committee, Rt Hon Keith Vaz told Asian Voice, “Prime Minister Modi’s visit in November will be an important moment in relations between the United Kingdom and India. “The welcoming nature of the government is entirely justified for such an important visit. It is long overdue for Prime Minister Modi to visit the United Kingdom, given our historical relationship and the rising status of India as a global power. “There are some big issues for the two governments to focus on, such as improving levels of trade, engaging the Indian diaspora living in Britain and building our bilateral relationship. Quite simply, it is correct to pursue these objectives, and correct to seek a good relationship with the Indian government.” Tory MP and Co-Chair of the Conservative Friends of India Alok Sharma told Asian Voice, "Mr Modi is the Prime Minister of a majority government in the world's largest democracy, India and UK have a long shared history, are important trading partners and David Cameron attaches huge importance to the relationship between the UK and India. It would

therefore be very odd indeed if the British government is muted in its response to Mr Modi's visit." Tory Lord Dolar Popat, told Asian Voice, “Since 2010 the Conservatives have placed a huge emphasis on building stronger relations with India. As the democratically elected leader of India – the largest democracy in the world - it is absolutely right that, as part of our efforts to strengthen UK-India relations, we give Modi a very warm welcome on what will be an historic visit. “I was very proud to have helped to play a role in re-establishing diplomatic relations with Gujarat when Modi was Chief Minister and, like hundreds of thousands of Gujaratis living in Britain, I very much look forward to welcoming him here.”

Mamata Banerjee invited to deliver lecture at London Business School

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

Rupanjana Dutta

Shailesh Vara MP

Muslim community splits over Modi's visit

Words differ from actions PM Cameron is also keen to play down the above mentioned Muslim concerns, having promised to double trade with India. Despite carrying out high profile trade missions to the country, the PM's policies are standing between his promises and practice. Last month the Confederation of Indian Industry expressed deep concerns over Mr Cameron's latest immigration policies. The FT reported that Sumit Mazumdar, CII President said, “There are over 800 Indian companies operating in the UK. Many com-

The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Ms Mamata Banerjee is visiting the UK from July 26th to 30th along with a 36 member business delegation and several senior journalists representing top Indian media houses. This will be the Chief Minister's first visit to the UK. During her visit, Ms Banerjee hopes to meet Britain's Prime Minister Mr David Cameron, although, sources reveal, she is still waiting for her appointment from No 10. She has confirmed to attend a reception by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace, and meet the Cabinet Minister of State for Employment, Ms Priti Patel later at Locarno Suite. While Ms Banerjee is not yet confirmed to attend the UKIBC 300 delegate meeting on 27th July, she has promised to have dinner with Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt, the UKIBC Chair, on the same day. On the 28th, the Chief Minister is confirmed to have a lunch meeting with the Indian delegates and plans to attend an evening of musical performance by an ensemble of Maestros from West Bengal. On 29th July, Ms

Banerjee is meeting business delegates at an event jointly organised by KPMG and FICCI, followed by a trip to Tavistock square to offer floral tributes to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi and to Gordon Square, to the bust of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. She is then due to attend a private dinner at the Indian High Commissioner's residence in Kensington. Before returning to India, Ms Banerjee is also supposed to meet the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, to perhaps acquire a few tips on city development. Though it is Ms Banerjee's first visit to the capital, a big fan of this city, she promises to convert Kolkata to a replica of London, in due course. The students and faculty members at the London Business School are planning a a high profile panel talk session on the subject “Opportunities in West Bengal as a global investment destination”, and invited Ms Bannerjee as the keynote speaker. They are also seeking support from CII (UK) and other UK based overseas Indian business community. They are also urging Ms Banerjee to appoint a

Ms Mamata Banerjee

few Business Ambassadors for West Bengal at the LBS platform, who would work voluntarily with her and the business and industry departments (including MSME Sector, which may have a huge potential), promoting West Bengal, for both exports and investment purposes. The team is in the process of inviting other panelists, and audience that promises to include a whole group of budding global business leaders and managers, and people those looking for investment opportunities with interest in West Bengal. Sources reveal the initiative may also be supported by similar students' group from Oxford and Cambridge Universities and London School of Economics.

Elderly man was tricked into joining ISIS

The relatives of the family of 12 who fled to Syria to join ISIS has claimed that the eldest member of the family was tricked into joining Islamic State. It is said that Shalim Hussain has expressed that his 75-year-old father, Muhammed Abdul Mannan was isolated from the other family members and were put into a van which was operated by ISIS at his hotel in Istanbul, Turkey, before taken over the border to Syria.

Shalim Hussain said, “They were supposed to stay two days and then come back to England. On the second night, some people came to the hotel. We don’t know who,

exactly... They were taking them downstairs, separately, not in groups, and at the last moment my parents were confused.” During an interview with ITV news, Hussain said, “My dad is a very old man. He’s 75. He’s poorly. He doesn’t need this. He doesn’t want to be in that country.”

One in seven hospital treatment are unnecessary The medical director for the NHS has said that one in seven hospital procedures are not necessary and the “over treatment” of patients wastes a large amount of money each year. Senior doctor, Sir Bruce Keogh described the wastage in the NHS as “profligate”. Officials at NHS England

has said that unnecessary medication and operations are costing the NHS up to £1.8 billion a year. The amount would be enough to pay the wages of all ambulance staff for three years. The analysis by Sir Bruce Keogh also suggest that one one seven women were having

unnecessary hysterectomy (which is the equivalent to about 6,600 hysterectomy per year). The NHS England's analysis had also estimated that more than one in 20 hospital admissions were a waste of money; that is about 850,000 out of 15 million hospital admissions.

panies avail the ICT visa and their operations may be severely disrupted.” Reports suggest, the CII itself is facing a bizarre situation. The current head in the UK, Shuchita Sonalika, has not been granted a long term UK visa, six months after the

document was submitted to the UK Home Office. While previous heads were brought to the UK under the Tier 1 visa, with the government doing away with it now, a registered charity organisation, CII is not even eligible to bring people over through Intra

Company Transfer (ICT) routes. This has left Ms Sonalika with no choice but come into the UK only during CII UK conferences on Business visa and leave thereafter for New Delhi. Ms Sonalika was not available for a comment.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

“Promise Dad” Director Seeking Crossover Success Across The World Ritesh Sinha is the Indian director of a new film in English that was made in India, opening July 24 in the UK. It is called “Promise Dad.” The film is based in the world of ice skating, and centres on one young man’s desire to win in that world, supported by his Indian father. Mr Sinha began his film journey in advertising and media after graduating from Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics. He directed many ads including Old Spice and Kodak that had an International Release, Ponds and Reebok that had Indian releases. Being an ad filmmaker gave him the confidence to go independent and look at the changing tastes of Indian cinema audiences. He discovered Indian industry sectors were aligning with global trends. Before hitting London, he spoke to the Asian Voice on the phone from India. “I realized at heart I am a storyteller, and I needed to write my own films to bring to the big screen,” he said. “I wrote a film about M a u r i t i u s Independence. At that time the Indian market was not supportive to English films made out of India.” His first independently produced Short Film, “War or Peace,” won some international awards: ‘Best International Short Film of the Year’ at Kerry Film Festival, UK. - ‘Best Short Film of the Year’ at Wine Country Film Festival, San Francisco. It was shown at Cannes Film Festival 2003; Dances with Films, Beverly Hills, and Foyle Film Festival 2003, Ireland. Ritesh was invited to be the India President of Europe’s Sports Film Festival based in Milan, Italy between 2005 – 2009. In 2012, Ritesh began work on his international feature film “Promise Dad” written and directed by him and shot in London, U.K. “I waited a little, then I wrote this film about ice skating- a father and son, living in London. How they have their trials and tribulations, how the boy achieves what he started to do. It’s a good

Cameron to ban apps using encrypted messages

Theresa May intends to bring forward a new version on the bill in autumn and it seems more than likely that the new law will be put in place next year. H o w e v e r, WhatsApp, Snapchat and iMessage are likely to remain if they meet the criteria of the new restrictions.

It is said that David Cameron may be planning to ban WhatsApp, Snapchat and iMessage in the near future. These popular apps could be banned under the new laws as they use encrypted messages. The government believes that this is a potential security concern that ought to be tackled. The Home Secretary, Theresa May, is hoping to get these types

of apps with the controversial “snooper's charter”, also known as the Draft Communications Data Bill.

Baroness Flather has been accused of bigotry after she allegedly stated that marriages between relatives, specifically between first cousins in Pakistani communities were leading to “absolutely appalling” disabilities among children. The Baroness suggested that couples intending to marry to take a DNA test to ensure that they are not cousins. She said, “There are a lot of firstcousin marriages in certain communities, particularly among Pakistanis who come from the Pakistani Kashmir area. We know so much about DNA now, but there is so much disability among the children, which is absolutely appalling. You go to any such family and there will be four or

five children, at least one or two of whom will have some disability. That is absolutely unacceptable, and if we cannot do anything about it, is it fair to the children?” Baroness Flather does not think it is fair on the children who become disabled due to cousin marriages. “Never mind the parents – it is not fair to the children that they should be allowed to become disabled because of a social practice. It is a social practice which does not belong in today’s age, when we know so much about DNA. There should at least be some rule which says that you must have a DNA examination before your marriage can be registered.” To these comments, the Muslim Council of

Britain said that the Baroness had “a bee in her bonnet about British Muslims generally and those of Asian heritage in particular.” The Muslim Council of Britain further stated, “Her consistent bigotry has unfortunately forfeited the right to be taken seriously.”

Coca-Cola's recent creative ad campaign has been receiving many appreciations from the general public for its innovative idea and sensible approach in breaking stereotypes. During Ramadan, a bunch of strangers came together for iftar. They discussed their lives and hobbies while sitting in a dark room, unaware of how the other people look like. While one narrates what their likes and dislikes are, the other people form an opinion about the

other person, imagining what they look like. They all are surprised when the lights are on and they see each other. They realised how they had wrongly imagined what the other people looked like, based on their hobbies and preferences. Nearing the end of the video, the group of men remove a box from underneath their seats, which contained a can of a coca-coca without the label. Instead, there was a message which read,

“Labels are for cans, not for people.” It smartly depicts how humans instinctively judge and form opinions of one another and this video encourages people to break the barriers of stereotypes.

We are continuing to reform welfare so it is fairer and affordable and so that it supports working families. We are determined that young people do not slip into a life on benefits and that they have the best start in life. The new Youth Obligation for most 18 to 21-year-olds on Universal Credit will give them intensive support to help them move into sustainable employment from the first day of their claim. If they are still claiming benefits after six months we will support them apply for apprenticeships or traineeships, gain skills or go on a work

placement to give them the skills they need to get on in work. It’s important that young people are set up to succeed in their careers, rather than facing the wage scar that comes from early experience of unemployment. Together we are transforming our country so people can get on, earn a secure and regular wage and create a strong future for themselves and their families. We will do all this while protecting the most vulnerable, continuing to provide a safety net for those who need it. This will be a defining feature of this government.

Baroness Flather accused of "bigotry" over views on cousin marriages

Ritesh Sinha

combination- a family story that’s thrilling. The ice skating looks glorious on the big screen and it’s London-centric. The film was produced by my company, Ten Films, that is owned by me and parts of my family.” Ten Films is making international films in India. These are films designed to cater to Indians and the Asian diaspora as well as the mainstream host audiences in international countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.

“The greatest challenge was to make an English film out of India.” Director Ritesh Sinha “The greatest challenge was to make an English film out of India. Films coming out of India usually cater to our own Indian audiences and South Asians living abroad. With ‘Promise Dad,’ we wanted to reach out to a bigger, mainstream audience besides our own people because it’s a human story. The challenge was to bring it out at a bigger level by making it in English,” Ritesh said. He continued that when he was doing the initial rounds of talking to collaborators in India, “They were not sure how I would create an ice skating atmosphere and did not see how I could

create a story within that.” But eventually, collaborators bought into Ritesh’s confidence and commitment to the project. “Now everyone is supporting me greatly after the trailor was released across the world. People know now that my vision was correct, even if they didn’t see it that way at first.” So does he seek to emulate the success of “Slumdog Millionaire?” Ritesh says to get to that scale may be difficult, though he is seeking “that tenor and attention. Even if we are on that path, it will be a good beginning for me as a filmmaker.” Strategically, Ritesh mentioned that Indian films abroad have a basic marketing plan to release in “set areas, set pockets. With ‘Promise Dad,’ we are opening nationwide to connect to local and national audiences. On Friday 24 July, we hope people will come and check out the film. If the film works for them, they will recommend it to others. That’s how a film grows.” And the mainstream press reaction? “We have been talking and giving interviews. They are evaluating, as it is not usual for them to receive an English language film from India for international promotional release!” Ritesh concluded. Ritesh Sinha is already committed to his next project, to be filmed in the United States in early 2016.

Baroness Flather

Coca-Cola's powerful campaign during Ramadan

Securing a Better Future for Britain

This week Asian Voice paid subscribers will receive a copy of the Finance Banking Insurance magazine along with their newspaper.

To read the report on the launch event, please see page 20.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

“Our London”

As I See It

Pros and cons of a pure Tory budget Conservatives especially Mr Osborne had killer's instinct. It's a fact that Britain is growing faster that any of the G7 nations. Employment is at the lowest level, wages in the private sector are rising but the 1% limit on the public sector could create unexpected complications. Apart from resentment and resistance of the public sector employees, chances are that some talented and skilled people could move to the private sector. Yes, the deficit reduction is a sterling achievement, especially in view of what is happening in Greece. All self respecting Britons are surely impressed that the government that was able to reduce a deficit from 10% in 2010 to 5% of GDP last year. The Chancellor has proclaimed that the public finances will be in surplus by 2018-19 and now he has extended that by one more year, which would surely be of some small relief, to all those affected by almost 20% cuts in 'non guarded' departments. The Office for Budgetary Responsibilities has forecast that the government deficit will now be £65bn in 2015/16. One need not remind that it was a whopping £110bn in 2010. All such good news are welcome. It is important to recognise that Tory ambition of One Nation idea remains more on paper than in practice, at least for the time being. The living wage is a euphemism. From £7.20 today will rise £9 by 2020. It's not that dramatic and yet it has its own tangent. It could force or inspire companies to expect more productivity from the existing staff, if it happens. How realistic is it? Eventually customers would be expected to pay. Labour Party has its own problems in how to react to some of the most burdensome budget proposals, especially for young or about or supplementary benefit. When the child benefit was introduced in 2003/04, the logic was perhaps acceptable. Those at the lowest rung of income needed some form of supplementary benefit. In the initial year, the cost was £1bn. It has now ballooned to £30bn and the Chancellor used this logic very tactfully and beneficially. The restrains proposed on the expenditure under this category, though more palatable to most people, it's going to hurt very seriously, low income earners with large families. Perhaps a more gradual time span could have been little less painful. Mr Ian Duncan smith is very happy indeed. Even Frank Field could not be too unhappy. The notion of welfare is certainly not free for all. To each accord-

ing to his input is more important than to each according to his or her need. (Labour Party was brave enough to remove clause 4 long time back). Perhaps Labour Party should not or would not have serous objection, or rather they would welcome the idea of a training levy on a big company, a new super tax on banks and £2.5bn increase in share dividend taxation. Some Tories may not approve of this strategy. So many people are willing to take employment at lower wages indicate that they do not want to depend on the state, but they should not overburdened in some sort of social engineering.

Remembering the genocide at Srebrenica Two decades ago the horrible and heartless massacre of the 2000 Bosnian Muslim boys and boys by Bosnian Serb forces on July 11th 1995 has been marked with solemnity befitting the democratic and humanitarian values of the Western nations. It was American led NATO forces, supported by Britain and other countries which stopped the genocide by bombing and direct military action. If Germany and the other world wide Jewry mark the Auschwitz equally Bosnian Auschwitz has to be remembered and recognised for what it was- a barbarous and inhuman act. Germany has atoned for nazi barbarism, some other countries, say Japan to a certain extend has recognised it's overkill in Manchuria. Democratic nations especially Great Britain has a tradition of justice going back to Warren Hastings after 1857 or General Dyer after Jallianwalabagh of 1919. Unfortunately such a notion of accepting one's own atrocities, let alone atonement is not yet happening in the Islamic world, especially the Middle eastern countries. Why? In South Africa Truth and Reconciliation commission helped to heal the wounds of apartheid to a large extend. Nelson Mandela, the giant of a man led his people to this level of maturity and humanity. Any civilisation which can look back and learn, can last longer and acquire more dignity and honour. USA and Western Europe have recently shown that. There is a message for others who are yet to learn. It is not right and proper to keep on blaming others. - CB

Britain's first female Muslim Cabinet Minister to take up role at London's Catholic University Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has been appointed Visiting Professor at St Mary’s University, Twickenham starting her role in September. Baroness Warsi will work closely with the University’s Centre for Initiatives in Spirituality and Reconciliation to promote reconciliation within and beyond faith groups through seminars, conferences and outreach. Baroness Warsi was Britain's first Muslim Cabinet minister and at the time of appointment in 2007 became the youngest member of the House of Lords. In Government, Warsi combined a role in the foreign office and a domestic department as Senior

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi

Minister of State in the Foreign Office and Minister for Faith and Communities before resigning from the Government in August

2014 over the Governments policy on Gaza. Prior to politics, Warsi ran her own legal practice specialising in criminal defence, mental health and human rights law. Baroness Sayeeda Warsi said, “I’m proud to be joining St Mary’s and its very distinguished roster of Visiting Professors. The University’s outward looking and progressive stance on faith is impressive as is the crucial role it plays in public life and in education. The role will enable me to continue to build on important work being advanced by St Mary's focussing on the positive power of faith and the great benefit it can have on society."

Navin Shah, GLA Member for Brent and Harrow

Campaign to save Gujarati GCSE & A Level qualifications There are proposals to axe qualifications for various foreign (mother tongue) languages – including Gujarati - from 2016 17. I pay tribute to Gujarat Samachar in general and in particular to Kamal Rao for their initiative in bringing together a large number of community/supplementary schools at Sangat Centre, Harrow on 4th July to see how we can collectively fight to save Gujarati qualifications. Kamal Bhai’s introduction as the chairman, his own views plus interventions during the course of meeting were thoughtful and productive. I was also impressed with the breadth of participating organisations represented from places like Tower Hamlets, Brent, Harrow, Watford, Leicester etc. There is a proposal to introduce new GCSE and A level specifications for languages from 2016 (for French, German and Spanish – 2017 for other languages). As a result Exam Boards have announced their proposals to curtail qualifications in a range of small-entry languages. This includes for A level: Bengali, Modern Hebrew, Panjabi and Polish (AQA); Dutch, Gujarati, Persian, Portuguese, Turkish (OCR); Arabic, Modern Greek, Japanese and Urdu (Edexcel) and for GCSE: Dutch, Gujarati, Persian, Portuguese, Turkish (OCR) will not be redeveloped. Key brief reasons for the proposals being 1) Small number of entries and therefore the issues of cost effectiveness. 2) More rigorous conditions for the new A level specifications. 3) Difficulties in sourcing examiners and experts. The gathering at Sangat Centre examined the implications of these ill thoughtout proposals. Kamal Bhai was right in passionately opposing the proposals to scrap the qualifications. He was also right in asserting that teaching of Gujarati is much more than simple ability to speak and write. It is about our 5,000 years of culture and heritage. Any qualification like GCSE or A level is not

a gift to us – it is our right. We should not be frightened by the proposal – we should fight it. This view was echoed by the attendees and found full support. Various organisations have already started their campaign to save the qualifications through the means like petitions and letters to OCR etc. However, the gathering agreed that there was need for a national campaign to voice our opposition but also proactively offer our help to the relevant authorities to salvage the situation. It is encouraging that there is cross party support to retain these qualifications. It was good to see Bob Blackman MP attending the meeting to declare his support. Prior to the General Election all leading politicians had pledged their support. In April Nicky Morgan MP, Education Secretary, made a commitment that the next Conservative Government will guarantee the future of GCSEs and A-levels in subjects like Polish and Gujarati. Tristram Hunt MP, Shadow Education Minister too declared that Labour was clear from day one on this matter and pledged that Labour will save important language qualifications like Gujarati and asked Nicky Morgan, Secretary of State for Education to take urgent action before Parliament was dissolved so that these subjects are not lost from our education system. There was a suggestion, at the meeting, of an early day motion in the parliament. Language is a gateway to culture and in this day and age of global economy foreign language is a huge resource for advancement. I attended recently the annual prize giving event of the Tamil School of Hendon who too are concerned about the future of Tamil qualifications. I’m with all those organisations fighting on this issue. I reaffirm my support announced at the meeting for a national campaign and will be happy to lead and assist to fight with one voice to stop these ill- conceived proposals.

Muslim school proves to reflect outstanding British values

Last year Ofsted inspectors went to Olive primary school in Blackburn to investigate rumours that a teaching assistant had allegedly discussed stoning for gay people, condemned music and clapping as satanic and allegedly said that ties could turn into serpents on judgment day. Besides the Olive primary, other schools within Tauheedul Education, an Islamic trust, were also eventually visited by

Ofsted, but no evidence of hardline views or extremism was found, though suspicions remained. One year on, Olive primary and three other schools run by the trust have produced stunning results, all classed as outstanding in every category: quality of teaching, leadership and management, achievement of pupils, and behaviour and safety. They were also praised for promoting British values, with chil-

dren learning about resilience and tolerance. One reportedly sends its youngest pupils into a Jewish school several times a week, encourages children to support the English football team and dress up as British kings and queens, and has put on a performance of The Three Little Pigs. Another has strong links with a church school, and pupils take part in “exchanges” to celebrate Christmas and Eid.

Top cancer surgeon investigated over patient deaths A top cancer surgeon, Sudip Sarker has been reportedly dismissed as a consultant colorectal surgeon amid criminal investigation by the police into the deaths of a number of patients allegedly treated by the consultant, the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has announced in a statement. The surgeon has been suspended from practising medicine in the UK by the

General Medical Council (GMC) since June last year. The announcement comes as West Mercia Police continues a criminal investigation into the deaths of a number of patients allegedly treated by the consultant. Acting trust chief executive Chris Tidman reportedly said: "Mr Sudip Sarker has been dismissed from his position as a

Consultant Colorectal Surgeon with Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. "I do hope that the dismissal provides assurance that the trust will take whatever action is necessary so as to protect patient safety. "In the meantime, Mr Sarker continues to be investigated by both the police and the General Medical Council."

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

Sania Mirza and Leander Paes – Wimbledon Champions

In the Indian tennis calendar 2015 may go down as the most successful year, for this is the first time two Indian tennis players have become Wimbledon champions. As millions watched the finals Sania Mirza has won women’s doubles title while Leander Paes has won the mixed doubles final with both of them having the same doubles playing partner, Martina Hingis of Switzerland. Both of them, especially Paes, exhibited excellent doubles playing skills. Historically the Wimbledon championship is the most prestigious tennis event in the world. The success of both Mirza and Paes is not only their personal triumph and achievement it is also a great moment for India and Indian tennis. As a person of Indian origin I am very proud of them. All Indians should feel in the same way. They have shown, given the right motivation, dedication and effort, Indians can achieve similar success in other sports as well. Sport is a very important thing for a nation. Both Paes and Mirza can play an important role to promote sport in schools especially in tennis. They will be viewed as role models by school children. Sania Mirza can play a significant role to encourage Muslim girls to be modern and dedicate their life to achieve success like her. The government of India should recognize their achievement and talent, utilise their service to promote sport in India and thus to improve national health. Jatindra Saha By email

Twitter warning

Social networking site, Twitter should come out with a statutory warning: “It is injurious to people who mostly have their foot in their mouth.” This warning would have saved a lot of people, especially several Indian politicians from making a fool of themselves.” A week after Bollywood actress and BJP politician, Hema Malini's Mercedez Benz car found itself in a crash with an Alto, killing a two-year-old girl travelling in the latter, the actress took to social networking site Twitter to put the blame of the accident on the victim's father. First she tweeted, “Her heart goes out to the child, who by the way is dead, because she unnecessarily lost her life.” Immediately after that, she tweeted, "How I wish the girl's father had followed traffic rules - then this accident could have been averted and the little one's life safe!" However, three days later, the actress rapped that very family and that too openly for being responsible for the child's death. What Hema Malini giveth with one hand, she taketh with the other. Shame on her! Not only Hema, but her driver too who was responsible for the accident and death of the child, should be arrested and given a death sentence.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

Word limitation ‘Your Voice’ is a section in AV serving as a mouth piece for readers and publishers, viewers and broadcasters, public and politicians expressing their points of view, opinions, intentions etc pieced out into news. It is noteworthy and praiseworthy that the publisher does not add his own comments, anticipation or self-styled judgement nor takes sides with any party as sometimes other media do. In view of the restricted space, I think as ‘Your Voice’ section is the readers, one of the prime focuses containing day to day events emerging globally, the letter writers and readers will be happy if their expectations from the publicher to allocate more space to accommodate more letters are fulfilled. The subscribers will not mind a little increase in the present subscription if needed to make it economically viable for the publisher, and if the publisher thinks it fit to do so. RN Patel Essex

My visit to Mexico City

What a splendid, beautiful, remarkable city I have seen. So clean, smooth roads, streets all around not even a particle of dust or tissue paper was visible to the eyes. Praise worthy indeed. Narendra Modi has mentioned that we will construct cities in India which will carry reutation, comfort for a public man that dream was soming true in Mexico City. From the airport to downtown, seaside looks like a ‘Guldasta’ grove of imagination what we can only dream for Indian cities. Benches all around the road for tired people to sit and relax and look around, can converse aomngst each other, passers by can remove their tiredness by sitting for a while before a water fountain. I am curious here to add in a bus or a train if an elderly person is standing either in Mexico City or London I have experienced that any young peope that are using the benches etc offer their places to those who are elderly. Irrespective of their background be it African, Indian, English or French this polite attitude is noticeable and creates a great love for these youngsters. Ramesh Vaish Moradabadi Southall

Long letters

I do not agree the readers Rudy Otter and K. Parmar advice to keeping letters always short. Sometime space necessary for development of thought process requiring detail explanations. Otherwise how people will understand full meaning projected? K. Parmar is having good point to say more readers must seize pen to paper and write their views out for benefit of Asian Voice readership. But no harm to see same names coming every week. Why is the objection?

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World’s two biggest problems

My wife and I used to subscribe to Garvi Gujarat but were not happy about their news coverage etc. Also we couldn't express our views on anything. Hence we tried out your newsweeklies Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar. We liked the whole set-up. We can read all the latest news from Gujarat, India, the UK, the World, and have varied advertisements as well as being able to give our comments and views on the current and salient topics. Now my my wife is subscribing for both of your weeklies and some times gives her views for 'Your Voice' page. For the last one year I too am active in writing my views and articles for Asian Voice and am happy that most of them have been published. I understand that some times you have to chop and change even the ttle of the article. This week for your edition of the Asian Voice of the 11th July I did write about 'World's Two Biggest Problems' at present and how to tackle them. I am pleased that it was published but to my surprise the title was changed to 'Refugees' which it seems not suitable and changed for the sake of change, the whole article is really for two problems and not refugees! Upendra Kapadia By email

Short, sharp and relevant

I agree entirely with your reader K. Parmar (AV 4 July), who feels that the letters in “Your Voice” column could be more varied and informative. Some writers invariably write about India and “Modiji this and Modiji that.” This is exactly what I have been advocating against in my earlier letters. The details provided in those letters are regurgitation of similar information whch could be gleaned at other pages in AV and GS. The letters should focus on issues which concern us here in our country of residence, rather than placing too much emphasis on matters relating to our mother land. I have noticed that some of your contributors send long winded letters on issues concerning India. This may be OK in some respects like the campaign for direct flights to Ahmedabad or the hike in visa fees for India or even the restriction on the value of gold ornaments that one can take with him or her to India. But do we need the same dose of what Narendra Modi or other ministers in India have said or done? How does all that affect us here? Long winded letters become boring and make me skim through them instead of digesting the contents. There is a tool called “word count” on most computers and I would urge the compulsive long letter writers to make use of that and thus save us time in going through material which may be of little interest to many.

Dear Letter Writers, It is about time we meet again. How about a Saturday in August (22 or 29 August) at Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, London N1 6 HW between 3-6pm. Please let us know your preference (22 or 29 August) on email to kamal.rao@abplgroup.com. - AV

Misuse of the Disabled White Line

With increasing population density, car ownership and ageing population, parking space is at premium. Councils, to their credit, provide, “White Line” (WL) outside disabled residents’ homes, making it criminal offence to block. As such, only police can give tickets or tow cars away. Traffic wardens (TW) have no authority to issue parking fines. But on most part, uncaring people blatantly ignore it; block such homes at will, as on most part residents are reluctant to call police, as police have more serious and urgent matters to attend to. I had a lengthy discussion with one of our Councillors, urging him to decimalize such offences, thus giving power to TW to issue parking fines, in line with parking on Double Yellow Lines, Overstaying Parking Meters or Parking in Residents’ only zone. As most Councils charge for installing WL, they should also provide additional service, installing notices such as “Disabled Access, No Parking.” Most residents would be willing pay for such additional services. It should also be regularly patrolled, bringing in much needed revenue to Council coffers from persisting offenders. I hope AV could have broadly based “Agony Aunt” column where readers could air their problems, in line with immigration advice AV provide. With changing attitude, increased selfishness, lack of respects for elderly, life is becoming difficult for OAPs who are being bullied, exploited by their own families, friends and neighbours without lacerating their conscience. Perhaps this is the onset of “Kaluga” as our scripture’s predicted! Kumudini Valambia By email

Rash bash

Reader Upendra Kapadia, in a recent letter here, rightly commented that an immensely wealthy businessman like Bhanwarlal Doshi of India should have donated his piles of rupees to charity before adopting a humble monastic life. Alas, he didn’t do that. Instead, according to an Asian Voice report, he decided to blow his entire fortune on a musical extravaganza featuring 150,000 guests, 1,000 monks and a colourful procession of decorated elephants, camels and horses. This was no preparation for the ascetic’s dream of attaining “moksha”, the Hindu belief of freedom from the reincarnation cycle. Rudy Otter By email

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EDUCATION/COUNCIL

Support network opens Young musicians amaze audience to help the elderly and vulnerable

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

A new support network to help vulnerable adults in Harrow was launched by Age UK Harrow and opened by the Mayor, Cllr Krishna Suresh, and Cllr Anne Whitehead on Wednesday 8 July. The scheme puts vulnerable people in Harrow in touch with residents who want to give their time and skills to help people in the area. The new network, Harrow Communities Click, promises to help over 2,000 vulnerable people in Harrow to access services they might not be able to afford otherwise. It is based around an old school bartering system allowing people to offer their time in exchange for help elsewhere. Harrow Community Click is being run by Age UK Harrow in partnership with other local charities and Timebanking UK and has been made possible with £450,000 of funding from Harrow Council. The network is based around hour blocks and by giving an hour you can trade your hour back for other services on the network. There are a range of services available from gardening to cooking, or learning a language. The scheme is intend-

ed to help people stay independent by supporting them with practical tasks around their home. It is also intended to reduce isolation that some people might experience by connecting them with people with shared interests in their local area Cllr for adults and older people, Anne Whitehead said: “This is a great scheme and I am delighted that Harrow Council has been able play a part in making this happen. People often ask me how they can help more in the borough and this network is a great way of bringing people together. “The difference that spending an hour with someone can make to their health and well being is remarkable; from helping in the garden to cooking a dinner. There are already hundreds of people who are reaping the benefits of this scheme and I hope it will go from strength to strength in the coming years.” Mayor of Harrow, Cllr Krishna Suresh, said: “This network is a great way of putting people in touch who want to help others with those who need help. By matching people of all ages and cul-

tures it encourages the sharing of skills and experience. One of my aims as Mayor is to encourage more giving across the borough and this scheme is a perfect example of it in action. “This is perfect example of the community working together to help each other.” Age UK Harrow, Chief Executive Avani Modasia, said: "This network has been up and running since June 2014. It has to date over 220 members, many of whom have exchanged hours and benefitted greatly. This is an innovative and forward thinking iniative which has for the first time brought a range of key local partners to work together." At the launch event people had the opportunity to try out some of the things on offer such as Laughter Yoga, meditation and jewellery making. The network is run via a partnership of Age UK Harrow (lead partner), Mind in Harrow, Harrow Mencap, Harrow Carers, Third Sector Potential CiC and Timebanking UK. If you would like further information visit: http://www.hcommunitiesclick.timebanking.org/

Headteacher of Glebe Primary School awarded an OBE for Services to Education Mrs Donna Barratt, the Headteacher of Glebe Primary School in Kenton, was awarded an OBE for her services to education in the Queen’s Birthday List announced last week. Donna joined Glebe in 2002 and, under her leadership, it has become a high performing school, thriving in the true spirit of partnership between its pupils, parents, staff, governors and the local community. Commenting on Donna’s award Mrs Gabriela AhmadiAssalemi – Chair of the Governing Body of Glebe Primary School said, “We are immensely proud of Donna and admire her strength, dedication, and continued drive to help improve the lives of many children. It is a pleasure and privilege to support Donna in all her efforts in leading Glebe Primary School. She is a huge inspiration to us all and we sincerely congratulate her on this amazing achievement.” Navin Shah, London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow and the longest serving member of Governing Body said, “What Donna has

Mrs Donna Barratt, the Headteacher of Glebe Primary School in Kenton with a student

achieved is most amazing. I remember those dark days when the school was on the verge of closing some 15 years ago. Pupil and staff morale was at its lowest. Thanks to Donna, it’s a different story now. Working with a strong vision for an inclusive, high achieving school and forging partnerships, Donna has taken the school forward to become an outstanding school. Donna hugely deserves this accolade and all of us at the school are proud of it.” At its last inspection Ofsted reported that:

“Glebe is an outstanding school which is held in high regard by parents. It is highly inclusive and serves the needs of its diverse local community exceptionally well. At the heart of the school is a real commitment to ensure that every individual really matters. It gives pupils a wealth of vibrant learning experiences to support their learning and places a strong emphasis on promoting all pupils’ personal development.” For further information about the school visit www.glebe.harrow.sch.uk

A group of young talented musicians left the audience in astonishment at their graduation recital after the completion of a four year scholarship programme. In 2012, forty gifted music students from various borough across London visited City Hall when receiving a scholarship for part of the Mayor's Fund for Young Musicians which was established the previous year. Students came from different areas, the Harrow students include Geeya Patel and also Dean Ridley who are both aged 10 and attend Heathland School, located in South Harrow, and have a earned scholarships for the bassoon and also the trumpet.

As part of the scholarship, four hours per week of tuition were given to the students, as well as lessons which were part of their curriculum and also a mentor. Having now completed their scholarship, the students joined once again at the City Hall on Wednesday 1st July to perform an accredited

piece to celebrate their accomplishment. The piece 'Get up On your feet' was composed by Danyal Dhondy, and was performed in front of family & friends. Also Julian Bliss who is a notable young clarinettist took part in the performance, later giving a speech.

University students inundated with stress According to an investigation led by The Times newspaper, it is said that the number of students from the UK's top universities seeking help for anxiety, depression and mental health disorders has increased in the last 10 years. Young, intelligent students from prestigious UK universities seeking help has almost doubled since 2004. Universities such as Oxbridge, Bristol, Imperial College and University College London (UCL) have all experienced a startling rise in university pupils seeking help.

MEDIA WATCH

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Lalitgate appears to have disappeared into the shadows. The scam that has truly awakened both public and politicians is Vyapam [Hindi acronym for Madhya Pradesh Vyavsay Pareeksha Mandal or Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board] in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, run by a vast criminal network whose penetration of social and political life has set the alarm bells ringing from Delhi to every corner of India. Bribery, cheating in exams, slush funds and, now, multiple murders, are making media headlines on a daily basis. The State government of Shivraj Singh Chouhan clearly has a case to answer. When a senior BJP politician like Uma Bharti goes on television to say she fears for her life, it shows something is truly rotten in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Chief Minister Chouhan and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh initially ducked growing calls for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry, saying lamely that the case was out of their hands as the Madhya Pradesh High Court was monitoring the investigation. Nothing doing, pronounced the Supreme Court of India, which passed an order that the Central Bureau of Investigation investigate the scam. The rule of law has taken precedence over a possible cover-up. Shivraj Singh Chouhan in a quick about turn, expressed his willingness to call in the CBI to probe the murky affair. Heads are bound to roll as justice takes its proper course.

Mysterious deaths

Consider the following facts. The Madhya Pradesh government has acknowledged around 40 deaths linked to the scam, but according to reliable media sources, the figure is 48 or more. Two more deaths were reported last Monday (July 6). Anamilka Kushwaha, 25, a trainee recruited through Vyapam, was discovered drowned in a lake. Constable R. Pandey, 35, a scam suspect, was found hanging. There were also the mysterious deaths of of Arun Sharma, Dean of Jabbalpur Medical College, who was probing the scam, as was television journalist Akshay Singh. Whistleblower Asish Chaturvedi said he would expose Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s role in the scam. Assaulted 14 times, Chaturvevedi has asked for more police protection. He said that he had been threatened with death, but he told NDTV: “Even if I die as a result, I want to name the big fish – starting with Chouhan.” Opposition parties are mobilizing public opinion, as they should. (Times of India, Hindu, Telegraph, Mint July 4-8)

Modi trip to Central Asia

Prime Minister Narendra is spreading his wings as an international statesman with his visit to the five states of Central Asia beginning with a first step in Uzbekistan, where he held talks with President Islam Karimov on energy cooperation, strengthening security ties and enhancing bilateral trade, with Indian goods, particularly in quality generic drugs and IT services likely to find a receptive regional market. From Uzbekistan, the

Indian Prime Minister made a second stopover in Kazakhstan, where he was received with the same warmth he had received in Uzbekistan.

Arc of instability

Speaking at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Mr Modi said, “We live at the frontier of instability. We live close to the crucible of extremism and terrorism. We see terrorism spawned by nations and groups. Today, we see also cyber space become a platform without borders for terror to draw recruits to its cause. So, during this visit, we will strengthen defence and security cooperation in the region. But we will also combat terrorism by the strength of our values and our commitment to humanism.”

Modi-Nazarbayev talks

Prime Minister Modi and his host President Nursultan Nazarbayev held comprehensive one-to-one talks (in addition to delegation level exchanges) on taking ties between their countries into a new orbit involving not merely energy cooperation, but including also defence, military exercises, training and anti-

Narendra Modi with President Putin, BRICS Summit.

Central Asian states on his return journey to India (Hindu July 8).

Evolving region

Central Asia was absorbed by the Tsarist empire in the 1860s. It subsequently became part of the Soviet Union, hence the deep cultural imprint of Russian cultural influence – Russian is the official language and the medium of instruction in higher education, science and technology, which is a standout and is unlikely to change anytime soon. The West attempted to energize Islamism in the region, leading to a period of civil wars in the 1990s.

Lupin buys Russian firm

Mumbai-based drug major Lupin has acquired a 100 per cent equity stake in Russia’s ZAO Biocom, marking its entry into a market expected to grow into the world’s top eight by 2018. Established in 1991, Biocom is a generic pharmaceutical company specializing on therapies such as cardiovascular and antimicrobials and in contract manufacturing. Lupin’s latest acquisition follows its earModi with Kazakhstan President lier 100 per cent Nursultan Nazrbayev stake in a leading Brazilian firm. Lupin terrorism measures plus is the largest generic pharmaceuenhanced trade and investment. tical company by market capitalKazakhstan has agreed to export ization. The Rs 12.693 crore more uranium to India as per its Lupin is is in the process of raisrequirements. India and ing a Rs7,500 crore through the Kazakhstan signed five landissue of securities to fund more mark agreements. (Business acquisitions (Telegraph July 3) Line July 9)

Shared Islamic heritage

Mr Modi spoke of a new chapter in India-Central Asian relations: “The Islamic heritage of both India and Central Asia is defined by the highest ideals of Islam – knowledge, piety, compassion and welfare….And it has always rejected the forces of extremism. Today, this is an important source of strength that brings India and Central Asia together.” Mr Modi flew into Ufa in central Russia for the BRICS summit; he will take in the other

will supply Essar Oil with 100 million tonnes of crud over 10 years.

Strategic perspective

Rosneft President and Chairman, Igor Sechin, issued the following statement: “The agreements are of a strategic nature [that] will have a substantial impact on the scale of the cooperation between Russia and India.” (Business Line July 9)

UK immigration obstacle for CII

A bizarre situation, you might say, has bamboozled the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). It had applied for permission to appoint a full-time head of operations in the UK, but has had no joy six months

Shuchita Sonalika

Russia’s Rosneft stake in Essar Oil

after the document was submitted to the British Home Office. The current head, Shuchita Sonalika has been travelling to the UK on a business visa, but it would surely be more convenient to have a CII enabler operating in the UK to facilitate Indo-UK business ties, which British ministers say is their goal too. Immigration paranoia is the obstacle (Business Line July 9)

Russia’s state-owned Rosneft company has acquired a 49 per cent stake in Shashi Ruia’s Essar Oil. The deal was signed in Moscow during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the Russian Federation for the BRICS Summit of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in Ufa. The deal will also ensure Rosneft’s stake in Essar Oil’s retail chain of 1,600 stations, which will rise to 5,000. Rosneft

Reserve Bank of India Raghuram Rajan said India’s economic growth is poised to accelerate as capital investments gather pace and government tackles bottlenecks in industrial projects. He also cited betterthan-expected monsoon rainfall in June as reasons for optimism for improved economic growth.

Economy upturn

See comment page 3

Agriculture measures Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government had approved a Rs 50,000 crore irrigation package as the first step to create a national agricultural market for all varieties of produce. Greater investment in agricultural technology and fairer pricing of produce would lead to a quantum leap improvements in profits for farmers and their standards of living. (Mint July 3)

Bengal IT growth prospects

Bengal should focus principally on small and medium-sized enterprises to boost its Information Technology sector, S. Radhakrishnan, a member of the the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC). The ESC believes that Bengal and the eastern region possess considerable potential in software and services, electronics and hardware and embedded technologies, hence plans to make the State an export gateway. IT is dependent on human capital and Bengal’s resources in this area were plentiful. A sound economic system, would require close cooperation between the State and the Centre in Delhi, opined the ESC. (Telegraph July 3)

Indian students for Carnegie Mellon

The Government has made a wise investment in the country’s future by funding to the tune of $R2.4 million Indian students pursuing advanced courses in in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA, over the next five years. An agreement was signed in New Delhi between India’s Science and Engineering Research Board and Carnegie Mellon University, which includes additional funding for students registered for doctoral degrees. The agreement, effective from the autumn term 2016, opens a new chapter in the long tested relationship between India and Carnegie Mellon University (Times of India July 8).

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Government criticised over new visa rules for non-EU students

Want a more Productive UK and to Scale Your Business from $1 to $100m? Productivity = scale.

they are part of something big and with purpose.

As an asset manager, I know how to raise money, invest money and to grow – it’s my business. As the British Government’s Dealmaker for India, China, SE Asia I am asked more than any other question ‘how do I scale from the UK’? And last week the Chancellor asked how can we make Britain more productive? What if you could hire anyone to scale your business? What if all the money you think you need from VCs could be reduced drastically because your wage bill will not be astronomical. We live in a world where recently, a 28 year old sold his company for over $200m, and had relied solely on freelancers for most of the company’s growth and life. That company – hidemyass.com. The reason most companies need initial funding is to hire people. People cost a lot of money. If you are looking to scale and expand your business getting this right will be critical. But here are some truths: 1. You Can’t Scale Because of Catch-22 That You Wait For Funds to Scale But you don’t need a big payroll to scale. Warren Buffett, the world’s richest man, employs 14 people. You can go from zero to a billion dollar company in the space of a few years. 2. You Can’t Scale Because You Don’t Know You Can Most people don’t believe how quickly companies can grow. We live in a world where company become billion dollar things in just a few years. Culture is important, but they’re going to have to hit the ground running and believe it’s going to be a billion dollar company and be motivated by the concept, or the incentivisation – and most importantly that

3. You Can’t Scale Because You Don’t Know What Skills You Need The problem with many freelancer websites is that we don’t know what to ask for. And then we get so much rubbish pitching, and the best often are so busy, they don’t pitch at all. So is it wonder you can’t scale through them? And by the time you’ve vetted them, a couple of weeks have gone, and the momentum is gone. That’s why I prefer sites which reverse the process. They tell you what they will do for a fixed price. People Per Hour is one such site. What do I love about this? Many are in the UK – like me –so it’s easier when they need to make calls, or I need to be on the same timezone – onshoring! 4. You Can’t Scale Because You Hire To Tick a Box, Not To Succeed Tom Singh, the Founder of New Look Plc and mentor too me, advised me his secret was to hire people cleverer and better than him. That is easier said than done. I want freelancers who blow my socks off. Most people are too afraid to hire such people, or are happy just to hire anyone. When I wrote my book on how to outsource well, about a decade ago, I knew then the trick is to have the right attitude with freelancers as you do with full-time employees. They are an investment in your company. Would you invest in them if they were a company? Would you buy their shares? We think freelancers are cheap, so we don’t take the same care. After all we can get rid of them. But what’s the point of making a poor hire, just to tick a box that someone somewhere is working, if the work is second rate.

Global talent mobility and skilling critical to enhance UKIndia Partnership

Make in India and Skill India emerge as major opportunity areas for business collaboration at CII-CBI Annual Conference on UK-India Relations

John Cridland, director-general, CBI, Kumar Iyer, British Deputy High Commissioner, Shri Ranjan Mathai, High Commissioner of India to the UK, Sumit Mazumder, President, CII and Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII at the CII-CBI conference on The Future of UK-India Relations on 8 July in London

Senior leaders of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) came together to deliberate the “Future of the UK-India Economic Relationship” on 8 July 2015 in

London, and to celebrate 120 years of CII and the 50th anniversary of CBI. Addressing the conference, Shri Ranjan Mathai, High Commissioner of India to the UK said, “The CIICBI Conference is aptly

timed now as the Indian economy and the UK economy both mark high levels of growth. The Government of India’s flagship initiatives provide us opportunities to leverage our synergies and collaborate on

Home Secretary Theresa May

Lord Karan Bilimoria

Business Secretary Sajid Javid

The Government is facing backlash from the Asian community and leading figures in higher education after they announced further visa restrictions for non-EU foreign students, immigrating to the UK to study. On Friday the Business Secretary Sajid Javid said that the government did not want international students to expect to be allowed to remain in Britain. Elaborating on that the Home Secretary Theresa May said that the Government is planning to ban non EU foreign students from working in the UK. Under the new rules, non-EU students will be denied the right to work while in the UK and will not be able to apply for a visa extension when their course finishes. When courses finish they are also expected to leave the country before they reapply to return for a job, if any. The length of stay is is also expected to be cut to two years. The government is eventually aiming to stop students settling down in Britain and eventually claim benefits. These rules will affect the non EU foreign students disproportionately. Figures published by the Higher Education Funding Council for

England (HEFCE) in April showed that since 2010/11, the number of Indian postgraduate students coming to the UK has fallen by 51%, with those from Pakistan down 49%. In the same period, the number of postgraduates coming from China rose by around 44%. Official figures also reveal less than 2% Indians actually claim benefits in Britain, as opposed to 10% from Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities. The Mail reported that the government estimates that the number of foreign students coming to the UK will rise by more than 6% a year up to 2020. Reports suggest 121,000 non-EU students entered the UK in the 12 months to June last year, but only 51,000 left – a net influx of 70,000. However, Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, the vice chancellor of Cambridge University, last week said the economic benefits of more international students was being “sacrificed at the altar of political expediency”. Lord Karan Bilimoria delivering a speech for the international students in April this year said that the government policy has made “young people coming to our shores to

seek opportunity feel like criminals seeking to cross our borders”. An international student himself, he later went on to set up Cobra beer, one of the most renowned companies in the UK. Seamus Nevin, head of employment and skills at the Institute of Directors, said: "The Business Secretary's proposals to eject foreign students after graduation are misguided and would damage the British education system, our economy and global influence. "Britain already makes it difficult and artificially expensive for international students to enter and stay, and now these proposals would eject them ignominiously when their studies are finished. "Restricting talented workers from staying on in the UK would damage business and lead to a loss of important skills. "Shutting the door to highly-trained international graduates at a time when our economy needs them most would be hugely damaging for UK businesses. "In the interests our education sector, our businesses, and our international standing, the Business Secretary should reconsider this proposal."

strengthening our robust business, trade and investment relationships. The CII delegations’ visit would help build upon our successful bilateral investment record, with both India and the UK being among the top investors in each other.” CBI director-general John Cridland said, “We’ve reached an exciting chapter in the United Kingdom’s trading partnership with India, which is vitally important to our future growth and prosperity. The UK is the largest G20 investor in India, and there are hundreds of British businesses in the country. We now have a golden opportunity for even more companies from both countries to build the trading links that will drive our economies in the future.” It is remarkable that British investment in

India now stands at US $ 22.21 billion, accounting for 9% of India’s overall FDI between April 2000 and March 2015. Kumar Iyer, British Deputy High Commissioner (Mumbai) emphasized the wider partnership, outlining an array of collaborative initiatives underway, specifically mentioning the Generation UK-India program as an important tool to facilitate exchanges between academia and industry. Highlighting opportunities in the UK-India economic landscape, Sumit Mazumder, President, CII said that Prime Minister Modi’s Make in India campaign beckons the UK to be a partner in reinventing technology-driven manufacturing in India with British know-how. Industries such as Defence, Automotive and

Pharmaceuticals will provide good opportunities for British firms. India, too, has emerged as the third largest investor and a significant job creator in the UK economy. FDI from India to UK increased 65% through 122 projects and 9350 new and safeguarded jobs. A recent study by Grant Thornton in collaboration with CII, showed that about 800 Indian companies collectively sustain over 110,000 jobs in the UK. The whole story lies in developing globallycompetitive skills and enabling mobility of talent. British and Indian companies must become partners in upskilling local and global talent – jobs will be created naturally through new-age entrepreneurship” said Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII.

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Jasvir Singh

Love and unity will always overcome hatred

This month, Britain has been remembering tragedies around the world. A minute's silence took place in memory of the holiday makers gunned down in Tunisia. Memorial services were held to mark the 10th anniversary of the 7/7 bombings in London. The nation has also marked 20 years since the Srebrenica genocide, with the commemorative events in the UK being the largest outside of Bosnia. City Sikhs has been involved in some of these memorial events. We joined several organisations in supporting #WalkTogether, which encouraged people using public transport to get off one stop early and walk to their destination in an act of remembrance of 7/7. It captured the public's imagination as a simple yet powerful message of unity. We also held an event at the Wiener Library in central London where the keynote speech was from a survivor of the Srebrenica genocide. She spoke of how she lost 22 members of her family and was continuing to fight for justice two decades later. Her speech was emotionally charged and deeply moving.

Commemorating such anniversaries is fundamental towards our collective identity, as Sikhs, as British, and even as humans. It allows us to reflect on the past and teaches us how to ensure such things do not happen again. Remembrance gives us a sense of purpose in the modern world. However, in order to remember, you need to know what it is that you are remembering. #WalkTogether recalled how Londoners came together after 7/7. Most other cities would probably have become divided along the lines of 'us and them'. London's reaction was different. It held strong in the face of terrorism and refused to let it affect the city in any significant way. London remained united. The events marking the Srebrenica genocide remind us how easily a society with generations of rich diversity can descend into divisions along racial and religious lines and ultimately end in ethnic cleansing. This genocide took place on European soil just 50 years after the Holocaust, something that the nations of Europe should never be allowed to forget. The people killed in these

tragedies were victims of hatred. They were innocent men, women and children, and those who were left behind continue to feel a sense of loss and injustice. The human tragedy of the Widows' Colony in Delhi, home to survivors of the indiscriminate killing of Sikhs in November 1984, is a stark reminder of that. Yet there is hope to be had in how people react to events. In Tunisia, hotel workers formed a human chain around the tourists and refused to give in to terrorism. They willingly risked their lives to save their guests and, in doing so, epitomised the best of humanity. Each tragedy has powerful stories of hope, and those are the stories that we should remember. We must always remember the past, but we should also look to the future with an idea of how we want our world to be. By working with other communities, by treating each commemoration or memorial as a tragedy from which we can all learn, by remembering the stories of hope, we will be much richer as a society. Love and unity will always overcome hatred. We just need to be strong enough to believe it.

New Swaminarayan Akshar Purushottam Mandir to open on the grounds of Anoopam Mission in Denham

Empowering Donors. Supporting Charities. Help us change the world.

What is Asian Charity Clarity? When you donate money to charities, how do you know you are giving it to the most effective ones? If you are a charity, how do you stand out and best showcase the great work you do? Empowering Donors. Supporting Charities. That's what Asian Charity Clarity is all about. ACC have come up with a special rating system which assesses a charity across 18 metrics for Financial Health, Accountability and Transparency, and Accessibility. We have 110 charities on ACC right now, and will have around 500 in July. Every week, we will publish a Top 10 list looking at different aspects of Asian charities.

Top 10 Charities by Income

These are the Top 10 Charities by Income, given by total income over the last three years (if available). This contains a combination of community organisations, a school, religious organisations and others. The Brooke Hospital For Animals ...........£5,340,410 Sarjudas Foundation .............................£3,585,730 Hand in Hand International ...................£1,392,489 Akshar Educational Trust (The Swaminarayan School).................................................£1,370,748 The Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (Birmingham) UK .....................................£944,407 Radha Soami Satsang Beas British Isles ....£835,675 The YMCA Indian Student Hostel ..............£626,810 Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University UK......... ...............................................................£568,980 Sense International .................................£566,981 Shri Venkateswara (Balaji) Temple Of The United Kingdom .................................................£557,693

www.asiancharityclarity.org.uk

Pujya Sahebji

Pujya Bhaishri Rameshbhai Oza

This year a new Swaminarayan Akshar Purushottam Mandir will open on the grounds of Anoopam Mission in Denham. There has been a mandir here for over 25 years. Set in 14 acres of land, the building used to be an old peoples home. When the site was put up for sale, the young Anoopam Mission bought the site, with their Guru,

New Swaminarayan Akshar Purushottam Mandir, Murti Praan Pratishtha will take place in August 2015

Pujya Sahebji’s guidance. However, the buildings were run down, the grounds were in a terrible state and there were sitting tenants. In spite of the difficulties, Santo and devotees over a period of six months worked together every single evening to bring the property and grounds to a livable state.

They poured their heart into it and the whole area was transformed. The building became a mandir and the first Marble murtis of Shree Akshar Purushottam Maharaj were installed and consecrated on 23 March 1989. Since then, a community of devotees arose, and Pujya Sahebji has guided and nurtured. The first

time that he came to the UK, in 1973, he had said that an international centre will arise here, and today this vision is being realized. It has come with hard work and a large dose of faith. Anoopam Mission is situated on Green Belt land. The laws are strict and getting planning permission was an arduous

journey, taking over 7 years. At that time, Pinewood Studios, who fall under the jurisdiction of the same Council, had also applied, but were rejected in spite of the great financial and economical benefits their development promised to the area. With this news, it seemed impossible that the temple would get permission. However, as the saying goes, God works in mysterious ways, and Pujya Sahebji said to devotees, you must pray harder and God will take his seat here. Planning

permission was finally received! The new mandir project began with great enthusiasm, and within ten months, the first phase of this community facility, which comprises of the temple and administrative buildings is approaching completion! The new Temple Opening and the Murti Praan Pratishtha will take place in August 2015, and a wonderful programme of events are lined up. The auspicious start will take place with the Shrimad Bhagavat Katha by Pujya Bhaishri Rameshbhai Oza from 5 August to 12 August 2015. Pujya Bhaishri returns to the UK after many years and there is an air of excitement on the part of all devotees. Following the katha there are numerous programmes lined up, leading to the climax on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August when there will be a Maha-Yagna, Shobha Yatra and the crowning occasion of the Murti Praan Pratishtha! This occasion is for all Hindus to come together and enjoy satsang together. A free shuttle service will run from Hillingdon station, and facilities have been made for coach and car parking. Additionally on this occasion anyone wishing to become a yajmaan is most welcome! For more contact Surendrabhai Patel on 07941 975 311, or Vinubhai Nakarja on 07956 594 963.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

Eid Special

Britain's Muslim community to celebrate Eid-al-Fitr

Three million Muslims in the UK will break their fast which began on 18th June to celebrate Eid-al-Fitr later this week, marking the end of the Islamic holy month of fastingRamadan. This year the Eid is expected to be around 17 July in the UK, depending on the sighting of the new moon. Reports suggest due to the Ramadan celebrations, Britain’s biggest supermarkets have been boosted with a £100million sales uplift. This was welcomed by supermarkets, with retail consultants saying the religious festival is now the third most important to stores behind Christmas and Easter. Retailers saw an increase in customers buying Asian products from stores. Sales were up on key ingredients that are used to cook meals during Ramadan including meat, rice and fruit the big sellers. This Ramadan was the most challenging fast in decades because the holy month coincided with the Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere for the first time in more than 30 years. The longer days meant the fasting period stretched to almost 19 hours in Britain, compared to the Middle East where it lasted between 15 and 16

hours. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam along with belief, worship, charitable donation and the pilgrimage to Mecca. Ramadan marks the anniversary of the Quran being revealed to Prophet Mohammed. The Eid celebration will begin with morning prayers, followed by feasting and festivities among family and friends. Some also celebrate the festival by wearing new clothes, giving each other gifts and decorating their homes. The mosques in the UK, try their best to make sure the community gets to celebrate the festivities equally and get a chance to offer their prayers. In 2012, the East London mosque in Tower Hamlets had 6 prayer sessions to accommodate all the devotees. While PM David Cameron will send his Eid message for the community later this week, Liberal Democrat Party President Sal Brinton said: “As the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end, I would like to wish Muslims in the United Kingdom and all over the world a happy Eid-ul-Fitr..." Asian Voice would like to wish all our Muslim readers Eid-Mubarak.

From planning the family’s Eid menu to shopping for gifts, the happiness and magic of the festivity is truly underway. As the celebrations begin we catch up with celebrities asking them what they'll be cooking this Eid and what most they are looking forward to eating. BBC Asian Network DJ Noreen Khan W h a t are your favourite foods for Eid? My fave food for Eid is brown vegetarian rice with potatoes and peas with raita and a yummy salad. How will you be celebrating Eid? With my family in Bedford, I always make sure I get family time in on Eid. If you had to cook an Eid meal, what would you cook? It would be an all veggie meal, which would consist of rice, paneer with peas curry, and vegetable samosas, which I love. Then for dessert it’ll be semiya. Did you cook during Ramadan at all? Yes I've cooked a few veggie curries during Ramadan like Rajma and some stirfries. Usually after work I would pop in to my local Asda and pick up fresh vegetables or anything that tickle my fancy and cook it up. Any message for your fans for Eid? My message is to just enjoy the day with your close family and friends and please don't forget about those

who are less fortunate than us. Oh and I also look forward to seeing everyone's Eid selfies.

Owais Khan, reality star on the Sky 1 series Desi Rascals W h a t are your favourite foods for Eid? My nani's sevia ke s a r i , which is a vermicelli based dessert. How will you be celebrating Eid? Morning Eid prayers with my baba, followed with lots of food and family time. If you had to cook an Eid meal, what would you cook? I’m no match for my nani or mother’s cooking, especially on Eid. So I'll leave the cooking to them. Did you cook during Ramadan at all? A few times but due to my busy work schedule I would just pick up ready meals at my local Asda. Any message for your fans for Eid? Eid Mubarak! I hope you all have a lovely day with your families and remember the second season of Desi Rascals is back on the screens on the 22nd July at 8pm on Sky1.

You can shoot a film on your I-Phone

Amit Gupta

A Director’s Design

Sunetra Senior

Gupta’s first feature film ‘Resistance’ (2011) boasted such British talent as Birdman’s Andrea Riseborough, his second ‘Jadoo’ (2013) opened at the Berlin Film Festival and new release ‘One Crazy Thing’ will play at the London Indian Film Festival, kicking off this July 16th. More than the prestige of these accolades however, the film-maker stressed the reward of being able “to move psychologically to a point where focus can be put entirely on the filming”. As we discussed his screenplays, his creative process both on and off the set and the impact of the digital age, it was clear that those with the vision are the ones who master the screen: “too often people think it’s about some grand strategy,” he continued, “ but you just sit down and write that screenplay”: So Tell us more about ‘One Crazy Thing’? It’s a romantic comedy about an exTV star whose life falls apart when his ex-girlfriend leaks an intimate video to the public- to make things worse she then becomes famous for it! The movie explores the ideas of accepting yourself, coming to terms with your past and the phenomenon of celebrity fame. I was watching a TED talk with Monica Lewinski and it was really very sad: she was interning at the White House with such a bright future and now she’s a laughing stock. It’s really bizarre how kids talk about wanting to become a celebrity as if it’s a profession. I wrote the film with an interest in people becoming famous just because they are famous. How has the Digital Revolution affected the way we make Films? The line between shooting on film and on digital is a fine one. There really isn’t much of a difference. It doesn’t change the cinematography; you could have a great Director of Photography either way. What has changed is the accessibility. Digital

opens up opportunity to those who would not have been able to afford it before. A person of any background can make a movie. You could shoot a film on your I-Phone. Sean Baker did just that with ‘Tangerine’- the best reviewed film at Sundance this year.

What items do you have to have on set? A viewfinder or a Tewe. It’s a really old school tool, but helps me construct a scene on set. People under 25 don’t know what I’m doing! That, a pen and a bottle of water.

How did you get into filmmaking? I went on to complete a post-grad with the ambition of becoming a director, and the writing then also became a by-product of that. I wrote a play which I wanted to direct and won a competition where it was staged at the Royal Court. There’s this awful statistic that 90% of firsttime directors don’t make a second movie, but somehow with persistence and drive, I’ve managed to complete three now and I hope to make a fourth. I also loved films growing up- I would watch lots of Bollywood with

my father. I was a cinema obsessive but didn’t know there were directors at that point. I think by 20, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.

In terms of screenplays, can good storytelling be taught or is it more about raw talent? There are things that can be taught in terms of craft, but to start off there is no set method. It depends on individual needs too; I teach it so clearly I believe there is a value in instruction but I am also self-taught. Some people need that guiding structure. It’s more about drive and a good work ethic though, talent alone is not enough.

How important is the aesthetic element in a film? Very! It’s a visual medium; different to a play and an amalgam of photography, poetry and theatre. Some would say a silent film is the perfect example of the art because you can trace the story visually. In ‘One Crazy Thing’, London is a main character because the images are so central.

How has your background affected your work? Very organically, and that’s clear in my second movie about two warring restauranteurs. It’s about my love of the area - Leicester is where I grew up -and in my latest movie the lead is a British-Asian. Stories need to feel authentic and drawing from your experiences is the best way to do that. Name a good film you’ve seen recently: Linklater’s Boyhood, and I’ll get a Woody Allen one in there too- Midnight in Paris.

What’s your advice to other film-makers? Film should be an all-consuming hunger of yours; it should be something you really want to do. W

londonindianfilmfestival.co.uk

Karma Nirvana marks a day of memory for victims of honour killing

Reshma Trilochun

On 14th July 2015, Karma Nirvana, in partnership with the Cosmopolitan will be marking a Day of Memory for victims of Honour Killings. This will be the first-ever annual memory day for the victims. On 14th July 2015, Karma Nirvana, in partnership with the Cosmopolitan will be marking a Day of Memory for victims of Honour Killings. This will be the first-ever annual memory day for the victims. Karma Nirvana is a UK registered charity that has been supporting victims of honour crimes and forced marriages since 1993. It was established by Jasvinder Sanghera CBE, a survivor of forced marriage and honourbased abuse. A day of memory will be held each year on the 14th July, which marks the birth anniversary of Shafilea Ahmed, who was a victim of honour-based crime and sadly lost her life at the age of 17, in 2003. She would have been celebrating her 29th birthday this year, had her parents not suffocated her for bringing “shame” on her family. The UK charity, Refuge, will also be holding their first annual day of remembrance for those killed in honour crimes. The day will be called Britain's Lost Women Day. According to the statistics stated on the Karma Nirvana website, an estimated 5,000 women across the globe are killed each year in the name of honour. The figure could be argued as not many cases are reported as honour-based crimes. In an interview in 2014, Jasvinder Sanghera had stated that forced marriages in the UK are above 100,000. She also said that the victims who call Karma Nirvana for help are approxi-

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

mately 65% from the BritishPakistani and Indian communities, mostly Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus. Furthermore, the majority of the female victims are aged between 14 and 24. Honour-based crimes also affect men, especially gay men who get accused of bringing “shame” on their families. There are many survivors

who were victims of such heinous crimes. Although they may have managed to escape and they try to lead a normal life, the scars of their past continues to haunt them. One such example is Rena*, who spoke exclusively to Asian Voice about her past, her traumatic experiences, as well as her hope for the future. Rena was just like any ordinary 19-year-old. She was studying for her A Levels when she was made to marry her cousin from Pakistan, in 2003. Rena had felt the need to conform to her parents to keep them happy, although she was unhappy from within. Rena said, “I wanted to conform to my parents to keep them happier… I knew nothing about the person before I got married to him except for the fact that he was my uncle’s son.” Even after several attempts to accept what was happening with her, Rena was unable to be happy. “I knew I didn’t love this person but I had to make a go of it for the sake of making sure that my parents and the relationship between them and the family was solid. I was always told that if anything happened, I would be made responsible. I knew exactly where I stood from day one.”

But things got bad to worse for Rena. Her first child was 2 years old and she was expecting her second baby when suddenly she saw the turbulent change in her husband’s behaviour. He would become violent and hit her for no apparent reason. She tried telling her parents but to no avail; they refused to see the bad in him and kept reminding her of all the good things he had done for her. Rena explained, “For seven years, I put up with it in my life. And I did it because of the sake of keeping the ‘honour’ in the family, so that people wouldn’t say a thing to my father, so people wouldn’t say a thing to my mother.” After leaving her marital home, Rena went to a refuge, where she stayed for two to three months. She was not aware of Karma Nirvana during her time of turmoil. “I wish I had gone to them [Karma Nirvana] in advance because it would have been a massive, massive help.” Not many police officers were aware of honour-based crimes at the time and many would struggle with comprehending the concept of it even being a crime. Rena said, “The police weren’t aware of what honour-based abuse was. There was only one woman that I knew who knew a little bit about honour-based abuse.” Rena went through with the divorce, much to the dismay of her parents who felt that she ought to reconcile and make things work. However, Rena seems optimistic about her future. She has found love and is willing to give life a second chance. “He is somebody I’ve chosen; he is somebody who I think is going to be a good role model. He very much understands my situation.”

UK Gurdwara releases protocol for Anand Karaj

The Gurdwara Singh Sabha London has released a protocol of Anand Karaj ceremonies in the Gurdwara. The Anand Karaj is a Sikh religious marriage ceremony with specific principles and values which Sikhs have to respect and comply to. Mankamal Singh, the Member of Committee of the Gurdwara Singh Sabha London East, spoke to Asian Voice regarding the protocol. “There is a protocol that we have released for the Anand Karaj, in line with what the Sikh Council guidelines were. The Sikh Council provided some guidelines a few months ago and our Gurdwara's protocol is following that.” Mankamal Singh further stated, “We will allow people of different backgrounds[to get married in the Gurdwara] as long as they adhere to the protocol and that is what has been released by the Sikh Council. If a couple wish to get married, as long as they're willing to accept themselves as Sikhs from going

forward and willing to accept coming into the faith, then we'll do the Anand Karaj.” Gurmel Singh from the Sikh Council said, “Within the Sikh religious traditions, there is a code of conduct. Within the code of conduct, Sikhs can get married with the Anand Karaj ceremony... For the policy that we have issued has supplicated what the Sikh board of conduct is... making it easier for people to follow.” Anand Karaj means “blissful union” or “joyous union”. However, a youth Sikh group in the UK had previously protested and stopped interfaith marriages from tak- The protocol of Anand Karaj by the ing place in Gurdwaras, in the Gurdwara Singh Sabha London East Midlands. Gurdwara. “There is a lady Mankamal Singh said that who is getting married. She has people of non-Sikh backchanged her name and she has grounds can marry in put 'Kaur' in her name. She's Gurdwaras, as long as “you'll expressed an interest in learnfollow and look into the teaching more about the faith. She is ings and take this life forward.” doing the Anand Karaj and she Singh also mentioned how is from a white British backmany non-Sikhs express to ground.” have a Sikh wedding at the

Her message to women who are going through what she had once faced is, “If you want to say no, say it now, before it’s too late because if you get to that situation, or are in that situation, you’ve still got time. No religion condones this… force marriage is not allowed, it is forbidden.” Another example is of Priya* who was forced to marry her first-cousin in Bangladesh. She was isolated, forced to leave education and lead a life of domestic servitude. She was unhappy in her marriage and would face the wrath of her husband and inlaws daily, who would threaten to kill her.

Priya informed her parents about what was happening, but they suggested that she remain with him as it would harm the family honour is she left. Her family also banned her from returning back to them. Priya eventually fled and went to Refuge, where they gave her the courage and advice to report the abuse and death threats. Not many are lucky enough to escape and receive help; they end up losing their lives in the name of honour. Sandra Horley CBE, Chief Executive of the domestic violence charity Refuge said, “It is an utter tragedy that these women died fighting for their right to make choices about their own lives – and that so many women still experience pressure and abuse from their family or community in the name of ‘honour’. Let’s be clear – there is nothing honourable about violence or abuse.” She further stated, “Women experiencing ‘honour’-based violence must have sufficient protection from emergency services, as well as access to specialist refuge accommodation, advocacy and community support. There is a dire shortage of services for women experiencing domestic violence as it is, but specialist support for women from Black, Asian, minority ethnic or refugee backgrounds is woefully under-provided.” Honour-based violence can take many forms, including forced marriage, domestic violence (physical, sexual, emotional or financial abuse), sexual harassment and sexual violence (threat of/actual rape and sexual assault), threats to kill, social ostracism/rejection and emotional pressure, denial of access to children, pressure to go or move abroad, house arrest and excessive restrictions on your freedom, as well as the denial of access to the telephone, internet, passport and friends. Karen Bradley, Minister for

Preventing Abuse and Exploitation spoke about the Forced Marriage Unit in the UK and what they do. “We have a Forced Marriage Unit which is set up by the Home Office but it's joint with the Foreign Commonwealth Office... From the UK perspective, the Home Office takes forced marriages very seriously. We have legislated to criminalise force marriage to make the breaking of the force marriage protection order a criminal offence.” She further stated, “Whilst the laws that we have for forced marriage are about UK citizens and UK nationals, many of the forced marriages do take place overseas. So we need the consular assistance at the Foreign Commonwealth Office can offer to actually find people, to try and stop them from being forced into marriage... help them to know what their rights are...” On tackling and preventing forced marriages from taking place, Karen Bradley said that it was essential to raise “Awareness”. “We do need people to know that any form of marriage where someone is forced into that marriage and I want to be clear, this is not about arranged marriage. Arrange marriage is where two consensual adults consent freely to the marriage that has been arranged by their family. It is completely legal and not something we are looking at to outlaw.” Elaborating further on how to tackle this issue, she said, “We need to make sure that all people know about this; that teachers know about the signs, that families understand that there's an outreach programme that the Force Marriage Unit does to get into communities to explain that this is not something that is acceptable.” Karma Nirvana will be hosting a survivors’ conference on 14th July called, “Can you hear me”. The conference will have women who will speak about their experience of honourbased abuse and forced marriages through conversations in front of an audience. This will also encourage women who are in similar situations to voice out and get help. There will also be speakers on the day, such as Louise Court, Editor in Chief Cosmopolitan; Baroness Cox; Mayor of New Jersey; Superintendent Geraint Jones, Cheshire Police; and Emily Dyer from Henry Jackson Society. This event will be a good initiative to get women who are suffering behind closed doors to seek help, as well as give them the courage to walk away for their own safety. If you would like to donate towards Karma Nirvana, text KNUK10 £5 to 70070. Alternatively, you could visit www.karmanirvana.org.uk and make a donation. #canyouhearme #RememberShafilea * Names have been changed to protect the identity of the survivors.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

Hindus and Sikhs welcome crematorium review proposed by the Chancellor

EXCLUSIVE

Crematorium Review: Will our community now rise to the challenge? l Commission and fund a proper representative survey which provides conclusive evidence of the needs of our communities and how they are currently being met (or unmet). l Catalogue the specific impediments and obstacles to the creation of proper facilities of sufficient size and cultural sensitivity; Jitesh Gadhia Well-known financier and member of the Advisory Board of the City Hindu Network

Davender Ghai lighting an open funeral pyre in Northumberland in 2006

Chancellor George Osborne has launched a review into crematorium facilities for Hindus and Sikhs at his summer budget to ensure that they are appropriate to the needs of all users and faiths. This will follow representations to the Chancellor from British Hindus and Sikhs, who are concerned that current facilities are often too small, and not equipped to meet their needs. Through this proposed consultation, the Government wants to know more about these issues and what steps can be taken to improve existing facilities in line with current law. According to the 2011

Census, 27% of Britons in England & Wales are currently Hindus (817,000) and 14% are Sikhs (423,000). Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said: “This is a Budget that delivers for British Hindus and Sikhs: backing business, supporting aspiration and standing behind families that work hard. “Over the past year a number of British Hindus and Sikhs have also raised with me their concerns about cremation facilities for their communities. They’ve told me that often the facilities are not large enough for everyone from the community to pay their respects and don’t always pay enough regard

to cultural sensitivities. “So this Budget announces a review into these facilities. We want to know more about concerns people from all faiths and none have about these facilities, so we can do more to ensure everybody can mark the passing of their loved ones appropriately. That’s why we’ve launched this consultation and I’d urge everyone to make their views known on this important issue.” The consultation will be led by the Department for Communities and Local Government and launched in due course. It is intended to take into account the views of all faiths and members of the community.

Community representatives welcome the proposed review

Trupti Patel, President of Hindu Forum of Britain said, “We at the HFB have been campaigning for culturally sensitive crematorium facilities for many years. It is indeed good news that the present Conservative Government has recognised this very important issue and will be conducting a major consultation exercise that we hope will result in meeting the needs of our community.”

in the UK are cremated, and the crematoria around the country have not been able to keep up with this societal shift. It is no longer just a religious issue affecting the Dharmic communities such as Sikhs and Hindus, but simply one of human dignity for all and of meeting the needs of families at a time of bereavement. We at City Sikhs look forward to taking part in that consultation."

Satish K Sharma, General Secretary of National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) said: “This Government has been in office for 3 months and we have a had a most welcome breakthrough. Many Hindu activists have been pressing for this change (some for over 15 years!) and all of them deserve our appreciation and gratitude. The NCHTUK looks forward to being involved and once the Consultation gets under way we will as always, keep you informed.

The Hindu Council of Wales said they are delighted at this review. A spokesperson said, “...The Cardiff Council have worked closely with the Hindu Community to address cultural sensitivities at the crematorium in Cardiff but in areas outside of Cardiff the needs of the Hindu Community are not often met. It is most important to ensure that all Hindus across Wales should be able to mark the passing away of their loved ones in a culturally appropriate way as per their traditions. “One of the issues the HCW is working closely with Cardiff Council is about having a suitable location in the Cardiff area for Hindu families for the dispersal of the funeral ashes of their loved ones.”

Jasvir Singh, Chair of the City Sikhs Network said, "The plan to consult with the British public about the current state of crematoria around the UK is welcomed. Over 70% of people who die

By all accounts, last week's budget by Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, was a big event in setting the economic and political agenda for the next five years of the new Parliament. Amongst the big, bold brush strokes of his 7th budget – which included the surprise introduction of a compulsory living wage – the Chancellor also found time to address a long standing issue for Britain's Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities. As part of the budget announcements, the Treasury launched a review of Crematorium facilities to ensure they meet the needs of all users and faiths. This initiative has been widely welcomed across the British Indian community. The fact that this relatively "niche" issue has risen to the Chancellor's inbox is testimony to the increasing political importance of British Indians, who played a decisive role in the outcome of the recent General Election. However, it is also a reflection of the Chancellor’s commitment to tackling specific issues head-on and finding appropriate solutions. A serious initiative emanating from the highest levels of Government deserves an equally professional and co-ordinated response from our community. Whilst the exact nature and scope of the review process has yet to be announced by the Department for Communities and Local Government, it provides a unique opportunity to finally move this vexed issue from the arena of debate to a series of concrete recommendations and deliverables. However, to galvanise any Government department into action requires strong evidenced-based policy making and practical solutions capable of being implemented. The provision of Crematoria facilities is a complex subject which spans many different stakeholders, users and providers and could easily be kicked back into the long grass of local government bureaucracy and planning laws. Against this background, a fragmented and piecemeal response from our community would be fatal. This Review is therefore a critical test of our community’s maturity and capacity to collaborate and speak with one cohesive voice. Indeed there are some encouraging recent precedents which show how community organisations working together, rather than individually, can deliver real results. Take for example the consortium of 14 groups which organises “Diwali in London” in conjunction with the Mayor of London and is now in its 15th year of operation. And most recently, the co-ordinated response by various Hindu organisations to the threat of Caste Legislation. The Crematorium Review provides the opportunity to raise our game yet further and create a consortium that can pool our collective resources to address a number of key areas which will likely form part of any Review process:

l Find a way to reconcile and prioritise the local needs of communities which are themselves often diverse in nature and spread across different parts of the country; l Identify some “inaugural” projects which could be accelerated and deliver quick tangible results, providing templates which can be replicated and improved upon elsewhere; and l Create a pledge fund which demonstrates that the community is willing to put financial “skin in the game” and is able to match public sector resources through a genuine public-private partnership. l Our community will also need to be forensic and assertive in understanding why this issue has not been addressed thus far despite the overwhelming demand in areas of high Hindu, Sikh and Jain concentration. It appears that Local Councils have certain obligations for the maintenance of existing burial sites but don't have specific legal responsibilities regarding the provision of new or locally appropriate facilities. This appears to be a root cause of our unmet needs. For example, the two London boroughs with the highest Indian populations – Brent and Harrow – don't actually provide any crematorium facilities in their own catchment area but rely instead on facilities in neighbouring boroughs. Frankly, neither authority has been adequately held to account by our community over a long period. As recently as 2013, the London Borough of Brent published an exhaustive 58-page "Cemeteries strategy" which admits that most of the deaths of Brent residents lead to cremations outside the borough – yet their own report barely pays any attention to this fact and focuses instead on burial provision. Similarly, the London Borough of Harrow has made specific provision for burials of persons of Muslim faith at two cemeteries within the borough and also for the Greek Orthodox faith but makes no mention of Hindus, Sikhs or Jains which together represent the largest group of residents. As we seek to raise our game, I hope the community will draw inspiration from the likes of The Jewish Leadership Council or British Board of Deputies. As noted by many other commentators, we have much to learn from the Jewish community who also have a large number of individual community organisations but on certain matters realise that strategic planning, co-ordination and a common voice provides far greater impact than any individual effort. The most relevant example being the famous Hoop Lane Cemetery in Golders Green which is managed by a Joint Burial Committee on behalf of two synagogues but also heavily used by the British Indian community. The Crematorium Review is a critical test for our community. Not only is the outcome important for but so too is the manner in which we conduct our response. It could mark a milestone in the way we are perceived as a community. I hope we will rise to the challenge.

Choose a deserving winner for the Asian Achievers Awards

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

Reshma Trilochun

The Asian Achievers Awards (AAA), also known as The People's Choice Awards, organised by Asian Business Publications Limited (ABPL), is a star-studded event where the renown and crème de la crème attend to celebrate and acknowledge the contribution and hard work of the nominees in society. The awards has been taking place annually; this will be the 15th ceremony and will be held at the prestigious Grosvenor House Hotel, on Friday 18th September 2015. The awards recognises the outstanding work from the individuals from across all walks of life within the Asian community, and acknowledge the accomplishments of the finest in the UK's Asian community. Each year, the awards illustrates and celebrates a certain aspect of society, and this year there will be an emphasis on Uniformed & Civil Services. Men and women from ethnic minorities in Britain make up 5.6% of the Armed Forces and 2.9% of the ministry of Defence Civil Service. There has also been a good number of British-Asians

representation in Civil services, especially in areas such as the Home Office, MOD and CPS over the last few years. The awards has chosen to pay tribute to the achievements of those in the Armed Forces and Civil Services by making this year's theme for the awards as Uniform and Civil Services. There are ten categories for the Asian Achievers Awards. Each week, we have been showcasing the different categories of the awards and this week, we will have a look at the Uniform & Civil Services category. There are certain criteria which are essential in ensuring the apt person receives the award. For the Uniform & Civil Services category, the recipient would be someone who has outstanding achievements in uniformed and civil services or contribution to the community. There were many esteemed nominees from different respective fields; for example, the recipient of the 2014 Uniformed & Civil Services award was Nazir Afzal OBE. Afzal is the Chief Crown Prosecutor for the North West of England. He is the National lead for tackling Violence Against Women &

Nazir Afzal OBE receiving the Uniformed and Civil Services award from Amitab Sharma (Lyca mobile) and Lord Popat, at the Asian Achievers Awards in 2014

Girls and Child Abuse, as well as also leads on tackling honour crimes and forced marriages.

Every year, the awards selects a particular charity and encourages people to donate

towards a good cause which would benefit the people in need. Last year, the chosen charity was the Cherie Blair Foundation and through the awards it raised a staggering £100,000. This year's sponsored charity is The Loomba Foundation- aiming to promote the welfare and economic empowerment of disadvantage widows and educating their children. The Loomba Foundation was established in the UK as a charitable Trust Deed on 26 June 1997, by Lord Raj Loomba CBE and his wife Veena, Lady Loomba. The readers have the opportunity to nominate who they believe deserves an award in their respective field, and an independent panel of judges deliberate and choose the winners. ABPL Group has no say in who becomes a recipient of an award, and neither will they entertain any dialogue with the members of the public regarding the judging process. To nominate an achiever of your choice, simply fill in the form below and send it to us by 24th July 2015. Or you could simply visit www.asianachieversawards.comand nominate.

PRESENTS

NOMINATION FORM

The prestigious Asian Achievers Awards is hosted every year by UK’s leading news weeklies Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar to honour British Asians par excellence. If there is someone you know who has broken boundaries and deserves recognition for their unique contribution to the community and the nation then please nominate them for one of the awards listed below. Make sure that you fill in this application form and send it on or before 24th July, 2015 by post, fax or email to Mr. L George, Tel: 020 7749 4013, Fax 020 7749 4081, Email: aaa@abplgroup.com. If you are sending it by post the address is Mr. L George, ABPL Group, Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, London N1 6HW.

Please tick the appropriate category Uniformed and Civil Services For outstanding achievements in uniformed and civil services or contribution to the community through any of the above services. Entrepreneur of the Year Awarded to an entrepreneur with a proven track record of operating a successful business enterprise. Professional of the Year Professionals in the field of medicine, law, education, banking, finance and others, who have scaled the heights of their chosen profession. Achievement in Media, Arts and Culture Someone who has made a mark in media including print and broadcast media; cinema, art and culture. Achievement in Community Service In recognition for an individuals service to community.

Woman of the Year The award will recognise and honour a woman who has made a significant mark in any chosen field. Sports Personality of the Year Awarded for excellence in sports. Business Person of the Year Awarded to a business person who is a success in every sense of the word and can demonstrate a genuine passion for social issues. International Personality of the Year Awarded to those who have acclaimed popularity internationally for his/her contribution in any particular sector and is recognised for their timeless philanthropic activities. Lifetime Achievement Award To honour those individuals, who during their lifetime, have made immense contributions in any given field. This remarkable individual can be marked as an example for the younger generation.

Application Form Full Name of the Person you are Nominating: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ His/Her Contact Details (Tel & email): ___________________________________________________Occupation of the Nominee:____________________________________________ Plea se a tta ch the Nominee s' s CV whic h inc lude s the f ollow ing informa tion (Please do not exceed a limit of 1000 words) (1) Personal background ( 2) Most important career achievements till date. (3) Nominee's contribution to the community and nation. (4 ) Future Plans, ambitions and visions.

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

Summary- (Please include a summary in not more than 150 words why the nominee is worthy of winning the particular award in a separate sheet) Your name and contact details: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Your current Occupation/Company: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Your contact ____________________________________________________________ Email: ____________________________________________________________________________ Sponsors

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Reshma Trilochun

CB Patel, Mr Bhaliya and RT Hon Keith Vaz releasing the Finance, Banking and Insurance magazine

Kam Padhra, Amit Kundar, L. George, Nilesh A Patel, Satish Patel and Shashi Patel

On Thursday 9th July 2015, the official release of the 15th Finance, Business and Insurance (FBI) magazine was held at the House of Commons, amidst prestigious guests, scrumptious canapés and beverages; it was an affair to remember. The FBI special issue covers a range of financial products and services. FBI has the unique distinction of being the only recognised finance and business publication tailored to meet the needs of the Asian community. Present at the event were Editor/Publisher of Asian Voice/Gujarat Samachar, C.B. Patel, Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP was also present, as well as Mr P. J. Bhaliya, Deputy Chief Executive of the Bank of Baroda UK. The Bank of Baroda UK were the sponsors of the FBI event. The event had a good turn out, in contrary to the expectations due to the tube strike that was taking place throughout London. The guests were resilient and did not let the tube strike, nor the chaotic London traffic stop them from making the launch of the magazine a success. Keith Vaz humorously said, “Can I first of all congratulate all of you on beating the strikers and being with us today?” Speaking about the attendees at the release of the magazine, Keith Vaz said, “Amongst you today, we have rising stars, stars that have risen... each and everyone of you make terrific contribution to the way in which our country operates and through your various businesses, you are all making that contribution.” C.B. Patel thanked everyone for supporting the Asian Business Publications Limited. He spoke about his association with the Bank of Baroda as well and their contribution to the UK economy. “I opened my first bank account when I was seventeen in 1954, with the Bank of Baroda.” Mr Bhaliya spoke about the Bank of Baroda. “This is the second largest bank in India, first being the State Bank of India... We endeavour that the customer should not only be satisfied but we want the delight of the customer. Not only delight, we want that the customer should always be smiling and grow together.” Mr Bhaliya also thanked C.B. Patel and his team, as well as everyone who made the event a success. The release of the FBI magazine was a spectacular success, with plenty more to follow in the coming years. Photo courtesy: Raj D Bakrania, Prmediapix

Kishore Parmar ( ABPL group), Shailesh Vara MP, C B Patel

Ajit Kohli, Saleh Khalili and Hitesh Karia

Rashmi Maru, Kishore Ruparelia, Natu Dhanji and Sanjay Upadhyay

Shehzad Khan guest Farhan Farani

M Sompura, C D Patel and Anand Pattani

Mr and Mrs Anand Barchha and Mr and Mrs Kaushik Patel

Ranjan Kailayapillai, Bharat Mehta, Louis Rhys Harvey, Paresh Rughani, Harshad Kothari

Mr PJ Bhaliya, Deputy Chief Executive Bank of Baroda giving a presentation

Kishore and Anupa Vekaria

Surina Mangat, Compering the event

Abigail Wennington, Aman Nirwal, Shiv Halai, Rovin George and Pragnesh Modhwadia

Guests at the FBI event

CURRENCY VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

Foreign Exchange

Paresh Davdra is the Dealing Director of RationalFX,

Bank of England policymakers grappled with improving wage growth Currency Specialists.

In the UK, figures released showed up the weakness in much of British manufacturing which makes up around 80% of total Industrial Production, something Chancellor George Osborne has said he wants to tackle in his budget announcement. Britain's manufacturers have struggled to make much headway in recent months due to a combination of weak demand in Europe and the strengthening of the pound against the Euro. A British employers' group said earlier on Tuesday that Britain's economy remained unbalanced in the second quarter when the dominant services sector grew but manufacturing was weak. Chancellor George Osborne delivered the first Conservative budget for 20 years and, as predicted, the measures he unveiled were business-friendly. Sterling lost ground against most currencies on the expectation that Chancellor Osborne would introduce more fiscal tightening measures in his budget (i.e. increasing the rate of certain taxes and / or cutting government spending). As widely expected the Bank of England (BoE) kept interest rates at a record low, as its poli-

cymakers grappled with how to balance improving wage growth in Britain against more ominous signals from the global economy. BoE Governor Mark Carney said last week Greece's debt crisis was the biggest looming threat to financial stability in Britain, while a slowdown in the economy of China also threatens to derail global economic growth. The European Central Bank have been in on-going talks whether to raise its emergency cash support for Greek banks, which are running out of funds and on the verge of collapse. Greece’s Economic Minister, Georgios Stathakis, stated that the ECB had to keep Greek banks alive for 7-10 days so that negotiations could take place, with rumours that the €60 per day ATM restrictions will still be in place up until Friday. Greece's new finance minister, Euclid Tsakalotos, attended an emergency Greek summit with Eurogroup finance ministers and European leaders in Brussels last week. It was the first round of serious talks since Greek voters resoundingly rejected the terms of a prior bailout offer that expired on June 30. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said his government

wants debt restructuring as part of its next aid package. In the short term, Tsipras and his new finance minister Tsakalotos will probably have arrived in Brussels with many of the same proposals they had before the referendum. Their main goal will be to start talks on bridge financing, to help Greece get past its upcoming financing hurdles. “It’s no longer a matter of weeks, but only a few days,” Merkel told reporters on Tuesday in Brussels before a summit of leaders of the 19 euro countries. Greece’s day-to-day struggle for financial survival risks hitting the wall on July 20, when the government redeems 3.5 billion euros ($3.8 billion) worth of bonds held by the ECB. Greece submitted its formal request for a new aid package in an attempt to avoid crashing out of the Eurozone. Promising signs were there that Tsakaloto's said Greece is proposing to immediately implement measures that could start as early as next week. This would include tax related reform measures and pension related measures, two of the key areas where Greece and its creditors have failed to reach an agree-

ment. Eurozone leaders have finally reached an agreement after marathon talks over a third bailout for Greece, officials say. EU President Donald Tusk said the agreement was unanimous. He tweeted that a bailout programme was "all ready to go" for Greece, "with serious reforms and financial support". European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker stated "There will not be a Grexit" referring to the fear that Greece would have to leave the euro. Greece is expected to pass reforms demanded by the Eurozone by Wednesday. Parliaments in several Eurozone states also have to approve any new bailout. In the US, the pace of growth in the U.S. services ticked higher in June after dropping to a 13-month low in May, as readings on business activity and new orders improved. The ISM said its services sector index increased to 56.0, just short of analysts' expectations of 56.2, from 55.7 in May. This did cause a sell-off of the dollar, as this is now two consecutive months that the non-manufacturing PMI has missed consensus.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 14th July 2015 @ 6pm

GBP - INR = 98.66

USD - INR = 63.30 EUR - INR = 69.71 GBP - USD = 1.56 GBP - EUR = 1.42

EUR - USD = 1.10 GBP - AED = 5.72

GBP - CAD = 1.98

GBP - NZD = 2.32

GBP - AUD = 2.09

GBP - ZAR = 19.22

GBP - HUF = 438.90

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

Dear Financial Voice Reader, Are you a business ninja? You think you’re good? Getting daddy’s business to run doesn’t count? Being a one hit wonder doesn’t count. I mean are you serially successful across businesses? As the British Government’s Dealmaker for India and China, I know a thing or two about structuring deals. It also helps to be a businessman (from asset management to algo trading under my own brand alpeshpatel.com) and barrister of course too helps. Doing business is like trading. In trading you buy low and sell high. Whether that is Apple shares or GBP against INR. But trading teaches you business skills. The most important, least appreciated business skills traders have that makes them super-rich, really quickly are: 1. They know when they are in a winning trade, to add to the position. Most business people don’t do this. They don’t have the option. Warren Buffett is rich because he structures his business deals so that he has the option to get more money, if he is right, by owning even more of the company (for payment of course) – that payment being at a lower, exclusive price oftentimes. 2. They structure deals so they find out fast if they are going to lose money, and they have an ability to exit. Most business people are locked in. The best dealmakers ensure they are never locked in. They also have a mechanism to find out if they are losing money, and if so, can force the other side to buy them out. They are masters at put options, liquid markets, insurance policies, price transparency. Most people don’t do deals like this – and end up stuck. 3. The best business people don’t turn profits into losses. They do not hold on too long. They exit at the peak when the momentum is high, when everyone is optimistic. They make sure their deals allow that. They are ready to sell, the day they buy. They don’t wait and hang around. That is also what trading teaches you. 4. The best business people don’t add to losers. The worst traders will sell their profitable positions to put the money into their losing ones. Think Vijay Mallya for one. The best business people sell their losers, and make sure the deal allows that, to put money into their winning trades. They double down on winners not losers. Want to know what trading can teach you about business, about controlling your emotions? Want a crash course – try trading for even one hour and you will learn about your character – they say after all if you want to find out about a person’s character – just give them some money – check out http://etx.tradermind.com to kick off your self-discovery and see if you have what it takes to be a business ninja.

Flipkart introduces adoption allowance, offers 50,000 to employees E-commerce portal Flipkart is offering an allowance of Rs 50,000 to its employees who want to adopt a child. In a distinctive approach to promote adoption, the company has introduced an 'adoption allowance', effective from July 10, that can be used for legal, agency, regulatory costs or any other expenses that may arise during an adoption process. According to the new policy, the company will allow its female employees adopting a child below the age of 12 months the same benefits as under maternity leave policy, i.e., six months paid leave along with four months of flexible working hours. For children aged over a year, the employee can avail three months paid leave and four months of flexible working hours. The

male employees can avail up to six months of paid adoption leave (can be availed within the first six months) and four months of flexible working hours. A spokesperson said, “If the employee is looking at extending their adoption leaves, but they don't have enough leaves left, they can take unpaid leave for up to three months and continuity on the same job is assured.” Adoption rate in the country have been shameful even though we rank high in the population of abandoned, deserted or institutionalised children. The firm liberalised its maternity and paternal leave policy, providing flexibility to employees to help them take care of personal commitments as well as be productive at work, from the beginning of this month.

Osborne's budget 2015: A flawed effort?

Britain is now growing faster than any of the G7 nations, employment is at record levels, wages are rising. With a dream to turn Britain's society to a 'higher wage, low tax, lower welfare' society, the Chancellor announced his summer budget on 8 July 2015. In his all first Conservative budget in nearly two decades, George Osborne plans to cut the deficit further, while chopping rates for businesses, clipping inheritance tax and furthering radical devolution of England neglected cities. He announced a landmark national living wage, a host of tax giveaways alongside severe cuts to the welfare budget. Trying to please the Hindu and Sikh communities, he also announced a review into crematorium facilities to ensure that they are appropriate to the needs of all users and faiths. This step will follow further representations to the Chancellor from British Hindus and Sikhs, who are concerned that current facilities are often too small, and not equipped to meet their needs. Some salient points about this budget are as follows: • The deficit is lower than expected • The budget raises plenty of new revenue. Tax up on insurance for cars, homes and holidays • Public sector pay rise to be capped by 1% • Corporation tax cut from 20 to 18% by 2020 • Non-doms will be

forced to pay full tax on foreign earnings • Greener car discounts to be removed to pay for road building fund • Tax giveaways for middle classes but £12bn cut from welfare budget • Rise of national living wage from £7.20 to £9 by 2020 • £8bn more annual funding for the NHS • University fees to increase beyond £9000 • HS1 boss to draw up Network Rail rescue plan • Relax hunting back without new Commons battle • Devolution deals for English cities (like Cornwall) to be announced soon Some of the key issues will lead to the following problems: • The new allowance for homes worth upto £1m will escape taxation, leading to encourage the welloff to buy bigger homes. In a country with severe housing crisis, that is perhaps not the best ideal. On the other hand, housing associations will now build nearly 30,000 fewer affordable homes since Mr Osborne has scrapped a 10-year deal that allowed housing associations to raise rents by 1% more than inflation. Instead he insisted they reduce rents by 1% a year.

Treasury forecasts suggest the new cuts could save £1.45bn – mainly from the housing benefit bill. But this will lead to space crisis, in an ever growing country by population. • The students are already suffering a lot with their £9000 tuition fee. Many Asian parents, who without fail save for their children's education and marriage, may be able to help their children to afford a higher education in the UK, but there will be many natives without a University degree, as they would fail in affordability. Students will also react to the maintenance grants being scrapped, as that would make their situations really hard. • Tax credits are an incentive to hiring. It has a modest fan follower as a policy, but swapping tax credits for minimum wages as a policy for alleviating poverty could do enormous damage in a world that depends more on technology than humans. In case of SMEs especially, Osborne's increase of minimum wage will lead to a greater problem of unemployment, leading to 60,000 people without jobs, and more stress and pressure on current employees. As Chris Rowley of the Cass Business School rightly pointed, it also does not make sense to pay the same minimum wages in the Orkneys as in London. Surely regional variations

are needed in pricing labour as much as in goods? • A further cut in the welfare is going to affect the poor. Despite austerity the basic state pension has gone up by 16% since 2010. Such rises actually benefit the rich, but the poor old people continue to suffer. Barnardo’s reckons struggling families will end up £1,200 a year worse off – or £23 a week – because of the tax credit cuts announced in the Budget. Mr Osborne may try to implement new fairness, but mostly everyone in the country will lose out directly or indirectly through the increase in insurance premium tax that comes into effect in November. Experts opine it will add around £20 to the average motor policy and £12.50 to a typical home insurance. Entrepreneurs will be hit by the changes to dividend income taxation and those lucky top earners with incomes of £210,000 and above will be hit by the cutting back of pension tax relief to basic rate level. They could lose up to £13,500 a year through the measure. It was a tempting effort by the Chancellor. But unfortunately its failure lies on the wobbly base of the policies. As the Economist rightly points out in its Leaders section, this was a budget built on economic mistakes. “The Chancellor's revamped Conservatism is characteristically daring. Economically it is disappointingly thin.”

reached £9.4m in 2014. Rank 78: BAP Pharma: Slough-based

supplies it directly to large retailers in Britain and America, such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Wal-Mart. It also sells to Europe through regional distributors. The company was founded in 1986 by chairman Moni Varma, who also owns a separate sister business, Veetee Foods, that sells branded, microwavable rice products. International sales reached £6.7m in 2013. Rank 124: P&B Foods: P&B offers thousands of products, including rice, lentils, chutneys and spices, and generated £5.4m in exports last year. It takes its name from founders Thakorbha Patel and Mohinder Bhatoa, who set up the business in 1967.

British Indians in The Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200

The Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 ranks UK's fastest growing international sales as calculated over their latest available accounts. Featured in the list are a few British-Indians who have made a mark with their globally recognised ventures. Rank 3: Missguided: Founded in 2009 by 32

year old Nitin Passi, online retailer Missguided offers catwalk looks and celebrity-inspired fashion to women aged 16 to 35. The Manchester business

has expanded into France, America and Australia, and its website has more than 3 million registered users. Is partnership with pop diva Nicole Scherzinger soared its international sales to £20.4m this year. Rank 76: Nova of London: Chairman Ajinder C h a w l a started by s e l l i n g clothes on a market stall in 1973, which is now run by the Chawla family, supplies retailers and wholesalers across Europe, Singapore, Canada, and the UAE. Nova of London sells women’s fashion, including brand QED London, which it designs in Britain and sources from China, India and Turkey. Exports

BAP Pharma was founded in 2010 by former research scientist Bashir Parkar. It works with many of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies and supplies drugs used as benchmarks in their clinical trials. International sales grew to an annualised £20.1m in 2013. Rank 122: Veetee Rice: Veetee imports rice from around the world and

BUDGET SPECIAL

The Chancellor’s Budget Statement Rests Mainly on Economic Security

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

Sumit Agrawal, Founder & Managing Partner, Tax and Business Growth Expert DNS Associates

www.dnsassociates.co.uk

This is the chancellor’s seventh budget announcement but his first as Chancellor of a conservative majority government. While he celebrated the fact that the UK is growing faster than any other developed economy with the creation of 2 million new jobs, he stressed that the UK’s deficit problems are not solved. Looking to Greece, the chancellor pointed to how important it is for a country to be in control of its borrowing, which as we watch the fate of Greece, virtually bankrupt and with zero liquidity in its banks, surely no one would dare argue against this. Below is a review summary of some of the highlights, such as a new Living Wage and tax cuts for companies and individuals.

CORPORATION TAX Mr Osborne offers a fresh carrot to attract investment in the UK: Corporation Tax • Cut to 19% in 2017 • Cut to 18% in 2020 Comment: At a time when UK Corporation Tax is lower than any other members of the G7, this sweetener to businesses may offer the balance between putting pressure on companies to raise wages for the lowest earners (see below) so that the cuts in the welfare budget, particularly in-work benefits such as Tax Credits, don’t hit the lowpaid so hard.

PAY, FROM THE NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE TO THE NEW LIVING WAGE Government is to introduce a new National Living Wage (NLW) for all workers over 25, which is thought will cost businesses 1% of their corporate profits: The New Living Wage • £7.20 p.h. from April 2016 • To reach £9 p.h. by 2020 Comment: this is a bold move, to set against the cuts in the welfare budget (see Welfare summary below).

PERSONAL TAX THRESHOLD, HIGHER RATE TAX THRESHOLD AND EMPLOYERS’ NI CONTRIBUTIONS • Personal tax allowance to rise to £11,000 from April 2016; • The 40 pence tax threshold to rise from £42,385 to £43,000 next April 2016; • NI employment allowance for small firms to be increased by 50% to £3,000 from 2016. Comment: this is good for all taxpayers, including those on the higher income bracket, and good for small owner-managed businesses. It’s widely hoped that the slight rise in the higher rate income tax threshold is a first step to lowering the rate in the future. The NI allowance increase is another sweetener, but not a good one for one-man band companies because they will lose this allowance. ANNUAL INVESTMENT ALLOWANCE (AIA) • From January 2016, the AIA is to be set at £200,000 rather than falling to £25,000 at the end of the year. Comment: As an amount of tax busi-

nesses can claim back on investment in equipment or other development capital, the AIA has gone up and down like a yoyo since its introduction in April 2008. Its current rate of £500,000 was set to expire on January 2016; from that date, now, it will be drastically cut to £200,000 but the allowance will be preserved in a permanent state. While the preservation of the allowance is welcomed, many businesses regret that the current rate was not maintained or even increased.

TAX PLANNING / TAX AVOIDANCE Warning: £7.2bn to be raised from clampdown on tax avoidance and tax evasion with HMRC tax investigation and non-compliancy budget increased by £750m. Non-Domiciles • From April 2017, permanent nondom status will be abolished, so that anyone who has lived in the UK for 15 of the past 20 years will pay the same level of tax as other UK citizens. Comment: This reform does not eliminate the tax status, but prevents individuals from claiming non-dom status in their tax affairs. This has much to do with government’s long-term goal to raise more tax revenue by eliminating aggressive tax avoidance and tax evasion. Dividends Osborne announced a major overhaul of how dividends are taxed from April 2016. Dividend tax credits will now be replaced by a tax-free allowance of £5,000 of dividend income for all taxpayers.

The rates of dividend tax will be set at: • 7.5% for basic rate taxpayers; • 32.5% for higher rate taxpayers; • 38.1% for additional rate taxpayers with an increase of 7.5% when this income exceeds £5,000; • Dividends held in ISAs and pensions will continue to be tax free. Comment: See the welfare and pensions summary below as well: is this government rewarding saving and investment and trying to raise tax revenue and cut down on tax avoidance? The dividends overhaul looks like a major shakeup to stop tax avoidance through use of personal service companies, but this is also a major blow to many small ownermanaged and one-man-band consulting companies. Taxing dividends at the flat rate, which is around 7.5% more than the current band, would surely make the choice between sole trader and a limited company a more difficult one to justify as this move reduces the benefit of incorporation. DNS will keep our small business posted shortly with a table showing how much they will loose on withdrawals by using a dividend tax calculator. DNS will be working closely with clients on how to mitigate taxes. OTHER IMPORTANT TAX ISSUES • Inheritance tax threshold will be increased to £1m from 2017; • Mortgage interest relief for buy-to-let homebuyers to be restricted to basic

rate of income tax; • Rent-a-room relief scheme to rise to £7,500. Comment: Raising the inheritance tax threshold is an unpopular measure surprisingly, but with so many London properties now easily worth far more than that, it seems sensible. While the mortgage-interest relief restriction is sorry news for investors, many property experts believe it to be an appropriate measure to protect the housing market. In light of the government’s announcements on the student maintenance grant, the rent-a-room relief scheme (rising to £7,500) is a very good way to part-fund children at university. WELFARE • Working-age benefits to be frozen for four years, including tax credits and local housing allowance; • Higher-income households in social housing will be required to pay rents at the market rate; • Tax credits and Universal Credit to be restricted to two children, affecting those born after April 2017;

FUEL AND ROAD TAX • No rise in fuel duty with rates continuing to be frozen until the end of the year; • Major reform to vehicle excise duties to pay for a new road-building and maintenance fund in England; • New VED bands for new cars to be introduced from 2017, pegged to emissions - 95% of car owners will pay £140 a year Comment: the nil-rise in fuel duty is good for the economy, but the new VED bands for new cars will be a blow for new car buyers and business car owners. We will return to this issue in more detail later in the year.

STUDENTS • Student maintenance grants to be replaced with loans from 2016‒17, to be paid back once people earn more than £21,000 a year; • The maintenance loan will increase to £8,200; Comment: The National Union of Students are of course livid, saying that this will prevent students from lower income families studying at university. Personally, I think students will still want to study, and in order for the UK to sustain the education economy this has to be done in order to maintain education budgets for mandatory education. A tax on higher education maybe, but I don’t feel this will deter students studying at degree level.

DEVOLUTION With greater powers of devolution given to Scotland, the chancellor has offered a similar freedom to other regions: • Control over fire services, planning and children's services to be handed to consortium of 10 councils in Greater Manchester; • Discussions on devolution of services to Sheffield, Liverpool, and West Yorkshire. Comment: The Northern Powerhouse is an important Political teddy bear to nurse during this parliament. The Conservatives want to see the Northern powerhouse glow and take credit for it.

George Osborne

• Income threshold for tax credits to be reduced from £6,420 to £3,850. Comment: The reforms to welfare are radical and only the most relevant are listed here. The new tax credits thresholds will affect many working families, but the number of children that a family can claim tax credits for is a radical step in the welfare provision for families that tend to have large families without any financial planning.

PENSIONS • State pension triple lock to be protected and Green Paper to be published on proposals for “a radical change” to pension saving system; • Annual tax relief on pension contributions to be limited to £10,000 a year; • The amount people can contribute to their pension tax-free to be reduced for individuals with incomes over £150,000. Comment: Osborne has set the scene to make some radical changes to the pensions and taxation systems. We know this government wants to encourage people to save for their retirement. The changes made to the dividends’ tax-free allowance and, no doubt, other changes announced today are paving the way, I would dare suggest, for more radical pensions and investments statements in the Autumn Statement. Let’s wait and see.

DEFENCE • Government to spend 2% of GDP on defence every year, meeting Nato target; • Spending on defence to rise in real terms every year during the Parliament; • New £1.5bn Joint Security Fund to be created. Comment: This will please the generals and admirals! However, in view of recent events and anniversaries it’s about time the UK listened and raised its defence budget to meet the level of threat. Good security is good for business and investment. Expect a lot more battles over the next few months and years between the Conservatives and SNP over defence budget spending.

CONCLUSION Seldom would we include devolution, defence, and even students in our budget summary, but free from the constraints of coalition government, the Chancellor delivered a budget in line with the Conservative manifesto. He clearly wants to attract investment in the UK; support business, and reward work. He has hit the “loungers”, the long-term unemployed, while rewarding the workers. Unfunded giveaways were not there, but he did offer some token gestures for savers and pensioners, and made further steps to encourage employers and relieve the burden on small businesses. Disappointed by some of the measures the chancellor has taken, even so, looking back to Greece, whichever political viewpoint one takes, I know where I’d rather put my hard work and investment.

INDIA

DMK-Cong unites for oppressed communities of the society

Chennai: In a social justice conference organised to shield the separate reservation for the Arundathiyar community, TNCC president E.V.K.S Elangovan stressed that the DMK and the Congress would work closely for the cause of the oppressed sections of the society. However, when asked about the prospect of an electoral alliance, he said, “But the question of a

political alliance will be decided at the time of elections.” DMK Treasurer Stalin

said he was in full agreement with Mr. Elangovan that the DMK and the Congress would work together to fulfil the demands of the Arundathiyar community. “But Mr. Elangovan failed to touch a point. I take liberty to stress it. When it comes to putting an end to the misrule of the AIADMK

government, we will function like partners in alliance. No one has any doubt about our commitment,” Stalin said. The alliance has made way for criticism from CPI leader and former State Secretary D. Pandian. Addressing reporters, he said the two coming together did not bode well for the people of the State as they had “ruined” the country.

services and trafKochi: In a UDF fic, was seated on Parliamentar y a sofa and conmeeting, chief mintinued to do so, ister Oommen failing to proceed Chandy stated to welcome the “suitable action” minister or salute would be taken him. The minisagainst senior IPS officer Rishiraj Oommen Chandy ter did not react during the event Singh, who prebut later told reporters, “I sumably refused to have no complaint against acknowledge Home anyone in this regard. It is Minister Ramesh Chennithala at a function, for the DGP to probe if his and even failed to salute behaviour violated protohim. He said the ADGP col.” had not only failed to “The Facebook and salute the Minister, but his Whatsapp postings are creexplanation for his behavating confusion among the iour wasn't acceptable public. When we are sitting either. on the dais facing the The incident occurred parade, the Minister entered from behind. How when the Home Minister will we see a person who is arrived to attend the passbehind us? At the parade ing out parade of women we are supposed to get up police personnel at the only when the national Police Academy in anthem is played,” Singh Thrissur. ADGP Rishiraj quoted in his defence. Singh, in charge of special

Hyderabad: Chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was all business in his trip to Japan. He met Japanese premier Shinzo Abe and invited him to the foundation stone laying ceremony for the construction of the capital city, Amaravati. In a meeting with the COO of Motorcycle Operations, Shinji Aoyama, Honda Motor Co, Naidu gave an overview of the opportunities for auto mobile sector in Andhra and said his government's automobile policy would allow ancillary units to function from the State and support the mother unit. Naidu also met executives of JGC Corporation which operates in petroleum, power,

water, energy and industrial parks sectors, and invited the company to explore the possibility of establishing a petro-chemical corridor in the State while pointing to the presence of huge gas and energy reserves in the Krishna-Godavari basin. An MoU was also signed between Andhra Pradesh Technology Services (APTS) Limited and National Electronics Corporation (NEC) for implementing a Safe-city project in Tirupati . It also seeks to help the AP Government to get Japanese financial assistance and establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) to undertake research capacity building and consultancy relating to safe cities.

Chandigarh: Industry and Commerce Minister Madan Mohan Mittal recently hit out at the Shiromani Akali Dal for advocating their own vote bank of farmers and ignoring industry, a vote bank of his party, BJP. “While Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal seems to be concentrating only on getting new industrial investment, as Industry Minister, I have to look after the existing industry, which is facing its worstever crisis in Punjab. Industry in the state bravely faced and survived terrorism, but due to lack of support, industrial units in Mandi Gobindgarh and Ludhiana are closing down. People whose units have been taken over and auctioned are still being asked to pay huge amounts as pending dues on loans,” said Mittal. Mittal's comments received a comeback from the Punjab Congress as they held BJP equally responsible for the sad situation of industry in the

Rupnagar: A 37 year old man was crushed, questionably by a luxury bus belonging to Dabwali Transport, a company owned by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal's family. The bus bearing number PB03V-1990 was seen being driven reckelessly, hitting the victim and dragging it to some distance, as reported by a witness. The accident provoked massive protest against the Badals, and the villagers asked for a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the victim's family, a job for his wife and strict action against the bus driver and its owners. Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa said, “The incident is a classic example of hit and run as the bus driver didn't even bother to stop after crushing Swaran Singh. The police have failed to take any action and the reasons are obvious.” State Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa was at the protest site with colleague Sukhpal

Singh Khaira and party legislators Jagmohan Singh Kang, Balbir Singh Sidhu, and Charanjit Singh Channi. Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Ambika Soni accused the state bureaucracy of serving the financial interests of the Badal family. “The entire government machinery came together to save the driver of a Badal bus. An innocent car driver was pressurised to take the blame,” she said. However, much to the displeasure of all those against the CM and his family, the Punjab police gave a clean chit to Dabwali Transport, claiming that victim Swarn Singh died after his scooter was hit by a car, and not the bus. Forensic examination of the event said the bus did not make any contact whatsoever with the scooter or the car. The reports triggered further protests as the Congress said it was a massive cover up to shield and protect the business interests of the Badals.

Chandy contemplates Naidu meant business action against top cop in Japan

Sorry plight of industry Two months after in state, BJP-Congress Moga, Badals again in play blame game the eye of the storm state. “Mere admission is not going to absolve the BJP from bad day of industries, as the BJP cabinet ministers are equally responsible for anti-industry decision which the Punjab government has taken,” said Mohindra. He pointed out how the Punjab Cabinet imposed heavy taxes on the industry and business, in a meeting where Mittal and other BJP ministers were present. “Don't shed crocodile tears, as the public knows that the BJP is equally responsible for bad days of the Punjab Industry,” Mohindra said. He said as Mittal has now taken to blast the SAD government and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal, he should come up with a white paper stating why the industry from Punjab is closing down. He also said the Congress in the coming assembly session will seek a detailed debate on the industrial scenario of Punjab and expose how the SAD-BJP misrule badly affected the industrial scenario of Punjab.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

South Brief

MLA Chendur Pandian passes away

Chennai: Ruling AIADMK legislator and former minister P. Chendur Pandian breathed his last after a prolonged illness. He was the minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments until admitted to hospital early this year, when his portfolio was handed over to his cabinet colleague R Kamaraj. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, in her condolence message, said Pandian’s death was a great loss for the party. “Chendur Pandian's death is a great loss to the AIADMK. In order to condole his death, all party functions and public meetings arranged for today stand postponed,” she said. He is survived by a wife, two sons and a daughter.

Andhra seeks President's help

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh government has urged President Pranab Mukherjee to ensure enforcement of provisions under Section 8 of the AP Reorganisation Act. A delegation of ministers of the AP Cabinet, led by Deputy Chief Minister K.E Krishnamurthy, have put forth a complaint about the alleged tapping of telephones of over 120 important functionaries of the state government and the ruling party of the Telangana government. They complained to the President about the violations committed by the Telangana Government in implementing provisions under Section 8 and the way the TRS Government dealt with the institutions under Schedule IX and X of the Act. Mr. Krishnamurthy said that the A.P. Government had no objection if steps were taken to constitute a special cell for resolving the contentious issues between the two States.

Transgenders and the police fight against crime

Bengaluru: In a unique approach to control criminal activities, the Bengaluru police has brought in the transgender community who will be deployed in busy places. An initiative of Deputy Commissioner of Police South East Division, Rohini Katoch Sepat, the prospect is to empower them and sensitise the society. They have already received a good response, with nearly 60 transgenders already signing up for the project. The police hope to rope in at least 3,000. Members of the community will be placed in busy areas, including markets. Traffic junctions, and bus stops. The police hopes the community members will help identify anti-social elements.

North Brief

Heavy rains call for High Alert in Pathankot

Pathankot: Water level of the Ranjit Sagar Dam has increased in view of heavy rains in Punjab, over the past few days, pushing authorities to sound an alert for the villagers living near the banks of river Ravi. The water level of the dam has touched 523.90 metres as against its storage capacity of 527.91 metres. The MeT department has predicted heavy rainfall in the area over the next few days. The spell of rains over the entire state has choked sewerage and potholed roads, bringing the administration to terms with the ineffective sewage disposal system of the cities.

Gurgaon police's Udaan to help underprivileged youth soar

Gurgaon: The police department of Gurgaon has launched 'Udaan', a skill training programme for the underprivileged youth. Commending the department for the initiative, DGP Yashpal Singhal said it would go a long way in checking crime and strengthening community policing. “As many as 60 persons would be trained in hospitality in the first batch of Udaan,” said Singhal. It is the first project under community policing but the Haryana Police intend to start two more projects; Student Police Cadet Programme (SPCP) and Saanjh Kendra. Under the SPCP project, the students will be trained and apprised about the activities carried out by the police on the pattern of the NCC and the NSS, and under the Saanjh Kendra, senior and respectable citizens will be involved to solve petty cases of crime.

Haryana government augments transparency in state

Karnal: Speaking in a public rally, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar asked the people to utilise the most of information technology. He pointed out that the level of transparency has been increased as most of the pension disbursals in the state is now linked through Aadhaar card. “Now the beneficiaries of the old age allowance scheme would not face any difficulty in availing benefits of the social security pension.” He also added, “The state government is also taking steps to make the best of digital technology.” The government has started using digital technology for e-disha, e-registration, C-form and 24 other services.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

In Brief

Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata succumbs to cancer

Tokyo: Donkey Kong and Pokemon maker firm, Nintendo has confirmed the demise of it Chief Executive Officer Satoru Iwata owing to bile duct cancer. Iwata led Nintendo's development into a global company, with its hit Wii home console and DS handheld, and also through its recent woes caused by the popularity of smartphones. Iwata, who started off as a programmer, took the top post at Nintendo in 2002, two years after joining and was more recently pushing a long-awaited departure from its consolesonly policy in a bid to repair a battered balance sheet. A visibly thinner Iwata had announced last year that he was sick and did not attend the firm's shareholder meeting in June 2014. The severity of his illness was unclear at the time.

Rajapaksa to run for PM in August elections

Colombo: A coalition led by Sri Lanka's president has nominated war-time leader Mahinda Rajapaksa to run in elections next month as per official documents. Rajapaksa will stand in the country's third-largest electoral district, Kurunagala, where most voters have relatives in the military. His allies say if elected, he would immediately resume Chinese projects suspended by the current Sirisena government. Rajapaksa and his regime still face a United Nations war crimes investigation, a report on alleged rights abuses in the final phase of the war is due in September. Sirisena, a former minister in Rajapaksa's administration, defected last year to run for president, promising fresh elections in 2015. The parliamentary election comes after months of deadlock in the legislature, as a six-month-old coalition government brought together by Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe struggled to pass important political reforms. The elections are set for Aug 17.

Japanese companies enter arms race

Yokohama: Some of Japan's biggest companies that are known for producing motorcycles, washing machines and laptop computers are pitching into a new line of products; military hardware. After a ban on weapons exports maintained for nearly 50 years by the government, globally noted firms like Mitsubishi, Kawasaki, Hitachi, Toshiba and other military contractors are unmistakenly showcasing their products. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lifted the prohibition on military exports last year as part of loosening of restrictions on Japan’s military power that were put in place after its defeat in World War II and is counting on the increased military trade to strengthen ties with other countries. Less than one per cent of Japan’s industrial output is military-related, and only four Japanese companies are among the top 100 arms producers ranked by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

New Horizons explores the last of the solar system

Nasa: Scientists at Nasa's New Horizons control centre erupted in cheers as they celebrated the spacecraft's dramatic flyby of Pluto. The probe shot past at more than 28,000mph (45,000 km/h) at 12.49pm BST (7.49am ET) on a trajectory that brought the fastest spacecraft ever to leave Earth’s orbit within 7,770 miles of Pluto’s surface. The moment was played out by The Final Countdown, a band from Europe as the United States glowed in the historic moment. They are now the only nation to have explored every planet in the solar system. “It feels good,” said Alan Stern, lead scientist on the mission. “So many people put so much work into this around the country. We’ve completed the initial reconnaissance of the solar system, an endeavour started under President Kennedy.” “It’s just amazing. It’s truly a hallmark in human history,” he said of the encounter with Pluto. “It’s been an incredible voyage.”

Yousafzai opens school for Syrian girls

Beirut: Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai spent her 18th birthday on the Syrian border as she inaugurated the Malala Yousafzai All-girls school that will offer education and skills training to girls aged 14 to 18. “I am here on behalf of the 28 million children who are kept from the classroom because of armed conflict. I am honoured to mark my 18th birthday with the brave and inspiring girls of Syria. On this day, I have a message for the leaders of this country, this region and the world: you are failing the Syrian people, especially Syria's children. This is a heartbreaking tragedy -the world's worst refugee crisis in decades.”

WORLD

Iran signs historic nuclear agreement with the States

Vienna: A landmark agreement has been signed between Iran, the United States and other world powers to curb nuclear programs and put to rest fears of a nuclear armed Iran threatening the Middle East. The nearly 100 page accord aims to keep Iran from producing enough material for an atomic weapon for at least 10 years and imposes new provisions for inspections of Iranian facilities, including military sites. It includes a compromise between Washington and Tehran that would allow UN inspectors to press for visits to Iranian military sites as a part of their monitoring duties and in exchange, Iran will get billions of dollars in relief from international sanctions. The accord was reached after long, nettlesome negotiations and marks a dramatic break from decades of animosity between the United States and Iran, countries that have labeled each other the “leading state sponsor of terrorism” and “the Great Satan.” “This deal offers an opportunity to move in a new direction,” President Barack Obama declared at the White House. “We

Tsipras faces flak over Greece rescue deal

Alexis Tsipras

Athens: Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras faced open disagreement from his ministers as he showcased support for the agreement signed with the Eurozone which includes measures that will inflict more economic problems on the people. The country's Parliament is supposed to pass a couple of measures that include consumer tax increases and pension reforms before it starts negotiations with European creditors on a third bailout worth 85 billion euros. Defence Minister Panos Kammenos commented on the agreement saying, “The night before last, there was a coup. A coup in the heart of Europe. hey want the government to fall and to replace it with one that hasn’t been voted on by the Greek people.”

European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and US Secretary of State John Kerry pose for a group picture at the United Nations building in Vienna

should seize it,” he said. In Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said “a new chapter” had begun in his nation's relations with the world. He however, maintained that Iran had never sought to build a bomb, an assertion the US and its partners have long disputed. President Obama said the agreement, bore fruits to nearly two years of negotiations as it would cut off all of Iran's pathways to a bomb and give the international commu-

nity unprecedented access to the country's nuclear facilities. “This deal is not built on trust,” Obama said. “It is built on verification.” With the deal between the world powers now finalised, Congress has 60 days to assess the accord and decide whether to pursue legislation imposing new sanctions on Iran or prevent Mr. Obama from suspending existing ones. The President renewed his vow to veto any such legislation and urged lawmakers to consider the

repercussions of their actions and said he or a future US president would be more likely to face a decision about using military action to prevent Iran from building a bomb. Secretary of State John Kerry, who did most of the bargaining with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, said persistence paid off. “Believe me, had we been willing to settle for a lesser deal we would have finished this negotiation a long time ago,” he told reporters.

WORLD

India-Pak talks see-saw as Pak pivots

New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was the most consequential event of his visit to Central Asia, BRICS and the SCO. It was believed to have ended with a satisfactory note as Modi accepted an invitation to visit Islamabad in 2016 for a SAARC summit, a year after India called off talks with Pakistan. Narendra Modi raised India's concerns on terror and the release of Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. In a joint statement released after the meeting that proceeded for more than an hour, foreign secretaries S. Jaishankar and Aizaz Chowdhury announced a five-pronged statement of progress, that included meetings between National Security Advisers Ajit Doval and Sartaj Aizaz and, discussing ways and means to expedite Mumbai 26/11 trial. The statement condemned terrorism in all forms and said the NSA's of the countries would discuss all outstanding issues in New Delhi soon. Both the sides also said meetings will be held between the heads of India's Border Security Force and the Pakistan Rangers, fol-

Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif

lowed by discussions between the director generals of military operations from both countries. A decision was announced to release Indian and Pakistani fishermen in custody, along with their boats, in 15 days. Both the countries agreed to establish a “mechanism for facilitating religions tourism.” Primarily discussed was Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi's release and ways to expedite trial in Mumbai attack case. The joint statement said both sides would “cooperate with each other to eliminate this menace [terrorism] from South Asia”, and BJP spokesperson called the talks a “breakthrough”. Modi and India

were seemingly satisfied from the outcome although, Sharif came under strong criticism from his country for avoiding the Kashmir issue and India's interference in Baluchistan. However, India's satisfaction from the bilateral talks was short-lived and went the way it came as barely three days after the understanding reached by both the prime ministers, Pakistan's foreign policy adviser Sartaj Aziz said the 26/11 probe could only proceed after India provided “more evidence”. In a press conference in Islamabad, Aziz said, “On Mumbai trial case, our view has been, and was so in this meeting as well, that we need more evi-

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dence and information to conclude the trial. The reference to 'additional information' is recognition of the need that more information is needed to expedite the trial.” New Delhi has maintained that it has provided sufficient information and evidence to put the Lakhvi issue to rest by nailing him in the attack in Mumbai that claimed 166 lives. While the new statements did not go down well with the Indian government, it sure must have mellowed down the strong apprehensions that were raised in Pakistan at the mere mention of giving yields to India.

ISRO launches UK satellites

Sriharikota: The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launched five satellites for the United Kingdom, claiming another feather to its cap. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLVC28) lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 9.58pm. And less than 20 minutes later, the rocket placed in the designated orbits three identical DMC3 optical earth observation satellites, an auxiliary earth observation micro satellite (CBNT-1) and one technology demonstrator nanosatellite (DeOrbitSail), built by SSTL. The overall liftoff mass of the five satellites added up to 1,440k, more than twice the mass of its last commercial launch of SPOT 7, a French satellite weighing 712kg which was put in orbit by PSLV on June 30, 2014. It was PSLV's 30th flight and 29th consecutive successful one. This was for the ninth time, Isro used an XL version of the rocket with an additional strap-on. The heaviest commercial mission undertaken by the space agency proves ISRO is not only a major player for space industries globally but also as a leading foreign exchange earner for the country. These international customer satellites were launched as part of the arrangement between DMC International Imaging (DMCii), a wholly owned subsidiary of SSTL, UK and Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix), the commercial arm of ISRO. “It was a wonderful launch,” said Isro chairman AS Kiran Kumar. “We've put all the five satellites of our customers in orbit.”

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

In Brief

Female Supreme Court nominee rejected by Afghan Parliament

Kabul: In a blow to the government's attempts to promote women at high positions, lawmakers of Afghanistan rejected the first female nominee for the country's Supreme Court. President Ashraf Ghani had nominated Anisa Rasouli, the head of the Afghan Woman Judges' Association and a juvenile court judge to join the Supreme Court's nine-member bench in a move that did not bode well with several Islamic conservatives. Rasouli needed 97 votes out of 193 to win, but managed only 88 votes with the MPs approving another male member of the Supreme Court and the governor of the central bank. “Unfortunately, Anisa Rasouli... could not get the vote of confidence to become a member of the supreme court. We ask the president to introduce another candidate,” Abdul Zahir Qadeer, deputy chairman of the parliament, told the session after a secrete vote.

Myanmar sets date for historic general election

Naypyitaw: Myanmar will go to the polls on 8 November in its first open general election in 25 years. The vote is seen as a crucial stage towards full democracy. Reforms in the country have been hoped for since 2010, when military rule was replaced by a military-backed civilian government. The ruling USDP now faces a head-to-head contest with Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. She won elections in 1990 that were scrapped. Eighty-three parties are expected to contest the polls and a quarter of the 664 parliamentary seats will be reserved for the military. A president will be chosen by parliament after the election but under the constitution Suu Kyi is barred from taking the top job because her late husband was British and her two sons are British citizens.

Soldiers die in Saudi-led air coalition

Yemen: Dozens of soldiers were killed in a Saudiled coalition air strike on an army base in southern Yemen. The incident in which the soldiers died took place at the headquarters of the 23rd Mechanised Brigade in al-Abr, Hadramawt province, near the border with Saudi Arabia. A military source said the coalition aircraft bombed the base, used by forces loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, while attempting to stop rebel forces taking control of a nearby border crossing. At least 30 soldiers were killed, and armoured vehicles and troop carriers were destroyed or damaged, before the situation was brought under control.

High profile Tibetan monk dies in Chinese prison

Beijing: One of China's most prominent political prisoner, 65 year old Tenzin Delek Rinpoche died in jail. He died in Chuandong prison in the southwestern city of Chengdu, as reported by his cousin, Geshe Nyima. The Tibetan government-inexile, the Central Tibetan Administration, also confirmed his death. “The fact that he was not even allowed medical parole and last wish of followers to see him reflects continuing hardline policies of the Chinese government,” said Lobsang Sangay, Head of the India based administration. The cause of his death was not clear, but rights groups said he was suffering from a heart condition. The monk's sisters were later notified by the authorities. Tenzin Delek was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in 2002, the sentence was later changed to life imprisonment and reduced to a term of 20 years.

Saudi King Salman changes cabinet again

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's King Salman named a new housing minister and replaced the head of the royal court in his latest government reorder for no announced reason. A decree named Minister of State Khalid bin Abdulrahman al-Issa will replace Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Suwailem as head of the royal court, a kind of gatekeeper to the king. Suwailem had held the post until he took over from Salman's powerful son Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of a major shake-up which saw the king's son named Deputy Crown Prince and second in line to the throne. The King further streamlined administration by merging the royal court with the crown prince's court, based on a suggestion by Mohammed bin Nayef. Another royal decree Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah bin Musaid bin Jalwi al-Saud is appointed as governor of the Northern Frontier Province which borders Iraq to replace the previous governor who died this month.

INDIA

Modi's tour across Central Asia and Russia outlooks to better International relations

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accomplished his eight day tour across Central Asia and Russia, with the highpoints of his trip being his presence in the BRICS and SCO summits and his bilateral meeting with Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif. Starting from Uzbekistan where both the countries decided to boost ties in atomic energy, defence and trade fields, his next destination was neighbouring Kazakhstan. India and Kazakhstan signed five key agreements that included a defence pact to enhance military cooperation and a contract for supply of uranium. Modi and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayen held talks, jointly deciding to engage against terrorism and extremism. Other pacts included Treaty on Transfer of Sentenced Persons, human resources, cultural exchanges and capacity building. Modi next flew to Ufa, Russia to attend BRICS and SCO summits where he held bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. He conveyed

Narendra Modi in the SCO family photograph, in Ufa, Russia India's concerns to Jinping, regarding China's support to Pakistan in the United Nations over 26/11 mastermind Lakhvi. Both the leaders engaged in an 85 minute long meeting ahead of the two summits. The countries' progress in Modi at the BRICS Summit bilateral ties since their last the Beijing-backed Asian largest shareholder and, meeting, cooperation in Infrastructure Investment reconstruction projects in the BRICS grouping and Bank; India's secondquake hit Nepal, were the

IPL betting trails lead to CSK and RR

Continued from page 1

Ravichandra Ashwin, all find themselves without IPL contracts. Also biting the bullet are the two teams' coowners, Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra, who have been suspended for life. Sonin-law of then BCCI president N Srinivasan and team principal of the Chennai Super Kings is no longer eligible to participate in any cricketing activity. The panel said Meiyappan had flouted basic rules of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Rajasthan Royals co-founder Raj Kundra, who is married to Bollywood superstar Shilpa Shetty, was found of bringing disrepute to the game, to the BCCI and to the IPL and declared ineligible from participating in cricket for 5 years and is now suspended for life from being involved with the BCCI in any form of the game. Players from the two suspended teams are eligible to play for any other team, which means that the league will have to call for a fresh auction before the 2016 season gets under way. The BCCI now has the option to invite bids for two new franchises or go ahead with a six-team league, something that will rob the tournament of the

Justice Lodha came down hard on the owners of CSK and RR competitiveness it prides itself so much on. India Cements Ltd., owners and promoters of the Chennai Kings are also banned for two years by Lodha and his panel. It plans to move the Supreme Court against the order of the court appointed committee against the verdict. “The fact that Gurunath was an integral part of CSK and most people saw him as the

face of the team, he ought not to have indulged in betting practices,” the committee said. “That the allegation of match-fixing against Kundra was not finally established does not matter because his status as owner has brought disrepute.” BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya welcomed the panel’s order, and said the board was committed to ensuring transparency, accountability and cleansing the sport to restore the faith of millions of fans. “BCCI is committed to honour and respect judicial decisions and it would give its observations after the entire report is read and a collective decision is taken,” a BCCI media release said. Meanwhile, Lalit Modi could not be happier about the turn of events and has said all the complicit BCCI officials should resign.

topics of deliberation. He later met with Vladimir Putin who confirmed in advance that India was to become a full member of the Shanghai C o o p e r a t i o n Organisation. Both the leaders talked about the economic issues between the countries and the possibility of visa liberalisation. The most anticipated India Pakistan meet was held on the third day in Ufa when Prime Ministers of both the countries talked about terrorism, Mumbai attacks and other topics of importance. The five nation BRICS summit attended by him, focused on economic and security cooperation and the six member group of the SCO summit saw India and Pakistan receive full membership. The fourth leg of Modi's agenda was Turkmenistan where he unveiled the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in the capital, inaugurated a traditional medicine and yoga centre and, visited the mausoleum of the first Turk President, at Niyazov. He issued a joint statement with the host country and proposed that it become a member of the International North South Transport Corridor. He

also promoted for an early implementation of the USD 10 million TAPI project. India and Kyrgyzstan on Sunday inked four agreements, including in defence cooperation and between their election commissions, as Narendra Modi held talks with President Almazbek Atambayev. The agreement on defence cooperation was in matters relating to defence, security, military education and training, conduct of joint military exercises, exchange of experience and information, exchange of military instructors and observers. Other two agreements signed were an MoU between Kyrgyzstan's economy ministry and the Bureau of Indian Standards on cooperation in the field of standards, and an agreement on cooperation in culture. The tour concluded with President Emomali Rahmon at the Qasr-eMillat where India assured its support to Tajikistan in the field of agriculture. Both sides inked agreements on culture and human resource development, and agreed to intensify cooperation to combat terrorism and extremism.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

Self-effacing Shriya says there is more to her than looks S

hying away from the 'Ultimate Hottie of the South' tag, bestowed upon her by an online poll, actress Shriya Saran seems keen to wean off the image stuck to her. “I wasn't the prettiest girl in school. A friend of mine from over 20 years ago contacted me after seeing the poll and said she couldn't even recognise me now. I had oily hair and spectacles. I was popular more for my dance than my looks in school.” “In cinema, if you wear western clothes, people think you’re going to party and getting drunk every night. But if you wear saris, you’re considered a saint. These perceptions need to change.” She says it took her 14 years in the industry to get work “that feed the soul”. Excited to be a part of 'Dhrishyam', opposite Ajay Devgn, she said, “I felt like I was reading Murakami. It's such an intelligent story told in a simple way... it's not often you get to work in films where you don't know who's good and who's bad.” Talking about her limited exposure to cinema before entering the industry, she fondly recalls watching movies while growing up in her hometown in Uttarakhand. “I’m from a typical middle-class family and I grew up in a place without a theatre. We lived in a BHEL colony where movies were screened in an open-air screen called Jhankaar. I remember going there with my mom while it rained, sitting under an umbrella and watching old Hindi movies. I also remember being in awe after watching 'Titanic' in Jaipur when I visited my aunt. My knowledge of cinema was very limited, and now, to be sharing screen space with National awardees like Ajay Devgn and Tabu...”

ack with yet another Eid release, 'Bhaijaan' Salman Khan is all set to sizzle the movie screens on 17 July, with his drama film, Bajrangi Bhaijaan. The film circles around a young speech impaired Pakistani girl who is lost in India, and Khan undertakes the task to reunite her with her family. The film also features Kareena Kapoor and Nawazuddin Siddique in the lead roles. Bajrangi is directed by Kabir Khan, and produced by Salman Khan and Rockline Venkatesh.

Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Amy and Anirudh team up for music video S outhern composer Anirudh Ravichanger of 'Kolaveri Di' fame will soon head to the United States with actress Amy Jackson to shoot a music video for single 'Enakenna Yaarum Illaye' for upcoming Tamil film 'Aakko'. A source from the film unit said, “While the single was released earlier this year, the makers are now planning to shoot a music video featuring Anirudh and Amy Jackson. The video will be shot in the US most likely in

August.” The song was penned by director Vignesh Shivan and composed and crooned by Anirudh himself. Directed by M. Shyam Kumar, the film stars Geethan

Selvaraghavan to release Kaan in foreign languages F

i l m m a k e r Selvaraghavan has plans to release upcoming Tamil thriller 'Kaan' in Spanish, French and Portuguese among other international languages. He tweeted, “Kaan starring @iam_str will be released in international versions also. Hope they like it too (sic).” A source confirmed the news saying, “They're planning to release the film in over 10 international languages such as Spanish, French and Portuguese, as the Selvaraghavan believes the content has global appeal.” Whether the international version will differ from the original, is undecided yet. “Selvaraghavan hasn't decided yet,” the source said, “He may exempt the songs from the international version, but he will only take a call on that after the film is completed.”

“The title Kaan means forest and its surrounding area. Important portions will be shot in a forest. Simbu is playing an ardent devotee of Lord Karthikeya in the movie.” The movie features Silambarasan in the lead, with Taapsee Pannu who will don khaki for her role; Simbu plays a lord Muruga devotee in the film, while Taapsee, a police officer.

Isha Koppikar to make Bollywood comeback

hallas' girl Isha Koppikar is gearing up for Bollywood comeback after four years, with debutante director Ankur Narendra Bhatia's 'Saangli'. The movie moves along the line of a female spiritual leader and her mentor, who will be played by Isha. “The film travels from 1960s to the present day and Isha's role spans from 30 to 80 years,” said Bhatia. The 38 year old actress who is married to restauranter Timmy Narang, delivered a baby girl last year. She has had her fill of colorless roles and was on the lookout for something more challenging in the last three years. “Acting is my passion and cinema is in its best phase today with different kind of films being made. I think this is a good role to begin with,” she smiles.

Britto, Tulika Gupta and Arjunan in important roles. It is said Anirudh was initially offered the lead role in the film, but he passed it and agreed to compose the film’s music.

Vishwanathan receives medical care for breathing trouble

ell-known music composer M S Vishwanathan is receiving treatment at Fortis Malar hospital for old age ailments and breathing trouble. “He's been undergoing treatment over the last few days. After initial treatment, he showed signs of recovery and was almost ready to be taken back home. But his condition deteriorated and he had to be rushed to the ICU,” a source said. “His pulse had dropped and he was struggling to breathe,” the source said. Celebrities and close friends of 87 year old Vishwanathan have already started paying visits. MSV is popular for composing music in Tamil, Telugu and

Malayalam industries,he started his career as the composer for 1952 film Tamil 'Panam' starring Sivaji Ganeshan. He is most known for his collaboration with with fellow composer T.K. Ramamoorthy, and the duo composed music for 86 Tamil films during their association of over a decade. Called the 'King of Light Music', Vishwanathan's solo hits include 'Bama Vijayam', 'Galatta K a l y a n a m ' , 'Deivamagan', ' M o o n d r u Dheivangal' and 'Ulagam Sutrum Valiban' among others.

Siddique extols the Khans, calls them his inspiration

cclaimed actor Nawazuddin Siddique commends Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir; the three ruling Khans of Indian cinema, calling them his inspiration. He says, “There are a lot of aspects that we can learn from Aamir, Salman and Shahrukh. Sustaining their stardom for so many years is a big achievement. Even if I don't look at them as actors, they are individuals who have achieved a lot in their life. Their achievements inspire me tremendously. And they have their own separate identity and special strengths.” Siddique is one of the very few actors who has shared screen space with all three. He was featured in Aamir's 'Talaash', and will be seen next in Salman's upcoming 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' and Shah Rukh's 'Raees'.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

Gauri Khan the new ambassador for Mahesh Notandass

gold ornaments. Chief Managing Director of Mahesh Notandass, Mahesh Jagwani said, “Her choices in jewellery embody the adherence to family values while following international fashion trends. She personifies luxury which is the core of our brand. Looking forward to an amazing relationship as we embark on this e x o t i c journey.” “Gauri Khan brings in a revered perspective of the modern Indian woman by reaffirming that an adoring mother and a celebrated wife can successfully and happily manage to be an accomplished entrepreneur, a Bollywood producer, a versatile d e s i g n e r, and much more.” Gauri was chosen as Mahesh Notandass continues its celebration of the dauntless spirit of women and their noble value in all relationships. They had previously roped in mother and daughter Neetu Singh and Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, as they represented the perfect motherdaughter bond.

ntrepreneur and 'Badshah' Khan's wife, Gauri is the new ambassador for boutique jewellery brand Mahesh Notandass Fine Jewellery. “The exclusive bond with M a h e s h Notandass is rooted in my wonderful experiences of many jewellery purchases from t h e i r B a n d r a store. Their h i g h design quotient and prem i u m client servicing has amplified their beautiful designs. I look forward to the launch of the divine and luxurious upcoming collection in our new campaign,” Gauri said in a statement. She will be featured in a series of print and online ads, all to be shot by ace Bollywood photograp h e r Dabboo Ratnani and styled by K a v i t a Lakhani. Gauri will be seen adorning regal heirlooms, signature diamond pieces, heritage jewellery, cocktail bijoux along with

Bhai seeks police aid over Whatsapp row

alman Khan registered a complaint with the Mumbai Cyber Crime Cell, after a morph post portraying the actor making bitter remarks on his Muslim fans started circulating on chat messenger, Whatsapp. The forward, believed to be a screenshot of a fake interview of the actor with a Hindi news channel, quotes Khan saying, “My movies can become a hit without the support of my Muslim fans.” Mumbai police spokesperson Dhananjay Kulkarni confirmed the incident saying, “A complaint has been registered with the Cyber Cell by his aide on the messages being circulated on various social media.”

Hrithik Roshan and AR Rahman become the first Indians to join Radio Everyone

Hrithik Roshan

ndian film superstar Hrithik Roshan (Dhoom 2, Bang Bang, Krrish) and music maestro A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) are the first two Indian personalities confirmed to take over radio airwaves this September as they join Radio Everyone, the lynchpin of a plan to reach 7 billion people in 7 days. Using radio, the world’s most accessible medium, Radio Everyone will shine a spotlight on the UN’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development, a series of ambitious targets to completely end extreme poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change for everyone by 2030. Radio Everyone is on a mission to make The Global Goals famous once they are adopted by 193 world leaders at the United Nations, New York, on 25 September 2015. As part of The Global Goals campaign, Radio Everyone is key to reaching 7 billion people in 7 days by taking the message of The Global Goals far and wide, from India to Brazil and from Nigeria to Indonesia. Hrithik Roshan will take on the role of one of Radio Everyone’s Global Communicators. Hrithik is regarded as one of India’s most accomplished actors with numerous blockbuster hits to his name. With superstar looks and an acting pedigree to match, Hrithik is

Daily soap not for Karan Johar

he new cocurator of Viacom18's two new English entertainment channels, Karan Johar says nay to daily soaps. “I know I want to do all kind of things, but now to be part of a daily soap might be pushing it too much. Being a judge for a reality show or an anchor for a talk show is okay as they come once or twice a week, but daily soap, no way.” The film maker, along with Alia Bhatt, has curated shows for new channel Colors Infinity, which span across genres like drama, superheroes, comedy, fantasy, crime and thriller. The channel will air shows based on the genres and, reality television based on dancing, cooking, magic, singing and other lifestyle interests. When asked what he cooks best, in a press conference, cheeky Johar replied, “I make cake, I also make careers.”

A R Rahman

the epitome of charisma and charm. Oscar award winner A. R. Rahman is one of the world’s most renowned composers, singer-songwriters, musicians and philanthropists. He is responsible for the criticallyacclaimed soundtrack to the multi award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire and joins other Global Musicians for Radio Everyone including Cody Simpson, D’Banj, Ice Prince and 2Face Idibia. Radio Everyone will also feature a special segment titled Global Superheroes where iconic figures from around the world share amazing stories from everyday people. The station’s soundtrack will be composed by Peter Gabriel and the Soweto Gospel Choir. Listeners around the world will be able to access Radio Everyone via an online stream on globalgoals.org and a collection of national radio stations. This will play a particularly important role in getting the message out to communities without other forms of media. Broadcasters around the world are signing up to carry content provided by Radio Everyone from 26 September to 2 October 2015 with India’s largest FM station 97.2 BIG FM being the first radio station to

sign-up in India. 92.7 BIG FM uses the power of radio to not only entertain listeners but also positively influence their lives. With a presence across 45 cities, 1,200 towns and 50,000+ villages and a weekly reach of 4.2 crore (40,200,000) listeners across India, the multi-award winning station will help Radio Everyone penetrate a broad cross-section of audiences. Other broadcasters supporting the campaign include BBC Music in the UK, WNYC & Public Radio International in the USA, Ray Power FM in Nigeria, SABA and its members across 15 countries, Radio Romania, Radio2 Rai in Italy, the Mercury Media Group in Indonesia, and Deutsche Welle internationally. Radio Everyone launches on 26th September at Global Citizen Festival, a free-ticketed event on the Great Lawn in Central Park in New York City. Headline acts for this year’s festival are Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and Pearl Jam. Radio Everyone will take highlights from the six hour Central Park Global Citizen Festival and share them with their global partners in the week following the event. These highlights will run alongside unique packages inspired by The Global Goals, with the aim to “Tell Everyone” that the goals have been agreed.

Dum Laga Ke Haisha Minissha ties the knot in a private ceremony to open OIIFFA

ash Raj Film's 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha' will open the first Ottawa Indian Film Festival Awards to commence on July 22. The film's lead actors Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar will also be present at the fest's opening. The four day festival will showcase over 15 films, including critically acclaimed Indian movies like 'Dhanak' and 'Haraamkhor', the organises of the South Asia centric film jamboree however, are counting on the appeal of 'Dum Laga Ke'. Directed by Sharat Katariya, the movie tells the story of an overweight and educated girl's bond with her school drop out husband.

h i l e ShahidMira wedding was the star event in the past week as the entire industry raved and obsessed over them, a c t r e s s Minissha Lamba tied the knot with long time beau Ryan Tham in a private ceremony in Mumbai. Actress Pooja Bedi, related to Tham, broke the news on Twitter as she welcomed the beautiful bride and wished the couple a happily married life. Lamba's love for privacy and her preference to stay away from media scrutiny makes the wedding come as expected. Minissha was last seen on television reality show 'Bigg Boss' and has worked in films like 'Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd', 'Bachna Ae Haseeno', 'Well Done Abba' and 'Bheja Fry 2'.

Help the Ramakrishna Sarada Mission

Reshma Trilochun

The Ramakrishna Sarada Mission Matri Bhavan, Kolkata, is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the health promotion of women and children, as well as empowering women. Their charitable hospital for women and children is run by the Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, employing only female staff. The hospital have been serving women and children from the middle and low socio-economic sections of the Indian society since 1950, irrespective of religion, caste or creed. The organisation is focussed and aims to achieve improvement of maternal health, reduction of child mortality and the promotion of gender equality. They empower

women by providing them with vocational training which would enable them to earn their livelihood independently, hence, gaining economic independence as well. P r a v r a j i k a Alokaprana, 62-year-old nun who is the assistant secretary of the Ramakrishna Sarada Mission Matri Bhavan hospital in Kolkata, visited our Asian Voice office, in London. She spoke about the Ramakrishna Sarada Mission. “Sarada Math and Ramakrishna Sarada Mission do work for underprivileged women, deprived women and children. We have got 33 centres all over India and two centres abroad, in Australia and Sri Lanka.” She further stated, “This is the only global

Coming Events

l Annual Residential Leadership Training for females and males aged 13+, hosted by SSV (Samiti/Sangh Shiksha Varg) with Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh. Sunday 26th July- Sunday 2nd August 2015. Lutterworth College, Bitteswell Road, Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 4EW. For more information, visit: www.hssuk.org l Diabetes Prevention Programme. Saturday 1st August, 3pm- 6pm. The Sangat Centre, 28 Sancroft Road, Harrow, HA3 7NS. l Timesless Questions Eternal Answers, organised by Chinmaya Mission UK. Wednesday 5th AugustSunday 9th August, 7:30pm- 9pm. Contact: 07810 384 311. l BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Neasden will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The Trustees of Nagrecha Charitable Trust and BAPS shir Swaminarayan Mandir are holding celebrations on Thursday 30th Jul, 6:30pm onwards, at Hariben Bachubhai Nagrecha Hall, 198- 202 Leyton Road, E15 1DT. Contact Umiben Radia: 07946 565 888. l Pujya Bhaishree's attendance on 5th anniversary celebration of the Apple Tree Centre Sanatan Mandir. Saturday 8th August, from 9:30am onwards. Apple Tree Centre, Ifield Avenue, Crwaley, West Sussex, RH11 0AF. Contact Bharat Lukka: 07967 339 790 l The 30th annual summer school of Indian music and dance will be taking place at The Bhavan, in London. Registration commences on Saturday 18th July 2015, from 2pm- 4pm. To learn more about the summer school and the events taking place at The Bhavan, visit www.bhavan.net or alternatively, you could call: 020 7381 3086. Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Freelance Correspondent: Rudy Otter Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Business Development Managers: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Sales Executive: Daxa Gami - Email: daxa.gami@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4089 - Mobile: 07875 229 111 Graphic Designers: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. Tel. +91 79 2646 5960 Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (M) +91 94266 36912 Email: nilesh.parmar@abplgroup.com Consulting Editor: Bhupatbhai Parekh, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Tel: +91 79 2630 4142

organisation which is totally independent of the men's organisation. All decisions are made by the women, for the women and it is run by women.” The hospital provides quality service however, they are facing an acute shortage of space for expansion projects for the hospital and the residential accommodation for the staff. Furthermore, the hospital needs more funds to enable that poor mothers and children receive the treatment they deserve at the hospital. Pravrajika Alokaprana agrees that it is extremely difficult to get funds or donations. “It is a big struggle. First when I wanted something very urgently for the hospital, I wanted one extra floor for

the hospital because we did not have sufficient theatres nor a critical unit for the patients coming after the operations; I went to Mumbai. I literally walked the streets of Mumbai to collect money. It was tough, it was extremely tough. Even Mumbai did not know the existence of Ramakrishna Sarada Mission.” The Ramakrishna Sarada Mission works for a noble cause but it relies on the generous donation of the public in order to give quality treatment to the underprivileged. If you would like to know more about the organisation and donate, visit www.rksmmatribhavan.org or you could email rksmmatribhavanhosp@gmail.com

Asian Voice/Gujarat Samachar organises Diabetes Prevention Programme

Asian Voice/Gujarat Samachar, in association with Sangat Centre will be organising a Diabetes Prevention Programme on Saturday 1st August 2015. The Diabetes Prevention Programme will host the renowned journalist and producer of 'Out and About', Dhruv Gadhvi, as well as the acclaimed cardiologist, Dr Aseem Malhotra. They will be discussing diabetes, as well as other fatal diseases that affect people of South Asian origin. Dr Aseem Malhotra is a cardiologist at Frimley Health NHS Foundation

Trust. He is also a consultant clinical associate at the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, as well as an active member of 'Action of Sugar'. Dr Malhotra is also well-known for questioning the 'myth' that says saturated fat must be removed from one's diet to reduce risk of cardiovascular illnesses. The programme will be taking place from 3pm6pm, at The Sangat Centre, 28 Sancroft Rd, Harrow, HA3 7NS. For more information, please contact Kamal Rao on 020 7749 4001.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 Try to take things in your stride rather than anticipating what might happen. Keep calm as conflict and disagreement could be sparked off by your short-sightedness. Think carefully about the implications of your actions. Intense focus is what is needed now so do not let yourself be distracted by non-essentials.

Work is going to play a great part for some of you, who are widening their horizons. An important time to build too, as Saturn can be very severe and cold especially regarding relationships. Regardless of the limits, you have the capacity to turn the course of your life in a more fulfilling direction.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

Guard against being too impatient and restless. Avoid get-rich-quick schemes and be cautious about other people's enthusiasm which is likely to be misplaced. Make a very conscious attempt to stick to main priorities. Organise your time so that it is not taken up entirely by the demands of other people.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

You have been feeling disconnected for some time and this will be the week you will finally feel a sense of grounding. If unclear about what path to take you will soon realize exactly what you must do to fulfill your plans. Financially you will implement your plans to bring in the cash.

You will probably have little cause to complain this week. Expect everything to run smoothly and luck to attend your efforts. However, underneath this positive surface you may be plagued by a feeling of restlessness. Try to strike a balance between material and emotional affairs !

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

An exchange of opinions ought to prove very enlivening at this time. An influence that should help to enjoy the 'nicer' side of others as bring out the best in friends, colleagues and partners alike. A wind of change may be in the air; attention should turn to the wider world and benefits come from broadening of horizons and mental stimuli.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

Efforts to restructure and transform your lifestyle are more likely to meet with success. Experience you have built up in the past will now stand you in good stead. If you are thinking of investments, then this is an opportune time to go ahead with your plans. Co-operative ventures are likely to generate financial success

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

Much enthusiasm goes into professional ambitions right now, but you need to be your own boss in many ways. You will be determined to place your lifestyle on a foundation of greater security. Taking a broad perspective on the prevailing cosmic pattern, far-reaching change begins to gather momentum.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

Urvashi Jagadeesan (India) Mumbai: Kanti Bhatt, Hemraj Shah (Jumbo Advertiser) Horizon Advertising & Marketing: 2012, Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. Tel +91 79 2646 5960 Email: horizon.marketing@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Hardik Shah (M) +91 99250 42936 Email: hardik.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Neeta Patel (Vadodara) M: +91 98255 11702 Email: neeta_abplgroup@yahoo.co.in Business Co-ordinator: Shrijit Rajan M: +91 98798 82312 Email: shrijit.rajan@abplgroup.com International Advertisement Representative: Jain Group (South India) Tel: +91 44 42041122/3/4 Fax: +91 44 25362973 Mumbai: +91 022 2471 4122 Email: jain@jaingroup.net Delhi Office: Tel: +91 9311581597

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The Sun highlights your solar eighth house. Your attention turns inward on a deeper level to personal transformations. There may be a strong focus on other's money, such as the resources of a partner, inheritance, banking and loans, or taxes. This transit should be positively dealt with to achieve any benefits.

Legal matters are likely to occupy your attention this week. A long-standing problem or disagreement will need to be sorted out before allowing you to restructure both personal and joint financial interests more efficiently. Luck and love form a pleasing combination as Jupiter, the planet of luck and expansion has moved into your solar 8th house.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

The Sun puts a spotlight on your solar sixth house. This is a busy period that finds you tending to many different aspects of your daily routine and health matters. You are in a very fortunate position to be able to improve your health and diet and also tackle any problems at work, which have been a source of irritation for some time.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

Strengthen close ties of affection, sort out emotional differences and proffer the olive branch to your loved one. You often sabotage your emotional interests by keeping too much inside. However, your inner pressure builds up and manifests as irrational moods that others find hard to understand.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

SPORT WORLD

Wimbledon 2015: They came, They saw, They conquered

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

Celebs sizzled on-court and off, as the Wimbledon 2015 finals kept everyone at the edge of their seats. World number one Novak Djokovic struggled, yet managed to dominate world favourite Roger Federer and win his third Wimbledon title 7-6 (1) 6-7 (10) 6-4 6-3. It was a disappointing end for 33 year old Federer as he lost his bid to become the oldest Wimbledon champion of the Open Era. Meanwhile, Serena Williams held it high on Centre Court as she claimed her champion's trophy after three years. Her 6-4 6-4 victory over Garbine Muguruza of Spain made her the oldest Wimbledon singles champion of the Open era. With her victory, Williams now holds all four Grand Slam singles titles; the famous 'Serena Slam'. “At the beginning of the year, this is the one I really wanted to win,” Williams said. “So, that was the first thing and the main thing on my mind.” Muguruza was gracious and teary in defeat, becoming particularly emotional when she received a lengthy ovation at the trophy ceremony. “I wondered, ‘Have I made all these people feel what I felt on court?’ ” she said. A star-studded affair: The Royal Box As much as everybody

Paes, Mirza and young Sumit Nangal dazzle at Wimbledon

Dustin Brown

Novak Djokovic

Roger Federer

had their eyes peeled on the court and its players, the Royal Box was no less of an attraction as it boasted of a miscellany of celebrities flying from all across the world to show their support. From the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Albert II of Monaco, the Countess of Wessex, Prince Michael to Paula Radcliffe and Sir Matthew Pinsent, Wimbledon was the world's most esteemed tournament.

Heather Watson

Garbine Muguruza Serena Williams

In the crowds were actor Bradley Cooper, who was seen frequently throughout the tournament, TC host Bear Grylls, Pippa Middleton, Soccer legend David Beckham and English mogul Richard Branson. Oscar winning musician John Legend and wife Chrissy Teigan watched Serena Williams defeat her sister Venus. Game of Thrones actor Kit Harrington appeared well along with soccer player Adam Lallana. Vogue edi-

tor Anna Wintour was seen in the Royal Box and, so was Indian Cricket phenomenon Sachin Tendulkar along with his wife, cricketer Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma. Looking simply dapper his blue suit, Benedict Cumberbatch made a visit with his father. Lewis Hamilton however, missed the show as he was refused to enter the Box without a tie. Also spotted was 'Ram Leela' actress Deepika Padukone with her family.

India junior Hockey team announced for Volvo International

India's men's junior Hockey team has been announced for the six nation Volvo International Tournament 2015, to be held in the Netherlands from July 18 to 25. Captained by midfielder Harjeet Singh, the 18 member team was selected from a preparatory camp held last month. Most of the players chosen, have experience playing international tournaments and were part of the team that won the 2014 Sultan of Johor Cup, beating Great Britain 2-1 in the final. The Netherlands, Germany, England, Belgium

and New Zealand will contend for the title. Coached by Harendra Singh, India will play their first match against Germany, on July 18. “This is a very energetic and talented team as most

players have the capability and experience of playing under tremendous pressure. The preparatory camp was very fruitful which helped enhance their skills as well as playing along with each

other on the field. Most of the players in the squad have international experience and were part the champion team of the Sultan of Johor Cup 2014 and which I think will help in the upcoming tournament. Their exposure and learning will surely help the younger players and strengthen the team-combination,” he said. The Under-21 tournament will provide a testing platform to the teams, who are also prepping themselves for the upcoming Junior Asian Cup later this year.

Continued from page 1 India never had it so great at the big 'W' as the country's top tennis players made themselves conspicuous on the Center Court. Leander Paes, Sania Mirza and young Sumit Nangal played their way into Wimbledon titles with their respective titles, collectively making the entire nation beam with pride. Legendary Indian player Leander Paes claimed his 16th Grand Slam trophy after he won the mixed doubles event with Swiss Martina Hingis. The seventh seed Indo-Swiss pair beat fifth seed AustrianHungarian team 6-1 6-1, in a match that was over in 40 minutes. 42 year old Paes has eight men's doubles crowns in his Grand Slam collection, and this was his eighth mixed doubles title, second with Hingis; the duo won the Australian Open mixed doubles earlier this year. “It's hard to really say which one is the best one out of all of them,” he said. “But coming out and playing like that on one of the most prestigious courts that we've grown up with, and winning a title like that, again for the second time in a Grand Slam without losing a set, that is really special.” This victory makes him the world's oldest man to win a GS title. India's first women's Wimbledon championship winner, Sania Mirza created history on the Centre Court as she battled it out alongside former world no.1 Martina Hingis. The pair produced a captivating fightback as Hingis held her serve to close a 5-7 7-6(4) 7-5 win over Russians Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina. For Mirza, it was a maiden women's doubles title at a Grand Slam although she has won three mixed doubles titles at the majors. The Indian tennis star was on cloud nine as she asserted yet another feather in her cap. In 2009, Sania became India's first woman to win a Grand Slam, lifting the Australian Open with Bhupathi. In 2011, she came close to winning a women's double title in 2011 when she partnered Elena Vesnina to the French Open final, in 2012 the Sania-Mahesh Bhupathi pairing won the French Open and then in 2014 she added the US Open crown with Bruno Soares. Now, a Wimbledon championship. “It means everything to be here today,” she said. “Every kid that picks up a tennis racquet this is about winning Wimbledon or playing at Wimbledon one day. I hope it inspires a lot of girls and makes them believe they can be Grand Slam champions too,” Mirza said. President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Mirza on her victory. The President tweeted, “Hearty congratulations @MirzaSania @mhingis on winning women's doubles in Wimbledon, @MirzaSania's achievement will inspire youth of India.” “Well played Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza. You played wonderful tennis and registered a fantastic win at Wimbledon. We are proud and very happy,” the Prime Minister said in a statement. Sumit Nangal is the sixth Indian to win a Grand Slam junior title after winning the boys doubles trophy with partner Nam Hoang Ly. The 17 year old and his eighth seed Vietnamese partner overpowered fourth seeds Reilly Opelka and Akira Santillan 7-6(4) 6-4 in the clash that lasted 63 minutes. The New Delhi born, right handed player had also entered the boys' singles competition. However, he was ousted from the category in only the opener when he lost to Argentinean Juan Pablo Ficovich in three sets.

Indian Navy Sail Training Ship to participate in the annual Tall Ship Races off the coast of UK

INS Tarangini, the Sail Training Ship of Indian Navy, has commenced an eight month voyage to participate in the annual Tall Ship Races, off the coast of UK and other events at Europe, organised under the aegis of Sail Training International. During these eight months (04 May - 03 Dec 15), the ship will travel approximately 17,000 miles under sails. INS Tarangini will arrive at Plymouth on 15 July 2015 and depart on 18 July 2015 for K r i s t i a n s a n d

(Norway).During her stay at Plymouth, the ship's crew and cadets will visit Britannia Royal Naval College, play sporting fixtures, interact and share professional experiences with their Royal Navy colleagues. Two midshipmen of the Royal Navy will also embark the ship for its next leg from Plymouth to Kristiansand (Norway). The ship has an illustrious history when it comes to long voyages and was the first Indian Naval Ship to circumnavigate the Globe in 2003-04.

INS Tarangini Since then, she has sailed to 'The Great Lakes' in Canada for races and has also participated in the European Tall Ship Races.

Tarangini won The Royal Thames Yacht Club Challenge Trophy in 2005 at Europe and stood third in Youth Sailing Division in 2007 at USA. "Tall ship" is a term often used generically to describe large, classic sailing vessels. The first tall ship event was organised in 1956, where the foundation of Sail Training International was mooted. The crew of the ship will undertake this arduous voyage through the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and

the North Sea. Apart from these races, the ship sails extensively across the Indian Ocean region for the purpose of providing sail training experience to the Officer Cadets of the Navy. This year's Tall Ship Races will be conducted primarily off the coast of United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. Tarangini will participate in the Tall Ship Race from Kristiansand (Norway) to Aalborg (Denmark). She will also participate in

associated sail events such as Sail Rostock, Sail Bremerhaven in Germany and Sail Amsterdam in Netherland. About 300 sail ships of various sizes from all over the world are expected to participate in this year's events. The ship's voyage to 17 ports in 14 countries will showcase India to the world and demonstrate the Indian Navy's global reach. The theme for the voyage, codenamed Lokayan -15, has thus been chosen as "Tacking for a Broader Reach".

SPORT

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 18th July 2015

Lord Patel of Bradford becomes first British Asian appointee to ECB Management Board

leadership to The England and Wales improving fitness Cricket Board has and tackling wider announced that issues like obesity. Professor Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, a lead“I am also nating voice on health, urally very honsocial care and commuoured and proud to nity cohesion, is to join be the first British its 14-strong Board of Asian chosen to Directors as an indeserve as an ECB pendent member. Board Director and Professor Lord keen to explore Patel, who currently sits ways in which in the House of Lord’s cricket can better as a Labour Peer, forengage with merly worked for the Britain’s diverse Yorkshire Cricket communities, parAcademy as a part-time ticularly the South coach and has had a Asian community, life-long involvement and take full advantage of the with the recreational different game via local leagues Lord Prof Kamlesh Patel of Bradford OBE many ways in which we in his native Bradford. human rights. He succeeds can widen the game’s Last year he served on the Lord Morris of appeal still further.” judging panel of the inauHandsworth who is stepCurrently a Professor at gural Asian Cricket ping down from the Board the University of East Awards supported by ECB. after eleven years as an A former ambulanceLondon and Chair of the ECB Director. man, special constable and Bradford Teaching Lord Patel said: social worker, Lord Patel Hospitals NHS “Cricket has been a lifehas retained a keen interest Foundations Trust, Lord long passion of mine and in cricket while becoming Patel is a former Chair of this is a great honour for one of the country’s most the Mental Health Act me. I am a huge advocate influential and authoritaCommission. He served as of what the sport can bring tive spokesmen on issues a government minister in to the wider community – relating to health, social the House of Lord’s from from instilling life-skills care and equality and 2008-2009 and on the like self-discipline and

shadow front-bench in the upper house from 20102012. His achievements include delivering a fiveyear action plan for delivering race equality in mental health care; acting as senior Ministerial advisor for a major government initiative tackling extremism and chairing a national taskforce looking at the effectiveness of prison drug treatment. Born to Indian parents in Nairobi, Lord Patel moved to West Yorkshire at the age of one, and first played the game in the back-streets of Bradford. He subsequently joined a number of local club sides where he played alongside famous cricketing names in the Bradford League like Phil Sharpe and Geoff Cope. An all-rounder, he retired in 1998 after taking all ten wickets in a league game. He resumed playing again 7 years ago with his son Dru, and now both play regularly for Northowram Fields CC in the Central Yorkshire league.

British Asian owned Kingston day nursery announced as the new sponsor of Kingstonian FC

From L-R: Kingstonian FC Chairman Mark Anderson, Sponsors Tanveer Mann, Ranjeet Mann, Davinder Mann, Harjeet Mann, Manager of 197 Early Years Claire Deadman, 197 staff Jessica Wilkinson, Sophie Beadle, Sam Moore and Kingston FC Chairman Malcolm Winwright

An 'outstanding' day nursery owned by a British Punjabi couple, has been announced as the new sponsor of football team Kingstonian FC, in attendance of veteran footballer John Terry. One Nine Seven Early Years Nursery was revealed as the new sponsor of the club on Monday evening, during the Kingstonian FC v Chelsea FC match. The 90-place nursery is owned by Mr Davinder Singh & Mrs Harjeet Kaur

Mann and is based in Kingston-upon-Thames. Mrs Mann said: "We are delighted to be the proud new sponsors of Kingstonian FC this season and look forward to supporting the team in their upcoming matches. The pre-season friendly match ended in a 1-0 win for Chelsea after 90minutes but that didn't dampen the spirits of the Kingstonian supporters, who turned up in the hundreds to support their home team.